Frostbite 15k Race Recap (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)

On Sunday I ran the Frostbite 15k.  This was a last minute decision to do.  The mileage fit pretty well within my training schedule so I had thought about it.  And when I found out that the weather was going to be really nice, I pulled the trigger on Thursday.

The night before I kept asking why I had signed up for it.  I didn't want to get up early.  I knew I would be one of the last runners to come in.  I didn't know anyone else that was running it.  The normal butterflies the night before races.

I decided to do packet pickup the morning of the race.  I got up early and ready and headed out nice and early.  I still wasn't sure why I had signed up for the race, but at least the weather was going to be nice.  I got to the race around 7:30 and found parking very easy and very close.  Packet pickup was in the school and there were absolutely no lines.  I then realized I forgot my race belt so that I wouldn't have to pin the bib to my shirt.  Oh well, there were plenty of safety pins.  I asked if I could use the bathrooms inside and the answer was no.  Oh well, there is always the fun port-a-potties.

There was over an hour till the start of the race, so I went back to my car and played games on my phone.  Around 8:30 I ate my Honey Stinger cookie and put on my running shoes and headed toward the start to find the port-a-potties.  When I got up to them I could not believe the line.  It was huge!  I still had 30 minutes to the start and I had to go so I headed toward the back of the line.  I ended up passing one of my friends who was half way through the line.  I stopped to talk to her and catch up.  We talked so long I ended up cutting in line.  I hope no one cared.

We were getting closer to the front of the line as it was nearing 9 AM - race start time.  It didn't matter to me, I wasn't going to be able to run the race without going to the bathroom.  The race was chipped, not that my time mattered either, I wasn't going to win the race.  So I stayed in line.  I finished just in time to get to the start and have the gun go off.  It was nice to just start the race.

The temperature at start time was about 45 degrees.  Great running temperatures.  I wore tights, a short sleeve shirt, and a jacket.  I knew it would be somewhere in the 50s by the time I finished, so I wanted to be able to take some layers off as it got warmer.

The course started through the local neighborhoods.  We passed by Hollywood Cemetery.  I love that place.  I know it sounds creepy, but in college my friend and I would take our lunch and hang out there.  It is so beautiful and peaceful there.  Our favorite part was to visit the Iron Dog.  It's a cast-iron Newfoundland dog that stands guard over the grave of a little girl that died in 1862.  It is the second most visited cemetery behind Arlington.  The views of the river are amazing.  There are two US Presidents buried there and it has a 90 foot pyramid that is a monument to the 18,000 Confederate soldiers buried there.  Passing by just brought up memories from that time in college.

When we passed mile 3, the lead runners were heading back and were almost at mile 8.  For me, seeing the front runners so close to the finish when I'm just starting defeats me a little.  I pushed that out of my mind as we were now heading towards Byrd Park.  Byrd Park is an area that has 3 different parks clustered together with 3 different lakes.  It's a popular place to run, bike, and have time outdoors with the family.  Our Saturday runs tend to take us through or pass these parks.  To get 9 miles out of the neighborhood and park, we circled the lakes what felt like a few times.  Thankfully the signs, rope, and volunteers did a good job to make sure that we didn't follow the wrong person and go the wrong way.

The weather was warming up to the mid-50's and was so nice.  The sun was bright and it was nice to be out after all the cold we have had the last month.  As I look around I realized I was really glad that I signed up for the race.  It got me out to enjoy the weather.

I was defiantly at the back of the pack, I still saw a handful of people behind me, so I knew I wouldn't be last.  Once we had gotten into the parks no one passed me and I was able to pass a handful of people.  It wasn't a very fast race for me, about normal, but I felt strong.

I notice that my balls of my left foot really started hurting me.  I noticed the same pain the week before.  Both times it started the last few miles and stopped when I was done.  I think it is my Morton's Neuroma acting up.  I haven't had that problem in years.  I'll have to bring it up to my PT tomorrow.

Once we were done circling the lakes we headed back to the school.  All the sudden we had so many hills to go up.  I didn't remember all the down hills at the start, but now all we had were up hills.  I still felt strong and ran all my run segments, even on the up hills.  We zigged and zagged through every street.  There were about 3 points where I could see the school just to be turned back around.  I guess it was the only way to get the mileage in and still stay in the neighborhood that didn't have any traffic.  We finally got back to the school and we hit the last hill.  It sort of reminded me of the end of MCM marathon having a huge uphill right at the end of the race.

I crossed the finish line and got my medal.  There weren't many people left out as I was at the very end of the pack.  I looked around and ended up seeing my friends that I ran into in the port-a-potty line.  It turns out that one of their mom's was running the race.  We hung out about 10 more minutes to see her cross the finish.  She is 72 and kicked ass running this race.  What an inspiration!

We headed into the school to get our finish line doughnuts.  I also wanted to see if I could get a shirt.  I signed up too late to get one ordered, but they said that if there was extras after the race we could have one.  I went up to the front of the room and asked the first person I saw.  One of the ladies at the side of the table told me to come see her.  Apparently they had been telling people that they didn't have anymore left as there were some very rude and disrespectful people demanding a shirt.  They were saving them for nice people, like me. :)

I did realize that I got a PR for this race.  Nothing special, but this was the first 15k that I have done, so it's an automatic PR.

I would probably do this race again, but I think I would wait like I did and see how the weather would be before I signed up.  But it was good to see some of my running friends.  They talked about doing the Sweetheart 8k next month.  I'll have to see if it works with my training cycle to hang with them some more.

After I got home I realized I was a little sore.  Not just muscle sore, but I chafed myself.  I haven't gotten back into the habit of using Glide.  I have to remember to put it on for my long runs.  Especially as the weather starts to warm up on a regular basis.

Have you ever run a 15k?  How late have you ever signed up for a race?  Do you get the race butterflies before a race and wonder why you signed up?

I’m linking up with with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My No Guilt Life for the Tuesdays on the Run linkup.

Packing for a Racecation (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)

I know that there are a lot of posts around to discuss packing for a racecation, but I thought I'd throw my version out there.  As I'm packing for my Star Wars Dark Side weekend, I thought I'd share my tips.


There are different ways I pack for different racecations.  If I'm driving I bring everything that I might need.  A case of water and my full size roller are included.  If I'm flying for one race, I pack everything in the carry-on.  But if I'm packing for a challenge weekend, I pack my race things in the carry-on and will checked a bag.

I found an app for my tablet that is a packing checklist.  It's nice as I can have different lists for different trips and can reuse it and not have to start the list from scratch.  I have less of a chance to forget things this way.

Since I make a few trips throughout the year, I put things in a box for secure keeping.  It's great to have all of my travel size items and things I only use for trips in one place.  It saves time from searching all over the house each trip.


First everything that you need for your races need to go in the carry-on.   The main thing to pack is the race outfit.  I pack each outfit together as not to forget something like socks.  Everything I need can fit in a gallon zip lock bag.  Then it can be reused to put the smelly wet clothes in to come home.  I actually found these packing cubes that I use for the same thing.


Liquids of course go in the 3-1-1 quart bag.  This would include Gu.  But Bodyglide is considered the same as solid deodorant, therefore does not have to go in the 3-1-1 bag.  I put other things like hand sanitizer, eye drops, and lotion.


To help space, I only pack one or two shirts.  With the number of shirts we get with a challenge, I usually just wear those shirts throughout the weekend.

I also like to bring a bag or two to bring to the expo.  I'm big on avoiding all the plastic bags that are given out at stores.  The expo is no different.  On one trip to Disney I brought home more then 10 separate plastic bags.   It also makes carrying things easier with bags that have good handles or can go over the shoulders. 


If I plan on going to a park, I like bringing a bag for that.  A small one that can carry the essentials, including a few bottles of water.  I got this bag at the Star Wars Light Side Expo.  I can throw in lotion, eye drops, hand sanitizer, and other things.  Plus it's big enough to hold 4 bottles of water.


I have this scale thing that allows me to see how heavy my checked bag is.  It's great so that I don't show up at the airport and find that my bag is overweight.  When I get ready for a trip I see how much it weighs and then I put in water till it's to about the 45 lbs weight.  I usually can get enough extra water in so that I'm not buying a ton.  And then on the way home I have space for all the race memorabilia and things I buy.  This scale is great as it tucks into the suit case and I can weigh my bag for the trip home.

Do you have any packing tips?

I’m linking up with with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My No Guilt Life for the Tuesdays on the Run linkup.

Running 23 Miles with Matthew (Weekly Wrap-up Edition)

So on Saturday, I ran 23 miles with Hurricane Matthew.  While we didn't get a direct hit, we got a lot of rain and some wind.  Not bad enough to cancel the run, but enough for it to be a very wet run.

Monday I didn't go out for a run as I didn't have time.  Plus I kinda counted the hiking we did on Sunday as a run.  Wednesday I got out there and had a great run.  I worked from home so I ended up being able to run after the sun came up.  I really felt like I was finally getting back to where I was before I hurt my back.  There was a guy that was out there with his dog.  He said he has seen me running a lot and to keep it up.  Makes up for the stupid guy last week. :)

Friday while it was still a good run, I felt slower.  I realized it was a lot more humid on Friday then it was on Wednesday.  I had to go into the office, so I had to run before the sun came up.  This is the time of the year where the acorns are falling from the trees.  They kept hitting different surfaces and freaked me out a bit.  That and the acorns were all over the road and I had to watch myself at some places.

Saturday the long arms of Hurricane Matthew hit us.  The weather was in the upper 60's but there was a lot of rain.  I started off before the MTT group as they only had 20 miles on the docket and I wanted to get in 23.  I ran up and back for an extra 3 miles and then off on the route given to us.  I only had 4 miles that I ran over a 16 minute mile.  I was so impressed with my consistency through the run.  I didn't feel like I ran out of steam at the end like I usually do.

I felt like Matthew was keeping me company on my run.  Most of the time it was a light rain, but every so often it would down pour.  And there would be wind gusts every so often.  Every time the rain or wind picked up, I felt like he was encouraging me to keep going.  I just had to embrace the rain and enjoy what was given to me.

The route that they had for us went through a lot of nice neighborhoods.  It was still a little dark out, but there was a lot of street lights still on.  I ran by this church that had signs of all the terrorist attacks that have happened and at the end is a sign that says "Love One Another".  I was very touched by this.

I also ran by a few houses that had Halloween decorations up.  This was my favorite one.

This same house had a big metal rooster and it really reminded me of The Bloggess.

But most of the run this was my view.  A lot of rain.

And a lot of puddles to watch out for.

I used this run to see what time I would make it for mile 15.5 and mile 18 for MCM.  So that I can beat The Gauntlet, I would have to be there no later then 12:38 PM.  Which means if I cross the start line right at 7:55 AM then I have 4:43 to get there.  If I cross the start line at 8:55 AM then I have 3:43.  I got to 15.5 on my training run in 4:03, which means I have to cross the start line by 8:35 AM or earlier to feel comfortable.

To beat the bridge at mile 18 by 1:15 PM.  That would mean I would need to get there between 4:20 - 5:20.  I got there in 4:40.  Plenty of time after getting past The Gauntlet.  So my main concern will be getting to The Gauntlet on time.

I was still one of the last people that got back to the parking lot.  I just hate that feeling that I know I did great for me, but still one of the last people to finish.  I told one of the coaches that I did an extra 3 miles and he scoffed at me.  The MTT thought of training is that you only need to do 20.  One would think that they would encourage you if you felt better doing something different from that.  There is not one way to train, and I'm doing what is best for me feeling like I can get to the finish line.

When I got home I saw how badly I chaffed.  I used so much Glide on myself because I knew it was going to rain the whole time and it didn't help.  I'm chaffed between my thighs, on my waist, and all around my bra line.  I also wish I had shorts and a sports bra that would treat my body better.  But thank goodness for Aquafur!

So now I have two weeks of tapering and then it's race time, though it really hasn't hit me, yet.  Some people have a hard time with taper time, but I really try to embrace it.  I feel really good about MCM after this run but I know I will be very nervous about beating those times.

Do you ever feel encouraged by the weather, even bad weather?  Do you look forward to taper time or dread it?  

Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

Five Random Things (Friday Five Edition)

So I don't have a real good topic for Friday Five so I thought I would just spew some randomness your way.

1. I just re-watched The 4400.  I watched it when it came out the first time around and it's been long enough that most of it was like watching it new again.  For those that have not heard of the show (which I think is most everyone), it's about 4400 people who disappeared over the last 50 years and all come back together through a ball of light.  I don't want to spoil things for anyone but most of these people come back with a power of sorts.  Through the show they are able to share their powers.  So my question that I have been thinking about is would you want a power?  Some of them are cool like healing or seeing the future or reading people's mind.  But others kinda suck like giving people disease or passing on debilitating anxiety.  So would you want one knowing you couldn't choose?  On top of that, people had a 50/50 shot of dying instead of getting a power.  Would you take a gamble?  Honestly, I'd be very tempted.  I'm not much of a gambler, but when I do, I usually go all in.

2.  I'm so sick of being chafed after a long run.  Because my sports bras that I have loved are coming to their end of life and if you have been reading my blog, you know my most adored shorts are coming apart at the seams, I've been having to try new items.  I have yet to find a sports bra that will get me over 10 miles before it chafes me.  And I'm tired of spending $60+ on bras that just don't work well.  And I think I've tried them all.  I do have to say that I love Brooks policy that you can try them out and sweat in them and still return, and while I love some of their bras, most are not good for me after 10 miles.  And I lather myself in Glide before every run and still have cuts on me.  Oh and why does any manufacture have to put tags in active wear?  Even if you cut them off, there is that edge of it that digs.

3.  I'm still getting used to the latest update to the iPhone.  Normally you swipe to unlock and now that just brings you to a new screen with news and calendar stuff.  I have to remember to just push the home button.  The texting has a new option to write things with your finger.  It's weird, too.  Oh and the new icons that you can send with a text.  It's sort of like adding a GIF on Twitter.  The Apple Watch got a big update too.  I do like the new face with my activity tracker.  It makes the steps and standing seen, which makes you want to move more.  But my new favorite thing is the Breathe option.  So far it has asked me twice to breathe.  What you do is for one minute you block everything out and concentrate on the watch and your breathing.  I plan on doing it when it asks unless I'm in a meeting or driving or something.

4. I'm thinking of making a shirt to wear at MCM.  I'm still tossing ideas around on what I want it to look like and say.  I want to go for some meaning that the Marines would know or something that expresses my gratitude for their service.

5. It turns out that one of my cats is afraid of thunder.  I've never seen a cat afraid of thunder before.  When I got home last night we had one strike that was close so the thunder made me jump.  It scared Aiden half to death.  The rest of the night while the storm when on he would be laying as flat as he could next to me in the kitchen and then ended up hiding in the bathroom.  No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to calm him, so I just left him in the bathroom to sooth himself.

Oh one more thing.  I just watched the second episode of Designated Survivor and I am totally in love with this show so far.  I hope it keeps up.

Are your pets afraid of thunder?  Do you like the new upgrade to the iPhone?  Would you want a super power?

Linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia