Cheer Report - 2014 Boston Marathon

This past weekend was amazing. My brother qualified in Oct 2012 for Boston 2014. The events of Boston 2013 gave him more resolve to not miss 2014. We've been to all but one of my brother's marathons, so there was no way I was missing this race.

Months ago, we booked our hotel & flights. We booked 2 hotels & decided we'd check the race map before deciding which to keep. We ultimately decided on a Courtyard Marriott in Brookline (partially because it was prepaid... oops!). What we didn't realize was that the hotel was on a side street right next to the race course; perfect for spectating! We have family in MA & my wonderful aunt and uncle said they'd come to hang out with my husband and I while waiting for my brother.

We flew up on Saturday mid-morning to Boston. It was a great, uneventful flight. I'd say it was the most "fit" flight I've ever been on. Probably half the plane was going to run the marathon. It was awesome. Once in Boston, we got our bags, headed to the hotel, checked in, dropped everything off, and then headed right back out to the expo.

I love race expos. Especially BIG race expos. Adam got his bib & then came back to get us. We picked up his shirt & then went down into the rest of the expo. I ended up buying a pair of 110% knickers. I can't wait to use them. (I probably should've after today's run, but I didn't have the ice things in the freezer.) Adam bought a few peanut butter GUs. We wandered around a bit more and then headed back to the hotel.

We hit up the "Find Me Gluten Free" app for a recommendation for dinner. We decided on Otto Pizza. It was probably the best gluten free pizza I've had. Yum! We ordered way too much food & took some pizza back to the hotel with us. (We never did eat it... oops!)

Adam & Jon said theirs was like a grown-up Hawaiian pizza (pulled pork & mango)

Gluten Free pizza - pretty much tasted like a loaded baked potato. So good!

Sunday morning (Easter!), we headed to The Paris Creperie Cafe. Oh thank goodness we don't live anywhere near here. We'd probably have breakfast, lunch, and snacks there every day. The Nutella drinks are so good!

YUM!

After breakfast, we headed into Boston & got on the hop on/hop off trolley tour. We got off at a couple of stops to walk around, but mostly just rode around. We had an early dinner at Maggianos (not a local place, but pasta for Adam & GF for me!). Eventually we ended up back at the hotel for an early evening in.

I'm pretty sure we all had a pretty restless night. We were all too excited for Monday. Adam got up around 5:45 & started to get ready. By 6:15am, he was out the door. We didn't stay in bed too much longer. Jon & I went out to check out the race situation before breakfast. We confirmed that we would have to be on the other side of the road in order to get to the T to get to Adam after the race.

We had a quick breakfast & I started texting with my aunt & uncle about when they'd get to us. I was getting so excited to see them. We rarely see each other & it's not always in good situations (family "stuff" and all). They got to us just after 8:30am, which turned out to be perfect. After hanging out for a little bit, we headed down to the race course. Jon & Aunt Kim went to get Starbucks while Tim & I hung out.

Around 9, we started to see the National Guard participants come through. The first guy looked like he was having a great time! The next few, not so much. Then, around 9:30, we saw the men's lead wheelchair come through. What an amazing experience.

After a while, it was the women's lead wheelchair. Such inspirations! Bill Rogers & the race director also came through.

When the lead women came through, Jeptoo looked amazing! She was so focused. We later found out that she was really kicking up the pace. It explains why the 3 ladies behind her looked like they were working hard to keep within striking distance.

Not too much later, the elite men started to come through. We had been keeping up with it online & knew that Meb was in the lead. It was so awesome to watch them. I'm still in awe of how quickly they run, even at mile 23/24 of a marathon.

After the elite women & men, the age groupers started coming in. In full force! I was shocked to see so many people running in the 5-7 minute per mile pace! This is Boston after all. We're so used to the field being spread out at mile 23 and having no problems finding my brother. What a difference! Jon was looking for Adam through the camera lens (hoping to spot him before we did) and was having issues keeping up with the crowds. My aunt saw him before we did, just as he was getting ready to pass us. Adam actually turned around to come give us hugs & say hi. It was so great to see him. He looked strong & we promised we'd see him at athlete village. Jon didn't get any pictures of Adam. (Bad brother-in-law!)

We made our way to the "T" and headed to Boston Common. The 4 of us made it at about the same time as Adam did! Guess public transportation isn't necessarily faster than running (especially if you run a 6:50 mile).

I'm beyond proud of my lil brother. He amazes me every day with his dedication to the sport!

2 of my favorites! My Aunt Kim & little brother, Adam.

Jon, Adam, and Uncle Tim

Me, Adam, and Aunt Kim

Adam looked great for having just run a marathon! We decided to grab lunch at Rock Bottom, where Adam had 2 of the 26.2 Sam Adams along with his lunch. It was hysterical. Run drunk!

After lunch, we headed back to mile 23/24 and the hotel. We couldn't get across the road to get back to the hotel, so we stayed and cheered. This turned out to be a good thing because we were able to see my friends Jill & Tim come by!

Not too much longer & we were able to get across to the hotel. Well, most of us...

The MP asked Tim if we were laughing at him (Tim) for getting caught over on the other side without us. He got stuck on the "wrong side" of the barriers a couple of times during the day, so we were laughing. He pretended to cuff him at one point, which was hysterical.

I'm so thankful for my Aunt Kim & (Uncle) Tim and them being willing to make the trip from their home to Boston to 1) spend the day with Jon & I and 2) see Adam run Boston for his first run. Such an important run in his running career (whether or not he'll tell you that). I'm beyond proud of Adam - still. If he goes back next year, we'll likely go again. I can't imagine not being there!

PS - Not related to my brother, but I love this!  Free Hugs video

TriFrog is a Reality!

FINALLY! I finally got around to getting TriFrog made and I love it. It only took 3.5 yrs to do it.

Molly of www.everydaymojo.net was kind enough to deal work with me on TriFrog to get it just right. She was so sweet & provided me a couple of backgrounds too, so I'll be playing with those in the next few days.

What do you think about the TriFrog design?

Catching Up

Today, I rode my bike (inside unfortunately) for an hour and 15 minutes (Avalance Spire from TrainerRoad!) while watching "Reveal the Path". It's basically about getting out, exploring the world, and taking it all in. I felt like these guys knew my heart. Ultimately, it's what I'd love to do if money, time, etc, were no object.

Yesterday, I realized I'm BEHIND in my cycling training. About 2 weeks behind. Oops! Stupid cold. I've got a long 3 weeks ahead of me to catch up. Because of that same cold, I'm behind on pretty much everything. The swim, the run, my rest week. Ah well, it'll all come together.

After the ride, I took the time to read an awesome blog post from Fellow Flowers. I love everything this company stands for. A flower in your hair (or wherever you want to wear it) connects you with so many supportive women without words being spoken. In a time where we, all too often, tear each other down or are quick to judge, it's great to be supported.

Each color stands for something different. Each with it's own purpose and special meaning to the person who wears it. I could've used "No Excuses" purple yesterday and today. Maybe I'll wear one tomorrow. I may need it to get through the 30 minute run & 2 hr bike ride!

No Excuses!

Since Shamrock

Since returning home (to snow) from Shamrock 8k & half marathon, 70.3 training has started! Oh and, I've managed to come down with a cold. I'm pretty much over the cold at this point (fingers crossed!), but my training took a hit for sure.

This year, I'm going team-less. This also means coach-less. I think it'll be a good experience for me. I've combined the Trainer Road (cycling) half ironman low-volume plan, Swim Workouts for Triathletes (swimming) half ironman plan, and the Jeff Galloway (running) half marathon plan.

There are currently 4 swims, 3 bikes, 3 runs, and I have 2 weight lifting workouts per week. That's 12 workouts in 6 days. Meaning pretty much every day is a 2-a-day. I'll likely be getting rid of at least 1, if not 2, swims per week. It just doesn't seem all that doable to me!

On the nutrition front, we re-started Whole 30... and stopped it. Jon wanted to follow the program after he saw my success with it. Every day, he was telling me "it was my only cheat". He's obviously not ready mentally for Whole 30. So, we're working on making our diet Paleo when home & "treats" when out.

My new motto

Shamrock 8k & Half Marathon; aka Dolphin Challenge; March 14 & 15, 2014; Overall

Overall, the Shamrock races in VA Beach are wonderful. If there was anything I'd change, it'd be the length of the finisher chute (or just have the ability to get out of it before walking several blocks down the boardwalk). I'm looking forward to Dolphin Challenge 2015!

They have GREAT swag. For the 8k, a long sleeve (cotton) shirt before the race and a beer coozie & medal after the race. For the half, a short sleeve (technical) shirt before the race and a hat, finisher hat, beach blanket, and medal after the race. The dolphin challenge got an additional medal. Both races got a reusable bag with the race logo/info on it. There's also a beer tent & beef stew if that's your thing.

For comparison sake:

Shamrock Dolphin Challenge 2009
place: 357/457 (in Dolphin Challenge)
age: 28
gender place: 182/259 (in Dolphin Challenge)
8k: 1:00:34
half: 2:42:08
dolphin overall time: 3:42:42

Shamrock Dolphin Challenge 2014
place: 462/750 (in Dolphin Challenge)
age: 33
gender place: n/a
8k: 1:00:01
half: 2:22:45
dolphin overall time: 3:22:46

Shamrock 8k & Half Marathon; aka Dolphin Challenge; March 14 & 15, 2014; The Half

Pre-race
We got up nice & early. I made the oatmeal, body glided up, got dressed, ate, and then rolled out my calves a bit. (Love my Trigger Point footballer!) We walked the few blocks over to the race site to meet up with the Tough Chik ladies at 6:30ish. It was so cold! On the way over, I lost my ear cover thing, but it is what it is. It was great meeting these ladies!

Tough Chiks!

We are tough!

After meeting up with the ladies for the pictures (and a very quick hello), we set off to find Melissa & her family. After some confusion about where she was, we finally found her. It was a pretty quick hello and then I headed to corral 7. 

Melissa & I pre-race

I decided to start with the 2:30 pace group corral instead of the 2:15 group. I handed Jon my Space Coast jacket & proceeded to shiver until we got running.

I was wearing both my Bia and Garmin (Forerunner 10) because the Bia doesn't have the walk/run functionality yet. I was trying to get my Bia & Garmin to connect. The Garmin actually connected before the Bia. I was a bit frustrated because the Bia was really struggling. The first time it didn't connect was my fault, I forgot to wake up the GoStick. The other three times, I'm not sure what was going on. My best guess is that standing in a crowd of almost 10,000 people, it was just having a hard time pulling down a cell signal. The Bia finally connected and all was well.

Race
After the National Anthem, we had to wait for 6 corrals to go off. They do a pretty good job of separating the corrals to give some space on the course.

I skipped my first walk interval just to try to get out of the crowds a little bit. I noticed almost immediately that I was a bit fast. My miles were in the 10 minute range (although closer to 11 minutes still) instead of in the 11 minute range (closer to 12 minutes). At mile 3, I was a little worried that I was a bit too fast. I have a bad habit of blowing up at mile 11, so I was a bit concerned. Around this time, I saw another fellow Disneymooner, Jill, and her husband, Tim. I gave her a quick hug & said hi to him and continued on. I had a time monkey to chase down!

Around mile 6.5, I realized that I was coming in MUCH faster than I thought I would... and than I ever have. I started texting Jon on my walk breaks about once a mile from here on out. I was at the half way point at 1:09:xx (well, 6.5 on my Bia... 6.2 on my Garmin).

Mile 8-10 were a bit tough just because of the wind on Fort Story. They have pretty lighthouses!

Around mile 11, I was just waiting for the cramping in my calves to start. This is usually what happens. Instead, I felt great & was able to keep on keeping on! I texted Jon at mile 10, 11, and 12. I realized at mile 12 that I was definitely going to make it under 2:30:xx, which was my goal. I just didn't realize how much under.

I was so excited to come in at 2:22:45. I've never broken 2:30 before. Everything for this race just fell into place. I was taking Island Boost every 30 minutes, a Salt Stick every 45 minutes, and drinking water at the water stops & as needed. This is apparently exactly what I needed in 40ish degree weather. I'll have to play with the salt as it gets warmer.

Post-race
When I crossed the finish line, Jon found me & I started hyperventilating crying. I was so proud of myself. We have issues in my family... we cry when it's good or bad news! After getting through the finishing chute, I found Jon again. We chilled for a few minutes and then I had him take a million pictures.

Texting my mom & brother

#faceyourfierce

Then we moved to the other side of the chute to wait for Melissa. She came in around 2:40 or so, which is phenomenal!

So proud of Melissa for finishing her first half!

So cold, but so happy!

After chatting with Melissa & her parents for a few minutes, we headed back to the hotel. We made the call earlier that morning that we needed to go home that night. We were expecting snow at the house that night/the next morning, so it was the more responsible thing to do. So, we went back & I got showered and finished packing. Then it was off to lunch!

Taste Unlimited again. Yummy!

 Monday morning, this is what we woke up to. Guess it was a good call to spend 5.5 hrs in the car to beat the snow.

Snow = Being Responsible

Shamrock 8k & Half Marathon; aka Dolphin Challenge; March 14 & 15, 2014; The 8k

Pre-race
We traveled to VA Beach for the Shamrock weekend races on Friday. We had to stop by the trailer before headed south, so we did that and I "encouraged" Jon to get on the road as quickly as possible.

Virginia is for Lovers (and Island Boost!)

We got to VA Beach and headed straight for the expo. Race weekend doesn't official start until packet pickup for me. I love packet pickup; it's what makes the race(s) real! We met up with my friend Melissa & her parents at the expo. I had a couple of Island Boost to give her.

Melissa & I with our race bibs

After we wandered through the expo (where I picked up a sweet pair of 110% calf compression sleeves), we headed to the hotel. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott on 37th & Atlantic. Great location for the races!

Shirts & bibs

We met Melissa & her parents for dinner at Carrabba's. After a great dinner & conversation, we headed back to the hotel to relax and get ready for the next morning's 8k.

The Race
The morning of the race, we woke up to a beautiful sunrise & great weather!

If only every race morning looked like this!

We had breakfast (oatmeal in a cup! Gluten free for me.), finished getting ready, and then headed out to meet up with Melissa & her family. Her dad, Cam, was going to be running the 8k.

Jon & I, pre-race

Ready to go! (Well, almost)

Now we're ready!

 This was the first race with my Bia watch and with chocolate Island Boost. I was so excited for both!

Chocolate Island Boost & Bia! What more could a girl ask for?

While we were chatting with Melissa's family, a fellow Team Tough Chik member wandered over and introduced herself. It was fun meeting a fellow team member! Hope your races went well Jess!

Jon, myself, and Cam

Jess, a fellow Tough Chik, and I

Before long, it was time to get in our corrals. Jon was a bit freaked because apparently I put in 45 minutes for our estimated time. Which, when we were going to be training for the run, was totally realistic! Needless to say, he refused to start in corral 4 where we were supposed to. So, we wandered back to corral 7. There was about 2 minutes between each corral. We got up to the start line & counted down our "go time".

I told Jon I'd stick with him the entire race and at his pace. I needed to keep my legs for the following day. I think Jon was a bit worried because I've been known to push the pace a bit. True to my word, I kept with him & let him be at his pace. We did a 1:00 run/1:00 walk. We skipped the first walk and ran through it because it was too close to the beginning of the race (read: too many people!). There was one other interval that I had us push through because it was too crowded again. Other than that, I left it up to Jon to set the pace.

I had such a great time. No pressure, sunny morning, calm breeze, and great company. Oh and the flat-est course ever! All runs should be like that. The funny thing is that all of the photographers caught us while we were on our walk breaks. The Bia did great! Jon didn't tell me he wanted to be under an hour. If I had known that, I would've pushed him a little more!

Done and Done

After the race, we caught up with Melissa & her mom. While waiting for her dad, a former teammate, Patty, finished. It was so good to see her!

Patty from Team Z & I

Post-race
We found this sandwich shop called Taste Unlimited on my Find Me Gluten Free app. It had pretty good ratings and was within walking distance to the hotel. Perfect location! I had a Freemason (chicken salad) on gluten free bread. While non of this is even remotely Paleo, it was good to be ordering somewhat like a normal person. After lunch, we had gelato from TU as well. It was so good!

Best GF lunch ever!

Mmmmm, gelato!

After lunch, we headed to the RV show in Hampton Roads. After about 1.5 hours or so of walking around, we were both getting tired and were ready to head back to the hotel. We chilled for a bit, grabbed coffee, found some awesome popcorn at Jody's Popcorn, and decided to head to Burton's Grille for an early dinner. They were so wonderful in how they handled gluten free dining. About 95% of their menu can be gluten free (even if they're not on the gluten free menu).

Gluten free bread! I've never been offered gluten free bread at a restaurant like normal people before!

Burton's GF menu

Firecracker Shrimp - so good!

Backyard BBQ Burger - so yummy!

I ordered dessert to go - chocolate torte. After finishing off dinner, we headed back to the hotel to chill, enjoy the spring-like evening, and have dessert. We also played a bit of Quiz Up. We headed to bed early because I had a 7am start the next morning for the half marathon!