Race Report: Garmin Marathon in the Land of Oz

I got lucky - I picked a great race to round out my spring marathon season. Last Saturday, I ran the Garmin Marathon in Olathe, KS - you know, the Land of Oz! I heard about this race from my friend Jeff, and in my quest for 50 states, this sounded like an excellent option to cross off the Sunflower State.

I managed to talk a couple of girlfriends into joining me in Oz, and got lucky to also connect with a couple of other girlfriends who live in the area. Girls' weekend!! Friday morning, I got the kids off to school, then headed over to Sarah's house to pick her up and head north.

Best thing about going to races that are within driving distance: no bag limit for travel!!

The drive from NW Arkansas to Kansas City is easy. Unfortunately for me - and even more so for Becca - my navigational abilities are suspect even when aided by Google Maps. After a couple of wrong turns I managed to get to KC International, and we were off to packet pick up. Notice I didn't say expo - this was accurately billed as, "packet pick up." I do love small races, but the trade off is the lack of a big expo hall filled with vendors selling things I didn't realize I desperately needed until right.that.very.minute. (My budget thanks you, Garmin Marathon.)

Check out the flags. I think this was in between gusts.

The packet pick up and a couple of local vendors were set up in the parking lot of Garmin International's headquarters. Cool. Kansas wind: not cool. It was blowing like we were on the open plains, and while I expected some wind, this was disconcerting at the least. Good thing my stated race strategy was: wake up on race morning and let the weather be the primary dictator of my strategy. Reduces the chance for disappointment.

Got our packets, went inside to check out a cool digital fly-through of the race course, took a couple of pictures, then off to the hotel. Check in, get settled, then head out for an early dinner with Anne.

Everywhere you go, there you are - especially if you went to West Point and have friends and classmates scattered all over the U.S. Olathe is only about 45 minutes from Ft. Leavenworth, and after 15 years, I got to see my super-stud classmate Anne who helped me with a training plan for my half iron triathlon last summer. Her husband was running the half, so it worked out perfectly to have a pre-race dinner / reunion that afternoon. (For the record: she has two of the world's best behaved kids in the history of the universe ever. Seriously. They were so good while the grown ups sat and talked for two hours.)

Race morning: I was mentally ready for wind, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what to wear for the temperature. Base layer plus long sleeves? Base layer plus jacket? Just long sleeves? Tights were a non-decision, despite Sarah's crazy shorts. I mean, it was 37 degrees outside. She crazy. I opted for base layer and jacket, which meant race belt instead of pins for my number.

My official marathon race-day socks

We all got in the car, drove the five minutes to Garmin and parked 100 feet from the start line (did I mention that I love small races?!). I got out of the car and promptly decided I was overdressed. Good thing I brought three other clothing options in case I changed my mind. Jacket off, long sleeve on, race belt off, safety pins on. Ready to go.

Let's go, Twinkle Toes!

Sarah and me. Note the shorts. Cuh-razy.

Me and Becca. Finally - a race where I'm not wearing a blue shirt!!

After the events of last Monday in Boston, the feeling among the runners was different than any race I'd run before. Many of us pinned the extra sentiment with our number, and I saw more BAA blue and gold than I've ever seen at a race before. It was a lovely symbol of the running community, and how we're all interwoven. I don't have to know you - to know you're a runner is to know you're my friend.

So that's an awful lot of prelude to the race itself, which was terrific. Let me once again extol the virtues of a small race. I got out of my car about ten minutes before gun time, stepped almost to the front of the runners with the 3:30 pace group, and had no trouble finding room in the starting line crowd. Plenty of full and half marathoners, many in Oz costume which made it that much more fun!

There was a moment of silence to honor the victims in Boston, the singing of the national anthem, and we were off. True story, off I went: faster than my hoped-for average pace as is typically my strategy, but good grief - until close to mile 2, I didn't pay attention to exactly how too-fast I was running. I felt good, though, the weather was PERFECT, and I decided just to see how long the feeling would last. When I heard a spectator somewhere between miles 5 and 6 say, "there's the second female runner" as I sped by, that was a thrill of a lifetime. I knew it probably wasn't sustainable, but I was at a sub-8:00 pace and feeling terrific.

I failed to remember that the first many miles are net downhill. Doh.

So then the hills began. For those of you who think Kansas = flat, let me help you. Western Kansas is just that. Eastern Kansas, where we were, is on the bluffs of the river and rivals northwest Arkansas for rolling elevation changes. I felt okay through the half marathon point, but between the excessively fast pace and the lack of hill training the last six weeks, I knew the back half could get ugly.

Right again.

I managed to hold it together until about 16, but as more and more people passed me, and my pace dropped off as my calves and hamstrings tightened, I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on to a 3:30 dream. Just as well; even my computer password at work has reminded me for the last two months that I was running this race for the bling. The last several miles of the marathon wound along the running trail in Olathe, which was exactly like the running trail at home. That was mentally a huge help, because at this point I was walking through the water stations and trying not to shuffle across the wee little uphills on the trail's bridges.

Another lesson learned at Oz: having friends running the half while you're running the full means a guaranteed finish line cheering section. Sarah and Becca were right there cheering me on as I came to the finish line, and I managed to finish in 3:44:42.

I think you had to be there...

I kind of have to pinch myself - three sub-4:00 marathons in four months. A year ago, I barely broke five hours. What a year it's been.

With some fellow Maniacs - running for fun!

She's a maniac, maniaaaaac...

I had to get a little help at the finish line to return my chip; while I was sitting I chatted with a young lady who had just finished her first marathon. In 3:29. Wowzers. I asked her old she was and she said 29 - to which I immediately responded that I was pretty sure she had just run a Boston qualifying time. The look on her face was exactly why I run - super excited for her.

Can I get - some help - with my chip - please!

Lots of fun at the finish line - the small "expo" was forgotten thanks to the excellent food, drinks, and massage tent at the finish line. I got my finisher's shirt; a free massage; two bowls of incredible mac & cheese; a grilled chicken sandwich; and a Belgian White celebratory beer. My space blanket finally wasn't enough to keep me warm, so we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up and shower.

Girls' weekend continued with Heather picking us all up - no more directional challenges behind the wheel! - and we headed out for dinner. Our plan to go to Jack Stacks on the Plaza was foiled by excessive traffic in the highway, so we did what any self-respecting post-race celebrators would do. We opted for Five Guys cheeseburgers and fries!!!

If you're going to go all in, running marathons and eating cheeseburgers, then you really should go ALL IN - so we headed to Cheesecake Factory after dinner. (This dessert will be filed under "Why I Run.")


Party animals though we may be, that was about all we could handle. I think we all slept like the dead that night. Got up Sunday morning to load up the car, and whaddya know, the Kansas wind was back. Looks like my streak of crazy-windy races is over; after wind and rain in Houston, and a persistent headwind in Mississippi, I got a break in - of all places - Kansas. There's no place like home, there's no place like home...

All in all, an excellent weekend. Great times with Sarah, Becca, Anne and Heather, and so much fun running another 26.2. This was marathon #6 and state #6, but the last one until the Fall unless something totally unexpected happens. I'm glad I ran this one for the bling - because, as bling goes, this one is pretty sweet.

Race Report: Hogeye Marathon Relay (AKA, I know people!! Lots and lots of PEOPLE!!)

Hometown races - you can't beat 'em. Seriously. I've traveled to my fair share of races at this point - Las Vegas; Washington, D.C.; Nashville; Houston; St. Louis; Greenville, MS, and many more 5k's, 10k's and triathlons. This is the second year in a row I've participated in the Hogeye, and for convenience and familiarity, it cannot be beat.

This year, I signed up as a member of a relay team together with some of my fabulous co-workers. Law of averages - one of our team members got sick at the last minute, but lucky for me, I know PEOPLE!!! I have such a fabulous run group here in Fayetteville, so I had not one, but two women volunteer to step in at the last minute. Because I'm occasionally a disorganized doofus, I didn't remember that I had already asked one person, and then proceeded to ask another. DOH. But let's chalk it up to what wonderful friends I have instead of my terrible memory, shall we?!

Anywho, our "girls rule" relay team:

Hollan, me, Kate and Becca

Sunday morning bright and early, we joined up downtown with my running group, most of whom were doing the half, one of whom was doing the full. He's the crazy one - he's been known to run 50+ miles per week in his craziness. We love him anyway.

Richard, Angie, me, Hollan, Jeff (the crazy one), Mike and John

Did I mention I know people? One of my other co-workers joined us in our pre-race spot (provided by another running friend whose office is on the Fayetteville square, approximately 8 1/2 steps from the start line!!). Kate and I realized that we had an Army, Navy, and an Air Force veteran - picture, please!!

Jereme - Air Force, Kate - Navy, Me - Army

It promised to be a beautiful day - if you're into 20 mph winds and highs in the 70s when you're running a marathon. But HEY! It's been such a wet, cold spring, at this point, I'll take what I can get!! We made our way down to the start line, and found more evidence that - I know PEOPLE!! Lots and lots of people!!!

I've been to several races alone, where I talk to random person while we're waiting to start. I've also run a few races with Jill, where she's the only one I know. But at my hometown race, I can walk up to the start line and see PEOPLE!! So fun.

Becca, Nick, Jereme, and Kate - all coworkers
(in case you didn't get that from the blatantly branded running gear)

Sarah, Becky (her first Half today!!), me and Greg - NOT coworkers!
Evidence that I DO have a life outside of work!!

As leg 3 of my relay team, it was a bit odd for the starting gun to sound and for me to just be standing there. I realized pretty quickly, though, I had two choices - stand there freezing in the wind and feeling sorry for myself, or walk myself over to where the shuttles were picking up and get to my exchange point with plenty of time.

First problem: I wasn't 100% sure where the shuttles were.

Relays are a totally different animal than "just" running a race - good thing there were plenty of people around headed generally in the same direction. My assumption with any race I run is that I'll never be the one in front, so I can just follow someone else. Totally held true for the shuttles today, too. Let's just chalk that up to good planning. (What, you thought it was inattention to detail??)

I hung out at the relay exchange point for a while, talking to random people. I didn't know anyone there, but hey - runners are friends, whether they know each other or not. I was able to do the runner-nerd talk about races, Marathon Maniacs, fuel / gel strategy, running groups, how the weather would affect our time, etc., etc., and it was totally normal.

After about an hour of waiting, I saw Becca approaching the exchange point just shy of the two hour point. We swapped the chip and off I went. Way. Too. Fast. I should've realized that using a race for a taper run was an impossibility for me - I mean, I can't pace myself on a good day. Put people in front of me that I then like to play "catch up" with (strangely, that seems to always be a one player game), and I was in high gear from the first step.

I averaged 7:55 overall. My splits:

Not sure what was going on there at mile 2. Oops.

As the day went on and I got closer to my exchange point with Hollan, it got windier and warmer. I don't know what it is with me and windy races this year - Houston, craziness; Mississippi River, headwind the whole way; Hogeye, 20mph winds by the time I finished. Kansas next weekend - I'm not exactly holding my breath. I mean, it's KANSAS. You know, Land of Oz, tornados, wind on the prairie. All that.

But, wind and sun aside, it was still a great race. I had the leg around the lake, which is a newly paved portion of our trail system, and one I enjoy running. I had a nice downhill section for most of mile 4 when the wind really picked up, so at least there's that. Or something.

Finally got to the exchange point, passed off the timing chip to Hollan, and my run was done. Time to socialize, because I know PEOPLE!!

This was when it hit me that a small town, hometown race cannot be beat if you're a part of the running community. At the exchange point, I saw Kindra (a triathlon friend); Mitzi (below left), who also gave me my medal, and Shauna (below right) - who I'd actually seen at the last exchange point! Mary ran through the station while I was there, too - all in the space of about 15 minutes. I know PEOPLE!!

(Thank you Mr. Developer who created the turn-around camera thing on the iPhone!!)

As we were standing there talking, Shauna and I realized that Hollan is so dang fast, I'd better get to the finish line so I didn't miss her - and then I got super lucky and she took me there so I didn't have to figure out the shuttle again. Logistics. Hmph. Apparently no longer my strong suit.

Once I was down at the finish line, I hooked up with everyone again - everyone who'd done the Half was finished, so we were just waiting for Hollan to finish our relay and for Jeff to finish the Full. I had seen him around mile 20, and I could tell it was a tough day for him - the wind and the sun were killer, and for anyone doing the full, it was only getting harder as the day wore on. 

Eventually we saw Hollan, and about a minute behind her was Jeff. Race finish lines are always a party atmosphere, and this one was no different - maybe even more so, since there were many UofA kids that ran this morning, including a couple of Alpha Delta Pi teams with their sorority shirts on. Own it, I say!

Final team time, somewhere around 3:56 and some change - pretty darn good for a relay team that included two first-timers. And Kate rocked it by doing both the first leg of the relay AND going on to finish the Half, too - her first!!!! Becca said she wants to do a Half now, too, and I'm super excited - I'd like to think that maybe had a hand in inspiring both of them. It was either me or the bling, hard to say.

So here we are - Team Tide, Girls Rule, and a sub-4:00 relay:

And, of course, I know people - and here are my favorite running peeps at the finish line, too:

I sure am lucky to know not just people, but really, really good people. And that's what made today's race so much fun.

****

Postscript - how could I have left this out - speaking of knowing people, I had the unbelievable good fortune and luck to gave dinner with Jeff Galloway on Friday night!! He was in town as part of the Hogeye Marathon weekend, and Angie is a Hogeye board member. She was gracious enough to invite me to join the group, which of course, I totally accepted. Lucky me - I know people who know OTHER people!!

I got to tell Jeff that I finished my first marathon because of him!!

What motivates you?

I run for lots of reasons: fitness, socializing, competitiveness, me-time, to prove I can.

I also run for the bling:

Justin and I made some medal hangers for my growing collection, and I'm pretty excited with how they turned out. I'm not the most creative person in the world, but I hope to earn a few more triathlon medals for this one:

Wonder how long until I need another one? Once I do, any ideas for a witty title for it?