2013 goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's going to be a snowy one here in Brookline.

I'm not big on New Year's Eve (which is why I'm staying in tonight) and I'm not big on New Year's resolutions. I've never really had anything I suddenly wanted to change on January 1st. This year, however, I do have some goals I'd like to accomplish. They aren't very big, but hopefully they are somewhat attainable and something I can work towards throughout 2013.

2013 Goals! 

1. Run faster - How do I quantify this? I'm not a very fast runner (but hey, I just started), but it's something I definitely want to work on. I ran my first 10K back in May with a time of 1:01:42. I'm convinced it's a fluke because I've never been able to run a 10K even close to that time afterwards. In fact, here are my other 10K times - 1:09:08, 1:04:42, 1:03:56, 1:08:40, and 1:07:33 (Wtf???). In 2013, I want to run a 10K in less than 1 hour. I want a 59:XX next to my name. Obviously, I would plan to improve my half marathon time as well.

2. Train for a half marathon - Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I trained for the Philadelphia Half Marathon, but did I really train? Not really. I skipped a lot of runs, and in the last month leading up to the race, I barely ran at all. No long runs, no short runs, no nothing. It's going to be different next time. I'm signed up for the Run to Remember on Memorial Day weekend. I'm going to write a training program and I'm gong to stick with it! It's a ways away, but I'm envisioning 1 short run with speed work, 1 short run with hills, and a long run on the weekends. That's doable right?

3. Blog more consistently - especially after races. Lynn (and everyone else), you won't have to wait until Valentines Day to read about our double turkey trot! Especially since there was a pretty badass medal involved.

4. Strength training - I'm pretty much all fat, no muscle (I had one of those body mass index tests done once. Let's just say, it wasn't pretty). #plankaday and arm muscles are the plan.

5. Watch more Grey's Anatomy - ha, just kidding. I watch PLENTY of Grey's Anatomy already. I also watch a lot of Scandal.

In other news, I'm running a New Year's Day 5K tomorrow. The weather tomorrow is forecasted to be a high of 30 and a low of 11. I've never really run in the cold before so good thing I got some new cold weather gear! Including a really awesome hat from City Sports with a hole for my ponytail! How cool is that? Here's what I plan to wear. 

Hopefully I don't slip on the ice and fall on my ass (and if I do, I'm sure I'll blog about it).

philadelphia marathon: race recap!

Pre-race
Wake up time: 5:30am. The race started at 7:00am (with my corral probably starting around 7:30am) so I wanted to get to the start line by 6:30am (I'm anal, I know). We stayed at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel, which was located in Rittenhouse Square...a little over a mile from the start line. It was really convenient to stay somewhere that did not require cabbing it in the morning.

My sister and I texted photos of what we were wearing to my mom so she would be able to easily find us in the crowds (Unfortunately, this did not work out as well as I had hoped because I decided to strip down to a tank top in 45 degree weather. What is wrong with me?!).

For breakfast I had a banana and half a cup of coffee from Wawa. No McDonalds breakfast sandwiches this time!

Ashley and I at the start line

After saying goodbye to Ashley, I headed towards the bag check. I don't normally check a bag, but I learned my lesson at the Tufts 10K and wanted to have some warm clothes for after the race. I forgot to bring a plastic bag or a drawstring backpack, which meant I had to check in my Longchamp purse. I must have looked like such an asshole. 

View from my corral. Good morning Philly!

I was in the blue corral, which was the very last corral. The half and full started and ran together for the first 13 miles, so there were both half marathoners and marathoners in my corral. I stood in front of the 5:30 pace group (2:45 half time) and wanted to try and stay ahead of them during the entire race.

The actual race
FIRST (and most importantly)...I high-fived Mayor Nutter at the start line! WOOT WOOT! The previous night I wrote as my Facebook status: I only have 2 goals for the Philly half marathon tomorrow: to finish (and get my medal) and to high five Mayor Nutter at the start line! #weonlyrunformedals. Lucky for me, I managed to make both these things happen!

The first 7 miles FLEW by. Irene and I started the race together and stayed together for the first 4-5 miles. Even though it was only 45 degrees, of course I managed to get hot ASAP and took off my half zip by mile 2...leaving me with just a tank top. I also managed to re-pin my bib while running (very slowly, #sotalented).

My mom snapped a photo of runners in Center City

I ran the first 7 miles without music. Just enjoyed the scenery and the crowds. Parts of Philadelphia are super cute! I loved running past Independence Hall, along the Delaware River, past old row houses in Old City and Queens Village, and of course South Street (a whole different story for a whole different day). I'm convinced they picked all the best parts for our run. Here's the course map. When we ran through Chinatown, I screamed to Irene, "Asians!!" I don't know what's wrong with me.

Mile 8 after crossing the Schuykill River, I put in my headphones and started zoning out to music. I was feeling great until I hit Mile 10.5. That's where my legs started to hurt...A LOT. I started to walk, mainly because it hurt too much to run. Clearly I should have trained more. Haha. Too late for that. I would run until I thought my legs would fall off, walk a bit, run again, walk a bit. I may have also texted my mom and sister a lot at this point. I really wanted to finish under 2:30 so when I saw the 5:00 marathon pace group coming up behind me (and pass me for a bit), I said fuck it, I need to run the rest of the way. I yanked out my headphones, listened to the crowd, and just tried to run as fast as I could (so not that fast).

Eventually, I made it to the finish line!! Ridiculously enough (the full and half finish across the same line), they were announcing 3 hour marathon finishers when I ran across the finish line. Crazy people!

I did it! I finished my first (and definitely not my last) half marathon! Who would have ever thought I would actually do this, considering that a year ago, I did not run at all (see my second blog post ever here).

The finish line! (in photos)

Everyone! (Irene, Ashley, Me, Lisa, Dave, Ranwei, Ranyee)

2 hours 27 minutes 54 seconds later...I'm done

Me and Irene (we ran the first 5 miles together)

Me, Lisa, Ranwei

Rha, Ashley, Me. Lisa

Me, my mom, Lisa

For some reason, I'm convinced I gained weight during the half marathon. How is this possible? My face and stomach definitely look a lot fatter than when I started.

And most importantly: our post-race meal...Federal Donuts! There are only 3 things on the menu - coffee, donuts, and fried chicken. This may have hindered my recovery and led to a strained hamstring (ok, maybe they are not connected). Whatever, it was so worth it.

I would totally run Philly again. Thank you for being mostly flat. See you in 2013!

philadelphia half marathon: rothman 8K + expo (sat)

I left Boston on the Amtrak at 9:30pm on Friday and arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday morning at 4:30am. I met up with my friend, Rha, at the train station and we cabbed it to my sister's apartment. I was rushing to finish my Corporations take home final (please don't ask why I was STILL working on it on Saturday morning) so that I could go watch the Rothman Institute's 8K!

This was Rha's first race! How exciting! She did an awesome job. Hopefully we can trick her into running more races in the future.

Afterwards we hit up the expo and got lots of free stuff (obviously). I love free water bottles, chapstick, and Geico gecko masks. What I don't love (but still take anyway because I have a free stuff problem) are 5 hour energy bottles, grocery bags, and bandaids.

I tried to find a long sleeve t shirt to wear during the race, but no such luck. I couldn't find any that I liked (this turned out not to be a problem because apparently I get hot when it's 45 degrees out and like to run almost naked).

not free stuff :-(

After the expo, I took a nap while Ashley and Rha went on a hunt for Philly cheesesteaks. My friend Irene met us later on, where we carbo-loaded at Panini Trattoria in Old City. There was free sangria! but there may have also been a food poisoning incident, so if you go there, maybe you should order something that does not involve salmon. Aside from the poisoned salmon (which I fortunately did not try), I thought the pasta was quite delicious.

Next up: race morning!

spoiler: philadelphia half marathon

Yes I know it has been awhile since I last posted, but guess what. Last Sunday I ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon!! This has been a goal one year in the making and I finished in 2:27:54! and I didn't die (although at one point I thought my legs were going to fall off).

I'll post a full recap soon. I'm on vacation in California so I have plenty of free time. In other news, I'm running a turkey trot tomorrow for Thanksgiving!

ghetto guacamole

I love avocados. And I love guacamole. Who doesn't?

However, I hate chopping vegetables...especially onions and tomatoes. I don't think I am doing it right because sometimes when I try to chop an onion, it gets really awkward. One of these days I might accidentally chop off a finger (which has actually almost happened...but with an avocado. I shanked myself and had to go to the ER for 10 hours. I still blame this entire situation on the fact that I tried to go vegetarian 3 days a week)

Anyways, so now I make this ghetto guacamole. All you have to do is mash an avocado with 2 scoops of salsa, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some adobo seasoning. Easy, done, no chopping required.

half marathon training: week 9

I missed my long run this week. I blame an extremely unproductive day in the library. Which means I need to make it up on Tuesday morning. Not fun.

Here's a photo I took from my unproductive desk during my unproductive day in the library. It is possible that my unproductiveness stemmed from staring out the window all day.

I did get a chance to go the John Adams Courthouse this past week to listen to oral arguments. The John Adams Courthouse houses the Massachusetts Appeals Court, as well as the Supreme Judicial Court. And it is super pretty.

In other news, I'm going to Ithaca next weekend to visit my friend Ranwei and do some fall activities!  I plan to do some leaf peeping, farm animal petting, and pumpkin picking. I'll have to sneak a long run in while I am there. i'm going to force her to come with me (she doesn't know yet).

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 9 (Oct 15-21)
Monday: rest day!
Tuesday: 10.5-11 mile run (long run)
Wednesday: 25 min run or cross train
Thursday: 60 min run
Friday: 45 min easy run
Saturday or Sunday: 11-12 mile run (long run)

Do I have time to go on all these runs? I am not sure.

10 miles + half marathon training: week 8

I ran my very first double digit training run today! 10 miles! Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a run. By the end, it was more like a crawl. Towards the end of my run, I had a 13+ minute split (you can see all my splits under the half marathon training plan tab). What I did was...I ran the Tufts 10K for Women and then ran the 3.8 miles home. I would not recommend running a race, taking a 1 hour break, and then running some more. During my run home, my legs got really sore...really fast (hence the crawl).

Long sleeve tech tees! My favorite. This was a great race. First of all, it's FLAT. Second, it goes through Boston and along Memorial Drive in Cambridge. I love Boston races and I love racing on my normal running routes. One gripe: While waiting at the start, every 10 seconds the announcer would yell out "AM I GOING TO SEE YOU AT THE FINISH." Yes lady, if all goes as planned, you will be seeing me at the finish. That's the goal here.

This past weekend, I also made some pumpkins muffins!

I am trying to use up the things in my pantry so I made these with Trader Joes Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix.

But I have a GREAT pumpkin muffin recipe that can be found here. It's better than the Trader Joes mix and takes about the same amount of time to prepare. Also, please note at how much better my photos are looking! I got the iPhone 5 and the camera is amazing! So much better than the one on my iPhone 3.

Let's see if I'll stick to this week's training plan. I didn't do such a great job last week...

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 8 (Oct 8-15)
Monday: 10 mile run (Tufts 10K for Women + 3.8 mile run)
Tuesday: rest day!
Wednesday: 20 min cross train or easy run
Thursday: 60 min run
Friday: rest day!
Saturday: 25 min run or cross train
Sunday: 2 hour easy run (I'm going 10.5-11 miles!)

half marathon training recap by the numbers + week 7

1/2 of 1/2 Marathon training is over. Here's a recap by the numbers:

Total miles run: 79.22
Longest run: 8.7
Shortest run: 1.75
Slowest average pace: 13:20
Fastest average pace: 9:37
Workouts skipped: 6 (ugh)

I've been skipping a lot of workouts lately or punking out during them. Last week I was supposed to do a 4 mile track workout. I ran .75 miles then sat down on a bench. I eventually got up and managed to eek out 2.25 miles with a lot of walking in between. #workoutfail.

For the next 6 weeks of training, I'm going to focus on running more...running more times a week and hitting all my workouts on the day they are scheduled. For Week 7, I have 4 runs and 2 gym classes scheduled...and I am determined to do all of them! Even if life tries to get in the way.

Also, no long run this week because it's a long weekend and I am running the Tufts 10K for Women on Columbus Day! It's a 10K, but I plan on running the race and then running home along the Charles for a total of 10 miles.

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 7 (Oct 1 - 7)
Monday: 60 min run
Tuesday: 25 min easy run or cross train (I want to go to Total Body Sculpt at the gym)
Wednesday: 50 min run - 3 min hard, 3 min easy. Repeat 4x.
Thursday: rest day!
Friday: Yoga + 45 min easy run
Saturday: 55 min hilly run - 15 min easy, 20 min tempo, 15 min easy
Sunday: rest day!

nutella swirled peanut butter banana muffins

My sister and her friend Dora recently made these. They asked if I would post this on my blog. Quotes from them include "delicious" and "it smelled so good while baking." I happen to be obsessed with bananas and peanut butter these days, so maybe I will make some muffins this weekend!

Nutella Swirled Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter (may I suggest some Justin's Nut Butter...the Honey Peanut Butter flavor)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/5 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Reese's mini cups or 3/4 cup chopped regular sized Reese's
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 heaping tablespoons Nutella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put muffin cups into the muffin tins.

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg, and sugars.

Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be very thick. Do not over mix. Fold in Reese's and chocolate chips. Pour batter into muffin tin.

Drop a small scoop of Nutella (or Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter...yes I am obsessed with Justin's) on top of each muffin. Swirl with a knife.

Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes clean.

what do you eat pre and post run? + half marathon training: week 6

(the visitors center at Boston Common has a drinking fountain inside! and...the water is cold!)

By next Sunday, I will be HALF DONE with my half marathon training! It's scary because I feel like I'll never be ready to run 13.1 miles.

I went on my long run today and ran my longest distance yet...8.7 miles!!!! Granted, my legs got really really sore around mile 6.5 and by the time I got near my house, I think I was more limping then running.

Here are my splits:
Mile 1: 10:42
Mile 2: 12:23
Mile 3: 13:21
Mile 4: 11:57
Mile 5: 11:33
Mile 6: 11:53
Mile 7: 11:02
Mile 8: 13:08
Mile 8.7: 9:14
Total time: 1:45:10 (11:45 pace)

Normally I like to pause my watch while I am getting water (I tend to linger at the water fountains) or at a really really long intersection so I can get a more accurate picture of what pace I am actually running. However, today I decided to keep the watch running so I could see how long I was actually out there for. I don't think my total pace suffered too much, which means I think I am running faster...hopefully? I still run slow as shit, but that is not something I can change overnight.

I'm still trying to figure out what to eat before and after my runs. I have some weird eating habits for sure. This morning I had a Stonyfield Farm vanilla yogurt w/ granola, 1/2 a cup of coffee with soy milk, and some Trader Joes easy mac (please don't judge me). I feel like I was adequately fueled throughout my run, although eating mac and cheese in the morning probably isn't the best idea for most people...and certainly not the healthiest. It was just the easiest thing for me to deal with this morning.

I did just order some Justin's Nut Butter (the honey peanut butter flavor!) so I think I am going to start trying to eat peanut butter sandwiches along with a banana before pre-run.

After my run I had cream of wheat, a banana, 1/2 of a blue colored Powerade, and 13 pork and leek dumplings. I don't think this is an appropriate post-run meal (because my legs hurt a lot and my stomach hurt a little and it's a really weird lunch), BUT I am definitely too scared to try a protein shake.

What do you like to eat pre and post long runs?

In other news, the weather is getting SO GOOD for running outside! As of the weather report right now (and yes, I know this is New England and the weather can change in an instant), next Sunday it is supposed to be a high of 63 and partly cloudy.

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 6 (Sept 24 - 30)
Monday (9/24): rest day or yoga at the gym?
Tuesday: track workout! 1200m @ 5K pace, 400m jogging. Repeat 3x for a total of 4 miles
Wednesday: 25 min easy run or cross train
Thursday: 20 min easy run or cross train
Friday: 55 min hilly run - 15 min easy pace, 20 min tempo pace, 20 min easy pace
Saturday: rest day!
Sunday: 1 hr 50 min easy run (long run)

baked ziti with bacon and zucchini

So easy and I think it can feed me for the next four meals.

I haven't been eating very healthy lately (which is why there is bacon in this dish). I just crave junk food...and fat...all the time. (Note the pizza box that is under my dish). I don't even know how to get back on track with healthy eating. It probably also doesn't help that there is now a Popeyes and Uburger at school and all I want to do is eat chicken fingers everyday.

Baked Ziti with Bacon and Zucchini
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 a box of ziti (or penne or shells or whatever)
1 shredded zucchini
6 strips of bacon
Plenty of grated cheese (I used a combination of gouda and pecorino)
1/2 jar of tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste (+ other spices such as, italian seasoning, garlic powder, etc)

Directions:
Boil water and cook pasta until just a bit harder than you normally like it (I just subtracted a minute from the normal boiling time).

In the meantime, cook bacon until crispy. Let cool and cut into small pieces.

Shred zucchini and your cheese. Leave about half your cheese in a separate container. Mix the rest of the cheese with the shredded zucchini, tomato sauce, bacon, and pasta. I also added salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Grease your baking pan with some leftover bacon fat (I used an 8 inch round pan). Pour mixture into pan and top with leftover shredded cheese.

Bake for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees or until the cheese on top is browned and bubbly.

Eat with tabasco sauce for a kick.

half marathon training: week 5

I just finished up week 4 of half marathon training, which means I'm 1/3 of my way through my Philly training plan! 2 more months to go. Eek! I ran 8 miles today and spent the rest of the day laying in my bed "recovering." I have no idea how I am supposed to run 5 more miles after that. By mile 7, I thought my legs were going to fall off.

Here's this week's plan (note: there is a long run scheduled for Monday. This was last week's long run that I failed to accomplish last weekend).

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 5 (Sept 17 - 23)

Monday (9/17): 1 hr 30 min run (long run)

Tuesday: Track workout! 800m strong, 400m easy. Repeat 3x. (this might need to be rescheduled if it rains)

Wednesday: 20 min easy run or cross train (I am thinking about going to thighs, butts, and guts at the gym)

Thursday: 45 min hilly run - 15 min easy, 15 min tempo, 15 min easy

Friday: rest day!

Saturday or Sunday: 1 hr 35 min hilly run. End w/ 4x100m striders (long run)

vermont = pies

My sister used to go to Williams College in Williamstown, MA. It's in the corner of MA, 3 hours away from Boston and just a few miles from New York state and a few miles from Vermont.

When my sister was applying to colleges, my mom made 1 rule and only 1 rule - she had to go to a school that was close to an airport that had direct flights to San Francisco. You see, I had gone to Colby College in Waterville, ME, which was not near an airport and not near an airport that had direct flights to SF. During my time at Colby, I had gotten stranded multiple times. Once I even had to stay overnight in DC because I missed my connection!

My sister broke that rule by going to school in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, it's near a delicious pie store! Just a few minutes from my Williams College, I would go get a delicious pie every time I went out and visited her.

I present to you...The Apple Barn in Bennington, VT

Pretty Vermont...

And a delicious pie! (Blueberry...obviously)

half marathon training: week 4

Just a short post today. I ran a 10K yesterday and now I'm itching to do it again...but faster. Full race recap coming soon.

Here's this week's plan: 

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 4 (Sept 10 - 16)
Monday (9/10): 40 min easy run. End w/ 4x100m striders
Tuesday: rest day! (maybe a yoga or weight training class at the gym)
Wednesday: rest day!
Thursday: 40 min hilly run
Friday: 20 min easy run or cross train
Saturday or Sunday: 1 hr 30 min run (long run)

crockpot beer chicken

I went through a phase where I really wanted a crockpot. I finally got one...and never used it. It just required too much planning ahead. The first thing I made with my crockpot (2 years after I got it) was black beans. It involved soaking the beans for 8 hours and then cooking the beans for another 8 hours. I am not organized enough to think 16 hours in advance that I may want some black beans.

Well, I tried again with my crockpot. I will admit, cooking with a crockpot is easy. You set it and forget it. It literally took me about 10 seconds to throw these things together (and faithful blog readers, instead of randomly dumping in spices, I measured them...just for you). I'm warming up to this whole crockpot idea, so perhaps there will be more crockpot recipes in the future.

Weird note: I'm also too nervous to leave my crockpot on at home while I am not there, so I foresee my future crockpot cooking to be a weekend only affair.

Crockpot Beer Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts - I used a 1.25 pound package, but you can use whatever you want

1 bottle Old Brown Dog Ale by Smuttynose Brewing Company (Again, use whatever you want. I used this particular beer because I found it in my fridge)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon italian seasoning

Directions:

Put all ingredients into crockpot. Cook on either high or low. The timing will change depending on your crockpot. The original recipe called for either 3-4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. I ended up cooking it for 2 hours on high and 2 hours on low.

Note: you can also sear the chicken in a frying pan before putting it in the crockpot. (but it's more work...and more pans to wash)

Also, I saved the leftover beer chicken broth. I plan on making gravy with it...and making mashed potatoes to go along with it!

campbell farmers market + half marathon training: week 3

Scenes from the Campbell, CA Farmers Market

Produce is so much better in California

So is fruit

Heirloom tomatoes...so ugly...so delicious 

Sauerkraut barrels!

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 3 (Sept 3 - 9)
Monday (9/3): rest day!
Tuesday: 45 min easy run
Wednesday: rest day!
Thursday: 30 min run on a hilly course
Friday: 30 min easy run. End w/ 4x100m striders
Saturday: Run to the Rock 10K
Sunday: 20 min easy run or cross train

I might have to switch around some of the workouts. I am still getting used to my new school schedule and figuring out the best days for me to run.

half marathon training: week 2

Highlights from my trip to California:

Mini bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes in Sunnyvale. So cute! (Thank you Christine!)

Backyard tomato harvesting (I am so good at it!)

Remember Philz? I blogged about it here back in February. There are two locations in Palo Alto. Still the best coffee I've ever had.

A long run through downtown Saratoga

Speaking of runs, I completed Week 1 of training! You can check my progress by clicking on the "half marathon training plan" tab at the top of the page or here. 

Week 1 went great. I completed all 5 scheduled runs and felt a lot stronger by the end of the week. Honestly, I think sucking so much at Falmouth was a real wake up call for me. I have to train for long races and stick with my training plan. I can't just show up the day of the race and expect things to go well.

This past Friday, I went on a 5.2 mile long run, which turned out to be really interesting. The first mile is normally fairly easy for me. Its between miles 1 and 3 where I really struggle - I get tired, I get out of breath, I get thirsty, and all I want to to do is walk. Friday was no different. However, after 3 miles, running suddenly became easy again. So strange. I was originally only going to do 4 miles, but I was having so much fun that I tacked on an extra one! Hurray! I hope it's like this every time.

Now moving on to Week 2...

Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 2 (Aug 27 - Sept 2)

Monday (8/27): rest day!

Tuesday: 30 min easy run

Wednesday: rest day!

Thursday: On a hilly course, run at low intensity for 30 mins

Friday: rest day!

Saturday: 1 hr 15 min run. End with 4x100m strides (long run)

Sunday: 20 min easy run or cross train

falmouth road race recap

I ended the Falmouth Road Race with a time of 1 hour 29 minutes and 12 seconds. It wasn't always pretty, but I finished.

It started off at 6am with the breakfast of champions...a sausage egg mcmuffin from McDonalds.

Let's be really honest here, McDonalds breakfast is the BEST way to start a road race. (Maybe not everyone would agree with me on his one. Ashley was shocked when I spotted the McDonalds, pointed in excitement, and swerved into the parking lot).

The race started in Woods Hole, MA.

It was pouring like crazy in the morning. Luckily, the rain let up just as the race was about to start. I thought the rainy, windy weather would be a good thing in that it wouldn't be too hot. I was dead wrong. Here is Ashley and me at the start line.

As you all know, I pretty much failed to run all summer. It was clearly not a priority. I paid for it during the race. The first 3 miles were hilly and just 1.5 miles in, my legs were already so sore that I thought I was not going to make it. Also, even though there had been a crazy rainstorm an hour earlier, by the time the race started, there was crazy humidity...over 90%! At one point, I touched my face and it was burning up (even though at that point we were in the shady section) and I knew I had to slow down. Luckily, there was a water stop every half mile (so good!). If it wasn't an official water stop  by the race, it was some local residents putting out water cups for everyone. At every stop, I would grab a cup of water and throw it on myself. Residents would also spray us down with hoses and sprinklers as we ran. I'm convinced I didn't even smell at the end of the race because I basically took a 7 mile long shower!

I ended up walking a lot more than I planned to. The hills really kicked my ass. I also spent about 5 minutes waiting in a porta potty line during the race, which makes my average pace about a 12 minute mile. Not my finest performance for sure.

7 miles later we arrived in Falmouth. We did it. We survived the Falmouth Road Race.

Race Highlights:
End of Mile 1 - we were greeted with a run around the Nobska Lighthouse! At this point, I was still feeling pretty good. Team morale was still up.

(please note: this photo was not taken during the race. it was stolen from the internet)

Mile 4 - the end of the hills! We were rewarded with a nice flat run right next to the ocean. By then I was overheated and my legs felt like they were going to fall off. All I wanted to do was run into the ocean and lay there. (good thing I didn't because I probably would have gotten eaten by a shark).

Fantastic crowds - thank you residents of Falmouth for manning extra water stations, spraying hoses and sprinklers, and cheering us on for all 7 miles! Best spectators EVER!

Falmouth Road Race, I'll be back next year and I'll be ready to dominate you.