Nike Women's Half Weekend - Part 3 RACE DAY!

   A 4:00 am alarm is never a welcome thing - unless it's RACE DAY! WOO HOO! Don't get me wrong, it's still ridiculously early, but it comes with the territory. You want to race? You get up early. Deal with it.

All decked out in PURPLE! Love how the race gave TNT special purple bibs!

A TNT purple manicure? Sure, why not?! 

   Team Tennessee met down in the hotel lobby at 5:00 am. What's funny about this is that generally at a race you think "Oh - just meet in the lobby. Got it." Because there usually aren't 100 (or more) people in a hotel lobby at 5:00 am. But yet, there they were. TNT Teams from all over the country were meeting in the hotel lobby at 5:00 am. And everyone was in purple. It was quite the sight and kind of made it hard for us to find everyone. Somehow, Gwen (from Knoxville) snagged a little alcove where we could see everyone walk by and grab them before they wandered too far. After a photo (obviously), we headed down to the Metro to take to the race.

Julie, Lauretta, Gwen, Brandi and me. TEAM TENNESSEE!

   The Metro let us off right at the race start. PERFECT. We had about an hour before race time, so I went over to the hotel of Deb, Dana and Jenny (aka college running girls) and met up with them for a few minutes before the race.  A few minutes after meeting them, I got a text from my dear friend Cory from high school, who was also running with TNT in this race. She was somewhere at the start. I HAD to find her, even for a minute to just give her a hug and say Hi. Even though the announcer was telling everyone to head over to their corrals, I was literally running around the area where I thought Cory was, just yelling her name over and over. Eventually, we found each other, gave each other a quick hug, wished each other good luck and ran off to our corrals for the start. (Sidebar about Cory. Her amazing mother passed away from leukemia in 2011. Many of my favorite high school memories involve wonderful times at Cory's house and her mother always made us feel like we were part of her family. She was one of my main inspirations for getting involved with TNT.) 

Oakton High School Cougars, y'all!  

   After leaving Cory, I tried to make my way to the 9:00-9:59 corral. Remember in my first post about this weekend when the check-in volunteer pretty much threatened me with disqualification if I didn't wear my corral wristband? Well, no one was checking them. Not only were they not checking them, they didn't even have the corrals separated. If fact, they were actually encouraging people to move forward. So people from the later corrals were standing right next to me. We were all jammed in there like sardines. And, of course, the Boston Marathon bombing was in the front of my mind (as I'm sure it was on everyone's). I was really ready for the race to start so I could get a little space.

Too. Many. People. In. Too. Close. Of. A. Space.

   After a few words from Shalane Flanagan (who I didn't even know was there), the National Anthem and a moment of silence for Boston (you could have heard a pin drop), the race started. Ever tried to run with 15,000 people through the streets at one time? No? Well, don't. It was awful. Way, way, way too many people in too narrow of a road. WHY Nike didn't stagger the corrals, I have no idea. We were passing walkers in Mile 1. MILE 1! Totally unacceptable. I have to say that this was my biggest disappointment of the race. I saw several people just run into each other because they literally had no where else to go.

Letting 15,000 runners go at one time sure makes a pretty picture, though. Dangerous as hell, but a pretty picture.

   Due to the mass start, I never really felt like I got into a rhythm with my running. I also knew that any chance I had at a PR was gone because I had to walk/jog too much in race traffic.  So I decided to just relax and enjoy the race. It was, after all, a beautiful course in my favorite city. And I did enjoy it. For a while. But then it became quickly apparent that this must have been the first half (or race) for many people because the lack of race etiquette was staggering. Not ONLY did we have walkers jumping corrals and starting in the front, there were people STOPPING in the middle of the course to take a photo. Now, did I bring my camera? Yes. Did I move off of the course to take my photo so no one would run into me? YES! Because that's what you do!!

Me. In a photo. On the sidewalk. Not in the middle of a race course.

   

   However, there were also some AMAZING aspects of the race. First off - running as a member of TNT was fantastic. Everyone was yelling "GO TEAM!" Everyone. There were TNT coaches along the entire race route. They would ask if I needed anything or just run with me a few minutes. I can't express how much this helps when you're tired and hurting. 

     Also - the race organizers hired some pretty cool talent to entertain along the race route. They were mainly drum lines, which was unique theme, but it worked. Around mile 3, we ran into a pretty long tunnel, and they had drummers at both ends of it playing the same groove. The echos of the drums followed you throughout the tunnel. It was pretty awesome. A Chinese drum line WITH Chinese dragons were there and as was a kick-ass, all-female drum line who just ROCKED it. I have to give a shout-out to the GMU pep band who was also along the course, and sounded so good I almost jumped up and started dancing with the conductor BEFORE I realized who there were (I'm a GMU alum).  

   There was an issue with rest areas. The water / Nuun stops were fine and spaced accordingly (I LOVED that they had Nuun out there), but like my last DC race, I had to wait about 20 minutes for a porta-john. Considering I wasn't planning on PRing, this wasn't a huge deal, but it's still kind of annoying. I mean, come on. You have 15,000 WOMEN out there. Get a few more porta-johns. 

   Of course, the best part about this race is the finish. Why, you ask? The Nike Women's races are famous for tuxedoed men handing out Tiffany necklaces instead of finisher's medals.

Because who doesn't love a man, in a tux, handing out little, blue Tiffany boxes?

And what was inside of the box?

My new bling!

All done!! 

   Being that this was a race for LLS, I did have several moments when I had to hold back tears. The worst was when I saw a little boy wearing a purple "survivor" shirt. His dad was holding a sign that was obviously written by the boy that said "You're running for me. Go Mom." Ugh. Just rip my heart out right there. I almost lost it. There were many poignant moments like that for me throughout the weekend. It really brought home why we were all out here. Sure, it's fun and who doesn't like Tiffany necklaces? But man, we raised $6 million dollars to fight cancer! I've never been a part of anything that huge. It's what this race was really all about. 

   Unfortunately, I discovered something after the race that has me (still) totally bummed. I somehow hurt my ankle. After getting home from a post-race brunch with my college runner girls, I looked at my ankle and saw this:

Yeah...so that's not right.

   I have no idea how it happened, because it didn't hurt when I was running. I didn't twist it or anything. I "think" I tweaked it at my Thursday night workout and then running on it caused it to swell. It's now a week later, and the swelling has FINALLY gone done, but it's still a little sore when I rotate it. I haven't run for a week and made the decision to skip my morning run tomorrow. I'm supposed to race in two weeks at Memphis in May, but I'm not sure about that now. It'll probably be healed by then, but I won't be in any shape to compete. We'll just have to see how it goes.

   Before I go - I need to say THANK YOU to everyone from TNT.  Especially, the Knoxville TNT ladies for really looking after me - my awesome roommate Laurella, Julie, Gwen and Brandi. Thank you so much. And Thanks to Sammi from LLS for coordinating everything for me (and answering all of my crazy questions), to Coach Carey and Coach Jim for being there every Saturday no matter the weather, to my mentor Jeanne for her motivating e-mails, and to the Nashville TNT group for your support. Everyone has been just wonderful. And last but certainly not least, THANK YOU to everyone who donated to my campaign. I am humbled by your generosity. Thank you, everyone, for making my TNT experience so special. GO TEAM!!  

Nike Women's Half Race Recap - Part 2

   After a long day of running around the Nike expotique and Niketown, we all headed back to the hotel for a short rest before the TNT Inspiration Dinner that night. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was the beneficiary of the race, so there were A LOT of TNTers there. So many that the LLS had to have two separate dinners to accommodate everyone.  The Tennessee Team dinner was the early seating at 4:00. So at around 3:30, we all headed down to the Washington DC Convention Center, which was where the dinner was being held. One thing (of many) I love about DC - you can pretty much walk anywhere. We just followed the sea of purple TNT shirts all the way to the dinner.
   The dinner was in the big convention hall on the bottom floor of the Center. They separated us into two lines when entering the space. So. Many. People! And I'd never seen so much purple in my life. Probably 90% of the people there had a TNT shirt on. It was easy to pick out the newbies, myself included, because we were the only ones in regular clothes. Everyone was clapping and cheering while we were waiting in line to enter. Some people brought cowbells and I was totally jealous. I love me some cowbell.

The dinner line in front of me.

And behind...

      

   After about about a 10 minute wait (not bad at all considering how many people were there, we made our way down into the event space. No words can truly describe our entrance into the dinner. (And, unfortunately, my video won't upload.) But picture coming down a giant stairwell and walking though a tunnel of people in purple yelling, screaming and clapping...for you. It was like we were rockstars or professional athletes. It was extremely cool and set a great tone for the rest of the evening.

   After we made it through the tunnel, we immediately went over to the buffet, got our pasta dinner and made our way to the Team Tennessee table. Once seated, I had to look around and really take in how many people were there. This dinner was HUGE! And we were one of TWO dinners that night! TNT really came out in force for this race!

Lots and lots of cancer-fighting people in this room.

   

   The presentation started about a half-hour later. One of the heads of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society got up and gave us an update of where the TNT money goes and what advancements have been made to fighting blood cancers. I really wish I could remember the detail of what she said, because it was very impressive. But let's be honest, I can barely remember what day it is most of the time.

   However, I DO remember the next speaker. How 'bout a little dose of a running legend with dinner because freakin' Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson was there! So cool. 

Legend.

   Unfortunately, I can't really tell you what she was saying either because I was plotting on how I was going to get my picture with her for almost her entire speech. Yes, my name is Kristine and I stalk running legends (no, I didn't get a picture).

   After Joan, awards were given out to the top fundraisers. I'm pretty sure that they announced that this race raised $6 million dollars for LLS! WOW! That's mind-blowing. And as most of you know, I raised $6,005 for the event. Seems like a lot of money, right? Want to take a guess on how much the top individual fundraiser raised for this event? Go ahead. Think about it. I'll wait... You're thinking something like $10,000, right? Nope! $25,000? Wrong again! OVER $50,000!!! One person raised $50,000!! Never think that one person can't do something huge, because there is proof right there.

   The last person who spoke was a leukemia survivor. Imagine being a twenty-something grad student who goes to the doctor one day because you're tired and have inflamed tonsils. The doctor thinks you have mono and tells you to get a blood test. A few hours later, that doctor is knocking on your door to tell you that you have cancer and to get to the hospital immediately for treatment. That's what happened to her. Personally, I can't fathom something like this, though I know it happens as I have friends who have been through it. As she was giving her testimony, the main point she kept mentioning was "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Why? Because the drug that saved her life was directly paid for by Team in Training. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room when she said that. Heck, I'm tearing up just writing about it. And the best part? She ran the race on Sunday with her family.

   After the dinner, we met up for a few last minute instructions, and of course, another photo.

Team Tennessee REPRESENT!

   While we had an EARLY (4:00 am) wake-up call, it was only about 6:00 pm when dinner ended, so I tracked down my college runner girls and met up with them for a bit. 

   It was a great night.

Next post - RACE DAY! 

 

Nike Women's Half Marathon Race Recap - Part 1

   As you all know, for the past four months, I've been raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through Team in Training. My race was the Nike Women's Half Marathon, which was held last weekend. Finally, race weekend was here! DC - here I come!

   I flew in to Baltimore on Friday and took the shuttle to the Westin hotel in DC where the Tennessee Team in Training runners were staying. (While my college friends were also running this race, I wanted to stay with TNT to really get the entire TNT experience.) The race was on Sunday, so flying in on Friday was great because it gave me an extra day to see my parents, who recently moved back into their house after the fire last June. I checked in to the hotel, dropped off my bags the room, and immediately headed out to my parent's house in Northern Virginia. It was awesome to see my parents back in their home and it looks fantastic. 

   First thing Saturday morning, I went back to DC to meet up with the Knoxville chapter of TNT (I was the only Nashville TNTer, and the Knoxville chapter really adopted me as their own. Thanks, ladies!) to head down to the Nike "expotique." Yes, that's right - an "expotique." Not an expo, which is what most races have, but an "expotique." Now - I have to have a little sidebar here. Most women-only races make me want to gag a little. They're all pink, have glitter on the bibs and have hearts and flowers on the race shirts - very girly-girl. Now don't get me wrong, I like mani-pedis, flowers and other "girly" things, AND I've actually worn a feather boa at a race before, but I don't necessarily want all of that stuff shoved down my throat at a race. But, while the Nike race definitely caters to women - they've changed things enough to not be offensive to people who don't want things too frilly. Example - their primary color scheme was green, not pink. I can get into green. 

   So anyway, we head down to the expotique to pick up our bibs and race packets. Rather than being in a convention center, Nike set up giant tents along the Georgetown waterfront. It was really something. Nike really had their stuff together. I don't know where they got all of their volunteers, but they were EVERYWHERE. And they were all decked out in Nike from head to toe. It was pretty impressive.

The packet pickup tent.

   As you walked through the tent, you saw really long row of tables with volunteers checking people in. Rather than checking in by bib number like most races, everyone stood in a single-file line. When a volunteer was available, they held up a sign.

This nice lady checked me in. I didn't even ask her to pose.

   Check-in went very smoothly. You got your bib, your gear bag and a wristband with your assigned corral on it. The volunteer made it very clear that I was to wear my wristband on race day or else I wouldn't be allowed in my corral. Remember that.

   After we were all checked in, we headed over to the next tent - the actual expotique.

Hello Nike!

Team in Training is taking over DC, y'all!  

   So far - my mind was being blown. I know Nike it a crazy, huge company, but they really out did themselves. This was unlike any expo I'd ever been to. First off, they had a wall of flat screen TVs at the entrance. They also had a map of the race course illuminated on different wall. And, of course, a lot of shoes.

This is not your ordinary expo.

The race route.

Shoes under lock and key.

Ever seen a Tiffany blue Nike? These are made especially for this race series.

   The expotique is also unique in that they only have race sponsors as vendors. Well, "vendor" isn't exactly the correct word. The only "vendor" that could actually sell anything was Nike. Everyone else (Luna Bar, Clif, Nuun, Bare Minerals and Paul Mitchell) could only give out samples. Which is kind of neat, because who doesn't like free stuff? But if you, like me, were planning on buying any last minute items for the race - you were out of luck.  

   I'd also never been to an expo where you could get a "make-under," courtesy of Bare Minerals, or a new hair style by Paul Mitchell. While normally, these two things could want to make me hurl at a race expo because they were too girly, I was OK with them here. Probably because I use Bare Minerals and I can use all of the free samples I can get.

Styling sessions I can live with - it's the "Be Fabulous" that makes me want to hurl.

   

   One of my favorite parts of the expo was the signing wall. This trend has become pretty popular at races recently. This signing wall was HUGE. I guess for 15,000 people, it would have to be. (Sidebar - what do they do with these walls after the race? Do they recycle them? Must find out.)

One VERY small section of the wall.

GO TEAM!

A shout out to my sorority (no, I didn't write this).  

    After spending about an hour at the expotique, we headed over to Nike Georgetown, which is where all of the race swag was being sold. It was about a five block walk. Not bad in nice weather. The TNT ladies had hinted there was something cool at the store, and there was. Check this out.

That's right - a GIANT wall of names.

It's ME! 

   Once we got inside the store, it was CRAZY packed, but pretty organized. I spent way too much money on race swag, which is something I generally don't do. Nike is very crafty in that they don't give you a race shirt when you get your bib. You get it AFTER the race. So a lot of people think "oh - I need to buy a race shirt because I don't get one with registration." See - crafty. I, however, knew that we got finishers shirts. I just wanted more swag. I think it's genetic with runners. We LOVE our race swag.

   Next post - the TNT dinner!! 

  

    

   

What the Hell is Wrong with People?!

   I already have a half-written post about my activities this weekend, but the bombings in Boston are obviously on my mind tonight. Seriously. What the hell is wrong with people? Who sets off bombs at the finish of the Boston Marathon? Let me repeat that. WHO SETS OFF BOMBS AT THE BOSTON MARATHON?! I don't understand how this can happen. So far, three people have been killed, including an eight-year-old child, and over 130 people are injured - some critical. Some of the images I've seen look like scenes from a war-zone, not from the most famous marathon in the world.
   I think I'm taking this more personally because I'm a runner. I've never qualified for Boston, and probably never will. I've never even run an actual marathon. But I do run and I love races. Anyone who runs knows that Boston is the Holy Grail for marathons. This should have been one of the greatest days in these runners' lives. Instead, this amazing day was marred by death and tragedy. And I'm pissed off about it. Pissed about the cruelty and senselessness of this event. Pissed about the innocent lives lost and ruined due some coward trying to cause as much carnage and chaos as possible. And, as a runner, I'm pissed that thousands of runners who have dedicated their year (or several years) to this race weren't allowed to experience the joy of crossing the Boston Marathon finish line. (Yes, I understand that this last point is NOTHING compared to the loss of life suffered today. But it still pisses me off.)

This photo blows my mind. A Boston finisher walking past a member of the bomb squad. (Photo credit Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)

   But as I did with Newtown, I need to focus on the glimmers of hope in midst of the tragedy. The first one being that all East Nasties who are up in Boston are accounted for and safe. (Thank God.) 

   The second being our amazing first responders. The sight of policemen, National Guardsmen and even random volunteers immediately running over to the grandstands where the first bomb detonated and tearing down the barricades to get to those injured is just awe-inspiring. Seriously. God Bless them. I don't know what those people are made of, but I wish I had one-tenth of it. 

   Another little glimmer is the outpouring of assistance from the Boston community who opened their homes to runners and their families who needed assistance. And some restaurants offered free meals to runners after realizing that thousands of runners couldn't get access to their wallets after the race because they weren't allowed back into the race area to pick up their personal belongings.

   And finally, there is the story of 78-year old Bill Iffrig. He's the first runner you see crumple to the ground when the first bomb goes off. He got up and finished the race. Official time: 4:03:47. He would have beat me, no doubt.

   I saw this on Facebook. I'm not sure who wrote it, so I can't give them credit, but I think it's appropriate.

I am a runner.

I may not have qualified this year.

I may have qualified and not run.

I may have been injured and unable to go.

I may never have qualified.

But, I am a runner.

And my heart is in Boston today.

God Bless those affected. My prayers are with you.

Oak Barrel Half-Marathon Recap

   Before I go into the details of this race, I want to say that I LOVED this race. I'm saying this now because there is a chance I might sound a little whiney in this recap. But know while reading that I loved, loved, loved this race.

   The morning started, as most race mornings do, WAY too early. The Oak Barrel Half was held in Lynchburg, which is about 75 miles away. The race started at 8:00, but we left around 5:15 because we  still needed to check-in, plus we really had no idea where we were going and we needed a time buffer in case we got lost.
   But we didn't get lost, so at about 6:30 we (Dudley, Kathy from FTP and I) rolled into Lynchburg.

That's right...population 361.

     Many people will recognize Lynchburg because if its most famous product - Jack Daniel's.

Thank you Jack! I feel welcome!

   What's awesome about running a race in a small town like Lynchburg is that you only need directions to the city itself. The race takes over the entire town (literally - there were 1,025 runners), so there's no wandering around wondering where the race is. I was a little concerned because the only parking directions we were given was "Once you get to Lynchburg, follow the signs for parking." But it worked! We followed the signs and parked almost next to check-in. It was fantastic.

   Because the race only had a little over 1,000 people, packet pickup took all of 5 minutes, so we had over an hour to kill before the race started. So what did we do? Take pictures, of course!

These Jack Daniel's barrels were everywhere.

At the starting line. We were pretty sure that Kathy accidentally stepped over the start line and activated her timing chip during this photo.

East Nasty Pre-race!!  

   The race started right at 8:00. Again, gotta love the small-town races. The race director did the count-down on the PA and instead of a starting gun, they had a truck blow its horn. It sounded like a train whistle. It was pretty funny. Dudley (who didn't race) said that they started playing "Eye of the Tiger" after the horn, and they cut it off after the last runner started. They didn't get half-way through the song. THAT'S how small this race was. I think that's hysterical. 

   So the race starts, and we start to run. It was BEAUTIFUL out there. Seriously. Nothing but rolling, green hills filled with horses and rustic barns. It did get a little too "farmy" for me around mile 2-3 when the smell hit us. Cow manure. Really, really bad. It was weird because I didn't actually see any cows, but whew - you could smell them.

   My run was kind of blah at this point. My legs were dead, and I probably went out too fast. Around 3.5 miles, I told Kathy that I needed to slow down. We'd been doing about 9-minute miles, which is too fast for me for a hilly, half-marathon. She kept going and I slowed to about a 9:30-minute mile. She remained within eyesight for about a half-mile when we hit Whiskey Hill and I had to walk. Well, I probably didn't "have" to walk, but I did. As I said all week, I wasn't planning on pushing myself during this race. It's supposed to be one of the hardest and hilliest half-marathons in Tennessee. I didn't feel the need to kill myself running it - especially on the famous Whiskey Hill. And let me tell you, this hill is no joke.

Going up! Gotta love a hill with a steep switchback! 

This doesn't do the steepness justice. It was crazy.

   Whiskey Hill felt like it lasted forever. It was pretty much a mile long. When I saw that switchback, I audibly said "Oh crap. You have got to be kidding me." Even walking, my legs were dying - especially my calves. If you do this race in the future - respect this hill and train for it. 

   Once I got to the top and had a bit of water, I started feeling good for the first time of the race. It probably had to do with the fact that I knew the hardest part of the race, Whiskey Hill, was behind me. I felt strong and started thinking that maybe I'd push myself a bit... That feeling lasted less than a mile when I hit Whiskey Hill's smaller, but no less bitchy, sibling. We turned a corner and I swear the road went straight up. I almost started laughing - you know like you do when you're delirious and haven't had enough sleep. But, what can you do? I just put one foot in front of the other and ran up the stupid thing. And yes, I ran it. It was more of a shuffle-run because I'm not sure how you run up something that steep, but I tried.

   It was somewhere around this time that I started looking for cool photo opps. I purposely took my phone so I could take pictures if need be. I really wanted to get one with me and a cow, or on a tractor. Unfortunately, I didn't really see any cows (only smelt them) and the only tractor I saw was about 200 yards away. It's owner was sitting on his porch watching the race go by, and I bet I could have made the tractor pic happen, but it seemed more of a hassle than what it was worth. But I did get this photo of a bunch of hay surrounded by mud. Just in case you didn't believe I was running though farm country. You're welcome.

It's a feed trough, y'all! At least, I think it is. What do I know? I grew up near DC.

   I was told that miles 9-12 were "all downhill," which would make sense since we'd been doing nothing but climbing for the first part of the race. Did we get a downhill? Sure. A bit. But no where NEAR the three-miles I was promised. THAT was disappointing. Not that it wasn't a beautiful run, and it was pretty flat for the most part - but after all of that climbing, I wanted to literally roll back down into Lynchburg. I kind of felt like that was owed to me.  

   But alas, it was not meant to be. I still had to run, so run I did. I was surprised because even with my walking (and tweeting) during the race, it looked like I had a chance to break 2:15. Not a PR, but not bad for a race that was so hilly. The finish line was pretty much where the start was - back in the town square. The last mile was on the road that you took into town. It was flat and straight. I tried to pick off as many people as I could on this last bit. I turned the corner to the finish line and saw the finish clock showed 2:14 and counting. Remember in my last race recap when I said I had no kick? Well, I found it. I really wanted to beat 2:15. And I did. My official time was 2:14:35. What's kind of funny is that my Garmin said 2:10, but it's on auto-pause, so it stopped whenever I stopped to take a photo or what not. I, apparently, spent four minutes of this race just standing around. 

   After getting my awesomely cool finishers "medal," I found Dudley and Kathy (she came in at 2:03) and enjoyed the post-race activities. Mad props to Mach Tenn, the race organizer. They know how to put on a race! They had all sorts of food (pizza, fruit, scones, Brunswick stew, Hoecakes, cookies) and drinks (milk, water, soda) for the participants and supporters. And they gave the finishers a hat AND Swiftwick socks!! LOVE that!

They're consistent with the Oak Barrel branding. As a marketing person, I can appreciate that.

Have you seen a cooler finisher's medal?  I think not.

   They also had a live band to entertain us, but they weren't one of those obnoxious bands who were so loud that you can't enjoy yourself. They were a perfect compliment to the atmosphere. And the town square was so charming. I felt like I was in the middle of a movie set. 

Surrounded by the Jack Daniel's barrels, of course.

Just in case you were wondering what the barrels looked like..

Town square at the finishing line.

Not the best photo, but you get the idea. Remove the cars and you're in 1940.

   Of course, then Kathy and I had to take more photos...

YAY! We're not running up hills anymore! 

And posing with the finishing banner. "Big" races would charge you $35 for this photo!

   We met up with most of the East Nasties who ran and they all had great races too. In fact, I have yet to find one person who didn't have a fantastic time. Yes, it was hilly, but if you had read anything about this race AT ALL, you knew it would be. And Mach Tenn was awesome. You could tell that the organizers are runners, because from the moment we registered to the moment we left, all of our needs were catered to. Bravo, Mach Tenn, Bravo. 

   Unfortunately, we needed to get back to Nashville, so we didn't get to hang out in Lynchburg that long. Hopefully, next time we can hang a bit and check out the local restaurants and what not. And there will be a next time because this is definitely a race I want to do again.

Spring is Never Going to Arrive

   Seriously. It's April. Spring technically arrived two weeks ago. But apparently, Nashville hasn't gotten the memo because it's still FREAKIN' COLD here. And wet. Heck - not just wet - my bike ride on Tuesday was cancelled because of sleet and ice! It's currently in the 40's and rainy and I'm supposed to run soon. Generally, that's OK running weather, but I'm sick of being waterlogged. I don't think Spring is ever going to get here and it's making me sad. I'm just going to sit here and stare at this photo of a donkey until it's 65 degrees outside and sunny. Because you know what doesn't make me sad? Donkeys.

Actually, I think he's mocking me because he's in the sun!

   I'm still raising money for Team in Training!  Closing in on $5,500 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Click here to help me fight blood cancers!  http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/nikewhlf13/kmylls

Weekend Wrap-up

   So I'm sitting here trying to come up with something witty to write, but I got nothin'. Did I ride last week?  Yep!  30-miles in Saturday.  Saved a snail from certain death AND rescued two stray doggies who were running in traffic. (What can I say? I'm an animal lover.)

   Did I run? Of course! A couple of times. I had a fun 5-miler with my TNT group and a VERY hilly 5k with East Nasty earlier in the week, and then a rain-soaked 10-miler Sunday. But nothing really "blog-worthy."  Well, except that I witnessed the rescuing of a baby goat who had his head stuck in the fence.  Let me tell you, there is nothing more pathetic than a baby goat with his head stuck in a fence. Poor little guy. (Yes, he's OK.)
   I did sign up for the Memphis in May Olympic Distance Triathlon. THAT should be interesting. Even though the name states that the race is in Memphis, it's actually in Tunica, MS.  That's right - the gambling capital of the South. Or, at least Mississippi. For some reason, this race chooses a country to celebrate every year as a theme. This year it's Sweden. Kind of random, but why not? Go Sweden!

   This weekend is the Oak Barrel Half Marathon. Remember in a previous post, I stated that there are races you do for fun, and races you do for time? Well, this is the former. This race is supposed to be one of the hardest in Tennessee. It has a hill that is so tough that it has a name - Whiskey Hill. It even has it's own Facebook page!! So yeah... I'm slightly terrified really looking forward to it! There is, however, supposed to be some serious swag given away at this race AND an awesome medal. (Listen up, race directors - this stuff is important!! Racers like swag! We will come to your race for swag!) Plus, a whole slew of East Nasties are coming down for the race, and I think my FTP training partner Kathy is as well. I plan on taking a lot of photos. If I don't get one of me sitting on a tractor or with a cow, I'm going to consider this race a failure. THAT'S how seriously I'm taking it.

   Hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend!! And don't forget I'm still raising money for TNT! Click here to help my fight against blood cancers!  http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/nikewhlf13/kmylls