Irish Run 8k

This will be a quick one, just like the race.  Boston is now 3 weeks away so there won't be much fitness gained from here on out, it's all about sharpening up, tapering properly, and getting my legs fresh for the big day.  In an effort to do just that, my MN RED teammates and I raced the St. Paul Irish Run 8k this past weekend.  The race marks the kick off of the USATF race series.  Since I've never been a member of a team, I'm not sure what that means, but I'm pretty sure if I run fast, that's good for all parties involved.

So, the race recap:  this was a 5 mile race.  I haven't raced such a short distance in a long time.  From the gun, I didn't have the confidence to go pedal to the floor because I wasn't sure how my body would react to the quicker tempo.  At the two mile mark I realized I was essentially half-way to the finish and wasn't in nearly enough pain.  I needed to push it.  I did and my last three miles were progressively faster:  5:41, 5:34, and 5:31.  I ended up coming in at 28:08 and 2nd place female among a speedy field.  I maybe would have had a chance at the "W" if I would have ignored my watch, turned off my brain, and raced how I normally race (pin on to the leader and hang on for dear life!).  But it was a good workout and a great lesson in racing.

Post-race, a couple of my training partners (shout out to Doug and Melissa) and I regrouped and put in a 5.5 mile hilly, tempo run to simulate the end of Boston (marathon).  It was great.  The harder, faster effort of the 8k took enough out of my legs that they had that 20-mile feeling, but without the 20 miles!  We made decent time on the effort, averaging about 6:20/mile pace.  I'll need to be faster if I want to come in around 2:44:37 (my Boston goal time), but the fact that this effort didn't destroy me was a confidence builder.

        Photo op from the race.  We'll call this one:  game face & bad hair.  ;)

Little Fish, Big Pond - Boston is Approaching...

The countdown to the Boston Marathon started many moons ago, but waking up this morning it started to feel really real (I'm so eloquent).  28 days and counting.  Assuming about half of that is going to be a taper means only 2 weeks left of hammering.  Yowza! 

In the fall (2012), when I decided to register for my first Boston Marathon, I was happy and excited just to be participating in such an iconic event.  It was around that same time that I decided to join a running club and enlist in the guidance of a coach to try and get to that elusive "next level."  My new coach, Ron Byland, thought with my ability and his workouts, I could run around 2:40 by race day in Boston.  And running that kind of time was probably good enough for the elite start wave.  He checked into it, and badda-boom-badda-bing, I was in as an elite!  Whoooaaaaaaa, that's crazy!

               So you're saying I'm going to be running against this?  GULP.

Fast-forward to two weeks ago and I faced a big decision:  should I stay in the elite wave or should I defer back to the main field?

I didn't know what to do, and I still question my decision.  Here's what I wrestled with:

1) Being sick for one month in the winter had set back my training substantially.  Realistically, I'm now hoping to run a 2:45...still around my PR, but five minutes off where I thought I would be.  And 20 minutes off what the true elites will run.

b) The female elite field at Boston is only going to consist of 55 runners!  This was a major curve ball.  When I got in as an elite, I expected at least 100, probably closer to 200 women to be considered "elite" at Boston.  I mean, this is BOSTON!  Runners from all over the world show up for a crack at the huge prize purse and the prestige of being a top finisher at this event.  In a field of 200, there are bound to be runners I can hang with and compete against in those final few miles.  In a field of 55...there is no where to hide!

4) The main field at Boston is the creme de la creme.  Most mortals consider the Boston Marathon a pretty big deal.  There are tough qualification standards.  So deferring to the main field would not be bad.  It is still going to be super competitive.  And some of my new MN RED training buddies are in the main field.  I would have compadres to work with...

But even in the face of these seemingly good reasons to defer my elite status, like Madonna said, I'm keeping my baby!  (And by baby, I mean my elite bib).  I don't know what the future holds for me.  I hope to keep getting faster.  I hope to have a shot at the 2016 trials.  I also hope that one day brownies will be considered a major food group.  Will any of this happen?  I just don't know!  So I say:  carpe diem aka seize the day!  I'm going to run at the back of the elite pack at Boston and revel in the fact that I made it there.  I may never have the chance to do it again.

                                                     Game face aka pain face.  :)

Japan - Awesome and Awful

It's been a week since I returned from my trip to Japan, so it's about time to get my blog on... 

I titled the post "Awesome and Awful," because the trip was truly an amazing experience.  Huge shout out to the Bloomington Sister City Organization and its counterpart in Japan (the IIEA) for sponsoring the marathon runner exchange program.  Three other Bloomington runners along with myself and our travel companions were given the royal treatment.  Meeting new people, seeing the sights, doing some arts & crafts, learning about the Japanese culture, and trying the food...it was a trip I will never forget.

The Bloomington Marathon Runners with the Mayor of Izumi (Bloomington's Sister City).

Maneki Neko - the Japanese kitty that brings good luck...too bad I met him AFTER the marathon. :)

Enjoying the view from the Osaka Castle - an impressive structure loaded with history.

A zen moment in one of the gorgeous Japanese parks/gardens.  ;)

But this isn't a travel blog, let's get to the awful part of the trip, which unfortunately was my running performance.  I took part in the 20th anniversary running of the Senshu International Marathon.  It will be impossible to describe everything about this experience, but I'll give it my best shot.

Weather - 30-40 and mostly cloudy, couldn't have asked for better weather especially considering the days before and after the race it either rained pretty heavily or snowed!

Field of runners - 5,500 people for the special anniversary year of the race. Mostly Japanese runners, but a decent field of international competition including some quick Aussies.

Course - mostly flat and straight line until the last 10k where you start twisting and turning, and then do an out and back across two very steep-hilled bridges. (Note: turns out the course was probably long on distance. My Garmin, which usually ends up being short when I run the tangents, came in at 26.34 when I crossed the finish line.)

Fans - different from US races. There were a lot of people out for the anniversary race, but instead of cheering very loudly, they wave little flags and clap relatively reservedly. Although I must say, I was smiling and waving (I couldn't help myself, I was running in JAPAN!) and it seemed to earn me some extra cheers and delight from the spectators! :)

Special notes - I have never seen so many runners smoking cigarettes and/or pounding energy drinks before a race as I saw here.  Crazy!  The bathroom situation on course was...unique. They don't put portable toilets along course. Instead, they had signs on course indicating a bathroom is nearby, but you are supposed to raise your hand and be escorted by a race marshall to the facilities. Most were not within eyesight of the course; breakdown! AND only 6 drink stations on course. I felt thirsty! And anyone who knows me, knows I am a camel and rarely drink so this was a challenge.

My Race Plan - run in control, think of the race as training for Boston. Try to run even pace throughout and finish around 3:00.

What Actually Happened - well, I knew I would have a hard time running 7:00/mile at the beginning with the excitement and adrenaline flowing, but I was really trying to focus on not tearing myself up for Boston. I'm waaaay behind on training because of my flu/pneumonia episode, and the month following the Japan marathon is going to be critical for getting as ready as possible. So I went out at about 6:15/mile, and it felt easy. I gradually slowed but to a pace that still had me on target for a 2:50-2:55 finish. I felt the urge to use the facilities about 6k into the race, but due to toilets being so far from course, I just kept holding it. I also had a bit of a funny stomach. The race didn't start until 10:30am, and although I ate a larger breakfast than normal to accommodate for the late start, I think I was low on fuel from the gun from not eating much leading up to the race (due to the unique Japanese food I was experiencing). To make matters worse, due to my funny stomach, I only ate about 1/4 GU throughout the entire race. So...not unsurprisingly, I was the 4th female and on pace for 2:50-2:55 at 30k, but then the wheels fell off. I eventually had to stop to use the bathroom, a few women starting passing me by, and the hills on the bridge were killer. Fortunately I was smart enough to let go of my competitive nature, focus on Boston, and slow down and just enjoy the experience. Have I mentioned...I was running in Japan?! :) I finally limped home around 3:04. What was kind of funny was that although this was my slowest race in the last 3 years, 2nd slowest ever, I still placed well among the female field of competitors. 7th overall and 3rd for non-registered runners ("registered" runners are those enlisted with the Japanese running association). I won a sweet trophy and was recognized in a cool awards ceremony. So overall, an unforgettable experience and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. Big props to the Bloomington Sister City Organization!

I went with the ponytail for the first time ever; much less aerodynamic.  I'm going back to the bun for Boston.  And speaking of a bun, despite the cool weather, my capri-tights were way too long.  I didn't know if the Japanese public was ready for my other buns, but those will be back for Boston too.  ;)

3rd Non-Registered Female.

Final note - I wouldn't be myself if I wasn't extremely worried about Boston coming up. I'm in great shape for training. I wasn't sore at all after the race and have been able put in a couple of decent workouts since I returned, but I don't know if I have enough time. I missed the bulk of winter training. My speed seems to be there, but my endurance just isn't. One month might not be enough to build that up, but you can bet all of my energies will be focused laser-like on April 15.

Tuning up for Toyko...or rather, Osaka

Okay, this is it...don't get scared now.  In just about 48 hours I will be making my way half way around the world to meet and run with the good people of Izumi, Japan!  Huge thanks to the Bloomington Sister City Organization who hosts the exchange.  I am so appreciative for this opportunity, one that is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Since taking about one month off due to illness, I've been anxious about how ready I am for the Senshu International Marathon (Feb 17).  I've only had one hard training session since the beginning of January, and my mileage has been relatively non-existent by marathon training standards.  So to shake off the cobwebs, my MN RED coach (and teammates) opted to race a small, local 10k this morning in Mahtomedi, MN.

There were only about 80 participants, it was only a 10k, and the weather and course weren't anywhere near ideal, but it was a competition; something I was in dire need of before jumping into the Japan race.  My training partners Brian Davenport (Slim) and Rob Economy (Poppa Rob) were on hand to help set the pace of the race.  Both outstanding marathoners, and with better leg speed than me, I knew the goal for the day was just to keep them in sight.  I had been planning on working together with another one of my training buddies, Melissa Gacek (2008 Olympic Trials participant), but her kid was blowing chunks on race morning, so she was benched for mom duty.

Slim, Poppa Rob, and I warmed up around 8:15am on course for the 9:00am start.  The streets were a little icy on the edges and corners, but we found some good lines to follow.  We were set.  9:00am, we queued up at the start line and off we went.  The course was an out-back that started off straight up hill...brutal at the beginning, but good for the finish.  Slim, Poppa Rob, and I made our way about a mile and were already separated from the pack.  Approaching the first intersection, we were guided by a couple of high school kids to take a right turn...not unusual except for the fact that when we warmed up on course, we had gone straight through that same intersection.  There was no lead vehicle.  This was interesting...

           Poppa Rob in the lead, Slim in his neon kicks (viewable from space),
                          and me bringing up the rear

We quickly found ourselves off of residential streets and on "gravel" roads.  I say "gravel" because it was really more of a slippery, slushy, packed snow/ice surface instead of gravel.  What the heck?  Our crew was still holding together, and confused about the turn of events.  Come to find out later, we warmed up on the 5k course.  This was in fact, the correct 10k course.  The next 4 miles would be on this garbage surface with all racers fighting to keep their feet under them.  Poppa Rob almost went down once, another MN RED runner actually did take a tumble; it was tough going.

Around mile 2, Slim started breaking away from Poppa Rob and I.  This dude is a gazelle.  6 feet, some inches of graceful power.  It's fun to watch...from behind...which is where I usually find myself.  It's great though, I love having something to aspire to!  We made it to the halfway point, carefully whipped a U-turn on the slippery roads, and started back.  I wasn't feeling great so I backed off a bit and Poppa Rob gapped me.  I caught a little breather and then refocused.  His gap was about 5-10 seconds and I was going to do my best to keep him there (or close the gap).  Slim, Poppa Rob, and I maintained our spacing for the last two miles, all finishing pretty strong, considering we had spent the entire race fighting to keep our balance and gain traction on the ruthless MN back roads.

We crossed the line 1, 2, 3 - Slim in 35:05, Poppa Rob in 35:47, and me in 35:50.  A PR!  Well, that is until I realized the course was a little short.  Add about 60 seconds and you have our true 10k times.  I was still pretty pumped with my splits, which were all right around 6:00/mile.  Considering the course conditions, I'll take it. 

  

                                                                My sweet prize

After the race, my coach and I hatched a plan for Japan.  Boston has always been the ultimate goal for spring and nothing has changed.  The trip to, and race in, Japan are going to be for fun.  Because of the training time that I lost while sick, it's going to be a battle to get sharp for Boston.  The race in Japan needs to be an "easy" training run so that when I get back, Coach Ron can beat the crap out of me (so to speak) for 4 weeks to make up for lost time and get me primed for Bean Town.  Hopefully I can behave and stick to the 3:00-3:10 marathon we have in mind for Japan.  I know the competitor in me will hate not to leave everything on course, but I have to keep my eyes on the prize!

Sayonara!

Sicky icky icky

Ah, the New Year.  Full of hope, unknown wonderment, and endless possibilities.  This is gonna be a great year, I can feel it in my bones.  I'm going to finish my MBA degree (thank sweet baby Jesus), I'm going on an awesome all-expenses-paid trip to Japan, I get to run with the big dogs (elites) at the Boston Marathon, and I started my very own blog (welcome to the 20th century; yes 20th, because I am so far behind the times)!  How exciting!  The world is beautiful...

It started out innocently enough.  I spent a full day speaking to high school students (that's my job), but throughout the day I could feel my energy level dropping and a curious kind of ache creeping into my body.  By Tuesday morning (12 hours later), I was done for.  Sick.  No work, no running, no nothing other than holding down the couch for the day.  I knew a nasty strain of the flu was floating around (even killing a few people), so I decided to call for a doctor's appointment right away.  I was set to see the doc at noon the next day.  I spent a miserable day in pain (terrible body aches) and alternating between freezing and burning up.  After a night spent sweating buckets due to a fever, I opted to forgo my noon appointment and head to Urgent Care first thing Wednesday morning.  The visit is a hazy memory, but I do recall the diagnosis:  Influenza A and a "suspicious" chest x-ray.  The doc gave me a medicine that was supposed to suppress the spread of the influenza virus (really just a band-aid solution).  She wasn't sure about the chest x-ray, possibly pneumonia.  She'd have the radiologist call me back if I indeed had bacteria in my lungs.  Sure enough the phone rang a few hours later:  pneumonia confirmed.

Now, I won't bore you with the details of my misery (it was baaaaad stuff, let me tell you), but I will say that when preparing to run a marathon, regardless what your goal finish time is, having the flu and pneumonia is not an ideal situation.  I was bummed out, but figured I would kick this crap in a few days and be up and running by the weekend.  HA!  Fast forward TWO WEEKS and I'm just starting to make my come back (knock on wood).

I ran for the first time in 12 days this past Sunday and it was an eye-opener!  My legs and lungs felt like they had never run a day in their lives!  I kid you not.  I squeaked out a 3 miler in roughly 30 minutes and felt like I had just run a marathon.  My quads were trashed and felt like jell-o.  I was coughing and wheezing, and I could could feel crap/mucous rattling around in my lungs.

I have approximately 20 days before I leave for Japan, and 25 days until I need to run a marathon.  WHAT?!  Right now, I can hardly run 4 miles at 8:00/mile pace.  Honestly, I'm just hoping I don't relapse and get sick again.  This situation has really put things in perspective.  I HATED being a prisoner on my couch and having no energy.  I can't stand how miserable it feels to run right now...is this why other people don't like running?!  I feel like I've appreciated my good health and fitness in the past, but I have an entirely new appreciation for it after this whole episode.

So, my dreams for killing it at Boston (in April) are likely going to be put on hold for this year.  I'll still run and compete to the best of my ability, but I feel like I'm starting from scratch.  I dropped so low on the wellness scale, that coming back from this is going to be a process of forced patience. 

Giving up control & resting

Some things I've been marinating on lately...

I haven't worked with a coach since college, which is longer ago than I care to admit.  But this fall after having a cup of coffee with MN RED coach, Ron Byland, coupled with the fact that I have decided to run the Boston Marathon in April (a pretty big deal for us mortal runners), I made the decision to join his club and follow his training plan.

I thought I was ready to have someone else worry about how many miles I was running, the intensity levels of my workouts, and some of the other miscellaneous stuff that goes with the territory of racing, but it hasn't been an easy transition.

Don't get me wrong; Ron is terrific, he knows his stuff, and he has built a running club with legit talent.  However, I feel a sense of ownership when it comes to my running.  And it's pretty clear if you know me:  running is my greatest passion.  Furthermore when it comes to racing, I know what kind of results my training yields; so there's a certain sense of confidence and trust in my training.  Lastly, and this will come as a shock, but I'm kind of a type-A personality (sarcasm is thick).  I like control.  I like my routine.  I like my treadmill.  I like deciding when, where, and how I run each and every single day.  

                                                                My Baby

But this is where things get tricky...

1)  "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."  

Grammatically incorrect and I don't know who said it first, but an appropriate quote nonetheless.  There's a strong likelihood that I could keep training myself and make small gains; I've done this in the past.  But if I want to step up and start playing with the big girls, I probably need this transition to a new program.  It's just been so difficult to give up control and trust someone else.  I don't know what results this new training will yield and that freaks me out!

2)  My name is Kelly and I'm an addict.  My addiction is endorphins.

                                                         Feeling the endorphins!

There's a proven physiological phenomenon called the "runner's high."  I think this is common knowledge, but for anyone who doesn't know:  runner's high is a happy feeling that accompanies running based on the release of endorphins (good juice) into the bloodstream brought on by exercise.   So even though I love running, it goes deeper than that.  I'm an addict.  Running (and subsequent endorphin release) makes me feel good.  I look forward to my run each day, and I get crabby if I don't get a run in during the day.  It's totally crazy.  I know that.  But it is what it is.   With this new training program, I've been told that rest days are just as important as high-quality days.  Rest?!  Who rests?  Not this girl.  But I'm slowly and reluctantly trying to get it through my thick skull that to get the really high-quality workouts in, I have to be rested.  It seems so simple, and I'm not a total idiot; I get it, but saying and doing are two entirely different things. 

2012 Year In Review

2012 was insane.  It all happened so fast, I'm still not exactly sure what went on.  

Here's my attempt at a year in review...

Reader beware:  this is extremely long; grab a snack and get comfy.  In the future, I'll do race reports as they happen so I don't waste so much of your life all at once.  :)

January - Olympic Trials Marathon

WTF?  Did this really happen?  If I didn't have the pictures and videos of this event, I might not believe it was real life.  After only my fourth marathon ever (Twin Cities 2011), I realized that a) it was a summer Olympics year, and b) I was near the Olympic marathon qualifying time standard (2:46).  So 5 weeks before the Trials, I flew out to Sacramento to give it the old college try.  Lo and behold, I made it!  2:45:15.  Not exactly shattering the standard, but making it nonetheless.  I had just punched my tickets to the OLYMPIC TRIALS.  Whoa. 

The race took place in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.  I ran a 2:53:46.  Not exactly scorching the course, especially considering the field of competitors, but it was an experience of a lifetime.  It's the only time I can think of where distance runners get treated like rockstars.  So cool.

 

February - LUNA & The Crazy Puppy Lady

Prior to moving to the Twin Cities in 2011, my race schedule had been essentially non-existent, despite hours and hours of training each year.  Therefore I was a relative unknown in running/racing circles.  But after making it to the Trials, I earned a little street cred and word got around to a friend-of-a-friend who was involved with LUNA (delicious energy bar company).  

LUNA was forming a fast, amateur running "team" and I was selected to become a LUNA sponsored athlete!  Oh yeah, jackpot!  Not only was it nice to have the credibility of being sponsored (even if only a little bit), but it was with a fantastic company/product.

                                                                        YUMMMMM...

And although this a bit of departure from what the normal content of this blog will be...another fun adventure began in February as the bf and I adopted two crazy puppies.  Life has never been the same since this duo entered the picture.         

                                                                  Lexi and Baxter

March - The Unknown

I'm sure some things happened in March, but I can't think of them right now...

April - Hyland Trail Mix, The BooneCrusher, MNOC AR Tune-Up

Although the winter wasn't that cold & snowy, April was the beginning of the end of hibernation and the racing season kicked off.  It started with what has become one of my favorite events:  the Hyland Trail Mix.  It's a running event on the soft, grassy trails of Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington, MN).  There are three different race options:  50k relay, 25k solo, and 50k solo.  In 2011, I was the women's champ in the 50k, so I opted to try the 25k this go around.  Although the field of competitors included the previous year's female champ, I felt good and took it down in a new course record time of 1:35:04.  

                                                     FEAR the pink gloves  

Adventure racing (AR) also kicked off in April with a race near the place of all things good (Iowa State University).  Boone, IA was the location of the first AR of the year for my team, GearJunkie/WEDALI.  We had so many teammates ready to get ripping that we unleashed a six-person mega-team:  Biz the Wizard (Justin Bakken), MoMo (Molly Moilanen), Steady Erl (Scott Erlandson), Dr. Dre (Andrei Karpov), T-Pain (Tom Puzak), and myself.  A super fun course on some unexpectedly interesting terrain.  We captured the top two spots, winning both the 4-person and 2-person divisions, and were all pretty excited to be back at it.

Also, Tom and I teamed up for the annual MNOC AR Tune-Up, a sweet event put on by Mikey Carlson.  The theme this year was "transitions" as we found ourselves switching between disciplines (bike, boat, and foot) 11+ times throughout the sprint event.  Good times!

May - Fargo Half-Marathon & Wild AR Spring Thaw

With a busy agenda of running and AR, I decided to race mostly half-marathons throughout the summer.  The first one being the Fargo Half.  I did the race in 2007, finishing 2nd by FOUR seconds in a time of 1:22:01, so I kind of knew what to expect from the course and was shooting for redemption.  

And let me just pause to say that part of what I love about running is the "purity" of it...you rely on your body and mind alone to get you from the start to the finish of the race.  There are no mechanical issues, no advantages that can be gained by having better "gear" than the person next to you, it all comes to down to what you're willing to put on the line on race day.

Okay, back to Fargo.  At the start line I spotted two familiar faces in the crowd.  One a stud runner, Ladia Albertson-Junkans, that had recently graduated from the U of M where she earned All-American honors, oh and she was also last year's champ of the race; and Megan, a Twin Cities runner that I have seen out and about on the racing circuit.  We toed the line, the gun went off and it was ON!  The three of us formed a pack from the get-go and quickly set the pace for the women's field.  By mile 10, Ladia and I were in a battle.  I had been feeling pretty crappy from the start, never really finding a rhythm, so I was psyched to be on Ladia's heels.  She made a push, I responded.  Then around mile 12 I decided it was probably now or never, I went to make a move and immediately got hit with a gut-wrenching side-ache.  I fought to hang on as Ladia countered my move, and did so pretty well.  But despite my efforts and a decent kick, she bested me by  TWO seconds.  GAAAAAAAAAAWWWWW... I was disappointed, as any competitor would be, but felt pretty happy with my 1:18:35 PR.

                                                                  I hate pants

June - Dam to Dam, Baldwin Booster Shot, Garry Bjorklund (Grandma's) Half-Marathon, Tri-Loppet, Stubborn Mule AR

After a strong showing at Fargo, and realizing that recovery from a half-marathon was nothing compared to a full-marathon, I was fully in race mode.  I wanted to race every single weekend, so I did!

Dam to Dam is an iconic 20k in Des Moines.  Most distance runners in the Midwest know about it, and pros show up because there are some sweet cash-money prizes on the line.  I wrote in late begging for a spot in the field and the race organizer was awesome and agreed.  He loves having "local" runners show up for his Midwest event, and it's even better if you can throw down and mix it up with the front-runners which I was hoping to do.  The race weekend was insane, I won't bore you with all of the details, but it involved an RV brake fire, a 4am cab ride to the start, a 5-mile post-race run home (because of said RV brake fire) and an awesome race result!  An Olympian showed up and took it down with a new course record, but I came in a respectable fourth place.  My time = 1:13:22.  Super fun weekend.

                                                My support crew at Dam to Dam

The second weekend was a low-key 10k/5k road race in Baldwin, WI.  Competitors can do the 10k, 5k, or the "Super Challenge" (where competitors race the 10k, then re-toe the line for the 5k after).  I opted for the Super Challenge and set some records and placed first in both races on a hilly, country road course:  36:08 for the 10k, followed up by a decent 17:58 for the 5k.  Best part of this event had to be the homemade pies that were given out as awards instead of medals or certificates.  Delicious!

The third weekend  I headed north to Duluth, MN for the Garry Bjorklund/Grandma's Half-Marathon.  This year also happened to be the U.S. Half-Marathon Championship, but I didn't realize that and subsequently had not applied in time to be a competitor in that race.  Instead, I ran the "regular" half and smoked it!  It was extra special because it was the first time my two nieces had ever seen me run competitively.  I made special efforts to hit them up with high-fives throughout the race.  Finished first with new 1:18:10 PR.  Boom.

                                           My super fan nieces:  Annika & Julia

The fourth weekend was the Minneapolis Tri-Loppet event.  I feel like a broken record, but this was another super fun event.  It's an 8k canoe paddle across the chain of lakes in Minneapolis, followed by an extremely hilly 5k trail run through Theo Wirth Park, and then an 11k mountain bike again through Theo.  The key to this race is the paddle.  In the past two years, Tom and I have teamed up for the boat section and been stuck with what we lovingly refer to as "aluminum ramrods" aka big, old, clunky, heavy aluminum canoes.  Despite this, we've both posted respectable finishes.  So this year, with better biking legs under me, Tom was convinced that if we got a decent boat I could take it down.  We borrowed a race canoe and wouldn't you know it, we shaved 15 MINUTES off of our paddle time and I took it down.  Thanks, Tom!

The final weekend of June was the epic Stubborn Mule AR in Wausau, WI.  It's a 30-hour battle in cheesehead country that has proven to be a formidable beast of a race in the past.  I raced with a team GearJunkie/WEDALI squad consisting of:  Biz (Justin Bakken), Gear Junkie (Stephen Regenold), and T-Pain (Tom Puzak).  Memorable moments of this race include an 8-hour night paddle leg (which included us belting out Bohemian Rhapsody while paddling) and Biz hammering a packet of foul-smelling Spam at 2am before the final trek.  It was as tough as ever, but we persevered and wound up bringing home the "W."

                                    The Stubborn Mule Squad:  Me, Biz, GJ, Tom

July - April Sorenson Memorial Half-Marathon & The Most Amazing Race (MN style)

The April Sorenson Memorial Half-Marathon (Albert Lea, MN) was a good workout/tune-up race.  Following my VERY active racing calendar in June, I was looking for a relatively low-key race and this fit the bill perfectly.  It was hot and muggy on race morning and my legs felt heavy throughout, but the field of competitors was pretty light and I was able to post a course record (1:21:14).  Not an epic time, but good considering the circumstances.

The Most Amazing Race (Minneapolis) also took place this month.  What a blast!  The event is an urban adventure race put on by the Salvation Army as a fundraiser for the organization.  It is loosely based on the television show, "The Amazing Race," wherein teams of two race around the world (in this case, the Twin Cities metro area) competing in a number of random challenges.  Tom and I signed up, but with so many teams in the field, we had to win our way in through a morning qualifier competition.  The real race started in the afternoon and included 30 teams (including the returning champs) plus several teams that had advantages due to their stellar fundraising efforts.  Tom and I were stoked for the challenge!  We ran, biked, and paddled our way around Minneapolis doing all sorts of crazy stuff including:  eating sushi, making a hotel bed to professional standards, trivia at Target Field, charades, canoe paddling, juggling, rock climbing, dancing, and more.  The culmination of the event was eating a heaping pile of spaghetti and a one-pound meatball (this on a 90-degree summer day following a 4-hour all-out physical effort).  It was disgusting and glorious all at once because we realized with our last bites that we were the champions! 

                                     I still get the meat-sweats remembering this...

August - Urban Wildland Half-Marathon, MNOC ROGAINE, RAGNAR, END AR

Things were busy in August, but a little less intense.  I raced a local half-marathon, the Urban Wildland race (Richfield, MN).  A smallish race with no prize purse and on a weekend with several other local race options for runners to choose from.  I had a decent race on a muggy morning; first female, new course record, 1:19:26.

The MNOC ROGAINE (that's rugged outdoor group activity involving navigation and endurance, NOT the hair product) was in August.  It was in Pillsbury State Forest, Tom was my teammate and the navigator...I honestly don't remember much about the race.  This might have been the one involving a super cool CP (check point) in the lake at the end of the course.  Or I might be totally confusing this event with another one.  Time in the woods for me is a blur...mostly I just hold on for dear life and carry anything Tom needs me to.  :)

                                             Control retrieval in the Silver Bullet

The MN RAGNAR relay was next on the agenda.  I was recruited by the "Run Like a Mother" squad to head down to southern MN for a point-to-point, 200 mile running relay race that would finish in Minneapolis.  So much fun.  Captain Anne was on her game as she put the line up together for this event.  We weren't what you would call the most competitive team, but we had to be one of the most fun squads on course.  I had a blast with the mothers!

                                     "Children of the Corn" - Captain Anne and Me

August wrapped with a 24-hour AR in North Dakota.  The END AR race is put on by a Yoga Slacker (another AR team) and let's be honest, the race director, Andy, is just not right in the head.  He created a course that included a feature called the "Devil's Dive" which was approximately a quarter mile bike-whack down a steep hill through the nastiest bush you could imagine.  Super awesome...insert sarcasm here.  Not to mention a CP placed precariously on the side of a cliff that was eroding beneath our feet as we attempted to attack it.  But, my GearJunkie/WEDALI teammates (Biz, MoMo, and T-Pain) manned up and dominated that beast.  In an epic battle with team Swamp Donkey throughout this gnarly race, our squad was able to time travel through the night and roll home in first place.

                        Photo from END AR race report - Team GearJunkie/WEDALI on top

September - Sioux Falls Marathon, Wild Hare AR, The Most Amazing Race (PA style), CP Tracker Nationals

With the end of the racing season rapidly approaching, I decided to pack as much activity into September as I could.  It was another 4 for 4, racing every weekend kind of month.  

First up was the Sioux Falls Marathon.  I'll be frank:  I decided to run this race because there was a $1000 prize purse with a $500 bonus for breaking the course record (3:00-something...I can't remember exactly).   Things went well on race day and I ran a 2:50:38 which was good enough for the jackpot (winner and bonus).  Extra fun weekend because my whole family was in attendance cheering me on.

                                   My broseph, his family, and my parents - Super Fans!

Next up was the Wild Hare AR, a "last minute" addition to the GearJunkie/WEDALI team calendar.  The event was a12-hour AR that began in Omaha, but mostly took place in Council Bluffs (IA).  Unexpectedly interesting terrain, including some serious hills, Tom and I teamed up to race as a duo against our formidable GJ/WEDALI teammates (MoMo, Biz, and Dr. Dre).  We had some great moments, and some not-so-great moments during the race, and wound up placing 2nd overall behind our buddies (1st in the 2-person division).

The start of Wild Hare AR - MoMo, Tom, Me, Dr. Dre

Following the monumental amount of fun Tom and I had racing The Most Amazing Race in Minneapolis, we decided to parlay our winnings ($5,000) on a trip east to participate in The Most Amazing Race (Pittsburgh edition).  It was essentially the exact same concept, but in Pittsburgh.  Our game plan was to rely on iPhones to provide us with maps, directions, and any trivial information that we would need during the race (since that's what we did in MN).  However, we were dealt a crushing blow when on Friday night, mere hours before the race start, we were told all smart phones would be sealed up in front of race officials, not to be used during the race until officials gave the word.  Turds!  Tom had done a little research in anticipation of the race, but we knew essentially NOTHING about Pittsburgh or the local geography/culture.  There were 50 teams in this event, and we were the only out-of-towners.  Oh well, we decided we weren't out anything and we would just enjoy the experience.  The race began well enough, but we made a serious error by not reading a clue thoroughly and quickly found ourselves racing from the back of the pack.  The MN race had allowed the use of bikes, feet, and buses.  The Pitt race allowed use of foot, buses and subway, but we found ourselves running basically the entire 24 mile race (as did most teams).  In the end, our fitness combined with some luck (and a ninja move by Tom that I won't get into here) placed us second!  We couldn't believe it...but the story doesn't end there.  It turns out the first place team had cheated during the race.  We were crowned the champs!  WTF?!  Tom and I stared at each other in disbelief at the post-race meal, alternatively laughing and scratching our heads in wonderment.  Sorry Pittsburgh, but Honey Badgers (our team name) don't care!

Checkpoint Tracker Nationals is the culmination of the AR season in the United States.  This years event took place in Oak Hill, WV; more specifically the course covered the terrain of the Gauley River National Recreation Area.  I was lucky enough to be selected to race with my GearJunkie/WEDALI crew:  Biz, GJ, and T-Pain.  What an experience!  We started the 30-hour race with a two-hour whitewater paddle down the Gauley River, followed by hours and hours of hiking and biking up and down serious elevation in the pouring rain.  By the time night fell, we were soaked, an ominous fog had settled in, and we were in a battle with team SOG.  Some sneaky night orienteering and stellar mountain biking (lots of sarcasm here; the reality is that I threatened to blow up my bike and/or send it flying off a cliff approximately 20-30 times throughout the night) created a window of opportunity for our team to take the lead (unbeknown to us).  As daylight emerged, we riverboarded down another section of the Gauley before setting off for the final few CPs.  We knew we were pushing the limits of our physical abilities to attain all CPs in the time allotted, a task that race director Ronny Angell had deemed impossible.  But as the deadline loomed, our team climbed a few final gnarly hills (getting stung by bees/wasps in the process) and crossed the line in first place.  National Champs!  Woot woot!

Photo credit: Chris Radcliffe

October - Twin Cities Marathon, Corn-O

A mere seven days following the 30-hour epic effort of Checkpoint Tracker Nationals, I laced up for what I was considering a "fun" run:  The Twin Cities Marathon.  I decided that this is such a wonderful, scenic, "hometown" event that even if I was tired and not ready to run my best, I wanted to participate.  I laced up with relaxed expectations.  

The morning was cold so I bundled up in tights and a long-sleeve top.  On my way to the start line, I noticed most of the elites (whom I was starting with) were dressed in shorts and tanks/bra tops.  Turds!  I needed to strip down, but I had only cold-weather options.  I mentioned this to a fellow runner, Melissa Gacek, as we were dropping off our sweats bags and she kindly offered up an extra pair of shorts she had with.  With about 5 minutes until the gun, I quickly ran into the church that served as the elite warm-up area and made a 2-second transition to shorts instead of tights.  Crisis averted!  

On a surge of adrenaline, I started the race quickly, but not out of control.  As miles passed, I felt fine, but could feel the beginnings of tightness in my hamstrings.  Grrrr...last year my quads turned to bricks, this year it seemed that my hamstrings might be planning a revolt.  I kept chugging along and it wasn't until the half-way point that my hammies really started announcing their displeasure with the effort of the day.  I told them to shut up and keep working; we only had 13.1 miles to go!  I stopped smiling and talking to the crowds around mile 20 (the infamous "wall"), and now my hamstrings really hated me.  I resisted the urge to relent, figuring that the faster I ran, the sooner I would be done.  So despite some SERIOUS hamstring cramps, I trucked along and finished in near PR time:  2:45:54.  Oh and it I was the first MN, female finisher on the day, and 15th female overall...not too shabby.

The MNOC Corn-O Championship (in title only) took place in October at Sever's Corn Maze in Shakopee, MN.  It was an amaze-balls sprint event through a magical corn maze.  Followed by a mini-O in the hay bale maze, followed by sprint relays through the corn pit.  So much fun had by all!

                                                       Slogging through the corn pit

November - White Bear Lake 10-Miler

Following my effort at Twin Cities, I was approached by Ron Byland, the coach of MN RED (a local running club for people of all abilities).  He asked if I would like to join the club and "come out to play."  I don't dislike people, but running has always been something I enjoy doing on my own (for the most part).  I'm a strange creature in that most days, I really look forward to hopping on my treadmill (yes, that's right) and just shredding the crap out of myself.  I don't NEED races, I don't NEED training partners, etc.  I find that I have this inner compulsion/drive that inspires me to challenge myself each and every day regardless of surrounding circumstances.  I mean, that was my life before moving to the Cities:  I lived in a po-dunk town and trained like a fiend for no particular reason other than I enjoyed it.   However, I liked Ron and was intrigued by his training plan.  So with my eyes set on running and PR-ing at Boston in April, I decided to join up with the club.  It's been difficult to give up control of my running and take it easy on "off" days, but I had a good result running with one of the MN RED dudes at the White Bear Lake 10-miler (2nd overall, 1st female, 58:57).  We shall see...

                                          MN RED crew at White Bear Lake 10-Miler

December - VO2 Maxing and Relaxing

No races in December, but an interesting opportunity did present itself.  A professor was conducting a study on marathon runners including measures of body composition, VO2 max, and balance.  I was lucky enough to get wind of this opportunity and fit the bill of an "elite female marathon runner" which he was seeking for data collection purposes.  Turns out my VO2 max was the highest the professor had ever seen in a female in all his years of testing athletes.  Side note 1:  professional runner, Katie McGregor, tested immediately before me and she was in the 60s, as are most professional female athletes.  Professional males usually score in the 70s (males are genetically predisposed for higher scores).  Side note 2:  my high score certainly means my system is efficient, but it is partly due to my small size.  In terms of the volume of oxygen my body transports, my body is good, but not crazy off-the-charts.  However, when you combine that with the fact that I'm so small, I become extremely efficient.  Just felt I should disclose that...

Congratulations if you've made it this far.  I know this was an extremely long report, but I figured I had to start this blog somewhere and I had plenty of experiences this past year to draw upon.  Future posts will be race by race so as not to become novel-ish like this post.

Stay tuned for my adventures in 2013 which include a trip to Japan, the Boston Marathon, more delicious LUNA bars, and I'm sure some adventures in the woods (complaining about riding my bike).  

Keep it real.

Crusher