tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64588299724711938182024-02-18T19:57:36.347-08:00How We Roll: Katie's Blog About Marathoning and MotheringKatie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-3803938722632352402022-01-24T13:47:00.000-08:002022-01-24T13:47:20.375-08:00Mountain Mist 50K 2019<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This isn't a race recap, just a place to drop a few pictures. In my previous post, I shared what I've been up to. I honestly forgot that I had run this race in 2019. This was my eleventh finish! It made me a little happy to discover this and realize that I could potentially run nine more Mountain Mists and be a 20-time finisher! But not even remembering it just shows me where my head was during a very challenging time in my life. Well, my pictures and finisher's time prove to me that I did in fact run it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is how I chose to display my husband's and my combined finisher's slates prior to the 2019 race. I scanned them and made a poster to frame. The slates can be hung and do include a little leather tie to hang them with, but this look was a little sleeker to me (and much easier to hang one picture than eleven slates). These slates represent a span of twelve years, four children together, and two ten-time finishers! The earlier MM races did not have slates as finisher prizes, so they're not represented here. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPj7TsUvQo1pH-G_l4MAI6g_NGzA-WTF5DZ14OL4A20u48Als_1Qr1a0jb6_olM5xkT3GsofDBoRsEs3cforQ1QYaevvcdKGxVR-RMVZ10zDvpATVuvcIHvisDDJwIzQe55-YkVuQzwqUxQDMWZkJ05Ma9negAwAEL93O1nTrp3IVSMgcFJT0PB37A=s855" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="855" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPj7TsUvQo1pH-G_l4MAI6g_NGzA-WTF5DZ14OL4A20u48Als_1Qr1a0jb6_olM5xkT3GsofDBoRsEs3cforQ1QYaevvcdKGxVR-RMVZ10zDvpATVuvcIHvisDDJwIzQe55-YkVuQzwqUxQDMWZkJ05Ma9negAwAEL93O1nTrp3IVSMgcFJT0PB37A=w640-h488" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are the photos from my 2019 finish.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvX4j0kLfcS6kWj9Ubgf2FMikYOnjR9TUB139JOAsCNjlPjElMfbO2D9KbtVcbXScqiiJgBsCTOYcMn_IuAdwO2NHJ7z7yoGbHQIww44xN0k7d-Vzl_gCn0q4dG8cmCbwI3cn-70cjDJrhLrA1JToBk0vw0fK1lZkNtJ4ndb_Pvb0ze8p3NLrEfLaU=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvX4j0kLfcS6kWj9Ubgf2FMikYOnjR9TUB139JOAsCNjlPjElMfbO2D9KbtVcbXScqiiJgBsCTOYcMn_IuAdwO2NHJ7z7yoGbHQIww44xN0k7d-Vzl_gCn0q4dG8cmCbwI3cn-70cjDJrhLrA1JToBk0vw0fK1lZkNtJ4ndb_Pvb0ze8p3NLrEfLaU=w426-h640" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIfBLhXtvOXV0vZrW9zf5LPHFMcBiS-xpVZ96KF_QZMM4GSHDnuCpQcHiDXkUnZinui8I2LGqgq-n4kAxGrkhbltcUtAY_uQUes6ZacDsj4-lcHeGGbsjezS-5X_5UdPhauCrbWKBC6OlLJr-dLNktaImhZIufGGwBL8ro9U_WZcJE8gVVEdMB_dAA=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIfBLhXtvOXV0vZrW9zf5LPHFMcBiS-xpVZ96KF_QZMM4GSHDnuCpQcHiDXkUnZinui8I2LGqgq-n4kAxGrkhbltcUtAY_uQUes6ZacDsj4-lcHeGGbsjezS-5X_5UdPhauCrbWKBC6OlLJr-dLNktaImhZIufGGwBL8ro9U_WZcJE8gVVEdMB_dAA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmR8C1wmO9UMGPr2bG_Wg-tkmWck3nyYwu37K0-HnwFZg3cQp_wRx0K_Oc1dtm0FYMNoiYIjxVdIRQKSc_xnOpGSTWN0nbUgOomyPKm7IFhqXKXSv6bugeDi_mCP9OvYfGQ0Zzkta8fvfu5KxOENFVkelHrwtjD4XeadFzigkaIEhythkWnU12xXn3=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmR8C1wmO9UMGPr2bG_Wg-tkmWck3nyYwu37K0-HnwFZg3cQp_wRx0K_Oc1dtm0FYMNoiYIjxVdIRQKSc_xnOpGSTWN0nbUgOomyPKm7IFhqXKXSv6bugeDi_mCP9OvYfGQ0Zzkta8fvfu5KxOENFVkelHrwtjD4XeadFzigkaIEhythkWnU12xXn3=w426-h640" width="426" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-86867748494973858962022-01-24T13:30:00.002-08:002022-01-24T13:30:20.696-08:00Mountain Mist 50K 2022 (Long Overdue Update)<p>Mountain Mist 2022 was an event that almost happened for me! That story in a minute! But first, where have I been?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This blog went south just like my running did for basically the last four years. This blog has always been about marathoning AND mothering, but I always thought that the mothering part could take a backseat at times and allow the marathoning part its place to shine. I felt entitled to having running in my life. Plus I loved getting faster, learning about how to run, and the thrill of competition. I seemed made for it, and it fulfilled me in ways that being a mother just didn't. But don't get me wrong; I loved my role of mother too. In fact, I felt the two roles created a nice balance in my life: the sharp, dedicated toughness of a runner and the delicate, peaceful, sweetness of a mother all mixed together and melded in me. The instincts of mothering just seem to come naturally to me, and I welcomed their presence in my life, yet running was always there to give me another area of fulfillment. With two small children, I reveled in the fact that I could still compete in marathons all over the country. It was thrilling to be able to take my kids along and let them experience new places side-by-side with me. When our third child came, things just got better and better. She was an easy baby, and I felt on top of the world. I thought I could tackle any challenge. And I naively thought, "What's one more?" When my last child came, I was swiftly knocked off my feet in ways I could never have seen coming. I've always lived by the mantra "You play the hand you're dealt," without really having a life-changing event to force me to act on that belief. With him, from the start, things were difficult and off. His first year was a blur, but what I do remember consists of months of watching him be sick without knowing why, being sleep deprived like I never knew before (and this was my fourth time to have a nursling), doctor visits, and testing leading to a diagnosis of multiple severe food allergies. The emotional and physical toll on me was enormous. Then came the research--so much research--into everything from allergies, allergy treatments, foods, restaurant menus, medicines, and on and on. Trying to become an expert in something I knew nothing about. Trying to figure out how to keep him alive. I am here now, not having crested the mountain of the monumental task of being an "allergy mom," but being able to recognize that I still need running and desperately want to still have it in my life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I never completely gave up running; in fact, I've managed to be a pacer at the Rocket City Marathon every year of his life (including the one where I was pregnant with him) minus the last two years (COVID forced the race to be virtual in 2020 and severe weather cancelled the race in 2021). It's amazing how little training is actually required for a marathon if you're prepared to suffer on the course. I now run quite a bit of easy, fun miles with my oldest son who is now fifteen, and I found satisfaction I never knew before in running next to him during his first half marathon in 2021. There's nothing like sharing your passion with your child. We've also competed in a few other 5Ks and 10Ks, even enjoying both getting first place finishes in a small local 5K. Our smiles spread as people commented, "The winners are mother and son!" I have also found great delight in taking the first place title in the women's master's category, where, at 44, I still feel a little like a fraud. There's a disbelief that I am here now, in my forties. Where did the time go? Every Huntsville Track Club event forces me to realize that I'll eventually have a day where I can't do this anymore. My today will become the past. So I press on, clinging to the running that I do have, striving for more, and enjoying the little moments that remind me of why I fell in love with it in the first place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Mountain Mist 50K 2022</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As mentioned, I had planned to pace the Rocket City Marathon in December 2021, but severe weather cancelled the race. Sometimes it feels like everything is conspiring against my running. That day, I ended up just running a half marathon distance, but that didn't really feel like the climactic event for all of my training, so Mountain Mist was in the back of my mind. Then I got COVID over the Christmas holidays, and it hit me hard. I took a full two weeks off from any exercise. That took me to early January, without having registered for the race or trained in any way since my last long run before the marathon. Not ideal, but most people will tell you that a Mountain Mist finish is possible even in less-than-ideal conditions, so in the back of my mind I was still hopeful. I even ran a 20-mile long run the day registration closed to make sure I felt recovered and ready for the distance, even if I hadn't been on trails at all. It may seem crazy to wait until the day registration closed, but in past years the race director had allowed 10-time finishers (which I am) the chance to register even if the race was full through the entire registration period. So I thought I'd be fine, but it turns out the race was full and that policy no longer exists. I felt totally at peace with it. My husband was going to be out-of-town, so I wasn't too sure I wanted to leave the kids alone for that amount of time without an adult on-hand. Instead, I decided to look into volunteer opportunities. I was actually highly encouraged by the race director which makes sense because there was a huge need. Something like 50 out of 80 volunteer options for race day were still available. My 15- and 14-year-old kids wanted to help (and would be helping me with the 7- and 4-year old kids). I signed us all up for Clean Up, and expected to learn something new about the race I love so much. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we arrived at the Lodge around 3:15 p.m., we were actually too early to help. A huge perk of volunteering is that we were admitted to Monte Sano State Park for free (admission is usually $5 for adults and $2 for ages 2-11). We were able to take a short hike to see icicles, much to the delight of all of the kids. It was cold and beautiful up there, just getting to enjoy the scenery without having to run on it. We were also treated to volunteer shirts and visors. We also were able to cheer on the very last finishers and see friends who had just finished their 20th MM. As the finishers left, there was plenty of extra food, so we even grabbed some pizza, bread, and cookie cake to eat. When we were needed we got to work, emptying trash cans, transporting the extra food supplies to the trailer, and cleaning up after the runners. Maybe an hour of work total. The sun started to set, and it was beautiful up there, definitely the first time I had ever stayed this long on a MM day. My little kids enjoyed doing karaoke with the podium in the Lodge while my older two swept floors. They started giving food away, so we ended up with several soft drink 2-Liters and an entire pizza to take home. As we headed to our car and saw another car's headlights pointing ominously at us, we got spooked and then laughed together when the other car turned out to be security. It was not a typical MM experience for me, but I enjoyed giving back to this race. Maybe with age comes wisdom and peace when things don't go the way you had expected them to. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNP1A9MmeEVsR5dLD8UppPCZ5cOlBq47bozYHQ8K7-SaQYKuoI0BBsiQrqqFwJ9pMeSL6VKVaGGHzSJ_ghJyJ590x22POhUyw6bJegtG4ZFJfsO3MhO6JZcxYOm0j7mmBAJxv1Iq9zLeTrY6z4CLM8PlxTVl3dolJaApw3PlkY8jI66WRmLiAfjR9A=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNP1A9MmeEVsR5dLD8UppPCZ5cOlBq47bozYHQ8K7-SaQYKuoI0BBsiQrqqFwJ9pMeSL6VKVaGGHzSJ_ghJyJ590x22POhUyw6bJegtG4ZFJfsO3MhO6JZcxYOm0j7mmBAJxv1Iq9zLeTrY6z4CLM8PlxTVl3dolJaApw3PlkY8jI66WRmLiAfjR9A=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDPs63gcwctlyrvvvwViwjD3aQ3wnRJcIPtleeSZCWFlC6q4-3ZPktEeUYazWNi_m8kJ4tdhNts7rHIvxX-gxSQnHyJqLRXu5sCbuLngzJn0FMq1M-5eIpeqBudHqm5BsXnW3S0Kl3-ov6MWOKbKlG-bbz-wrcWi5kCcHtJj5aP_DhgmKyEtTLnq8n=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDPs63gcwctlyrvvvwViwjD3aQ3wnRJcIPtleeSZCWFlC6q4-3ZPktEeUYazWNi_m8kJ4tdhNts7rHIvxX-gxSQnHyJqLRXu5sCbuLngzJn0FMq1M-5eIpeqBudHqm5BsXnW3S0Kl3-ov6MWOKbKlG-bbz-wrcWi5kCcHtJj5aP_DhgmKyEtTLnq8n=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuUuiG-lBSrRfvPzWn957qwQ5tgCyUGey7OYxxbes-0Rncf2bJn2AzUOrfkwAyR8qKJA0S6FQKDmt7f0VPJKWJJ9vYuIPfukMZTBID5UlrEcbNccRH8HFQ21WISLSFAf74AI6enMV85_tUHVckIr1wETpMMKSHeKfZnfbr4AiCvLewhyhu_4cfcGjp=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuUuiG-lBSrRfvPzWn957qwQ5tgCyUGey7OYxxbes-0Rncf2bJn2AzUOrfkwAyR8qKJA0S6FQKDmt7f0VPJKWJJ9vYuIPfukMZTBID5UlrEcbNccRH8HFQ21WISLSFAf74AI6enMV85_tUHVckIr1wETpMMKSHeKfZnfbr4AiCvLewhyhu_4cfcGjp=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtbRROkab0JLfq8A7LgfKdgEFr19hi5rnIKkS5Z5U9BVJcIxzckrubBanbx1VatGFLJfdDMffXJbEiFgCwOcpTFTpaqIY_C3IEi6VOdwT3WOJa7FKxs6ct-rcuBnvI-L81ZchL4QtoRb9cADulonaP-yfcwuWlUxF7Ld36_tbYZhgJ9E8UlnlOAP6u=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtbRROkab0JLfq8A7LgfKdgEFr19hi5rnIKkS5Z5U9BVJcIxzckrubBanbx1VatGFLJfdDMffXJbEiFgCwOcpTFTpaqIY_C3IEi6VOdwT3WOJa7FKxs6ct-rcuBnvI-L81ZchL4QtoRb9cADulonaP-yfcwuWlUxF7Ld36_tbYZhgJ9E8UlnlOAP6u=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><p></p>Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-46895381287057055872018-09-07T12:29:00.001-07:002018-09-07T15:08:12.245-07:00Monte Sano 5K 2017 and 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last I wrote, I was pregnant with my 4th baby. So much has happened since then! First off, I gave birth to my little one in August of 2017--a bouncing baby boy weighing in at 9 lbs.! <span style="text-align: center;">He was born just 3 days before my 40th birthday. I couldn't imagine a better early birthday present. </span>He is absolutely wonderful in every way! He completes our family, and we now have a 12-year-old, 11-year-old, 4-year-old, and a 1-year-old. Life is so busy but very fun.<br />
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<b>A Little About the Birth</b><br />
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I so enjoyed the process of researching and then successfully completing my second epidural-free birth, but his was an induction (recommended due to my age), so it came with pitocin and having my water broken. Using the Bradley Method and some birth mantras worked very well for me; in fact, the nurse remarked at one point that it looked like I was simply sleeping. Let me just say this: if we can and do endure everything (painful and otherwise) that a marathon involves, why be afraid of the process of birth? It's just trusting our training and our bodies to get us there, same as we do on race-day. I loved getting to experience it again and encourage any other moms-to-be to know this: You can do it.<br />
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<b>Monte Sano 5K 2017</b><br />
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For a fun challenge, I decided to race the Monte Sano 5K on September 2, 2017, 2.5 weeks after having the baby. I had done a few runs since having him, and I knew I could complete the 5K distance. Well, what I didn't know is that I would actually do something really surprising to me--I won my first Master's race! Since I turned 40 on August 20, I was officially a Master's runner (and I'm guessing that not too many of them are also new moms!). My time was 24:10. In the pictures below, I'm wearing Rick's large singlet, which was still the only size that fit me. </div>
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My big kids and me. I have on the carrier for the baby, but Rick is holding him while I got my award.</div>
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<b>Monte Sano 5K 2018</b><br />
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So here we are again, one year later. I haven't been doing any speedwork, just a daily 4.5 mile run with the double stroller (with the 4-year-old and now 1-year-old in it) and a weekly 10-mile long run. In this year's 5K, I didn't win Master's and my time was only about a minute better than last year's (23:06 vs. 24:10 last year). This is what running in my forties is going to be. If I want to get faster I will have to work at it. And harder than I worked at it in my twenties and thirties. I've been getting somewhere around 22:30-23:00 in several 5Ks this year, so I know that this is my starting point. I hope to see that time improve, but I'm okay with it for now. Funny thing is that the winner of the Master's race is a really nice 59-year-old woman. Yes, 19 years older than me. And she has beaten me in every race I've done against her. She has really inspired me! No pictures from today (no race photographer, as far as I know).<br />
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<b>Upcoming Entries</b><br />
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I'd like to do an entry about the marathon I ran last December (first time running a marathon with a 3.5-month-old) and one about the series of 5Ks that I ran this past Spring (fun races for a great cause). Stay tuned (if there are still any readers out there!).Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-76253442535684953862017-07-04T10:04:00.002-07:002017-07-04T10:04:33.747-07:00Running and Pregnant (With #4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Katie (33 weeks, 6 days pregnant) with Rick (husband) and our 3-year-old</div>
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I am 33 weeks and 6 days pregnant with our fourth baby on this Fourth of July! I'm due with him 4 days before I turn 40! Today I ran the Firecracker 5K in Huntsville, AL. This is a great race for families. It is the ONLY race I know of that offers free childcare! It's put on by Morningside Baptist Church, and their little nursery had 2 little ones today. Our newly-turned 3-year-old was one of them (she's being carried on my back in the picture above). Our 2 bigger kids are not quite capable of watching her at races yet, and they are at their first overnight camp for the next few days. Having a week with just one has seemed like a luxury! <br />
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We could not pass up the chance to start our Fourth of July with this race, and I am glad we did! We headed over there around 6:30 a.m. and easily made it inside for race-day registration at 7:00 a.m. I loved the empty roads today with the holiday! Rick went on a warm-up run while I walked around with our daughter. It had been raining, and she loved looking at the puddles and overflowing ditches! Then I headed inside to drop her off at the nursery.<br />
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I enjoyed the atmosphere of the start line so much. When I'm not running or racing as much, I really miss seeing my friends and just feeling the energy around me as we all get ready to race. I've been running anywhere from 3-7 miles a few times a week, but I also have days where I walk instead. All together, I probably am running and walking 25-30 miles a week in my 6-7 daily morning workouts. My latest "long" run was a 7 mile run at a 12:30 pace. My last race was the Cotton Row 5K on Memorial Day, where I got a 26:12 and was 28.5 weeks pregnant. My pace has slowed a lot since then on my normal runs, so I planned to try for a sub-30. <br />
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I felt great while running today, which is always a relief while pregnant. I kept a fairly steady pace but slowed a little each mile (splits were 8:46, 8:56, and 9:07ish). The recent rain had made it SO humid out there, so I was dripping with sweat. That made me feel like I was running much harder than I was. Even though I have a huge tummy right now and I've put on 30 pounds, I still feel like I am the same in my lungs and legs. I felt like I could run so much faster if I wasn't pregnant. It just felt great being out there among other runners since so many of my miles recently have been solo miles. I enjoy cheering for the other racers and watching the front of the pack (the course was out-and-back on a greenway), and I enjoy competing with the runners around me. It felt good surging and picking off runners near the end of the race. I also loved looking at the creek with its raging muddy waters today. The scenery made the time go back quicker.<br />
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After finishing in 28:08, I headed inside to get our daughter, and we stayed for awards and to chat with fellow runners. It was a great start to our Fourth of July!<br />
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<br />Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-12367466165265849912017-02-21T13:32:00.003-08:002017-02-21T13:32:44.298-08:0010-time Mountain Mist 50K finishers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT7zidgqsSY4AYMAuhkZ36sn90KZzPVDU43KPCGQVa_QayAMk2FBMhEJOaM0IFVc_G4XPtOqvRoTGpQSCycJauV8U347VSGWqQP1wV7uOXGk4OIlbvTIKfVNJeKl2OFTdYUAoYE5PcbE/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT7zidgqsSY4AYMAuhkZ36sn90KZzPVDU43KPCGQVa_QayAMk2FBMhEJOaM0IFVc_G4XPtOqvRoTGpQSCycJauV8U347VSGWqQP1wV7uOXGk4OIlbvTIKfVNJeKl2OFTdYUAoYE5PcbE/s320/2.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
<br />Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-17403844534972794112016-07-16T14:46:00.001-07:002016-07-18T11:44:48.900-07:00The Independence Mile July 2, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A local coaching group, Running Lane, puts on a fun event at the UAH campus in Huntsville. This year it was on Saturday, July 2nd starting at 6 p.m. It's only $8 to enter (but no shirt or prizes). They also advertised that they would be giving away over $1000 in door prizes and would have a free BBQ dinner after/during the races (there are different heats based on age, elite runners, etc.). It worked great to sign up our 2 older kids since their heat started first. That way we could watch them run and then eat a free dinner!</div>
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As we got ready to go, we grabbed our 2-year-old Ivy's "running shoes" (a little purple pair of Nikes) and told her we were going to a race. She's used to coming and has never asked to run before, but she has begun to know what running is. We have a book, <u>Swing!</u>, that asks, "Have you ever run a relay race?" and each time we read that part, Ivy gets off our laps and runs a little while we cheer for her. Plus, she's come to lots of races. So she knows what "running a race" means. As we headed to the UAH campus, she kept saying, "I wun wace, Momma?" over and over. So Rick and I finally looked at each other, shrugged, and said, "Why not?" When we got there, we paid another $8 and entered her! </div>
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For fun, we looked at the Alabama State Age Records that a volunteer had pulled up on his phone. Ivy just turned 2 a week and a half ago. Well, the 1-year-old female record holder was named Ivy too! And her time was 23:38. The 2-year-old record was 14 minutes though! Whoa--no chance Ivy would beat that! Our big kids were bummed since their age group records were so fast. We told them just have fun.</div>
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Below is the picture from the 0-19 age group start. Tiny race! I am actually holding Ivy here. Since we didn't want her to get tired out before the race even started, I carried her over to the Start Line. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jPUCfeIQyV-MsVCO5LoWcMaZnY4o-IEUilbbVs69x1fgKsOVbQ4LISjOXLcPbFAaiXV-Uj9oPOKgPFtT1twMXXcXJY6QPkGaTOTNJj_64o-zRkXaAniEMJYC5qdbDPxKzAq_Qh8eBsw/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jPUCfeIQyV-MsVCO5LoWcMaZnY4o-IEUilbbVs69x1fgKsOVbQ4LISjOXLcPbFAaiXV-Uj9oPOKgPFtT1twMXXcXJY6QPkGaTOTNJj_64o-zRkXaAniEMJYC5qdbDPxKzAq_Qh8eBsw/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures taken by Gregg Gelmis of We Run Huntsville.</td></tr>
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My son and older daughter took off once the race started! Gregg got some good pictures of them as they rounded the first corner.<br />
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Ivy was officially in last place just as soon as we started, and she stayed in last place. But you wouldn't know it from the smile on her face as we passed the crowd! She loved being cheered for! Rick and I are running beside her.</div>
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Ivy gave up running after .2 mile. She walked, sat, and walked some more. Every so often, she would run a little. I'm glad Gregg got pictures of my big kids finishing since we missed it. </div>
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My daughter loves to sprint at the end of races. She was behind several children, but then she passed them all. She has a great ability to dig deep at the end of races.</div>
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And here is our little baby as she crosses the Finish Line!</div>
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Her time of 22:46 would have gotten her that state age record IF she was still one! That is a good time for such little legs, and we were all so proud of her! Her grandparents came, and you can see her grandma right behind her in the picture below, cheering her on!</div>
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We had a great time staying to chat with friends, eating some good food, and then hearing the door prize drawings. Both of our big kids won a $25 gift card (one to Chipotle and one to Fleet Feet). I recommend this race to all families--such a good value and a fun time!</div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-47670646614360270782016-07-15T14:47:00.002-07:002016-07-16T13:37:20.488-07:00Cookie Dash and Chick-fil-A 5K: Two Good Family 5Ks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;">These happened awhile ago, but I still want to get them posted on here! Both races were fun for our whole family and were very family-friendly.</span></div>
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<b>Cookie Dash 5K</b></div>
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<b>April 16, 2016</b></div>
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<b>Pre-Race and Race</b></div>
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On April 16, 2016, my big kids and I ran the Cookie Dash 5K. I feel so bad because I led them on a short warm up, but we got back too late and the race was about to start! We had to rush into place without even catching our breaths. It was not ideal. </div>
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During the race, I pushed myself to stay with teammate Linda who was ahead of me most of the race. In the last mile, she began walking so I took the lead and finished first female. My time was 20:31. Results <a href="http://www.huntsvilletrackclub.org/results/CD16/CD16_FinishOrder.txt">here</a>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures from We Run Huntsville Facebook page</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rrygCEfwuGNNH8WKlo7PvT9kfk4IviTK4AmU4Resk7LgG39xrIjOmRG7KykB_7zJj9vJbCtBsKD_zmcJDH4PjbTqzWG1hW0OQaYjir3WWWwOCAkV0otz-QKSfAec-9bxrA4c2anQd8A/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rrygCEfwuGNNH8WKlo7PvT9kfk4IviTK4AmU4Resk7LgG39xrIjOmRG7KykB_7zJj9vJbCtBsKD_zmcJDH4PjbTqzWG1hW0OQaYjir3WWWwOCAkV0otz-QKSfAec-9bxrA4c2anQd8A/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Age Graded Results</b></div>
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With over 500 finishers, this is a big race for our area. It's also a little unusual since it publishes the top 25 people in an age-graded results listing. I'm not even exactly sure what it is, except that I know by looking at the names on the list that it's a good list of competitors. Also, out of the 25 people on the list, only 6 are female. I made the list (#15), but my little girl did too (#23)! I am guessing since I am a little older and she is a little younger, that this means our times are good given our ages! My time was 20:31, but my age-graded time was 20:10 (73%). Her time was 26:27, and her age-graded time was 21:02 (71%). Again, not really sure what it means, but it still felt a little like an honor!</div>
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See <a href="http://www.huntsvilletrackclub.org/results/CD16/CD16_TopAgeGraded.txt">here</a>. </div>
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I wore the baby after the race since she kept asking me to "Hold you!"</div>
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This race is well-known for the TONS of cookies people bake for post-race snacks. We loved going through the line to get some of them!</div>
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It never fails that someone will joke: "Did you run the whole race with her on your back?" whenever I wear the baby after a race. Kind of like how they always say, "She has the best seat in the house!" whenever they see me running with her in the jogging stroller. I'm just happy that she comes along so well. Such a happy tag-along baby! And she is happiest when she can suck her thumb and play with my hair while I carry her in the back carrier. She loves it!</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Rick and I stayed to volunteer when the race was over. We handed out medals. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The race photographer captured a sweet moment when I got to place a medal around my daughter's neck for her first 5K age group award (and her first time to run a 5K!).</span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVShsRKmvTj8QX-_U7IPcSHrWqECrQ5yf75xDDytk15RfrTYYSz4iXHx7lYu7P3QNz60hKNjcM4UqJIVtj86EobF6vNZyCYPEapMV2sriHecwbHXaZDWyAmSDnKJ8Q1njH3s5MEFUG2mM/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVShsRKmvTj8QX-_U7IPcSHrWqECrQ5yf75xDDytk15RfrTYYSz4iXHx7lYu7P3QNz60hKNjcM4UqJIVtj86EobF6vNZyCYPEapMV2sriHecwbHXaZDWyAmSDnKJ8Q1njH3s5MEFUG2mM/s320/18.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<b>Chick-fil-A Decatur 5K Race </b></div>
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<b>April 30, 2016</b></div>
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As usual, it seems to me that whatever Chick-fil-A does, they just do it well. Free food events, mother-son and father-daughter date night events, etc. They seem to give away so much free food! Well, this race is no exception. It's part of a series of races in our area. We live in Huntsville, AL, so Decatur is about a 30 minute drive, but this race was well-worth it! It had a "family-fun zone" at the start/finish area, including a place to play games and earn free food cards! Also on hand were free chicken biscuits and even more food for post-race snacks. A photographer was taking pictures too (credit goes to them for the two pictures below).</div>
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My big kids and I ran the race while Rick watched the baby. He is still recovering from a back injury and isn't in racing condition just yet. </div>
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I knew that I really wanted to do well in this race because of the prizes! I had heard that the winner got "free chicken for a year" (52 free meal coupons). As a SAHM, I look for opportunities like this to help make eating out affordable. Well, when I saw Justyna (in yellow second from left in the picture below), I knew first place was not happening. So I aimed for second ("free chicken for 1/2 year"). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM2tJ6i9gi-eBLQBKLb-TGKpEQ72iN_BKSBzqowzzbbu8gvLLcDYfOr7oIPuinSvFQi0kRoSUhVNC_M-pbyWfEegit7UfggQk1933dxlseNHAnFCFTnhy2kVRn8emVykUAKwBK6zyMSo/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM2tJ6i9gi-eBLQBKLb-TGKpEQ72iN_BKSBzqowzzbbu8gvLLcDYfOr7oIPuinSvFQi0kRoSUhVNC_M-pbyWfEegit7UfggQk1933dxlseNHAnFCFTnhy2kVRn8emVykUAKwBK6zyMSo/s320/25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My time was 21:04, second place. Since this race was smaller and the course was a little tricky, I headed back out to make sure my kids had found their way. After cheering them both in, we headed for post-race chicken and a family cool-down (Rick jogged with the baby in the stroller). </div>
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I loved getting the prize of coupon cards which filled a chicken nugget box! These cards have been such a nice way to be able to eat out at Chick-fil-A over the last few months. The manila envelopes pictured in the stack below hold the kids' prizes (both won an age group award). The cards on top of those were prizes from the games the kids played in the family fun zone. Chick-fil-A was so generous at this race! Results <a href="http://cfaraceseries.com/races/187/results/course/331">here</a>. </div>
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<i>Stay tuned for the baby's first race: One mile at 2 years old!</i></div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-72635718752179753652016-03-28T13:33:00.002-07:002016-07-16T13:38:07.002-07:00McKay Hollow Madness 25K March 26, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: left;">Saturday, March 26, 2016</b></div>
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I headed up to the mountain with a neighbor and friend, Lisa, at 5:30 a.m. We arrived around 6 and found a close parking spot. The race starts at 7, so we stayed in the car and chatted for awhile. It was in the 40s, so once we got out we headed to the pavilion to stand by the fireplace!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdt-o6sze1FDdm6eLxMMsgZZ553hsAkWUGJdgsjvzuVlui0zDPfgmJXKp59aXab9FruRn8LCNKTUhII8DWUhh1CGOna6yY3e_XXpISK8yQCy_7Y5HQm3KWrnPKBkR07nminYBEjBx052M/s1600/2016+MHM+%252831+of+39%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdt-o6sze1FDdm6eLxMMsgZZ553hsAkWUGJdgsjvzuVlui0zDPfgmJXKp59aXab9FruRn8LCNKTUhII8DWUhh1CGOna6yY3e_XXpISK8yQCy_7Y5HQm3KWrnPKBkR07nminYBEjBx052M/s320/2016+MHM+%252831+of+39%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures by Gregg Gelmis, We Run Huntsville</td></tr>
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I had low expectations for me in this race for a few reasons:</div>
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<b>No Trails</b></div>
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First, I hadn't been on the mountain since Mountain Mist 50K 2 months ago. That's right, no trail runs to train for this race!</div>
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<b>Low Mileage</b></div>
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When MM finished, I was ready to take a step back from running to focus on my overall health and nutrition. I started doing the 21 Day Fix Extreme workout videos and began eating better too. I took a couple of weeks completely off of running and then gradually added in miles until I was doing 30 miles a week. I did a 10 mile long run on roads 3 weeks ago and then a 12 mile long run last week. That was it for my long run training for this race. My shorter runs have been mostly pushing a jogging stroller with a 1.5 year old, so I think they were good training runs, but my overall weekly mileage wasn't great.</div>
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<b>Good Prizes=More Competition</b></div>
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I "sized up" the competition before the race started and noticed 3 girls who looked like pretty serious competition. One had beaten me in MM and 2 others I didn't know. The race director had posted on Facebook that the first place male and female winner would get $350 in prizes. I was thinking that probably attracted some competition and noticed it to be true from the looks of things at the start of the race. </div>
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What <i>did</i> I have going for me?</div>
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<b>Past Results</b></div>
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I've won this race a few times in the past. It's a course that seems to suit me.</div>
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<b>Strong Core, Arms, and Legs</b></div>
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Surely the 2 months of 21 Day Fix videos had to be doing something to make me stronger! I would test that out today.</div>
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<b>Not Nursing</b></div>
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I had a 9 month old last year and was exclusively nursing. I've just weaned my 21 month old, so I felt like I could push myself to "beat" the me from last year.</div>
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<b>A Desire to Improve From Last Year</b></div>
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Last year, I finished 2nd and was passed in the last climb up Death Trail. This year, I wasn't going to let that happen.</div>
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<b>The Race</b></div>
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This race is broken up into 3 segments separated by 2 Aid Stations. This is important for me to note because I am <i>horrible</i> at finding my way along the trails. The race director gave us clear and specific instructions to look for different colored flags for each segment of the race: RED at the start until the 25K runners separated from the 12K runners right after Aid Station 1, ORANGE after that, and finally YELLOW after Aid Station 2. As long as you kept the correctly colored flag to your right, you were doing fine. This was something that I had to be highly aware of, especially in the last few miles when I was alone. It's silly that someone like me can be so clueless on these trails, but it's the truth. </div>
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When the race began, I fell into 2nd place behind a girl from TN with a black Fleet Feet singlet on. In our first ascent after about a mile, I began walking and was passed by a girl (pink arm sleeves), putting me into 3rd place. I was trying not to push too hard in the beginning of the race in order to save for the end. I love this race, but it's a challenge to pace it properly. We headed into Stone Cuts, a favorite spot for me as we weaved in and out of the stone boulders. The weather was perfect for singlets and shorts (low 50s). The grass was just starting to green, and little purple flowers dotted the ground. It was so pretty and refreshing to see signs of spring. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpkZ6cVdN3fiXyG4hzz-opE_B20NBXtAcMFa54S6_zMsAYm-Xu6Rbnp4wRmIDJFe19TPzv87hhAI26YTyaKA6DEDFziiXid5iAthodexZTcofDFshGmgkAKPuihAd9A53OQF1Qtxjr_I/s1600/2016+MHM+%25282526+of+3073%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpkZ6cVdN3fiXyG4hzz-opE_B20NBXtAcMFa54S6_zMsAYm-Xu6Rbnp4wRmIDJFe19TPzv87hhAI26YTyaKA6DEDFziiXid5iAthodexZTcofDFshGmgkAKPuihAd9A53OQF1Qtxjr_I/s320/2016+MHM+%25282526+of+3073%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was happy to see my friend, Julia, was was volunteering at Aid Station 1 but disappointed that there wasn't any Gu available (a fellow FF team member joked "but we have Slim Jims. That's almost the same thing!"). I love the part right after this aid station where we "fall down the mountain." We pass the spot where I got engaged, and we get to run <i>down</i> the end of the Mountain Mist course (but we run <i>up</i> it during MM). It feels so freeing to just run and let gravity just pull you down!</div>
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I can't remember exactly when I passed the FF out-of-town girl, but I passed her reluctantly (I find it easier to chase than to be chased). And a little while after that, the now-first place girl (pink arm sleeves) was just stopped on the side of the trail, so I passed her. This part begins a gradual climb as we approach Aid Station 2. I ran with a guy from near Birmingham whose conversation was a nice distraction. The ditch that was washed out was very hard to navigate (something I could have improved in training on the trails). When we approached the aid station, the guy I was with told me not to linger. As we started back out on the course (I was relieved to have found a vanilla Gu!), he joked that he would trip the girls we saw as we doubled-back on the course for a small portion. Sure enough, we soon saw the girl with the pink arm bands. She wasn't but a few minutes behind us. I would have to go.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHctR0VoD1RZb7W_sFt0Io9atV45ex6yWegv6u1UwnL9YSEDzJ4dz-3NOWoeTOiinMTbX-zpcyrreez5gVclq2VI8zLcaF04isVVVsnlz17o1QFQKLWvYFTy3d86Q1Itt8YtjH3FyiEU/s1600/2016+MHM+%2528566+of+3073%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHctR0VoD1RZb7W_sFt0Io9atV45ex6yWegv6u1UwnL9YSEDzJ4dz-3NOWoeTOiinMTbX-zpcyrreez5gVclq2VI8zLcaF04isVVVsnlz17o1QFQKLWvYFTy3d86Q1Itt8YtjH3FyiEU/s320/2016+MHM+%2528566+of+3073%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The guy I was running with passed me, and I was left alone as I ran miles 10-13. This made me incredibly nervous that I would get off-course. Each time I saw a flag in front of me, I was so happy for the confirmation that I was going the right way! Finally, I caught up to him and a couple of other guys and passed them.<br />
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I am beginning the climb at the end of the race in the picture below. I probably have 20 more minutes of climbing before the finish. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvQriSHTYDVCytTItby6hqsNV3dDka4qoZcADX_vEz3mFJZgqnIrhucSiXptX6JOGnvXlpUMBGMOChU7jE_twEpr-_kBYzRxBieIv292BfrfiBhyphenhyphen0R9f_LVNouE_Hph3K3vrX0m-8ZSE/s1600/2016+MHM+%2528878+of+3073%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvQriSHTYDVCytTItby6hqsNV3dDka4qoZcADX_vEz3mFJZgqnIrhucSiXptX6JOGnvXlpUMBGMOChU7jE_twEpr-_kBYzRxBieIv292BfrfiBhyphenhyphen0R9f_LVNouE_Hph3K3vrX0m-8ZSE/s320/2016+MHM+%2528878+of+3073%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'd be lying if I said this part was easy, but it's so weird because I really enjoyed it! Except for blisters on the sides of my feet and a black toenail rubbing on my right foot, I was feeling good. It's incredible when you put work towards something and see progress. I was feeling the benefits of the workouts I had been doing. They made me strong. I was also so weary though, and I knew I still needed to GO. So I started telling myself that very thing. GO. DIG. FASTER. Except I wasn't saying it in my head, I was saying it out loud. I came up behind a guy who looked at me like I was crazy, but I didn't care. I passed him and kept talking to myself. <br />
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I had gotten passed last year on this climb. I told myself, "Don't let what happened last year happen again." And I kept pushing. A spectator said, "You're almost there" and I started to recognize the finish. I knew I could hold first place if I kept pushing!<br />
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Seeing the finish area and knowing I had done it felt incredible! It is such a joy to feel so spent. I know I had given it my all. It's hard to describe it, but I love this feeling. I heard cheering and people calling my name as I ran up the rocks to the finish. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGh12BW1pvUbYMgORX6iF4Dx0bAmPLj5yl7n1nZay_0nhQPWMV_pFamPO5I2g3Nj3beVg9e7uEQORzKCTRIlVMEMJQMWcrEO74G0zFN5MXNtMo2Cf_0nmlbGZZBTqJ94QCskYH05grvdI/s1600/2016+MHM+%25281724+of+3073%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGh12BW1pvUbYMgORX6iF4Dx0bAmPLj5yl7n1nZay_0nhQPWMV_pFamPO5I2g3Nj3beVg9e7uEQORzKCTRIlVMEMJQMWcrEO74G0zFN5MXNtMo2Cf_0nmlbGZZBTqJ94QCskYH05grvdI/s320/2016+MHM+%25281724+of+3073%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_w09hW2Kv6n95MSCksLU2Y-0O2_6vxzgv6-b3rUWhwVGZB_zvVjfnK3EZlo-Je3mrsZ7nxcx9_APzYtxI65GphiKNQttqDoEN-h2lJiOd5qir1q7c0nFCbZbnhc2mNYtpe0dxp9icnM/s1600/2016+MHM+%25281725+of+3073%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_w09hW2Kv6n95MSCksLU2Y-0O2_6vxzgv6-b3rUWhwVGZB_zvVjfnK3EZlo-Je3mrsZ7nxcx9_APzYtxI65GphiKNQttqDoEN-h2lJiOd5qir1q7c0nFCbZbnhc2mNYtpe0dxp9icnM/s320/2016+MHM+%25281725+of+3073%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I finished in 2:43 and was immediately congratulated by the race director, Cary Long. He gave me a bag full of prizes. <br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">I am most thankful for the coupon for new trail shoes (my current pair is too small but it's hard to justify spending money for shoes you only wear 3 times a year). The Garmin watch they gave me is so nice too, but it will take some learning to know how it works!</span></div>
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Below is something I hesitate to publish, but here goes. On the left is a picture from 4 months ago on my training run for MM. The right is me today. I don't know exactly how it happened, but I gradually got more and more out-of-shape over the last year. I knew running could not fix it when my marathon last fall went terribly and I felt so awful after every single run I did. So I focused on my health and let running take the backseat for awhile. Today I proved that was a good decision. I shaved 15 minutes off of my last year's time and finished feeling strong.</div>
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<h2 class="rmSubject" style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Light', 'Segoe UI Web Light', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Symbol', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21.12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 29.9904px; margin: 0px -20px 13px 0px; padding-top: 2px;">
McKay 25k Re<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , "segoe ui web regular" , "segoe ui symbol" , "helvetica neue" , "bbalpha sans" , "s60 sans" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;">Participant Name: Katie aehlmann</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;">Race Name: 2016 McKay Hollow Madness 25K
Race Date: 3/26/2016 7:00:00 AM
Distance: 25000 meters (15.625 miles)
Finish Time: 2:43:00.266
Overall Place: 19 out of 189
Overall Female Place: 1
Female Place: 1
Runner Place: 20
Madison Residence Place: 4
Pace per Mile: 10:26
Average Speed: 5.752 miles per hour
Pace per Kilometer: 6:31
Average Speed: 9.202 kilometers per </span>hour</h2>
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<br />Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-6855356669969148162016-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:002016-01-28T12:44:31.577-08:00Mountain Mist 50K Sunday, January 24, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Pre-Race</b></div>
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I had three things stacked up against me leading up to this race:</div>
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Injury-In the 2 weeks leading up to Mountain Mist, I had only run maybe 3 times. My right IT band was sore, and I had played it cautiously and stuck to the elliptical machine. Because of this, I'd had only one training run on the trails. </div>
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Weather-Friday had early rain, followed by 1-2 inches of snow, and then freezing temps. We were all worried that the roads leading up to the mountain would close and force the race to be cancelled. All day I was glued to my phone, checking for messages about the race. They said there would be a decision by Friday night and that it would come from the Huntsville Police Department. In all the previous 21 years, this race had never been cancelled. I was so jumpy and out-of-sorts all day as I waited. Finally, an announcement of a 24 hour postponement came! I couldn't believe they were able to pull that off!</div>
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Going it alone-Though I wanted it to be my husband Rick's 10th year too, he was injured and wouldn't be running. I decided to enjoy my experience as much as I could, but it was bittersweet to prepare for this race without him. </div>
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I was <i>determined</i> to make this race happen in spite of everything above!</div>
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<b>Sunday</b></div>
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I headed up to the mountain at around 6:15 a.m., taking Governor's instead of our usual Bankhead route (still closed due to ice). We were warned that the park would be icy, and they were right. I nervously drove 5 mph into the park and quickly found a parking spot, relieved that I hadn't wrecked Rick's car!</div>
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The race begins at 7:30, and we were able to stay warm in the Lodge until just before start time. It was around 15 degrees at the start and would warm to 40.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from We Run Huntsville Gregg Gelmis</td></tr>
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<b>The Race</b></div>
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As the race began, I could not believe how icy the roads were and how it forced us to run so slowly! I watched people try to run on the ice and fall like dominoes. The rest of us gingerly stepped to the shoulder and ran nearly single file on the safer snow. </div>
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Once we entered the trails it got a little better but not much. I felt like I was constantly looking out for ice. It made it so hard to relax. With a time of 1:06, I made it into the Aid Station 1. This was much slower than I'd expected. </div>
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As I approached Powerline, I enjoyed talking with a guy from Atlanta running his 9th Mist and a friend, Ashley. Powerline was actually not muddy today since the mud was frozen. </div>
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My favorite part of the first half of the race was seeing the beautiful woods. It was just magical to see the snow all over the ground and branches. There were icicles hanging from every rock. I was just in awe of how beautiful it was. I was so glad to be running! </div>
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I ran the Stone Cuts section of the race with teammate Linda. You actually pick your way through some huge boulders, kind of like going through a small cave. I love this section! We enjoyed knocking down a few of the icicles and hearing them smash on the rocks.</div>
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Right before Aid Station 3, I realized I'd overdressed. Tights? Not needed today. Long sleeves either. Nor gloves, nor hat. I had tossed my sunglasses and ear warmer headband at the last aid station, and I tossed my gloves and hat at this one (though I never could find them back at the Lodge where they were supposed to be waiting when we finished--bummer). I was doing some back and forth with the 5th place girl (Anya), and she passed me here. My time was 3:10. This is Mile 16.9, but it is considered the halfway point since the back half is harder and more technical than the first. I knew my time would be well over 6 hours today. </div>
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I ran most of the back half alone, lost in my thoughts and focused on not falling (which I only did once and it was only to my knees). I took Advil at Aid Station 3 and never felt bothered by any pains, though I did notice a big blister on my big right toe. I also never felt too tired (was fueling with Mello Yellos, Gu, and Clif Bloks). Even on Waterline (huge climb near Mile 24), I felt okay. The mud started after Aid Station 5 as we descended into McKay Hollow. It was so slick that I could not run down as I usually do. By this point, I was telling myself, "You've done it!"</div>
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I ran to the finish and saw my husband and kids cheering for me! My baby was on top of Rick's shoulders. My son was shouting about looking at his snowman which I could not do! I was still so focused on the ground and on not slipping.</div>
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I finished 5th OAF (2nd local) and improved my rank as the race went on, so I am happy. Our race director, Dink, posted that the these were the worst conditions he had seen in all 22 years of the race. I picked an epic year to reach 10 finishes!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Katie Maehlmann</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Bib 303 Overall place 69</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">O'Shan Point rank 83 Time 1:06:08</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Fearn rank 74 Time 3:10:11</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Final Rank 69 Final time 6:25:18</span><br />
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I received this message about the 10 time finishers: </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 11.04px;">Congratulations to our newest TEN TIME FINISHERS (in order of their tenth finish):</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Katie Maehlmann<br />Tim Lee<br />Enid Gonzalez<br />James Duncan<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />Blake Thompson<br />Bruce Tanksley<br />Madison Magargee</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Welcome Class of 2016!</span></div>
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I was the only female to reach 10 finishes today. What a journey! A look back over the last 10 finishes will be posted soon.Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-50179713272525698232016-01-25T13:06:00.001-08:002016-01-25T13:06:13.717-08:00Finished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A short update---69th overall 5th female</div>
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My time was 6:25.</div>
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10 time finisher's jacket</div>
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age group medal (2nd place in my age group)</div>
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finisher's slate award</div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-18002009147960066312016-01-23T10:32:00.001-08:002016-01-23T10:32:47.445-08:00Mountain Mist Instructions<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 18.9333px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
I included this on my blog since it gives the background of Mountain Mist. Dink writes a letter like this every year, but I have never found it to be so sentimental and honest. I am so glad his dream is being realized and that I am a part of it. </div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 18.9333px;">Dear Katie,</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 18.9333px;">Please make note of the race start time, 7:30 a.m.</b></span><b style="line-height: 18.9333px;"></b></div>
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Mountain Mist Final Instruction's 2016<br style="line-height: 18.9333px;" />Welcome to the 22nd Annual Mountain Mist Trail Run. It's hard for me to believe that I had the idea and took the initiative to put together the first ever trail run in Huntsville when I was only 28 years old. Not only was it the first trail run, it was the first race to go beyond the marathon in Huntsville. I had a vision of Huntsville runners getting off the road for a change and venturing out onto the trails, running beyond the marathon. It was also the only trail run in the state of Alabama at the time. I also felt like if I could establish a good trail race in our area, it could possibly influence others to create other trail races in the state.</div>
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I remember when I first started running the Mountain Mist trail back in the 1980's. I am certain that I was the first person to ever "run" McKay Hollow. I ran the trails of Monte Sano on the weekends, usually alone but I did encourage my friends to join me from time to time. I would do long runs on Saturdays and Sundays on the trails. I would never see another runner on the trails, just an occasional hiker, hunter or even guys on 4-wheelers. After several years of running the trails and more trail knowledge, I put the course together in my mind, laid it out on paper to the Huntsville Track Club board members along with plan of execution, and Mountain Mist was created.</div>
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22 years ago, my biggest concern with the race was out of state runners getting lost on the trails, it is still a concern today. We mark it best we can and since the trail is usually so muddy this time of year, it makes it easier to follow as long as you are not in the top 10, just follow the muddy footprints. Weather is the second biggest concern. This year, it looks like it is going to be pretty cold and with rain throughout this week's forecast; it's going to be a slippery, wet, muddy trail run.</div>
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Another concern I had 22 years ago was this, believe it or not. I was worried that the course was going to be "too easy." Back then, the shortest trail race around the South was Pine Mountain 46.2 mile trail run in Georgia. There were no 50k trails races back then. In fact, the first Mountain Mist was advertised as a 30 mile trail run, it was more like 29.5 miles. It was not until 3 years later that 50k races emerged and Jim Oaks and myself decided that we should go ahead and adjust the course and make it a 50k.</div>
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That first Mountain Mist, I waited at the top of the infamous "Waterline Trail" for the first runners. To my surprise, when DeWayne Satterfield was the first one to reach me, he was barely jogging, his face full of despair and he was doing what we refer to as "the ultra-shuffle." I just smiled and felt a since of pride, I knew I had laid out a course that would challenge all comers. In my own words "No one is ever let down, just shut down, beaten up, broken and left bleeding."</div>
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That first Mountain Mist had 36 finishers. This Saturday, we should finish more than 300 runners as usual. I was out on the trails this past Saturday; I saw more than four large groups of runners out on the trails getting ready for the race. My vision and goal of a thriving trail/ultra-running community has long been reached. There are multiple trails races of all distance here now along with several trail races all over the state of Alabama including two 100 mile trail races. I like to think Mountain Mist was the leader; it set the stage for trail running in Alabama. Mountain Mist is a classic. I see the hats, infamous skeleton shirts and other Mountain Mist swag at races all over the country. Be thankful you will have a chance this Saturday to experience another Mountain Mist Trail Run. Thank the volunteers who give up hours and hours to make this race happen, there are many. Be thankful for your health and that you are still out there; enjoy "The South's Premier Trail Run."</div>
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Dink</div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-86626569778016207962016-01-21T13:43:00.003-08:002016-01-23T09:01:17.666-08:00MM10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And there it is. With my 10th Mountain Mist 50K so close I can almost taste it, our town is under a Winter Weather Advisory tomorrow until 6 a.m. race day. We are projected to receive 1-2 inches of snow. Roads could become treacherous and close, and the race could be cancelled.</div>
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I'm trying to ready myself for the possibility. Some have suggested staying on the mountain with friends who live up there or running from the bottom of the mountain (roughly 2.5 miles) to get to the race start if roads are closed. Runners usually approach race cancellations with desperation. </div>
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I just hope we can run it in the snow! The snowy woods are absolutely magical.</div>
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**************UPDATE: The race is rescheduled for Sunday, January 24! Good decision since there was lots of ice today (Saturday).</div>
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Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-76950986740086833272016-01-03T13:35:00.000-08:002016-01-07T13:46:36.223-08:00Mountain Mist 50K--Training for my 10th finish!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In Alabama, we had record flooding over Christmas Day 2015. The day after Christmas I set out for my first trail run to prepare for Mountain Mist 50K on January 23. I planned to meet a group at 7 a.m. on the mountain, but Bankhead Parkway was closed due to flooding! Fellow FF teammate Loren was also trying to go up Bankhead, so we both had to turn around and go up Monte Sano Boulevard instead. The group had already started by the time we did all of this, so we started with Loren's friend Megan. Gregg Gelmis from We Run Huntsville snapped a few pictures before we left and was the photographer for all of my pictures today!</div>
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Katie (me), Megan, Loren</div>
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With Gregg</div>
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I ended up running mostly with teammate Linda once our little group caught up with some of the bigger group. We ran the back half of the MM course, around 15-16 miles. It was so fun today with all of the stream crossings and waterfalls! Every time I got muddy or warm (it was 70 today!), there a would be a stream right on the trail! The water felt so cool and refreshing! <br />
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Linda and I are on Waterline. This is a gradual steep section around Mile 23 of the course. We are walking it today as I will probably be on race day also.</div>
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We are approaching the waterfall! It was much bigger today than usual!</div>
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How many times in life do you get a chance to go behind a waterfall? That is what I did in these next few pictures. As I tried going through the waterfall to come back out, the water almost knocked me over (as it did a few times in some of the heavier stream crossings). It was a good reminder to me of the amazing, dangerous power of moving water. </div>
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With 3,872 feet of climbing, this race is tough! How to prepare for it? Of course, getting out on the trails as much as you can helps. Today's run of the back half of the course had 2 of the course's 3 major climbs, so it makes sense to train on this section and not the easier first half. I also did a 20 mile road run on New Year's Eve with lots of hills in it. Getting hill training, long runs, and trail runs in as much as you can helps you to be ready for race day. </div>
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Here's the map of MM. The climb in these pictures is on this map right before Mile 25. Our course today took us from Mile 16-Mile 30 on this map. Lots of climbing!</div>
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Finally, here is a list from the MM Ultra Signup site of the people who are eligible to complete their 10th Mountain Mist this year. Women are listed in bold. This means I am the only woman attempting her 10th finish this year! As usual, I am feeling so nervous and scared! With less than 3 weeks to go, I am questioning whether or not I am ready. I just keep thinking "If I could finish last year, then I can finish this year." That is the mentality that got me through the past 9 finishes. Some years I felt so ill-prepared, but knowing that I had done it before got me through. </div>
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<br />Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-66981828790406617592016-01-03T12:51:00.001-08:002016-01-03T12:51:47.035-08:00Few More Marathon Pics<span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22.5px;">Your Race data:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">KATIE MAEHLMANN</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Bib # </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">825</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.8px;">Place </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">*384</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Chip Times:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">10K 56:25:00</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">1/2 Marathon 1:59:26</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.8px;">30K </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">2:49:44</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">Finish Time 3:58:29</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.8px;">Gun Time </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">3:58:55</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #606060; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;"><br /></span>Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-77748406537172881392015-12-14T14:12:00.002-08:002015-12-14T16:43:34.672-08:00Rocket City Marathon 2015 Race Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's always such a full-circle experience to return to the Rocket City Marathon, as it was my first one 14 years ago! On Saturday, December 12, 2015, it was also my 33rd marathon! I was co-leader of the 4:00 pace group with friend and fellow Fleet Feet Racing teammate, Christy Scott.</div>
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<b>Pre-Race</b></div>
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Our expo is held at the VBC in the South Hall. I headed over there around noon on Friday, December 11 to get my race packet and pace sign. Everyone was talking about the record breaking warm temperatures. The temperature was expected to start in the 50's and get up to the 70's during the race. </div>
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Saturday morning began for me at 2:30 a.m., when I woke up and could not go back to sleep! Rick had to get up at 3:00 to get ready for his course sentry responsibilities, so I lay in the bed listening for him to wake up and then listening to him as he got ready and left. At 4:00 a.m., after tossing and turning forever, I decided to just get up. I showered, ate a FigBar and drank some Gatorade. My stomach was in knots and upset. I took Tums and Pepto chewables and hoped for the best.</div>
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I got my baby up and nursed her (at 18 months, she still nurses in the mornings). I left at 5:40 to bring her to my sister's house (the older 2 kids were already there sleeping). I handed her off, picked up friends Alison and Susan (both first time marathoners!), and headed to the race. We arrived around 6:30 a.m., not leaving too much time for bathroom visits with a 7:00 a.m. start! The race begins at the VBC, so there are tons of bathrooms inside to use. I much prefer them to port-a-potties!</div>
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<b>The Race</b></div>
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I found my friend, Christy Scott, and we held up our pace signs and chatted with runners. A common question was whether or not the signs are heavy. After pacing for 5 years, I can honestly say that carrying the sign is not a problem; however, this year the dowels were larger. Simply carrying the sign lower for most of the race solved that problem, though I made sure to raise it up for spectators and photographers! FF teammate Marty Clark joined our pace group with his friend. Marty was planning to pace his friend for a 4:00 time. </div>
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<b>Off We Go! First Half--Easy Going</b>: 9:16, 8:57, 9:03, 9:11, 8:58, 9:08, 8:56, 9:04, 9:12, 9:00, 18:19 (Miles 11 and 12), 9:15</div>
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We were aiming to finish around 3:59 (a 9:06 mile). We didn't focus too much on getting exactly 9:06 for each mile. In fact, we were pretty relaxed about the whole thing. Seasoned. Before the start, one girl asked us how we keep the pace, and we both had trouble verbalizing it right away. You just <i>know.</i> You can feel it (and of course, you rely on watches and Garmins!). Our half split was right on at 1:59:26.</div>
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During the first half, I chatted with 3 of my neighbors who were also running today--and they all started with our group! We also made conversation with the other runners. Runners like to know if we are on pace, so we made sure we announced that at every mile marker. The first half of the course is mostly run in neighborhoods, some of them in our historic downtown. Then at the halfway point, the course takes you back to the VBC, so we enjoyed a large cheering section and the satisfaction that we were halfway to our goal. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJilJwVwTX8N7pH7oIRH2RcmXDkJu4ULi96qfd_eK_kFlTi89bCzvdJseKB4JHVvlmoWom5hWwkMO98yaJ6eKmvKBy3wv0b5ocpV4DPTX2q5A1YyLyT7k35oNo5iRm3q7QCuRhxxJYAzY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJilJwVwTX8N7pH7oIRH2RcmXDkJu4ULi96qfd_eK_kFlTi89bCzvdJseKB4JHVvlmoWom5hWwkMO98yaJ6eKmvKBy3wv0b5ocpV4DPTX2q5A1YyLyT7k35oNo5iRm3q7QCuRhxxJYAzY/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos courtesy of We Run Huntsville</td></tr>
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<b>Second Half--Quick Changes: </b>9:04, 9:09, 9:00, 8:52, 9:06, 9:05, 9:01, 9:11, 8:48, 8:51, 9:02, 11:52 (Mile 26 and .2)</div>
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Mile 15 takes you on a long straight section on 9th Avenue, parallel to Interstate I-565 and close enough to see the cars whizzing by. This section is pretty boring, but I like it because I know my favorite spot--the Space and Rocket Center--is coming up. As I was running this section next to Christy she suddenly said, "Katie, I'm going to have to walk for a bit." Before I knew what was happening, she had fallen back and I was the only pacer. This is the hard part of pacing--you have to stay on pace. I couldn't wait on her or stop and ask her if she was okay. I had to go on. I'm realizing all of this in my head and holding up my pacer sign high, hoping she could see it from where she was, when I felt someone hit my sign. It was Marty, holding Christy's sign! I was relieved that he had taken her sign but disappointed because I knew that meant she wasn't coming back with us.<br />
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As we headed into the Space and Rocket Center (you go around their parking lot and then through the Rocket Park behind the museum), I distracted myself with some songs in my head (I liked "Eye of the Tiger" by Katy Perry and "I Know I Can" by Nas today!). I was more concerned about pace than I was before because Christy wasn't with me and she had a Garmin (I only had my stop watch). It's easy to feel a pace when you are fresh, but as you tire it gets harder to judge pace based on feel alone! I made sure to look for photographers near the rockets--they make great backdrops for the Rocket City Marathon! <br />
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I loved the section where we run behind the Space and Rocket Center on a gravel trail, and I love the Botanical Gardens (we were welcomed into this section by a lady in a huge butterfly costume who was dancing--awesome!). As I left the Gardens, I was given a baggie filled with ice water which felt so good and cool. I held it in my hand, put it on my head and face, and then poured it into my water bottle to drink. I'm holding the baggie in the picture below.</div>
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I had been eating Gu (they offered it at several aid stations along the course--not just the 3 places listed at packet pickup), some chews, orange slices, and a pretzel offered to me along the course. I'd also had lots of water and Gatorade. Taking my second dose of Advil around Mile 15 was a crucial move for me since I'd had lots of leg pain/cramping in Columbus. </div>
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The last 5K of the race went well, and it was hard to hold back from running faster. Marty and I still wanted to be on pace. He and his friend plus a few people here and there were the only ones still at our pace. We passed many people walking by this point and left many people too. I don't normally drink while I run, but I took a beer offered around Mile 23 and enjoyed the excited cheers from the Hashers.</div>
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I knew we were well under pace as we approached the finish line, so I slowed for the last mile + .2 though Marty went ahead. I wanted to be close to 3:59. This picture shows how wet my hair was--from sweat and the water I'd been throwing on my head at every aid station! I am in the finisher's tunnel here, only feet away from the finish inside the VBC.</div>
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I love our finish line! I could hear and see the people cheering. If you enlarge this picture, I like how there is a man in the background just smiling at me as I finish. People were saying, "Good job, right on pace." My official time was 3:58:29 (chip).</div>
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I grabbed my mylar blanket and medal from the volunteers and headed to get food. Three people came up to thank me for pacing them at the end! Chicken noodle soup sounded delicious and salty so I took some. I sat down to watch the finishers and eat a little. I knew I didn't have long because I needed to get back to my kids. </div>
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<b>Reflection</b></div>
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Only 5 weeks after my last marathon which was a real low for me, I ran right on pace today and felt good for the entire race. Since the weather conditions were similar, I think the experience I had at Columbus helped prepare me for today. I dealt with the warm temperatures better than I might have without my Columbus race. <br />
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My fellow pacer, Christy, finished in 4:10 and did amazing dealing with nausea but still pressing on. Seeing Marty take her sign left me with a feeling of appreciation for our team and for what we do for each other. Our Huntsville community of runners is like no other! <br />
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I learned about pacing and came to a new appreciation for this task. Feeling responsible for the pace group helped me to stay on pace through some of my lower points towards the end of the marathon. I felt an obligation to the runners who were counting on us. <br />
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I also learned not to be so hard on myself about the past years' pacing experiences. We all are doing the best we can, learning and running and pacing. Today things came together for me, but I know that it would have been okay if they hadn't. </div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-58338985003338140852015-12-11T12:28:00.002-08:002015-12-11T12:28:59.570-08:00In the NewsA friend shared <a href="http://greatist.com/move/best-races-every-state">this</a> link with me and said she recognized me! It's an article about The 50 Best Races in America. Rocket City is listed and has a picture of Rick and me at Rocket City in 2012, the year we paced together. Here's the picture:<br />
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<br />Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-4130187888449934132015-12-07T12:32:00.002-08:002015-12-09T12:37:02.218-08:00Pacer Recaps: I've Learned LOTS<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Rocket City Marathon Pacer Years and Paces</b></div>
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<a href="http://howwerollkatiesblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/nearly-hitting-target-in-my-rocket-city.html">2010</a> 4:15 pacer<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLBnPyDe_33P5Ubm5Q0rI19jqoMRR2E1AI0u0dxuTiGjmyYipQYjHdHMDhMIG6uIA1mWBplldjUpO3OC0s8S92DZnWeQakIzK9B8YDiGDMFZglGdml7mGwjC_0f_5dStRYdz7gkv3uHo/s1600/2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLBnPyDe_33P5Ubm5Q0rI19jqoMRR2E1AI0u0dxuTiGjmyYipQYjHdHMDhMIG6uIA1mWBplldjUpO3OC0s8S92DZnWeQakIzK9B8YDiGDMFZglGdml7mGwjC_0f_5dStRYdz7gkv3uHo/s320/2010.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://howwerollkatiesblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/pacing-attempt-2.html">2011</a> 3:55 pacer<br />
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<a href="http://howwerollkatiesblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/rocket-city-marathon-2012-race-report.html">2012</a> 3:45 pacer<br />
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<a href="http://howwerollkatiesblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/marathon-31-done-whew.html">2014</a> 4:10 pacer<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPBJzeicUlhbwuz4Ez_utRXTUBTyMi6CJvBmx34yU58xsU8MyukyE6WcinHK-qGaPetP0AgGT3prGus1qxrC_Vn_NckSMlsm6E-XO3LmmLEB-VzUk7z83qGidkai7z1F7xj1qJvk_NBc/s1600/1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPBJzeicUlhbwuz4Ez_utRXTUBTyMi6CJvBmx34yU58xsU8MyukyE6WcinHK-qGaPetP0AgGT3prGus1qxrC_Vn_NckSMlsm6E-XO3LmmLEB-VzUk7z83qGidkai7z1F7xj1qJvk_NBc/s320/1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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2015 4:00 pacer--this Saturday!<br />
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This Saturday, I'll be attempting the task of pacer for my 5th time. Pacing is all about when you finish. It is best to be right under pace (15-30 seconds under) and never over even by 1 second! In 2010 I finished too slow, and in 2011 I was too fast. Pacing was new and challenging to me. Plus I was running alone (now we have 2 pacers per group which helps me a lot). I wasn't using my key tool that I recommend to anyone wanting to run a certain pace: a pace bracelet. The bracelet (I tape mine to my pacer sign) will tell you the pace you should have for each mile. This is crucial! If only I had known this. I mistakenly thought that the Garmin (with overall and lap pace) would be all I needed. Wrong. You will probably run OVER the marathon distance, so over relying on the Garmin will only mess you up.<br />
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With Rick's help in 2012, we ran an awesome race and finished perfectly. In 2014, I also repeated a well-paced run (I never did the race recap for that marathon, oh well). <br />
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I liked rereading these because I can see how far I've come. This task should feel easy to me on Saturday. I'm trained, I know how to pace, and I've got a fellow teammate to help me with the group. <br />
More later!Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-34677427691869277782015-11-23T13:29:00.002-08:002016-07-16T13:38:42.218-07:00Family Fun at the Krispy Kreme Challenge, 2 Pi K, Autumn Chase, and Monte Sano 5 and 10 K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Running is a sport for our entire family. We don't push our kids to participate in runs, but the older 2 (9 and 8 years old) are beginning to really enjoy it and ask to run races! The baby is doing great just tagging along too. Here are some of the things we've all been up to lately.</div>
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<b>Krispy Kreme Challenge</b></div>
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My family participated in the UCP Krispy Kreme Challenge on Saturday, November 21. This was our first year to go as a team. Our challenge was to run 2 miles to Krispy Kreme, together finish a dozen donuts, and run back 2 miles to the finish. </div>
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Since my daughter is only 8, she hadn't run 4 miles in a race yet. This was her first time. She told me she wanted to try it, so I went ahead and signed her up. She was so cute and was coming up with a time goal before the race (by multiplying her 1 mile time by 4, which I told her is not how it works!). We were not concerned about our times today, but she seems very goal-driven. She doesn't like to eat and run, so for fun we called the baby her "sub" for the eating part of the challenge. </div>
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My son who's 9 has run this race the last 2 years with me. After carefully reading about the prohibited items and not seeing anything about a jogging stroller, my husband and I agreed that the baby could come and be pushed by Rick during the race.</div>
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The kids sprinted ahead of us at the start. We were in the back with the stroller.</div>
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My son and I finished the first 2 mile run and waited for Rick and the girls to come to the KK parking lot. We had our box of doughnuts waiting. </div>
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We ate all the doughnuts! What an fun way to bond as a family!</div>
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Our doughnut totals:</div>
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Rick: 5, Our son: 4, me: almost 3, the baby: 4 bites of mine </div>
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Then we ran back to the finish line. All of us ran the entire race! The baby doesn't look fazed at all about the run. She loves the stroller! We received green finisher's shirts and were happy to accept another couple of boxes of doughnuts to take home as the race ended (if you do this race, they give away lots of boxes of doughnuts after the Doughnut Eating Contest, so stay and claim some if you haven't had your fill yet!).</div>
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<b>2 Pi K Race</b></div>
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Here is a picture from back on October 7 at the 2 Pi K Race. This is a small race on the Redstone Arsenal one day after work. My son and I ran this race together while the rest of our family watched. He did great and ran the entire thing (2 Pi K is 6.3 K which is just about 4 miles). I finished first place female and then put the baby (who was missing her Mommy) on my back. She and I came up to receive my award. </div>
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<b>Autumn Chase</b></div>
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This is a family picture from the Autumn Chase races. We always have fun at these races. My kids run, and Rick and I volunteer. They chose to use this picture as the cover of the HTC newsletter for this quarter. It was such a special surprise for all of us!</div>
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<b>Monte Sano 5 and 10 K</b></div>
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We all volunteered at the Monte Sano 5 and 10 K back on September 5. </div>
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I love the picture of all of us!</div>
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<br />Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-17798262303822762972015-11-12T13:32:00.001-08:002015-11-24T11:11:14.876-08:00Soldier Marathon 2015 Race Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Friday, November 6, 2015</b></div>
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My family left Madison, AL and headed to Columbus, GA at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2015. The drive was about 4 hours (but we lost an hour on the way). We arrived at the packet pickup at the National Infantry Museum right around 5:00 p.m. their time. The museum was closed, but we were able to look around outside and to see the Avenue of Flags and their Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall. We watched a kids' marathon there that looked like a lot of fun. We headed to our hotel (about 15 minutes away) and grabbed Panda Express for dinner on the way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzASy01u7myEKfsSTE6wP_Ct9V4RRGAXct5W93HDk12vN_b-9UKv-Uaq7MJgaizuM59SRLLY6TWW1TY5MifvxEm4Hh4hVu_LcxblXNVae1_ucyJmyYH_SCCpMzmIzEulGrgLPncvTllWQ/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzASy01u7myEKfsSTE6wP_Ct9V4RRGAXct5W93HDk12vN_b-9UKv-Uaq7MJgaizuM59SRLLY6TWW1TY5MifvxEm4Hh4hVu_LcxblXNVae1_ucyJmyYH_SCCpMzmIzEulGrgLPncvTllWQ/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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I am standing in the Avenue of Flags. The start/finish area is behind me. </div>
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The <span style="text-align: left;">Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall</span> is to the far left in this picture.</div>
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<b>Saturday, November 7</b></div>
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We woke up early (I was up at 5:45 a.m., which felt like 4:45 our time). Well, I was actually up most of the night. Our baby was in a pack and play for the first time ever (she's 16.5 months and this is her first overnight trip). She did well until 4 a.m. when she woke up crying. I was already up tossing and turning, so I nursed her and kept her in our bed. At 5:45, I was relieved to be able to finally get up, shower, and prepare for the race. We woke up the kids at 6:15 and were in the car around 6:35 a.m. <br />
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Traffic to get to the marathon was heavy and at an almost standstill. The race started at 7:30, and at 7:15 I was still in the car a 1/2 mile away and not moving! Finally, we pulled into a parking lot and I raced to the start. Rick ran up behind me with the kids as I was walking and trying to scarf down a Honey Stringer waffle. He served as my "gear check," so no need for a checked bag! When I think of Rick, I am reminded of this quote by Daniel Bennett from the Soldier Marathon FB page: "I encourage you to play an active role in enhancing someone else's participatory experience." Rick, who is usually at my side as a fellow runner, was injured and unable to run today, so instead he was my biggest fan and supporter. For someone who's used to not having any support on my marathons, knowing that Rick and the kids were there meant so much to me. <br />
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I tucked in with the runners at the 8:00 pace sign and waited about 10 minutes until the race began. It was a close call, but I'd made it! As I waited for the start, I looked down and noticed a mosquito bite on my leg. The conditions here today were humid and warm (70's). The area was swamp-like, with Spanish moss on the trees and even an alligator habitat along the course near the river! With a cannon's loud "BOOM!," the race began.<br />
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<b>First Half: Right on Pace</b><br />
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7:36, 7:42, 8:04, 7:52, 8:04, 8:10, 8:06, 7:54, 8:06, 8:14, 8:14, 8:03, 8:08</div>
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I saw the 3:25 pacer ahead of me as the race began, and our first couple of miles were a tad fast. No congestion at the start was nice (The marathon had around 500 finishers, but the half started with us with almost 1,000 finishers. There was also a 5K which started right after our start). I was running with only a stopwatch and no Garmin, so I had trouble judging my pace at the beginning but was aiming to stay at 8:00 the entire race. Mile 2 held Drill Hill, complete with a drill sergeant barking at us to go faster up the hill! </div>
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This part of the course led us around Fort Benning, so we saw lots of the army housing and soldiers stationed at frequent intervals. I felt pretty warm, but I was still feeling like the running was easy. I had a chocolate Gu offered in Mile 6 and a salted caramel one at Mile 10, and I poured water on my head at every water station, hoping to cool off a bit. I made it through the first half perfectly paced for a 3:30 (half split was 1:45).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsMvpAoGQPQczc3eY9FqeQf97Gi-1cYZUAKKRV5svOBD5T_sek97xQz_OvnvJ9Iauz3xMobILivJulZilk6cA29LOs7UlPFrQmoH81i8x1FhP_5bSk2MDE8rYx8bb1Fxivq5bF2k50vY/s1600/7.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsMvpAoGQPQczc3eY9FqeQf97Gi-1cYZUAKKRV5svOBD5T_sek97xQz_OvnvJ9Iauz3xMobILivJulZilk6cA29LOs7UlPFrQmoH81i8x1FhP_5bSk2MDE8rYx8bb1Fxivq5bF2k50vY/s320/7.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of FB Soldier Marathon site</td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: start;">Second Half: Let the Excuses Begin</b></div>
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8:45, 8:49, 9:33, 9;04, 9:12, 10:33, 17:51 (OUCH!), 10:14, 9:07, 12:15, 9:17, 9:33, 10:49 (1+.2)</div>
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We ran a lot of miles on the Riverwalk by the Chattahoochee River. It was so pretty with all of the water and the changing leaves. It was such a relief to not have rain (they'd predicted thunderstorms and even posted a severe weather policy on their FB site in case a delay or cancellation was needed). I told myself to enjoy this day and the opportunity I had to run. It was a little lonely for the early teens and I began to wish I had brought music (something I never use in marathons). </div>
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I began to know that I would not be able to get the 3:30 right after I finished Mile 13. I just knew I didn't have it in me today. It was easy to list the odds stacked up against me in this race: stomach bug over the last 2 weeks and no appetite or energy, Rick being on travel while I cared for all of the kids while they were sick, not well hydrated since my stomach had still not been taking liquids well, more frequent nursing from my sick baby, lack of sleep the night before the race, endless chaffing along my bra seams that I cannot seem to stop, and warm conditions. I'd also gotten this weird feeling in my right ear, just like what you get when you swim and water gets in your ear. I've had this happen only once before, on a hot long run. This wasn't good. But this was my chance! Couldn't I push through all of this? Wasn't I tougher?</div>
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Seeing Rick and the kids at Mile 15 was a highlight of my race, but it also made me want to stop and quit. I wanted Rick to drive me back to the hotel and just call it a day. </div>
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Here I am when Rick and kids saw me at Mile 15.</div>
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What Rick didn't see was me crouching down on the grass near the street shortly after I'd left him. I knew I could not hold my pace anymore, and I looked back at them longingly, wanting to go back to them and drop out. When I finally made it to Mile 16, I was surprised that even with my stop that mile was only 9:33. </div>
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We passed some type of barbecue festival to our right as we ran near the city, and we ran through a marching band at one point! I'm not sure why they were on our course? I also remember running through lots of parking lots with uneven footing and feeling a little confused about where to go for some of the course. I was struggling to maintain 9:00 miles. </div>
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When I saw Rick at Mile 20, it was another surprise for me! I didn't except to see him at either place along the course. How I wanted to just stop! I shouted, "Expect me in 3:45 or slower!" He knew what this meant. I was now just running to finish. I had officially tossed my goal out of the window.</div>
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After I left my cheering crew, I just gave up. I stopped, crouched to relieve some of my legs' soreness, and began to walk. Mile 20 was 17:51--one of my slowest marathon miles ever. I texted Rick, "Talk me out of the DNF," to which he wrote back a flurry of inspiration and also started tracking me with my phone. He wrote, "You aren't a quitter. That is not who you are. You are tough! You finish what you start. Finish this thing!" </div>
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Shortly after that, I came to an aid station that some man had set up (I don't think it was an official one). He had all sorts of stuff, and I stopped to fill up my water bottle (which I carried because of the warm conditions). I asked if he had Advil, and he did! So I took 2. I told him my legs were really tight, so he offered me some pretzels to give me the salt I would need to hopefully avoid cramping. I continued on, thankful for that wonderful stop. I ate some caffeinated Sportsbeans and did some walking over the next few miles, knowing that now even the 3:45 time was gone. Then the 3:50. When I got to Mile 23, I knew I had 32 minutes left to get a sub 4, so I ran as much as I could for those 3 miles, and they were all sub 10 which felt like a victory for me.</div>
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Finally, we were on the last mile, a long, straight stretch on Lumpkin Road (the same road we drove in on that morning in the standstill traffic). So I knew I had a long way to go as I chugged along. Then, I got to turn the corner and could see the finish! I knew I was almost done. I heard a guy shouting about finishing sub 4, and I sprinted to the finish line. I saw my family cheering for me! I finished in 3:59:26 (chip time), 81/523.</div>
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I grabbed food and immediately went to lay down in the field behind the finish line. The Planet Pop they gave me was delicious! I also had water and a Diet Coke! After cleaning up a little, I walked through the National Infantry Museum (seemed odd that they were letting us walk through it all sweaty, but this was our chance so we took it).</div>
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From a news article I found online, which validated my thoughts that the warm conditions played a part in the way my race turned out today:</div>
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More than 2,000 runners participated in the Sixth Annual Soldier Marathon on Saturday. Race director Cecil Cheves said this marathon is an opportunity for the community to give back to the military community.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 28.8px;">This year, the humidity was the highest it has ever been during a Soldier Marathon, which experts said added 10 to 15 minutes to a runner’s time. </span></div>
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My feet were so water-logged when I got back to the hotel, so I had one of the kids snap this picture.</div>
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And where do you put smelly, wet shoes when your toddler wants to wear everyone's shoes? Why, on the lamp way up high over her head, of course.</div>
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We headed back to the Chattahoochee River to see the urban whitewater rapids at this place called the Island, shopped at a mall briefly, ate Firehouse subs for a late lunch/early dinner, watched lots of cable t.v. (luxury to us non-cable people!), and grabbed more popsicles at Planet Pop that night. The next day, we headed to Auburn to tour my alma mater. The rain they had forecasted for race day came a day late, and we all ended up wet.</div>
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<b>Final Thoughts</b></div>
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Even though I did not get my time at this race, it still marked the return of something I love to do: traveling the country and running marathons. As I do more and more of these and get older and older, I am sure I will have many more races that don't go my way---and hopefully a few that do. It is the hope of these "mountain-top" marathon moments that keeps us coming back for more. I am so thankful to be able to race, and I have to take the good with the bad. No, it was not my day out there, but I pray that there will be other opportunities. </div>
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I plan to pace the 4:00 group at the Rocket City Marathon next month. I will hopefully be able to get within seconds of the time I got in the Soldier Marathon, with a much differently paced race, of course.</div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-13566759202750224852015-11-09T14:06:00.000-08:002015-11-09T14:06:03.599-08:00Soldier Marathon Quick Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So this is not the time I wanted, but I am still pretty happy with the finish. I had a lot of negative self-talk in this race and honestly almost dropped out several times. It's why I love the marathon so much---it takes you to your highest highs in some races and your lowest lows in others. It's such a roller coaster and you never know what you will find when you start the race. I'm done with Marathon #32 and still have much to learn about me AND this distance. More later!</div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-77392130900941362992015-11-03T12:06:00.001-08:002015-11-03T18:38:25.880-08:00Tapering--Marathon this Saturday!Well, as they say, the hay's in the barn. I finished Hal Higdon's Advanced 1 Marathon Training Program for this Saturday's marathon! I only have 2 rest days and a Friday 2 miler to go! I guess I'd give myself a grade of a B for this training. I dug deep for dark solo long runs starting at 3:30 a.m., and I ran 10 mile pace runs with the stroller. But I got to where I could not do the middle of the week "hard" run (either hills, tempo, or speedwork), so I started to skip it. I did that at least 4 times for various reasons (isn't it easy to find an excuse when you really don't want to do something?). I did finish the last speedwork today and nailed it (4x400s), but the thoughts of doubt still loom in my head from the missed workouts.<br />
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Then this past week my whole family has had the stomach bug! I was planning on doing some core work with Jillian Michael's DVDs, but when the bug hit me a week ago I lost my appetite for days and had no energy. I played around with some of the mileage for the first week of the taper, fitting in short runs when I felt well enough to do them, skipping them when I did not. I could not even look at the healthy food I had bought to eat and instead ate Saltines and drank Gatorade. Now with only 4 days to go, I am trying to hydrate and resume eating. <br />
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Then there's the weather report--lots of rain forecast for Columbus, GA the morning of the marathon. Time for me to start mentally preparing for running in the rain. I remain hopeful that I can meet my goal, but I also know that there are a lot of things I can't control, and this is one of them. <br />
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More after the race!Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-66322473552592841172015-10-15T11:59:00.000-07:002016-07-16T13:40:38.526-07:00Taper Time is Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Picture from the Autumn Chase Run (free one mile races for elementary kids). Our team paces these races each year.</div>
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Today was my last 20 miler in this marathon training cycle. It went very well (best of the 3 I've done--8:40ish pace and was aiming for 9:00s) and yesterday's 10 mile pace run did also. I will be running in the Soldier Marathon in 3 weeks. Starting at 3:30 a.m. is really not fun but I kept telling myself that I get to reap the benefits when it's over. And no more long runs now! </div>
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I used today's run to think about a big test I will take tomorrow for elementary teaching (reinstating my certificate). I broke the run into 4 5-mile segments and kind of "pep talked" myself for each of the four segments of the test (English, Math, Science, Social Studies). It gave me something to do and reminded me that visualization is good for testing but especially for marathoning. Now I plan to do the same thing to get myself ready for the marathon. I'll picture myself being successful race day, go back and reread previous blog entries, and remind myself of all of the training I've done to get here. Back to some last minute studying now!</div>
Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-56030570178593992172015-09-24T12:57:00.001-07:002015-10-01T12:56:32.775-07:00Marathon Training UpdateI'm on Week 12 of training, and it's still going okay. Yesterday I ran the 6 pace miles (8:00 pace) while pushing the single stroller with my baby. It felt hard, but I expected it to since I'm not used to pushing her. Today was a 12 mile run, and I ran it with some friends. Next week is another high mileage week, one of the toughest in the plan. My last 20 miler was sub-9:00, but it felt super hard for me and I was so tired afterwards. I can tell that I am getting stronger, but each run is still hard and tiring. The early morning runs are getting to me too; for the last 20 miler a friend met me at 3:20 a.m. to start running. It's peaceful at that hour and okay with a headlamp, but it's also so crazy!<br />
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I don't have a marathon anymore though! My husband and running partner is injured. I feel NO motivation without him training side by side with me (We don't actually train together, but I always like knowing he is doing nearly identical training to me)! I keep training, but now I am second-guessing doing a marathon in November. We had not actually registered for the one we wanted to do in IN. I may do one in Columbus, GA since it is closer than IN. Or I may just hold off training and then resume training for Rocket City in mid-December. </div>
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Later this afternoon, my kids will run the annual fun run here in town that is free for all elementary students. I grew up going and love taking them to it too. </div>
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Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-20474431370022303452015-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:002015-08-14T16:02:41.150-07:00Hal Higdon Advanced 1 Training Weeks 1-6I am training for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on November 6, 2015, and I am 6 weeks into the program. It feels wonderful to be pushing myself for the first time since becoming pregnant with the baby (who is now almost 14 months). I picked Hal Higdon's Advanced 1 training program since I've used it before with good results. <br />
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I found it hard to select a time goal. I paced a 4:10 group last December for the Rocket City Marathon which felt very hard at the time. Before that, I had run the 2013 Monumental Marathon at 7.5 weeks pregnant in 3:32. It seemed more logical to go with that time even though the 4:10 was more recent. So based on my time in this race 2 years ago, I plan to train for a 3:30 time this year. This time is still nearly 20 minutes off of my PR, but I feel that it will be a realistic time goal given my current physical state.<br />
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I finished Week 6 this week with a few challenges. Fitting in the early morning runs before getting my shower, nursing the baby, and now walking the big kids to school at 7:20 a.m. (they started back on August 5--so early!) is tricky. Plus my husband, Rick, is also training, so I have to fit my runs around his. Some days I have only exactly enough time to run my distance, so we pass each other at our garage door, he heading in and me heading out. Some days when he's out running, I run laps around the front of my house (these are usually my 3-4 mile runs). I've also started waking up much earlier (as early as 3:30 a.m.), but I anticipate I may have to get up even earlier as the weeks go on in order to fit in the long runs. I'm sure these things aren't really anything new to most of you too. It's just an adjustment for me to be taking training more seriously now. <br />
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Another challenge is trying to fit in group long runs (which I enjoy) with my solo pace runs. Hal frequently calls for a pace run before the long run. The purpose of the pace runs is to get used to running the pace you will be maintaining race day--holding the pace consistently through a series of miles. These runs start at 5 miles and go up to 10 miles. The long run follows the next day so that you are running on somewhat fatigued legs. The long run is 30-90 seconds off of your goal pace time. It starts at 10 miles and builds to 3 20-mile runs during the 18 weeks of training. I normally complete these on Thursday (pace) and Friday (long). <br />
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This week it worked best for me to do my long run with my group on Thursday, meaning Friday (today) was left for a pace run. The group did 13 miles yesterday. My plan only called for 10 miles, but I ran the whole distance with them at just under a 9:00 pace. Today I had to run 7 miles at an 8:00 pace (my goal pace for a 3:30 marathon). I struggled through these miles and saw the reason for the order of these 2 runs! Trying to hold the challenging 8:00 pace was much harder with my tired legs from yesterday's long run! Remember, I am still getting back from pregnancy. I feel much weaker where I once felt strength. Today's run reminded me that I am not back yet. <br />
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Something that helped me today was the Apollo 13 quote, "Failure is not an option." I don't know why I thought of it today, but thankfully I did. I had started my run with an 8:26 mile, feeling so tired and needing a warm up (but not having left time in my morning for a proper one). I played a mental game of trying to "make back" the extra 26 seconds over the next 6 miles. I don't have my data in front of me, but I think the rest of the miles were 8:00, 7:58, 7:59, 7:48, 8:00, and 7:34, so I easily made up for the slower first mile to finish under 8:00 for the entire run. Thinking that "failure is not an option" pushed me to keep each mile on pace even though I was so tired. You might think that one run in an 18 week plan doesn't matter, but I beg to differ. Once you start letting yourself "cheat," you are only really cheating yourself! I also learned this week to really trust the training plan. There is a reason for the specific order of each run. Do your best to stick with that order if possible.Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6458829972471193818.post-20395416556896679312015-07-30T14:27:00.000-07:002015-07-31T06:49:09.684-07:00I Love America 5K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
5K Improvement!</div>
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I got a 21:23 at the Cotton Row Run 5K back on May 25. That was the exact same time I had gotten back in October at the Spooktacular 5K. I was a little bummed that I hadn't improved at all since then, but honestly I should not expect more right now. I haven't been doing any speedwork or any type of 5K training. Getting back to sub 20 is going to take some work. </div>
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I decided to push myself and try for a sub-21 at the I Love America 5K. I had a comp entry for the race, and most of my team was at another Fourth of July race. No reason not to just go for it even though these 5K races are HARD for me right now. We had a nice cooler day with some rain in the morning, and fellow teammate Alison and I set up the finish line arch before the race. </div>
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I was able to a get a first place female finish and a time of 20:59 (sub-21, I'll take it!). I didn't record my splits, but I did use a Garmin since I've been starting too fast in 5Ks and can't hold my pace. Today I went for sub 7 miles, trying to stay a little more consistent for all 3 miles. A high school girl was right behind me and finished only seconds behind me!</div>
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It felt so good to break that barrier of 21 minutes--with a time of 20:59 which would once be "slow" for me! I have a long way to go, but this race did wonders for my self confidence. </div>
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I am now in marathon training mode! 4 weeks into Hal Higdon's Advanced 1 going for a 3:30 in the Indianapolis Marathon in November. I did a 6 mile pace run today (8:00 pace, last mile was 7:30!). Faster runs are starting to feel good, and I am so happy about that! I'm also working on dropping the last of the baby weight. I will write more about that later if I find the time!</div>
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The race start </div>
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Nearing the finish!</div>
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*Note: The results say I finished in 20:17, but that is not my time. Something messed up with the timing. </div>
<br />Katie Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627581154880689703noreply@blogger.com1