Happy Medal Monday…and NYE!

Happy December 31st! 2018 was a solid year with regard to running: five races, one in each of the distances I run. Two PRs (Cherry Blossom and Berlin Marathon), my first World Marathon Major (Berlin), and Perfect Fairy Tale Challenge status!

I’m currently planning for 2019, and I can happily add a third Cherry Blossom 10-Miler for April! I’m setting goals behind the scenes also, and I can’t wait to share those as the year progresses.

Happy NYE and hello, 2019! I hope y’all have a healthy and prosperous year! 💖✨🎀

Berlin Marathon: Conquered!

I conquered my first Marathon Major this year!! Berlin was a success and I got a new PR! Recap coming soon! 🎉

2018 Princess Half Recap

Sunday. 2 AM.

Happy five-year runnerversary to me! Happy tenth half marathon! Happy I’m Getting My Perfect Challenger Status Today Day!

No matter what my finish time was going to be, I knew the day was going to be celebrated. I packed up all my Princess medals the night before, knowing that I would add three more to the collection for a grand total of fifteen.

I woke up with my strategy of sticking with the 60/30 pace group in Corral E and aiming for a 2:30. I arrived at EPCOT in plenty of time, like always, to hang around and slowly warm up. While en route to the security checkpoints, I ran into Ashley, who is one of the best wheelchair athletes runDisney has! We had been social media friends for quite awhile and it was awesome to finally meet in person!

I checked in and meandered around. Not too long later, I met up with Christine, who I met during Marine Corps Marathon weekend!

We journeyed over to the corrals way earlier than usual and we were there around 5. I found my way to Corral E (highest corral ever, yay!), and stretched out, talked to some people, listened to the pre race stuff. You know, the usual. The same scenario on repeat from the last five years…

At some point I stood there, absorbing my surroundings. The cheers, the crack of the fireworks, the buzz of nerves and excitement…and I felt utterly surreal.

If this was my last Princess Half, I would be completely okay with it. I know I had been talking about it on the downlow, but honestly….I’m so over this.

We inched closer to the starting line, and I took a look around to figure out where the pacing group was. Oh, they’re behind me. I’ll get started and drift back towards the once we get going.

Three…two…one…GOOOOO!

The journey of 13.1+ Princess miles began once again.

Pairing up with that pace group for the first two miles felt great. My times were steady, around 12:30 and 11:30 respectively.

Then it all fell to shit. I lost my group.

Too narrow of a course coupled with WAY too many people running, walking, and intervalling became an absolute nightmare.

On the bright side, I was on par for incredible sunrise pictures, and talking with other runners! Around Mile 4 in the TTC parking lot, I started taking in my surroundings and enjoying the scenery. I could still hear the fireworks being launched around 6:30am from all the way over there. The weather was calling to be extremely hot later on and I felt quite grateful for my 5:50-ish start time.

The Princess Half course itself has remained unchanged for the last nine years (as far as I know). However, this year featured a small yet unique difference: instead of making Mile 5 right by the down and back by Space Mountain after the Contemporary Cone Alley, it curved to the left just prior to that, and took us right in front of the Magic Kingdom entrance!

Now THIS was a special treat. The Main Street citizens were up on top cheering down at us, and being able to enter from the very front of Main Street U.S.A felt SO magical.

And this sunrise…. I could NOT get enough! You could tell by looking at my splits where I stepped aside for optimal photo ops!

Now the second half of the race…

*brain goes dead*

Once you hit the curve after Mile 6.8, and you’re not in the front corrals with open road, everything just falls apart. It’s hot. You hit Cone Alley after Cone Alley. So many cones.

And so many people.

I try my best to stay to the farthest left that I can in this area. There’s no point in running, because you just can’t.

I started cramping up around Mile 8. I knew had a ton of time on the sweepers (over 45 minutes), and I decided just to walk the rest of the race from this point. My pace fell into the 16-17 minute range…but that’s so typical of a runDisney event, especially given the logistics and conditions of the course.

The rest of the race had me mentally counting down the miles. The EPCOT geosphere kept getting closer and closer, and I felt relieved and content about the thoughts going through my head…

-I want my runDisney career to be over.
-I want to be off this course with all these people.
-I want to be in my bed after taking a shower.
-I am so tired of this repetition, year after year.
-Couple more miles? Sure, I can do that. Get me out of this sun.
-All this money in registration fees and all we challengers get is a bib designation and a lanyard? Not cool, runDisney. Y’all can do better…

Descending into EPCOT, the crowds grew and their cheering moreso. I hustled my butt over and around to the final down and back loop and straight on towards the finish line.

My time? Ha. 3:35. Two minutes faster than my all time slowest half and definitely my slowest Princess Half. But I didn’t really care. I finished. I was a 5-year Challenge legacy runner. I had completed my sixth Princess Half, and tenth half marathon. All reasons to celebrate.

I collected my medals and legacy lanyard and made a beeline for some shade. After downing some electrolytes and water and that super tasty banana, I layered up for my legacy shot (and found Ian in the process!).

I also ran into the Princess Men, whom I had met at the Enchanted 10K the previous year! Props to them for running in those costumes in the heat!

Five years. Ten Races. Fifteen Medals. What. A. Journey.

---

Christina’s Post-Race Thoughts:

At the time of this writing, it’s been almost two months since this race day. Yes, I’m happy to have celebrated all of the personal milestones that came with the weekend. I’m excited for those that completed their first races or earned PRs on this course. All finish lines should and will be celebrated.

However, after much contemplation, I have reached an impass with runDisney. No longer has the registration fees yielded the results that I wish to receive from a race company. I have calculated paying over $1700 in the last five years just for registration fees for the Glass Slipper/Fairy Tale Challenge. I understand permit fees and other administration/logistical things on their end obviously cost money….but what we get in return in terms of a race experience isn’t worth it.

I’ve received questions and inquiries from other runners on my socials about what all the perfect Challengers received, like sashes or different medals or whatnot. Unfortunately, what I mentioned earlier about the bib designation and lanyard is 100% accurate. I’m super proud of the Perfect Princesses getting their sashes….but c’mon runDisney…couldn’t you have splurged on something cool for us?

I also have running goals that simply cannot be met on a runDisney course. As someone that is striving to run faster, trying to dodge 25,000 other people on a tight course where many do not adhere to the runner’s etiquette of going two-wide or less when walking is just a buzzkill that I wish to not battle with anymore. Until the day comes where I can earn an A corral status, my time with runDisney career is on a permanent hiatus.

While I won’t run the races, I will be here to support all of you who do! I’m here for all of your questions and 100% honestly blunt answers about Marathon and Princess weekends. Who knows, you may spot me at an expo or I may be on course acting as a cheerleader!

See ya at the finish line!

Next up: Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

2018 Princess Half Marathon Expo Recap

This 10th anniversary Princess Half weekend was filled with numbers and significance. Not only was it celebrating five years of the Fairy Tale/Glass Slipper Challenge, but I was also celebrating a milestone of five years running!

I went into the weekend with goals in mind, namely hitting my first sub-hour 10K and an even more ambitious goal of cracking the 2:30s for the half. I should have known better than to make goals for this race. The crowds and course layout make it almost impossible. Plus, weather is always a factor.

Anyway, I was determined to have a little fun this weekend. I started off at the expo, which had a new layout as the new arena had opened.

First stop was picking up my bib. I had submitted a 1:12 10K POT, so I was hoping to have netted a decent corral.

Yup, corrals C and E. Major improvements! 🎉🎉

Perfect Challengers got light blue bibs with the “Perfect” designation. Whenever volunteers pulled these out, everyone cheered. That was a cool feeling. 🙂

I continued on, checking out the sights and sounds:

In the arena, the official runDisney merch was displayed. However, the first day of the expo, which is notoriously crowded and ridiculous, had a seperate queue waiting to enter the merch area that had a two hour wait.

^^merch area…

^^holding queue. No thanks.

So I jumped in line for the characters and got some last minute advice from Tiana, who is one of my top three!

My pink bow reminded her of Lotte! 🎀

I returned the next day to take in more of the expo and not be rushed around, and to meet friends.

My California runner friend, Sarah! ⬇️

I met Jeff Galloway four years ago for my first Glass Slippe Challenge. It was only proper to reintroduce myself and pick up a copy of one of his books for extra BQ in Berlin motivation!

I also ran into Heather Schulz (@heatherrunz), who is an elite runner whom I’ve admired for years. We always take an expo picture together and get caught up on life. 🙂

I was hanging down by the arena again people watching (expos are great for that!), and I saw that the Playalinda Brewing Co. was set up. I harp on myself to not drink before races, but the Glitter Brew Wheat Ale seemed too good not to pass up! (Hint: not brewed with actual glitter.)

I finally got my way into the runDisney merch section, and while things were cute, I couldn’t justify spending exorbitant prices for things.

For example, the medal rack below, while covered in glitter and super adorable, was $75. I could make my own for far less.

I left the expo with just a few practical things in hand and feelings of excitement. It blows my mind how I could return to this very race year after year and still celebrate the past and look forward to the future in my running career. Always look back on how far you’ve come, rather than how far you have left to go.

It was time to get this weekend started!

Next up: Enchanted 10K Recap!

Let’s Talk: Cone Alley

We’re two weeks from Princess Half 2018 weekend, and a hot topic among veterans and rookies alike is how to navigate the dreaded Cone Alleys that sprinkle the course.

First, let’s locate these on the map:

Mile 4-ish: This one of the biggest elevation changes in the race, and it is just past the TTC parking lot. You will descend and then ascend as you go under a bridge. Upon ascension, you will run parallel to Contemporary Resort and head toward Space Mountain.

Study these pictures for a moment. Not only do you have one half of a road to run on, and cars WILL be on the other side, so don’t think about jumping the cones, but you have a sidewalk on your left. Don’t be so caught up in taking pictures that you trip and fall. Many runners eat concrete here, so mind your footing and if you need to walk, stay to the right. You’re gonna be pushing to make it up the hill, so focus on making it.

Second area is just after the 6.8 halfway mark behind Magic Kingdom. This is the worst of the two Alleys:

Cones go on for at least a mile and a half or more. You will run with Grand Floridian on your left and the golf courses on your right. You’ll have shade at least for a little bit until the sun peaks and then you’re roasting.

When runners turn the corner and see these, their mental state immediately goes down the toilet. You don’t have much room to move, and the grass on the sloping hills to the left of the road will still be wet. Don’t run in this unless you want wet shoes! This will end around 8.something, near the Jelly Belly station and the road opens up again.

---

Navigating Cone Alley takes patience, and a whole hell of a lot of it. Pace groups will be run/walking, friends will hog the road seven-deep, and all forms of etiquette go out the door, along with your pace. Don’t be surprised if you add 5+ minutes a mile in this section.

Do your best to run single file in this section. Share the road with other runners. People tend to get nasty and cranky, so don’t let them deter your mood. Play some happy music and think good thoughts.

If you are grooving and come up to a wall of people, do not be afraid to loudly say, “Excuse me, runner coming through!” and break that wall. They’ll be pissy for two seconds, but let it go; it’s your race, not their’s.

Don’t even think about jumping those cones. That empty lane is reserved for emergency vehicles and other traffic. You risk getting hit, or taken out of the race by officials if caught. Orlando Police line these alleys and keep an eye out for jumpers. Don’t get arrested.

---

Any other advice for navigating Cone Alley?! Sound off in the comments!

What If?

What if?

What if I can land that dream job and salary?

What if I meet that perfect guy and find my happily ever after?

What if I get that one chance to prove everyone wrong?

What if I achieve those huge goals?

What if I make the seemingly unattainable…attainable?

We’re all plagued with, “What if?” scenarios raging through our daydreams and thoughts. Repulsed by reality, we retreat to these pleasant moments that our subconscious conjures up, ones where everything goes right… The perfect day is had. The victory is won. The meeting gets cancelled. Everyone gets to have class outside. Work is cut short so everyone can play with a pile of corgis.

With the sigh of disappointment, we come off our clouds and back into reality, where life is grounded, familiar, real, stale. A snoozefest. Corgi-less.

But sometimes, you latch onto that one hypothetical memory, the one that keeps playing on repeat. It comes alive any time you are in a familiar room, a favorite song is playing…then you start to time travel…and your imagination soars to the future. Every move that is occurring in the hypothetical becomes more vivid, more vibrant; you can feel, taste, hear exactly what is going on as if it is happening right then.

You can’t escape it. It becomes consuming. You can’t imagine yourself NOT doing what your subconscious is hinting at you to do…

---

I told myself after the Marine Corps Marathon that I was done with marathons. Done. Donezo. Finir. End game. I did four marathons. Four is an okay number; it’s more than one. I was happier with shorter distances. I was starting to fall in love with 10Ks, possibly moreso than half marathons. I wasn’t stuck on some course trapped in my feelings of grumpy misery hoping that the finish line would come at mile two of 26.2.

Settling on my 99% done with marathons mindset, I ran through my runner thoughts: Giving up now means not reaching Six Star Status with the World Marathon Majors. Means no Edinburgh Marathon in Scotland (but there is a half!). Also means not claiming my deferral for Chicago 2018, which I purposely deferred because of life (like so many of us have had to do in the past).

(…frankly, I was repulsed by reclaiming my Chicago entry because it meant repaying $195…)

That’s a fifth of my rent! And I’m not making $14/hr on 42 hours a week like I was in D.C.

But that “what if” was nagging at me.

What if you put your name in for one last lottery, just for shits and giggles? If you don’t get picked, then you can retire from marathons!

Then the logical side of my brain jumped in with:

Buuuuuut if you get picked….ya gotta run it and eat your words after telling everyone you were done with them!

So this battle went back and forth for awhile. I was eyeing the Berlin Marathon, which I had been denied for previously. Its lottery window was still open, and its price manageable.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Ah, what the hell. I’ll give them my info.

And so I did.

---

Time passed and the lottery closed. I went back to my normal routine. Pushed it out of my head.

In that time, I had found a song that I couldn’t stop listening to. I had set it as my alarm on work days. Something I could listen to on repeat and not get bored, a theme song of sorts. I discovered “Back 2 U” by Steve Aoki & Boehm ft. Walk the Moon on YouTube when watching various sorority bid day videos. There’s a lot of references to running in the lyrics…and it made me start daydreaming about my races and running in general…

So now I’m running like you set me free out in the wild
I know you want me to come home, but it might take awhile
I’ve got my heart in my hands while my head’s up in the clouds
And only heaven knows if I will make it back to you

So I, I just keep running…

Pairing this song to my recent submission to Berlin, I started dreaming…

About making my way to the airport, passport in hand.

Staring out the window as we fly over the ocean, clouds passing by.

Various Germanic scenes of villages, monuments, landmarks.

Starting that marathon at the pop of the gun with 44,000 other runners.

Racing 26.2 miles to the crowds of over a million, to the wall of cheers slamming into me each step of the way, the ensuing adrenaline propelling me to push myself more than I ever had.

Turning the final corner and racing that straightaway through the Brandenberg Gate to the finish line.

It was like one of those freakin’ montages that you see of an elite just before the beginning of a Marathon Major on TV.

Vivid. Vibrant. Real.

And I would tear up every time that I thought about it. For days. Because, “What if? Like, holy shit, what if this actually happens? It’s like I’m clairvoyant. I’m seeing all of this unfold in front of me. I’m getting goosebumps.”

---

I had a trip to Washington, D.C. planned at the end of November for the Cherry Blossom Kickoff Party. It was two days full of fun and friends while exploring around the city, like I always did when I lived up there.

During all of this, I was refreshing my email. Results would begin the 30th and would take several days to finish…but would they start midnight Germany time, or when their offices opened up the in morning at 9AM Germany time? Honestly, they never gave us direction on the timing. Just the date.

So I waited. And waited. Refreshed my email a million times. Checked my credit card statement (and got fooled into thinking it was the amount taken out. Nope. Just a payment I had made that was so close to the actual amount. Damn.) I tried to stay distracted by not constantly refreshing every five minutes. So I did some laundry, some cleaning, took my cousin’s dog out for a walk, watched some TV…

I was texting Chris when I popped over to my mailbox again for the 593rd time.

There was something new. I looked.

Congratulations!

My eyes went wide. Oh, my, goodness. I clicked open the email and read it. And I started crying.

I. Was. In.

I’m not sure if it was good vibes and good thoughts, or the runner gods wanted me to do this one last marathon, or what was going on, but holy shit. I couldn’t believe it.

My, “The Simpsons are going to Germany!” moment had arrived.

---

Now, typically when I apply for lotteries, I blast it all over my social media. However, after proclaiming that I was done with marathons, I didn’t want the word to get out that I had entered yet another marathon lottery. I told just a couple of confidants through twitter DM, but I knew would have to be sneaky about it. At least for a little while.

Chris was ecstatic, as were Adriane and Robert (cousin/cousin-in-law), and my confidants. Social media was erupting, but I resisted jumping in on the party. Instead, I walked down the road and attended the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler Kickoff Party, which was the reason I had flown up to D.C. in the first place. Not only did I partake in meeting up with my friend, Heather, and meeting her husband, Roswell, but I got a T-shirt preview, lots of delicious garlic knots and salad, met other runners (including the race director for Marine Corps Marathon, Rick Nealis), and landed a guaranteed entry for CUCB 2018. So see ya in April, D.C.!

As I posted the news on socials and got on the plane the next day to return to Orlando, the fantasy montage that I kept myself entertained with for the days and weeks leading up kept rolling through my mind. Only this time, it felt concrete. Secure. My subconscious fantasy daydream stuff had been right. I’m not sure what good vibes the universe was giving me, but I wasn’t going to complain.

I got in.

I am going to Berlin, Germany.

My marathon journey is not yet over.

holycrapholycrapholycrap

I was a child walking with giants a hundred feet tall
Out in the wild, you wouldn’t believe all the things that I saw
I took a high road out in the open under those stars
And all the while, I just got closer to going too far…

So now I’m running like you set me free out in the wild
I know you want me to come home, but it might take awhile
I’ve got my heart in my hands while my head’s up in the clouds
And only heaven knows if I will make it back to you

So I, I just keep running…

---

Now, fast forward to the present day. There’s one teeny little detail that I have left out of this entire monologue. Until now.

Whilst on the plane heading to D.C. the day before lottery results began, I pulled out my travel journal. I often write when I fly, as it calms my nerves and gives me a fantastic distraction.

I got my song going, cracked open my pen, and started writing….

Berlin results will be announced shortly, starting tomorrow. I’m tellin’ you…being selected will change so much. Having #BQinBerlin on my mind and striving to achieve something that perceived to be unattainable by so many will shatter that misconception. I want to make the seemingly unattainable attainable. Part of me wants to be that role model for others, to show that determination, discipline, and dedication are all required—not optional—to achieve the biggest dreams and goals.

That third line. The little tidbit that I have held from the internet:

#BQinBerlin

You read that right.

I went into this process with a mindset: if selected, I would be going out with a bang. I would be attempting to BQ. To train for, and to qualify for, the Boston. Freakin’. Marathon.

If Berlin truly is destined to be my last marathon, I am going to go out having put my best foot forward. If I qualify, then I’ll pull a Shalane and scream, “Fuck yeah!” I’d wrap up my marathon career on the biggest stage in the running world at Boston. If I fall short, then I know I had the best race of my life and I can retire happily having completed at least one World Marathon Major, and an international marathon.

No matter the results, there will be plenty of beer and bratwurst consumed post-race. And maybe some cake.

---

Welcome to my 2018 goal. There are many miles yet to be traversed, and it’s not going to be easy. Grab your running shoes and passports. The world is waiting.

Welcome to #BQinBerlin.

2017 Year in Review — Running

This year was…quite something. I think out of this year, more than any other, each race has its own specific story to tell. These range from the dramatically emotional (RnR DC) to elation (Clyde’s 10K), from observing the goodness of the running community (WDW Half) and sheer perseverance (MCM). Let’s dive into the review…

---

January: Goofy Challenge

–WDW Half
Nothing like starting out the racing year with a cancelled race! Due to storms, the WDW Half was cancelled and we were issued refunds in a variety of forms for our registration. (Anyone else still using their gift cards?! I am!) However, it didn’t stop many of us from trekking around the hotels and parks to get that mileage in! Cast Members and other runners set up makeshift water and candy stops along loops where runners were getting their laps in. Cheers from guests and runners alike pierced the air through the parts as we donned our bright yellow race shirts and ran circles around World Showcase. Social media support was intense, and we couldn’t stop clamoring over how one event brought out the best in the running community, and how we were all a part of this history.

WDW Marathon
-So Mr. Cold Front came through, and I was fortunate to have brought cold weather clothes to Florida. It was 35 degrees with 15 mph winds. Official Florida winter. Never had I felt this cold during a race. Even with the sun, I was still freezing.

My race was awesome, though…for the first five miles. I was pacing to hit a 5:24 marathon (which would have been a 1.5 hour PR). But once I hit that stupid Cone Alley at Mile 6.8, that went out the window. I turned it into a fun run, rode on Everest, and grabbed a margarita to finish my third marathon in 7:30.

Then I went back to my hotel, wrapped myself in my space blanket, and thawed out.

February:Glass Slipper Challenge

Enchanted 10K
-The entire weekend I was plagued with side stitches. I could barely run any of the 19.3 miles for these two races. But I did PR in photography, running into social media friends, and watching a kick ass sunrise over Yacht Club and Boardwalk.

Highlight of the race: I MET MY RUNNING TWIN, LINDSAY!!!!

However, if you looked around, you could tell that runDisney was pulling back on a lot of our favorite things. For one, the Fairy Godmother didn’t wave us away, nor were there characters at the beginning. That’s been a pre-launch tradition for as long as I can remember.

My fastest mile of the weekend was Mile 1 with a 10:47. Fabulous.

The 10K medal is definitely my favorite of the four 10Ks I’ve run thus far.

Princess Half Marathon

-This was my fifth Princess Half, so I knew exactly what to expect course-wise. The course map has remained unchanged from when I ran my first in 2013. Due to traffic, the race was actually delayed by a couple of minutes as they waited for all of the elites to arrive. Once we started moving, I made the decision to not chase a sub-3 PR, and just to focus on photography, just like the previous day. I finished in 3:34, definitely not my best performance. But I did get my GSC legacy shot (which prompted a lot of, “Shut the front door!” from those watching me layer on 12 medals), and met social media buddies Ian and Keith!

March

Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Marathon That Wasn’t

-Easily the most frustrating race I have ever taken part in. So frustrating that I have declared a boycott of all RnR DC races and RnR marathons. Lack of course split signage and course officials directing runners to said split caused Chris and I to finish just the half, not the marathon which we paid for. Having NO idea what was going on, I cried just before the finish line, looking around like a lost puppy dog. I blew a sub-3 chance with my little tantrum, but I couldn’t help it. Any race that goes against what is written in the race instructions online gets no respect from me. I have now coined the term logistical ignorance to describe the experience.

It was also the coldest! I thought WDW was bad. That didn’t hold a candle to DC.

Some good stuff happened though: I met Meb, and Chris and I got new half marathon Prs with 3:02 on a very hilly course (and I got to ring my first PR bell!). Also, there could always be Hamilton tickets at the finish…you have to cross the line to check!

April

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

This race definitely falls under the Prettiest Race of 2017 for me. DC got nailed with a cold snap that killed off a lot of the cherry blossoms in March, and the little guys were struggling to bloom as the Cherry Blossom Festival was getting underway. Somehow, a warm front came through, and we had blossoms for race day!

This was my first 10 Miler, acquired through the lottery, so it was an automatic PR. While this international field is intense (anything run in the DMV will have an intense field, because competition), there is still plenty of opportunity to enjoy the scenery. Trending with WDW and RnR, this race was also cold as hell. It’s just been the year of cold! I swapped out my original outfit for thermal tights and sleeves.

This was also the first race where I wasn’t hell bent on taking pictures. Starting in the last corral, I had roughly an eight minute buffer between the pace vehicle and myself, so I was more focused on keeping that barrier. (CUCB requires proof of time upon lottery entry for corral seeding purposes just like runDisney.) It took me five miles to finally pull my phone out and snap a course picture. The course reflected all of my other DC races, so I knew what was along the route. CUCB does have a time limit of 2:20:00, Finish past this and you will not be listed as an official finisher. I finished in 2:10, just barely making it!

Clyde’s 10K

And another PR! Getting closer to that sub hour 10K!

Having worked for the Clyde’s Restaurant Group at the time of racing, I was granted a comp entry for the company 10K. Taking place in scenic Columbia, MD, it was a 10K of extremely hilly proportions (and the crazy Route 108). Afterwards, a delicious brunch catered by Clyde’s of Columbia was consumed. I was disappointed that there was no medal for this race (making it three 10Ks so far that remain medal-less), but I am very happy with my 4 ½ minute improvement from the Hot Cider Hustle 10K from the previous year.

And then we go into hiatus…until…

October

Marine Corps Marathon

Ahhh, my revenge marathon on the same course that gave me my first DNF in 2015. I was also running with Chris and Lauren, who were out to crush their first marathons. It was hot, it was brutal, I got diverted at Mile 17 because I arrived thirteen minutes too late to Charge the District. I still found my way to the finish line and got a medal…and a lot of Shake Shack the next day.

I told myself no more marathons after this. Then I put my name in for Berlin…

…and now I’m eating my words. I’ll be writing a more in depth post on this whole topic coming soon. 🙂

December

UO Fun Run 5K

Company race through Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. Slowest 5K so far, but a PR in character stops with 11!

---

So this year by the numbers:

-9 races
-117.2 miles traversed
-10 Medals
-4 locations (FL, DC, MD, VA)
-3 Personal Records (MCM should’ve been #4 with a PR by 9 minutes, but only after hypothetical times were calculated by the timing company)
-2 Marathons
-2 Disney challenges
-1 New Distance (10 Miler)

Universal Orlando Fun Run 5K Recap

It was a very early Saturday morning when I woke up  for the company fun run. Having slept about three hours the night before (on top of taking two flights back from DC), I knew the run wasn’t going to be decent. I had the goal of breaking sub :30 in the 5K, and thought this race would be the one to do it.

I hadn’t run since Marine Corps; I walked a lot at work! But mileage at work doesn’t substitute well for legitimate racing miles.

Anyway.

The field was slightly more than 1,000, which was perfect. The announcers were asking for competitive runners to be in the front, slightly less competitors in the middle, and walkers/strollers in the back. I thought this was very fair. I lined up near the front, still with that sub :30 on my mind.

At 6AM, we counted down and raced through the gates to Islands of Adventure!

 

All of my pictures are going to be horrendously dark until the end. 

 

The course was very windy, as we alternated from onstage and offstage/backstage areas often. We were in the presence of our most majestic attractions, such as Hulk, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Poseidon’s Fury, and Hogwarts Castle!

I started out fantastically, with my first quarter of a mile hovering around 2:30. I slowed for a quick walk interval, then started back up again. The route ran through Marvel: Superhero Island, and the characters began. I never stop for characters in runDisney races, but seeing as there were very few people comparatively doing this race, I felt it obligatory to stops for some characters:

Comic Book Strip and Toon Lagoon were next:

Then Jurassic Park and Hogsmeade!

 

Frog Choir!

 

Even with character stops, my first mile was around 13 minutes. Not bad.

To clarify, this was a non-chipped race. Nothing is officially official, and I’m going off of my watch data.

We ran out of Hogsmeade and through The Lost Continent. All of the decorations were on as we traversed through Seuss Landing.

Hooking a left out of Seussland, we started the ever-so-boring backstage portion.

Soon, we were in Universal Studios Florida, and the second half of the race!

I took it easy and just absorbed the emptiness of the park, along with the decorations. It was sooo relaxing to take in the scenery without guests or a ton of runners. It was a relatively quiet race (no spectators, either, since the park hadn’t opened up at that point).

My pace had slowed down even more, but I was suprisingly okay with it. I was just on the lookout for the next character stop!

By the time I finished the race (51:25), I had a PR for character stops with 11.

I met up with some of my attractions team and we proceeded through the breakfast line, which is better than any recovery box I’ve ever received.

All in all, a good day for my first and only 5K of the year!

Hot Cider Hustle 10K Recap

Caramel apples. Hot apple cider. Who doesn’t like running for delicious treats?!

In my quest to get into faster-seeded corral for Glass Slipper Challenge weekend and to continue with my Goofy Challenge training, I signed up for this here Hot Cider Hustle 10K a few weeks ago in October. I mentally had a goal of going sub-1:00, or as close to it as possible without destroying my body, as the Everglades Half is my next big race in two weeks.

The night before the race I had a minor body-image freak out as I tried on several different versions of outfits. I felt like everything I was wearing was squishing me in places that weren’t supposed to be squished, and I felt disgusting. To top it off, I was starting my period. #FemaleRunnerproblems  -__________-

I finally settled on my donut Sparkle Skirt, running tights, lots of pink accessories!, Athleti-tec hoodie and VSX sports bra. The hoodie was thin enough so I could just wear that and the bra and be fine. I’m not an advocate of wearing the race clothing ON race day (especially finisher/”I did it!” shirts)…but at this point, I wanted to be comfortable and not die. (Spoiler alert: it was a perfect combination.)

My stomach was a wreck, as was my mental state. I was frustrated and upset, and the slow Metro on Saturday morning didn’t help, either. I did arrive with plenty of time to spare, which was great since it was at least a half-mile trek to the starting area. The weather was all blue skies and sunshine with a slight chill in the air.

The pre-race area was out in the middle of a huge parking lot adjacent to RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. I could clearly see that this race course was not going to be the most exciting: a loop-to-loop course, all in the parking lot area. Woot.

At least there were puppies near the gear check area, and all over the place 🙂 :

Around 8:50, we started lining up. This race is similar to the Rock ‘n’ Roll series, where it’s an honor system: faster runners are in the front and slower runners/walkers are near the back. I lined up somewheres in the middle (always a safe bet).

The gun fired at 9:00 and the race began. the weather was chilly but the sun began to peak and it warmed up a bit. I held a steady, even pace for the first little bit, relying on my Hamilton music to keep me in tempo. My first mile was 10:01 (which, I do believe, is the fastest mile I’ve ever had in a race. Woohoo!)

Up ahead of this was the loop into mile two, and straight into a ton of sunshine with no shade relief. This was a pain as I didn’t have sunglasses and wasn’t expecting to be blinded by the light, literally.

Another huge pain of this race? Runners randomly stopping to walk in the middle of the course without signaling. That’s a surefire way to get hurt, or to hurt someone else. I spent a lot of time dodging people in the first couple of miles and knew I was wasting energy by doing so.

Around mile 2-ish.

Here we go loop-de-loop.

This loop course was a first for me. By the above pictures, you can see it’s not the most fun course in the world. BUT…it was flat, with little to no elevation change. There was one water stop (slightly out of view on the above picture to the right), with Gatorade on the first lap and water on the second lap. I had to pee desperately on my second loop around, and saw three portapotties off in the distance around this area. SO grateful!

Speaking of second loops around, it got really quiet really fast. 1500 runners had signed up for the 5K, 700 for the 10K, and 300 for the 15K. My first 5K split hovered around 34:00 (which is a split PR for me!).  It was nice to take my time on the second loop, to slow down when needed, and to experiment with pacing. I had several Hamilton songs ready to go, such as “Washington on Your Side” and “The Election of 1800“…all Nightcore versions. (Nightcore music is sped up and sounds like chipmunks singing.) Running in tempo with these really set me up for an even pace. (For example, I found that in WOYS, which is 2:12, I could cover a quarter of a mile and not feel winded.)

Despite a boring course and fighting cramps and peeing, I still wound up with an official 1:16:58 PR,  which is a seven-minute improvement from February’s Enchanted 10K! Woohoo!

No medals for this race (boooo), but a brand new mug for my collection! (Yaaaay!)

I submitted the POT update for GSC weekend. Here’s to hoping for a higher-seeded corral!

---

This race was full of firsts for me, including this…

This caused so many headaches…

Since this course operated on a loop, the finisher’s chute offered instructions on how to navigate. If one was running the 5K, great! Go straight. Those on longer distances, step on the first timing mat for your split, and follow the cones on the left to get back on the course. For some reason,  many runners didn’t adhere to these instructions and found themselves either shortening their distances or lengthening them, intentionally or unintentionally. This caused such a snafu at the end, that the awards ceremony didn’t happen for those in the 10K and 15K distances. The results had to be tabulated by hand (since some 10K/15Kers would have had blazing fast splits), and other than the overall and 5K winners, awards weren’t handed out right then. I also didn’t get my results until later on in the evening when they were posted online (hence the one-second change between -my Garmin and the official time.)

If you’re going to run a looped course, know what distance you’re going to run and stick with it. It’ll cause a lot less stress with the timing and scoring department later on, and be honest if you want to go up or down with distances! It’s almost like banditing a race if you’re intentionally racing a shorter or longer distance than what you’re registered for.

---

Next up: Everglades Half Marathon racecation!

Run For the Badge 5K Recap

I’m branching away from my meticulously-detailed recaps to bring you a Reader’s Digest version of my most recent race, the Run for the Badge 5K. Held on the streets of Washington D.C. on Saturday, October 15th, this race benefitted the National Law Enforcement Memorial fund, and brought runners from 47 states and three countries together (along with many more through the virtual version).

Chris convinced me to sign up a couple of weeks before race day. It was very chilly, but a great day overall to break out the thin blue line gear.

(Picture one: Sparkle Skirt, Brooks MCM ’15 jacket. Picture 2: Sparkly Soul, and a bow that Chris’s mom made for me!)

(Chris and I. I love his shoelaces! Plus, his Garmin matches with the black and blue theme.)

 

T’was a chilly morning. Temps were in the low fifties. Perfect running weather.

(I joked that this was a .01 gratification run, since we had to go through the finish line to take the first turn onto the course.)

The gun fired at 9:00AM and we took off down the road and around the corner. The course was very flat, save for a hill at the beginning (and the same hill at the end when we looped around to the finish):

There were a couple of issues with the route, in which the runners would be dodging each other at intersections where the course looped out-and-back and runners would be running into each other as they rounded the corner to the next section. There was one water stop at the halfway mark, which is normal for a 5K.

Personally, I was running a great race at the beginning. Chris and I ran a steady pace and felt decent as we ran in the shadows on the buildings around us. Around halfway through the first mile, my good ‘ol friend Side Stitch came back in full force. My projected 9:00/mile went out the door as I clutched my obliques and slowed down. Chris was right there with me as I threw a partial hissy fit; I was overheating and felt ugly and out of shape. He boosted me up and continued to do so throughout the entire 3.1 miles. I also noticed that my heart rate was skyrocketing into the 190’s. Not necessarily a good thing. I took note of when my Garmin told me these warnings and slowed down accordingly.

I was really hell-bent on getting a sub-:30 5K, but as we ran down the final stretch (“No walking breaks!”-Chris) and around the corner, I realized that being able to finish strong regardless of how crappy I thought I was racing earlier was more important. 

I stopped my Garmin, and realized I had PRed with a 35:50! That’s a seven-minute improvement from March, when I was running the RnR DC 5K on a damaged knee and finished in 42:07.

Finished almost in the top 100!

Chris educated me on the fact that the medal is roughly the same size as a law enforcement badge. Genius!

Post-race munches. Hell yeah, fruit snacks!

I can always count on Chris to keep pushing me to the next level. Our fraternity motto is “Strive For the Highest” and I’m constantly reminded how much I CAN do with a lot of faith and a little pixie dust. I’m so proud to call him my Big Brother and to have celebrated his birthday by running with him. 🙂