Tag Archives: 50 States Marathon Club

Ocean State Rhode Marathon–Narragansett, RI

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After the trail marathon in CT, we headed over to Narragansett, RI to run the Ocean State Rhode Marathon on Sunday, October 25th.  It was a short 50 minute trip, which made this a great double without too much driving between venues.  Since we had walked/hiked a majority of the CT race, we were hoping for a great day in Rhode Island! 

It was dark by the time we arrived in Narragansett so we didn’t see the town, just checked into the hotel, ate, prepped for the race & went to bed.  We woke with the sun to the sound of waves crashing.  That’s always a good start to the day.  It was cool and crisp in the low 40s and a perfect day for running!

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We were less than 2 miles from the start/finish.  Quick trip along the ocean to the Narragansett Town Beach.  Even though it was cool, there were quite a few surfer’s out trying to catch some early morning waves.  Now that seemed crazy!  Smile 

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This was one of the first races to occur in Rhode Island since the pandemic started. The organizers worked hard to provide a safe atmosphere for everyone.  This included some new precautions including:  shortened packet pick up windows, no race day packet pickup, staggered start times for each race, limited participants, no bag check, no stretching/warm ups by the start area, as well as the mandated masks at the start/finish & aid stations.  They also asked all runners to carry their own hydration in an attempt to limit or minimize the use of aid stations, and then cut down the number of aid stations available on course.

I was thinking the event had 666 “in person” registered participants according to a prerace email; however, only 423 recorded finishers.  Marathon finishers = 185, Half finishers = 169 & 5K finishers = 69.  Each race started separately.  The marathon started the 6+ hour marathoners at 6:30am.  The 2-4 hr marathon runners at 7:30a & the 4-6 hr runners at 7:50a.  The half and 5K were staggered starting at 8am.

Julie & I masked up and were ready to stand on our respective “dots”.  The road was marked with red dots that were separated in each direction by 6 feet.  Very easy, just stand on a dot and get ready to run!

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They asked that we keep our masks on until the runners spread out from the start area.  We were happy to oblige and most other runners did great and ran with their mask until the crowd started to thin. 

The first 10K of the course was the most scenic.  We did not run thru the town of Narrangansett but we had ocean views, and that’s a win!

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Nice neighborhoods.  Nice roads.  Perfect weather.  A few hills & about 1200 ft of climbing.

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Even as we turned away from the water, the course was still great.  We did run along some busier highways but had plenty of room to run and the overall condition of the roads was impressive.  Where I’m from, the roads are not smooth, or flat, so this was noticeable.  Especially since my feet felt pulverized from the rocks of the Pachaug Trail, the day previous.  Lots of great neighborhoods, and then long scenic roads.  A lot of the course had out & back sections, so we saw the runners in front and behind us.  Everyone was super friendly, runners, aid station volunteers & the police that were helping direct traffic & keep runners safe. Rhode Island, you were impressive!

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But all good things must come to an end and well, I was ready to be finished!

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We ran from Narragansett, to Bonnet Shores which was definitely the most scenic area.  Then to Saunderstown, North Kingstown which was the “turnaround” point.  Back thru Annaquatucket, past the Narrow River & to the finish at Narragansett Town Beach.

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Great course.  Great race.  I’d definitely go back to do this one again!  Thanks to the organizers of the Rhode Races & Events.   We know this wasn’t easy getting this approved and letting us run thru several areas/towns.  But we appreciate it and would definitely come back to run and hang out when Covid is a long and distant memory.  Thank you! 

SWAG – Buff, anyone?  And the medal is a tribute to the local Narragansett Indian Tribe which inhabited this area long before it was known as Rhode Island.

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Rhode Island was my 35th state & 59th marathon.  Getting closer to that 50 state goal!

** Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Pachaug Trail Marathon–Voluntown, CT

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As we all know, 2020 has brought its own set of challenges and running & triathlon racing  has not been the priority.  However, the US is starting to reopen, in stages.  Each state is responsible for its own guidelines and like with all things, some states are more lenient than others.  If you are willing to travel and/or do some self quarantining, you *might* actually be able to run a race.  In person.  With other living humans.  Last weekend I ran 2 marathons.  A trail marathon in Connecticut & a road marathon in Rhode Island.  Let’s talk trails!! 

The Pachaug Trail Marathon was in Pachaug State Park on Saturday, October 24, 2020 in Voluntown, CT.  There was a 50K, marathon and half marathon.  Each race was limited to 100 participants.  The temperature of each participant & volunteer was taken the morning of the event.  Each race took off at a different time.  Runners were staggered & wore masks at the start/finish & aid stations.  Lots of added procedure to ensure the safety of the participants, staff & volunteers. 

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This is a small race.  I’m not really sure how I found it but its been on my list for over a year.  Normally, the event features a 50 miler, marathon & half marathon.  However, this year the 50m was downgraded to a 50K for safety reasons and to keep the event moving/quick due to Covid-19 concerns. My race schedule is a lot about timing around the kid schedules.  I don’t usually read too much about races.  I like the element of surprise and want to experience it for myself without too many preconceived notions about quality, difficulty, etc.  So, with that being said, I knew this was a trail race and that it would be hard.  I knew that there was “about” 2400 ft of climbing.  I also knew that we started by climbing Mt. Misery.  That should have been foreshadowing.  If you follow me on Instagram or FB, then you’ve seen some of the photos.  But let it suffice to say, that this was a difficult race. I have a new PW (personal worst) for trail running performance.  But we made it to the finish line safely and as someone so kindly mentioned, we received the same finishers medal as the person who finished first.   First climb of the day, Mt. Misery. 

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Photo credit – Jen C. 

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Photo from the Live Loud Running page.

Big rocks, boulders & tree roots were the foundation for this trail run.  Apparently in Connecticut, the Pachaug Trail is very well groomed & runnable.  If you are from the flatlands of Indiana or Illinois, then you probably haven’t seen anything quite this technical. 

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We spent a lot of time walking/hiking/climbing.

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The venue for the run was in Pachaug State Park.  Over the course of the marathon we hit the Pachaug, Nehantic & Quinebaug trails. The double loop marathon course also took us up/down Mt Misery, Breakneck Hill & onto Hell Hallow Road.  As road runners we love our roads.  Up/down or otherwise, the terrain is usually good! 

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It was a beautiful run.  Very scenic.  Most of the climbs were manageable.

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But as I mentioned previously, we spent a lot of time hiking vs running.  I love my trail shoes but if I were to do this again, I’d go with something a lot thicker on the sole.  My feet were pulverized by the rocks.  Plus our ankles and all the stabilizing muscles/tendons really took a beating due to our overall lack of grace when it comes to traversing rocky terrain.

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Overall, great race.  Great experience.  But we were slow, plus we hit a few wrong turns!  There were only 2 aid stations on the loop, then one at the start/finish.  Everyone carried hydration packs and that was very necessary since the aid stations were spaced out and the time it took between aid stations was pretty long, particularly for us since we were riding the struggle bus. 

We did have a slight issue on loop 2.  We hit the 2nd loop with plenty of time to spare but we were last.  Like DFL (dead fuc*ing last) and the Balloon Ladies sweepers were following us, cleaning up the signs and markers.  We were kissing the cutoff times & the first aid station had been cleaned up before we got there.  Slight stress since some of the crew was out of water but the 2nd aid station was waiting for us.  THANK YOU!  Everyone was super nice.  And we even had a lady in a truck that kept meeting us at intersections, checking on us, who was kind enough to tell us to “take our time”.  Very thankful that we were able to finish.  We did beat the cutoff for the entire race, which was 8 hrs.  We finished in 7:41.  Yes, new PW.  As my buddy Todd so kindly pointed out, if my PW keeps increasing, it will eventually get to the point where it will be UNBEATABLE.  Why thank you, thank you for that. 

Thanks to the Indiana/Illinois crew who traveled & ran with me.  No idea how I have any friends after some of these “adventures” but this crew usually shows up to either bail me out or suffer with me.  Thanks, guys!! Me, Matt, Julie & Todd.

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SWAG – Buffs are all the rage now.  Who knew that 2020 would be the “year of the buff”. 

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Pachaug was my 58th marathon (or longer) & my 34th of the 50 states.  Connecticut is in the DONE column.  Beautiful part of the country.  I’ll definitely go back!

**  Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Charleston Marathon (2019) Race Review

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I’ve had the Charleston Marathon on my list for years!  The race always falls on the second Saturday of January.  That’s a popular weekend for many races in the southern states.  Since my long term goal is to run a marathon in every state, I try to pick races that fit into my schedule AND are also in a new state.  I finally made it to Charleston this year to check off South Carolina, my 31st state.

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I was really looking forward to this race.  Charleston is one of my favorite places.  I love the location, the weather, the town and the people.  The city never disappoints and I basically begged my friends to go run the marathon with me because of those reasons.  Thanks, Tamyra & Julie for making the trip with me!

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We rolled into town on Friday for the Saturday (1/12/19) race.  The expo was in downtown Charleston at the Gaillard Center. Easy in/out.  Small expo.  Metered parking.  Cool SWAG.  A long sleeve tech tee, which is about the only type race tee that I actually wear, plus a buff & gloves!  All very useful.

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The race was on Saturday morning at 7:15am.  We stayed in a hotel that was close to the start and were able to walk over.  It was about 40 degrees with a cool breeze.  The start area was at a local high school.  Runners and spectators were able to wait inside & even use the school bathrooms, if they had time.   Race started on time and we began our 26.2 mile tour of the area.  First up, Hampton Park, the Citadel & the Battery (my favorite area).

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Then we turned down King Street, which is known as the art & shopping area.  New and old mixed together.  I loved this old pharmacy sign.

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Once we got thru the shopping district, we headed out of Charleston toward North Charleston.  I’ll be honest, the sightseeing kinda stopped when we left Charleston between mile 7 & 8.  It was a long way up to North Charleston, we did run thru some sort of Government area that allowed us to see some of the swampy areas but it was a lot of time with just us, the road & our fellow runners.  We made fast friends with those around us to pass the time.  There were a couple spots with live entertainment.  Aid stations (and potties) were every 2 miles or so.  Lots of water, Gatorade & GU brand gels.  The volunteers & police support were great.

The skies were overcast most of the day and the temps were 40s to low 50s.  Great weather for those of us who came from the northern states!

Once we got up to Riverfront Park in North Charleston, it was around mile 18. The half marathon runners turned off to finish, the full marathon runners went out and looped North Charleston.  This is the map from my watch, if you want to see the course.

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We could hear the finish line music and fun during a lot of the 8 mile loop around North Charleston and it was a welcoming return as we headed back to Riverfront Park.  Cute area & a great place for the finish line festival.

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The finish festival greeted us with music, food & several varieties of Sam Adams beer, plus mimosa’s.  Plenty of space to hang out with the family.  But the temps were cool and it was windy so we headed for the buses to shuttle us back to Charleston as soon as all of us finished.  No lines for the buses!  Huge win!   And just like that marathon #52 was in the books.

I was a bit disappointed that the race didn’t showcase more of the great city of Charleston.    Especially the bridges that go over the Coopers River.  So we got up early and went to run the Arthur Ravenel Bridge on Sunday morning before starting the drive home.  This bridge goes from Charleston to Mount Pleasant.  There is a walking/running/biking section on the bridge and it’s a popular spot, any day of the week.  My favorite time of day is always sunrise, so we started early enough to catch the sun coming up.

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If you want more information on Charleston, the bridge, or would like to see more photos, check out my previous post from a visit in 2015:  Charleston SC, I Ran That Town.

** Happy Running **  Amanda – TooTallFritz

Atlantic City Marathon, Atlantic City, NJ

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The Atlantic City Marathon in New Jersey was Day 2.  The second marathon for our double marathon weekend.  2 Marathons.  2 Days.  2 States.  Totally normal, right?  Maybe not, but this was an easy double if you ever want to try one.  We picked Atlantic City because it was a short 2 hour drive from Dover, DE where we ran the Monster Mash Marathon the day previous.  The drive was so short that we even detoured thru Philadelphia to fulfill a childhood fantasy of running up the Art Museum steps like Rocky Balboa!  Super exciting.  Then hey, stopped over to see the Liberty Bell too!

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Some people thought we were crazy for actually running up the steps.  It was fun!  There were only 72 steps and it probably loosened us up after running the Monster Mash Marathon!  Good news, we weren’t the only crazy people, some even had the Rocky Theme song playing.  Obviously, we weren’t too serious about this double.  Its not our first.  We just go, run, have fun and keep things light.  As for the steps, had to do it.  Who knows if I’ll ever get that close to Philadelphia again.  No regrets, right?  I would have regretted not running up those steps!

On to Atlantic City.  Packet pickup was at Ballys.  We parked in the garage.  Posted parking fee was $22; however, they reduced the fee for runners to $5.  Thank you!!  Small expo.  Easy in and out once we figured out where to go inside the hotel/casino.  Dinner in the hotel/casino.  Checked into our hotel by 8pm.  Tip:  We stayed at the Sheraton by the Convention Center.  It was about a 10 min walk to/from the race start/finish.  No smoke. No gambling.  No hoopla.  Less $$.

Race started at 8am so we got to see the sun come up while we were waiting to start.  It was steamy.  Humid.  Warm.

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As we awaited the race start, it was different than most races I’ve ran.  There was a start line and a gated corral.  The pacers were inside the corral.  Alone.  We were all crowded outside the corral wondering what was going on and when they would open the gates.  They opened the gates right at 8am.  It was a mad rush for some to get in where they wanted to be, others were climbing over the fence. Most just lined up as they entered the corral.  Somewhat chaotic.  Not an issue for us since we were planning a leisurely race but I certainly see that it could have been an issue for some.  Eventually, we were all in and ready to run. 

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We started the race heading north on the Boardwalk for a short distance, then a quick left on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, then a quick left on Bachrach Boulevard.  Mile one.  Decent sized race.  Some spectators.  Decent Streets.  Views of the water at every glance.  First the Atlantic, then various bays & channels.  So many that it was hard to keep up with which body of water we were crossing and/or passing at any given time.  Foggy morning due to the heat and humidity but not so hot that we were miserable.  Just warmer than most prefer. But it was beautiful.

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Soon we entered a long tunnel.  There were lights so it wasn’t dark.   Runners were whooping and yelling to hear themselves in the tunnel.  Kinda cool.   Thru some neighborhoods, up a couple highway ramps, then back to the Boardwalk, this time heading south around mile 7.75, passing the strip of casinos. 

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Aid stations were spaced about every 1.5 miles.  Lots of volunteers.  Police.  Bicycle escorts for the winners.  Well marked course with plenty of course marshals enthusiastically directing runners. 

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We ran south on the Boardwalk til approximately mile 13, then turned off heading South for an out and back on Atlantic Avenue.  Busier road on the inner side of the Casinos.  Sloped because we were running on the side.  Lots of shops and restaurants and beautiful homes.  Took Atlantic Ave until it ended in Longport at the Great Egg Harbor.  Awesome aid station in that area that had mini Swedish Fish.  Yes! 

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What I can’t stress enough about this race are the water views.  Even when we were running in neighborhoods down seemingly normal streets.  If you look to either side at a cross street, you’ll see water.  I enjoyed it.  Not beach front running per say but the area is surrounded by water.  Atlantic Ocean to the left in the pic below.

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Beautiful homes, buildings, churches.

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Thru the streets and neighborhoods until mile 23 when we hit the Northbound Boardwalk to finish the race.  Start and finish were both in front of Ballys.  By the end, I didn’t love running on the Boardwalk.  Softer surface, yes.  But the lines of the various boards made my dizzy.  I tend to put my head down and “just run” when I’ve had enough.  And yes, I was ready to be done by mile 22 and in the head down mode.  Once I hit the Boardwalk, too many lines.  Too much motion.  Too much heat.  And I was “almost” tired.  We had more traffic on the Boardwalk to dodge since more people were out and about.  I was happy to finally see the finish!

Great after party.  I saw lots of beer flowing if you like a beer post race.  There was a band.  Gender specific, long sleeve tech shirt!  My favorite!!  Great medal. 

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Good race.  More runners thank the day previous but still small.  832 half marathon finishers.  609 marathon finishers.  Flat other than a few bridges.  Good double with Monster Mash because both were flat and not to physically taxing, other than the mileage.  Bling from both days is below.

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Next Up, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on November 4th.  My 4th appearance at this event.  Its definitely one of my favorites.  Crossing my fingers for cool, crisp weather and a fast race!

** Happy Running, All ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Monster Mash Marathon – Dover, DE

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I’ve been recovering this week after coming off a big weekend.  2 marathons.  2 states.  2 days.  Plus maybe a side trip thru Philly to run up the steps of the Art Museum and relive the glory days of Rocky Balboa.  Maybe.  Just maybe.  Smile   Anyhow, back to the marathons!  First up, the Monster Mash Marathon in Dover, Delaware.  Start and finish is at the Dover International Speedway way.  If you are a NASCAR fan, then no other explanation is needed.  If not, this monster seems to be track mascot.

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I used to be a bit of a NASCAR fan but that ended with the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr.  Therefore, I didn’t know about the monster, or that it was the mascot.  I didn’t know that this was a short track.  1 mile.  Shorter than a lot of NASCAR tracks on the circuit.  I sign up to run races based upon what fits my schedule.  As a result, not a lot of research goes into each race.  That’s part of the fun for me, the surprise of a new race, new course, new town, new state.  Fun!

We arrived at the track on Friday evening to grab our packets. Packet pick up was fast & easy.  Free parking.  Less than a 100m walk to the tent.  Halloween Candy scattered throughout the tent for snacking.  We were in and out in less than 10 minutes & that’s with Julie talking to a lady about her doodle puppy.  Julie loves her doodles!

Our hotel was a couple miles away.  Comfort Inn Suites.  Awesome beds that were so comfy!  Then back to the track for race day on Saturday morning.  Unlike big marathons, you can arrive within 30 minutes of the start for this race.  You can pick up your packet race morning, if you like.  And you can use the indoor bathrooms at the track before you hit the start line on the race track by pit row.

I liked that the start was on the race track.  Kinda cool.  Very sloped though.  I definitely don’t envy the NASCAR drivers who have to get up to such high speeds on this steep and short track!

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One lap around the track = 1 mile & we were off to tour Dover and the surrounding areas.  My favorite part of the course came early as we passed thru the Government buildings around Legislative Avenue, mile 3.5 to 4.5.

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Aid stations were very frequent, especially in the first half of the course.  Hammer gels were offered.  Water. Gatorade.  I’ve never seen as many gel stations on course than at this race.  Very impressive.

We ran a lot of country roads.  But they either let us run the entire road, or had cones separating us from vehicular traffic.  We had plenty of room and cars were not too much of an issue.  We did have one motorcyclist yell at us to get over but for the most part there was very little traffic and everyone seemed to be in good spirits throughout the race.  Course wasn’t super exciting.  But it was flat.  Well marked.  Volunteers and aid stations were plentiful.  If you were in need of a bathroom, those were harder to find but probably spaced every 5ish miles or so.

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Overall a good race.  I was pretty excited about it coming in as I had heard positive things.  However, I wasn’t feeling great at this race, so my experience was not amazing. No fault of the organizers.  Loved the race shirt & the medal!  Plus they gave us a buff and magnet.  Nice theme.  Some people dressed up for the holiday.  Overall, small race so not a lot of people.  177 marathon finishers.  237 half marathon finishers.  If you need spectator support and big crowds, this isn’t the race for you.  If you just want to run without a lot of hassle, then you’ll love this one.

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State #26 – Delaware – DONE

Next up, the Atlantic City Marathon race review!

** Happy Running** Amanda – TooTallFritz