Saturday, May 27, 2023

#42: Island Time in Martha's Vineyard

I decided to start of my first race of 2023 in Massachusetts. Or of the coast of MA, on Martha's Vineyard. You might be thinking, wait, you're not going to run Boston as your MA race? While that would be amazing (and was my secret hope to save Boston for last since it's always right around my birthday, so how cool what that be to run that as I turn 50?), I've got to be honest, I'll never qualify for Boston. I'm getting slower and slower with each year, and my fastest marathon would have qualified me if I was 50 (I ran that time in my 30s). So Martha's Vineyard seemed like a good compromise. Plus, as an avid Jaws fan, I was looking forward to some kitschy shark-themed things. 

It is a bit of a pain to get there from anywhere other than the New England area, since you have to take a plane, car and a ferry. But I did have a crew of friends with me this trip, which made it more bearable. My twin sis, Krystal, frequent race-cation friend, Bethany and my boss/friend Pete. We took the ferry over the morning before the race, and this picture makes it look like it was a lot warmer than it was. Personally, coming from SWFL where it is constantly hot and humid, the temps felt amazing and bode well for race day. 

We stayed in Oaks Bluff and after hitting the expo, we hit up a local brewery, Offshore Ale Company. The AirBnB we stayed at had an empty growler that we took to fill up, which was so smart and the best deal of anything on the island. Everything was a bit pricey because it all has to come over on the ferry. Which actually doesn't explain why the seafood was also expensive, because there are tons of fishing docks there.... I digress. If you like beer and wood fired pizza, check this place out. Also a solid lobster roll.  We followed up lunch by a little shopping around the island. Also, this island is way bigger than I expected it to be. 

We didn't make plans for dinner the night before the race, which in hindsight was poor planning, but we did partake in some pre-race oysters. When in the northeast, seems silly not to, right? (We did also have some the night before in Boston.) 

The race day forecast called for rain, but starting off it was nicely overcast, cool and dry. Krystal and Bethany decided to team up for a half-marathon relay, while over-achiever Pete joined me in the full marathon. The course had a few out and back parts to it, but the first half ran through a scenic state park on the island. The organization could have been better, since we were promised energy gels, but none were left when we got to that aid station. We also heard along the way that one of the shuttle buses to the start was 20 minutes late. We heard this from a 20-something kid who was on that late bus, starting 20 mins after us, but then ran past us (humility check). 

Relay finishers
Jaws is back there somewhere
The last part of the course, it did start to rain and there was a strong wind...fortunately it was behind us. If we had been running into it, I would have probably just walked it in. We stopped for a selfie as we ran over the "Jaws bridge."  I honestly don't remember this part of the movie, but my sister looked it up to confirm. 

Medal that didn't have a shark
Coastline course
I was struggling at the end quite a bit. I had been sick with what I thought was a cold the week before, and then found out after the race, from my husband who caught this from me, that he had COVID. Which likely means, I also had COVID. So all things considered, my time wasn't too bad.  Bethany actually rented a bike to come find us on the course and even braved the rain to cheer us on for 10 seconds. Her smiling face appeared in the last few miles, and it's funny how much seeing a friendly face and hearing some words of encouragement can make a difference and get you to the finish.           

It was pretty rainy the rest of the day so we lounged around our rental house eating popcorn, left over pizza and drinking beer from our growler. Also over the course of the weekend, we watched the entire Godfather trilogy. The second one is the best, third is the worst. Discuss amongst yourselves. 

Dinner was in Edgartown (yep, where the Kennedy's stay) at a place called Detente. Great little wine and spirits shop right next to that place as well which had the best selection of any other place we checked out on the island.  

The remnants
Fish market vibes
We didn't have oysters race-day, which I know is out of the norm. We saved up for them at the Menemsha fish market, where we had a seafood extravaganza of oysters, lobster bisque, lobster roll, and clam chowder. All amazing. 

We spent the day after the race driving around the island. The weather was beautiful: sunny and cool. We visited the Aquinnah Cliffs and the Gay Head Lighthouse which have a pretty cool story of folklore attached to them. Apparently a giant named Moshup would grab whales from the ocean and slap them against the side of the cliff to kill them, and the whales' blood is what gives the cliffs their red color. Or it's the clay. 
Aquinnah Cliffs
Gay Head Lighthouse















We found another cool brewery back near Edgardtown, called Bad Martha's. This place is nestled right inside of a nursery (plants, not babies). Great to sit outside, have some great beer and an ridiculously large cheese plate. We had a few beers, a lot of cheese and played some cornhole or bags, depending on where you're from.

Overall, it was a fun weekend, and sometimes it is actually fun to have someone to suffer through a marathon with. I run so many alone, so I forget this. I'm glad this race gave me the opportunity to visit a place I probably would never go to, which really is one of the coolest things about taking on this challenge of running a marathon in every state. I'd be surprised if I return to Martha's Vineyard. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but so hard to get to if you don't live in that part of the country. We took every form of transportation except a train to get there and back. But if you live up there, go for it! Another state checked off, and only 8 states left and 4 years to get all 50 by 50! Too far along to stop now. 





Sunday, January 1, 2023

2022 Marathon Blog Bundle

So I did not get around to writing a blog for ANY of the marathons I ran in 2022 before 2022 actually ended. I guess I have a goal for 2023 now. Stay even slightly more on top of writing these things. Here are some brief highlights for marathons 39, 40 and 41. 

#39: May 2022 in Eugene, Oregon

Bigfoot Homer
This was such a cool marathon as Eugene, OR is known as "TrackTown USA." But for some, that particular area in Oregon is also cool because Springfield, OR, is said to be the "Springfield" of the Simpsons. The race course takes you through Springfield's main street and past some fun murals that are all over the town. My sister, who joined me to do her first half-marathon (woot woot!) is also a big Simpsons fan so we did walk around the town the next day to see all of them, or those we could find at least. And these are just the tip of the mural iceberg.  
Stupid sexy Flanders

If you want a flat course, this one is pretty level. The temperature happened to be great, and the sun stayed behind the clouds until the end, which was nice so it didn't get too hot. The best part of the entire race is finishing on the track of Hayward Field, which has hosted U.S. Olympic trials and the World Athletic Championships.

Finishers!
Lots of energy from the crowd as you come in and your name comes up on the big jumbo-tron as well. Another great things about the finish was free (good) beer, and freshly made pancakes. It sounds weird, but IPA and pancakes isn't a bad combo.

To celebrate finishing marathons and half-marathons, we decided to enjoy some of the local wineries the day after the race. Our first stop was White Rose Estates. The employees were personable and knowledgeable, the wine was tasty, and the tasting room was really cool. Worth a stop if you're in the area.

White Rose Estates
Stop #2 was Domain Drouhin. This place felt very French and the wine was delicious. Probably the best of the wineries we visited. 

Domaine Drouhin

Third and final stop was Argyle, known for its bubbly, so of course I had to try a flight of the sparkling ones. The tasting room was really cool, and modern, and they also had some cheese plates for purchase which was nice since we were starving, but probably #3 in the ranking of wine tastiness. 

Argyle Winery bubbly flight

You may be wondering at this point, why I have not mentioned having oysters. Well, oddly enough, I could not find an oyster joint open on a Sunday afternoon/evening in Eugene so I had to wait until we got to Portland for me to have oysters. My sis was a good sport since she's a vegetarian and tagged along with me.  We went to a place that seemed like it had been around for a really long time, so it had to be good, right? The oysters were fresh and did not disappoint. I do love a good West Coast oyster.  

Dan and Louis Oyster Bar
And that was it for Oregon. 

#40: August 2022 in Rachel, Nevada

This is a race I was supposed to run in August 2021, but got hit with COVID-19 the week before the race. The race organizers were kind enough to give me a partial credit towards the 2022 registration. So, the Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon allowed me to check off Nevada. This race can be summed up fairly easily. Horrible. Ok, maybe that is harsh, since there is a little bit of coolness factor on running a marathon in the middle of the night. But geez, it is challenging to work with when to sleep and when to eat with the odd timing. 
Despite winning my age group (out of maybe 5 of us, but I'll take the win) this race was not fun at all. You catch a bus at around 8 pm from Las Vegas that takes you to the start line at the Little Ale'Inn. It starts at midnight and you run 26.2 miles one way (7 miles uphill) and back and then another way and back along the Extraterrestrial Highway. It's called this I guess because this road has the most UFO sightings. Runners are also warned to look out for cows. My first thought was, cows in the desert? Do the UFOs pick them up from Iowa and beam them down there? I didn't see any UFOs or cows for that matter, which was disappointing on both fronts. 
Because we were running in the middle of the night and literally in the middle of the highway in the desert, you are required to wear lots of reflective things and a light. Which means you basically become a beacon to every biting insect in the desert. I didn't realize they had any biting insects in the desert but they do. I also now know what a windshield at night now feels like. 

Glimpse of the full moon.

I did not partake of oysters after this one, as I spent most of the day sleeping since it was about 12 hours later when I got back to my hotel room at 8:00 am. Probably the only time I've been in Vegas and didn't go to the pool, catch a show or go to a club. So I'm officially old. And with that....Nevada, check. 

#41: December 2022 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Kiawah Island is near Charleston, which is one of my favorite cities. As it was the holiday season, I tried to partake of some of the local holiday events, which included the Aquarium Aglow at the South Carolina Aquarium. Saw some lights and some sharks so can't complain too much, although it was a bit smaller than I was expecting. But I did learn some valuable information, which now that I know this, I'm surprised this doesn't happen to me more often than it does (I'm talking about getting pooped on). 

I had an amazing carb-loaded dinner at Cru Cafe. I had a pork schnitzel dish, which was hearty and delicious. The staff was really great, even the kitchen team since I had a bar side seat to watch all the magic happening back there. Super cute place with phenomenal food. It was also good the next day post-race as well. 

The course took place on Kiawah Island, which is home to a massive golf resort. The logistics were pretty annoying, since it was hard to find accommodations on the island, and even if you did, a shuttle to the start is still required. So you had to get to the parking area pretty early, but at least they had a warm building to wait inside since we were all there at least an hour before the start. And race-day packet pick up was another nice perk.
There were several "Alligator crossing" and "Beware of alligators" signs, which I suppose now living in Florida should feel more normal, but typically where I run, it's not so close to murky waters edges, like this course was. The morning started out a but drizzly, but that stopped early on, so the weather was pretty perfect for marathon running, with temperatures in the 50s. But I had a hard time warming up after this one. I tried to warm up from the inside out by having one of the free beers on hand.  This race also has a pretty cool medal, if anyone is in it for the bling. Good colors, moving parts. What more can you ask for? 
I did partake of oysters after this race, and went to Pearlz Oyster Bar. I had some oysters that I'd never heard of before, Low Tiders, which I think were from North Carolina, and Rocky Rhodes from Rhode Island, I'm guessing? Wherever they were from, they were all pretty darn good. I chatted with a plastic surgeon sitting next to me at the bar, which is always one of the fun parts of traveling to do these races, and when you go by yourself, (someone has to stay home with the dogs), it forces you to be open to chatting with random strangers either on the course, or at the bar. 
And that brings 2022 running to a close. I started the year with West Coast oysters, and ended with East Coast oysters, with some French ones in between! I think I've only done a handful of short runs since that last race in early December. The motivation has been a little lacking for me lately, so hoping with the new year, I have some renewed motivation to get out there, try and bring my speed back up (because I've gotten soooooo slow), and keep plugging away at these last 9 states. I'm not sure what's up next, but I can be sure that I'll write about it several months after it happens. 

The end of the year leaves me very grateful for surviving my first year of marriage as of yesterday (it was actually really easy as my husband is great), and also surviving my first hurricane in Florida, Hurricane Ian, which was massively devastating to so many in the area where I live. I am so grateful to be physically capable enough to join my colleagues and the community in volunteering to do the hard work of helping those less fortunate clear out their damaged homes. It was a very humbling and heartbreaking experience. I hope 2023 brings the rebuilding and healing to those who have been impacted by this storm and all the other craziness going on in the world today. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023! 
 

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Montana Mountains and Connecticut Cursing



I went into 2021 planning on running a midnight marathon in Nevada, but COVID had other plans. A week before that race, I tested positive. Fortunately my symptoms were fairly mild and I was only off the road for about a week. Since I was already trained to run a race, I tried to find another state with one coming up. Bozeman Montana was the winner. So a month after having COVID, (and a few negative tests) I was off to Bozeman to run a hilly, mountainous marathon. 

I was pleasantly surprised by Bozeman. A very hipster-y sort of town. The first day I arrived I explored the Big Sky area, which was about 45 mins from Bozeman, in the Gallatin Valley. There were a lot of hiking options, but since I was alone and running a marathon the next day, I tried to play it safe by picking a family-friendly, well populated trail, the Ousel Falls trail. I realized why they call Montana the Big Sky state. I finished off the day carb-loading at a local brewery, Beehive Basin, in downtown Big Sky. There was no shortage of good beer in Montana. 

Race day morning, we were loaded onto school buses and dropped off in the middle of a dark field in the middle of nowhere. If I watched a lot a true crime, I'm sure my imagination would have been going through a lot of unpleasant scenarios. I think it was too cold through for any murderous ill-doers to be out there. It was maybe about 36 degrees, and I was not dressed for these temperatures. By the time the race started, I had no feeling left in my toes and couldn't stop shivering.  


The sun quickly came up though and while it was a challenging, hilly course, the views were amazing. I didn't finish with a great time, but I did finish, which I was pretty proud of having only had COVID a month earlier. 

Very Montana medal
I did visit a few breweries after the race, and ordered an IPA at Nordic Brewery simply because it was named Princess Unicorn. I typically avoid IPAs, but how could I pass up that name. And much to my dismay, they are starting to grow on me. I also visited the local hot springs just outside of downtown Bozeman.  They were a bit commercialized and not a pool of hot water in the wilderness, but still pretty amazing. Plus, you get the benefit of going from the hot pools into the icy cold baths and then repeating. They say it's good for circulation. 


Unfortunately, I didn't have the traditional oysters after this race. I did replenish my carbs with some delicious pasta at a restaurant with very unique artwork. 

About a month and a half later, I snuck in another marathon before the end of 2021 to try and keep on track with at least 2 races a year. I headed off to West Haven, Connecticut for the Savin Rock marathon. 

A bit of a different landscape from Montana. West Haven greeted me with gray skies and rainy beaches. One thing that both race courses had in common where the hills. I spent most of this race cold, wet and cursing the weather the entire way. I really did not want to be out there and it was really hard to keep going. At least I got a medal with a shark on it out of the whole ordeal.
The presumed Savin Rock

Right down the road from my hotel, in the famed town of Orange, CT was the PEZ factory. Since it was still raining, and I couldn't think of anything else to do, I took a visit. Some interesting facts, PEZ was invented in Austria in 1927 as a breath mint to cover smoke breath, and derived from the German word for peppermint, "pfeffrerminz."  I'm not sure how it became the company of character dispensers, but they had display after display of old dispensers throughout the years. I captured photos of some real gems, even one that I'm not sure ever made it to market, which is probably a good thing. I'm not sure the Colonel would have been flattered by his likeness.



 I did finish the visit off with my traditional post-race oysters at a place in New Haven that made amazing cocktails as well. 

So that wrapped up 2021 for races 37 and 38.  And I rang in 2022 by getting married! Upcoming blog on my first race of 2022 in Eugene, Oregon, and perhaps a second chance at that Nevada midnight marathon! 


Sunday, August 22, 2021

Running towards the Bling...and Then More Bling

 As usual, this is a way over due post on my last marathon, which was waaaaayyy back in November 2020. But as I'm sure the rest of you can relate to, time has both seemed to stop but is also flying by. So now it's August 2021 and I'm just getting to this post. 

So because of our friend COVID, state numero 36 was....you guessed it in Florida. I hadn't run the sunshine state yet, so it worked out that I could run a race and not have to really travel far. I opted for the Space Coast Marathon in Cocoa Beach, near Cape Canaveral where all the space launches happen. My boyfriend of a little over a year at this point came along with my furry sidekick Dean. This was the boyfriend's first time joining me for a race and his first time also as a spectator. For some reason, he was not surprised by how much of the hotel room I took over with my race gear and supplies. I guess he'd known me long enough to know that I'd take over the room. 

The race was the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, which was great because you can eat all the turkey, mashed potatoes and pie with less guilt knowing you're going to burn all the extra calories off in a few days. Because of the pandemic, there were different rules in place. We all had to wear masks in the start corral and had to maintain a socially safe distance between other runners. We were allowed to remove them once we started, but I did keep mine on for a few miles until we were all spaced out a little more. 

It was dark when the race started, but fortunately where we started was fairly well lit. The nice thing about starting when its dark is that you get to also see the sunrise.  I can think of worse scenery to run along side. 

The boyfriend was supposed to meet me around the half way mark, but realized as I got close to that point that the halfway point was in a different place than the where the half-marathoners would be finishing. I sent a quick text to let him know so hopefully he would be in the right place, but that didn't seem to work out. Oh well, there was still 13 miles left to find him. 

The second half of the race was an out and back so there were many opportunities for him and the dog to cheer me on, which they were successful in. I think he was surprised at how complicated spectating was and how little time you have to get between spots. But I saw him probably at least 6 times. I think the last time I saw him was around mile 22 or 23. Of course I'm exhausted and not really thinking of anything other than how much it hurts and that I STILL have 3 miles left. Some part of me thought I heard him at that last point say something amidst my music about running to get a ring, but I pretty much dismissed that thinking I heard it wrong. 

I get to the finish line and didn't see boyfriend, but did find him shortly after. Little Dean was such a trooper running all over the place with him, and did so good for a 15-year-old pooch. We both took a little rest in the shade after the race. 

Because of COVID, they didn't hand out the race medals at the finish, we got them in the bag at packet pickup, so it was a little anti-climatic not getting the race bling at the finish. Regardless, it was some pretty cool hardware and pretty big as far as race medals go. 

So remember that part where I thought I heard something about a ring? Well, obviously I didn't hear that right since I made it to the finish and there was no bling of any kind waiting for me at the finish line. And to be honest, I wasn't really thinking of that at all after finishing. I was focused on showering and food. So we headed back to the hotel so I could shower, rest a bit and then think about where to get post-race oysters. Ends up though, that I did hear him right, and was surprised after my shower with some extra post-race bling and a proposal! Seems he had planned all along to do it at the finish line, but then was a little nervous with all the people around, not wanting to make a big spectacle of anything. Regardless, it was a private and perfect proposal, to which I said yes! 

Marathon complete? Check. Engaged? Check. Oysters? Not checked. Off to Jazzy's for the traditional post-race and engagement celebratory oysters. Super fun atmosphere, which I would expect nothing less from a place called Jazzy's. And for those of you know anyone who goes by the moniker, Jazzy, I'm sure, you'd agree. ; )  Definitely a very Florida vibe, with great food and fresh oysters. 

Obviously, this marathon was memorable for many reasons. It was in the middle of a global pandemic, it had a ginormous medal, and I got engaged. Number 37 was supposed to happen this weekend, but as many things in the past year and a half, it didn't happen as planned. We're not out of the woods yet with our friend COVID, who just won't leave, and it seems this Delta variant is a tricky lil' bastard, even with those who are vaccinated. This virus doesn't care if you're young, old, black, white, religious, atheist, Republican or Democrat. So vax up, mask up, and please do your part to take care of your family, your friends, your community and yourself. Ok, off my soap box.  Take care of yourself and each other. Stay safe out there! 



Sunday, September 13, 2020

Mo' Cowbell, Mo' Medal, Mo' Marathons

You'd think I wouldn't have waited 6 months into a pandemic, where there is nothing to do all weekend, no races to train for, remote working, etc. to write a blog post for marathons I ran in October 2019 and March 2020. But yet, I've continued to put this off. Puzzles, Netflix binge watching and home organization seem to have taken a priority. And here in Florida, we've still been able to bike, run and walk around outside at a safe social-distance. 

2000 pieces everbody! 

So I guess I'll start with the first, last race I've not shared. 

Let me take you back to October, 2019. To a time when there was no COVID-19, the country wasn't in mass-protest, travel was a thing, hands were soft and alcohol free, recycle bins weren't overflowing with wine/beer/liquor bottles, and politics were normal... well maybe not that last one. I'm not taking us back that far. But there were still marathons! My race-cation crew of Sangeeta and Bethany were along for the half-marathon, and we all met up from our respective cities in the Gateway to the West, St. Louis for the Mo' Cowbell marathon. Don't get confused, this race is not named as such to encourage race spectators to bang those dang annoying instruments more. It was named as an homage to a great skit on SNL with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. There were unfortunately still plenty of actual cowbells assaulting my ears along the race course. 

So when running in St. Louis, carb-loading at the Anheuser-Busch brewery is required, I'm pretty sure. We checked that off the list post-expo and post-tacos at Mission Taco. And we of course did the obligatory visit to the Arch. 

If you are looking to do a race in Missouri, this is one that is well organized, the course is nice and the best part is that they had no lines for the post-race massages (at least by the time I finished) :). Sangeeta and Bethany had also scoped out the best post-race vendors with the best swag.

Pre-race. Fresh and smiling

Post-race. Less fresh, still smiling



















We did follow our post-race tradition of oysters. We brought our own bubbly, thinking we would just be charged a nominal corkage fee by the restaurant. For those of you in places like Chicago where BYOB is prevalent, then you are familiar with the typical $5-$10 corkage fee. We didn't really give it much thought, but then got the bill and was shocked to see it was $25! Of course, our key negotiator Sangeeta got the bartender to reduce it significantly, and we rewarded him with forgetting to sign the tab (we called back later once we realized it). 
And with that, another state and another marathon checked off the list. 

Now let me take you back to the 80s (or March 2020 in Little Rock, AR). This race was a make up from the year before, when I was stuck in travel hell and missed the race. Race directors were kind enough to let me defer my registration to this year, which I feel like was a blessing in disguise, since the 2020 theme was...drumroll..... the 80s (compared to the Space Odyssey in 2019). Who doesn't love the 80s?  

Me, I love the 80s

I felt a little bit like I just snuck this race in (which was on March 1st) just before the country went into stay-at-home mode.  But when we can travel again, and you just so happen to may your way to Little Rock, I recommend driving a bit out of the way to Hot Springs. Great hiking, great hot springs and great beer. I spent the day there pre-race. 

Hiking in Hot Springs National Park
Flight at Superior Bathhouse Brewing

When you forget flip flops and you have to buy them at the bathhouse. But you get to keep them forever!

So basically, I'm pretty sure people run this race simply for the ginormous medal. I mean, that is why I did it. It truly is probably the best medal I've ever received, in both size and detail. 

Race day 80s vibe

Detail
Perspective

I celebrated state number 35 on my journey to 50 with, you guessed it, oysters. A little joint called Flying Fish. Good seafood, good beer and great kitsch.

Oyster (shells) and beer

Kitsch

And that was the last marathon I've done. Normally I would be training to run another marathon this fall, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to run another one. I know they are still happening in some places, but I've not thought too hard about doing another one this year. Honestly, it has been kind of nice to not be training so much. I've been able to do more cycling, more strength training and I've taken up pickleball (when in Rome). I do miss the travel though, which I think for me has been one of the hardest parts of all this. Because no travel means not seeing new places, and not seeing my friends and family. But just like a marathon, this pain is temporary. And let's just hope for a big shiny medal at the end of all this!  My thoughts are with all of you who might be sick, who have lost loved ones during the pandemic or who may be struggling financially. You're stronger than you realize, and we'll get through this. Be safe!