MCM Recap Part 1 - Finally! (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)

So it's been two weeks since I completed the MCM.  It's taken me a little bit to wrap my head around this race.  While I loved the race and very happy with what I put into it, the heat took a lot out of me and put a little bit of damper of the race.

In case you missed previous posts from the MCM weekend:

• Highlights
• Expo & Hotel
• White House Tour  
• bRUNch - 5K Shakout Run and Brunch
• MCM Carbo Dining In

So let's start from the beginning.  We got up really early Sunday morning.  I actually was awake before the alarm went off.  We got ready and headed down to the buses.  Everyone staying at the Gaylord was able to get a shuttle to the start line, but the VIP people got to get on the buses that were in the front of the line.  Each bus had one volunteer and one marine.  We were up front and were able to talk to both of them on the ride to the start line.

We got dropped off close to the start line and had a short walk to security.  Since we were really early, there was no line.  I'm not really sure if there ever was a line or not throughout the morning, but they just wanted to look into our bags, including our belts.  If it had a zipper they wanted to see inside.  After security we headed to the VIP tent.

The VIP tent was nice.  It had a layout of bagels, bananas, coffee, and some Cliff Gu packets.  Since my pre-race meal is a Honey Stinger Waffle, I passed on everything.  Though I did pick up a couple of Gu packets as that is the brand I use.

The tent also had a handful of tables with folding chairs around them.  Since we were one of the first there we snagged a couple of seats.  We still had about 45 minutes till we had to head to the start line.  It was a little chilly, but I could tell it would be a warm morning.  I had on a light jacket but started to get warm while we waited.  We chatted with those around us and used the port-a-potties a couple of times.  The VIP tent had about 6 port-a-potties just for VIP but the line was long for those as well as the ones outside.

As we walked to drop off our bags at bag check there was the most amazing sunrise.  We took off our jackets and pulled out the trash bags that we swiped from the maid's cart and were on our way to the start.  It was right about 60 degrees at the start, but my arms were a little chilly and the garbage bag was perfect. 

I did see a sign from the quote I found on their site which I put on the back of our shirts.  I got a few comments on the shirt including, one person saying we should add "Drink the Beer" at the end.  Another saying they just wanted to Beat the Bridge.  It was a fun conversation starter.

We followed the crowds to the start line.  It wasn't a Disney long walk, but it wasn't a short one either.  As we were walking we heard the National Anthem, which was sung by the ladies that sung at the Pasta Dinner the night before.  I think at that point we heard the Howitzer Cannon.

We got into a coral, kinda close to the start.  Not obnoxiously close, but close.  Jeff Galloway and his wife came up to someone near us in the coral and Candace asked to get a picture for me.  I wouldn't have thought about that at all.  We saw them again when I was crossing the Key Bridge right before mile 5.  They looked to do a 30/30 and they were fast!

As we waited in the coral, there was a commotion near us.  It turned out that someone had already on the ground for some reason.  The paramedics went over to him and I think he was OK, but it looked like he was going to be OK.

The race was about to start and the bombers flew over us.  I expected to see parachute jumpers, but no one jumped.  I was a little bummed by that.  I was really looking forward to seeing them with the huge flag.  But the bombers were fun to watch. 

And before we knew it, we were on our way......

I decided to bring my iPod with me, but I ended up not putting in my ear phones at all.  I was glad to have 100% focus on the whole race.  A lot of the first couple miles were up hill.  We ran some, but walked a lot of the up hills.  Within the first couple miles I still had to go to the bathroom again and it seemed not to go away.  Candace pointed out some port-a-potties that had a very short line.  I jumped in line and Candace kept going.  Once I was done I caught up to Candace pretty quickly.  I was glad.

We made our way to the top of the huge hill around mile 2.  We worked our way down toward the Key Bridge.  At this point Candace started to pull ahead of me.  That was OK with me cause she was doing a walk/run on feeling and I needed to go by the clock or I would burn out too quickly.  Across the river we saw a very beautiful building.  I wasn't sure what it was, but it turns out that it was part of Georgetown University.

Through these first few miles, I was starting to feel really nauseous.  I started taking my Gu right about mile 3 or 4 and felt worse.  About 45 minutes later I was starting to feel better, but it was time to take another Gu and I would feel sick again.  This lasted about 10 miles before I finally was able to pass this bad feeling.  I've felt nausea before on a run, but not one that lasted this long.  I was glad it finally passed.

Crossing the Key Bridge there was a fun high school band that had bag pipes.  I thought that was very cool as I love bag pipes.

Between mile 6-8 there was the first really long out and back.  Very boring.  I tried to entertain myself some and put my hand out and get high fives from those coming back.  But not a lot of people were takers on the high fives.  When I do that at a Disney race, everyone likes to high five back.  So I eventually just put my hand down and pushed through.  I did hear someone call out my name and wasn't sure where it came from.  Might have been a different Heather.

We winded down near the Potomic River and there was this Marine Corps band that was fun to listen to.  I think they were on the steps to the Lincoln Memorial, but I don't remember.

We finally got to a point where we could start seeing the Washington Memorial.  There were a lot of points that we saw of it, so there will be a few pictures in my recap. :)

We headed to the Tidal Basin where we could see the Jefferson Memorial.

The Blue Mile was moved to mile 10-11 with the new course this year.  This was a very hard mile to go through seeing all of the people that had given up their lives to protect our country.  As I passed, one lady had broke down and cried and hugged one of the signs.  I'm assuming that was someone close to her and it really made me want to cry with her.  She had some people with her that were comforting her.  I'm glad she had people with her.

Candace is right there ahead of me, she stayed in my sights for awhile.

After all the signs, there was a crowd of people in blue holding flags and just cheering.  After a quiet and retrospective section, it was fun to run through people just cheering for us.  There were also a lot of Marines out there cheering for us.  Loved seeing all of them out there.

We rounded the Tidal Basin again on the other side with more views of the Washington Monument....

And Jefferson Memorial.

We had yet another out and back.  I really am not a fan of them as I keep wanting to see the turn around and they seem to be so very far away.  Then we passed the District of Columbia War Memorial.

As we worked our way to the Gantlet, we circled around the base of the Washington Monument.

And then we hit the Gantlet!  It was at mile 15.5 and we had to get there by 12:38 PM and I was there at 11:48 AM.  Almost an hour before cut off time.

This post is getting pretty long, so I'm splitting this up into two parts.  I want to make sure I get all the details and pictures in.  I hope no one was too bored yet.

Continue reading part 2.

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.

Five Running Wearables (Friday Five Edition)

Happy Friday!  Very much looking forward to the long weekend (and taking next week off from work).  Today I wanted to show off what I wear when I run.  Not necessarily clothes, but my gadgets and other things that make my run better, safer, and more fun. :)

First is my watch and heart rate monitor.  Right now I'm using the Garmin 920XT.  I got this earlier this year for a couple reasons.  First, I thought I was going to do at least one triathlon this summer, but that didn't happen.  Also, my old Garmin 610 was having issues keeping the charger connected, so it was getting very frustrating to keep it charged.  The one thing I don't like about the 920XT is the buttons at the bottom.  The two buttons are for lap and stop.  At least once a week I accidentally hit one of those buttons while I adjust my watch on the wrist.

As you see, I like to wear my Apple Watch as well.  It's part of my OCD where I want my circles and steps counted.  It's sort of like wearing a FitBit.  I also like to wear my Garmin on the side of my wrist.  It makes it easier to look down on it as I just have to raise my arm instead of turn it as well.  I know, I'm lazy. :)

I use the Scosche Rhythm Plus heart rate monitor.  I like it because it can be worn on the arm instead of the chest.  I had a hard time not only with chafing but keeping the heart rate monitor working.  No matter where I placed it on my chest, I only ever got half my work out logged at best.  You can wear the Scosche above or below the elbow.  I like to wear it on the opposite arm right below the elbow.  And so far it's been good.  I have had some on going issues in the first couple miles where it reads a lower heart rate then I have.

Second, is what I wear for safety.  I always have on a Road ID when I go out for a run or bike ride.  Right now I have three of them.  The first one I got years ago was the purple one that I wear around my wrist.  Earlier this year when I got the Scosche heart rate monitor I felt like I had way too many things on my wrist, so I got the yellow one.  This one goes around my ankle and I like the bright color of it as it reflects.  Then recently, Road ID started selling ID's that attach to the Apple Watch.  I knew I had to have that.  I don't even notice that it's on the watch.

Because these mornings have been darker I have taken steps to make sure I'm seen by drivers.  I am very paranoid about having driver see me, not only in the dark, but when it's dusky out.  Some days I feel like a dork wearing all that, but I'd rather feel like a dork then be hit by a car.  One thing I do is make sure I wear bright colors.  Right now I have a bunch of tank tops that are very bright.  When things start to get cooler, I do have that pink jacket that has the reflective material built in.  And if I'm wearing something dark colored I have a reflective vest that I wear.

I also have an assortment of lights that I use. I have a headlamp that I use when it's dark and I need something to help me see the road.  I also have knuckle lights that I hold that can either do the same thing or be light so drivers can see me.  I also have a belt and ankle light that flashes, both purchased from Gone for a Run.  Depending on how dark it is and if I'm running my neighborhood or not depends on what and how many lights I wear.

Third is wearable hydration.  When I do short runs in my neighborhood I wear my running belt by SLS3 (pictured on the left).  Next to that is a hand held water bottle holder.  I'll also use that on shorter runs if it's hotter then normal.  It's great cause I can just use one of the many plastic water bottles I have and it fits around most.  And for me it's easier to carry a bottle with the strap.

For runs shorter then 10 miles I use my Fitletic hydration belt.  It's a basic belt with 3 add on water bottles (8 oz each) and the SmartCase add on.  I can fit my GU's, phone, Sports Beans, and some tissues in there.  It's the belt I usually wear for half marathons and marathons.  It also has toggles to put my bib on so I don't have to put holes in my shirts.

For longer training runs when I need more water and GU I wear my hydration vest.  This is the PB Adventure Vest 2.0 by Ultimate Direction.  For the most part I like the vest.  It has two 20 oz. bottles and tons of space to carry basically anything.  The things about the vest I don't like is because I'm a bigger girl, the water bottles look like I have two torpedoes coming out of my chest.  Also, while it has a lot of storage, most of the pockets are hard to get to unless you take the vest off.  So I usually just use the front pockets and put my phone in the side, knowing it will take some maneuvering to get it out.  But it's nice to be able to stash a jacket in the back for when it gets warm or cold.  You can also buy a bladder to put in the back.  I haven't needed that much hydration yet, so I don't think I'll be doing that.


Forth is music.  I listen to mostly music on short runs and books on tape for long runs.  I use an iPod Nano.  I love this generation as unlike the shuffle it has a screen to be able to easily get from one playlist to the next.  And unlike the newer version of the Nano, it has a built in clip.  I can clip it on my shirt or belt and not worry about it.  My headphones are JVC.  I've tried many of them and I like these the best.  Best thing is that they are under $15.  One issue I have found is that the plastic ear pieces can fall off.  I'll glue them about once a month, but also have just bought extra ear pieces to replace them when I do loose them.  That white thing on the ear phone cord is a Bud Button by SPRK.  I have always had an issue with hitting the cord and yanking out my ear phones.  I wrap some of the extra cord in this and it clips on my shirt or jacket by magnets.  I haven't had an issue of yanking out my ear phones since.

Fifth is sunglasses.  I don't like to wear hats or visors (unless it's raining) so I rely on my sunglasses to keep the sun out of my eyes.  I really like this pair by Scattante Team because they are photochromatic lenses which change with how much light is out there.  I bought them at a bike shop and have been very happy with them.  I can wear them during races where the sun is just rising and know that I can still see when it's dark out (and don't have to carry them).  They are also very breathable and do not fog up.

There are so many other things that I rely on from clothing to my handy towel that I could go on and on.  This is already a very long post so I'll leave it here.  And a side note, I have no affiliation with any of these companies.  I have tried many things and these are the ones I have been happy with so far.

Are there anything you run with that is a must?  How do you stay safe in the dark?

Linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia 

Fuel on the Run (Friday Five Edition)

What a crazy week it has been.  Good thing about crazy weeks is that Friday comes real quick!  I thought I would use this Friday Five on how I fuel for long runs and races.  Besides water, I usually don't fuel on any run shorter then 90 minutes.

1. Honey Stinger Waffles - This is usually my pre-run fuel.  I am not one that likes to eat in the morning, so I'll usually wait till I'm hungry and by then it could be after an early run.  If it's a short run or a strength training day I may take a bite out of one.  But not always, it just depends on how I feel that day.  Before a long run I eat a whole waffle.  I like these not only cause they are yummy, but they are easy to travel with.  They also come in a lot of fun flavors.  The one issue I have is that they are very crumbly and can make quite a mess.  I have waffle crumbs all over the floor of my car. 

2. 5-Hour Energy - I usually only use these before a very long run or race.  I don't drink caffeine regularly, so I don't like to do these on a regular basis either.  But when I do, it gives me so much of a boost that I feel like I'm bouncing around.  I had someone at a race ask my friend if there was something wrong with me cause I was so bouncy before a race after drinking one of these.  I have found the generic brands work just as well.

3. Clif Shot Gels - These are the only Gu that I found that doesn't gag me.  I have found that these are thicker then other brands and don't feel like I'm eating slime.  Most of the flavors are good too.  The Vanilla one tastes like icing.  Yum!  Before this summer I would take one every 30-45 minutes on a run longer then 90 minutes.  One of the coaches on the Richmond Marathon Training Team said something about not needing fuel on long runs.  I did some Googling and found that he isn't the only one saying crazy things like that.  But of everything I have read, it mostly pertained to those that run a heck of a lot faster then I do.  Since I'm out there a lot longer, and do have some stomach issues, and after some experiments, I have found I still have to fuel for runs longer then 90 minutes.  I have been playing around with something every 45 minutes and that seems to work well.

4.Jelly Belly - I love me some Jelly Bellies.  They are just like Jelly Beans (with some extra stuff added).  I like to use these on longer runs when the Gel just gets a bit much and I need something to suck on.  They are also easy to carry.  Plus they come in these awesome Star Wars themed pouches.

5. Apple Sauce - If you read my post about my first marathon you know that I was dealing a nauseous stomach from food poisoning.  After the race they had apple sauce packets and they were amazing.  I now buy these to have after my runs as they are an easy way to get some fuel when things just don't feel right.  I look for flavors that I like and also the packets with the most calories (so not like me).

While there are other things that I love to have on the run, most are too hard to carry on a long run.  The nice thing about being on a training team is at the SAGs, they not only have water and Gatorade, but also things like gummy bears and pretzels.  Two I would love to have on my run if they were easier to carry.

What do you use to fuel your run?  Any tips on carrying other things that are not Gu?

Linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia