If It Seems Too Good To Be True

I got all my medals from my 7 contents out to display at my celebration party. As I cleaned up, it occurred to me that it would be nice to have a nice rack to display them on, rather than just dumping them in the basement.

So I went to Amazon and did a search.

This was my first result.



And it was only $10.99.

That alone should have made me suspicious. Or I should have at least read all the specs. But I didn't, I just bought it with one click.

When it arrived, I saw why it was so cheap- it is tiny! It might be big enough to hold Barbie's medals, but it isn't big enough for mine.

shown next to my hand and a medal so you get an idea of the scale

So now I'm in the market for a medal display rack actually big enough to hold my medals. Any suggestions?

7 Continents: The Highs and Lows

Best Start: Rome

As I waited to start, I was standing right next to the Colosseum and "That's Amore" was blasting over the loud speakers. After spending my junior year of college in Italy, it will always have a special place in my heart. I was just so happy to be back there and sitting in such an amazing historic place waiting to start a race. Although all the men just peeing on the sidewalk instead of waiting for a porta-potty did kill some of the romance.

Worst Start: Antarctica
In the early years of the Antarctica Marathon, runners were allowed inside the Russian base before the race. They brought gifts of fresh produce to the scientists stationed there, and the mostly male scientists were thrilled to have some women to talk to. One downside to the Antarctic Treaty is that it disallowed this practice. Tourists are no longer allowed in the science bases. So we were standing around on the exposed beach, trying to stay warm and dry. The worst part was the "bathroom." The bathroom consisted of a bucket with a seat, placed inside a small tent. The wind was so strong that it kept blowing the tent away, leaving the poor person sitting on the toilet exposed!

This boat was our only shelter

Best Finish: New Zealand

After several big city races, it was really nice to do a small race. Rory was able to see me finish and get to me immediately after I crossed the line. Within minutes I was chilling in an ice pool and eating watermelon.

Worst Finish: Tokyo

I woke up sick on race morning and felt awful from my very first step. Plus by the time I crossed the finish line I'd run almost 28 miles (my coral was a good mile back from the start and I couldn't run the tangents). I felt awful and exhausted and just wanted to be done and collapse in my husband's arms. Instead they made us wind through endless exhibition halls. I kept up this awful shuffle until I passed out. Then they couldn't find an English speaking doctor, but also wouldn't release me until I was seen by a doctor. Once I was finally in a wheelchair, I had to wait for half an hour to get down in the elevator. I finally made it to Rory 2 minutes before he was going to go back to the hotel without me!

I finally made it back to the hotel, where I collapsed in bed

Best Aid Stations: Rome

There were buckets of ice cold sponges at the aid stations. It was a hot day and I was very sweaty and salty and those cold sponges felt like heaven. However, Rome had the grossest porta-potties by far!

Worst Aid Stations: Tokyo

The food along the course was more strange than terrible. Food options included whole tomatoes and bread filled with bean paste. I couldn't figure out how you were supposed to eat a whole tomato while running. The bread option actually sounded good until I took a big bite and found it was filled with bean paste. 

Best Travel Experience: Tokyo

I cashed in all my frequent flier miles and we flew home business class! The multi-course meals, unlimited sake, and lie flat seats made the long flight a pleasure instead of just something to be endured.

Worst Travel Experience: Antarctica

This clothing would not have worked in Antarctica

Our group met in Buenos Aires and then we flew on the Argentinian airline, Aerolineas, down to Ushuaia. Our flight left an hour late and then we made two unscheduled stops along the way! So by the time we finally got to Usuaia, we'd missed all our time to explore the town! That turned out to be the least of our problems. We soon discovered that the unscheduled stops had been to drop off mail. To make some extra money, the airline filled the cargo hold with mail and delivered it for the postal service. In order to make room for the mail, they left all our baggage behind!We were headed to Antarctica and we had no luggage- no coats, no hats, no running stuff! The Marathon Tours staff spring into action, our boat departure was delayed, and we waited anxiously. Thankfully we all got our bags before the boat had to leave!

Best Post Race Meal: Almost all of Them!

I did a lot of good eating around the world! After the Antarctica Marathon, the chef on the boat made a dessert buffet, including a cake shaped like a penguin. I ate so much chocolate! In Chile, we had the traditional Chilean cocktail, pisco sour, and I tried squid ink pasta. In Rome, I gorged myself on a bowl on truffle pasta and a huge gelato. In Tokyo, after many hours of rest, I mustered the energy to go eat a hot bowl of Udon noodles. It was just what my sick tired body wanted! And in Morocco, I had a fresh strawberry juice, a cappuccino, an omelette and some bread. It would almost be worth running another marathon in all these places, just to eat these meals again. 

Worst Post Race Meal: Virginia Beach

After the race, we set off to Norfolk, where I remembered a nice waterfront area with a bunch of restaurants from when I'd been there on a class trip in high school. Unfortunately when we got there, the whole area was completely vacant and boarded up. We drove around and around and it seemed like the whole city was closed! We finally ended up at an IHOP.

What are your best and worst race experiences?

7 Continents By the Numbers

Durability and Warranty

In New Zealand my beloved Asics Gel Cumulus 16 running shoes completely fell apart. Most of the heel on the sole of my right foot fell off and there were tears in both toe-boxes. Luckily they waited until after the marathon to do so.

bye bye beloved shoes. I left you in the trash in New Zealand

However I wasn't upset at all because I'd worn them for more than four months and four hundred miles. They were rough miles too- snowy, icy, salty, and sandy. They lived a long life and wore out evenly.

Yet when my Mizuno Wave Rider sneakers started to tear on the outer right side of the toe box recently, I was really annoyed. They are only a couple months old and I only wear them at the gym. So they don't get nearly as much use as my running shoes. Plus, it seemed like a design flaw. They still seemed nearly new everywhere, there was just this one weak spot where the softer fabric met the harder plastic overlay. 

Just for the heck of it I sent Mizuno an e-mail. To my surprise they wrote right back and said that the shoes had a one year warranty. As long as I could provide proof of purchase, they would replace the shoes. Sweet!

But this got me thinking. A year is actually really generous. I wouldn't expect most running shoes to last a whole year. I wonder if people take advantage of it? Or I wonder if more people are like me and have no idea there is a year warranty.

How long do you expect your shoes to last?

Have you ever asked the manufacturer to replace a pair?

Have you ever tried to return something you knew you really shouldn't?
(I think my husband wins the prize for this. He returned a hat that the dog chewed up to LL Bean. Or maybe my Mom who brought back a 30 year old pair of boots. That lifetime warranty is a dangerous thing!)

BIG NEWS

So this happened.....

I am going to Morocco in May. I am going to finish my 7 continents THIS year!!

As I wrote last week, I was so undecided on when to do my last continent. I felt great physically after New Zealand and didn't have my usual post-marathon mental burn-out on running. Plus, I am going to be really busy with my nursing program for the next 15 months and then starting a new job. This may be my only chance for awhile.

On the other hand, I'm back in school and money is really tight. Could I justify spending money on a trip?

Yet, whenever I had a few minutes I kept finding myself on travel sites looking at options. I put out a tentative "Does anyone want to go to Africa for a long weekend with me" post on Facebook.

Let me just say what wonderful friends and family I have. SO many people expressed interest because they want to help me finally accomplish this crazy goal.

My friend Cheri and I booked our flights and we are going to Morocco for Memorial Day weekend! I'll find a way to pay for it somehow. Accompanying me to Africa goes above and beyond the normal duties of friendship for sure!

I'll be running my own marathon, most likely on Saturday the 23rd.

It doesn't seem real yet. I am finally going to finish this thing.

I guess I've got some training to do between now and then!

New Zealand: Bayley's Mountain to Surf Marathon

Okay friends, grab a snack and settle in, this is a long one!

Race morning started early, as I had asked to start with the walkers (because I wanted to beat the heat) and needed to be on the shuttle at 5:30. I got dressed while my wonderful hubby made me coffee and an English muffin with almond butter and honey. The cold I felt coming on earlier in the week never got worse, but it also never got better, so I had a bit of a sore throat and stuffy nose. However, I felt a million times better than last year in Tokyo! 

I got on the shuttle and was warmly greeted by the other runners. This definitely seemed to be a locals race, as everyone else knew each other and most of the people on my bus had done the race at least 15-20 times! It was nice to be doing a race in a country where there was no language barrier because I could chat with everyone. It seems that runners, no matter where they are from, are just nice people. 

I made a friend on the bus. At the start with Anne.

The race was small, about 200 people with only about 40 starting at 6:30, so the start was a breeze. After Tokyo last year, and 2 other big city marathons before that, it was a nice change to have no bathroom lines and be able to stand right on the starting line. With a loud gunshot, we set off at exactly 6:30.  As the name of the race "Mountain to the Surf" implies, we started at the gates of Egmont National Park, 480 meters up Mt. Taranaki. Unfortunately I couldn't admire the views because it was pitch dark. 

I was so glad I had my headlamp because I was running alone down a very steep hill. Even with it, I could hardly see, which was probably a blessing in disguise, because it slowed me down so I didn't trash my quads too early in the race.

It was light when the runners started down the mountain

Because I started with the walkers, I pretty much ran alone the entire time. It is probably the only time I will ever lead a marathon for more than half the race! Especially in the dark, I was worried about getting lost because I hadn't studied the route very carefully. Luckily there were marshals at every turn. I also had plenty of cows, sheep, goats, and even some emus and alpacas along the way for company. 

The first 3k were a fairly steep downhill and I tried to hold myself back. Then from 3-9k there were some fairly steep rolling hills. After that, the course leveled off again with more long gradual inclines and descents. Unfortunately, right around mile 18 we started hitting the hills again.The course was all paved roads, but the pavement in NZ is a much coarser texture than in the US. By halfway my feet and ankles were getting really tired from the uneven terrain. About half the course was on nice quiet country roads and I enjoyed the views of green farmland with the mountains in the distance. Unfortunately, the other half was on busy roads with very little shoulder. It was pretty scary when giant trucks went flying by and sprayed me with pebbles.

The first 10k went by really slowly, but then I started to get into a groove. I took a gel at mile 6 and then either 2 GU chomps or 2 oatmeal raisin bites every 30 minutes. I also was forcing myself to drink a lot of Nuun since I wasn't heat acclimated. Somehow I managed to loose the cap to my water bottle around mile 9 and didn't notice until I felt water splashing all over my back. I couldn't find the lid, so I chugged what was left in my bottle and then went without fluids until the halfway point. I recognized the race director on the side of the road at halfway and asked if there was a water bottle anywhere I could have. He ran into a van to look and then gave me his own personal one. It was so nice and I thanked him about a million times. 

It started to get tough around mile 16. My legs were starting to feel the steep downhills from the start and the headwind was relentless. At some points I could barely move forward. Plus at this point, the fastest runners (who started an hour later) were passing me. They never gave any indication that they were coming up behind, and some passed on the left and some on the right, so it always startled me. The last 6 miles my legs were pretty done, but I also always knew I could finish. It wasn't like last year where I seriously considered quitting many times. Around 23 miles I realized I could set a PR if I really pushed it, but I decided that wasn't my goal for this race. I didn't want to be a total disaster after the race like last year and I didn't want to ruin the next week of my honeymoon by not being able to move!

The hardest part in the last few miles was trying to remember which side of the road to run on when I turned corners! My tired mind just couldn't figure it out! At last I was turning the corner into a lovely seaside park and heading towards the finish.

It was very windy and I was very angry at the wind after 26.1 miles in it

For the first time, Rory managed to see me finish. Yeah for small races!

My Garmin gave me a time of 4:22:40. (my chip time got messed up, so I am going with my Garmin).

Another benefit of a small race is that I had my medal, water, found Rory, and was in a ice pool all in less than 5 minutes. There is really nothing better at the end of a marathon than sitting in an ice pool and eating watermelon!

Less than 30 minutes after I finished, the skies opened up (it had been cloudy and sprinkling occasionally during the race) and the wind got even worse. I am so glad I started early! 

Also people, travel by campervan is the way to go for runners. At the finish I immediately had access to all my stuff, a shower and a bed! 

All in all, it was a great little race and the people couldn't have been nicer. I feel like I got an authentic New Zealand running experience. Continent #6 is done!

E Noho Ra

Marathon Training is done.

Our bags are packed (ish).

My nails are done in a fun honeymoon color.

We are ready for New Zealand!

"Wait," Sushi says. "You are going away without me? I want to come with you. Also, why is this snow so sticky?"

Dixie also seems a bit distraught.

Don't worry dogs (and friends and family)! We promise to update this blog as often as possible while we are gone. My race is March 7th at 7:30 am (which is 1:30 pm in EST in the US) so send some good thoughts my way!

E noho ra (Maori for Farewell)

New Zealand Training: The End!

Hi Friends!

I am starting to get really excited to New Zealand, well except for the prospect of driving there! I totally forgot they drive on the opposite side of the road. That combined with driving a much larger vehicle than I am used to that is also a manual is going to be a real challenge! Speaking of challenges, here's what I have been up these last 3 weeks.

Week 14 was the week we got about 3 feet of snow plus brutally cold temps, so I gave myself permission to not push the running and just try to get in a solid week of exercise over all.

Week 15 was my longest run of the training cycle. It was cold and snowy, but I felt pretty good. Hopefully just not having to wear 15 layers in the race will help me to feel lighter and run faster!

Week 16 was my first week of taper. I did one last double digit run and it was a real confidence booster. It was a sunny, warmer day and I felt great!

Here's a recap of all of my training:

Reflections on Training as Whole:

I was really consistent and stayed true to my plan's emphasis on mileage as whole, rather than just focusing on the long runs. I am not a high mileage runner- I am not built for it and I enjoy other activities too much, So having 16 weeks (with 2 exceptions) of 20-40 mile weeks makes me feel really confident, even though I only did a single 20 miler.

I am extra impressed with myself for staying so consistent giv en the weather. We have averaged 2-3 snow storms a week in January and February and today is the first day it is above freezing.

I only had one really bad long run, my 15.5 miler in week 10. I was really tired going into the run and the conditions were terrible. Since then, all of my long runs have been pretty solid (they are never easy), again a big confidence builder.

My formal speed work fell by the wayside once the track was covered in snow, but because of the snow I also spent a lot of time on the treadmill. My treadmill runs are always speed and interval workouts because I can't stand to plod along at one pace.

I am still undecided about how I feel about the split long runs. They are a nice change from a single long run, but kind of a pain logistically. Here is my post with more thoughts on this.

I have a total of 436 miles under my belt going into the race. That feels pretty darn good. But at the same time, I know I am not at all heat acclimated and I am heavier than I want to be. So my plan is to be conservative and just enjoy the race.

So provided I don't kill us trying to drive the campervan, I think I am ready to rock this race and cross off continent number 6!

Chile Day 3: Glacier Hike and Hot Springs

Spoiler alert....... I got my full South American marathon after all!!!!!

We had booked a hot spring and glacier tour through Eco Chile for Monday. We tried to do most of this trip on our own on the cheap, but we also wanted to get put of the city and see the mountains, so we decided to splurge on one guided tour for a glacier and hot springs adventure.

Our guide, Mario, pick us up bright and early at our hotel and we headed south out of Santiago. The highway soon turned to a narrow twisting back road with a sharp drop off down to the river. The towering mountains we saw from the city we now right around us. We stopped in San Jose de Maipo, a little village, to buy lunch. We got empanadas at the bakery, water and cookies at the market, and apples and avocados at the fruit sand, before heading off again. Soon the road turned into a dirt track and we completely left all signs of civilization. We were in an SUV, but we were bouncing all over the road. There were a lot of trucks coming from the mines up in the hills, that kicked up so much dust that we couldn't see anything. This made it especially scary when we pulled out to pass them. I was pretty sure we would die either by hitting a bump and then sliding off the cliff or by hitting a truck head on. But eventually we reached the trail head in El Morado.

note the lack of roads to San Jose de Maipo and El Morado

We grabbed our packs and headed off. It was about a 5 minute walk to the ranger station where we needed to check in. I was dying. The race yesterday made me feel pretty darn good about my fitness, but the start of the hike totally made me doubt it. I was gasping and my heart was racing. I had totally under estimated the effect of the altitude. Mario went to sign us in while R and I exchanged " we are screwed" looks.

And then we were off. We could see the glacier 16 long, steep kilometers in front of us. The first section was very steep and all I could do was watch my feet and try to keep moving. I just tried to remind myself to look up occasionally and remember how completely amazing the view was. I have seen a lot of mountains in my life but these were by far the most rugged and spectacular.

After an hour we stopped for a quick break by a spring. I ate my apple, which was both huge and amazing. There is nothing like fresh local fruit. As we ate, we were approached by a group of horses. The farmers turn them out to graze all summer and fall. I fed one my apple core and made friends. 

But we still had a long way to go. Luckily next section wasn't quite as steep and the footing was a little easier. An hour later we stopped for lunch by a little lake. I housed my cheese empanadas and then cut open the avocado. Holy yum. It was so flavorful and perfectly ripe. I also drained half a liter of water. It was sunny and the air was very, very dry. I worked up quite a sweat, but it dried almost instantaneously and I constantly felt thirsty.

After lunch we had only about 30 minutes until we reached the glacier, but it was steep and rocky. It was rough, but I was determined to touch that stupid glacier. And then finally we were there. It was crazy to be touching ice that is thousands of years old. We didn't linger long at the glacier because of the risk of rockslides and avalanches.

Going down was amazing. It was a little rough on the joints, but at least I could breathe! Since I could breathe, I could also talk so I had a long conversation with Mario about Chilean history, politics and culture. And I had a lot more energy to admire the stunning scenery (and do a few cartwheels).

5 hours and 32 kilometers later we were sunburned, dirty, and back at the car. Hot springs time!! We headed even further south and east on the crazy, bump dirt path to the springs. The Baños Colina hot springs are nestled at the bottom of the San José volcano. When we got there we had a celebratory tailgate with Pisco sours, avocados, hard boiled eggs, and nuts.

The hot pools were fed by a single hot spring that fed into a pool at the top of the hill. This flowed into a pool below, which in turn fed into another pool, and so on. So the pools got cooler as you went down the hill. We started in the fourth pool and worked our way up. Omg, nothing has ever felt as good as a hot mineral bath after a half marathon and a day of hiking. It really felt like something out of a movie to be in this hot spring fed pool looking a condors sweeping over the snowy peaks of the Andes. I could have stayed there forever. 

Sadly, we eventually had to head back on the bouncy road back to Santiago. I had been worried the drive back on that road in the dark, but I was so blissed out on hot springs and Pisco sours and so tired, that nothing bothered me. I ended up passing out on R's lap for most of the ride. As I was lying there I started thinking- I had done 5k on the treadmill in the gym early in the morning, then hiked 32k. That mean that I was a tiny 5k away from doing a marathon. Yes I was tired, but this was an amazing opportunity. When I would be in South America again and just need 5k to complete a marathon distance in one day? So yes, I hopped on the treadmill again when we got back to the hotel and pounded out those 3 miles. 

Meeting my marathon goal after all, touching a glacier, being surrounded by the beautiful mountains all day, and finishing with hot springs and cocktails. Does life get any better??