Short Run Long Day 5K – 2013

Posted on June 20, 2013 by tootallfritz

I am not one to run evening races. I have the kids. I have “things” that need to be done. I have fatigue from a long day at work, plus my commute. I don’t go out for just anything and it’s kind of a big deal if I get in a nighttime event or workout. However, for the second year in a row, I attended the Frankfort Park District’s Short Run Long Day 5K event which is always at night, on or around the longest day of the year. Why do I go? Because of these people:

The Frankfort New Lenox Running Club. These people (plus about 500 more from our FB page) are my friends, my run “family” and reason why I keep showing up. The Short Run Long Day 5K is on our home turf and one of the races with the best turnout for our club members. We had runners who ran 18 minute 5Ks then spaced all the way down to the end with our run/walk crew. So proud of all of these people for continuing to show up and keep working on their fitness regardless of their ultimate goals.

The Short Run Long Day event brings out all the local run clubs too with a large contingency of Yankee Runners and Tinley Track & Trail fasties. This “short run” is competitive and fast with a course that is flat and mostly shaded. But the race is growing fast and “the word” is that next year, we will be running the course in reverse to accommodate the increasing field and to relieve congestion in that first mile. Win, Win!!

The race is a family event with pizza, family games and activities. Runners, walkers and families with strollers are all welcome here. The event is chip timed but with a “gun” start so that first mile is a bit congested as everyone tries to jostle for the best position due to the gun start. Half of the course is ran on Old Plank Trail while the other half is on the streets of Frankfort. One water stop. Bathrooms at the start/finish and at the Grainery area on Old Plank Trail. Course is mostly shaded. Lots of volunteers. Nice goodie bag with a cute cotton tee, a $10 off coupon from Running Excels, coupon for a free ice cream cone at the Creamery, chapstick, pen & toothbrush:

Great race. Great crowd. Great event for the competitive age grouper as well as mom/grandma who may need to push a stroller in order to participate. I’m super pleased with this race and the growing popularity. We had 420 finishers this year for a small town 5K on a Wednesday night. Yay!

Join Aby and I and our F’N friends next year in the 14th Annual Short Run Long Day 5K in Frankfort!

2012 Race Review HERE.

** Come Run With Us ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Courthouse Classic 5K – 2013

Posted on June 20, 2013 by tootallfritz

Every year we head to the lake for Father’s Day and also participate in the Courthouse Classic in LaGrange, IN. The race is always the day before Father’s Day, on a Saturday and benefits the Lakeland Cross Country teams. Good race. Good cause. Good family fun.

One of the sponsors for this race, if you don’t remember from last year’s report, is a local grocery store so our goodie bag always contains groceries and usable items. Then they specifically pack Aby’s for a “kid” and give her school supplies, candy and activity books.

My SWAG bag, Aby’s SWAG bag & the cool tee for the 2013 race.

This race is cheap too, which is especially nice if you are taking the entire family. The 5K run/walk pre-registration cost was $14 and the 1 mile fun run (kids only) was $9. Win!!

This was Aby’s third year running this event. I like running the same event annually because it’s about the only way to compare your fitness ~~or lack there of~~ over time. And while I am getting slower, Aby is getting faster ~~without even training~~, which is super exciting.

Aby’s Courthouse Classic 5K history in time & photos: 2011 (age 9) – 33:19, 2012 – 30:37 & 2013 – 25:09

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t all hip on returning to run this year ~~and registered only after Aby begged~~. I didn’t run last year (the 2012 race) because of a torn tendon (which happened on June 2, 2012). I’m okay now but still not running fast and I’ve been having a hamstring “issue” that seems to dislike any sort of uphill/incline or long/open stride. In short, I honestly can’t run fast, even when I try. In fact, it’s been so long since I’ve ran fast that I wish I could just erase those “fast” times out of my brain to eliminate my constant disappointment. I’m trying to focus on the fact that 1) I can run and 2) running makes me happy. Does running faster make me happier? Yes. But only a little. I just want to run and I want to be able to do it with Aby while she still wants to actually do it with me. So I registered for this race even though I knew ~~it would be a disaster~~ I wouldn’t be fast and I wouldn’t be able to perform up to my own expectations.

To complicate the situation, I’m TRI training and Friday is my long bike day. And while I felt good on the 55 mile bike ride Friday ….

My legs were “slightly” fatigued when I hit the start line on SAT morning. Oh well, it’s not always about me and we were here to get Aby ~~off her ass~~ running and ready to start training for Cross Country season. And thankfully my friend Adella came along so that I had a ~~shoulder to cry on~~ friend in misery.

We all three stand on the start line together, somewhat near the front. The gun goes off. Aby takes off. We follow. My little girl has one mission in life, to beat her momma at any and all foot races. Good news, I just need to stay close and she runs. If I get close enough to pass then she surges to get further ahead of me. It’s a game of cat & mouse. We play it for about a mile. We hit the mile mark, which has a volunteer reading splits: 7:45. I think at this point I may have laughed. I was pushing it, not dogging it, pushing it and starting to fade. I, of course, think back to split times from “years gone by” when they started with a 6 instead of a 7 but that’s been a while now so I push it out of my head. I keep pushing and keep fading. My legs feel like bricks. My quads burn. My hamstrings ….. well you don’t really want to know what they were saying. Good bye, Aby. Good bye, Adella. Good bye, Noble County Runner, Jim!

Although, I didn’t remember this course being so hilly (a few small inclines in reality!) from years previous, I did remember the finish to be downhill. By the time I reach this downhill, Aby and Adella were waiting for me ~~and probably wondering if I DNF’d~~. I finished my slowest Courthouse Classic 5K to date: 25:51. Hmmmm, I should probably be disappointed but I’m going to revel in the fact that Aby ~~didn’t steal the car and leave me~~ did well, that Adella hung tight with her to try to push her when I couldn’t and that I ran and finished another race that last year I couldn’t even have walked. So it’s a win in my book and I’ll keep chasing down my little girl. I doubt I’ll catch her but I’ll keep trying if for no other reason than to make her surge ahead and run faster, even if for just a minute. Goooooo, Aby!!

When results came in, Aby won her age group. Adella took 3rd in “our” age group and I finished in the 4th spot. In unprecedented fashion, the race officials gave out a 4th place award for age groups this year. I’ve ran a lot of races and never seen age groups go 4 deep. Thank you!! It was nice to be able to take a pic with the girls and us all have some “bling” to show for our run. Me, Aby & Adella below.

“Run”way Fashion: Team Tough Chik run singlets (this is what tough looks like) and RunningSkirts snow leopard skirts.

Yep, I’ll be back for the 2014 Courthouse Classic. Come try to beat me. I might be faster. I might be slower. Who knows what another year will bring, but I’ll be there. It’s a tradition for us.

** Run the Courthouse Classic ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

13.1 Marathon Chicago

Posted on June 10, 2013 by tootallfritz

This was the first year that 13.1 Chicago fit into my schedule. I’ve always wanted to run this race and ran the Miami Beach version in 2012 but this hometown race just never worked out until now.

My first impression was not a pleasant one. Packet pick-up was in Chicago, one location, limited pick-up times, high traffic area, no parking. I was one “hot” momma by the time I drove around Old Town for 40 minutes with my kiddos, tried to park in a garage that was full, then settled on parking illegally to run in ~~while also dragging my kids~~ and grab the packets for myself and my friends. Logistical nightmare for the non-Chicago runners. Fortunately, once inside the pick-up was organized and smooth and I was in and out before Chicago PD towed my car. The goodie bag was a virtual one to save on paper, but we had to physically pick up our bib & shirt. The shirt was a Helium brand, gender specific sizing which ran small. They also gave us a nylon backpack.

The race itself was at the South Shore Cultural Center on 71st Street on Chicago’s Southside. Parking was limited and the event offered and highly recommended the free shuttle service for all participants and spectators. Win!

Pre-race I met up with my fellow FNRC runners and a few Chicago Running Bloggers. There weren’t many bloggy friends this time around since this event is on the same day as the finish of Ragnar Chicago. From left: Emily (Out and About), Eric (This Hobbit Runs), Chris (My Kind of Run), and myself.

The race started at 7am on the dot, sending off the first of many corrals. Each corral was separated by about 30 seconds to help crowding on the course. I was in Corral C and probably should have been back one ~~or two~~ more since I’m not really race ready as of yet. I wasn’t at all crowded but certainly not running the same speed as my corral mates. My focus for this race was to be controlled the entire time, not go too fast and not die at the end. This was basically another training run for me. I want to be able to run well on tired legs. The 40 miles I biked on Friday morning pretty much delivered those tired legs and it was my job to run on them and prep for the Racine 70.3 next month.

I anticipated this course being very crowded because the entire race was on either the lakefront path or running/walking paths through Jackson Park. However, it really wasn’t bad. Possibly because I was toward the front. Possibly because I wasn’t trying for any speed record. Possibly because I was just happy to be there, to be running and enjoying the day. We had good temps which were in the mid 60s throughout the race. Then the course was shaded in many spots, thru the park and also on the lakefront path. The view of the city from the south was breathtaking and the out and back course provided distraction as I watched for my fast friends. I even had a surprise around mile 5 seeing another bloggy friend, Xaarlin (Pain is Nothing), who was kind enough to come spectate and take a few photos! The good part about seeing her on the way out was knowing that she was there on the way back so I was “ready” when she pulled out the camera. Smile

This is a good race. Great location which is also unique to the Chicago “racing” scene. Great scenery. On course entertainment. Aid stations spaced probably 1.5 miles apart which offered water and a sport drink. Lots of potties. Lots of smiling faces from volunteers, fast friends who are in front of you and heading toward the finish, fast friends who start behind you and then pass you (thanks, Eric!) and from those friends behind in the later corrals. Running to me is a social event. I don’t listen to music, I listen to what is going on around me. The more people I see on course, the better the race is for me. I LOVED 13.1 Chicago and loved high fiving my friends as we passed on the out and back!!

As a side note, the last 5K of a half marathon is always a drag. If I’m feeling good then this is the time to pick it up and make up some time ~~from dogging it in mile 8 & 9~~ but normally speaking, I just try not to slip too far ~~like I did at Sunburst~~ and destroy my finish. However this time, I did something different. In addition to wearing red, white & blue in honor of some of my F’N Running friends who were running Ragnar with the American “Sweat”hearts, I also went Ragnar style from mile 10-13 and counted my “kills”. Yep, this is how I stayed focused in an attempt to keep from falling off pace, I counted every person I passed from mile 10 til the finish. 26 people.

Consistent with 13.1 fashion, we finished on the beach. The after party was in full swing by the time I arrived and the pizza and beer was flowing freely. Now, that’s my kind of race: Running, Friends, Beach Party & Beer!

Photo with my ladies who run EVERYWHERE. You may remember seeing them in my race report last week from Sunburst in South Bend, IN. Yep, they ran 13.1 Chicago too! Myself, Carol, Nicole (who ran a 1:38 which was good for a new PR) & Heather.

More bloggy friends: Pete (The Lakefront Trail), Nina (Run Dance Love) & Myself

Then my F’N friends were kind enough to march out on the beach with me for a photo in front of the Chicago skyline! Melissa, Nichole Z, Ken, Nicole F, myself & Maggie.

Thumbs up for 13.1 Chicago! I’d definitely run it again if my schedule cooperated!

Reminder – Don’t forget to enter my charity raffle HERE!

** Run 13.1 Chicago ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Sunburst Races – Half Marathon (2013)

Posted on June 3, 2013 by tootallfritz

On Friday I realized that I wanted to run the Sunburst Half Marathon on Saturday morning. I wasn’t registered. I didn’t have a sitter. However, I was heading to my parents for the weekend so had family to help. I jokingly called this my “super secret race”, facebooking and tweeting the same. However, it had been on my radar for months, I just hadn’t registered. On Friday, the kids and I swooped into South Bend, IN just in time to register before the 8pm close of packet pickup/registration. Here I am after registering for my “secret” race.

I’ve ran Sunburst before so I knew that registration and packet pick up would take about 2 seconds. I also knew there wouldn’t be an “expo” to distract us from getting in and out of town quickly. I also knew that it would be easy to convince the kids to make the stop because the South Bend Chocolate Company has a café downtown with amazing ice cream. I could probably get my kids to run to the moon and back for ice cream. No joke. I use this to my advantage all the time. Sometimes daily. It’s an amazing tool for ~~manipulation~~ motivation. So in 20 minutes I was registered, received a cool women’s size tech shirt which actually fit me, and the kids had ice cream to go. BAM! Back in the car to finish the trip to Grammie’s!

Race day for Sunburst starts at 6am with the full marathon, followed by the 5K run at 7:15am, the half at 7:30am, the 10K at 7:45am and a 5K Fitness Walk at 9am. Something for the entire family. Seriously. Try something! Last time I ran (2011), I wanted to be sure to get into town before the marathoners started for fear of road closures & parking issues. Not necessary. South Bend is a small town. Hospitable. Loads of FREE parking. No stress. This time, I rolled into town easily at 6:45 for the 7:30 am start of the half. The biggest snafu, if I can even call it one was waiting in line for the inside bathrooms at the Football Hall of Fame. Took about 10 minutes. Of course, AFTER the race I did see a row of port-o-potties outside the venue but I failed to notice those pre-race. No big deal. There is nothing to do pre-race anyhow and parking is only a couple of blocks from the start. I even went back to my car to grab some extra anti-chafe when I realized it might not pour rain on us the entire event like I had previously thought. I did spot a few friends pre-race but was so focused on retrieving my anti-chafe that I failed to grab a photo. Major fail in my opinion but I decided to steal their photo off Facebook and Photoshop myself in …… oh wait, I can’t Photoshop! So here is Courtney & Kris getting ready to rock out their second half TOGETHER! Loved seeing these ladies on the course!!

The start came fast and was flawless. On time. It looked like rain but it wasn’t raining. It was 70ish with 88% humidity at the start. A little sticky for me.

I started slow. I remembered the course so knew I had some hills to run and a lot of residential neighborhood’s to face, plus twists, turns, ups & downs. As random as this course seems while running it, I like it. What I like is that it’s shaded in A LOT of spots! Plus we get a few miles along the river which is refreshing.

When I ran in 2011, they had to shut the race down due to heat. I personally was able to finish before the red flag but I remember it being so hot that I ran 5-6 miles, then had to start run/walking for self preservation. It was hot as heck but I remember the shady areas, the kind volunteers and the residents who brought their sprinklers and water hoses to the streets to help keep us cool. My memories did not disappoint me, it was just as nice this time around and I enjoyed the race despite the warm temps and humidity.

I was smarter this year and started dumping water on myself at the first aid station. Although the sun wasn’t out yet, I was warm. I just kept steady and focused on running. The sun then came out around the half way point (yikes!!). To be honest, I’m not in good enough shape to run fast but I did well enough until the last 3ish miles. I didn’t feel bad during those miles but had plugged into my iPod in the 9th mile and I totally fell off pace. Like by 2 minutes per mile. I have to be the ONLY person in the world who can’t run with music. I just can’t focus. I must have been dancing down the streets instead of running because I was totally surprised that I wasn’t going to be even close to the 2 hour mark. LOL! Lesson learned, leave the earbuds at home! I did finish just a few seconds under 2:05 and I’m actually happy with that. I didn’t push. I didn’t stress. I just kept moving. As a side note, this was exactly one year after I tore the tendon in my right foot. The entire race was a bit of a celebration for me. I wanted to be there. I wanted to run. I wanted to celebrate how hard we (Dr Alexis & I) had worked for the last year to get my foot back in the game. And I had no pain. Win!

I ran to the finish in the Notre Dame stadium just ahead of my friends who started the FULL Marathon 1.5 hours before me! LOL! So I got to celebrate with them for a few minutes before I hopped the bus back to the start area. I saw some F’N Runners too! First Mary. Then Keith. Then Nicole F & company!

Me, Nicole F, Carol K, Heather Z & Suzanne S

These ladies in the photo above (and Keith too!) are EVERYWHERE. I’m pretty sure if I ran in Alaska, they’d be standing at the finish with me. LOVE THAT! Thanks for always making me feel like I have a friend in town, even if I travel to the event solo!

The Sunburst Races are nice. Many who race Sunburst live and die for the finish on the Notre Dame Football field. It’s cool but not being a football fan, I’d be happy to finish anywhere, just let me stop running NOW!!! The events are very organized. Lots of aid stations. Lots of port-o-potties. Lots of friendly volunteers. I saw GU on the half course one time. I saw wet sponges one time. Small event (490 finishers for the full, 1377 for the half, 1162 for the 10K, & 3271 for the 5K). Great support from the town. I never felt unwelcome or had issues with cars being angry about waiting for us to pass. However, there are lots of twists and turns in the course, a few not so nice hills and I’ve heard the full is rough. To be honest, I haven’t heard any good things about the full course and lots of negativity. I haven’t ran the full so I will reserve judgment but do know that if you pick a small town marathon with low registration numbers that it’s going to be hard. Very hard. You’ll be running a lot of solo miles and you’ll need to dig deep to pull out a finish. I know that’s easier for some than others, which is why I like the distraction of big races for that distance, but I wanted to point it out. Be prepared if you want to try the full.

Great race! See you in South Bend next year!!!

** Run South Bend ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Run River City Marathon Relay

Posted on May 20, 2013 by tootallfritz

This year Peoria brought us their first annual Run River City marathon weekend. The fun filled weekend offered a marathon, 4 person marathon relay, 25K, 5K and kids marathon. While I normally don’t like to travel for races ~~because it’s a PITA for my family~~, Peoria is the hometown of my friend & fellow Team Tough Chik teammate Run With Jess, so it was quickly decided that a trip to Peoria was in order.

Almost instantaneously, we decided that our event of choice was the marathon relay. We had one goal: To Have Fun. Since we were looking for fun, plus both Jess and I were already members of a 200+ all ladies team, we started looking to fill the remaining two relay spots with Team Tough Chik members. I mean, the uniform is already in place why not utilize our team members, right? In under 24 hours, Carmen of She Runs Everywhere and Shannon, the “Original” Tough Chik (and creator of the Tough Chik clothing line and Team Tough Chik) were on board for the first ever Team Tough Chik marathon relay. Pre-race photo: Me, Carmen, Jess & Shannon.

We rolled into the River City in waves, grabbed our packets at an outdoor “expo”, which very small, and then quickly checked out the swag. The swag bag included a gender specific new balance shirt, bib and a few advertisements. No worries on my end, we paid $35 each for the relay. I come to run, not go home with a bunch of stuff ~~that I’ll never use~~.

Then a bit of sightseeing! I love a small town where you can walk around and check things out! Riverfront Park & one of the many bridges connecting Peoria to the “real world”.

But really, we came to run and were super excited to get started on Sunday morning. The event kicked off with a super elite field of wheel chair racers at 6:55 am, quickly followed by the marathon, relayers and 25K runners.

Temps were warm and humid at the start with a little cloud cover but the sun quickly burnt off the clouds and took the times all the way up to 89 degrees by the finish.

Leg one kicked off at the start by Katie, who was a last minute sub for Carmen due to injury. The girl smoked those first 6 miles and hauled axx into the first exchange to handoff to me.

I was off for 7 miles of fun. Initially thru the flats of the riverfront area of Peoria, then quickly up and out of town via a monstrous hill on Main Street. Although I’m a notoriously poor uphill runner, I did keep moving. Other runners gave into walking/clawing their way up and then the stronger hill runners passed me up as if I were standing still. Here I am still looking fresh as I get ready to tackle “the hill” and you may also notice that my pink FlipBelt came in super handy once again as I stuffed the blue relay baton thru it to free up my hands!

The 7 miles didn’t exactly fly by ~~as I had expected~~ because the heat soaked to my being quickly around mile 3. I could feel my fingers swelling and my face start tingling. I was finding it super hard to acclimate to the first hot race of the year so I just tried to focus on moving forward and being thankful that I was relaying rather than running the 25K or marathon. I heard lots of complaints while I ran about the lack of mile maker, clocks, bathrooms, and runners wanting the water stops to be more frequent due to the heat. Each water station was placed anywhere from 0.5 to 2 miles apart. They seemed random and it was difficult to anticipate their locations. The website listed them here:

NUTRITION

Water stops will be at miles 2, 4, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 8, 10, 11, 12.5, 14.5, 1.5, 16, 18, 18.5, 20, 21, 22.5, 24.5, 25, 25.75

Honey Stinger gels will be at miles 11 and 21

Gatorade will be at miles 4, 6, 8, 12.5, 16, 18.5, 22.5

I must say that I was super happy to see Shannon awaiting my arrival at the second exchange! I was totally melted by this point and she looked fresh, happy and ready to run her 5.5 miles of hills.

Shannon’s California conditioning was exactly what we needed for the toughest leg of the event. She was used to the weather and the hills and BOOM, smashed her leg. Thanks, Shannon!!! Before we knew it, she was coming in to hand off to Jess who totally rocked the last 7.7 miles all the way back DOWN to the riverfront. Yes, I’m totally jealous of that big downhill she got to run!

Team Tough Chik running to the finish!!

So much fun. Sub 4 hour finish (3 hours 56 minutes). We placed 4th out of the 50 “all women” relay teams and 22nd of out of all 123 relay teams. And in case you were wondering, “This is What Tough Looks Like”:

Great time. I’d definitely do another marathon relay. Thanks to Jess for busting her butt trying to figure out the mangled course directions for driving to the relay exchanges. Thanks to Dave, Jess’ hubby, for helping us on course, doing some of the driving, and taking all of these amazing photos. Thanks to Carmen for being such a good sport, despite her injury, hanging with us during the race and finding us a last minute replacement! Lastly, thanks to Shannon, the “Original” Tough Chik for ~~making us cool running clothes~~ coming all the way from California to run with us. Much love to all of you!

Overall I loved Run River City and recommend it to anyone looking for a cheap, scenic, tough, hilly marathon. Good bang for the buck. And if you’re in it for the bling, well you won’t be disappointed!

**Run River City ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com **

Lansing Marathon Race Review & Personal Experience

Posted on April 23, 2013 by tootallfritz

First, let me start by saying that marathons are NOT easy for me. In fact, they are ~~damn~~ super hard. You won’t catch me signing up for Marathon Maniacs anytime in this century. However, if you are a member of a “I hate marathons but run them anyway” group, then let me know cuz I’m sure I’d qualify for that one!

Why do I run marathons? Not sure. Let’s come back to that next week, ok? After the swelling has subsided and Alexis has worked out my hip “issue” and the blisters on my toes have fully drained and I can walk without a hobble. Next week. We’ll talk next week.

For now, let’s break down the 2013 Lansing Marathon, the only way that I know how via “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly” method. Smile

The Good

Nice, scenic downtown venue with restaurants and entertainment within walking distance of hotel.

Free parking for expo and race.
Amazing Volunteers
Lively spectators.
Fully stocked aid stations with water, electrolyte drink, various snacks (oranges, m&m’s, pretzels)
Bathrooms scattered throughout the course
Start & Finish location next to the Lansing Center which allowed us to wait inside until just minutes before the start.
Well marked course, mile marker signs, police & volunteers to direct & protect runners.
Variety of race distances: 5K, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay & Full Marathon
Smaller race, good for PRs. 363 full finishers, 1187 half finishers.
Officials left the course open for as long as it took for everyone to finish all events.
Race Officials & National Guard (or some type of military crew), lined the finish shoot and gave the very last runner a standing ovation. Nice touch.

Great friends, F’N Runners & a nice Chicago crew were on location to run Lansing! F’N Runners left, most of the Chicago crew right.

The Bad

Original course had flooded so they had to reroute the course at the last minute. Therefore, the scenic river trail running was mostly cut out and we were shuffled thru town, along highways, across train tracks & thru residential neighborhoods. Not real exciting.
Broken up roads from winter weather, had to watch footing.
Hills. Nothing insane but it wasn’t flat. Lots of up and down rollers. One long climb that wasn’t steep, just longish.
Expo was very light. Not a lot of vendors, more of a packet pickup.
Race shirts were unisex and oversized. Nice color, design and logo, just too big for most of us.

Double loop course (due to it being rerouted). Rough seeing the mile marker signs for the second half while hitting that first loop. Rough knowing the first loop was tough and we had to tackle it again.
Train. Many of us were stopped by a train; however, race officials have offered to adjust times accordingly. If you were stopped, check the Lansing Marathon Facebook page HERE for details as to how you might get your time adjusted.

The Ugly

My race. Hips started burning/hurting at Mile 8 and they still hurt 2 days post race.
Passing the finish line party as the half way mark of my already “ugly” race.
Knowing my friends were waiting on me for a long time.
Having to resort to run/walk to just keep moving.
Getting to Mile 20 slower than in any other of my previous 4 marathons.

Lonely second half of the race ~~at the back of the pack~~.
Had to send an SOS message to my F’N Runners and have them come back to help/distract me.
Having a bad race on a perfect weather day.
Blistered feet/toes & bruised ego.

But none of that really mattered when I finally crossed the finish line.

Official time is currently 4:48:59. However, there is speculation that the time will be adjusted for the train that stopped the majority of us runners. If that is the case, and if they take off the 4 minutes that we waited, then my time will be 4:44, which ironically is also my bib number for the race. Poetic.

Weather the time is adjusted or not, I really don’t care either way. It won’t affect my real life in any way shape or form. I do this for fun ….. even if I have yet to have a “fun” marathon. I like the training. I like that it pushes my limits. I like that it takes me beyond my comfort zone. And I like most of all, that it gives me a foundation for which I can work from moving forward. I’m not at all deterred that I had a rough race, just more determined to make the next one better.

All in all, I’d definitely recommend the Lansing Marathon. It’s a great race and ran very well. Most of the items listed in the “bad” section were either out of control of race officials (hello, flooding!!!) or things which they are attempting to rectify. Good race. Good management. Good people who care about you and your race experience. I’d go back.

Lastly, let me shout out to my F’N Runners who ran so very, very well in Lansing. Susan M won her age group and qualified for Boston (after running her first 50 miler just 2 weeks previous)!!! Joe D hit a big PR for the half & took 5th in his age group, then came back to run almost all of us into the finish. He may have registered for the half but he ran over 18 miles before it was all said and done by helping us. April W smashed her previous half marathon PR by over 17 minutes!! Kim B ran an amazing race and rallied the troops to come back to help me when I sent the SOS! Keith G runs a marathon almost every weekend and he still managed to go sub 3:45! Amazing runners. Amazing people. I am so happy to have shared the Lansing journey with all of them!

And thanks to all of you for your well wishes, happy thoughts and words of encouragement. Good times. Good friends.

** Keep Running, At Whatever Pace YOU Can Manage ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

2013 Shamrock Shuffle 8K

Posted on April 8, 2013 by tootallfritz

It wouldn’t be fair to title this a “race review” since I’m clearly in love with the race. I do understand that it’s not for everyone; however, it is definitely a tradition for me! I love everything from the family friendly expo to the fast paced race thru the streets of Chicago. Add in the green sparkle skirts, green men, and the amazing atmosphere and it would be hard to keep me away. The Shamrock is really a weekend event for me, not just a race. I have friends who come from out of town and locals who go with to the expo for a full day of downtown shopping. The expo was good this year with lots of stuff for the kids: a magician, balloons, noise makers, sunglasses, candy and snacks galore! There were a few things for the parents too from great deals on gear/shoes to naked men models from the Women Rock Chicago calendars. (L to R: Me, Pam, Mr. April, Amy, Mr. July & Nicki)

Aby even made a shoe painting with Nike Free’s!

And we came home with lots of loot.

Sunday was race day. The expo & downtown walking/shopping, plus my marathon training took its toll and my legs were definitely tired. I knew this. What I didn’t know was how that, plus my lack of speed training, plus my extra 6 lbs would effect my race time. I can honestly say that this is the first event in a long time where I toed the line having no idea what to expect. So I ran by feel. Can’t trust the GPS watches downtown anyhow because one minute they say your running a 3:50 pace (right, I wish!!!) and the next it reads a 16:50 pace. Total confusion. If you “need” your watch, then go with a foot pod. The course was particularly crowded this year, possibly because I was running slower. I did lots of weaving around. The course had a detour, due to a jumper on one of the bridges over the Chicago River, but the course change was imperceptible and seamless. As always, the Shamrock organizers did a fantastic job of running us thru the city streets as fast as possible. I loved every minute of it and although I never ran particularly fast, I felt good, had zero foot pain and just enjoyed the moment. Last year I run just under 39 minutes even with a bit of a wardrobe issue. I should have been faster. So yesterday, as I was entering the 3rd mile, I flipped over to my time view in an effort to get under 39 minutes again this year. I didn’t make it. I finished in 39:23, officially a 7:56 pace although my weaving gave me a lot more real estate than the normal 8K distance so my Garmin pace recorded a 7:35. Does it matter? NO! However, I was unofficially shooting for a 7:30ish average and to be honest, the race felt a lot more controlled that last year so I’ll take it as a win. Smile My official goal for the 2013 Shamrock was to have fun and get a photo with the green me. Guess who I saw as soon as I crossed the finish?

Hell, yeah! Mission accomplished! Let’s go grab some of that free beer now! Thanks ladies for hanging downtown with me and sharing those beer tickets! I had a blast. My fellow lushes Shufflers from L to R (back): Meg, Dawn, Michelle, Nicki, & Kerry. Front: April & Me.

Apparently we looked like we were having an amazing time because fellow Shufflers were giving us their unused beer tickets as they were leaving the Green Men found us again and took another photo with us.

And they gave us their card. Find the Green “Guys” on Facebook and “like” them cuz I know you already LOVE them. Fun times!!!

Until next year, keep on Shuffling! ** ShamROCK Chicago ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Other Shamrock Shuffle posts & photos hosted by the MagMileRunner blog hop:

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The Price of the Bling…..

Posted on February 14, 2013 by tootallfritz

I think we are living in a “Bigger is Better” type society where some feel the need to constantly outdo, outlast, outspend. This mentality is starting to saturate the world of road racing. Somebody saw this coming. I guess, we should have seen it coming too since the size of local road races keep increasing on an annual basis. More and more people are coming to the running arena each and every day. This an amazing thing and I’m proud to be part of such a growing community but with size comes diversity. Each and every runner wants something different from their race experience .…. and big business is cashing in on those desires.

Big, Sparkly, Heavy Finisher Medals
Bands & Live Entertainment on course
Themed Races: Color, Mud, Chocolate, Wine, Beer, Women Specific
Finish Line Celebrations
Big Expos
Multiple Race Distance Options
Expensive SWAG: Sweatshirts, Jackets, Blankets

All of these “big, awesome, cool” things come with a price tag. Yes, your bling is costing YOU money and it’s costing me extra money too! I like to run. I like to race. I like to race a lot. However, now that we have commercialized road racing, the cost has gone up and some can’t afford these extra expenditures. And let’s be honest, what are we doing with all this shit? We are paying big money to clutter our house with advertisements of a race gone by. Yes, all that “stuff” they give us has their name on it. They are advertising every day right in our homes, in our offices, everywhere we go wearing their gear and when we keep looking triumphantly at the “bling”.

I’m not saying the bling is bad. I understand that some want/need that to motivate them. Whatever it takes to motivate you is a good thing. But please know that each time we sign up for one of these bigger/badder races, it comes with a cost. One that is beyond the initial financial obligation but more importantly, we are setting a precedent for the direction of future road racing. Think about what the bling means to you. Think about where you want road racing to be in 10 years. Think about who wins when we spend.

If you want to have access to some smaller races, with a lower price tag and less “stuff”, then don’t forget to throw some $$ toward these types of races this year. Otherwise they may not be there next year, or the year after, when you decided that you’ve already done that really big, really cool race that costs a ton of $$. Let your friends know that you are opting out of Big Race X this year in lieu of Small Race Y and I bet they will join you! The more the merrier right? That’s how big business got us in the first place but we can take it back and CHOOSE to support small races too. Try it. You might like it.

** Small Races are Cool Too ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Midwinters Cruise 5K – 2013 & My Achilles Heel….

Posted on January 21, 2013 by tootallfritz

Each year in January, I look forward to a small 5K hosted by the Park Forest Running & Pancake Club, called the Midwinters Cruise. It’s the only race I normally do in the winter months and I run specifically to show support for my local runners. Its no secret that I like small, local races. It’s no secret that LOVE my local running clubs. Its no secret that I want to meet as many runners as possible. Its hard to show support and meet new people while sitting home cuddling my lil ones …… even if it is only 11 degrees with a negative wind-chill upon waking!

Kim, Nicki & I (in the middle) hauled it up and out to run in the cold!

Since I run this race each year, I’ve already “reviewed” it. If you want additional info, look to last year’s review HERE. The race has a cruise theme and a tropical vibe. Some runners and members of the hosting run club wear grass skirts, flower leis, and funky hats during the event. The rest of us were buttoned up to our chin trying to stay warm. The temps did rise to about 15 degrees prior to the 10:30 am start but the wind-chill was still a factor. No big deal, the course is a double loop so the direction changes quickly. If your cold one minute, just hang on and you will soon round a corner to find the wind at your back.

This event offers a few unique factors beside the tropical theme. They always offer a non-traditional SWAG item. This year it was gloves with their logo and you got to choose between black, red, blue and grey. I was feeling the red.

They have pancakes, breakfast sausage, coffee & Gatorade upon finishing. Then they present raffle prizes from local businesses and loads of age group awards so that as many people as possible walk away with something. This year the age group awards featured a sailboat. See Maggie from Mag Mile Runner with the award for her age group win here:

Good race. I’d recommend it to anyone. And if you are shy about running in the winter, this is a good place to start because you can wait inside until the very last minute. In fact the race officials will make a call and usher you out to the start. No need to worry about getting outside early in fear of missing the start. Once everyone hits the start line, the race begins promptly without much fuss. Run, then as soon as you are finished, you can head right back inside. Chip timing, easy parking, good food, great awards. Win, win!

This race didn’t exactly fit into my training schedule this year but I went to show my support. I had been having some shooting pains on the inside of my right heel so was a bit nervous about running. The pain just made its appearance on SAT and I only ran 4 of my 12 scheduled miles. I made sure to do a little warm up to see if it would hurt while running. It didn’t hurt so I headed to the start line. I took it out slow. No pain, hit the first corner and started speeding up a bit thinking I was fine but I wasn’t. I had an episode of the shooting/stabbing pain less than a half mile into the race. I hopped a couple steps and hit the grass to walk it off. The funny thing is the pain leaves as quickly as it comes. It doesn’t last, then I think I’m fine …… so I started running again ….. slowly. No pain. Then it hit again at the mile mark. I must say, I’ve never been so happy to have a looped course for a race route! I just jogged back to the start area and stepped off the course without doing my second loop. Yep, I took a DNF in a 5K. Not so awesome but apparently it wasn’t my day. It has not been fun rehabbing the posterior tibialis tendon, which I tore on June 2nd (2012), and the fact that this shooting/stabbing pain is in the exact spot as where I felt the “pop” of that tendon previously made my decision easy. I decided to err on the side of caution.

Meanwhile, Dr. Alexis was busy tearing up the race course and ended up winning the overall female award. Great job, Doc! Did you enjoy the pancakes? Can I see the trophy? Wonderful! Now can you look at my foot? I mean, it’s not like it’s YOUR day off or anything, right? And thanks, Maggie for catching the Doc in action!

I ended up in her office first thing this morn. It’s kinda a mystery as to what I did cuz I didn’t “do” anything. It doesn’t hurt when I run or walk; I just get these random shooting pains that are unbelievably painful but also very brief. My sensitivity is where the Achilles tendon attaches to the inside of my heel bone. She did a few therapies & taped me up:

I went to work and have been enjoying the random shooting pains all day. Then my foot started to go numb, then my calf started to go numb & now the back and sides of my knee are in the pins & needle stages of numbness ….. what’s next? I keep getting up, stretching, and holding the numbness at bay but I’ll be honest, I’m a “bit” nervous. Hmmm…. how’s this one going to turn out and can we finish it soon so I can get back to my training plan?!?!?! Pretty please? I have a marathon to run!!!

** Happy Running & Racing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

A Class Act …… Run Disney

Posted on January 13, 2013 by tootallfritz

I am blessed to know runners of all shapes, sizes and levels of ability. I can look one direction and say hello to a low 3 hour marathoner, then another and greet a 6.5 to 7 hour runner. This is specifically why I love running so much, it’s for anyone who WANTS to do it. Not many sports can say the same but running, yes, we take anyone, regardless of pace. A little desire & motivation to haul your bum out the door and you too can be a runner. That makes me proud to be part of such a diverse group.

Run events are a lot like people. We have good ones and bad ones. Some make me ashamed to have been swept up into the hoopla and actually have participated, others make me smile. Very few leave me thinking that they provided a classy event, cared A LOT about their runners and delivered exactly what they promised in a race experience.

If you run or even know any runners, then you may have heard about a “little” event taking place this weekend at “The Happiest Place on Earth”…… Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL. The mega travel/media/PR/experience agency RunDisney sells a very magical weekend for runners. They even offer special gifts for booking your race & travel experience thru them. So if you plan to “run” Disney, then don’t forget to just go to the people who know it best and book thru them so you get all the available goodies!

I must say that I have never even considered “running” Disney. For the last several years I have seen so many ladies running off to Disney for their dream “run”cation. They go alone, or with girlfriends, some take the family but most just go to experience their favorite thing in the “most magical place on earth”. It always made me chuckle cuz to be honest, I wouldn’t go within a 100 mile radius of Orlando ever again if it weren’t for the kids. Disney to me does not mean magic, or fun, or romance, or girls getaway but instead …… standing in lines, in horrid heat and melting the day away …. all while be pawed by a toddler who is intimidated by the insane crowds but who doesn’t want to miss a thing. My fun at Disney comes from watching the kiddos light up with excitement when something on screen becomes reality.

Seeing the characters/actors take the time to talk to the little ones and give them the magical experience that we so dearly wanted for them. (Aby – Disneyland, Sept 2004)

I don’t think of Disney as an adult destination and therefore would never think to go “run” Disney for fun. However, a few things I’ve heard as of late, have made me think otherwise. When I was at Ragnar one of my teammates, a man, kept saying that the Disney Marathon was the BEST.RACE.EVER. He kept referring to the marathon as the best of the best. I thought that to be odd. Then I kept seeing everyone heading down to Orlando for their dream “run”cation and it was the same, loads of excitement and very happy people. Now these are also people who paid a very high price tag for their race weekend between flights, hotels, and entry fees. I was hoping that RunDisney would be able to provide half the race for the hype; I just wasn’t sure they would be able to pull it off but I was watching. I’ve been watching all weekend via instagram, twitter, facebook & various message boards. Looking for the one person who was going to tell it like it was ….. or maybe tell it like I expected it to be, that this was just one more race where the hype did not live up to reality. However, I haven’t seen it. The very opposite in fact.

The thing that actually sold me that maybe RunDisney was actually worthy of the rep, the hype and “possibly” even the price tag was when a friend of mine had to call it quits during the marathon today, at Mile 15 due to foot pain. She is scheduled for surgery in the upcoming weeks but went to “run” Disney as her last hurrah before having to take an undeterminable amount of time off running. Yes, she probably should have stayed home but I think she did exactly what all the rest of us would have done. She went with the intent to just enjoy the experience regardless of however long it took her to complete the journey. Pain unfortunately took her out of this game. She wanted to finish, her body wouldn’t allow it. She stopped at Mile 15 and according to her,

“They radioed for a car and it was there in seconds. I was taken to the car park at the finish. Four medics met me, along with a lady with my medal. They put a space blanket around me, wrapped me in ice and gave me my medal. They also gave me snacks, drinks and took me to a shaded tent. They could not have been nicer”. See Jenny G below with her medal and also icing her feet in her Disney gear check bag.

She also described amazing volunteers who offered sunscreen, Tylenol & Vaseline in the corrals as they awaited the start. Then BioFreeze, Tylenol & Vaseline throughout as on course support.

I’ve heard lots of stories about races this year. Some races didn’t have enough medals to cover all the participants and those at the back of the pack left empty handed. Other races were super stingy with their medals and not wanting to give them to participants who didn’t make the time cut-off. Stories like those make me cringe. I’m an equal opportunity runner and think that everyone who covers the distance deserves the “bling”. It means more to some than it does others. In fact, some people identify their success with the bling they bring home. It lessens the accomplishment for them if they don’t have that to show for their effort. So I was beyond impressed that the RunDisney officials not only gave her a medal, when she didn’t necessarily even expect one, but also for just being there. For being fast and making her feel important at a point when she was not only tired and hurting but also super sad about not being able to make it the finish under her own power. From my friend, myself and all the countless people who have had an amazing experience “running” Disney today or at any point in the past. Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!

I officially give RunDisney a big THUMBS UP for being an upstanding organization. Congrats RunDisney, you are officially on my radar.

** Happy Running & Racing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

TooTallFritz

Running Toward: Health, Wellness & PEACE …………………………………….. Running From: Insanity, Screaming Children, Housework & a Big Ass

Category Archives: Race Reviews

Short Run Long Day 5K – 2013

Courthouse Classic 5K – 2013

13.1 Marathon Chicago

Sunburst Races – Half Marathon (2013)

Run River City Marathon Relay

Lansing Marathon Race Review & Personal Experience

2013 Shamrock Shuffle 8K

The Price of the Bling…..

Midwinters Cruise 5K – 2013 & My Achilles Heel….

A Class Act …… Run Disney

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