Tag: Endurance

Stumpy’s Marathon: A 10 year old’s birthday party

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In the process of training for the impending Vermont 50, John and I have completed several organized trail races. There are definite advantages to entering races, even if you are just doing the race as a training day. For example, the excitement of a race day along with running in a completely new place can help break up the monotony of training. I just love the feeling of waking up on a race day morning, and the excitement of wondering what’s around the next bend in the trail. Another key advantage is aid station support, which means you don’t have …

Who is a “real” runner?

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Yesterday at the gym, I ran into an acquaintance, who has done marathons and triathlons, including an ironman. During the course of our small talk, he made an off-hand comment, “I think you’re not really running if you aren’t doing an 8 minute mile.” Oh, reeeee-aaaaa-lllll-yyyyy? I’d like to see him maintain an 8 minute per mile pace over 50 miles of rugged single-track trail that climbs 9,000 feet. I vehemently disagree with such arrogant and condescending pronouncements of who is and is not a runner.  However, I figured in the interest of a quick conversation, I wouldn’t argue the …

Labor Pain Endurance Run: A Labor of FUN!

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My husband John spends time on the internet looking for crazier and longer races. He succeeded in finding us a doozy to celebrate Labor Day Weekend: The Pretzel City Sports’ First Annual Labor Pains 12 hour endurance run. We managed to talk Tracy, my sister-in-law, into the craziness. Tracy’s plan was to use this race as training for the upcoming Atlantic City Marathon, October 17, during which she WILL qualify for Boston 2011 (oh, yeah baby – we will have quite the Boston Posse!). Our approach to this race was quite relaxed. In fact, I didn’t even commit to doing …

My bucket list isn’t getting any shorter…

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Despite the fact that I have been systematically checking things off my bucket list (marathon, ultra, Ironman, and so on), it continues to grow. The newest addition? Thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. The latest desire is a result of a training run that John and I took last weekend along 20 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently, the bucket list is a little bit like knowledge: the more you know, the more you realize you want to know. The more we do, the more we realize we want to do. We had traveled to Vermont seeking a training weekend in preparation …

Losing control: Cannonman Half-Iron Triathlon Race Report

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I am neurotic about being prepared and having my gear organized. Perhaps you remember the pictures of my gear for Lake Placid, all carefully laid out and prepared. Or, maybe, you remember me writing about the packing lists I check and re-check to keep track of all of my gear. Apparently, I took a break from that approach for the Cannonman half-iron distance triathlon, which was held on August 22, 2010 at the Shawnee State Park, in Schellsburg, PA. I assure you, this break from the uber-Type A approach to racing was not freely chosen. There were several forces at …

My secret trail

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I cross the street, tuck into a partially hidden trail that snakes behind the neighborhood houses, and vanish from the asphalt running world. Fallen tree branches criss-cross the first few meters of this particular trail, which starts just a few tenths of a mile down the street from my house. I hop-skip over some of the limbs, while others require more careful navigation. The branches snap under my feet. Sometimes, when I land in just the right way, they ricochet upwards, and smack my legs. I relish the feeling. My legs are alive, moving, feeling part of the natural world. …

Regular life

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After months and months of preparation for my first Ironman in Lake Placid, it seems that I failed to prepare for one thing: the post-Ironman blues. I had read about feeling depressed or sad after completing endurance events, such as an Ironman, but I was in denial that such a state of mind would creep into my consciousness. Pre-race, I thought: Depressed?! Are you kidding? I’ll be so pumped to have my “regular” life back. Guess what? Turns out that “regular life” has changed, and I am sad, irritable, edgy, unfocused, and  listless. I find myself recalling fondly, nostalgically even, …

Ironman Lake Placid: Running to the Finish

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The run course begins along Main Street, among thousands of people, cheering, ringing cow bells, shouting words of encouragement, and drinking lots of beer, which I could smell on the breath of some of the spectators. That is how close they get to you on the run course. A group of spectators held up a sign that read, “Free Beer!” I wonder if anyone took them up on that. One woman commented to me, “You are looking strong! Have some beer!” I replied, laughing, “Not sure I’ll keep looking strong if I drink that!” During the first three miles, I …

Ironman Lake Placid 2010: The Bike & T2

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Once clipped in, I had no choice but to go down… …the hill, that is. As you come out of the transition area on the bike, there is a sharp almost 180-degree turn that takes you down a hill. After that, you head down a sharp but short descent on a street that is in motion, with hundreds and hundreds of people, screaming their heads off. I tried my best to enjoy this part, but I was nervous. It was raining, I was surrounded by hundreds of other athletes, and it all seemed just a bit chaotic. As with the …

Ironman Lake Placid 2010: The Swim & T1

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At precisely 7:00 a.m., the cannon went off to signal the start of Ironman Lake Placid for over 2,700 age group athletes. I looked at Carrie, one of the athletes I was talking with prior to the start, and said, “Oh, is that us?” She laughed and said, “Yup, that’s us!”   I was in no hurry to start. My plan was to wait one minute before starting. So, I walked along the banks to the start line of the swim. (I had been standing about 50 yards from the official start line.) I looked ahead as the washing machine …