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. 

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!

The Kensington Marathon

Michigan! State 18! It was one of the slowest marathons I've run in a really long time. But it still counts. And I don't have to go back to Michigan ever again if I don't want to... and after this weekend, I'm not sure I do. Kidding... kind of.

From the get-go this race was kind of a mess. We knew it was a small one, but we repeatedly tried to contact the race director to get info about the race and where to stay and they never got back to us. Heading there, we just really hoped the race was still going to happen.

We left KC early Friday morning to get to Chicago, where we would stay Friday night. Our roadtrips typically include a few stops to see local attractions. When we found out there was an Abe Lincoln totem pole in Springfield Illinois, we naturally made a stop. 

He's so cute!

We timed our arrival perfectly to sit in Chicago rush hour for at least an hour... ouch! Not gonna lie, when we agreed to stay in Chi-town, I didn't realize I'd be the one getting us there. But we made it to our downtown hotel in one piece. Now on to more important things...

All the deep dish!

 And even more important things... we were finishing our last slice at Lou Malnati's while anticipating the delicious ice cream joint we'd already chosen. It was about 9:55 when we looked up directions and realized it closed at 10:00. You've never seen endurance runners pay a check so quickly! We booked it to Gordo's for ice cream bars!

Pick a bar, a chocolate dip, toppings, and a finishing drizzle. OMG!

The next morning we relived all of our Chicago running glory as we hit the streets for a shake-out run. I'll tell you, sightseeing in Chicago is amazing when everyone is still in bed!

Running under the bean!

Running along the riverfront.

Can't imagine what it's like to wake up and run this every day!

We were on a mission to recreate a pic we had taken after the Chicago Marathon in 2013 at the Buckingham Fountain. We were so sad when we arrived and it wasn't on. While we were pouting I checked my phone and had received some urgent-sounding messages from our Air B&B host for that night. We paused our run to respond to her and while I was messaging her the fountain came on! It was fate! That crazy lady did one good thing for us that weekend...

Always reppin' KC!

We had a lovely breakfast at Wildberries, and then went in search of this adorable coffee shop we'd seen all over Insta.

How cute is this?!?

Back on the road toward Michigan! It was a 4 hour drive to Ann Arbor, where we would be staying that night. Race tomorrow!

We arrived at our Air B&B apartment, knowing the host would not be there. She left us a key to let ourselves in. We chose this place because it was a 2-bedroom, listed as having 3 beds. And let me tell you, sharing a bed with your running partner is not fun the night after running 26 miles. It's just not.

The apartment was small and cluttered, but fine upon first inspection. When we tried to open the dooor to the second bedroom, we were met with some resistance. That's because our host is a hoader. A mother-fucking hoarder.

Bedroom Number 2.

She acted surprised when I texted her about the hoarding situation and said she didn't realize we wanted to use the second bedroom and if we had simply told her, she would have made it up for us. I guess by "made it up" she meant she would have rented a storage unit, sought counseling for her problem, and called Hoarders to clean that shit up.

We contacted Air B&B who happily cancelled our reservation and then disappeared off the face of the Earth while we tried to find a new place to stay. Stressed does not begin to describe my feelings. We finally just vacated the apartment in search of food because we had a race to run the next day and despite not know where we would be sleeping or having picked up our race packets, we still had to eat dinner.

Pizza and beer to calm my nerves.

In the end we gave up on Air B&B and found a room at the America Extended Suites. Still no race packets, but at least we ate and aren't sleeping in the car!

Race Day. So I had never intended to race this marathon. I just wanted to check off a state and enjoy a road trip with my friend. On my second-to-last 20 mile training run, my body decided it had other plans. I had been recovering from a calf-strain in my right calf which happened in March while I was training to run Brew-to-Brew. I felt like my calf was pretty much all better and I was on track to being a normal runner again! However, 17 miles into my 20-miler, my left calf snapped. I hobbled the 2 miles home and cried like a baby.

I took the next couple of weeks off from running (mostly) and worked tirelessly to rehab my old-lady legs. I wasn't able to do my final long runs so I knew I wasn't trained for this race. But my calf was feeling better so I knew I could at least attempt the race.

With a plan to go as slow as I needed and a goal of just finishing the damn thing, I headed to the start line. Britt was kind enough to run the first couple of miles with me before running her own race.

I planned to walk at all of the aid stations, despite how my calf was feeling. This was tough at first! I was feeling good and my ego did not want to let others pass me. But I knew that going easy from the start would make the final miles easier and give my calf a better chance of making it all 26.2 miles.

The course was a double loop around Kensington Lake Park. It was a beautiful trail with lots of other runners, walkers, bikers, and lake-goers. At one point I passed signs that said "Ospreys Nesting!" I had absolutely no idea what this meant, but looking out on the lake you could see huge nests built above the water, resting on a tripod of sticks. I stopped to ask an older woman who was taking photos with a fancy camera and she confirmed that those were the Osprey babies. She asked if I had time to hear the whole history, but that sounded like a huge-undertaking and not something I should do mid-race. So I thanked her and went on my way.

My body felt good most of the way, but around mile 17 I became insanely thirsty. I stopped at an aid station and stood there while I drank 2 full cups of water and another of gateraid. After that my walk breaks became much longer.

At mile 20 I was passed by 2 older gentlemen. As they passed, they shouted that I couldn't let two old guys pass me and I needed to join them. So I did. They were Paul and Mel and for several miles they entertained me with stories of running and racing. I was so grateful for their company!

Finally, the race ended. I was so insanely tired and my body was spent. But I finished with a smile on my face. It was a beautiful day, along a beautiful course, and my body didn't let me down. I have honestly never felt so much gratitude for such a slow race!

Finished!

Slow and steady finishes the race.

We've gained some experience over the years and knew that it was important to come to this race prepared... so we packed a cooler of beer. We prob should have packed food, since the only thing available post-race were Cheetos and Rice Crispy Treats. But beer works too. We hung out at the beach, sipped some brews, and let our legs recover in the lake water. It was actually a really fantastic way to celebrate!

That post-marathon glow... or that post-beer glow... one of the two.

Back at the Extended Stay, we showered and continued drinking. Then we called an Uber to take us to The Big House. Ya'll know we like to break into stadiums on our road trips, and this was by far our biggest challenge. Thankfully we were emboldened by a few brewskis.

Everyone told us that it was impossible to break into the Michigan stadium, that it was on "Lock Down" and we'd never get in. They were wrong.

We circled the stadium, trying all the doors and assessing which trees were climbable. And then we stumbled onto an unlocked door with direct access to the guest locker room. There's always an unlocked door.

We did it!!!

Post-race nap on the field.

Oops!

Now you're just showing off.

Ta-Da!

We tried to get out the way we came in but realized we forgot to prop the door to the locker room open and it had locked behind us! Never fear, we found our way out through some revolving doors and headed to downtown Ann Arbor for a big night of eating and drinking.

South American food, French Fries, Batidos, and beers... we finished the night with ice cream, the ultimate recovery food.

Double scoops!

So, even though the weekend had some stressful moments, it was still an amazing experience and a special piece to this 50 state puzzle. Glad it's over, ready to get my old-lady-legs back in working order.