State 27 - Kentucky!

Number 27 was my most impromptu marathon yet! It was also my first trail marathon. I was feeling a bit desperate for some adventure after 2020 smashed all of our plans and I thought maybe my fitness from Arkansas would get me through this race.

I wasn't wrong. But it wasn't the greatest idea I've ever had. 

The Falls 100 is a one hundred mile trail race in the middle of nowhere Kentucky. The race starts Saturday morning at 7 AM, along with the 50 miler and marathon. Here's where it gets interesting though; they also have a night marathon that starts at 7 PM. So in my head, I could leave Saturday morning, drive the 10 hours to the race, run, sleep, and drive back in time for school on Monday. I wouldn't even have to take a day off! Sounds like fun, right?

Then my helpful travel agent (Drew) found me a room in an ice cream parlor/boutique hotel and I was sold. How can I not run a marathon in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere Kentucky and also get to stay in an ice cream parlor??? 

So Saturday morning I set off for Kentucky. And that's really all I can say about that. I mean, it was a long, boring drive. 

Kentucky!

I packed lots of snacks and pre-race food so that I would be totally prepared and fueled for the race. I honestly think that might have been my biggest mistake. I showed up to the race full. Like really full.

Ready to run!

The night marathon started right on time, with all seven of us runners ready to go. We ran about a mile on pavement from the start through all of the camps of 100-miler crews to the trail. It was immediately uphill and I quickly overheated. I stopped to take my jacket off and shove it in my pack and by the time I was running again, I was alone. 

The course was fairly technical and super muddy. There were parts that I just had no choice but to walk because it was so slippery. I kept at it though and just kept moving forward. It was cool to see and talk to runners who were doing the 50 and 100 mile race. And I just love running in the dark. 

However, when I first tried taking a GU, I could barely get it down. My stomach was not happy with me. I kept trying to eat, but wasn't having much success. As I approached the big aid station half-way through the loop I was met with super helpful volunteers who asked what they could get me. I said my stomach wasn't feeling great and asked for ginger ale. The guy brought back a small cup of something light and clear and I drank. 

Not ginger ale. 

Pickle juice.

Yikes, that did not help my stomach. But I kept on moving. Each loop is 13.1 miles and I completed the first loop in about 3 hours. The second loop was much slower. It got very cold. I still wasn't having a lot of luck eating, and I was moving slow. But I was moving forward! By mile 25 it was so late, and I was so tired. I was just ready to be done. I might have cried. But kept going.

And finally finished. The finish line had a warming tent where they let me sit in front of a heater and drink veggie broth until I was ready to go. I was so happy to be done!

Crooked smile.

Fun fact about me; when I get really cold, the left side of my mouth stops working and when I smile it looks like I've had a stroke. See above. I was cold!

Now here's where things get interesting. The race was in the middle of nowhere and the ice cream parlor where I was sleeping was in a town about 20 minutes away, also in the middle of nowhere. I started driving but realized I didn't have service and couldn't get directions back. So I drove around middle-of-nowhere Kentucky for about 45 minutes in the middle of the night until my phone finally picked up service and I was able to get directions back. Not my favorite part of the trip.

I planned to sleep in on Sunday but my body wasn't having it. So I woke up and hit the road pretty early the next (same) morning. The race was fun and terrible. The trip was fun and terrible. It was exactly what I needed. Although I could have done without the lost-in-Kentucky part.

A few weeks after I ran, the race sent out an email letting everyone know that the park and trails had been sold and completely demolished and that the race was forever canceled. It was so heartbreaking but I'm so grateful that I took a chance and did this run when I could. It has been on my list for a long time and now it's gone. 

State 26 - Arkansas!

Another Girls' trip to somewhere in Smalltown, America! This time it was to Cotter, Arkansas for the White River Marathon. It was our first real race since the world shut down for Covid and I really needed some fun in my life! This time we dragged New-Britt along for the ride. She joined our running team and she's speedy and fun. Fits right in.

Made it to Arkansas with the Britts & Claire!

This was a pretty small race with a fast course and we all had big goals! AND, we convinced Claire to run with us too! She signed up for the half marathon!

Racing looks a little different in 2020. Masks and social distancing are all par for the course. They took our temperature as we went into the pre-race area. Luckily we all passed.

Racing 2020-style.

The race promised a flat course and it delivered! Unfortunately, I was never really able to find my groove and race like I had trained to. Britt & I started off running together, but around mile 7 she dropped back with hamstring issues. The course was an out-and-back, twice. It was really fun and energizing to see New-Britt coming back as I was going out. She is kind of a speed monster and full of energy... like in a good way.

The weather wasn't hot, and the course was as flat as you can get, but for some reason, I just couldn't get and stay on pace during the second loop. I tried positive self-talk and clinging to every cheer or song from the tiny crowd, but it just wasn't happening. I reached the aid station at mile 22 and they had run out of paper cups so I had to have a teenager pour water down my throat from a pitcher... germ-free of course! :)

I kept at it and never completely gave up, but man I wanted to. I had trained so hard for this and was hoping to run somewhere in the 3:20's, just to prove to myself that I still had it in me. In the end, I didn't. I finished just under 3:35, snagging my first BQ in years!

So ready to be done!

The crew. New Britt ran a 3:14! I told you she was fast!

We walked back to our car and drove back to our Air B&B, which was so damn cute... maybe the only cute thing in all of this crap-town. We cleaned up and spent the rest of the day drinking on our back porch. Our Air B&B owner's daughter drove and picked up Thai food for us that night because we were unable to drive. It was a really lovely time.

Working on our Beer-a-mid ♥

 So, it wasn't the race I was hoping for. But it was the race weekend I needed. 

State #25! Plus the Olympic Trials

Or... Life Before the World Shut Down.

Atlanta was our 10-year Friendiversary trip. Britt has been around for 10 years! How crazy is that? We were so excited because not only were we going for the Atlanta Marathon, but we were going for THE OLYMPIC TRIALS!!!! I went to the Olympic Trials in 2016 with Drew and it was so incredible. I was so excited to share the experience with Britt.

And Claire. Because Claire is always down for fun.

What's even more fun is that Oiselle was doing a huge meet-up that weekend. I took over as the Kansas Volee leader this year so it was exciting to get to meet so many other team members in person!

We arrived Thursday evening and were up bright and early on Friday morning for coffee and a team run with the Volee! The whole thing was like one big fashion show. It was so much fun to get to see the clothes on actual people!

Oiselle Volee Run!

 Claire even came along for the run!

Now we just gotta get her into some Oiselle gear.

 After coffee & donuts (from 5 Daughters!) we headed downtown for packet pickup. The entire day had a whole lineup of speakers and because it was the Trials, the speakers were all good. The city was literally taken over by runners. As we walked downtown we talked about how crazy it would be to bump into someone famous. And then...

O.M.G.

You have never met two more starstruck girls than when we saw Shalane Flannegan at a crosswalk. Britt timidly asked, "C-can we say hi?" And of course she said yes and Claire jumped in to take pics without letting us get too stupid.

We picked up our packets and settled in to watch our other idol, Kara Goucher, speak about women in sports. As soon as she was done we rushed the stage for a photo shoot bc we have no shame.

She's volee too so we technically run for the same team.

The rest of the day was spent watching speakers (Meb & Deena!) and I snuck away for a Oiselle leader meeting. I'm not great in a group of stangers and this was no exception... it was really cool to be around a group of women who are so confident. I'm more of a quiet leader. :)

Saturday! The day of the trials! The day started with a shake-out run with our bestie, Kara Goucher! Kara says she's only treated like a celebrity in instances like this and that usually she goes about her business and no one cares. We all cared. She was mobbed by people asking for photos (some people have no shame!). Since we had already gotten a pic the day before we decided to let her be and just try to run as close to her as possible to maybe get in some conversation.

By the end, everyone had gotten their pics and bolted. It was just me and Britt and Kara for almost a mile! She asked about our training. We asked about hers. We asked what she thought the athletes were going through as they prepped for the biggest race of their life later that day. It was super cool.

Okay, I snuck in a selfie... you know I have no shame.

After the shakeout run it was time for the TRIALS!!!!! Oh wow. We have been obsessing over this. Obsessing. We know the athletes. We know their training. We'd placed our bets. THIS. WAS IT.

The lead pack!

The race was a loop, so the athletes ran by us going in both directions a total of 8 times. IT. WAS. AWESOME. The lead pack was so tight the whole time, we just didn't know what was going to happen! After they passed us for the last time we headed into the running store down the street to watch the finish on TV. Aliphine took first... she wasn't on anyone's radar, followed by Molly who literally no one had heard of. It was in fact her first marathon! Sally rounded out the top 3 who will be heading to the Olympics (if those ever happen). Sally was one of my picks, but my top pick Des Lindon heart-breakingly took 4th. It was so much fun and so emotional. We weren't super into the men's race but it was super cool to see Abdi snag one of the top 3 spots because he is over 40! Wow! To be competing like that as a master is insane. What a day!

Off to bed early because Sunday was our race day! Neither of us had any goals for this race other than to have fun, check off a state, and have an excuse to wear matching outfits.

We took beers at mile 24 because... why not?

Finishing together!

Happy Friendiversary!

Getting up on this thing was tough after running 26.2

The day was followed by drinking too much beer along the Beltline in Atlanta. It ended with Britt puking in an Uber. I prob won't let her live that one down.

Pre-Uber Incident.

The next day we took an early flight home... I remember a guy wearing a mask on the plane and asking if I should be concerned about this Corona Virus thing... we all agreed it wasn't something to worry about.

Two weeks later and school was canceled. Races were canceled. Life was canceled.

I'm so grateful for this weekend of fun with two of my favorite people. I think we crammed enough fun into those few days to last us through the next however long until we get to do it again.

The Magnolia Marathon - MISSISSIPPI

State 24 - Mississippi!

Y'all. I won. I won a marathon. This has never happened before. Let's start form the beginning.

It's amazing how the limit of how long a drive constitutes "drivable" has expanded over the years. It's a long drive to Mississippi. But that just meant plenty of time to stop for coffee. We made a stop in Fayetteville at the popular Onyx Coffee, but found out we missed the really cool location when we drove through Rogers. Luckily we found a sweet little shop in Little Rock.

Some hipster took this pic so maybe that explains the weird angle?

Did I mention Claire came with us? We still haven't turned her into a runner but gosh she's fun to have on a roadtrip!

We almost missed this sign!

Okay, the race. I had a goal of running a 3:20 marathon. I had heard it was a hilly course but I dismissed that because that's what I do I guess. I was right on pace the first couple of miles and feeling good! Then the hills started. I remember getting over a huge hill around mile 4 and thinking I would have to prepare for it on the second loop (the race was two 13.1 mile loops). Then came another big hill... and then another one. And so on.

It was impossible to hold a steady pace so I concentrated on staying strong on the uphills and trying to make up time on the downhills. I crossed the finish line the first time around 1:46 and I was hopeful for a BQ at the very least.

At this point I was experiencing some major discomfort under my arms. At every aid station I would ask for Vaseline but was met with blank stares. This was a very small race manned by volunteers who didn't seem like runners. So as I came through downtown, I knew I would pass my parked car and that I had some Vaseline in the console! So I stopped! I grabbed a big swipe of it and smeared it all over my armpit. Crisis averted! However, a bunch of people saw this and were giving me some crazy looks. "I made my own aid station!" I popped off.

I think I'm returning my key here... didn't know the newspaper photographer was right there!

I tried to be positive as I made it into the second lap, but the hills were soul crushing. I started walking, a lot. My pace was impossibly slow. Now that the half marathoners weren't with us, the course was practically dead.

I was walking up a steep hill to the aid station at mile 19 when a cop said to me, "Hey I think you're the first female!" And I was like, "What?!?" And he said, "Yeah, but the second female is right there behind you." I turned and sure enough there was another gal coming up the hill.

I went into fight or flight mode. The next mile was as close to flat as I was gonna get so I took off running. Every time we turned I would glance back and there she was. It was a lot. I did this for another 5 miles or so until we made it back into downtown. I knew there would be a ton of turns so I used it to my advantage. Every time I turned and knew I was out of sight I would put in a surge, hoping to put some distance between me and her in the hopes that she would lose hope and just slow down. It's a race tactic, I swear. I'm not just an evil person.

This picture made it in the Meridian paper!

The strategy worked, but in the final miles I couldn't see her! I didn't know where she was! I pushed my hardest and ran scared. This is not my favorite way to run but I just gave it all, knowing how disappointed I would be if I lost the lead in the last miles.

And then I finished! It was one of the most lack-luster finishes of all time with no cheers and for some reason, the announcers did not announce my name and finish, even though I was the only runner coming in. I assumed I'd been wrong about having the lead because I didn't imagine this is how the winner would be greeted. Oh well!

As the race director casually handed me my medal she told me that the awards ceremony would be held in a few minutes. She said it as though she was telling me the post-race sandwiches weren't quite ready. "Did I win something?" I asked, genuinely confused. "Yeah, you're the first female." She said, uninterested.

And there you have it! I won my first marathon!

The medals were carved by hand from fallen trees on the race director's brother's property.

The "ceremony" was about as exciting as my finish. I was really hoping there was a podium I would get to stand on but they just had me and the male winner stand in front of the photo backdrop and receive plaques in the shape of Mississippi. Hooray!

M-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

As all of this was happening, the second place female came in 8 MINUTES after I finished! The strategy worked! I demoralized her to the point that she completely stopped competing! Maybe I am an evil person, but this felt good.

While we waited for Britt to finish a reporter from the Meridian Star came over to interview me! It turns out he is the guy who was standing there as I got into my car on the race course. He was pretty interested in this asking all kinds of questions about my strategy. Did I purposely park on the course? Did I have my car stocked with supplies? What was I doing in there??? And that is when I told a reporter about my armpit chafing and he actually printed it in his story. Awesome.

"Tell me more about the chaffing."

Then Britt finished and the world was right again! She was over the moon excited for me and we could commiserate over the terrible hills.

LOVE.

On our way out I was stopped by another reporter! This one was for the TV news! All of a sudden my life is very glamorous and I'm being interviewed on TV in front of a bunch of porta-potties while Britt stands in the back trying to make me laugh.

"Why yes, armpit chafing is a common problem for me."

This pic took a lot of effort. Love my girls.

Our biggest fan.

Okay, then we popped off to clean up and head out for some post-race FUN! Fun fact: small towns in Mississippi practically shut down on the weekends. All of the cute and fun places we planned to go were not open on Saturdays. So we drank at some pretty mediocre bars and ate a lot of mediocre food. And we had the best time.

My legs have never ever been this sore after a marathon. Wow. Wow. Wow. Recovery was slow. The car ride home was rough. But I love these race trips so much. They're my favorite!





The End.

Oregon! State 23

Oh Oregon! My new favorite state! I know I say that about every state but seriously Oregon. Forrests. Ocean. Mountains. Oregon has it all!

This race was in a small town outside of Portland and ran on the Banks Vernonia Trail. The trail is paved and runs through the forrest from point to point. 

Drew dropped me off at the high school where the race started. It's a tiny race and we hung out inside the school while the race director talked through a bull horn. Mostly he was just telling us the names and states of participants. I didn't pay much attention.

HAD I paid attention I might have realized that my blogging idol (from when blogging was a thing and I was obsessed.) was also running the race! Remember Skinny Runner? Hers was one of the first blogs I ever read and I loved it. And I loved her. And I missed her completely at the race. Oops.

"And then there's Skinny Runner, from Alaska."

 I loved this race from the get-go! I was literally in awe of the trees! They were so tall! So tall! I would just stare up at them and feel so lucky to be here.

 Around mile 4 I was joined by another gal who was lovely and running a similar pace and we ran and chatted for many miles. While company can be nice, I was sort of craving the solitude of running with the quiet and the trees. I know, I'm a complainer. But there you have it.

At mile 12 I pulled off to stop at a bathroom and wished her well.

I ran a couple of glorious miles alone with the trees before some dude popped out of the trees, returning from a bathroom break and decided I was his new running partner.

Having fun, even with the crowd!

I love running.

Somewhere along the way I ended up alone again. And that is how I finished the race. It was not fast, but it was running. And it was wonderful.

Which is better? A medal at the finish or an ice cream cone?

 We headed back to the hotel to clean up, then to Whole Foods for sandwiches and beer and then we were off to the beach! It was about an hour and a half drive through the forrests and mountains to get to the beach. How great is the beach? I mean, it's just the best.

Thanks Whole Foods for selling single beers.

Walking on the beach and standing in the ocean is hands down my favorite way to recover from a marathon.

Goonie rock!

And Drew is hands down my favorite person. The next day we drove into Portland where we stayed for a few days. We ate all the things and enjoyed all of the in-town nature that Portland has. Forrest Park was a favorite and we did a hike called Angel's Rest that was amazing. When can we move here?



The end.

State #22 - Wyoming!

Don't call it a comeback...

... Or I guess it really is a comeback. My first marathon in almost a year! After running the Frye Island Marathon on the 4th of July last year I took a much needed break from running altogether for a whole month! After that I limited my running to shorter distances and started experimenting with trail running. The break was so good for me and I came back in the new year mentally and physically ready to train hard. 

In April I PR'd in the half marathon at Rock the Parkway with a 1:34:09 time! 9 seconds quicker and I would have qualified for the NYC marathon... doh. A couple of weeks later I ran my first 50K and won! The win was awesome, but I was mostly so happy to have gotten through a tough training cycle with my legs still intact and my love of running still strong. 

The Casper Marathon was the first weekend in June. Britt & I road tripped with our friend Claire to Wyoming in one day... quite the feet in itself! We made sure to factor in plenty of time for stops at bakeries, breweries, and interesting stops along the way.

Practicing our candid shots.

It was my first time to Wyoming and wow! It's a super pretty state! Someone said it's like an underrated version of Colorado, and I would have to agree. 

We made it!

Britt & I haven't run a marathon together in several years, so we decided this was the perfect race. We didn't have a time-goal. We just wanted to enjoy our time together and finish strong... and we were pretty excited to rock our BRF tanks.

Best Running Friends.

Claire is not a runner, but boy is she a great spectator. For all the years I've been running marathons, I have rarely had anyone come out to watch, let alone drive 13 hours and show up with signs and my picture on a stick. Take note, Drew. :)

Claire is seriously the best.

The race went pretty much as expected. The day was warm and there wasn't much cover so our pace was slow, but we were having fun. 

At around mile 5, we witnessed the craziest thing I've yet to see at a race. One of the pacers, a tiny woman wearing head-to-toe neon yellow, pulled off to the side of the road a ways ahead of us. We thought she was stretching at first. She was in a lunch position and I realized when I saw the massive stream coming from her crotch that she was peeing! Standing up! On the race course! Where everyone could see! She had simply pulled the tiny spandex shorts to the side and let it loose. I was kind of in shock. She finished just as we were coming up on her so she re-adjusted her shorts and fell in with us on the race course and just chatted away like it was totally normal. What. The. Heck.

Later we caught up to a friend from our Oiselle Volee team who recently moved to Wyoming. It was fun to run with her and catch up on life for a few miles.

Our friend Shannon on the right.

We're having the best time.

The miles ticked away and pretty soon we were nearing the finish. I love that Britt and I can literally run 26 miles together and never run out of things to talk about. She's really the best running friend a girl can ask for.

State 22 - DONE!

We finished in around 4 hours and 26 minutes, one of our slowest races ever, but also one of the most enjoyable. I'm grateful for a healthy body and legs that can carry me over so many miles.

After we cleaned up, we did what we do on race trips... we walked around town eating, drinking, and laughing. Casper is a pretty cute little mountain town with plenty of spots to keep us occupied.

"Try to look candid."

The next day it was time to head home! Our plan was to spend the night in Lincoln, but by the time we made it there we were all ready to get home so we made a late arrival back to KC. It was the quickest trip ever, but such a fun time.

Nebraska has some interesting spots... like Bitch's Bar.

I'm so happy to mark off another state. 22 down! 28 to go! And I'm already looking forward to another race trip with these girls next Fall.

The Frye Island Marathon - State 21 {Maine}

I had a panic attack in Maine while Drew & I sat on the deck of the chicken coop we were supposed to sleep in, wrapped in towels to keep the monster mosquitos from devouring us, drinking wine and recounting marathons. I got to Maine, which was supposed to be number 21 and I only had 20. I freaked out thinking I'd miscounted and was only on 20 and what the heck I am so dumb... then I realized I'd forgotten to count Iowa. Which really, who's surprised that silly race slipped my mind? Iowa... or as Drew likes to say, "Idiots out walking around". He really lacks respect for the state as a whole.

Anyways, back to the count. We're on 21. And if you're wondering (is anyone reading this?), yes I did start putting the numbers in the blog title so I wouldn't have to keep counting. Because states always go missing and remembering things is hard when you are 35. 

I was looking for an East Coast marathon in July and found the Frye Island Marathon! Perfect! The only problem was that there was no online registration, only an email address for the race director. So I emailed him and told him I was interested. He said the race was definitely still on and registration would go live soon enough. So we started planning our trip to Maine!

Fast forward several months and several more emails to the race director... I was panicking that this race was not real. I found results from past years and the number of participants ranged from 0 to 9 each year. And still no online registration. But our flights were booked and our chicken coops were confirmed. So we were going to Maine. 

Registration opened at the end of May. The race cost $10. Ten Dollars! I knew this was going to be a race to remember. 

On race day, Drew dropped me off at the ferry at 5:30 AM where the Mayor took 4 of us across the lake to Frye Island. The race director's brother picked us up and drove us to the start where we met up with the 5th participant and the race director gave us directions on the loop course. Then he set his watch and said go. And we were off!

I hadn't run much since Seattle and was battling injuries to my left hip flexor, my right hammy, and both calves. Originally I thought I'd shoot for a 9-minute pace and keep things nice and slow. But as we started I found myself with a gal named Julie who was training for a 100-miler and using this as a training run. We chatted and ran together and she told me she would be running very slow and walking the hills. I assumed I would pick up the pace and leave her after a few miles but quickly questioned WHY. Why do I need to run a 9-minute mile? Who am I doing this for? I was enjoying myself and her company so I stuck with her. I walked the hills, accepted cheers from the locals sitting in lawn chairs drinking beers, and enjoyed the day.

The course was a 1-mile loop followed by a 5-mile loop. Do the math and you'll realize that meant 5 5-mile loops. This seemed daunting, but even with how slow I was running, the miles flew by. I felt great.

At mile 11, we passed through the starting area and Drew was there! The race director's brother offered to let him use his bike. Drew hopped on and for the first time ever joined me on the course! I cannot even explain how much I loved this. He peddled by my side, filled my water bottle, and acted as my own personal photographer. For 15 miles!

The best part of my day. :)

I loved hearing this woman tell me her running stories!

All smiles!

My first self-supported course. That's the only aid station!

Coming into the finish!

Somewhere along the course my watch died. I'm so glad it did because I would probably have been freaking out about the end-time. Even though I said my only goal was to finish, I was still shocked when I came through the finish at 4:54. That's my slowest marathon time ever. And I know it doesn't matter. And I know I had so much fun during the entire race. But it was still a shock. I just keep reminding myself that it's not about the time. It's about the experience. I have nothing to prove.

I ended up as the 2nd place female... and also the 2nd to last female. During the 4th loop I left Julie at the aid station and picked up the pace a bit because I was feeling good. She came in about 15 minutes after me, still smiling. It was a race to remember.

However, we did not get medals! And I needed a medal! So Drew and I stopped by the Frye Island General Store (the only store/restaurant on the island) before heading back to the mainland. I found a nice Frye Island keychain and fashioned my own medal to add to the collection. Because I have to have 50 at the end of this right? Imagine if I didn't... I would be so confused with the count.

Maisy showing off the medal!

Y'all, have we even talked about Maisy? She's been around for 2 years now, but I'm not sure I have even introduced her to the blog! Because who reads blogs anymore???  Maisy is the pet-cemetery version of Mya. She looks extremely similar but is evil to her core. And now she's our only dog.

And with that, I'm taking a break... I've sworn off running for at least a month. I don't think I'll train for another marathon until at least after Christmas. I'm looking forward to slow Saturday mornings, time spent with Drew, and not being tired all the time. I'm ready for a change. I don't know what that looks like, but now I have extra time to think about it. See you next marathon!