Strike a Pose!

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State 42

10/22/2023

Albuquerque, New Mexico

3:58:10

This race was originally planned for 2020 as a family trip with Erin’s family since Erin is from the area!

But … covid derailed that as it derailed so much in so many’s lives. 

Yet, it all worked out. The last two years had a focus to also see family when crossing off states, so this was the year for New Mexico.

While it was no longer a combined family trip, Erin was with me via our long distance friendship helping us book our Vbro and hyping up the race.

The start of training was going fine.   However, my knee was bothering me again this summer until I started going to a chiropractor. Originally it was because an ear infection left me with Eustachian tube dysfunction and it was a 2 month wait for the ENT (after 6 months of hearing issues before making the appointment).

The chiro fixed my ear before that appointment and bonus- helped my knee issues which stemmed from the hips. 

There definitely was an adjustment period with my gate changing for the better, and I had to focus on my cadence but the noise in my knee was gone!

I had two 20 milers and a 22 miler planned in training.   The second 20 miler was changed to 22.  But then I got sick and my original 22 miler was pushed a week and cut back to 20 miles - run/ walk - talking to my dad on the phone as well as our mortgage banker (exciting stuff!).  

There has a been a lot going on in the last month or so- Work has been in transition with additional training then add buying and selling of our house to the mix….

There was so much going on and it was to a point that running didn’t help, rather the exhaustion made running hard.  I have been overtrained before so it’s always on the back of my mind when exhaustion is felt in my runs.  Luckily I blogged in great detail my signs (overtrained!!) and it helps me check in with myself… I was not there.  

Even still…, the last few runs before the race, I was so sluggish - heavy legs and lungs.  

With that feeling and the 5,000 ft elevation in Albuquerque - I accepted I would  start slow and be completely okay with walking.

 

While this was a family trip, we decided Joe and Sophia would not come to cheer me on.  This way I didn’t have the pressure of being in any sort of way at the finish.  Instead of trying to keep up communications of when that finish time would be, I could be completely present on the run and open to any possibility of the time.

On the morning of the race, Sophia was up already at 4am (and so was I).  At 6:30, they took me to the start of the race.  It was cold but not freezing.   I texted with some friends including Erin - pumping me up for the beautiful course.  

Sometimes I memorize the course and elevation profile. I make a plan for my music, podcasts etc,  and I practice all of that during training.   I did absolutely none of this.  The only thing I did was decide to take 4 Gus - early and often.   Usually I take 3 and push the limits on that but I don’t know why- it’s nonsensical!  So mile 6,12,18 and 23ish was the plan (and I stuck to it)

By 7am we were off and running.   

Slow and steady taking in my surroundings.   At mile 1.5 there was already a photographer and I made my race number visible as I told myself- look strong but don’t look at the camera  - strike a pose!!!! So that inspired the playlist I started - on shuffle with ‘Vogue’ as the start …was that a great choice/random playlist!!!

Two miles in, we were on a path along the Rio Grande river, starting near the ABQ botanical gardens headed north.   Somewhere around  mile 3 is when we could see some hot air balloons.   These hot air balloons became my heart strings to Joe and Sophia.   I texted Joe to take her outside to see if you could see them- and they could- so we were looking at the same thing…. They were with me!

Around mile 8 I was planning on switching playlists to my 2022 chill playlist, but then a guy sparked up a convo.   I was wearing my twin cities marathon headband.  He’s from there and ran that same one.  He also knows the exact turn of the corner at the Bozeman marathon where it said 26 miles but the .2 was much longer than .2, he was also doing the 50 states, but decided not to need the club to validate what he’s doing.  He’s about 30-35 completed.  

… which sidetrack… I decided to ‘quit’ the club in the last few  years.  Reason- because, sometimes marathoners are egotistical and  insecurities come out in a braggy annoying way -liking to show superiority over others.  I do my best not to be like this and I hope I’m not, but the club has turned into the epitome of this.  Club rules - while I understand some of them- just really rubbed me the wrong way in how they are enforced.   A girl finished a race that was not cancelled but conditions made it a really tough one to complete - and she did it but many others did.  One of the requirements is something like at least 20 have to start the race and 10 have to finish.   More than 20 started her race but less than 10 people finished - the club will not count that as an official state and she has to repeat that state to qualify as a 50 stater with the club.   And the comments from both admin and other ‘club members’ when she posted this question …. it just made me realize- I don’t want to or need to be part of such a club.    

So this was a big part of our conversation.  We also talked about what’s next - which’s of course happens -  8 states to go … the question arises - what next?  I’ve started to see that light and I think World majors sounds good - since I’m half way done it’s just 3 international runs, and then maybe even before that … Athens!   But right now it’s all brainstorming - once I cross off 50 hard goals can be set :) 

My new running buddy also experienced the same rental car headaches the day before (2 hour wait!!!), he’s a lawyer, and has 3 kids - I think 1,4 and 7.   His family  was not with him and he was heading back home that  night. He started the 50 state goal after me but is catching up bc he’s doing multiple a year… something I stopped doing after having Sophia since my goal was always finish by 50 and I’m on track with one a year at this point… not that I won’t pick it back up I still would like to figure back to back races but we shall see….  

It was nice to chat with someone because I just don’t do that much anymore.    The miles were passing by in an enjoyable way!    

But as we got to the 13.1 mile turn around, I made a comment that we probably will leapfrog one another and I will chat with him again when we do, but I had some energy to enjoy the next bit at a slightly faster pace.  So I said ‘see you later’ 

… never got his name and never saw him again.  

I turned on my chill playlist around mile 14 and focused on getting to Mile 16, then 18 then 20.  I started playing some games with my pace.  

Around mile 15, I added some small bursts of energy near the end of each mile to keep those averages below a 9:30 average. 

By the 20 mile marker I decided I could start to aim for a sub 4 hour marathon, but told myself anything close to that would be amazing considering how I started this race.  

I played another ‘game’ I play sometimes -  and starting around mile 18, I told myself - the difference between a 10 minute mile and my mile split - would become a walking reserve.

So let’s say I ran a 9:30 - that means I could walk 30 seconds.   If I had 4 miles at 9:30, this would earn me 2 minutes of walk time. 

I was slowly banking a reserve - not much, so to make it worth it, I needed to keep passing the miles.   

By mile 23 I took my last gu. I managed to get my long sleeved shirt off and refill my water bottle from the water stations without walking … and the desire to walk was behind me.  Sometimes when I walk, that’s when I start to fall apart- I decided I just needed to keep relaxed and not push the speed but keep running.   

Also around mile 23 I changed my playlist to ‘beautiful day’ by U2 as the starting point on shuffle of similar songs.

By mile 25, ‘Break my stride’ started playing.   I was definitely slowing but not gonna break my stride!

The final push was back into the downtown area, and a turn of a corner… there was the finish line.   I turned off my music, gave the thumbs up to the cheers and crossed the finish line striking a pose - hands in the air and a smile on my face - sub 4 hours!  

Sub 4 hours in a race where I had no pressure, no expectations.  I just focused on using that time to enjoy myself.  And there is a lot to be said about the mental game of a race.  It is everything!!!! 

Shake it Off

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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!  

count your blessings

Bozeman Marathon

4:01:10

State #40

 

I haven’t written a race write up over the last few years.  Somehow that part has slipped away from me.  And then I have documented parts but not in detail.     I even feel like I’ve gotten rusty on my write ups.  And because it really is part of it all-  Pandemic rants are inevitable. 

There is so much that went into this marathon… then add Family travel and a pandemic.  I trained, we booked travel but I honestly didn’t know if I was going to start this marathon until I was at the start.

This isn’t atypical in the pandemic life and with runners.    There were about 300 people signed up for this marathon, but less than 200 finished and I am really guessing it was less than 200 showed up to the start.

I have found my stride with working full time, momming full time and adding in marathon training.   I love the parts that Sophia runs with me, I love my alone time getting lost in music and I love the times I use it to catch up with friends and family chatting while I run.   But then add the stomach flu or colds or whatever else- finding time to covid test, have Sophia home while we wait for results and just always wonder- what is the best thing- not just for me, but for my family and for my community- that I should be doing right now.   

I’m not an activist by any means, but I believe in contributing to my community by just following the science to do the right thing.  And honestly I’m finding that’s the biggest thing we need and have too little of.   We can’t just expect our health care system to carry the brunt, we can’t just think if we aren’t bad enough to disrupt our lives that we can go on perhaps ignorantly spreading.  We need to just take a beat and trust the science and health care workers and be inconvenienced a bit.

I ran 26.2 miles last year.  I’m finding ways to continue with my passion and make it happen.   But when we were vaccinated and Sophia was not, I was trying to find ways that we could expand from the last year – but still be safe and not forget the pandemic is not over.     And this trip and race definitely had so much thought on making sure we keep safe for ourselves and people around us.     We definitely loosened our usual risk tolerance for the trip and the struggle was there in my mind- am I sacrificing my daughter’s health for my pleasure.  But end of the day she had great gains and benefits and the risk was for her- to explore, see her family, and just grow.

Training was great though I noticed as the miles grew, I was getting more tired and the runs would get slower.   Having training just gave the running I was doing- more meaning.   All runs until mile 20  and 22 were pretty great.  It was hot and humid- runs were early to middle of day than super early to early.  I told myself this makes me stronger for the race (and I do think this mindset helped- the humidity definitely ended up being worse than the altitude my body wasn’t used to).

The 20 miler was weak- just after some food poisoning I wasn’t fully hydrated.  And the 22 was stressful as less than 12 hours before we learned Sophia was a close contact at school and my mom was with us at the time we learned.   I spent a chunk of that run chatting with my dad trying to figure out the next week.   And then I just lost my steam, had taken a half day and had to get back to work- so – I cut it down to 20 miles.  The good news was- it was faster than the first 20 miler.

 

Then the race…I’m choosing to just copy and paste an email to my co-worker here as it’s a good summary without recreating the writing wheel.

It ended up being about 850 ft. of climbing and 1100 going down.  The most climbing was miles 6-12 and honestly I started to wonder around mile 12 if my legs would be able to last in any respectable pace because my quads were already shot.  I knew it was more down than up in the second half but with shot quads…you just wonder.    But then like we got to the top of a relatively larger climb and it was such a beautiful descent – I got my miles back under 9minutes for a bit – feeling really easy.  

It is interesting to see my heartrate compared to the elevation.   It actually was going pretty good when I was climbing then I think it got worn out and went up on the down.

So- when I started -  I was in line for the porta potty and they were getting ready to start- I was one of the last in line- so they started the race and I still didn’t have my bag dropped.  AND my race bib ripped off when I was moving fast in the porta potty- so I had to kind of get that taken care of.   I also had my hair down because it was so cold I was trying to be as warm as possible.   So- I was like one of the last to cross the start (I wasn’t too worried since it’s chip timing).

The great thing on this is then I had SPACE and I could have my own pace- not falling into anyone else’s footsteps.  Not to mention a wonderful thing in a pandemic.  And it felt good to have road kill (people you pass)  …with then the whole race only counting like 2 or 3 people who passed me the entire race. Lol.

My hair was also down until around mile 16 I finally got it pulled back.

Also my watch didn’t start right at first- but I knew every mile marker I was at about the .3 miles behind. Like every single one…

Then the finish-  it’s the kicker.  I was tracking for a 4 hour/sub 4.   And I also wanted to finish strong for Sophia. 

So… I was not pushing it in a way where I would get a cramp and then be hobbling by her (this would probably also make her cry).  

BUT then- I get to mile 26….then Mile 13 (of the half) so you know you should have .1 left…AND THEN I turned the corner just as I hit the 13 mile…..and the finish WAS NOT .1 away.   It was per my watch… 0.3 away…   and even on the map- the finish line was shown a lot closer.   

I was so angry but thought maybe I could still get sub 4- since my watch started late I just wasn’t 100% sure.    So I totally snubbed my daughter running by her ha-ha (and it’s on video- I mean I blew her kisses but didn’t stop to hug her or anything I just kept going ha-ha)

I ended up 4:01:10 which is okay but I’m just so annoyed. 

Races usually are always off some and I was impressed it was like perfect all the way through…and when you are pacing yourself…like I at least am like- okay bare minimum to hit my goal…and for it to be the last section that is off- it is SO.ANNOYING!  

But overall it was wonderful- I just can’t focus on that part as it’s just a fraction of what the whole experience brought to my heart. 

The pictures of my daughter waiting for me to finish are priceless.    …one day I will have her cross the finish with me.   This just was not the race.    I have 10 more states to go for that anyway.

This race was all heart.  And the last song I added to my playlist was ‘count your blessings’ - I definitely had time to reflect and do that on the run- I have many. I’m 40 running my 40th state with my health and family.  Even if the end threw me off on my time -  it was a very blessed run!