Grape Stomp 10K

So, I am in San Francisco this weekend speaking at a work conference and I caught a glimpse of a race in Livermore, about 45 minutes away in wine country.

I signed up.

Grabbed a rental car. Free upgrade to the convertible with the southern accent and charm.

Will be rocking the Grape Stomp 10K tomorrow morning through the winding valleys of beautiful Northern California... with FREE WINE TASTING at the finish.

Hell yeah.

How did a girl from KY end up with so many teeth?

One of my best pals got married a few weeks ago and I was thumbing through the proofs and realized what a cheeseball I am. I am the blonde gal (non-Bride) with the megawatt smile...

Can you tell I am concentrating on not getting my heel stuck in the mud?

Race for the Cure 5K- Race Report

It felt good to get out there again and run a race and just relaaaaaaax. I decided last night around 11:00 PM to run this morning and am so glad I did. Several of my friends were running in it so I thought, "What the hell?!?" I honestly had NOT RUN AT ALL since the Chicago Marathon so I wasn't really looking to PR or kill myself. I thought it would be a fun day to get out there, wear running shoes for the first time after my blood blister healed, and be with my friends while they ran their first race leading up to the Kiawah Half that I talked them into doing.

I kept snoozing this morning, finally getting out of bed at 7:00 AM and scooting across town to Daniel Island, the site of the race. I was registered, pinned, and ready to roll by 7:45 AM which meant I had plenty of time before the 9:00 AM gun. Of course, the race got started late (just like last year) and we finally got going around 9:15 AM.

It had started to get a little hot by that point... maybe 76 degrees? Sunny. No shade. Kinda reminds me of... naaaah.... it was nowhere as bad as that. The water stations at miles 1 and 2 were equipped and well-manned. That was nice. I appreciate that more now.

I also forgot what it is like to run local 5Ks and how people do not really practice race ettiquette-starting at the front of the pack and walking, forming a line across the street, and other pet peeves of mine.

I have been running at a 11:00-11:30 min/mile pace for marathon training so I picked it up a little bit this morning and tried to stay at a 10 min/mile pace or just below. I came up on one of my friends around 2.5 miles into the race and she looked like she was struggling after going out too fast. I jogged with her for about 2/10ths of a mile before she waved me on. I was proud of her for running the whole thing as she has been taking walk breaks while training. They all kicked butt!

My final chip time? 31:38... about a 10:15 min/mile pace. 3+ min slower than my time last year although I have to remind myself I have not been training for shorter distances. I will get there.

Next race is in 2 weeks- the James Island Connector. I am then pushing on with the Folly Beach 10 miler the following week before getting into the longest of my half marathon training runs.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

At the 11th hour... I decide...

I am running tomorrow! I decided to lace up for the Charleston Race for the Cure 5K... and I am excited! At least it is fairly hard to screw up pre-race prep for a 5K... and believe you me... I have tried. Bad bad bad Tiff- several accounts earlier this year when I was partying til the wee hours before the races and popping GUs chased by Bailey's on the way to the start line. Oh how I have matured. HA.

Speaking of weird stuff... what the hell was that unmarked vial of crap they put in our race bags in Chicago? The vial just reads, "Take One Daily" with no insert, no additional info, etc. I jokingly stated that we should take, "A Vial a Mile" and my friends' parents put this on their signs at the marathon when they were cheering us on. Perhaps we could have saved the race if everyone had just taken their vial.

A vial a mile.

I might just pop that vial tomorrow and see what happens!

Stay tuned.

Racing? Or Blackjack?

The Race for the Cure 5K is this Saturday... I am debating running it for fun just to see how super slow I have gotten from marathon training. My time last year was 28:30 but I am betting my time this year will be more like 1:28:30.

Or I could just go up and hit the gambling boat in Myrtle Beach that morning.

Doing great!

I have felt wonderful the last week. Ironically, I have not run at all... mostly because I have not been able to wear any type of shoe besides a flip flop or slide due to my enormous blood blister on the back of my foot... and running barefoot just ain't my thang.

I have traveled about 13,000 miles in the air since my breakup with the Chicago Marathon, drank a lot of bourbon and beer, smoked some cigars, and finally got over it. I decided to rev up my training slowly again with a couple 5Ks, 10Ks, a 10 miler, and half marathon this fall...and run a marathon in February. That is the right decision for me right now... cause I love racing!

And you know what?

I am going running tomorrow morning and I can't wait.

Back to the grindstone!

So, I am back on the road for work...

Today-Thursday- Kansas City
Thursday-Friday- back to Charleston
Friday-Monday- Los Angeles
Tuesday-Wednesday- Dallas
Thursday-Friday- NYC

Yeah, I am definitely back on the travelin' wagon. At least it takes my mind off other things...

Which leads me to...

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to each and every one of you that offered positive insight, encouraging words, and other support after Chicago. It means so much to me.

Stay tuned though... this girl is only getting started.

Chicago: The Aftermath

Geez, it is hot in Atlanta. Almost as hot as Chicago in October.

I had to do that.

I have to laugh.

So, yesterday sucked. I spent A LOT of money on an 18 mile training run through crappy heat... although I did get more crowd support than I am used to on my training runs :)

I trained for months, ran hundreds of miles, came all the way to Chicago, and then got stopped from finishing. Perhaps it was not meant to be? Perhaps God was trying to teach me something as I was puking my guts out in front of medical guy Bill at the medical tent near mile 15 or 16. What that was... I don't know. Nice guy that Bill. If he was about 40 years younger and single... it could have been a match made in heaven... or in this case... hell.

Today is a new day.

I am sitting in a comfy reclining chair in the Atlanta Crown Room listening to Sirius satellite radio and debating my next move. Part of me wants to shoot for COMPLETING a marathon in the next couple months while my training base is built. Part of me wants to say "Screw it!" and just enjoy some fun local races and do the Kiawah Half on December 8th and possible Myrtle Beach Marathon in February. Part of me wants to do a switch-a-roo and change my Kiawah half to the full. Part of me just wants to drink beer and take up bowling.

What's a girl to do?

I am with all you other Chicago runners in heart and soul. Congrats to the awesome finishers!! (OK, the only ones coming to mind are Shore Turtle who kicked ass with a 4:13 finish... and Out of Shape Guy who is rocking NY in a couple weeks) The rest of us- thanks for the drinks last night. We should have just ditched that damn race and started at the bar.

I don't know about yall...

but I have never had a problem running a One Mile Fun Run due to heat and I don't think they have ever cut one of those short.

I am sticking with those from now on...

On to the bar!

P.S. I am chalking today up as a very, very, very expensive 18 mile training run.

I don't know what to say

Today was one of the worst experiences of my life. I ran my first marathon. I spent a good 20 minutes at the medical tent at mile 16, throwing up water, gatorade, Accelerade, GU, and anything else I had in my stomach. Temperatures were pushing 90 degrees with no refuge from the hot sun. Aid stations were out of water. It was miserable.

I got back on the road after covering 18 miles in a little over four hours... feeling like I could eek out another 8 sllllow miles.

Or not.

The race was stopped at that point by the medical director due to the heat and I had to walk back to Grant Park. They gave me a medal but I don't really feel like I deserve it. The sound of ambulances is still in my ears... people dropping like flies. Medical tent hoppin'.

I am so disappointed. Sad. Tired. Dehydrated. I have cried and cried- I just wanted to be given the chance to finish, even if I had a horrible time. 10,000 other people signed up did not even show.

I do not know how I feel.

Marathon Eve...

Here I sit... calm, collected, starting to realize I will be running the marathon in about 11 hours. What a long, strange trip it's been! :)

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for your encouragement, support, and positive thoughts. There were definitely times I wanted to throw in the towel (20 mile runs alone?) and just reading others' experiences and thoughts really helped me through it.

My bib number is 17036- I will be running slllloooowwwwww.... my only real goal is to finish the race in one piece. After my return to running 18 months ago, I only wanted to be able to run our local 10K- the Cooper River Bridge Run. And now I am doing 20 more miles and running the Chicago Marathon. Dammmn- it feels good.

Well, here we go. If I ain't ready by now, I'm never gonna be ready.

Also, BEST OF LUCK to everyone else in BlogLand that is running tomorrow... I know you all have logged many miles and some are you are shooting for your ticket to Boston. Kick butt!

Let's do this!

Wooohooooo!!!

Well folks... it is nearing the big dance... the Chicago Marathon! I am not flying up there until Saturday morning but wanted to wish everyone and anyone best of luck and happy trails.

This is what we've been training for, folks.

Have fun :)

P.S. I wish I could write something inspirational, witty, and funny... but my Gamecocks are beating Kentucky right now and this is family PRIDE for the next year in my neck o' the woods.

More later...

Well, what can ya do?

I know... we have all been checking the weather reports in Chicago like 45,079 times a day (or that is just me?)

My Official Statement: I am holding out for cooler temps... I think Mother Nature's got it in her.

One thing is for sure- I would run this damn race if it was 120 degrees outside. We plan and train and do everything we can to prepare and one of the only things we can't control should not hold us down. Power to the people! Screw the weather!!! Let's revolt against the weather by breaking the world record marathon time set on Sunday- who is with me???? I can run a 2 hour, 4 minute marathon!!! (Well, maybe a half if I am lucky one day)

OK, no more caffeine in the afternoons.

OMG...it is only 4 days away!