Lake George Half Marathon

I woke up late and stepped on cat vomit on my way to the shower. I rushed around to get ready and ended up forgetting my fuel belt. My boys were getting on my last nerve, fighting over who got to sit in the car seat with the square buckle. The race was 45 minutes away and I was stressed about making it on time. I arrived visibly flustered with barely enough time to pin on my race number. I quickly headed to the start line, hoping to stop at the port-a-potty, but the line was ridiculously long. That's about the time I started to regret that bottle of water I drank on the way there. I guess I'm going to have to hold it for 13.1 miles - awesome! For those of you that don't know me very well, that was a very sarcastic awesome with a giant F-bomb in front of it. So I'm standing at the start line, freezing my ass off, surrounded by gravel due to some road construction, when everyone starts running. What happened to shooting a gun off to let everyone know hey the race is starting now? So I had a rough morning, which really threw me off, but once I started running, everything just clicked. I forgot about all the BS and just focused on my running. I ran a steady pace, making sure to keep it around 8 minute miles. For the whole first half of the race, I felt like I was gliding, gradually passing runner after runner, just listening to my music and taking it one mile at a time. I skipped every aid station because I lack the basic skills required to drink water from a cup while running. Usually, I just spill it all over myself so I figured it was a waste of time. I did have a couple strawberry banana energy gels shoved in my waistband that I took around miles 5 and 10 though. It was an out and back course, which I love for 2 reasons: (1) I can count how many people are ahead of me at the turn around, which was about 50 and (2) I can look for my team members on the way back. A simple smile, a wave, or a thumbs up does wonders for my motivation and hopefully for theirs as well. My legs were getting tired on the way back and the hills seemed monstrous. I swear each one was bigger than the last. I think miles 8-11 were the most difficult for me. It was definitely a challenging course, but I was on a mission. Originally, I just wanted to come in under 2 hours, but I knew I could do better than that so I told my family to look for me around 1 hour and 45 minutes into the race. My estimate was pretty close because I ended up crossing the finish line with a time of 1:45:56, about 19 minutes faster than the previous year. I was 54th place overall and 7th place for my age group. I was more than happy with my performance. The race was timed with the chips that you have to tie on your shoes. I absolutely hate them! The last thing I want to do after running a race is bend over and untie my shoe to get that thing off. This time was especially difficult because my hands were frozen and my fingers would not function properly no matter how much my brain told them to. After I finally got it off, I went straight to my boys for post race hugs. I am so grateful to have family and friends willing to get up early on a cold and windy Sunday to support me! I always look forward to seeing my kids' faces at the finish line cheering me on. They motivate me to keep pushing and to finish strong.

Bacon Hill 5K Bonanza

It was a good weekend for running and a really great way to start off the 2013 race season. On Saturday, I ran the Bacon Hill 5K Bonanza and despite the name, there was no bacon involved. It was a little chilly, but I learned my lesson about overdressing, so I had short sleeves on-my purple Team Gabby Gabs shirt to be exact. I knew I had gotten faster, but I didn't know how fast until I crossed that finish line at 22:18. So excited for a new PR! The only part of the course I didn't like was the trail portion, which was wet, slippery, and scattered with large rocks. Overall, I really enjoyed the race and I will be back for more next year. I have to admit, the food offered after the race is a major factor in whether or not I will run it again and this race had a pretty good spread with water, chocolate milk, bananas, oranges, chili, and cookies. Also, they gave out baked goods to the winners-pies for first place, cookies for second place, and muffins for third place. I brought home a pie! That's right- I placed first for my age group! I guess working my butt off for the past year is paying off. Then on Sunday, I ran 11 miles- my last long run before the half marathon. It was windy, but I pushed through. I feel more prepared this year and I am confident that I can get in under 2 hours on Sunday. Lake George Half Marathon- here we come!

Finally

It's finally here! Spring has arrived and although the weather has still been a little questionable at times, the snow is gone and it's getting warmer out. It's about time! I thought winter would never end. Putting on all those extra layers and then washing all those clothes afterwards was ridiculous. I've been dreaming of the days where I can just throw on some shorts and a tank top and head out the door for a run without feeling like the Michelin Man. Also, the fact that I can leave my headlamp behind for evening runs again is another bonus of the spring season. I almost forgot what daylight looked like. It's great to see and feel the sun again. I don't have to pack a huge bag full of running gear at night anymore either. Less time prepping to run means more time actually running. And the most exciting part of spring is that it is time to start racing again and I have missed it so much. It is easier to stay motivated when you are training for a race or a lot of races in my case. My calendar is full of 5Ks, a few 10Ks, a couple half marathons, a marathon, a marathon relay, and of course the ultra. This Saturday is my first race of the year. Just a 5K to get things started. I am so excited to get back to racing. I love the race atmosphere. Runners are incredible people! They welcome all runners from all ability levels. They motivate and encourage each other. We really just want to do what love around other people who love it too. We could go on and on about running shoes, good form, training plans, and injuries. We tell stories about chafing issues and port a potty dilemmas. Runners understand each other. They know what it feels like to push themselves farther than they thought they could go. They know the satisfaction of pushing through the pain and refusing to give up even when it gets hard. They know that amazing feeling of crossing the finish line and accomplishing your goal. Other people will call us crazy, but runners know they have no limits. We are not afraid of hard work. We keep reaching for new goals, we keep training, we keep pushing ourselves and each other, always trying to better ourselves and forming amazing friendships along the way - I love you Team Gabby Gabs!