Pittsburgh Marathon Race Report

In the last few years, I have transitioned away from triathlons and really started to focus on my running. In "Alexa world" this means: I register for a marathon, I forget about the marathon, I remember about 9 weeks beforehand that I have a marathon that I'm supposed to be training for, and I go "oh crap" and ask Jennie Hansen to get me through it. She does, and I rejoice.

This marathon was no different in terms of preparedness, however, for once, it was not my goal race of the year (which all of the other marathons were - so far I have only ever done 1 marathon per year!). After coming up 4 minutes too slow for a BQ at the Rochester Marathon last year (I actually trained for that one!), I decided to give it a go again. My thinking was to run a spring "tune up" marathon as a practice run at the distance and to get myself training earlier in the year, and then run my goal marathon in the fall. This worked out to be the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 3rd and the Steamtown Marathon which is on October 11th.

For only having about 10 weeks of quality training with Jennie behind the wheel, I put in a really solid effort. I was nailing my mid-week tempo runs, I nailed my (lone) 20 miler, only skipped 1 run, had a light taper after racing the two prior weekends, and headed into race weekend questioning my sanity. Sounds about right - no?

John driving us to Pittsburgh while
making fun of all things PA (hey - I'm from PA!)

John and I left town Friday after work and got to our hotel in Cranberry Twp (about 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh) pretty late. We basically just went straight to bed (after being upgraded to a King-sized suite because of John's Hilton card), got up late, got breakfast and hit the expo where we picked up our packets, played with some greyhounds, bought some clothes (tank top and some new sneakers for me), ate lunch, drove part of the course, did a shake out run, ate dinner, did some studying (I had to prepare for a quiz on Tuesday), watched some How I Met Your Mother on my iPad, and passed out early (isn't the day before a marathon supposed to be relaxing??).

at the expo - one of the many bridges in the background

My alarm was set for some ungodly hour (4 am maybe?) because the marathon organizers suggested we be to the marathon site at 5 am (race started at 7) due to road closures and city parking infrastructure. This is where an expensive city hotel would have been useful, but I'm cheap, so we sucked it up and got there at around 5:15 - luckily parked with no trouble and walked the 0.5 miles or so to the start, wearing our very fashionable throwaway clothes that we bought the day before at a Goodwill in Cranberry. (I actually really liked my shirt and was sad to toss it when the race started).

race morning!

We hit the porta-potties multiple times due to there being millions of them with no lines, and then headed over to Corral B, where we split up because John was to run a warm-up before the half-marathon, and I was not going to run any farther than the 26.2 that I had already allotted myself for the day. I got my good luck wishes and goodbye kiss from John and then I stood in one final bathroom line for a long time before squeezing myself into the middle of the corral.

I tend to zone out quite a bit during a marathon and just let the miles tick off, but I went into this race with a pretty specific pacing plan. I was using this race as a trial run for a negative split marathon I plan to do in October. I've never run a negative split anything as far as I'm aware (other than that 20 miler that I did this year) so I wanted to see if I could even actually execute it (at a moderate pace but not all out 'racing' the marathon).

My goal, which I hammered out with Jennie about a week before the race, was to run the first 10 miles at 8:45 pace, the next 8 miles at 8:30 pace, and the final 8.2 miles at 8:15 pace. This plan came about after a whole bunch of exchanged emails, but I liked it and it seemed reasonable so I went with it. Jennie's theory (or one of her old coaches' theory) is that a marathon is "a 20 mile run with a hard 10k at the end." I'm not sure I'm quite up for that so this was a good compromise.

If all went as planned, I would finish in 3:43 with an 8:31 pace.

In order to try to pace this by myself, I set my Garmin screen to show 4 fields: Distance, Average Pace (this field was just as an FYI), Current Lap Pace, and Overall Time. I've had a lot of success pacing by lap pace rather than current pace because it resets every mile. That's how I've done all of my tempo runs this year and I have been nailing the paces either spot on or within 1-2 seconds. Nutrition plan was to eat 2 Honey Stinger chews every 2 miles, drink Gatorade/water at aid stations as needed, and I had one of those Wegmans organic fruit twist things on me if I needed a big boost.


My race outfit was chosen quite far in advance as I am very particular about what I run in.. I need to be cool, comfortable, yet look cute. :)

• Saucony Ignite Singlet in pink/purple - this is my favorite top to race in because it's bright, it sticks out, and it's super lightweight and comfy - I have 2 but need more.
• Saucony Bullet Tight Shorts - these have great pockets on each hip for nutrition storage (this is why I chose them) and I like them b/c they prevent chafing and they don't ride up too badly - the downside is that there is a badly placed seam that goes right up the crotch meaning I can't wear these without undies which is undesirable but I manage.
• Saucony Triumph Iso - I *love* these shoes and they are keeping my knee problems in check. the downside is the price tag ($150).
• Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves - I have 3 pairs of these and I wore my hot pink tie dye ones. I have used these for years for recovery/standing all day at work but with being on my feet so much between work/training, I started wearing these for some runs as well (mostly my tempo and long runs). Although they were fine during this marathon, if it was any hotter out, I think I'd have to ditch them.
• Balega socks - always Balega socks. period.

I was actually happy that I started in the middle of the corral because it helped me to control my pace early on. It's hard running an 8:45 pace off the start line but I succeeded in keeping my pace in check. Once I found a decent rhythm, the first 10 miles flew. I should note that Pittsburgh is a hilly course that goes all over the city, crosses several bridges, and runs through several college campuses. Most of the hills aren't bad but you're always going either up or down so it's hard to "settle" into a pace. I was constantly checking my Garmin and adjusting my pace accordingly but it was a good way to stay on top of things and keep myself engaged in the race. Worth nothing: I had some HR spikes in the first 10 miles.. these likely occurred either a) going around groups of people, b) trying to make up time after a hill, or c) making time up after a pee break.

I saw my high school friend/XC teammate Sarah at mile 10 or so (the EZ Pass Mile AKA "the flattest mile on the course") which was a nice pick-me-up and from there, flipped the switch to 8:30s. I had absolutely no trouble clicking them off and was actually a bit fast for most of them. Those 8 miles flew by (somewhere in there the marathon and the half split off from each other), and at mile 18, I cranked it up again to 8:15. By this time, it had started to heat up. I was drinking at every aid station, and they were handing off these water soaked cloths that I was using to clean my hands (sticky from Gatorade) and then wipe off my face and wet my hair. I was so glad that I wore sunscreen (considering I got fried 2 weeks earlier at the Seneca7).

I interacted a lot with the crowd - at one point someone was giving out gummy worms so I grabbed one and ate it. I slapped hands with kids and about 30 JROTC teenagers, and I petted one of the greyhounds at the greyhound aid station late in the race! This always makes a long race more enjoyable to me.

Somewhere around mile 20, I noticed that my armpits were chafing, which has been happening to me this year when I run long. I liberally applied Body Glide before the race but I guess I either sweat it off or didn't use enough. There were people at aid stations handing out gobs of Vaseline on popsicle sticks, and I was uncomfortable, so I took one and smeared it all over the skin that was chafing. Big problem: the Vaseline had some sort of menthol or liniment in it (you could smell it) and that shit BURNED for several miles. Yikes.. I think I would have preferred the chafing!!

After this, details begin to get a bit hazy. There was a sizable hill (meaning.. long) at/around mile 23 (which I was forewarned about!). My pace dropped off a little bit here and I was ready to be done. The large downhill that followed was good but my quads were screaming and it was hard to push the pace down the hill. Then we went around a corner and ran ~2 miles along this straight boring road. Knowing the finish was close and being on a boring stretch of road with no spectators and sweating my butt off was not a good combination, but I kept moving and finally made it to the finish. I wasn't able to keep up the 8:15 pace over the last few miles but I didn't slow down much, and all of my miles started with an 8! I finished and was given the heaviest finisher's medal in the world. I walked (hobbled) through the chute and found John at the family reunification area under H (although he *swears* we met at G) and we peaced out of Pittsburgh (after stopping back at the hotel for a nice shower) because it was time to head back home.

a random guy took this at the race, looked up my bib,
found me on facebook, and messaged me this photo!
(I love creepy internet strangers!!)
(&& free race photos!!)

great finisher's medal!

My official finish time was 3:45:26 which works out to a pace of 8:35.

My Garmin read long at 26.57 miles which worked out to a 8:29 pace. Must get better at running the tangents. The Garmin puts me spot on my pace, whereas the official time does not. May not matter now, but come October, those extra minutes are super important.

More fun Garmin information:

My splits for the first 10 miles (goal: 8:45 pace): 8:44, 8:44, 8:44, 8:36, 8:48, 8:45, 8:39, 8:42, 8:37, 8:40

These were pretty spot on.

Next 8 miles (goal: 8:30 pace): 8:27, 8:17, 8:20, 8:31, 8:30, 8:38, 8:22, 8:22

I had some trouble here, need to work on dialing it in a little more.

Last 8.2 miles (goal: 8:15 pace): 8:14, 8:18, 8:07, 8:10, 8:33, 8:08, 8:21, 8:31

These were good - the 8:33 was the uphill mile, the 8:08 was the following downhill, and then I really only died that last mile!

here is my awesome HR chart (grey) overlaying my pace (blue) over the length of the marathon

I was 711 out of 4214 marathoners, 140 out of 1699 female marathons, and 24 out of 305 in my age group.

I am very happy with my race. I felt great for almost the entire race (definitely up until mile 23), I held onto a decent pace, I didn't walk at all, I managed my nutrition and hydration, and I finished strong. I felt the best I have ever felt after a marathon. (John told me I looked great afterwards - though we all know he's obligated to say so). I was able to eat a few hours later - normally I can barely eat for the rest of the day. All of these things point to a stellar race execution and it makes me excited for the summer and for Steamtown!

I also really liked the city of Pittsburgh (this is a bit shocking since I am clearly a PA "east-sider") and thought they put on a great race. I was entertained for the whole race (except maybe the last 3 miles) and there was plenty of crowd support, lots of bands, aid stations were plentiful, the expo was fantastic, etc. I have only good things to say about the race and I'd definitely do it again! I can also say now that I've done the 2 big marathons of PA! Once a PA girl, always a PA girl. :)

Now I am doing a bit of recovery (biking/easy running) and am gearing myself up for a strong summer of training.

Also, because I was there with John and he is a great person to have at a race (he brought my stuff back from the car for me, drove, etc.) I have to mention that he PRed the half marathon.. at a "hard effort" and not even truly racing!

2 out of 3 ain't bad.

As my title may or may not indicate, I've raced the past 2 weekends, and I have one more race this weekend!

This is not really my normal approach - I am not much of a high frequency racer - at least I haven't been for at least 5 years. I like to pick a few key races and focus on them. Occasionally I will use a 5K to "test" my fitness level but that's about it. I've been a little all over the place the last few years but this year I am dialing in on a few "A" races and an overarching goal. After this 3 week stretch, everything I do will be progress towards that goal.

This spring, however, has had a different theme to it. I have been really enjoying training with my boyfriend a few days a week, and racing helps me to stay focused, especially early in the year when weather hasn't cleared up yet and motivation can be low. Plus, the busier I keep myself, the more I get done. Don't ask me why that happens but when I am training AND in class, I get more accomplished in a day than if I was only doing one of those things.

So.. what have I been up to?

I joined a Seneca7 team back in the fall. That was basically a given - I'd done it twice before and had a blast both times. Also, Fleet Feet Rochester created a race series called "The 4 Seasons Challenge" which is comprised of 4 half marathons - 1 in every season, and if you finish them all, you wind up with one giant "mega-medal" (along with all of the regular stuff you get from each individual half marathon). Because gimmicky stuff like that calls to me, I obviously signed up for it (along with John and his brother David, and a whole bunch of other people I know). Then one day John told me he was going to run the Pittsburgh Marathon with one of his coworkers. I have always wanted to do a spring marathon, and particularly, this spring marathon (also, Vermont City Marathon and Big Sur are on that list) so I registered as well. John ended up dropping to the half a few weeks ago due to conflicts with his Ironman training, but I am full steam ahead for 26.2!

So those are my 3 races in 3 weeks: Seneca7, Flower City Challenge Half-Marathon, Pittsburgh Marathon. Probably not the dumbest thing I've ever done. Probably not the smartest thing either.

First up was the Seneca7 on April 19, which, for those who don't know, is a 7 person relay around Seneca Lake, totaling 77.7 miles. It starts and ends in Geneva, NY. The team captain/crazy organizer was my friend Richard (who I also run with quite often and play with in a monthly board game night, nerds unite), but most of the rest of the team were people I didn't know well. The only exception was another Ironman friend, Tim, who was a later addition to the team. So.. nothing like stuffing 7 (smelly) strangersrunners into a van for 12 hours as a way to get to know each other. We were a non-competitive team which is fine by me (I have never been on a competitive Seneca7 team and I like it that way).. and everyone was great - we all unloaded ourselves from the van at every exchange point to cheer on the baton (slap bracelet) exchange, and everyone screamed and rang cowbells out the window as we passed our runner. This was made even better by our neon yellow team shirts! I ended up running a little over 12 miles as the Leg 3 runner of "Chafing the Dream!" and I kept my average pace under 7:30 which was a struggle for sure (especially the last leg). I also got sunburned beyond belief! My face is still peeling 9 days later.

Team 'Chafing the Dream!''

hand-off in Watkins Glen

The following weekend was Flower City Challenge which has a paddle tri and duathlon on Saturday, and a half marathon and 5K on Sunday. John did the duathlon on Saturday, and even though I didn't go down to the start with him (it was cold and I really needed the extra time in bed after a tiring week), I headed down there at around 9 am and was able to see him finish, and then hung out for a bit before heading to Collegetown to do some schoolwork. I cooked a delicious (seriously) dinner for John and I on Saturday night, and then we headed to the race Sunday morning. Because neither of us were "racing" the half, leaving at 6:55 am for a 7:30 am race seemed reasonable. I even managed to hit the bathroom beforehand and still made it to the line with 30 seconds to spare.

This ended up being one of the most fun races I've ever done! Probably because I wasn't racing it (I was using it as a tempo-ish longer run on my way to my upcoming marathon) but also because at various stages throughout the race I ran with a combination of John, his brother Dave, Dave's girlfriend Katie, and other random people that I saw throughout the race. (Funny story - John, Katie and I all had the same shirt on). Plus the course is just fantastic - it stays within the Rochester city limits, runs through a bunch of different neighborhoods, Highland Park, Mt. Hope Cemetery, and the River Trail. The weather was perfect as well. Just a great experience. I also will note that John gave me bunny ears for one of the photographers (typical John behavior) and then grabbed my hand at the finish (NOT typical John behavior, but super adorable!). We then all went back to the boys' place for a giant brunch which was super fun and yummy.

this is my boyfriend, folks.

sometimes, he's pretty cute though

John and I after the race - twinsies!

This Friday, John and I are off to Pittsburgh!

I'm in a PA State of Mind

I had a fantastic weekend.

The week leading up to it was tiring. My Vitamin D had not quite kicked in yet, and I am in the process of switching to a new job, so I am splitting my work time between two labs in two different buildings and learning the ins and outs of a new (technically, a job I was doing a few years ago) job while maintaining responsibilities at my current job. It was stressful, and the new job is a little less flexible in terms of hours so that makes mornings (not my best time of day) a little more problematic for me (especially if I stay at John's the night before or have a morning workout to squeeze in before work).

I managed to get out of work a bit early on Friday (after working late Thursday), picked up John up at 4:30, and we hit the road for Syracuse. Why? Billy Joel concert at the Carrier Dome! If I had a bucket list (which I don't really).. Billy Joel would be on it. We bought these tickets months ago and it has always seemed to be so far in the distant future until we finally hit March, and then time flew by!

We checked into our hotel at around 6, got a quick dinner at Chipotle, and then went to park by the field house on South Campus. We got stuck in a loooong line of cars for 20 mins or so, at which point I started freaking out that we were going to be late, but we ended up in the parking lot, on a shuttle bus, and into the Dome before 8 pm. (Sidenote: I'm not sure how we managed this; we must have picked the right "entrance" into the parking lot because apparently many people were stuck in traffic for hours, waited in huge shuttle lines, and missed part of/the entire concert. Frankly, once we parked, we could have walked/ran the mile or so from the parking lot to the Dome if necessary. There was NO WAY I was going to miss the concert, especially at $100 per ticket!). We got to our FLOOR seats (our friends Ken and Emily were already there) and I managed to hit the concession stand (for John) and get a t-shirt (for me) while Gavin DeGraw was playing (because.. who cares about Gavin DeGraw when he's followed by Billy Joel - amirite?).

Can I just say - it was awesome!!!

1) Billy Joel still sounds a-freaking-mazing and he's 65 years old - he SOLD OUT the Dome, and this was his 7th sold out show there!
2) he played/sang for 2 hours straight!
3) he played "The Downeaster Alexa" which is MY song! ***best moment EVER***
4) you could hear 37,000 people singing along to Piano Man which was the coolest thing ever
5) floor seats rocked because we had folding chairs, and the bleachers there are super uncomfortable
6) Billy Joel is officially BA

John and I!

John, me, Emily, Ken

It could have been a logistical nightmare getting out of there, but it wasn't. We bolted the minute the encore ended and beat the crowds outside. We got right on a shuttle and got out of the parking lot with no problem. As we were cruising down the highway, back to the hotel, we could see the lines of cars backed up waiting to get on the highway. We were in bed by 12:15 - not bad!

The next morning, we had plans to do our long run(s) in Syracuse. I had 16 miles, John had 2 hrs 20 mins, so I had mapped out a 7 mile loop for us to do twice (and then I would add on the extra). I was kind of excited about this because I lived in Syracuse for about a year and was looking forward to running around my old neighborhood. But.. it was cold and raining, and it had snowed overnight. So we decided to eat a big breakfast and hit the road to my dad's house in PA, and then run there (weather looked better). So that's what we did. My dad lives about 2 hours from Syracuse so it's not a bad drive. John got his first taste of rural PA (at least with me) when we stopped at the local Dandy Mini Mart (i.e. gas station) that's about 5 minutes from home to get some snacks/supplies and the first guy we saw standing outside had a huge belly hanging out from underneath his t-shirt. Lovely. We visited for my dad a bit, and then changed into our running gear and headed into town.

We ended up running a 4 mile loop 4 times in the next town over from where I grew up. Sounds boring but it was pretty great. We could stop at the car and refuel/remove layers and doing small loops like that kept the run distance from seeming overwhelming. Plus I could point out interesting (at least to me) landmarks and tell stories to John for the entire run! After having a not so great 14 mile run last weekend, this run was a much needed ego boost, as it went really well. I was instructed to run at a relaxed/moderate pace until the last 3-4 miles, and then try to pick up the pace 10-20 seconds per mile. At mile 11, our average pace was 9:31 (I have never been one to push the pace on long runs).. and then I ran every mile faster than the one before it: 9:03, 8:44, 8:35, 8:33, 7:52 for the last 5. I ran the last 2.5 or so on my own because John turned around early (his run was a little shorter than mine). I know this does not seem like any kind of speed demon workout, and I am certainly not a super fast runner, but after years of dying at the end of long runs, this shows progress. Also, I have only been running consistently for.. 1 month? I was very happy with how I felt and how I was able to pick it up at the end (vs. last week's run where I was unable to speed up). This kind of run puts me in the appropriate mindset for the Pittsburgh Marathon which is rapidly approaching. I am even starting to get excited about it!

We refueled with a PA staple - Tastykakes, and my dad's eggplant parm. and then went to see "Fiddler on the Roof" at my high school (my dad wanted to see it). They did a pretty good job, and it was something different to do on a Saturday night. Sunday we just hung out with my dad and fiddled with the old video camera (we want to transfer our old home movies from the 8 mm cassettes they are currently on to DVD or some other modern storage system), before heading back to Rochester at 1 pm. We got back, did a trainer ride, and that was the end of our (very busy) weekend! This coming week and weekend will be much more low key. No obligations for me other than workouts and studying (and one dinner out with friends), plus I am on "spring break" so there is no class tonight! It's definitely a relaxing weekend to which I am looking forward!

hello, spring!

So.. it's March. I'm not exactly sure how that happened. The days have been whipping by.

Life has been the same: work, school, social life (a relatively successful one at that!). Because it was winter, there was also some cross country skiing. Not much running.

I got to the point where I was so frustrated with myself over my laziness, that I signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon (it was the plan anyways) and hired miss Jennie Hansen as my run coach. Better late than never!

That, combined with the (finally) melting snow has prompted actual training miles! Real, outdoor runs! Shorts! New outfits! New sneakers! The return of the joy of staying active!

I would say I'm working out 6 days a week, with Tuesdays off (because I have class), bike rides Thursday and Saturday, and runs the other 4 days. It's good, exciting, and consistent, and hopefully it will keep me from overdoing it. I'm confident that Jennie will get me to the starting line in Pittsburgh (which is in less than 2 months) ready to run 26 miles, and then after that, we can focus on a fall PR/BQ attempt. That's the plan anyways!

I also have a few other races scattered in there: the Seneca7, the Flower City Half Marathon, the Shoreline Half Marathon, and the Rochester Half-Marathon. A currently undecided fall marathon. Probably looking at a PR attempt at the Roc half if all goes well.

One weird thing that has been happening is I've had some major exhaustion going on. Back in Feb., I worked a week of overnights, and then John and I traveled to VT that weekend, and then I ended up getting sick the following week. The fatigue that came with the sickness persisted even after my nasty cold went away, and after a while, I stopped believing that it was caused by the aftermath of the nights/sickness combination. I know I have a lot going on in my life, but it's been this way since 2013 and I've always managed to stay healthy and on my game. I successfully trained for 3 Ironmans while working a shift rotation, I've made it through 2 marathon years while simultaneously in grad. school and working full time. Doing a lot in a day isn't a new concept for me. I like going to bed knowing that I've accomplished things at my job, intellectually, and physically. However (and this is where things get weird).. insomnia is my baseline. I've had trouble sleeping my entire life - it's the norm for me and although it got really bad a few years ago during the job with the shifts, it's since gotten manageable again (with the help of medication and sleep doctors and whatnot). So, when I started passing out at night within 30 seconds of crawling into bed while being seriously cuddled by my boyfriend (and I am a strict *don't touch me while I'm sleeping* kind of person), I started to think that something was up.

I ended up getting blood work done and found out that I am Vitamin D deficient. NBD right? Everyone in the Northeast is probably Vitamin D deficient. A lot of times you don't even know. However, I have been having symptoms like crazy, which is what prompted the blood test, which prompted a prescription for a giant weekly dose of Vitamin D.. for the next 3 months! I'm hoping it helps. It's hard to live a busy life (of things you want to do) when your body is telling you to go to bed at 8 pm and not get up until 8 am. Sorry.. not possible. Most nights I don't even get to my homework until after 8 pm!

The good news is that there is a solution, that I love my life and want to keep going the way that I have been going, and am excited to get my energy levels back up! I have too many things to accomplish to slow down now!

Ready for a New Year.

I want to preface this entry by the following, which I think deserves to be at the beginning, rather than the end, of this post:

I am looking forward to the start of a new year. 2014 has been hard. I don't want to recap it. The good things that happened (and there were many good things) simply do not outweigh the bad things and the loss that myself and my family went through. It it what it is and it happened, but I want to just keep moving forward. I don't think I set any New Years Resolutions last year, especially since my life was in such turmoil at the beginning of the year. I am working on being kinder to all members of the human race (including myself), to love myself and know my worth, to love others, to make sure I keep my heart open, to forgive, and to remember that all life is precious and worthwhile and not to be taken for granted.

With what was undoubtedly the hardest year of my life ending, and my 31st birthday quickly approaching, I am met with trepidation for the future. 31 trips around the sun doesn't seem like much, but it means that I will be firmly planted "in my 30s" and trying to celebrate my birthday while mourning the year anniversary of my mother's passing. I am trying to stay optimistic but that date is going to be a tough one to face. Thank god I am not facing it alone.

I have some truly special people in my life that have supported me this year, and there is no way that I could reach out to everyone and thank them for how they have helped me over the past 365 days. I know that I am a strong person, but I'm not sure if I could have done it alone, plus, good times and bad times are made infinitely better with loved ones. To name a few individuals/groups of people who are very dear to my heart:

my family (my dad, my brother, and the rest of the Hardings) who I know are by my side no matter what happens.

my dear friend Kerry, her husband, Joe, and her mother, Kathy, who drove all the way to the hospital last year to be with me on my birthday. it meant so much to me to have you there.

John - whom I am incredibly grateful to have in my life. I have the pleasure of having you as both a friend and a boyfriend and I am looking forward to what this year brings (first and foremost - Harry Potter in Orlando!).

my Rochester family (Mary, the Walters, the Adams, the Hansens, Kemily, Solveig, all former Train-This members, the list goes on) who have always supported me athletically (through running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, skiing, summer biathlon, cyclocross, etc), since we all know that exercise is the best medicine.

my OCD family (especially B642) who makes me not mind going to work every day and who collectively form the best lunch table ever.

my far away friends (which includes all of my friends who I am separated from due to distance - Jessie, Lindsay, Denise, etc.) who have been my text message lifeline throughout the year.

last but certainly not least, my mom, who is in my heart and thoughts every day.

Everyone that sent me a text, tweet, Facebook message or post, email or card when my mom was sick.. I thank you all so much. I know this is long overdue. And everyone who supported me with the marathon, my classes, helping me with my house, and spent time with me, even if it was just a hug, I so appreciate it.

Keep on living fiercely, my friends.

I love you all.

Happy 2015.

What's next?

The off-season has been treating me well. I have been busy between work, class, friends, being in a relationship, and everything else that life brings. I have been sporadically doing workouts when I can and am motivated. I was not feeling too great after the marathon. I really put a lot of stress on my knee during the race, so I took a while off (a month?) afterwards. When I started running again, I was still having some knee pain. I wasn't into racing cyclocross this year due to being so out of shape (for cycling), so I did 5 races and called it quits for the year. I miss it, but I want to tackle it head on next year with some cycling fitness. Also, it does get expensive racing every weekend for 2+ months so the money savings was an added bonus.

I still haven't figured out what I am doing next year. School really throws a wrench into my training and unfortunately, it IS the priority right now (it's f-ing expensive). I have a love/hate relationship with grad school. I LOVE learning, I love going to class, I love feeling like I am challenging myself, I love meeting fellow stats nerds, I love that I am working towards a career that I want. I don't love the enormous amounts of stress (both external and internal) to get work done, get good grades, and make time for everything else. I was a bit of a shut-in in college (my best friends were all also biology majors - coincidence?) because being a good student and getting that 4.0 was so important to me. (I missed a 4.0 in undergrad by 0.02.. one B). It's still very important to me, but obviously, I can't do that now. I have a job that I need to be focused on, a Green Belt project at work which is going to require additional time commitments, and other life commitments that I never had when I was younger. Time management and having an ongoing balancing act is not something I'm great at.. but I am working on it.

The next few weeks as I round out the end of the semester are going to be crunch time. I've already (nicely) informed John that our time together is going to have to include my laptop and my current textbook. He gets it. The less stressed I am, the more pleasant I am to be around.

As for races, I am planning on Fleet Feet's 4 Season Challenge (if I can ever scrape up the $250 registration fee), and the Seneca7. Those are the only things that I have really decided on. John has already registered for the 4SC. He's also doing Syracuse 70.3 and IMLP next year. I am hoping to do a lot(some?) of his IM training with him (mostly for my own benefit). I would love to get back into triathlons. It's been over 2 years.. I needed a break, both physically and mentally. Now, I am not sure if I have the time that I need to train to get back to the level that I was at. It's important to me to race to my abilities (ESPECIALLY in triathlons b/c that is my "thing"). He's convinced he can get me back out there. I'm not so sure yet..

I'm not too worried about next year. I know I can do whatever I need to do. I am mostly just trying to swallow the reality of this past year.

I have been on this planet for 30 years (almost 31) and I can say, with certainty, that 2014 has been the most emotional, devastating, and hard year of my life. I still don't think I have fully processed the loss of my mom in January. Sometimes I actually forget that she's gone. I still expect her to answer the phone when I call home, or to be cooking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. And then it comes rushing back to me and I go from being completely fine to a crying mess in 5 seconds. Which makes me feel guilty about planning for the future, or being worried about things that are going on right now. It's a lot of emotion and I don't know how to manage it yet.

This whole post has unraveled now. This is exactly what happens. I start out fine and then I think about my mom and I just completely lose it and end up crying on my couch for 3 hours.

Cyclocross Season has BEGUN!!

My life has been a whirlwind lately!

Get ready for a long post and a litany of photos!

I managed to get through the Rochester Marathon and subsequent recovery period.. actually, more than get through it - I enjoyed it, did well, placed in my AG, got sick, stayed sick for a week, took an exam, recovered, got an A on my exam, and haven't run a step since the race. In the week after the marathon, I was able to make my house even messier than it was before hand, make plans for and miss seeing a movie twice due to scheduling conflicts, ride my bike to and cheer at the McQuaid Invitational, and go camping for a night at Fair Haven State Park with John and his family.

I will admit, we are pretty cute. *barf*

I debuted as a CAT3 cyclocross racer (I upgraded last year and then stopped racing for the season to focus on my class: Statistical Software AKA the worst class I've ever taken in my entire life) at Webster Park CX exactly 7 days after the Rochester Marathon. In hindsight, this was not the brightest move I've ever made, but I was dying to get out there on my bike, so I did it. My body felt ok after a good 3 days of can't-move-my-legs-hell, (although I did survive a ride on Wednesday in Bay Park West with my friend Rich), but I was sick with a cold that was bound and determined to hang on, and apparently, my legs had *not* recovered. I did not race well, and I felt like I had absolutely nothing in the tank from the get-go. I was disappointed and underwhelmed with how I raced. I know that the podium is no longer going to be a regular (or possibly ever) thing for me anymore after upgrading, and I'm fine with that, but I want to at least be in the mix with the other women. Not riding alone off the back for 45 minutes wishing the race was over. I started worrying about trying to race both Sat/Sun the following weekend on a world class course that I had no idea about, with over 100 women in my field, and having to drive all the way to Providence, RI to do that.

getting ready to start at Webster CX

feelin' the pain (photo by Lee Barber)

rare photo of a flying mount in action!

day before departure - bike ride with John!

Fast forward one week. I was feeling fine again (sickness finally went away), my bike had gotten a tune up, and I had done a few bike rides (another BPW ride with Rich and a road ride on my poor, underused triathlon bike with John). I packed up all of my stuff and hit the road on Friday morning, destination: Rhode Island. I've never been to Rhode Island before and the drive wasn't too bad. Mostly I-90 but with the trees turning, it wasn't too awful. I arrived a few hours earlier than my dad and brother (my dad was driving to Brooklyn to pick up Grant and then they were heading up as well, as my brother also races 'cross). It would be the first time we've ever been at a race together! I hung out in the hotel room, catching up on some TV from the week and working on my homework assignment a bit. When they finally showed up, we walked to the restaurant next door for dinner and then we all went to bed.

double flyover

We were up early on Saturday morning (6-ish) because we had to find the park, park the cars, register, and Grant needed to pre-ride the course because he was the first race which started at 8. Can I just say that I have never seen my brother get up before 6 am. He is known for sleeping through races. I was majorly impressed (also, because I set my alarm wrong, I woke up 3 minutes before we were supposed to leave). My race was at 9:50. We did all of that and got some laps in on the wet grass. There were some obstacles I have never seen before including 2 (later, 3) "flyovers" and a jump. The double flyover was a pair of wooden platforms with ramps connecting the platform to the ground on either side. They were side by side (hence the "double" flyover) and you crossed them going in different directions. For the first flyover you ran up the ramp, mounted on top, rode down the other side, and then kept going down a steep, muddy hill. For the second flyover, you ran up a set of constructed stairs, then a short section of grass/mud, then up the flyover ramp, where you mounted on top and rode down the other side into a turn. The 3rd flyover was added after Grant's race and it was a less steep but higher platform with ramps that were actually rideable (the double flyovers were NOT rideable - at least up them, which I found out by trying to ride and subsequently crashing on in my practice lap). There was also a jump which was rideable and you only caught air if you hit it going quickly. There was a set of double barriers (very typical for a 'cross race) and on day 2, a small set of stairs that they added. Otherwise, the course was flowy & very rideable with a few short climbs but nothing absolutely demoralizing.

this is what I did to myself trying to ride the
dumb flyover. Grant told me if I "just committed"
I would make it up and over. FALSE. NOW
I'M GOING TO HAVE A SCAR FOREVER, GRANT

a ridiculous photo of Grant pinning my
number & us wearing matching skinsuits

Grant raced in a huge field of Cat 4/5 men. I can't comment much on his race because I was merely a spectator, but my dad and I caught him at several different points on the course, cheering and taking photos/video. He also had a Shimano camera which mounted on his handlebars (much like a Go Pro camera) so he was videoing his own ride. After he finished, we switched the camera to my bike, and I got in another lap before the 2nd race of the day which allowed me to become a little more comfortable with the flyovers and actually ride the 3rd one which they added in after Grant's race. Then I had to go down to the start to be "staged" because my race had over 100 women in it. I don't think I have *ever* ridden in a field more than 20 (if that) so "staging" in WNY is nonexistent really. You're either in the first row or the 2nd row. I might have been in the 8th row? Who knows. The started at rider 501 and staged by number: I was 573 and was approximately in the middle of the field at the start.

Grant in action!

waiting to be staged and apparently
I look like The Terminator here

me staging

What was awesome is that in my row of women at the start, 2 of them were local Rochester women that I see at all of the cyclocross races around here! I got my dad to take a photo of us before the race started!

CX WOMEN OF ROCHESTER!!!
me (Ride Brooklyn), Anne (Park Ave Bike Shop), Kelly (Mac5Bikes)

The start was insanity. I'm never good at the holeshot anyways so I was stuck behind a giant traffic jam of women trying to all squeeze onto a tiny 'cross course. Once I got going, it was a little strange riding in a group of so many women - going around corners and such. The first flyover was nuts. There were probably at least 20 women all on the thing at the same time - either running up it, getting on their bikes at the top, or riding down the other side. I made it through (with some screaming most likely) and the pack eventually started to thin out. I was riding pretty well with a group of women but it was very exciting/scary and I managed to run right into one of the stakes holding up the tape on the side of the course. Went down. Got back up and finished my first loop, also caught back up with that pack of women. 2nd loop, I did THE SAME THING. Ok. This is starting to get ridiculous. Caught BACK up when I then crashed a lot harder going up a hill. Luckily none of these crashes really hurt, they're just annoying. I ended up settling in behind a local Rochester woman, Kelly, and finished right behind her with no more "incidents." I wound up 66/115 women in the Cat 3/4 field.

this was partway through the first lap, on the first obstacle.
sheer insanity. you can actually see me at the top in the center.
pulled this off of the @providencecross twitter feed!

not sure how I made it down in one piece and upright with
NEITHER OF MY FEET ON THE PEDALS

typical 'cross shot!

Here is the youtube video of the W 3/4 field as seen from my perspective. Includes: 3 crashes, some screaming, some narration, some apologizing to women I ran into, and NO profanity (I think)!

After that, we went back to the hotel, cleaned up, got lunch, and headed to Newport, RI where we toured the Vanderbilt Mansion (The Breakers), bought an Alex and Ani bicycle charm bracelet, checked out this mysterious tower that is in Newport which no one knows how it got there, talked to a crazy dude about the tower, walked down to the water so that I could buy salt water taffy and fudge, got a drink, and then drove back to Providence in the rain for dinner.

my very appropriate and lovely Alex & Ani!

the mysterious tower of Newport, RI

Grant and I in front of the tower

Sunday morning was a repeat of Saturday morning but a bit smoother. I woke up tired, sore, bruised, etc. I knew I would have trouble getting on the course after the races started, so I did 2 preview laps before Grant's race instead of one. It had rained for most of the afternoon on Saturday and I was hoping that the course wouldn't be too muddy, which it wasn't, plus the sun came out which I'm sure helped. They had added 3 small stairs in at an uphill corner so that was an extra place that you had to dismount and remount. Otherwise, the course remained the same as the previous day. Grant raced; he was doing great but then had a saddle malfunction where he lost a bunch of places. We did the camera handoff, I staged, and I was off. No crashes on day #2 AND I started to get a bit bolder with the flyovers (I had a really hard time doing a rolling mount on the top of one of those things, so typically I would stop, get a foot clipped in, and then push off down the ramp, which took a LOT of time). I started just going down without being clipped in.. and I survived! We did an extra lap on Sunday (4 vs. 3 on Saturday). I finished 64/110. We then hit up the food trucks in the middle of the course, I bought a t-shirt and a long-sleeved jersey to commemorate my great weekend, and then headed back to Rochester.

Grant!

barrier shot

I ran up a flyover 14 times in 2 days (not counting warmup laps!)

It was a great weekend! I got to spend time with my family, race a great course with my brother, I placed respectively (at least I think so) and felt confident on the course, and most importantly, had fun!

this is called "Harding style" according to Grant

family photo in Newport!

Up next: Ellison Park Cyclocross Festival here in Rochester, NY!!