30 mile training run

I was hoping to try a little of everything while running,
and had no idea what I might want!

This morning I set out for a 30 mile training run. I am 3 1/2 weeks out from my 50 mile Ultra and really felt like I needed one more good set of back to back long runs in (30 today, 10 tomorrow). I haven't done a whole lot of long runs due to my Achilles Rupture (back in January here) so with my physical therapists on-board, I set out for this last hurrah to give myself piece of mind.

The sunrise around mile 3

I woke up at 5:45 am (after working until 11 pm last night) and ate 2 small pancakes (with chocolate chips of course), half of a banana and a glass of water. I got dressed, packed all my gear up and left around 6:40 am. I mapped my route in advance and planned for my bike support to meet me around mile 10 (my husband carried all my Gatorade and some of my food for me so my pack wouldn't be tooooo heavy). I planned to use the run/walk method with 5 minutes of running and 1 of walking after mile 18 and hoped to eat a variety of foods while running so I would know what and how much I could tolerate without getting myself sick.

The high was 82 so it was a very warm run. My route included an overpass (twice), a bridge (twice) and the huge toll bridge (twice), along with some dirt trail.

This was around mile 7, coming up on my first set of
bathrooms (next bathroom on my course was at
the mile 20 turnaround!) 

My first 10 miles were pretty slow and steady. My husband ended up getting a little bit of a late start and met me around mile 12. This run was a very challenging run for me mentally. In ALL my long training runs and races I have done over the last few years I have never experienced mental challenges like today. By mile 18 I was already throwing in random walk breaks (not timed, or scheduled). I was really struggling... yes, I said I was really struggling at mile 18. In my head I thought, "if I am struggling this much now, there is NO WAY I will be able to finish 50, what was I thinking?" I got caught in this negative thought process I couldn't shake myself out of. My husband seemed to be at a loss for words the entire ride so I had nothing to distract me or get my mind off of it. Around mile 22 I was crying and feeling so overwhelmed by the idea of running 50 miles when I already felt so miserable. I thought to myself "I obviously have not trained enough to complete this task. I am going to fail."

Over the bridge, one thing I love about my town are the
beautiful views!

I finally snapped myself out of it around mile 26 remembering "I have trained for this, I can do this all day, it will be over before I know it, I am just going out for a little run..." Most people have 1 mantra they use for their long runs, those are mine. I had a whole series of phrases I "reminded" myself of, not sure if that's what did the trick, but I think it definitely helped me to overcome myself, and finish strong. I finished 30.10 miles today. Physically this run was pretty easy, I was tired and that didn't help my mental status but overall I felt great. My Achilles didn't give me ANY problems and I had no pain. My legs felt good, my breathing was good, everything was on - except my brain!

I finished in 5 1/2 hours averaging 11:20 per mile. Once I finished I had 45 minutes to re-coop at home before I had to head into work for a 2 hour mandatory meeting. I was famished.

My average heart rate was a little
higher than I'd have liked, but I
think that mostly had to do
with the warm temperatures.

This was my cadence and elevation.
Have I mentioned how much
I LOVE my new Garmin 235?

All of my average stats for the run.

Green graph is my elevation, bottom
is the amount of time I spent
in each cardio zone.

During my run I consumed:
2 Honey Stinger gel packs
1 pack of Honey Stinger gummies
3/4 of a PB&J sandwich
2 Pringles
6 Salt Capsules
3 mini Gatorades
3 liters of Water

I will say I felt like I did a great job on my fueling/hydration while running, and I felt pretty good the whole time. I didn't get hungry, or GU gut. I never really felt thirsty and experienced no cramping. After I finished I realized I didn't do as good as I thought. With the warm and sunny day I didn't pee my entire run, or for over 3 hours after I finished running. YIKES! This run was great because I learned that I could make myself finish even when I don't feel like it is going to be an option, and that I will need to make sure I consume MORE than 3 liters of water by the 30 mile mark of my 50 mile Ultra. I feel like those are both very valuable lessons that will benefit me for the big race. I hope I enjoy it more than I enjoyed today's training run!

Me and my Love going over the toll bridge

I also want to give a HUGE shout out to my amazing, supportive husband who rode 21 miles at a very slow pace on his mountain bike carrying a ton of Gatorade, extra water, food ect. He was so patient with me while I was grumpy and miserable, and helped encourage me after mile 22 when I became very vocal about wanting to be done running. He helps me push myself, and see what I am really capable of.

50 mile ultra training & Achilles Progress

You can see the "bumps" along my Achilles, should
be pretty flat but I have lumps along it. Still
healing, but is so much better than it was!

Just a quick update. My Achilles is still a pain in my -you know what- but is (slowly) getting better and better. I am now running 15-18 miles for my long runs without any pain or soreness but with PT they are still recommending I not do any longer. I have been averaging 45 miles per week (mpw) reaching into the low 50's lately. I am hoping to get one 30 mile run in before my taper, but also trying to listen carefully to what the doctors and physical therapists are recommending for my best recovery. I may not be getting my super long runs in back to back each week but I am hitting my minimum weekly miles, PLUS 3-4 hours of strength training in at PT each week all geared towards strengthening my hips and perfecting my running form. I feel like that really counts for more than a few miles. I guess we will see. I can't believe my race is in 4 1/2 weeks! EEK! I have 2 1/2 more weeks of higher mileage than 2 weeks to taper. Oh. My. GAWD. Less than 5 weeks? Where does time go?

Icing down after PT. My ladder
fully extended still taunting
me after a really hard workout!

I am doing a lot of new things in PT now getting myself ready for my race. This week they have me running 1 minute and walking 1 minute in intervals. They said it is supposed to help with my basic biomechanics for running? So much work on my hips and calves, also with balance and core strength. They also have me doing ladder work with a resistance band - 5 reps back and forth then jump on to the treadmill at 6mph (10 min miles) for 2 minutes, then another 5 reps, then back to the treadmill. I did that for about an hour today! No pain or soreness.

On the ladder today I had a
resistance belt attached to
my back so I was pulling it
while running through my
ladder drills.

The physical therapists said I need to focus on leaning forward just a little while running to take some of the strain off my calves and ankles. Also to better incorporate my larger muscle groups (hips and thighs). My footwork has improved so much since the beginning of PT.

I have a 30 mile run I'm hoping to get in next week, then I'll begin to taper! I'm hoping everything works itself out. I am getting pretty nervous. I am grateful I have some amazing supportive running friends who will be at my race supporting me and even running portions of it with me.

Achilles Follow-up - 50 mile training!

My Dr said my Achilles has the teeniest tiniest tear in it. I mean we are talking a minuscule, teeny-tiny-little-almost-not-there tear. That said he told me to continue going to physical therapy for 12 weeks (continuing after my race), and I will see him regularly (every few weeks) to followup and get more scans to make sure everything is progressing toward healing. After talking with my physical therapists, they are limiting my weekly long runs to 10-12 miles (rather than 20-22)... this has mentally been the hardest part for me. I want to trust them because I know they know what they're doing, but it's going against my training plan and that terrifies me. I want to be as ready as possible!

My longest weekend runs are back to back 12 and 10 milers right now. They reassured me those numbers will likely grow quickly as long as I continue with PT and regular icing/Advil (swelling reduction). Praying this doesn't derail my training too much. That's a drastic drop in my overall weekly miles (looking at 42 miles instead of 54 for example). I have been penciling in my "actual" numbers for each day of the week.

So here is the plan I have been following:

I'm having to make some tweeks on those long runs, they want me to keep my weekly mileage down a little more than I am but I am really scared to drop it too much more than I already have to. I'm hoping after a week or two of lower miles, PT and regular icing there will be an Achilles Miracle and I can get those 20 mile runs in again with no issues! I just don't feel like myself with 10-12 being my long weekly runs.

We use these stepper machines to warm up and cool
down my legs before and after each PT session. 

So far in PT I have learned so much about myself and my running form. I learned I waste a lot of energy swinging my arms a little too much so I have been focusing on trying to keep them swinging a little less. Also that I spend a lot more time on my right foot than I do my left. My push off is hard on my right with a long stride, my left foot hits and just rotates forward with minimal push off. I also am slightly knock-kneed. I have been trying to push off harder on my left foot, and keep my knees and feet separate. I never guessed I'd get so much
feedback regarding my form and looking at how I run. They verified all the feedback they gave me using my worn out running shoes showing me every strike and basically walking me through the fatigue of my runs and how I carry myself.

This is so difficult and my runs are making me more sore than ever! Hopefully all these little things will pay off in the end. They said strengthening my hips will help everything else straighten out as well. My hips are always "feeling the burn" in PT. Haha. I am learning so much about running and form, about all the different muscles and tendons and how they all work. It's crazy that working my hips will help so many other aspects of my running from correcting my knees to strengthening my Achilles. Hopefully all the "fancy footwork" they have me doing using an agility ladder, and the "hip-killer" exercises that burn my hips so badly will all pay off and I will be faster and stronger than ever.

Achilles Problems... and solutions I hope!

Remember back on my post from the Mississippi Marathon (See it here) when I mentioned cracking my ankle? Well, as it turns out I did a lot more than that. I realized when I ran the 26.2 with Donna (see here) it was not just sore, that I had actually injured it. I made an appointment with a Sports Medicine Doctor (on Monday 01/22) and after seeing my x-rays he ordered an MRI and Physical Therapy. 

He also told me that I cannot wear flip flops or sandals (umm hello, I live in Florida!) and absolutely NO RUNNING until he received my MRI results. I told him that wasn't an option, and explained my current training plan and how important it is for me to stick with it. I am so worried that I will not finish my 50 mile race (mentally) if I don't have a set "training plan" that I stuck with to fall back on. I know one week isn't going to make or break my training physically, but mentally I need to know I followed a plan and didn't miss work outs. I think that will help me stay positive and "sure" and give me the ability to finish. He promised me (depending on my MRI) he would have my ready for my race if I trusted him. That is so hard to do. 

Physical Therapy Room,
just like on tv!

On Wednesday 01/24 I had my first round of physical therapy. Oh my gosh it was intense! We started with a really hard massage on my calf. I have a bruise to prove how much it hurt! After that she had me do a bunch of exercises to fatigue my legs/hips. Using a resistance band and weighted ankles I spent 40 minutes or so just exercising my hips. Goodness they are so sore. After that she put me on a treadmill to run while she and 2 other physical therapists analyzed me. I was able to run a couple miles at a descent pace (yay for running!) but it was so awkward having them all standing around me watching my every move (literally)! Once they decided I was done, they hit the stop button and had me get off. They told me a few things about my running form which was really cool. They said #1 I run like a sprinter. They said I swing my arms quite a bit using my whole body as momentum for running which is great for shorter distances but not good for marathon running. On that same topic of sprinter form #2 they also said I cross my feet almost over each other in the front. My knees almost hit each other (sometimes they do) because I cross them so closely in front of me. #3 My stride for each leg is very different. I stretch very far with my left foot and my right foot just kind of steps down (about half of my stride). They feel I use my right foot for all the push off (favoring it due to my injury we assume) and just glide off my left. Let me just say, those are NOT easy things to just "correct".

They had me do some foot work/agility after that. They said working on my agility will help with my balance and in turn all that would help with my form... I did some fancy footwork with a ladder on the floor for 15-20 minutes, then got to sit in a cozy chair for 10 minutes with ice on my legs. After the timer went off they taped my sore foot up, and sent me off! My hips are pretty sore from PT, I am excited but not excited to go again on Friday.

Lots of taping during my
PT sessions. Trying different
methods to see what will
work for me.

I had my MRI this morning (Thursday 02/25), that was a really uncomfortable experience. It is so hard to stay perfectly still for 15 minutes! Haha! My results were faxed to my PT and DR so I'm hoping my Physical Therapist will give me some incite tomorrow morning so I don't have to wait until my DR appt Monday. I have a 20 mile run scheduled for Saturday that I would really love to do without feeling super guilty the whole time... I guess we will see!

To Be Continued...

26.2 with Donna - Race Recap

Picking up my packet at
the Donna Race Expo

 Happy Valentines Day! My husband and I celebrated by getting up super early and driving to Jax so I could run a marathon. He is the most supportive spouse EVER. Marathon #8 here I come!

Race: Donna Breast Cancer Marathon
Date: February 14th, 2016
Finish Time: 4 hours, 05 minutes
Distance: 26.2 miles
Gain/Loss: 840 ft

Flat Toni

First I was using this run as my long training run on my 50 mile training plan. My goal was to consume a minimum of 3 GU gels on course, and eat some food that was offered to me. I usually split 1 GU (eating half around mile 12 and the other half around mile 19) over the entire marathon. I also ate a different breakfast than normal. Just trying to figure out my fuel and learn how to eat while running. I ate 2 eggs and a piece of toast for breakfast around 5:25 am. I ate 3 GU's (2 different brands, 3 different flavors). I did well with all of it, I got hungry around mile 19 instead of mile 10, and only felt sick after my 2nd GU which was chocolate in flavor. Success with those "training" goals :)

The race started at 7:30 am (so late for a marathon, it was amazing to "sleep in" on race day). My gps said it was 1 hour 5 minute drive but I knew there would end up being some congestion as we got closer so we left at 5:40 am. Glad we did, we got there at 7 am and used the porta-potty in the parking lot (no line!). Was about 1/4 mile walk to the start line from the parking area. It was 40 degrees and soooo cold. I had on shorts with a pink tutu, custom made tank top from my good friend at "Distance Designs by Pamela", and a pink jacket. I was still freezing. We walked to the start area and they had outdoor heaters everywhere! It was awesome. I got in the start area and found the 4:15 pacer. They started the race with a prayer, which was really cool, then the national anthem and the count down. They let us out in waves to help with congestion (this was awesome). Unfortunately both the 4:00 pacer and 4:15 pacers were let out in the wave ahead of me and I got stuck behind! Going to have to wing it I guess!

Gorgeous roads we ran down.

Finally my turn to go, I glanced at the start clock and it was around 4 minutes. As expected my first mile or two had a lot of weaving around people. I started warming up some around mile 4. Around mile 6 I heard someone shout my name, as I turned I saw my husband running down a side road waving! What a surprise! It's always such a perk when I see him along the course. After a quick kiss I kept going. He is the most amazing spectator! At this point I had passed the 4 hour pacer and was a few minutes ahead of them.

People covered the streets and side walks
with chalk. Huge breast cancer ribbons,
names, stories, hearts, encouraging
words, even boobs! LOL

We ran through some pretty cool neighborhoods that were SO supportive of this race. Most of the neighborhoods were out having block parties and cheered for us as we ran by. They had jump houses, fire pits, and a lot of loud music. Then they even had tons of food and drinks to share with us runners! It made this portion of the race fly.

A lot of people wore bibs on their back that said "SURVIVOR" or "I am finishing for ______". Some had a ton of names listed on their bibs. Was a nice reminder of the cause we were supporting. I have a few people in my family who suffered from breast cancer or other forms of cancer. When I struggled, I thought of the struggle being diagnosed with cancer would bring both emotionally and physically. It reminded me that my 26.2 miles would be over before I knew it, and I was fortunate for that because my pain and struggle would be done.

free mammogram!
hahahahahahaha

throwing my (wet sweaty) jacket to
my husband as I zoomed by! 

Then we hit the area near the beach and it was SOO WINDY! You could feel the wind resistance as we ran near the ocean. I saw my husband again around mile 10 I was feeling so strong still at this point and maintaining my position several minutes AHEAD of the 4 hour pacers. My Achilles that I injured in Mississippi was starting to hurt just a little but I figured I would just block it out and keep running, only 16.2 miles to go, I can do that!  It started getting pretty warm out and I had to take off my jacket. It was heavy around my waist... Where's my husband! lol.

We kept running along through a really cool area that reminded me so much of an "old school beach town". The course is a closed road coarse so there were never really any cars waiting on us. It was cool to run through town with no cars or traffic (other than runners foot traffic). Saw my husband again around mile 17, very briefly this time the 4 hour pacer was catching up to me and my foot was really starting to hurt so I didn't want to slow down too much for fear of not being able to pick my pace back up. I was happy to see him though because I threw my jacket at him so I didn't have to carry it anymore! The bummer was all my GU packs were in my jacket pockets. darn!

It was awesome this race provided wet towels and pink sponges that were soaking in ice cold water several times along the course that they were handing out to runners to help us cool down, and wipe the sweat off of us. This was the first time I experienced this in a race and it was AWESOME. Feeling like a VIP at this point, I kept on running.

I passed my husband 1 final time at mile 19, the 4 hour pacer had just passed me and I was feeling pretty discouraged. I knew I wasn't going to be able to catch them with how much pain I was in. I kept going, 7.2 miles to go!

This was the moment I realized
I wasn't going to be able to catch up
to the 4 hour pacer again. My Ankle
was killing me and I was holding
my hamstring because it hurt so bad.

Mile 19 I walked through the water station (as always) and when I slowed to a walk I felt that horrible sharp pain in my foot, just as I did at the Mobile Light Marathon. Noooooo! I walked for a bit and took a few minutes trying to stretch it out, but when I started running again it was a horrible pain.

I ran behind a super annoying couple for awhile. The guy was having a hard time going the pace the girl was wanting to go, and I kid you not they sat wasting all their energy bickering about the pace back and forth. I thought, man, how much would I give to have a friend or spouse with me through this struggle right now, and all they could do was sit and fight with each other. She was telling him to give it his all and push it out, and he was complaining that she was keeping too fast a pace and he couldn't keep up. He mentioned he was already giving it his all and they still had over 6 miles to go. They argued forever before they finally were far enough ahead I no longer had to listen to them.

Oh the hills. These would have been tough without an injury,
but with my achillis injury going up and down hill
is the most painful thing. This was a torturous way
to finish a marathon! 

Mile 23 we hit the first of 3 consecutive overpasses. going up and down with my ankle was torture and my stops got longer and longer because it was so painful to start again each time. Mile 25 was the start of the final overpass and this one was huge! My pace picked up quite a bit, I knew I was almost done. We came off it and you could see the finish line ahead.

Woohoo I was so excited. I crossed the finish line and my official time was 4:05:52. Not the Sub - 4 I was hoping for, but now I know it is within reach.

In the finishers chute getting
my ankle iced and wrapped :(

Holy cow I still managed to PR! At first I was super bummed, I came really close to maintaining my lead on the 4 hour pacer and felt amazing (minus my stupid ankle). If it weren't for that darn foot I could've done it with ease!!! Husband said next time I will and told me how amazing my PR was, and after it soaked in I was really excited about crossing at 4:05:52. Bummed, but still excited :) I gimped my way through the super long finisher chute where first aid was happily waiting to apply ice to my ankle. The compression and ice felt AMAZING. I limped out into the finishers area where my husband was waiting for me.

Marathon #8 Complete!

Overall this race was awesome, they provided Gu packs every 5 miles or so, more water/Gatorade then I could ever wish for during a marathon, ice cold wet sponges/towels several time along the course, a lot of fresh fruit and food on course, amazing PINK signage, even digital timers at most of the mile markers. It was very well organized from the parking area at the start line, the start area, the race chute, the course team and the finish festival. Kudos to an amazing race director.

The only thing lacking was the information on the website, I felt like I had to dig around forever to find the information that I needed, and still ended up asking friends who had run it questions regarding the start and finish areas ect. The neighborhoods were amazing, so supportive which made the race seem to go by so fast! I didn't get to enjoy much of the finish festival because my poor baby woke up throwing up with the flu today (my oldest who's 8 and just wanted her momma). We bolted out of there pretty quick to get home, but it looked awesome. They had tons of food options, massage tents, freebie stuff ect.

Me and my #1 fan, my most loving, most supportive,
most amazing person in my life. My love!

I would love to do this race again next year, maybe I can get a small crew together to run it as a fundraiser with me.

I have an appointment to get a massage on Thursday, then an appointment with a Sports Medicine Doctor on Monday to get my Achilles looked at (finally). Hopefully they will give me some good easy fixes that will not prohibit me from running. I do have that 50 miler coming up... less than 3 months!

NordiTrack X15i Treadmill Review

I am training for my first 50 mile race (Palm Bluff Margaritas and Manure). I have a pretty crazy life working as a full-time mom of 3 young kids who does all the cooking, cleaning, homework help. I work outside of the home as a Bartender and for The Color Run series. I also have Lyme disease and when I have a flare it makes it really hard to drag myself out the door to run. It often makes it hard to pull myself out of bed. All that to say, I have decided to take on my first 50 miler. Something I always said I would attempt after I was 40 years old because by that time my life should be less crazy, my kids will be older, and I could set aside specific time for "training". I guess I like the challenge because I have now registered for one on May 1.

My husband, the most amazing man ever, has bought me a new treadmill to aid to my training. I am doing most of my runs outside on trails but some days running outside just isn't an option because of my work schedule (late nights and early mornings), babysitting, heat or being far too cold for my Florida-thinned blood.

Let's get down to it, after a TON of research we decided on the NordicTrack X15i Incline Trainer.

Quick Treadmill Spec Highlights:

4.5 CHP MOTOR

44 WORKOUT APPS

-6 – 40% POWER INCLINE

10” WEB-ENABLED TOUCHSCREEN

15" HIGH DEFINITION TV SCREEN

WARRANTY- Lifetime Frame, Motor & Deck Warranty, 6-Year Parts & Electronics Warranty, 3-Year Labor Warranty

This treadmill has allowed me to create running routes anywhere in the world to run. This morning I ran a route in my hometown in Southern Oregon, yesterday I ran through Savannah Ga, the day before the countryside in the Philippians. This is possible using the iFit® technology. Track your progress, replicate real-life runs with Google Maps™ - complete with Street View, train with Jillian Michaels, and custom-tailor your workouts to your specific goals.
*Requires an iFit® membership, which is sold separately. 

The tv screen works great, I hook it up to my dvd player to use Netflix, my cable box to watch live tv, and even my laptop so I can stream Hulu! The treadmill has a 2nd set of handles for when you are using the incline (very handy). The sound is great using both the tv and the music provided, and it has a spot to plug your ipod/mp3 player right into the treadmill. There are so many video options and map routes to run, your options are endless. I want to be on it constantly so I can run all the different routes! There is a great community page if you purchase iFit where people map and share their workouts. It's been fun browsing that page and seeing what other people are doing. 

The treadmill has a powerful motor with a lifetime warranty, a 22 x 60 two-ply tread belt which is so quiet when I'm running on it. The belt has a 6 year warranty. The heart rate monitor included is very accurate and comfortable. I have been enjoying learning how to run using my target heart rates for each run. The treadmill weighs 500 lbs (and was a lot of work to get it up stairs). It is so heavy duty and I believe it is built to last!

Nice run through the countryside in the Philippians. Crazy
high elevation change on this run hitting 25% inclines and
-6% decline running up and down the mountain. 

This shows the 15" tv screen (on top)
and the 10" treadmill display
showing results from a workout
I just completed.

I only have a few negatives about the treadmill so far and they really are so minor. #1 is the TV screen is not height adjustable. I feel like it is set up just a little high for me (I'm about 5'4"... almost). #2 The Fans. I can't really feel the fan when it is on? Not sure if it's a directional thing or what but the fans (yes there are 2) seem kind of worthless since they don't blow on me when they're on. #3 Using  the decline. When using the decline the treadmill limits your speed. So when at a -6% decline it only allows me to run 6 mph - 10 minute miles. I understand the safety features of this but it is frustrating because when running hills the downhill is where you get to makeup time. Unfortunately on the treadmill it doesn't work quite like that. Lastly #4 the price. I feel like this treadmill was very expensive. It was a difficult commitment to purchase this treadmill because it was so expensive, we got lucky and they were running a deal when we bought it (list price is $4,499 and we paid $3,000 plus tax). 

With all that said, I am IN LOVE with this machine. I am so excited to have an indoor running option to help me get my miles in when I can't head outside, and have not been bored on a run yet! I will try to get some pictures of myself and my husband on the treadmill to give you an idea of it's size. 

Continued: Back to Back Marathon Challenge-Race 2

Race: First Light Marathon
Date: Fanuary 10th, 2016
Finish Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Distance: 26.2 miles
Gain/Loss: 1328 ft

We arrived at the Expo in Alabama for the First Light Marathon. There were Alabama Bells everywhere supporting runners. Really made me feel like I was "in the south"! The expo was small, but still really exciting. Justin got a 26.2 sticker and we took some pictures in front of the marathon signs... Justin was finally starting to get nervous! haha.

We stayed in the downtown Holiday Inn. This hotel was beautiful, and pretty cool because it was round! We were on the 15th floor and had amazing floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city. This was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. The 17th floor was a Sky Lounge which had floor to ceiling windows all the way around. They also had live music and a really cool atmosphere.
For dinner we went to Buck's Pizza and got take out. It was about a block up from our hotel. We got a 1/2 veggie 1/2 chicken alfredo pizza and a small side of fett alfredo. We also split a draft beer while we waited. This place was packed and after getting our food we knew why, it was delicious. We watched a movie in our hotel and were asleep by 9:30 pm or so.


The next morning I woke up an hour before my alarm, 5:15 am. We slowly got ready, stretched a little and ate our breakfast. We walked down to the lobby (which was packed with runners) and saw the start line outside our hotel door... how amazing is that? It was cold, somewhere around 48 out but not raining so that was amazing.

The race started and the first few miles were very flat, and not real congested. I think everyone was running pretty slow after running Mississippi the day before, lol. We ran through several different historic neighborhoods. It was awesome. The houses were beautiful. People in Mobile weren't as supportive as they were in Jackson, but the race course was beautiful, and pretty flat! My foot was killing me, from the beginning of the race I had a pretty good limp going. Sharp pains from my Achilles through my foot and calve. It was awful. I powered through, but was grateful I had Justin pacing me nice and easy.

Justin did great, at the 13 mile mark he was still looking strong. I was starving and my foot was killing me, but I was feeling really good besides that. There was this dreaded hill called "fireman's hill" we knew was coming up somewhere around mile 19 and it was supposed to be so huge and so steep. Before we hit that hill there was a great aid station that had everything you could want from cookies/candy, to chicken broth, drinks, everything. We started up the hill and were to the top before we knew it. My guess is it was maybe 1/2 mile? not too bad at all, especially after running the Mississippi hills the day before!

I was struggling to stay with Justin after about mile 15. I had to pick up the speed, and started skipping water stations because my ankle hurt too much to start and stop on. I would run a few miles ahead and hang out at an aid station waiting for Justin, then would run with him for a few and would wait again. Watching my husband power through his first marathon was so amazing, and so emotional. I had so much pride in him, and knew mentally how hard it is to get through that first marathon. He is incredible. Over the course of the last 8 miles or so I had several people try to pull me from the course to see a medic, apparently I had a pretty good limp going. I was determined and refused to be pulled. I said I would crawl before I allowed myself to quit.

This race had the coolest final mile of any marathon I have ever run. You basically came down a series of hills (because the last 6 miles is all downhill, no joke, ALL DOWNHILL). Then there is a long, close to a mile section of down town that is completely blocked off. It is like running through a ghost town. It was so cool. We came up to the finish line which was surrounded by the Alabama Bells and crossed together. It was amazing. I felt so emotional, a combination of completing my first back2back and pushing through the pain of my foot for so many miles, and seeing my husband complete his first marathon.

Now, about that 50 miler I have been considering... I think I might be about ready to commit!