Review of Nipmuck Marathon 2008

Today I went for a short trail run and realized I haven't given the Nipmuck Trail Marathon its due. It is a great marathon and anyone interested in destination races should put this one on their list. You must be mentally and physically very strong though. Read on...

The marathon has essentially two parts. The first 12 miles you run southbound to a very interesting turn around. You have to run over a beaver dam to get to the turn around, it is very cool. As you can imagine the first half of the marathon was pretty wet, crossing many streams and there are a lot of rocks along the trail.

It was also hot and muggy that day. After the first half, you find yourself back at the start point and my sweetheart, Dan, was there with food and water and support. I felt like s*&t, let me tell you. I thought holy moly this is going to be an even longer day than I had expected!!! In addition my running partner, who had carried me for most of the training, was feeling the heat.

We gathered our reinforcements and I asked Dan to meet us at the next road crossing just in case we needed anything. Mostly we needed moral support and encouragement because the race is very well supported with volunteers. At about every three miles there was a table of liquids rangeing from water to coca cola. There was also a lot of interesting food to choose from, namely soggy grilled cheese, pb and j, cookies, bananas and something that appeared to be beans and cheese but looked like cat puke. I refilled my liquids at the table but stuck to what I ate during the many hours of training: a cashew butter and jelly on a soft taco shell!!! It really hit the spot for me.

The second half of the marathon is dryer and shadier and prettier to me. But it is also much much more hilly. We soldiered on and started to feel better at about mile 19, which is very silly isn't it? The worst part of the marathon was from mile 11-19, that is very long wall to have to deal with, let me tell ya. At about mile 19, we had another turn around and some of our very good friends were working the station. We collected hugs and kisses and then made the incredible climb back. The last seven miles were probably the easiest for us, weird huh?

The last mile of the route is marked in tenths. My partner, Deb, and I woohooed at every tenth. It was so flippin fun. We had a hard day but we definitely had fun.

Unfortunately I never felt the elation I usually feel after completing a marathon. I am usually high for a month after such an accomplishment. It never came or maybe it just hasn't hit me yet. All I have felt the last month while running was TIRED. This marathon and its training definitely kicked my butt. My finishing time was 6:44, just a little slower than I expected so I was fine with the time. My main goals were to finish and have fun with Deb, I completed both of those.

After the race Dan and I headed to Deb's house where I was staying at the time, showered and then went out to eat. I got this awesome chicken dish, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was!!! I also got a big yummy drink, I think it was a pina colada!!!

My recovery was pretty easy as well. I had minimal soreness but I was soooooo tired. I do remember being crabby.

Now onto preparing for my sprint tri. in July. Also I am planning my birthday month of celebrating my 40th birthday!!!! I have to get on that, the first day of celebrating starts tomorrow!

Update from the gypsy

I sold my house in less than a month and of course I did not find a house that quickly. sooooo my three kids and I have been tramping around mooching off of very good friends since May 22!!!! It has actually been fun! We stayed with one very generous couple for the first five weeks of tramping until school let out. Then we moved about 30 miles to a cottage that my mom and step dad own on a lake. But we have hardly stayed there since we have been beaching it! We stayed at the beach for three days and I am going back tomorrow night for another over night! Yippee for me!

My running and training are going well. Nothing much to note. I am taking it easy, giving myself a month to relax and not race after running the nipmuck trail marathon on June 1st. Yikes my four weeks are up on Sunday!

My triathlon is on July 27th. I am totally getting amped for it. I have been riding my bike and did some swimming in the ocean. Not so much swimming in the lake though. I can see the bottom of the ocean and know what is following me, but in the lake it is so dark and so many things are touching my legs as I swim by it freaks me out!!!

I will be moving to a new home hopefully before August 1st. It will be weird to have my own home again after tramping for three months. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again though.

Nipmuck Marathon

Today my friend and new roommate and I ran the nipmuck marathon. It was hot and humid but we got er done. It took us a loooonnnnggggg time. We finished in 6 hours and 44minutes. More later, I am too tired to even sit up.

A little ranting

I have been annoyed by two males in the past two days. The first male was a gas station attendant and when we finished our transaction I said thank you and I was trained that when you are receiving business, you should thank the customer for the business. He replied with "yup". What the hell.

The next bozo was the guy that works at the desk at the gym. I told him to have a nice day when I was leaving and his reply was "sure thing". Hey how about a little "you too"

Now that I have re-read my complaints I feel rather silly for feeling annoyed but I won't bother deleting the post because it is pretty funny.

www.ctmls.mlxchange.com is the website to check out my soon to be sold house. Type in 122 Wadsworth Lane, Willimantic, Ct 06226 once you get there. I hope it works I am so bad at this stuff.

Ready for anything

I am moving on Saturday and closing on Wednesday, May 21st. I am so psyched and scared. I am staying with a totally terrific friend while school is still in session, then my three boys and I are bunking with family till I find a permanent home.

What a crazy ride!

My trail marathon training is the hardest thing I have ever done physically. We finished our last 21 miler on Sat. and I felt great. This week we have a 14 mile trail race scheduled and then the next week we'll probably do 12 or 13. Then June 1st is the big day! I can not wait. I will not break any records but I am so thrilled to be doing this race.

After the race I have to get back in the pool and on the bike. My first tri of the season is scheduled for July 23rd. I would like to do another sometime this summer. I would like to complete an Olympic distance tri. I still haven't given up on my fascination with the Ironman!! One step, stroke and pedal at a time!!!

21 miles in the bank, baby

My girlfriends and I ran 21 miles on trails on Sunday to prepare for our upcoming trail marathon. It took us 5 hours and 18 minutes. It was hard but very rewarding. I can hardly move today though!!!

My new beau met us at mile 13 with more fluids for our fuel belt and food. That food tasted so good. Then that little sweetheart met us at mile 18 with more fluids, food and IBUBROFEN!! I was so touched that he would give up his morning to follow us around.

I put my house on the market on Tuesday and took an offer on Friday!!! WOOHOO!!! The closing is scheduled for May 23rd! Yikes! I am psyched and nervous, mostly thrilled!!!

Mr Metell

My youngest son's first grade teacher died in motorcycle accident a week ago. He was in his first year of teaching three year's ago when Travis was in his class. He was an amazing teacher and a very loving man. He attended Travis' extracurricular activities and was a positive role model for many children without any positive males in their lives. I can't believe he is gone.

He was 28 years old at the time of his death. People often say its too early when a young person dies and I have always been a little puzzled by that statement because I kinda believe when it is your time, it is your time. But with this case I feel like the world was robbed. He was going to impact so many young children's lives with his work.

Travis has taken this loss very hard. We attended the wake and the funeral and he was grieving hard. He told me his school will never be the same now. I guess for him it never will.

Swimming Again!

I finally got in the pool again today after a hiatus of about 6 months. It felt so good let me tell you. I was soooooooo slow though, wow. I used this leg float that you hold between your legs so you just use your arms and I think I went faster!! I must be doing something wrong, huh? I think I am going to join the club for 3 months so I can continue the swimming before the open water is warm enough.

It felt so good on my legs to be in the water after my long trail run yesterday. We went the top half of the marathon route again. The last time we ran the 14 mile loop it took me four hours, this time it only took me 3:28!! I am making progress, it is slow but still I am making it. I asked my training women if they would like to get on the trails for a mid-week run as well and we are going on Wed. am. I think adding a little more trail time is crucial if I am going to finish this marathon before the 8 hour time limit!!!

I will post some after pics of my house, it looks so great. I can't believe I waited so long to take care of it!

You have to watch this movie!!!

My big boys and I just finished an excellent movie entitled 'Into The Wild'. It is incredible and anyone searching for the meaning of happiness and/or life has to see it. It is rated R so the little kids have to wait for the enlightenment, but they probably know the meaning of life anyway.

Really...go rent it right now, you won't be sorry.

Northern Nipmuck Race Report

All I can say is oh. my. goodness. running in the woods in soooooooooooooo much harder than the road. Sixteen miles in the muck that was either straight up or down is as hard as a road marathon. To top it all off, you have to carry your own water too. I am exhausted, no beyond exhausted.

The sixteen miles in the woods took me 4hours and 25 minutes. Just last December I ran the Memphis Marathon (which is by no means flat) in 3hours 55 minutes. My legs yesterday felt like they must look like the Hulk's legs. Climbing those muddy inclines took a lot of effort, but let me tell you making my way down the muddy declines during the last few miles felt nearly impossible. I am amazed at the difference in effort I needed.

I am recovering well today. Last night I actually was able to contradance. I don't think I could have ever danced after any marathon so maybe it isn't actually as hard as a marathon. Today I am going to walk a little and run errands very slowly :-)

Hope everyone is well, I miss reading your blogs but my life is running in the woods and fixing up my house to sell it. It is so weird to be doing all this work on my house only to let someone else enjoy to benefits.

Northern Nipmuck Jitters

I have trained the last three weeks for my qualifying race, Northern Nipmuck Trail Race. It is in Union, CT about 30 minutes from my house. It is a 16 miler, I am a little nervous about the distance since I did two 12 milers and one 14 miler, I know I can do it, but yikes.

One difference for me in this training is that I am committed to my training partners in a more intense way than usual. I decided that the only way I want to run 26 miles in the woods would be if I had some people I love to do it with me. Two of the three women I run with regularly said they would be into the group thing too. It is really fun doing this together. One of the woman was nervous about this weekend's race since she had company and could not run with us this weekend. It felt so good to tell her not to worry we are in the together and we'll get through it. Usually I am like yikes, yeah she is going to hurt after this race. Actually we all are going to be hurting but we will have had fun anyway!!! We get very punchy by the last few miles, we usually start laughing so hard I almost pee my pants, good thing we are in the woods!!!!

Easter Road Race

Today I ran in the Easter Road Race with my little son and his two friends. It was a blast. My son is 8 and has been a litte sick lately and he struggled but finished strong. His two friends were healthy and beat us by a few minutes. It was such a fun day. We had an easter egg hunt followed by a kids race. Then the main event 5K started. Three miles is a long way for a kid and they were amazing. I was so impressed.

What a Blast!

Last week's long trail run was a rainy, sleety friggin blast. We had so much fun and got pretty punchy by the end. I learned I need to eat more before running and bring food for when I am finished in the car. I learned that I fall a lot more when I am tired. I swear my legs felt like rubber those last three miles or so.

It is amazing how little modesty one has after running for three hours in soaking wet clothes. I just got back to the car (my friend's totally hot red mini cooper) and proceeded to strip. I didn't even check to see if anyone was around, I just had to get the f-ing out of those clothes.

We then proceeded to pick up some coffee to warm up and I got a egg sandwich that went down so easy, it was great.

The best surprise of all though was that when I got home, my youngest son and my new beau were making our family a delicious breakfast of chocolate covered strawberries, pancakes and sausages and scrambled eggs!!!! It was awesome, totally.

This week the women and I are running on Good Friday, same route, same time. Hopfully no rain or sleet this time. I will try to bring my camera to post a photo of our dirty selves next week.

Totally Psyched!

I am so excited, I am getting up at 5:30am and going to meet my running chicas at the route start of the trail marathon we are planning to run in June and we are running the first half of the route tomorrow. It is supposed to be raining too. YES!!

I get turned on by the weirdest things...

Gotta love sick days

I am home with three sick boys, well actually one sick boy and two sorta sick boys that just wanted to stay home from school. I have big plans of cleaning my room and making some progress on my report cards. We'll see how much I get done. I am completely overwhelmed with getting my house ready to sell and keeping it clean. I'll try to catch up on reading some blogs today too. I miss reading what adventures you all are having. I am "training" for the Nipmuck Trail Marathon, but I have no idea what the heck I am supposed to be doing to train for it. Maybe I'll research some training schedules today too. Or maybe I'll just listen to crazy people sing on YouTube all day...

Comparative Analysis of Half Marathons in OH and CT

Yes I really am that geeky...no actually I am only a little geeky.

Let's start with Ohio, Last Chance for Boston...Marathon. We walked out of our hotel and found the start and finish line. That was pretty cool, so easy. It was cold and rainy though. The race was a mile loop in an industrial park. Yes the marathoners had to run a mile loop 26 times. It was pretty nuts. Thirteen miles was enough for me. It was cool to have 1/4 mile markers and music and water every mile though. It was also easy for my kiddos to cheer us on. They came out at mile 6 or so and then again out at 10, then we ate some good post race food of yummy pizza, banana and candy and went swimming while we waited for my stepdad to finish the marathon.

We went to cheer him on at mile 20 and he was looking tired but determined and knew it would be very close for him to BQ. By the time we got back out there to check on him, it was mile 24 and pretty clear that BQing was out of the question but he finished with his head held high just under 4 hours.

My half marathon time was 1:53 and I was extremely sore and tired. Sorta funny to be so sore on such a flat course. My training was pretty lame and I would say that accounted for the slower time and muscle soreness.

Fast forward six days and a whirlwind roadtrip home and that would bring us to the Colchester Half Marathon in CT. It was cold and snowy and we had just received about 5 inches of ice and snow the night before. Great race conditions not for a PR, but definitely a fun time with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to follow.

The Colchester Half is VERY VERY VERY hilly, did I say it was hilly??? It is also very scenic through rolling farm country with two dirt roads that were not only VERY HILLY but also VERY SLIPPERY!! I ran the first 6 miles or so at a relaxed pace, but then I was passed on a gigantic hill at mile 8 by a woman in spandex with a wedgie that just looked so painful. I pulled ahead of her at a water stop at mile 9 and put the legs in gear to haul ass the rest of the distance. I just couldn't look at the wedgie for the last five miles.

My new "friend" (what do you a person you are dating when you are almost 40 and not quite divorced yet?) met up with me in his car at mile 11 and I had him do the look back and tell me how far Wedgie was behind me. He told me 100 yards, but I heard feet and said oh crap I have to keep running fast. The last two miles of this marathon are uphill and a battle of mental toughness. I got to the top at 2:04 and was so happy to be done. Never to see Wedgie again...

Not very much stiffness and felt very good. I did have some cramping in my stomach muscles when I changed my clothes though. Nothing a few deep breaths couldn't take care of.

Now I am not sure what is next on the race schedule. Have to look around. Gotta go make dinner now, ciao!

Greetings from Dublin, Ohio

My boys, stepdad and I left yesterday at 5pm to trek out to Dublin, Ohio for the Last Chance for Boston Marathon. Although teachers get tons of vacations, we don't get "vacation time", so I couldn't leave any earlier. We made it to Pennsylvania at 8pm and stopped at Wendy's for some slam food.

I fell asleep whenever I wasn't driving. I took the wheel at 1:30-3:00, then again to finish the trek from 4-5. The most notable experience so far on this road trip was the awesome truck stop we checked out to pee at about 3am. We walked in and could only find a men's room, of course. Then there were 9 "private" showers, pretty intriguing, my littlest son and I tried to check them out but they were locked. Also there was a tv room with about 25 comfy chairs, each equipped with an ashtray. There was a laundry room too. And a gameroom for the truckers that want to play pool.

There was also a plethora of items for sale; you could buy some "deer poo", really chocolates. Or any type of map light. A little bookmark with "God's Garden" printed on it. I am sure there were more interesting things to buy, but my eyes were rather bleary at that time.

My stepdad noticed that he was entitled to a "free" car cloth with a ten dollar purchase, since we are driving down in a gigantic van, the gas was definitely more than ten dollars. At 3am, one of the salesladies actually gave him a hard time about giving him his stupid free cloth, the second lady finally said "just give him the dang cloth" realizing that when my stepdad wants something, he is going to get it.

We arrived at the Crowne Plaza at 5am. My youngest son slept most of the night in the back of the gigantic van and wasn't tired. He read the hotel book and a factual book about Columbus till 7am, the rest of us crashed hard. I woke up at 8:30 to take care of my cutie pie and brought him to the computer center to play. Here is now type this entry while many many skinny people in swishy pants walk by and try to intimidate me. Lucky for me, my eyes have not been able to focus fully yet!!!

Road Trip To Ohio

My boys, stepdad and I are hopping in his gas guzzling gigantic white van and driving ten hours to Ohio next Friday to run. My stepdad is obsessed with qualifying for Boston and this race just happens to be entitled, The Last Chance for Boston...Marathon.

It is a one mile loop course. Four feet of elevation. That is shorter than my 8 year old.

I am registered for the half marathon and feel pretty psyched. I have fell in love with running again. Last year I was totally into the triathloning, but with the pool closing "temporarily" (since September!!), I have had to change my focus. I checked the results for my age group for that last three years and I should place, possibly come in first even. I can really push myself because I have the whole next week off due to February vacation. Gotta love the teachers' schedule, baby!!!

Check out the race at www.premierraces.com/LastChance/lastchance.html

Happy Groundhog Day

Well it was cloudy at sunrise this am in Ct., so I declare that on my little parcel of dirt, the groundhog did NOT see his shadow and that would mean an EARLY SPRING!!!!! I hope that damn rodent is right, I could use a little more sunshine in my life. I just get so tired so early during the winter. If I get home at 6pm and don't have any meetings or practices to go to that evening, then I change into my pajamas AT 6 PM!!!! It is so pathetic. I wouldn't dream of putting pajamas on if it was light out. Now as I type this I realize the groundhog can make time move any faster, he can only predict temperature, right? Oh my goodness, I need more sleep I think. I can't believe I am writing about this...

Shout Out for Tommy Martin, my oldest baby

My freshman in high school ran the anchor leg of the 4X800 relay team today and his team came in second in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division for indoor track. I was so proud of him. It was my first meet I had the chance to attend and boy it was fun. I didn't even know he was the anchor of the team until I saw them line up. The mother is always the last to know...