Author: runningforunicorns

Incorporating two 10K races as part of Ocean City Marathon training

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It’s hard to believe I am just 4 days out from the Ocean City Running Festival marathon! 

As part of my training this fall, I signed up for two 10Ks. One was a total dumpster fire. The other went fantastic! 

Let’s get into it!

PRO-Vision 10K: 44:03

I’ll start with the good part.  

This is a great little local race put on by a wonderful Severna Park family. PRO-Vision is an organization named in honor of Paul Robert Overton, a Severna Park native and athlete who died several years ago of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. The organization raises money for local charities – this year’s race benefited our local Boys & Girls Club and the Orphan Grain Train. Before the race started, Paul’s brother got up and spoke a bit about him and it was very moving. I wasn’t planning on crying before the race, but I did. They just seemed like awesome people, and I will hopefully be returning to run this 10K (there is also a 5K option) in the future. 

Both the 5K and the 10K start at the Elks Lodge in Severna Park and then go onto the B&A Trail, where I spend many weekends running. I got to see some of my Anne Arundel County She Runs This Town Friends right around the half mile mark, and that was basically the highlight of the race for me because it all went to hell shortly thereafter! 

Thank you MJ for the photo!!

We’ve had a really warm fall, though mornings have mostly been cool and lovely. However, that last week of September was an exception. It was so uncomfortably muggy, the worst that it had been since probably July. I think when I looked at my weather app, it said the humidity was 90%. Just nasty! 

So it felt like running through hot soup. It has been a LONG time since I have run a race and seen each split get progressively slower. My first mile was 6:35; my last mile was 7:35. Basically a textbook case of how not to pace a race. I crossed the finish line in just over 44 minutes feeling half dead, but ended up as the second overall female. The first overall female was more than 5 minutes ahead of me, so it wasn’t even close. She also beat all of the men, too! Impressive! 

The after party was fun. There was a ton of food, including an Always Ice Cream Truck, drinks, a band playing some yacht rock and other tunes, and a raffle with some really nice baskets donated by local businesses. The Overton family also had set up several photo collages showcasing Paul with his siblings and friends over the years. Like I said, awesome family. Overall, I enjoyed the experience and it was decent speed work for me even if I had a crappy race! 

Baltimore Running Festival 10K: 40:38 

The Baltimore Running Festival is one of my very favorite Maryland running events, and I missed it last year because I went to Cape May for the weekend! So I was super happy to be back. I was initially signed up for the half marathon (my favorite of all the distances offered at the festival), but the Pfitzinger plan I’ve been following directed me to race a 10K on the weekend two weeks before the marathon and then run a 16 mile long run the next day. So I dropped down to the 10K. 

I had run the 10K in 2021, the first year the running festival included that distance, and came in 2nd female with a 43:36. The race has gotten a LOT more competitive since then! My time of 40:38 this year got me 3rd place in my age group, and I think I was the 11th or 12th female. There were some really fast people out there! 

Before the race, I told my husband I hoped to break 42 minutes, something I hadn’t done in about two years in the 10K. The weather was really good and even though the 10K course is hilly, I think it’s actually pretty fast because almost all of the uphill is in the first half of the race. There is a lot of downhill in the back half, making it easy to run negative splits. I was more nervous about going fast and tripping and falling in a pothole in the city, but thankfully that did not happen! 

I ran the first few miles around 6:45-6:50 pace, and it felt hard, but doable. I spent most of those miles running alongside two younger women who were just chatting like the pace was nothing! (They dropped me about halfway through the race.) And once I hit mile 3, the downhills came and I felt like I was flying. I split the 4th mile in 6:16! There was a clock at mile 5, and it read 33 minutes when I passed it so I knew I was easily running sub-42 that morning. 

I was elated to turn the last corner onto Pratt Street and see that the finish line clock read 40 something. Way under my goal! But…. then I stopped my Garmin after I crossed the finish line and saw that my watch read 6.08 miles– just shy of a 10K. 

Now, it’s possible that the buildings in Baltimore messed up my watch. I don’t remember the course being short three years ago, and it definitely didn’t change from then. I know the marathon and the half marathon are USTAF certified, but perhaps the 10K isn’t. 

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter – assuming the course was short, I was still on pace to finish well under 42 minutes. Which is what I had hoped for! So it’s all good. 

Afterwards, I hit up the after party, saw friends who were going to be running the half (which doesn’t start until 9:45 in the morning) and also watched the marathon. It was a super fun morning and I can’t wait to do the Baltimore Running Festival again next year!

A tale of 2 half marathons: The Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon and the Susquehanna River Running Festival Half Marathon

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Last month, as part of my training for the Ocean City Marathon, I decided to incorporate two half marathons into my running schedule – the Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon in Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River Running Festival Half Marathon in Havre de Grace, Maryland. 

Both occurred on weekends when I was scheduled to run a big chunk of my long runs at goal marathon pace, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to do that in a race than it is on my own! Plus, I’d heard really good things about both half marathons. The only drawback to doing this is I knew I’d probably end up running at least a little bit faster than my actual goal marathon pace, just because I’d be in a race environment and would have a hard time holding back. And that’s what I did, especially at Susquehanna. But, oh well. They were both solid efforts that hopefully will benefit me in Ocean City! 

Here’s a look at how they went! 

The Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon (1:37:39)

This was a race I’d been hearing about for years because of how unique it is. It takes place every year the weekend after Labor Day in the heart of Amish Country, Pennsylvania. The Amish and Mennonite communities volunteer at the race and also host a pre-race dinner the night before the race as well as an after party following the race. Let me tell you, it was pretty much some of the best food I’d eaten at a race, ever. The s’mores bonfire the night before the half marathon! The pie! And all the runners even got whoopie pies (as a native western Pennsylvanian, I call them gobs, but I recognize that most other people call them whoopie pies!) in our swag bags along with our T-shirts and bibs. It was so great. I also signed up for the Friday night 5K as a shakeout run, and that was lots of fun. I didn’t go all out, running at an 8:04 pace, but definitely faster than my typical pace for a shakeout run. I don’t really think it mattered much, though. 

The next morning, I actually had 16 miles on my plan, so Micah and I left our hotel early so I could crank out an extra 3 miles before the half. By the way, I can’t say enough about how well-organized this race was. Parking was super easy and even though the porta-potty lines were VERY long in the last few minutes leading up to the race, the volunteers kept everything moving so smoothly. 10/10, no notes! 

Since this was really meant to be a long run workout, I didn’t have any real time goals, but I did think I’d finish around 1:35ish. My last half marathon just about a month before Boston was a huge PR and my first time breaking 90 minutes. I knew I wasn’t in shape to do that in Bird-in-Hand, but I thought 1:35 seemed realistic. 

But the course was a LOT harder than I expected. I had been hearing about the race for a long time, but hadn’t heard anyone mention that it was particularly hilly. And while it wasn’t anything like Riley’s Rumble, LOL, it was definitely hillier than I had bargained for. Rollers pretty much the whole 13.1 miles. I ran the first few miles around 7:10-7:15 pace, but really never got much faster than that save for one or two miles where there were long downhill stretches. All that being said, the course was absolutely beautiful and I love running through the countryside. (One thing to note: The scent of manure is strong and there is horse poop all over the roads!)  It was also a really cool experience to have the Amish community volunteering throughout the race, passing out water and Gatorade. At one point later in the race, we also ran right through an Amish farm – up a semi-steep, crushed gravel path through a farm, I should say. My pace slipped to around a 7:50 in those final miles, but I gave it my all. I finished first in my age group and 8th overall female – getting passed by the 6th female in the last half mile and the 7th in, like, the final 200 meters. Ha! One thing I still don’t have after all of these years running is a finish line kick! 

After the race, I enjoyed a wonderful massage from a local chiropractic team that was volunteering at the event and then some delicious apple pie! We hit the Bird-in-Hand Artisan Market and the Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market before leaving town as well. I really liked the area and hope to return again! 

The Susquehanna River Running Festival Half Marathon (1:34:29)    

I hemmed and hawed over whether to run this race, which also includes a 5K and a 10K, for way too long, and by the time I actually signed up, the race fee for the half was $130. Womp womp. This price did include a great premium quarter zip and a nice finish line party, so whatever. Also, it was on September 21, and if you know me, you know I love Earth, Wind and Fire. Plus, my cousin Nate and his wife Kathryn live not too far from Havre de Grace, where the race begins and ends, so I figured it would be a good chance to catch up with them as well! 

Oh yeah, and Olympian and former American women’s marathon record holder, Deena Kastor, was there to hand out awards and get the race started! Pretty cool for a small town race. 

My plan for the weekend called for 15 miles with 12 at goal marathon pace, and again, I knew I’d likely end up running faster than marathon pace in the race. I ran 2 easy miles before the race started around Havre de Grace, then lined up for the half. The weather was a bit on the humid side for my liking, but overall, not bad.   

This was another really beautiful race course. We started in Havre de Grace and went over the Hatem Bridge crossing the Susquehanna River, then into the little town of Perryville, through Perry Point VA Hospital and Perryville Community Park along the Chesapeake Bay, and back over the bridge to Havre de Grace. I would say this is a relatively fast course, with a few rollers here and there, but nothing major. Once again, I knew sub-90 wasn’t likely, but I thought I might be able to break 1:35, especially when I clocked a few sub-7 miles in the middle part of the race and was feeling good! 

There were a few little things that maybe slowed me down a bit, however. First, I planned to take a gel at the halfway point, and it flew out of my Flipbelt around mile 2. (Gee, that’s never happened before!) And I didn’t bother to run back to pick it up. Maybe someone else did. It was a Maurten, and those are expensive! Then – also Flipbelt related– I had my car key attached to the key fob on the belt and it kept flying out and flopping around when I was running. So every so often I would have to adjust it and try to tuck it back in. I kept running while doing so, but I am sure it cost me a little bit of time. I’ve never had this kind of trouble with the Flipbelt before, so I am not ready to write it off all together, but geez. 

Then, going across the Hatem Bridge on the way back to the finish, the half marathon had merged with the 10K race and I found myself weaving around a lot of runners. So that slowed me down, too. 

All that being said, I still felt pretty strong the entire time! A highlight was seeing my cousin and his wife about a half mile before the finish line and then my friend Leslie and her husband right there at the finish – they were in town for another event! I was pretty thrilled to stop my watch and see 1:34– but also could not believe that I ran a half marathon literally 5 whole minutes faster just six months before, ha! I felt like I gave this one my all.  

I figured I placed as either a Master or in my age group, but when I went to check my time, I saw my time didn’t register. After what had happened in the A10 the previous month, I was like, really? What are the chances! Luckily, I talked to the man who was in charge of timing at the finish line, showed him my watch, and he corrected it pretty much on the spot. I was the third place Masters female winner and got to take home one of the most unique prizes I’ve ever received at a race – this awesome decoy! (Unfortunately, I totally missed the awards ceremony, and meeting Deena Kastor, because I was too busy talking and didn’t even realize it was happening, but I got my prize before leaving!) 

I’m so glad I ran both of these half marathons and I think they were great training races for Ocean City. Just 19 days to go!!

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The 2024 Annapolis Ten Mile Run: The one where my time didn’t register

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I ran my 10th Annapolis Ten Mile Run last month. The good news – I ran a 1:11, exactly in line with what I was hoping to run! 

The bad news – there was some timing mat/chip mishap that affected everyone who finished between 1:08 and 1:12, so my time never registered following the race and I missed out on getting an award! 

Sigh. This actually isn’t the first time this has happened to me, but it is always disappointing. 

However, I had a good race nonetheless! If you have followed me for a while, you know I run this race every year and I consider it my favorite. It’s certainly not an easy race. The course is hilly, and the weather is often hot and humid – it always takes place on the last Sunday of August. But it is also a very scenic course, I know tons of people who run it, and the premium is always legit. I always recommend it to other runners! 

This year, the A10 fell at the end of my 2nd week of Ocean City Marathon training, and it also happened to come at a time where we were experiencing cooler than usual weather. Like, my morning runs were in the high 50s some days. In August! In Maryland! This is pretty much unheard of. I think it was in the mid-60s with very low humidity when Shannon and I arrived at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on race morning. Fantastic! 

The race kicks off right at 7, and after a few trips to the porta-potty, I was in the starting corral by 6:50. I saw my friend Trish and a few other runners I know and we chit chatted a bit, then were off! 

Since I’ve now run this race 10 times, and I live locally, I know the course like the back of my hand. The first few miles are fast. You leave the stadium and do a lap around it, then head toward downtown Annapolis and down Main Street (I always have to be careful not to trip and fall on the cobblestones here!) I saw a big crew of She Runs This Town friends at the intersection of Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue, and they cheered for me so loudly, which really pepped me up! 

Then it’s past the Naval Academy, over Weems Creek, and toward the Naval Academy Bridge, which is probably the toughest hill in the race (but it sure is a beautiful view from the top!) I ran these miles with my friend Rich, who teased me that my Alpha Flys were too squeaky. They were being quite noisy! 

I was hanging onto the 1:10 pace group until we crossed the bridge and turned into Pendennis Mount, then they dropped me. I felt good, though, and was maintaining a steady pace in the low 7s and feeling like I could hold it. I crossed the timing mat at mile 5 in 35 minutes and some change.  

The next few miles are always a blur for me, and this year’s race was no exception. It’s more rolling hills through miles 6 and 7, and there’s a turnaround point right before you hit mile 7 so it’s always fun to cheer for friends going the opposite direction. Then you turn out of the neighborhood and run onto Route 450 and head back toward the bridge. Yep, you go over it twice – but by the time you get to the top, you’re in the home stretch! The midshipmen staff the water stop at mile 3.5/mile 9, and they’re always loud and boisterous. They’ll also dump water on you if you ask for it, which I definitely have in hotter years. 

I saw the She Runs This Town cheering squad again about a half mile before the finish, along with my 5 Peaks friends Kelly and Matt (Matt was supposed to run, too, but injured his ankle.) And before I knew it, I was making that final right turn and up the last little hill – yes, there is a small hill right there at the finish! I crossed the line, hit my watch and saw 1:11:17. I was hoping for a time between 1:10 and 1:12, but given that I just started to get back into harder training, I wasn’t sure how feasible that was. My fastest time on this course was a 1:10:40 in 2022, when I was in peak shape training for Chicago. Last year, I ran a 1:11:10. So yeah, I was quite pleased! 

I hung out around the finish line for the next hour or so, waiting for friends to finish. As I said, I know a ton of people who run this race! Eventually, Shannon and I headed over to the after party area, where we could get our breakfast beers and listen to a local band, Rickshaw Lizard, play. I was also eagerly awaiting the awards ceremony. In 2022, I won my age group and last year I was the 2nd Masters female, so I assumed my time would get me something this year! 

So, I imagine my surprise when they started handing out awards and I didn’t hear my name – but I did hear the announcer giving out awards to other women in my age group who ran in the 1:13-1:14 range. Huh? That’s when I learned that everyone who finished in the 68-72 minute window didn’t have their time recorded.  

I, along with a few others, approached the organizers afterwards and they reassured us they knew about the error, that we should email the timing company, and it would be corrected in the coming days. 

Again, I was disappointed, but there wasn’t much I could do about it, and I knew I had run a strong race and that was the important thing. Although I did wish they had held off on doing an awards ceremony once they realized the times were messed up. But I took my beer, sat my butt down on the ground with Shannon, and we soaked up the sun and enjoyed the band. I also met a couple from northern Virginia who had been running the race for years – since 1998! 

My mom was actually a lot angrier about the whole screw up than I was. When I was texting her about the race afterwards, she said it was so unfair and they needed to give me my award. She was just absolutely livid on my behalf. Parents! I half thought she was going to reach out to the timing company herself. 

I did email them, and the results were corrected that week. Although I don’t think my time is entirely accurate. I am listed as having run 1:11:31, and even if I stopped my watch a second or two early, I didn’t stop it more than 10 seconds early. But it looks like I am listed as the second place female in the 40-44 age group. So then I emailed the Annapolis Striders, who put on the A10 every year, and they said they would be in touch about getting me my award. (The prizes are great– beautiful mugs from Annapolis Pottery.) It’s been almost a month now and I haven’t heard anything, so I guess I should reach out again. 

I will look forward to running my 11th A10 next year – even though my mom told me I should never run it ever again. Ha!

Breaking 6 minutes in the Mt. Airy Mile!

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I am a long distance girlie for life. 10 milers and up are my jam. Shorter distances are just not it for me. I like the slow burn of a marathon instead of, say, the all out pain of a 5K when you just feel like your lungs are on fire for 3.1 miles. 

So why on earth did I sign up for the Mt. Airy Mile? 

I guess I am a glutton for punishment. But for real, I was honestly curious about how fast I could race a mile. 

I’ve only run one official mile race before, the Market Street Mile in Frederick, in 2019. I ran a 6:11 then. During COVID, I ran an unofficial mile around my neighborhood in 5:56, which was my first ever sub-6. And then during the Bay Bridge 10K in 2021, I somehow pulled out a 5:54 mile (though it was downhill, to be fair.) I felt like I had the fitness to break 6 minutes– it was just a matter of how much I was willing to make myself hurt. 

All that being said, I’ve never been so nervous on a start line before. I was literally shaking and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. Compare that to the start of a marathon, when I usually show up feeling like I am ready to party.  

The Mt. Airy Mile takes you through historic downtown Mt. Airy, about an hour or so away from where I live. The race was scheduled to start at 9, so I got there early with plenty of time to warm up on the course. During my warm up, I noticed the first half of the race was all uphill. Yuck! But the second half was downhill! Yay! I thought that made for a fun, but fair, course. 

The actual race was a blur. The race announcer blew the horn and we were off and I just went balls to the wall off the line. I was not looking at my watch, but I was feeling the burn within the first tenth of a mile. I was the first female for probably three tenths of a mile and then the woman who ended up finishing first passed me. Spoiler alert, I never caught up to her. I basically just concentrated on running as fast and as hard as I could and once we got to the top of the hill at the midway point, I knew it was all downhill from there and I just needed to hold on for hopefully only another 3 minutes? I could do anything for 3 minutes! 

So I continued running like a bat out of hell down the hill and before I knew it, I could see the timing clock at the end. It said 5:49 and I knew I was going to have to HUSTLE to squeak in under 6. There was a tiny, tiny little incline at the end, then a left turn and the finish line. I stopped my watch and it read 5:58!! I guess I stopped my watch a second too early, because my official time was 5:59. Sub-6 by the skin of my teeth! 

Afterwards, I chatted with some other runners, including the winning female who ran a blazing fast 5:40 (and she was also a masters runner!) And I grabbed a complimentary beer from Liquidity Aleworks, which was right at the finish line. Let’s be honest, that’s probably the real reason I wanted to race this mile. All races should end at a brewery! 

I ended up finishing second female and winning a gift card to a running store in Westminster, Maryland called Run Moore. 

Am I eager to race another mile again? Eh, probably not anytime soon, but I am glad I ran this! The race also took place two days before the official start of my Ocean City Marathon training, so that was perfect timing, too. 

Have you ever run a mile race? Which would you rather race – a mile or a marathon?

A birthday half marathon: Recap of the Riley’s Rumble Half

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On my 44th birthday, I ran my 35th half marathon, the Riley’s Rumble Half Marathon in Germantown, Maryland. This was easily one of the hardest half marathons I have ever run. It is probably tied with the Asheville Half Marathon, which I ran a decade ago, as the hilliest and most difficult half I’ve done.

But I expected that when I signed up, and had zero time goals in mind. I had heard from multiple other runners that the course was nothing but hills, and the RunSignUp listing said the same thing, but of course I wondered if it was truly that hard. I do live and train in a relatively hilly area, after all. But I can assure you that yes, it lived up to its reputation!

The main reason I wanted to run this race is because it was on my birthday! I ran the Tracksmith Twilight 5000 last year on my birthday, but I had never run a half on my birthday. If memory serves, I was actually signed up for this race in 2020, and that year it was either on or near my 40th birthday…. But obviously we know what happened in 2020, and I never ran the race.

Until this year!

My last half marathon was in March and it was a massive PR. I broke 90 minutes for the first time, and again, I had no expectations of being anywhere close to that time at Riley’s. One, because of the course, and two, because I am currently not in that kind of shape. I have been slowly increasing my mileage these last few weeks as I prepare to start training for the Ocean City Marathon, but I have done pretty much no speedwork in months. I thought I’d be lucky to be within 10 minutes of my PR.

Turns out I was 14 minutes off, finishing in 1:43:00. It was my slowest half in years!

One thing that was in my favor—the weather was decent, at least at the beginning of the race. This summer has been the hottest and most humid summer I can remember running through in years, possibly ever, but the morning of the race was pretty cool. It was about 64 degrees when we got to the race venue, and I felt chilly in my sports bra and shorts.

We started right at 7:30 and there was a lot of downhill in the first few miles, which I knew was going to come back to bite me at the end! (Instagram friend Libby, a member of the Montgomery County Road Runners Competitive Racing Team, had warned me of this!) This part of the race, and actually a lot of the race, was pretty well shaded, too. That was nice. I was flying down the hills and running well under 7:30 per mile, and honestly feeling pretty great through the first half of the race. I knew Libby was going to be at the mile 6 water stop, right where the runners turn around to head back, so seeing her was a nice pick me up. She later said I looked strong, and I did feel pretty strong there.

After the turnaround, you get to run downhill again, then some more rolling hills, before you make a right around mile 7/7.5 and head through a stretch of road that is even more rolling hills and not at all shaded. By that point, the sun was out and it was getting hot, but the scenery was beautiful—lots of farmland. We were on that road for probably a mile and a half, then turned around again to head up a steep little hill. Right before that turnaround, there was a stop where volunteers were handing out popsicles, which is something this race is known for. They did look appealing, but I never know how my stomach is going to react when pushing hard in races, so I declined a popsicle. ( did take a Maurten gel halfway through the race.)

I would say this is where the race started to get really hard. Once I hit mile 10, I knew I only had a 5K left to go, but also that it was going to be mostly uphill. I pretty much stopped looking at my splits at this point, but hey, positive splits for positive people, right? The long steep uphill at mile 11 basically destroyed me and I walked up part of it (as quickly as I could.) Mile 12 wasn’t much better, but once I got through that I was like, OK, one more mile. I saw my husband waiting for me right at the last little turn toward the finish. He was very encouraging and said, “I thought you would have been done by now!” Hahahaha, thanks!  The last three quarters of a mile of the race felt like they took forever, and when I crossed the finish line I immediately went off to the side and sat down in the grass, happy to be done!

Riley’s Rumble Half Marathon 2024 – Photo by Dan Reichmann, MCRRC

There were no medals or awards, because as the race organizers, the Montgomery County Road Runners, said on the race website, you don’t need anything to remember your Riley’s Rumble experience. That was the truth! According to the results, though, I finished 7th female and was 5th in my age group. Masters Female runners had a great day!

Overall, I’d say I really enjoyed my Riley’s Rumble experience, challenging as it was! Because you didn’t get medals or awards, or even a T-shirt, the race was only $32, and free for members of the Montgomery County Road Runners. I live in Anne Arundel County and am not a member, but $32 is pretty damn cheap for a half.

It was a great way to kick off 44!

Recap of the Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon

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Last Christmas, I decided it would be fun to run a “bonus” spring marathon after Boston and before Memorial Day. I asked my husband to pick it out and surprise me with it, and he chose the tiny Ohiopyle Marathon in Pennsylvania on May 4, 2024, not quite three weeks after Boston.

Going into the marathon, I didn’t feel super confident, nor did I feel terrible. We had a tough day in Boston. I missed my goal of 3:15 and to be honest, even though I knew Ohiopyle was going to be a much flatter course with better weather, I still felt 3:15 was kind of a pie in the sky goal at this point. I just didn’t feel fully recovered. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Here’s how it went!

Before the Race: A Shoe Dilemma

I wore my Alpha Fly 2s in Boston this year and they beat the hell out of my toes. To be honest, I have not liked the 2s as much as I liked the OG Alpha Flys and I am nervous to try the 3s now. When I saw the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3s were on sale for about $120, I snapped them up, knowing they are popular with a lot of runners. I got them in the mail probably a week before Ohiopyle and tried them out a few times and they felt fast and comfy– but then I noticed a chunk of foam was missing from the outside of the right shoe! WTF? I still have no idea how that happened, maybe one of my cats started chomping on it in the middle of the night? Or it came like that and I didn’t notice? I was 95 percent sure this was a cosmetic issue, but still didn’t want to risk it during a marathon. So I decided to race in my Hoka Mach 6s. They are not carbon plated super shoes, but I still think they are light and fast. This was my first time NOT racing in super shoes since 2021. (Spoiler alert: This was also my slowest marathon in 3 years, but I think that was more due to not being recovered from Boston!)

We’re Not In Boston Any More

When I say this marathon was the opposite of Boston in every way, I mean it. Ohiopyle is a tiny mountain town in western PA known for white water kayaking and rafting. There is also a lovely rail to trail bike path that runs from Pittsburgh to DC, which is where the race was held. We stayed in a little place called the Ohiopyle Suites, literally 100 feet from the start line. How convenient was that? The race, as I mentioned before, was very small, though in addition to a marathon there was also a half, 10K, and 5K. There were only 44 finishers in the marathon! It was also VERY casual. The official race start for the marathon and half marathon was at 7:30, but the race director let people start any time they wanted that morning, Covid style, in case they knew they’d be on the trail for 6+ hours or maybe they just wanted to start early. I would say a lot of people opted for the early start, and it was hard for me to tell during the race who was doing what distance!

But I chose to start right at 7:30. The weather was pretty good, in my opinion — 50s and light drizzle. I’ll take that over what we had in Boston. That being said, I could tell from the first few miles this wasn’t going to be a PR day. I was running around 7:40-7:45 pace, and it felt decent, but like I wasn’t going to be able to go any faster, either. Oh well. Again, I knew that would be a tall order after having just raced a tough marathon. I ran a good portion of the first half with a young guy named Ryan, who was running his first marathon, and enjoyed the peaceful path through the woods. There were no spectators, but the path was open to the public so there were people out walking and cycling who cheered us on. I also got to “meet” Instagram friend Leigha out on the course and was so excited when she called my name!

This course was a double out and back for the marathon, which to me is the most mentally challenging course you can run. I was still feeling really good at the beginning of my second lap, and holding onto my pace pretty easily, but I knew the race was going to get a lot harder! And it did!

As I headed back out onto the trail for my second loop, my pace started to dip into the 7:50s. One mistake I probably made: Not taking in enough fluids. The race only had two stations with volunteers handing out cups of water and Gatorade. Since it was a double out and back, I passed them eight times and took hydration each time, but that wasn’t enough. The race director did put packs of bottled water at certain other points during the race to grab and go (again, Covid style!) but I hate running while clutching a bottle of water. I should have done it anyway! I also forgot to take a gel at the start, but did take 5 during the race.

I still felt relatively strong through mile 20, and then it was time to turn around and head to the finish. I started to slow down significantly around 21. In fact, I don’t think I’ve bonked like that since the Tidewater Striders marathon in March 2021 (also a double out and back!) Pace was now in the 8s and I really didn’t want to walk, but I did walk a bit each time I hit a mile marker. I also started doing runner math. “Once you’re at mile 22, you just have to run 3 miles and you’ll be at mile 25! Then you’re practically done!” At this point, I had no idea what my finish time was going to be, and didn’t want to look at my elapsed time, but I was guessing around 3:34. Still felt pretty confident I could finish with a BQ time and keep my streak alive, but I knew I wasn’t beating my Boston time.

By the time I hit the high bridge going over the rapids around mile 25.5 or so (what a view, by the way!) I felt like I was practically crawling! But before I knew it, I was passing the former train station at the end and saw my husband and my dad, and then my mom right at the finish line. Crossed the finish, stopped my watch and was shocked and elated to see 3:29:40 (official time was 3:29:39.)

I sat down for a minute, then asked about the results and the race director told me I was first overall female and gave me a plaque!

Again, small marathon, but I was still very proud! This was my 16th marathon and 10th BQ.

It might have been my slowest marathon in 3 years, but 3 years ago, I would have cried tears of joy if I’d broken 3:30. So — I’d say this was a win, in more ways than one!

What’s Next?

After running two marathons in three weeks, I am ready for some down time this summer. I am not even signed up for anything until the Annapolis Ten Mile Run in August, and I won’t start training for the Ocean City Marathon on Nov. 2 until early August. (P.S. I have a discount code for that race! Use RUNOCRAVE for 10 percent off when you register.) Currently I am focused on running easy and maintaining my base mileage of 30-35 miles per week. I am actually kind of missing following a training plan, but know that it’s good to take a break now and then. So that’s what I am going to do!

That Was Hot: Recap of the 2024 Boston Marathon

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Two weeks ago, I finished the Boston Marathon for the 4th time!

It was a tough one. Even Accuweather, in the days leading up to the race, said in its forecast “great day for baseball. Warm for the marathon.” Um…. yes. At 73 degrees and sunny, it was the hottest Boston I have run, including in 2019 when the weather got a lot warmer than originally expected. Reports of a tailwind were also greatly exaggerated, in my opinion!

But I finished and while I didn’t hit my goal time, I did BQ by a pretty significant margin and ran my 2nd fastest Boston time!

Here is my recap of the 2024 Boston Marathon.

My Boston weekend actually started off pretty shitty. We drove up from Maryland (yes, we drive because my husband and I both hate the ordeal of flying and we have more control over our schedule this way) the Saturday before the race. Before we left, I asked him if he had everything he needed for his C-PAP, as he’s an awful snorer and has forgotten it before. He insisted he did. Guess what? We got to our hotel and he’d forgotten the power cord, and it’s a very specific one that you can’t just pick up anywhere. To say I was angry was an understatement. Almost immediately I booked him his own room for Sunday night, because how tf was I supposed to sleep with him snoring like a freight train the night before a marathon? No regrets. Yeah, it was extra money, but a good night’s sleep is priceless!

Sunday was a nicer day. We saw the Red Sox game and I got to reconnect with one of my old editors from my Capital days. I felt a lot more relaxed.

Woke up on Marathon Monday feeling well-rested and ready! Got to Boston Common and on my bus to Hopkinton with no drama, though the bus driver messed up and just dropped us off right at the start rather than in Athlete’s Village. It was just as well — I love the walk from the Village to the start, but I was also psyched to not have to walk that 3/4 of a mile before a marathon! I saw my friend Kurt from Instagram and he told me he was happy about the warm sunny weather as a Southern Californian (famous last words!) I was also pumped to see Carissa walking to our corrals and Jess in my corral! Seeing familiar faces definitely helped me chill out.

Although Highway to Hell was playing as I walked to my corral, which I thought was quite the choice right before a marathon. Turns out it was very appropriate!

My goal going into the race was a 3:15, though my recent 1:29 half indicated I could be a few minutes faster. Still, I knew that would be tough with the warm weather. I was trying not to push the pace too much in the first few miles, which are mostly downhill. Was mostly between 7:35-7:40 pace for the first 6 miles, then dropped down to 7:30ish through mile 10. The sun was out and I felt a slight breeze here and there, but not much of one! Again, did anyone feel the tailwind we were maybe supposed to get? The crowds through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham and Natick seemed bigger and louder than last year, probably because of the great spectating (not running 😆) weather. I was grabbing Gatorade from every aid station, but the heat didn’t feel too bad quite yet.

Heading into Wellesley, my favorite part of the race, I felt strong and continued to run in the 7:30s. I thought if I kept that up (big if) I could at least squeak out a course PR (sub-3:19:53.)

I heard the screams from the Wellesley Scream Tunnel at least 3/4 of a mile away. The Wellesley College women were on fire this year with their “Kiss Me” signs, and I high-fived so many of them and saw some dudes kiss a lot of them, too! This section of the race really pumped me up and had me smiling for the next mile.

At this point, the race was halfway over and the hardest part was still to come.

After passing through the Scream Tunnel and the town of Wellesley, which was lined with spectators, we headed toward the infamous Newton Hills. I was definitely starting to get pretty hot so I was grabbing either Gatorade or water to drink and then dumping water on my head. Some spectators were passing out popsicles and I wanted one so badly, but didn’t know what my stomach would do. I was successfully getting down my gels — and I didn’t lose any this year!! — so I was happy about that.

Mile 14: 7:37
Mile 15: 7:46
Mile 16: 7:28 (mostly downhill)

Around mile 17, when the uphills really begin, the race started to get harder especially with the blazing sun. My pace dropped into the 7:50s for the next few miles until I reached Heartbreak Hill, which broke my heart this year! I clocked an 8:35 mile for mile 21, my slowest of the race. But seeing another Instagram friend, Jude, on the side of the road cheering was definitely a bright spot! By the time we got to the top, the crowds were extremely enthusiastic and I wanted to high five some drunk college kids, but didn’t have the energy!

The rest of the marathon after Heartbreak is relatively flat, but of course after 21 miles of downhills and uphills, your quads are pretty trashed. Mine certainly were!

After you summit Heartbreak Hill, you’re in the home stretch — just about 5 miles to go! To be honest, this section of the race was a bit of a blur for me. It was hot. I was really thirsty. I started walking through the aid stations and drinking two cups of water or Gatorade, plus pouring water on my head. (An aside, the volunteers at Boston are the absolute best of the best!!!) I felt like I was slowing to a crawl, but I ran mile 22 in 7:45. Mile 22 is also where I tripped and fell and skinned my knee two years ago, so I’m always careful on that stretch of road!

The crowds got thicker and louder as I ran through Brookline and they truly carried me through those later miles.

Mile 23 — 8:14
Mile 24 — 7:57
Mile 25 — 8:01

At mile 25, you run past Fenway Park and the infamous Citgo sign. I’ve NEVER gotten a photo of myself with the Citgo sign and was really hoping this would be the year! Sadly, it was not. I ran on the right side of the road and everything, but the Marathon Foto photog wasn’t even looking up when I ran past 😭 One of these years!

With about a half mile to go, I saw my husband! He later said I looked really strong, but I certainly didn’t feel that way! Then it was time to go right on Hereford, left on Boylston. (Mile 26: 8:08)

Once you turn onto Boylston, you can see the finish line, but it always feels so far away. I was torn between wanting to soak it all in and also just wanting to finish. I had no idea what my finish time was going to be; in fact, I wasn’t even looking at my watch the last few miles. I knew I wasn’t getting a PR or even a course PR, but thought I’d squeak in under 3:25.

And I did: My official time was 3:24:26. It wasn’t as fast as I’d hoped for, but it was the absolute best I had to give and I was happy. I also BQ’d for 2025 by more than 15 minutes. It honestly took me years to break 3:30 in the marathon, so I really can’t be upset about 3:24 on a hot day and a hard course.

See you next year, Boston!

What’s Next?

Um…. let’s run another marathon? Like, this weekend?

Some of you may remember that for Christmas, my husband signed me up for a “bonus” spring marathon in a surprise location. It is this Saturday in Ohiopyle, PA! It is a marathon that will basically be the opposite of Boston. Just a few hundred finishers (and that actually includes a half marathon, 10K, and 5K), double out and back, I get to stay basically 100 feet from the start/finish for not that much money. But I am really excited! I have pretty much no clue how it’s going to go. I could be faster than I was in Boston. I could run a 3:15! Or…. it could be a total dumpster fire. Who the hell knows!

But that’s kind of the fun of the marathon, right?

I ran a sub-90 minute half marathon at Rock ‘N Roll D.C.

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After three failed attempts last fall, I finally did it. I broke 90 minutes in the half marathon at the St. Jude Rock ‘N Roll D.C. Half Marathon on St. Patrick’s Day weekend! My official time was 1:29:27, good enough to win my age group and finish among the top 50 females at the race. 

I’m honestly still on cloud 9. Yes, Boston has been the focus of my training, but the desire to run a sub-90 half never went away and when I registered for Rock ‘N Roll D.C. a month out from Boston, I definitely thought “maybe this is my shot.” And it was! 

Here is my recap of my first sub-90 half marathon! 

I was originally registered to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler – I had gotten in as a seeded runner, meaning I was able to bypass the lottery because of my time at Cherry Blossom 2022 (still my 10 mile PR.) But when I registered, I did not realize it was 8 days before Boston and I knew I did not have the discipline to not race it all out …. So I transferred my bib to an Instagram friend’s husband. That’s when I decided to register for Rock ‘N Roll D.C. on March 16. I had run this race before, wayyyy back in 2015, as I trained for the Pittsburgh Marathon. I ran a then PR of 1:46 on a day with torrential downpours. I really enjoyed the course, even though the weather blew. I knew there were some rolling hills, but nothing crazy (or so I remembered!) I also ran the marathon, which no longer exists, in 2016. So I decided to register for the 2024 race. 

I wasn’t expecting there to be any pacers, as I couldn’t find anything on the website that said anything about pace teams. But I was pleasantly surprised to find out there was a 1:30 pacer, whom I met at the expo the day before the race. He told me he planned to go out slightly ahead of pace due to the infamous hill in Rock Creek Park. I did remember that hill from when I ran the half marathon and marathon years ago, but didn’t think it was going to be all that bad. (Spoiler alert: It was.)

On race day, I got up extremely early and got to D.C. by 6 am, even though the race wasn’t starting until 8. Ridiculously early, yes, but I was still scarred from my experience getting to the Annapolis Running Festival so damn late. At least I wasn’t rushed!! I checked my bag, used the porta potties about 100 times, LOL, chatted with other runners, and did a 1-mile warmup before hopping into my corral around 7:45. The weather was perfect. Low 50s, very little wind. The cherry blossoms were also blooming and looked beautiful! It was sunny enough that I didn’t wear arm warmers with my tank top and shorts, and felt very comfortable as soon as I started running. 

Rock ‘N Roll D.C. is a big race – over 13,000 people in the half, I think. (There is also a 5K.) I was put in corral A, just behind the elites, and the course was initially very crowded and I felt boxed in at the beginning. My goal pace was 6:50, but I ran the first mile around the National Mall in 7:07, which did not inspire much confidence for the rest of the race. Still, I told myself it was only the first mile. Lots of time to make up the difference.  

Mile 2 was a 6:52 – OK, much better, and I was locked in with the pace group by then. There were probably about 15 to 20 of us running with the pacer, and we were almost elbow to elbow as we ran across Arlington Memorial Bridge and back.

Those miles flew by, and I ran a 6:39 for mile 3 and a 6:18 (maybe?! The buildings could have messed up my Garmin) for mile 4. At that point, I was like, shit. 6:18 is faster than my 5K PR pace, so the fact that I ran that fast so early in a half marathon – if it was indeed accurate – was a bit alarming. But I was feeling pretty good and was able to get down a Maurten gel, and I continued to hang with the pace group. At that point, we were running down Rock Creek Parkway, and I knew the Rock Creek hill would be a little more than halfway through the race. The next few miles were also ahead of pace, but they were pretty flat: 

Mile 5: 6:43 

Mile 6: 6:36

Mile 7: 6:44

The hill came around mile 7.5. And. It was SO MUCH WORSE than I remembered. Heartbreak Hill ain’t got nothing on this incline. The Naval Academy Bridge is a piece of cake in comparison. This hill crushed my soul and I thought my race was over when I got to the top of it and the pacer left me (and a bunch of others) in the dust. I almost wanted to walk for a second, but there were so many spectators lining the course there, including a sergeant yelling “come on! It’s only a speed bump! Get to the top!” Haha. When my watch beeped for mile 8, I saw I had run a 7:06, so I definitely slowed down significantly, but not as much as I’d feared. But still, getting back up to speed wasn’t easy and I had lost track of the pacer, which was discouraging. I told myself to just do the best I could. 

I had been told that the race course was mostly flat and downhill after you turn onto Calvert Street following the Rock Creek hill, but honestly, that’s BS. There are a lot of rollers in the later part of the race. But I was able to drop my pace to sub-7s again. The race was definitely getting harder and the sun was glaring in my eyes despite my sunglasses, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. 

Mile 9: 6:58

Mile 10: 6:41

I hadn’t set my Garmin to elapsed time, and I actually had no idea how much longer I had to break 90. And I can’t really do math under the best of circumstances, so forget about trying to do it in a half marathon. I just tried to run as fast as I could, and I threw down some surprisingly fast miles in the final 5K of the race. There were more spectators around at that point as we headed toward the Capitol, but to be honest, I was so in the zone that I can’t remember much.

Mile 11: 6:37

Mile 12: 6:26

Just after I hit mile 12, I saw the pacer right up ahead of me! I had caught up! I thought he was probably aiming to finish just under 1:30 and I told myself, just hang on. You’re almost there. You might really be going sub-90! The main thing I remember is that around mile 12.5, the last band on the course (as it’s a Rock ‘N Roll race, there are bands every mile or two) was playing a rendition of the ‘90s R&B slow jam by Mint Condition, Pretty Brown Eyes. Love me some ‘90s R&B, but that was an interesting choice late in a half marathon. 

I ran mile 13 in 6:53, made the final turn toward the finish line, and gunned it as best I could. I’ve  never been great at that final kick, but I ran the final 0.29 (guess who was crap at running the tangents? I was probably weaving around other runners too much in the earlier part of the race) in 1:44. I immediately stopped my watch and saw 1:29:29 (official time was 1:29:27), let out a scream, and went up to the pacer and hugged him. My pace according to my Garmin was 6:44/mile over 13.29 miles. Again, I did not excel at running the tangents in this crowded race. Maybe if I’d run an actual 13.1, I could have been under 1:29! Oh well.   

Why did I finally succeed at sub-90?

My theory is that I finally accomplished my goal because I have been running higher mileage this spring. I’ve averaged around 60 miles per week in my Boston training, and have peaked at 65 miles per week. I am a runner who frankly does better when running a lot of miles. Less is not more for me. I saw a major breakthrough in my marathon time when I increased my training mileage from an average of 42-45 miles per week to an average of 52-53. Then I had another big PR when I started averaging 60+ miles each week. I am probably lucky that my body can handle that kind of training load and that I have the time to fit all the miles in – not everyone can, or wants to, of course. Last fall, when I first started trying to break 90, my weeks averaged around 55 miles and I only broke 60 miles per week twice in my 12-week training plan. That may not have been enough to accomplish my goal, even though I was doing way more half marathon specific pace work. Anyway, that’s what I think!   

Now it’s on to Boston! I was aiming for a 3:15, but this half time indicates I could be a little faster than that. Of course, Boston is a tough course and the weather is unpredictable at best…. But I am feeling optimistic and excited! 23 days to go!  

Running late: My recap of the 10K at the 2024 Annapolis Running Festival

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The night before I ran the 10K at the Annapolis Running Festival, I dreamt that my friend Shannon, who was also running the race and was planning to drive us there, came to my house to pick me up 10 minutes after the race started. 

I guess it was something of a premonition, as we sat in traffic for nearly an hour trying to get into the parking lot of the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, pulling in about 5 minutes before the start of the race. And we both had to use the bathroom. And there was a line for the porta-a-potties. 

I was completely ready to write off the race, even saying to her “I’m just going to take this as a fun run. I don’t want to race it.” Last year, I had come in 3rd female in the 10K and hoped to place again, but I knew overall awards are typically given out by gun/clock start time, not bib chip time. So part of me was like, screw it. Might as well just run my party pace! 

But – I couldn’t do it. The second I crossed the start line, probably 8 minutes after the race officially started, my race brain took over and I started pushing hard. I did intend to run the race as my speed workout of the week, after all. 

I don’t have much to say about the race itself. After I crossed the start, everything was pretty much a blur. We ran around the stadium (mile 1), down Rowe Boulevard (mile 2) into downtown, down Main Street, and past the Naval Academy (mile 3), over Weems Creek (mile 4), right on 450, halfway up the Naval Academy Bridge and back down again (mile 5), and then back to the stadium (the end). The miles clicked by quickly, but then I was running a fast-for-me pace. The race is somewhat hilly and my fastest mile was a 6:28 and slowest was 7:02. The weather wasn’t great – cold and drizzly – but I’ll take it over the cold wind we had last year. 

In the end, I ran exactly the time I wanted to, finishing in 42:02, 6:46 average pace. I actually am listed as the 3rd overall female finisher in the race results, but didn’t get an award at the awards ceremony since again they were likely given out by gun time. Age group awards are usually given out by chip time, so I think I will be getting a prize in the mail for winning my age group. 

Initially, I was really bummed about that. But really – what does it matter? I said before the race that my goal was 41-42 minutes, and I accomplished that. I ran a strong 10K five weeks out from Boston. The pace was definitely not easy, but I felt relatively good running it. 

And I had fun! That’s the whole point, right? I got to see and chat with lots of running friends from my local She Runs This Town chapter, which had a tent right there at the start/finish! I enjoyed two canned margaritas that I got as part of my race entry – nothing like getting a buzz on at 9 in the morning. And I got to meet a blog reader, Danielle, and her husband Don! We met while trying to get warm by the fire pit set up for sock burning (it’s a Maryland thing.) She said she’d been reading my blog for a while and I was so excited and flattered to hear that! 

So overall, I’d say the day was a success, despite the fact that it started out as a total disaster. It’s kind of hard to believe this was my first race since Christmas! I’ve been training hard for Boston 2024 and piling on the miles and workouts, but hadn’t done an actual race yet this year. This was definitely a good rust buster.

Next up – the Rock ‘N Roll D.C. Half Marathon this Saturday. Will this be my day to break 90? I’m sure going to try!

My running goals for 2024!

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Here we are already in the 2nd week of February, and this is my first blog post of the year! 

I guess I haven’t had that much to say. I haven’t had any races recently and I don’t have any planned for February. My first race of the year will be the 10K at the Annapolis Running Festival in March. I came in 3rd place female last year and would love to place again, but as always, you never know how you’ll actually perform or who else will show up who’s a lot faster!

I did want to take a quick moment to jot down my running goals for 2024! Here we go! 

Boston Marathon in 3:15 or faster! 

I think I have it in me to run a 3:15 marathon, possibly faster than that if I have a great day in Boston. My recent 1:31 half indicates a marathon finish time of 3:12-3:15. Is Boston a hard course? Yes, it certainly can be if you go out way too fast and get crushed on the Newton Hills. It can also be a relatively fast course if you play your cards right, i.e., start conservatively and then crush the later miles. I blew up in the final 10K in 2019, my first year running the race. But then in both 2022 and 2023, I came within about a minute of my then-PR both times. I don’t think PRing in Boston is impossible by any means. I’m going to go for it! I am currently following a modified version of Pfitzinger’s 12/70 plan, turning it into 12/65. Peaking at 70 miles per week is just a little too much for me. I’ve only done it once, when prepping for the 2022 Chicago Marathon. It did get me a 3:18 PR, but then for Boston last year, I peaked at 62 miles per week and ran a 3:19. So, mileage-wise I want to shoot for something in between that. Plus, running 15 miles on a random Wednesday before work is overkill to me and takes away from my enjoyment of marathon training. 12 miles is kind of my limit for a weekday run.  

Run the Ohiopyle Marathon for fun

Or maybe for a PR if Boston is a Dumpster fire. 😉 

If you’re a regular reader, you might remember that I asked my husband to sign me up for a bonus marathon this spring as part of my Christmas present. He picked a tiny marathon in western PA, about an hour from where I grew up, called the Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon Race Festival. I was sure he would pick either Buffalo or Gettysburg, so I was very surprised and excited! Ohiopyle is really a pretty area – I have been there, but it’s probably been 25 years or so. My plan is to race Boston and run Ohiopyle for fun, kind of like I did when I ran Chicago and Philly in 2022. But again, if my race in Boston goes to hell, I’ll have this one to fall back on! 

Sub-90 Half! 

Still chasing that dream! I actually had no plans to run another half any time soon, but then I decided to sign up for the Rock ‘N Roll D.C. Half Marathon on March 16, mainly as a way to test my fitness a month before Boston. But let’s be real, I’ve been open about my goal to break 90 minutes in the half and I absolutely am going to try to do that again at this race. I ran this half marathon once before, in 2015, finishing in 1:46 – a PR at the time! I’ve obviously gotten a lot faster since then, so I know I can at least count on a nice course PR unless things go horribly off the rails. I also ran the marathon in 2016! 

So, that’s this spring. I haven’t thought much beyond that. I am most likely going to try to run the New York City Marathon in the fall. I did meet their qualifying standards, but that’s no guarantee I’ll get into the race – the race accepts qualifiers from New York Road Runners races first, and I have never run any of those races. If I can’t do NYC, I might sign up for Richmond. We’ll see! 

What are your goals for 2024?