Outer Banks Race Weekend

November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 veggiefueledrunner Race, Weekly #outerbanks, #race, #run, #runcommunity, #runfriends, #runhappy, #running, marathon

Friday:

After work I set out for the Outer Banks, the GPS said it would be about a 5 1/2 hour drive down. Along the way I decided to stop when I saw a sign for Wawa and get a sandwich. Much to my disappointment as soon as I exited the highway the sign for Wawa said 3 miles, rather misleading from the highway sign, but I still went refueled and had a sandwich.

When I finally made it to the Outer Banks it was dark, but much to my surprise my hotel was right on the beach! (I didn’t notice when I booked the hotel) After I changed I walked down to the water, it was ice-cold! I didn’t go in any deeper than my ankles, there were still a few people trying to eek out the last little bit of light as they were surfing.

I came back to the room and text my friend who is also running the Outer Banks Marathon this weekend. He and his wife are doing their first marathon. We made plans to meet for dinner at a place nearby called Chili Peppers. For dinner there were seven of us, he and his wife had brought along four friends who were doing the half marathon. It was great to meet everyone, the conversation was light as I got to know everyone. One of Jim’s friends mentioned they were thinking about starting a blog, and I recommended doing it! Of course we talked about mine and then how I become a vegetarian. Jim’s wife and a few of her friends said they were going try being vegetarians for 30 days, they were inspired! Woot Woot! I told them they have to keep me in the loop.

Lots of business had signs up welcoming runners! First one I saw when I entered Kitty Hawk.

After dinner, I went back to the hotel to watch some television. There wasn’t much on, I watched a show on Discovery called Pacific Warriors. It was about ‘local’ Hawaiian fisherman. It was hard not to laugh. I lived in Hawaii for four years, the people on the show were no way locals. They didn’t talk like the locals and had problems getting the native dialect (pidgin) correct. I could be wrong but I very much doubt these people actually grew up in Hawaii. After a good laugh I went to bed.

Saturday:

I slept in, all the way to 0900 hrs. That is actually pretty late for me. When I woke up I had a few banana chips and went for a shake out run. I ran about two miles, trying to keep a slower pace. I want to start the race really slow around a 9 min pace. I know I have said that before but I really mean it. It was already warm and humid outside. I am hoping the weather forecast is right and the cold front comes through or it is going to be a long race.

After the run I walked down to the beach for a little while and there were quite a few people surfing and doing stand up paddleboarding. I took a shower and made my way over to the running expo. The parking lots were small and I had to drive around to find parking but the expo itself was pretty nice. They had lots of vendors and a nice swag bag. I walked around the expo for a while before deciding it was time for lunch. A Harris Teeter was only a mile away so I made my way there to get some lunch and sunscreen. I’m not sure if it is going to be sunny tomorrow, but I figure I should probably get some just to be safe.

Maryland Harris Teeter's need this section! — Maryland Harris Teeter’s need this section!

I had pizza and some desert and then took it easy. I decided to take a nap, hey you can never have too much rest before a marathon 😉 While I was napping I thought I heard a knock at the door, before I could answer the door was opening. It was someone trying to check in. Apparently, the hotel does not have good record keeping. The people apologized and went to sort out the issue, I did notice it was raining pretty hard. Hopefully that will cool things off.

Surprisingly I’m not nervous or worried about this race like was for Baltimore. I don’t know why. I have a plan for this race and hopefully everything comes together and I can break the 4-hour mark.

Around 1800 hrs. I went over to where Jim and his friends were staying. Some of his friends had made a runner’s dream dinner, Ziti! Time to carbo-load. I had gone to Harris Teeter and bought coconut cake for dessert. Dinner was excellent, on top of the Ziti in pasta was OBX made with noodles (Forgot to take a photo). After eating we watched the movie Inside Out, normally I am not one for animated movies, but it was pretty good! When the movie was over we all wished each other good luck and I headed back to the hotel. I arrived and my room key did not work, I went to have it rekeyed and told the desk staff about my unexpected visitors earlier. She said she would let the manager know. I watched some television, set me alarms and went to sleep.

Sunday:

Very windy, these waves were between 6-8 ft.

0400 hrs. I woke up to have a small breakfast and went back to sleep for a little while. 0530 hrs. time to get up and prepare for the race before leaving around 0630 hrs. I drove to where the parking lot was near the start line and took a quick shuttle ride to the start line. Before getting on the shuttle I ran into Jim and his wife and we rode over together. The start line had plenty of porta-potties so the line the use the bathroom was not long at all. The race started right on time 0720 hrs. and we were off! I will have a full race recap later this week, let’s just say things did not go according to planned and it was a painful race. After the race I took the shuttle back to the parking lot, hopped in my truck and went back to the hotel to shower. My body has never hurt so much after a race. I didn’t feel like eating anything so after showering I hit the road to get home. I stopped once to refuel and grab a little something to eat. I still didn’t feel like eating but knew I had to. I finally made it home around 1930 hrs. I unpacked, put my laundry in the wash and went over my best friends to watch Sunday Night Football. After the game, I came home and fell asleep almost immediately.

The race didn’t go as planned and it wasn’t a PR, I will detail that more in my recap, but looking back I don’t think it was a good idea for me to run two marathons within a 3 week period. Especially after my 365 day running streak. My race season is officially over, it is time to rest and let my body repair itself.

How was your weekend? What recovery tips do you have?

-Veggie Fueled Runner

BRF Marathon in…

October 21, 2015 veggiefueledrunner Race, Race Recap #baltimoremarathon, #baltimorerunningfestival, #brf, #pr, #run, #runcommunity, #running, marathon

My alarm went off at 0400 hrs, thank goodness it wasn’t time to get up just yet. I wake up early to eat and then go back to sleep for a little while before big races. I had an Extend Nutrition bar with some water and went back to sleep until 0530 hrs. A cold front was suppose to have come through overnight and the weather was cooler than it had been the past week, which made for good running conditions. I dressed in the tank top and shorts I had been running in all summer, but put on a winter hat, gloves, and arm warmers since the temp was only in the upper 40’s.

I pulled into the parking lot at M&T Bank stadium around 0645, I sat in my truck till 0730 then made my way to the start line, it was cold but I knew I would warm up once I started running. As I waited in the starting corral I went over my game plan in my head; go out slow and try to make up time later in the marathon. A woman came up to me while we were waiting to start and we started to make small talk and introduced each other, her name was Sandy. She noticed my Garmin and asked what pace I planned to run and I explained my plan; she said if it was okay she was going to run with me for a while. I didn’t mind and she said she was hoping to finish under 4:19. This is just another reason why I love the running community, you never know when you are going to meet someone new!

The marathon started just after 0800 and we were off, we took the first mile out at around a 9 min pace, right on target, the first few miles were a slight uphill towards the Maryland Zoo. My hat at gloves were gone by mile 2, I threw them off to the side of the road. As we ran Sandy and I talked about where we were from, running, and just got to know each other. Our pace quickened a little without either of us really noticing to around an 8:30 pace. That was a little faster than I wanted to go out, but I was feeling comfortable. The first few waters stops were pretty crowded, so crowded only one of us got water, but runners being courteous people, we got enough for each other. As we passed through the Zoo, some of the animals were out to greet us. We saw some penguins; while some runners stopped to take selfies we kept on moving through. Our pace had quickened again and we turned in a sub-8 mile, I knew we had to slow down and bit and we eased off the pace.

Sorry for the thumbnail, I’m not paying $65 for 5 photos, waiting for the discount!!!

As we left the zoo, the course had a few hills but then flattened out. St. Paul street to the Inner Harbor was downhill, so we could relax a little bit. Running through Harborview we saw some of my friends and I dropped my fuel belt with them. It was getting really lose during the run and was becoming annoying. I took the bloks out and put them in my pocket before dropping it. As we circled the Under Armour factory I really had to pee; Sandy said she would slow down and run along the side of the road so I could catch back up. A tree made a great substitute for the port-a-potty that had a line, hey I wasn’t the only one doing that! To catch up to Sandy I threw down a 7:30 mile, I had a feeling that would come back to hurt me.

Passing the 13.1 mile marker, Sandy saw some of her friends. I thought my Garmin said 1:50, but looking at my times on the marathon website it said we ran the first half in 1:54, I could have seen my watch incorrectly. Either way we were making good time maybe a little too fast. I mentioned to Sandy maybe we should slow down a bit, she said we should just keep up the pace. I was still feeling good and we did. Going through Harboreast I saw all the people I know from Lululemon at their cheer station, it was motivating to high five all of them as we went by. Coming out of Harboreast Sandy and I both noticed how quite it had gotten along the course, there weren’t many spectators for the next couple of miles.

Approaching mile 16 and Patterson Park I slowed the pace a bit; Sandy kept the pace going and we lost each other in the crowd as the half marathon and marathon merged together. I saw my parents cheering on the sidewalk, which was some more motivation. After passing Patterson Park, I didn’t see Sandy anymore and the climb to Lake Montebello started, for the next 4 miles there would be an incline. In mile 18 I lost my steam, someone was handing out full bottles of water and bananas, I grabbed both and walked while I drank the water and ate the banana. I finally cleared the hills and made it to Lake Montebello at mile 20 I started doing the math in my head of how fast I had to run each mile to make it under 4 hours.

Alternating between walking and running I watched the time tick away on my Garmin. Going out faster than I wanted was coming back to haunt me. I tried to find the energy to keep going, my legs were exhausted. Mile 22 was the final incline and it really slowed me down. I was going back and forth between 9:20 pace per mile and 11+ min a mile, I was in trouble. At mile 24 I still thought I had a shot at breaking 4 hours, but I would have to throw down two sub-7:30 miles, my legs didn’t have it in them, or my mind wouldn’t let them do their thing. Either way it wasn’t going to happen.

Still waiting for the MarathonFoto discount emails!

I crossed the finish line at 4:11:16. So close to breaking the 4 hour mark yet so far away. Even though I didn’t break 4 hours I was happy with my time; I PR’d by 32 minutes. I immediately started analyzing the race in my mind and where things went wrong. Then I started thinking about when I can run another marathon and when I could be ready.

I made my way over to get a foil blanket, I was freezing, I had tossed my hat and gloves a long time ago and the temp dropped after that. I finally got a foil blanket, met my parents, and got my jacket from them but I could not get warm. I think it was in the low 40’s or upper 30’s by this point. We took some pictures and stood in line for a while to get my Maryland Double Medal and King Crab Challenge medal holder, in total I was outside for about an hour and shivering the entire time.

I did get to ring the PR Bell!!! Everyone before me went up got there picture and struck the bell once, after my mom took the picture I struck the hell out that bell several times!!!

Waiting around the finish area I looked for Sandy but didn’t see her anywhere, we actually connected later in the day and caught up a bit, she finished in 4:01:40 a PR for her as well.

When I finally made it to my truck I was so happy to be able to turn the heat on and get warm. The warm shower felt great once I was home, except on my arm pits, the arm warmers had rubbed my arms raw, really raw. I continued to analyze the marathon in my head for the rest of the day and watched it on television. I had recorded it. That night the tradition of the marathon party continued, it was smaller than usual, but still a good time!

I have continued to think about what I could have done differently over the last few days and will probably do that for a while. I am looking at doing a half marathon soon, but will probably wait until the spring to tackle another marathon.

How was your race season? What are your goals before the end of the year?

Check back tomorrow for Thinking Out Loud and see if the streak continued…

-Veggie Fueled Runner

Running 3:16

October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 veggiefueledrunner Thinking Out Loud #getoutandrun, #run, #run3:16, #runcommunity, #running, #running3:16, #thinkingoutloud

I’ve actually been meaning to write this Thinking Out Loud post for a few weeks but haven’t had the time. Perhaps a better way to put it is I haven’t made the time. Work has been really busy, meaning lots of long days! The past two weeks it has been hard to keep up with my mileage but I have kept my running streak alive! Less than 3 weeks to go before I reach 1 year!

Back to the topic, first paragraph and I was already distracted. Looking at the title you might think this is the definitive guide to running, given the 3:16 notation, if you are looking for that I am sorry to disappoint it is not that.

A few weeks ago during one of my runs I saw someone wearing a t-shirt that had ‘Austin 3:16’ printed on it. That made me think about the Keith Urban song ‘John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16’ (did you just sing that in your head? I did every time I proof read this). That made me think about the Bible verse ‘John 3:16’.

I know that is a long path to follow but stay with with me, ‘3:16’ has become a symbol/notation for the definitive way of doing something. Of course the Christian church was first, don’t worry this isn’t a religious lecture either. 3:16 became mainstream years ago and has been attached to a lot of things (see examples above) Steve Austin used it for his character in the WWF, yes I remember wrestling when it was still the WWF, and Keith Urban has used it for a great song in my opinion, and it has been attached to so many other catch-phrases.

As I passed the guy wearing the ‘Austin 3:16’ shirt, ‘Running 3:16’ popped into my head. I asked myself is there a definitive way to run? The answer is no. Every runner has there own stride, pace, arm swing, habits, favorite gear, running route, foot strike, etc. You don’t have to look a certain way to be a runner, you do not need lots of equipment to be a runner, if you consider yourself a runner you are a runner! That is what I love about the sport of running almost everyone can do it! (If you have never ran before please consult a doctor before beginning any exercise program) That just felt like a good place to put a legal disclaimer.

Many times when I am out running I observed other runners and take notice of their clothing, stride, arm swing, and wonder how in the heck are they running like that, then I think if that works for them who am I to judge their run-style. In races I’ve seen runners who have some sort of spinal disability running hunched over and they are moving at a pretty good pace. You can be short, tall, heavy-set, skinny, able bodied, have a disability and you can still run, as long as you have the fortitude to take that first step and keep going! Our sport does not discriminate and that is another reason why I love running!

Often times when I speak with people they say, ‘I don’t know how you do it, I can’t even run a mile.’ My response is always it starts with that first step. I imagine some people think I am being cliche but I’m not; you never know where that first step and the one after will lead you. It has lead me to a great running community, that is strong, welcoming, and ready for more runners!

Winning comes in many forms for runners. You may never win a marathon, or a 5k, but every race you run or for that matter every step you take you have lapped those waiting to take that first step. Running for a large majority of the running community is an individual sport, we have personal records (PRs). We compete against ourselves, because we want to be better, we want to put our best self forward. That is Running 3:16! You can create your own guide to Running 3:16, and the best part is that it is definitively you but we all share in that experience when we run!

I am Running 3:16, you are Running 3:16, and every runner you pass or passes you is Running 3:16.

We each have our own way of getting to the finish line, we do what works best for us, we take pride in our accomplishments and our individuality while taking joy in being part of the running community and the accomplishments of those runners around us.

Tell me your Running 3:16 story!

-Veggie Fueled Runner

Week 11 (8/24-8/30)

August 31, 2015 veggiefueledrunner Training #chuck12, #marathontraining, #run, #runchat, #runcommunity, #runhappy, #running, #training, marathon

Week 10 was a solid week, I left some miles out there but overall I was content with the week. Coming up is another tough week with 3 longer runs, after that I get a bit of a reprieve.

Monday: 4.1 Miles (Pace 8:11)

Today was a good day to start off the week and inspired me to run my mid-week article about the running community. I ran later in the evening, the humidity returned, but was bearable. I ran around my neighborhood. For the last few runs around my neighborhood I always see a group of young boys playing in the same area. Everytime they see me one yells, ‘Hi’ and I yell ‘Hi’ back, then he says ‘My name is Justin’ and I’ll respond ‘Hey, Justin how’s it going?’. Our brief conversation always goes that way, today he yelled back you always say the same thing, I laughed to myself, by then I was to far away to say anything back. It is reassuring to see nice young people in the area. (Gee, I sound old. haha)

Tuesday: 10.2 Miles (Pace 8:56)

My friend Kristen was suppose to run with me today she wanted to run longer than we normally do at Tin Roof, which is where I met up with her and some other runners. I wasn’t sure if I was feeling up to 10 today and I told her I would be running at a slower pace. She took off with the other runners who were running around a 7:45 pace, about a mile in I broke off and ran by myself the rest of the way. They only ran about 5 miles total. I ran around the stadiums, Fed Hill, Locust Point, Ft. McHenry, and back along the promenade in the harbor. I picked up my pace after mile 7, to change it up a bit and make sure I could do after running slower. When I got back to Tin Roof everyone had already left, so I went to 7-11 got a gatorade and drove home.

Wednesday: 5 Miles (Pace 8:04)

The MAC was suppose to start a new run group tonight to take the place of City Sports Run Club. When I arrived only one other person was there and I asked the staff if there was going to be a run tonight. He said no, it would start next week. Since I was down in Harbor East I decided to run the loop I would have ran with City Sports. I ran into Kristen about a 1/4 mile in and we ran together. It was a negative split run and I was pretty happy with it!

Thursday: 2.1 Miles (Pace 8:11)

A tempo run was scheduled for today, but I sort of squirmed out of it. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for my long run this weekend and I rationalized that I sort of did a tempo run yesterday and talked myself into an easy run around my neighborhood. I was really happy with my splits, I eased into the run with a 8:43 mile and turned it up the second mile and ran 7:43.

Friday: 1 Mile (Pace 8:21)

Even though I took it easy yesterday, today was a scheduled rest day. I ran in the early evening and took an easy run around the neighborhood.

Saturday: 9 Miles hiking; 1 Mile (Pace 8:11)

Today, plans changed about 10 times. I was supposed to go hiking with my friends, then I arrive and they told me we were running. I didn’t have running shoes, but said I would run in my Vibrams. Then we get started on the trail and we decided to hike, but I left my water and gear so I didn’t have anything to drink. We hiked 9 miles in about 4 hours. The terrain wasn’t that difficult but my legs were tired after being on my feet for that long in Vibrams. We stopped and ate afterwards, the food was good, but it did not agree with me. I stuck close to home for a while. Once I starting feeling better I decided I should get in a mile. Today I was suppose to run 10 miles, but the time I was on my feet and how I was feeling I figured a mile run would make 10 and that is I rationalized it. Plus I wouldn’t have been on my feet for so long if I had just ran 10 miles like I wanted to, anyway…

Sunday: 17 Miles (Pace 9:35)

It was a bit warmer today than it had been the rest of the week, so I decided to hydrate throughout the day and run in the evening. This run was the first one in a long time that I decided to take a fuel belt with me. I had 20 oz. of water and some bloks to help keep the sugars in my body up. I was feeling great during the run, I decided to start at the Korean War Memorial and do a tour of the city. I ran the docks on Clinton St. then up to Patterson Park where I did some laps and hills, then along the promenade to Harbor East, into Locust Point, through Fells and down into Little Italy. I felt strong throughout the run, I was drinking a little bit of water every 4-5 miles and taking a blok at the same time. I would chew on them for about a mile instead of eating it quickly. Everything was going great until just before Mile 16, I’m not sure what happened. I looked down at my Garmin and things started to go black, I almost fell over. I thought I had been taking enough fluids and eating, but I started to think I was dehydrated. I thought there was a convenience store close by so I made a loop and doubled back, but no such luck. I knew one was about a mile away in Power Plant so I made my way over there. I wasn’t feeling good at all. I bought some water and gatorade and mixed them together. I was starting to feel better. I gave my left over water and gatorade to a homeless guy outside the store. I chatted with another one for a little while about exercise, he told me I should do some pull-ups and I’ll get ripped really quick! I thanked him for the advice, popped another blok and started running again. This time I think the blok actually made me feel worse. I was running on President St, trying to figure the quickest way back, when someone started yelling my name. It was my best friend and his wife driving by, I yelled back to turn around but they didn’t hear me. I stopped and called his cell phone it went straight to voicemail, thankfully his wife answered. They were getting dessert at Vaccaro’s. I asked if they could give me a ride back, they said they could, so I ran over to where they were at. As I got to the bakery, my Garmin beeped for 17 miles. I got really stiff on the quick ride back to my truck. I know I left 3 miles out there, but they weren’t going to be quality miles and I wasn’t feeling well. When I got home I stretched out and sat on the floor for a little while. I wasn’t really feeling well, but that is to be expected after a long run. I hopped on the scale, I always weigh myself before and after a run, I had lost 7 lbs. on this run. That could explain why I wasn’t feeling well, most of that was water weight. I drank some more fluids, but didn’t feel like eating. After an hour I started feeling better and had a light snack, before finishing typing this and going to sleep! Overall, I think this was a good week of training but I’m looking forward to the reduced mileage next week! Oh and next week is a race week, I decided to run the Charles St. 12 for the first time!

Total Miles: 49.4

-Veggie Fueled Runner

Not the best photo, but I took it after 17 miles so... — Not the best photo, but I took it after 17 miles so…

Running Community

August 27, 2015August 27, 2015 veggiefueledrunner Thinking Out Loud #bostonstrong, #nomembership, #run, #runchat, #runcommunity, #runhappy, #running, #training, marathon

My thoughts may be a bit scattered this week for Thinking Out Loud, but hopefully they come together in a way you can understand!

I’ve had a really good running week so far, not in the actual running sense, rather in the running community! The running community is unique, there are no membership cost, no official sign ups, if you want to be a part of it you can be.

I once saw on a meme “If you care if someone calls you a runner or a jogger, you are a runner!” It made me laugh but it is that simple! All you need to do is take that first step and keep on going, if you run 1 minute, 1 mile, or 100 miles you are a runner.

Sometimes I do get irritated with the running community (see Pet Peeves #1). This week though I have been reminded repeatedly why (most) runners are great people and fun to talk to!

On Monday, I had a friend I had not heard from in 10 years send me a message on FB to ask me about running his first marathon. I think he has been reading my blog or saw my post about training. By no means am I an expert but it made me feel really good that he would ask me for advice, I referred him to a few websites and gave him some tips about running his first marathon. Later in the day I called Boston Street Running to ask if they had a weekly run group, I’m looking for one after last week 😦 They currently do not but I had a really great conversation with Miguel from the store and I’m looking forward to stopping in and meeting him. We actually talked about my blog, he put a link up to the odd mileage races on the store’s website. That reminds me if you are looking for a race this weekend the first ever Baltimore 6-miler is Sunday. Looks like a great course along the water!

Tuesday I ran with some friends, I ran a bit longer, but if gave me time to think about why I started running and all the great experiences I have had with the running community. You never know where running with take you! It has taken me to the Bahamas, Philidelphia, Providence, Niagara Falls, DC, and a few other places. When you are going to a desitnation for running you meet great people who share your passion.

People always say to me, ‘you must really love running’ I joke back saying ‘on some level I must, just not consciously’. I do enjoy the health benefits of running and you can do it anywhere, anytime, with minimal equipment, and it is all about the effort you want to put in.

Today (Wednesday) I went to a new run group at the MAC but it was cancelled. I decided to run in Harbor East anyway. When I walked out of the MAC one of the Harbor security personnel commented on my shoes and we had a great conversation about running and how to get started. I do love talking to people and hopefully motivating them to start running, you never know where it will take you! Once I started running I ran into my friend who was running and we ran together for 5 miles. I enjoy running with other people even if we aren’t having a constant conversation, most of the time I enjoy the company. After running I stopped in Lululemon (of course I bought a shirt) and had a great conversation with some of the staff who I consider friends! They asked about how my training has been going and told me about some new yoga classes for athletes I should check out.

The running community is full of all sorts of people with different personalities, backgrounds, goals, and great stories! If you are on the fence about lacing up your running shoes or are worried you aren’t going to be fast enough I would encourage you to throw those cares away, get out, and log some miles alone or with someone!

You don’t have to be fast, you just have to put one foot in front of the other!

-Veggie Fueled Runner

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: