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40th Marine Corps Marathon

November 12, 2015

Like I said in my previous post about the Marine Corps Expo, this race was special to me. It was special because it is a major marathon and I registered to be a part of the lottery and I was chosen the last week of March in 2015. I was so excited to wake up that morning at 4:00 a.m. and saw the email. I was awake that early because I had to travel to Boston for work. But it was a good way to start the day with this news. All throughout the summer I knew that I had to step up my training to prepare for this race because it falls earlier into the Fall season than the usual races I run during that time of year. Last year I ran the Philadelphia Marathon the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

The Marine Corps Marathon took place on Sunday, October 25. So that meant the long runs needed to take place earlier in the heat of the summer months. And I have to be honest, I wasn’t up to my game with my training this year for MOST of my races. In the Spring I ran the Cheshire Half marathon with intention. I wanted to get a PR or be close to my last PR for that races so I could use it as a proof of time race for the Disney races corral placements. I also ran the Middletown Half Marathon and had a decent time with that race, considering that it was such a hilly and warm race. But after those two races, the wheels sort of fell off the wagon for me.

Well, enough whining about the training or lack thereof, or insufficient training, let’s talk about the race. The night prior to the race the Mickey Milers had a meetup for dinner at Portofino for a pasta dinner which was fun. After that I walked back to the hotel with some friends and we made our plans for when and where to meet up on Sunday morning. I set my alarm for 4 am on Sunday morning so that I could be ready to meet Chris and Caryn downstairs by 5:10. I met up with Chris, Caryn and Meghan and then we walked to the shuttle pick up area, met up with Ian and took a bus to the Start Line area.

When we arrived we had to go through metal detectors. It didn’t take us long to get through because we arrived early . After that, we wandered around the runners village a little, some dropped off their bags at the bag check and then we used the potties (with no lines at all). Then to try to find a warmer place, we went to sit in a tent to get shelter from the wind. It was chilly out. Good running weather; but chilly for standing around. While in the tent it started to rain a little. I was able to flag down my friend Anne and she sat with us in the tent for a little bit. Several of our friends like Brittany and Kimberlee were stuck on the metro. It was very crowded and they were coming from an area much farther away than we did.

The Team Shenanigans Members

Around 7:15 we left the tent to walk to the finish area (porta potty stops again) to gather for our photo with the Mickey Milers. Anne was visiting with some of her friends and Kimberlee and Brittany were stuck in the line for the metal detectors. After the photo I went back to the runners village to reunite with Anne and wait for Kim. We were starting to get nervous for her.

The Mickey Milers Pre-Race picture

Just before the race starts, paratroopers dropped from the sky with American flags. That was really awesome. There was also a flyover with 2 marine Osprey helicopters. That was VERY cool. I wasn’t worried that we weren’t in our corral yet, we still had a little bit of time. The wheelchair athletes were going to take off at 7:55 and then the rest would begin at 8:00, with plans that the final person would cross the start line around 8:30. BUT, the bridge cut off time was 1:15 solid. Despite where you started, you had to be at the bridge by 1:15 or else you could not finish the race. More on that later.

We sent Kim a message to meet us at the corral. Anne and I went to the corral and stood in a place where Kim wouldn’t miss us. She found us and we were relieved that all of us were finally together! It was perfect timing because the 5:30 pace group was right about where we were standing so we continued moving forward with the crowd to the Start. Meanwhile, during all of this, it was raining. We had on our rain ponchos. That was a little bit of a bummer.

The starting line was cool. There were marines there cheering us on and the color guard was in the median. I went and gave all of them a high five. I needed all of the positive encouragement I could get. Off we went into the course. During the first mile there was a little bit of incline. We were heading to the towns on the outskirts of the city. So the race course was not going towards the monuments right away. It was heading to the town of Rosslyn. Much of the first 4 miles were up hill. And one of the hills was similar to heartbreak hill, in my opinion. All during that time it was raining, but we ditched our ponchos in the first mile because they made us warm. So during mile 4 we started to do the math in our head to determine how long we had to make it to the bridge. We did a lot of fuzzy math along the miles to determine what pace we needed to maintain to make it to the bridge.

After that area we approached a section of the race where there was an out and back. I was upset about that. There were a LOT of fast looking people going past us and the crowd coming from the other direction seemed very long. I was whining to the girls that it was bothering me to see all of those people and it seemed like we were never going to reach the turn around point. We had been playing leap frog with “Santa” on the race course. I couldn’t let Santa beat me at the race. I believe this was around mile 5 or 6 on the course. We finally approached the turn around and made our way back towards the water. When we approached the water stop that we had been to earlier, they were tearing down the table and the porta potties were being hauled away. There were also about 6 or more busses driving towards the turn around. I was afraid they were sweeper busses that were going to start following the field all the way to the bridge. Anne and Kim pointed out to me that the busses were filled with marines so they were taking them from their stations back to wherever they needed to be. That made me feel a little better.

After that we ran towards Georgetown. It was a beautiful little town. The main street was lined with quaint stores and eateries. It reminded me of Main Street in Middletown. There were bands playing on the street there for us as well. After running down a good size hill we stopped for a picture together along the river. Then we continued on. I think we were near mile 9. At this point we were supposed to be receiving orange slices but there were NONE left! All you could see were orange peels everwhere and you could smell the sweek smell of oranges. I was really looking forward to having some fresh orange on my tongue. I was again disappointed that I couldn’t have some. Was this now because we were so far back in the pack? Did we start that late??? I didn’t want to look back to see.

After that section we came across a Marine Corps Band playing in front of the Jefferson Memorial. At the time I didn’t know it was the Jefferson Memorial. THe marines were all lined up along the stairs so it was hard to see what was at the top of the stairs. We were running alongside the river. Then we came up to an area that had some commotion going on. I asked Anne what it was and she said it was the part where we will run through the park. But before that we had to run through the Blue mile. That is at mile 12 and it was just ahead.

The Blue Mile is a powerful mile. Photos of fallen soldiers line the street for the entire mile. They are the same photos on both sides. I was looking for my friend Linda’s husband’s photo and found it about half way into the Blue Mile and touched it. I haven’t been affected by the death of a soldier in my own family; but I met Linda at the 2014 marathon and know of her story and know about the extreme heart ache she endures every single day because of the loss of her precious Phil. This is a somber mile of reflection. So many, too many, all of those soldiers are someone’s loved one, a son, daughter, wife, mother, father, son, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend. They died so that we can have the freedom that we experience every day. Do we really appreciate their sacrifice? If you didn’t think you did, you will think about it during that mile. At the end of the mile the family member of those lost loved ones are holoding up American flags and cheering us runners on. I gave them high fives and used their love and encouragement to help power my run. The next time I run this race I want to be a run for blue runner and wear a blue shirt to identify that I am running for them. It’s so sad to imagine that they are out there cheering for us runner while their loved one is no longer with them. I just can’t fathom it.

So off we went past the blue mile and towards the miles at the mall, working our way to the bridge. We passed the half marathon point and I couldn’t believe it was taking me 3 hours to do the half marathon. At this point I was doing the math again, I still had to go 7 miles and it was 11:30 and we had until 1:15 to get those 7 miles done, when our average was 14 minute miles. I didn’t want to admit it but it was looking unlikely. At this point I was walking a lot more. Then my knee did something funky. So the girls told me there was a medical tent not too far up ahead. I planned to stop in there, take 2 Tylenol and have them give me a piece of foam that I would wrap tight around my IT band and thigh to hold it in place to keep it from doing anything funky. That stop couldn’t take long or else I was really in trouble. I was in and out of there in about a minute. We pushed on.

As we entered the Mall area there was a white car that came up along side us. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I had a feeling it was the pace car for the bridge. After a little while of it slowly creeping along side us I finally said to the girls that I think it is the sweeper car that is going to tell us if we don’t make it to the bridge. They didn’t think so because they figured someone would have said something. Well a little futher up, a marine started to yell out to everyone to NOT let that white car pass you or else you will not make it to the bridge. SHIT! It was a pace car. I had to pick things up and push to get through. The car was starting to get ahead a little at a time. There was a grass median between both sides of the Mall are but I didn’t have the good conscience in me to cut through the grass, plus I hadn’t discussed it with the girls. At the water stop the car was behind us. I took my Tylenol at that water stop and then we rounded the corner and made our way up the mall towards the Capitol.

I believe this was around miles 17 and 18.

Sadly, the car was creeping ahead of us. I tried to pick up some running; but we were on mile 18 of the marathon and running wasn’t coming easy for me. I had just taken that Tyelenol and I almost threw up with the water and Tylenol in my stomach. Just in front of the Capitol I told Kimberlee I was going to be sick; but keep going and I, too was going to keep pushing ahead. I walked as fast as I could, I tried to jog a little, I held down my vomit from actually coming out. Then I was at mile 18. Kim and Anne had gone ahead. They knew they had to, we didn’t want to not make it to the bridge. We all had a goal.

When I got to mile 19 the people yelled out you have 12 minutes to make it to the bridge. Keep up that pace you have and you will make it. Well about 6 steps later I almost lost my cookies. I had to stop. The car lights were fading away ahead of me. But I kept a laser focus on them and I did not look behind me. I was NOT going to stop. Even though earlier in the race I was whining that I couldn’t do it; I wanted to finish, I didn’t want to be swept at the bridge. Especially when I was this close! I rounded a corner and people were all yelling to keep pushing and the stop lights that you have to go under to make it to the bridge were just ahead. I was about 2 minutes from the bridge and the car was already parked there near the mile 20 sign. I DID NOT WANT to lose my girls! I could see them about 50 yards ahead of me. I approached the place on the bridge and thought that I made it but wasn’t quite sure. I was waiting for a bus or something to block the entrance and people to be told they were sorry. I didn’t hear that. I just heard people asking, “we are safe if we are on the bridge right?” I still kept my eyes on Anne and Kim but they didn’t turn around. I yelled out a few times but it was too noisy, the couldn’t hear me. I shuffled a little to catch up and yelled out again and they were happy to see I made it! We reunited at the end of the bridge and pushed on for the last 10K of the race.

We were so glad that we all made it and the rest was just going to happen and we were going to enjoy the medal at the end of the race. The last 6.2 miles were pretty uneventful. There were about 200 people left behind us, and a small smattering of spectators on the course. The place on the course where you receive Dunkin Donuts munchkins was being cleaned up by the marines and all you saw were the sad squished munchkins that were on the ground. I think I would have really enjoyed a piece of real food at that moment. I was tired of my pretzels and gummy bears. Even water was unappealing to me. I really wanted a chocolate milk or a Coke! We were im Crystal City and running right past my hotel for miles 23 and boy did I want to just walk off the course and take a shower and have my chocolate milk! With just 3 miles left I could get through this; but it also meant that we would be finishing around 3:00 p.m. My flight home was 6:30 and my hotel said I could keep my room until 4:30 so I could shower before my flight. It was a race against time.

We got to mile 25 and I saw the soldier that was on the Metro with me the day before with his adorable dog! Anne also saw him too and took pictures of his “dog”. I guess she didn’t believe me yesterday when I told her how good looking the marines are! We rounded the corner at the mile 26 mark and had to run up a very steep hill for the last .2 miles. Well there was no gas in this tank to run up any hill so we walked our way all the way to the finish line. It was a precious moment. The marines were there cheering for us and after we crossed the finish there were many marines lined up to hand out the medals. After you receive your medal you can take your picture at the statue of Iow Jima. That was great. I couldn’t be happier.

Soldiers at the Finish Line

Marines handing out the medals

I saw a fellow Mickey Miler Kristie Green at the statue and she said she had a tough race and she trained really hard for it. We all had a lot to say about the race but couldn’t identify where our issues were to cause our training to fail us. I know that I failed in my training. My longest run was a 19 miler a month before and even that long training run had too much walking in it, despite what Jeff Galloway says that it is still the miles under our feet. Yes, that is true; but it also means the quality of our run will only mimic the type of training we did.

I said goodbye to everyone and had to rush to get on the bus back to my hotel. The bus got lost going back so when I arrived it was 4:30 and I had to tell the front desk that I needed just a half hour to shower and get out so they were gracious to grant that for me. I took a stinging shower thanks to the chaffing I encountered from running in the rain at the beginning of the race. I rushed to get ready and was on the metro and at the airport in time to get through security.

While there I saw my friend Danielle Nardi. She actually is the person responsible for getting me into runDisney races, which lead to the Disney marathon, which now leads to non Disney marathons as well! She has run the Marine Corps before and we were trying to hook up at the Hartford Marathon and even prior to this race, with no luck. But thankfully we had the chance to visit for a little bit after security. Then I learned that I had to take a shuttle from where I was to the gates in the next terminal. I had to walk down stairs with my bags to get on that shuttle. That was scary. I just dragged my bag down the stairs real lady like! LOL. After the one minute ride across the tar mac I had to walk UP the stairs with my bags. I let everyone else go in front of me and a wonderful airport employee offered to carry my bag up the stairs. I told him I could have kissed him! I gave him a tip and went on my way to find a seat while I waited for the plane. It was a quick flight home and I couldn’t wait to see my family.

For several days after the race I relived many moments and talked to Anne and Kim about the race. During the race I swore I didn’t want to do it again. I was hating it, I expected to see more tourist attractions and be “in” D.C. more. Kind of like when I went there with my parents when I was 16. But then last week I was reading the brochure they gave us at the race and saw a few races that interested me and also said that if you did one of them, you are guaranteed entry to the MCM marathon the following year.

As I rethink the whole experience I felt like I had to have this race as a reality check for me. To break me down and show myself that I could push myself and build myself back up by actually getting to the bridge by giving it everything I had, and then from that point getting to the finish line. I didn’t want to NOT make it. I didn’t want to be swept or else I would have felt like a failure. But I also felt that I need to respect the marathon distance. It’s no joke. Sure you can half-ass the training; but you will also have a half-ass race experience as well. I didn’t finish strong, I just finished. I don’t want to have that kind of experience with my races. I want to be stronger, more prepared and happy (or less miserable) during the race. The race is supposed to be the celebration from all of the training. That wasn’t what happened for me with this race. Changes will be made for my future.

I had been saying that I didn’t want to do another fall marathon. I wanted to register for NYC to see if I would be chosen for the lottery and the same for Chicago; but was really beginning to feel strongly that maybe next year I should just work towards Dopey. So I have some soul searching to do. Of course after watching the NYC marathon on TV recently doesn’t help! I will definitely be putting my name in the lottery for that race.

So for now, I have to review my training schedule for the Dopey challenge, get my head back in the game and put in some work. Stay tuned!

40th Marine Corp Marathon Expo

November 2, 2015

The Marine Corp 40th Marathon was a very special marathon to me. The medal I earned from this race is going to go in a special place. It was one of the hardest races I have ever done. Harder than my first marathon. As I was reliving it and telling my husband about it, he told me it sounds like it was a traumatic experience for me. It kind of was.

Let’s start from the beginning. This is going to be a two part story. The first part is the Expo. I took a flight out of CT at 9:00 a.m. and arrived in Washington D.C. at DCA at 10:30. I tried to snooze a little on the plane. I was pretty tired. I set my alarm for 5:30 with all intentions of leaving the house by 6:30. I have TSA pre-check now so I knew going through security could be a little faster. I almost left the house at 6:30. That was, until I realized I was missing a few things. I had to go back into the house and tip toe around in my room to find the things that I was missing. One of them being my compression sleeves and the second one was a cord that was in my office. I knew I was going to wake up my husband as I had to go through the closet in our room to access the new addition where the office is. The main house and the addition are still not completely attached for general access. So we have a small entryway from inside our closet. Anyway…. I was on the road to the airport a little after 7:00 a.m. Ooops. Not to fear, I reached the parking lot by 7:45 and was through security and at a Dunkin Donuts before 8:00. Plenty of time to have a tea and wait to board.

I love travelling with my runDisney and Disney Social Media Moms gear!

The flight was easy and when I arrived I followed the signs at DCA to get to the Metro. I purchased a Metro card and then got on the train. I was lucky, the first stop is Crystal City where my hotel is. I got off the train tried to figure out how to get out of the Metro tunnel and then found my way around. I went to the Dunkin Donuts there and picked up a hot chocolate. I was feeling like I needed a little pep. I was also lucky to find a Rite Aid right inside the mall that is in Crystal City. This mall is cool. It’s all underground and is part of the Metro and hotel area. I was looking at the weather forecast and it was calling for rain for race morning so I wanted to grab some ponchos from Rite Aid while I was there. It was also a perfect chance for me to get some waters and snacks at an affordable cost rather than at the expo center or within the hotel. I checked at the hotel desk and was fortunate to be able to check in early. I brought everything up to my room, laid out what I could for my gear to make sure I had everything and didn’t need any special at the expo and then texted Kimberlee and Anne to find out where and when to meet.

It was close to noon so I went back down to the Metro and took the train to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. I had to walk a few blocks from the station to the Convention Center and then quite a distance along the convention center to the actual hall where the Marine Corp Marathon Expo was being held. There were two other large events taking place at the Convention Center, so it was easy to get lost if you didn’t follow the signs.

The Metro is very cool underground.

The Marine Corp Expo

Anne spotted me as I got to the bottom of the escalator and we went to pick up my bib and shirt. It was exciting to receive my bib and shirt from the Marines.

It really added to the excitement of the event. The expo was quite large. The first place we went was to the Brooks Official Merchandise Area. My friend Jennifer had picked up a jacket for me that morning because things were selling out quickly. In addition I purchased a visor, a pin, a glass and a windbreaker from the Brooks Official Merchandise Area. This race was a big deal to me and I wanted to purchase some nice things to commemorate it.

I was planning on meeting Sid Busch at the expo around 2:00. I gave him a call and he said that he was at home resting. He had been on his feet all day the day before giving out shirts and then volunteered again Saturday morning so he really needed to take a break. He had just run his 200th marathon the weekend before in Baltimore so he was feeling the effects of it along with being so busy for the past two days. We made plans to find each other at the race start.

Anne and I were keeping our eyes open for Kimberlee. She landed later than I did and also checked into her hotel which was near the Convention Center. While we waited for her, Anne and I explored the Expo floor. I ran into Susana Cruz from the Mickey Milers. I met her out in Chicago when I was there to run the Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon.

After pictures with Susana, I was shopping around and found a cute Running Skirts Camo skirt that would match nicely with my grey Mintz + Hoke shirt so I purchased it to wear instead of the Sparkle Athletic skirt I packed. I also had a mission to find Jeff Galloway, Sweaty Bands and Sparkly Soul head bands. As we shopped the expo floor we found Jeff and Barbara Galloway and I had him sign my bib and take a picture with me, as I always do at the races he is visiting. Not long after that we met up with Kimberlee.

We weaved up and down the rows of the Expo floor with her so she could also shop the vendor booths. During our shopping I came across Fitletic and decided to purchase a new fuel belt that would be large enough to hold my new larger iPhone Plus 6s and also have room to store fuel. That had been on my shopping list as well because I didn’t want to wear a Spibelt plus and additional belt for fuel. We also found Kimberlee’s favorite booth, Beecause Charms. She has the cutest charms on her sneakers and I was never a charms person; but once I got my eyes on the Marine Corp Marathon Charms, along with red, white and blue stars and then when you purchase those plus an American flag charm, proceeds from the purchase of the American flag charm goes to wounded warriors.

Just before we left we signed the Pace Car! That was a first for me. We weren’t sure when and where we were going to see the pace car, but we signed our names on it, along with 24,000 other people! We all realized it was getting late and I had to get from the Convention Center to Crystal City for my Mickey Milers Pasta dinner at Portofino. It was already 4:15 and I had to take the Metro to Crystal City where my hotel was and walk a few blocks to the restaurant. We took some last minute pictures and then headed off to our night’s events.

My train was delayed at the Metro so I texted my Mickey Milers friends and let them know to not wait up for me but I’d be there as soon as I could. I eventually arrived a little after 5:25 and ordered linguine and meatballs. I figured that would be a safe dinner choice. We enjoyed the company, I sat with Chris Smith, Susanna Cruz and her husband, Dave Dunkowski and his girlfriend, who had just become a grandmother at 5:37 that evening, and Eric and his daughter. Dinner took a long time to come out of the kitchen and we didn’t leave the restaurant until around 8:00. I walked back with Chris and Meghan Gorny and we made plans to hook up at 5:15 in the morning to walk to the shuttle.

By the time I got to my room and got ready for bed I was exhausted. I got my food and tea ready for the morning, got the rest of my gear laid out and I was in my bed by 9:00 saying goodnight to the family. I was asleep by 10:00 with the alarm set for 4:00 a.m.

My final outfit with the new Running Skirts camo skirt.

I really enjoyed the Expo and the Mickey Milers Pasta dinner. It was a nice day prior to the race. It was fun to hang out with friends, explore the goodies at the expo and find some new gear.

Front of the Marine Corp Marathon Shirt we received with our bibs.

Back of the Marine Corp Marathon Shirt we received with our bibs.

Some of the goodies I purchased at the Expo.

Stay tuned for my race recap of the hardest marathon I ever ran to date!

The Hartford Half Marathon

October 22, 2015

On Saturday, October 10, 2015 I ran the Hartford half marathon for my first time. I had been nervous about running this race, especially for driving into the city and finding parking. I left my house at about 5:40 and I arrived in the city by 6:15. The plan was to meet the girls at the Hartford stage parking lot. I got off the highway and saw the start and finish line area and there wasn’t any traffic at all. I drove over to the Hartford stage parking lot but it was still closed. So I texted the girls and ended up back at the lot across from the start and finish line. I found Diana and we walked over to the gathering area use the Porta potties because there were no lines and then we went back and sat in my car for a little while. I was very surprised that there was nobody around considering this was such a big race and it started in a little over an hour from when we arrived.

At 7:00 we walked over to the Bushnell Park and try to locate Anne and Kimberlee. We used the Porta potties again just before we headed over to the starting line and on my way there I saw my new sponsor Ron as he was directing people. We took time for a quick picture and then Diana and I went to locate Kimberlee and Anne.We found them five minutes before the start listen to the national anthem and then we were off for the race.

Kimberlee decided she wanted to run her own race so she took off ahead of us. My intent was to take the advice that Dimity gave us at the Girls Night Out on Thursday night; which was to start off the first half slow so that you will have enough gas in the tank for the last half of the race. I also wanted to enjoy the now and savor the moment. I wanted to enjoy the race and have FUN with my friends. I definitely had a great time.

The course was nice and we were maintaining a good pace for the first few miles. At around mile 8 we started walking a little bit more because Anne was trying to get her sugar regulated. At that time Diana went off ahead of us. So we planned to just meet her at the end.

At mile 9 we entered Elizabeth Park. It was a beautiful park with rose gardens and they had a candy table there for the runners. We continued on through the the park and then went on back towards the city.We were taking our time so we could use this run as a training run. I was concerned about my leg acting up. We finished the race in 3:08. Not a fast race for me, but 13.1 miles under my feet.

After the race, we met back up with Diana and collected our awesome Hartford Marathon Foundation reusable water bottles and snack bags and then went to the food tent to get our post race fuel. They had corn muffins, pumpkin bread, bananas, chili and milk. They sadly did not have chocolate milk. After eating we went to collect our Triple Challenge Race medal and jacket. I was VERY happy to have them! Those were some tough races. Tough enough where I am not sure if I will do that triple challenge again next year. But you know the bling always entices us when the registration opens in the beginning of the year.

I saw Dimity and Denise again at their booth. I didn’t realize they were going to be at the race Saturday. I thought they were flying home; but I saw Dimity earlier in the morning before the race and she told me to stop by their booth after the race. I took pictures with them and got a cute Mother Runner shirt. It was great to see them one more time before they head home.
As we were walking around I bumped into my friends Bob and Mary and their daughter Elizabeth. We talked for a bit and then Anne and I went to find the beer garden. We got our Harpoon ale and drank it in the designated area, took some pictures and then went on the hunt for the Amethyst jeans.

I read in one of the emails that there was going to be a pink truck that was giving out jeans for a $10 donation. I had to check it out! We finally found them on the far side of Bushnell Park. Next year they need to get a closer spot so more people can take advantage of their special deal. You give them a $10 donate and they donate food, money and a pair of jeans to someone in need.

I said goodbye to Anne and made my way back to my car. As I did, I had to cross the area very close to the finish line and it was exciting to see the marathon finishers trickling in. I decided to stand there for a little it to watch. I had to get home for my daughter’s family birthday party. I knew my friend Michael was going to be crossing the finish line close to 1:00. I tried to wait and watch for him. I was texting his family to find out where he was. But somehow I missed him! I was bummed, I really wanted to see him cross the finish line of his very first marathon.

The Hartford Marathon Foundation put on a fantastic event. It was never in my plans to do this race; but now that I have done it I think I’ll consider it again next year as I use it for a training run toward the WDW marathon. The Hartford Marathon Foundation has great support on the race course, with sufficient water stops, a good size expo, an excellent pre and post-race area and plenty of support and communication throughout the time leading up to the race.

Will I see you at the Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon next year?

Hartford Marathon Expo

October 20, 2015

These were the medals I would be receiving after running the Hartford Half Marathon on Saturday, October 10. It includes the Hartford Half Marathon medal and the Triple Challenge medal.

The Hartford Marathon Expo took place at the XL Center in Hartford. I went to the race expo on Thursday night at 5:00 PM before going to the Girls Night Out event at the Hartford Club. It was not crowded at all. When you entered the expo area you were greeted by a display of all of the Hartford Marathon Foundation medals and a wall to sign your name to your favorite runHMF event.

You were also given a special card to carry around to the vendors and have them stamp each time you visit a booth. After you collect six stamps you can give your card to the Transitions glasses booth for a chance to win a free pair of Transitions glasses.

I found my friend Kimberlee and her husband Tom there. We hung out and walked the expo for about 30 minutes.

It was smaller than other race expos I had attended. But, they did have a good variety of vendors. I purchased a light reflecting vest from one of the vendors along with a new product called Chafe-X.
I samples some chocolate and vanilla milk from Organic Fuel and some granola from Main Street Bakery.

Once again the Hartford Marathkn Foundation did a great job of putting together a great event. The expo was efficient. I picked up my bib and my friend Diana’s bib with no issues, the shirt and gear bag pickup was easy and the expo had an excellent variety of vendors.

I will make it a point to spend time at the expo again next year as well.

Girls Night Out with Dimity Was Like Runners Church For Me

October 18, 2015

Last week during the Hartford marathon pre-events, there was a girls night out meet up at the Hartford club with Dimity McDowell from Another Mother Runner. Before the event I went to the XL Center to pick up my bib and race shirts. On my way there I saw on my new sponsor Ron from Mintz + Hoke. As I was talking to Ron I saw Dimity and Denise leaving the XL Center to go to the Hartford Club. I said hi to them and goodbye to Ron and hurried down to the expo to get my race items. At the expo I met up with Kimberlee D. and her husband. I picked up my race shirts and then we visited some of the booth at the expo. It is definitely a small expo compared to some of the others that I have been too. But it was good to sample some of the items from local shops and spend a little time with Kimberlee and her husband.

I stayed there for about a half an hour and then walked over to the Hartford Club. It is a nice location to have a meet up like we did. They had finger sandwiches and a cash bar and we all received a raffle ticket when we entered. I sat down with a group of people that I did not know but I recognize one of the girls at the table. When I introduce myself she told me I looked familiar to her also. Then I realized she was Alison Overholt who was at the another mother meet up at Fleet Feet in west Hartford earlier in the Spring. She is one of the essayists in the latest Mother Runner book Tales From Another Mother Runner. She also read her essay at the last meet up at Fleet Feet. We talked for a bit about the races in the Connecticut area, since she recently moved here, and I recommended to her to do the Manchester Road race for Thanksgiving.

Ali was there that night to introduce Dimity and interview her for the meet up. I felt like I was at church for runners. Everything Dimity was talking about was exactly what I needed to hear at the time. Ali did a 20 questions interview with her which had some great questions.

The first thing Dimity said was to remember that good is good enough. Before kids when we used to train for our races we would train and follow the training plan to the letter. Now with kids and life we need to give ourselves a break. Sometimes if the training plan calls for 6 miles and we were only able to get in 4 miles, 4 is good enough. We made the effort and we should take pride in what we were able to do.

Another thing she talked about which stood out for me was to enjoy the moment. Dimity said that we need to enjoy the now and not look at the end of the race or how many miles we have left, or how much work is ahead of us; but to actually enjoy the moment we are in. Running shouldn’t bring us stress. Running is our playtime. If we are worrying about how much is ahead of us, or the hills up in front of us, then we are not enjoying the now and having fun with it. I really needed to hear that.

She also talked about some of the basics that I needed to hear all over again. The essentials like taking on fuel at miles 4, 8 and 11. Those will keep us hydrated and sufficiently fueled so that we can finish the race strong. In doing so, we will keep our brain happy and will push away the mental monkeys. I used to be diligent about my fueling and hydration during races; but lately have been running half marathons with little fuel, just enough to get by. When you fuel properly you will have a stronger finish. Especially at the time when you need it. She also reminded us to start of slower so we can finish strong. It’s so easy for me/us to go out fast because of the crowd pushing us along and when we do that we run out of gas too fast and then struggle at the end. You have to make a very conscious effort to be slower the first half. Especially in the beginning when everyone else is surging forward.

Keep a mantra in your head repeat that mantra to yourself so that you are taking your mind away from the bad thoughts and making a conscious effort to speak to yourself positively. She made an excellent point that struck a chord with me. She said don’t ever say something to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend. Would you tell your friend she looked fat? Would you tell your friend she’s too slow? So why is it that we can talk to ourselves that way?

I had been struggling with the upcoming Hartford half marathon coming up that week. I was afraid of arriving to the city on time., finding a place to park, and actually running the race. I had been having prerace anxiety with the last few races lately. I don’t know what has been causing it, but hearing what Dimity had to say has been very very helpful to me. Especially the part about enjoying the moment. That is my playtime, that is my time to be with friends who enjoy the same thing that I enjoy.

After the interview was over there was a raffle for some great prizes and then Beth, the Race Director for the Hartford Marathon presented Dimity with the Wonder Woman award.

It was a fun night and afterwards I visited with Dimity’s travelling partner Denise Dollar. I met Denise at the Philadelphia Marathon and also at the Fleet Feet meet up.

I had Dimity sign my bib for the race and took pictures with her and Ali. It was a lot of fun and as always. Thank you Hartford Marathon Foundation for another great event!

Disneyland Paris Half Marathon Registration is Now Open

October 14, 2015

Well, the registration for the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon is now open; but I didn’t jump on and register. I checked the prices from what I was reading on social media and it sounds like the cost is coming in around $1300 for hotel and park passes. I have not researched air fare yet.

The average price for the value room is around $270 US not including taxes. If you book a room separately, you can call directly yourself and then plan to purchase a race bib separately when they become available on January 12, 2016. By making a separate reservation through Disney directly, you have a more control on the deposit that is required and the final payment dates.

I did a little research to find out what I would have to pay if I booked a 4 day, 3 night stay at the Hotel Cheyenne. The total came to $1256.00 and this also includes free travel insurance. This price includes super early booking offer at Summer 2015/Winter 2015-2016 prices, 1 night and 1 day FREE + FREE hotel and park tickets for kids under 7. It also includes Disney Parks tickets + breakfast (NB: breakfast is not included at Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch. To be booked on arrival or during your stay).

If you purchase a package from a travel provider like GET Travel, the package will include

Accommodation in a Disney® Hotel
Breakfast (Except at Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch)
Access to the Disney® Parks
One registration per room for one of the races (Half Marathon or 5K race)

When booking through a travel provider, you must make the final payment by December 12, 2015.

As of when I am writing this post I have not heard that the race is sold out. I still haven’t made a decision about what I plan to do and I’m still unsure.

Are you going to Disneyland Paris?