State #41
Roxbury, Connecticut
2167 ft of climbing
4:27:37
It’s amazing how things evolve, including the song titles for my races. This is a Taylor Swift song, but it’s inspired by Rosita from Sing! One of the handful of movies Sophia watches and repeats and acts out and dances to and… sings.
The whole soundtrack is good! That soundtrack, sing 2 and encanto became a playlist saved for my last 1/3 of the race.
And they were the songs I gravitated to, to help me have a really strong training season. Ending my 20, 20 and 22 mile runs with massive kick-it’s to the song ‘could have been me’ from sing 2!
When Running the 22, I was feeling so strong and good, that I almost ran 26.2 that day because I knew a lot can change and the hills could add a challenge that it would have been nice to have a sub 4 hour 26.2 in training. I chose not to mainly because my long runs have been taking place on half days off of work on Fridays … and well…I had to get home shower and work. I usually had a call set right after my blocked off time so I needed to make sure I was settled … which meant no little extra credit adding 4.2 more miles.
This race included an out and back, about 8.5 miles and then 5 loops of about 3.5 miles each. I actually love loops…. Usually they are fun to start loop one feeling good and slow and then try to beat the time of loop one with each following loop. That’s how I trained with the second 20 miler and 22miler.
I searched for hills and was happy with my 300 ft elevation for my 22 miler. I also estimated … from the elevation chart of this race - it would be about 1300 ft of climbing so I knew it would be more difficult - however I was wrong on the elevation - by about 1,000 ft
Funny how this marathon calls itself a ‘no frills all hills’ race but leaves off the elevation total… just a chart. Tricky tricky!
This marathon was only $65 …. I mean 10 years ago I could find this price for a marathon … but not anymore. There was no shirt, no packet pick up with junk I throw out anyway and the medal is basic - but to me this is all so wonderful.
Between the half and full like 75 people finished. Nice and small!
So rewind to the taper…. I finished my 22 run, and the next morning I’m up at 4:30am with Sophia … and pink eye …and by the time we get to the doctor add an upper respiratory bacterial infection. With antibiotics, it still took 3 days to rid of her fever…. And get back to school by Wednesday. She was all l healthy for Halloween events with her last day of antibiotics on Halloween and I was just constantly playing catch up with having her home, not sleeping well, working, getting things done and ready for her Halloween school stuff …. By the next Saturday - 1 week before race day - she had another fever (not covid, rsv or flu) …. That got as high as 104.5 and above 103 in general way too much and ended up making us question if we would be able to travel since it didn’t want to go away.
Taper ended up being a big rest for the legs but overall I was beyond exhausted - not sure how many nights in those nearly 3 weeks, I got a whole night sleep… almost feeling like I had an under one child again.
We barely were fever free for 24 hours to get on the plane.
Next … Hurricane Nicole was set to potentially cancel the race!
Now, not only did we not know if the trip would take place… after an amazing training season, we did not know if we would get there and then the race be cancelled due to weather.
This mom is exhausted and high anxiety and honestly- it wasn’t just anxiety of items out of our control, but more the anxiety of doing right by my child and what I believe is right by our community …a lesson covid should have taught us- if you are sick - stay home don’t be an ass hole and spread your germs because you are selfish. But I really really wanted to be selfish and knew I had a choice on how to behave if that fever was still there. I knew what the right choice was ( not the happy or easy one). Joe and I both knew a child with a fever for 5 nearly 6 days should not be pushed if the fever was still around- so for two reasons …24 hour fever free was a must to go on this trip.
Bags were getting packed, unsure if they would be unpacked hours after.
I had to take Thursday off of work, I just couldn’t handle the juggle with where my exhaustion and anxiety was at. Not even a half day… and even then, I barely made it through that day. It was a day where you feel undeserving of the role, responsibility and title of ‘mom’ A cranky day for all - almost forgetting I wasn’t the one who had been sick for the last 5 days.
This is where Rosita comes in and reminds me - to shake it off! She’s definitely an overly exhausted mom who finds a way to still go for her dreams. As the song says …but I keep cruising can’t stop won’t stop moving it’s like I got music in my mind saying it’s gonna be alright! (And In the movie that’s where she transforms from just a mom to a super performer… oh I so love a good finale song transformation!)
Fast forward to Saturday! We made it, and were so lucky to have Sophia’s Aunt Katie join us the night before the marathon to help out in the morning. As Joe drives me to the start I’m anxious - how did I get here from our chaotic week? I feel like I’m forgetting …..
Didn’t grab my id… hopefully they give me my race bib- it’s a small race! Right?
Oh shoot!!!!! My water bottle is at our Vbro on the coffee table!!!! Anxiety even higher! Katie being with Sophia at least made it easier to have Joe drive back and forth for it and while I wasn’t sure he would make it back before the race started, we picked a point about 2 miles in for a hand off.
Now just … kick my shin on the car door… F! ouch!
What a hot mess!!!!
Just shake it off- it’s gonna be alright.
They weren’t checking ids- this is another great thing to the small no frills race- no issues there.
I did a little yoga/stretching. Realized it was much too warm for anything but my tank top - and just as the race was about to start the announcers prided themselves that this is one of the most difficult road marathons in the country - or so they think- originally I’m thinking 1300 ft elevation? Umm no people …wrong … but by the end and nearly 2200 ft - okay… they might be right or it’s at least definitely up there!
I started my run with a podcast. Part of training this year, I have decided to do a little black history education. There are many times I sadly hear something and go ‘what’s the big deal about that? I feel like there is a reason why that is wrong and racist but I don’t know it …’ so I have been finding podcasts to help my own anti racism journey - during long runs. The episode I had picked out for this run was from a podcast called ‘still processing’ i don’t think I fully listened to it to take it in perhaps it wasn’t as engaging as others perhaps it was where my mind kept flipping to with the race. …Code switch and higher learning are really my top two go to antiracism education podcasts.
In thr first two miles is a section I would get to know well given the ‘back’ on the out and back was also part of the loop (so running it a total of 6 times) just before finishing mile 2, Joe passed off my water and I passed him my long sleeved shirt.. seamlessly.
Then we turned onto a gravel road. It was very beautiful, winding with a creek below… until we came level with it.
At this point we have gone down hill almost an entire 4.5 miles before turning around to head back up.
The podcast was over around mile 5. Going from a podcast to music usually is a bump in energy for me. Which was needed already at this point because some of the climbs were making me feel like I was ready to puke …already at mile 6!!!
Can’t stop won’t stop moving …. If it’s tough now, I need to make sure I give myself cushion to slow later!
I had about an hour plus of a chill playlist to keep me honest (and still leave room for a bump in energy later).
Once off the gravel road it got a little easier with the climbs. And a few maybe flat ? maybe slightly down? The catch- it was getting really hot with the sun shining in the 70s… And it didn’t feel good.
I made the turn that I knew meant in about a half mile, I would have the start to the loops (and the first time passing the finish line).
As I started loop 1, I saw some ladies cheering telling me I had a great smile- and I replied- it’s because it’s still early!
The Loops started mid climb and then a steep down. Turn the corner….and …. Oh yuck! A longish and steepish climb that when both those two ‘ish-es’ combined, it felt horrible.
I took it easy and knew this wasn’t going to be a place to push it when I repeat the loops. Then came the down - what a wonderful down, on a gravel road too. As we turned off the gravel road we were just about to the familiar part of the run that was also part of the out and back.
Loop two … that first up before the gravel down was starting to really kick my butt and we weren’t even half way done.
That’s when I knew I needed to adjust my goals- training might have been strong but this will just be a goal for under 4.5 hours … that’s doable- because I am strong - I knew I could do that - not longer- with these hills.
I told myself -Just finish loop 2 and get to the turn on loop 3 where it starts to go up… and you can walk…
The girls that I saw at the same spot at the beginning of the loop once again commented on my smile. This time I responded with - its because I told myself I can walk very soon!!! I’m almost there!!
And I did just that- I walked up up up - I made myself start running just before the down to get my legs moving slow before the fast-ish.
By this time the clouds covered and it cooled off maybe low 60s so I also had that going for me.
On my walk I texted with Joe to learn they were going to cheer me from near where we had the water hand off at mile 2. It was a fun little stop to hug and take pictures and then be on my way. I started thinking how cool it is to try to bring Sophia to as many of the races I have left just to get to experience different states. My cheer squad is awesome.
Also given I wasn’t caring about time so much, I asked Joe to be at the finish where she could run the end with me. I felt a little bad that didn’t happen with the last race as I was trying to hard to be under 4 hours (see last race write up).
There was a thought with about 8 miles to go, that I could just walk the rest and make the cut off but … I’m stronger than that!
So I went back to running with little goals to keep it up. Letting the little goals pile on top of one another.
Just before the turn to go up to the next loop, I was slowly closing in on something that looked like a turtle ? … it was!!!! The irony of seeing a turtle while I was moving slower and slower was not lost on me, so I took the turtle’s picture as my muse.
Then just like that … 2 laps to go! The girls were there cheering and commenting (again) on my smile so this time I shared with them it’s because my goal changed to just keeping the smile through the end!
I ran a little more of that hill this time and was leap frogging with this one guy for about 2 miles. He said to me at one point. ‘The goal is just to not cramp’ and I was like- oh I’ve been cramping for awhile now, it just keeps moving around the legs (just shake it off)! And then he offered me a salt stick. It’s a funny thing in the running community- I would never take a pill from a stranger in any other case but … salt sticks are wonderful. I stopped buying them because I didn’t go through a container fast enough but they are miraculous… so, with gratitude, I took one. And just like that I could run down the fun hill again!
On the around part this time, I started leap frogging another guy that seemed to try to silently just want to be ahead of me (I passed him a loop ago) - I was his carrot stick! And that was okay as I also used him as mine. We never said a word but he did his best to stay ahead of me and I willingly let him motivate me to keep testing this theory that I was his carrot stick (where if I ever passed him, he needed to quickly work to get ahead…). Reality- boys are so silly. If I wasn’t a girl I assure you, he would not have been motivated to keep ahead of me!
One loop to go! This time, the big down was slow and difficult but I refused to walk it. The fact it was on trail so it was softer definitely helped. I still was the carrot with that one guy. Then, case in point above ….a girl who looked like she had fresh legs passed both of us, and she became his new carrot. And off both of them went! I did not keep up.
I texted Joe as I was approaching and he brought the wonderful Sophia to run with me. While she was willing at first, once she saw me, she lost it. I’m not surprised - the last time she saw me I was running away from her. She was part mad at me and part too many emotions to want to run with me. Like a hundred yards from the finish I stood with her for a minute or so, I’m sure confusing the race people, this girl just stopped!?
(word to the wise ….while you as an adult should shake it off, never tell a kid mid meltdown to shake it off)
I tried to pick her up and calm and carry her to the finish we made it a few steps. But … she didn’t want to so it was time to rip the bandaid. I told her I would be right back, I put her down and and I took the final steps to cross the finish.
Just like that, another marathon done!
