Run for the Red Race Report

Well, life's full of surprises, right?  This weekend was nothing short of a huge surprise, but not one that I would like to live again.  Ever.

The weekend started out great!  I was excited for the "fast, downhill, cool" marathon that was promised.  I was excited to run my 22nd marathon+ to date and finish my season on a strong note.  And I was excited to check Pennsylvania off my list of states left to cover.  My mom and I planned this whole trip, heading up to Stroudsburg, PA to explore the city I was born in and where my parents lived for 4 years.  I had only been to PA once in my adult life for a short drive by so I was excited to spend time here with my Mom who could show me all the sights.  We got up there on Friday afternoon, explored a bit, shopped a bit, ate a bit and slept great that night.  Saturday morning we got up and did a bit more of the same.  Downtown Stroudsburg is a GREAT part of the city!  Cute coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, and the best used book store ever!  We ended up at packet pick-up around 10:30 and killed time until we met up with my friend Meghan from NYC a few hours later (certainly NOT at the Nike outlet center... certainly not... )

The first house I ever lived in!

We found a great restaurant for lunch that served us amazing salads while we sat outside in the perfect 75 degree sunny day with a slight breeze.  Just after lunch we met up with my other friends Amanda and Todd from DC.  Amanda was running this as her first marathon and Todd came to crew (and taxi us all around... thanks Todd!).  This was Meg's 8th marathon, following Toronto just two short weeks ago.  I TOLD you I'm not the only crazy one :)

Mom at Sarah's Corner Cafe

The five of us headed back downtown Stroudsburg to walk around an Arts Festival for a while before we ended up somewhere for dinner.  I'm standing at an arts table scoping out some super tacky jewelry when I sense a man standing uncomfortably close to me.  After a couple seconds of awkward shifting, I finally look up and it's MY DAD!!!  He came up to run the marathon and surprise me.  I burst out in tears, looked wide-eyed to my mom (who was also tearing up) and hugged my dad like I never have.  It was the absolute best surprise I could ever imagine.  I found out they had been conspiring for months about how to travel to PA from NC and how to keep it a secret so I'd be surprised.  He said, "I can't believe you didn't figure out I was coming!  I wouldn't let you run a marathon up here without me!"  I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the night.  I have the best dad and the best mom - even though they keep secrets from me :)

DAD'S HERE!!!

Dinner Saturday night was at the Barley Creek Brewery.  Normal pre-race dinner for me - steak and vegetables.  And some of the BEST sweet potato fries I have ever had.  Bedtime came early after we prepped for the big race.

Wake-up time was 5:30 Sunday morning.  Todd was taking us to the start instead of us riding the bus so we had some extra leeway and got to sleep in a little extra.  I woke up not feeling right.  I wasn't concerned until I found my stomach wasn't letting me eat my breakfast or drink my protein shake.  If there's one way you DON'T want to start a marathon, its on an empty tank.  When all my attempts to finish breakfast failed, I took a banana and a shake with me to the start with hopes of my appetite making an appearance.

At the starting line

The sun was out and bright when we woke up and by the time we got to the starting corrals at 7am it was already starting to heat up.  We were all comfortable standing around in our tanks and shorts.  If there's another way you DON'T want to start a marathon, its when you're already warm.  I stuffed down the banana and shake against my stomach's wishes and we rotated through the bathroom lines until just before the 8am start.

Dad met up with Susan Dumar with her husband Fred, both members of our Mangum Track Club.  He entered the corral with her and the three of us girls went in around the 3:45 pace mark.  I knew going in that Meghan and Amanda are naturally faster runners than me so I was fully prepared for them to run their own race.  Meghan was unsure about her intentions since it was her first time doing two marathons so close together and Amanda was unsure about her effort since it was her first time going the marathon distance.  I brought my ipod shuffle just in case I was solo.  When we crossed the start line, my stomach was not comfortable but I was hopeful that it was the case of the butterflies and it would go away as the miles went by.

Meg and I lost Amanda after the first couple miles through some serious ups and downs.  Overall the course brags a 1400ft elevation loss, most of which comes in the first half of the race.  I didn't realize I was in trouble until around the 8 mile mark.  I realized then that I hadn't had the appetite to stomach a gel or blocks of any kind.  I had been sipping some water and gatorade from a bottle but the temperature was rising quickly and my stomach started occasionally cramping.  I took my first walk break up a hill sometime in the 9th mile.  I urged Meg to go on, that I would be okay and finish, that I'd maybe even wait for my dad to catch up and finish with him.  She stubbornly refused, just like I knew she would.  I tried to eat a block around mile 12 but that almost came back up on the side of the road.  It was water with a bit of gatorade from then on out.  I was walking most of the uphills and even the downhills seemed to be too much impact for my stomach.  I was, to say the least, very uncomfortable.

Dad caught up to us just past the halfway point.  He seemed happy (and concerned) to see me hobbling along.  We ended up walking and running, setting "visual goals" as my dad likes to call them.  He'd say, "We're going to run from this cone to the third cone ahead, is that okay?"  I'd agree and we'd do it.  Occasionally I'd make it one more cone before another terrible cramp would cause me to fold forward at my waist.  Around mile 17 we passed a table with a box of orange slices.  I grabbed two and managed to eat them both.  First food calories since my banana and I was three hours in.

Dad and Meg told story after story keeping us all entertained and my mind off my quitting.  Somehow we made it through the hills, on the asphalt, in the 80+ sun and into downtown.  Runners were struggling everywhere.  Some aid stations had run out of cups and were handing out bottles of water for runners to run with.  They were pouring gallons of water down runners throats and on their heads.  Tables were set up with coolers full of ice cubes to put on your head and neck to help cool things off.  I think the high temperature that day was 83 and not a cloud in the sky.  A beautiful day for the beach.  A hot-as-hell day for a marathon.  But I guess we've been seeing a lot of those this spring.

The finish was after a loop around the Stroudsburg High School track, which was a nice change from the sidewalks in the final mile.  We finished, I hugged my dad and Meghan, never happier to cross a finish line and never happier that they were by my side.  My mom found us at the finish, as did Amanda (who did AWESOME!!!) and Todd.  We found shade immediately and after about a half hour I managed to slowly sip a recovery shake.  My stomach and insides took a beating and I'm slowly adding in real solid food just today (Tuesday) and its going down in small doses.  Though I'm glad I finished - I hope I NEVER have to do that again!

And the finish!  With my heros :)

Pennsylvania: check!
12 states down.  Now a few months of recovery before I decide on my fall/spring line-up :)

Big Sur Race Report

Well, I should start this blog off by saying there is no way, shape, or form I can put this experience into words.  There is simply no combination of adjectives that could possibly come close to describing the epitome of marathons that is the Big Sur International Marathon (www.bsim.org/).  Its a bucket list, gotta do before you die, and if-you-only-ever-do-one-marathon-make-it-this-one kind of race.  

We usually travel to races over a weekend's time, maybe taking a day off work, but cramming it all into as little time as possible so as to get back to our real lives with little disturbance.  This time we invited a few husbands along and my parents came out to run with some friends, so we extended our visit by a few days.  This way we could fit in some sight-seeing around the Monterrey area.  I'm very thankful we did, but I'll try to stick to the race experience for the sake of the blog.  I do have to say though, the area is stunningly beautiful and should be on your "to see" list, even if you're not interested in the marathon (say whaaaaat??).

Race expo was convenient and well-stocked, long sleeve tech shirts were beautiful, and everything to do with the marathon was perfectly organized.  Without question, we knew where to go, what time to be there, and what to expect.  I gotta give it up to the volunteers and race director for a job super well done.

Only 26.2 to go!

Wake up time Sunday morning was 2:30am.  Yes, that's right.  2:30am.  Two and a half hours past midnight we were up and moving.  We had to be downtown at the bus stop by 3:45am.  My husband (bless his heart...) woke up to shuttle us to the busses.  We boarded the bus promptly at 4am.  Since the Big Sur course  is a point-to-point course, starting in Big Sur and finishing 26.2 miles straight north on the Pacific Coast Highway in Carmel, they bused us from Monterrey down to the start.  It took about an hour to get down the winding highway that split the mountains from the coast.  We got there just after 5am, found coffee and a spot to sit and wait for the 7am race start.  Temperature was in the low 50s.  Chilly to sit around, but would be really perfect running weather.

Squinty eyes at 3:30am

Race started right on time, with the help of Bart Yasso, which was cool.  He bent down from his podium and was giving everyone high 5's as they walked by.  We also caught a glimpse of Dean Karnazes at the start.  Danielle, Tracy, and I started off together and remained that way all the way through the race, entertaining other runners as they inevitably commented on our "Team Hot Legs" shirts.  

At the start

The first 5 miles were through Pfeiffer Park in Big Sur.  Rolling hills, mostly down, beautiful Redwoods, and the sun was just coming up in the sky.  The wind was quiet, the temperature crisp, and the legs were fresh.  Great combination!

Around mile 5 we got our first glimpse of the ocean on our left.  Through some dense fog you could barely make out the crashing waves against the rocky shore, hundreds of feet below the road we were running on.  It was breathtaking.  It was also around this point that the wind started to pick up.  By the time we reached the 7 mile mark we were facing 20 mph freezing winds coming from the north, right in our faces.  The winds were so strong our visors were blowing off and each step was a struggle.  I began to doubt my ability to even finish if this was going to continue.  I even remember turning my head and shouting to Danielle, "I can't do this for another 3 hours!"  Luckily we didn't have to.  About mile 9 we turned a curve and the wind died down (though only to pick up again several more times).

The views for the entire time were just awe-inspiring.  Everywhere you looked, I swear, was a picture from a postcard.  I felt like I was in a different country, along the coast on the edge of the world.  I had never seen any place as beautiful as this race course.

Photo Op in front of the Hurricane Point climb

We saw Hurricane Point long before we were at the foot of it.  Hurricane Point is a notorious 2 mile climb, at about a 5% grade starting around the 12 mile mark.  Its a long, slow, grueling hill that seems like its never going to end.  You see the "end" up ahead only to curve and continue to climb.  Thankfully at the foot of the hill before you climb (and you hear them before you see them) is the Watsonville Taiko drummer group (http://www.watsonvilletaiko.org/).  MAN these drummers are amazing!  Elaborate costumes, fancy footwork, and beats strong enough to miraculously get you to the top of the hill, thanks to high quality speakers.  I could seriously hear their beat for an entire two mile stretch.

THE HURRICANE POINT

Over the hill just past the halfway mark is the famous "Piano Man".  A man (Michael Martinez) dressed in the finest tuxedo playing beautiful classical music on a grande piano.  He sits on the side of the road just across the Bixby Bridge.  All through this three mile stretch from Hurricane Point the views stretch out farther than you can see.  People have spotted whales, otters, and sea lions on the coast during the race.  Though we kept our eyes peeled for whales, we didn't see any but there were lots of other wildlife out there.

The second half of the course is more hilly than the first.  Long, slow climbs and gradual descents.  The wind picked up to 20-25mph a few other times, thankfully not lasting more than a few minutes at a time but always blowing against us.  Every time the wind picked up the temperature dropped at least 10 degrees.  We would go from warm and slightly sweating to freezing cold and shivering.  We were never bored though!

Miles flew by.  I mean I was literally surprised when I saw each and every mile marker.  It was the first time I've ever been disappointed to finish the course, to have my experience in the Big Sur International Marathon be over.  We stopped several times to take pictures, which was a first for all of us but had to be done.  The last few miles curved along the same coastline but showcased multi-million dollar homes with unforgettable views and wrought iron gates.  Unbelievable.

Way before I was ready, we were passing the 23 mile marker and eating the sweetest strawberries in the world.  Soon after we crested the very last hill and crossed the finish line, all three of us, with the biggest smiles you've ever seen.  After we met up with the rest of our group (including my mom, who ran the 10.6 mile race through Point Lobos), we headed back and enjoyed the rest of the weekend.

THL Post Race Pose

If I haven't said it enough, this is one marathon that you should definitely put on your list.  It tops my list of favorites, bar none.  I'm so lucky to have shared it with some of my favorite people.  Huge congratulations to my father who ran Big Sur as his #75th marathon+ and is still going strong.  Thanks to Ted and Diane for coming all the way from Maine to hang out.  Ted ran Dad's first marathon with him in 1999 and ran his 75th at Big Sur.  It was a great, great time.  Do it!  Don't think about it - when July comes and registration opens up, DO IT!  You'll thank me, I promise.  

Job well done, THLers!