2009 Baltimore Marathon Race Report

On Saturday October 10th, Steve and I raced the Under Armour Baltimore Marathon. It was a very cool experience, especially since it was Steve's debut marathon.


Steve grew up just outside of Baltimore, so when I was trying to talk him into running a marathon with me a year ago, it was only fair that I choose a place that is meaningful for him. (I know, I'm nice like that.) Also, being that The Wire is our all time favorite show, we thought it might be cool to run through Charm City's finest neighborhoods.


So, we made a nice little 3 day trip out of it: we left Thursday pm, got in late that night, and made the most of our stay until it was time to head back to Denver late Sunday afternoon.


The race went pretty well for me, but Steve was a little disappointed with his performance.

Here's how it went:

My strategy was this: start out at a pace that I could seemingly hold tight for 26.2 miles and then hold on for dear life. Also I didn't want to dwell on the fact that I am 5 lbs heavier than I normally am when I'm at my racing peak (read: I welcomed the off season before it was time to officially welcome it this year), but it's hard to ignore extra weight when you have to carry it around for an entire marathon. Also, I was only running about 30 miles/week during training which is low mileage, especially when I had to take an entire week off due to IT band problems two weeks out from the race. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't have any major expectations for this race.



We stayed right downtown (about two blocks from the start) at a Holiday Inn which was pretty nice but the best part was that it was right across the street from a firehouse which is to say we heard sirens pretty much the whole time. But it was convenient to shopping and restaurants and great for a mini jog to the starting line.


The race started at 8 which is awesome for sleeper-inners such as moi but Nervous Nelly Steve wanted to wake up at 5:30 anyway. What is he, a rookie or something?



We woke up, ate bagels and cream cheese, coffee, a power bar and a banana all before we left to head to the start at 7 am. Now for Steve and I, music is our mojo, so we really wanted to wear our iPods, but race regulations strictly forbid that so we left them in the hotel not wanting to get hauled off the course Kathrine Switzer style. But when we made our way to the start we saw tons of people wearing them and after a quick confirmation from a race official that they officially didn't care if people wore them, we sprinted back to the hotel to retrieve ours and I am so glad we did.


The gun goes off and about 3500 runners were on their way. Steve wanted to run between a 3:15 and 3:30 so he lined up near the 3:30ers, but I knew that was way out of the question given aforementioned factors. I wedged myself between the 3:30 and 3:40 pace groups, romantically entertaining the notion that maybe just maybe I could scoot in just under 3:40. That was before I met those hills. Steve took off and I was left with my emotions, which always leave me quite verklempt at the start of any marathon. if I ever do an Ironman, I know I'll be hyperventilating.



The first 4 miles or so were uphill through the West Side of the city, projects and all. Steve confirmed after the race that a thinking person would never venture through those streets alone at any other time than when the entire Baltimore City Police is out in full force manning the intersections. It definitely humbled me to run through a reality that I'll never know, yet blatantly exists all across this country.



At about mile 5 or 6 we started to go back down into the city and I was then clocking 7:30-7:45 miles on that downhill. That was probably my favorite part. At the beginning it was super hot and humid and I wondered if I had made the right choice in clothing (sports bra, tank top over with Tempo shorts and a hat rather than a visor). I was sweating profusely and desperately wanted to shed my top and hat. But by the time I got back downtown, the wind had picked up and the rain set in and I was glad that I had on what I had on.



We snaked around the Inner Harbor area and I began to get tired and it was laborious to pick up my legs every step; they really hurt. I was worried that all of this pain was setting in prematurely so I took two ibuprofen and it helped a little. At mile 13 we met up with the 10,000+ runners who were starting the half marathon, as this race boasts a unique feature where half marathoners start at the halfway mark of the marathon so that everyone finishes up together between Camden Yards (Orioles) and M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens). I don't really like that feature because it meant that right when the wheels were starting to come off for marathoners, 10,000 peppy runners were just starting their journey right alongside us and massively overtaking our space on the course. But on the flip side this type of start garnered huge crowd support so it was very uplifting to run through a mass of cheering people. Okay, so it wasn't that bad. I also had to take two more ibuprofen because my legs were really starting to hurt again.



Now we were on our way back out of the city around mile 15 or so and let me tell you it was one giant hill from that point to mile 20. By far it was the most challenging part of the race, but I kept my head down and managed to maintain 8:45 miles which boosted my ego greatly. Then we got to Lake Montebello and it flattened out a bit and the weirdest thing happened to me: I got a surge of energy. I never get a surge of energy late in a race. I even waved enthusiastically to a cameraman and it turns out I was on the local station's broadcast of the race (Steve's mom saw me! I fee like such a celebrity). Anyhoots, I looked at my watch and realized I could still go sub 3:40 if I really hammered it home (I'm talking 8 min miles) and I thought to myself "it's now or never." So I turned on my reserve jets and started running faster out of the park right in time to see another giant hill heading west back into the city along 33rd street. "No problem, just keep on chuggin.'" When I got to the top I realized that it wasn't the smartest of race ideas I've ever had as I was exhausted yet still had 4.2 miles left to go. I just tried to hold on to bring myself home by that point, which thankfully was mostly downhill.


Finally at mile 25 I wanted to prove to myself that I could still finish strong so I went as fast as I could for the whole last 1.2 miles, which I never do because I am usually so tired and unmotivated to care about picking up the pace for that long. My Garmin had cut out for some reason during the last 2 miles so I have no confirmation of how fast I went but I felt like I was flying. It was an awesome downhill through Camden Yards and ending up in front of M&T stadium and I was so so so happy to finally be done, 3:42:04 later. Little did I know that Steve had finished just before me in a 3:40:39.



We celebrated with the standard beer and nachos before heading back to his Mom and sister's house for our nephew's birthday party and then a feast of crabs and Natty Boh beer. If you ever go to Maryland, you have to have crabs and Natty Boh beer. My heaven will be stocked with them when I'm there.



Afterthoughts: I was very pleased with my results, especially given the fact that I was ready to be done with the training two months ago. It is my second fastest marathon out of five total on a hilly, windy course carrying two, 2.5 lb saddle bags on my rear. I was also so excited for Steve in his first performance, finishing with a smokin' 3:40 despite a major slow down during the last 10 miles. He also has agreed to run more with me and I feel very fortunate to be able to do this with him.

I would highly recommend this race to anyone, as Baltimore is a very unique city with a lot of history and you get to run through the coolest parts. I would also recommend watching The Wire before you do, preferably the first 4 seasons.


I am taking the next two months off completely: no training, no energy food or drink of any sort and I may take a hiatus from blogging, although that's been going on since the start of the school year anyway. I want to come back fresh as a daisy come January so I can have a year that is the complete opposite of this past year.


I have done a lot of thinking about signing up for an Ironman. I was very inspired by my little sister when I was in Kentucky, and, truth be told, I had already been thinking of doing one last year before I was stupid and accepted that job as a kindergarten teacher. Anyhoots, short story long, I have hemmed and hawed over it for the past couple of months and my current status is no, I still don't want to do one. Scratch that, I don't want to train for one. I am happiest when I am the boss of me and not a coach or a training plan or an ultra distance event looming on the horizon. I want to be happy this year, and above all else, I want to be healthy.


I hope you all are well. I look forward to having some down time now and to catch up on your lives (after parent teacher conferences this week!) . Thanks for your support this year; it pushed my through some very difficult times. I am glad it's finally over.


Here are some pictures from the weekend. Cheers!

Quiet Firehouse

Infamous Domino Sugar Plant

Johhny Unitas Statue (M&T Bank Park)

Packet Pickup

Carbo Loading with Mom and Howard

Prerace


Postrace Crab Feast with Anita (Steve's Mom)


YUM!

Steve's niece Jenn and nephew Jason opening presents

Indian Summer Half Marathon Race Report

or Shucks, I Spoke Too Soon

Steve and me before the half marathon

On Saturday I oh-so-ballsily-typed a comment on Kristen's blog singing the praises of my new found approach to injury free running. "You see, the key is switching running shoes," I declared confidently. "Wearing one pair for weekly short runs and then another for weekend long runs." As I typed it I felt very high, as if I were sitting atop a horse or something.

And then like an idiot I wore the wrong shoes to race Sunday's half marathon in. The ones I am supposed to wear only for my weekly short runs. The ones that don't have my inserts in them, but that I love because of the superior cushioning. The ones I shouldn't have worn because it was time for the long run pair. C'mon, what kind of rookie BS mistake is that?! Well karma adequately punished me, as I suffered that old trusty IT band pain during the entire last quarter of the race.

This was Steve's first half marathon, so I wanted to make a big deal about it and celebrate the accomplishment, plus thank him for all my annoying training and racing he has to put up with during the year, so I took him out to a nice Italian dinner and then to a comedy show Saturday night before the race. (Are any of you Flight of the Conchords fans? It was Kristen Schall (who plays the crazed fan Mel) and funny man, Paul F Tompkins. Two very huge heroes of comedy, IMO, but I digress). Anyway, to make a short story long, I diverged away from the usual prerace staple of pizza and red wine and inadvertently ordered an Alfredo dish. In my defense, the menu said "light cream sauce," but what I got was a heaping pile of pasta and cream and cheese. And while it was filthy and delicious, it was probably THE WORST possible thing I could have ordered when I was already feeling sluggish, heavy and not in the mood for a peppy run. Oh well, it least it cushioned the wine. So race morning rolls around and I feel sluggish, heavy and lacking my racing feet. Which is sinful because it was ideal race conditions: 60 degrees and cloudy, but no wind or rain.

We suited up, headed out and I was surprised to see my race belt still fit without me having to adjust it to "Alfredo" size. And clothes wise, even though it was cool, I knew I would be hot within the first two miles so I decided on a tri tank, Nike tempo shorts and arm warmers. It was perfect.

We parked at the Rez and see Uli right next to us. "Hi Uli!" Then we were off to warm up.

The gun goes off and I feel heavy. I mean really heavy, even heavier than the day before. Then my left knee twinges a little and I think "oh god, why did I wear these shoes?" Well I know why I wore those shoes: I got cocky thinking they were keeping me injury free and I wanted more cushion to combat said feeling of heaviness. Well, they didn't do the trick for either condition and I paid for it later in the race.

Right after the gun goes off Steve sets a real fast tempo and starts to pull away. I don't even try to stay with him, thinking everyone is going out too fast and they'll pay for it later. He didn't. He went on to run a blazing 1:36 for his first half, leaving little doubt as to his natural running talent.

Anyhoots, wanting to stay present and focused on my race, I kept a steady pace, around 7:40 miles. My HR was low Z3 and I felt good, except for weight issues. Now, I really don't mean to sound so negative about this weight thing, especially since in the grand scheme of things I know I am at a perfectly healthy weight. But as athletes we are very attentive to our bodies and any changes that may occur in them and I am telling you it is really hard to run as fast as you normally do (and even feel good about yourself) when you are hauling around 5 extra LBS. I'm just saying, I could notice the difference and it was making me slightly depressed and even mad at myself.

So the first part of the race is slightly uphill overall with some gentle rollers mixed in. I stayed strong and held steady. In the middle of the race I started to breathe a little heavier, but nothing to worry about. The last quarter my knee really started to get tight and sore, the way it usually does before full on IT band attack. First on the side, then underneath, then all around but most acutely on the outer portion of the knee. I had to stop and stretch just after mile 8, wanting to be able to finish the race. Then I pressed on, still wanting to do as well as I could (read: I had my fightin' gloves on-I had put up a good fight so far, why stop because of a little self-induced knee pain?). Then knee started acting up again just after mile 9 so I stopped to stretch a little once again. This time 3 girls (all looking about my age) passed me and that's when I decided to throw caution to the wind (I only have one more race in the season) and just go for it. Sucking on air, I gave it my all the whole way in, knee pain and all and finished in 1:44:57, which is one minute and 32 seconds slower than my PR at altitude. But, while throwing it all on the line those last couple of miles, I managed to pass all of the three girls who passed me while I stretched, until one passed me back with less than a quarter of a mile left to go. But my finish was good enough for third place in my AG so I won a $25 gift card to a local running store.

Here's what I bought:

Until I realized they give me blisters, so I took them back and got this:

Yes, those are paisleys and a label that says "Horny Toad"

Plus another cute something or other for my big sister Wendy's birthday in October. And that's all I have to say about that (read with Forrest Gump voice).

But Steve seriously did some major a$$ kicking with his performance. He maintained 7:20 miles for the whole thing and said he felt great until the last mile. I am so happy for him; he trains so hard and is very dedicated, he deserves every ounce of his new (and first official) PR!!! And he finished 5th in his AG. Way to go, Steve-O!!!

We celebrated at our favorite establishment, The Hungry Toad (not to be confused with aforementioned "Horny Toad"). It's a British pub that serves the best nachos around. Go figure.

Oh, the diet didn't start until Monday...

P.S. I took today and yesterday off and will resume running tomorrow. It's the standard two-day rest period that I implement after a bout with my IT band. I'm pretty confident that by tomorrow...you know what? I'm stayin' quiet this time...and wearing the shoes with the inserts on my next run.

My Sister is an Ironman!!! & Other Current Events

Here is a link to Amy's blog with a full race report (most of you have already read it). Anyway, I finally got the chance to read her report last night and it is one of the best reports I've ever read.

In other news, our computer contracted a virus a couple of weeks ago so I have been limited to checking email and only checking email (at work), as my district computer network doesn't allow access to FB or any other time-sucking sites of the nature. Well I nevah! Well, last week we finally got a new computer, so I'm back, hooray!

One interesting thing I've learned through this trying period is that I have a serious addiction to the interent. At first when I wasn't able to login to FB, check blogs, or even dink around iTunes, I felt pannicky, like I was suddenly disconnected from the entire world. Then after a few days, I got used to not being connected to all things internet and I actually started getting some things done. It made me feel sorta guilty for all the time I tend to "waste" on the internet.

Then I read my sister's race report last night. I was so excited to be sitting and reading blogs again that I could hardly contain my excitement (could have been that I was on my third glass of Cabernet...). And after reading the comments you all left I realized that the time I spend on the internet is not wasted time at all. To the contrary, it's actually very productive. Connecting with triathletes and friends through blogs and FB allows me to get to know people I otherwise would not be able to because we live so far apart, talk to friends I haven't seen in years, gain inspiration from other people's triumphs and learn a lot through others' experiences. And yes you can waste time on the internet doing things that aren't poductive, it is a whole other world on that web, but when I am reading your blogs and learning from you and sharing in your joys and glory, I think about how great the internet really is and that I shouldn't feel badly about the time I spend here because it brings people closer and promotes supportive relationships that otherwise wouldn't be possible.


So, enough of the soap box. I just wanted to say that, just like everything, internet in moderation is healthy and good and that is what I learned when my computer had a virus and I couldn't log in for three weeks straight. Good lesson, eh?

P.S. Steve and I are running in a half-marathon tomorrow. It's his first. I have no expectations other than to just stay present and focused (thanks Suze and Amy) and try my best. I have put on probably 5 pound since Steelhead (no joke) and I can feel it when I run. I'm not trying to be that stupid high school girl who obsesses about her weight, but I am telling you that you can't argue with the data and my Garmin data show that I.am.slower. because of all the extra junk I'm hauling in the trunk (I gain it in my butt first). So, short story long, I'n not expecting a PR.

Good luck to Kristina, Mike, Temple, my coach Craig and the other HEP athletes and fellow Fleet Feeter Claudia (her first), all of them are doing Wisconsin this weekend. Go get 'em!!!

Here are some pictures from the "Amypalooza" party we had for her before the IM and the race itself.

Pictures from Steelhead and Updates

All packed and ready to go.


I tested this bag for USAT Life and holy guacomole is it awesome!!!
(Made by Zoot)

Fits all your racing essentials and more!

Packet Pick Up

Lake Michigan the day before the race

Beautiful

Steve and Family at dinner the night before

They made Tshirts to wear on race day!!!

Lake Michigan the night before the race. If it only it could be this calm on race day...

Swim Finish with long run up to T1

Transition Area

Me out of the water-waving at my family not knowing Steve was on the other side taking this photo

Heading in to T2 after a long and windy bike

Blowing kisses to my fans! (notice the super cool Tshirts!)

So happy to see my family!

I know this sounds cheesy but I just have to reiterate how appreciative I am that Steve and my family came out to support me during the race. I know you guys know how awesome it is to feel loved and supported when you're going through the mental challenges of an endurance event. It makes me really glad we're going to be there for Amy at IMKY.

In training news I have my first official week of training for the Baltimore Marathon under my belt. I am loving not having to factor in a swim workout before work or try to edge a bike ride in before the skies open up with hail and lightning. There is definitely something to be said about just grabbing a pair of shoes and heading out the door.

And I completed a 13 miler yesterday and felt really strong except for when my IT band started to give me problems a little before the 13 mile mark. I was feeling so good lungs-wise that I was going to attempt to maybe do 15 (ran with Steve and he had to do 16) but when the ol' girl started protesting, I decided to stay true to my new training plan, which is called KK's Listen To Your Body Ultimate Marathon Training Plan. (The "Ultimate" makes it sound really official, doesn't it?) It's your average plan consisting of easy runs, speedwork and long runs but the best part is that you have to listen to your body no matter what happens. So in the spirit of my new plan, even though I wanted to run more yesterday I stopped instead. I'll let you know how this plan works out come October (and if it works well you can bet I'm slapping a patent on this beeeotch). Anyway, I figure I spent so much time this past year NOT listening to my body (save for Kansas) which landed me a slightly-better-than-mediocre race season that I have nothing to lose since I have no goals for this marathon other than to enjoy running it with Steve. I love it when the pressure's off.

Well, I just caught up on your blogs and I must say there's a lot going on: New PRs are being set, first time distances are being conquered, Ironmans are fast approaching and fun is being had. I must say the common thread I've read about is that people are staying tough in the face of adversity but also being smart when their bodies are protesting. I always learn a lot from you all and enjoy reading about your triathlon/running related endeavors.

Happy training.