Vegetarian Thai Peanut Ramen

I am definitely guilty of gaining some “pandemic pounds”. So some of my New Year’s Resolutions have been to lose weight, get back to the gym, and incorporate new recipes to my repertoire. Honestly, I hate cooking. Therefore I tend to stick to my handful of items that are easy to make and I know are tasty. I’m aiming to try at least 1 new recipe a month, and although I know I’ll have some Pinterest fails, the wins I will share. Please feel free to share your favorite recipes in the comments, I’m grateful for all the inspiration I can get!

This month I was inspired by my friends making their own ramen broths. I took a Thai Peanut Ramen recipe and altered it to be a bit healthier and lighter. This recipe is very versatile, and a great way to use up leftover veggies. Tofu or meat can also be added.

Total time: 30 mins

Servings: 3-6 (depends on how much you want to eat. I finished it in 3, but they were large servicings)

Ingredients:
Olive oil – for sautéing veggies
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)
2 tablespoons hot curry spice paste
4 cups low sodium veggie broth
1 can lite coconut milk
8 tablespoons peanut butter powder
Juice of 2 limes
Sliced mushrooms
Other veggies as desired (in photo onions, red bell pepper, and spinach were added)
3 packets of ramen noodles
Chopped peanuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and any other veggies that require sautéing. Reduce heat if needed, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until veggies are slightly softened.
2. Add the curry paste and stir into veggies.
3. Add 3 cups of the veggie broth and the coconut milk. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
4. In a medium bowl mix the powdered peanut butter with the remaining 1 cup of veggie broth.
5. Add the peanut butter mixture, turmeric, ginger powder, ground coriander, and cayenne powder to the pot and stir to combine.
6. Add the juice of 2 limes, and simmer on low 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. A pinch of salt may be needed.
7. Right before serving, add the ramen noodles and any veggies that just need quick cookings (such as spinach). Cook noodles according to package directions. Most only need 2-3 minutes.
8. Top individual servings with chopped peanuts. Serve and enjoy!

Please note: Ramen noodles do not hold well for leftovers. If you plan on leftovers, split the broth before adding noodles, and add the noodles while reheating the broth the next day. For me, I split the broth into 3 portions (2 portions went into glass containers, 3rd stayed in the pot for immediate meal).

Don’t Stop Believin’ – NoDa 5k 2021

In 2008, I looked in the mirror and finally noticed the over 200 pound version of myself I had become. More importantly, I was motivated to do something about it. I started with simple changes to my diet and walking around the neighborhood. As I lost weight, I was inspired to keep cleaning up my eating, walking longer, and incorporating some jogging. After a year or so, I was down to 125 pounds, and was running up to 6 miles a day.

However, I had never done a race. It seemed dumb to spend money to run when I was doing it for free most days. I really didn’t understand the appeal. So for years I just ran for fitness and pleasure. In 2013 I started coaching Girls on the Run. The season ends with a 5k, untimed since the goal of Girls on the Run is to foster self-respect and pride through running. The whole atmosphere of the race was new to me. Pre-race there was music and dancing. The excitement in the air was contagious. Although the race was uncompetitive and I was running to support my girls, I still sensed the drive to push yourself a race gives you. It inspired me to sign up for a competitive 5k.

NoDa 5k 2014 was the race I picked, mainly for the appeal of a free beer since it was located at the NoDa Brewery. I had so much fun running that race, I started signing up for more races. That led me down the rabbit hole and 5ks turned to 10ks, 10ks turned to half marathons, and now I’m training for a full.

Although I rarely run 5ks anymore, I still return to the NoDa 5k yearly. I have run it every year since 2014, except 2020 when it was cancelled. The race always starts at 6 PM, and is typically held in early June. As you can surmise, it is a hot race. This year they moved it to late July, when the heat is even worse. This is never a race I aim to PR due to the race conditions. As expected, race day was steamy with the peak being 90 degrees. To make it more fun, the course is hilly, with constant ups and downs. Thankfully there was cloud coverage and a slight breeze, which helped us from melting into the asphalt.

We lined up at the start, and took off. I pushed myself but never looked at my watch to monitor my pace. I only had a goal to finish in under 30 minutes, but if I missed that goal I wouldn’t be upset. Once I crossed the finish line I checked my Garmin and saw I had finished in 28:14. I grabbed a Powerade popsicle, which tasted magical after a hot run, and met back up with my friends to watch the others in our group cross the finish line. Once everyone had finished, we grabbed our free beer and found some shade to relax in.

Due to Covid safety measures, they no longer had a results tent. You checked the results on your phone. My boyfriend wanted to see if he had made his goal time, so he checked his results, then mine. “Hey, you are second in your age group”, he exclaimed. “That is impossible”, I replied. The NoDa 5k usually has close to 1,000 people, with some very fast runners since the NoDa Brewery hosts a weekly run club. This year, whether due to the pandemic or being moved to July, not even 250 people had shown up. My odds of placing were better, but I still didn’t believe it. It was a bucket list item to place in my age group during a race, but I had never succeeded. “We will see if my name is called during the awards,” I retorted. Sure enough, during the awards ceremony my name was called. 2nd place is the 35-39 age group. I won a NoDa 5k themed medal koozie, which I accepted with a huge smile on my face.

I know for a lot of runners placing is commonplace and unimpressive. For me, this was a life goal I honestly never expected to meet. I had tried in the past to place at various races, with much faster times, and never got close. This race I wasn’t even hoping to win, and I finally did it. I know it is just luck that faster runners didn’t show up, but everyone had the chance to sign up. Out of the 14 people in my age group who did, I was the 2nd fastest. I’m not boosting I had some Olympic pace. Heck, it isn’t even my 5k PR. I did give it my all though, and I won fair and square out of the competition this year. Plus how fitting that I’d achieve my goal at the NoDa 5k, a race I have so much history running. I’ve been using my koozie everyday, a little reminder of how far I’ve come since 2008, and that I shouldn’t give up on my goals. All goals can be reached in time, some just take longer to obtain. The only way to fail is to stop trying. Take Journey’s advice, don’t stop believin’.

NoDa 5k
July 24, 2021

On the Streets of Philadelphia

Beep, Beep, Beep. The alarm awakens us, signaling another work day. Mike slowly swings his legs off the bed and starts a slow shuffle towards the closet. After ten minutes when he hadn’t even reached the foot of the bed, I gently chided “I said you wouldn’t be going to work today.” He had been playing basketball the day before when the ball went outside the fence. Jumping the fence to retrieve the ball, he landed on uneven ground and his back seized up. I had warned him it was only going to get worse. My childhood was spent watching my dad throw his back out more times than I can count. Mike blew off my warnings, claiming he would be fine. Sadly, my prediction was correct. Mike sighed, admitting defeat, and called in sick.

On the Streets of Philadelphia

To add extra stress to the thrown out back scenario, we were both signed up for the Rock and Roll Philadelphia half marathon. The race was exactly 3 weeks from the day Mike’s back went out of commission. We planned to stay with his sister who lives outside Philly, and our flights were already purchased. I knew immediately Mike would not be running, and as time ticked by without vast improvement, he also accepted that reality. The question was, could he travel? This was my first time meeting his sister and her family, so going alone was out of the question. His sister and brother-in-law had signed up to run with us, and we had tickets to a Father John Misty concert as well. Mike loves music more than running, so we try to fit a concert in our race-cations when possible. We were hesitant to cancel, so we decided to play the “wait-and-see” game.

Thankfully, after two weeks of being couch and bed bound, Mike was walking, albeit slowly and not pain free. Running was still out of the question, but he was at least going to be able to travel. Our flight was through Frontier as they offer a direct, cheap flight from Charlotte to Philly. However, as anyone who has flown Frontier knows, their seats offer zero cushioning. I believe they currently hold the patent on “negative cushion seating”. This typically isn’t a problem for us and we suck it up for the cash savings, but it isn’t ideal for one with back pain. Mike tried his best to not show his agony, but I could see the discomfort on his face. At least it was only a very short flight. 

Mike’s sister picked us up from the airport and we went straight to downtown Philly for packet pickup. Mike was actually happy to be standing and walking after an hour on the plywood board Frontier seats. Like most Rock and Roll packet pickups, it was in the large convention center, and was well organized. Gathering the necessary items was quick and smooth, and there were tons of vendors to peruse. We even got a coupon for a free box of Uncle Ben’s Rice from one table. An unusual but appreciated surprise.

After packet pickup we went to Mike’s sister’s house and relaxed a bit while I got to meet his nephew and niece. That night we attended the Father John Misty concert at the Mann Center, which is a breathtaking outside amphitheater with an amazing view of Philly at night. The next day we explored an amazing, hard to describe shopping mall with a mix of antiques, new items, and an area where the Amish could sell homemade food and items. We picked up Amish homemade pasta noodles and other items for dinner, and explored the eclectic mall. The adults decided to go out for a drink before cooking dinner, so they took us to a nearby restaurant with a fancy bar. The bartender was confused by our NC driver’s licenses. At first refused to serve us, claiming she had never seen a NC license before and couldn’t verify if they were real. Mind you, Mike and I are in our thirties and this was an expensive bar, not a place underage kids would try to score a drink, so we were taken back. The bartender said we had to show another photo ID to verify ourselves. All I had was my Sam’s Membership card with its grainy black and white dot matrix photo, and Mike had nothing. Finally a manager came over, deeply studied our IDs under multiple lighting, and begrudgingly agreed to serve us. So word of the wise, if you want a drink in the suburbs of philly, come with multiple forms of photo identification.

Alcohol quickly turned the moment with the bartender into a source of amusement, rather than a frustrating encounter. Mike’s brother-in-law ordered a scotch and received the equivalent of a triple pour. Seriously, we barely get a beer, but he got a pour like the liquor was expiring in an hour.  As it was much more scotch than he was intending or wanted, he offered to share. Mike and his sister, both of Irish descent, refused as they are bourbon drinkers. I had never had scotch, but I didn’t want to appear ungrateful to my hosts, so I agreed to help out. I am of Scottish descent, and my genes instantly delighted as the leathery flavor hit my tongue. His brother-in-law, excited to have another scotch fan on his side, gave me a full tasting of all different brands of scotch once back home. I landed on Laphroaig Select as my favorite.

The next morning I awoke somehow hangover free despite the array of scotch I had tried. Mike had volunteered to stay home and watch the kids, so he slept in while the 3 of us started an early morning journey to the heart of Philly. The port-a-potty line was impossibly long and we were nearing the start time, I decided to skip it and we moved into the starting corral. Both Mike’s sister and brother-in-law are fast runners, much faster than I am. They decided to stay with me though as I aimed to try for a sub-2, a feat I had never completed. 

The race started well enough, and we were keeping a good pace. The course winded through downtown Philadelphia, and was relatively flat. I had grabbed a granola bar for breakfast which I ate during the car ride, but I had not brought any extra fuel. I knew they would be handing out Sport Beans, but I realized too late I was on the wrong side of the street to grab the Sports Beans as we passed. Not wanting to waste time backtracking, I just pushed forward. Little did I know that was the one and only fuel station on the course. 

The bands and crowd support, such as the man dressed as a superhero standing in the middle of the course giving out high-fives and dancing, keep me both motivated and mentally engaged. There was also a homeless man standing on the side of the course asking the runners for change. I can’t imagine he made very much as I do not know a single runner who keeps a pocket of change on them while distance running. Around mile 11 my energy levels were depleting and my skipped pre-race pee was coming back to haunt me. I really wanted to stop and walk. We told Mike’s sister to keep her amazing pace, but Mike’s brother-in-law stayed with me as my pace slowed, gently and effectively pushing me forward. He reminded me my breathing was still perfect so I was still physically able to maintain a good pace, I just had to overcome the mental aspect. That and the fact that the faster I finished, the sooner I could use the bathroom. 

I pushed through and when we crossed the finish line the gun clock showed a time slightly over 2 hours. I had given up on the hope of hitting a sub-2 when my energy faded and my bladder filled. Michael’s sister came running over and informed me of my official chip time. 100% thanks to Mike’s brother-in-law, I finished the race in 1:59:54. Six whole seconds under 2 hours. I know that isn’t the most impressive sub-2, but for me it meant the world. I will openly admit I teared up when I learned the news. I was so excited I even paid the $20 to have my medal engraved. A sub-2 was a bucket list item and I needed to commemorate it, even if it was just 6 seconds under.

For me this was an epic trip where I not only accomplished a life goal, I obtained the half marathon ritual I still follow of enjoying a Scotch on the rocks the night before a race. Even Mike, who doesn’t sugarcoat when he is unhappy, said he enjoyed the trip. Thank goodness we had that concert planned or I think his assessment wouldn’t have been so positive. I wish this story had unfolded without Mike being in pain, but life rarely goes as planned. I’m just hoping the thrown out back isn’t a reoccurring theme and this is a one-time story line. Fingers crossed!

Rock n Roll Philadelphia 
9.17.17
Time: 1:59:54
Pace: 9:09/mm
Overall: 2225/8795
Age: 128/777
Gender: 844/5028

Georgia, No Peace I Find

The night race. An exotic sounding race that appealed to a night owl like myself. Fueling for a night race is always a logistical consideration, or nightmare. As our race began at 7 p.m. we could easily drive down race day as Georgia is only 3.5 hours from our home. Mike and I knew we needed to eat an early lunch but our road choices were limited. “Where do you want to eat,” he asked me. “Wherever is fine, I have a stomach of steel.” Since I’m a vegetarian we stopped at Subway where I ate a veggie sub on wheat. If this story had a narrator they would interject here with “she did not have a stomach of steel”.

Georgia, No Peace I Find

When I discovered an alien themed night half marathon in Roswell, GA, I knew I needed to run it. The fact that the Braves were playing in their new stadium the same weekend solidified the plan. My boyfriend, Mike, is a lifelong Braves fan but had never seen them live.The race website claimed it was the flattest course in Georgia, so Mike decided to sign up as well. We were both looking forward to avoiding an early morning race alarm for once.

Mike has a friend in Roswell who graciously agreed to host us, so upon arrival we went to his place and relaxed a bit prior to the race. Before long it was time to head to Riverside Park where the race started/finished, and also where race day packet pickup was held. The shirts were unisex sized so sadly the small was still huge on me. It was a cute, soft shirt I would have gladly worn often had they offered female sizing, but c’est la vie. Gu was provided in the packet, but mine was coffee flavored. I have never grown to like coffee and do not drink it, nor eat things flavored like it. I offered it to another runner who excitedly accepted it. 

Although I have lived in the south my entire life, I didn’t think just HOW hot an August night in Georgia would be. The 7 p.m. start times tricks your brain to assume it will be cooling off, but heat just lingers long into the summer evenings and carries the humidity with it like a shawl. The park offered little shade and people were huddled in the few covered spots they could find. We found a semi-shaded area to sit, but the ground was crawling with ants so we quickly got up again. We instead killed time exploring the small, yet lively, vendor tents and split a free Bai water a sponsor was giving out.

As I stood sweating during the National anthem, I knew the heat was going to make the race a struggle. The course weaved through the shady park paths at first, but then dropped us off on black asphalt roads which intensified the heat. Now I haven’t run every race in Georgia, but I quickly started to suspect that the website’s claim about “the flattest course in Georgia” was a lie. Once on the roads it was a constant uphill climb. At one point, exhausted and grumpy, I complained about the website’s statement to a runner next to me. She informed me it had been a flat course the first year, but the route had changed, although the website was never properly updated. Yet another case of “not everything you read on the internet is true”, especially when a race director is trying to sell their race.

My energy was fading from the heat and I was drinking far more water than I should, but it was boiling outside. Around mile 8 we were given an otter pop, which was the only fuel offered outside the Gu in the race packet. However, the cold and sugar of the otter pop were much appreciated and I gratefully devoured mine. I was even lucky enough to be given a grape one, my favorite flavor. As an added bonus we finally got some downhill slopes after miles of incline. 

The sun was finally going down, but the darkness didn’t bring much relief. The humidity was still oppressive. Once full darkness hit the 2:15 pace group went flying past me. This was a huge blow to my ego and I fully gave up trying to push my pace. This was clearly going to be my slowest half marathon ever. I started to do a walk/run combo, and had a nice conversation with a British man about how horribly miserable the race was. Towards the end we were routed back on park paths where it was pitch black, not an ounce of light. Thankfully I had brought a headlamp even though they weren’t mandatory. 

Finally, the center of the park with the inflatable alien finish line were in view! I crossed, so thankful to be done. Looking at my watch I learned I had finished in 2:13. Clearly the pace group which had blown past me had decided to aim for a 2 hour finish instead. 2:13 still meant it was my slowest half marathon, but I had already mentally prepared for that outcome. More concerning was my watch distance only showed 12.6 miles. I asked another runner and his watch also tracked the course short. Great, it was my slowest half and it wasn’t even the full distance.  

I greedily took the ice cold towel a volunteer handed me and wiped my face and neck. Mike wasn’t far behind me in finishing and we sat speaking with fellow runners while cooling down. There was not a lot of excitement in the air, all the runners were drenched in sweat and half dead. Mike was doing surprisingly okay as it was only his second half marathon. I personally felt miserable. Not even the sparkly gold alien head medal could lift my spirits. 

We went back to clean up before dinner. I laid on the floor in the fetal position half napping while Mike showered. My stomach felt sour and I was drained of energy. During my shower I threw up unexpectedly. I despise throwing up, and word of warning, a veggie sub is not fun coming back up. I figured it was a one time deal due to drinking too much water while running so I pressed on to the restaurant. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I threw up twice more at the restaurant while waiting for food, both times thankfully making it to the bathroom first. Once my stomach started to stabilize, I forced myself to eat a flatbread pizza and finally started to feel human again.  

After a deep, peaceful sleep I was 100% again. To thank our host we had bought him and his girlfriend tickets to the Braves game as well. Although the race was a huge disaster, the game was wonderful with multiple home runs and the Braves winning. As I was feeling better I was even able to drink a beer at the game, a feat I was not able to perform after the race. The happy moments at the Braves game easily neutralized the negative memories from the night before. I left Georgia happy, although I will never recommend that race to anyone, nor will I go back for redemption.

*Author’s Note: As I’m sure you picked up, I did not enjoy this race. I would like to say that I did check their website again recently and they are now saying the course has been measured so I assume they received some complaints about the short course from my year. They have also since removed the “flattest course in GA” claim, and they do now require headlamps. So I assume they are working to make it better. They did offer free race photos, one of which I included above.

If anyone has ran this race and loved it, I would love to hear your experience in the comments below. Have you ran it and hated it like me? Also share your misery! Running and races are personal, everyone has a different story. I love to hear them all.

Race: Area 13.1
Location: Roswell, GA
Date: 8.19.17
State #: 4
Chip Time: 2:13:50
Pace: 10:13
Overall: 270/648
Age group: 16/38

Freemorewest 5k on the Greenway

I have been a bad blogger and I’m way behind on half marathon recaps. I hope to get back on track soon. I recently started a new run club for a local arcade bar, Abari, so a lot of my time and energy has been focused on getting that going. (If you live in, or are visiting, Charlotte, NC feel free to come run with us! Abari Track Club) Now that I have that fairly under control, I can get back to blogging.

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to PR in a 5k, so when I discovered a Friday night race just down the road from my neighborhood I figured I couldn’t pass it up. The Freemorewest 5k on the Greenway only cost $25, came with a t-shirt, plus a free pint of craft beer from Town Brewing. Free beer is all I need to convince me to run, so I asked my friend Becky to join me and signed up.

If you don’t live in NC, you may not know we turned into a rainforest. It rained almost daily over winter, and it seems spring is following suit. So I wasn’t surprising when it stormed the afternoon of the race. Thankfully it slowed as the day progressed, but the threat of an evening thunderstorm loomed. I had already decided I was going to run rain or shine, but with the uncertain weather, Becky decided to back out.

I had looked up the finish time for this race last year, and based on those times I had a chance to place in my age group. In the start corral they told us that the course was slightly re-routed due to flooding on the greenway, which is common for Charlotte greenways as they tend to parallel creeks. It had been lightly raining before the race, but minutes before the race started it stopped. However, that just left the air loaded with humidity, so I think I would have preferred a drizzle.

After the start horn, people instantly went flying past me. People commonly start too quickly and slow down in the end, so I stayed positive on my goal to place. We crossed some train tracks and a few runners slipped and fell on the wet wood. Then on the greenway there were many slippery mud spots or large puddles covering the entire paved path. The course also hillier than I anticipated. I kept a strong pace, but let myself slow down due to the slick conditions. This race was not worth an injury. I looked at the large number of women still in front of me at mile 2, and mentally let my hopes of placing go.

5ks always feel like they go so fast, and right when I started thinking “I can’t maintain this pace much longer” I looked at my Garmin and saw I only had a ¼ mile left. I crossed the finish line, seeing on the clock that only 26 minutes had passed. My previous PR was 26:50 from the Pancake and Beer 5k, and I knew I had beat that. I walked around the sponsor tables, letting my heart rate stabilize, and printed my official race results. They confirmed I had PR’d. They also confirmed I had not place in my age group, not even close! I came in 11th. Per the 2018 results, I would have come in 3rd with my time, but clearly all the elites were out in force this year. Oh well, part of running is you never know who else is going to show up at a race.

The race ended in the parking lot of Town Brewing, which is where my boyfriend had been waiting for me. I found him at the outside bar, and got in the long line for my free beer. I gave him Becky’s bib so we could get the free beer it came with. (*please note: no one ran with the bib. I do not condone illegal bib transfers or banditing races. I do not have a problem, however, of drinking the free beer that comes with a fully paid race entry. Becky did give us permission to drink her beer.) You could pick any beer you wished, and I got the Naked Napoleon, which was a refreshing sour beer. Once our beers were done we headed home, although they did have live bands and DJs set up for a fun after party. We had prior dinner plans with out-of-town friends though, so I needed to get cleaned up pronto.

Despite my hopes of placing being beyond broken, this was an enjoyable 5k. I did at least PR. With better weather I would have enjoyed it more, but that is not the fault of the race director. For only $25 and a free beer, I’d run it again.

April 5, 2019
6:00 P.M.
Time: 26:03:60
Pace: 8:23/mm
Overall: 46/162
Age: 11/25
Gender: 14/78

In My Mind I’m Going to Carolina

“The forecast is still calling for freezing temperatures and snow in the mountains,” the meteorologist cheerfully announces. I turn off the tv and toss the remote aside is disgust. I have a half marathon to run in Asheville, NC and the harsh winter is not relenting in March. I pack both my long running pants and my shorts, long and short sleeve shirts, multiple jackets, and ear warming headband. I’m trying to remain hopefully it will not be horrifically cold during the race, but my rational mind accepts the truth.

In My Mind I’m Going to Carolina

North Carolina is my home state, and Asheville is only 2 hours from Charlotte. It is a fun city full of breweries, hiking, and history. My mom loved the Biltmore Estate in my youth, so when I learned they hold a race on its extensive, beautiful grounds I knew I needed to run it. It is a boutique race, but since the half is more popular than the full, they offered a half option both Saturday and Sunday in 2017. I received a discount code from a race ambassador in my online running group, and signed up for the Saturday half.

Mike and I head straight to packet pickup upon arriving in town. Mike had run the 10k in Vegas, and he was willing to run a half, but did not want to start with one known for its elevation. Instead he signed up to be a volunteer, working at the first water stop. As a volunteer he got access to the grounds, food, and festivities the runners get to enjoy. The expo was small, held in a hotel, but with lots of sponsors and a smooth layout. I grab my race packet, Mike got his volunteer gear, and we head over to our hotel to check in.

We spend the night exploring Asheville and tasting local beers. We retire relatively early as the race starts at 7:30 a.m. but Mike must be there 6:30 a.m. for his volunteer duties. The 5:15 alarm goes off with neither of us excited. It is so cold in the room we know the weather is as bad as predicted. I peek out the window, but luckily no snow has fallen over night. I change my outfit a couple times, each time putting on warmer and warmer gear. Lastly I put on my down jacket which I will bag check before the race.

We had heard conflicting information if Mike would be able to drop me off at the race start before heading to his aid station. Once on the grounds we discover it will not be a problem. It is so early not many people are arriving yet. He drops me off at the start around 6:00 a.m., and I make my way to the sponsor alley where some porch heaters are set up. It is COLD. The temperature is still in the teens, but worse is the wind. Bone chilling gusts of wind. I huddle up around a heater and speak with the fellow runners seeking warmth. We all put on brave faces and pretend we aren’t miserable. Sadly, the time comes to turn in my down jacket to bag check, and shortly after we gather into the starting corral.

When I finally cross the start line I realize my legs are so cold I cannot even tell if my knees are bending. I feel like I have wood planks for legs. I trot along, waiting to feel human again. I start to notice some snow flurries in the air, but they are intermittent so I am not worried about accumulation. I pass the first water station, saying hello to Mike. I feel bad for him, at least I’m moving to stay warm. Mike has to stand in the freezing wind having water spill continuously onto his gloves.

Around the 5k mark my legs finally start to feel normal again. Of course, that is just about the point you see the “3 miles to the estate” sign which signals the start of 3 miles of grinding incline. I cannot say it was easy, but the reward of seeing the gorgeous estate at mile 6 was well worth it. I stopped mid run for a quick selfie, a real rarity for me but I couldn’t resist.

After running in front of the estate the course weaves through the winery, then follows a stream. The path changed to gravel, and the scenery lost some appeal on the back half. Finally I heard the crowd, and could see the finish line, but a glance at my Garmin told me I still had 3 miles to go. How could that be? The course was curving towards the finish line. At the last minute I realize instead of turning towards the finish line, I must continue straight down a single wide, muddy track for an out and back section to gain the extra miles. Such a mind tease. Since there was no room to pass, I was held hostage to a set pace, but I was spent so I did not mind much.

Finally the out and back was complete. I turned towards the finish line, which of course included another incline. Why do race organizers love to make you run uphill before a finish line? I crossed the timing mat, still freezing, but warmed by the amazing woodelian handed to me, and a metal tumbler. Mike was waiting for me at the finish, and immediately commented on my wind burned face. “Look in a mirror, buddy,” I respond. His wind burn is worse.

I retrieved my jacket from bag check and we went in search of the heated stable I had heard rumor of. We graciously accept our free Catawba Brewing beer, took a few salty snacks from the well stocked food tables, and I grab a Gatorade. Then, there behind the food tables, was Mecca. A large, heated, enclosed stable. Was this here prior to my race while I was freezing in the wind for over an hour? The answer is probably yes, but for mental sanity I tell myself no. Either way, relaxing and snacking in a heated space, blocked from the wind, was the perfect ending to a cold, but rewarding race.

*Author’s note: They also held a full and half marathon on Sunday. It continued to snow all day, and those poor runners had to run with approximately 6” of snow on the ground. I give them serious respect, as the cold wind and flurries were almost more than I could handle. Despite the freezing conditions, I really enjoyed the course and the after event is nice. I would definitely recommend this race, just make sure you dress warmly!

Race: Asheville Half at Biltmore Estate
Location: Asheville, NC
Date: 3.11.17
State #: 3
Chip Time: 2:09:31
Pace: 9:55
Overall: 429/1234
Age group: 46/127
Gender: 220/831

Pancakes and Beer 5k

I roll out of bed cold and cranky. Earlier in October it was still 80 degrees, but the week of the 27th it decided to jump to winter and is now in the 40s. Luckily this race, the Pancake and Beer 5k at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, starts at 9:00 a.m. The location is close to my house, but it’s Saturday and I want to sleep in. “No rest for the wicked” I tell myself, and force myself to get ready.

“At least it’s not raining” I remind myself. It rained non-stop the day before. I braved the rain on my lunch break to pick up the packets. The race did offer race day pickup, but in case the rain didn’t stop and we decided to skip I at least wanted our shirts.

Every June I run the NoDa 5k with my friend Becky. This year she expressed interest in doing another 5k in the fall, so I set out researching local races. I love researching races as much as running them. In the end we picked the Pancake and Beer 5k which included a free pancake breakfast and beer after, a long sleeve shirt, and most importantly a start time that wasn’t horribly early. My boyfriend, Mike, said he’d join as well, and with that our 5k crew was set.

Although we arrived 30 minutes prior to race start, the parking lots were already full. We drove around and found a neighborhood street to park on. Neither Becky, Mike, or myself enjoy cold weather so we all stood around uncomfortably, trying to maintain cheerful banter, until we were called to the start line. While waiting in the corral Mike asks me, “what is your goal?” I answered honestly, “I have none, it’s just a 5k. Just running this one for fun.”

After crossing the start line I pushed my pace but tried not to look at my watch or put any pressure on myself. The starting streets, which were all within the business complex, where closed to traffic. But permits were apparently not acquired for the main roads so we were forced to run on the sidewalks. 700+ runners forced onto a singular sidewalk does not equal a great race pace. Luckily time was not my goal, but it was still frustrating to get me pace thrown off.

At mile 2.6 a young girl running solo asked a course volunteer what mileage we were at. The volunteer did not answer, so I told her the mileage per my Garmin watch. I learned this was her first race, and as we were doing about an 8:40 pace I told her she was doing awesome. The former Girls on the Run coach in me came out and I stayed with her until the end, and we finished in 26:50:12.

Once I reconnected with Mike and Becky we grabbed our free post-race beer, and got our free pancake and bacon breakfast. The breakfast was pre-packaged and Mike and I gave our portions to Becky to take home to her boyfriend. I am a vegetarian so no bacon for me, plus I never crave a sweet breakfast. Honestly the beer was hard enough to get down that early in the day. The wind was blowing strongly, which only made us colder in our sweaty clothing.

We decided to head home, but I heard the name of a woman who finished directly ahead of me get called for an award. “Did I place too?” I exclaimed excitedly, running to the results tent. The excitement was short lived, I did not place. I did come in 6th out of 52 in my age group though which is the best I’ve placed in a race so far. I was suddenly angrier about the narrow sidewalks and my pace being slowed. Had I known I had a chance to place I would have pushed harder. However, maybe I did so well because I was focused on fun. I think there is a lesson in there if I wish to learn it.

*Author’s note: I did enjoy this race despite the narrow course. Had it been normal weather for October it would have been an enjoyable after-party and we would have stayed longer. I would recommend and run this race again. And seriously, the shirt is SO soft, comfortable, and cute.

October 27, 2018
Charlotte, NC
Time: 26:50:12
Pace: 8:39
Overall: 134/636
Age: 6/52
Gender: 37/346

Meet Virginia, I Can’t Wait To

I’m aroused from slumber by the soft sound of weeping from the hallway. I look at my phone, 3:30 A.M. Still time to sleep before my 5 A.M. alarm. I hear my friend comforting her son, and feel for her. She is running as well and clearly her sleep isn’t going smoothly. I snuggle down to fall back asleep when it hits me, “My Garmin!”. I forgot to plug in my GPS watch last night. I jump out of bed and get it charging. Although I’d never wish a nightmare on a 4 year old, this one was a blessing.

Meet Virginia, I Can’t Wait To

I groggily roll out of bed and start to get race ready. I am not a girl who spends time getting pretty even on the best days, so races take me no time to prep for. I throw on my clothing, rub some chapstick in prime chaff spots as I’m too cheap to buy Body Glide, and head downstairs for a soda. I had missed the expo, but Katie had grabbed my packet for me. She was already in the kitchen, ready to go. Katie, my old college friend, had also picked up distance running after graduation. She had moved to Virginia after grad school, and she invited me to run the Fredericksburg Historic Half Marathon. I eagerly accepted, both excited to see her again and run my first half marathon. My first half attempt, which took place in Disney World, failed when a thunderstorm cut the course in half. Katie and I finished our morning caffeine and headed to the race.

We arrived before the bulk of the crowd and secured a good parking spot with ease. With time to kill, Katie introduced me to Wagman’s, her favorite grocery store. Her pre-race ritual is a hot chocolate and a muffin, and I agreed to give it a shot. I ordered a small hot chocolate and we split the oversized muffin. I am not normally a dairy drinker, and although it is never wise to try something new on race day, I like to live on the edge a little. After breakfast, we used Wagman’s lovely bathrooms to avoid the port-a-potties, then proceeded to the start line.

My nerves start to kick in as we near the starting corrals. Unlike my first half marathon attempt, the weather was perfect this morning, so barring injury I was going to succeed. The start was well organized with large markers to indicate anticipated finish times. I was aiming for a 2:15 finish, which was different from Katie’s goal, so we hugged, wished each other luck, and enter our respective start zones.

Left on my own my nerves really went into overdrive. Starting corrals are always the point you start to overthink the race. What if I get lost? What if I get injured? Did I pee close enough to the start time? What if I have to pee again and I can’t find a port-a-potty? How exciting would it be to finish faster than I anticipate? How sad will I be if I’m slower? How will I react if I end up running next to a celebrity? What if aliens abduct me and I don’t get to finish? What if, what if, what if. Although these thoughts typically quiet the more you race, I believe everyone experiences them during their first race. Except that fear about needing to pee, that one remains.

I’m literally shaken out of my internal reveries by a loud BOOM. The beginning of the race is marked by a cannon fire, which although fitting for a military race, is horrifying when you aren’t expecting it. Immediately my thoughts switch to run mode, and I take off across the start line.

The course is lovely, highlighting the best of Fredericksburg. There is lots of support from the crowd along the entire route, along with official aid stations. Strangers handed out orange slices, water, beer, and even shots of Fireball. Although I know how to handle my beer off the race course, I cannot imagine drinking alcohol while running, but more power to those who can! My cop father instilled a strong sense of “stranger danger” in me, so I do not take the goodies offered by the crowd. Official race support staff handed out Sport Beans, which I do accept. While running up a hill I pass a homeowner blaring “Eye of the Tiger” to power runners up the incline. In the historic downtown section there are people in period costumes doing Regency dances. Odd, but entertaining. I was having fun, and more importantly, feeling good.

However, Murphy’s Law is always waiting in the wings. At mile 9.5, a dull ache in my hip starts to appear. This wouldn’t be fun in any race, but the Fredericksburg Historic Half has a famous element that still loomed ahead of me: Hospital Hill. At mile 10, you start a 1.5 mile long incline in which you gain approximately 200 ft. Despite my hip pain, I was determined to conquer the hill. I am able to run the majority of it, although my pace does dip.

By the time I reach the top, my hip is screaming. I start massaging it hoping to work out the pain. The water stop at the top has Marines lined up to “encourage” you, which in military terms means yelling. I guess I looked as bad as I felt, because instead of tearing me down, a Marine gently said, “You are doing great, keep at it.” I could see in his face he knew I was in genuine pain. I’ve never responded well to negative reinforcement, so his kindness was the inspiration I needed. Had he yelled at me I probably would have gotten mad and walked longer. Instead, I start running again, trying to ignore the pain, and I cross my first half marathon finish line 2:06:50 after starting.

I take my medal and graciously accept all the goodies the Marines hand me. Water, Powerade, fruit cups, bananas, trail mix, potato chips…so many tasty treats! I had not planned on having a beer after the race since it was so early, but that immediately changes once I exit the finisher shoot. My hip is in so much pain, I crave some free Mich Ultra pain relief. While limping towards the beer tent, a heavenly angel from a sponsor’s table says “ice pack?” I eagerly accept the pink gel ice pack with some company logo stamped on it, and thrust it in my spandex shorts against my hip. I didn’t care that I look crazy. I’m in pain, and the cold feels great. I continue my journey to the beer tent, get my drink, and finally sit down to rest.

I have some good conversation with fellow finishers in the beer garden before heading to the meeting spot Katie and I had picked out. I stretch while waiting for her, and greedily shove potato chips in my mouth. I do not crave sweets at the end of a race, but I do love to replenish my sodium. When Katie arrives, we continued to sit and snack, before heading back to her house.

After a shower and a nap, Katie and her family treat me to a fantastic Indian dinner. While exiting the restaurant, we both instinctively stop at the sidewalk’s edge, trying to figure out how we are going to tackle the minor step off the curb. The pain in our quads and hamstrings has appeared. We make eye contact, and both burst out laughing. Runner’s life, you either love it, or loathe it.

*Author’s note: This race truly was amazing. I both highly recommend it and would run it again. Plus, they gave free race photos, which means I got gems such as this…

Race: Fredericksburg Historic Half
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Date: 5.15.16
State #: 1
Chip Time: 2:06:50
Pace: 9:40
Overall: 1909/5719
Age group: 117/462
Gender: 646/3003

That’s What You Get for Waking Up in Vegas

Honk Honk. “Hey girl, want some cocaine?” Click, click, click, goes the cards from a man promoting a strip club. I spin around, confused, dazed, nervous. The bright lights have me blinded and disoriented. HONNNKKKKKK. People, so many people, pushing, shoving, drinking, and smoking. Thump Thump Thump goes the rave music flooding the street. It is official, I am in hell.

That’s What You Get For Waking Up In Vegas

I awoke with the sun rising, making my hotel room glow a soft yellow. From 27 floors below rave music was still bumping, THUMP THUMP THUMP. Apparently there are no noise ordinances in Vegas. Being from the east coast I can’t “go hard” partying into the night. Midnight in Vegas felt like 3 A.M. to me, and now in my thirties 3 A.M. is not even an obtainable goal. So by 11 P.M. Vegas time I wouldn’t be found on the strip, rather curled up in bed trying to sleep through the THUMP THUMP and traffic noise below.

I sit up in bed, checking my phone for the time. In order to maximize gambling and alcohol profits, clocks are absent in the hotels. This extends into the rooms. As someone who is obsessed with time management, I find this extremely frustrating. Thank God for cell phones. It was 6 A.M., 9 A.M. to my brain. I pulled open the curtain on my strip view room, taking in the multi-color skyline, along with the non-stop noise.

“What was I thinking?” I muse to myself. It wasn’t the round the clock drinking, gambling, smoking, or whoring that had tempted me to Vegas; it was a spinning, glow-in-the-dark medal. I wasn’t alone though, 27,000 other runners had also been lured in by this prize. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Vegas half marathon is the 3rd largest half marathon in the U.S., and a destination race found on most runner’s bucket list. Once I decided to try for the 50 in 50, RnR Vegas became my desired Nevada medal. The strip only closes to traffic twice a year, once for New Year’s Eve, and once for this race. What attracted me more than running through the twinkling lights though, was the fact it was a night race.

I did what any intelligent woman would do next, asked my boyfriend of 3 months, Mike, who had also never been to Vegas, to join me. He did what any intelligent man would do, agreed to go. To our benefit, we did acknowledge it was risky and stupid, since the race was in November and we started planning in June. We also live on the east coast, so this was a big, expensive trip. Flights were reasonable though, and between the runner hotel discount RnR offers and my reward points I was able to get a room at the Monte Carlo for free. The race itself was pricey, but I am sure it isn’t cheap getting the strip shut down, so I paid without complaint. To my surprise, Mike, who is not a runner, signed up to run the 10k. It was official. It was planned. We were going to Vegas.

Immediately upon arrival we went straight to packet pickup. RnR does offer race day pickup for an additional fee, something I wish other destination races would do. The race wasn’t until Sunday though, and we flew in Friday, so I could attend the expo. Despite the overwhelming size of the Vegas convention center, packet pickup was painless. We were in and out in thirty minutes, including a tour of all the vendors. However, the poor runners who wanted official RnR gear had a crazy 45 minute line to the cash registers. My free race shirt was enough of a souvenir for me though, so we headed to our hotel to check in.

In less than an hour exploring the strip, my initial thought that I would not like Vegas was confirmed. It is hell. Large crowds, loud noises, drugs, strippers, indoor smoking, tacky buildings, what’s to love? We knew we would not find an experience we enjoyed near the strip, so we started planning day trips outside Vegas. Red Rocks Canyon, Hoover Dam, Tater Tot Festival, Clark County Museum, all were better than the strip. The only Vegas event I enjoyed was the Penn and Teller Show, in which I was pulled on stage to participate in a trick. But this day was not for travel, today was race day.

With our legs fatigued from days of exploring, we decided to take race morning easy. We mostly lounged in bed, watching tv, only venturing out around 11 for lunch at New York New York’s Broadway Burger. As NYNY is next door to the Monte Carlo, this was not a long venture. Finally the time to prepare came. We got into our race gear and headed toward our start lines. The 10k and Half Marathon start in two completely different areas, so I said goodbye to Mike at the monorail station, which would take him to the 10k start, and walked solo to the Half Marathon starting party.

RnR races are known for their music both along the course plus a headliner. With Vegas being one of their biggest races, it attracts a big headliner. I was quite excited with that years headliner, Snoop Dogg! The previous year has Kidd Rock, which would have been torturous. Poor Mike, and the other 10k runners, had to endure a DJ and a light up car show as their “headliner” act.

The crowd at my starting area was huge, and growing larger by the minute. The concert is actually open and free to the public, not just the runners. Therefore it wasn’t just the 27,000 of us running in attendance, which already would have been a lot for me. I found a little hollow spot in the crowd where I could see the stage, and tried to relax to the smooth rap. “Got my mind on my money and my money on my mind”. In reality my mind was trying to ward off anxiety both from the crowd and from pre-race jitters, so I headed to the “porta party”, as RnR christened the porta-potties, then waiting to be called to my corral.

The race had three different waves, depending on anticipated finish time. I was in the green wave, the middle wave. Each wave started thirty minutes apart, so realistically you should never see anyone from another wave. The blue wave had been sent off at 4:30, and at 5 our fireworks shot up from the starting gate and we were off. Even with the full width of the strip and only 9,000 runners in my wave, I still had a hard time finding my pace. I was sprinting around people, weaving in and out trying to find an area I could run comfortably and unhindered. Try as I may, it was impossible.

To make matters worse, the road condition was awful. Potholes, road reflectors instead of painted lines, random pipes implanted into the asphalt wide enough to fit a foot and break an ankle. The first mile was also dark, as we ran away from the strip before doing a u-turn and heading back up. Then the magical part of the race happened, and at least some of my frustrations melted away. For all my negativity leading up to the race, I must admit running down the strip at night was almost breathtaking. All the neon and flashing lights helped masked the tackiness of the resorts easily spotted in the daylight. The strip appears to have been designed for night viewing, it is truly when it looks the best. I still had to watch my footing and fight for my pace, but at least I felt more positive at that moment.

Then you head into old Vegas, which I would not feel comfortable in at night if not surrounded by thousands of other runners. It was fun viewing the classic hotels, like Circus Circus, and I finally learned you could find cheap beer in Vegas if you’re brave enough to go to the old casinos. Elvis was singing outside The Little White Chapel, an amusing addition. After old Vegas, darkness envelops you. Literally. I found myself running through random neighborhood streets with little lighting. A neighborhood resident had dragged his large screen tv into his front lawn to cheer runners on while not missing his football game. It was a surprising mood enhancer.

Back onto the strip I could feel my energy starting to fade. It was hot and humid, and I had expended too much energy sprinting in the beginning. I still had about 5 miles to go but my pace was fading, as was my fun. I was ready to be done. I started to hear a wail in the distance, then some shouting. A runner had fallen and was crying in the fetal position. A halo of blood surrounded her head. Bike paramedics had gotten to her and were trying to figure the logistics to get her out. If anything jars your head back into focus, its a sight like that. Despite my tired legs I reminded myself to focus on the potholed roads and keep my feet lifted.

Finally the finish line was in sight! I crossed it feeling lackluster, grabbed my medal and didn’t even think to take a selfie. The finisher chute was a ¼ mile long. I took all the goodies handed to me in an exhausted daze, only stopping to drink the chocolate milk, which tasted like the elixir of life. I really, really had to pee. I did not want to stop during the run, although the course often had porta-potties available. Oddly though, the finished chute offered none. By the time I exited, I was basically walking cross-legged to hold it in.

Mike was waiting for me in front of Bellagio, the fountains no longer dancing as they did non-stop during the start of the race. He had been live tracking me and had seen my pace fall off at the end and knew I was going to be disappointed. I used the first hotel bathroom I found, gave my runner’s beer to Mike as I felt awful, then rejoiced when we got to our room. I checked my race stats, 2:10:52. I had to almost crawled into the shower, cleaned up, then threw up. This race was NOT sitting well with me. Mike was already laying in bed watching tv. I snuggled in beside him and we promptly fell asleep, all former plans to have a big post-race dinner vanishing.

We awoke early as usual, packed and left. When I originally booked the flights we were flying out at 2 P.M., giving us time for lunch before going to the airport. But the airline decided to change our flight to 10 A.M., so straight to the airport we headed. Although originally annoyed by the flight change, when the day came I no longer cared. I just wanted out of the sin city, and the sooner the better. Before long I was strapped into my seat, book in hand, trying to ignore the happy chatter of follow runners comparing happy stories so I wouldn’t ruin their fun with my negative view of the whole experience. I keep my attention on the window instead, never so happy to see the familiar landscape of North Carolina gliding beneath me. I made it, I survived, I got my Nevada medal, and with any luck, I’ll never have to return to Las Vegas again.

*Author’s Note: I know my opinion is not the popular one of Vegas. But it is real, and I’m wasn’t going to sugar coat it. I will say Rock and Roll did put on a good race, and the blame of my horrible experience does not lie with them. If you like Vegas, or are curious to experience the city yourself, I would recommend the race. If you hate Vegas, or think you will, I would definitely seek out a race that showcases the natural beauty of Nevada.

Race: Rock n’ Roll Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date:11.13.16
State #: 2
Chip Time: 2:10:52
Pace: 9:59
Overall: 4458/22,052
Age group: 345/2120
Gender: 1772/13,758