Time to find my heart…

This picture was taken at the St. Jude Country Music Marathon Expo.  The full caption says “Let your Hear Race, Run For Charity”.  (Sorry if it's a little blurry) On Friday, I had no idea how much that would mean to me on Saturday.

I was sad.  I was confused.  I felt lost. 

I had lost one of the biggest loves of my life.  I had fallen out of love with running.  I didn’t want to do it anymore.  I didn’t have a reason to run.  What difference was I making?  Who was I going to impact?

I saw thousands of runners proudly showing support for their causes: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training, American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation, Wounded Warriors Project, Team 4:13, Girls on the Run, Black Girls Run, and countless other groups of friends, family, and co-workers united for a cause. 

There were seas of t-shirts listing who that runner was dedicated to that day… “I’m running in memory of my mom, dad, daughter, son, grandparent, best friend”, “I’m running in honor of ______”.  Countless pictures of happy families torn apart by a bitch named Cancer.  T-shirts filled with inspirational quotes, encouraging others that they can do this.   If I had this inspiration and motivation, maybe I wouldn’t have quit. 

I realized on Saturday that I was running because I’m selfish.  I was running for me and that wasn’t good enough.  I can get up and work out every morning for me.  That’s all I need.  But to run miles and miles on end, I needed a deeper reason.

I know I love running.  I just need to be in love with running again.  So here I am, asking all my friends, why do you run?

Is there a cause or charity that you love?  What can I do to use my love for running to help someone else?  I want to run for those who can’t run for themselves. I want to use my gifts to help others… but whom?  Who can I help? 

Send me your suggestions… I’m looking to rededicate myself to something special.  Something that can really make a difference….

When it’s 95 degrees this summer and 6pm rolls around, I won’t want to do a training run.  But the 5-year-old girl with cancer doesn’t want another round of chemo.  The young soldier in Afghanistan doesn’t want to lose his leg to protect my freedom… but they do it.  They do it because they’re fighters.  Both of these examples are true hero of those fighting for a cause.  I want to do something to help them and others like them.

I want to go for a training run and know that I’m doing this for something amazing, something that will truly pay off and be bigger than I ever imagined.  My next race will be with a purpose and have great meaning to many others and me.

I'm going to race from my heart...

Some days just aren’t going to be your day

The Country Music ½ Marathon was the first half marathon I completed two years ago.  That was a crazy day.  My friend Emily somehow managed to convince me that this was a good idea.  We showed up at the starting line about 15 minutes before the starting gun.  Or so we thought.  Turns out, our corral is already starting.  The race director decided to start the race early due to bad storms are tornados approaching Nashville.  I don’t remember much about that race… just a few highlights.  A.  Emily, speeding along and leaving me in her smoke somewhere around mile, oh I don’t know…. 0.2 maybe?  J B. It was crowded C. I learned the importance of runner’s lube and how debilitating chaffing can be.  One thing I’ll never forget about that race was the intense mix of emotions I felt when I crossed the finish line.  At first it was, “Wow, I can’t believe I did that.”  Second, it was “Next time, I’m going to do better”  From there I was hooked…. Addicted to the quest of bigger and better. That shouldn't have been my day, but I made it my day.

Fast forward two years to April 28, 2012, the St. Jude Country Music Marathon.  I thought the weekend started well.  My mom and I had a great lunch at one of her favorite spots.  We went to the expo and got all my race gear and SWAG.  We went to the mall and of course everything in The Loft was 40% off so I stocked up on goodies there.  And then we went home and my parents cooked one of my favorite meals.  It’s pretty simple, just grilled chicken, sautéed squash and zucchini over angel hair pasta.  Would have been better with a glass of wine, but oh well…. Maybe next time J

Saturday morning I woke up, got dressed, prepared my race essentials and we were off to Centennial Park.  While in the car I realize my iPod armband is dead.  It’s got to be at least 3, if not 4, years old.  So needless to say it’s been through a lot with me. The Velcro is coming off and I’ve tried to re-glue it over and over again.  But today it just wasn’t going to cut it.  No worries.  I can put the ipod in my shirt.  Then I start to put my race number on.  Open the envelope I got at the expo and only had two pins.  Great.  This is going to be awkward.  The race bibs are already over half the size of my torso and now I’m not going to have it secure on my shirt.  I put one on the top left and one on the bottom right.  I wish I knew how to fold it up and make it a lot smaller but oh well…. Who has time to think at that hour just minutes before the start??? So I battled it the whole time I ran... flopping around and being generally annoying.

I get in my corral and wait for the race to begin.  This could have been my least favorite part of the race.  Your anxiety level is high.  The crowd’s intensity is high.  Everyone is excited to be there.  Snapping pictures.  Sharing last minute words of encouragement.  Warming up.  Stretching cold muscles (ps never a good idea).  Jumping up and down like preschooler being bribed with animal crackers.  Everyone except me.  I’m bored.  I’m lonely.  And I just don’t know why I’m here. 

The race starts and I’m just cruising through the streets.  It’s warm, but I’m feeling good.  I learned a lot about running in the heat when I was in Gainesville in February.  I knew to drink water before I was thirsty.  Had plenty of Gatorade to replenish my electrolytes.  And took several packets of salt during the run.  It sounds gross, but I had to eat plain packets of salt to prevent dehydration. 

The first few miles are exactly how I remembered them… same course, same crowds as before.  I was excited to see my parents in front of their church shortly after mile 5. When I saw them I was feeling good.  My stride was perfect, comfortable speed, and feeling better than expected.  Right on pace, feeling the heat but it wasn’t stopping me.

Pretty soon I saw more and more runners laying on the sidewalks… medics tending to them.  I’m guessing they had severe cramps, dehydration, or some other heat related infliction… then I start thinking what is worth pushing your body that hard?  Was I ready for that today?  Or any day?

Today, I wasn’t prepared to push myself to that extreme.  I had nothing on the line.  Nothing that I was that passionate about.  That’s when I got to thinking… I mean, seriously, now’s the perfect time to think, considering I’ve got nothing else to do for the next three to four hours.

Around mile 10 I decided to slow my pace and start walking.  I would walk 2 minutes; run 8 minutes.  I don’t know why I picked this 8-2 plan.  It probably doesn’t have much scientific, physical, or physiological benefit to running, but it’s easy math for me. 

Pretty soon, around mile 11, the half marathoners split off and went to their last leg of the race.  Lucky “Sons ovva bitches” I thought to myself.  I powered up the hill, through another water stop.  At this point I felt fine.  My legs weren’t tired.   Surprisingly I wasn’t feeling any pain… especially since I had tweaked my hamstring the weekend before when I ran an easy four miles.   My body felt fine.  It was my brain that was tired and weak.  I began considering quitting.  Why shouldn’t I?  I’m not having fun.  I’m not making a difference.  I didn’t care if I let myself down.

Then I saw my parents again at mile 12.  I told my mom… I don’t know what I’m doing.  I don’t want to do this anymore but I kept going.  I knew I would pass them at this spot again so I would decide what I wanted to do before I got back here again. 

As I approached the 13^th mile marker, I slowed to a walk so that I could get a Gu Chomp and some water.  And without much thought or consideration I just turned around.  I got on the sidewalk and ran back toward my parents and the half marathon runners.  Done.  That was it.  I was over it for the day.  I wasn’t doing poorly.  I was pretty much on pace with where I wanted to be.  When I turned around I passed the 4:30 marathon pace group.  For a brief second I considered joining them and making new friends.  But I didn’t.  I didn’t because no one was making me and I wasn’t going to make myself. 

I found my parents again and told them I was going to finish the half and I’ll meet them at the finish line.  I was in much better spirits to know that I was close to finishing now.  The last two miles weren’t great.  Everyone was walking.  It was hot and there were several decent hills or inclines in the home stretch of this race.  But the good news is we finished on a downhill.  I crossed the finish line.  Graciously accepted the half marathon finisher’s medal from a volunteer and quietly made my way through the shoot to collect my water, Gatorade, and banana.  I found my parents and sat in the shade to rest a minute. I watched as people cheered the many St. Jude Hero finishers enter their VIP tent.  I wanted that.  I wanted someone to cheer for me.

I held back my tears and walked to the car in silence.  I didn’t feel like talking to anyone.  I had a lot to think about….

Lessons Learned

Nothing like waiting til the last minute to make a decision…. The Five Points of Life Marathon in Gainesville, FL was February 19th .  I decided to register on February 15^th.  I mean, cause hey, why not?

I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d work it all out but I knew I would.  I called my mom to see if I could try to use a Friends & Family pass for a Marriot Hotel… this got my mom to thinking.  She could come to Atlanta on Friday (clean my house and pay for professional carpet cleaning), drive to Florida Saturday, run a marathon Sunday morning then drive home Sunday night…. Easy peasy, right?

Seems like we weren’t the only ones going to Gainesville that weekend.  We weren’t able to get a hotel room in town so we had to stay in Ocala.  This was about 35-40 minutes from Gainesville.  We got down pretty early on Saturday afternoon, picked up my race packet and checked into the hotel.  I took a short little nap, then we went downtown for dinner.  This ended up being a really great dinner.  We went to Harry’s a New Orleans style restaurant. Little did we realize that it was Mardi Gras… so, we had a really long wait.  No worries, we had no problem filling our time with shopping and cocktails at the bar.  While we were waiting we quickly picked up on the buzz in the restaurant…. Two country stars and their posses had just arrived.  We were right there with James Otto (Just Got Started Loving You) and Lee Brice (Love Like Crazy and A Woman Like You).  Not to mention, the food was delicious!  I don’t remember exactly what I had, and I’m disappointed that I didn’t take a picture, but I remember it being hella good! 

Early before the sun came up we were on the road to the starting line.  I had my typical pre race nerves.  I didn’t feel like eating, it was difficult to eat half of my oatmeal.  I tried to drink a cup of water but that was a struggle too.  It was hot.  I mean really hot at the start of the race.  The week before, it was in the 20-30 degrees range in Atlanta.  Today is was about 72 at 7:00am when the race started.  I found a quiet area to do some simple warm ups and get prepared for the race… I was scared. I was nervous.  I didn’t know what to expect.  I guess I’ve learned to expect the worst.

Before the first mile was complete I was sweating like a beast… this was gonna be a bad thing.  The best part about the race was meeting new friends.  At the start of the race I saw two girls leading the 4:15 pace group.  I quickly introduced myself and started chatting…. Katie and Danielle were great!  They had been running together for several years and loved marathons as much, well maybe more, than me!  Before I knew it 8 miles were behind us.  But I was feeling it… I had been running a little too fast, talking a little too much, and drinking/eating a little too little.  I stopped for water and sport beans and never caught up with my new friends.  I kept my head up and powered through alone, the best I could.  As the miles rolled by we toured downtown Gainesville and the University of Florida campus.  The best part was going through Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.  The racecourse went through the concourse and there were highlights being played on the TVs complete with game day announcers, band and full audio.    Pretty soon we were approaching the 13^th mile.  I was struggling, hurting, and needing electrolytes.  I should have stopped here.  I should have listened to my body.  But I thought I could make it another 13 and kept pushing on… The half marathoners peeled off to the right and collected their medals.  I saw my mom cheering for me and then turned left.  The first half of the race was awesome… great sites to see, great fans and spectators, great energy and fun… The second half was as boring as Freshman Chemistry.  The only things I remember were a few cops at intersections, volunteers telling me where to turn, and water/aid stations that didn’t have salt.  My legs were starting to cramp.  I had already lost all my water and electrolytes.  There was no catching up now.  I started playing with math… if I walk now, how long will it take me to finish?  The only problem was, walking hurt like hell….hurt worse than running.  But when I started to run, my mind told me to stop.  Hurt to walk, hurt to run, hurt to stand still.  What could I do?  I tried not to cry.  This was the worst time to cry… I couldn’t waste the water and I knew I surely couldn’t waste the sodium.  I held it together and tried to push through.  Around mile 15 I started to alternate run-walk.  You look behind you and see 15 miles, and you think, “Hell yeah I did that!”  Then you look in front of you and see 11.2 and you thing, “OMG there’s no way I can do that”  Usually I can tell that second voice to GFY.  But today I couldn’t… that voice was louder and I think it was because that was the little voice of reason and sense.  I tried to stretch out the cramps but they were overwhelming and my legs were locking up constantly.  PS it’s probably creeping up close to 89-90 by now.

As I approach the water station at mile 18 I see a runner on the sidewalk being tended to by some medical volunteers.  As I get closer he stands up and walks to the tent and sits down.  I get some water and Gatorade and tell the volunteers that I’m cramping up really bad.  I asked for some S caps, salt packets, anything that will help the cramps.  They don’t have anything for me.  One volunteer stretches my legs and massages the areas that were cramping the worst.  Pretty soon, that fallen runner was back on his way to the finish line.  I was still lying on the ground stretching and fighting the tears.  I still wanted to save everything I had.  A minute later, a car drove by honking at us.  She yelled “There’s a runner down at the bottom of the hill”. Two volunteers ran down to check him out.  Sure enough, it was the same guy who had collapsed/fallen out when I got to the aid station.  He hit the pavement twice in about a third of a mile, yet he planned to continue 8 more miles to the finish line.  A volunteer looked at me and said, “You know, you’re not always lucky to collapse within site of a medic tent”.  That was it for me…. I was done for the day.  My body had been telling me it had enough for about an hour, now my common sense and reason knew it was time to call it a day.  Was it worth the danger to finish today when I knew I had more races in the next few months?  I let it all out now.  I cried, admitted defeat, and called my mom to pick me up. 

I got in the car, and started to cry more… sob.  I was inconsolable.  I felt like a loser.  I felt like a quitter.  I felt worthless.  I paid $80 for a race entry, $90 something for a hotel room, my mom paid over $100 for gas… and we were going home with a sweaty, sopping wet t-shirt and wrinkled race number.  And also two souvenir blisters from trying new socks but that’s a different story. 

I was ready to quit.  Ready to give up on running marathons… ready to throw this stupid goal out the window.  I hated running.  And I hated myself. 

I probably cried well beyond the Florida-Georgia state line.  As my body started to recover and feel better, my mind and spirit began to hurt more.  Maybe if I had just waited 15-20 minutes at the aid station then I could have recovered and kept on my way.  I would be slow, but I would have finished another race.

I still don’t know which was more painful, miles 14-18 or driving 6 hours back home a looser and having to face all my friends?  My answer changes day to day.  My competitive side says to suck it up and finish the race.  My sensible side says I made the right decision by not hurting myself and causing long-term damage.  Both hurt like a hurt I had never felt before.

I’m hoping there are a few lessons learned here…

1.   1.  Plan ahead.  Don’t decide to run a marathon with less than a week’s notice.

2.    .  2. Proper nutrition is key.  More than just water, proper hydration includes electrolytes.  By drinking so much water I was flushing my system.

3.      3. Making new friends was my prize that day.  I now have two more running buddies in the south east J

4.       4. Listen to my body.  I have to accept the decision I made that day.  Good or bad.  I did what my body                        was telling me.

5.       5. Come back with vengeance.  I’ve got my eyes set on Five Points of Life 2013.  I won’t be defeated twice.

Callaway Gardens Marathon

What could be a better Christmas present than a race entry?  I was lucky enough to receive TWO this year.  My brother and sister-in-law got me one for the Cooper River Bridge Run, a 10k in Charleston.  Steve and I have run this together for 4 out of the past 5 years I think.  This year I’ll be there again sporting my new CRBR performance tee and a huge smile on my face.  The second race entry I got was for the Callaway Gardens Marathon.  I had always intended to register for this race but as time ticked away it kept slipping my mind.  Thankfully Sean did this for me.

The morning of January 29^th Sean and I left Atlanta at 0 dark:30  to get to Callaway Gardens before the gun went off, which I think started at 8am.  We must have miscalculated the trip time, or Sean fibbed to me about the time because we were seriously cutting it close. 

I drove to the race so that he could sleep.  We made a deal that he would drive home so that I could sleep and recover.  I’m no “Driving Miss Daisy” behind the wheel so I know I was making good time on the way there, but we were still way late.  At least in my book.  I like to get to the event, check in, pick up my number, take my time making last minute preps, and be at the start with a few minutes to spare.  Not Sean.  “Run Bum don’t give a shit”

I was scared about this race.  Scared because my knee had been causing debilitating pain just two or three weeks earlier.  I bought new shoes and things were feeling great at boot camp, but I wasn’t sure how it would feel during a race…. 26.2 miles feels a little bit different than a 3 mile jog.  We were supposed to be at the race start by 7:30am to pick up our numbers.  As I’m driving, I see that the GPS give an estimated arrival time of 7:50am.  I began to cry.  I was overwhelmed.   I was scared.  I knew I was about to encounter a terrible pain.  I didn’t want to let anyone down by just doing the half marathon.  I put so much pressure on myself to do a full marathon.  I’m very type A so I have a lot of things that I need do before crossing the starting line.  I need to lube my feet and other sensitive areas, fill my water and Gatorade bottles, use the restroom (which usually includes waiting in line), take Advil,  warm up, stretch, pray…. Plan an escape route, etc…. I knew I didn’t have time for this that day so what did I do?  I cried.  I slowly drove down two line country roads and cried.  I was scared.  I was stressed.  And I didn’t know what else to do.  Talk about the quickest way to make a guy feel uncomfortable.  They hate to see girls cry and don’t know what to do.  There really is no way to fix it.  Just let us cry it out…. Poor Sean, he didn’t know what happened.  One minute we’re at a red light, the next minute I’m crying like I just lost my puppy.

We finally get to Callaway Gardens and Sean runs to the check in.  I get my feet and socks ready, fill my bottles, and head to the farthest away bathroom in hopes of short lines.  Despite all expectations, we beat the gun and make it to the starting line as the National Anthem is being sung.  He heads off to the front of the line and I file in to the back. 

Because I was just coming off some knee issues I knew I had to take it easy today.  I settled into my slow and steady pace.  If I thought I was going too slow, I slowed down even more. 

As luck would have it, my iPod went ka-put before the first mile was complete.  I mean, seriously, I heard one and a half songs before it died.  Not the actual iPod, but just the ear phones…. AGAIN.  Seriously, I need to find new ear phones.

This was a blessing is disguise.  I actually had one of the most pleasant races ever because I was able to take in my beautiful surrounds, meet new friends, talk to volunteers, and think about me for the next 4 and a half hours.

This race was two 13.1 mile loops.  We were side by side with half marathoners the entire first half of the race.  This was good to keep spirits up and momentum going.  The race was 85-90% flat with one minor hill and one major hill.  All and all not bad, dare I say, an easy course?  I could see myself coming back to this one to set a PR.

This race was a lot different than my first two because it was so much smaller.  It was through a park, not a city, so there were no spectators sitting on their front porches, no fans with signs on street corners.  Just runners and volunteers.  But I liked this for a change.

This race for me was seriously like a walk in the park.  A beautiful park that hadn’t removed its Christmas lights yet J And I was still using my Christmas song play list so no need to bring me back to reality.

Talk about shock, surprise, and awe… I never felt any pain in my knee at all.  Not one step of the entire 26.2 miles hurt.  Was it because I changed my pace, lost my music, changed my outlook and attitude?  YES.  I think it was all of the above.  I made this run about me and focused on me.  I could feel what my body needed and what I was capable of that day. 

I coasted through the next 13 miles and enjoyed every minute of it.  I knew I wasn’t setting a PR today.  I knew my goal was to cross the finish line and I did just that.  I had fun, the best race to date.  I felt great and really loved myself and what I was doing that day.

I crossed the finish line somewhere around 4:30 and took 2^nd place in my age division.  I collected my medal and plaque but the real award came a few minutes later.

In the tent where all finishers gathered for water, bananas, and bagels, I met a young girl who just finished her first marathon.  She was only 19 years old.  My friends and I were talking to her and congratulating her on her accomplishment.  Then she said to me,  “At mile 22 I wanted to quit.  I wanted to stop and go home, but then I saw you pass me with a solid stride and smile on your face.  I saw you doing it, and knew I could do it. You inspired me to finish.” 

That made my day.  No, it made my year.  Yeah, on January 29^th, I knew I had reached the highlight of my 2012. 

Just a few hours ago I was brought to tears by my own fear and at this point I was brought to tears by my unknown, unexpected strength in inspiring others.

Three down, 27 to go!

Yetti Spaghetti Marathon

It’s 7am on New Year’s Eve…. Everyone has big plans for the evening celebrations, but not me…. Might as well start the party early and run 26.2 miles, right? 

Sean has some friends who hosted a fun, informal, trail run…. There was one loop that was about 6.5 miles. I planned to do four loops and complete a full marathon.  Well, see…… what had happened was…  Ok A of all, I was three weeks out of the Jacksonville race and still full from Christmas cookies, wine, and tons of good food.  I only ran once between the two events so my training was lacking to say the least.  B of all, I was a newbie to the whole trail running thing.  It’s a whole different world than road running.  On the road you learn to find you comfort zone and just coast from one mile to the next.  There’s no relaxing and no coasting on a trail.  The second your mind relaxes you stub your toes on a rock or trip over a root.  Neither  of which are conducive to running. 

Of course I came to the race with Sean, which means we’re nearly 10 minutes late.  We missed the instructions and course directions.  He doesn’t care. Why would he?  He’ll be with the lead pack of runners that he knows and they’ll show him the right course.  Not me…. I fall in to the back of the pack.  I have to stay with the group that’s running a little slower so I have people to give me directions. 

It was a great trail course that started in the back of a neighborhood and connected with part of Sweet Water Park.  I enjoyed the trail and scenes but needed to be more careful with the terrain.  Once I left the back of the pack, I got out on my own, had my iPod playing and let my guard down a bit.  Bam!  Slipped on some wet leaves or a rock.  I think I hyper extended my knee in effort to keep from falling and tumbling all the way to the ground.

I walked for a few minutes to gather my composure and refocus on the trail.  I started running again and finished the first loop.  There weren’t any runners at the water station so I refilled my water bottle, ate a few jelly beans and continued along the way.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was a bad idea.  My knee was really hurting.  I blamed it on my running shoes.  I couldn’t expect to wear road shoes on a trail.  It wasn’t comfortable.  So I continued to run/walk, sometimes I wanted to crawl, through the second loop.  I didn’t know how I was going to continue 13 more miles of this. 

As I approached the water station the second time, I noticed there were a lot of people gathered around.  They were all standing there drinking beer.  That was it.  I was done…. I was hurting, and how can I turn down a cold beer.  Well, all and all I can say I still ran the Yetti Spaghetti Half Marathon J

Next Up…. Callaway Gardens Marathon.

Where has time gone????

Sooo….. wow where has the time gone? 

It’s been a few months since my last post.  I have not had one single free minute since I don’t know when…. Well, I guess it was the day before Thanksgiving.   My entire life has been quite the world wind adventure since then… work is INSANE, boot camp life in instructorville has been awesome, and unfortunately running has died down quite a bit.

The Atlanta Thanksgiving half marathon was awesome!  I broke my PR by about 30 minutes!!!!  It was the best half marathons that I’ve ever run. I loved this race because of the hometown feel.  It’s awesome to run the streets that your drive everyday.  You get to slow down and take it all in.  There are so many places that I never took the time to notice.  It was great to run through downtown Atlanta and actually see all those great restaurants that I’ve heard so many people talk about.

It was a little weird to go to my first race by myself.  I usually have friends running with me or family there to cheer for me along the way.  But, if I intend to keep up with this many runs, I’ll have to get used to doing it alone.  Luckily, it was Thanksgiving and I could go home and all my family and friends there followed by an amazing feast and award winning nap!

That’s why I run…. To eat and sleep better J

My next race after the Thanksgiving Half Marathon was a full marathon in Jacksonville, FL.  The race was on a Sunday so I was able to sleep in a get plenty of rest Friday night.  So, about that going to races alone… yeah definitely not my thing.  Six hour drive from Atlanta to Jacksonville was horribly boring.  Luckily I have friends who live in Fernandina Beach, which is pretty close, so I didn’t have to spend money on a hotel. But unfortunately they were out of town this weekend and I was staying at their condo alone.  I love the opportunity to travel, but spending that many hours alone in silence was nearly painful!  Thankfully I had their dogs Callie and Roxy to talk to and entertain myself.

I knew Sunday was going to be a long day so I had to get dinner and get to bed early.  Fernandina Beach has a great little downtown area so I drove there and found Kelly’s, a little courtyard restaurant, to have dinner.  So here I am at 7pm, eating dinner and having a glass of wine alone, not like table for one, but like no one else in the restaurant alone.  Sure my dinner was good, but I was too embarrassed to really take the time to enjoy it.  I scarfed that plate down as fast as I could and got out of there in a flash! 

I got in bed early but had the hardest time falling asleep.  I guess it was being in a new place, pre-race jitters, and the expectations of 4:30am alarm.  Luckily I had the cozy company of Callie and Roxy….

Up bright and early, well not so bright because the sun wasn’t rising for another few hours but definitely early….  I quickly got dressed, walked and fed the pups and hit the road.  Ready to rock another race. 

As I approached the starting area I noticed people were already parking on the streets and walking, so I decided to do the same thing.  I parked in a little side neighborhood and joined all the other runners gathering in the school gym and around the starting line.  I really enjoy watching how runners prepare for their races.  Some zone out with music or appear to be meditating alone…. Others get rowdy and goof off with all their friends… Others look sickened by fear.  Me?  I just take it all in.  I don’t really have any prerace superstitions…. Just gotta make sure to ear and drink a little bit of water.

This event included a 5k, half marathon, and full marathon.  It was pretty small so there were no starting corrals.  Just a starting line and a man with a bullhorn.  The most important thing for me to keep in mind was to run my own race.  I couldn’t look around me and see people flying by because I didn’t know how far they were running.  Who cares if they pass me now?  They’re only running 3 or 13 miles.  I knew I was in it for the long haul and had at least 13 or 23 more miles to run than they did.  Well that whole philosophy lasted about 5 minutes…. Pretty soon I realized I was running an 8-minute pace…. I tried to slow down a little bit but I was feeling good, keeping with a good pack of runners and decided to ride it out. 

Truthfully, this course was pretty boring.  It started with a stretch down a main city road and then turned off into some neighborhoods.  There weren’t many fans on the roads and there weren’t any great sites to be seen.  Just me, some pavement, and my running shoes.  What really ticked me off was the fact that they didn’t close the roads.  Some of the major roads blocked off one lane for runners but many of the roads were open for cars to come and go and get in the way of runners.  As if running 26.2 wasn’t hard enough, now imagine doing it with impatient drivers zigging and zagging all around you. 

It was a flat course and could possibly be a very fast run if you’re fully prepared.  Due to the time change and a little complacency, I wasn’t able to continue my daily training runs after work.  It was getting dark before I left the office and I relied on morning boot camp work outs to help me maintain my endurance.  Probably not the best training method for marathons. 

The best part of this race was the family that set up a table for runners at mile 25.  The young girls were handing out lemonade for some runners, and the parents were offering mimosas for other crazy runners who needed a little boast to get through the last mile.  I opted for the mimosas.  After stopping to chat with the nice family, I thanked them and continued along my way to finish the race.

I made it to the finish line and accepted my medal.  I grabbed some water, Powerade and a banana and crashed on the football field.  I laid down and tried to take inventory on the damage I had just done to my body.  I was hurting.  My legs were aching and my knees were hurting.  I didn’t have a lot of time to recover.  After a few minutes of recouperating, I hobbled back another half mile to my car.  Drove back to my friends’ house for a shower and quick lunch, then I was back on the road…. About six hours til I got back home to Atlanta.

Two down, 28 to go.

I'm Thankful For...

I'm Thankful For Running...

I’m sure we’ve all been flooded with the “I’m thankful for… “ facebook posts and co-worker comments the past three weeks.  Sure, I’m thankful for friends, family, my job, my puppy, boot camp, good food….. all that stuff.  But here’s one you may not hear often.  I’m thankful for running.  I’m thankful for my good health that allows me this opportunity.  In the few months running has really changed my life.  It’s been an emotional outlet.  I run when I’m happy.  I run when I’m sad.  I run when I’m stressed.  I run to hang out with my friends.  I run when I’m bored.  I run when I want to eat Krispy Kreme donuts…. I don’t really need a reason to run… I just love doing it. 

I’m really excited to be running the Atlanta Thanksgiving Half Marathon for the first time tomorrow morning.  I know the race starts near Turner Field and winds through the city.  But other than that, I don’t really know what to expect.  I’m sure there will be plenty of hills, because it’s Atlanta, so hey, why not?

HILL COUNTRY TRAIL RACE – 15k at Serenbe

About two weeks ago I got an emai…. “Race is almost sold out, we have two extra number….” 

Immediately I respond “I’m in!”  Then I thought, I should find out a few details.  It may be good to know when, where, or even how long the race is.  But those little deets don’t really matter to me anymore.  If there’s a run, I’m there!

There was a big group of The American Boot Company friends going to this race so it was guaranteed to be a good time.  I guess it’s because we’re all just a little bit crazy because we all have so much fun together… getting up at 5am, freezing in the chilly November air, running through the woods, feasting on amazing food, sharing thousands of laughs and good times…. That’s just what we do.

Saturday morning my alarm goes off at 5am, what’s new?  I get up, pile on the layers and get ready for a fun day of trail running.  I meet up with Steve and Alex, fellow TABCCers and we head down 85 South to the race.  Special shout out to Alex’s GPS voice.  She definitely made the drive a lot more interesting. 

When we get to Serenbe we meet up with John and Sonja Greeley and several other friends who are all there for the run.  We’re all excited to get the race started.  I hear it’s going to be a beautiful run.  My friends who ran this even last year won’t share too many details of the course.  They said they don’t want to spoil it for me.  But it’s guaranteed to be a great run.  I’m told not to run with headphones because I may miss the bagpipes. 

The course is 15k, 9.3 miles, and starts in the Serebene streets then goes through some awesome trails, open fields, along a lake, through a horse farm, right by a chicken coop, and back to the starting line in the heart of Serenbe. 

This was only the second race I’ve done that wasn’t a road race.  But this was more technical than the first one.  This race had two or three good hills.  Which means two or three fun downhill runs!  I love flying down the hills.  If you put forth the effort to get up, you should reap the rewards of coming down J  Here’s the thing…. The leaves have fallen and covered up most of the ground.  So when you’re flying down a hill you can’t see rocks, roots, sticks, and any other little nemesis looking to destroy your ankles.  I was running a smart race, but when I saw three men go down with twisted ankles, I decided to slow down a bit and take caution.  Which turned out to be beneficial because I got to see a donkey in the field at mile 4, a saxophonist in the woods right after mile 5, some horses, more donkeys, and a lot of chickens between miles 7 and 8, and then to cap off the race there was a banjo guy bringing it home at mile 9. 

The race is at Serenbe, a community about an hour south of Atlanta.  Serenbe is different than any place you’ve ever been.  This community is focused on sustainability and responsible living.  I couldn’t even begin to describe the community and do it justice.  Check out the website and find out for yourself.

http://www.serenbecommunity.com/home.html

After the race we stayed for brunch at The Hill.  This may have been the best brunch I’ve ever had. Many of the ingredients served at The Hill come from Serenbe’s own organic farms.  I looked at the menu and there were too many great options to pick just one.  Luckily, I had great friends there who enjoy good food as much as I do.  Here’s a list of what we ended up with at our table:  mimosas, bloody marys (how do you make Mary plural?  I don’t want bloody maries… hmmm), cinnamon rolls, waffles with blueberry syrup, a hoagie roll sandwich with pimento cheese, bacon, and two fried eggs, some perfectly crispy french fries,  and for dessert with had a piece of pecan pie and a heavenly chocolate pie with coffee ice cream.  After a meal like this I may not be eating again for weeks!

This photo doesn't really give justice to the full meal, but oh my was this sandwich delicious!!!

I wish I had some pictures of the race but he’s a youtube video showing the course.

I definitely recommend making the drive from Atlanta and spending the day or weekend in this beautiful community.  They have so much to offer that it will fit anyone’s tastes. 

Also big thanks to Good Run Productions for putting on a great event!  Free beer at the finish is always a plus J

Why Do I Run?

Running…. It’s cheaper than therapy.

Why Do I Run?  I ask myself this question everyday.  And it seems that everyday I have a different answer.  Today, I run because I love music.  I love having time alone…. Just me and my favorite tunes.  I love music…. Every genre of music.  I wish I could have a constant concert in my head every minute of the day.   When I get to heaven, I hope the soundtrack of my life goes Platinum.

There probably is a small handful of songs that have changed my life.  Some have made me appreciate all my blessings.  Some have made me laugh.  Some have gotten me through rough times.  Some inspire me to do great things.  Some remind me of great friends, the nights I’ll never remember with the friends I’ll never forget.  Some just lift my spirit and make me a better person.  Some make me cry, and miss things that I’ve lost.  Some give me strength and encouragement to keep me going and achieve my goals.  Sometimes it takes a great song to help you put one foot in front of the other.

Oh yeah, did I mention that my music died on me around mile 20 on Saturday.  Not cool Skull Candy.  NOT. COOL.

I usually listen to music when I’m in the car, getting ready in the morning, or doing chores around the house.  Hey, I heard that…. Yes I do chores!  Running with my iPod is like an escape.  It allows me to listen to the music I love as long as I want.  Even if I don’t feel like running, I do it because it’s my escape into musical bliss.  It’s like nothing else matters at that point.  I’ve found my happy place and intend to stay a while.  When I made my marathon playlist I picked my top 371 songs… so needless to say I love them all AND I’m slightly indecisive.

Here are a few of my favorite running tunes:

Whatdaya Want From Me - Adam Lambert 

For me, this song means, I’m just doing the best I can.   I’m just being me.  If that’s not good enough for you, then you’re the one with the problem.

Girls (Who Run the World) – Beyonce

Well obvi!  This one rocks because I’m a girl and I’m gonna run the world.  Like Phidippedes run, not political run.

We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel

‘Nuff Said

Toxic – Britney Spears  (Pretty much anything Britney)

Reminds me of the good times dancin’ like a fool in Room 2 at the Sigma Kappa house. 

Cupid Shuffle

Oh yeah, that’s right.  Take your best cheesy wedding reception number and dance the miles away!

Raise It Up – From the August Rush Soundtrack.

Favorite lyric “Sometimes it seems impossible, that’s why we pray”

Boy Like Me – Jessica Harp

I like this chick… she makes it ok to be a bad girl.  You don’t have to fit the good-two-shoes mold anymore.  We can sit around and talk about those things we just can’t talk about. 

Stronger Woman – Jewel

Wow… powerful message here.  “I’m gonna be my own best friend, stick with me til the end”  Get it girl!  Jewel rocks and she’s got an awesome real life cowboy husband too!

Just Stand Up – various women artists

This song was written and performed for cancer awareness and fundraising.  If people are out there battling cancer every day then I can certainly run a few miles.  This song makes you realize that the mind and heart are stronger than your body.  We can get through anything.  This is a major “DON’T GIVE UP” song!

The Way You Do The Things You Do – The Temptations

I love this song simply because it makes me believe that I can be anything that I wanna do… and others notice that because of the way I do the things I do.

Sure, there are plenty of other great songs on my playlist, but these are just a few that I thought we different, unique, and had special meaning to me.

Leave a comment and let me know what are your personal favorite running songs.  Even if it’s Happy Birthday or Jingle Bells, if it’s special to you, I wanna hear about it!

-katie

Rock 'N Roll Savannah 26.2

What an amazing weekend!  I could not have asked for a more perfect first marathon experience.  I mean, without a few crazy curve balls we just wouldn’t have a fun story to tell.

On Friday afternoon my training partner Heather, her friend Natalie and I loaded the car and headed down to Savannah.  We got about ten miles south of Atlanta and traffic STOPPED.  Oh great, this can’t be serious.  But luckily it cleared up and we were back on our way…. Until traffic stopped again.  We were beyond frustrated. We kept reading facebook updates that people were having trouble getting to the Expo to pick up their race numbers.  The Expo was held on Hutchinson Island and the only way to get there by car was a two way bridge.  Apparently people were stuck in traffic on this bridge for over two hours.  The Rock N Roll Savannah facebook page was blowing up. Lucky for us we didn’t have any problems getting in and out by the time we arrived around 6:30 or 7:00pm.  We parked, grabbed our numbers, and got out of the Expo in about twenty minutes. 

At 4:45am our race day began.  We dressed quickly, packed our drop bags and loaded the car.  We went to the Savannah Mall to catch a shuttle to the start line.  We loaded the shuttle at 5:30 and it took nearly an hour to get the start area.  This was one of the worst things about the weekend and possibly my only complaint about the race.  Maybe there was a good reason that I don’t know about, but the drive from the mall to the start line could have been about 15 minutes, not an hour if we used the bypass instead of going all the way out and back around the city. 

This is the medal my grandfather gave me Friday night.  I kept it in my water belt for inspiration during the race.

Pretty soon it was time to get in our starting corals and wait for the gun to go off.  Unfortunately, Heather and I couldn’t start together because we were in different starting corals.  As if running 26.2 miles wasn’t hard enough, try running it alone with no one to talk to.  That was brutal.  But I was able to focus on my pace and really take in the surroundings.  I kept a great sub 9 minute pace for the 19-20 miles.

I don’t really remember a lot of details from the course but I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t spend enough time in historic Savannah.  We went through the “rough” side of town for the first 5 miles of so.  This is where I found my favorite fans and spectators.  I loved this neighborhood!  There were so many older  African Americans residents who came out to see the race.  They braved the cold weather and sat in their lawn chairs bundled up in blanks, coats, and various other layers of warmth… They weren’t your typical cheer crowd.  They didn’t have signs that read “Your feet hurt because you’re kicking so much ass.”  They didn’t yell “Go runners go!  Keep up the hard work”  They didn’t say “Looking good!  Stay strong.”  No, even better.  Instead they just waved and said “Good morning… Ga’ day sir…. Ga’ day ma’am…. Good morning”  I wish there was a font for a true authentic southern accent.  This was no normal good morning greeting that you hear from co-workers each day…  It was more like Gaaa Mawwwnin’ .  It was absolutely classic.  Made my run so much more exciting.  I loved it!

Around mile 8 we got back in historic Savannah and ran through the old streets lined with big old trees and Spanish moss.  There were tons of fans and spectators lining the streets… thousands of people cheering for you and holding up hundreds of awesome homemade signs.  I love reading the signs the friends and families make for their runners.  The next few miles were all a blur… I think there was a down and back through a little neighborhood and then the full marathon split from the half around mile 11.  When we split, the lucky marathoners ran about 2.5 – 3 miles down Truman Parkway.  Man was it windy here.  The good news is it was working in our favor.  Again, another blurry part of the race until mile 16.  Mile 16 almost felt as good as mile 26.  As I approached a street corner I see a Georgia Tech sweatshirt standing next to a taller Georgia sweatshirt.  This really isn’t all that odd anywhere in the state, but then I realize it’s my dad and brother.  I got really excited and started waving from thirty yards away.  I was excited to see them, but also excited to strip some layers.  I had taken one glove off about 7 miles ago and never managed to put it back on.  Steve was the lucky recipient of two soaking wet gloves and one smelly wet jacket.  I saw my mom and Kristin sitting at the next corner and my grandparents were in the car keeping warm.  I waved to them got a wave of energy and continued along the way.  Only 10.2 to go! 

This is where the fun really begins.  Right after I left my family we got to the Savannah State section.  They had great up beat fun rap music playing and tons of students cheering and lining both sides of the course.  Well, I mean who doesn’t love a good rap beat, and in order to keep this race exciting, I had to do what any decent citizen would do…. I broke it down dancing in the street in the middle of the race.  I dropped it like it was hot.  I shook it like it was a Polaroid picture or salt shaker, whichever you prefer.  I was having fun!  The cheering section was going crazy, the other runners were laughing, everyone was loving it.  So after a little dance party USA I continued along my way.  One runner came up behind me and said “You just made my day.  That was the best part of the entire race”  I responded to him “ I passed crazy about 10 miles ago, so now we’re all just out here to have some fun.”

My fun was drained shortly after that.  As we approached mile 20 mile headphones died and I lost my music and awesome playlist.  Seriously?  This has to be the worst timing ever.  I’m still writing this blog today so obviously I survived…. But just barely. 

I hit a wall at mile 22 as we were now back on Truman Parkway.  There were terrible wind gusts of up to 20 miles per hour!  As if mile 22 wasn’t bad enough anyway.  Combine that with no music and wind.  I think I’ll just die now.  But I didn’t.  I didn’t train this long and run 22 miles just to let the last 4.2 kill me.  So I kept moving forward.  All of the runners were in the same rut here.  We were tired, achy, and ready to see that finish line.  One of my favorite parts about the race was how much each and every runner supported each other.  Around 23 I heard a man yelling at himself…. “you didn’t come this far to quit”  So I turned to him and said “Keep it up!  Looking strong!  I know you’ve got this”  And he looked up, smiled at me, and kept going.  This happened over and over again between all the runners for the next 3 miles.

Here’s one of the scariest thoughts I had during the race…. “Is that a mile marker or a speed limit sign?” We were in a downtown neighborhood approaching Forsyth Park so I knew we had to be close, but I also know you have to drive slow in a neighborhood…. Which was it?… YES!  Mile marker.  I’m almost there!  I heard a man yell “We’re so close I can smell the finish line!”

I was energized, pepped up and ready to see that finish line!  What little gas I had left in the tank was drained that last mile.  I felt like I was sprinting to the finish line, although it was probably an 8:30 mile at best.  As I approached the finish line I saw a blue sign that said “Run Katie Run”.  Out of 23,000 runners I assumed there were hundreds of Katies, but under the sign I saw my mom and dad.  High five and a few more strides and there I was across the finish line with a medal around my neck.  I DID IT!  I didn’t really have a goal time, I just wanted to finish.  And I did…. 4:11, not too bad for my first race.  I’m hoping to keep getting faster and stronger so the next one will be around 4:05(ish).  We’ll see.

In Forsyth park with my medal and race t-shirt.  I was excited to finally get a race shirt that fit me!

Saturday evening I celebrated the accomplishment with my family.  We grilled some hamburgers and for dinner and we also celebrated my grandmother’s 92^nd birthday!  Man, I’m really blessed with good genes in my family!  After dinner we went to see my mom’s family and had desserts.  My dessert was coffee and Bailey’s.  This should help me sleep! 

No rest for this road warrior.  Early Sunday morning I was back on the road to Atlanta.  I had to be at a training session for new Boot Camp instructors by 12:30.  After several hours of that class I finally had a chance to pass out and get some solid sleep. 

I really surprised myself with how quickly I recovered and got back to normal.  After my first half marathon I was crippled for days.  I felt great about 30 minutes after I finished.  I was bouncing off the walls and dancing like a crazy fool Saturday night.  Sunday I was a little tight and sore from being in the car but Monday morning I was back in action at boot camp for a heavy leg work out!

One down.  Twenty-nine to go! 

Why Savannah?

Savannah has always held a special place in my heart.  It’s very fitting that I chose Savannah to be my first marathon.  My dad was born and raised in Savannah.  As far as I know his family has been in Savannah longer than the Spanish moss.  I feel as if nearly every little street in town has set the scene for many events of the Fennell family’s lives.  My mother’s family also has several generations that have called Savannah home.  My mom was born in south Florida and she and her family moved to Savannah when she was starting high school.  The majority of my family, both sides, still lives within about 45 minutes of Savannah.  I’m excited to see so many of them tomorrow.

I know I have plenty of weird quirks and things about me that many people don’t quite understand.  But one quality that I have, that I’m very proud of, is the fact that I’m an extremely hard worker.  If my heart is in it, I’ll work hours upon hours with no end in sight until the goal is accomplished.  Despite the toughest obstacles, all the blood, sweat, and tears…. I won’t back down from a challenge or goal until the job is done 100%.  And also done right.  I’m not one to half ass a task just to say it’s complete.  This is a trait that I got from my grandfather, affectionately known as Big Bubba, or maybe just Bubba.  Bubba was the working man’s man. He took great pride in his work.  You’ve heard of people who work from sun up to sun down…. Well if you followed that rule, you’d be hours behind Bubba.  He was always up before the sun.  I never knew a day that he slept past the sunrise.  He worked in the blazing hot south Florida sun hours a day to provide for his wife and seven children.  Some days he may have only had coffee for breakfast and then dinner at home when the job was done.  They didn’t have a lot of money and he continued to work very strenuous manual labor to ensure that everyone else had what they needed. When the family moved to Savannah Bubba continued working for another construction/renovation company.   I don’t think he ever really retired.  He kept working until the very end.   I wish Bubba was still here today.  He may not have been a runner, but I think he would be proud of my hard work and commitment to my goal.

The best compliment I could ever receive is to be told that I have Bubba’s work ethic. 

To combine with my strong work ethic, I have my other grandfather’s talent for running.  Back in his day J he was one of the best runners in Savannah.  He ran cross county at Savannah High in the 1930s.  My grandfather’s ran his first 5k in less than16 minutes.  I could only dream of training hard and finishing a race that fast.  Once he finished competing he went on the coach the team for about eight years.  If you had the time, I’m sure he would tell you running stories for hours and hours.  I went to visit my grandparents tonight.  It was great to see both of them and see their excitement for me and my race.  I loved to hear his old stories about racing and his personal best times.  He had to check and see if I was eating right and got cleared by my doctor for this race.  Granddaddy was disappointed that it was already dark when I got to their house because he wanted to watch me run and critique my gate.  He also wanted to inspect my shoes and see if they were safe.  He made a great emphasis on my gate and stride.  He wanted to know if I run on my heels or toes.  Honestly, I don’t really know how I run…. I just do it.  (Sorry for the cheesy Nike quote) My grandmother said that they could be driving down the road and he’ll yell out the window at runners and tell them to run on their toes.  Even at 96, he’s still coaching.  The best part of my visit tonight was a very special gift that he gave me.  He gave me a medal that he had won 80 years ago.  I love this and will cherish it forever.  I’m going to put it in my water belt and carry it with me every step of the way tomorrow.  I knew I would have my grandfathers in my heart tomorrow but this gives me a special memento to remind me of their strength, courage, and inspiration tomorrow.

This race is for both of you…. Bubba and Granddaddy.  Thanks for your contributions for making me who I am today.

The starting gun fires in about ten hours…. Here goes nothing!

30 before 30

Some people have a mid life crisis.  That’s normal and widely accepted.  Probably actually expected of today’s over worked under paid highly stressed American population.  But what about a quarter life crisis?  I think this is becoming more common, at least with me and my friend group.  So here’s the story of my ongoing quarter life crisis….

When I turned 25 I felt like it was time to grow up, be an adult, and do something meaningful with my life.  So, I bought a condo.  I committed to a life and career in Atlanta.  OK good.  Done.  Move on with my new life, right?  Well, not quite.  Then at 26 I started morphing into the corporate zombie world of work, work, work…. I was spending all my time and energy in the office and neglecting things that could make me happier in life.  So what did I do?  I took off for Paris.  Spent three weeks with my friend Natalie and didn’t have an ounce of responsibility or care.  No to-do list, no schedule, no worries.  It was fantastic.  I learned to slow down and appreciate all of life’s little, yet great treats.  I did not however, learn to appreciate Falafels.  There’s no hope there.    At 27 I found another great challenge and adventure.  I dedicated myself to an eleven week training and diet program so that I could compete in an NPC Bikini Competition.  This taught me so much.  I learned that I love challenge.  So here we are again, another year later, and my quarter life crisis continues.  This time, I’ll tackle it with another ridiculous challenge.  So here it is… if I type it, blog it, and publish it, there’s no turning back….. So I’m putting this out there for the world to read.

On October 11, 2011 I celebrated my 28^th birthday.  I decided to set a new goal for myself.  I will be running 30 marathons before I turn 30 years old.  It’d be great if I already had one or two under my belt so that it wouldn’t seem so overwhelming…. Buuuuut I don’t! I have only run two half marathons, and that does not add to one.  My first marathon will be next week, November 5 in Savannah, GA.  So now I just need to look at the calendar and pick 29 more J  EASY PEASY!  

I know 30 marathons will be difficult.  It will also be expensive, so if I don’t actually enter an official race for several weeks, then I’ll just go out and run 26.2 around Atlanta or wherever I may be. 

I’ve already heard a few people tell me that there’s no way I can do this.  The body needs weeks to recover from 26.2.  My response: “Thanks for your concern.  But not my body.  I’m going to push myself to the limits.”  I thrive on that fine line of normal and crazy. And right now my right leg is stepping over that line into Craziville. 

So here we go…  I welcome all comments, thoughts, and criticism.  Visitors are also welcome in Crazyville.  I would love for my friends to join me in any of these marathons or training runs.  Please let me know when you’d like to jump on board for my next crazy adventure!

-katie