2014 Gore-Tex Philadelphia Marathon

After talking about it for a few months, I finally completed the 2014 Gore-Tex Philadelphia Marathon!

We got to Philadelphia on Friday night. We met up with our friend Lauren for a late dinner and then went to our other friends apartment to pass out. Fridays with work and travel always kill me.

The next morning I got up stupid early because my body hates sleep for some reason. We hung out at the apartment until 10:00am and then headed downtown to the marathon expo.

For some dumb reason the packet pick-up was at the back of the expo hall so we walked around confused for a few minutes. Once we got our packets we went to get our shirts and I must say I am a fan. Even though they are mens and women’s fitted the women’s is not too tight (like the Disney Princess) and I love that it is long sleeve.

After the expo we headed back to our friends apartment and went to get lunch. They had heard of a new sandwich place so we decided to head there. It’s called Blue Duck Sandwich Co. and it was so freaking delicious my mouth is watering just thinking about it! I got their signature sandwich the Blue Duck Sandwich. Shredded duck with a blueberry barbecue sauce and broccoli rabe! Noms

After lunch we ran some errands and walked more than I should have, but probably not as much as I walk before a Disney race. For dinner we went Italian. I am not the biggest on carbo-loading. I usually eat fish (like salmon) before a run and luckily they had salmon over pasta….perfect! We got to bed around 11:00pm that night.

The next morning we got up around 5:00am to get ready for the race. I am pretty good with morning runs now that I get up for Crossfit at ungodly hours all the time. My friend Kier offered to drop us off at the start so we didn’t have to take a cab which was awesome! We had coffee and bagels with peanut butter in the car on the way. We got to the start around 5:40am and went through some pretty menial security checkpoint.

After security we decided to stop by the porta-potties and I was a little annoyed that a bunch of them were still zip-tied shut. Luckily it was early so there weren’t any lines yet. It was COLD, but instead of bringing toss clothes we brought normal clothes to check before the race. It was still early so we went over by the UPS bag check and just sat down and stretched with the hundreds of other people in the lot. Around 6:15am we decided to stop by the porta-potties one more time before we checked our bags. The lines were crazy at this point. We were in line until 6:50am, but we got to see the sunrise waiting in line.

Next we stripped off our extra layers and checked our bags. Our attempt to get to our corral (orange) was a little annoying. We had to go in a huge circle and walk through a different corral to get there, but we made it in time for the National Anthem.

Then the waiting began. We were in the second to last corral so we had about a half hour wait until we started. My toes started to get really cold waiting, but there wasn’t much I could do except jump up and down which didn’t help much. We slowly made our way to the start and got to the start line about 28 minutes after the first runners started.

Cheryl and I both decided to run our own race, but we started out together. A little after mile 1 I realized I had to go to the bathroom (of course) so I started running faster and lost Cheryl. Around mile 2 I saw a bunch of porta-potties and the lines was HUGE! I couldn’t figure out why until I noticed some weren’t being used because they were still zip-tied! Girls were just popping squats everywhere and I knew the line would take a while so I jumped off line and kept going. The exact same situation happened at the next 4 stops for porta-potties!

I tried to enjoy the scenery as I was running (to keep my mind off having to go to the bathroom). The course is different than the Rock and Roll Philadelphia Half. We ran down Arch Street, up to Race Street and down Columbus Boulevard by the water.

Then we headed up Front Street (where friendly neighbors were handing out tissues that were making a MESS on the street) to South Street. We turned back up toward Independence Hall and down Chestnut Street (past City Hall) to University City. After University City I finally spotted porta-potties with a semi-short line (only 10 people instead of 20) and I waited. It was a good 15 minutes, but I am glad I stopped.

Around this point is also when it really started to warm up. Now I was running past the Philadelphia Zoo and over by the Please Touch Museum (where we just did the Lemon Run). Around mile 10 we hit a HUGE uphill where I walked for the first time. Once we got to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive by the Schuylkill River I knew I was almost at the halfway point. I have decided I hate races that split. It makes so much more of an impact when you see the half marathoners veering off to the finish, knowing you still have a whole half marathon to finish!

When the half marathoners split off we were back in front of the Art Museum and then I was on the very familiar Kelly Drive.

The whole second half of the race is a giant out and back, which I also decided I hated. It might also be because I run Kelly Drive a lot so I know how much longer I have to go.

I passed Boathouse Row and started up Kelly Drive next to the Schuylkill River. At this point I started instituting a walk into my run. Every mile I would walk .1 and then run to the next mile marker. At the Falls Bridge I started realizing how they just kind of threw in miles wherever they could to make the race the right distance. We ran over the bridge to the other side, ran down the road a little and then turned around and ran back over the bridge to continue up the street we were just on….dumb.

After the bridge I was in new territory. Cheryl and I also cross the bridge when we run there, because we aren’t sure where the road/highways/bathrooms are past that. We ran on a highway onramp and then into Manayunk. I had to walk the hill that leads up to Manayunk and then down the other side. This was around mile 19 and I was definitely starting to feel my lack of training. I ran all of Main Street to the turnaround point and headed back. I was now officially on my way to the finish!

I saw Cheryl around mile 20 (she was at 19) and she said she was hurting, but I told her the time didn’t matter to keep pushing. I did not grab the free beer they were handing out. It looked like Yuengling and I am not a fan and who knows what that would have done to my stomach!

The run back along the Schuylkill was a lonely one. There were not many people cheering along the course anymore, and barely anyone still running towards Manayunk. Around mile 23 I had to start doing 2 walks (at every mile and half mile for .1) and that helped.

My original goal was to finish in under 5 hours. At mile 24 I realized I only had about 20 minutes left to make it. I stopped walking and pushed myself to the end. Unfortunately I came in at 5:01:02!

I would have hit my goal time had I not waited 15 minutes to go to the bathroom…lessons.

I crossed the finish line and got one of those dumb plastic sheet things and then my medal. I love when medals are cool and heavy :)

Then I got a cup of gatorade (even though I wanted a normal size bottle) and a bag with an apple juice cup, chips and two packets of peanut butter (with nothing to put it on). I walked a little further and grabbed a soft pretzel (they had bananas too) and headed off to get my bag. After I got my stuff I left and made my way to the curb to wait for Cheryl. I texted her to let her know where I was an she said she had a mile left.

About 20 minutes later she met me and proceeded to lay down and not want to get up.

She hates marathons. I am not sure how I keep convincing her to do them with me.

We both stretched and ate a little and then headed off to find an Uber to take us back to the apartment to shower. I had a few small blisters on my feet, but nothing too crazy.

After we showered we headed off to get a well deserved lunch at Chickie and Pete’s. I even had a beer :)

All in all it was a good race, but not one I would do again. I guess I am just so spoiled now from the Disney and Rock and Roll races. I expect there to be people cheering all along the course, and when it was just me and other runners for miles it was pretty lonely. I was also miffed with the ports-potty situation. These things are specifically placed along the course for people to use for the race. Why were they not open! Definitely something I am going to bring up in the pre-race survey.

When we got home I added my new medal to my medal rack and realized I need a new one. The top is all Disney races and the bottom one is every other race I have done. I even have an extender bar on it and it’s completely full which is awesome, but I need more room! I am thinking about getting one of these. Thoughts?

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Caroline’s Stars

Cancer sucks….but cancer in children is probably the worst. This is the story of an amazing little girl named Caroline. Please donate!

In college I became friends with an amazing girl named Erin. She is probably one of the sweetest people I know and goes out of her way for other people more than even me! (which is saying a lot)

I remember in college when her sister was in labor she didn’t have a car and she sat outside my sister’s room crying because she didn’t want to wake her up to ask her to take her back to Philly so she could be there. We yelled at her for waiting so long and rushed there and she made it! She will do anything for her family, especially her nieces and nephews.

Last October I got a text message from Erin to let me know that her youngest niece Caroline was in the hospital. The day before she had stopped breathing and her mom (who is a nurse) gave her CPR and then rushed her to the hospital. The reason she stopped breathing was because of a cancerous tumor in her neck. She was diagnose with Neuroblastoma at just 6 months old. For the next 5 weeks she was in PICU at CHOP in Philadelphia and then for the following 6 months she received outpatient chemotherapy. She couldn’t be around most people, for fear that she would get sick. She received her last round of chemotherapy the week of her first birthday. I am happy to say that after 7 long months of battle Caroline BEAT cancer!

Last November my friend Erin wanted to DO something for Caroline. She felt helpless. While researching the cancer she came across Alex’s Lemonade Stand. A little girl named Alexandra Scott was also diagnosed with Neuroblastoma before her first birthday. The day after her 4th birthday she received a stem cell transplant and told her mom “when I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand.” She said she wanted to give the money to doctors to allow them to “help other kids, like they helped me.” True to her word, she held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother and raised an amazing $2,000 for “her hospital.” Sadly in August 2004 Alex passed away at the age of 8. With the help of others who were inspired by her story, she raised more than $1 million to help fund the cure for the disease that took her life. Alex was also from Philadelphia.

Last year Erin and a team of friends and family participated in the Lemon Run for Caroline, who was still in the hospital. Their team raised the 3rd most amount of money. Last year I was unable to go, but I made sure I could attend this year and it seriously was an amazing experience.

We got to the event around 8:00am (just as the kids races were starting) and it was a little bit of mass hysteria. Erin’s family is HUGE and because her and her family are just so awesome, they also have a lot of friends. Over 140 showed up just on Caroline’s Stars!

Caroline is just one of hundreds of kids diagnosed with childhood cancer. She was able to meet a bunch of other kids just like her.

The Lemon Run is a 5K run/walk. The runners start first, and then the walkers. The course is beautiful in Fairmont Park in Philadelphia. Cheryl and I ran the race (a pre-cursor to our 11 miles we had to run for training).

I have met a lot of Erin’s family and friends over the years, and even though I don’t know each one by name they know Cheryl and I as the twins. They cheered us on as we crossed the finish and then we went to wait for everyone else and cheer them on.

Erin walked with her sister-in-law and Caroline (and a lot of other family and friends) during the event. It is remarkable that just a year before this amazing little girl was in a hospital bed battling cancer. The whole thing was pretty emotional and I had to turn away from Erin’s mom as they passed by because she was crying and I was tearing up!

Caroline even crossed the finish line all by herself!

I can’t imagine being diagnosed with cancer as an adult, but being a parent and having your child endure that at such a young age is unimaginable. Caroline’s parents are amazing and Caroline is such an inspiration! After the event Alex’s parents talked to everyone about Alex and how overwhelmed they were with all the support they have received and the amount of money these events have made. I could no longer hold back the tears. All of these kids are superheros.

After the run Cheryl and I were planning on heading over to the Schuylkill to do 8 more miles to train for our upcoming Philadelphia Marathon. We said to each other….why don’t we do the marathon for Caroline? So we grabbed some ALS tech shirts to wear the day of the race and even though I solicited for people to donate for the Lemon Run I now want to see if they can raise even more money! Donations are not over until November 20th! Please DONATE what you can. No one fights alone.

25 days left!

It is officially 25 days until I run the Philadelphia Marathon! Gah these days are flying by!

I had wanted this to be a great PR race, but I am slowly feeling like that just won’t happen. I have been running, not as much as I want, but running nonetheless. I know I will finish the race, but finishing it in the time I wanted (4 hours) seems crazy at this point.

I guess it will all depend on how my 20 mile run goes this weekend. One thing that does happen after my long runs…I get HUNGRY. How do you balance running for 4 hours and eating healthy?

I did actually get off my ass and run at lunch today. I went early since I usually have a bunch of excuses the later it gets.

5 miles done!

I am pretty excited to join Run Eat Repeat and her Pile on the Miles.

It’s a FREE online challenge. Every day you comment and “check-in” to keep yourself accountable by leaving a comment on her blog (which is one of my favorites FYI). When you comment that enters you in the daily prize drawing. How fun is that!?! I am excited because I have the marathon next month and after I tend to slack and the fact that right after is Thanksgiving…I need to be accountable.

Have a great day everyone!

Busy Lady Marathon Training

It is officially 40 days until I run the Philadelphia Marathon!

My life is far from boring. I keep myself busy, busy, busy. That being said, training for a marathon while busy is quite difficult. My weekly runs are hard enough between crossfit and my workload. Sometimes I have no desire to do 5 miles at lunch, but crossfit in the morning and my second job at night I have to try and find time. My weekends are just as bad. Last weekend I jetted down to Florida for 2 days and then had a wedding all day Sunday. Since Sunday is my long run day I had a bit of a conundrum.

Which brings me to today.

This morning, Cheryl and I woke up at 4am. Yes you read that right. 4:00AM! Our Sunday long run was scheduled for 14 miles and I needed a long run since we have two 20 milers coming up in the next few weeks. Since we didn’t have time this weekend we decided to do it today.

We had coffee, a granola bar and put lunch in the crockpot. At 4:40 we headed out the door with our fuel belts and head lamps set to run for the next few hours. We decided to do 2 7 mile loops so that if we had to go to the bathroom we could stop back at the house.

Running that early is eerily quiet, but also kind of nice. Mostly a few cars along the roads and random other crazy runners. I was listening to The Magicians on my iPod. I like to listen to books on my long runs because the music just gets boring after a while.

Around miles 5 we stopped in the park to use the porta-potties. Now that was creepy since it was still really dark out. A few runners passed us by with no headlamps or anything! How they do not fall or trip is beyond me. Maybe guys don’t feel as unsafe running that early alone in a dark park, but there is no way I would do it! Since we used the porta we didn’t have to stop at the house so we circled back up the hill to do another loop.

I know I have to run hills, but I sure hate it. The one we always try to incorporate into our run is pretty long and steep. The first time I got up it fine, but the second time I had to walk for a little.

There was no fast running happening this morning. The pace stayed somewhat consistent, but got slower as the day went on. I am just glad I got a long run in! The last long run I had was the Rock and Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon!

Done and done.

Now I need to be conscious of my food today. Marathon training is always so difficult because I mean I burned almost 1500 calories before 8am! I had gatorade during my run and when I got home. Then I had coffee and yogurt for breakfast. I had a snack for later today, but I was too hungry I had to have it. Spicy guacamole and melba toast! My favorite snack :) For lunch we made soup in the crockpot. We did it last week and it was delicious and convenient.

Any good soup crock pot recipes?