Puerto Rico 70.3, My First Half-Ironman

Completing Puerto Rico 70.3 was one of the hardest things I have done and I found it significantly more challenging than running a marathon. Though I was straight up terrified of the swim (and never swam more than 1200 yards training), I knew the bike would be the toughest part mentally. I assumed that I would be able to get through the run reasonably well since that is my strongest event of the three, but I underestimated the heat in Puerto Rico and the hills in the course.

To my surprise, the swim was my favorite part, and the easiest by far. I felt a bit panicked initially after starting but when I realized I was able to remain with other yellow caps and started passing people in the wave before me, I relaxed and was able to segment the course buoy by buoy and finish 2 minutes quicker than my anticipated time of 50+.

Coming out of the swim, I felt great and jogged the half a mile to the transition. I continued to feel great through about half of the bike course, maintaining the speed of 16+ mph that was my goal, but about halfway through I felt myself losing steam. The wind picked up and was working against us and my neck was throbbing. I took a quick stretch break halfway through, refilled my water bottles, and told myself I could do it. I got to mile 40 and tried to convince myself that I was almost done but those last 16 miles were pure hell. I knew there was no way I would hit my goal of a 3.5 hour bike and simply wanted to finish, hopefully before noon so I would make the swim/T1/bike cutoff time of 5 hours. Again, at mile 50, I told myself I was on the home stretch and it would be downhill from there but of course it was literally all uphill, still in the wind. It took everything I had to remain on my bike and not start walking it. I’m honestly still at a loss as to why people love biking and can go for hours, because I really don’t love it the way I love running. And I’m not sure if that will ever change. I will say for anyone considering a half, bike as much as you can before the race because you spend most of your time in the saddle. After seeing Eric and my parents at the end of my bike ride and realizing I made the 5 hour cutoff, albeit barely, I headed out for the run.

Starting the run was almost as difficult as finishing the bike. I simply did not want to do it and it became a mind game of pushing through the first two miles at which point I finally found a rhythm. The run course in Puerto Rico was definitely the hardest run I’ve ever completed. I started at noon in the hot sun, and the hills were so steep there was no point in wasting energy running up them. Luckily, the race was very well organized and there were a lot of aid stations with ice, as well as hoses set up along the route. I took it mile by mile, mentally checking off each one as I finished.  Eric was a great support, cheering, and telling me I could do it. He ran close by me for a couple of miles in the middle and at the end, which kept me going.

Overall, I am proud that I finished the race (total time of 7:36); completing a half ironman has been on my bucket list for several years now. I don’t think I trained enough but I’m not sure if many of us ever think we do. Puerto Rico is probably not the best first half to do but it’s a beautiful place to vacation and you might as well go big, so I’m glad I chose it. (Would I do that race again? Probably not; once was more than enough.) Thank you, Sally, for recommending it; I’m giving you credit for the push to finally go for it! I am also very thankful that I had support from my boyfriend and parents because they definitely kept me going when I questioned my ability to do so. Love you all!

Gasparilla 15K - 2016

The Gasparilla 15K was my first race since my half marathon in NC and part of my training for the Delaware Coastal Marathon which I signed up for on a whim over Christmas break. I was very happy with my race and thought I had achieved a new PR until I looked at my 2014 results and realized I was 40 seconds slower this year. In 2014, I finished the 15K in 1:20:09 at an 8:35 mile per minute and this year it was 1:20:46 at an 8:39 pace. But this year, I ran to the start from my house to increase my mileage in keeping with my somewhat informal marathon training plan, so considering my three mile warm up, I was still very happy with my results.

I kept the first three miles around a 10 minute mile so I wouldn't tire out my legs too much. Once I got to the start with about 15 minutes to spare, I really had to use the bathroom but when I saw how long the lines were, decided I would hold it and go during the race if necessary. I didn't see anyone I knew and ducked into the corral where one of the gates was cracked open. Conveniently, I ended up pretty close to the 8:30 pacer and decided I would do my best to stick with her. Because of the huge crowd, I ended up a bit behind her once we started and spent my first mile trying to catch up.

Running along Bayshore towards the finish line!

I stayed right behind the 8:30 group for the next 4 miles but started to slow down as we raced back down Bayshore after the turn around point. It was warm in the sun and I had to get water at a couple of stops (I'm not sure the pacer stopped to rehydrate at all!) to drink and pour on my head. The last mile felt pretty horrendous and I really wanted to walk but I kept pushing myself as best as I could, knowing the finish line wasn't too far off. 

The best part of the race was seeing lots of familiar faces once I crossed the finish line! I truly love the running community in Tampa and was happy to see friends who were out to spectate and provide support, and lots of friends who raced. I walked around for a bit, chatting with people, and then made my way to the finishing area where there was live music and beer. The restaurant Ulele had a tent set up and offered an amazing honey craft beer for free to race finishers (I can't remember the name of the beer but I would definitely buy it at the restaurant once I figured it out). After getting some food and socializing, I went home and napped. And no I didn't run back home; I hitched a ride with a friend!

With Charity and Emily in front of the Gasparilla pirate ship post race!

As usual, I didn't love any of the professional race photos but I included the two I thought were the best.

Southern Fried Half Marathon in the Outer Banks

I signed up to run the Outer Banks marathon sometime last spring, but between my new teaching position, and my running partner becoming injured, I definitely did not put in the miles I needed to run a full. For a hot minute, I pondered running the full just to see what my body (and mind) are capable of. It would not have been for time, though I know my pride would have been damaged if it took much more than 5 hours, as it realistically probably would have. I procrastinated transferring my race from the full to the half, leaving the decision of what race I would run somewhat up to chance, but there was still space available for the half at the expo on Saturday. For an additional $30 of course, making this the most expensive half I have ever run!

I left Tampa bright and early Saturday morning and after two one hour flights, first to Atlanta, and then to Norfolk, VA, sat in the tiny Norfolk airport waiting for my parents to pick me up on their drive down from DE. I arrived at 2pm, knowing the expo closed at 6 and it was about a 2 hour drive from the VA airport to get there. When my step-mom text and said they were over an hour away from the airport because of traffic, panic immediately set in! I hit the taxi stand and shuttle stand to find out how much a ride to OBX would be. Over $200! Apparently, there is no easy and direct way to get to the Outer Banks from Tampa. I tried to curb my anxiety and wait patiently for them to arrive. And of course I text my step-mom to tell my dad, pedal to the metal. They pulled in to the airport around 3:15 and we made it to the expo, located in Kill Devil Hills, with 30 minutes to spare. After getting my registration squared away, we headed to our vacation rental where we were staying with my parent’s friends, a couple who was also running the marathon.

We had a delicious home cooked meal of spaghetti and meatballs, a little wine, and played a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity before heading to bed. My sister arrived for spectator duty around midnight and I could hear her clamber into the top bunk of our beds but quickly passed out again. I felt well rested when my alarm went off at 5:30am and made sure I had everything I needed for my race – Garmin, IPod Shuffle, sexy water fanny pack (water bottle with Nuun), Cliff Shots, and a sticky note with my parent’s phone numbers and our rental address in case we couldn’t find each other at the end of the race. Yes, I was a Girl Scout! Mary An and Bill, who were running the marathon, were also up and ready to go. The half started at 7:00, at the halfway point of the marathon, and the marathon started at 7:30. They both seemed excited and nervous, and I felt very relieved I only had to run 13.1 miles as opposed to 26.2.

Then Bill delivered the bad news. The wind was blowing at 20 mph! I stepped outside onto the deck and realized he was right; it was freezing (aka low 60s) outside! While I wanted a cooler race than our ridiculous Tampa temperatures, I wasn’t expecting it to feel so cold, and certainly not windy. The good news per Bill, was that the wind would be at our backs.

My sister, me, Dad and Lis piled into the car and headed off for the half start in Nags Head. We found parking in a designated race lot at a school and got to the start in plenty of time. It was a lot more laid back and easy to navigate than the start of MCM in DC last year. My parents left me shivering in corral C and went to find a spot to cheer a few blocks away where I could hand off my sweatshirt. While I wanted to break a 2 hour half, I wasn’t sure I would be able to given that the only training I have done the last couple of months has been a 6 to7 mile run, once a week, at a 10 minute pace. Once in a while, I managed to squeeze in 2 runs a week and a crossfit workout. I am very competitive though so I knew I was going to try and push myself. At 7, Corral A took off and the rest of us slid closer to the start. Designating the corrals were two people holding a piece of rope, very high tech.

I crossed the start line at 7:04 am and started off around a 9 minute mile pace, hoping that I would warm up quickly. It was a little crowded initially but again nothing compared to the start at Gasparilla or MCM. As promised, I saw my family around the first mile mark and I chucked them a water bottle I was carrying and my sweatshirt. I felt good and decided to pick up the pace a bit and try to keep it under a 9 and closer to 8:30.

The first few miles went by fairly quickly, and mentally I was determined to finish in 2 hours, if not earlier based on my time. We ran along US 158 for the first two miles with the wind at our backs and I wondered when the course would become more scenic and waterfront as implied by race reviews. At mile two we took a right towards Roanoke Sound and I got my first glimpse of the water. I felt disappointed when we turned left half a mile later and went back up to nondescript 158. And we had to run directly into a strong wind to get back to the highway which slowed everyone down. We did another loop at mile 5 through a neighborhood on the sound and back to the highway. By mile 6 I could feel significant chafing on my inner arms but tried to ignore it.

The highway was only closed off on one lane on the right side, so it was easy for spectators, including my family, to stop and cheer at multiple locations. They held up fun signs when I saw them at miles 4 and 7 (Run Now, Beer Later; Run Like a Unicorn; Run Like You’re Being Chased by a Republican!). The support really kept me going and inspired me to push to keep a fast pace. They drove by me on the highway a couple of times and honked and cheered as I smiled and waved my arms around.

At mile 8 we turned right onto US 64 and started the last (long) stretch to the finish in Manteo. At some point the dreaded Washington-Baum Bridge came into view and I remember thinking “you’ve got to be kidding” and decided to avert my gaze so I didn’t psych myself out. I do try to include a bridge that’s located close to my house in my training runs and once I hit this bridge, I was grateful I did. After a 650 foot climb to the top, during which I maintained a 9:30 pace and passed quite a few people, I sprinted down the back side to make up time. For me, the race became significantly more challenging after the bridge and I had to find people ahead of me to keep a visual on and an imaginary tow line to! Mile 12 was pretty awful and I had to tell myself repeatedly that it would be over in less than 10 minutes. A very long 10 minutes! My chafing was excruciating and my legs were starting to hate me but I didn’t want to disappoint myself or my family by giving in now and I knew if I pushed through I could finish in 1:55. I tried to stay on the heels of another female runner who also seemed to be struggling but determined, to maintain motivation.

Just as I though we would never see the finish line, we made one last right turn in Manteo and I could see it! I mustered up the last bit of energy I had for what I can barely call a sprint to get through the finish looking strong! I felt ecstatic running over the last timing mat, knowing I had completed the race at 1:55 and given it my all. Sadly, my parents missed my finish because spectators had to drive a roundabout way to get to Manteo and then take a shuttle because of road closures but I felt very supported and loved throughout the race and couldn’t wait to share my time with them.

My Race Stats

I accepted my medal, stocked up on water and Gatorade, and found a grassy curb to sit on at the end of the finish chute. They found me a few minutes later and I excitedly shared my time and took photos with them. This half wasn’t my PR but I think it was my second best half and I felt proud of myself given my lack of training.  Having a great finishing time was definitely the motivation I need to get back into a consistent running routine again as I look forward to Ragnar Keys and who knows what other races in the near future!

With my sister at the end of the race. Notice she is bundled up in a jacket because it's freezing outside!

Bill, 64, and Mary An, 62, were also an inspiration in this race. Mary An hasn’t run a marathon in 30 years but she finished this one even after her muscles seized up at mile 13. They crossed the finish line together in just under 7 hours and we were there to cheer them through :) 

Reunions & Running in Delft

I wasn't sure what to expect when I got tickets for an impromptu trip to the Netherlands to stay with my college roommate and her family in the city of Delft for eight days in August. Sarah and I met 18 years ago, (wow, I feel old writing that) as freshmen at Oberlin College and after we graduated I ended up moving to Hawaii and she went to Europe. Neither of us had any idea our freshmen year that we would both end up living so far away from Ohio and the US mainland, but maybe it was our sense of adventure that drew us together even then.

I've been in Delft for a few days now, and every time I leave Sarah’s house I’m amazed that people live here and it isn’t simply a magical place to come vacation during the summer. Delft is a picturesque town, with cobblestone streets and beautiful old homes lining canals. Families with children as young as one bike everywhere, and there are very few cars on the roads. Everything you need - groceries, schools, a market with beautiful flowers and fresh fruit, historic churches, restaurants, and shopping, is literally right outside your front door.
 

The canal Sarah's house is on.

Delft police stopping for ice cream cones!

They say it takes a village, and I can absolutely see the appeal to raising a family here as Sarah and her husband, Jeff, have done. I think having everything so close, essentially eliminating the need to drive, fosters a strong sense of community here that I haven't quite experienced in the US. (Don't get me wrong, I feel incredibly blessed to have met wonderful people living in Hawaii and Florida.) We all went out to dinner one night, to the cafe in the photo below, and the kids immediately spotted friends they knew from school who were also having dinner there. We sat down at an outside table while the kids ran off to play in the sandbox located in the middle of the cafe, complete with shovels and buckets in typical Delft style.

A colorful cafe in Delft

I am sad to say I have only run two times since arriving in the Netherlands, despite the perfect running weather.  While the obvious reason, besides “I’m on vacation laziness," would be I’ve been too busy sightseeing, I have a fear of getting lost in foreign countries given that I’m directionally challenged and I got lost running in Japan eight years ago. They don't use street signs there! This may not be all that surprising given that my drivers education teacher wrote an R and an L on my hands in high school so that when he said turn left, I wouldn’t turn right which is my natural inclination.

Needless to say, because I got lost running in Hiroshima, I’ve had some anxiety about running long distance on my own in Delft.  Because Sarah has two young daughters she wasn’t able to come run with me. We actually ran our first marathon together, Honolulu, way back in 2004. She did suggest she could bike with the girls and they could show me the way to get to Delftse Hout, the Delft Woods and recommended running area, from her house. We set off, Sarah and Zoey (3) on one bike, Sophie (5) on her adorable Hello Kitty bike, and me in my Brooks. 

Sarah and Zoe in front of their house and ready to roll.

The cobblestone roads and bike dodging did make it a bit of a challenge to run but it was easy to keep up with them, and Sarah pointed out different landmarks as we traversed the city. We entered Delftse Hout about a mile from the house, a shady and serene area. The woods has biking trails, horse trails, paved trails, and dirt trails to choose from. We passed a gorgeous open space where people were playing soccer, sunbathing, and reading before coming to a lake where multiple activities were also occurring. Sarah shared that most of the cities in the Netherlands have a designated park space for kids to play safely and people to come together and I think this also has a large impact on the community feel I've noticed. Our excursion was 4 miles round trip which I was happy with for my first run in Europe. A couple of days later, Jeff put both girls on his bike, and we took a different route to the woods for a total of 6.5 miles. There are quite a lot of turns to actually get to the woods so I know if I run on my own I'll have to spend some time scrutinizing a map before heading out.

And in case you were wondering about Japan. . .

The day before my big run in Hiroshima, my sister and I walked around what seemed to be a very simple circular route following the Motoyasu-gawa river close to her tiny apartment. While she and her roommates were sleeping in the next morning, I woke up early, donned my sweats, and set out to run about eight miles. I had to make one right turn to get to the route along the river and I remember making a mental note that there was a push merry go round on the corner; this would be my landmark to find my way back home. Because it was November, the weather was chilly compared to what it was in Honolulu, and I had a fabulous run. Up until I started nearing the corner where I had to turn to return to Maia’s apartment. It was then that I noticed there was, no joke, a push merry go round on every single corner! But no street signs, which really didn’t matter anyway because I didn’t have the foresight to write down Maia’s address or phone number to bring with me, in case I were to get lost. I frantically paced up and down by the river trying to jog my memory. I turned right a few times and walked a little up the side streets in search of her apartment but nothing looked familiar so I kept returning to the river. I came to terms with the fact that I was not going to find her road so I made myself as comfortable as I could on a bench, I was starting to get chilly now that I wasn’t running, and hoped she would realize I had been gone for too long and would come find me.

I thought about waving down a police officer but also knew I had absolutely no useful information to provide them; I didn’t even know the name of the school Maia was teaching at. I probably spent close to an hour, or so it seemed, alternately pacing and sitting on the bench. As I felt close to tears, a Japanese woman approached me and with limited English asked me if I was lost and needed help. I said yes but tried to explain that I had no idea how to even find my sister in the city. My savior escorted me to her house and allowed me to use her phone to call my mom long distance in the U.S. She explained that her daughter had gone to college in New York City and Americans had helped her many times when she had gotten lost there, so the woman saw this as her opportunity to help a lost American in return. My mother was worried when I called but fortunately she of course had my sister’s phone number and provided it to me. The woman called my sister and they conversed in Japanese and decided on a place for the drop off.

I was beyond ecstatic to see my sister at the coffee shop and extremely grateful to the kind woman who returned me safely to her. We all laughed when we realized I had literally been two streets away from my sister’s apartment the entire time. I asked Maia if she had thought about coming to find me but when she mentioned she was concerned to her roommates, they said I was probably fine and enjoying my run!

Running Solo

I have to be honest, I was a bit of a slacker this week and only ran twice including my long run last Saturday. I blame seeing Dave Matthews Band on Wed night instead of running but it was such an amazing experience and my first time seeing him live. I still managed to increase my long run mileage by 2 miles this morning though, and completed 14 total in 2:10! Sometimes I think when I take a few days off, I have stronger runs because I feel refreshed and ready to go. Thanks, Dave!

For the my last two marathons, I trained and traveled with a close friend of mine, Lee. While she always smokes me on race day (her PR is 3:55 while mine is 4:18) we were perfect training partners. I'd go out of the gate too fast and get us going and she always pulled me through the end of our runs. We also established a routine of chatting and catching up for about half of our long run, and then I would put in my headphones to zone out and she would enjoy the sounds of nature for the second half. Unfortunately, she has a stress fracture in her foot and won't be running Outer Banks with me :( Which means no partner right now for my training runs which is definitely a challenge for me.

With Lee after finishing the Steamtown marathon

There are a few running groups in the Tampa Bay area and I know I could hook up with them but I really love having one person to run with. Meeting one person also holds me accountable to get up at 5am when my alarm goes off, instead of rolling back over like I want to do.  I've definitely been dreading getting through Saturday training runs since Lee got the news and I'll admit I even thought about dropping down to the half in November. But then I remind myself that I'm a fighter and have always enjoyed a challenge. And forcing myself to finish these longer runs when I'm out there on my own is definitely challenging! But I think it will be good for me too; race day is always an individual event, and knowing I made it through the training season solo will probably make me mentally stronger race day.

And of course in Tampa Bay, you're never really running alone. One of the things I love the most about running here is that there are so many other athletes out. I saw a large group of runners from the Run Tampa group this morning; I actually started from the same spot and at the same time they did, though not intentionally. And I saw another friend of mine running toward me as I neared my halfway mark and we exchanged a quick and motivating high five. Lee and I frequently ran with the Blue Sharks running group, which meets every Saturday at Davis Island at 5:30 starting mid-August. I'll definitely be joining them for some of my longer runs.

One of my favorite groups to run with is the Brandon Running Association. I have made some amazing friends since I first started running with BRA over a year ago. The only drawback for me is the drive since most of their runs are based out of Brandon, a neighboring city. And it's not so much the drive that's the issue, it's the fact that I'd lose another 20 minutes of sleep on Saturday mornings! They generally complete a 10 mile route on Saturday but I don't know of anyone else in their group currently training for a marathon so I'd be stuck getting my additional miles on my own. I'm afraid that once I finished the 10 with everyone I would decide that was enough and not get the actual training mileage I need in! But I'm sure I'll be joining them for some of my training runs this summer when I decide can't handle anymore solo runs. So for now, I'm running solo. . . but not really!

Exploring the Neighborhood

I am happy to share that I had my longest training run yet this morning! Not only was I finally able to crank out 12 miles,  I actually averaged a 9:20 pace which gives me hope for keeping a 9:00 pace on marathon day because it should be significantly cooler in NC in November than it is in Tampa this summer.

This was also the longest run I have embarked on from my house. I've been doing a 6 mile out and back route fairly consistently but decided to try a different, longer route from home instead of driving to meet a running group. (30 extra minutes of sleeping has become a rare indulgence.) I ran from Seminole Heights through downtown Tampa, not exactly scenic, but the miles went by quickly and I finally answered the question, how far is Bayshore Blvd. from my house? Almost exactly 3.5 miles, close to my estimate. After leaving downtown, I enjoyed running along Tampa Bay for 5 miles. No dolphin sightings, but I always feel inspired seeing so many other runners and bikers out on Bayshore and I love being by the water. I returned to my neighborhood via Florida Avenue which I probably wouldn't do again, since there is no shoulder to run on and the sidewalk is poorly maintained. But I will definitely be running from my house to Bayshore again, especially as my training runs get even longer.

I also learned an important running lesson today: don't eat Vietnamese food the night before a long run! My friends and I decided to try a restaurant we hadn't been to before, Pho Quyen. The food was delicious and reasonably priced so I would highly recommend the restaurant on any other night besides the night before a long run. Luckily, a very nice hotel employee at the downtown Marriott Inn let me use their bathroom. Planning at least one pit stop on a long run is crucial!

Once I made it back home, right before the lightning storms started again, I cooked up a delicious breakfast of dairy-free chocolate chip pancakes and turkey bacon. I love to reward myself with food after a long run. Hence, I understand why my students like to have external rewards on occasion for their hard work too!