It's been quite some time since I've posted a race recap due to tragedy and the whirlwind that becomes your life when dealing with grief.  I don't exaggerate when I say this.  My life came to a screeching halt in March.  My mom passed away on March 16th.  I will never ever be able to erase that memory of her lying lifeless in that bright white room, tubes in her mouth and nose, the constant beeping of all the machines around her, the nurses coming in and out of the room giving us pitiful glances, and my family and I crying into each other's shoulders and consoling one another.  I'll never forget that night where I was alone with my mom, slept next to her with her hand in mine, balling my eyes out, and trying to picture myself with no longer having a mom to take care of me, love me, fix me soup when I was sick, help bail me out when I needed any kind of help - all the things that a mom does for her children.  It sucked.  It still sucks.  I miss her everyday and it reduces me to tears every time I think about it.  I find myself crying now as I type.

I was in Virginia when I got the news that my mom was admitted to the hospital.  I had traveled up there with the kids to visit my cousins, explore the museums and monuments, and to also run the Rock n' Roll D.C. half as part of my 3-pack Tour Pass. I had just picked up my race packet earlier that day and was preparing my gear for race morning when I got the phone call.  I slept for a few hours and left early morning to head home.  No one told me how bad it was because they wanted me to drive home safely with the kids.  I drove straight to the hospital and entered the lobby to see all my family gathered in somber silence - all of them with puffy eyes.  I knew it wasn't good and it wasn't.  She was dying from septic shock and was in a coma.  I stayed with her the night before she passed, kissing her forehead, holding her hand, and telling her over and over how much I love her.  I know she heard me.

My life ended too...or it felt like it.  It felt like I was in a haze for days, weeks.  I couldn't operate like this.  I went out for a run.  It hurt.  I hated it.  I was tired, dehydrated.  I went out for a run again.  It sucked.  I cried.  I went out for a run again.  It was better.  I unleashed my pain on the pavement, exhaling grief and inhaling relief.  I started running with CREW and Striders again, started making conversations while running again, and I started to smile again.  This was truly therapy for me.  Running with friends helped me get through the pain.  

It's now September - half a year ago since my life was thrown upside down.  I'm doing better.  I still have my moments where I'm a hot mess, but I've gotten back in the running game and it's helped me get through my grief.  So today I thought that I'd come back and recap my running experiences so that one day I can look back to see all I've accomplished.  So, briefly, here we go:

I left off with the Shamrock Run on March 7th (see last post).  The next day, my parents helped me throw mine and Michael's 15th wedding anniversary at their house.  It was amazing. My mom made her signature egg rolls (which everyone devoured) and my dad had an array of fresh seafood to feed the masses - lowcountry boil, oysters, blue crabs.  It was a great night and I'm glad my mom was able to participate in that one last shindig before she passed on.  It was a late night for me and I had drank a few beers too many.  I don't know what I was thinking since I was running the Palmetto Bluff Half Marathon the next day.

Palmetto Bluff Half Marathon (3/9/2014) -  Since I had a late night with a few beers, I took it easy on this run.  No PR and ended up at 2:05:30.  Had a great time running with my TNT crew.  Most memorable part of this run was our buddy Chris V. proposing to his girlfriend, Raye.  It was awesome to witness.  

Cooper River Bridge Run 10K (4/5/2014) - We drove up to Charleston and stayed with my cousins.  Rich, Michael, and I ran, along with my friends, Larry and Wesley.  This is one of my favorite runs.  Charleston is really lovely and this race is always fun and the after-party is always loaded with free food and drinks!  Definitely one of the perks of running it.  Michael is starting to run with me now and he's doing great!  We finished this one in 1:00:01 and rewarded ourselves with a bratwurst, chia pods, beer, and mimosas!

Crimestoppers Azalea Run 15K (5/3/2014) - I ran this one with Larry and Michael and came in at 1:24:46.  I ended up placing 3rd in my age group on this one.  I wasn't expecting anything so I left the race early.  Jacy sent me a text to let me know.  I was pretty excited!

Color Run 5K (5/17/2014) - I ran this one with Michael, Crystal, Will, and Kathy.  It's not everyday that these guys participate in a race so when they asked if I'd run, I totally jumped on board.  I was excited that Crystal, Will, and Kathy were interested in doing the 5K.  We had a great time taking tons of pictures and throwing dyed corn starch at each other for the perfect picture! 

Savannah Mile (5/24/2014) - Michael and I ran this one.  He ran with his SWAT team in his gear with an additional 40 lbs to run in the Heroes heat and I ran with my age group.  Talk about intimidating!  One mile - all out.  I could see the finish arch from the start line and this was the first time I was really nervous about a race.  The goal is to go all out and give it all you got.  I started off way too fast.  My arms felt like lead and I thought my lungs were going to burst.  I ran a mile at 6:53 - definitely a new PR!

Watermelon Crawl (7/4/2014) - Every year, Fleet Feet puts on a group fun run on the 4th of July.  It's a hot one, but the best part is the cool, refreshing watermelon you get at the finish.  I ran with Larry and met up with JinHi and Mark.  She's superwoman!

XC Kickoff Classic (8/23/2014) - I placed 2nd in my age group and also have a new PR at 24:38!  I'm starting to get more and more competitive on these runs!

Run for Jane 10K (8/30/2014) - Michael and I both placed in our age groups.  I came in 2nd place with a time of 54:34 and Michael placed 3rd in his.  This was 2 weekends in a row where I placed in my age group.  This was not a fun one for me.  Once again, I struggled halfway through the race.  I started off way too fast and it was extremely hot and humid.  I stopped twice to walk.  Running through the finish line was the highlight of this one!  I was ready for it to be over because I was hurting!

Peachtree City Divas Half Marathon (9/6/2014) - I ran this at 1:59:26 - a new PR!  I went up with my MRTT girls - Megan, Katie, and Jacy and met up with Kim and Gail.  This was a HUGE MRTT reunion bringing all the chapters together.  This trip was so much fun!  The course was so beautiful and shaded.  I enjoyed every mile and took in all the scenery.  This was the first time I ever wore a tutu to run in, but if I was going to wear one, this race would be the one.  There's even a station before the finish where volunteers give you a hot pink feather boa and a tiara so you can have for the finish line - where shirtless firemen hand you your medals.  And they hand out glasses of champagne!  Score!  We probably had the most fun taking pictures with cardboard Bret Michaels :)

Tunnels to Towers 5K (9/13/2014) - What an emotional race!  Seeing all the firefighters in full gear running and the kids lining Whitaker Street wearing tributes to the fallen firefighters of 9/11 - it was so touching.  I ran this with Larry and Michael.  And when I say ran - I say it really loosely.  I probably walked more than anything and took the time to high 5 all the kids on Whitaker Street and to just take in everything.  Racing was definitely not on my mind at all.  We incorporated the run into our long CREW training run.

So that's all the races that I've participated in since March where I last left off.  The next one is this coming weekend where I run my first 12-hour ultra - Chase the Sun!  Wish me luck!!

What an amazing weekend in Austin, Texas!  After completing the Nike Women's San Francisco marathon, I'd decided that I'd run one marathon a year.  Since my good friend Steph landed a teaching job in Austin - it was easy to decide that the Austin Marathon would be the one for 2014 - which would also be Steph's first.   Exciting!  On top of that, our friend, Dan, was coming to run the Austin half also!  Last year, we all ran the Scenic Trail half in Chattanooga, TN (and several other local races) so we all jumped on this next travel adventure.  Plus - this was my first time visiting Austin!  There was so much anticipation for this trip and now I'm so sad that it's over and done :( Where did the time go?!

With a going away gathering for a friend/co-worker, to running a half in the cold rain, to Lunar New Year celebrations, to a Jack & Jill baby shower, to Super Bowl festivities -  it was just a jam-packed crazy busy weekend! Whew!

This was my first year participating in the Tybee Critz Run Fest. I signed up for just the half. This event is a run fest weekend - a 5K, 10K, half marathon, 2.8 beach run, and a 1 miler. If you do all events, it equals out to a full marathon. Maybe I'll be crazy enough to sign up for the challenge next year...maybe.

I woke up way early than I wanted to on a Saturday morning and first thing I did was check the Weather Channel. Ugh...it was going to be a rainy, gusty, cold run. Boo... Just days before, the weather forecast was showing sunny skies and 70 for race day. What happened?!  It was supposed to be a huge contrast to the weather conditions we experienced earlier in the week - what folks were dubbing as the
"s(no)pocalypse".  Totally wasn't stoked about running in these conditions at all.

I met up with my running buds, Larry and Helen, and we carpooled to Tybee. We were advised to come early and be parked by 6:30 AM - before the 10K kick-off at 7. Our race didn't start until 8:30 so we killed time sitting in my heated minivan listening to the rain pitter patter on my windshield and watched as my windows fogged up due to the cold. We thought of 101 reasons why we shouldn't run in the cold rain.  For a brief moment, we almost - just almost - talked ourselves into putting the car in drive and going back to our warm beds.  However, we blamed this blog for not being able to quit.  Ha! I had already posted it on my race calendar and mentioned the Tybee half in my last post.  Also I had posted a picture of my Tybee race shirt and bib number the night before on Instagram and Facebook.  We couldn't quit now. In the wise words of Data from The Goonies, "Shame. Shame. I know your name."  There's no way we could not run.  We'd hate ourselves for it.
 
The race ran just a few minutes late and all of us were waiting at the start line jumping and moving around and running in place to keep warm.  Once we got going, I was able to warm up around mile 3 - my feet no longer felt like concrete blocks and my hands had finally thawed out.  I could feel my fingers again.  And then came the damn rain.  It rained on and off the entire run and I hated that I forgot my visor at home.  Oh well.  It also surprises me that I grew up on Wilmington Island and I was running past the lighthouse and the north beach area for the FIRST time.  How had I not explored this part of Tybee all these years? Also for the FIRST/WORST time ever, I experienced tummy issues.  Alert - Runner TMI!  Runner TMI!  I had heard several horror stories  from fellow runners about their experiences with tummy issues - and now it was happening to me.  No!!  I could've kicked myself for eating that greasy cheeseburger loaded with blue cheese along with downing a few bottles of beer the night before.  It was all hitting me now.  When we got around to mile 6, I frantically asked a lady if the YMCA's facilities were open.  She said yes, but it was off the course.  I didn't care.  I had already passed a portapottie, but it was already occupied with 2 waiting in line.  I hightailed it to the Y and did the deed.  Afterwards,  I swear I heard a chorus of angels sing "Halleluiah"!  Or it could've been the voice in my head screaming "I told you not to eat and drink that shit the night before a race!" 

It was great to see my MRTT ladies volunteering at the mile 12 water stop.  My energy was deflated and seeing them made me want to finish strong - which I did!  I sprinted through the finish and was so ready for this race to be over.  My Garmin had me at 13.4 at 2:07 (I was at 2:05:39 at 13.1).  No PRs today.  I rewarded myself with a chocolate protein shake, a Corona Light, and some delicious veggie stew and chili.  13.1 (13.4) and done! 

Wish me luck as I run my 2nd marathon on Feb. 16 - the Austin Marathon!   Dan Finn and I will be flying out to meet Stephanie Roach.  It's a reunion - the Sister/Brotherhood of Traveling Shoes!

The weather forecast was looking pretty dreary for race day, but to be honest, I was actually looking forward to it. The temperature was supposed to rise up in the mid 70s and if it was anything like last year, I was praying for rain! I checked the Weather Channel the day before the race only to see images of black thunderstorm clouds with threatening lightning flashes. Yikes!

What a tease! Turns out, there were no wrestling matches with Thor. Although the sun never made its appearance, it never rained (not for me anyways). It was a cloudy foggy morning with a cool damp bite to the air. The gusty winds were pretty strong at times and made the run challenging, but I would take this weather over the heat and humidity any day.

I was really looking forward to running with my Team in Training folks for this race. We met up at Ft. Pulaski and walked over to the mass gathering of runners. I love and crave the excitement in the air on race day. I love seeing all the familiar faces and catching up with my fellow runner friends. Everyone is so encouraging. I even ran into an old band mate that I hadn't seen in a while!

This year, I was better trained and ran with friends. It made the run much more enjoyable. We all fed off each other's energy and offered support. The course changed from last year due to the severe erosion of the trail - which is the reason for this race. The proceeds benefit restoring the McQueens Island Trail. Even though we didn't get to run that much on the actual McQueens Island trail, I didn't mind the course change at all. We ran a 5.2-mile loop on grass, pavement, and oyster bed trail three times for the 25K.

We're so spoiled by the beautiful scenery in Savannah. Even with the dreary weather, the sights were gorgeous. Once the fog dissipated, the views of the marshes and the historic fort made for a beautiful run. I even saw a dolphin as we crossed the bridge! I'm pretty sure he was cheering us on!

I have to say I felt strong running this one - a major improvement from last year! I didn't feel any aches or pains and didn't feel beat at all. I shaved off 9 minutes from last year's time. All in all, I felt better physically and mentally. My Garmin clocked it at 15.9 miles at 2:40:34.

Kudos to the race organizers for putting on a successful race once again! There were all kinds of obstacles in putting this race together - from the altered course and unexpected fees to the weather threat. I'd like to commend all of the volunteers also. They did a wonderful job taking care of us - making sure we were hydrated and fueled and offering moral support along the way. I'm looking forward to next year's race!

I just read an article about how Americans are turning into wimps when it comes to cold weather. I am most definitely a wimp! It was freezing to me and I couldn't believe I'd forgotten my gloves! Brrrr!! My husband, Michael, and brother-in-law, Noah, ran this with me too. I love it when my family runs races with me! It makes me all giddy! Michael's working on incorporating more cardio into his workouts rather than just lifting weights alone. I'm happy he's actually wanting to run these races with me (but now shit's going to start getting expensive). I also signed up for this race because it's part of the series for the Lucky 13 Challenge. 1 point - check! 1 race out of 13 - check!

If you've never been out to Bethesda, you really must. Founded in 1740, it is a gorgeous 650+ acre campus lined with beautiful majestic oak trees. I used to confuse it all the time with Wormsloe. With gorgeous scenic views, we chose this area to have our family photos taken 2 years ago. The race benefited The Women's Board of Bethesda. Their purpose is to enrich and improve the lives of the boys at Bethesda. It began as an orphanage in its commencement for boys, but now operates as a private boys' school. It has a rich history, as does much of Savannah, and is on the US National Register of Historic Places. And so now you know...boom!

Now on to the race - My hands felt like ice blocks! I kept looking at them to see if I was suffering from frostbite.  I need my hands to eat.  I need my hands to wipe my butt.  Yes, a little dramatic, but concerns that ran through my mind.  My eyes would not stop watering and my nose was just a dripping faucet. I had this terrible thought that a photographer would snap a photo of me blowing snot bubbles out of my nose (when I wasn't thinking about frostbitten hands)! Now that's talent - and I'm exaggerating folks...although that would be cool. I would totally make that my Facebook picture.  I digress.

We ran on a little pavement, but mostly on trails littered with land mines composed of dried mounds of cow poo. Another big fear was to trip and land smack into the middle of one of these cow dung obstacles. Luckily, that didn't happen either. However, it would've made for a great story! I heard a cow "moo" us on and the ladies at Bethesda cheered and made some awesome signs for us! 

Overall, it was a great run! I love seeing familiar faces in the running community. I felt great after the run. It's strange, but I'm starting to feel this competitiveness rising out of me. It's screaming faster! Faster! This lil annoying voice gets to me every time and I don't know how to block it out. Part of me struggles with wanting to give it everything I've got and part of me is like - dude, relax. You almost dipped your Mizunos in cow shit. I'm curious to see how my next few runs go and if I'll have to fight these demons in my head.

Another cool thing about the race is that they had a board for runners to write out our new year's resolutions. Just as I walked up to it, a lady had just finished writing, "Yell Less. Run More." I was stupefied. I was totally going to write the same thing - verbatim. I wanted to reach out to her and scream "jinks" or "twinsies", but for fear of being looked upon as crazy, I did neither. So instead I wrote, "Travel more. Run those destinations." And I plan on it.


Click here for the cool video they put together of the race.  Michael's in it!

A new year is here which means new beginnings and new goals.  We're going to do big things in 2014, right?!  With that said, I'd like to summarize 2013 in which many significant events happened for me. Since this blog is solely focused on my running, I'll only recap my race activities.   So...get ready, set, GO!!!

1. Ledesma Rails to Trails 25 K, Tybee Island, GA (Jan 2013):  MY FIRST LONGEST DISTANCE RUN.  I kicked off 2013 with a bang and ran my first 25K.  I had never run more than 13.1 miles and didn't train like I should have to prepare myself for this race.  Because of my lack of training, I felt miserable.  Not to mention, it was extremely hot and humid as well. The trail, consisting of oyster shells, seemed to go on and on..and on..and on...and on.  I'm sure I started hallucinating as I  saw mirages of the finish line..at mile 9 or something ridiculous like that.  But after all was said and done, I was so proud once I crossed that finish line and vowed that I would actually take training more seriously.  Also, I came to the realization that I needed to start carrying a handheld water bottle!  I'm sure the hallucinations were brought on by dehydration.  I'm looking forward to running this race again this Saturday!!  
2. Beaufort Twilight Challenge 13K, Beaufort, SC (March 2013):  This was such a great race with a kick ass post party - including an oyster roast and BEER!  The race was a good time as you ran through Habersham Village, a really nice area of Beaufort.  My entire family ran this one which makes my heart melt.  Overall, this was one of the best running moments for me.  Good food, cold beer, surrounded by your loved ones and great friends - what more could you ask for?
3. Palmetto Bluff Half Marathon, Bluffton, SC (March 2013):  This was the inaugural Palmetto Bluff half and I had big expectations for a beautiful, scenic course.  I work for a civil engineering firm and after all, this is one of our projects so I know how beautiful it is out there.  What I failed to remember is that the homes are tucked away so you really can't see anything.  The Village area was nice.  We also had to weave around cars that were making their way through the development....overall, I wasn't too thrilled about this half.  The medal was gorgeous though!  
4. Scenic Trail Half Marathon, Chattanooga, TN (May 2013):  MY FIRST DESTINATION RUN.  This was my first destination run and also my first time visiting Chattanooga.  I traveled with my 2 best running buds and made a weekend out of it.  The trail was gorgeous!!  It was a tough race, but it made me appreciate running off pavement.  I would definitely do this one again or at least another trail on a mountain.  However, the half marathoners did not get a medal :(  Boo!  
5. Girls on the Run Celebration 5K, Savannah, GA (May 2013): My kids and I ran this one out at Savannah State's campus.  I had a great time running with my daughter.  My son left us in his dust and we met him at the finish line with my husband.  The kids had a blast which always makes it a good time!  It was great to see all these kids out there who had been training for their first 5K.    
6. Rock n' Roll Half, Virginia Beach, VA (September 2013): I incorporated this race with a visit to my sister-in-law's in Williamsburg, VA.  Her husband, a friend of his from Raleigh, and I ran the half marathon.  It was incredibly HOT and humid.  However, the spectators were awesome.  They had sprinklers on, icy cold sponges, and ice pops to hand out to runners.  It was very welcoming!  I even ran into a fellow runner from Savannah at the finish line.  
7. Chase the Sun Ultra 6 Hour, Savannah, GA (September 2013):   MY FIRST ULTRA!  You had a choice of either running 6 or 12 hours.  I chose 6 because I didn't have the guts to run for 12 hours.  I also talked my Team In Training (oh yeah, I joined Team in Training) coach and mentor to run this with me.  I ran 29 miles in 6 hours!  This was a test to see if I could actually run some mileage to give me the confidence I needed for my upcoming marathon.  I was stoked and totally fell in love with the ultra running community.  Everyone's so laid back.  No wonder it's so addicting!  I'm really looking forward to doing this one again this year!!  I was also asked to sing the National Anthem to kick off the race. What an honor!  
8. Nike Women's Marathon, San Francisco, CA (October 2013):  MY FIRST MARATHON!  So I joined Team in Training and fundraised and was Georgia's top fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!  I was so proud!  I made the commitment in May and started training with my team (love them dearly) and 7 of us traveled to California to tackle the hills of San Fran.  It was such an amazing experience!!!  Words just cannot express the sheer excitement, the inspiration, and the emotions running through your veins on race day.  I was terrified.  Did I train properly?  Am I going to hit "the wall"?  Am I going to make it? I did it and finished strong!  I felt invincible!  I had just tackled my very first marathon!  And I have a medal (Tiffany's necklace) that I can wear proudly on a daily basis.  It's one of my favorite accessories and goes with everything :)
9. Rock n' Roll Half, Savannah, GA (November 2013):  We've been blessed in having wonderful weather for the past 3 years for the Rock n' Roll half here in Savannah.  It was perfect.  My competitiveness got to me during the run.  All I wanted to do was beat my record from my last RNR VA Beach...and I did!!  However, exerting all that energy made me a couch potato for the rest of the day.  Team in Training put up a sign to honor my grandfather on the race route and I never saw it because I was so focused on my time.  Sometimes, you just need to take your time, enjoy your run, and take in the sights.  I need to remember this!
10. Enmark Bridge Run Double Pump, Savannah, GA (December 2013):  MY FIRST DOUBLE PUMP!  Dressed up as Wonder Woman, along with several others from Moms Run This Town, I ran my first double pump.  I took it easy and really enjoyed the run.  It was unusually warm for a December morning.  I was in a tank top and shorts, but no complaints here.  I welcomed the weather.  I was also looking forward to the cup of Brunswick stew waiting for me at the finish line.  They gave out medals this year to the Double Pumpers and I was ready to take on the challenge.  This race is always one of my favorites! 

In addition to running more races in 2013, I joined running groups - Savannah Striders, Moms Run This Town, and Team In Training.  I love them all and it has definitely made a difference in my running.  My race calendar for 2014 is already filling up fast and I just signed up with Fleet Feet's Mile Markers!  Looks like I'm off to the races again and I'm looking forward to what 2014 brings!!