The last full marathon I did was such a disaster, so I was very reluctant to sign up for another. But, over Thanksgiving my brother-in-law Ted asked if I would be interested in running his first marathon with him. I decided to put my trepidation aside and sign up for another full. I am so pleased to report that this race restored my love of the marathon distance.

Ted, Marisa and I met in Portland (Chris was unfortunately stuck at home since Nate’s baseball season is in full swing) and had some delicious vegan pizza before making the beautiful drive to Newport, Oregon.

 

Newport, Oregon is gorgeous. We stayed in a Airbnb right on the ocean (even had a hot tub with a view of the water). Friday was a pretty relaxed day – picked up race packets, went out for dinner, poked around town a little and then early to bed for a Saturday race.

 

The Newport marathon is a small marathon. Logistics were very simple. Easy parking at the shuttle stop with frequent shuttle pick ups. Lots of port-a-potties at the start. Weather was perfect. Really relaxed feel. It was pretty no-frills though, but I personally love a no-frills race. The course was amazing (I think Big Sur is the only other course that comes close to the beauty of this course). A lot of it is out-and-back which I also don’t mind since you end up spending almost all of the 26 miles looking at water.

 

No photographers on the course, but luckily we had Marisa as our own personal cheering section and photographer.

 

Of course, beer at the finish line (even a no-frills course has to have beer at the finish line)! Beer with Kombucha seems like a very Portland thing.

 

After the race (and the hot tub), we explored more of Newport – and did a lot more eating.

 

Such a fun weekend and so glad Ted convinced me to give 26.2 another shot!

15 down, 35 to go!

After years of mother-daughter trips to the Camelback Inn and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, I finally decided to take Chris along so he could see what all the fuss is about. We had such a wonderful, relaxing vacation together getting massages, eating delicious food and drinking by the fire pits.

But, since we were vacationing in a state I haven’t yet run, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fit in a 1/2 marathon. The Lost Dutchman 1/2 happened to be scheduled while we were in Arizona, so we rented a really huge SUV (only car available) and made our way to Apache Junction, Arizona. Another not huge, really well run race. Lots of parking with a really quick shuttle ride to the starting area. Packet pickup was fast and well organized. The first part of the race was quite beautiful, watching the sun rise over Superstition mountain.

Some of the middle miles were a little tougher mentally to get through since you could see the road going forever (at least it seemed that way while running). Lots of aid station and port-a potties and a fun finishers medal (it spins). Chris and I ran a nice, relaxed pace and then headed back to the Camelback for a post race brunch of avocado toast, fruit, french fries, beer and coffee.

14 down, 36 to go!

This one I did on a whim. I happened to be in Georgia for a board review class. When I learned that I wasn’t going to have to take the boards this year (long story), I decided to skip the lectures on Saturday morning and run a 1/2 marathon. There happened to be a race 30 minutes outside of Atlanta, so the stars aligned…

The best part of the conference was spending time with current and former colleagues. There was a delicious, vegan-friendly restaurant across the street from our hotel which we ate at on 4 different occasions. I even tried my first Orange Theory class.

The race itself was fine. Small race, which I always really enjoy. The course was not scenic at all, but there were lots of volunteers at aid stations along the route and the vibe was really friendly. My favorite part was there was a speaker that announced the photographer was coming up so you could actually look up and try to get a decent photo. And even better – free downloads of your pictures.

So, not the most picturesque race, but super easy logistics and nice to have another state under my belt.

13 down, 37 to go…

Next up, a girls weekend in Florida with Tessa, my friend of over 35 years (yikes). We heard great things about the Key West Half Marathon so we decided to plan a long weekend that culminated in running the race. It’s a really long drive from Miami to Key West. When we got to Key Largo, I figured we were almost there, but really we weren’t even close. Luckily, Key Largo is an excellent place for a pit stop on the way to the southern most spot in the U.S.

We arrived in Key West 2 days before the race, which was perfect because it gave us some time to enjoy the island. We ended up renting bikes and tooling around the island, stopping at the “Little White House” and the Hemingway museum (he really liked cats).

Of course, we also managed to find time to eat and drink.

Race day was Sunday which turned out to be a little chilly and windy – although that was much preferable when compared to the humidity we had the days before. I would much prefer cold to humid. Easy starting corrals, although not a Port-a-Potty in sight which is really strange at the start of a half marathon. The course itself was great. Started by snaking around the very charming downtown area and then headed for the coastline. It was an out and back course, so the majority of the race was spent along the ocean. It was gorgeous to watch the sky change as the sun came up with all the fishing vessels off shore. There was good music, great aid stations with lots of volunteers and luckily several port-a-johns along the course. We ran past the southern most tip of the U.S. and took the opportunity to take a photo there.

Easy finish line with an over-the-top medal. Pricey marathon photos but I couldn’t resist since it actually looks like I’m running in the picture (why do I always have 2 feet on the ground in my marathon photos – how is it possible to run with 2 feet on the ground). Really great weekend with a great friend!  So happy we made the long trip to Key West.

12 down, 38 to go…

Another quick, solo trip on a weekend I happened to have off. Really liked the look of this race on the website – the 25th running of a women’s only trail race. I’ve been enjoying these smaller, trail races. The vibe is so different from the big road races. It feels less competitive, more friendly, more like a group of people who really enjoy running and want to go for a nice, challenging run together. This race did not disappoint.

I stayed right off the highway in Fairfax, VA. Not exactly the vegan food capital of the world. Ended up at a small chain restaurant and was impressed that they had a vegan section of the menu. It feels like the vegan movement has gained some serious traction.

Really low-key registration the morning of the race. All participants got to choose either a long sleeve tech shirt or a tank top. The male members of the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club serenaded us before we took off into the woods.

The course was gorgeous (and challenging – a bit of a hike-run) and the weather was perfect. Margaritas (including a salted rim) at mile 10 just added to the fun of the race. First time I’ve ever had a margarita during a race! Vegan smoothies at the finish line before heading back to the hotel for a quick shower and drive to the airport.

No medals at this race which was perfectly fine with me and went along with the no-frills aspect of the race. I made my own “medal” when I got home from a picture of the race shirt printed on a piece of cardstock.

11 down, 39 to go…

A bit of a last minute decision to run the Zooma Annapolis 1/2 marathon. The Louisiana Marathon took a lot out of me and I ended up nursing a hip injury for several months following the marathon. Managed to keep my mile-a-day streak alive though! I didn’t put a ton of running training into this race, but  started riding my bike to work, so I was hoping the cross-training would help out. The race was in beautiful Annapolis, MD. I flew out by myself on the Friday before the race, took in some sites and, of course, sampled some local beer. They have an interesting art exhibit with all sorts of interestingly painted birds throughout town.

The race itself is relatively small. It’s a “women’s race”, although there were a handful of guys running.  The course itself was quite pretty with a decent number of hills on the back 1/2. I started strong, but my lack of training and the hills came to haunt me for the last 5 miles. Slowed way down for the last few miles and started taking pictures and just enjoying the day.

Actually ended up with some decent finish-line photos.

Being a women’s race, there was yoga, shopping and wine at the finish line. Apparently, I’m not a “normal” woman, because I don’t want any of those three things at the end of a race! I tried the wine (since it was free), but have confirmed that beer is definitely better at the end of a race.

10 down, 40 to go!

Next up, the Louisiana Marathon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My second full marathon of the 50 state challenge. Whole family went out for this one since the kids had a three day weekend and none of us had ever been to Louisiana.

We stayed in Baton Rouge and had a great view of the Mississippi from our room.

After checking out the expo and picking up our bibs, we headed down to New Orleans.  What a fantastic city. We rode the hop on, hop off bus to get around town and learn a little about the city. Lunch was at a great vegan restaurant in the garden district. We did some walking and window shopping in the Garden District before hopping back on the bus to explore the French Quarter and night (and of course, get some dinner).

Sunday morning, Chris and I were up nice and early. Chris was running the half and I was running the full.  Although I had high hopes for this race based on several good months of training, the race had sent out a warning to take it slow due to the incredibly high humidity. I wish I had paid a little more attention to that email. I started out strong – was feeling good until about the 1/2 way mark when I started to feel drained. I tried to convince myself it would pass, but unfortunately things just got worse. In retrospect, I think I probably got dehydrated, but by mile 18 I was having trouble even walking. I had to sit down on three different occasions because I was so dizzy I thought I was going to fall over. Somehow, I made it to the finish line. Although, time-wise, this was by far my worst marathon to date, I think I had to put more grit and effort into finishing this race than any other I’ve done.

But, enough about my crappy race.  The course was gorgeous. Passed through LSU campus and the neighborhoods surrounding it. While we were still running with the 1/2 marathoners, we ran around a gorgeous lake with so many interesting birds to watch. Unlike other marathons I’ve done, the course was beautiful throughout – no running along highways or past paint factories. So, for my long walk, I had plenty to look at. The course was quite flat (and I imagine fast if you weren’t nearly falling over from dehydration) and the volunteers and spectators were wonderful.  The best part was the family was waiting for me right around mile 26. Nate joined me for the last 0.2 miles – definitely the highlight of the race!

After the race – french fries (of course) and a nap.

9 down, 41 to go

Next up, Arkansas and the Spa Running Festival which hosts a 5K, 10K and half marathon dubbed the Summit 2 Summit Challenge.  This was a great, small race in beautiful Hot Springs Arkansas.  It was a really quick trip for me (without the family).  Arrived Friday afternoon and flew back home on Saturday afternoon after the race.

Flew into Little Rock and first stop was Root Cafe for a delicious vegan lunch.  The lunch was so good, I stopped there again on my way back to the airport for the exact same meal.

Friday afternoon, I went out for an easy run and explored the town.  It has a rich history of being both a spa town and home to illegal gambling, speakeasies and gangsters. It’s also the boyhood home of President Bill Clinton.

Eight historic bathhouses have been preserved along bathhouse row.  One has been turned into a brewery, which I took advantage of in order to carb-load for the race.

Race morning was so easy since my hotel was just a block from the start.  About 300 of us were on the starting line for the Summit 2 Summit Challenge.  The course was beautiful – mostly through a national park and as the title implies, we ran to the top of the summit of West Mountain twice.  So, quite a challenging course, but the views were amazing, great volunteers and a really friendly vibe.

   (the picture is really small because I couldn’t justify $25 for a single photo download – some of these race photos are just crazy expensive!)

I think my marathon training (currently in the thick of training for the Louisiana marathon) has me in great shape.  I ended up finishing 2nd in my age group and 17th overall woman – not bad!

Well, 8 down, 42 to go…

Next up, a family vacation to Chicago to explore the city and run the Chicago Half Marathon.  We stayed at the Palmer House, a very cool and historic hotel that has hosted performers like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Louis Armstrong.

Saturday was packet pick-up at Soldiers Field – quick and easy expo.  We then spent the remainder of the day exploring Chicago.

Went to the aquarium…

Grant Park…

Millennium Park…

Navy Pier…

And of course, pizza for dinner.

But, there was one problem…  I started marathon training 2 weeks ago and I think I over-did it.  I woke up on Saturday morning with a left achilles that was so sore, it made it difficult to walk. After regular advil, mild stretching and warming up, I was in less pain as the day went on. But, race morning it was again difficult to walk.  I limped to the shuttle buses with the plan to try to run/walk the race, not worry at all about my pace and just try to not DNF.  So, with those low expectations, I started gingerly running and the most interesting thing happened – within the first 2 miles, the pain dissipated and I had the most enjoyable race. I stopped to take pictures, talked to other runners and ran at a pace that felt like I could run forever.  Ended up being my most enjoyable half marathon to date!  And I finished as the 1,000 female finisher (out of slightly over 5,000) – pretty cool.

The finishers medal is enormous…

7 down, 43 to go!

This was certainly the most unique 1/2 marathon I’ve done.  I’m so thankful that Chris was able to run this one with me.  It would have been a very lonely race to run solo.  We flew in to Las Vegas mid afternoon on Saturday.  The packet pick-up was very low tech in a hotel room.  We found a fabulous vegan restaurant for dinner.

At 9pm, we boarded the bus that took us 2.5 hours outside of Las Vegas to the border of area 51.  Luckily, we were able to catch a nap on the bus.

First we dropped off the marathoners and those doing the 51K.  A few miles down the road, they dropped us off for our 12:30am start.  We all had to wear reflective vests and headlamps.  Some folks got really into the spirit of the race, wearing great costumes.  Chris and I are not really costume runners (although who knows…)

The race itself was very cool.  Between the full moon and headlamps, the road was fairly well lit, although the rest of the landscape, off the road was completely in shadows.  It was so quiet and peaceful and the weather was perfect. Chris and I just kept our sights on the vests and headlamps ahead of us and tried to slowly real them in (spent a good 1/2 of the race chasing a red flashing beacon).  Low-tech water stops which seemed to fit the race perfectly.  It ended at the Little A’le’inn restaurant (more of a convenience store/bar/alien gift shop) where happily they had beer and french fries and a great alien theme.

Then, back on the bus for a snooze and a ride back to Vegas. After a shower and nap at the hotel, we made our way back to the same vegan restaurant for “chicken” and waffles which were AMAZING!

6 down, 44 to go!