Cape Elizabeth Mid-WInter 10 Mile Classic 2019

I ran a race! It’s a rare event these days, it deserves an exclamation point. I did the Mid Winter Classic, which is a challenging 10 mile course in Cape Elizabeth. It had been SOOOOO cold in the week leading up the race, but luckily the forecast was for warmer weather on race day. I tried something new on race morning- not drinking coffee and instead taking a caffeine pill before the race start. I was hoping this would help with not needing to the use the bathroom so much before and during the race. It did help, but I sure missed my hot cup of coffee when I first woke up!

 

Before the race I had a chance to meet a bunch of the Spandits ambassadors, which was so fun! We interact quite a bit on-line, but I’d never met any of them in person!

 

It was only 19 when I got to the race, so I decided to wear my thin jacket over an insulated shirt and tank, with thermal spandits on the bottom. By the time I walked out to the start 45 mins later, it felt like it had warmed up 30 degrees! This was fortunate because the race didn’t start on time. At 9:44 the race starter said “ready, set…. Hold on a minute.” He then said it would be 30 seconds. Several minutes later they said 2 more minutes. It turns out the generator wasn’t running so the timing system wasn’t on and ready to go. Around 9:50 we finally went.

 

Due to weather, and life in general, my longest training run was 9.25 miles. I knew I could finish, I just didn’t know how fast. My shorter training runs have been on the speedy side (for me), so I had hope that I could run a decent race. My A goal was sub 9 minute miles, and my B goal was sub 10 minute pace. The course starts off with about a mile of downhill and then some long, steep uphills. So I went out at a comfortably hard pace and tried to hold on. I set my watch for 6 minutes run, 30 seconds walk, but I used that very loosely, mostly only walking briefly on the steepest parts of the hills.

 

I was too warm almost immediately. My bib was pinned on my jacket, so I couldn’t get that off. I did ditch my mitten though and felt a lot better after that. I got into a good groove, listening to the Ali on the Run podcast and just continuing to push. I took a gel at mile 5 and sips of water at 3,6, and 9 miles. My only complaint about race organization was that the water stops were all on downhills. One, I don’t want to walk the downhill, and secondly all the spilled water around the water tables made it very slippery for a downhill.

 

This is very much an experienced runners’ race. It is a hard course and it is in the dead of winter, so it is usually cold. This means that the competition is stiff, so once I settled in, I didn’t really pass anyone. It was a little discouraging, but also worked to my advantage as I started to tire near the end because it motivated me to hang on to all the runner’s I’d been with the whole race. My cardiovascular endurance felt pretty strong the whole race (until I sprinted the finish), but my legs got really tired around mile 8. My right hamstring and quad in particular just locked up. Thankfully I was right with on the other Spandits Ambassadors, Gretchen, as we made the turn into the high school for the finish. I hate the finish of this race because you think you are at the end when you make the turn, but you still have quite a way to go as they make you loop all the way around the back of the school. I passed Gretchen heading down the hill, but then she passed me again on the last flat before the finish. My legs just had nothing left!!

 

I accomplished my A goal, finishing in 1:27:55, an 8:48 pace. I was 27^th in my age group, 178^th for all women, and 386^th overall. Given how competitive this field is, I feel great about this.

 

I didn’t stick around long after the race because I wanted to get home to relieve my friend Gillian, who watched Cooper for me. I swigged a chocolate milk and grabbed a couple pieces of Otto’s pizza (my favorite) to eat in the car. There was a super cool recovery station with all kinds of self massage tools that I wished I had time to try out.

 

Overall, it was a good day. The weather was amazing and given my training I did better than expected. But I was DONE afterward. Luckily I put Cooper down for a nap when I got home and then had 2 hours to shower, stretch, and rest before he was up again. I was so SORE for 2 days after the race. I guess that’s a sign that I ran all out?

Back Again

Well hello! After another long absence, I’m back again. We had a very busy (but fun!) summer and then as that started to wind down, we bought a house and moved! I thought about this just being the end of my blog, but something keeps pulling me back. Writing helps me synthesize my thoughts in a unique way. Plus, we all need more social connections in our lives (although its entirely possible no one is reading this anymore)

 

So what’s up with me?

 

A new house! We’ve been casually looking over the past couple years but weren’t willing to get caught up in the crazy housing market. But we finally found a house we really liked at a fair price and figured it couldn’t hurt to make an offer. We were shocked to actually get it- and then had to get our butts in gear to sell our condo and move. Moving is the WORST, but it was worth it in the end. We moved to the next town over, into a great neighborhood with tons of kids. It is so nice having a yard and more space to spread out within the house itself.

 

Cooper

Cooper is a full blown toddler. He is running and climbing non-stop, talking up a storm, and tantruming big time when he doesn’t get what he wants. It’s so fun as he becomes more interactive and is able to do more. However it is also more challenging as we adjust to toddler behavior. I’m doing my best to work with him, but there are time I just have to drag him kicking and screaming.

 

Running

I’m still running, just not racing much. I ran a PR and finally broke 2 hours in my first postpartum half marathon back in May and then haven’t raced since! I had to bow out of the 2 races I had planned for the summer because of scheduling. I’ve just realized that racing frequently doesn’t work well with my life right now. I’m content to run 3-4 times a week for about 20 miles total. BUT one of the best things about our move is that I have a running buddy! My friend Bri lives just a few houses away and getting to meet a friend totally gets me out the door on these dark fall mornings.

 

 

SO given that running is a small, but vital, part of my life right now, this blog may have a different focus moving forward. But for now, I’m keeping the name, and we’ll just see where this goes.

 

Let’s catch-up. What’s new in your worlds?

 

Beach to Beacon 2017

I ran another race! Two blogs posts and two races in 8 days? It’s almost like I’m back to being a runner blogger!

Elite Women! I heart Shalene

So my second race post baby couldn’t have been more different than my first. Peak’s Island is a low key, small race while Beach to Beacon is a major event. For those of you not familiar with the race, The Beacon to Beacon 10k was founded by Joan Benoit Samuelson (the1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist) who wanted to bring world class running to her home state. This year’s race had more than 7,000 runners and featured elite runners Mary Keitany (who set a new women’s record at the London Marathon), Shalene Flanagan, Abdi Abdirahman, Stephen Kosgei Kibet. It is pretty amazing to have these world class runners just minutes from my house!

nice guys at the bike valet

The race totally takes over the small town of Cape Elizabeth for the weekend. I was hoping to beat the crowds by heading to the expo as soon as it opened at 4 pm on Thursday, but apparently a lot of people had the same idea! Luckily, it is incredibly well organized so I still had my bib and shirt within just a few minutes. I had planned to stay and browse the expo a bit, but it was really hot and I had a sweaty baby strapped to my chest. So I just said a quick hello to the ladies at the Spandits booth and then headed home.

bathroom line selfie

Race morning is a little more complicated with a baby, especially since I’m still breastfeeding. I have to either feed him or pump as close to the start of the race as possible, which in this race was a good 2 hours before the race started. With a point to point race in a small town, traffic on race morning is also an issue. Luckily, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine started offering a bike valet service a few years ago. This is absolutely the way to go! I had a nice 3.5 mile bike ride warm-up to Fort Williams Park, checked my bike in, and then hopped on a shuttle bus to the start. It was so easy and stress free! 

My one complaint about this race is that there are never enough porta-potties! Knowing this, I skipped my pre-race coffee in favor of a straight up caffeine pill (#hardcore). So I only had to wait in the long bathroom lines once. Then I found my husband who was working, providing security at the start, and then headed to the corals.

I was not exactly raring to go. I’d barely slept the night before and had also made the mistake of doing a million deadlifts on Thursday so my legs were super sore. So I decided to just go out at a pace that felt comfortable and see what happened.  Once I got running, the energy of the crowds and the other runners definitely helped motivate me, but I never felt the surge of energy and motivation I felt during the Peak’s Island race. It was also incredibly humid, I felt like I was running through a cloud. The first couple miles are mostly flat, with couple gradual downhills, then the next 2 miles are a gradual uphill followed a big downhill and then steep rolling hills in the final 2 miles.

The Beach to Bacon sign on one of the final hills always makes me laugh. Probably the only time in my life I say no to free bacon.

I just kept running at a comfortably hard effort, only checking my pace at the mile markers, and not stressing about my pace. As I clicked off the first couple miles I realized I was on pace to finish in under 54 minutes so I made that my goal. I actually ended up way under that: 51:40- a 8:19 pace. I’ll take it!

The beacon behind the finish line

creeping on the elites at the finish- that's Deena Kastor in black!

I got my medal, took a finish picture, and then booked it to the Dunkin Donuts tent! After skipping my morning coffee, I had a major craving! Iced coffee in hand, I headed through the food tent and then ate my blueberry bagel, blueberries, and watermelon. There are a lot of fun things to do after the race, but I skipped them this year because it had been 4 hours since I pumped and I was getting uncomfortable. Plus I missed my baby!

Thanks to the bike valet I was home in less than 15 minutes- unlike all the other people stuck in traffic in their cars! After a second strong race performance I think it is safe to say I'm officially back in shape after having a baby. Now what?

Peak's Island 5 Miler 2017

Well hi there! I'm still alive, and I even ran a race! I've done the Peak's Island 5 Miler for the past 7 or 8 years so I figured it would be a good first post-partum race.

The race takes place on Peak's Island, which is a short ferry ride from the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal in Portland. But even that short boat ride makes the whole day feel like a little vacation. Although the race is at 10:30, we always take the 8:30 boat (which they add just for race day). This year I went with my friends Brad and Dana, and then my sister and a friend also decided to come at the last minute. It was going to be Cooper's first race too, but since my husband got a (minor) injury at work Thursday night he was able to be home with Cooper. I missed my baby, but travelling solo is definitely easier!



Packet pick-up is just a short walk from where the ferry docks. And although the race has grown a lot since I started running it, we still had our packets within minutes. The best part of the pre-race experience this year is that my friend's boyfriend has a house on Peak's so we had our own private bathroom to use while we waited for the start. Where was that last year when I was pregnant?!

Since it was my first race since having a baby in January I really didn't know what to expect in terms of performance. I have been doing some speed work, but I also haven't been putting a lot of pressure on myself in terms of running. And of course I managed to cut open the bottom of my foot 2 days before the race! I decided to wear my Garmin, but not to have my pace on the screen, so I wouldn't be constantly checking it. I ran by feel and let myself check my pace each mile.

Going in I kind of wondered if I was done with racing for awhile. It seemed like so much work and I didn't know if I wanted the pressure. But once the race started I was so happy to be racing. It was so nice to be surrounded by runners and spectators and I really enjoyed the feeling of pushing myself (and not pushing a stroller haha).

The first 2 miles of the race are my favorite. There is a nice downhill and the course runs along the back of the island. There is always a nice sea breeze and the views are amazing. This race is often really hot, but this year it was only in the 70's (yeah!!).



The only hills are between miles 2 and 4 and I had given myself permission in advance to walk if I needed to. But I didn't need too! I still felt strong. I saw my sister during a section where the course doubles back and seeing her as third woman gave me a boost of energy. The 5 miles flew by and the race was over before I knew it. As I got close to the finish I realized I could be close to a 40 minute finish, so that became my new goal. My official time was 40:30, which is a 8:09 pace. They didn't do chip time this year (which I swear they have done in past years). I was so happy with that!

After I finished I found my sister and then we waited for Brad to finish. Then we headed straight for the free beer. Does anything taste better than a ice cold beer after a hot run?

After we enjoyed our beer, we headed over to the Peak's Island Inn for lunch and then headed home. My race back was definitely a success- which is good because I am doing another race this weekend!

The First Trimester

Hi! I'm finally into my second trimester and so I thought I'd share the details of my first trimester with you. I promise this won't become a pregnancy themed blog, but even before I was expecting, I thought it was interesting to see how runners handled pregnancy. 

Weeks 4 and 5

These were the “OMG I’m pregnant weeks.” I kept taking pregnancy tests to make sure they were still positive because I didn’t feel pregnant. Obviously as soon as I got the first positive test I stopped drinking and switched to half calf coffee. It was so strange because I felt like such a huge thing was happening to me and no one knew except my husband!

Running: I felt great running and my pace even dropped a bit these 2 weeks. The only way I could tell I was pregnant was my boobs. They seemed to double in size overnight and were really painful. Even my best sports bras did not cut it and I wished it were acceptable to run down the street holding up my chest.

Weeks 6 and 7

As soon as week 6 hit I knew I was pregnant. I was so sick. I rarely threw up, but I was nauseated all day and all night. I was completely repelled by coffee, meat, and vegetables. I basically lived on Annie’s white cheddar mac and cheese and peanut butter toast. I did my best to get in enough calories and fluid, but I obviously failed because I passed out in my patient’s room during clinical. He pushed his code button so I woke up to about 50 people standing around me. So embarrassing! Due to this my midwife moved my first appointment. She told me that I could try ½ of a Unisom and B6 for the nausea and it definitely helped. I still didn’t feel good, but it definitely took the edge off. We also had our first ultrasound and got to see our little peanut. It is so amazing that something so tiny already has a heart beat!

Running: Obviously these were not great weeks for running. In week 6 I only managed 1 run and it was a run-walk. I was just SO tired and sick. After I started the unisom/B6, I did better in week 7. I found that if I took my meds, ate half a PB&J in bed before even sitting up, and then waited about 15 minutes before rising, I felt a lot better and that translated into better running. In fact I often felt the better while running than I did the whole rest of the day.

Weeks 8 and 9

These weeks were more of the same. Constant nausea and a lot of carbs. I expanded my menu to include plain pasta with parmesan, pretzels, gnocchi, naan, wheat thins, and cheerios. All the carbs. At this point I was feeling pretty worn down from constantly feeling so crappy and from just plain fatigue. I was in bed by 8:30 every night and still kept falling asleep during the day.

Running: I invested in some bigger and better sports bras, which made me a lot more comfortable. I kept reminding myself that I was just running to feel good and because moderate exercise is good for the baby. It was hard though to completely let go of the idea of training and trying to get faster.

Weeks 10 and 11

I had a breakdown in week 10. It was my birthday and I tried to go to the beach, which is normally my favorite place in the world. I left after an hour because I felt so sick and couldn’t handle the sun. I cancelled all my plans for the evening because I knew I couldn’t possibly eat cake or ice cream. I spent the night alone on the couch crying. The unrelenting nausea had broken me. My husband made me call the midwives and they decided to try me on Methergine. I tried it over the weekend, but it didn’t help the nausea at all. Plus it made it incredibly tired. So I called the midwives back Monday and they prescribed Zofran. I felt really guilty having to resort to medication since we don’t really know how it affects the baby. But everyone kept reminding me that I needed to take care of myself in order to take care of the baby. Zofran was a miracle. I felt so much better.

Running: Running happened during these weeks, but it wasn’t pretty.

Weeks 12-13

Thanks to Zofran, I started to feel a lot more like myself. I even ate some vegetables for first time in a couple months! I knew it was important to try and eat better food and more food, because I ended my first trimester 5lbs lighter than I started! I didn’t expect that when I got pregnant. We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat which was exciting and reminded me that this is all for a very important reason. We also got the blood test drawn to look for chromosomal abnormalities and to find out the sex!

Running: Right as I started to feel better, it got HOT! Since I was worried about overheating, I added in walk breaks, carried cold water, and tried to find shady routes. Even with the heat, I was feeling better even started adding some speed work back in. I am way slower than I was pre-pregnancy, but it is still fun to mix up my pace a little. 

Peak's Island 5 Miler

Oh my gosh, a race report! I haven't written one of these since last October! I bet it will all come back to me, just like my race morning routine did.

I had my oatmeal and peanut butter, drank a bunch of water, foam rolled, and of course took a selfie in my race outfit. Spandits for the win!

I've done this race for the past 8 years because it is such a fun summer day. I mean any race that involves a ferry ride wins in my book! We took the 9:15 ferry this year, instead of the 8:30, because I knew I'd want to sleep in after working 12 hour shifts the two days before. It was crowded, but we got on, and still had plenty of time once we got to the island. 

The race was a lot bigger than it has been in past years- more than 700 runners. This presented a problem for this pregnant lady. The lines for the bathroom were crazy- so I only got to go once, which was not enough! I had to go before the race even started and it only got worse as the race went on. I was so uncomfortable that I kept looking for places to pull over into the woods- but never found a good one!

This year I convinced my friend Gillian and her husband Al and my friend Brad and his girlfriend Dana to do the race. I love getting more of my friends involved in my running life!

Although I've done this race many times before, I knew this year would be different with a baby on board. Plus my feet were super tired from working the days before and it was hot. So it was not the year to set a PR. I was just there for fun!

But of course, once the race started my competitive side kicked in. Especially since Gillian was just in front of me the whole race! But I kept reminding myself that the health of my baby is way more important than my time! So I did hold myself back, ran through all the hoses to cool off, and walked some sections of the biggest hills. 

I ended up finishing in 45:35, which is a good 7 miles slower than my fastest time. But, I'm totally okay with that! Since I've been running 10 min/miles in training, 9 min/miles felt like flying!

My race number totally hides my baby bump

I wasn't able to enjoy the free Sebago beer after the race (my friends were more than happy to drink mine for me), but I thoroughly enjoyed the basket of sweet potato fries and onion rings we all shared at lunch lately. In fact they might have been the highlight of my day!

Is there a race that you do year after year? Why do you keep returning? 

Dealing with Plantar Fasciitis

Five years ago I had terrible plantar fasciitis. It was bad.  I went to three different doctors, tried a lot of things, and endured a lot of pain before I finally cured it. To save you some suffering here is what I did to cure it:

1) Sleeping in a boot.

I paid a lot for this boot at the podiatrist, only to see it on the internets for way less

Basically when you sleep, you point your foot, and yyou plantar fascia shortens and tightens. Then when you go to stand up in the morning, you suddenly lengthen it, creating small tears and inflammation (and pain). The boot keeps your foot dorsiflexed all night, thus keeping the plantar fascia lengthened. I won't lie- the boot sucked. It was hard to sleep in, I kicked myself in the other shin all the time, and the velcro straps ruined so many of my sheets. I had to sleep in the boot for a solid 6 months, but it really made a difference. Not having terrible plain when I first stood up was a sign that I was healing.


2) Getting orthotics
The third doctor finally told me that the root of my problem was my high arches. My arch wasn't being properly supported, so my plantar fascia was constantly being pulled on. When you are taking 20,000 steps during a long run, that is a lot of strain on that poor thing! This was the easiest fix to implement- my feet felt so much better during long runs.

3) No going barefoot or wearing flipflops.
Again because I have high arches. When I was walking around barefoot, or in crappy shoes, my arch had no support. This was the hardest thing for me to stick to, especially in the summer. Who wants to wear sneakers to the beach? Or in the house?

By doing these 3 things my plantar fasciitis was pretty much gone in 6 months. Since then I've felt it start to twinge, but I have always been able to get it to go away by doing. Here's how I prevent it from coming back:

1) Wearing my orthotics and replacing them when they get worn-out
I will admit that I am cheap, so sometimes I try to push my orthotics or shoes when they are worn-out. It's not worth it! I notice almost immediate relief when I replace them.

2) Stretching my plantar fascia and rolling it out using a frozen golf ball
I do toes pose and roll out my foot on a golf fall at night while watching TV. This helps keep my plantar fascia long and adhesion free.

3) Wearing my SLS3 plantar fasciitis sleeves
I wear these around the house which helps to keep my arches supported when I am barefoot. I also wear them on long days at the hospital when I am on my feet all day to give my feet a little extra support. They are comfortable and breathable- way better than having to wear shoes all the time!

Have you ever struggled with plantar fasciitis? Want to win a free pair of SLS3 foot sleeves? 

Enter my giveaway! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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?

Peaks Island Road Race

The Peak's Island 5 miler is one of my favorite summer races. Unfortunately I've been unable to run it the past couple years because it conflicted with Tri for a Cure. So this year, I was extra excited to be able to do it again.

I biked the few miles from my house to the ferry terminal so I didn't have to deal with parking.

Good morning ferry boat

Part of what makes this event so special is the fact that it is on an island. It is a quick 15 minute ride from downtown Portland, but that 15 minutes on the water makes me feel like I am really getting away from the real world.

Another thing I love about this race is that it is small and low key. We were off the boat and had our numbers and shirts in no time. We took the 8:30 ferry and the race didn't start until 10:30, so we had some time to sit and chill and enjoy the views. In past years it was HOT on race day, but this year we got perfect running weather- in the 60's with clouds. In fact it got cloudier as we got towards race time. 

I haven't been doing any specific training since my marathon in Morocco. I've been running 3-4 times a week, with one speed session, and doing 20-25 miles a week. So I really had no expectations going into the race. I knew I wouldn't beat my PR of 37 minutes for this race, and was just hoping to keep my time under 45 minutes. 

I watched the kids' race (so cute!) and then lined up at the start. I was with a few friends, but we all decided to run our own races, so I slapped on my i-pod. The race starts on a slight uphill and then we quickly make a right hand turn and run down a hill. The first couple miles are along the water on the back side of the island. It is my favorite part of the course because there is always a nice sea breeze and the views are spectacular. 

I decided to just run at a comfortably hard pace. I mean if I paid for a race, I wanted to push myself a little, but I also wasn't prepared to really suffer in order to get an amazing time. I hit my first mile at 7:55 and my second in 8:13.

Around mile 2.5, we turned towards the middle of the island and went up the longest hill of the course. This slowed me down a bit and my third mile was 8:27. Because the road around the perimeter of the island isn't a full 5 miles, they have us do a little loop down and back between miles 3 and 4. It is nice to see the fast runners at the very front of the back and to get to wave to the runners behind you. However, this section also contains the steepest hill, so my 4th mile was my slowest at 8:27. 

In the last mile I just tried to stay strong and keep my body relaxed. The last half mile is straight down the main street of the island and I really picked it up here, thanks to the crowd support. I finished strong, but didn't go all out, with a last mile of 8:15. 

 I'm really pleased with my time of 41:47 (clock time). For some reason they didn't get my chip time, but my Garmin gave me a time of 41:15. Either way, I'm happy!

After the race they have free Shipyard beer at the Peak's Island Inn. Even though it wasn't a super hot day, that beer was goooooood.

After the race we headed across the street to get some lunch. I chowed down on a haddock sandwich with onion rings (omg I just recently rediscovered my love for onion rings and can't get enough) with views of Portland and Casco Bay. We didn't quite make the 1;45 boat, so we went for a nice walk after lunch admiring all the cute little cottages and gorgeous gardens. It is almost pretty enough out there to make dealing with the ferry all time worth it to live there. 

Today reminded me why I keep doing this race year after year. It's a fun race and a fun day!

What races do you do year after year? Why?

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!)

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!

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!

Fitbit Charge HR

When my mother in law asked if I was interested in a Fitbit for Christmas, I was initially hesitant. I'd looked into fitness trackers, but it didn't seem like they offered anything that I couldn't get with my Garmin and a cheapo pedometer. But then, I saw that Fitbit was releasing the Fitbit Charge HR, with heart rate monitor, I totally changed my mind and said yes.


I've had my Charge HR for more than a month now, and overall I love it! It tracks the following:

Steps: I am very good about getting my exercise in, but I was surprised how sedentary I am the rest of the time. This has definitely encouraged me to move more in the rest of my life. The competition with my husband and friends really helps too. Do you have a Fitbit? Be my friend so we can challenge each other!

Heart Rate: I'd heard that the heart rate monitor wasn't super accurate, but I have been impressed. I've worn my heart rate strap that connects to my Garmin, and my husband checked it against the vital monitors in an ambulance at work, and it was right on in both cases. It is interesting to see that my perceived effort sometimes is completely off from what my heart rate tells me (in that some times I think I am working really hard, but my heart rate isn't that elevated). I've also noticed how food (namely sugar) and caffeine affect my HR more than I expected.

Distance: The distance at first was way under my Garmin distance, but once I updated my stride length it has been pretty close. I still use my Garmin for running because the display is much easier to read on the run.

Calories: I feel like this is the most accurate calorie count I've ever gotten because it is based on my height/weight, specific activity level, and heart rate.

Flights of Stairs: Kind of interesting, but not that useful. I did find myself running up and down the stairs during commercials the other night because I needed more steps and figured I might as well get some flights of stairs in too!

Active Minutes: I have been surprised at how many everyday activities count as "active," like vacuuming and walking the dog. These don't feel like an effort to me, but it is nice to know they are getting heart pumping.

Sleep: This has been the most enlightening feature for me. I thought I was great in the sleep department. However, I can see now that even though I am in bed for 8-9 hours, I am usually getting less than 7 hours of sleep! I am really restless (usually 20-30 times a night) and usually wake up at least 2-3 times. I need to work on my sleep hygiene to get better quality sleep!

Other Stuff of Note

Battery Life: I have to charge mine every 2-3 days. Using the exercise mode sucks up a lot of battery life because it is constantly monitoring hear rate, so I usually don't use exercise mode for my longest runs. Charging is quick and easy though, so no complaints about battery.

Sizing: This has been my biggest frustration. For some reason they make small, large, and XL, but no medium! When I measured my wrist I was at the very upper end of the small, lower end of the large, so I went with a large. I was having to use the second to last buckle hole in, so I had a lot of extra strap that made it feel to clunky and loose. My husband took the large and I ordered a small, only to have the opposite problem! I had to use the first or second buckle hole, with left me with a tiny nubbin of extra strap, causing the thing to fall off, especially at night. Plus, I couldn't get it high enough up on my arm to be comfortable with my Garmin. So now I've returned the small for a large. Fitbit, please make a medium!

App: The app is easy to use and bluetooth syncing makes it super easy. It also integrates with my FitnessPal which is super handy.

Other than the sizing, I am really satisfied with the Charge HR. Although I thought I led a pretty healthy life, it has definitely shown me some room for improvement and motivated me to make some changes.

*This is not a sponsored post. I purchased this product myself and am choosing to do this review because I like it and want to share my experience.**