In Conclusion...

Here it is.  Week 61.  And so concludes (less than) 60 hikes in 60 weeks.  I'm ready to recap, and make excuses for, the last 60 weeks of my life.

I just tallied and I have completed:

19 hikes.
2 Guest Hikes (thanks April and Matt)
8 Races (from 5k to 10 miles)
A slew of museums, events and sights to see in the DMV.

Seems kind of anti-climactic, am I right?  I definitely thought I'd done like, 35 hikes...  But I've also survived an earthquake, a hurricane, an apartment fire, bike theft and car theft.  Oh, and election season...I'm surviving election season.  Frankly, 60 hikes in 60 weeks was a bit unrealistic to begin with because winter happened - which took up 3 months, and work happened - which has been occupying my last 4 months of weekends pretty solidly.  Every other year, I lose summer and fall.  It's sad, really.

And another excuse?  I started out hiking and walking, but ultimately a lot of my hiking weekends were replaced with runs and races, and I'm pretty proud of that!

Other things to report...

Though it was a major goal of this blog, I didn't lose any weight and my calves have grown two pant sizes.  I did however go from running a 12 minute mile to a 10 minute mile - so there's the silver lining.  I'm basically all muscle.

I kind of just lied because I only run a 10 minute mile if the distance is 6 miles or less and if I was running two months ago.  That whole thing about work has really cut into my running, as well as my hiking.  Also, I'm not all muscle. I'm all calves - I thought we established that?

So, What is the future of le Blog, you ask?  Fret not, little hikers.  It turns out I kind of like nature (not to be confused with liking bugs or sleeping on the ground) so I think I'll stick to the hiking and the running and adventuring as hobbies.  But, I'm also thinking I'll try to write more about whatever strikes my fancy and see what happens, so you'll see some changes in the weeks to come.  Most likely, you won't hear from me again at all until after November 6.  But Thanksgiving through Christmas is going to be a really exciting few weeks, with trips to San Francisco and Georgia in the works.

Special thanks to my guest hikers of course, and to the people who laughed at my mishap-fraught life along the way.

And that's it.  The sixty's survey...I accomplished less than a third of the goal I set for myself.  Which I'm NOT going to take as a metaphor for my life or anything.

Walk It Off

This is what I do. I fall. So on my run this morning, I fell. 

 And after 4 hours on a plane, I'm gimpy. Sad face.

A new trail

Last weekend, I went on a 4 mile run around Glover Park and Georgetown.  About a mile and a half of it was through a trail in the Glover Archbold Park.  Eh...there's not much to say other than I wore the wrong running shoes.  Minimalist shoes didn't really work for the unpaved, rocky trail.  Trail running is actually pretty cool - the terrain is soft and as long as I looked out for tree roots and rocks, it was nice to be under the shade of the trees.

So, this blog needed a new hike - and here it is - a hike/run; 1.5 miles through the park pictured below.

The Little Women That Could

Last Saturday, my Aunt Jeanne and I kicked arse in the Zooma Women's 10K!!  As you all know, my Aunt basically lapped me in the last race we did together and I was pretty disappointed in my performance overall.  But this time we were on my turf, sans New Orleans heat.  She was the perfect partner and pacer and we both performed exceptionally well.

But, ahem, I beat her.  Big smile. And a wink.

So it goes like this - Jeanne had on Tiffany blue running shorts, and every time she passed me on the course I tried to stay about ten feet behind her.  She finished the Classic doing a little over a ten-minute mile, so if I kept up with her, I figured I couldn't be doing half bad.  I knew better than to ostentatiously pass or say anything to her, lest I get a yank to the back of my shirt.  She can be a leetle competitive!

At some point, we'll say around mile 3, I pulled ahead, careful to keep my peripheries open for the sky blue shorts that were pacing me!  Um, but then, I had to go to the bathroom.  Womp Womp.  As the door to the port-o-pot slammed, I figured that Jeanne had pulled ahead.  I looked for the shorts everywhere - but couldn't find the right woman in blue.  After all, there were 3,200 women in this race. Pastels were abundant.

I started to lose hope.  As I passed the Mile 4 marker, I couldn't help but get discouraged.  I thought we were much farther into the course - like at LEAST the 4.5 mile point...  And we were approaching a bridge with a very steep incline.  I knew there was a turnaround at this bridge because there were people on the opposite lane, and I was praying all the way that the turnaround was at the center of the bridge, before the decline.  But no.  The turnaround was at the end of the bridge.  So we went uphill again.  Twice.  This had already been the hilliest route I have ever run.  But then I saw her!  On the other side of the first hill, heading back towards me was my Aunt Jeanne who waved towards me saying, 'Get up here!'  I still had a ways to go before the turnaround - but after that, she remained about 500 feet ahead.  I could see her and she was pacing me!  Not intentionally, but she was none-the-less.

At the end I closed in, blah blah, I don't need to explain how I may have the same competitive genes that my Aunt does.  But I will say that I may or may not have hidden behind a larger girl when I was passing for the final time, just so Jeanne wouldn't see me and try to race me to the finish!  I had very little energy left (or feeling in my feet) - and only enough to finish about 20 seconds ahead.  Which, hell, I consider finishing together!

Honestly, it was the best race I have ever run and it's the best I've ever felt running that distance.  The course was incredibly hilly, and being able to keep my Aunt in my sight made me like 'The Little Runner That Could." I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...  And I did!  I set a PR for myself at Zooma: 62:09; a 10:01/mile pace.

Unfortunately, that course turned me into "The Little Runner That Can't...Walk."  When I wake up in the morning, my muscles are so tight, I can't stand erect for the first few minutes.  And after sitting for a prolonged period at work, I limp to the water cooler.  But it was worth it!  A 10 minute mile is something I never thought I'd be able to accomplish and I only look forward to shaving seconds off of that time in the future.  Well, that... and racing my Aunt to the finish line every time!

The Start

Finishers!

Muscle Milk laid out these yoga mats for post-race stretching.

We Are Family!

There's another 10K coming up for the DeMartini-Dazets!  The Zooma 10K Race is June 2 in Annapolis, MD. I originally registered with a girlfriend, but my family will also be in town and will partake.  Aunt Jeanne has already registered and we're trying to recruit Claudia to join us.  

What can I say? The families that race together stay together! 

Register here.

More of the Classic

In my haste to report on my own Classic experience - I think I left out some very important perks of the day.  I had flown in for just Saturday to see my family and run with them - it's a mini-tradition we started in 2011.  The day was PERFECT and there's a lot more to share than I wrote about on Tuesday.

Like all of this...

1.  Aunt Karen wasn't running the race - but she did wake up at 5:30am to help us get ready.  She also donned a headband and a runner's bib (aka a post-it with the number 2 on it).  While we were racing, she was getting the house ready and picking up food for the Crawfish Broil scheduled for later in the day.  We appreciated her enthusiasm!!

2.  My Aunt Jeanne - who joined Weight Watchers a little over a year ago and lost A LOT of weight - completed the race in 63:59.  She wanted to point out she's 50, and she can KICK, and STRETCH, and KICKKKKKKKKK!  I'm really proud of her and seriously, I'm not jealous at all that she's faster than me...

3.  The Crescent City Classic is more of a "Social Function" than a race.  There are more walkers than runners, people start drinking at 7 am, and in addition to water stations, people set up stations for jello and tequila shots.  My Aunts' friend, Diane, pointed out to me: "If you're trying to run a 10K at a serious pace, this is not the race to do it." So next year, I'm walking and drinking (see number 4, below).

4.  Referencing number 3, my father and Uncle participate in our mini-tradition socially.  My uncle buys 2 or 3 cases of beer, throws them in a rucksack and walks the 6.2 miles in his Army fatigues carrying over 48 cans of beer the whole way...and one in his hand.  My dad and Uncle John's buddies help out by drinking the beers; effectively lightening the load the closer they get to the finish line.  I think they stop at bars along the way as well, but I can neither confirm nor deny that.

5.  My favorite station from 2011 was back this year in 2012.  Re: Number 3, non-race volunteers camp out throughout the course and blast music, cheer, and provide beverages that are most certainly NOT water.  My favorite group passes out jello shots and wears tee-shirts that say "Jello Shots" on the front and "It's not like you're going to win..." on the back.  I find this hilarious - and next year, I intend on partaking in the non-water hydration provided along the course.

As with most things in New Orleans, the Classic, though athletic, is a drinking extravaganza.  I stopped into a restaurant in the French Quarter to use the bathroom at 8am before the race started and the bartender almost convinced me to get a Bloody Mary.  Peer pressure in Sin City!  And I almost caved - I'm so weak!

After the race we cooled off at Aunt Jeanne's with an amazing batch of Crawfish, potatoes, sausage, onions and lots-o-snacks.  I gave my diet the day off, having run 6.2 miles that morning.  Judging by how much I ate, you'd have thought I ran a marathon...and I've been paying for it at the gym all week. 

So that's the REAL Classic Recap - and not just me moping about running an 11 minute mile and getting attacked by ants.  

Classic Kathryn

I finished the Crescent City Classic in 66:24.  Over 2 minutes more than my goal time, which was pretty disappointing.  That's why I've compiled a list of reasons that I was unable to finish 6.2 miles in the goal I set myself: the heat, the [lack of] altitude, the wall of chubby walkers pushing double wide strollers I had to weave through, the heat, the late start time, the position of the sun, and the crappy New Orleans streets riddled with cracks and potholes - just to name a few.  Totally not my fault I couldn't run faster.

But now I know - for my next 10K on June 2 - 66:24 is the time I'll have to beat!

Matching headbands! Gifts from Dad.

Ready to Run!

And an 'Awkward Runner' picture:

When I picture myself running, I look a lot more cool, calm and collected than this.

And of course, it wouldn't be my life without a ridiculous story at the end - so here goes.  After crossing the finish line, herds of runners continued down a path to the after party collecting water bottles, gatorades, and Muscle Milk.  Never one to turn down a free, um, anything - I suddenly found myself juggling four bottles right before I entered the festival grounds.  I stepped onto the grass to put away my phone, tuck my shirt into my belt and better handle the bottles - placing those on the ground while I situated.  Finally collected, I picked the bottles back up, cradling them in my arms like a baby.  About 10 steps later, I felt the first pinch, then the next and the next.  Looking down, the bottles were covered in ants which were hastily crawling all over my torso, and arm, and legs.  

19 bites later, I looked something like this:

And this week, I look like I have chicken pox.

Ugh, Classic Kat.

I Think Your Clock Is Broken

I think I've mentioned before that I'm "training" for the Crescent City Classic which is April 7.  I started training in the middle of January with a program on NikePlus.com.  This is all old news to you loyal readers - but below is a groundbreaking update.

Over the past 10 weeks, I've been following my Nike program as closely as possible (running their assigned mileage on assigned days).  But let's face it, I've missed a few workouts because who has time to run 8 miles on a Tuesday?  The gist of it is - weather and schedule permitting - I've been trying my darndest to train to run farther, while still walking when I feel tired and such.  A girl can only do so much.

Fast forward to last Sunday: Amanda and I did the St. Patty's Day 8k here in DC - which is the sister of the Jingle All the Way 8k we did last December.  And I surprised even myself!  Because little did I know that I can not only run farther now - I can run faster!  Check it: In December I ran the 5 mile race in 57:12 - Nothing to brag about.  Well you know what IS something to brag about?

This:

You want to focus on the two columns all the way to the right.

Net Time - 49:47

Avg Mile - 10:01

Excuse me Race Organizers, is your clock broken?  Or am I just whipping myself into that good of shape?  I'm going with the latter - because it's right there in writing on the Race Results website.  

That's over 7 minutes off my 8K time in just 2 months of training.  Watch out world.  Yours truly is now running a 10 minute mile.  I don't think I've ever run a 10 minute mile - especially for a prolonged distance.  In elementary school I could run 1 mile in 7 minutes - but then I'd start to walk.  What can I say? Old habits die hard.

So, New Orleans better get ready for this speed demon.  Who knows - I may even be leading the pack with the people trying to qualify for the Olympics or whatever.  I just hope their clock isn't broken either - because if I happen to go back to running a 12 or 13 minute mile, I'm filing a complaint.  

*Stay tuned for an upcoming post about race goals for Classic Weekend.

Where do I live again?

In this week's installment of "Things I didn't know existed in DC" is this structure:

On a few recent beautiful days, I've been taking an afternoon run around the National Mall.  

However, today, instead of taking the interior path (along what used to be the Reflecting Pool), I ran up Independence Ave.  

What the hell are these two walls leading to?  The Basin?

I thought of The Odyssey.  Scylla and Charybdis, anyone?

I'm not embarrassed...

That's right.  I'm not at all embarrassed by the amount of food I consumed at IHOP last night.  It was National Pancake Day - a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network - in which IHOP gives it's customers a free short stack of pancakes.  Kerri, Amanda and I got the pancakes as somewhat of an amuse-bouche, a precursor to our entree IHOP meals.  And it looked something like this: 

Amanda's free shortstack and Omelette with another side of pancakes.

Post-pancake Stuffed French Toast Combo Platter.

It was awesome.

So yeah, I'm paying for my sins at the gym this week, but this Pancake hangover is So.Worth.It.  

I do it for the kids.

This girl LOVES purple

One day last summer I was strolling through Georgetown in a pink shirt and saw at JCrew some amazing neon pink shorts.  Waiting to try them on, the girl in front of me said, "Wow, you REALLY love pink."  And then she laughed at me.  Biotch.  What do I say to that?  That never would have happened if I had been wearing a black shirt while shopping for black pants - what could she have said? "You LOVE black! Where's your witch hat, you gothic magician?"  

I dont even like pink that much and I didn't buy the shorts.  But the point is - now I'm paranoid about color dominance even if I just happen to be wearing the same color I'm shopping for, or a little too much of one color in general.  This is how I think.  And because of some recent sightings of myself in a mirror, I'm thinking everyone at my gym sees me and says, "WHOA. That girl LOVES purple." I have awesome purple sneakers, sometimes I wear my bright purple winter coat, and my everyday gym bag, though a darker shade, is (you guessed it) Purple. 

The fact is I do love purple.  I have a purple couch, a bedspread where the dominant color is purple, and I recently made an impulse online buy of a purple rug with way too many shades of pink and lavender.  I have since rolled up the rug and stored it under my bed.  It's adorable, but when I walk into my apartment I can't help but think, "If anyone walks in here they're going to wonder where I've stored my collection of unicorn and fairy figurines."  I have also since put the quilt under my white duvet and poof - my Lisa Frank pencil of an apartment is finally a little more feng shui.  I guess if I walk into my own apartment and immediately conjure images of a Hello Kitty store, I may have gone overboard.

The problem is: take my winter coat for example, I'm not wearing it all day with my purple sneakers and gym bag - it looks normal when I wear it over work clothes.  It's just when I'm leaving the gym and everything on me is the same color that I have flashbacks to the JCrew girl - but this time she's saying "Wow, you REALLY love purple."  And this time, my head bows in shame because, she's right.

I'm a weirdo.

We all make mistakes with color, right? But that doesn't change the fact that I love my sneakers, and I love my coat and let's face it - I look amazing in the shades that emerge when you combine red and blue.  But if I saw me at the gym, I would instantly tune out my rocking music and start thinking of Barney Explosion jokes to tell my friends later at the bar.  

I guess the lesson here is that only in summer, where my sneaks can't clash with an overcoat, should I buy the more ostentatious Nike's that I'm so drawn to. Or unfortunately, that big purple dinosaur in the room will always be me.

Well, Hello

I went to the gym in the middle of the day today as I'll be working late tonight.

Needless to say, it's so much nicer in the off-rush hours...

But I just happened to pick a locker with this sticker stuck to the back.

I love little motivations and messages that brighten up my day.

Check out AmericanHiking.org

I know I will.

Santa *Monica*, Baby

I almost forgot to mention that Miss Jessica and I went on a lovely run/walk down the Santa Monica Pier.  When she first mentioned, "Going for a run on the beach," I didn't have the heart to say "Um, it's really hard to run on sand..." but when we got there, Santa Monica does it right and has a paved walkway for bikers, runners, stroller-pushers and rollerbladers.  It was perfect - and it felt incredible to be at the beach in January.

I snapped a few photos, but none that really captured the adorable, eclectic vibe of Santa Monica.  The houses are really close together (and built vertically, like townhomes) but all of them are brightly painted with very modern architecture.  I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture.

I did snap these though.

Another great part about being in Santa Monica was that I recently read a book ("Bright Shiny Morning" by James Frey - of Oprah/Million Little Pieces fame) and one of the story lines is about a bum that lives on the Santa Monica beach.  All I can say is - it all makes sense now.  You'll have to read it yourself (which I highly suggest) to know what I'm talking about.

I also got a kick out of the beach's anti-litter slogan: "Toes in the sand, trash in the can."  Cute, I know.  Though the slogan was on every garbage bin, it was also in Spanish on the bins as well: "Pies en la arena, Basura en el bote."  Lo siento, los hispanicos - but I think it sounds catchier in English.

English v. Spanish

Then, Jessica and I saw a man dressed like Abe Lincoln riding a Segway down the pier.  I didn't snap a picture because frankly, I thought it would be rude.  I hate it when I'm dressed like Mary Todd and people insist on taking my picture.  I'm a person, people.  Just kidding, I love when people take pictures of me.  Anyway - I didn't know how old Abe felt about digital photography and he cruised by pretty fast, so I refrained.  You'll have to take my word for it though, it was weird.

I guess that's the second and final installment of my LA series.  I had a blast with my girls and can't wait to go back!  I will always have the memories and "Come to Cher" moments of being in Malibu, partying in 'The Valley' (though I wasn't held at gun point - sigh), and seeing an Alaia store (so that dress reference finally made sense).  I totally paused.  And don't even think I'd live below Sunset.

Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway

My biggest surprise at Christmas was a visit from my Aunt Jeanne and Aunt Karen!  The day after Christmas they accompanied me on a hike I found in Tallahassee:

The Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway

The hike wasn't quite what I expected because it was in the middle of Tallahassee, as opposed to one of the naturey/swampy areas surrounding the city.  The whole trail was about 4 miles to the end and back, there were public restrooms and free parking (always a plus) - but what was described as a "rural" setting was actually more suburban, and the trail is only about 20 feet off of the road.  The sweet sound of cars driving by accompanied us the whole time.  On the plus side, it's an easy trail that is very well marked and the whole path is either gravel or clay - it'd be a great place to go for a run with the flat and even terrain.  We enjoyed the trail because we could walk fast and really burn off some of the calories consumed at Christmas! 

I'm excited to try some other hikes I read about in the Florida Panhandle but this was a good start, and I had the best company imaginable!  Thanks for visiting, Aunts J&K!!

Aunt Jeanne and I at the head of the trail.

KJK

These put the "canopy" in Canopy Road Greenway

Um, I think this is plow art.

It's a sad day for DeMartini, Kathryn

Well, the results of the Cherry Blossom 5K lottery are out, and as you can see I was "not selected."

Bummer.

The good news is that if I don't get picked next year, I automatically get to run in 2014.  And if I volunteer this year, I can automatically run in 2013.  And then, if I run it for 10 years, I never have to do this lottery thing again.  These are all ok alternatives, I guess.  But they're also alternatives for neurotic people who plan their running schedule years in advance.  

The Cherry Blossom races run on a lottery system because in 2009 the runner capacity was reached within 2 hours and 45 minutes of opening online registration.  Way to ruin it for everyone, running enthusiasts.  

In other running news, registration is officially open for The Crescent City Classic - which I'd like to run this year without getting sick.  Aim high!!  

Jingle All The Way

On Sunday morning, in freezing temperatures, I ran the Jingle All the Way 8K.  I had run this race 3 years ago when it was the Jingle All the Way 10K in Potomac Park.  I'm not sure why they shortened it - but I'm not complaining.  There's plenty of complaining for later.

I have said multiple times that after running a half marathon with my mom in college (sans training) and a 10K with strep last year in New Orleans (below sea level and 90 degrees by 9 am) - that I just don't have the desire to run more than a 5K.  Ever.  Enter Amanda and the Jingle All the Way 8K - which she insisted was only 4 miles but is actually 4.9.  I was sucked in through trickery and the absence of the math skills necessary to convert kilometers to miles.  And though I was crabby before the race started - I'm glad I did it.  In all honesty, I'll most likely be running the Crescent City Classic, a 10K, with my aunt next April too - because that's what I do: I sign up for things and then complain about them.

The JATW race is a really fun DC event.  They hand out jingle bells to tie on your shoes (so you can jingle all the way...) and everyone wears Santa hats or some form of holiday attire, including - but not limited to - reindeer antlers, elf ears, Will Ferrell "Elf" costumes, and one girl dressed as a menorah.  FYI: I am anti-dressing-up for races.  I just don't get wearing tutus to run and I'm still trying to wrap my head around "running skirts."  I digress...

But this year, I put the bells on my shoes.  Humbug.

And I have to admit Amanda's hat was pretty dern cute, and I'm sure it kept her very warm.

Other holiday running attire at the starting line

The worst part about the race was the course.  Maybe I'm the only person who thought so - but it was tracked in a way that you could almost always see people running the opposite direction towards you, and what you assumed was the finish.  What I'm trying to explain is that I thought I was "almost done" the entire time.  In actuality, there were just so many loops and turnarounds that someone may be running towards you, but not even be close to the finish!  There were also only 2 mile markers (mile 2 and mile 4) and seriously - as a testament to how terrible I am with the concepts of distance and time - when I saw the mile 2 marker I was shocked because I thought we had to be at at least mile 4.  

I don't know why this is "Stop the Silence" 8K but this WAS the course from JATW.  And see what I mean? FOUR turnarounds!  And we ran all over the freaking place from the White House, to Union Station, back over to the House Rayburn Building, around past Federal Center metro, up Independence to the Air and Space Museum, turn around AGAIN and on and on.  Then they kill you with the last leg of Pennsylvania having that weird snake around on 12th.  

I get it - I'm a whiner.  

The course was "flat and fast" but STILL - talk about the running tour of NW DC.  

The JATW was a typical run/walk.  I ran the first 2.5 miles - ran/walked a little in the middle - and from mile 4, finished strong running.  My total time was 57:04 - which I'm not disappointed with, as I'll never be one of those people who runs a 7 min mile.  Hell, I'll probably never even be one of those people who can run a 10 minute mile.  But actually, Amanda's watch tracked the race as being 5.1 miles and not 4.9 - so I may have been a little speedier than I thought.  

If you'd like to learn more - the Jingle All The Way is part of a DC series which I definitely plan on completing at some point.  St. Patty's is next.  Being that it's an 8K as well - maybe I'll shoot to beat this weekend's time.  But, eh...who's counting, most likely I'll register with Amanda and then complain about it until the finish line.

Pssss - how pretty is DC during the holidays?

And to think I was excited for 13 seconds

This afternoon I saw this tweet:

Well, I think we all know I have no idea who Kevin Durant is... but that didn't deter me from clicking through with excitement that maybe Nike had created some type of running shoe that is weatherproof, won't get your socks wet in the rain, maybe heats your feet in the cold and cools them in the summer.  The possibilities for a shoe that is ALSO a weatherman are endless!!  I realize now those are lofty goals from a running shoe, but whatever - lots of people in the 80s thought we'd have hoverboards by now, so let's move on.

It took me 3 articles and 2 videos to figure out that the "Weatherman" is: 

1.  A new basketball shoe (gross) 

2. Has no weather neutralizing benefits for your feet 

3. Has no weather predicting technology

 4. Is only called the Weatherman because the colors look like a Doplar Radar.

Womp Woooomp.

This Washington Post article describes the Weatherman as "A hot electrifying forecast for your feet."  Why would I not immediately assume that this shoe can somehow tell me the outside temperature and/or the temperature of my body while I'm running?

  

And check out this picture!  

This lead me to believe the bottom of the shoe was testing the temperature of the ground, predicting earthquakes, snow, and rain.

It turns out it's just a color scheme.

Further research informed me the shoe is weather themed because apparently this Durant character wanted to be a weatherman when he was growing up.  Instead he became a millionaire pro basketball player and famous designer of questionable, misleading sneakers.  Thanks for that. 

Maybe one day shoes will be as innovative as my brain, but until then, I suggest Nike put a disclaimer on the box that says this shoe is weather colored but can't actually predict the weather.

The Hot Mess 5K

On Saturday I ran the Ghiradelli Hot Chocolate 5K with Amanda, Hawi, and Kristen.  We all woke up at 4:30 AM to carpool and make it over to National Harbor in time for the race's 7:30 AM start time.  The race, sponsored by Ghiradelli and organized by RAM Racing, was a total disaster with a delayed start time and a disastrous, if not dangerous, course.  I had every intention of writing a scathing review this morning, but last night the owner of RAM sent around a pretty heartfelt apology email explaining what went wrong Saturday, and being that it's the holidays and all, I'm in a forgiving spirit.  They had also fed me chocolate at the end of the race, so my chagrin was quickly forgotten.

From what the email said, I feel bad for RAM because it seems as if everything that could have gone wrong on Saturday morning, did.  I'll start with my initial experiences and give the RAM version later.  Hawi, Kristen, Amanda and I arrived at the starting line around 5:45 AM.  We wandered around looking for the physical start (we had been led to believe we'd need to take a shuttle there), and not a single volunteer could tell us where to go.  Finally we realized we were parked about 20 feet from where we needed to be, so we sat in the car to keep warm.

Not long after we arrived, there were 2 traffic-stopping accidents on the Interstate inhibiting participants from getting to the parking lots and starting line.  Because of this, race officials delayed the start over and over again.  It was like the Valentine's episode of 30 Rock where Liz and Matt Damon are flying to their romantic getaway and Pilot Damon keeps saying "30 more minutes, folks."  Amanda and I were more of a "You snooze, You lose" crowd, meaning if you didn't wake up early enough to get to the race (like we did), then too bad.  But, it wasn't up to us and the race didn't kick off until 8:15.  Annoying.

Once the race did start, it was the worst course I've ever run in my 26 years.  About 2/3 of the race was on a bike trail that couldn't have been more than 8 feet wide.  So unlike other races where the start is crowded and then after the first half mile people have spread out, we were running on top of each other for most of it.  At points, I was literally jogging in place.  There were no openings in the crowd to get through and no system or room for passing.  To top it all off, runners still attempting to get from the parking lots to the starting line were walking the same trail, upstream.  So while we're running, people are walking along this trail going the wrong direction.  It's a wonder no one fell off into the harbor.

I was running so slowly in this packed crowd that I was able to snap a picture of how dense it was.

It felt like we were being herded.  Baaah.

My last and final complaint about the course is that the last third to half mile were uphill.  A significant incline uphill, not a baby molehill.  Talk about a buzzkill.  My race strategy is generally to huff and puff and think about how much I hate running for the first 2 and 3/4 miles.  Then I open up, make up for lost time and sprint at the end.  Yeah, that just isn't happening on an uphill finish.  

We sat in the car for over 2 hours to keep warm.

Now, RAM had an explanation for all of this (except the uphill finish line) which really put things into perspective.  The accidents were actually more trouble than they seemed.  The police halted traffic to clean them up.  The Maryland parking authorities promised they could park more cars than they actually could.  The bus company delivered far fewer shuttles than they promised and the accidents halted those busses shuttling passengers from the metro meetup points to the start line.  And this is really the clincher: The lead biker who was guiding the start of the 5K was misdirected by the police and we literally ran the course backwards.  The owner says this resulted:  

"This action directed the 5K in the opposite direction from the way it was supposed to flow, insuring that the runners would run into themselves.  We had to open up the start line much faster than we would have liked, in order to avoid returning runners from running into outbound runners, which would not have been a problem if the lead runner was allowed to follow the planned course."

And this explains why we ran the narrowest part of the course first.  Good grief Charlie Brown.

At the end, I finished the race in 33:42.  Not bad considering the crowd and a few very steep hills (which, now that I think about it, we should have run downhill instead of up...)  

The most successful part of the race could be considered the afterparty.  We all received Ghiradelli hot chocolate fondue with a pretzel, apple slices, marshmallow, banana and rice crispie treat.  In seconds, my angst over the terrible course was eased.  Nothing like the calories you just burned waiting for you at the finish line.

Fondue

Ghiradelli Hot Chocolate

Fun Merchandise!  "Will Run for Chocolate"

  

Honestly, I talked to a lot of runners who had the same problems I did with the race.  And we swore that RAM Racing would lose any of our business in the future.  However, after reading RAM's apology, and realizing that it wasn't their poor planning, but the stellar execution by the Maryland police, I personally have decided that I'd be more than willing to give RAM a second chance.  I just hope the next race they organize is sponsored by Tiffany.  

Up All Night

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, my mom and I decided we were going to run the Swine Time Festival 5K in Climax, Georgia.  On Friday, I thought I was preparing for the race appropriately, eating bananas and "carbing up" with leftover stuffing and potatoes.  I would've eaten those carbs anyway - being that it was the day after Thanksgiving because I've never been a fan of carbing up.  We used it as an excuse to eat a lot during college crew, but as my college body quickly showed - an 8 minute race does not 3 bagels burn.  I think I was doing it wrong.

Moving on, Mom and I thought we were race ready.  On Friday night we got into the Christmas spirit by decorating our tree, listening to holiday music, and drinking hot toddies by the fire.  My dad normally makes hot toddies by warming eggnog and adding a little brandy.  We found a new recipe this year that was delicious - Hot tea, brandy, lemon and honey.  Hot tea.  Black tea.  Black caffeinated tea.  What I'm trying to say is that the night before this race, my mom, dad and I did not sleep at all.  It was terrible.  And it was terrible to run the race exhausted.

At 7AM we were tired, but ready to go!

The course was more difficult than I normally run...I don't want to exaggerate so I'm just referring to the course as "rolling molehills."  There was enough incline/decline action going on that it slowed me down and wore me out.  I don't know the official time, but I finished somewhere between 33 and 34 minutes.  I actually finished 5th in my age group, 20-29...out of five people.  Just kidding.  I don't know how many people were in my age group.  I also know I finished 68th overall...out of 68 people.  Just kidding - Gotcha again!  

Finishers!

We had a blast!  I'm hoping that when I go home for Christmas there is another local race to run.  I'm also hoping we remember to drink decaf past noon.

5K for AIDS

I didn't hike this weekend because Amanda and I had registered for the Aids 5K on Saturday morning.  That's ok, it still counts.

Boy, was it miserable.  Saturday morning was freezing and rainy.  Amanda and I both contemplated skipping it, but because we had our "Oh Sh*t" moments at separate times of the morning, we were able to motivate each other to show up.  I woke up and saw that it was a light drizzle and very cold.  I texted her to say I would still show up, but was in no way running if it was pouring rain.  She said she would still go too, so even though I desperately wanted to climb back into bed (I'm rarely awake when it's still dark outside), I layered up and headed to Freedom Plaza.  Around 7:15, I was on my way and getting a coffee at Starbucks when I got a text from Amanda saying "Have you left yet?  It is REALLY gross outside."  I called her and said, yes I'd left but if she wanted to cancel, that was fine with me.  I stressed that the rain was just a drizzle so running wouldn't be so bad, and she agreed to go.  

True Story: A guy at Starbucks asked me if I was running in the race and said he was going to cheer on friends.  He said he felt really bad for us runners because of the terrible weather.  He was running the Marine Corps Marathon the next day and the forecast was perfect.  I laughed and told him not to feel too bad, I felt bad for him that he had to run 26.2 miles in any weather.  Ba dum chhhhh.

Anywho, The race was a flat 5K starting at 12th and Penn, running up Penn towards the Capitol, and looping back to the starting line. I haven't gotten the official results yet, but I finished in about 31:00.

I prepped for the race by not working out at all the week before.  It sounds silly, but my calfs and shins have been killing me, so I wanted my legs to be really rested for maximum performance.  I have calf cramping issues, so I ate tons of Spinach for potassium the week before.  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the race I also forced myself to eat bananas.  I hate bananas, I always have. (I love banana chips and banana bread though - don't ask me why.)  I hate the texture, the smell and the flavor, I hate everything about them.  But I know from past race prep, that banana potassium is my instant preemptive remedy for cramping - potassium supplements just aren't the same.  That was my prep and it worked!  I ran the whole thing without stopping, not even run/walking!  So proud!

Yum. No. Yuck!

Amanda and I - Ready to Run.  Love her parka, BTW.

Amanda also had an AWESOME tip for sneaker care after running or hiking in the rain:

Put newspaper in your kicks to soak up the water!  Less than 24 hours later, my sneaks were dry and they weren't stinky with mildew.  For those of us who can't stick our sneaks in the dryer because it'll cost $1.50, this is a free and awesome solution.  

Smarty pants.

Overall, I am so glad my lazy butt didn't climb right back into bed at 6:30 AM because the rain really held off and the race was so fun.  Amanda is much faster than me so she finished first, but right when I finished, a little after 9:00, the rain really started pouring.  I told her that if this was what the weather had been 2 hours earlier, there was no way I would have run.  So I guess in a way, my Motivation Cookie was right: It can't rain all the time.  Or maybe it should have said: You can't blame the rain all the time.  Close enough.