A Year Later

I remember this day last year, after I found out about the bombing in Boston, I immediately laced up my shoes and went out for a run. I was tired, I was cranky, and I honestly wanted to just stay inside and not do anything. But, for some reason, I felt like I had to run. I felt like I owed it to the community.

Three miles into my run I started crying. Running is a passion, I've met so many amazing people in this community, and for any of them to be harmed in such an ugly and aggressive way, I was left overwhelmed. 

I remember doing ten miles that day and then collapsing on the grass outside of my house when I got home. And I just sat there and cried, calling my friends that I knew lived near the area that I was unable to reach before. 

Boston is my unattainable goal, I know I'll likely never meet the time qualifications for it, but whenever I run that city is in my mind. Today, in spite of the rain and overall miserable weather, I went for a short run. It may have been rest day but it needed to happen. 

The playlist was Boston themed. Starting with Tessie by Dropkick Murphys and ending with a cool down of Boston by Augustana. I don't think it matters what is going on in my life, April 15 I'll always run for Boston. And I'll always be Boston strong. 

Playlists and Their Power

I'm a playlist junky. I am talking in the aspect that I will make an over abundance of them and become overly obsessed with them. And even in the digital age of Spotify, iPhones, Androids, etc, I still rock an iPod mini at times when I run. Because it's cute and little and will fit comfortably anywhere. And I was a girl of the past who would buy CDs and load them onto their computer and spend an overabundance of time in iTunes intricately lacing songs together to make the PERFECT playlist.

Anyway, now the time has come where I decided that I would make my playlists on Spotify, as a "backup" of sorts. And... I most recently ended up with this beauty:


Yes, the first song I listen to every single time I start on a running expedition lately has been "Let It Go". I've been having a hard time adapting to some of the issues I've been having with my health (breathing and knee problems), and I start each run with the lovely mindset of "This is my time, this is me time, this is it, everything else LET. IT. GO."
So, this is what has gotten me through some runs. :) What songs are your go-to for a run?

The Odds Weren't In My Favor

At least not with today's run. But, I adapt, overcame, and improvised.  I got off work early today, typically I am at work until 6 on Mondays, but since I started school three weeks ago, I expressed my desire to get off early once a week so I can get homework done and have some extra "Me" time. Much to my surprise, I was offered to leave at 1. Today is the first day in a while that it has been not only sunny, but somewhat warm. There was some wind out there though. I decided that once I got home I would get situated, lace up, and try out my new Garmin. I had planned on running six miles roughly, to a friends apartment and back, but once I started going I could tell this was going to be a short trip. And it was, I was out for a mile.

What could have gone wrong:
New Insoles: In Florida at the Fit For A Princess Expo I got on one of the machines that shows how you distribute your weight. Turns out that I put all of my weight on the ball and the heel of my foot, meaning my toes gets absolutely nothing. Seriously, when I was standing on the thing my toes weren't even showing up on the reading. I went ahead and took the girls advice who was working the area and got a pair of Lynco/Aetrex Orthotic Insoles that are supposed to be good for high arches (you can see my arches over the side of some of my flats). Today was the first day that I ran with them. There is a raised support on these insoles that hit right in your arch area to support it, the girl that sold them to me told me there would be a transitioning period where I would have to get used to them, and she wasn't kidding. It just feels weird, not necessarily uncomfortable, but not fully comfortable either. It is more of a foreign feeling at the moment. I am, however, going to give them their fair chance, and in a month or so you can expect a full review on them!

The Wind: I ran into the wind today, I also pushed myself, pretty hard. I was trying to get a sub 12' mile once I realized I realized that this just wasn't happening for me. Did I mention there is a crap ton of pollen here just being blown around and thrown in my face?

My Lungs: The more I think about it, the more I realize that maybe running the Glass Slipper Challenge last month when I was sick wasn't the best idea. I don't think my lungs have fully recovered or maybe I have developed exercised induced asthma? I don't know, but whatever it is I was coughing the whole time, and still am. If this continues over the next week or so while I'm training I'll likely go to the doctor and see if I need an inhaler. :(


Down To The Nitty Gritty
So, did I meet my goal of a sub 12 minute mile for my run? Not quite. But, I did exponentially better than I have in the past. It's pretty amazing to see the difference that training (and not even consistent training) can do. Also, considering all the things going against me today, I was proud of my time. Running is a sport against yourself. I know this.





The Difference Between Runkeeper and Garmin
I know to expect a difference between two different pieces of technology. RunKeeper tracked me around 12:12 while Garmin tracked me around 12:25. Honestly, I'm going with Garmin's time. I'd rather go with the idea that I am slower than falsely think I am faster than what I am. It's 13 seconds difference, and I figure I can always make my next goal to be 12:12 on Garmin. I'm proud of both times, I'm proud of my run, I'm proud of myself.







So What Does This Mean?
It means, as always, there is room for improvement. There is room for me to grow as a runner and continue to get my time better than before. It means that by the time Monster Mash rolls around in October that maybe I'll be able to do a sub 2:30 half. If not, sub 2:45 is still impressive, running a half marathon in general is impressive, and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise. Especially when I used RK for the first time in a long time today and my pace was "4:39 faster than your usual pace for this distance". I'm getting there, slowly but surely. Every mile is another accomplishment, and every second off my time is another celebration.

The Mind Game That Is Running and Making Big Decisions

For me, a large part of my problem with running can be the mental state that I'm in. If I don't think I can do the distance I have planned, I can't. Plain and simple, my head gives out, my heart gives out, my legs give out, I just stop. And for the most part, I know I can do 13.1 miles. I can't always run it in it's entirety, but I can do it for sure.

I've been trying to overcome my doubts, I keep telling myself that I want to do a full marathon within the next two years... I've been telling myself that for two years, guess what I still haven't done? Yep, you're right. Today I made a decision, by January 2016 I am doing a full marathon, at least once. Because come January 2016 I am doing the Dopey Challenge during Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. To those unfamiliar with the Dopey Challenge, it's four races over four days. A 5k, followed by a 10k, followed by a half marathon, followed by a full marathon. 48.6 glorious miles of running. When I told my CJ (Brother Dearest) about it, the conversation went like this:

Me: I'm debating death by running in January 2016
CJ: hahaha oh yeah? Is that when you're gonna knock out a full marathon?
Me: ...5k, 10k, half marathon, full marathon, over the course of four days in Disney. Dopey Challenge.
CJ: Jesus.. lol
Me: Right? But the bling! Six pieces of bling!

Little bit of information about my brother, he's two years older than me, and was always the more athletic of the two of us. He has also always been my biggest cheerleader. When I wanted to do my first half marathon, he was the one that would send me loving "nudge" texts asking how training was going. Yeah, he's the supportive without being over bearing type of brother. Especially since when he found out that half marathon number one was finished in 3:30, instead of telling me I was slow, that I could've trained more, or whatever else some people told me, his text read: "Congrats sis, I knew you could do it. Work it, make it, do it, makes us, harder, better, faster, stronger." Yeah, we have that kind of relationship.

With the decision made today, I decided that since there are still three half marathons, two 10k races, one 5k race, and one ten miler on my schedule for the year, that I would just start doing the "Beginner Marathon Training" On RunKeeper. And that's what I did. My "training" starts on April 7th and ends with me supposedly being able to go the distance on July 25th. I'm excited to see what my body can do, and just how far I can take myself.

How did you train for your first marathon?

Every Once In A While You Have To Treat Yourself

Garmin Forerunner 210

And so I did. After a few years with my Forerunner 110, I decided it was time to upgrade. I started my research on a new GPS watch with heart rate monitor. I was torn between getting a new Garmin or trying the new on the market Tom Tom Runner. You can see my decision here. When it came down to it, while I liked the looks and features of the Tom Tom,  it is still new. And I'm sure once it's been out for a while I'll be excited to maybe get my hands on one and try it, but Garmin has never done me wrong. So I went for my old standby.

I really wanted the 220, but I have this thing called a budget, and I really only wanted it so I didn't have to plug it in to my computer and could just sync via Bluetooth to my phone. But really, that was the only thing that kept making me go "I really want that 220!" And logic outweighed desire.

I haven't run with the 210 yet, it just came in the mail yesterday and Friday is typically my rest day. Today it's raining cats and dogs so I'm letting my Garmin charge before I take it out for a spin and hopefully we'll have a reprieve from the rain in a bit.

You can buy the Garmin 210 just about anywhere, on Garmin's website they are running in the $249.99 bracket if you get it with a HRM, I found mine on eBay with free shipping for $169.99 brand new in box. Always do your research! Once I start doing some runs with it, I'll be more than happy to review and answer any questions that might come up.

Sparkle Skirts: First Hand

Find Sparkle Skirts at their Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Before arriving to the Fit For A Princess Expo I was unaware of what Sparkle Skirts were. Ali (who can be found on her own blog here) had mentioned then, but I kind of disregarded any idea of buying one. Once I talked to a few people and saw the product in person, I was interested.

Sparkle Skirts were one of the vendors on Ali's infamous list of people to see at Expo, up until this point I was planning on tackling the 10k in a Under Armour shirt and some compression pants and calling it a day. Upon entering the Sparkle Skirts area of Expo we were greeted by some of the most friendly staff I have ever encountered, seriously, they were genuine and took the time to explain everything that I had questions about in regards to their skirts. Our of the corner of my eye I saw this beautiful specimen staring at me, and I knew that despite my attempts on being frugal in Disney, I was going to have to try it on. 

Grotto Sparkle Skirt

I'm a natural redhead who decided to enhance my red a bit in order to portray Merida for the half marathon. Ariel has always been one of my favorite princesses sine she too had ginger locks, and there aren't that many of us. The skirt that caught my eye was the Grotto Skirt, I eagerly asked the girl if they were true to size and the response that I got was that though they typically are, she wanted me to try on my usual size, and one up and one down, just to be sure. The next part made me giggle: "Now, when you try this on, don't be afraid to jump up and down, run in place, shake it, or do whatever to make sure it isn't going anywhere!". I took the advice to heart and shook my groove thing in the little fitting room area. For me, it was true to size, in Victoria's Secret yoga pants I'm typically a large, along with FILA running shorts and pants, the same went for this sparkle skirt. 

The best thing about Sparkle Skirts? Unlike some running skirts that you have to throw compression skirts under, the SparkleTech skirt that I ended up with had them built in. No muss, no fuss. 

The thing that sold me on the skirt was the pockets. There are three in all and they are all on the large side:

The first pocket is in the waist band, it is 12" in length and zippers shut. With Sparkle Skirts they are designed to be worn with the zipper pocket either in the front or back, whichever is more comfortable for the runner. Even though I am typically a pocket in the back kind of girl, I went for the front approach for the Enchanted 10k. During the run I hid away a couple of necessities in my front pocket, drivers license, cash, and hotel room key. They stayed secured in there the whole trip, safe, sound, protected. 

Each side of the compression shorts house a 4"x5" open pocket. The whole race I ran with my cell in one of the side pant pocket. I didn't want to have to worry about possibly having my license or room key fall out when trying to get to my phone for whatever reason during the race, so even though I was a skeptic, I put the phone in a side pocket. 

Throughout the race my phone stayed put, right in the bottom of my side pocket, and didn't move one bit. It was snug, it was secure, it was stationary. 

After the race I was hooked, even though at first I was a little unsure of my new investment, I quickly became a fan. The SparkleTech Skirts have an inseam that range from 6" Inches for the Extra Small up to 7.75" for the 3XL, yes you read right, 3XL. That is the other thing that I love about SparkleSkirts, they cater to all sizes of women, because it doesn't matter your size, if you are working out you should be able to look good and feel good doing it. 

In Conclusion

I absolutely LOVED running in a Sparkle Skirt, and even though the pattern I chose is clearly themed towards a Disney/Mermaid theme, I have run in it since returning back to Delaware. I intend on expanding my collection of Sparkle Skirts, as they are worth the investment. To care for my specific Sparkle Skirt the directions state to machine wash cold and line dry. Easy enough!

Enchanted 10k 2014: Glass Slipper Challenge

And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is what it looks like when you put together all your stuff for a pre 10k picture the night before your race! Not featured is the DayQuil and Claritin. Oh yeah, I probably should mention that when we got to Florida I came down with a sinus and upper respiratory infection/illness/death, and yet I still had every intention on running 19.3 over the course of two days.

Cinderella and Ariel pre race

 Ali and I were up by 2:30 Saturday morning, on a bus by 3:15, and at Epcot by 3:30. Our excitement outweighed our sleep deprived state, and as people began to fill the area everything finally seemed so real! I must say, the intricate work and detail that some people put into their costumes was some intense dedication! My favorite on Saturday was Merida and a bear, yes, a guy dressed as a bear to run with a girl. It was adorable.

Megan, Ali, and myself

When we made our way to our corrals, Ali made the decision to drop back a corral to be on my level, and then we also met up with another one of our friends who dropped back to join our corral party too! The execution of how the corrals started was very well timed. For the 10k about every ten-fifteen minutes they would start the next corral. This eliminated congestion on the race course, and allowed for a pretty amazing opportunity. Given the fact that this was a six mile race, before we were even heading out the first finisher was starting to come back. The cheers that we heard were so inspirational and it made for excitement among all of us.

For the first part of the race we pretty much stuck together, Megan, Ali and I. Then thanks to my cold/sinus problems, I fell back and started a coughing fit. Can I just tell you that running in Delaware where it had been 26 degrees and snowy then going to Orlando where it was 80 degrees and humid was a fun/interesting experience. Running through the Boardwalk area and Epcot was awesome, it was great to see everything in the parks and the different areas.

Along the race course I came across a girl who had fallen, I wasn't going for a PR, I wasn't going for anything really, my goal for Princess Weekend was to cross the finish line. Anything else was an added bonus. Especially given that I could barely breathe thanks to whatever ailment I had come down with. I stopped and asked her if she needed help, turns out she was sixteen, and this was her first race ever. She wasn't even a runner, honestly. That was her father's passion, and he had run Boston the year prior and was near the explosion when it happened, she was running this race because PTSD was preventing him from running it. She just wanted desperately to get to mile five, around there is where her family would be.

It was appropriate, I was running Disney after all

I look at the running community as a family, when Boston happened our hearts were heavy. Boston is a long term goal of a lot of us out there. And the fact that something so terrible could happen to our little community, something that a lot of us use as an escape had been harmed. Being a Disney race, the quote from Lilo and Stitch played through my head. I "ran" with her for the extent of her time on the race, and when she got to the part of the race where her family was her father extended his gratitude that I kept an eye on his daughter. And with my teenaged running partner no longer by my side, I pushed to the finish.





I didn't stop for any character photos, looking back on it now I regret it. I wish I had gotten at least one picture with a character. But, there is always next year to get pictures with some princesses! As I crossed the finish line it was a moment of victory. I was excited to get my first Disney bling, and excited to find Ali to hear how her race went. And to get my hands on a post race snack box. After brief search, I found my travel buddy and we snapped a picture together! We were definitely both very excited to have our first medals of the weekend, and to get back to the hotel to get ready for our adventure in Epcot that day.

Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger

Pasta In The Park: A Run Disney Necessity

Ali and I before Pasta in the Park

February 21, 2014

Okay, okay, perhaps "necessity" is a strong word. Because, admittedly, Ali and I both were skeptical about spending $52 on a "spaghetti dinner". Even if it was an all you can eat buffet style, but, our shopping problem and excitement for the race got the best of us and we both hesitantly shelled out the money to be on the list. Easily one of the best decisions of the weekend. We chose to go Friday night as opposed to Saturday night working under the assumption that we would be better off having a late night the day before a 10k as opposed to a half marathon.

I wish I had gotten pictures inside of the event, I got too excited and too distracted by food. Also, let it be known that Ali and I were the first two people with purple wristbands on for PitP. That was one of the perks of getting buddy buddy with one of the Disney Event workers, who was incredibly informative and sweet!

Once we got inside we picked a table near the buffet lines, I think all total there was about 20 buffet tables. You never really had to wait in line to fill your plate, which was exciting and almost worth it all on it's own! Another perk of the PitP party? Character meetings. They had some of the princesses on hand to do pictures with the runners and their families and since it was a limited number of people at this dinner, the wait wasn't that long!

We met some really amazing people at our table, including a 63 year old woman who was training for her first half Iron Man. It turned out her and her husband had both run Boston before (a goal of both myself and Ali, one day, down the road, after a full marathon is done at all). Another woman was there alone, she wanted to do something for herself, and this was it. I couldn't imagine! I give her credit, maybe I'm too much of a people person and like to be surrounded by others, but I seriously don't think I could have done this week(end) without Ali. And finally, once again we found ourselves with Delaware roots. The other couple of girls at our table were University of Delaware students, and it was their first half marathon.

For your food you had pasta with either a red or alfredo sauce, chicken, and some fish, you also had salad, bread, and roasted potatoes, for dessert there was ice cream, and for some gluttonous reason I thought it would be a good idea to eat both a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich and a Mickey Bar. Yeah, I don't know why I did that either.

Illuminations light show

After dinner there was another added perk! Everyone who attended PitP was granted VIP seating to the Illuminations light show! This was my first experience with a Disney fireworks show, and it was nothing short of amazing! The only downside was Illuminations started at 9 and by the time it ended and we got back to our hotel and settled it was already approaching the 11 o'clock hour. That normally doesn't seem like that late, until you take into consideration that we were waking up at 2:30 to go run. Well, you know what they say, you only live once. And we were in Disney after all. 

Day One: Disney Princess Weekend 2014

This will be divided up into several posts, as this event was a HUGE freaking deal! This post will be the information about what I signed up for, our hotel accommodations, and the other random things that aren't actually race specific. We'll see how it goes.

On February 19, 2014, my friend Ali and I boarded a plane and headed to Orlando, Florida. After taking a year and a half off from half marathons due to unfortunate circumstances, I decided that I wanted to see what the hype was about. I decided to spend a lot of money and do my first RunDisney event! And what better way to do it than to go big or go home. $288 later, I found myself registered for The Glass Slipper Challenge. Which included a 10k on Saturday and a Half Marathon on Sunday. 19.3 miles over two days.

Our stay was from 02.19.2014-02.26.2014, and while most people plan their vacation for a week before/after the event, ours was a Wednesday to Wednesday vacation. I can honestly say, I think I preferred it that way, and plan to hopefully do it again next year. With the way our stay fell we were able to do parks before and after the races, and had a day to kind of recover/visit Downtown Disney all over again. I'll touch on that later.

We flew out of the little airport in Delaware via Frontier Airlines and landed at Orlando International around 10 am. After much debate as to whether or not we should get a rental car (and by we I mean me, since Ali was 20 at the time of our trip), I finally decided that I would skip the rental and just spend the money to get private transportation to and from the hotel by Sunstate Limo. Smartest decision ever, our driver, Alfredo, was the most polite and informative person that we could have encountered fresh into Florida. He gave us all the tips and tricks about how to go about our stay in Disney, and the transportation from our hotel to the parks.

We reached our hotel, Shades of Green (SOG), about four hours before check in actually started, upon arrival we left the majority of our luggage with the front desk and explored the hotel. SOG is a government owned and operated facility. What does that mean? Only military members, retired military, and/or dependents with a military ID can stay at SOG. SOG offers a golf course, spa, on site ticket sales to Disney and the other parks in the area, two pools, an arcade, a fitness center, and a couple of restaurants. Oh! And Ali and I's favorite place in SOG, the AAFES. For those of you unfamiliar with AAFES, it's like a mini Wal-Mart/Target feel, but kind of nicer, and tax free. The one in SOG had food, liquor, water, protein shakes, bathing suits, Vera Bradley, some Disney souvenirs, and I can't remember what else. We probably stopped in the AAFES at least once a day for SOMETHING. It got to be ridiculous.

Pond area near the Golf Course, ignore the algae, apparently that's normal in Florida

While we waited for our room to be ready so we could get changed before heading out, we went to the Italian restaurant, Mangino's, for lunch. Best. Pizza. Ever. The girls at the front desk managed to get us checked in about 45 minutes ahead of time, and since we waited, they got us into a room on the fourth floor, garden view, right outside of the elevator. Definitely worth the wait.

Our room, with Ali unpacking in the corner

View from our room

And again, view from our room. 

Once we were settled, we headed to Downtown Disney to shop some and explore. Favorite store in Downtown Disney? Fit 2 Run! So many running things, so little time. I was overwhelmed and can't wait to get back to Orlando to visit this beautiful Narnia like place. We also grabbed a bite to eat at a wonderful place called Earl of Sandwich.

Thanksgiving on a roll. 

But after a while we headed back to the hotel to rest up, because the next day we were hitting the Fit For A Princess Expo!

Monster Mash Half Marathon // Dover, Delaware // October 20, 2012

Registration for this race can be found here

For my second half marathon I found myself in my home state, with the starting line just seven short minutes (via car) from my house. A couple of facts about this race:

• This race can either be registered as a half marathon or a full marathon.
• The full marathon is a USA Track & Field Certified Course as a Boston Qualifier. 
• It benefits Wounded Warrior Project
• 2011 was it's inaugural year.
• Flat, fast course, seriously, there is minimal elevation along this course.
• The First mile is around The Monster Mile at Dover Downs!

Now, to my second half marathon. Start time was 7 am, I got to Dover Downs at 5:30 so I could get checked in and start meeting some of the other runners. 

The ridiculously blurry picture my Mother took Pre-Race

I was more prepared for this race than my first one, I knew what to expect of my body at which mile markers. I knew that, even if I didn't feel like I needed to, I should drink at each water stop. I knew that I needed to stretch before and immediately following the race. I knew not to push myself too hard in the beginning and to try to keep a steady pace. 

Around Mile Marker 1.5, with my ankle tracker.

My legs are so pale. So, so, pale. I loved this course, I loved being near home and running roads that I typically drive on a daily basis. I drive along this pathway all the time, and I smile. Races can do that to you, make you happy. Even just the memory. 

Approaching the finish line

Overall, I loved this course. I loved the race, the organizers of the event, and the way they handled the after affair. For a small event, it was nice, with your wristband you were able to get one meal from the food truck, I opted for a burger and a Powerade. 

Cheesin' with my finishers medal

My only complaint about this race was somehow the year I did it, the people in charge of the mile markers dropped the ball. Only the first three miles were marked. Thankfully, I used my GPS app and was able to see roughly where I was. This past year I heard that they fixed that problem, here's hoping it's still fixed come October when I take on this race again. 

xx Heather

The First Half Marathon: Island To Island Ocean City, MD 2012

Registration information for this race can be found here
Let the record show that even though I thought I would be ready for my first half marathon, I wasn't. I trained, I cross trained, I changed my diet, I lost weight, I ultimately became healthier on the quest to my first half marathon. As the date approached I found myself getting excited and anxious all at the same time. All the research that I did said the same thing: If given the opportunity, pre-run the course. 

My first half marathon was in Ocean City, Maryland. Just under two hours away from home, and conveniently, one of my favorite places to go. So the notion of pre-running the course was most definitely an option. On a Wednesday, the girl that I ran OC with and I packed up and headed south for the day. Up until this point the furthest I had tried was ten miles. And I will still a walk/runner (honestly, I'm still a run/walker, I just run more than walk now). The course was pretty flat, expect for one tiny exception that I'll touch on later. With water bottles in hand, and RunKeeper going, we started on the endeavor. Through the back roads that I know so well, and on the main highways.

I did well for my first time out, and my first time running a new area that wasn't Delaware. But, when the rains came in around mile 11.5, I was ready to call it quits. So we called our ride, and headed to lunch. Then about two weeks later, game time happened.

My first tech shirt from a race, bib, and my Nike Lunarglides (that I ended up not even running in)

 After doing some brief research, I decided to go with the hotel in the area that was providing race transportation to the start. We stayed at the Francis Scott Key, which is reasonably priced, and conveniently located to everything else you may want to do in OC. And the night before, my parents came and surprised us by staying at the same hotel as us and then taking us out to dinner. Those are the best kind of parents, right? The ones who will come home early from their Florida vacation to see their daughter run a race that she wasn't fully prepared for.

The next day I can't remember the exact time we had to be at the corral, or anything of the sort, but, it was pretty early for me. And it was kind of cold, a beach run in April can still be slightly chilly. But, I was amped and running on adrenaline.  While waiting, we had a dance party with our fellow runners, and then I got lectured by a seasoned runner on my lack of prerace stretching. Seriously, even if you don't think you need to: stretch before your run. Your body will thank you afterwards. And then, post National Anthem and race day pep talk, we were off.

Me, around mile marker 7, floating in mid air. Defying Gravity

 My parents were great photographers for the parts of the course they saw. And the spectators on the sidelines were pretty great as well. During the first part of the race, we ran through a neighborhood, where there was (I kid you not) a girl outside with her puppy offering every runner the chance to pet her puppy so they would be excited again. As you can see, I ended up wearing a pair of old beat up ADIDAS that weren't even special enough to have their own "name". It turns out that even though a lot of people LOVE running in Nike Lunarglides, I am not one of them. I noticed before on short runs with them that I had a lot of pressure and pain in my arch and shins after I finished running. I decided that instead of pushing myself in a pair of uncomfortable running shoes, I would go with a pair of tried and true. To this day I maintain that was the smartest decision I made that whole race.

Yes, that is me on that giant freaking BRIDGE.

Remember how I said the course was mostly flat? This was that one, tiny, exception. The course ended in Assateague Island, this is the bridge that you typically drive over to get there, however, this day I was taking it on my foot. I'm not sure if you can see it, but there is a red flag between the two trees. that red flag is the mile marker for Mile 12. Meaning this was the end of my journey. This was how I was ending the a 13.1 mile trek. With a giant bridge. Okay, okay, the bridge isn't that long, but it is kind of ridiculously steep. Especially when you take into consideration that I trained in what I have decided is probably the flattest state on the eastern shore. Shortly after the crest of the bridge, my ever so graceful self rolled my ankle. 

Me celebrating conquering the bridge. 

 With determination and pain, I decided I wanted to cross the finish line come hell or high water. So, for the last half mile, I limped and gimped my way to the end. When the picture above was snapped, there were definitely tears in my eyes and I was thankful for sunglasses. Finally, as we made our way around the bend I saw the finishers line. Somehow, I managed to push myself to run across.

Me with my bling

 That was it. I got my medal and cheesed for the camera. We piled into a vehicle and headed back to the hotel where we showered before heading for some food. As quickly as the race approached, it ended. And the doubts that I had in myself were a thing of the past.

I keep saying that I want to do OC again, but I'm also on a quest to all 50. However, it will always have a place in my heart. I feel like your first race always holds a place in your heart. No matter how many miles you run.