Running My Half Off: Rockin' Bmore!

Hey, Ya'll!

I ran a relay...it was awesomesauce...you should all run one....for realz...LOVED IT!

About a week or so ago my friend Heather asked me to join her 4 person relay team for the Baltimore Marathon Relay...ummmm, yes please! Their 4th member had to step down and they were in a scramble to find a replacement. I'm so happy that she thought of me to step in and take their friends place (THANKS TEAM FASTINISTAS!). I had originally wanted to run the relay, but couldn't seem to get a team together so I gave up and called it a wash. Heather new that I was already trained up for longer distances and that I had really wanted to do this relay, so it was a no brainer that I would love to join their team...duh!

So, what is a marathon relay, you ask? It's a full marathon (26.2miles) broken down into 4 legs. I was lucky enough to get the 4th leg (7.3miles) and was beyond excited! I mean who doesn't want to run through Camden Yards into the HUGE finish line with thousands of spectators? The first 4-5miles were all over the place with small hills, but it was a glorious run. The weather was amazing, although the wind was a bit redonkulous...like whoa. I mean I almost got blown away. Wind aside, I would run the race again in a hot second. I love it!! LOVE IT! Seriously, obsessed. You get all the excitement associated with a big marathon race, but without the anxiety of the loooong distance.

When I went to pick up my race packet on Friday night I felt such relief. I was only (only?) running 7.3 miles! It didn't require any real long distance preparation...YEEHAW! I was here to have fun. period. The end. This was also my first race that had an expo for packet pick-up. I officially felt fancy. I was running a marathon sized race WITH an expo and a finishers medal?! I will never run a small town race again. Okay, that's a lie. I will never again run a half marathon that does not have a medal. I know originally I was all about the free race t-shirt, but what I've learned is that if you're gonna be busting your butt running for anything more than say a 15k, you want the medal....and the t-shirt. Speaking of t-shirts, the expo had some HILARIOUS shirts/bumper stickers/magnets, etc and of course I have to share some of them with you....

This one is for my friend Tracey....we both have running induced toenail issues...TMI? nah.

Obviously.

1/2 crazy for now! We shall see if I ever work up the courage to run a Full...dun dun dunnnn

Is there supposed to be a difference?

I could have photographed funny shirts all night long, but I had to cut myself off. I was like a tourist. I am giddy with excitement about the expo in Savannah, GA!! Bring on the funny shirts!

On to race day....

I was up at 5:45am on race day and my team left for B-more at around 6:30am. We quickly dropped of our leg 2 member (Kerri) by the buses, so she could catch the 7:30am bus to her relay exchange, and found a parking spot. The race didn't start till 8am, and my bus didn't leave until 8:30, so I was able to hang with our leg1 (Mary)and leg 3 (Heather) runners for a bit. At around 7:50am I decided to head towards my bus stop and bid farewell to my teammates. I knew that I was gonna be hangin' at my relay exchange for a good bit...good thing I love strangers and making new friends! I arrived at my exchange by 9am, so you do the math for a marathon that starts at 8am...Mama was gonna be waiting for a good bit, and it was FREEZING! No worries though, the whole experience was worth every goose bump. I got to see the "real' runners...the Kenyans...no, really....the top finisher was Kenyan, and he was fast. I mean he was sprinting...it was bananas how quickly the leaders raced by us at mile 19...phew!

I love watching races, especially marathons. They are so inspiring. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of costumes. When I was at the Marine Corp Marathon last year I saw tons of people dressed up, but it seemed like only a small handful wore funky outfits in Bmore. I did love this old man.....


Yup, he's rockin' a light blue tuxedo

I also saw a dude wearing a Dunkin Donuts costume. Can't imagine running 26.2 miles dressed as a cup of coffee.

I had a rough idea of when the leg 3 runner, Heather, would be at the exchange point, but for the most part is was just a guess. The exchange was broken down by groups according to bib numbers which seemed to help a bit, and I easily spotted Heather as she ran up the hill towards me. I did however see a good number of people wandering around looking for their teammate to make the exchange. I can't even imagine how frustrating that would have been!

My leg of the run was amazing (as previously stated above)! It was better than I could have ever imagined and I was so glad that I had rested my legs in the days leading up to the race. I also made a last minute decision to pop 3 Clif Shot Bloks (tropical punch flavor w/caffeine) about 15 mins before Heather got to the exchange and I'm thinking it really helped with my energy levels on the hills. My finishing time was 1:12:54....that's a 9:55 pace!! YAHOOOO! Um, seriously? Did I just run like a Kenyan? HA, okay...I kid, I kid, but a 9:55pace for 7.3 miles is INSANITY for me. Such a fabulous day and I am so excited to run Baltimore again next year. I may even run the half!