Long Beach Island Race 18 miler

***NOTE: This post is long as hell but I really wanted to chronicle as much as I could so 50 years from now I can be like," Damn, look what I did!" So here it goes:

The night before the race I just couldn't decide...do I or don't I want to run this race? I was hating the weather forecast, not only because I've come to realize that it can't be trusted EVER, but because it kept changing and giving me false hope. "Wow, it just went from 60% chance of rain to 30% chance of rain, and if you look by the hour, it's not even going to start raining in LBI until 1pm or so," I told my husband as he surfed Facebook. By this point I knew he was only half listening. I would be too. I was just talking out loud and being indecisive, and I am sure he had shut me out by this point.

I knew if I didn't do this race, I probably wouldn't get 18 miles in that weekend. Time just hadn't been letting me get in my LONG runs, and my longest run to date was 15 miles. I told myself I would do at least TWO 20 milers before the Philly Full Marathon and that hadn't happened as of yet.

I also knew that my friend would be racing too, and she's a bit faster than me, which is just what I would need....to see her just far enough ahead of me that I wouldn't slow down....there's that "thing" in me, that drive, that competitiveness that would make sure to follow her...I would tell myself, "Just don't lose her. Keep her in your sight at all times. You can and you will. Follow her. Catch up. Go!"

We made it to the Registration desk with minutes to spare. On our way down (the trip was about an hour and 15 minutes) I got a text that my friend wouldn't make the race. I was disappointed, but I knew it wasn't her fault. I could absolutely relate to why she couldn't make it, and that made it all the more depressing.

My husband and son drove me to the starting line and we waited for about 45 minutes until the racers began to congregate near the start. It was raining steadily at this point, and it was colder than I had expected. I threw on an extra t-shirt and vest and found myself shivering with a group of other racers as we huddled under the shelter of a balcony jutting out of a big beach house. The house looked abandoned for the winter, as did many of the houses along the course.

My son and I before the race, and yes it was a slight steady rain at this point.

The first few miles were good. I was keeping a decent pace, and there were families all along the course cheering us on. It was quite touching to see so many people holding signs (and umbrellas), screaming for us to keep going. It was funny to me that by mile 8 people were saying "You're almost there! Keep going!" Was I almost there? I wasn't even halfway there.

Then depression set in. Families upon endless families, hooting and hollering and cow-belling for specific runners....GO DAN...GO MOMMY AND DADDY.....JESS WE LOVE YOU....MELANIE YOU ARE OUR HERO...... I couldn't help but wonder where my fans were. I know, pity party. My husband and son got up earlier than they would've liked on a cold and wet Sunday and drove over an hour, only to wait for 4 more hours, to then drive home another hour...I know that is greatness....but I wanted a crowd screaming my name. I wanted to see my name on a banner. I'll blame my period for the pity party. Remind me to never run 18 miles during "that time of the month." It sucks.

By mile 12 my stomach decided it wanted to explode. I should've known this. It always happens. I blame my gallbladder, or lack thereof, as I had it taken out 5 years ago.  I hobbled to a porta potty at mile 13 and stayed in there for almost 5 minutes (yes I timed it, just call me anal, but I wanted to know so when I hit the finish line, I could see how much time I could've shaved off had my stomach not decided to let loose. And no I didn't subtract the 5 minutes from my Garmin at the end, although I wanted to!).

By mile 16 I was done. Spent. Finished. Cursing at myself. Almost crying. My socks were so soaked that they had gotten heavy and bunched up under the arches of my feet. My hat was dripping rainwater onto my nose. I couldn't pick my legs up higher than maybe an inch off the ground. Then I happened upon a water station. A guy who I still believe was Matthew McConaughey handed me a cup of Gatorade. He smiled. He said I was almost there. I faked a smile and said, "Help me. Just help me." Then I swished the Gatorade around in my mouth and spit half of it out, just missing his boots. I darted off to show that I still had something left in me (and to show Matthew that I was the definition of pure awesomeness) but within a minute I had slowed to a 10:30 pace. Then I saw 11:12. Then back up to 9:56. It was a roller coaster of numbers from mile 16 to the finish. By mile 17 I was talking to myself out loud. I was moaning and whining. I was wondering if the girl behind me and the girl in front of me were listening. I was wondering if I was saying what they were indeed thinking. I wondered if that was really Matthew McConaughey. I wondered if I was going delirious. The fans all looked the same now. Was it deja vu? Was I losing it?

My son anxiously waiting for me to come around the bend to the finish line!

Two runner girls were walking towards me. They were obviously done. They had crossed the finish line and were heading back to somewhere. They said to us, "The finish line is like right there," and they pointed up ahead. I stopped and said,"Like how far is it exactly...because I don't know if I can make it...can I make it?" They told me it was .2 miles away. POINT 2 MILES.....POINT 2 MILES?! They lied. They so, so lied. It was about half of a mile til the finish. And I was crying. Then I started laughing. No, more like cackling. Then back to crying. When I saw my husband and son at the finish I felt my face crumble and the tears were falling again. I tried to hide it from them but I couldn't hold back.

Am I laughing, crying, or both? 

Within 5 minutes I was back to my normal self (if there ever is a normal self) and we headed back to collect my medal and t-shirt and a bite to eat at the post-race buffet.

I was told that only the top racers received medals and that they only had shirts in XL and XXL left. At that point I just wanted to dry my dripping wet hair so that I wouldn't be freezing on the ride home, but the community center had just removed their hair dryers and hand dryers from the locker room. SUCK!

All in all I am glad I completed 18 miles in a race setting. I am glad I pushed myself when I was ready to quit. I am glad I didn't call my husband from the porta potty at mile 13 to say, "Come get me, I am done." I am glad I put myself through that. I am glad that I found this gift almost 4 years ago and I ran with it.

It's Just One of Those Things That a Girl Goes Through

So when I heard about this offer through my friend's blog www.fortheloveoftherun.com to try Instead Softcups www.softcup.com and then give my honest review of this tampon/pad alternative, and in return I would be reimbursed for my Philly Marathon registration fee, I thought, "this is a no-brainer!"
Within days I received my package of Instead Softcups in the mail. They came with an instruction pamphlet and each softcup was wrapped in a little purple package.

discreet purple package!

The first thing I thought was, "no one will know what this thing is if it falls out of my purse." When a tampon falls out of your purse, it's obvious what's inside that plastic wrapper, but this, this is discreet. And you won't accidentally take it out of your purse in hopes that it is the pen you are searching for in the bottom of your bag!
So I opened up one of the purple packs and found what looks like one of those popular rubbery bracelets that everyone is wearing nowadays(like the yellow Livestrong ones) and attached to the "bracelet" was a thin,clear, flexible "cup." I thought these things were going to look and feel like hard rubber cups and that you just wash and reuse, but these are the throw-away kind(although I think the company makes the reusable kind as well).
So I used one of the Softcups one day, and it couldn't have been easier. In all honesty, I was afraid that it would get "lost" or go too far up and I would be frantically fishing it out(yes, TMI....I know) but it was as easy as pie to get in AND out. My favorite part about these things is that there is no string to worry about. The first day I used one, I was going to the beach, and normally I would do the "check" when taking my shorts off to make sure no tell-tale string was dangling out of my bathing suit, but with a Softcup, that's not even a concern. No string means no worries.
I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first, and I felt like I was back in 8th grade wondering how to use this thing, but it was truly easy and I was worry-free for hours. So thanks Instead Softcup for giving me the nudge I needed to try something new!

Emjoi Divine is so Divine!

So I win this epilator/shaver/exfoliator through my friend's informational AND motivational site www.fortheloveoftherun.com. I never win anything, so this was awesome for me. Mind you, the last time I tried an epilator, I was maybe 13 years old! I asked for an epilator for Christmas and what do you know, Santa delivered! My best friend came over so we could "experiment" with this device. Well, it hurt, and we could hardly do more than a small patch on our legs when we called it quits and headed to the mall.



Here we are, YEARS later, and I figure technology has made some advances, so let's give it a go. The Emjoi got to my house maybe two days after I won it...they are fast with their shipping! Luckily my husband let me test out the epilator attachment on his back. He hardly has any hairs on his back, just the sporadic curl here and there....so I pulled the skin taut as the directions advised and within minutes he was smooth and hairless. Yes, there was some redness, and at one point he asked what I was doing exactly because he could feel a little "shock" like someone got you with a rubber band. Poor guy, I didn't read the directions well enough and I had the speed setting on "slow" when it's supposed to be used on "high" or fast when you use the epilator piece. Sorry husband! I really am!



I decided to give it a go after I showered(which opens up the pores and gives you time to exfoliate with a body sponge to get rid of dead cells, etc) and the pain wasn't bad at all. I think it was more of a mental thing...I was awaiting the pain, and memories of my teen experience made me wince before I even held the epilator to my skin....but it really was just a slight discomfort. They say after several times the "discomfort" will go away.... I decided to switch over to the shaver attachment and do what I needed to do. The shaver worked well, and it's easy to clean(remove attachment head and brush out hairs with this little brush the Emjoi came with).



All the parts get stored in this cute little bag, which I just throw in a bin in my bathroom until I need to use it again. So thanks Emjoi for an awesome product! No more spending like $12 on plastic razor heads that never fit in the handle I have at home! And no more disposable razors getting rusted on the ledge of my bathtub! YAY!

Saltstick Caps

So I've been on the market for a hydration drink/tablet/capsule....something that could replenish my sodium, electrolytes and all that good stuff that gets lost when I run.  I can't do the Gatorade thing. The last time I had Gatorade, I think high-fructose corn syrup was a main ingredient, and after watching a documentary on the nasty effects of HFCS, I have tried to keep it out of the foods/drinks that my family and I consume. 

I was happy to win two Nuun tabs as a runner-up prize in an online contest another fellow runner posted, but unfortunately by the time they got from her mailbox to mine, the tablets were a crumbled mess and I couldn't salvage them at all. Sadly they ended up in the garbage.

Then I reached out to Saltstick on my own, and low and behold, they sent me some FREE SAMPLES!

I put one with caffeine(Saltstick Caps Plus) in my water bottle before my run this morning. I must say the taste wasn't awesome, but whatever. Also, I don't know if the capsule would've dissolved on its own in the bottom of my bottle, but since it didn't after a minute or so, I ended up taking it out and ripping the capsule open and then I threw it back in. Maybe next time I will open the capsule and just dump the contents into my water...or it looks like you can just take it like a pill and swallow it before drinking your water. Options my friends, options!

I will continue to use up my Saltstick caps and let you know more, but as of now, I like these things!

Run in the Sun with Friends

I am still on a runner's high from this morning's run with Casi and Leslie. Some runs are good, some are blah, and some are AWESOME, and I never know what kind of run I will have, but today's run was just what I needed I guess.

I haven't been sleeping well lately. Not sure why(maybe b/c there is a long and lanky 4 year old tossing and turning all night....and he's wedged between my husband and I in our old queen size bed) but it's getting to be a habit. I wake up too early and then I can't go back to sleep.

This morning was no different. I was up before 6a.m. checking Facebook and writing TO DO lists on sticky notes. I got to CFPark 10 minutes early and walked the track one time around before meeting up with Casi and Leslie. It was gorgeous this morning. Sun, very light breeze, and great chit chat between us(although not as much as we normally do b/c we were trying to keep a faster pace).

We finished strong with 7 miles on the Garmin and I was home in time for Chris to get to his yoga/pilates/cyntergy something class.

I had two big cups of a smoothie I made in the Vitamix(banana, spinach, cucumber, maca powder and an apple) when I got home and felt even healthier with all those fruits in veggies in my belly.

Here it is 5:30 and I am still smiling. Running is a beautiful thing and I am thankful to be able to run in the sun with friends!

 SEE! Still smiling!

Long Branch HALF MARATHON

Wooo hooo, I completed the LB half in 2:05:49! My Garmin watch read 2:05:52 when I turned it off, so I must've stopped it 3 seconds after crossing the finish. Funny because I was looking at some of the race pics that the Marathon FB page posted of the finish line, and all you see are runners stopping their watches as they cross the finish. Us runners can get pretty anal about our race time/pace!
So the day(or should I say early early morning) started off in a rush. I got up at 4:30 a.m.,giving myself a whole hour before Caroline was to pick me up. I ended up on FB and before I knew it, Caroline texted me that she was outside my house waiting! I wasn't even dressed! I scrambled around the dark house to get my belongings and get out there.
We saw some Mommy Movers in the parking lot(my old running group) and it was nice to see familiar faces. Soon enough we were running across the starting line. The adrenaline was pumping. I felt great(besides my grumbling tummy) and I took off a bit faster than my normal pace. Luckily I had Caroline with me until we lost each other at the water station at mile 5. It was a packed road at all times...I never felt like the crowd of runners ever dispersed or trickled down to the point where I wasn't running with people on all sides of me.
At mile 9 my stomach started turning again, and I feared having to take a porta potty break, which would totally ruin my fast pace and possible personal record for fastest half marathon. This is my 7th half, and I really wanted to at least shave off one minute from my Asbury Park time(which was my best time to date).
Luckily the tummy trouble subsided and I didn't have to stop. Once I hit the boardwalk, I knew I didn't have too much farther to go, so I ran as fast as I could to the finish line. It was awesome seeing Chris and Army at the finish. And how did I not mention how awesome it was to see Army, Chris, and my mom cheering me on at mile 7 in front of my mom's house.
I got my medal, banana, and adequate bagel(nothing compares to the Bagel Masters bagel I got at the Indian Hills finish line!) and we headed back to my mom's house. That's about a mile to a mile and 1/2 walk! I figured it was a good idea to keep my legs moving, so I didn't mind the walk. And I had my two favorite people with me, so all was good.
Overall the race was great. My stomach is still a bit of a mess, but that's what happens when you don't eat  your normal pre-race foods the night before. I was at a birthday party last night, eating oil-laden catered food and home-made chocolate chip cookies.
    Sidenote - I wore my new blue LB HALF MARATHON T-SHIRT that they give free to all the runners that entered the race two days after on one of my runs and it fits GREAT! I absolutely love it! Not something I can usually say about other race shirts I have gotten in other races in the past. This one was meant for a girl's body(they did them up this year specific to your gender I think) and it's awesome.
Here are some pics from Chris' camera!

Grandma and Army, then me below in the PINK SOCKS!

Me about 5 minutes after crossing finish line with my son!

Me passing my family at around mile 7

The Jon Stewart Run

So I ate an incredible amount of food at Colleen and Jay's vegan brunch yesterday. It was OOC(out of control). I had already run 7 speedy miles the day before with Casi, but I just felt that a "food guilt run" was in order last night. So around 5pm I decided to drive to the boardwalk in Long Branch and run 4 miles.

One mile in and I am huffing and puffing. I am donning my headphones, my beyond- masculine Trifosi sunglasses and my black running hat. I am not looking too pretty, but running isn't a pretty sport.

I am very observant by nature, always looking at the people around me. So I am running past Le Avenue and Serena(or whatever those restaurants are on the boardwalk) and who do I lock eyes with but my favorite guy on tv - JON STEWART!!!

Now remember I had on sunglasses, so he may not realize(or admit) that there was a connection...that we both held our gaze.....that we were, at that moment.....locked on one another..... but I felt it and I will never back down on my version of what went down.

So instead of being a complete stalker and turning around maybe a 1/4 mile down the boards and heading back  to see him and lock eyes once again, I continued to run(super fast by the way) down to the end of the boardwalk and then back to the where we met. But alas, he was GONE.

Several of my friends have seen him around my hometown and in the surrounding areas, so there is a possibility that I could see him again(preferably with my hair down and done, and maybe some lipstick on). Until then, this is the only view I was able to take a picture of last night on the boards. No pic of Jon and I, but there's always tomorrow!