2015 Recap

I haven't been feeling like a "real runner" the last portion of this year because I wasn't racing and was focused on school instead. However, when I look back at the year as a whole I did a lot of running and accomplished some pretty major goals!

I ended up running 1167 miles total! I also biked 627 miles and got in 142.5 hours of cross training!

I started last year with a lovely long run on the Eastern Trail. I did't know it at the time, but it would be my last long run where I didn't battle the cold and snow!

January and February were then spent trying to marathon train in one of the coldest, snowiest winters I remember! I also ran the Midwinter Classic 10 Miler in February. Despite frigid temperatures, I really liked the race. 10 miles was a fun new distance to race.

At the end of February we were more than ready to leave the snow and head to New Zealand for our belated honeymoon. We had so much fun exploring both islands in our rented campervan. And of course, I also ran a marathon! The Bayley's Mountain to Surf Marathon marked my 6th continent complete!

Once we got home I made the impetuous decision to book a trip to Morocco to complete my goal of running a marathon on all 7 continents. So I jumped back into marathon training and started nursing school. Over Memorial Day weekend I made a quick trip to Morocco and knocked off those 26.2 miles.

It was a really tough run and not quite the triumphant ending I had imagined to my 7 continent quest. With time though, I made peace with it and was able to celebrate my incredible accomplishment. Many years and many miles later I had finally done it!!

Over the summer it was all about shorter distances and fun. I ran the Peak's Island 5 miler at the end of July. As always, it was a fun day out on the island. 

The following weekend I finally ran the Beach to Beacon 10k. It is Maine's most well known race, so I was glad I finally got to experience it. I even managed to surprise myself by running really well in the heat.

Once fall semester started I was super busy with school, but I did manage to make time for one race. I ran the Trails to Ales 10k with a group of friends from school! 

Although I didn't have any particular training plan or mileage goal throughout the fall, I still managed to log quite a few miles. Running really helped me keep my sanity during this stressful semester. 

In November, my long run mojo finally returned and I found myself craving longer runs again. Yet I've resisted signing up for any longer races early next year. For the first time in 8 years I want a winter where I don't have to constantly battle the elements for hours. I'm not sure what next year holds. I think it's going to be a year where a lot happens in my life outside of running, so I am a hesitant to commit myself to too much. I am eyeing a couple relays (a new one in Maine from Bar Harbor to Portland or one in Prince Edward Island). For now I'm content to still bask in the glow of finishing my 7 continents and run whatever I am feeling each day. 

Happy New Year!

Running Presents from Santa

Hi Friends! How were your holidays? I had about 5 days straight of fun, food, and family. It was wonderful, but I am also really enjoying having a quiet, snow day at home today.

Santa knows me well and so I got a few fun running related items for Christmas.

Asics GT 1000 in Pink Glow

I desperately needed a new pair of shoes for the gym, so these were my Christmas present to myself. The color is so fun and they feel great on my feet. Plus they were a super bargain at $64!

Plantronics Wireless Headphones

I am old school and run with an i-pod (I don't like to have my phone with me). I've always worn it on my arm because I like to be able to adjust the volume or easily skip a song while I'm running. However, the cord connecting my i-pod to my headphones always drove me nuts. I love these wireless headphones. They are super light and comfortable and stay right in place (which is always a problem with earbud style headphones and my tiny ears). I can even adjust the volume and skip tracks just by tapping the headphones, so I don't even need to keep my i-pod on my arm anymore!

Innovation Night Ize Marker Band

I often run in the dark in the morning and I know how important it is to be seen. I've tried a few different vest style reflectors but they all chafed and annoyed me. This light up band is awesome. I can wear it around my wrist or arm on whatever side is closest to traffic. Once it gets light out, I can simply switch it off. A bonus is that I can wrap it around Sushi's collar when we walk at night so cars can also see her!

What did running Santa bring you?

It's Beginning to Feel a (little) Like Christmas

How is Christmas in 3 days?? I love the Christmas season, but I'm just having a hard time feeling the Christmas spirit this year. There's just so much working against being merry and jolly!

I was so busy with school until the end of last week.

But I did take time right after Thanksgiving to put up our tree

And it has been so strangely warm here. Where is my snow!!

I watched the boat parade in a sweatshirt. Usually I have on about 9 layers

Rory and I both came down with an awful cold

I basically spent a whole week lying on this couch blowing my nose

But now I'm on winter break and I am feeling better (it's still not snowing, but 2 out of 3 isn't bad.) I am determined to feel festive. 

I spent the past few days baking and bringing treats to friends and neighbors. My friends and I had a particularly good time decorating sugar cookies yesterday. Tonight is my first (of many) family parties. It is finally feeling (a little) like Christmas.

Halfway There

Phew, I made it to winter break. Which honestly was not a given. I never had to work this hard when I got my first undergraduate degree, or my Master's!

This also marks the halfway point of my nursing program, which is both encouraging and discouraging. It is like mile 13 of a of a marathon. On the one hand, I've already covered so much ground. On the other hand, I'm tired and I still have a long way to go.

In fact, I've found a lot of similarities between nursing school and marathons.

Have faith in yourself
I always get freaked out at marathon expos. I look around and feel like everyone else looks like so much more of a "real runner." I felt the same way going into school. As someone with no science background, I felt like I was at such a disadvantage. In both cases, I have to just remind myself that I do belong and I can do it.


Run the mile (or semester) you are in
I am queen of worrying about what is to come. In a marathon I cross mile 1 and already start worrying about mile 25. In nursing school, I worry about a paper due in 2 months or how hard next semester is going to be. Not only does this cause me needless anxiety, but it takes my attention away from what I should be dedicating myself to right now. I'm really trying to check myself when I find that I am worrying about something way in the future.

Take care of yourself

You won't get through a marathon if you don't hydrate and take in energy throughout the race. At the start I school, I was trying to treat it like a sprint. I was going all out all the time, and not taking time to sleep, eat, or relax. I eventually realized that sleeping and yoga and taking time to relax with my family and friends was just as important as school.


Enjoy the little things along the way
I've run marathons on all seven continents, and yet I couldn't tell you much about the courses themselves. I was so focused on my goal of finishing the race, that I didn't pay any attention to what was happening around me. I probably missed out on a lot of amazing sights. So, in school I am trying to remind myself to slow down. I sat and just talked to my patient for more than an hour in clinical one day, instead of just completing my assessment as quickly as possible and leaving the room. As a result, I heard an amazing life story and left clinical feeling like I'd made a real difference in that patient's life.

That Time I Didn't Sign-up for a Race

My morning class was cancelled today, but I woke up early out of habit anyway. "Perfect," I thought when I saw the clock, "I can sign-up for the Mid Winter Classic."

last year we got ALL the snow and I did ALL the runs

The Mid Winter Classic is a 10 mile race in February that I've done a few times. It's really well organized and it provides good motivation to keep running through the winter. 

I went to the registration and started filling it out. I got to the bottom, but when I went to hit submit, I stopped for a minute. I realized that I really didn't want to sign-up for this race. 

After marathon training for the past 8 winters, I realized that I don't want to sign-up for a race in Maine in February. I've forced myself through so many miserable long runs and races, I just need a break this year. Not just that, but I don't really want to sign up for any race now. Not even a race in Florida. I'm just not ready to jump into a cycle of formal training. School is my priority now. Plus, I'm really enjoying running when I want and however long I feel like running that day.

Am I still a runner if I never race?

Bring Back The Cotton

As I searched through my closet last night for a shirt to sleep in, I came to a terrible realization. I am almost out of old cotton race shirts!

When I first started running pretty much every race gave out cotton shirts. They were soft and perfect for bumming around the house and sleeping. I wore them until they were so stained and holey that I had to turn them into rags.

However they weren't so great for running, so pretty much everyone started switching over to technical fabrics. Yeah they look nicer and are better for running, but they just don't have the same comfort factor. Cotton gets softer and better with age. Technical fabric just gets stinkier.

Also, the sizes are so much less forgiving. I don't mind sleeping in a shirt that is way too big, but I don't want to run in a shirt that goes to my knees.



Can we start an old school movement to go back to cotton? We don't however need to go back to short shorts and sweat bands.

Are you team cotton or team technical?

Helllloooo

Hi Friends!

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted. I am so immersed in nursing school that I kind of forget the rest of the world exists! All of my brainpower is directed at school, so I can't think of any clever ideas for a cohesive post, so here are just things happening with me lately.

I love fall! It has just been the best running weather lately and Sushi and I have been enjoying long walks on the beach on the weekends. The tourists are gone, but the sun is still warm, and the ground isn't slippery. Best time of the year.

Sushi (the dog) was sushi (the food) for Halloween

does having 2 dog pictures in a row make me a crazy dog lady?

I'm finally getting to "real" nursing stuff and it is so exciting! Over the summer, we just had labs where we practiced on dummies or each other. This fall though, I am in real hospitals and I am get getting to insert catheters, give shots, give meds, and do all kinds of other stuff on real people.


I don't have any races on my calendar, but I've been doing weekly speed work at the track anyway, and totally loving it. I mix up my workouts every week, and they fly by so much faster than regular steady state runs.

Whats new with you?

A Hoka Experiment

Hi Friends! I am still alive! It's been a rough week, so I was extra excited to find a package waiting for me when I got home after a long day. Look what was inside!

Yep, I'm jumping on the Hoka bandwagon!

Actually that's not true, I don't jump on bandwagons. I'm not trying them because they are the hot new thing. I'm trying them because I think they'll work for me. I'm a heavier runner so I could use some extra cushioning. I also am a midfoot striker with a neutral stride.

Plus they were on sale for $50. Score!

I couldn't resist taking them for a test run around the neighborhood (Sushi needed a walk anyway). First impression? LOVE them. They are light, but provide a good cushion, and make my stride feel fluid and natural.

I'll be back to let you know how I feel once I start running in them regularly.

Anyone else out there a Hoka fan?

Trails to Ale 10k

Now that I have finished my 7 continent goal, I finally am able to try out all the fun local races that I've been wanting to do for years! This Sunday, that meant the Trails to Ale 10k. The race is a benefit for Portland Trails, which builds and maintains great trails all over Portland.

I was psyched to finally get to run this race, and even more excited to run it as party of a team. I ran with a great group of people from nursing school. Since we are all going into medical professions, we made a pun with a medical term and called ourselves Tachy Cardio.

team Tachy Cardio

I had been hoping when I signed up mid summer that it would be a perfect, crisp fall day. Instead, when I woke up it was humid and raining. It started to clear as I walked to the race. By race time it was sunny, but still humid. Whomp.

My focus this fall has been school, not running, so I didn't have a major goal. I was just hoping to come in under 9 minute/miles. The race starts on top of Munjoy Hill, so the first mile and half had a lot of downhill. My legs weren't loving the combination of downhill and asphalt. Luckily just past mile 2, the course turns onto back bay trail, which is dirt. Despite the crazy head wind in places, I really enjoyed the 3 miles around back cove. 

Although we had all decided to run our own races, my friend Rose and I ended up running almost the same pace and so we stuck together for most of the race. It was really nice to have someone to chat with. It made the time go so much faster!

Just after mile five, the course crosses a bridge and then loops off on a paved extension of the trail. The combination of the concrete, an uphill, and my pace hit me. My legs felt like absolute lead. I told myself I had less than a mile to go and tried to push on to the finish. 

I finished in 53:03, an 8:36 pace. Goal met! It was awesome to come across that finish and have most of my team there to high five me!

It was also awesome to head up the hill after the finish and get Portland Pie pizza and beer! Although it felt like summer, I decided that based on the date it was time to have my first Shipyard pumpkin head of the season! It was so good, I had one more. Nothing like beer at 10 on Sunday!

We hung around for quite awhile, enjoying our ale and chatting. Making great runner friends is a nice fringe benefit of nursing school!

This was such a great race, I think it may become a yearly event. 

Nursing School: A Day in the Life

Hey, remember me? I used to blog here. Then I decided to do an accelerated nursing program and now I'm having trouble finding time to do things like shower. So posts around here may be pretty sparse for awhile. Just so you understand why, here's what my life looks like now.

A Tuesday

4:45 Alarm goes off. I grumble and haul myself out of bed.

5-6 am Run. This week my headlamp decided to die exactly half-way through my run so I was stuck 3 miles away from home in the pitch black.

6-6:40 Shower/Breakfast/Internets

6:40-7 Drive to Spring Harbor

7-3 Mental Health Clinical
This is a pretty emotionally heavy experience. We usually break for lunch around 12:30 and then debrief during the last hour.

3-3:15 Drive to Maine Med. Eat a snack in the car.

3:15-6 Prep for my med-surg clinical the next day. This involves checking my patient assignment and then researching the patient's history, the pathophysiology of his/her conditions, all about his/her medications. I have a care plan to fill out with all of this information.

6:15 Get Home. Let dogs out.

6:15-7 Shove some food in my face. I am usually starving by the time I get home, so I've given up eating anything that takes more than 15 minutes to prepare. After I eat, I pack my lunch for the next day, set the coffee maker, pack my bag, and lay out my clothes.

7-8:30 Finish my care plan and do some other homework

8:30-9 Foam roll/yoga/strength training while watching TV

9-9:30 Get ready for bed and read

9:30 Attempt to fall asleep. I am usually exhausted, but still worrying about all the things I need to do that it takes me awhile to actually fall asleep.

Bulu Box Review

I LOVE getting mail. I always had pen pals growing up and as an adult I've signed up for Foodie Pen Pals, Nature Box, and Graze. So when I had a chance to try Bulu Box, I jumped at the chance. 

Bulu Box is the first health, nutrition and weight loss discovery box designed to help you feel your best. Each month, you’ll get a custom box filled with a new mix of 4 to 5 premium samples from top brands to try. Every sample is sufficient enough to decide if the product is right for you.

I love this idea! There are so many health and wellness products out there that I never even know to try. With Bulu Box, I get exposed to a whole bunch of new products and get to make sure I like them before I buy a whole container. 

In this month's box I got:

Quest Protein Powder- Peanut Butter Flavor: This is perfect because I've really been into peanut butter and banana smoothies this summer. It will be great to add a protein blast. 

Earth's Care Anti-Itch Powder: This also couldn't have come at a better time. I swear, I get more bug bites than anyone else I know, so I can't wait to try this. 

Mediterra Savory Bar: I am pretty intrigued by a savory sundried tomato and basil bar. It will be perfect to bring with me to school for a snack. 

Movit Energy Gummies: I love using gummies when doing long runs or bike rides. These have folic acid and protein in them, so I am interested to see how they help to sustain my energy.

Fiber Plus Powder: I am sure that once my crazy fall semester starts, I won't be as good as I should be about getting my daily fiber. This will be a big help. 

Want to try your own Bulu Box? Use discount code SWEATPINK for 50% off a 3-month subscription to BuluBox.

Rest Day

You know what I didn't do yesterday? I didn't run. I didn't bike or go to bootcamp or do any real workout. Instead I went to a gentle yoga class.

That folks is progress. That is me recognizing what my body needs and accepting that. That is me ignoring what I had planned for the day and my strongly rooted habit of exercising intensely every day.

Maybe I am getting wiser with the years?

Do you live for rest days or hate them?

Block Party Island Style

During my two week break from school I am staying at my Mom's and working on the boat I worked on in high school and college. This means that I am getting to participate in a lot of fun summer traditions that I have missed since I moved away- including the Cape Newagen neighborhood party.

Now when your neighborhood involves several islands, the party is a little different than most block parties!

You don't have to worry about hitting traffic on the road, but rowing a dingy full of friends and family is a lot more work than driving a car full of people!

And you might have to worry about finding a space at the dock to tie up your dingy!

Finding a pair of shoes that matches your dress and allows you to walk on the rocks and through the brush is a challenge!

While exploring the island is fun, the terrain does provide a challenge when carrying a full glass of wine.

Trying to get my hubby to smile for a picture is impossible, no matter where we are!

When you have too much fun and stay too long, you come back and find the tide has gone out around your boat! So you have to do some not traditional maneuvering to get yourself off the rocks!

Do you have (or did you growing up) have neighborhood parties with any fun traditions?

First Anniversary Fun

Yesterday Rory and I celebrated our first anniversary. Our first year as a married couple flew by, but at the same time, the wedding seems like so long ago. 

It seemed appropriate that we head up to my Mom's on Southport Island for the weekend, since that is where we got married. 

Just like our wedding, our anniversary was a celebration of who we are as people. Time together, time with our family, good food and drink, and the beautiful place where we live are things we really value. 

We did some exploring, saw seals and harbor porpoise and even tried fishing off our boat for the first time!

Rory got 4 fish big enough to keep and we enjoyed them for dinner.

After dinner we open the special bottle of champagne that a wonderful friend gave us way back when we first got engaged. We had it with the top of our wedding cake, which we had saved from the wedding. The champagne was definitely better than the year old cake!

I can't wait to see what the next year will bring for us!

How did you spend your first anniversary?

Intention

One of the things I love about yoga is the prompting to set an intention at beginning of class. Outside of the studio, I rarely take the time to ask myself what exactly it is that I need in that moment. I am too busy trying to blast through my to do list.

Sometimes I struggle with identifying the right intention but this week the same intention kept floating effortlessly to mind. Acceptance.

For a type A control freak like myself accepting things as they come isn't easy. But, there are so many things in my life right that are beyond my control and I need to just accept.


It is finals week. Accept that I have studied enough, that I know the material, and that I will do fine.

Fall semester is just 2 weeks away. They keep shifting my schedule. I start clinicals. I am taking a lot of credits. Accept that I can't control my schedule, as much as I would like to. Accept that I will be able to make any schedule work. I will be able to handle the work. Clinicals will be okay. I won't kill my patient.

I still have a full year left in my nursing program. That means a full year of school expenses and life expenses but no income. That's scary. Accept that I am investing in my future. That I am making  a temporary sacrifice in order to do something that I've always wanted. That we will get through this year and that I will get a job and make money again when I graduate.

I've been dealing with a few nagging injuries. Accept that injuries happy. Be happy that I am not training for anything big right now. Accept that giving my body what it needs will help me to heal faster (even if that isn't what my brain wants).

Accept that relationships can be hard. People are complex, so friendships evolve and marriage can be a challenge. Accept the challenge and accept the tough times and trust that things will be good again.

Drowning in Zucchini

It is officially that time of the year....... zucchini season. I live in a condo so I can't have a big garden, but it seems like everyone else I know does have one. As a result, everyone I know is trying to give me zucchini and squash. Last week alone I made a veggie lasagna, zucchini zoodles with pesto, and grilled vegetable kabobs. And I still have a huge pile of zucchini and squash.  

So when I got a couple packets of freekeh to review, I knew instantly what I would pair it with! Freekeh is an ancient grain with a funny story behind it. Freekeh was created by accident nearly 2,000 years ago when a Middle Eastern village was attacked and their crop of young green wheat was set ablaze. The villagers rubbed off the chaff, cooked it up and freekeh was born. 

I tried the original and the rosemary sage flavors. They are super easy to cook- just dump in a pot with some water, bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 20-25 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight!

While my rosemary sage freekah cooked, I sauteed a bunch of zucchini and squash in olive oil with fresh rosemary, sage, and basil. 

To serve, I just tossed the freekah with the veggies and topped with Parmesan cheese and walnuts. 

The freekeh has nice chewy texture and a slightly nutty, wheat taste. It was a nice contrast to the softer vegetables and really filled me up. I liked the flavoring of the rosemary sage, but I can also see how versatile the plain flavor would be. Maybe an Asian inspired freekeh and zucchini dish will be for dinner tonight?

It's your turn to try freekeh for free! You will get one entry to win for each of the following. 

Follow @freekehfoods on Twitter , Instagram, like them on Facebook, or tweet about the giveaway using the hashtags #LoveFreekeh #Freekeh. 

Please post a comment telling me which you did AND letting me know what flavor you would like (original, tamari, or rosemary sage). A winner will be chosen Thursday August 20th. 

10 Reasons Why Running Shorter Races is Better

In trying to complete my 7 continent marathon goal I fell into the marathon trap. I got sucked into a mindset that longer is always better. That my goal should be to run more marathons or to run marathons faster. This summer I've re-discovered shorter races. I've found the joy in pushing myself not to run longer, but to run faster. I'm reminded that running is whatever you want it to be. If you run, not matter how fast or how long, you are a runner.

10 Reasons Why Running Shorter Races is Better

1. The training doesn't take over your life.
When I am marathon training, it takes over my life. I spend so much time and effort preparing for runs, running, and recovering. A 10k training plan though can just work around the rest of my life.

New Zealand marathon training plan dictated my life

2. You can have a lot more fun before and after the race. 

this was the high of my post race New Zealand celebration

With a marathon I am always worried about staying off my feet and getting enough hydration and nutrition in the days before a race. Then after the race, I am too tired to do anything. But with shorter races, you can do whatever you want (within reason) before the race and still have plenty of energy for the post race party!


3. The weather and perfect conditions aren't so important.
I can suck it up and run in just about anything for an hour. However any less than ideal weather (heat, rain, cold, wind, etc..) start to feel a lot worse after you've been exposed to them for 4+ hours.

4. You can race more often
I recently raced 2 weekends in a row and felt more than fully recovered for the second race. I even felt good enough in the middle of the week between to do some speedwork.

5. There is less pressure on each race
Because it doesn't take as long to prepare or recover, I feel so much less pressure in shorter races. If it doesn't go well, or I don't feel good, I'll just race again in a couple weeks. However, with marathons I am going to finish no matter what.

6. They're cheaper
Most marathons cost over $100. That's a lot o money. A lot of 5 and 10ks are only $20 or $30.

7. You don't need to haul so much stuff
For a marathon I end up feeling like a pack mule. I have my phone, fluids, fuel, chapstick, body glide, etc. For shorter races it is usually just me and my Garmin. I feel so light and free.

8. You can take more chances

rocking the short skirt at the Peaks Island Race

Marathons are long. So if you go out too fast, it can end your race completely, or at the very least make you pretty miserable for a pretty long time. In a shorter race I feel free to go out fast or surge mid-race.

9. There is a lot less chafing (so you can rock your cuter running clothes)
For a marathon I am all about function. I have wear something that will be comfortable for hours of running. Even then, I still usually end up chafed. But for shorter races, there is a lot less time for friction to become a problem. This means I can rock my cute running shirt that only has a pair of very short boy shorts inside without worrying about destroying all the skin on my inner thighs.

10. It doesn't smash your body to bits
I am pretty broken after a marathon. The months of training and the race itself go beyond the point of making me stronger, they start to break me down. I either get injured or I just generally feel worn out and tired for quite awhile.

What is your favorite distance to race? Why?

Beach to Beacon 2015

Beach to Beacon is one of Maine's biggest and most prestigious races. Every year thousands flock to Cape Elizabeth to run the 10k, including some of the best elite runners in the world. Last year Meb ran! As a Maine runner, I really wanted to run the race and see what all the hype is about!

Unfortunately, we were in New Zealand on the day of race registration. The race sells out in minutes, so I figured I was out of luck. But then just last week, my husband was able to get me a bib through his job. Yeah!!

Although this is only a 10k, it feels like a major marathon. The expo is good, there is a separate night of kids' races, the t-shirts are really nice, and the post race festivities are awesome.

However since the population of the town basically doubles on race weekend, the traffic can be atrocious. Luckily, I got to avoid all that thanks to a bike valet put on by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. I had a nice little 4 mile ride to warm up my legs and then handed my bike off for safe keeping!

I hopped on a shuttle to the start and ended up having about 45 minutes before the race started. I said hello to my husband, who was stationed at the start for security, hit up the bathrooms, and then stretched out a bit. 

Since I just found out last week I was running, I didn't have time to do any specific training for the race. Last week at the Peaks Island race my strategy was just to go out hard and try to hold on. I knew however, that wouldn't work in this race. First it was a good 25 degrees warmer and there are some really punishing hills in the last 2 miles. I needed to be more conservative. Plus I made some poor life choices yesterday by eating a bunch of greasy Chinese food, followed by a Dairy Queen Blizzard, followed by a few beers. So my stomach wasn't in the best shape. I told everyone I just wanted to run under an hour, but really I was hoping to run about 9 minute miles. 

I made my way up to the 9:00 pace and planned to start there. However, 5 minutes before the start I really needed to go to the bathroom one more time. So I wormed my way back to an opening and made a pit stop in the woods. There was no way that I was going to be able to make it back through the crowds in the corral, so I start quite a way back close to the 10:00 pace mark.

The first couple miles were a little frustrating because I was doing a lot of weaving around people. It was also the hottest part of the course because we were in the direct sun with no breeze. Given this, I was really happy to click off my first couple miles at an 8:40 pace.

I kept pushing at that moderately hard effort and the miles kept going by. I was working, but I also felt strong and good. I decided to just switch my Garmin screen to the clock, because I didn't want to worry about my pace. I just wanted to run as fast as I could. 

A little more than half-way the course turns right onto Shore Rd. There is a nice long downhill and we were in the shade. I was passing a lot of people. Around 4.5 we hit the hills, but I was still feeling good. I ran strong up the first couple and then a little less strong up the 3rd, but knowing that I had less than a mile to go made me feel better. I was very tempted by the bacon at the "Beach to Bacon" water stop, but I refrained! As we turned into Fort Williams Park, I saw my husband and that gave me a little extra lift to get up the last hill. Once I was up, I pushed it as hard as I could for the last bit around the back of the park and to the finish by the lighthouse. 

My official chip time was 54:19, so I came well under my secret goal of a 9 min pace! I was 126th out of 559 in my age group and 2251 out of 7,000 overall. Not a bad race for someone who hates the heat!

the infamous beacon. Otherwise known as Portland Head Light

Then I staggered up a hill to the post race festivities. I grabbed water and a bunch of fun swag. So much swag that I couldn't carry it all and I was dropping stuff everywhere. I was a mess! The post race food was perfect for a hot day- watermelon, yogurt with fresh blueberries, and chocolate milk!

My only poor decision was waiting in line for more than hour for a 5 minute massage. Oh well! However, I more than made up for that time waiting in line on my way home. I retrieved my bike from the valet, looking at huge lines of peoples waiting for shuttles back to the parking lots. Then I flew right by the bumper to bumper traffic waiting to get out of the fort, and the whole way down Shore Road. Love it!

Overall, I was really impressed with this race. It's really neat to have such a big, well organized, event right in my back yard!

Then I spent the rest of the day at the beach. So for me, it was Beach to Beacon to Beach!

Did you race this weekend? Is there a famous race near you that you've never done?