We Came, We Ran (Like Girls), We Rocked

What an exciting weekend of running this turned out to be!

First, Saturday was the first day of MTT. It was like the first day of school, only way better. I was literally jumping up and down with excitement as we all gathered in front of Sports Backers stadium. Jill laughed at me, Katie told me I was way too excited for the hour of the morning (as did Kylie), and pretty much everyone else just shook their heads at me knowingly.

It was a beautiful first day of MTT too - the weather was quite lovely this year and I am happy to report that there was no pavement surfing, though we did take advantage of the moment and played a prank on Greg regarding last year's incident.

As we pulled into the stadium I told Kit, Lauren, and Katie to tell Greg that I had fallen again and was in the bathroom cleaning myself up. When we spotted him coming, I disappeared into the ladies and came out looking dejected and angry, clutching a paper towel to my shoulder.

As I approached the group, Greg rushed toward me "Oh my gosh, are you ok???"

"I suck!" I said. "I can't believe I did this again!"

"Let me see it!" says Greg (he always love to see gore and couldn't get enough of staring at last year's wound).

"No!"

"Come on!"

"Fine!" I said, and whipped the paper towel off of my shoulder, revealing my perfectly fine shoulder. He looked stunned and as the prank washed over him, we both started laughing our butts off and I gave him a bit old sweaty hug.

"Ah haaaa - GOTCHA!"

It's going to be a great year for MTT.

As if that excitement wasn't enough, yesterday was also Run Like a Girl!

I must tell you all, I was kind of nervous about putting together a team for this event. I've never done such a thing before and all I could think was that it would end in disaster; disaster being that it turns out nobody in the world reads this blog or likes me enough to pay $35 to run a race with me. But I am so glad that I did it anyway, because today was a blast! Not only were some of my best long-time running buddies there, but I also got to meet some great new ladies and managed to wrangle some of my friends-turned-newbie-runners into the group too.

Team Run Eat Play RVA!

 

From left to right:

Allison, Danielle, Katie, Pat, Jennifer, Teresa, Me, Cassie, Marcey

There were a few ladies who signed up that I didn't find - I'm sorry and please give me a shout to let me know how it went!

We had runners of every kind on the team, from those who were about to earn their first medal to an Iron Woman. But despite this wide range of experience, we all enjoyed each others' company and fellowship (at least I think so!). That is part of what is so awesome about running.

Aside from having a great time as part of Team Run Eat Play RVA, my goal for this race was to PR my 4 mile distance, which I thought meant running faster than a 37:35 (last year's RLaG). That seemed to be pretty achievable, even though I admit my legs felt pretty tired and my feet have been hurting for the past week.

 To achieve this, I lined up near the front of the starting corral along with Allison (Iron Woman) and Jennifer (new-to-me running buddy!). To be honest with you, I was on a mission today and after that starting horn went off, I don't remember very much! Jennifer, Allison, and I all hung together until mile 2 and then Jennifer cooled a bit, so it was just Allison and I. The overall field of runners seemed smaller this year, so there weren't a lot of other ladies around us. The miles ticked off very quickly and neither of us was talking too much, a sure sign of a good effort.

I remarked on that, and Allison said, "Yup, it's feeling kinda hard, but ya know, whenever I feel like I want to slow up I think about my grandma, who died of ovarian cancer, and keep going."

The reason we were running this race was right beside me and wow, was that inspiring. Even though my legs were tired and I wanted to slow up, I urged myself to stick with Allison for the rest of the race. We chatted about what we thought our grandparents would think about us being runners and about who we run for, who we think of when the going gets tough. That last mile thinking about our loved ones watching over us was a beautiful thing.

When we crossed the line, my Garmin read 33:34. I had gotten that PR! But I still had work to do, so after a hug from Allison, I went back up the trail to wait for everyone else and try to snap some photos as they came into the finish. I didn't get everyone - Jennifer ended up crossing just after Allison and I, and then some of the others just seemed to come out of nowhere before I was ready. But I got a few.

Teresa taking it to the finish

Pat rounding the corner to the finish

Marcey, demonstrating some fabulous jazz hands technique

I really am so proud of everyone on Team Run Eat Play RVA (I feel like a den mother or something, which is so weird!). Cheering you all in to the finish was so much fun and so exhilarating.

Then came the icing on the (cup)cake.

When Allison, Jennifer, and I had crossed, we had felt like we may have been among some of the first finishers. There just didn't seem to be many people with medals milling around and we also hadn't been near a lot of others out on the course. It seemed possible that we may have placed, so we decided to wait around until the awards ceremony.

As it turns out, today I finished first in my age group.

When my name was called I really couldn't believe it. I think I've placed 3rd in my age group once or twice before but I certainly didn't expect to ever finish first. My theory is just that I got lucky - the fast runners aged 30-34 must not have shown up or something. I still don't know my chip time, but here is the breakdown from the Almighty Garmin.

Really, the best part of today was hanging out with such an awesome group of ladies. Thank you all so much for coming out and being a part of Team Run Eat Play RVA! I hope that you had as much fun as I did.

Cassie celebrating her first medal with a fabulous leap.

The traditional "made an ugly face" with Marcey

The Symphony Expatriate Contingent

Running Twin Love

Medals and smiles all around

Run Like a Girl: Stand Out Race Day Outfit

Here is the obnoxiously bright person you'll be looking for on Sunday.

And, a friendly reminder - don't forget to bring

$5 cash for parking!

Final Planning Tips & Details: Run Like a Girl

I hope all of you had a great Memorial Day weekend - and that you got some running in! The weather here in the RVA was just glorious. I ordered it up especially for the 3rd Annual KBP + HMR Memorial Day Run. Marcey and I had a great time exploring some of my favorite spots along the rivah including the Pipeline and Belle Isle.

 

It was fabulous, as always.

Anyhow, now to the real purpose of this entry (no, it wasn't gratuitous running shots).

The Run Like a Girl Pocahontas 4-Miler is this weekend on Sunday! Wow! I can hardly believe it's already here.  Team Run Eat Play RVA is up to that magical goal number of 10 - which is just awesome. Thanks to everyone who already signed up and if there are any stragglers out there, you can still sign up online for just a few more days.

I want to make sure each and every one of you has a great experience, so here are a few tips for race day that will come in handy.

1. Packet Pick Up is available Saturday, May 31 at Lucky Foot running store. If you can't make it to Midlothian, race day packet pick up is available starting at 7:30 am. In the past, I have always picked up my packet day of. However, if you choose to do this, it is mucho importante that you arrive early. Pick up starts at 7:30 am at Pocahontas. I would try to show up at 7:15 am. That gives you plenty of time to park, get your packet, get your number on juuuuuuuust right, dump the rest in your car, and get back to the start. Which leads me to...
2. Race Day Arrival & Parking. First, parking is $5. Make sure you bring $5 cash. If you don't, you're out of luck.  I would recommend carpooling if you can. There is a handy dandy Starbucks at Iron Bridge and Courthouse Road (6921 Commons Square, Chesterfield, VA  23832) that I have used for this purpose in the past. Plan on a rendezvous with your fellow park and ride buddies around 7:00 am and that should give you plenty of time. Bonus: when you are finished the race, you are right there at Starbucks and can go in for a post-race celebratory latte. Second, traffic into the parking lot does have a tendency to get backed up so I would highly recommend aiming for a 7:15 am arrival time, especially if you are picking up your packet. The earlier you are there, the less time you will spend being annoyed at having to sit in a long line of cars as you wait to park. I don't want any of you to show up annoyed.
3. Apparel & Gear. Right now the weather is looking great - partly cloudy with a low of 59 and high of 82 (don't worry, we'll be long gone before it hits 82). We will be running on mainly shaded trails, but I would still recommend sunblock as the finish festival area is in an open field area. I also suggest bug spray. Personally, I am a bug magnet. If there is one within a 10 mile radius of me that bites, it will find me and bite me. Therefore, I will be dousing myself with the stuff before the race. I'm also going to wear an older pair of shoes, just in case I end up stepping in something unsavory. And no, you don't need trail shoes for this race. The trails are not intense and are more like tow paths than anything else for the majority of the 4 miles. Your regular running shoes will be fine. 
4. Look for me! I have my outfit picked out and will post a photo of what I'm wearing. Don't worry - it's a loud, distinctive pair of shorts and neon yellow tank, so I should be pretty easy to find. If I am feeling crafty (which isn't likely), I might even make a meet up sign and hold it above my head for a while. My upper body strength is pretty sad - almost as sad as my crafting skills - but I'll do my best. I plan to arrive at 7:15, pick up my packet, and then plant myself near something distinctive in the RLaG village. Once I finish running the race, I will also be hanging out at the finish line to cheer you all in. If you finish before me, I expect the same!

That's all I can think of for now. I hope you all are getting as excited as I am! Check back later this week for an outfit update and any last minute tips.

 

Don't Forget!

Before you unplug for your Memorial Day Weekend, don't forget to sign up to run with me as a member of Team Run Eat Play RVA at next weekend's Run Like a Girl: Pocahontas Edition! We are currently at 8 and I'd love to have 10!

Just click on this link, select Team Run Eat Play RVA, and enter our password - cupcake

See you there! I'll be the one in the very loud plaid shorts.

Hit the Trails

So far this week, we've had rainy, stormy, downright miserable weather here in RVA. It forced me to have a date with the dreadmill this morning for some speedwork. 

Things aren't looking much better for tomorrow morning, so instead I am holding on to memories from last week's three stellar trail running sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. 

I'm relishing in this glorious month or so of not being officially in training for anything at all for the first time in a year. It doesn't matter how far or how fast I go; it is all about enjoyment and love of the run. 

This relaxed approach has meant that each day featured a different cast of characters, mystery mileage, and choose-your-own adventure routes. We explored new trails, having absolutely no idea where we were going to end up. We scaled to the top of Belle Isle (Who knew you could go up that big old hill on Belle Isle? I certainly didn't!) and stopped to admire the view. We visited our favorite spot on the Isle each day, enjoying a few moments of zen each time as we took in the city skyline and dawn creeping in from the East. We added extra loops at the end of each session because we just didn't feel like being finished yet, even though each of us did have to eventually get to a desk and work. 

We were like kids having too much fun outside and ignoring the call of parents who are trying to get them inside to do homework or eat dinner.

There were many times when I completely forgot that we were even running. We were just hanging out, relaxing, enjoying each other's company.

Photo credit: Greg Barch

Photo credit: Greg Barch

Photo credit: Greg Barch

Raleigh had already reawakened my love for the run, and these three almost-transcendental routes last week cemented it. Each day when we were finished, I felt completely calm, happy, and content. Everything was right in the world for those few minutes. 

If I had my way, I would've hung out on the trails all day and never come in from playing. 

There is just a feeling that you get when you're on a trail as opposed to the road. Don't get me wrong - I love  hitting the streets of Richmond. Navigating the city on foot leads to so many fun discoveries and helps me feel  more connected and aware of my urban surroundings. The roads are where I put my speed to the test, pushing the limits of my pace and feeling pretty victorious when I'm finished. 

But the trails... when you park on a busy city street and within 10 minutes are whisked away to a quiet wooded path where you can forget about everything else... Where you find yourself relaxed to the point of forgetting you are running a 9:00 min pace, but are still completely engaged because you have to pay attention to that next foot fall. It's this weird state of your mind working over time but somehow checking out simultaneously. 

I love it!

And I want you to love it too - so I'm taking this opportunity to remind all of my lovely lady readers of my invitation to join me for Run Like a Girl: Pocahontas Edition, where we can hit the trails together. Register under Team Run Eat Play RVA with the password cupcake.

So far I've had lots of "sure, I will totally join the team!" conversations, but only one follow through (shout out to Deidre Cox! Can't wait to meet you!). Let's get that team number up!  

For a little extra incentive, here is a just-released photo of the first ever RLaG finisher medal, which you will be receiving when you run with me at Pocahontas in June:

Not too shabby, eh? So stop procrastinating and click yourself on over to RLaG's registration page!

Let's Run Together: Run Like a Girl Pocahontas

So, I have an idea ladies.

How about we get together and create a Run Eat Play RVA Team for the upcoming Run Like a Girl: Pocahontas Edition race on Sunday, June 1.

Why, you ask?

First and foremost, I happen to know one of the amazing women who helps organize and put on the Run Like a Girl series races. She is an amazing athlete with a heart of gold, and I'd love to support her.

Second, this race is for a great cause: The HERA Women's Cancer Foundation, whose mission is to stop the loss of women from ovarian cancer by promoting Health, Empowerment, Research, and Awareness. I myself lost an aunt to ovarian cancer, so the cause is close to my heart. That aside, everyone spends so much time talking about Saving the Tatas (not that there is anything wrong with that!) that ovarian cancer awareness often takes a back seat - if it gets a seat at all. It's a silent and deadly form of cancer that we need to help educate our fellow women about and that we need to fight for a cure for too.

Third, I have participated in the race for three years running (punny!) and have thoroughly enjoyed myself every year.

The race is a 4 mile trail run at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, Virginia. If you have never done trail running before, it is a great introduction. Trails are a completely different experience from the roads and I betcha you're going to love it.

Did I mention that this race is ladies only? That means you won't have to look at some guy's hairy back for 4 miles. Instead you'll get to scope out the fashions of your fellow runners, which is always one of my favorite things to do at races (let's be honest people, you know you do it too!). It's also pretty amazing to stand in a field of 1,000 women and feel all that girl power in one place!

Four, did I mention swag? This year, every participant will receive a coupon for a free class FIT Richmond and a finisher medal. Even though I have about 20 medals, I can never resist the siren call of more race bling.

AND the first 500 to register will receive RLaG knee socks.

But WAIT, there's more! RLaG participants can attend a free sports bra fitting clinic at Lululemon in Short Pump on April 28. Too bad the sports bra isn't free but hey, a girl can't have everything.

Oh, and if you need some help getting to the finish, Tri Girl Training in Richmond is offering a special RLaG training program for only $10.

All of this for the low low price of $30 for registration. This thing basically pays for itself!

Finally, if that all wasn't enough to convince you, you will get the distinct pleasure of running with my crazy self. I promise to be in fine form, providing all the best in on-the-course entertainment (run-dancing, air guitar, bad jokes, singing, etc) and high fives and/or sweaty hugs at the finish line.

Ok, Kathryn, you've convinced me, so how do I join Team Run Eat Play RVA?

Step 1: Go to this registration page and search for the group Run Eat Play RVA. Once you find the team in the list, click on the "Join" button.

Step 2: Fill out your registration information. When you get to the part with the green button that says "Select Team", click it. You will be prompted to enter a password to join the team. Enter the password, which is: cupcake. Because well... you all know I have a thing for cupcakes.

PS - I wouldn't advise Googling images of cupcakes.
Now I want to go eat 1/2 dozen.

Step 3: Complete your registration and then start picking out your outfit! The awareness color for ovarian cancer is teal, often paired with purple. Just in case you want to coordinate your outfit with the race theme... I don't know why any would do that...

...or anyone who would... ::cough::

Then I'll see you at Pocahontas State Park on June 1!

Dust Yourself Off

As it happens, I had to dust myself off and get right back to it today. I had the Run Like a Girl 4 Miler to run with Marcey and Sheila - the third year in a row - and I wasn't going to let yesterday's spill stop me. Admittedly, getting my running top with built-in-bra on was kind of a challenge (God bless poor Husband, who has not only been dressing my wounds but also myself), but once I was dressed and bandaged up, I was ready to go.

This year, the organizers of Run Like a Girl made significant changes to the race. It still took place at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County, Virginia, but this time the course was 4 miles (instead of an 8k) and in a completely different location. All in all, I thought it was a positive change.

+ Nicer bathrooms
+ Parking was much closer to the staging area
+ Staging area was nicely laid out and located in a horse paddock (not kidding; sans horses) and no longer in a marshy field at the bottom of a long staircase and next to a body of standing water (hello mosquitos)
+ Better corraling of runners. Groups were called one at a time and taken down a trail about 100 yards to where the actual Start was. It helped keep the corrals organized.
+ Course was on what I am assuming were wide equestrian or fire trails, covered with either a shallow layer of sand or gravel.

The course was supposed to be "easier" but I'm not really sure if that's the case. Previously, the first mile or so of the course was on narrow, challenging, and hilly trails. Not the case here - trails were wide but I feel like the inclines lasted longer. When I compared the elevations from my Garmin last year and this year, last year we gained 40 more feet (is that a lot? I'm not sure... I don't really know anything about elevations). Here are the charts:

2012

2013

So yeah... I don't really know if the course was that much "easier" when it comes to hills. I also have no idea what those spikes are in the elevation chart from this year. Any guesses??

Anyway, given that I had run 7 miles the day before and was full of open wounds, I wasn't going to push myself during this run. I was just running to run and enjoy the time on the trail, which was actually quite relaxing.

And of course, to have some fun with Marcey and Sheila.

I pouted about my wounds for one second.
I particularly love how the sun bean is
hitting me in just the right spot here. Ha!
(photo credit: Sheila?)

Marcey was in a bit of a funk so I had to slap it
out of her.

(Totally staged slapping btw)

Sheila headed to the finish

Marcey about to round the corner to the finish

Did I run a PR today?

Nope.

Do I care?

NOPE.

I'm just glad that I got to hang out with a bunch of awesome women who aren't above a silly pose.