Harbor Springs Half Marathon

On Friday, hubby was able to work from home so that I could get an early start on the five hour drive.  The kids were a dear and woke up early to get our school day completed before I left.  I had work graded and workboxes packed for Monday before I ventured off on my little mini-retreat. 

At 4:30 pm, I met up with my mom, my little sister, and my little sister's friend.  On our way to pick up our race packets, they humored me by letting me stop at a yarn shop to pick up some fingering merino wool for a running hat that I've been wanted to make.  My head is just too big for 'normal' hats.

We choose to stay at the same beautiful hotel / resort when we ran the Charelvoix Half Marathon in June.  After that race, we had some awesome ice cream at the cutest mom and pop shop.  I could eat ice cream year around.  Therefore when we made a pact of not eating any ice cream until this race, it was a struggle for me.  I slipped up once, July 29th ... after a rough day at home.  After picking up our race packets, my sister made dinner for us in the suite.

Early the next morning, we woke up to a beautiful fall day.  The temperature was warmer than normal for the time of year.  It would be 54 degrees at the start of the race.  Perfect ... well, for me ... the others were not comfortable, too cold.

Mom

Little Sis

Little Sis's friend - her first half

One of the race photographer's took our picture before the race ... waiting for it to be posted.

I started off well.  At mile 7, I was on target for a PR.  I was pushing myself.  This course had many rolling hills compared to my last half marathon.  

The course was beautiful.  The trees were in full color.  Most of the course was along Lake Michigan.  One of the stretches of the course was through "The Tunnel of Trees".

With this being the 'first' annual race, there were a few bumps...

The aid stations were few and spaced very far apart.  This was a huge mental struggle for me.  I kept telling myself that I can make it until the next aid station, but that aid station didn't appear ... just another hill.

At mile nine, my overall pace was 10:58  just shy of my PR pace of (10:57).  Gunner was telling me that I'm falling behind.  I kept pushing myself ... telling myself how wonderful I'm doing especially with the hills  ... reminding myself that it's a downhill finish.

Then from mile 10-12 was a constant uphill battle.  By the end of mile 12, I had fallen behind Gunner by over 2 minutes.  There wasn't enough race left to make up that time.  I kicked it in as much as I could that last 1.1 miles.  I was disappointed but proud that I was out there running.  This was my third half marathon this year.  I began running last November ... so not even a full year of running yet.

Traffic was everywhere on this course.  Here, I'm dodging people getting out of their car!

Check out all the colors of the trees!

My running tank says, "There's no I in team, but there is in Ice Cream"  =)

Official finish time:

2:25:54

The Girls in our matching outfits.

 

 Congratulations to my mom and my little sister for both placing 3rd in their respected age groups!

For lunch, we had take out from Buffalo Wild Wings.  Mom and my little Sis watched the U of M vs. MSU game while my little Sis's friend and I watched a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory.

After Mass, Mom and I stopped for ice cream.

Enjoying carmel praline pecan ice cream.  Yum!

The resort had given each of us a coupon for $20 of slots at the local casino.  They talked me into going.  Once there, we signed up for their rewards card to receive the $20 slot credit.  We were also given a coin for the free pull machine.  My little Sis and her friend were given an extra coin because it was their birthday month.  Everyone put in their coins and pulled.  Nothing.  I was there to be a good sport.  I prayed to God that whatever I win with this free money that half would go to the church.  I prayed more for the strength to be disciplined not to use any of my own money.  I pulled the lever ... Five dollars!  So onto the slots we went.  My mom and my little sister split off.  We stayed and played the penny slots.  We figured that would be the longest way to be entertained.  Well, I won at every slot machine I sat down at.  In the end, my total winnings were $41.48 ... $20 for me and the rest goes to church.  I spent the rest of the evening watching the others play blackjack.  At one point, they were complaining to the dealer about the cards and needing to win some money back.  He said that the best way not to lose your money is not to gamble.  I had a hard time not bursting out in laughter!

My first ten miles were ran to celebrate a fellow blogger's birthday:

10 miles

1:50:17  (11:01 pace)

Happy Birthday Neil Z!

Marquette Half Marathon

We decided to spend the night in Marquette instead of driving up the morning of the race.  The race started at 7:15 EST and we live on CST (the race would start at 6:15 our time; which meant I would have had to leave by 4 am).

Friday night, I picked up my race packet.  The wind was wild.  Hurricane Earl had nothing on the weather here!  I hoped that the wind would calm down before the race the next morning.  After driving the course, we enjoyed swimming at the hotel pool.

Saturday morning, a good friend of mine, S., and her friend, P., agreed to pick me up from the hotel.  I was so thankful of them to do that.  That way, my husband didn't have to rush to get the children up and eat breakfast before the start of the race.  I had marked out on the course map about what time I would be at each mile marker so that he could find me.

At the start of the race, the temperature was 48 degrees with wind and a rain/sleet mix.

The poor volunteers were cold.  They were so cheerful and helpful.  

Aid stations were placed about every 1 - 1.5 miles apart.

Mile 1:  10:13

I started out running with S.'s friend, P.  She said that her goal was 2:20 ... She's a bit faster than that!  By mile 2, I told her not to let me slow her down.

Mile 2:  10:39

It looks like I'm on my own.  I saw a group of three runners wearing Vibram Five Fingers.  So cool!

Mile 3:  10:36

Connected with a wonderful lady named, A.

Mile 4:  11:04

Chatting away with A. and the miles started to fly by.

Mile 5:  11:05

I ate a raspberry gel that was handed out ... really gross!  I should have eaten the Clif Shot Bloks that I brought with me.

Mile 6:  10:55

On the bike path in the downtown area of the city.  We could see the Farmer's market going on.

Mile 7:  10:19

We had a speedy split this mile.  I think it was from the excitement that we were half way done.

Mile 8:  10:57

We walked for a bit after the aid station.  The wind was really cold coming off the water.  We passed one of the big playgrounds and I was surprised that I didn't see my family yet.

Mile 9:  10:41

Still no site of the family.  We passed by Picnic Rocks park.  Two swimmers have drowned here this summer.  Click here to see the local paper's article.

Mile 10:  11:43

Tried to open my Clif Shot Bloks that I brought with me, but my hands were so cold they could not open the package.  A. tried and couldn't get it open either.  She had the exact same kind with her and was able to get hers open.  Thanks for sharing A.!

I heard the honk of a horn and see our family van.  The kids were yelling, "Run, Mommy, run!"

Mile 11:  11:19

Mr. T took this picture of us.  Great job there, son!

Mile 12:  11:33

The only hill on the course was during mile 12!  It was an 80 foot climb for about 3/4 of a mile.  We killed it!  (No walking)

We saw three gentlemen who had just finished surfing in Lake Superior!  They had on full wetsuits with hoods and shoes.  Crazy!

Mile 13:  10:45

We are almost to the end.  We can do it!

The last 0.1 miles:  8:44 pace

The finish:

Official Time:

2:23:34

PR!!!

 Check out those waves and the wind!

Thanks, hubby for taking photos of me at the finish line!

 The Finisher's Medal & the Running T-Shirt

After the race, I refueled with a hamburger, bagel, and a banana.  I met up with the family and we went to the local Catholic bookstore.

We drove the course to see if we could find my friend, S., who was running the full marathon.  I asked the family if they could wait around while I ran with her for a bit.  We met up with her just before mile 21.

 Hubby thought that I was just going to run a mile or two ... since I just ran 13.1 miles.  After he took our picture, he realized that I was going to run with her all the way into the finish.  He was so sweet to let me.
Are you liking my recovery socks that I changed into?  I won them in a blog drawing.  Thanks Marcia!  I would like to try running in compression socks.  My legs felt great.
I think that I could have done the full marathon.  I ran 18.5 miles ... what's another 7.7!

To see what the course looks like on a nice day, click here.

The local paper's take on the event is here.

Virtual "Half & Half" Race - Half Marathon

One of the running blogs that I follow, Mom of 3, hosted a virtual "Half & Half" Race this week.  The distance was either a half marathon or half of a 10K (5K).  I choose the half marathon since it flowed with my training plan.

My alarm went off at 5 am and I'm sorry to say that I hit the snooze button.  I wanted to be out the door early to beat the temperature, but Lots of Hair was up most of the night.  I think she has more teeth coming in because nursing her wasn't working and 'magic milk' usually works.

When I did get up, I ate a G1 bar (Oatmeal Raisin) and drank some water before getting dressed.  I had my Camelbak waist pack ready to go with GU Chomps and Berry Nuun.  Thank you Teamarcia for the GU Chomps that I won in her giveaway, among many other fabulous prizes.  Thank you to my little sister for the Nuun.

self portrait before the run

At 6:23, I was running.  I set Gunner, my virtual running partner, at a 11:00 pace.  I wanted to attempt a PR (Personal Record) even though the course was much hillier than my first half marathon.

Since I am the only one running this course, I though that you would enjoy viewing what I saw at each mile.
I didn't come up with this idea on my own; a super cool runner had the idea.

Mile 1:  10:14

Mile2:  10:17

Mile3:  11:07

Mile 4:  11:11

Mile 5:  11:37

Mile 6:  11:11

A good spot to turn around.  Don't you think?

Mile 7:  11:28

Mile 8:  10:56

Mile 9:  11:13

Mile 10:  11:03

wild turkeys crossing the road

Mile 11:  11:18

Mile 12:  10:42

Mile 13:  11:24

The 'finish line' is at the top of this hill.  Needless to say, I had a hard time sprinting to the finish.  I ran and didn't walk until after my garmin read 13.1 miles.


Home:

I did it!!!

Thank you to Mr. T for the afterglow photo.

Time:  2:25:16

PR!!!  Beat my first half marathon by 13 seconds!

Now, to wait to see how I placed...

 The proof:


Cooling off with the family in one of our local lakes and soaking my tired legs:

My First Half Marathon

After a five hour drive, I met my sister and my mom at the fanciest hotel that I've ever been to, The Inn at Bay Harbor.  The valet took my keys and I wondered what he thought as he parked our 14 year old Chevy truck among all the new high end vehicles.

My sister put together an awesome pre-race surprise bag; though some of the items are for after the race.  An indulgence ... "I've burned over a thousand calories, so I can eat this"

Thank you!  Thank you!

It rained most of Friday.  The forecast for Saturday was rain and thunderstorms.  As we drove to the race, it was raining.  I kept saying that just before the race, the clouds were going to disperse and it would be a wonderful day for a run.  Sure enough, it stopped raining just in time.  The temperature was 65 deg and the humidity was low.

The three of us before the race:  my little sister, my mom, and me

Don't we look super cute in our matching outfits?

Mile 1:  11:15
  My little sister started closer to the finish since she's much faster than us.  Mom and I went more towards the back of the pack.  I warned my mom that we are not starting out fast.  My goal was to finish and try to run 2:30 which means that I needed an average pace of 11:25  At 6:11 into the race, we realize that my mom's garmin wasn't on the training mode; therefore didn't start at the start.

Mile 2:  10:47
  Under 11:00!!!  Are we going too fast?  Will we be walking like some others that we passed?  "See, Mom.  We were smart for not starting out too fast."

Mile 3:  11:01
  My mom exclaims that she just ran her first 5K!  Yeah, go Mom!

Mile 4:  11:12
  The kids at the aid station had water cannons.  One of them blasted me full force in the stomach.  It took my breath away.  This aid station also had licorice and pretzels.  Neither of those sounded good.

Mile 5:  11:30
  Ran on a wooden bridge that lasted for over a mile.  I saw my little sister going the other way.  Gave a big high five.  She yelled that she was beating her virtual partner that she had set up on her Garmin.  Yahoo!  Keep it up, little sister!!

Mile 6:  10:51
  At the half way mark, our overall time was 1:12 ... not too bad for us newbies.  I was worried that I was going to fade.

Mile 7:  10:51
  Under 11:00!!!  My mom slows to a walk saying that she is out of gas.  I continue on.

Mile 8:  11:22
  Back on the wooden bridge.  8.5 miles is the longest run that I've done up to this point.  I'm eating my gel and I look over my shoulder and there is my mom right next to me again.  "Where did you come from?" I asked.  "I ate some beans, so now I'm good," she answered.

Mile 9:  11:01
  Warned the aid station kids not to aim the water gun directly at me but in the air.   This was the first time that I asked for gatorade rather than water.  Wrong choice, it tasted awful.  A lady, who has been running behind us for almost eight miles, informs us that she likes our outfits and finally read what the back of our shirt says.  The back of our tank says, "You're been passed by a skirt."

Mile 10:  10:56
  The next aid station was volunteered by the local fire department.  One lady had a bowl of ice.  I grabbed some and placed it on my neck for a while.  Ahhhh

Mile 11:  11:04
  Back into the local neighborhood.  One house was playing music for the runners.  As I went by, the song that was playing was "We like to move it, move it; we like to move it, move it."  Perfect timing.  I need that one on my playlist.

Mile 12:  11:30
  Slight incline, well compared to my hills at home, next to the local ski hill.  I mention to my mom that I was going to kick it in because I just couldn't have her beat me.  Wrong thing to say.  She increases the pace too.

Mile 13:  10:21
  I just couldn't let my mom out run me.  I started kicking it in at about 1.5 miles to go ... way too early, I discovered.  I could hear her behind me.

Last 0.1:  8:43 pace
  Sprinting to the finish.  My mom is not too far behind.  Must go faster!

First Half Marathon!!!!
2:25:29  -  11:07 pace

 25/31 in age group; 186/243 women; 343/479 overall

1443 calories burned

As you can see in the picture, my mom was right behind me.   She did such a wonderful job running the race.

The course was a beautiful:

Check out the huge medals!

Standing on the working drawbridge.  The race director warned us to be over the bridge ten minutes before the race in case the bridge opened for a boat.

Back at the hotel, we relaxed and walked out our legs on the beach.

No one was willing to play me in a game of chess.

I'm so proud of how much I have accomplished.  November 2009, I could run for maybe 20 minutes.  Seven months later, I ran for 13.1 miles!!  I'm so proud of my little sister who's time was 1:56!!  You rock!  I'm so proud of my mom who just about kicked my butt!



After the race, I called the hubby and the kids.  They survived the night without me and gave me permission to stay one more night.  Thank you so much for giving this mom a huge R & R!!  A huge thank you to my hubby on distracting a 15 month old who still nurses at night.  A huge thank you to my hubby for getting all the kids to soccer practice and to church.  Juggling five kids by yourself is no easy feat!

My 'running sponsor' awarded me with my own pair of Vibram Five Fingers - KSO style  Thank you!!

Sunday, I attended Mass with my mom and little sister.  I didn't have to worry about keeping kids quiet.  I could focus all my attention on Jesus.  Thank you for keeping us safe on the drive to the race, during the race, and on the drive home.  Thank you for a family who wanted to run 13.1 miles with me and is considering doing it again next year.

St. Xavier Catholic Church in Petoskey, MI