Catch up (never published from 2015, whoops)

It has been a while since the Tobacco Road Half Marathon. I have done a couple races since then and just never wrote about them. So here is a catch up post.

In April, I ran the RunnerDude’s Trust. Believe. Conquer! 25K; which was put on by a local running event company,Trivium Racing, and my running coach from RunnerDude's Fitness. It was a great race because so many of my running group friends were running it. 

The course consisted of  two loops that were pretty hilly. It being two loops was actually nice because not only were there a lot of people that I knew running it, but there were a bunch of people volunteering to help and spectate as well. No matter where you were on the course, you ended up running into somebody you knew. Plus you got to see everyone twice so you knew where to look for people the second time around.  It was very motivating.

The course was pretty tough with a lot of rolling hills. The day was cool with bursts of  relentlessness strong wind, that always seemed to be the worst when going up some of the worst hills.

Going into the race I did not have any expectations. I knew I wanted to get under 2 hours 30 minutes. I had trained for this race but had raced hard at the Tobacco Road Half Marathon two weekends before. So I had no idea what my performance would be like.

 I started off with Brittany, Laura, Will, and Bobby. I started off hoping to hold a pace below 9 minute miles for the entire race. We started the race off at a pretty good pace. Eventually Brittany, Laura, and Bobby took off. All of a sudden they started getting further and further ahead. At first I thought I was slowing down , but realized they were speeding up. All the power to them, but I knew I needed to pace myself. Especially since I was still on the first loop. I ended up finding a good pace next to Will. We ended up running the whole race together. It was really nice to have the company. We barley talked, but just having his presence was nice and helped me keep a faster pace then I probably would have kept if I was by myself. 

I forgot to mention that my other goal for this race was to beat Bobby. Bobby is a great guy with a funny sense of humor. We like to banter back and forth.  He's always giving me a hard time and he's faster than me even with walk breaks. During past races I have tried to keep up with him, only to have him blow out a fast pace. Then he takes walking break,s and when I almost catch him he starts running again and ends up beating me. So I joked that my only goal for this race was to beat Bobby. 

When Bobby took off with Laura and Brittany, Will predicted that Bobby would lose his wheels around mile 12. Sure enough around the 12 mile maker we saw Bobby up ahead walking up the hill and going to the porta potty. We ended up passing him there and were able to maintain our lead on him. So I reached my goal of beating Bobby and he never hears the end of it ;)

A little while after passing Bobby we picked up Brittney. Her stomach had started bothering her so she had lost Laura and our other friend Brandon. So I finished with Brittany and Will. The last 3 miles were the worst. It was all I could do to keep going. But with Brittany and Will by my side, we fought through it putting one foot in front of the other over and over again until the end. Just when you think you are at the end they made us go around back into the parking lot where we originally started. I finished in 2:22:30 with an average pace of 9:10 per mile. My half marathon split would have been a sub 2 hour half, which made me really happy. We had really slowed up those last hilly 3 miles. I was very satisfied with the race and my performance.

Overall it was a wonderful race. It was very well put together. There were a couple issues with not all the cops being there because of their misunderstanding that it was on Easter weekend, even though it had been set up over 6 months in advanced. Other than that the race was amazing. The volunteers were outstanding, especially since I knew almost every one of them. 

Our friend Brandon had probably ran the smartest race, running it as a progression. He had been behind us for a good distance and then speed up past. Eventually he had caught up with Laura. At the very end Laura turned it on and ended up beating Brandon. We still like to give Brandon a hard time about it. Laura is sneaky though and is a lot more talented than I think she realizes. The girl has speed and is really good at kicking it into another gear at the end of a run or race. She is my hero :)

Laura ended up placing second in our age group (30-34). I got excited because I ended up winning 3rd. We got an Easter baskets since it was Easter weekend. The basket had a chocolate bunny and some candy, plus a $10 gift certificate to Dicks Sporting Goods. My friend Saundretta had watched watched Hannah  for me while I ran so they were there for the rewards ceremony.  As soon as I received  my basket, Hannah grabbed the chocolate bunny and ate almost the whole thing before I fully comprehended what she was doing. Little booger.

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I also did the Tar Heel 10 Miler in April. It was a pretty race. It had a lot of hills and was really crowded. They really need a better corral system because it was a mess. Not to mention it was so crowed at the start of the race that it was hard to move let alone get into a comfortable pace. Luckily I had no time expectations for the race and was just looking to run by feel.

A unique thing about this race is that near the end there is this horrendous hill you have to climb. So the event coordinators make it a separate challenge, "Laurel Hill Challenge". 

The race describes it as follows:

"Get ready for the Laurel Hill Challenge! Laurel Hill Road passes through one of the most exclusive and beautiful neighborhoods in Chapel Hill, but it has a reputation for being one of the most challenging roads to run up. Over the course of approximately one mile, runners will climb just over 200 vertical feet. Runners will cross a timing mat at the bottom and top of Laurel Hill Road. A separate split will be included in your final results."

It was a beast of a hill and knowing you would be timed on it made it so I ran the whole thing. I'm pretty sure I would have walked some of it otherwise. Only problem is that once you reach the top of it there is another hill. Good lord I was mad. haha.

I finished the race feeling pretty exhausted. It was a great race. I'm not sure I would do it again unless I had some friends my pace that wanted to run it with me. 

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In May, I ran Race 13.1 Greensboro. My goal had been to get a course PR. Last year I was going for my first sub 2 hour half and had missed it by 29 seconds. 

Everything went well up until mile 10. I was running with Brittany and Laura. The day was humid and got worse by the minute. The course consists of a ridiculous amount of rolling hills. It reminds me of a rollarcoaster. Last year we had been lucky and got a nice cool day. Not this year!  

At mile 10 the  humidity and heat started to get to me. I just wasn't feeling it . The relentless hills, heat, and and humidity were working against me. Plus I think we started out too fast for the course. Luckily Brittany and Laura helped get me through it. I had lost them for a while but they ended up waiting for me and telling me they wanted to finish together. The elements were getting to them too. 

At that point we were still set to get a sub 2 hour half. Then we came across the hill of hell, and I just did not care about my time anymore. We walked up that evil hill and talked each other to the finish line. At the top of the last hill our friend Duncan met up with us. He is super speedy and finished over a half hour before us. He helped run us in. He was laughing because usually we are all talkative and  we were dead silent. He asked us if this was the part of the race where we were not talking, hehe. Umm, yeah!

Laura and Brittany still finished a bit ahead of me. I was just a hot mess and could not get my legs to move. 

Hey you win some you lose some. I was just happy I finished the race with some of the best running friends a girl could ask for.

Will I ever do this one again... I don't know. This time of year is so hard with the weather.  Maybe I will sign up on race day next year if it is another cool day ;)

That puts me at 9 Half Marathons!

New Half PR! Tobacco Road Half Marathon

I had heard great things about the Tobacco Road Marathon. I signed up for the half marathon before it sold out. I wanted to prove to myself that I could run another sub 2 hour half marathon. This sounded like the perfect course to do it on. They promote it as  "Flat, Fast, and Fun". I would not call it flat, but it was a pretty fast course with some great downhill sections.

I was excited to be running it with one of best racing buddies, Brittany. I was a little nervous as we had not run together as much lately, so I was not sure how fast her race pace would be. So I was a little worried I would not be able to keep up. I knew it did not really matter because we both are each others cheerleaders, and we highly encourage the other to do their best. -- Running friends are the best!

My day started at an ungodly hour of 3 am.  I got up and got ready to leave at 3:40 am so I could get to the hotel Brittany and her boyfriend, Jason were staying at in Cary for 5 am. I had purchased parking for the race but they said you needed to be there by 5:30 am to guarantee a parking spot. We just chilled in the car for an hour keeping warm before the race. The race started at 7 am. Having to get their so early was my only real big complaint, but it is a very popular race so I guess I just have to suck it up. I know people who had to get up at 2 am for Disney races.

Going into the race I was not sure what my plan was. I really wanted to race it. I am currently training for a 25k (RunnerDude's 25k) for April 4th. I kept thinking that I would race this half and then see how I felt for the 25k as far as actually racing it.

My training runs have been going really well. I have seen a good increase in my speed. So I felt pretty good going into the race. I wasn't really nervous. My plan was just to go by effort and go from there.

The start was very congested. Brittany and I had already talked about starting out slower and not trying to weave in and out of the crowd. Typically you end up just wearing yourself out before you even truly get started. Our first mile was 9:27. We had planned to run near the 2 hour pacer but the crowd was pretty big around them and after the first mile they took off like bats out of hell. I think they were making up for the first mile but it was a little crazy how fast they were going. A group of us were complaining / talking about it.

Eventually we caught back up with the 2 hour pacer and passed them. They finally seemed to be back on track. At that point we were clocking all our miles in under 9 minutes. My secret goal was to try to keep every mile under 9. We only had 3 over 9 minutes and the slowest mile was the first mile.

Most of the course runs on the American Tobacco Trail in Cary, NC. It is a really nice shaded wooded trail, that is mostly compact dirt. It had rained the day before, so I though it felt nice and spongy. Only a few parts were muddy. Also, I like out and back courses. I like knowing what to expect on the way back. Plus I love watching people run by, it makes the time fly by. I'm a people watcher.

Typically when I run with Brittany, we talk the whole time. During this race we barley spoke. We were working hard ;)

When we hit the turnaround point,we had seen the 1:50 pacer pass not too far ahead of us. Then saw the 2 hour pacer behind us. At that point I knew we were near a 1:55 finish. I tried not to get too excited since I knew we had a pretty long gradual hill coming that had the potential to slow us up.

I had a Blueberry Huma Chia Energy Gel around mile 8. Brittany and I had ran 14 miles the weekend before with a 30 minute fast finish. I had not taken in any nutrition during the run, and remembered that I wish I had during those last 30 minutes struggling with my energy level. -- I was having a hard time trying to eat it on the go, going up the gradual incline, and my nose was stuffy so I was having a hard time breathing. I kept laughing to myself, thinking how ridiculous I must look to the people coming the opposite direction. I also wondered if any photographers caught me with gel dribbling out the corner of my mouth, hehe. But I got it done, and it really helped me with the last half.

Toward the end of the race the loudest breather I have ever heard was just behind me to my left. He was driving me crazy. Sometimes just hearing other people struggle can make you tired. Finally he passed us and I was so thankful. He had headphones on, probably so he didn't have to hear himself.

Crossing the finish line together

As we got to the last 5k mark, we started picking local landmarks to compare how far we had left. Brittany would say "we have from the studio to Battleground parking lot". Then "CVS to the studio". It really helped get through those last miles. The best is when we could start to hear the crowd, then you turn the corner and there is the ginormous American flag hanging above the finish. Brittany and I crossed the finish line at 1:55:04. I even got to ring the PR bell. It was all very exciting.

Later we found out Brittany won first place for females in the military for the half. She won $350!

Overall it was an awesome race. I got to PR and do it with one of my best running friends. We are now talking about doing the full next year.

I highly recommend this race. It is a beautiful course.


Here are the stats:

Next up: RunnerDude's 25K!!!

Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon!

I started this blog last year while I was training for my first half marathon. I thought it would be fun to document my journey. Little did I know that I would fall in love with running in the process.

When I set out to complete my first half marathon, I had no intentions of ever doing one again. As I neared the end of my training, I had the itch to do the Raleigh Rock n'Roll Half. Once I completed my first half marathon race, I set the goal of doing Raleigh in under two hours. To accomplish this I would have to shave almost 7 minutes off my time.

You can read about my Raleigh Rock n'Roll Half race. I did not get a sub 2 hour. I still PR'd at 2:04. Then I tried again at the Race 13.1 Greensboro. This time I came up short by 29 seconds!!!

Jeez, this was turning out to be harder than I thought.

Yesterday I completed my 4th Half Marathon and FINALLY got a sub 2 hour! 

Here is my recap.

I traveled to Fayetteville, NC to run the Race 13.1 Fayettville. I had been warned that it is super hot and humid there. I was excited that it was supposed to be a flat and fast course.

I met up with some of my running buddies and we had an awesome girls night out. We stayed in a hotel from Saturday until Sunday. The race was on Sunday and the hotel was less than a mile from the start line, which worked out great.

The crew before the race.

Weather according to Garmin

Luckily the temperature was in the high 70's on race day and it was cloudy. The humidity was the worst part by far. We were already sweating before we even started. The course had no shade, so the cloudy day was a necessity. I'm not sure I would have been able to complete the race if it had been clear and sunny. There is nothing worse than running on the road with no shade with hot humid temps. Plus I sunburn really easy...

The vast majority of the course took place on the All-American Expressway. That was my first time racing on a highway, so that was interesting. Although, I would also add it was very boring. Not to mention the event staff failed to remove a poor dead dog from the shoulder. They should have at least covered it, as we had to pass it twice. I almost cried, it was so sad. 

I'm in the blue shirt and white hat

I had decided to run with the 2 hour pacer to try and go for my sub 2. He was a nice guy with a lot of energy. As time went by I felt like he was running a little fast and around mile 5 I fell a little behind. My goal was just to keep him in my sight, so if at any point I felt really good, I could catch back up to the group. 

I definitely would not say I felt great during this race. The humidity sucked, and the course was boring, with lots of terrible gradual inclines. Sometimes, I hate those more than hills. It's funny to even look at the elevation map because the course felt a lot hillier. I also did not like the fact that I could see for miles ahead of me, which made the distance more daunting.

Elevation Course Map

I don't think I have ever drank so much water and Gatorade during a race. I could not replenish fast enough. Everything was sweating right out of me. I managed to catch back up to the 2 hour pacer around mile 8 and noticed they were walking through the water stations. So I decided to follow their lead. I even had time to refill my water bottles by doing this. Normally I just roll on right by them because I carry my own water and Gatorade.

Around mile 9 to 10 my wheels started falling off. I just wanted to be done. I can't really say what exactly was going on, as nothing was bothering me. I was just tired and my shoes were starting to get wet from my sweat, which I cannot stand. This is also when I saw the dead dog and right near that an ambulance and fire truck were taking care of an injured runner. There was also a yucky long incline up over an overpass that was concrete. My legs really felt the impact of the concrete.

I again fell behind the pacer and had just decided this was not my day. So I plodded along just hoping to finish soon. I walked through the last water station kinda sulking about missing my goal again. When I came across the mile 11 marker, and looked at my Garmin to realize I could still get in under 2 hours! I was so excited. I willed myself to go faster. I forced my legs to move even though they felt like bricks.

Around mile 12, I caught up to a runner that was running with a full sized American Flag. His friends started lagging behind him and he was trying to get them to go. I ran up beside him and said I'd run in with him. So we killed that last mile. It was such a welcomed way to end the race. He brought in a lot of crowd support which really helped me finish stronger than I felt.

I was excited to see that I crossed the finish line in 1:58:36. My chip time was 1:58:09. Finally!!!

Honestly, it is still a little surreal. It was a strange race. It was not terrible but it was not great either. It definitely was not a race where I felt like I had it. If anything I felt the opposite. I'm so glad I pushed through all those thoughts to finally do it.

Official Results

My Garmin came up short on distance but it was a USATF Certified Course so I'll take it :)

Splits according to my Garmin

I have 2 more half marathons and a ten miler race left before my full in November. Those will all be training run races leading up to the full, so I'm glad I was able to PR this race. Now I can just focus on marathon training.