Too Much Fun to Be Done

In the midst of the discussions about whether or not to double CT and Philly I'd told David I was going to double Indianapolis with St. Louis and he said he was in.  In the VIP area after Denver I'd mentioned to Sherry that David and I were doubling it.  Later that week she emailed that she was considering it and I invited her to join.  She decided to go for it, but she decided to double the fulls!  (She was also already doubling fulls the weekend before!)  I was looking forward to the double weekend and time with friends, plus Rafael had decided to run St. Louis.  I hadn't seen him since Miami last December and was looking forward to running with him.  Rafael had taken the year off from running for golf, so he warned me that he wasn't going to break any speed records, but I didn't care; I was just happy to get to run with him again after having such an amazing time in Savannah last year.  Thursday night as I was getting the boys' dinner and trying to pack (I had to leave for the airport at 3AM), I got a call from Raf...he was entertaining the idea of joining us for the double!!  Sherry, David, and I had been changing our Facebook statuses to stuff about the weekend, the double, and seeing Raf and tagging  him in it; and we got him interested.  Five hours later, he was on a plane.  4 hours after that I was on a plane.  I'd been so looking forward to this weekend for so long, but at the same time it was bittersweet as it would be my last Rock N Roll event for 2012 and therefore the last time I'd see my running friends for the year.  I had another double weekend planned but they were small races that I'd just fit in around other activities that I was already planning.  After that, I had nothing on the schedule until March 30, 2013.  I knew it was going to be a long 5 months with no races and not seeing my friends, but I tried not to let that overshadow the weekend.

I'd been so crazy busy for so long that I was actually looking forward to my flights because it gave me a chance to sleep!  We all planned to fly into St Louis and our arrivals were all stacked with mine being the latest by 10 minutes.  When I landed and turned on the phone I sent a group message that I was there and would meet them at the rental car area.  As my phone caught up I found out they'd all been on the same concourse as me.  I called them and they'd just left the concourse so they met up with me there.  It was great to see everyone.  We proceeded to get the car (I'd rented it...so they had to deal with my driving all weekend!) and set out to the St. Louis expo so we wouldn't have to rush back for packet pickup the next day.  We actually got there before they opened, so we found Rafael's hotel (it ended up being right next to ours), he checked in, we grabbed coffee/hot chocolate, and headed to the expo to wait for it to open while discussing the fact that we were going to freeze at the Indy start!  We were barely an hour into the weekend and we had already had too many laughs to count, the weekend was starting out amazing. 

During the STL expo we each had a little shopping we wanted to do - I'd decided to give CEP compression socks a try as many of my running friends swore by them; I now own 3 pairs and that number is sure to grow!  We also had many friends/vendors to visit with.  Dean Karnazes was at the North Face booth and we stopped to talk to him for a bit.

During the conversation we mentioned we were headed to Indianapolis for 2 of us to run a 1/2 and 2 of us to run a full.  He'd looked puzzled and asked if we were running St. Louis on Sunday and we said yes, same thing, 2 of us running the 1/2 and 2 running the full.  He looked shocked and told us WE were crazy!  Really?  Of all people?  He has run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days...and WE are crazy? 

Our shopping and visiting done, we grabbed some lunch and hit the road for Indianapolis!  Right off the bat we discovered David is NOT a great navigator and Rafael is ENTIRELY too nervous when others (ok, me) are driving.  After about an hour of "are we almost there?"/"how much further?" I laughed at the fact that we could literally all run for HOURS without thinking twice, but 4 hours in a car was too much for us to endure.  We rolled into Indy as the expo was wrapping up and grabbed our packets.  On the way out we met up with another Marathon Maniac and chatted a bit, then headed to grab dinner before calling it a night.  Of course we hit the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner as it was 1 of 3 remaining US based cafe I had yet to visit (St. Louis was another and was planned within the weekend).  After dinner we headed to the hotel, just on the outskirts of Indianapolis and only minutes from the startline.  As Raf had decided to join us at the last minute he didn't have a reservation, but we didn't think it would be an issue...we were wrong.  They were completely sold out.  I had a suite with a sofa bed, so we all decided to make it work and went upstairs to do our pre-race prep and grab some sleep.  I can honestly say I have never laughed so much or so hard in my life...despite the fact that I got sick!  Pretty sure it was from whacky blood sugar levels, but I hurled my guts up 3 times before finally winding down and getting some sleep.  And when I say "some" sleep...we got about 4 hours...but we were all ready to go and at the startline the next morning!

It was indeed a chilly start - the coldest I'd been at so far; and I was thankful to have the compression socks for the added warmth!  (plus they looked cute with the skirt)

As we took our places in the corrals someone in the group mentioned that it was perfect weather for a PR...the comment had been made the night before as well and I'd laughed it off and said I wasn't looking for that.  I hadn't been training for speed.  I'd been training to handle the back to backs.  My intent was to use the 5 months off of racing to train for speed and hopefully break 2 hours in Lexington in March.  We toed the line intent on Rafael and I enjoying a 2:30 run together with David and Sherry starting with us and staying with us for a bit then picking it up to finish the first half in 2:10 before continuing on.  That was honestly my plan.  I don't know what happened, but I felt great right from the start.  I was running strong and within the first 1/4 of a mile decided to run my race.  I never said anything to Rafael, but I knew he would understand.  With the first tenth of a mile I'd pulled away and didn't see him again until the finish.  David and Sherry were right with me for the first few miles, sometimes just in front, sometimes just behind.

And we were running well.  Around mile 3 I started toying with the idea of a possible PR, but I didn't know if I had it in me.  Around mile 5 I'd pulled away from David and Sherry and gotten lost in my thoughts, wondering if a sub 2 was a possibility.  By mile 7 I realized it was and that I had to commit then if I was going to go for it.  I did.  I was running well, the weather was great, the course was beautiful, it was on.  By mile 9 I thought I'd blown it.  I was filled with self-doubt and was second guessing my decision to go for sub2.  My record for the year so far was Kansas in 2:07.  I realized that by pushing for a sub 2 I was running the risk of bonking and losing the chance for a potential PR (2:03 to date) or at the very least a year's best; but I didn't let off the gas.  I'd committed and there was no turning back.  There was a pretty good hill at mile 10 1/2 and I honestly thought I'd lost the chance to sub 2 with that hill...I'd taken it REALLY slowly.  But once I crested it and hit mile 11 a quick glance at the clock showed me that I still have a good shot.  I kept pushing. 

At the 12 mile marker I didn't look at the time.  With 1/2 a mile left I checked the Garmin, unsure if I was going to make it, but pushing hard.  I had 7 minutes left and only a 1/2 mile...for the first time all day I felt like it was nearly guaranteed but I didn't want to get my hopes up too much.  Early on in the race (back when I'd committed at mile 7) I'd gotten a bit excited about the possibility of sharing a sub 2 with the group and had to make myself push it aside - not putting the cart in before the horse; but now, it was right there.

I am the biggest one for getting on my soapbox about not understanding how people push themselves to the point of having to be hauled off the course in an ambulance.  I have also maintained that you can feel it way before then and need to let off the gas if its too much for you.  I now understand.   Literally as I passed the 26 mile marker for the full...with a mere .2 miles to go in the half I was pushing so hard that the thought went through my head "today I'm going to be the one that drops a few feet before the line because they wouldn't back off".  I crossed the finish line in 1:58:31 and I'm sure when the photos are posted my finish photos will show the grimace of the hard work I was putting into the run!  But I was on cloud nine.  I collected my water and headed directly to the results tent to verify my Garmin was in sync with the official results.  When I was handed my print out, it was identical. 

I headed to the massage tent and got a bit of a work on my glutes, hips, and hams before meeting up with Rafael.  He'd done well for just rejoining running as well.  As planned, he and I headed back to the hotel, showered, and packed, then headed back to wait for David and Sherry.  Literally as we walked up to the finish line we heard David's finish being announced.  Sherry had crossed slight before.  Both had had good runs with Sherry running a negative split and finishing the second half in sub 2!  We headed back to the hotel for them to shower, we all packed, and then we headed into Indianapolis for lunch.

As for the the race, it was a great event and I definitely recommend it anyone that is looking for an event in Indiana.  The course is rather confusing on paper.  It was beautiful with the foliage in full effect.  There were a few small hills, but nothing insane.  There was a good turnout so the energy on the course was good.  There was ample and Gatorade (though there was no rhyme or reason as to whether the water or Gatorade was first).  The course wandered through various paved trails and offered a unique experience.

After lunch we eyed the memorial tower in the center of town. 

We decided to check out the view from the top.  Now, what would you expect from a bunch of crazy runners - a $2 elevator ride to the top or sprinting up 333 stairs?  You guessed it...we took the stairs...just because we could!

After our lunch, tower climb, and a trip to Dick's Sporting Goods, we hit the road for STL.  It's a good thing that we picked up our packets prior to leaving STL because we would have never made it otherwise!   Rafael and Sherry napped for a bit in the car and I kept telling David he could (he was obviously tired), but I think they were all afraid to have me being the only one awake!   We'd originally planned to hit the STL Hard Rock Cafe Saturday night, but getting back into town so late we opted to drop off the car, check into our hotel, and go somewhere nearby then grab HRC for lunch the next day.  We ended up going on the recommendation of the vallet and hitting a local italizan place a few blocks over.  The food was great, but after the running and the stair climb, when we saw where the restrooms were we decided no one needed to go that bad...

On the way back to the hotel we decided to have a drink before going our separate ways.  Long after most runners were done for the night, while only the Green Bay Packer's fans (they were in town for a game the next day) remained, we had a few drinks.

And when David decided he wanted to run the race in a cheesehead, I set out to obtain one...and in less than 10 minutes...

Mission accomplished, a little tipsy, and a lot tired, we all made our way back to our rooms to prep for the morning's race and catch a few Zzzs. 

After just a few hours of sleep, we drug ourselves to the start line. 

My intent was to run with Rafael for the day.  Given that I had PRed and Sub 2ed the day before I was looking forward to a chill day.  Krissy joined us ready for the full but second guessing herself.  When she said she intended to decide at mile 13 whether to run the full or half David told her in no uncertain terms that she was running the full.  As we entered the corrals Raf looked me in the eye and told me to go for my time today.  He told me he knew I wanted to run with him and he was back and promised we'd run a race when he had trained, but today I had to go for my time because he knew I wanted it.  I told him I did and admitted that I was afraid I couldn't do it again and it was easier to not try than to fail.  He looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said, "You've got this!  This course is faster than yesterday!  You can totally do it!"  My eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas and I thanked him as our wave reached the start.  A quick hug and we were off.  I was literally off like a shot, but I felt great.  Within the first quarter of a mile I heard David just over my shoulder telling me I was going out too fast...I didn't listen.  At .46 miles I turned my ankle badly.  It hurt so bad I wanted to sit and cry, but I wouldn't give up the hope of a sub 2.  I spent three miles trying to convince myself that it didn't hurt too bad and that I could do it.  I reminded myself that I'd run Vegas on a severely sprained ankle without even knowing it so I could do this.  By mile 3 I no longer felt the pain of the ankle...I think it gave up telling my brain it hurt.  I'd also started second guessing whether I could sub 2...it was rough and there were a lot of hills, but I kept pushing.  Somewhere shortly thereafter I got in some weird zone...weird in a good way.  It was almost like it wasn't me running.  I was just passing folks and cruising through the course, but it was like I was watching someone else do it.  It was neat.  Around mile 5 my lovely trance was broken by the reality that I was hating life with the hills, the ankle, and the doubts about the sub 2; but I wouldn't let myself quit.  I seriously didn't think I had it in me at that point, but I decided I would not quit trying until it was no longer a possibility.  Around mile 6 I'd decided Rafael was a liar - and I called him out on it after the race...to which he responded "you didn't expect me to tell you the truth in the corrals, did you?"  This course had a lot of hills!  It was a Rock N Roll event so there was a huge amount of energy and the course was well thought out with plenty of support.  All of the negatively and issues were purely me, battling myself mentally, but I pushed through.  Even though I often felt like it wouldn't happen thoroughout the race, I crossed the line in 1:59:34!  I went 2 for 2 on sub 2s.  I headed back to the VIP area and visited with friends, old and new, including...

Any day you feel the cards are stacked again you for a workout, I invite you to visit getbackuptoday.blogspot.com or facebook.com/getbackuptoday.  I've been truly blessed by the opporutnity to meet so many amazing people through running!

...including running legends like Frank Shorter.

Krissy did indeed finish the full with David!  We knew she could do it, even if she doubted herself at times! 

After a quick group picture at the finish, we headed back for showers and had just enough time for a quick lunch at the Hard Rock before heading to the airport.  The guys had to return my rental car and I literally BARELY made my flight...but everything worked out and we had an amazing weekend!

Rafael was the first our our group to join me and snapped a picture of me with my Rock Legend medal.  This was the further I intended to go with the Heavy Medal series in 2012.  But after such an amazing weekend, it was too fun to be done!  So...I came home and registered for 3 more RNR events to cap out my year with my Rock Idol again!  Of course, Savannah is the same weekend as NC and George had been wanting me to double, so I am!  And I realized if I doubled San Antonio with Huntsville, AL I would get another state AND hit mercury status in the Fanatics!  So....you read it here first...I now have 4 weekends straight of doubles including the Indy/St Louis weekend and am capping it off with Miami!  Ready for more fun guys? 

Ups and Downs of Training

I managed to pull off all of my workouts last week and over the weekend, despite an insane schedule.  The fueling strategy...well, it wasn't my worst weekend but it certainly wasn't my best.  I'm back on track today and eating sensibly while allowing myself some treats as well.  It's not that I am worried about the calories or anything, it's completely that I eat WAY too much straight up sugar.  It's just not healthy.  Case in point...yesterday, I got busy at work and didn't eat all day.  By the time I got into town after work to grab a few things from the store I was crashing hard.  I hit the store and grabbed my favorite candy (Cherryheads)...and immediately ate 4 boxes of them.  That's 360 calories of straight sugar at once without having fueled with REAL food.  Of course that led to a sugar rush and subsequent crash, which leaves me feeling nauseous and not wanting real food.  I managed to eat a little leftover Japanese (let's fight the sugar OD with a salt OD) for dinner.  But eventually just gave up and figured I'd start fresh today. 

So far today I've run 3 miles of hills and I have to hit the gym for back, bis, and shoulders this afternoon, then knock out some abs this evening (I skipped yesterday's workouts due to my lack of fueling).  Today's workout is actually the 3 mile run I did this morning and legs - which I may squeeze in tonight if I'm able to continue fueling properly, otherwise I may let it slide until tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow is a run and stretching.  As for fueling today, I started the day off with steel cut oats, protein powder, and blackberries.  For lunch I had a salad with red wine vinegar, a whole wheat english muffin with chicken salad (made with chicken breast, walnuts, dried cranberries, and plain greek yogurt), and a quarter of an apple.  I've also snacked on a boiled egg with a cup of fresh pineapple.  At 4:15 I intend to have a half cup of greek yogurt (1/4 cup of plain and 1/4 cup of vanilla mixed) with 1/2 cup of blackberries.  That'll give me a half an hour before my workout.  I plan to knock out my upper body work, refuel with 8oz of low fat chocolate milk, wait a  half an hour, then hit my leg workout!  This weekend starts my second set of back to back doubles, I do well with my eating and training for a bit then get slack/lazy, but overall I'm keeping up with it pretty well and with the doubles around the corner, I gotta stick with it!!

Fueling

I'll be the first to admit it, I have HORRID eating habits.  I don't fuel...I get busy, I forget to eat.  That simple.  I've literally gone 4 days without eating a single thing before...I realized it when I stood up from my desk and nearly passed out from a headrush.  A coworker asked when I'd eaten last and as I sat there thinking through it, I realized it had been 4 days.  Now, that was a total out of the ordinary case...but it does show that I am ridiculous sometimes.  Most of the time my days look more like this - wake up, head to work, work through lunch, around 1 or 2 start feeling light headed or weak so grab some candy for a quick blood sugar rush, go back to work, head home, take care of kids/house/etc, cook dinner, eat something healthy/reasonable portion, clean up from dinner, workout on one side of dinner or the other, and somewhere in there find myself feeling really weak or tired or hungry so grab straight up candy or high calorie junk level out.  Some of my favorite go-to's are cherryheads, cherry laffy taffy, twizzlers, or - if I'm feeling chocolate - milkway, milk duds, twix.  Overall my calorie intake stays on an even keel, typically around 1400-1800 daily though I never actually count them...but just because I eat so little and then grab such high calorie stuff when needed.  this is not fueling.  My blood sugar is up and down and my body just fights to have the calories it needs to burn through my workouts.  So, this week, as I was fighting the blahs, I also decided to fight one of my worst habits and to try and get my eating under control so it was conscious fueling.  I spent a few hours grocery shopping then washing and prepping fruits and veggies as well as grilling chicken breast, boiling eggs, making brown rice, steel cut oats, and inca red quinoa on Monday.  Then I put together measured and portioned meals, planning for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner and including a protien, some carbs, and a little fat for each meal.  Yes folks, I was back to my Clean Eating habits...how I prefer to fuel, I just get lazy. 

Tuesday I felt ridiculously bloated...I haven't eaten that much food in a single day in a long time.  I was totally expecting to have gained weight by midweek but actually found the scale was slightly dropping.  My energy levels were better throughout the day as well.  No more sugar rush/crash.  All of this is stuff I know, but there's a major difference in knowing and doing.  That said, the lack of sugar was also starting to get to me....yes, I'm apparently addicted to sugar in addition to being addicted to running.  By thursday I had such a splitting headache that just wouldn't go away that I broke down and had a dark chocolate hazelnut crisp (I don't know dark chocolate or hazelnut, but it was sugar and somebody had it at work).  The headache subsided.  I decided I'd be better off not going cold turkey and perhaps just limiting my sugar intake.  Friday I had another of these little crisp things and found it actually wasn't that bad.  The trick here is going to be ensuring that throughout the weekend I continue to fuel and keep my sugar down instead of getting busy and forgetting to eat and then hitting high sugar stuff for a quick rush to burn through. 

So, goals for the weekend, fuel properly and fight the blahs to feel amazing...last weekend without a race.  :)

Fighting the Blahs with Amazing

After an amazing month of September, sticking to my workouts and seeing the result, the first week of October was anything but amazing.  I just felt blah.  Not having a race for 3 straight weekends after so many races was a bit of a let down and on top of that I just was tired and overstressed with everything else.  I only knocked out 2 of my full days of workouts the first week of the month and partial workouts the other 3 days - we're talking BARE minimum.  The fact that my knees were a little achy all of a sudden didn't help either.  It was just easier to sit on the couch and veg or catch up on sleep than to get my butt in the gym or out the door.  As the second week of the month rolled around I knew I had to get myself moving or I was going to fall into the old pattern of not training.  On Monday I literally forced myself into the gym, feeling totally blah.  I was cold.  I was tired.  I was weak.  It was back, bis, and shoulders (typically my favorite workout); and I was dreading it.  I started out with a superset of assisted pullups and bicep curls, 3 sets, 10 reps each.  Warmed up a little I continued through my next supersets, getting more and more pumped as the workout wore on until I finally wrapped it up and decided to knock out abs as well.  Workout completed I left the gym hot, sweaty, and pumped - overall feeling great.  So when Tuesday rolled around and I was again blah and again dreading the gym, why did I find it easier to just let it slip by?  I justified with the fact that I'd pulled a REALLY strong 3 mile run during lunch.  It was supposed to be 3 easy miles at 10:18mm, but I felt so great I cranked them all out at 8:36.  Unfortunately it did little to keep me from being so blah by the end of the workday.  Wednesday rolled and I was still regretting missing leg day but just as blah as ever.   I drug my butt down to the gym again and grabbed some heavy weights for squats.  As I started working through each superset I found myself grabbing heavier weights than usual and REALLY enjoying the workout.  Then came the thing I hate most about leg day....step ups.  I have no idea why I despise them so much, but I do.  I've often thought about replacing them with box jumps, but I'm been intimidated by those and figured I'd end up face planted or on my butt...or in the ER.  Totally pumped up from a workout that was so far amazing and about halfway done I randomly decided today was the day and set the weights aside and tried a box jump onto my bench.  Granted, it's a bench, so it's not crazy high; but I was amazed at myself.  I landed it!  No falling, stumbling, injury...well, ok, not totally balanced on the first try but it wouldn't've had any deductions if it were a gymnastics meet either!  I landed it.  So, I kept going...3 sets of 10.  And each one got better and better.  And the blahs were totally gone by the end of them and the rest of the workout and the evening was amazing - including the ab workout I tacked on the end of the leg workout!  Of course it didn't make up for the fact that I'd blown off my tempo run that day because of the blahs.  BUT Thursday was an off day, so I decided to knock out the tempo run then.  And again, at the end of the workday I found myself feeling blah and not wanting to run.  It was a gorgeous fall day with a bit of crisp air, but I'm still fighting accepting that fall is here...forever a beach girl, I'm not ready for summer to be done...so that perfect running weather did nothing to fight the blahs.  I forced myself anyway, not wanting to have 2 weeks of missed workouts, and laced up the running shoes and headed out.  The intent was to run 1 mile at 10:00-10:30, then pick it up to 9:00 for 4 miles, and cool down with a final mile at 10:00-10:30 while running an out and back along the waterfront for 3 miles.  The first quarter of a mile I was grumbling to myself (as usual) about my legs feeling heavy, this being miserable, BLAH....about half a mile in the mental chatter subsided, I realized I felt pretty good, and I glanced at my pace...9:18...sweet...and it was feeling easy.  I hit the mile mark and picked it up.  A little ways in I glanced at the Garmin thinking I'd find I was running slower than I should because it wasn't feeling as tough as I expected, 9:01...not bad...as I hit the 2 mile point I made the decision to turn right and make a loop, knowing it would add about half a mile to my run, but deciding I was ok with that and would just have a little longer cool down.  As the miles ticked on I occassional checked my pace and found each time my pace was increasing!  And I was still feeling amazing!  Most of my miles were down in the 8:38 range.  As I approached the final mile and a half I decided to go one further and keep the pace high throughout the rest of the run.  As I approached the final mile I decided to up it a little more and pass my endpoint to wrap things up with an even 7 miles.  In the end I ran 7 miles with the first mile at 9:18 and the rest ranging from 8:36-9:03 with a negative split and felt amazing.  So today, as I sit here feeling blah and not wanting to workout I'm trying to convince myself if I get off the couch and go knock out my chest, tris, and abs as planned that I'll actually feel amazing tonight.  After having it repeatedly proven to me all week you'd think I'd believe it by now...but I'm still feeling just flat blah.  Guess I'd better go hit the gym and hope for amazing before I decide to be lazy.  :\

Training - Painful?

The day after my competitve training run was my actual speedwork day.  I had a 5 mile tempo run with 3 miles at half marathon pace (9:09 minute miles).  I'd decided to do this one after work and where I work as it is the flattest area of those I run on.  I headed out of the office at 4:15 and set out.  I'd typically go right as it's less traveled, but the road was closed so I had to head left.  I seriously considered just calling it because I HATE running where/when I'll look like I'm trying to be seen and I knew that a lot of folks would be leaving work at 4:30 or 5:00 and they'd all be passing by me.  But I decided to stick to it rather than sacrificing my goal of completing my workouts for a trivial reason when I was doing so good.  (This was the last week of September and I literally wrapped September up with only 2 missed workouts all month!)  I did my first "easy" mile to warm up...my target pace was 10:30mm...I glanced at the Garmin .6 miles in and realized I was hitting 9:28mm...I wasn't stressed over that because they still felt easy.  I actually was happy that I was apparently in better shape than I thought.  The Garmin beeped one mile and I picked up the pace, targeting 9:09mm.  I felt like I was hitting my pace and I'm typically careful to try and run by feel vs. gadgets, so I waited a while to check the watch.  .68 miles in I realized I was running 8:08s.  Not good...I knew I'd burn out long before 3 miles at this rate.  (I'm not a fast runner, I'm a distance runner.  I'd like to be faster and I know to get faster I need to run faster, but my goal right now is getting through the distance of all the doubles, not increasing my speed.  I'm work towards that later.)  I tried to back it off a bit.  I waited a while before checking the Garmin again...1.34 miles and I was holding an 8:37mm pace...ugh...no wonder I was starting to feel this.  I tried to back off a little more...after my turn around point I checked the Garmin again...8:42mm.  I was wearing down quickly and there wasn't much need to "try" to back it down, my body was doing that on it's own.  As I started heading back towards the office, as predicted, the flow of traffic from folks leaving was pretty heavy.  I tried to avoid eye contact with folks and just stayed focused on my run.  I was fine physically, legs were good, lungs were good, heart was thumping along strongly...but my head was playing games with me.  I was having a hard time keeping my pace because I KNEW I'd gone out too fast so I THOUGHT I should be more tired than I was.  With half a mile of speed left my legs were beginning to slow and I felt like I was running through waist deep water.  My boss and his boss's boss both passed me on their way out for the day (one is a biker/part time runner and the other a tri-athlete), I nodded but thought they didn't even see me.  A final glance at the Garmin told me I was holding 9:12mms, not too far below what I was supposed to given how fast I'd gone out, I was ok with that.  The final mile beeped in and I slowed my pace to recover.  This was the only mile I actually hit my target on and I only kept that target for about a quarter of a mile and then picked the pace up again, though it still felt easy so again I was ok with it.  The next morning my boss let me know that the two of them were actually on their way to meet up for a bike ride...where they both agreed I looked like I was in pain when they passed me.  Honestly it wasn't a physically painful run, but it was sure mentally painful. 

Training - Powered by Competition

I've managed to complete an entire month of training and have started (once again) seeing the results of that training.  In the meantime, I've also started creating photobooks of my training/racing from the beginning of my journey (Sept 09) until now, so I've been reliving what periods of training and lack of training do to my performance.  It all just serves to keep me hitting my workouts when I ultimately am feeling lazy.  But what keeps those training runs interesting isn't always knowing the results that will come down the road, typically it's just flat out competition.  Sometimes competition with myself...how many pink smiley faces will I be able to get in my log vs. how many blue frowns will I have?  And sometimes it's competition with others during a race...can I keep up with that runner?  Can I pass that one?  And every once in a while, it's just a good ole fashion competition/foot race during the training run!  This was the case on a recent 4 miler...as the weather is getting cooler more and more folks are hitting the road to train.  I parked in my usual spot for 3-4 miles and hopped out, totally not feeling a run, but determined to put in 4 easy miles so I could check the workout off in my log.  I immediately realized I'd forgotten my headphones...oh well, find a satellite, start the Garmin, go.  Goal pace for the run was 10:30mm, nice and easy, course was rolling hills, nothing crazy. 

About a half mile in I'm descending a decent hill knowing that I will soon be hanging a left and beginning the biggest climb of the course.  Looking ahead of me I see another runner approaching and silently hope he keeps heading straight and doesn't make the same turn.  I'm pretty sure I see a look on his face that is also hopeful we aren't going for the same turn/hill.  He looks fairly fit, I'm feeling fairly weak.  We approach the turn at the exact same time and both angle onto the road and begin our climb.  I feel myself pushing it harder than I typically would and try to reel myself in...I know it's just a competitive drive and I'm not wanting him to 'beat' me up the hill...but I also know I shouldn't push too hard because this particular hill tends to drag on forever.  I can feel him trying to surge, and my pace immediately picks back up.  I realize I'm not going to be able to fight the urge to beat him so I focus on fighting the urge to cream him....I'll just stay slightly ahead and not go all out and kill myself...that said I keep my steps short and light and my breathing slow and controlled as I power up the incline.  By the halfway point I'm no longer feeling him on my shoulder.  By the top of the hill I'm SOOOOOO tempted to glance back and see just what the gap is, but I don't...no need to rub salt in the wound..and at this point it wouldn't really matter if it were 2 steps or 20 yards, I beat him.  :)  As we approach the main road I use the opportunity to glance over my shoulder (checking for oncoming traffic of course!) and see that the gap is only about 15 yards...I also see that he is turning in the opposite direction...defeated by a chick!  Oops....reel in that competitive nature and keep going...I've got 3 miles left!

As I tick off another half mile or so I see another runner approaching...I focus in to see if it's the same guy...nope, someone new.  As we head towards each other we both pick up our pace a little....we're going in opposite directions, but we don't want to be seen as 'slow'.  We nod and semi-grunt a greeting as we pass...and both register we're at about the halfway point of this particular loop of the neighborhood going in opposite directions.  I know my thoughts went to getting to the other side of the neighborhood and past the halfway point there before he could and I'm pretty sure I saw the same look cross his face.  The race was on.  I pushed it up the next small hill, cranked it out on the descent, and went hard through the 2nd biggest climb of the course, knowing that he only had 1 slight uphill on his half of the course and determined not to let these hills let him beat me.  As I pushed past the halfway point, trying to slow my breathing and look relaxed, I saw him rounding the corner.  I made a right to head back to the big hill knowing that he'd spotted me and satisfied that he knew I'd finished .9 miles of hills in comparison to his .6 miles of semi-flat. 

As I approached the hill I'd overtaken my initial victim on I was scanning the area for new blood...nobody.  As I wound back to the neighborhood loop I again scanned for another runner...nothing.  In the distance I saw someone walking a dog.  I'd passed them during my last push to beat neighborhood guy.  They were walking, not much competition...just as I thought it, she started jogging!  She kept running and I kept closing the gap.  Just as I approached I suddenly realized this was pretty stupid...that dog was pretty big and I was running up behind it fairly quietly...I did NOT want to surprise it!  I tapered off a little, and as if reading my thoughts the dog turned and lunged in my direction.  There was still plenty of space and the owner held the leash tightly and stepped to the other side of the road.  I didn't slow my pace and passed quickly, and kept running...noting not to let my competitive nature be the end of my training!

I secretly wondered if neighborhood man was doing multiple loops and if I'd pass him again along the way.  I quickly realized it was nearly dark and I was the last fool on the road, so I switched the competition to personal, push the pace through the last half mile and climbed the hill to the end, trying to beat my intended pace of 10:30mm.  I finished 4.25 miles in 42:29...yep...beat my pace and my distance! 

I'm not a fast runner...never have claimed to be...I know I won't likely ever pull an age group award, but if you happen to be running in the neighborhood when I'm out there...there's a chance I'm going to engage in a foot race...even if I don't mean to.  And I'm pretty sure you're gonna accept the unspoken challenge...maybe we weren't really feeling the run when we started, but it'll certainly be powered by competition and we'll both knock out a great training run.

Second Double in 2 Weeks

The week after my double was a bit of a surprise.  I REALLY thought I'd be sore.  I wasn't.  Not at all.  No tightness anywhere.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I was also overwhelmingly exhausted.  I was not at all surprised over that.  I'd barely been sleeping due to my schedule for nearly two weeks and running two races with little to no sleep didn't help my cause.  I lost five pounds over the weekend and was having trouble making myself eat enough to stay fueled so my energy levels were flagging even more.  All in all it wasn't a good combination with Denver and Kansas right around the corner but I did my best to push through  my crazy schedule.  By Tuesday afternoon I found myself completely overwhelmed and I let myself fall into a little bit of a pity party.  I skipped my leg workout and spent the evening vegging/moping over everything I had to do and how tired I was.  By Wednesday afternoon I decided it was time to snap out of it...the mounds of things on my to do list weren't going anywhere but the days between me and Denver were slowly slipping away and I'd come too far to let self pity rob me off my work...I hit the gym.

I'd only fallen one day behind in my workouts and I purposely schedule them to allow for wiggle room without negative recourse, so I was able to get myself back on track and end up with no workouts missed for the week.  Of course the endorphins helped get me out of my funk; too bad they didn't clean the house or check any of the other boxes on my to do list...but those things will get checked off...one at a time.  I hit my workouts the rest of the week and nearly ran myself into the ground getting everything accomplished.  I hit the bed Thursday night knowing I had 3 hours to sleep before having to be up and ready, heading to the airport, but was ok with that thought knowing I could sleep on the plane.  And I did just that.  I literally passed out before take off and woke up thinking we hadn't left yet, only to find we were cruising along at 30,000 feet; then dosed off until the wheels hit the ground. 

Denver wasn't at all what I expected.  I woke up on our final approach and looked out the window to see a lot of flat...yup, you read that right, flat....everything was flat.  Where were the mountains?  I literally had a moment of panic as I had booked my flight into Denver and out of Kansas for this trip due to the double and I momentarily thought I'd screwed up and booked into Kansas and out of Denver (this confusion wasn't helped by the recent lack of sleep or the fact that I was literally waking up from my flight naps).  Soon enough we were on the ground, I'd collected my car, and I was headed to the hotel...knowing full well I was indeed in Denver, but still really confused about how flat everything was.  Once at the hotel (after getting a little lost and circling the block a few times due to confusing one ways, weird roads that don't actually connect, and a host of other bizzare road features), I checked in and decided to walk over to the expo.  It was just a mile and a half but it was equally confusing.  Denver was not at all what I expected.  When I said as much to a friend they asked what I meant...basically, I expected more Colorado and less city.  I was not impressed. 

The expo was great though!  I didn't meet up with friends as we all had crazy schedules for the weekend with many of us doubling various races.  I bought a new pair of Maui Jims...that I absolutely LOVE...and picked up my packet before heading back to the hotel...thinking a nap was in order.

I stopped at the Capital City Tavern for lunch and had an amazing salad and sandwich.  Then I headed back to the hotel.  I spent the rest of the afternoon chilling around the hotel, updating my playlist, and syncing my iPod.  I headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.  I parked a block away from the restaurant and started walking to the restaurant.  I passed a group of 3 girls and 2 guys in their early to mid 20s.  I was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a simple black tee, not completely bumming around but not dressy by any means.  As I passed the group one of the girls yelled, "Whoa!  Nice rack!!  Yeah, I'm talking to you...amazing rack! That deserves props!"  I have to say that was a first...

As I walked up to the restaurant I took in surroundings and momentarily wished I'd planned more time in Denver.  The shopping, nightlife, and dining options all seemed to be really worth checking out.  But...not on this trip as I was exhausted and wanted to do decent at the race in the morning.  After dinner and grabbing my shot glass (there are now only 3 US based cafes I haven't been to/don't have the shot glass for), I headed back to the hotel, laid out my race stuff, and crashed.  I woke up with no issue and got ready then headed to the start line.  George was already there and introduced me to a new friend, Hugh.  I was very excited to see Joseph was there as well, as was Sherry!  I hadn't seen either of them for quite some time.  David rolled up and we stopped for a quick group shot.

I also snagged a photo with David to keep the pre-race photo streak going during our double double weekends - even though the final race we wouldn't have a shot as I was doubling Kansas and he was doubling Montreal.

What I didn't realize at the time was that Sherry and George were also doubling!  They both headed to Omaha for their second race of the weekend! 

The start/finish area of the race was really nicely organized and laid out and before long I found my way to  my corral.  While waiting to start I saw that Joseph was also in my corral and we chatted a bit and decided to start out together...both of us aiming for anywhere between 2:15 and 2:30 for the day. 

Joseph and I stayed together for the first mile and a half to two miles with near constant chatter (mostly me)...it made the miles go really quickly.  A few times I noticed I was a little short of breath, but I couldn't tell if it was altitude, talking, or a combination of the two.  A short pause in conversation and a deep breath and I was fine.  When we hit the first water stop we decided to part ways, I was feeling pretty good and didn't want to walk just yet and Joseph typically walks water stops so we said goodbye and I kept my pace.  The course was rather interesting with a lot of twists and turns and plenty to look at.  There was quite a bit of crowd support and I just enjoyed winding through the streets and taking in the sites.  There were a few little rises and falls, but nothing crazy in the way of hills.  I did begin to realize it was the altitude and not the conversation as even running alone and not talking I occassionally felt short of breath...same thing, a deep breath and I was fine. 

Before long the course came into a beautiful park and the energy of the race picked up even more.  In addition to the crowds of people supporting the runners, the course wound through the park and went through several switchbacks, resulting in you seeing the runners ahead of you and behind you just across the fields of the park in various locations.  This gave the course an added boost of energy as there were sooooo many runners in such a condensed area, yet it didn't cause crazy congestion and logistical issues as we were all at different points on the course with plenty of room.

While really fuzzy (because it was taken on my phone while I was running) this photo shows one point where just before I turned you can see the runners just ahead of me who have made the turn to head back through the park and in the distance you can see those who are just ahead of them and already out on the road passing the park.  If it were more clear you would also see the runners on the opposite side of the road who have passed the turn around point and are coming back on the road.  This particular area of the course was absolutely electric!  It was also beautiful.  I also really tuned into my body during this portion of the run and was surprised at how strong I felt.  I'd been a little concerned about running at altitude having never done it before, but doing so and doing well made me feel incredibly strong.

As I came out of the park and headed down the street I began to wonder if I'd see George.  I guestimated that the runners approaching were approximately a mile to a mile and half ahead of me and I couldn't help but hope.  When we first entered the park I thought I saw him across the park on a switch back and estimated that to be about the same distance ahead but I couldn't tell if it was him or a really tall guy with a red head due to the distance.  I ran down the center line of the road to avoid the crowds and in no time, just before my mile 8 and just after his mile 9 there was George!  A quick hug and we kept on our ways...

I began to wonder if I'd see David and I looked for about .1-.2 miles and just as I zoned out and got distracted I heard "Michelle!!"  I whipped my head around just in time to see David's back going the other way! After my own turn and heading back we wound our way into another park which was equally beautiful.  You could also see the course looped the perimeter of this field and exited on the other side and again the close proximity of the runners kept the energy high.  The only negative thing I encountered on this race, and it wasn't truly a negative - just something to consider, was the fact that there was no GU until somewhere between miles 10 and 11.  I always carry PLENTY of GU with me, so it wasn't an issue for me (I typically load my race belt with 3 plain GU and 3 Roctane for every 1/2...way more than anyone would need but enough to share if needed and drop some without worry of not having any), but if you rely solely on race supplied GU and you need one prior to mile 10 you may want to carry your own.  There was PLENTY once you got to the GU stop, but if you need it sooner than plan ahead!
After we left the park we round through the streets for the last mile of the course and were greeted with a welcome site...a downhill to the finish!  (I don't check elevation charts before the race typically, so this was indeed a surprise.)  I was feeling incredibly strong and just let loose on the downhill and across the line.

I finished in 2:08:50, surprisingly cutting even more time off of the previous weekend...even at altitude!  I was thrilled but at the same time a little stressed as I had now progressively shaved time off of three consecutive races and had one remaining the next day...and frankly, didn't know if I had it in me.  I spent very little time at the finish line, chatting with Hugh, Sherry, and Joseph and then it was off for a quick shower before heading the 7 hours to Kansas for the next day's race.  I did quickly roll my legs out (the Stick sometimes gets confiscated by TSA so I brought my small foam roller for the trip) and put on a pair of Abercrombie skinny jeans for a little compression during the drive...just in case.

The drive itself was a whole lot of nothing!  I've driven cross country twice (once north route and once southern route) but I can honestly say I have never been through such an extended period of flat, boring terrain with just nothing for so long.  I couldn't help but wonder what people in this area do for a living.  There seemed to be nothing.  I realize there's agriculture, but I covered a lot of land in 7 hours...there can't be THAT many people that can make a living off of farming in that close of a proximity can there be???  I grew up in small town on the water...we had a seafood industry and tourist industry to keep us going, in addition there was a NASA and Navy base very nearby and a variety of construction companies as well as nearby farms...we had a little bit of everything, this area wasn't exactly drawing in tourist and there seemed to be nothing else in all directions.  It just left me curious.

Upon arriving in Hutchinson, Kansas I checked into the hotel and went across the street to the Lone Star steakhouse to fuel before the next morning's race.  If I haven't discussed fueling yet....I'm an odd bird in that way.  I don't carbo load like your typical endurance athlete.  I tend to eat a steak and potato the night before a race.  It started as a mental thing and it has just stuck.  I've also been anemic.  Iron carries oxygen in your blood, so my low iron meant I didn't carry as much oxygen.  When I started running distance I'd eat red meat for the iron and a potato for some carbs.  It worked for me, so I've kept it up.  In Hutchinson, however, I had a hankering for ribs.  I was a little afraid to mess with what worked, so I just added them to the mix!!  Yes, I fuel differently than most!

After dinner it was back to the hotel for a good night's sleep! 

I woke up feeling miserable.  I looked in the mirror and realized my face was swollen.  I have no idea if it was altitude changes, fluid intake, sodium levels, water retention, or a combination of all of the above but I looked and felt a hot mess.  I dressed and decided I wasn't feeling the braids so went with a pony tail and headed out the door.  It ended up being a good thing I went with a ponytail because when I got to the start I realized I left all three pairs of sunglasses at the hotel and the sun was starting to come up brightly.  Thankfully the swag bag included a really nice technical cap, so I pulled it on hoping to cut down the glare somewhat.   It did the trick throughout the entire race. 

It was rather chilly outside but I'd brought a cast off hoodie so I was ok.  Lesson learned on this trip...when purchasing cast off clothes for races...READ THEM!!!  The cast off hoodie I had for this race I'd purchased at a Goodwill in South Carolina prior to my 2011 Myrtle Beach Mini, anticipating needing it there.  I looked for fit, warmth, and cheap.  It fit the bill.  Somehow it made it 11 months without actually being cast off.  I wore it that morning, but when it came time to toss it there was Garret cheering mom on, so he grabbed it and brought it home.  The other races I've taken it to have ended up being either too warm and it wasn't needed or just warm enough that I threw it in my checked bag just before heading to the start.  As I walked up to the start area I noticed people reading my hoodie and looking VERY confused.  For the first time in 11 months I read what I'd worn MANY times to MANY start lines "Fun, sun, trails, and males!!"  Ummm...not exactly the message I wanted to be sending.  But...this particular morning was cold enough that the hoodie did indeed get worn and then did indeed get cast off somewhere between miles 1 and 2. 

This was a small town race and honestly I'd not looked into it too much.  I'd pulled up the half marathon calendar in a browser window and mapquest in another.  I looked at any races in states I hadn't completed on 9/23 and mapquested Denver to their location to determine if they were doable.  When I found any that worked I verified they had finisher's medals.  Turned out that this was the closet drive that I didn't have the state that did have a finisher's medal, so I registered.  I hadn't really looked at the course map and had no idea where we'd be running.  It turned out that much of the course was on running/biking trails...and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that even after having completed it.  The weather was really nice so time of year was a good choice for this area.  I had expected Kansas to be crazy flat, but I considered the course to be more of rolling hills personally.  The trails were probably a really nice place for training runs and if you lived there would likely be awesome; but personally one of the things I LOVE about racing is the fact that you get to see so much of the area while running.  I didn't feel like I saw much during this race.  The first 5 miles were on this trail that was named after some man and then "sunflower trail"...there wasn't a SINGLE sunflower anywhere on that trail!  There were a few brown eyed susies...but that just aggravated me because it seemed they didn't know their flowers...of course I REALLY wasn't feeling the run so it didn't take much to aggravate me! 

Much of the first five miles looked EXACTLY like this shot from somewhere around mile 2 with an overpass coming up.  Boring.  The narrow trail wasn't an issue though..it was paved and the field was rather small as far as number of runners so there was no crowding issues.  Much of the time I felt as though I was running alone, which wasn't necessarily a good thing.  I was indeed miserable.  My normal rough first 3-5 miles started immediately.  I usually am ok until about mile 2 and then mentally battle til somewhere between 3 and 5 before getting in a rhythm and enjoying the run.  I wasn't even at the startline and I wasn't feeling this run.  I was cold and tired and just flat miserable.  When we did start my legs felt like lead for the first 4 miles or so.  I seriously considered walking before I even hit the one mile mark and each mile seemed to drag on forever.  There was zero energy on the course.  At the start line there were pockets of people cheering on loved ones, then for the next 5 miles you'd encounter the occasional person or two on an overpass or one dude on a bike that obviously was watching someone running about my pace because he popped up pretty much everywhere I was that the road crossed the path and then took off again.  The small field meant often times you were running with just a person here or there around you so there wasn't even the energy of fellow runners.  It truly seemed more like a training run than a race, but I kept telling myself at least I was checking off the state!  There were ample water stations...but they were terribly confusing!  Typically there were just a couple of tables and a few people and there was no rhyme or reason as to who had water and who had gatorade...the cups were all the same so you couldn't differeniate that way, it wasn't your typical water first then gatorade or vice versa everytime, it was just who grabbed what off the table and happened to be standing there.  So, basically it was a surprise what you were getting until you tasted it.  The same went for flavors, most races there is one flavor of gatorade at all stops...this one I grabbed water once and had yellow gatorade, went for gatorade another time and had water, and at the stop that I finally asked who had gatorade and got it was shocked that it was grape.  The cups were also not very full (a couple of sips at best) and you weren't getting two unless you stopped and waited around.  If you tend to have greater hydration needs and/or a particular hydration strategy (I tend to alternate water and gatorade at each stop), you may want to consider wearing a fuel belt for this race rather than dealing with it.  There was also no GU stop.  Again, I carry plenty so it wasn't an issue for me, but it is something to consider if you do this race.  EARLY on at one of the water stops there were little boys given out dixie cups of M&Ms or Skittles, but it was too early to be needed in my opinion, plus I can't chew/eat candy while running.  Not my thing. 

Just around mile four I was really beginning to question my own sanity for this double double weekend thing and thinking it may have been the dumbest thing I'd ever done.  Oh, did I mention that I began having issues with blisters on my 2nd toe on each foot at the VA Beach 1/2 so I decided for this weekend to take out my orthotics and use the shoes' inserts just in case that was the issue.  FYI it wasn't, but running without my orthotics did cause my tendonitis in my right knee to flare up.  Yeah, mile 4 = totally miserable...

As a matter of fact, we all have the occassional picture where we look at our face and cringe...suffice it to say there were more pictures from this race that will NEVER be seen by anyone than probably all of my races combined...I was making some pretty horrid faces! 

Just after mile 5 we finally broke off of the trail and came into a subdivision!  At last, a change of scenery and something to distract me from my misery and stupidity.  I had by this point noted that my heart and lungs felt good and I had begun to shake the lead out of my legs, plus the dull twinge behind my right knee cap wasn't really anything to worry about long term though it would likely require some 800mg ibuprofen and possibly a little ice...and the orthotics would be going back in the shoes. 

Now, once in the subdivision I was aggravated by something else entirely (told you I was easily irritated this particular day)...a guy in front of me happened to suck down a GU just about the same time I was.  And he proceeded to toss his wrapper on the ground.  Now, I will freely admit that in large races with thousands (think Rock N Roll, Disney, ING, etc) I will toss my wrappers...but I always make sure its' near a water stop or in an area that they will obviously have a street cleaner going through and only when it's a big enough race that you know that's in the budget.  And even then, if I can hang on to it until a trashcan I will.  But seriously???  We are in a subdivision during a tiny little race and you just throw your trash in the middle of their street after having carried the packet of GU for nearly 6 1/2 miles anyway???  You couldn't carry that empty wrapper another half mile to the next water stop and toss it in a trashcan or even toss it in someone's can that's on the corner for trash service?  I personally think that's a little arrogant to think just because you are running an endurance event that you can litter.  So....please do us all a favor on your next run and think before you toss that wrapper!  You've carried it this far full, will it really hurt you to carry it a little longer empty? 

Somewhere after the GU packet incident I realized I was actually finally feeling pretty good and feel into my normal routine of counting off the halfway point, mile 8 - only 5 left, check mile 9 - almost to double digits, mile 10 - only a 5K left, etc.  But today I really needed it unlike Philly where I went through the motions.  Also around mile 10 we left the subdivision and went back on a trail...again...boring...again very few people.  Well, the subdivision had been a nice distraction.  It wasn't long before we came back out onto the "highway" in the area...not a MAJOR highway but still one of their busiest streets and I recognized the area as just down from my hotel.  We'd come out on 23rd street and I knew my hotel and the finish line were around 11th so I started counting down blocks.  We made it to 14 and took a turn towards the finish.  I was starting to REALLY want to see that line.  I hadn't looked at my time at all...I had no idea what my splits were or if I was close to the previous day and honestly didn't really care, wanted to check off the state and be gone at this point.  As we rounded the corner to the back of the community college there were cheerleaders and a few spectators cheering for us and a little energy...it was a welcome change but it was literally at the end of the course.  As miserable as I'd been nearly this entire race and as much as I wanted it done, when we passed the 13 mile marker and turned the corner onto the track for the final .1 miles I LOVED the rubber track!  It was such a nice track and such a welcome relief I literally wanted to take an extra lap on it just to get to run on it longer...note to self, speedwork will now be done on base on the rubber track...too nice of a surface.   

I bounded around the track, completely enjoying the surface and totally oblivious to time until I turned the corner and saw the finish line sitting there with the clock reading 2:07...crap!  I knew I'd started a few seconds after the clock as I was a little ways back and if I pushed it was indeed possible that I'd finish 4 1/2s in 9 days with each one getting faster...enjoying the track or not it was time to push.  I turned up the heat and crossed the line in 2:07:29....over 11 minutes faster than the first 1/2 of the double double weekend...motivation in and of itself to keep training!

Now, to give this race a fair shake...their finish line was really nice and they had the field set up with pretty much anything you'd want/need to refuel - including chocolate milk!!  (and while I am not a Team Refuel member I do whole-heartedly subscribe to the practice and grab a lowfat chocolate milk after my tough workouts...you do see a difference in future performance...and it's really tasty!)  I indulged in a free finish line massage and it was very nice.  I did not take the time to have a chiropractic adjustment as I didn't want to be unfaithful to my doctor, but it was available.  All in all, if you're just looking to check the box and finish Kansas...this is a nice little race and it has a nice medal and good swag...if you're looking to really experience Kansas, this may not be your best bet.  If you do opt to give it a shot...I was surprised to see a space museum, the Cosmosphere, right at the finish line, so I checked it out after my shower...turns out it is a Smithsonian museum and it actually has a REALLY nice collection including the original Liberty Bell 7 and the Apollo 13 capsule, Odyssey; as well as a couple of actual sections of the Berlin Wall!  Definitely neat stuff for any space buff but also interesting to someone not particular crazy about space (like myself).

After checking out the museum it was time to really refuel and head back to the airport...and after all of the calories burned in the last two weekends my usual healthy eating habits and cravings were out the window...I wanted a Son of a Baconator and a cheese potato...and there just happened to be a Wendy's down the street!  I chuckled to myself as I recalled somewhere in the subdivision passing two young girls as one told the other "I can't wait to finish because I'm going to eat anything I see for the rest of the day and not worry about it!"  Yup...sounded about right...

As a matter of fact, I had just enough time between my connection in ATL to run into the candy store and grab a chocolate covered caramel apple.  It was my second double weekend in two weeks afterall...I'd earned it!