Steamtown Marathon Recap

I have been very busy and a lot has changed in my life since writing my last blog post back in May. The one constant in my life has been running! I started my first full time job, moved back home to Philadelphia, traveled to 3 new states (bringing my total up to 29 out of 50 states!), I got to pace my Dad for his first half marathon, I joined a Spartan gym, and to top it all off I have run every race distance from a 5k to a marathon since my last post. 

On October 8th I ran the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton Pennsylvania. My initial goal for the Steamtown Marathon was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. However, I only gave myself 12 weeks to train to drop 25 minutes off my marathon PR. Looking back I was not very realistic in my goal setting given that I only had 12 weeks to really improve on my speed and endurance while still figuring out how to balance a full time job, a social life, and training. The biggest mistake I made during this training cycle was loosing sight on why I love running and racing. I started running to better myself. During the 6 months I have been away I started to loose sight of why I started this whole fitness journey. After qualifying for OCR World Championships in the spring and placing in a few races I found myself focusing on what big races I could qualify for and what races I could win, rather than focusing on being a better me. Every race I have ever had success in was when I went in focused on beating MY PERSONAL BEST not beating my fellow racers. It took me about half way through my training cycle to figure this out, which helped me adjust my goals and expectations going into my second marathon. My new goal was to run a PR and enjoy the challenge of running 26.2 miles for the second time in my life. I figured I would use Steamtown to learn and grow from the mistakes I made during this training cycle, so that I could move forward as a stronger more driven athlete! After all I will have the opportunity to run 26.2 miles again in November at the Philadelphia marathon! With my new goal and an improved attitude I felt more than ready to conquer 26.2 miles for the second time in my life! 


The day before the race, was a relaxing fun filled family day. My parents and I took my brother back to college and had lunch with him before heading to Scranton for the night. The expo was much smaller than the Philadelphia Marathon expo, but it was well organized and had some awesome local vendors. I was able to snag two new pairs of running shoes for $100! After the expo we checked into our hotel and had an early dinner at a local Italian restaurant. I was thrilled that they had my favorite pre race meal, spaghetti and clams! After dinner we went to Panera to pick up bagels for breakfast, before heading back to the hotel. I got all of my race essentials together and pinned my bib to my shirt so I would not forget it. I slept surprisingly well considering I had to sleep on a sofa bed.

The next morning I woke up feeling excited and ready to race. I got dressed, made my bagel for the car ride, and headed out the door to find that the weather was going to play a major factor in the race. It was raining cats and dogs when we left the hotel for the start line at Forest Hills High School. It was the worst possible weather for a marathon. I was not sure if I would be capable of PRing in this kind of weather. Although I was beginning to feel nervous I managed to eat my bagel and drink a bottle of water during the car ride. When we arrived at the start the rain had not let up at all. My parents sent me on my way at the drop off lot across from the school. My day could not have started off worse as I had to trek through the soccer fields in the pouring rain before finally making it into the warm and dry high school. I had about 45 minutes till race time and made sure to hydrate and use the bathroom. While I was warming up I noticed I had lost my running belt. I figured it must have fallen off when I was running through the fields, but I was not going back out in the rain to look for it. As I lined up at the start I thought things could not get much worse: I had no music, no place to hold my phone, I was soaking wet, and the temperatures kept rising along with the humidity, but on the bright side the rain had stopped! The Steamtown Marathon does not start with your typical starting gun. Nope. They prefer a good old fashioned shooting of a cannon to get runners off and on their way. And off we were when the cannon fired. 

Steamtown is a downhill course. The first half of the race its almost entirely downhill, which luckily was not where my race went downhill. No, I lasted 20 miles before Steamtown started to break me. My parents were at mile 8 cheering me on! They even had an extra running belt for me to carry my phone and gels. I ran the first half in 1:51:16, which is a 2 second PR according to my Garmin! I was feeling great at this point and decided it was time to take my first gel. I slowed down a bit, but I was moving at a comfortable 8:42 min/mile pace when I reached my cheer squad at the 18 mile mark. I wasn't feeling tired quite yet, but I was starting to feel the heat and humidity affecting my spirits. When I saw my parents I stopped for a moment to tell them how hot I was, but that I would not let the heat deter me from my PR. 

Happy Runner!

I spoke to soon, because as the miles kept getting higher so did the temperature and humidity. I could not seem to get enough water in my body and I just felt hot and sluggish. At mile 20 I saw my parents again, which gave me an extra boost as I headed towards the final 10k... Well that extra energy lasted maybe half a mile before I felt like a slug again. My next miles were not pretty: mile 21 - 9:48, mile 22 - 10:14, mile 23 - 11:37, mile 24 - 11:44. I knew at this point I was not going to PR. I was falling apart and I just wanted to be done. I was over the heat, over the pain, over the salt burning my eyes, and sick of hearing people say "your doing great", because I was most definitely not feeling great. I must have harnessed my frustration into the next mile because I somehow ran a sub 9 mile after run/walking the previous 4. The final mile was brutal as I had no energy left to conquer the final up hill portions of the course. I gutted it out and finally finished in a time of 4:01:42.

My face says it all...
Check out those awesome spectators!

Did I accomplish any of my goals? No!!!!! This is the first race I ran this year where I did not PR and I am totally okay with that. Just finishing the Steamtown Marathon was enough of an accomplishment for me that day considering the heat and humidity. I also have come to the conclusion that every time anyone runs a marathon, a whole 26.2 freaking miles, they have accomplished something majorly awesome!!!

 

Would it have been awesome and rewarding to PR? Yes, but sometimes we have to fail to see how far we have come. It has not even been a full year since I ran my first marathon and I already have a second one under my belt. I feel more prepared to run the Philadelphia Marathon in November and I feel stronger knowing that I am no lesser of an athlete or person because I had one bad race. After all I have so many more opportunities this year to lace up my shoes, put a smile on my face, and train/race for the love of the sport.

This morning that is just what I did and I was able to crush my 5 miler PR (from 38:34 to 37:12!!)and place FIRST overall female in the Hotfoot 8.8 kilometer!! 

8.8 Kilometers in 40:56!

Broad Street Run Race Recap

Running is a huge part of my life. I run 4 to 5 times a week, I have way too many running shoes, when I am not running I am reading running magazines and blogs, I journal about each and every run I go on, and I have a running Instagram account where I follow more runners. However, if you had met me last year around this time you would have had no idea that I love to run. That is because I did not even know how much I loved running. In high school I ran track, but I wouldn't say and I loved running. I failed as a Division 1 field hockey player because of how much anxiety I had over running. But then I registered for the Philadelphia Marathon. It was the week of the 2016 Broad Street Run, the week I moved back home for the summer having just ended my Junior year at the University of Pittsburgh. That is when I began running. I watched the local news coverage of the 2016 Broad Street Run and remembered thinking how miserable it must have been running in the pouring rain. The Broad Street Run is the largest 10-mile road race in the country, and is most definitely a staple of Philadelphia-area running. Thanks to my Dad, who entered my brother, himself, and I in the Broad Street lottery, I was going to get the chance to add another landmark race. Ever since we got into the race I was anticipating two exciting weekends in a row: my graduation followed by Broad Street.

It has been one year since I watched the famous Philadelphia race and began seriously running again. In just one short year I can proudly say I have run in Pittsburgh’s largest 10-miler and the Philadelphia marathon. I have moved back home from the University of Pittsburgh for one final time with a Bachelors Degree in Communication and a full time job, which I will start in June. I have accomplished a lot in the past year. The best way I could celebrate my one year running anniversary and college graduation than with the nations largest 10-mile road race!

Because my Mom was not coming to the race, she broke her toe the day before… We had to get up super early to get to the train station, catch the train, and check our bags. I ate some French toast sticks and hydrated. We caught the train and got to Olney station with about an hour before the start of the race (with my race bib – see Marathon Blog Post). We checked our bags and made our way to the corrals. I hung out with my dad and brother for a little bit. I tried to give them some advice about running the 10 mile distance and big road races before heading up to my corral, which was much closer to the start.

 

Dad and I before the race!

Elliot and I before the race

I was having some digestive issues and I was not feeling to great as I made my way to the purple corral. I ditched my throw away layers once I made it into my corral and did some dynamic stretching to get warmed up. At 8:00 am the Elites started and just a few minutes later I was crossing the start line!

Miles 1-2

I was excited to start the race, my legs felt fresh and I was hoping I could run off my stomach pain. Unfortunately, I could not and after the first mile I had to stop at the porta potty.

Splits: 7:53 and 9:25

Miles 3-5

I knew I had lost time during mile 2, but I did not let that affect my race plan. I tried to keep my pace around a 7:40 until I reached the halfway point.

Splits: 7:37, 7:40, 7:50

Miles 6 and 7 flew by. I was a little disappointed that the course did not go through City Hall and the course actually had turns since it is advertised as a straight course. I spent a good portion of these miles joking around with myself about the false advertising.

Splits: 7:40 and 7:42

Miles 8-10

I was feeling great at the 8-mile mark, but for some reason I did not push myself to my limits. I maintained my steady pace until I reached the final quarter mile sign. I tried to sprint to the finish, but the course was really congested making it hard to finish in an all out sprint.

Splits: 7:47, 7:41, 7:41

I finished the race in a time of 1:19:22 knocking 5 minutes off my 10-mile PR! Although I did not push myself to my breaking point I ran a race that I am proud of. I did not let the little bump in the road prevent me from running a sub 1:20:00 10-miler!

I got my medal and made my way through the finishers area as quickly as I could so I could make my way back to the finish line to see my dad finish. After waiting around for 40 minutes or so, my dad came barreling through in his bright yellow shirt and huge smile on his face! I could not have been any prouder of seeing my dad finish his first big road race with a smile and a PR!

Found the finish!

We ended up having to walk a mile or so back to the subway, which felt like the longest walk ever. I was hungry and I was beginning to crash. We made it back to the train and got on the smelliest subway car ever! Pack a bunch of sweaty runners in a train car and you will feel sick from the stench. The train ride felt long, but it was nice to finally sit and snack on some of the post race goodies we received. After the train we said our goodbyes to Elliot because he was heading back to the train to go back to Temple. My dad and I headed home as the rain started. Thank god we beat the rain. I may love running, but I still am not a huge fan of the rain!

I am so happy that I can finally say that I have run in the nations largest 10 miler and Philadelphia’s most famous race!

Running has become something that I love to do, I love to talk about, and that has changed me as a person. I started running to prove to myself that I could run a marathon. That quickly transformed into running becoming a stress reliever, a social activity, time to spend with my father, and a mood booster. I learned how to manage expectations, set realistic goals, and work towards being the best me! As I look towards the future I see boundless paths to run and opportunities to explore!

Winter Spartan Sprint

I started 2017 with some BIG goals: complete my Spartan Trifecta, run a sub 22 minute 5k, run a half marathon PR (my current PR 2:00:00), and of course run a Boston Marathon qualifying time. I love writing out my goals. I am always looking towards my future, and putting my goals in writing motivates me to work towards making my future happen. However, writing my goals out in the beginning of the year only did so much to push me forward; I had no plan on how I was actually going to achieve them. The only races I had on my schedule as of January were a Spartan Sprint and Beast; I had no idea when I was going to have the opportunity to race a 5k let alone a marathon. I lacked a plan of action, focus, and motivation to work towards my goals.

January was a struggle for me training wise; I ran maybe three times a week, went to an hour long kettlebell and conditioning class twice a week, played some field hockey, and went rock climbing. Basically I was sampling a bunch of workouts, but I wasn't actually improving in any one field since I could not commit to anything. It is really hard to get stronger, faster, improve in the 5k distance and the marathon distance all at the same time. Since my big goal of the year is to qualify for the Boston Marathon I realized I needed to focus my efforts on running. However, I was not enjoying running like I remembered it during my marathon training last year. I missed the runs that felt effortless. The ones where I would take off, smile, sing, laugh, and run 15+ miles for fun! My eagerness to get back to where I was in marathon training clouded my memory of how I even got there in the first place. On January 31^st I decided I would do what had worked for me before. I registered for a half marathon with only 8 weeks to buckle down and train. I would be running a 5k on February 11^th, which gave me a short term and quantifiable goal to work towards. I finally felt like I had a plan of action to begin working towards my goals in 2017. I could focus on my 5k for 11 days, then I would focus on my Spartan training for my race on March 4^th, and finally run my half marathon on March 25^th. I would continue cross training, but it was time for me to buckle down and commit to running again.

On February 11^th I ran the Cupid Chase 5k in Pittsburgh. For the first time in this training cycle I felt confident in my abilities and I was excited to compete against myself again. My goal of the race was to run a sub 23:30 (my old PR) and to place in my age group. The weather was beautiful and the course was on one of my favorite trails. I finished the race in a time of 23:09 finishing 2^nd in my age group and the 7^th overall female. It felt amazing to race again and I was excited to see where I could improve in my fitness before my Spartan race.

Post race cookies are the best!

The next few weeks of training flew by. My Spartan team, Steel City Spartans, hosted a winter workout the weekend before the race. I am so thankful for this workout because my teammates really helped me with my obstacle strategies. I felt confident jumping the walls, flipping tires, and even carrying a heavy bucket for long distances without putting it down to rest. I was ready to conquer the first ever US Winter Spartan Race at Greek Peak, New York.

Practicing the rope climb at the Steel City Spartan Workout

I left Pitt the Thursday before the race, so that we could leave for New York Friday afternoon. I'm so glad I came home on Thursday because I still needed to get some last minute things before the race. The weather forecast was looking COLD, and I did not have the right pants to wear for single digit temperatures. I ended up buying a pair of North Face Isotherm tights, which offer wind protection and warmth, improving temperature regulation. With the purchase of these tights I was ready to pack my bags and head to New York. On Friday afternoon my parents and I began our trek to Greek Peak. On our drive we talked about how crazy it was that it was around this time last year that I was calling my brother an idiot for asking them to do a Spartan Race and now they were driving me to one (again). After checking into our hotel, we went to Perkins for everyone’s favorite race dinner:  pancakes and eggs, and water for hydration. After dinner we headed back to the hotel. I packed everything I would need for race day, laid my outfit out, and looked over the course map to visualize my race plan before calling it a night.

I did not have a great night’s sleep, but I was more than ready to get moving in the morning.  The hotel’s continental breakfast was invaded by Spartans that morning. I ate a plain bagel with cream cheese and an apple for breakfast. We left the hotel around 8:30 am to go to the shuttle buses that would be taking us to the race. It was a painfully cold wait for the shuttle bus to arrive, but once it came it was a warm 20-minute drive to the mountain. When we arrived at the mountain we were shuffled into the lodge for registration. The registration process was a mess causing the whole race to be delayed about an hour behind schedule. However, once I was registered I had plenty of time before my start time—I was in the first open heat.

At 11:00am my heat was called over the start wall to begin the first US Spartan Winter Sprint. I was one of the first people over the wall and ended up literally toeing the start line for the first time in my racing career. 

After yelling the Spartan pre-race chant, I set off running up the first hill of the race. I didn't stop running till I made it to the first hurdle (pun intended), which was a 5-foot hurdle. I had no problem scaling the hurdle and then scaling the 6-foot wall right after it. 

Once over the wall, I made my way towards one of my favorite obstacles, barbed wire. I quickly crawled through and continued running on the icy terrain. I was keeping a good pace and felt strong as I ran, but my high spirits were challenged when I fell off the rig on the fourth frozen ring. Although I made it further than I ever have before I was disappointed that I was going to have to stop and do thirty burpees. Even though it was 12 degrees out, I stopped for a drink at the water station before running on towards the the Atlas Stone. My strength improved from last year’s Spartan as I had only slight difficulties lifting the rock this time. The stone was covered in ice, but once I got a grip under it I was able to lift it and go. The bucket brigade was long, but it was not uphill so I was thankful for that! 

The next two obstacles were the vertical cargo net and the rope climb. The rope climb is my favorite obstacle and I was so happy to ring the bell (and come down without getting hurt), but I wasn't happy to see that the Herc Hoist was the next obstacle. As I ran from the rope climb I did not think to slow down to catch my footing as I approached the creek crossing… I slipped and fell in the creek. Now I was nice and frozen for the Herc Hoist. I was barley able to get the bag off the ground, and once I did, I was pulled off my feet and the bag dropped. I was doing another 30 burpees and I knew I would probably be doing 30 more at the spear throw right ahead. I gave it my best shot, but I missed the target by a mile adding 30 more burpees to my race. After 60 burpees in a row I was ready to run and finish this race. I climbed the inverted wall and ran towards the festival area. My parents were by the A-Frame cheering me on! Their encouragement pushed me up and over the A-Frame and on towards another run up the mountain. The rest of the race is kind of a blur. I was so focused on finishing strong I didn't really take the time to enjoy the special “Winter” obstacles Spartan created. The best part of the back half of the race was the icy sand bag carry. I think I liked this obstacle so much because I was passing people left and right, plus the descent was so slippery I just held my sandbag and slid down on my butt. Finally, the race was coming to an end and I was sprinting down a double black diamond slope to finish strong. I ran up the slippiest Slip Wall and went under the snow pit before getting to jump over the fire to victory! I ended up finishing faster than my parents thought I would and they missed my finish, they came out in time to see me get my medal though (Luckily Spartan 

Race captured my fire jump for them to see!)!

I thought the first US Winter Spartan was challenging and fun! It was a fast course and the conditions definitely tested my grit. I raced this Sprint as if I were in the Elite heat, taking no help and doing all 30 burpees for each of the three obstacles I missed. Even with 90 burpees, I was able to run almost the entire race and finish the 3.45 mile course in a time of 1:14:18. I finished 4^th in my age group, which to my surprise qualified me for the Age Group Division at OCR World Championships!

After the Winter Spartan Sprint, I decided it was time to revaluate my goals. I have shifted my training focus towards the races I have already registered for and graduating college on a high note! When I started my Spartan journey last July I never had any intentions on running in the Elite or Competitive waves, and I definitely did not believe I would ever qualify for OCR World Championships; however, that has changed because from here on out I will be racing in either the Elite or Competitive waves at OCR events to prepare me for OCR World Championships. I also know that it is probably not realistic for me to think I will be qualifying for the Boston Marathon this year since I still have no full marathons on my race schedule. Instead I will focus my road race goals on PRing in my upcoming half marathon and the Broad Street 10 mile Run. I may have started this year off lacking a plan of action, focus, and motivation to work towards my goals; but I am in a new state of mind and I am not going to make the same mistakes again. Instead of just writing out goals I wrote a set training plan for each goal to keep me on track and motivated. So far this year, I have learned so much about myself and have achieved things I never dreamed possible. If these early months of 2017 have taught me anything it is that my future is BOUNDLESS!