Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon DC

After an amazing and very full day in Washington DC with my BRFF Meg, it was time to settle in, get things prepared for the next day’s race, and get some sleep!

This is where everything started falling apart for me! Pre-race I stick to a very strict routine, LOTS of sleep, LOTS of water, and LOTS of bland food! I pretty much threw all of my rules out of the window, and did not prepare for this race in the way I would if I were at home.

After eating a very heavy Mexican meal, I laid out my outfit for the next day, noticing that I had forgotten to pack/buy my very important pre-race food!! ACK!! I was nervous about fueling on different foods in the morning, but knew I needed to eat something! Meg had a package of crackers with peanut butter, and I figured that would have to get me through the race.

I did not sleep very well that night, I was nervous about the run, and my stomach was acting up – nothing new, as it has been a complete wreck for about the last 3 weeks! Grrrr.

The alarm clock went off at 4:30, but we stayed in bed until just after 5am. It was nice not to have to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn for a race! We quickly dressed and made out way to the metro. It was crowded, as I suspected it would be, and we stood the entire ride to the race. I ate my crackers and tried to convince myself that I would be okay without my normal oatmeal and banana!

Things went really fast once we got to the starting line! This was definitely my very favorite and least nervous wait for a race I have ever had! There were so many people to talk to, and so many hugs as friends found Meg and I. It was really exciting, and my normal corral-panic never set in!!

We met the 2:30 pacer group, and had a blast chatting it up with him! This diversion really helped me calm down and not think about the race! I had decided that I would run with Meg and Carolyn for the entire race, I really wanted us to finish together. It would be my first ½ running with someone, and I was excited to have some running buddies!!

It wasn’t long until our corral was at the front of the start line and off on our journey through Washington DC! 

It was a beautiful morning, about 55 degrees, sunny with a cool breeze. I was loving life for the first 3 miles. I was running slightly ahead of Meg and Carolyn, trying to fall into a pace that was comfortable, but allowed me to stick close to the girls.

We had decided on taking “Monumental Selfies” along the course, pausing, but not really stopping for the major sights! I tried to fall back and get in the pictures, sometimes waiting for a short time on the side of the road for my girls!

The first 3 miles flew by! We didn’t walk even once, but I just couldn’t find my stride. My stomach was acting up by mile 4 and I knew a bathroom stop was in my future. Even with the pain I was feeling in my gut, I was loving this race, and the company of Meg and Carolyn!

 

At mile 5, I decided it was time to stop and use the bathroom. I told the girls to keep running and that I would catch up. I didn’t think it would be a long wait, there were about 10 people in line ahead of me. Unfortunately, the first two people took over 10 minutes to use the bathroom, and I was getting nervous that I would never catch up, plus I really didn’t want to lose anymore time! I left the line and started sprinting, this was probably the second mistake I made during this race! I sprinted until mile 7 according to my Garmin, I was running 9 minute miles!! ACK!!! Sprinting like this is NEVER good during a ½ marathon…..especially when you are only ½ way done!!

I caught up to Meg and Carolyn around mile 7, and we took our first walk break. I was beat and my stomach was screaming at me!! I actually felt sick, I have never, ever felt like throwing up during a race, but I was pretty sure that I was going to make this my first. We walked for awhile, they were so sweet allowing me to catch my breath and relax for a bit, I knew they wanted to get running again.

Once we started running, I knew I would not be able to keep up unless I USED the bathroom!! I was bent over in pain, and feeling so sick!

At mile 8, I was lucky enough to find a REAL bathroom and again told the girls I would catch up! The line I got into was only about 8 people long, YES!! I soon discovered that it was the men’s bathroom and that men were using it as well as the ladies! Haha! Waiting in line, I was in a lot of pain, but it was amusing watching the men run to the bathroom and get nervous when they discovered they would be using the urinals in front of a line of women!!

The line went fast, and I was quickly out and sprinting again (didn’t I learn my lesson?). I still felt sick, but I wasn’t in pain. Sprinting was not as easy as it was the first time, it actually sucked… a lot! I started panicking that I wouldn’t catch up, and that made me feel even worse.

At mile 10 I was finally able to catch up, it was such a relief, but I was shot, I was ready to be done.  It kinda put a downer on the entire rest of the race for me. I didn’t want to hold Meg and Carolyn back, I didn’t want to finish the race without them but I was feeling so awful, I didn’t think I could keep up.

Mile 11 was the Whole Food’s Chocolate mile! Sounds wonderful, right? It would have been amazing, had I not felt like throwing up! Meg and Carolyn enjoyed the chocolate (which was given out the entire mile!! So cool!!), while I tried to get my shit together and finish the race!!

I know Meg was ready to run faster, and Carolyn was looking strong, but again, they were so sweet and slowed their pace for me.

The last mile was run in a tunnel, and this is where I almost lost it completely. In the tunnel there were drummers, and it was loud!! The beat was fast, causing me to quicken my pace, and the constant pounding was only adding to my nausea! I wanted out of that tunnel so fast!!

The tunnel ends at a hill, and even though I had powered up each and every hill before then, my legs were just dead. I had to walk. It was depressing.

I don’t really remember the rest of the race, besides Meg actually stopping before the finish line to wait for me. I was focusing on not passing out in a pool of my own vomit! Meg and I crossed together, holding hands. It was an amazing feeling! I was beyond emotional that she had waited for me, it was a really special moment.

I was so happy to be done! It was finally time to collect that Tiffany necklace!! Woo! We were first handed chocolate milk – my favorite post race recovery – and then we picked up Nike bike bottles of water. There was all kinds of food to pick up, and as we moved through the line, we received space blankets to warm up in.  The volunteer who wrapped me in my blanket, was the only one to see my complete break down! I just started bawling as he wrapped me in my blanket!! I have no clue what triggered that response, but it was such a release of emotions!

I think the epic-ness of the entire weekend hit me all at once, with this man’s kind act of wrapping me in a sliver blanket. It was truly a dream-like weekend, something I never thought I would experience, the wealth of friendship, the ability of my body to carry me through, and the sense of accomplishment. Words fail me when I try to express how much this weekend means to me, it was honestly that awesome.

Luckily, I was able to pull myself together, the sun glasses hid my tears, and no one knew about the embarrassing break down I just had!

We made our way through the finish chute, and collected our Tiffany medals/necklaces! I still wasn’t feeling the best, but I was living in the moment and soaking in the experience! It was so much fun receiving our little Tiffany boxes from the tuxedo-clad men!

We waited in a photo op line to get lifted by two of the men and hold a platter full of Tiffany boxes, this line took FOREVER!! I started feeling sick again, and drank my chocolate milk. I knew the sickness was partly being hungry! I had not fueled well before the race, and it was a good part of the reason I was so sick.  The milk helped, but I was getting impatient and just wanted to get back to the hotel room.

The next part of the finish chute was the ONLY part that I disliked. Finishers were funneled through a “Finisher’s Tent”, and everyone was excited, saying that we were getting finisher shirts, this was not the case, the tent was packed with women using foam rollers, stretching and freshening up at the mirrored stations. We were like a herd of cattle moving through the tented tunnel, it was hot and sticky and stinky!! We did not take part in any of the stations in the tent, and I wished we would have been given the opportunity to walk around the tent. The tent, however was BEAUTIFUL!! Again, Nike really knows how to impress and there were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the atmosphere was really posh/VIP.

After exiting the tent, we got in the HUGE line for finisher’s merchandise. This was again, not the best use of our time, as  we found out (after waiting in line for about 25 minutes) that we could just go to the Nike store (on even online) to buy our finisher’s merchandise!!

We met up with some #Runnerslove ladies, and congratulated everyone on their finish! It was nice to end the race in the way we started!

After saying “hi” to a few more people we know from various facebook groups, we made our way back to the metro and back to our hotel room. Meg showered right away and I ate my cupcakes from the previous day. I was starving!!

We ended our day by visiting the Nike store in Georgetown again, and eating lunch at a WONDERFUL Irish Pub! Yum!!

We then made the LONG (9 hours!!) drive back to Meg’s house in CT. While the drive was super long, it was nice to have time together! J

Overall this race was fantastic!! I made some mistakes that hurt me (not fueling properly before the race, and sprinting!!), but the race itself was amazing! There were water/Nuun stops every 2 miles, orange slices, ShotBlocks, and Luna bars were given out along the course, and then there was the chocolate mile!!

The weather could not have been better and there were spectators at all points along the course. The course was beautiful, and the on-course entertainment was really fun! This is one of my very favorite courses ever!  It was well organized, and the finish line moved quickly!

I am so sad that this race is over, even though I felt really sick on the course, I have quickly forgotten the pain, and only re-live the pleasure it was to run this race! I would go back in a heartbeat!! I highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a beautiful course!  It would make a great first ½ marathon!!

This race has inspired me to put my name into the lottery for the Nike Women’s ½ in San Francisco! I cannot wait!

Thank you to Nike for giving me the ability to run this race, you are an amazing company and I am truly grateful for this opportunity!

I have to thank Meg and Carolyn for hanging in there with me, even when I felt like I couldn’t finish. I had a blast running with you two, and hope we get more opportunities to run together in the not so distant future!!

Meg, my RBFF, you made this weekend so special! Thank you for everything, and for being my friend! You are my inspiration! Love you girl!!

Thank you to all of the #Runnerslove ladies, you are an amazing group of women to call friends! I love you all so much and cannot wait for our next meet-up (where ever that may be!! J)

Mankato 1/2 Marathon Race Re-Cap

 It has been a week since I ran my "come-back" 1/2 marathon. The Mankato 1/2 marathon was not only the first 1/2 marathon I had ever run, but it was also that marathon that inspired me to start running again! 

I ran the Mankato 1/2 for the first time in 2011. This was only my 3rd race ever, and my very first 1/2. I was training for the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon, and figured that I better have a 1/2 under my belt before heading to Florida.

My first time running this race was very emotional, and I made a lot of beginner mistakes. By mile 6 I was wishing the race was over and by mile 9 I was hating everything about my life and running! I lost 3 toenails during this race, and while I was very excited to finish, I was also defeated, as I knew I needed to put more into training!

Just 3 months later I was suffering from a hip injury that caused me to stop running all together. I really never thought I would run again, the pain was so intense and affected every aspect of my daily life.

I watched the 2012 race, feeling sad that I wasn't able to run it. Watching the race was a life-changer for me. I wanted to be out there, I wanted to be training again, I wanted to run. That very day, I drove to Minneapolis to buy a new pair of running shoes, and that afternoon, I ran my first mile. I was bound and determined to run the 1/2 in 2013!!

Fast forward to October 19th, 2013 --

Marathon weekend was upon us!! I was overly excited! Training had been going great and I had trained harder and longer than I ever had before. I had run many races in the past year, and I was feeling confident!!

Heading to packet pick-up and the expo was so exciting! My sister came down from Minneapolis to run the 10k, so we went to the expo together. while the expo itself was a major let down (no real vendors, very sparse!), we were both just so happy to be running, and the excitement was thick in the air!

After picking up our packets, we decided to drive the 10k course, so my sister could visualize it. It is a FAST course!! Mostly downhill!!

The course brought us right into the heart of downtown Mankato, where the finish line was being set up. I got chills, and goosebumps and my eyes got teary. I was accomplishing a goal that I never thought would be!!

We both laid low the rest of the day. In the evening, I got the opportunity to meet up with a couple of my Twitter Followers and #RunChat friends! It was so cool to meet these people, and talk racing! Such a fun evening.

Race morning came quickly and my sister and I had a lot to do. We first dropped a car off at the finish line, since Anne would be finishing much before I would, she would need a way to find me on the course.

After getting our pre-race prep done, we headed to the starting line. What I LOVE about this race is that you can park right at the starting line.... FOR FREE!!!


It was very cold out (38 degrees?) and rainy. Not fun weather for running long distances. We waited in the car until about 10 minutes before the start of the 10k and then I walked Anne over to her starting corral. This would be Anne's 3rd race ever, and she was bursting with excitement, as she wanted to run her 10k in under an hour. Katherine Switzer welcomed the runners, and talked about her experience as the 1st woman to run the Boston Marathon. A local girl sang the National Anthem and the runners were off (on time!!). I took a few starting line pics of Anne and headed back to my car to wait. The 1/2 marathon and marathon runners did not start for another half an hour.

About 5 minutes before gun time, I walked the 20 feet to the starting line up and got into the 10 minute per mile corral. Everyone was huddling together against the wind, which had picked up since the start of the 10k and the rain, which was falling a bit harder.

I tried not to think about the weather. It was getting me down.

It wasn't a long wait until the gun went off and as I passed over the starting mat, I got teary eyed again. This was really happening!!

The first 3 miles, run on a rolling- hill highway flew by! I was really in the "zone" feeling great and running with a big smile on my face!!

Around mile 5, I stopped to use the bathroom, which took about 10 minutes due to the long lines!!!! It was probably stupid to stop, but....

Right at mile 5, the course heads downhill and becomes my normal daily training course! It is so much fun to race where I usually train. I felt so happy and so strong!

From mile 6 to mile 7.5 runners encounter lots of rolling hills and great valley views! It was still rainy and cold, but my heart was so warm from the excitement of knowing the course, and knowing where to push it and where to back off.

My sister caught up with my at around mile 7.5. She had a bottle of water for me, which was lucky because I accidentally grabbed a cup of Gatorade at the last water stop instead of water (and I DO NOT drink Gatorade, as it causes major stomach issues!)

Anne had PRed!! She was glowing!! 56 minutes!!! I was so excited for her!!

She was also very happy for me! She told me I was looking strong, and reminded me of how much I was hating life at this very point in the race in 2011!!

From that point up to mile 9 is all run on my daily training course. I cannot tell you how confident that made me feel. I have run those miles so many times. The course takes runners on a paved trail through the woods for about 1.75 miles and then into a residential area.

The on-course support was awesome! So many spectators came out to cheer on the runners. Mankato also uses various groups to act as cheer squads, and they all have different themes and cheer very loudly! At one point the entire woods surrounding the trail was decorated with halloween stuff. It was very fun!!

At around mile 9.5 runners head into a city park. This is pretty much the dreaded area for most runners who have run this course before. I completely fell apart during this part of the course in 2011, and was dreading it this year as well.

Runners dread it because it is pretty remote, there is not much support in this area. Also, there are 3 hills in the course of 2.5 miles. Then there is the smell!!! Runners run through the petting zoo, and past a nursing home kitchen, there is also a soybean manufacturing plant in this area that stinks!!Ugh!!

I told myself to keep it together, I reminded myself that I was so close to the end, not to give up. But my hip started to get the better of me. It was KILLING me, and I was trying to ignore it. I stopped a few times to stretch. The smells of this area were getting to me, and I was freezing cold. I walked a lot. More than I wanted to.

Rounding the last corner, I turned onto Mankato's main street which would be the final mile of the race. As much as I wanted to run, my hip just wasn't letting me, and I continued to walk. I ran the last 3/4 of the mile and finished the race smiling!

It was a great race, I was very proud of myself and how I ran the race. I did not finish in the time I would have liked, but without the 10 minute bathroom break, I would have finished with a PR. Oh, well! I did what I came to do. I finished!!!

After the race, I was able to stretch my hip out, and it wasn't a problem. THANK GOODNESS!!!

I will definitely run this race again in the future. It is so well supported and it is such a fantastic course!!! I am so proud of my comeback to 1/2 marathons!!!

An Awesome Day!! And my first Giveaway!!

This week has been going really well, as far as my workout schedule is concerned! I logged over 8 miles yesterday -- 4 of which were my run. I rode my bike to yoga, lifted biceps and back and went on a long walk with Ryan and his dog. The weather was perfect and I was feeling great!

Clearly not watermelon!

Have you tried Nuun?! Yum!

The day however didn't start so great. I got my much anticipated shipment Nuun and was disappointed to find it was not the flavor I ordered. Bummer. But through the power of Twitter, and the awesome Nuun company, they had my problem fixed! They are letting me keep the Cherry Limeade Nuun, and sending out the watermelon AND a pint glass! This company rocks!! That was the first of many happy social media surprises of the day!!



So.... That leads me to my very first Blog giveaway!! Woot!! I have 3 tubes of Cherry Limeade Nuun that I will be giving away on July 1st! All I ask you to do is:

1. Become a follower of my blog
2. Like and share this post on Facebook or Tweet about my giveaway @kristyrunskato #nuungiveaway

A winner will be drawn on July 1st!! Good Luck!


What could possibly make my day better?!

Well aside from some free Nuun and an excellent workout day..... I was named a new Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador!! I feel so honored! I was placed on Team Fantastic and am so excited to get to know all of the strong women on my team!

And.... to top the day off!!! I was also named a Sweat Pink Ambassador!! By the time I got this email, I was on cloud nine!! I was beyond excited to be named part of this group of powerful women!!

Wow! It was an amazing day! I was up until late in the night, following new people on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! It was a social media frenzy yesterday!! It was great!! :)

Today I am going to really work my legs! I have a 20 mile bike ride to get in, power yoga and today is a legs day in the gym!!

Please remember to enter my giveaway!! I would love for you to try Nuun if you haven't or just get some free Nuun if you love it!!