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

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon …. Then Vs Now

Posted on November 5, 2015 by tootallfritz

As I prepare for the 2015 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, I can’t help but reflect on the first time I ran it in 2008. The 2008 event was the inaugural race for Indy Monumental and I don’t think any of us expected it to grow the way that it has over the last 7 years. There was no “expo”, only packet pickup at the Capitol Building. I didn’t have a crew. Or a blog. Or know 25-30 people running. I had one crazy friend who made the trip with me to Indy from Chicagoland. And pretty much everyone else in our lives thought we were insane. Like totally insane. Abby S & I in front of the Capital Building at packet pickup.

2008 was the year of the triathlon. I probably thought of nothing else in ‘08 other than TRIing and TRYING to get preggo with Mr. Michael. And damn, I was skinny! I’m pretty sure I never appreciated how thin I was at that point in time. I bet I ate every dang thing that I wanted and drank my fair share of Corona Lights too! Ah, memories! But seriously, 2008 was THE year. Abby S and I competed in 6-7 Olympic TRIs, a Duathlon, 3 half marathons for me (4 ore more for her), I did my first 70.3 TRI and ran my 2nd marathon at Indy. Good times.

However, I remember the ‘08 Monumental race being very emotional for me. I was off my birth control (trying to conceive) and exhausted. We had been racing hard since mid May that year and Indy Monumental was on Nov 1st. I didn’t understand that training cycles need to be cyclical. I didn’t understand the importance of rest in life or racing. I just kept the training/racing cycle going and I crashed and burned at Indy. And shed a billion tears in the process. This is where I learned that crying and running are NOT compatible. So when I tell the Cross Countries girls to suck it up cuz the tears make it harder to run, well, I’m only be honest cuz I know from personal experience. Tears and running do not mix, if you want to breathe.

Monumental was the end of my racing season for 2008. I did run a local turkey trot but that was it. And I conceived before year end. Rest helps a lot of things: muscle recovery, emotions, hormones, and conception. Smile

Needless to say, I don’t remember a lot from the ‘08 Monumental race other than my state of emotion. Hard to see thru those tears. So I’m really looking forward to the 2015 race, which will be my 24th marathon. I look forward to SEEING what Indy has to offer. My only goal this year is to NOT cry. I’m in a totally different state of mind these days with my running, not so focused on speed but thankful to just be moving, running, racing, and thankful for my life “on the run”.

Here is the 2008 Inaugural race medal and race shirt. The shirt has been repurposed in a race t-shirt quilt but I found the square for a quick photo. Love my t-shirt quilts and all the memories they evoke.

Good luck to everyone running the 2015 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon! If you see me, shout! I’d love to meet you! I’ll be wearing a Marathon Maniac shirt, probably the long sleeve yellow one. See you Saturday!

** Be Monumental ** 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

Pittsburgh Marathon Review – #RunnerOfSteel

Posted on May 5, 2015 by tootallfritz

I’m not really sure how I became this “crazy” marathon runner who’s current goal is to run a marathon in each of the 50 states. If someone had told me 2 years ago that I would be running more than one or two marathons a year, I wouldn’t have believed them. In fact, I would have thought them to be the “crazy” one. Somehow, something changed. Maybe it was the fact that I would train so hard for ONE marathon a year and then never get the desired result due to injury, training fatigue, life, stress or weather. Maybe I woke up one day and decided there were so many great marathons and too little time to run them. Maybe my kids were driving me crazy and I decided to run more ~~and drink less~~ to blow off steam. Maybe and most probably, I decided that if I ran more marathons, I could run fewer of those unsupported, boring, long runs. Yeah, that’s probably it.

Regardless, I’m on a journey that is taking me places. Some of those places weren’t exactly on my “must visit” list. And that makes things interesting in a fun and adventurous way. On that note, we picked the Pittsburgh Marathon the way that we pick most of our races. Julie said, “Hey, I’d really like to run a marathon at the end of April or beginning of May.” I said, “If you wait til the beginning of May, I’ll go with you”. Then we looked at the marathon calendar and tossed out a couple options. I saw that Pittsburg was on May 3rd, pulled up google maps and discovered that it’s only 4.5 hours from my new home. We registered a month in advance because Pittsburgh is in PA and that’s a new state for us. Done. Pittsburgh, HERE WE COME!!

Pittsburgh, we came to find out is the City of Bridges. I love bridges. There are varying reports as to the exact number but according to Popular Pittsburgh, there are almost 2,000 bridges in the area! More bridges than Venice, Italy! What? Really? Check out this article HERE to see some of those amazing bridges and the history behind them.

Race weekend. We enter the city and it’s a pleasant surprise. Nice city. Lots to see & do. Great expo. Bridges, bridges & more bridges. And hills. Hello hills! Smile Course map below.

Elevation chart, showing elevation climbs up to 985 ft. That’s a lot for us Midwestern flatlanders!

Regardless, we kinda laughed about the hills cuz what could we do? Nothing. No need to ruin the experience by stressing about the course. We’ll run Pittsburgh the way we run every race, mile by mile with one goal in mind, the finish.

First some sightseeing: The Strip District for shopping and walking around. Market Square which we found a little too late, lots of bars, restaurants & shopping. Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers & Steeler PRIDE everywhere. University of Pittsburgh. Carnegie Music Hall & Museum (pic 1 & 2). The University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning (pic 3). The Heinz Memorial Chapel (pic 4).

Race day came and we were excited and ready to run! Temps were warm and the sun was shining. There were 4 corrals. Staggered start with 5 minutes between corrals. Start was crowded and we spent the first several miles running on the sidewalks to get around the walkers.

Then came the bridges and hills. 16th Street Bridge. 9th Street Bridge. 7th Street Bridge. West End Bridge. Birmingham Bridge – which isn’t yellow by the way! It’s green. Why isn’t the Birmingham Bridge yellow like all the rest?

The most difficult hill to climb was at mile 12. I stopped running the climb about 1/2 way up. Good decision on my part. It was too much for my body so I took my time and ate a few of my Sour Patch Kids and watched everyone else struggle up the hill. Smile Best downhill was at mile 24. One LONG downhill that I was thrilled to see, then it flattened out for the last 2 miles to the finish.

Great spectator support by all 13 communities! I loved the music and bands. The kids and volunteers. So many great homeowners put out sprinklers and dug out water guns for the kiddos, fed us oranges, licorice, candy, pretzels, offered beer and handed out water in little dixie cups . Many thanks to the firefighters who opened the fire hydrants for us! Temps climbed to 78 degrees and it was full sun, all day long. I was beyond thankful for the plethora of water stations, ice stations, cold rags, multiple fueling stations that offered either Carb Boom Energy Gel or Pure Protein bars. This was a great race. Not easy but a big city race, done right.

There was never a dull moment. Pittsburgh, you rocked this marathon and I thank you!

Numbers:

14,635 Half Marathon finishers
4,317 Marathon finishers
2,316 5K finishers
1,124 Relay Teams

Nice Shirt & Finishers Medal:

Great race. If you’ve been thinking about trying Pittsburgh, I’d highly recommend it. Expect a big city race with great crowd support and plenty to see while you are pounding out the miles. Try to take your time and enjoy the city and what it has to offer. Lots of amazing buildings and homes with beautiful, old architecture. Go run Pittsburgh!

** Enjoy the Race, No Matter the Terrain ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Go! St Louis Marathon Review …..

Posted on April 16, 2015 by tootallfritz

The Go! St. Louis Marathon was my first marathon of 2015. I had previously skipped the Mississippi Blues & First Light (Mobile, AL) marathons in January, plus a February marathon in Texas, all due to a nasty case of Plantar Fasciitis. So I was looking forward to St Louis and the new course which guaranteed a “flatter, faster” course.

I signed up for this event last year on an early bird special. Before Ferguson. Before family friends began telling us about the gang issue(s) in St Louis. Before my PF took control of my ~~life~~ running. As the event neared, I ended a running hiatus and started the “Oh Shit” marathon training plan. You probably haven’t heard of that one but it’s the plan that an experienced runner “may” use when they have been forced to take time off and a marathon “sneaks up” on them. About the time I started this “plan”, other Go! St Louis marathoners were probably getting ready to taper. The Plan in its 4 week entirety:

Week 1 – March 1 – 10 miles
Week 2 – March 8 – 12 miles
Week 3 – March 15 – 15 miles
Week 4 – March 22 – 20 miles

Yep, that was it, then I “tapered”, i.e. ran normal mileage until the April 12th event. This is obviously a “do as I say, not as I do” moment. That’s not a real training plan. Don’t try it unless you want to ~~cry~~ struggle thru your marathon. I knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy race for me, I was just planning to finish it and knock another state off my list. And that I did. Success.

Expo – Good location in the Chaifetz Arena which was about 1-2 miles away from most of the host hotels. Easy to get too. Lots of metered street parking. A $5 pay lot. Small, crowded expo but lots of friendly people & volunteers.

Race Day – Brought us cool temps (55 degrees) and overcast skies. Yes! Great start location on Market Street down by the Opera House. Plenty of space and well marked corrals. The view wasn’t too bad either. Smile

Race started on time and weaved thru downtown St Louis before taking us over the first bridge, where we crossed the Mississippi River into East St. Louis, IL. Short jaunt on the IL side of the river, then back over a different bridge to head back to MO.

The second bridge bounced. Maybe a suspension type bridge of some sort? Regardless, it was a very odd feeling and some people even shrieked from surprise. However, as soon as we were over the bridge we were headed down by the St Louis River Front via Laclede’s Landing. Ah, The Landing. The place that I heard so much about before our trip. We even had one friend warn us to just avoid it “at all costs”. But on foot, in a marathon, it’s all good. And it was a beautiful area. Flowering trees, lots of parking and restaurants/bars galore. Local rumor is that the gangs have taken over this area and I’m pretty sure that’s a true statement. There were zero spectators in the area. And there were several “young men” walking around various streets dressed exactly the same, even though they weren’t visibly together. So I’m glad I got to see The Landing in a safe environment and I hope that St Louis is able to reclaim The Landing for the residents and tourists because its worth the fight.

The first half of the race was great and most of the participants called it a day with the half marathon. Go! St Louis boasted a net downhill for the first half and it was a nice course with lots of historic sites. I was particularly impressed with the Budweiser campus. Neat, and clean. They even had a Clydesdale out for pics!

Although that first half had a net downhill, there was a continuous grade, either up or down. I tried to stay relaxed and slow that first half because I knew the ~~lack of mileage~~ hills would eventually take a toll on my body. And I was right. A little “niggle” in my right knee because a major pain in my right hip. Regardless, I kept powering on, past the half, up the inclines on Market Street, up and down ramps and mini bridges, around the endless turnarounds in the middle of roads, thru Forest Park, past the Forest Park mansions (that were spectacular), and eventually back to the finish. It wasn’t pretty. But I made it. I didn’t hate it. And my foot held up well. So I’m happy.

Missouri – DONE! It was a great race. Well done. Nice town that’s working on improvement & restoring old buildings and neighborhoods. Yes, there are hills. And bridges. And ramps. And lots of pinpoint turns around orange cones in the middle of random roads. But overall, it’s a good race and one where you’ll see the peeps ahead and behind you so definitely a good one if you have friends who are also running!

** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Illinois Marathon …. 4th Marathon in 21 Days

Posted on April 29, 2014 by tootallfritz

The 4 for 40 Challenge is done. Complete. Mission accomplished. It’s always a win when I am able to complete a goal. However, this was not an easy feat for me. I called it a challenge for a reason. 4 marathon in 21 days is hard. Some people make it look easy ~~and those people are crazy~~ but I had no illusions that it would be easy for me. It was a challenge. One in which my only goal was to finish the 4 marathons, be happy, be healthy and be able to move onto the next big thing. It was impossible to know when I started the 4 for 40 Challenge but my life is about to change dramatically. Had I not had the courage to chase down this goal, I may have never been able to attempt it. In fact, I’m not even sure when my next marathon will be due to the upcoming changes that are in store for myself and my family. So I’m proud that I had the courage to try something so challenging. I’m proud that I followed my heart. I’m proud that I did it even though it was difficult. Challenge complete!

As for the Illinois Marathon itself, it was a very well organized event. The marathon weekend offered something for the entire family. There was a 5K with 6,137 finishers, a 10K with 2,532 finishers, the half marathon with 5,663 finishers and the full with a mere 1,682 finishers. The weekend also offered an I-Challenge for runner who wanted to participate in the 5K on FRI evening and then one of the other events on SAT morning. Fun!! Plus a lot of my area runners were also participating so that ups the fun factor for me. Here are are a few members of my running club pre-race, and pic with my speedy friend & fellow Touch Chik Carmen who I got to see before the start.

Then we all headed to the potty lines that were super long. I must say after 5 weekends in a row of racing, if I NEVER see another porta-potty as long as I live, I’d be okay with that. The entire area reeked of ~~shit~~ poo. And the lines were ridiculously long. And many people were still standing in line with the gun went off. Why are there never enough potties?

The gun goes off. The first couple miles were fun with drunk college co-eds hanging off their porches and balconies cheering us on. Then we moved thru a neighborhood with lots of support. It was a fun charged atmosphere but I could tell that my legs just didn’t have much in them, so I slowed the pace and tried to find a rhythm. I just need to finish the race to complete my challenge and become a 4 star Marathon Maniac. I could do it! Pace didn’t matter but I soon realized that it was going to be a more difficult challenge than even I had anticipated. My “wheels” feel off early. Things just kinda fell apart both emotionally and physically. The weather wasn’t my friend either and to be honest, I was hot and miserable and tired. Like really tired. A combo of stress, lack of sleep and “maybe” 4 marathon in 21 days had taken it’s toll. I was toasted. Moving on mile by mile and hating every minute of it. The bright spot was definitely seeing the kids at mile 13. But that made me even more emotional and I just wanted to pack it up and go home ~~but alas my keys were in someone else’s check bag~~.

So I kept moving. Fortunately I had a couple friends who helped me out a ton. Amanda W from the FNRC was out to run bits of the course with a few of us ~~who needed help~~ and she kept me moving forward mostly by text messages. My friend Lisa told me to suck it up and just walk if I that’s all I could manage but reminded me that I needed to keep moving. Yep, I needed that. I also met many people on course who helped me thru mile by mile. SaraJeanne ran a few miles with me early on between 9 & 13. Then a guardian angel in a Marathon Maniac shirt, Laurie, kept me moving until Amanda W was able to come back to ~~carry~~ help me to the finish. It wasn’t pretty, so thank you ladies for all of your help!! Photo below of Amanda W, Jill and myself. Jill ran her VERY first marathon at IL. Great job, Jill!!

The course was mostly flat with a few inclines but no real hills. We ran through town, a forest preserve, back thru town (more drunken co-eds!!) and a lot of neighborhoods. Then some more neighborhoods with winding streets ~~that drove me crazy~~. Lots of community support. Always runners around me so I never felt alone. Aid stations were spaced about 2-2.5 miles apart, which was pushing it for such a warm day (temps were low 80s degrees by noon). Medical was every other aid station or so, which may have also been pushing it for the temps because I saw a lot of a runners down who needed help and most were be helped by other runners. However, where the aid stations were missing, local residents were there to pick up the slack setting up sprinklers, handing out jelly beans, water, and beer. Lots of beer. I bet there were at least 4-5 beer stations on the course. To be honest, if I had been feeling better, I would have been tempted by the beer but I was on an emotional roller coaster and alcohol may not have been the way to go for me. Smile

Overall, this was a good race. I didn’t love it and wouldn’t feel the need to go back but it was solid and I did love those drunken co-eds! LOL! I also really enjoyed my finish in the stadium and appreciated the F’N Runners waiting for me even though, I took so long to finish this one. Thanks, all!

Swag:

Good times! Now it’s time for this lady to rest. I’ll catch you later!

** Amanda – TooTallFritz – 4 Star Marathon Maniac **

4 For 40 …..

Posted on April 9, 2014 by tootallfritz

Well, I turned the big 4-0 last week. No, it was not the end of the world but rather a celebration. I’m super excited to be in a new ~~age group~~ decade. I look forward to my 40s and plan to celebrate for the ENTIRE month of April. I mean, really, everyone should celebrate the arrival of April and specifically SPRING. So yes, it’s a bit of a rebirth for all of us but it’s pure celebration or maybe the “hour of power” for myself and my ~~bitchy~~ strong and determined Aries friends.

I’ve been thinking about the big 4-0 for the last year. I wanted to do something “big” but nothing that would cause any “big” problems for the family. I could have taken the day off work and ran 40 miles but I didn’t. Too boring. So I’ve been tossing around the idea of 4 marathons, in the 4th month of the year, to celebrate my 40th birthday. I’m a big numbers person and this seems right. Adventurous but doable. I’ve certainly weighed the pros verses cons ~~a billion times~~ and I think I can do it. No, I know I can do it. Safely. Without injury. With a smile on my face. So here is the line up for the magical month of April. I’ve officially registered for all of these races {and also have childcare, plus travel arrangements, in place}:

4/5/14 – Lakefront 50K (31 miles) – 5:39 finish – 4th in my new age group (see, the universe is working with my “4” theme)
4/12/14 – Carmel Marathon, Carmel, IN
4/19/14 – Kentucky Derby Marathon, Louisville, KY
4/26/14 – Illinois Marathon, Champaign, IL

If all goes well, I’ll have 4 marathons in 21 days and that will qualify me as a 4 star Marathon Maniac. Yes, more 4s. If it doesn’t go well, then I’ll toss my bibs in the garbage, stand on the sidelines and cheer my friends to the finish and be no worse off than if I didn’t try at all. However, I’m confident that it will work. I’m confident that I can do it. I’m confident that I can stay in control enough to finish the races without pushing my body too far. I’m honestly looking at the 4 marathons as a “box set”. In my head, it’s one race with separate “stages”. It’s going to work.

So don’t look for me on the trail this month. I’ll either be marathoning or sitting in the rocker with me feet up. There really won’t be much in between. Sounds like the perfect Birthday Month to me! WhooooHooooo!

** 4 for 40, In the 4th Month, Running for 4 Star Marathon Maniac Status ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Little Rock Marathon Race Review

Posted on March 5, 2014 by tootallfritz

The 2014 theme for the Little Rock Marathon was “epic” with a comic type Super Hero flavor that was pushed hard all the way until and thru race day. I can’t say that I’ve ever encountered a race that delivered a better PR campaign. And I’ve certainly never ran a race that delivered above and beyond what the PR campaign promised, until I ran Little Rock. I was impressed with so many aspects of the race starting the moment I found the race website and how it was designed to fit the theme. I loved the race booklet they sent prior to the event to create hype leading up to the big day.

I loved how the booklet fit right in with the theme and was formatted in comic book style giving us a glimpse of what to expect. I particularly liked getting a heads-up to look for the lipstick “aid” station in the 25th mile before the finish.

Little Rock is a 9 hour drive from my home (south of Chicago) and to be honest, I had NO IDEA what to expect from the town itself. No, Little Rock was never on my “to be seen” list of places I wanted to travel. No, I didn’t really know anything ~~at all~~ about Arkansas. I made the trip because of the race, because of the good things I had heard about it from other runners, because of the large number (270+) of Marathon Maniacs who were attending and because of that wonderful PR campaign that really drew me to the race and the town itself. And I must admit, Little Rock was a pleasant surprise with a beautiful River Walking Trail, lighted bridges, lots of restaurants ~~and bars~~ in the River Market District, President Clinton EVERYTHING (parks, library, museum, bridge), beautiful homes, historic landmarks & monuments, and an old Street Car Electric Trolley, which was one of our favorite things about the town. Street car on the left. Julie M & Judy F inside the street car on the right.

We had a lot fun before the race even started and that was an unexpected treat. The expo was a great size with lots of vendors, keynote speakers and plenty of time to pick up packets prior to the race. The event also offered multiple race distance options for the entire family.

Kids Marathon – Finishing last mile on SAT – 1900 participant cap (sold out)
5K Run/Walk – SAT – 1400 participant cap
10K – SUN – 2000 participant cap
Half Marathon – SUN – 6200 participant cap
Marathon – SUN – 3500 participant cap (sold out)

The theme continued with a tricked out start line in comic book style.

The race directors even dressed up like super heroes and stood on top of start (by the right flag) and started each of the corrals the morning of the race. In the pouring rain. At 3-4 minute intervals. It took us 22ish minutes to get across the start line and begin our journey thru town. The first mile was crowded ~~as always~~ but the road soon opened up and we were on our way! Temps at the start were in the 50s with rain so we were pretty tight from shivering in the rain while we waited to get started; however, after 4 miles or so we were loose, warmed up, the rain gave us a short reprieve and we were READY TO RUN! We wove thru town, ran across the big bridge and saw Capitol Building.

By mile 6, we had already tacked a few hills, I was feeling good and starting to get antsy.

The real test of the marathon is patience. I’m not a fan of waiting. In fact, I really can’t stand to wait. This is the reason why marathons and I don’t really get a long. BUT in Little Rock I was with friends and the goal was to have fun. I had zero expectations and I’m not really sure they did either, if they did they were quiet about it. We knew the weather was going to be an issue. We knew there would be hills but we had no idea what to REALLY expect. So we were patient. We didn’t dawdle but didn’t run fast, just kept eating up the pavement, stopped for a potty (or two) and just kept moving. When I noticed a hill, I just put my head down and ran up without looking beyond the pavement in front of me so that it didn’t drain me mentally. Then the rain came faster and harder. Then the wind came. Temps started dropping A LOT (all the way down to 30 degrees by the finish). We passed the Governor’s Mansion ~~and Julie excitedly waived to the man in a blue raincoat who she SWEARS was the Governor, himself~~. We ran down streets with lots of history and amazing houses. We passed a priest who stood in the rain, blessing runners with Holy Water and we made a B Line over to him so that we could be blessed ~~because it seemed stupid to pass that up~~. And then it got cold. Like really cold. Around mile 10 or 11 the wind really picked up and the rain had us soaked to the bone. Our hands were red and we could hardly move our fingers. We made a consorted effort to wiggle our fingers, shake our arms and get the blood flowing cuz we knew how fast things could go “south”. Some of our marathon friends took the turn off for the half because they were so cold that they were starting to go hypothermic but we just kept our heads down, eating up the pavement as much with our eyes as our steps. We couldn’t see much thru the rain anyhow. I tried to take a few pictures but they all looked like this photo of the historic Central High School. Cloudy and foggy thru the rain.

So we kept moving. Not quickly but not dawdling either. We didn’t walk thru water stops, just slowed til everyone could get in fluid and fuel. We had to help each other a bit with our fuel cuz our fingers were so frozen we couldn’t get into our belts. Or open the packages for the gels/chews. Our pace seemed solid though and our spirits were high. We loved the course. We loved the houses. We loved seeing so many Marathon Maniacs and yelling support to as many as possible. It was fun. We were honestly having fun. There was a decent amount of entertainment. The course was diverse and interesting. Aid stations were well stocked with water & Gatorade. There were food stations with pretzels, bananas, oranges, jolly ranchers, & GU. There were surprisingly a lot of spectators considering the weather conditions (wind, rain, thunderstorms, and a promise of hail and freezing rain to come). It was all good until mile 20 when we saw the first sign that said that the race was canceled and we needed to get off the course.

We were in disbelief but kept running. Then slightly past mile 20 there was a very nice older man who was very aggressive about getting us off course. He was able to redirect some runners, while a few of us stopped to discuss the situation with him, then stepped off course to check the radar on our phones ~~and decided to keep on running~~. By this time, it was pretty bad honestly. And not many people were running, most were moving at a slow walk, frozen with tight muscles. Spouses and half runners were coming back for the marathoners and bringing them warm clothes and rain gear. We were instructed MANY, MANY times that the race was canceled, that buses were in route for us, that aid stations would be closing, that roads were opening, that traffic control was shutting down, that we should take shelter due to approaching storms. But there wasn’t anywhere to go. We were on a path (see the photo above with the lady holding the sign), on the riverfront without any buildings in sight. No buses in sight to “pick us up”. It was just us and the weather and we needed to keep moving for our own safety. So we ran! It was finally at mile 24 when a police officer with a bullhorn was shouting at us that if we continued it would be at our own risk. We had the option of staying on the riverfront and heading to the finish or crossing over the road, walking thru the trees, and heading toward a Walmart {which was not visible} where buses were supposedly waiting to pick us up. At that point, we headed toward the finish. There wasn’t any lightening. Yes, it was still raining and the wind was really blowing hard. Yes, we were frozen to the bone. Yes, our muscles were cold and cramping. However, we were determined to finish and to be honest, we couldn’t see the buses and we didn’t necessarily believe they were there waiting on us. It was too damn cold and wet to go with the unknown. I’d like to think that it was an educated decision on our part to go with what we knew and we knew that our hotel and car was at the finish. We knew our drop bags with warm clothes were at the finish. We knew that big ass medal was at the finish. What we didn’t know was that we had two massive hills to conquer in order to get there! But we made it. And the lipstick station was still open in the 25th mile, even if those poor ladies were frozen and shivering! Thanks, L’Oreal for the lipstick stain!

And it was an official finish. And we got that big ass medal. Done, baby!!! WhooooHooooo!

I can’t say that I’ve ever been so happy to finish a race! LOL! It was an amazing day. It was a great race. I’d definitely go back and not because of the medal but because of the event, the people, the town, the course, the fun. If you haven’t yet ran the Little Rock Marathon, I’d strongly suggest putting it on your list! So much fun!! And thanks to Julie & Judy for going with me because friends make any event so much better!

** Running For Fun, Cuz That’s What It’s All About ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Dopey Challenge – Day 4 – THE Marathon

Posted on January 13, 2014 by tootallfritz

Sunday, brought Day 4 of the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World. Marathon Day. 26,000 runners. We were down to about 6,400 Dopey runners out of the 7,000 who had started with us on Thursday, in the 5K. The half marathon on Saturday, and specifically the 100% humidity had taken out some of my Dopey friends. Sad smile But alas, the majority of us were still standing strong, even if we were a little delusional from lack of sleep. My Dopy Rockstar pals once again climbed out of bed at 2am FL time (1am, Chicago time) and hauled it up and out, leaving for our drive to Epcot by 2:30am. Easy parking day. We were very close to the entrance as opposed to the other days. Seems Disney Officials finally got it right and put the early birds up front by the gates. Just in time for us for the BIG day! We stayed tucked up in the car til the very last minute it was time to go in for gear check. We made a lame attempt at photos. My brilliant photo thought of the day was to do “game faces” but as you can see, Judy and I just smiled cuz well, that’s all the thought we could put into this last game day. Jason, Dawn, Judy & I below:

Then we did a quick meet up with a few of Jason’s British friends. I think we were going for muscles here, not really sure. Me, Jason, Julian, Dawn, Judy, Jonny & Martin.

Then off to the start to finish this thing run the marathon. Another amazing set of fireworks, even better than that which they did for the half, if that is even possible. This is the photo that runDisney posted and it’s ahmazing!!

Each corral (A thru M) started with their own set of amazing fireworks with Mickey Mouse as the official conductor who sent us off into the darkness for one last run thru the streets of Disney. Here is the course map to get an idea of exactly how much of Disney we would be tackling.

The first portion, maybe 8 miles was a repeat of the half marathon, which I was perfectly fine with me because I had really enjoyed it the day previous. However, soon enough they turned us off to see new things. I did get an early photo of Captain Jack Sparrow’s pirate ship, from Pirates of the Caribbean, because it was so cool when I saw it on the half that I wanted to make the stop to take a pic this time around. Disney really did a great job setting up the scene where each character was located in order to create the look and feel of the movie set for which they represented. It was very nicely done and a pleasure to see as we sped past.

On to the Magic Kingdom and I don’t think running thru there could EVER get old! This was definitely my favorite part of both the full and the half marathon. Running down Main Street was absolutely amazing and there was MASSIVE crowd support. It was even better this go round seeing a run club buddy, who has moved to FL, in the crowd cheering!! Love main street and I love Diane!!

Then the highlight of Magic Kingdom for me was seeing Cinderella’s Castle all lit up and draped in icicle lights. Absolutely breathtaking.

After the Magic Kingdom, we started weaving thru the rest of the parks, starting with the Richard Petty race track where a local car club got up super early to surround the track with all for their old and new muscle cars. We ran the entire track and it was SUPER cool! Then off on the back roads to Animal Kingdom where I was super stoked to ride the Everest Adventure roller coaster. Til I got there and it was still closed. Boooo! I was SO disappointed. Like really disappointed. I had been anticipating riding the Everest during the marathon ALL year. I was crushed. Last time the family and I went to Disney, I was pregnant with Michael so didn’t get to ride. This year when we go back, Michael will still be too little to ride. This was my only chance for YEARS to come. Sad smile

It was right before we got to Animal Kingdom, around Mile 12 that my tummy started giving me trouble too {read more disappointment}. I had spent all day/night Saturday trying to refuel from everything I had lost during the half and it was going well until I popped that first energy gel of the day, then it was ALL down hill. I may have even shed a tear or two on one of the SIX potty stops I had to make (under total duress) during the last half of the marathon. It was a rough because it left me empty and devoid of energy. I just kept following my Dopey Rockstar ladies who were so utterly kind to wait for me each and EVERY time I had to stop. Now those are good friends. Thank you, Dawn & Judy! So the second half of the marathon course is a bit of a blur. I just followed their shirts. Didn’t talk much. Noticed the characters were out but always wondered if we would see the ones I liked. We didn’t. Here is Maleficent in a photo that Dawn snapped.

I really expected more characters to be around from all the hype I’ve heard about previous Disney Marathons. Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot but I expected all the big name Disney characters to be out so we could see them and that wasn’t the case. I thought it was a great course though that covered a lot of the property. I didn’t mind the back roads at all and I just kept on trucking. We stopped for a few photos but since I had my own issues happening, I just tried to keep moving. We walked thru water stops, and there were a lot of those, probably every mile or mile and a half, but kept moving otherwise. We finally did find Dopey right at Mile 25 though and fortunately Dawn had run ahead (during my last potty stop) and she had a place in line for us. Yay!!

Over all, I give the Disney Marathon several thumbs up. I really enjoyed running thru the parks, even the back roads. There were tons of water stops. Medical support at every aid station. More volunteers than you can possibly imagine. Anything you might want: sunscreen (thank you!), Motrin, Biofreeze, Vaseline on sticks, and so many port o potties (super thankful for that!).

The bling is off the hook and that’s coming from someone who rarely even looks at a race finishers medal.

They offer events for everyone from your little one, all the way up to Grandma and Grandpa. It’s a real class act and a very family friendly event. Plus they have beer and champagne at the finish and let’s just say after 48.6 miles of fun, I was ready to have a celebratory beer. Myself and Judy toasting to a job well done. We were happy campers!

So that’s that. The Dopey Challenge, race by race. Tomorrow I’ll sum everything up and let you know if I think that the big price tag is worth the experience. Until then, Happy Running my friends!

** Just Keep Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

TooTallFritz

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

Tag Archives: Marathon Maniacs

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Illinois Marathon …. 4th Marathon in 21 Days

4 For 40 …..

Little Rock Marathon Race Review

Dopey Challenge – Day 4 – THE Marathon

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