Garmin Marathon, Olathe KS

Posted on April 22, 2016 by tootallfritz

The Garmin Marathon in Kansas is in the DONE column. I’m slowly working my way thru the states. I have an ongoing, long term goal to run a marathon in every state. Slowly cuz well, I have a budget and a family. I have basically given up all other racing, other than marathons (and 70.3 triathlons), in order to put all my $$ toward this goal. As a result, I try to pick marathons in new states whenever possible. I’ve also become a frugal traveler to save money and make the quest a bit more manageable. We pile 3-4 people in the car/hotel room and don’t do much other than eat and run. Kansas was state #19 and Garmin was my 30th marathon. To be honest, this feels more like an adventure than a goal and each new state brings new friends and more stories for my golden years.

Kansas. What do you know about Kansas? I apparently knew nothing. I imagined vast areas of grasslands, farm fields and flat terrain. Like very flat where the wind would blow for days with nothing to stop it. I was wrong. As I was driving thru Missouri bound for the border town of Olathe, KS, all I could see were hills. Lots and lots of rolling hills. I must admit I was slightly distressed. I normally don’t have a predetermined goal time for marathons. I normally just run what we can manage. If we are all having a good day, we run comfortable. If not, we run, walk, jog at whatever pace we can manage. No big deal. We just roll with the punches. But this time, for the first time in a very long time, I had a goal in mind. One which honestly, should have been quite manageable. I was healthy (thanks to Dr. Goins at Optimum Performance in Ft Wayne IN). I was strong. I have shed some of the weight I gained almost 2 years ago with our massive move. Most of all, I was confident that I could hit the numbers. But the numbers would only compute if the terrain were flat. I am a poor hill runner. My body just struggles with the uphill & we have very few inclines in this area on which I can try to improve this weakness. In fact my Saturday run group has gone out of their way all winter to run up each and every incline we could find, sometimes twice. But it wasn’t enough. No PR for me in Kansas. But I tried and I walked away proud, knowing I didn’t give up before we even got started. I rolled with the plan, hit the numbers until I could not physically hit the numbers any more. So there you have it. No PR in Kansas.

The expo was easy and fast. A few cutouts of Wizard of Oz characters (See Tamyra, myself & Cindy with the Wicked Witch below). Several booths but mostly local businesses & events. The Gypsy Runner booth was definitely the busiest booth at the expo. I love her normal stuff but she printed a shirt specific to this Wizard of Oz themed race and it was awesome! The “Don’t Make me Drop a House on You” burnout tank was quite popular and I was lucky to snag one before they sold out. Me, Cindy & Julie in our tanks on race morning. (Available here at GypsyRunner.com).

The race shirt was also very popular. The shirt was gender specific and featured the image of the Wicked Witch with a quote saying “Never Surrender”. So appropriate, although I didn’t know it at the time.

The Embassy Suites was the host hotel and actually connected to the Olathe Convention Center where the expo was located. Super easy expo, hotel stay & race start/finish. In fact we didn’t even move our car to go to dinner but rather walked across the street to a nearby venue. It was a great decision because when we returned, we found that the finish line was already set up. Had to get a pic all together at the finish! Erica, Me, Tamyra, Judy, Elina, Cindy, Julie & Eric. So fun!!

Race morning came and the weather was comfortable, in the mid 50s at the start. Unlike most race mornings, this one was particularly easy because the start was about 50 feet out the front door of the host hotel. Nice. Now, let’s run! Tamyra, Judy, Me, Cindy, Random Dude & Julie waiting for the start.

The start was right on time. The hotel was a top a hill. Shocker. As we crossed the start line, the view was a sea of people and a hill in the distance. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner. She was probably shooting the hill ahead but she caught a glimpse of Judy (center in the black maniac tank/yellow visor), Julie is front right of Judy in the black tank & you can barely see my head in front of & above Judy & Julie’s head, I’m in a black tank too. Love it!

We were hoping to leave the hills behind as we ran away from the hotel but that wasn’t the case. There wasn’t the usual chatter. Some talk, but mostly just running. It was a head down kind of race for me. I tried to not look at the hills, which resulted in my head being low and on the ground in front of me most of the time. I was hoping if I didn’t “see” them, then I wouldn’t really process them. I was also hoping that if I didn’t acknowledge how quickly it was heating up, then that wouldn’t be happening either. I was in denial, right?

The aid stations were well stocked and spaced about 2 miles apart. Lots of water, Gatorade, GU & potties. I also saw several medial tents. The race was very well ran, lots of volunteers, police and even a lady riding a bike dressed as the Wicked Witch. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner.

The first half of the marathon course was on the streets of Olathe. The last half was an out and back on the Mill Creek Trail. Garmin boasted a new course this year due to the start/finish being moved to the hotel & convention center. See map below.

I had high hopes that once we hit the trial, the course would flatten out and cool off as we entered the woods. It didn’t. I was getting pretty close to hitting the wall at this point. I had ignored everything and was able to average between 9:18-9:41 thru the first 14 miles. Then I hit the wall. I wasn’t hurting, just didn’t have that pace left in my legs. I needed to start walking some of the hills. The Mill Creek Trail was pretty. We crossed several bridges & creeks and it was a nice area to run. I would have loved it and ran it frequently if I were a local. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner (pic 1) & Tamyra (pic 2).

The temps heated up to the mid 70s during the race but we did have some cloud cover and a breeze toward the end. Speaking of the end, I was kinda dreading the hill at mile 25. I knew it was coming because we had to run down it around mile 13. But I also knew as soon as I could get myself up that hill, I was in the home stretch. Photo credit: Gypsy Runner

Ah, the finish! Just follow the Yellow Brick Road! I’m on the left. The two other gentlemen, I had met the day before at the original Kansas City Joes while we waited in line for BBQ. They were on pace to pass me up before the finish but then took pity on me and ran me in since they were “in no hurry”. LOL! Photo credit: SeeKCRun who in conjunction with the Garmin Marathon allowed free photo downloads! Nice touch!

I was shooting for a 4:10. Ran a 4:33. I’m not sad. I did what I could. I didn’t give up until I didn’t have a choice. And I know that 4:10 will soon be mine. I’ll just have to wait til fall for it because the Garmin Marathon was my last chance for now.

Elevation chart showed 940 feet of climb. 930 of decent. Not crazy climbing for some but a lot for this Midwesterner.

Very cool medal. It’s huge and I love the Wicked Witch theme. There were 588 marathoners who earned this medal!

2037 half marathoners earned a Glenda, the Good Witch medal. 653 runners earned the Hot Air Balloon 10K medal. Overall, the Garmin Marathon did a great job. Stayed on theme. Great support and even a great course. There was an after party with free beer and several booths, lots of massage & chiro people to help stretch out the runners. And the best part, upon completion, I walked straight into the hotel for a hot shower and my recovery drink. Nice!

That’s a wrap for Kansas! Next up is a double marathon weekend with the Kentucky Derby Marathon on 4/30, then the Flying Pig Marathon on 5/1. THEN I move into a fun filled summer of Triathlon. I can’t wait!

Happy Running, whether its up hill or down, just keep smiling!

Amanda – TooTallFritz

Rock N Roll Marathon Series – New Orleans, LA – Race Review

Posted on March 1, 2016 by tootallfritz

Marathon #29, State #18 – Rock N Roll Marathon New Orleans – LA

I recently received word that I was accepted to the 2016 Rock N Blog team. I should have discount codes for all the Rock N Roll Marathon Series races for YOU sometime this week!! As a result, I hustled to get some RnR races on my calendar! RnR New Orleans has been on my “list” for years and it just so happened to fall on Leap Year weekend this year. Mom and I always travel Leap Year weekend (every 4 years). I didn’t know if she would be interested in a whirlwind trip to New Orleans but she was totally up for it, so away we went!!

The expo was at the New Orleans Convention Center which is centrally located to the Riverwalk, close to Harrah’s Casino & a short jaunt to the French Quarter. As with all Rock N Roll races, each participant is required to pick up their own packet. We zoomed thru the expo, which was a decent size. Grabbed my bib, the race tee & I bought a couple RnR items to rep my new team. Race tee below. Black. Gender specific. Brooks Running.

This was a fun trip for mom & I, not a run specific trip, so I wanted to spend as little time doing run things as possible. We stayed at the Hotel St Marie in the French Quarter. I fell in love with the photos of the hotel on the internet and felt like it was a great place to give Mom a feel of the real New Orleans. We loved it & the ladies at the front desk really took care of us and helped us with finding cool, local places for food and entertainment! It’s an older, historic New Orleans hotel. A mere half block away from the craziness of Bourbon Street but removed enough that we didn’t hear much of the hoopla. See my pic below, isn’t it a cute hotel?

I have to give mom credit. She was so adventurous. She walked and walked and walked. We ate EVERYTHING “New Orleans” that we could possibly consume: Fried & blackened alligator, seafood gumbo, crawfish po’boy, crab stuffed jalapeno poppers, beignets, café au lait, catfish, redfish, shrimp, fried green tomatoes, chicken tchoupitoulas, creole green beans, creole jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and shrimp & grits….. to name a few. Smile See pic below from the Royal House Oyster Bar of my pre-marathon meal of shrimp & grits. So amazing. Light. Tasty. Tiny bit of spice but nothing overpowering.

We also toured the city. Cemeteries. Ghost tours. Parks.

And we had a few drinks: café au lait & cocktails …. including Mom’s very first hurricane (we could only drink one cuz they were so strong). I even tried a concoction called a “grenade”. Just one of those too. Gotta be careful with the cocktails in the Big Easy!!!

Then as icing on the cake, I got to run the Rock N Roll NOLA Marathon. Race started at 7:30 am but there were approximately 34 corrals. I believe there were just shy of 35,000 bibs sold/registered between the 10K, Half & Marathon. Approximately 2 minutes between corrals. No policing of corrals so some just started where they wanted verses where they were assigned. Then I heard complaints of a crowded course. I did NOT have an issue with the course being too crowded but I DID pass runners the entire way, right up to the finish. So I know that everyone wasn’t where they were supposed to be but I think it bothers me less than some because I just run my race and really don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. I wasn’t going for a specific time. I had my sore hamstring that I was babying, plus I knew the weather was going to heat up to 70+ degrees before the finish. Kinda warm for those of us who left a frozen tundra to head south for the weekend. Those 2 things made me acutely aware that I should neither run too fast nor stress too much about the race. I just tried to run relaxed but at a decent clip while my hamstring held and the temps were cool. I never pushed the pace. I had to stop a couple times to take motrin and add biofreeze to “hard to reach” muscles. I just ran. Happy to be running. Pleased with the amazing course that toured the Garden District, French Quarter, Decatur Street, Jackson Square, the French Market, City Park and looped over the levies for a rolling out and back next to Lake Pontchartrain. Most of the route was flat. A few rollers by the lake. Mostly shaded course. And I thought it was AMAZING. Every step. I was told it was “boring” the last 10 miles, but I didn’t think that was the case. I loved the breeze off the water by the lake after we left all those amazing shade trees behind. Honestly, I really loved it. And I think you would too. I finished. My fastest marathon of the year so far, 4 hrs 19 minutes. Hoping to improve on that in April but honestly, any day I get under 4:30 is a good day by me! Awesome medal & finisher jacket. I’ve never gotten a jacket as FREE finisher SWAG! So cool!!!

RnR races are known for the after party, band and beer garden but to be honest, I always hoof it back to my family. Everyone seemed to be having an awesome time. The beer was flowing and the finish area was set up well to take care of runners. Class act. I was very impressed with what New Orleans had to offer both to local tourists and to the RnR runners. New Orleans, you got an “A” for how much you have grown post Katrina. I’m so impressed that I can’t possibly put it into words. You have rebuilt. You are bigger and better. You are now, once again, an amazing city. I hope to be able to revisit soon & run your lovely streets again and again.

** Til We Meet Again, New Orleans ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

First Light Marathon Race Review – 2016

Posted on January 13, 2016 by tootallfritz

Day 2 of the Back2Back Challenge was the First Light Marathon in Mobile, AL. I had heard of Mobile although I didn’t really know where it was located on the map. Turns out we had a 3.25 hour drive southeast from Jackson MS to Mobile AL. Not too bad. Then we drove into the charming town of Mobile. What a nice surprise.

The expo was in the Mobile Government Center, maybe 2 blocks from our hotel and the Start/Finish area. It was a small expo, even smaller than MS Blues. But there were a few local running & TRI stores that set up booths. One had clothing 75% off and I snagged a cute Nike tank for $8.95!! Everyone was super friendly. We were presented with long sleeve gender specific tech tees, plus our Back2Back Marathon Participant Award which was hand crafted by a member of L’Arche Mobile, a community of people serving those with intellectual disabilities in the area. I was very touched by this. I can’t imagine how long it took to make all of these canvases. I later found out that our finisher medals were also created by the members of L’Arche, some of whom were at the finish line to greet us. Smile See my Back2Back partipant award below. Each award was unique and hand crafted by a different member of L’Arche. Lucy took the time to make this one for me, her story is below. Thank you, Lucy!

We were in and out of the expo in a flash, then off to dinner. Mobile is the type of town that I love. We parked at the hotel, walked to the expo, then walked to dinner on Dauphin Street. We never traveled more than a 3-4 block radius from the hotel but had everything we needed. This would be a good race to go to and stay for an extra day or two. Plenty to do on Dauphin Street with shopping, eating and drinking establishments lining the way.

Race Morning. We waited in the lobby of our hotel til 5 minutes before gun time, then we walked out the front door onto the start line. Yes, it was that easy. The town was in Mardi Gras mode. Mobile claims to be the birthplace of America’s Mardi Gras and the town and our hotel were decorated and ready for the upcoming season (which begins on Feb 9, 2016). On race morning we posed by the Mardi Gras “ladies” and tree in our hotel. Me, Julie, Laura & Judy.

The race started on time with very little fanfare. Very small race and it seemed that the majority of people on the start line were Marathon Maniacs who had come from MS Blues the day before, in hopes of conquering the Back2Back Challenge. In total, there were 376 marathon finishers and 743 half marathon finishers. There was no “crunch” at the start like the day previous. Everyone seemed to be laughing and in good spirits even though the temps were cool for the area (low 40s). Most of the crowd was stiff and sore from the day before so everyone started slow and with some sort of hobble in their step. It was all very relaxed and a fun atmosphere. To be honest, I really didn’t expect much from a race this small. But I was quickly surprised. The course started with a tour thru the Historic Garden District where we saw home after amazing home with Historic Landmark placards. Many decorated full scale for the upcoming Mardi Gras season. It was beautiful and put a smile on my face from the very first mile. The rest of the course did not disappoint either. It was flat (thank you, First Light) til mile 9, then we had a few rolling hills and a gradual beastly incline going up into the University of South Alabama campus. The campus was quiet as the students were still on break but it was beautiful and I loved running thru campus. Plus, I’m happy to report that we did not see any alligators OR snakes.

From the University, we moved on to the Botanical Gardens and then Spring Hill College. A couple Spring Hill campus photos below:

The course also had a lot of bike support. The bike riders where constantly riding around us, talking to us, checking on us and offering support. One bike support person even offered us a Cliff Bar when we were feeling particularly famished. It’s REALLY hard to anticipate how many calories your body will need on Day 2 of a 2 day marathon challenge. I was hungry. Julie was hungry. We kept eating. And we were still hungry. The aid stations here were different than most. Normally the race officials can tell you exactly what will be on course and where you can find it. Not at First Light. The aid stations were all sponsored by different people, companies, and/or running clubs. So they got to pick what they served at the aid stations. Although there was not one gel on course, we received oranges, bananas, donuts, pretzels, potato chips, candy, pickle juice, chicken broth and I was even offered at shot of Corona, which I politely declined. It was a great experience. The aid stations were all well staffed and everyone thanked us for running.

In all, this is definitely one of my favorite marathons so far & this was #28 (State #17) in case anyone besides myself (and Julie) are counting. I’d highly recommend it to anyone. It’s scenic. Fun. Relaxed. And lacks the hype and hoopla that so many races put forth. The race fee is low. I paid $52.15 with service fee to register in April for the January event. They offer a gender specific tee, chip timing & a unique hand crafted finisher’s medal. If you decide to try the Back2Back Challenge, you can hop a bus from Jackson to Mobile and First Light takes care of all the Back2Back awards/swag. Swag below, plus a close up of the handcrafted finisher medal & a couple pics of the Back2Back medal which was a spinner. Different on both sides.

Back2Back Medal:

A note on the Back2Back Challenge. I know its not for everyone. I certainly wouldn’t recommend 2 marathons in 2 days in 2 different states to many but I had a lot of fun. We took it super slow (5:09 on day 1 & 5:06 on day 2). We walked, sang, laughed & joked our way thru the miles. I must say it was easier than I anticipated. I was fatigued but nothing that was insurmountable. If you have gone for a shake out run, or a “recovery” run, the day after a long run or marathon, then you know that the first few miles you might be tight but for the most part everything loosens up and those little aches and pains work themselves out. The hills in Jackson and the slant of the road in both towns did provide me with some aches that I normally do not get. But thanks to my Injinji socks, I didn’t get any blisters until day 2 and then I only had 2 tiny blisters when I finished First Light. Not bad for 52.40+ miles in 29 hours. Smile

If you need a winter marathon, or one in Alabama, put First Light on your list. It’s not fancy but they give you everything you need and more, plus rice & beans, pasta salad, cookies, hot chocolate & beer at the finish. All which can be enjoyed while listening to a local band. Great experience. I’d got back and do it all again if the schedule allowed.

** Run First Light ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Mississippi Blues Marathon Race Review – 2016

Posted on January 12, 2016 by tootallfritz

Last year at this time, I could hardly walk. The Plantar Fasciitis Devil had a firm hold on both of my feet. I could move once I got warmed up but if I tried to run, I would tighten up after a few miles and normally be stopped in my tracks. If I tried to “push thru”, I would be rendered useless for days. I would tighten up when I would sit down. Or go to bed. Or drive in the car. Walking was nothing but excruciating to the point that my non-runner (and generally unsympathetic) hubby would walk thru the house multiple times a day to clear the floor of toys, dog bones, debris or anything on which I could accidentally step because if I stepped on anything, I would crumple to the floor in pain. I wish I were exaggerating but if anything, I couldn’t possibly give an idea of how badly I was hurting if you have never experienced the deep grips of Plantar Fasciitis.

For all who witnessed my pain, or if you asked my hubby or the slew of Physical Therapists, Orthopedic/Sport Med docs and Chiros that I saw when I moved to Indiana, the idea of me running “much” in the future was slim to none. I was scheduled to run the Back 2 Back Challenge 2015 which was the Mississippi Blues Marathon & First Light Marathon double, but I could not do it. I mean, I couldn’t walk, I certainly couldn’t run 2 marathons in 2 days. So, I deferred my entries to 2016 with a hope and a prayer that I could get the PF under control within a year. And I did, thanks to some amazing Chiropractors at Optimum Performance in Ft Wayne, IN. HUGE shout out of thanks to Dr. Russell & Dr. Goins for everything they have done for me over the last year. And for not taking the easy way out by just saying, “stop running”. For the record, as of today, I am pain free. Like zero pain when I walk or run or get up out of bed. Pain free. And I am beyond grateful.

So, the Back to Back Challenge was a GO for 2016. The Mississippi Blues Marathon was Saturday, January 9, 2016 in Jackson, MS. The First Light Marathon was January 10, 2016 in Mobile, AL. Let’s talk about MS Blues today!

MS Blues offered a small expo at the Jackson Convention Center and easy packet pick up before the race or even on race morning, if necessary. Parking was easy and free. Packet Pick up was fast and painless. We even spotted and shopped with our favorite marathon runner and expo booth, Gypsy Runner. Thanks for hooking us up with some cool stuff, Amy!

This year’s race was all about honoring BB King who passed in 2015. They put a BB King CD in each of our race packets. We also each received a harmonica with the date/logo of the event & a cool unisex 1/4 zip with BB King on the back. Great swag.

If you’ve talked to anyone about the MS Blues Marathon, you’ve probably already heard about the hills. So let’s just get that out of the way right now. This race is hilly. And I don’t mean maybe. Very hilly. I think Judy said that we climbed over 5500 feet in elevation over the course of the race. And descended about the same. So many ups and downs on this course. Pretty much non-stop. But it was beautiful. Great course thru stunning neighborhoods, amazing homes, great volunteers and police who were actually smiling and thanking us for coming to run their city. Small race, with approximately 755 marathon finishers, 1871 half finishers, 307 Quarter Note finishers & 28 relay teams. We had a lot of fun, even with the rain. We started in the rain and finished in the rain. In fact, there was as much rain as there were hills, maybe more. Smile Steamy pic of Julie, Judy & I under the lights pre-race.

Pic of some of the course below. Hello hill (pic 1).

Selfie.

Course below.

MS Blues really does it right and we really enjoyed ourselves. They focus on the Blues element of this historic area. In fact a portion of the proceeds from the race go to the local Blues Foundation. Generally this race has a 9 different spots for live performers on the course but the weather was bad this weekend. There were a few spots where we heard music but nothing like there would have been had it not been down pouring rain most of the day.

We finished. It was very slow going in the beginning because the streets just could not accommodate the number of runners. We were really packed in tightly for several miles. Not a problem for us but if you want to race this, then plan a slow start or head to the front! We just took it super easy and walked a lot of the hills since we were headed to Mobile AL for another marathon on Sunday. We finished in 5:10 (factoring in way too many potty stops and a lot of hill walking) and the sun had finally came back out, minutes before we crossed the finish line. Yay for the sun. Judy, Julie & I at the finish. Very cool BB King medal with a hanging guitar pick.

There was a finisher party with food & music but the music wasn’t playing and the food was gone when we got there. Supposedly more food was the on the way but my tummy was already upset so we waited a half hour and then left to get cleaned up and back on the road for the trip to Mobile, AL.

If you can hang out in Jackson after the race, there is a very popular Blues Crawl that takes you to some of the local music venues in Jackson post race. There is also a Blues Trolley that does the driving in case you want to have a beverage. We missed the fun but I heard that it’s amazing.

** Run MS Blues Marathon ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Huff 50K Race Report – 2015

Posted on December 22, 2015 by tootallfritz

My third Huff 50K is in the books! As I mentioned on the TTF Facebook page yesterday, this is a race that just makes me proud to run. Proud of myself for going back to a tough race year after year. Proud of my run friends who brave the elements and trails, when they would rather be pounding pavement. Proud of the other participants who are constantly encouraging and showing the newbies what trail running is all about. Proud of the race organizers for delivering a great race over and over again. The Huff 50K is a class act. Pic below from top is the 2013, 2014 & 2015 belt buckles. Maybe I should buy a belt?

This event is at Chain O Lakes State Park in Albion, IN. It offers a 50K, 50K Relay & a one loop option (10.8 miles). Lots of choices. The trails are well groomed, wider, not single track like many trials. This is a great event for beginner trail runners and a great course to run side by side with a friend/partner. Aid stations are spaced about 4 miles apart and there are bathrooms and/or port-o-potties at 4 of the 5 aid stations. This is huge and not the case with all trail races. I would recommend carrying your own water to manage hydration between aid stations. Trail shoes are recommended by not required. I like to use gaiters over my shoes to keep leaves and debris out of my shoes/socks but these are not a necessity either. This is a very user friendly trail event. No fancy equipment required.

There were a few changes for 2015 both at the organizational level and on the course. I think everything went very smoothly. My brain struggled with the new course, always trying to figure out which way we went last year, but I just followed the pink markers and it went well. No idea if this course was easier than years past but this was our fastest year thus far at Huff (6:50 finish). There were a lot more markers this year and even a few spots where they put up tape so that runners didn’t get off course inadvertently. Nice touches that I really think helped the comfort level of the newer trail runners. I never had an issue before at this event but I’m an “eyes to the ground” trail runner so that I can watch my footing and the trail markers. The new course and markings allowed for more social running without fear of missing a turn off. I think Huff is a social trail race. So many people sign up because their friends are going, even if they have never ran trails before ….. and that’s why its FUN. New course below.

Great aid stations. If you haven’t ran an ultra or trail marathon before, you might want to do so just for the food. There is candy, m&ms, twizzlers, cookies, fig newtons, pb&j quarters, potato chips, pretzels, soups, boiled potatoes with salt, coke, water, gatorade, lemon bars and one spot was even grilling hamburgers. So much food. I didn’t bother carrying any gels and my tummy thanked me for eating real food. Spirits were particularly high on the first loop. Myself, Tamyra & Julie getting ready to tackle the hill in the background. Hills, smillz.

We ran the first loop in 3 hrs 15 minutes, which was my goal. Then I thought we could hit the second loop in 3:30 but I was off a bit, took us 3:35, which is still good in my book. That second loop gets really LONG. It’s almost like you cross the mat at halfway and they add a couple bricks to each leg. The hills suddenly seem steeper and each mile drags on a bit more. But we just kept moving thru each mile (marked signs at EVERY mile!) and toward the next aid station. It worked. We didn’t rush. This isn’t really a race for us but more of an experience. So if someone need to walk or potty, we stopped. We probably spent too much time at a couple aid stations but oh well. Over all, we kept moving! And we tried to keep it fun. When Julie’s hubby started texting her (probably wondering if we were done yet! Ummm, no we were not done!), I insisted we stop and take a selfie to send him. Hi, Joe! I was getting ready to stick out my tongue but we snapped the picture first with my crazy face. That’s about right, I was feeling kinda crazy that far into the race. I think we were probably around mile 28 at this point. The craziness had definitely set in. Tamyra, Me, Julie.

I’m very thankful that Julie came back for her second Huff this year. I know she didn’t love it last year. She doesn’t love trail running at all but we still do a couple trail marathons each year. Totally my fault. It always seems like a good idea at the time. Smile And this was Tamyra’s first ultra. Her third marathon distance event (or longer) since November 7th in Indy when she ran her VERY FIRST marathon. She took a leap of faith and followed us to Tulsa for the Rt 66 Marathon, and then to Huff. 2 marathons and 1 ultra in a 6 week span. She’s definitely a tough chick and I’m proud to call her a friend! Great job,Tamyra!!!

The swag. Huff always provides good stuff. This year we got a cotton tee, a Huff Santa Hat, a portable charger & a key chain with a thermometer. Then here is a close up of the belt buckle that was received at the finish. Most 50Ks don’t offer a belt buckle, but rather a finishers medal. So it’s a nice touch for Huff to give the buckle and that’s probably why this is one of the largest 50Ks in the US.

Huff is a great race. I highly recommend it. Grab some friends and run a loop OR two. Next year, Huff will be on December 17, 2016. Then the 2017 race will be returning to the first Saturday after Christmas.

Side Note: If you’re in the woods, State/National Park or not, DO NOT litter. A general rule of hiking, backpacking and trail running is that if you pack it in, you pack it out. I saw A LOT of litter & debris on the trails this year. Very disappointing. Someone has to clean that up or Huff could get fined, get belittled by other races or worse yet, lose their permit to run at Chain O Lakes. Please respect your environment. Don’t drop GU packs, kleenex, hand warmers, cups of noodles, or your SWEATSHIRT on the trail cuz you are tired of carrying it. The aid stations are close enough together that it isn’t a stretch to hold onto your trash for a little bit longer and dispose of it property. Please. Respect your trails or they will be gone. Help protect the trails for all of us, our kids, and our grandkids to come. Thank you!

2013 Huff Race Report, must have neglected to write one for 2014. Ooops. Smile

** Happy Trails ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Route 66 Marathon Race Review & Where NOT to Stay in Tulsa

Posted on November 25, 2015 by tootallfritz

The Route 66 Marathon is in the done column & so is the great state of Oklahoma! This was my 25th marathon and the 15th state in my quest to run a marathon in every state. In order to be totally honest, when ~~Judy talked us into Rt 66~~ we signed up, I didn’t exactly know where Tulsa, OK was on the map. So I think I asked a few questions before pulling the registration lever: 1) Can we drive there? 2) It’s the weekend before Thanksgiving, can Julie get time off from her retail J.O.B.? 3) Is anyone else running? Turns out EVERYONE was running, so it was a done deal. We went to Tulsa, Oklahoma with 2000 other Marathon Maniacs, Half Fanatics & 50 States Club members. I’m in the back. Don’t worry, I can’t see me either. Smile

Tulsa was a 12 hour drive from Auburn, IN. Takes longer when you have car trouble and have to stop every 2 seconds to turn off the car to reset the code and/or try to find a dealership with an open service department, in God’s Country, on a weekend. Yeah, that happened but we finally rolled into Tulsa early Saturday afternoon. Tulsa is in the north east corner of the Panhandle State. Hello, Oklahoma!

I was scheduled to be part of a Blogger Forum at the expo Saturday afternoon. We made it in time for that and I got to meet some other bloggers and hear some great stories about running, blogging and life. From left to right: Esther, Jim, Joules, Angela & me.

The expo was a decent size but packet pick up was crowded and the computers went down causing long lines and some crabby runners. Sad smile Fortunately, we were in and out of the expo pretty quickly.

We hit some key booths: Garmin & Gypsy Runner (cuz Amy runs a lot of the same races that we do, so we are totally BFFs, right?), then on to the hotel and dinner.

Normally, I try to keep things positive and upbeat but from runner to runner, I feel the need to share. If you are planning to run this race next year, I’ll tell you where NOT to stay. The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tulsa WEST – Sand Springs, 101 West Marrow Road, Sand Springs, OK. Although we had called BEFORE we booked a reservation and were guaranteed late checkout, the manager did not honor that request when we checked in on race weekend. And she was rude. We were told to get our stuff out of the room on race morning, then come back after the marathon and she would check to see if they had a DIRTY room they had not yet cleaned. IF she could find a dirty room, then maybe she would let us shower there. Yeah, that didn’t happen. I don’t want to shower in a dirty room where I don’t even know the former occupants. This was a very unpleasant experience and now I’ve removed the Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express from my list of acceptable hotels. I run a lot of races. I travel for running, work and leisure and I have to admit that most places we stay are very accommodating. Nobody has ever rudely sent me on my way, without a shower, for a 12+ hour drive, after running for 4-5 hours. And hopefully this will never happen again. We had multiple friends who had a great experience at the Double Tree, 616 W. Seventh Street, Tulsa, OK. Do yourself a favor and stay there instead.

Onto the race itself. Very cold morning. Race start and finish were in two separate locations but there were shuttles between those spots. Win!! We were underdressed and froze our bums off awaiting the race start. But once the race started it was worth the wait. There were starting corrals with very strict watchers making sure everyone was in their correct place. 5 minutes between corral starts. Each corral was sent off in a flurry of confetti.

As always the first 3-4+ miles were super crowded, although for once, I didn’t have to run around a lot of walkers who started ahead of me. But the streets were narrow and I wouldn’t so much see the hills we were running but rather feel the momentum going up or down. It was a strange feeling but a cool one. The course was beautiful and a perfect highlight reel of Tulsa: Cascia Hall, Woodward Park, Rt 66 Pedestrian Bridge, University of Tulsa & amazing neighborhoods that were both pet & kid friendly. It looked like an awesome place to live with so many houses showcasing lots of unique character.

Bands. Lots of bands. The Rock N Roll series has NOTHING on The Rt 66 Marathon. Nothing. I heard more live music in this race than I’ve heard in all of my combined races this year. Everything from Folk to Gospel to Rock to Bongo drums (we saw that guy 5x, he was committed to us in a HUGE way). Great show, Tulsa, really great.

Community support! Wow. Marathons take a long time. This one took me personally FOREVER to run. The community was out in full force, even in the chilly temps, with kids, dogs, food, drinks, jello shots, mimosas, beer shots, and even offering therapeutic rollers for those of us who had gotten a “little” stiff from the hills.

Hills? Did I say hills? Yes. Lots of hills. More than I had expected and I didn’t fare very well on them either. Without going into all the ~~bloody~~ gory details, I fell last week while running and managed to mess myself up pretty good. Well, I didn’t really know how messed up I was til I started hitting those hills. Apparently I did more than bloody myself in the fall. My hips are WAY out of line now and I stretched some of the muscles around my right hip and left knee. So I was a hurting momma in Tulsa on Sunday and to be honest, had it not been for my BRF, Julie, I would have quit. I almost quit anyhow. But she “carried” me thru and stayed with me even though she could have ran so much faster.

So, did we take the detour? Heck yeah!. The Rt 66 Marathon offers a Center of the Universe detour. It adds 0.3 miles to your marathon and you get a cool looking coin for taking the challenge. DONE!

And we finished. Cool medal. Cool after party. The Marathon Maniacs had their own special Maniac Corner where we traded in our medals for special Marathon Maniac medals. Super cool. This really is a must do marathon if you are a Maniac. It’s a GREAT race with lots of support from the race volunteers, the local law enforcement and the community. And THAT’s what makes for a great marathon. Julie, Judy & Me in Maniac Corner cuz we are definitely some sort of maniacs.

Thumbs up for Tulsa & the Route 66 Marathon!

** Rock the Route at Rt 66** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon ….. 2015 Version

Posted on November 10, 2015 by tootallfritz

Saturday was the 8th running of the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis, Indiana. There were 13,826 finishers, which is 395% larger than the inaugural event in 2008 (only 3500 finishers). I believe this is a great representation of how running in general has evolved and increased in popularity over the last 8 years. While marathon running has definitely seen a pick up in competitors (1,114 in 2008 verses 3,999 in 2015 here), the half marathon is where the real party is growth wise. At the inaugural event in 2008 there were approximately 2,386 half marathoners in Indy but in 2015 there were 7,288! Wow! That’s amazing. I love seeing so many crazy runners out there pounding the pavement! Now let’s run!!

The race started at 8am on Capitol Avenue beside the Capitol Building. It was a crisp 40 degrees with a light wind and the sun was just coming up. Excitement was definitely in the air. I knew so many people running. Many looking to smash an old PR. Some looking to just finish. It was crowded. Lines to the potties were long and when we went to get in our corral, there wasn’t room and we waited on the sidewalk until the gun went off. There were 5 of us who wanted to run together. Not ideal but hey, what’s ideal? We had 2 young girls with us who were running their first half marathon. The plan was to stay easy, relaxed and to make sure they were feeling GOOD when they made the turn off for the half. I think we all remember our first half and it wasn’t because we were smiling at the end. Okay, maybe you were smiling. I wasn’t. In fact, I wanted to give my running shoes to the first homeless person I saw. That first half of mine is almost like a nightmare and if I can help even ONE person to avoid making the same mistakes I made, then I’m happy. So I was very focused on keeping the girls close and keeping the pace easy. That’s if they were even interested in staying with us cuz it’s hard to really know what teens are thinking. But alas, we were a band of 5. And that calls for a selfie!

The first miles were crowded. Very crowded. The streets in Indy weren’t real wide in most places. We did a lot of weaving. Of course, ALL the walkers started in front of us. So we ran, weaved, talked and smiled. Dropped the girls at the turn off for the half (approx 7.5 miles) and was I pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t total desolation like we normally see when the half splits. Lots of runners still in it for the full but things calmed down and we weren’t weaving very much. It was after the split that I started to take inventory of the day. It was a cool day. No humidity. Indy was relatively flat. We weren’t running fast but not slow. I had a couple “niggles” that were tightening but overall, I felt pretty decent. I had taken a full week off previous to Indy. I know most “runners” would gasp at that but I’m all about listening to my body and showing up as fresh as possible. As a result, I was feeling pretty fresh. I thought I could actually post a decent time if I could hold it together. It’s been so long since I had a race with good weather, I honestly didn’t even know what “decent” was anymore but I was pretty comfortable in the 10-10:15 range and just held on to it. No pushing. Just patient, methodical running. Mile 10, Halfway, Mile 15, Mile 18, Mile 20, all right in the 10-10:15 range. And I ended up finishing under 4:30. It’s been a long time since I finished under 4:30 and I was one happy camper!!!

Race was very well supported with volunteers, medical & police trying to keep the unruly drivers at bay. We had water/Gatorade every mile, sometimes closer. Lots of potties. Multiple food stations, Boom Energy Gel, Oranges, Bananas. Local residents had set up their own stations and were handing out beer, Twirlers, pretzels, Halloween candy and more. The residents were very supportive and most of the drivers were very patient but I did see the police on multiple occasions dealing with angry drivers. I was very impressed with how well the officers managed the crowds; I know that’s a tough job.

This is a race where packets need to be picked up prior to race morning. It’s a great excuse to stay over in Indy and enjoy the beautiful city. View from our hotel overlooking Monument Circle.

Expo was a decent size and had a nice number of vendors. Gender specific shirts.

Finishers received a finishers medal and a finishers hat. Nice touch. I like finisher “swag” that isn’t just doled out at packet pick-up.

Overall, this is a great race. I’d definitely run it again. The course covered a good portion of the city and we ran on some great roads and thru some awesome neighborhoods. Indy didn’t shove us off into the corner but paraded us thru town and showed us the sites. It was a great experience and if you are wondering if you should run next year, do it. #BeMonumental, you won’t regret it.

Amanda – TooTallFritz

Long Beach Marathon Race Review

Posted on October 13, 2015 by tootallfritz

Marathon #23. State #14. Long Beach Marathon. Long Beach, California.

The Long Beach Marathon was expecting close to 20,000 participants and record high temps. The story was all about the weather and staying safe. Unfortunately, I have a bit of experience in the heat, in fact every marathon I’ve ran this year (6 to date) has had temps above 85 degrees at the finish. But that doesn’t mean I like running in the heat and it doesn’t make it easier and I’m not getting used to it. ~~In fact, I may be getting a little grumpy.~~ But the views around Huntington, Seal & Long Beaches made the heat tolerable.

What Long Beach served up ~~besides temps near or at 100 degrees~~ was a beautiful location, a large expo and nicely ran race with multiple distance options. There was a Kids Mile, 5K, Half Marathon, 20 Mile Bike and the Marathon. The expo was large with almost 90 vendors. Packet pickup was smooth, easy & they even offered a shirt exchange option, if by chance you needed a different size shirt.

Race morning, the roads surrounding the race all closed at 5am. There were a lot of parking areas, some of which could be pre-paid prior to race day. Lots of potties and a stream of people heading toward the start. The 20 Mile Bike, Wheelchairs & Marathoners were scheduled to start at 6am; however, due to the heat, race officials also gave the half marathoners the option to start at 6am (instead of 7:30a). So we had an additional 10,000 people opt to start running at 6am. This resulted in total chaos. There were no start corrals. Just bodies of people waiting to start running.

We started running about 6:15am, along with everyone around us. Without start corrals, runners were not ordered according to pace and we all know the walkers want to start as close to the front as possible. So the first few miles were slow and we spent a lot of time weaving around other runners without trying to expend too much energy since we knew it was going to be a tough day. I immediately felt warm. Like too warm. So I was very focused on not pushing and staying as comfortable as possible. At every aid station, I made sure to drink Nuun (if offered), water and dump water on my head and body. I knew I needed to keep my body as cool as possible in order to squeak out a finish. The first 6 miles were good. It was dark, the sun was coming up, we were protected from the sun. Around mile 6, we ran around Rainbow Harbor and had an amazing view of the Queen Mary.

Then we ran past the aquarium & start area, and into the sun as we headed toward Alamitos Beach and a long straightaway with beach views and full sun.

Things were still good around Alamitos Beach but I could feel my body slowing. Involuntarily. We weren’t running fast but too fast for me and the dance with the sun. Alamitos Beach turned to Junipero Beach, then we passed the Belmont Pier and the Belmont Pool which is famous for holding the 1968 and 1976 Olympic Trials and because it was used as a training pool for the 1984 Olympics in LA. But things were still good. We were still smiling. We were still together. Lara, Me & Julie.

After the Belmont area, we turned out onto Ocean Boulevard and away from the sun, said farewell to the Half Marathoners and headed east into the surrounding neighborhoods. That’s pretty much when the fun ended. Miles 10.5 to approximately 23.75 were thru neighborhoods, on busy roads. The highlights were the Marine Stadium and California State University Long Beach. The University campus offered up a few hills but also some much needed shade. Coolest thing I saw in these rough miles was this fun pyramid building on the CSU campus, which we passed 2x.

The race was well staffed, had plenty of water & Nuun. Three stations for Honey Stinger gels. Two stations for ice. Two stations with misting fans. One beer station. Lots of port-o-potties, which were clean. Volunteers and police were very supportive. Residents were supportive offering cold bottles of water, pretzels, donut holes and oranges from their own homes. But I’m not going to lie, it was hot and my tummy was super upset from the heat and the extra fluids I needed to survive the heat. It was really quite miserable. Julie, Lara & I split. It was all about survival. And we did survive but that was about it. This is one race where I think I’d recommend the half over the full. I don’t feel like I saw anything exceptional after we split from the half. If you are in it for the beach views, you’ll see them all before mile 10. Then it’s just more pounding of the city streets.

Finish was downhill. Thank freaking goodness. Cool medal. Cool shirt. And California is officially checked off the list. Huge shout out to my friends Lara & Nels who shuttled us around, fed us, and housed us during out brief visit to the Golden State.

What’s next? Hopefully at least some cooler weather and maybe just one decent marathon time for 2015? Race wise, look for me at: Indianapolis Monumental Marathon (11/7), Route 66 Marathon + Detour (11/22), Huff 50K (12/19), and then we will be picking up our deferred races (due to injury) from last January for the Mississippi Blues Marathon (1/9/16) & First Light Marathon (1/10/16). Yes, a double marathon weekend. Sounds fun, right?!?

Lots of races ahead. I took most of the summer off for TRI training and we’ve spent a ton of time ~~and $$~~ fixing up the IL house over the last month or so. The IL house will be on the market at the end of this week and we are ready to get back to business as usual. Let’s do this!!!

** Run Happy and Safe ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Fort4Fitness Half Marathon … 2015 Edition

Posted on September 29, 2015 by tootallfritz

It’s no secret that the Fort4Fitness Half Marathon in Fort Wayne, Indiana is my favorite. I’ve ran about 30 half marathons so can say that with confidence. This was my 5th Fort4Fitness half and my worst performance (2:06:49) here to date. However, it’s also the location that holds my current half marathon PR (1:53:20). Great race. Great town. Amazing experience.

I used to come from the Chicago area to run Fort4Fitness but am now local, living only 30 minutes away from the start line. Big win!! However, this race is in the middle of Cross Country season, so I’ve missed it more than once due to motherly/spectator duties. It’s also on one of the busiest race weekends of the year. This year F4F was competing with the Mill Race Marathon (Half & 5K) in Columbus, Indiana, the Chicago Half Marathon and the Quad Cities Marathon (Half, Relay & 5K). Despite the busy time of year, F4F pulled 7,242 competitors to its various races on Saturday alone. That’s not counting the kids or Seniors who completed their events on Friday night.

What F4F does right ~~and where other races might want to take note~~, is they realize that events like these use community resources. Not only on the day of the race but in the months and weeks leading up to the big day. So how do you keep a community happy about events that use the resources which are bought and paid for with their tax dollars? You get as many community members involved as possible. The F4F events are focused on community health. Getting the community active and moving, not just on race day but all throughout the year. They also have made necessary changes to accommodate as many people as possible. When the race started in 2008, there was a half marathon and a 4 mile event. Since that time the following events have been added: kids and senior marathon, 10K, wheelchair events (half, 10K & 4 mile), and a Double Play and Triple Crown where you can participate in two or more events on race day. If you are really daring, go for the Triple Crown and RUN.ALL.THE.RACES. (half marathon, 10K & 4 mile) for a total of 23.3 miles of fun and 4 medals!

Participant Breakdown:

Half Marathon – 2,078
10K – 1,887
4 mi Run/Walk – 3,254
Wheel Chair Half – 9
Wheel Chair 10K – 8
Wheel Chair 4mi – 6
Double Play (4mi/Half – 30, 10K/Half – 27, 4 mi/10K – 67) – 124
Triple Crown (Half, 10K & 4mi) – 98

In addition to the runners, the community members really come out in mass to watch and cheer for the runners. They line the streets with music, signs and banners. Then the neighborhoods seem to have a competition as to which community can bring the most spirit. Oakdale, you won this year ~~according to my unofficial decision~~. Congrats.

One of my favorite things about this race is that there are long stretches where you can just run. Some quiet stretches thru parks, others thru quiet neighborhoods with big fancy houses, and a lot of street time thru Ft Wayne. It’s really a great mix for a road race, mostly flat, a few hills but nothing crazy.

F4F provides a great race that you would expect from a big city but with the ease and convenience of small town living. Packet pick up is easy & quick. Parking is within a half mile of the race start. Lots of free parking but I did pay $4 for a spot in a garage. Potties, water & Gatorade every 1.5 miles. Stadium finish inside Parkview Field with runners being announced before they hit the finish line. Huge Jumbotron for spectators to watch incoming runners. Stadium seating for spectators and plenty of room for the after party. And concessions are open, so grab a beer and celebrate with friends after the big finish!

Gender specific shirts, designed by a local artist!

Nice medals, whether you collect 1 or all 4. I only had time for one because I wanted to be present and spectate/cheer/scream my head off at Aby’s Cross Country meet.

I highly recommend making a plan to come to Ft Wayne next year for Fort4Fitness. Registration is OPEN. Race is Saturday, October 1, 2016. Click HERE to register for any of the races, including the 4 medal Triple Crown event that is only $95 during this super early bird period. Half Marathon is currently $45! It’s deal time, who wants to commit?

See you next year!!

** Run The Fort ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Race Report

Posted on August 20, 2015 by tootallfritz

As I previously mentioned, life around the TTF household has been slightly chaotic thus the lack of a timely race report. In fact, it’s been down right stressful! But we keep on keeping on, right? Yes! So I showed up for Ironman 70.3 Steelhead overweight, undertrained but ready to tackle whatever the day tossed at me. Remember, I do this for fun. I run, train, TRI as a stress reliever and for a little bit of “me time” amongst the chaos. Total bonus is when I get to spend time with friends. Aby and Julie M were my race weekend support crew and we rolled into Saint Joseph & Benton Harbor MI with smiles on our faces!

We hit packet pick up, listened to the pre-race meeting, figured out the new swim course, racked my bike and hit the expo while Aby constantly reminded us that she just wanted to go to the beach.

There is something final about leaving your bike in transition. Most of us are on our second or even third or more bike. We started at the bottom with a low level road bike and worked our way up. We have an emotional attachment to our bike that is hard for people who do not ride to understand. Most of my friends actually have a name for their bike, I do not. But I still love it. And I spend a lot of time with it. And it never sasses me or talks back. So I bid my bike farewell and it sits in transition, awaiting my return and trying to soak up the calm before the chaos of race day begins.

When I return it is race morning. It’s full on chaos. Transition is packed. It’s still dark. Trying to set up transition in the dark, with 2499 of our new friends, just begs for things to be forgotten at the bottom of the transition bag! But we are finally set up and started inching our wetsuits on for the swim start. Wendy, myself & Judy getting ready to head to the beach for our 1.2 mile swim!

Swim waves went out in 4 minute increments. Judy was in the first wave at 7:00 am and Wendy and I were 12 minutes behind at 7:12am. There was a last minute change to the swim course to keep the swim start & finish close together on the beach. The change resulted in us having to swim further out into the mammoth body of water known as Lake Michigan. What Lake MI delivers on a given day is just a surprise so I was ready for the worst like IM 70.3 Racine in 2013 and hoped for the best. New course:

Water was calm at the start! Yes! But the course wasn’t as nice as the pretty picture above. We were swimming at an angle and it seemed like every buoy turned us a bit and we had to reposition. It wasn’t as easy as it appears, plus I felt VERY crowded in the water, both by the ladies in my wave, as well as the fast swimmers behind me. It took me a good 3 buoys to get myself together and just do my own thing but then as soon as I’d get in a groove I’d have a swimmer in front of me swimming perpendicular to me. I need to be more aggressive in the water but I’m not at this point. Swimming is the easy part of the TRI and I don’t really rush. When someone is swimming the wrong way in front of me, I stop and let them clear my path. Doesn’t make for a very speedy swim but keeps me comfortable. Something I need to work on for the future! Anyhow, I finally navigate the swim course, it was marked well and easy to follow. No clock when I got out of the water, which was odd, but I could make out the start line clock, that read 8:00 am real time. That put me in the water for 48 minutes and I was happy with that considering my lack of swim training. However, Ironman clocked me at 55 minutes via my chip so I’m not sure how I messed that up. Or why I was in the water so long because overall the swim was decent, I wasn’t panicky, there were some rolling waves out on the back side of the course but nothing too crazy. I kept moving but yes, I did stop numerous times to avoid “random” swimmers. But it was a beautiful day and I kinda enjoyed the cool, crisp, clear water.

No wetsuit strippers but I managed to get unzipped and unsuited. On to the bike! The bike as you know, can make or break you and is the longest segment of any triathlon. This race is a half ironman, AKA 70.3 race, where all the mileage equals 70.3 miles at the end of the day. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike & 13.1 mile run. I had been having bike issues most of the season. Issues with my shifters. Issues with getting out for longer rides. Too many issues. I really had no idea what I could do on the bike so the plan here was to hold back on the first half, eat, drink and relax. Get thru the nasty/bumpy section of bad road, then try to be somewhat “fresh” for the last half and all those uphill sections (which suck the wind and energy right out of me). One loop course, which is my preference. I hit the half way mark (28 miles) right at 1 hour 30 minutes and vaguely remember thinking, “wow, if you keep this pace, you might break 3 hours”. But then I dismissed the thought immediately because I knew that there were some nasty uphill sections to come. I really didn’t have much of a strategy. As I’ve said, I’m super bad riding uphill, I was down into single digits so many times, 9mph was very common. But I USED the downhill. No matter how tired I was when I got up the hill, I was ready to rush the down. And I did that to the best of my ability. At the end of the ride, when my butt hurt so bad I wanted to toss my bike I was tired, that’s what held me together, crushing the downhill. Then eventually the thought that just possibly, if I kept pushing, I might, just might break 3 hours on the bike. And I did. 2 hours 59 minutes on the bike. HUGE triumph for me after a summer (full year really) of trials and tribulations. Happy girl.

After a phenomenal (for me) bike, I hit the run. I hadn’t done one brick all season and my legs had trouble spinning off the bike. Took about 3 miles to get in my groove. Course had two run loops. There were 3 big hills on the first loop. 2 on the second. I walked the entirety of each hill. I also walked thru each of the aid stations and made sure that I got enough fluids, ice and refueled with coke and small bites of banana. Run went well. I wasn’t dead but not speedy. I thought I’d run a 2:15 but at the end of the day I was at 2:21 with the walking. It was a good day. We had cloud cover, which was a HUGE help (especially to those who melt in the heat, like me). Temps were in the high 70s at the finish (78 degrees). It was a bit sticky with humidity but manageable thanks to the clouds.

I’ve now participated in all 3 Midwest Ironman 70.3 events. Muncie in 2012, where I took a DNF due to a torn tendon in my foot (race was also downgraded to Olympic distance due to extreme heat – 108 degrees). Racine in 2013 where the monster waves and bumpy roads stole the show. And now Steelhead. There were things I liked about each of these events. The bike course at Muncie was FUN and the hills seemed manageable. Not too steep but big enough to produce some speed. The run in Racine was beautiful with scenic views of Lake Michigan. But Steelhead was different. It felt like home. My family goes up to Saint Joseph MI on occasion for day or weekend trips, year round. My friends Judy & Julie M both have “cabins” within a reasonable distance of the race site. In fact, we actually went up and I was able to ride the course once before race day. So, yes, it’s a big fancy race, but one that felt like it was on our home turf. And there is no denying the home field advantage. And that’s how this race felt, like I had an advantage cuz I knew where to hold back on the bike and where to push. I really enjoyed Steelhead. Great race. Great volunteers. Plenty of aid stations on the bike (3) and on the run (5 each loop).

In closing, I’ll address the full Ironman issue one more time. I’m frequently asked “when” I’ll do a full ironman. First, a full Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) just isn’t for everyone, so it’s important to realize that it’s just not what some people call fun. But for myself, I’ve been dreaming about the full distance since my first half in 2008. Then I was blessed with a bouncing baby boy in 2009. Baby boy is growing, CRAZY and is becoming more self sufficient each and every day. In fact, he started kindergarten this year and will be turning 6 in just a couple weeks!!!

I think we are finally at the point where I could tackle it, IF I could justify spending the money to register. In fact, I’ve been upgrading my equipment for years so that I’ll be ready when the time finally arrives. However, the last year has brought us a lot of change and financial strain. We have taken steps to rectify the problem (Hello, NONPAYING IL renters, I’m talking to you.). Then, maybe, I can tackle the full ironman. It’s something that I think about every day. I even think about it when I should be sleeping. It’s definitely “on the list” but I need to make sure that its something the family can endure in terms of time commitment to my training and also the $$ commitment of the registration fee and travel expenses. Plus, I need to find a race that will NOT interfere with Aby’s Cross Country season. So those are a few of the reasons as to why I’m not YET an IronWOman. But I’ll get there and it will be all the sweeter when I do because I waited for the right moment.

Keep Pushing For YOUR Dreams – Amanda – TooTallFritz

TooTallFritz

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

Category Archives: Race Reviews

Garmin Marathon, Olathe KS

Rock N Roll Marathon Series – New Orleans, LA – Race Review

First Light Marathon Race Review – 2016

Mississippi Blues Marathon Race Review – 2016

Huff 50K Race Report – 2015

Route 66 Marathon Race Review & Where NOT to Stay in Tulsa

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon ….. 2015 Version

Long Beach Marathon Race Review

Fort4Fitness Half Marathon … 2015 Edition

Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Race Report

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