RACE REVIEW:THE ARAVAIPA STRONG 50K

Back in February I was training for Boston.  I was also battling wicked plantar fasciitis in my left foot.  It's an unpredictable and incredibly annoying injury that plagues many of us and that, despite my many, many, assorted efforts, I can not seem to get rid of.  Naturally, I was training right through it because I'm stubborn and impatient and admittedly addicted to running.  There, I said it.  I feel it's worth noting here that I did cross train for a month to try and give it a break and when I eased back in to running it came right back.  If time off the road wasn't going to cure me then, screw it, back to training I would go.  I was, however, going to PT twice a week for some graston work, ultrasound and massage therapy and doing tons of mobility exercises on my own in an effort to minimize the pain.  With all this, things were actually going pretty well as I was stringing together a few runs in a row without major discomfort and operating under the assumption that I would be lining up in Hopkinton despite the situation.  Perhaps I wouldn't be able to run my best but damned if I wasn't going to give it a shot.  And then, due to the Corona Virus, everything changed.  All races were canceled.  Schools closed.  Businesses shut down.  Life, as we know it, was put on hold and moved inside.  For a couple weeks, at least from a running standpoint, it was business as usual for me.  I was doing my long runs.  I was doing my speed work.  I was taping, icing, stretching and rolling my foot, which still hurt but I didn't really care.  I just wanted to train.  I needed it.  For my sanity.  And for some normalcy in my life which was becoming less and less normal by the day.  And then it was April.  And my motivation to work hard was dwindling for obvious reasons.  I could feel myself spiraling down a bit mentally because I had no big goals on the horizon and no job to keep me distracted since our spring track season was now canceled.  It was not good.  By some struck of luck, or more realistically because I've been scrolling social media more often than usual these days, I stumbled on the Aravaipa Strong Virtual Race series.  So, I checked out the web site and I liked what I saw.  Registered participants could choose their race distance (5k-100 miles), pick a day within the required window to get it done and submit results to make it official all while supporting the Aravaipa race company, which I felt good about because they had to cancel all of there events this spring.  And on top of that, they would also be giving a percentage of the registration fees to Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. This seemed like a no brainer to me.  But, if I was going to do it, I was going to go big.  No 5K for me.  I was going for the 50k.  Because it was time for something new.  And I needed to set some different goals.  And because why the hell not?  I instantly texted my coach.  Note - it was April 7th.

Me:Lowell! Can I sign up for a virtual 50K and be ready to run by April 26th?
Lowell:I need a little more info here.  What is the motivation?  Are you willing to drop quality work to make sure we keep you healthy enough?
Me:Sorry. A bit random.  I know.  My motivation is boredom and a desire to try something different.  And to have a goal that's new but not too stressful.  And did I mention I'm bored?  I don't know.  I just saw it and looked like a fun challenge.  But maybe it's too much?
Lowell:Doing any faster running this month and trying to run farther than ever is a recipe for disaster.  You can do one but not both.  What calls to you more?
Me:Well, I love the faster work but it really sets me back a few days due to the pain in my foot afterwords.  Maybe it makes sense to switch gears a bit.  That said, I don't want to lose all my speed.
Lowell: You don't lose it.  You just put it in hibernation.
Me:So can I do it and then have time to build back up in order to run fast again for Boston in the fall?
Lowell:Yes.  That is *IF* Boston happens.
Me:Do you think it's crazy/stupid/other?
Lowell:You aren't new to this sport, Rebecca. You've been training and racing hard for a long time. You have to chase goals that keep it interesting and exciting. Doing the same thing season after season because it's what you're used to is fine but only if that scratches you where you itch.
Me:Right.  Maybe I need a new itch to scratch right now.  I think I want to try it.
Lowell:Done. I will take a look at your plan and see what adjustments make sense.
Me: Go team.

Fast forward to this past Saturday.  For the two weeks leading up to it I'd managed to squeeze in a couple 20 milers along with a steady string of easy days with more "off days" than usual sprinkled in to give my foot some extra rest leading up to race day.  Ready or not I was going for it.  As always, I laid my gear out the night before mainly just to get fired up and make it all feel legit.  We've had a pretty crappy spring here in Boston with low temps and lots of rain but I woke up to a beautiful, sunny, dry day on Saturday.  Lucky me.

Again, as always, I got up early and sat and had coffee with Clover by my side.  It was only 35 degrees out, so we didn't sit on the porch as we usually do.  But, it still felt good to stick with tradition.  I felt a little bad as Clover thought we were getting ready for a walk, since I sit on the steps each morning before I take her.  Little did she know that I was leaving and would be gone for over four hours.

I ate a couple waffles, drank some NUUN, stuffed my toolbelt roga pockets with fuel, said goodbye to my husband (my girls weren't up yet), and headed outside.  And that's when it hit me that I was taking off for a thirty one mile run.  Wait...what?  This was new territory for me.  I've never run farther than a marathon.  I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous about this undertaking.  But I was also really excited for the adventure and I knew it was what I needed to shake things up.  Yes, I wore my bib.  And, yes, I'm a total dork.  Don't care.

Not to worry, I'll spare you the thirty one mile play by play and try to stick with the highlights.  My first ten miles flew by.  Literally.  I was taking it nice and easy, just enjoying being outside and feeling very relieved that my body felt good and I wasn't feeling any pain in my foot.  I got started around 8:00am so there weren't many people out which was nice as I wasn't feeling stressed about needing to keep my distance.  I had to stop and take a photo of these kindness rocks around mile seven.  I don't believe anyone who says they can see this and it doesn't put a smile on their face.  The collection used to be about six rocks and has grown substantially over the past couple months.  I love the messages which include things like, BE BRAVE, BE WELL and most importantly, DON'T COUGH ON ME.

My husband met me at mile ten with water and more fuel in case I needed it later on.  He brought the dogs and I couldn't help but feel like they were cheering for me as I came in to the stop.  Clover could have cared less but Enzo is a mama's boy and was likely wondering where the hell I'd been and if he could get out of the car and come with me.

Fully hydrated and fueled, I thanked Jeff and headed back out.  My running bud, Steve, who I've been getting out with at a safe distance since this whole thing started, had agreed to join me for twelve miles or so which I knew would be a very welcome and much needed distraction for those middle miles.  We met up around mile thirteen and I was still feeling pretty good.  Though I always tend to forget that Steve only has one gear and it's not slow, so most of the miles in this section were a bit faster than I'd planned.  The benefit of his company far outweighed the fast pace, but I knew I'd be paying for it the next day.  I made a note when we hit 26.2 miles, first because I was pretty proud of my marathon time but also because from that point on I'd be embarking on this knew ultra journey which felt pretty damn cool.

Steve ran with me for about fourteen miles.  By the end we were flying, ticking off 7:20 miles.  I was doing my best to hold on knowing I'd be able to dial it back when I was on my own again.  I gave him shit about his inability to pace himself or me, for that matter, to which he responded, "Sorry, Trax.  It's just, when I can smell the finish I just can't help myself."  I mean, I get it.  But still.  Pace aside, I was super grateful that he had come along for a large section of my run.  I owe him big time.  We signed off with a virtual fist pump at mile twenty seven and with only four miles to go I knew my first ultra was in the bag.

I put my music back on and took off for the final stretch.  It was warmer at this point and I was coated in salt but, surprisingly, I still felt pretty decent all things considered.  I was so ready to be done that I maintained a nice, swift pace as I headed back toward home.  Swift for me, mind you.  Not McKenna swift.  A true 50K is 31.1 miles so I was actually done before I got to my house.  But, due to all of the extra dodging and weaving I'd had to do during the second half in order to avoid other people who were outside, I'd tacked on about a half mile which I still ran because I, too, could smell the finish.

And that, my friends, is the story of my first ultra.  Yes, I loved every minute of it.  And yes, this is likely the first of many.  Because I felt something different with this distance.  A new freedom in running just to run.  No strings attached.  I love marathon training and racing to get faster.  But I feel like, after twenty five marathons, I might be ready to embark on a new chapter of sorts.  Later that day my coach checked back in with me.

Lowell:BOOM! You feel good about delving into the shallow end of the crazy ultra pool?

Me: Yep. I might be hooked.

Lowell:Safe to call this experiment a success?  Sounds like this might be just the beginning....

Me: Yes. And yes. But, I'm guessing you predicted this.

Lowell: I am not at all surprised.

And so it begins.

Listen to this:

Radical - AWOLNATION

AWOLNATION · Radical

RWR:SPECIAL EDITION:MEET TAMI & JACKIE

Sometimes mind > body.

~ Tami Mask

Today I am beyond thrilled to introduce you to two of my favorite people, Jackie Gruendel and Tami Mask.  To me, they are friends, teammates, running partners, dance partners and coffee buddies; among other things.  To all of us, at least in my humble opinion, they are and will forever remain the ultimate superheros.  Because in addition to running, working, and, in Jackie's case, being a mom, both of these ladies are currently fighting on the front line as medical professionals during this epic Covid-19 battle.  I am so grateful to both of them for taking time out of their busy schedules to tell us a little bit more about themselves and their love for running and music.  Not surprisingly, Jackie is a country girl at heart.  Tami, on the other hand, is all over the place with her musical taste, which I love.  They've run countless races of all distances from the mile to the marathon but I'm guessing none of those efforts have challenged them more than their daily battle with the virus.  I bow down to both of them and can't thank them enough for all that they do.  I've included their Twitter handles below so you, too, can give them a shout out if you so desire.  I'm sure it would give them a much needed boost; something they could both use right now.  Tami and Jackie, thank you honestly doesn't cut it.  Sending so much love and energy to you during this unbelievably trying time.  Okay enough from me, let's meet Tami and Jackie, two RUNNERS WHO ROCK.

RWR:MEET TAMI MASK

Name: Tami Mask 
Where you're from: Pembroke, Ontario (small town about an hour west of Ottawa) 
Where you reside now: Bahston
Age:46
Occupation: Travel Nurse, specialty is outpatient Oncology 
Blog/website: N/A
Twitter: @MaskTami

Tami, crushing 26.2 in NYC

ON RUNNING & MUSIC:TAMI
What do you love most about running?
All the feelings that can come over me on any run, at any time. Sometimes they are just our joy to be able to go out and run 2 miles. Sometimes it’s feeling defeated and feeling like I can’t do this at mile 22 of a marathon...and then the incredible happiness of finishing, knowing that I DID have it in me. Sometimes mind > body.
What do you love most about music?
I love music that I grew up listening to. So, the memories that songs can elicit!

RWR:MEET JACKIE GREUNDEL

Name: Jackie Gruendel
Where you're from: Alexandria, VA
Where you reside now: Clifton, VA
Age: 45
Occupation: Emergency Medicine - Physician Assistant 
Blog/website: ain't nobody got time for that---totally joking, I wish I did, hasn't been updated in like 100 years 
Twitter:@JackieGruendel

Jackie, crushing the mile in 5:13:31 at age 45

ON RUNNING & MUSIC:JACKIE
What do you love most about running?
Seeing how far I can push myself.
What do you love most about music?
It's makes me feel free. 

Tami w/ Kara Goucher at Birdcamp & 

Jackie & I getting 'tatted up' before Boston

THEIR FAVORITES:
TAMI:
Band:(current, all time or both) The Beatles 
Album:(current, all time or both) Alanis Morisette, Jagged Little Pill
Race venue:New York City 
Music venue:Hollywood Bowl
Race distance:26.2 
Show you've seen live?
Tom Petty, 2017 @ Hollywood Bowl 
Ice cream flavor:Anything 
coffee flavored 










JACKIE:
Band:(current, all time or both) - Bon Jovi
Album:(current, all time or both) - Garth Brooks, No Fences 
Race venue:Stanford, it's magical 
Music venue:Wolftrap
Race distance:Mile 
Show you've seen live:It's been so long, I can't even remember, that's bad 
Ice cream flavor:Coffee toffee Heath Bar Crunch

THIS OR THAT:
Sweet or salty?
Tami:Salty
Jackie:Sweet
Live or recorded?
Tami:Live
Jackie: Live
Coffee or tea?
Tami:Coffee. Always coffee! 
Jackie:Tea, without a doubt!
Summer or winter?
Tami:Summer. I could live in SoCal, easily 
Jackie:Summer





MORE MUSIC INFO:TAMI
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could? Goo Goo Dolls would be great
Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could? The Beatles
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? Brandi Carlisle
Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? Usher always makes me groove

MORE MUSIC INFO:JACKIE
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could? Garth Brooks 
Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could? Prince
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? Madonna 
Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? Rob Base 

LAST ONE:
Today, I feel like….(fill in the blank):
Tami:I could use more coffee, then a run~ it’s been awhile, so even 20-30 minutes is like a gift.
Jackie:I could use more sleep, I can always use more sleep, I can also use more hours in a day. 

LISTEN UP:MUSIC PICKS FOR RUNNING & DANCING

Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both? 
TAMI:
1. Push It - Salt-N-Pepa
2. Shooting Stars - Bag Raiders
3. Pass that Dutch - Missy Elliott
4. Never Coming Down - Midnight Right
5. Thriving - Mary J Blige w/ Nas

JACKIE:
1. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
2. It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
3. We Belong - Pat Benatar 
4. Eye of Tiger - Survivor
5. Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi

Last 5 Songs you listened to today? 
TAMI
1) Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls 
2) Have You Ever Seen Rain - Bob Dylan
3) Best Friend - Sofi Tukker
4) Sound of Silence - Chromatics 
5) Lover - Taylor Swift

JACKIE:
1. Loved Her First
2. Where I'm From
3. Raised by Wolves
4. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star * 
5. Canon D major 
*Need to update my shuffle

Listen to these:
Thriving - Mary J Blige


Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi

THE BRIGHT-ISH SIDE

"If you cannot see the bright side of life, polish the dull side."

~ Christina Dodd

Okay, first and foremost, I am not suggesting in any way that the pandemic we are all dealing with is anything other than a total bear.  These days are stressful, scary, frustrating, sad, chaotic and a million other things.  I feel it all and I know you do, too.  Every day presents its own unique challenges and we're all just trying to get through.  But, and if you want to reach out and slap me so be it, for me there have been some noticeable silver linings in these last couple weeks and I feel like, at least for my own sake, it's worth sharing.  Many of them put a smile on my face when I think about them.  I love that.  Maybe it will do the same for you.  Or perhaps it will make you think about a similar "bright side" scenario on your end.  And at the very least, I'm potentially providing a quick and easy read and something to do during your lunch hour.  Hopefully that counts for something.

TOP 10 BRIGHT-ISH SIDE THINGS IN A TIME OF CHAOS

1. I'm not really going anywhere lately.  And thus, I'm not spending money on gas.  That's nice.  Even better, I'm already significantly over in mileage on my lease so my time off the road is allowing me catch up to where I should be.  Also nice.

2. My body is kind of broken.  I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot.  And last week I tripped and twisted my right ankle pretty badly.  So, basically, I'm being forced to take a break.  And the nice thing is, I don't have to stress about my training and what I might be missing.  With no races on the horizon, I can slow it down and give myself the care I need.  And, quite honestly, the care I wouldn't be giving myself if things weren't as they are.  Perhaps others who have been running through minor injuries can do the same.

3. My older daughter admittedly hates running.  This makes me sad but I don't force it.  Last week she asked me to drop her at the pond to run the 2 mile loop.  When I asked why she was suddenly running she explained it was because she needed something to do.  When she finished she told me it wasn't that bad and the she was glad she'd done it.  The next day she did it again.  If my daughter becomes a runner of any kind when this is all over I will be beside myself.  Not that I will show her that.  I will, of course, keep my cool and pretend like her running is no big deal. 

4. It's been a week and a half and I have successfully cleaned out and reorganized two closets in my house.  Closets that were stuffed to the gils with crap.  Closets that I used to open, claim I was going to clean, and then close and walk away from because the thought of dealing was too overwhelming.  This was so ridiculously satisfying and a very large accomplishment on my part.

5. Both my daughters (ages 13 and 15) are getting crafty and spending their time doing things they never would have done if they weren't being forced to stay at home.  They're making forts, decorating and sleeping in our tent, painting, sketching, latch-hooking, making cool ceramic thingys, making new phone cases. I am in awe of the constant flow of creativity and I'm blown away by their enthusiasm to try new things or, in some cases, old things that they never had any interest in when the situation was different.

6. Our family time has sky rocketed.  Honestly, my girls' lives are so busy between friends and sports that I rarely see them for more than thirty minutes at a time during the school week, especially my 15 year old.  If I get a meal with them it's a minor miracle.  Now we're eating multiple meals together, having good quality conversations, watching movies, even playing games.  Okay, truth, we have to force the games a little, but they've been caving because, well, there's not much else to do.  Not that I care.  I'm really enjoying and cherishing this time with them as I know it will end and they will be back to business as usual in a skinny minute.

7. I have reconnected with my best buds from high school and am now talking to them multiple times a week.  I went through some old pictures last week and found some gems so I sent them to the whole group.  The conversation that unfolded was amazing.  I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.  It was so what I needed.  I also haven't talked to these women in far too long and am thrilled to have them as part of my daily life again.  Even if it's just virtual, it's still awesome.  And, yes, my hair was a hot mess.

8. I have a pile of 10 books next to my bed that I used to stare at every night.  I also have a list of about 20 movies that I've wanted to see.  Well, folks, I am checking off the boxes.  Because there is plenty of time to read and more than enough time to watch a movie.  Particularly on the weekends which feel about ten days long.  I highly recommend Knives Out (movie) and Nothing to See Here (book).

9. People are moving.  Not for long, not very far and not in groups.  But lots of people out there who are usually reluctant or don't have time to get up and go outside for whatever reason are doing just that.  Because sitting at home all day is pretty damn brutal even for those who don't mind doing it.  People are walking their dogs, riding bikes, going running, gardening.  And all of these things are good for the body and soul.  Humans are made to move.  Movement keeps us healthy and living longer.  How great if we have a whole group of people who are excited about staying active once this is all said and done.

10. The inherent good in people is coming out and visible daily.  People are reaching out through email, phone and social media and doing so much for others.  Today I ran into the woman who's team wallpapered my bathroom a couple weeks ago.  She's driving around to paint stores and buying paint suits and masks from anyone who will sell them and then dropping them off at hospitals here in the Boston area who have the greatest need for them.  People are buying groceries for strangers (see above).  Friends are sending care packages to those who need a pick me up.  The desire to help and to give back is just so insanely high and such a beautiful thing.

Listen to this:
Inside Out by Grouplove

OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS 2020

🎶 I'm not sh*t without you. Crew is the future. 🎶

~ Sam Spiegel feat. Elliphant & Agent Sasco

Last Thursday I flew down to Atlanta, primarily to watch the Olympic marathon trials, but also to visit family and spend time quality time with my Oiselle teammates, most of whom I don't get to see very often, so I was pumped for all of it.  It was an epic weekend and I am still reeling.  I'm also still very tired.  Because cheering your brains out for three hours and then cutting a rug for four hours after that takes a lot of you.  Worth every second, of course.  Here's how the weekend played out.

My sister and brother-in-law live down in Georgia, so I went down a day early so I could spend a night with them.  Courtney treated me to dinner at a swanky Italian restaurant which I was totally underdressed for.  Story of my life.  Then we headed back home and caught up with her husband, Alex, before turning in on the early side because, um, that's what I do.  Friday morning I got up, drank some coffee and went for a run around their neighborhood.  It was not quite as warm as I'd expected; the temp being in the low 30s, which seemed weird because everyone calls it Hotlanta.  Nope.  Not hot.

Still, it was beautiful out, clear and sunny, and I thoroughly enjoyed my run.  I carried a detailed list of directions with me as I didn't want to have to deal with looking at my phone at every turn.  I did pretty well, only having to ask one person to help me out when I got confused.  This very nice gentleman and I ended up running and chatting for about a half a mile together before breaking off in different directions.  It was lovely.  Gotta love runners.  When I was done, I joined my sister and her friend for a second cup of coffee before making my way into the city to meet up with my Oiselle family.  My sister dropped me off at the Ponce City Market, this really cool industrial area with restaurants and shops.  I found Jackie, Courtney and a few others and dropped my stuff with the group so I could go grab, yes, a third coffee.  You can imagine the look on my face when I ordered a medium latte and the guy told me it would be $6.  It was good, but it was not $6 dollars good.  Whatever.

Atlanta has a lot of unique and funky street art and architecture and we were not afraid to play tourists on our way over to the race expo where we'd be meeting up with the rest of our crew.  Plus, we were having a bit of a love fest as we hadn't all been together in quite some time.  Basically, we stopped for lots of photos and didn't care how dorky we looked.  We got to the conference center around 1:00 and found the rest of the team easily as there was a massive Oiselle group with over a hundred ladies in it packed in the middle of the room.

Jackie and I bee-lined it over to Erin, aka Jungle Chicken, one of our nearest and dearest and the three of us caught up on lives, running, and what not.  I also took a second to grab my race bib and t-shirt for Sunday's half marathon.  That's right, my friends.  Despite the stupid plantar fasciitis that I have been battling, I was planning, with my coach's blessing, on lining up and giving it a go at an easy effort, just to see how the foot would hold up over a longer distance.  I signed up for this half a year ago when I was healthy and assumed I'd be racing but shit happens.  I hate throwing out the cash from a race registration if I can avoid it and I'm still trying to feel out whether I can line up for Boston in April, so it made since to give this a whirl.  It was not, however, high on my list of worries for the weekend as I haven't been training for it and am just barely back to running in general.  To be honest, I wasn't one hundred percent sure I'd even do it, but good to have the option with no strings or stress attached.

Later that eventing all 100 + of us met up at the Monday Night Brewing Garage for dinner.  This was yet another really cool area of the city with a couple different restaurants in the enclosed garden area in addition to this brewery.  Ours had both a bbq food truck inside, which is where we grabbed our dinner, and a plant store.  That's right.  Plants.  So, you could pick up a plant on your way out, you know, in case you wanted one for yourself or you needed to grab a gift for a friend.  Unexpected bonus for sure.  If you are in the Atlanta area and looking for a place to chill with friends, I highly recommend this one.  You can even bring your dogs inside with you.  We hung out for a couple hours, continuing to catch each other up on our lives since we'd hung out last and meeting new birds.  But, as you can see from the photo above, most of us were admittedly tired after traveling and wanted to get to bed so we had plenty of energy to cheer our heads off at the trials the next day.

We woke up to a crystal clear, bluebird day.  A little chilly and very windy, which was not ideal for the racers, but it definitely could have been much worse.  Chicken and I took off for a five mile shakeout, enjoying the scene and waving to all the other runners out on the street.  Between those who were there to watch the trials and those who were in town to race on Sunday, the roads were packed with runners and the vibe was electric as we cruised through the city.  My foot was not doing great, a little sore from all the walking around the day before, but I was too excited to worry or even think about it at the time.  We were about to see who would make the Olympic team in the marathon.  We were giddy.  We got back to the hotel, showered and grabbed some food before making our way back out to find the Oiselle cowbell corner where we planned to plant ourselves for the next three hours or so.

THE TRIALS

Five HUNDRED and eleven women qualified for the trials.  That means five hundred and eleven women ran under two hours and forty five minutes in a different marathon to get themselves to the line in Atlanta.  It was the biggest women's field in the history of the race.  It's mind blowing, really.  But, only three would qualify for the Olympics.  There were easily ten to fifteen pro women who could have taken those spots on any given day - Des Linden, Jordan Hasay, Sarah Hall, Molly Huddle, Emily Sisson, Steph Bruce; the list goes on and on.  And every single woman in this group of top runners had a shot.  Which is why the day was so exciting for spectators.  It was truly anyone's game.  The race course was three brutally hilly loops throughout the city which in and of itself is tough.  Factor in the wind and it was flat out nasty.  All that said, it was awesome to be so close to the women who literally flew by us three times in total beast mode regardless of pace or place.  I was in awe for three straight hours.  It was incredible.

Des Linden & Sarah Hall leading the pack early on

Kellyn Taylor, Jordan Hasay & Emily Sisson also in the lead pack

Once the runners passed us for a third time, we gathered to watch the finish as we continued to cheer on those who were still racing.  In the end, the top three spots went to Aliphine Tuliamuk, Molly Seidel (total wild card) & Sally Kipyego.  (note:it's worth googling all three of these women.  Their stories are unique and each one is worth reading about) . These were not the three women that anyone expected to win, but none were totally surprising either.  All the women who raced were and will always be absolute badasses and I bow down to every single one of them.  

Olympic Marathon Champs

2020

After the race we had a pretty short window of time to get ourselves together and recaffeinated in preparation for the Oiselle fashion show and dance party which tends to happen at most major run events that Oiselle attends and is by far the best part of the weekend.  Things kicked off around 8:00 with the Queen, Sarah Lesko opening up the night by introducing the models who would be walking the runway.  Below are a few shots from the night which was kind of nuts in the best of ways.

Emcee Sarah Lesko

Chicken at her finest

 

w/ Sue Nearpass & Pamela Jock

a group of us celebrating with Abdi Abdirahman who took third in the men's race.  Super nice and humble guy.  He's 43 years old by the way.

For the record, I got back to my hotel room around midnight.  Most of you who know me know that I'm typically in bed by nine, so this is unprecedented.  I kept trying to leave earlier but I had major FOMO as I'd see people dancing or taking photos and not have the will power to pull myself away.  I made it through most of the evening, but I paid the price the next day when my alarm went off at 5:30am.  Oh, right.  The half marathon.  As I mentioned, I wasn't planning to "race" it but I was still going to get out there and run it and it started at 7:00 so I had to get my ass in gear early and it wasn't pretty.  

This is me drinking coffee at 6am and seriously considering bailing all together.  Most of my friends were still asleep.  I could crawl back into bed and no one would even know or care.  And my foot was sore from the walking and dancing so maybe it really wasn't a such a good idea.  I wavered back and forth for about half or so until finally I said, "F it.  Let's do this."  That was the coffee talking.  I jogged over to the start and checked my bag.  It was cold out again so I tried to warm up a bit as I waited for things to kick off.  I had originally been slotted to line up in Coral 1 based on my seed time, but I tucked myself in Coral 3 so I would not be tempted to take off and to alleviate any pressure I felt to run hard.  This was a test.  A way to see how the foot would hold up over 13 miles.  Nothing more.   As you can see, I slept walked through my first couple miles.  Literally.

But once I got moving and warmed up a bit, I found my groove, turned up the tunes and zoned out.  I did not look at my watch as I had no time goal.  Running like this was really freeing and it was super fun for me to be in a race setting again, despite my easy effort, as I haven't been able to line up yet in 2020.  I realized very quickly how much I love and miss racing.  But, I'll get back to it in time.  Hopefully my foot knows this, too.  I did kick into a bit of a faster gear for the second half and finished strong-ish, all things considered.  I was really happy I did it.  And even happier to get back to the hotel and get back in my bed.  Which I did immediately.  Like, do not pass go or collect a hundred dollars.  Straight to the Hyatt.  And then out like a light.  

And that's about it.  It was a jam packed weekend full of awesomeness.  It is always so much fun to be surrounded by family and friends, even when it's just a short window of time.  Add to that the inspiration I soaked up from the women who ran in the trials and I flew home with a full heart.  I was very sad to leave but I'm ready to do it all over again when we gather for Boston marathon weekend.  Assuming it still happens.  Fingers crossed.  Final note.  This team.  They are my people.  And they rock.  All of them.

Listen to this:

Crew - Sam Spiegel