Running the States

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  • Walking through Winter Storm Jonas

    Walking through Winter Storm Jonas

    It is day 2 of this epic blizzard of 2016 (aka Storm Jonas). The snow started coming down in the DC-area yesterday around 1 p.m. It’s been about 24 hours now, and it’s still going strong. I think we may have another 12 hours or so to go.

    I went out for a walk this morning, when it was easing up a bit. The sidewalks and trail I normally run on were difficult to get through, but the streets were looking pretty good. Big thanks to all those working hard through this storm, salting and continuously plowing the roads.

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  • 2016 (Half Marathon) Race Schedule

    2016 (Half Marathon) Race Schedule

    Here it is. My 2016 race schedule. Well, tentative race schedule.

    I think if you’re trying to run in all 50 states, or is someone that just enjoys participating in races, you’re constantly thinking about which race/where to go/what to run next. I’ve been thinking about my 2016 race schedule since January 2015 (and I already have 2017 and 2018 in the works). I’m a planner. I also love to travel, and in order to make that work with my limited vacation time, I have to plan in advance.

    My parents are going to Cambodia in November, and I’m hoping to join them for a week. Afterward, I’ll probably split and head solo to Thailand for a bit. This trip will eat up at least a couple of weeks, and so I won’t have as much free time for domestic travel this year, which means I won’t be able to cross off as many states as I did in 2015. No worries though, I’ll just make it up in 2017. 😉

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  • Lessons learned from running 8 half marathons and 1 full marathon in a year

    Lessons learned from running 8 half marathons and 1 full marathon in a year

    Happy New Year, guys! I just got back from my first run of the year — a short 3-miler on the treadmill.

    Today’s run was the first in a while. I spent most of December giving my knees a rest (trying to heal the right knee). I think the break worked (along with a lot of foam rolling) — the knee isn’t as sore anymore. Hopefully it stays that way. The injury made me reflect on what I did wrong and things I’ve learned over the year.

    I put in a lot of mileage in 2015 — I started keeping track, but got lazy around October and stopped. So I don’t know exactly how many miles I ran. What I do know: I ran eight half marathons and one full marathon, plus four months of marathon training with 30-40 weekly-mile averages. There are things I definitely could have done better to make the races go smoother and to avoid the minor injuries I experienced. So, following are some lessons learned from the year.

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  • 12/50: Delaware – Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon

    12/50: Delaware – Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon

    Happy holidays, y’all!

    Wow, can you believe it’s the end of December? This year has flown by.

    I ran my last half of 2015 earlier this month — the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half Marathon in Delaware.

    Despite the name, there were actually no seashore views during the run, which was a bummer because I’m a beach girl and was totally looking forward to a little ocean gazing.

    The weather was perfect though, and the course was pretty flat, so I can’t complain too much. Also, I ended up getting another PR — I beat my time in Vegas by one minute! Excited about that. But it came at the expense of my knee. Not so excited about that.

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  • 11/50: Nevada: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon (Strip at Night)

    11/50: Nevada: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon (Strip at Night)

    Six ladies in their 30s head to Vegas — two with young children at home, one pregnant, three running a half marathon, one running a 10k, and three on east coast time. AND they still managed to viva Las Vegas, baby! Well, sort of.

    The trip to Vegas with the girls a couple of weekends ago was a lot of fun. I packed a lot into our short time there, including two races — a 5k and a half marathon — and a Sin City activity that some of the girls would prefer stay in Vegas…

    What doesn’t stay in Vegas: I crossed state number 11 off my list and got a PR on my half marathon. Pretty excited about that!

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  • Upcoming Races: Strip at Night, Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon

    Upcoming Races: Strip at Night, Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon

    It’s been many many years since I’ve been to Las Vegas. The last time I was there, I was 25 — prime partying age. But unfortunately, I just could not hang. I was visiting a couple of friends. It was August — so hot. The desert heat and time difference made it difficult to keep up with my buddies. I even fell asleep in a strip club. Seriously. When I woke up, I was alone on the couch, while my friends were all taking shots at the bar.

    I’ll be heading back to Sin City this weekend. Maybe I’ll try to redeem myself while I’m there. But what I’m really hoping to do is PR at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon (aka Strip at Night).

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  • Photos: Across the Bay 10k

    Photos: Across the Bay 10k

    Little sister and I ran the Across the Bay 10k today. I’m so proud of her — it was her first 10k!

    It’s a fun, super popular race. Last year was the inaugural year. I think the announcer said there were something like 25,000 participants this year. That’s a lot of people for a 10k. It’s easy to see why it’s popular though. The views were beautiful, and running over the bridge made the miles fly by.

    It’s one of the only 6.2-milers that I know of where participants get medals. And what’s cool about the medal is that it’s a puzzle piece that connects to last year’s medal — six years of medals will connect the bridge that’s etched on them. Pretty neat, and great marketing strategy to get people to sign up again. If you didn’t run last year though, I’m not sure how you can you get the first puzzle piece… maybe it starts from the beginning after the sixth year…?

    Below are some photos from the expo and race.

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  • Race Recap: 40th Marine Corps Marathon

    Race Recap: 40th Marine Corps Marathon

    “Running strips life back to the bare essentials. When we challenge ourselves, it breaks down barriers. It brings us back to our essence and peels away the layers of ego we surround ourselves with. Many a grown man or woman will cry during or when finishing a marathon: long regarded as the ultimate achievement in the running world. Emotions flow freely, the struggle is obvious and most of the competition is with yourself.” -Grahak Cunningham

    I survived my second marathon. The experience was as incredible as the first.

    I’ll be honest though. I was a bundle of nerves the days leading up to the race. More nervous than I was last year. You would think that having already done the Marine Corps Marathon once and knowing what to expect from the course, I would be less nervous. But nope.

    I actually think knowing what to expect is what made me nervous. I was anticipating bathroom breaks, long lines at the porta potties, leg pains during the run, and possibly hitting the proverbial wall.

    Also, my expectations were higher this time around. Last year, my only goal was to complete the race. I just wanted to cross the finish line without injury.

    This year, I wanted a better time — not only a better time, I wanted to beat Oprah’s time (4:29). I was also hoping to avoid going to the bathroom. I did not achieve either goal.

    But that’s ok. The race went well, and overall I am happy with how things turned out.
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  • Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 17 (Awesome colleagues, recipe for crispy sweet potato roast)

    Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 17 (Awesome colleagues, recipe for crispy sweet potato roast)

    So, I get back to my desk on Monday from a 1.5 hour-long meeting, and my colleagues walk up to me with cake and a card.

    I’m all like… “cake?? For what? My birthday was in June!”

    Turns out the cake and card was to wish me luck on the Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday.

    I have awesome colleagues.
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  • Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 16 (Reevaluating marathon goals, Across the Bay 10k)

    Marine Corps Marathon Training – Week 16 (Reevaluating marathon goals, Across the Bay 10k)

    The Marine Corps Marathon is in 10 days. Ten days!?!

    These last four months of training have seriously flown by. I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish during this training season — waking up at 4 a.m. to run before work, consistently hitting the gym after work, and keeping up with my long runs, even when it meant doing them on a treadmill.

    I’ll be honest though. Despite all of that, I’m not sure if I’m really ready for the race… physically or mentally.

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