Boston Training 2020: Week 12: the time when I ran a 13.1 and everything went wrong

Last week was a decent week. All runs outdoors. Highest mileage in basically a year.

Tuesday was hill day, and since I needed to vote I ran over Bitch Hill and then over to the town office (also on a hill)

It was a decent enough run but I was first aggravated by some GI issues, and then it got very dark, very quickly. (Yes, I know what time sunset is. But as dusk arrived it also became quite cloudy.)

After an easy run Wednesday, I was ready (ish) to tackle mile repeats on Thursday. 

Overall, I felt good about this workout. It was a pretty windy day, and fighting wind while doing speedwork is no joke. Out of the 6 reps, I believe the slowest was a 7:35 (wind) and the fastest was 7:21 (literally being chased by a pack of junkyard dogs. really. it happened.)

One but of misfortune did occur. 

My speedwork road is located right next to the outdoor gun club (they shoot skeet, and such) As I passed by, an unexpected gun went off, causing me to jump in surprise. When I landed, I completely rolled my left ankle over. RIGHT over. Of course I did..... After a bit of hippity-hopping around, I felt fine and continued on. 

Fast forward to Saturday, and I couldn't figure out why the outside of my ankle was really sore. (I did remember, because I am not that forgetful.) I ran a few easy miles that day and felt basically ok. I did notice a little tightness while going uphill, but nothing to get worked up about. 

I did a few easy miles, and then we took my cousin and husband out for a beer. (we actually drove over there like ordinary humans)

Beers with friends <3 td="">

On Sunday, I woke up and felt like I had broken the pinky toe on my left foot. I, literally, was like "what the fuck??" I could not bend my toe without discomfort- it was the VERY strangest thing. I ran around the house for a moment, and things felt fine. It was the strangest thing- I really could NOT bend my toe without feeling like it had been dislocated, but I could walk and run around just fine. 

This being determined, I continued with my plan. 

My plan was to head to NH and run a 5 mile warm up, and then the half marathon (on nice, flat ground) with 8-10 miles at/near marathon pace (anywhere between 8-8:15) 

It was a pretty nice day. Dry roads, no snow at all, sunny and beautiful and windy AF. (typical) 

My 5 miler was nothing exciting at all. Basically, laps around the start area with a couple stops to pee, change clothing, and grab my race gear. After standing in a needlessly long bathroom line, I discovered two more, basically unused bathrooms a bit farther from the start. YAY!

When the race portion of my day began, I was very pleased with how my legs felt. I was dropping a solid (just sub 8) pace without even breaking a sweat. I have been waiting for a breakthrough workout this cycle, and thought that this was it. 

YEAH. Then, at mile 3 I needed the restroom. Since I had already scoped out every bathroom option, I dashed into one of the ones close by the start, as the race route took us on a loop past there within the first 3 miles. I (delightfully) discovered that lady time had made an appearance. Early. Uninvited. Unprepared. YAY FUCKING YAY. 

So, there was that. 

Plus, some really debilitating cramps that began showing up around mile 4. I was like "body, are you actually serious???"

And my body was like "yes, enjoy the ride."

And, of course, because my female parts were losing their ever loving minds, my whole GI system began to panic. I know there was a porta potty at mile 10.2 (FYI: one on course bathroom is not enough, in any world, ever.) So from mile 5 to mile 10 I basically skipped along, clenching my butt cheeks together. 

It was cute. 

Finally, the bathroom was in sight. 

I dashed up to it!!!

And it was locked up tight with a zip tie. I could not believe my eyes. 

Since it was next to a water stop, I asked for assistance (and suggested that next year, the bathroom should be opened PRIOR to the race... FFS.) Anyway. This took some time. 

Oh, and also? While I was running along, period in full swing, poop action making things EXTRA fun, my damaged left leg also began to holler. SO many things going wrong. ALL if them. It was not my shin, or even my broken toe, but my KNEE of all things. And my knee never hurts, so this was extra freaking bizarre. 

OK so where was I.

Right. Potty open, business taken care of. 

I left the bathroom and reached into my flip belt for a Huma Gel, and (of course) it was GONE. 

Of course it was. Why would it not have been??

So final 3 miles. 

-Period on full blast

-Hungry/hitting full wall. Big wall. 

-Knee, occasional weirdness

-Stomach, still bumming out

PURE FUCKING MAGIC. 

I still managed to finish in 1:48:43, which (remarkably) still meant I hit my goal paces. Only a couple miles over MP, so yay? UGH.

How I felt

I always say that I can handle a single system breakdown. But this was FULL chaos. I needed to go to the ICU of shitty running after this, as it was just head to toe chaos. 

But speaking of toes, my toe was fully normal and fine after running. So who knows what the hell that was all about. 

So a good week. Definitely putting in some work. Some terrible work. 

Total miles: 50.7
Long run: 18
Coldest Day: Not very cold. It was chilly and windy on Saturday (I don't think it was even 40) but nothing terrible. 

Snow? NO
Random: When people ask how to locate me in a crowd, I give a valid clothing description and say "and I am shorter than you are expecting" As much as I hate to say it (because I feel big) 90% of the time people say those exact words to me, so I assume it is true. 

Marine Corps Marathon 2019: The one where we all drowned

It has been a week since my Marine Corps Marathon experience. I could make this a short post, and say that it has taken me a full week to dry out! (but I won't do that. that would be too easy, even though it is true.)

So yes. 8 days ago I was prepared to take on the challenge of a marathon on the most undertrained legs I have ever lined up with. I had zero expectations, zero time goals, zero plans, and only hoped that I would not be unpleasantly surprised with an uprising of my previous injury at mile 16. (why 16? because that was my longest run for this training cycle. and was on September 12th. So, yeah...)

The forecast was cycling from being ominous (warm, heavy rain) to terribly ominous (cool, heavy rain, thunder, disaster, certain death.) So, I filled my bag with throw away clothing of one sort or another, threw my hands up and said "whatever" (spoiler: overpacked)

I met Danielle and Tyler (her very tall husband) at the airport at some god forsaken hour. For the first time in the history of EVER, I was actually the first one to arrive. I proclaimed that this would be the ONLY race that I would win all weekend.

An uneventful flight landed us in DC just before 8 (AM. told you it was early.) We successfully dropped our bags at our comfortable, convenient, and reasonably priced hotel (Courtyard Marriott Crystal City. There were many choices in the area, and this one was pleasant.) We then called an uber to take us to the expo (or, Danielle did. I managed not to buy a single uber all weekend because I am a terrible moocher/bad person.)
By the time we got to the expo there may have been some whining about being hungry. I will not deny or confirm if this whining came from me. But it might have.

Mission: breakfast

Rage hunger aside, we made it happily and swiftly through the expo. None of us were in the mood to part with cash (except for Ubers) so it was not a lengthy trip. As far as expos go, it was decent. Fast bib pick up, a good number of shopping opportunities, none of which we utilized. This expo was not on the scale of Boston or NYCM, but was certainly more impressive than Philly and Hartford.

Must Do. Can Do. Will Do. (get out of here and eat bacon!)

The remainder of the day was spent eating (YAY!!!) checking the weather (BOOO) doing a little sightseeing (But not tooooo much!) witnessing a hobo fight!!! (they hugged it out???) and touring several grocery stores (which I rarely do, so fun!) Oh, and we also took adult naps which are possibly the most underrated activity (and very important if you have been up since 2:30 AM)

Not a very busy day today...

After meticulously designing our morning outfits (so many plastic bags. duct tape. ponchos.) We were in bed before 9:00. Except Danielle who woke suddenly, and angrily, and proceeded to sleep walk around doing something critical that only made sense to her. Normal activities, all in all.

Morning dawned.
And by dawned, I mean it was pitch black dark until the absurd hour of 7:20 AM. WTF?

We were BY NO MEANS wishing to spend hours outdoors. Danielle, the cruise director extraordinaire, had calculated exactly what time we should depart to make it to the race start on time. And not one minute before.
We donned our race attire.

This is reality. Ridiculous.

At 6:30 we walked from the hotel to the busses that would take us directly to the start.
(straightforward 0.4 mile walk)  We found an amazingly long line, in decidedly steamy conditions. The layers started to come off early.... We lined up with 10,000 other people in a parking garage, and it was far from cold.

600 degree parking garage. dry though, so that's good

In pretty short order we were on the bus for the trip to the pentagon.

Gotta have the bus selfie

OH, AND IT WAS POURING. As we reached our destination, I expressed my concern regarding the long porta potty lines, the deluge, and the amount of time we had prior to the 7:55 start (we reached the Pentagon area just after 7:00) Danielle, in a stroke of pure genius, said "don't leave the bus. we are going to use the bathroom that is ON HERE!!" And THAT is what we did. Sooo smart, the bus driver was totally cool with it, and it saved us standing in a loooong, sopping wet line.

From there, it was quite a long walk. Down a road we went (sweating all the way) through security and a huge parking lot, and into the masses of runners. Feeling a bit disoriented, we concluded that we would simply follow the crowd to the start. (it was just a little bit of a cluster. nothing major, but lots of people/bad weather/chaos.)

Danielle's cruise director status was rewarded when we made it (close enough) to our corral just in the nick of time. Layers off, and in we went just like sardines. Cozy cozy, moist and sweaty.

Pro tip: if you plan to run quickly be very certain to line up at the absolute front of your corral. We did not do this. If anything, we were closer to the 4:00 hour area.
For the first two miles, it was jam packed. Total gridlock. On top of that it was pretty wet, very hot (it was well into the 60's from the get go) and randomly uphill. Pretty disgusting. I was feeling a premonition that it was going to be a fairly hideous day. Danielle said "I'm really concerned about overheating" just before we were separated by the hoards of humans. And yes, I was feeling the same way (especially as we trudged up what seemed to be and endless hill.)

Luckily just after mile 2, what had been going up, FINALLY headed down. My legs got it together, and things began to feel as good as one could hope for. Even better, the rain basically stopped and it was *almost* dry for several miles. I had a quick stop at mile 3 to pee, and then I was off again.

As un-crowded as it got

I ran along with very few thoughts until mile 7. At that point, I realized that I had reached the mileage of my "longest run" in weeks. Thankfully, I was feeling fine. Very shortly after that, I was able to locate the 3:50 pace group. I had no specific time goal in mind, but decided to stick with them until I was no longer able to do so. I certainly had doubts about my ability to maintain a sub 9 pace for 18 more miles. Around that time, we began to get some serious weather. The skies opened up in complete deluge several times between miles 8 and 15, and steady rain in between downpours kept everyone nice and damp. The conditions were so warm that I had no worry about hypothermia, but it was simply impossible to do more than focus on the ground one foot in front of ones feet. I needed windshield wipers.

While I realized that we were passing lovely landscape (the river, the Mall, many monuments) I was just not able to take any of it in. The weather was an all consuming problem, and at one point became so extreme that the roads simply turned to rivers!!!

This was after I had passed through this area- but it is a good summary of the conditions

(I will come clean and say that this is not at all the worst conditions I have run in. That award goes (easily) to Boston 2018. This was ridiculous, but I never feared for my health. Maybe my mental health, but not my physical health.)

At mile 20, while leaping over lakes, I slowly edged ahead of the 3:50 pace group. I had no intention of scampering away from them, it just seemed to happen. I expected to see them again shortly, but my motto for the race was to "run each damn mile the way it needed to be run" and that particular mile needed to be faster. I never saw them again (although I found someone from the group at the finish- and determined that they did not start when I did, so we were basically running different timelines.)

The masses of runners from earlier in the day somewhat lessened as the race went on, but it was extremely crowded for the majority of the race. It wasn't until mile 21, around the 14th street bridge (the infamous "beat the bridge" bridge) that the streets really opened up.
Of course, as one would expect, this is also the time when my legs had had enough. Done running. Sore and stupid. I basically sucked it up (as the skies opened up YET AGAIN) and decided to keep on trudging. I really feel compelled to mention how hard it rained. Just when you would think it could not actually, possibly rain any harder: it would. That is how it went. A person could not possibly have become more soaked, with rain such as that!

The final 4 miles were dumb. Mostly because my legs had ceased to work. I saw Tyler somewhere around mile 22, and he promised to locate us with dry clothing at the finish. I also saw fellow Mainer Jaimie around this time, which was fun because it's hard to find friends in a crowd that large.

With 1.5 miles to go, the sun came out in absolute blazes and the temps absolutely skyrocketed. I said to some guy "well, this is fun. I preferred the rain." he looked at me like I had two heads.

Anywhoo. With every step feeling like torture, I ran (we use that term loosely) the final COMPLETELY UPHILL stretch and finished. 3:51:13. Quite respectable, given my lack of long runs/speedwork/training. I was quite satisfied. The only reason that I continued to run those last few miles was out of pure stubbornness, a quality that I actually find useful on a regular basis. I was in no shape for such an excursion.

Done! And now to find watermelon.... 

My main concern was how damn hot it was. Just boiling! I skipped all scenic photos and beelined for the water and shade. After a LONG walk to the where the finishers party was (on legs that were just incredibly shitty) I discovered that small tubs of watermelon were being passed out. With zero thought, I promptly ate 4. What happened next was this. Tyler located me in the throngs of people, which must have been a real chore. And (like the fun person I am) I promptly announced that I was planning on being sick soon, and needed to the care of that. He offered to take photos. I declined. I dry heaved a little and then sat sadly on a curb until I recovered.

Thankfully, things improved quickly after that little fiasco. I felt better. It was a nice day! I was sopping soggy wet. Danielle finished and fought the crowds to find us! We took selfies.

Winners!!!

Then we escaped the crowds and headed back to the hotel to take wet nap baths (as we were both departing for various locations and we had no hotel room shower....)
I was deeply offended to discover that my bad weighed considerably more than it had on the trip there. I assumed removing a significant number of throw away garments would leave me with a lighter load. I did not take into account the weight of absolutely sopping race kit and shoes. Gross.
I made it to the airport, and (annoyingly) it was a lovely day...


Despite the mess, I would say that this is the best big fall marathon I have attended. I liked the course (the puddles and white and yellow lines sure looked nice) The race was run in an organized way and transportation was pretty straightforward for a big city race. This race was less expensive to attend than Boston, or NYCM in both entry fee (it is not a major) and hotel (about half price from Chicago, for example, and so very much less than you would pay to stay in Boston or NYC.) Flying from Portland was a piece of cake, and took less than 90 minutes (we paid about $280 for tickets if I remember correctly, which was annoyingly expensive for a quick trip.)

The aftermath was pretty painful. Thankfully, no sign of my injury even thinking of making a comeback! Just days upon DAYS of being more sore that I can remember being post marathon since my first Boston (those hills get you the first time.) Considering my training, it was to be expected.

So here I am, in recovery mode, with Boston training looming on the horizon. It is too bad that this training cycle didn't come together well enough for me to claim a 2021 BQ last weekend, but I knew that would not happen. It looks like I am going to have to get after it in Boston yet again, if I want to participate in 2021.

Good things about this race:
-Pretty friendly lottery . I don't know anyone who did not get in!
-One of a kind. It is a rare day that you get to run past so many national monuments, and then be given your medal by a Marine! Very fun experience.)
-DC is a user friendly city, and shockingly quiet which none of us expected.
-Many choices for lodging, food, beers
-Many runners, you will never be lonely
-Start and finish are essentially in the same place. No point to point logistical hassle.
-solid medal. and (this year) nice shirt for participants. this seems NOT to be the case yearly (see 2018 for an example...)

I had to find proof of how bad the 2018 shirt is. BAD. This bad. 

-I imagine that if you have close ties to a Marine/are one, this would be a very moving and emotional race experience. It certainly is unique.

Bad things about this race:
-If you require frequent hydration, carry your own. There are a couple long pauses between water stations (which are otherwise excellent. also, several food stations)
-If you did not bring a cruise director (I did!) navigation to things like shuttles could take a moment to figure out. (if you don't know the city)
-big hill in final 0.1 mile. That sucks.

How to run the Boston Marathon in the rain, in 5 easy steps.

I consider myself to be an expert on dealing with, and surviving, bullshit weather. I have completed Boston in 2015 (where it was rainy and yucky), and the rather infamous 2018 (where it was just hysterically bad! 37 degrees! Many inches of rain! SLEET! 30 MPH wind!)  AND I work outdoors IN MAINE, so heed my words.

ONE (How to dress for success)
Don't fuck around and try to be "cute" in athletes village. BE WARM.
Before you even get ON the bus, you will have a line to stand in, and possibly a walk to the Common. Dress for the weather. Be cool like me.

This is my athlete's village attire in 2018

Oh, and if it is literally raining BUCKETS, bring an umbrella that is not 120 years old. Umbrellas are allowed. And I lost mine on the walk to the bus last year. It was hysterically funny, but also moderately unfortunate (because I was prepared, I had an emergency poncho in my pocket which was a life saver. This is what made it a moderate misfortune, and not a crisis!)

Unfortunate

TWO (how to survive athlete's village)
Every year, I get off the bus in Hopkinton, and hear someone exclaiming about how there is not an indoor space for the athletes.
NOPE. No indoor space. (unless you sprung for the boujee "unicorn package" this year, and upgraded to a posh bus and indoor staging.) I am cheap. I did not do that. (and 5 days out I am thinking maybe I should quit being such a cheap bitch. Kidding, there's no adventure if there is no suffering!)

Athlete's village looks like this. It is not nice when the weather goes to hell in a hand basket.

It's just really, really soggy

There is a tent (with bagels and gatorade and nice volunteers) but it usually very crowded, and very wet. Make the best of it, and use this as an opportunity to wear, and then donate, all (and I mean ALL) of your older winter gear. Put it all on. Take it all off. It goes to a good cause.

Me in 2015, in the crowded (but not flooded!) tent

Last year I saw many, many, freezing people pre race. They had come to the village in nothing more than shorts and singlets, and proceeded to become hypothermic. (like, legit. no exaggerations)

My layering suggestion to survive your hours in the village:

-Race kit/body glide ON
-At least one warm layer over both of those- fleece pants and top, or sweatpants/shirt at the VERY least. Legit raincoat or winter jacket over that. Hat and gloves, and hand warmers are a great extra. Wear old shoes, and pack your race shoes in a plastic bag. Snowpants.
If you REALLY need to go small/lightweight- at least bring a big towel or blanket to wrap up in. and then cover yourself in a mylar blanket and pray.

THREE (how not to die on the long walk to the start)
I tend to keep all of my layers on for the walk to the corrals (which is .75 miles) so remember- when you go to load into the corrals you are still a long way from actually starting. There are plenty of places to drop clothing along the way. Keep em on. Don't be a hero.

At the start in 2015- sporting plenty extra layers

FOUR (the actual race....)
The course is mostly very exposed. Whether it is rain and wind, or intense sun, you simply will not find much relief.
And yes, the first mile or so is downhill- so if you are already freezing you just will not warm up!

Last year, at mile 1, I puled over to the side of the road and removed some long pants (super stretchy- so they pulled over my shoes) and ditched a sweatshirt. And to be honest- those were the only layers I  took off on course all day. But I started warm, (well. warmish) for a bit. (and then ultimately got pretty cold- but it was inevitable)

The miles through Natick can  be rather unpleasant. You might be tempted to dump all the extra warm layers at the 10k mark, but I suggest you hold out a bit longer. There is something about mile 9-11 that makes it feel super cold, super windy, and super stupid.

If you have friends on course (and you are not an elite who will be eliminated for on course support) duck under their majestic umbrellas, while you resupply your hand warmer and snack stash. LIFESAVERS.

Just trying to get my gloves on

I am hopeful that this years weather will not be as intense as last year (how could it be?? #jinx) But once again, my honest recommendation is to prioritize safety and heat retention over looking your cutest in your new race kit. I wore so much shit. Was it cute? NOPE. Did I stay out of the med tent? YEP. (was I warm? FUCK NOOOOOOPE)

Warm not trendy

If you really are in trouble en route to Boston, there are reliable med tents to duck into. I tend to use them more on the oppressively hot years, but you will get help and expert care there. Hopefully, with a bit of planning you can avoid ending up there in the first place!

Whether you are early on the course, or at the very end and decide to remove your poncho for the perfect finishing photo- be mindful of where you chuck your gear.
One might think this would go without saying, but this photo is proof that it should be said.

Not really nice

FIVE (the aftermath)
Once you are at the finish, there is a long walk to the family meeting area. (or bag check) Volunteers will wrap you up nicely, and make sure you are ok. They are nice. Sometimes I say incoherent things to them, and they don't mind.
Last year, I was honestly concerned about becoming hypothermic at the finish (it was in the mid 30's, and pissing rain) so I bypassed post race food and amenities and boogied to my people!

I made it!!

If you know the weather is going to be severe, have a post race plan and stick to it.
Are you going to duck into a nearby hotel for a warmup?
Are getting an uber back to your hotel?
Are you going to walk, do you know the route?
Are you planning to just lie down and wait for death????? (don't)

Nothing makes a person more baffled than having to make post race decisions which ultimately determine your safety. Have a plan beforehand, and stick to it!
(last year, I had a family meeting and walking plan. My friend Sarah ubered back. Both worked.)
Either way, get inside and get dry and warm ASAP!

And another helpful note- at every turn, whether you go to meet up, or to bag pick up, there are volunteers to tell you where to go. This saved my life my first year, when I had NO clue where to go!

Or just add layers until you vanish 

I tend to find the race experience in Boston very enjoyable, even when the weather goes to garbage. A few extra minutes of planning, and plenty of extra layers can be the difference between a miserable time, and a great time.

I think the trick to having a good time is to know how trained you are, and what sort of weather you have been training in. When it is 90, my Floridian friends have a much better day than I do, and I need to adjust my expectations accordingly. When it is cold, I tend to feel stronger and healthier.

So just get out there (in your winter coat and poncho) and have a great time. Rain, or snow, or sun and heat, it is still BOSTON, and is an amazing experience!

Hyannis Marathon: The sucky suckfest edition

Spoiler: It rained and was freezing and windy and stupid. Slightly warmer than last year, just as rainy, more windy.

Spoiler two (incase you want the tl/dr version.) I bailed at the 13.1. (well, 13.3)
LAME.

One shitty run, and 6.6 of soaked clothing later

I knew that (almost unbelievably) it was forecast to be a shit show of a day yet again this year. My assumption was that I was going to be able to suck it up and have a decent run.

Fucking ridiculous

There are actually a few reasons why I might not have had the mental fortitude to finish this year, but in the end, it was 100% my choice to walk off the course just after the half and call it a day. I wasn't hurt. I felt ok. I was (as expected) very cold and wet, but in the past that has not been an issue. Nothing was really wrong, and I was on pace for a BQ (I ran the half in just over 1:45)

Quite simply, I didn't want to continue. And to be honest, when I looked out of my hotel window first thing in the morning to see the driving rain and wind, my thought was "Wow. I'm not going to finish today." This was NOT a good thought to have, and not what I anticipated. However, the notion lingered in the back of my mind and eventually was my undoing. It was a very undramatic undoing. I simply decided the I did not have it in me. I was happy to walk into the warm resort, very happy to get into warm clothing, and very happy to just be done. (happy to get out of the razor sharp rain, the whipping wind, the freezing cold...)

Today, I'm a little disappointed in myself.
However, I think the touch of self loathing that I feel will be the catalyst for motivation next time things get tough. I'm not afraid to admit that I failed, and I refuse to spin it any other way. (Great magical tempo run!!! uhhhh, no.)

I choose to run marathons. I enjoy the training (go figure!) If I get to the actual race and bitch out half way through, it's a clear sign that I need to up my mental game.

And also, a clear sign that I am human.

Eric and I had a hard week. We lost our beloved old dog on Friday (planned euthanasia, but that is not an easy thing!) And the SAME day our puppy started peeing blood (literally, as we were taking Missy to get buried....) So yeah. Super high stress levels. Both of us did a lot of coping and I simply may have run out of fucks to give by 11:45 on Sunday.

I will leave you with cute pictures of my puppy, who is recovering from a nasty UTI (but, thankfully, is FINE!!) She LOVED the road trip and HATED the rain!

Snuggles before she got in her carseat for safety!

First time seeing the ocean. So confused about what it was!

Boston Marathon 2019: Week 4 of training (where I complain about winter)

Let's see. Week 4 of training. What happened... (I actually have no recollection, so I shall refer back to Strava.) Please feel free to follow me here. I'm brutally honest on Strave (and in real time!) about how the old workouts are progressing. So if this lame old blog isn't doing it for you (and it's crap, so it should not be!) follow me there.

So, going back to the 21st, I ran 5x1200 at a 7:36 pace. Arbitrarily, 7:36 has been deemed as the "speed work" speed this year, regardless of distance.

I had a couple mid week treadmill runs. The weather this winter has been disgusting, bizarre shit. As we all know, we had our first serious storm on October 27th, and the weather has been garbage ever since. (I have lucked out on a few of my long runs. Decent enough weather. But other than those workouts, NO bueno.) So anyway, if it is raining 3 inches (which it did) or a million degrees below zero (or like, 6 but whatever) and the roads are covered with DEATH (always) I'm just done. Nope. I can't take it!

I had a VERY rare workday last Friday which had be wrapping things up at 2:00. It was 34 degrees, and only moderately windy and weird. I got the fuck out and got 18 in.

Lee, Eric and Ellie met me at the pub (and Ellie met Winston, the bar dog!!) And then Linda (my mom) made us tacos at home, which were excellent.

Ellie loves this nonsense 

I was glad that I chose Friday for my long run, because Saturday was god damn freezing. We made poor Ellie go for a 0.2 mile walk, mostly to let her sniff around for ducks.

Ellie likes this less

I snagged my first round of downhill repeats on Sunday in slime city. It was 29, and all kinds of snowy and I was fairly convinced that I was going to take a spill. Somehow, I did not.

UGH Winter. I'm just done.
Yes, I prefer winter running to summer running for sure. But the wild fluctuations between -5 and 48, between snow and down pouring rain, and the fact that (to this point) 100% of the snowstorms have ended up being ice is beginning to piss me off. Not to mention that our power has gone off basically every time winter has looked at us crosseyed this season. ANNOYING.

At least the sun is starting to come up at like, 10AM.... (ok, ok it's not that bad. but close!)

But really winter. Go away. 

Mid winter classic is coming up on Feb 3rd.
I still have no idea if I want to run Hyannis, or if I am even remotely fit. What the fuck, 2019 training cycle?? Why do I have no gauge of where I am at? Maybe I'll wait and see the 10 day forecast, and then decide! (brilliant!)
I'd love to just crack out my 2020 BQ ASAP, so that I can go back to being a lazy slack ass. That's a fairly good motivator, when you are me. :-)

Stats:
Mileage: 44.4
Long run: 18.2
Beer at pub: A mix of triple cream and double cream (AGAIN) 
Coldest day: Good question. Saturday was really cold. 
Snow days: None from school (miracle) 3" of rain. Bullshit. Also, some random snow at some point but not that much. 

Boston Marathon 2018: The one with the weather!

AND JUST LIKE THAT IT WAS MARATHON MONDAY!!!

We all awoke to the sounds or rain pitter pattering down. Or, coming down in wind driven buckets, if you want to know the truth.
I don't mind running in the bad weather, so I continued to be unconcerned. I got about my business of eating (starting with toast and coffee and water) and packing (everything) and then getting dressed.

You can't control the weather, but you certainly can control how much the weather can actually hit your body. I did not want this weather hitting my body at all. Who cares about looking *cute* in race pics, when hypothermia is lurking every time you pause to grab a cup of water!?

No thanks. I was thinking of capris (when the forecast called for temps in the high 40's) but Sarah sent me back in for full length tights. A very solid choice.
I had been keeping a close eye on the forecast, and as race morning approached the day was looking to be both wetter, winder and close to as cold as Hyannis. The big difference would be the lengthy wait in athlete's village, where in Hyannis we walked out of the warm hotel and started immediately.
I wasn't worried about the potential weather, but I was mindful of the potential challenges and hazards, and wanted to be prepared.
(as it turned out, the temp at the start was 33, and 39 at the finish. Basically Hyannis 2.0)

And prepared we both were!
We both got all dressed up. Nobody would be hitting the med tent today, damnit!!!

Dressed for Success

As we walked to the start we did things that all elite runners do. We live facebooked. We stopped for donuts. We laughed hysterically when the wind blew so hard that my umbrella turned inside out (0.2 miles into our walk to the busses.) The whole thing was a riot. I have never seen such ridiculous weather the morning of a marathon, but I certainly embraced it as a gigantic adventure.

OH NO, DOOM!!!

Sarah and I parted ways when she had to drop a bag of winter clothing for the finish, and I needed to skedaddle to get on my bus. (as it turned out, we were on the road at very similar times, as I found myself in a very long security line.) While I was wading through shoe deep puddles to get to the bag inspection check point, my Dad called. "I was just out for a walk" he said "AND IT WAS RAINING." I agreed with his observation, as it was raining so hard at that point that I could hardly hear him on the other end of the phone. We laughed and laughed, because it was just a bit too much!
My Dad planned to wander out to check on the elites as they ran by, and see if there were crowds in Newton. At that point, not so much!

Mile 18.5, shortly before the Elite runners arrived. Deserted. 

So, onto the bus I went. Where I immediately met someone who knew one of my Uncles. Small world interactions seem to be my thing while marathoning this year. I also ate a bacon and butter English muffin, which was delicious, and I had some water. #hydration
I arrived at Athlete's village to find standing water, piles of snow, and impressive mud. There seemed to be more tents this year, which was smart. There were a few people complaining about how "I spent so much money on this and expect better, blah blah" (overall though, this was the only complaining that I witnessed) but I went and found some fun people sitting on a pallet under a half collapsed gatorade tent. They were a realistic group, who seemed to understand that (while they are good) the BAA doesn't actually have control over the weather. We all had a good chuckle, as we struggled to put on dry socks and such while avoiding taking a dive into the mud.
(then a volunteer came over and yelled at us because he thought we had knocked the tent down. We were like  .....nope, it was the 40 mph wind....." sorry.....?)

Athlete's village, at its finest

I can't really put into words how much of a struggle it was to get race ready while I was preparing to get into my corral. (while it was sleeting heavily, very heavily.) (also, FIRST WORLD problems!!)  I was attempting to remove my snow pants, while staying under the cover of my giant poncho. I was also attempting to transfer the items from my sloth fanny pack, into the pockets of my innermost layer for safe keeping. My innermost layer happened to be about 3 layers down. And I was operating blind, because of the giant, blowing poncho. The whole scene must have looked truly ridiculous! BUT! Because of my amazing layering system I started the race warm, dry, and happy. Oh, and I also ate a whole PB&J while doing the weird "changing under a plastic poncho" dance.
There was a woman standing beside me while I struggled out of my gear. She was in a singlet and shorts, and was violently shivering. I offered her my discarded items, which she refused. She appeared to be absolutely miserable, and the sight of her discomfort made me glad that I had layered up. (and sad that she would not take my coat, I tried to insist that she take it but she wanted nothing to do with me. And since I looked like a crazy bag lady, her reaction was probably legit.)

I began the race with a plan to run a 3:40, which I thought might be ambitious since it was a day with a truly incredible headwind. However, I felt really confident in my abilities to run in sub par conditions, and I had a solid attack plan.
So off I went.

It barely even looks windy here. It was.
And it was pouring.

There was a lot of water falling from the sky. I wear glasses. I try to keep them kinda dry, since being able to see is a real perk. I was wearing a brimmed hat (with an attractive winter hat over it) which usually keeps the precipitation off my face. Due to the wind, there was shit flying everywhere so I took to studiously studying the yellow line of the road in an attempt to shield my face. (that is all I saw, the whole way to Boston!)

Right before mile 1, I pulled off the road and removed all my "final" layers. Good bye poncho, good bye sweatshirt, see ya ugly purple yoga pants. (and pro tip here: discarding layers to the SIDE of the road is courteous to other runners, respectful of the town you are running through- as volunteers at the aid stations can easily rake them up- and generally good race etiquette. Later in this you will see a pic of Hereford St coated in discarded clothing which is pretty sloppy. (I think we are better than that!!)

Anyway. I was down to my race kit (2 hats, long sleeve shirt, vest, full tights, huge gloves) and ready to roll. I felt good and running was pleasant. It was raining very hard but once you are soaked you can't really get wetter, so it was all good. Oh, and it was windy. But it is always windy in Maine so I tried to keep up a good attitude about the situation. I ran through the 10k in just over 50 minutes, which I was very happy with.

At mile 8 I scooted into a potty for a pee break (it was so nice and dry! I thought about procrastinating a bit, but porta potties are gross) At this time, I left my soaked gloves, dried my hands, put on a fresh pair of gloves (that I had carried in a baggie in my pocket) and dropped hand warmers into them. Refreshed, I ventured back into the storm and zipped along. Part of my attack plan was staying warm enough to be able to successfully eat a syrup packet every 5 miles. Thus far, the plan was working. (and continued to, even though my hands were uselessly cold at times.)

At the half way point (where I died and began to walk last year) all systems were good. My hands were again soaked, and beginning to freeze but there's nothing that can be done about that. Due to my layering system, my core was nice and warm, and as long as that stays warm, it's all good. My 13.1 split was 1:47:27 which was great, especially since I wasn't sure how much my stops had impacted my goal time (not at all.)

Typically between the half and where I see my Dad, and family (at mile 18.5) I hit a low spot. For whatever reason, I did not this year. It could be because after having a pretty gross race last year, everything felt easier! (the weather certainly was more in my favor this time, no doubt.) Also, I could only stare blindly at the road in front of me (it was REALLY coming down at this point!) so I missed more than half of the mile markers.
The miles were really flying by. Things were feeling steady, and controlled.
Right about this time, my Dad sent me a pic of the eventual male winner....

Good shot, Lee

There's a huge, huge downhill somewhere after mile 15 which can indicate how your quads are holding up. I motored down the thing, thanking my downhill workouts all the while! (spoiler: my quads were in excellent form for this race. this is the only time that I have ever run Boston and NOT felt like an asshole after the Newton Hills. Apparently, downhill reps are the key.) (as is a cold day.)

As is normal, I made up some songs. I was pretty hungry, and really disgustingly wet at this point which inspired my version of "My Favorite Things"

"Dreams of hot showers, and fresh ramen noodles,
my cozy slippers and warm snickerdoodles.....
a finish, no matter what the weather brings,
These are a few of MY DAMN FAVORITE THINGS!!!
When it's POURING!
And it's SLEETING!
I'm not feeling MAD!
I remember crap weather's my favorite thing!!
And then I don't feeeeeeel soooooooo BAD!!"
*truly the next Rodgers and Hammerstein right here, nbd*

Right on schedule at mile 18.5 I found my Dad, Aunt, Uncle and Cousin.

Pit crew!! So many umbrellas!!

 We did an outrageous two minute clothing change/addition (thank the lord that I will never be an elite. I need to be able to get help from the spectators!!)

I clearly found the whole event quite hysterical! Also, look at the RAIN!!

Freshly armed with new gloves, new handwarmers, arm sleeves and a good wringing out off I went again! (and under the protection of 3 umbrellas, I was able to avoid a very significant downpour!) Thank heavens for family and their preparedness!!
I also learned that Desi had won, and I was so happy! I wish I had put money on it, because as soon as I knew it was going to be a garbage weather day I called her to win it. She's such a great tactical runner, and it was a day for strategy.

And THEN, filled with confidence, I fucking motored my way to Boston.

OMG THE RAIN!!! Two hats, still on. 

I love having a good performance at this race. I know how easily your cheese can slide off your cracker in a marathon, and Jesus Christ am I GLAD when it doesn't slide off mine.
The damn miles FLEW by and I never got tired, or pissed off, or anything. It was fabulous (and wet)

I really enjoy running in the shit. I had a GREAT time.

So, after charging (unseeing) past all the quintessential Boston landmarks, high fiving Danielle at mile 25, and leaping over everyone's discarded damn clothing on Hereford I flew through the finish in 3:37:37. GO ME!

"Right, onto the street of discarded clothing...." *not my pic btw*

I attempted a joyful fist pump, but since my arms were frozen solid, I looked more like I was trying to fight someone. (with weird little hands, that were in fists due to #winter...)

DONE!!!!

I looked around and everyone seemed really cold, which made me nervous. It is a long, long way to the "B" meeting area (and 1.5 more miles to the Airbnb) and I continued to be uninterested in the hypothermia. (and I was beyond wet, just beyond) It was VERY cold-temps never got above the low 40's and the wind was silly.
So, after gathering my medal and heat sheet I did what any sensible human would do.

I. Kept. Running.

All the way to the meeting area I ran, straight into my family, and into a winter coat and MORE new gloves!!!! It was a wonderful moment and I was SO happy to see everyone! Eric, my Aunt Annie and Uncle Bill and Eric's cousin were all there to see me, and it was so fun! (they are brave/possibly crazy.)

Clearly a nice day

Despite the continued deluge, I was pretty happy.

So happy!!

Everyone hustled me back to the Airbnb as quick as we could go. My lips got pretty blue, but it was ok. Off with the frozen clothes, into a hot shower, and I was good to go!
Well, I think I was in the hot shower for a good half hour before I thawed. Best shower of my entire existence.

(and then I got out and ate all 4 of the King's Hawaiian buns that you get in the post race food bag. I love those things.)

THEN. Eric and I looked at the clock. It was 4:08. SHIT! Sarah was expected to finish just moments later, and there was NO way we would be able to get back to her through the crowds.
We did the next best thing, and watched her finish on live stream which was AMAZING!!!! So proud. She definitely is the MVP of the whole weekend!
And THEN I texted her to advise her to not be stubborn, and to Uber her way back (which she did, smart woman!)
As soon as she got back (and was undressed and showered in a manner similar to myself) we all collapsed into piles of joy about the day, and the rehashing and storytelling began.
And Danielle came over too!!!

Telling stories and taking pics to prove we were all there

The best part of any marathon is hearing everyone's stories, and after such a crazy day it was especially delightful.
We watched Desi's finish no fewer than 400 times.
We sprinted across the street in a complete deluge, for potato nachos and burgers.
We flopped back onto the couch, and continued the storytelling. And at about 9:00 got hungry again and had ice cream sundaes DELIVERED which was clutch. So amazing. What a day!

We also contemplated how much our sopping wet race clothing weighed.
I'm not sure what Sarah's sack weighed, but mine came to a cool 5.6 pounds (not counting shoes.)

Bag lady

There is NO way that any of us will forget this particular Marathon Monday. The weather was colder than it has been in 30 years. It was really, truly, a completely and utterly disgusting AND TOTALLY AMAZING day.

I would say it is official at this point. I am a runner who appears to thrive in cold, wet, challenging conditions. While it was not my fastest marathon, I have complete confidence that it was one of my best, if not my best. No pain, no exhaustion, no hitting a wall, no GI distress. AND, technically this was still a BQ race (although by a slim margin, but since I am already "in" for 2019, no worries.)

As always, a highlight was seeing friends and cheering them on. It was especially fun to share a living space with Sarah and family, Eric and I really enjoyed this and hope to for a repeat next year (when Sarah and Danielle claim to be spectating only... we shall see!)

There is NO way that I could do this without the support of my family and friends (running is a pretty time consuming and self indulgent sport, and would be next to impossible without an encouraging spouse/family.)
Eric was by my side for almost every long run and speed work session all season. This really took marathon training to a much more enjoyable place for me, as we had some hysterical conversations while running to the pub. We also had my cousin Evan join in for some mid winter training which was super.
Oh, and running to the pub (ahem: Bear Bones in Bridgton = quality marathon training beer) was a really fabulous and intelligent addition to the training routine. Why bother if it's not fun, right?
Both of my parents are huge supporters, my mom keeps me fed, and my Dad makes the trek to the race to see me for 90 seconds and bring me extra clothing!
My extended family is so wonderful, while it wasn't a great year to be a spectator I so appreciated everyones support. Whether you were there in person, or in spirit with texts and messages I was thinking of all of you along my way to the finish.

See you in 2019 Boston....

The conclusion of Duck Camp 2018