Race #11: Run for the Buds 1/2 Marathon - October 15 - Wilmington, DE - 2:25:39

Sometimes it's just not your day. Sometimes you wear the wrong amount of clothing,  get a blister on your ankle, feel like you've got lead in your legs, slept on your neck wrong, have to climb a mountain at mile 8, ate the wrong thing for breakfast, and just don't feel your best. Sometimes it's just not your day. 

The Run for the Buds was a small local race to raise money for a program that helps kids with intellectual disabilities, such as down syndrome. A lot of the kids were running in the 5k race and they were all so excited and giddy before the start of the race, you just couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm for life. Shelling out so much money for races is much less painful when you know it's for a worthy cause. We didn't have timing chips, so the time is unofficial, but trust me, it's accurate. If I was going to lie about my time I'm pretty sure I'd give myself something better than 68th out of 87th place. When even the police (who were closing the roads for you to run safely) leave because they are tired of waiting so long for you to finish, you know you've had a bad race. 

Aside from my personal failure of the run, both the weather and course were superb. It was a perfect autumn day and the course was a challenging, yet scenic path through a park and down a main street in Delaware. Although I'm griping about my time, deep down I'm still pretty proud just to finish the race. Sometimes I get jaded to the fact that simply completing 13 miles on any given day is an accomplishment. Like they say, "Even if you're last, you're still lapping everyone on the couch!" :)

As always, for your entertainment: 

I know, I know. Sometimes it's hard to tell if Sam is short for Samantha or Samuel. Whatevs.

Black pants were a bad choice.

If that banner isn't the finish line I'll have to hurt someone.

Uncrustables and grapes for the ride home! Takes you right back to 6th grade doesn't it?

 Getting great deals at the Nike Outlet store will make me feel better:

$55 Capris for only $9!!!!! Awwww, yeahhh.

Got a problem? Just WORK IT OUT.

$20. I'm much more stylin' on my commute to work these days.

 Happy (better than me) running, 

p.s. - I'm headed to Ireland on Friday!

 See ya in two weeks when I will be posting amazing pictures, I'm sure! :)

Race #10: Wilson Bridge 1/2 Marathon - October 2 - Mt. Vernon, VA - Finish Time: 2:12:26

Oh, 4:30 am weekend wake-up calls, how I love you so.

Leaving my apartment. Yeah, that says 4:58 am

I could summarize the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon one of two ways:

a) In exactly one week I improved my half marathon time by 6 minutes; or
b) I missed my half marathon PR by 5 minutes.

For the sake of keeping a shred of self confidence I think I'll stick with the first one. Not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for back to back half marathons, but there are some hilarious pictures that are the result of that decision. I'm happy to provide a moment of laughter for you all. 

As for the Wilson Bridge 1/2 Marathon, I really liked the course, but it's not anywhere near my favorite because I'll always be partial to out-and-back or loop races. Point-to-point races require more logistics such as waking up earlier than humanly possible to provide time for loading up buses and transporting people to the start line. After the race we waited in long (very cold) lines to get back to the parking lot which wasn't super close to the finish line in National Harbor, Maryland.

I will say that the medals and the tech shirts were of excellent quality and design. I really like them. On the other hand, I despised the expo because it was ridiculously hard to find and when I eventually found it I had to wait in line because they only allowed a small group of people into the cramped room at one time to get their packet. For a $90 race I was extremely disappointed that there were exactly ZERO freebies in my race bag. Really? You couldn't even throw a mini Cliff Bar in there?!?

"The Awakening" is a sculpture of a man breaking free from the earth. It was just before the finish line.

Oh, and I can't forget to add to my "awesome spectator sign" list. Around mile 8 we were just about to cross the (large) bridge when I spotted "Chuck Norris never ran the Wilson Bridge!" and "Getting up early to make this sign wasn't easy either!" They both made me laugh and gave me a little boost to get over that bridge. Thanks, spectators!

And now for your entertainment:

WHAT are my arms doing?!

People are wearing jackets and I'm smiling...this must have been mile 1.

I'm so pretty.

Pure pain. Pushin' it for the home stretch! :)

Yay! I'm done! Where's the food?

This was the first solo run I've done in a while. Usually I have at least one friend in the race with me or someone at the finish line. For this race I decided to treat myself to a solo, very sweaty brunch date at IHOP.

This is a feast fit for a queen, baby!

I don't play around.

1. What's your favorite brunch place?
2. What type of race do you prefer? Out and back? Loop? Point to Point?

Race #9: State to State Half Marathon - September 25th - Oxford, OH and Bath, IN - Finish Time: 2:18:22

There's nothing like the smell of horse manure at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday. A lot of people might think my idea of a weekend getaway is a little twisted. On Friday after work I flew out to visit some extended family and a close friend in Cincinnati.


I'm really not known for having the best pre-race nutrition regimens. In the past I've ate fried oreos, drank beer, and inhaled massive amounts of barbeque in the days leading up to races. Yet again, I've chosen to inflict pain on my stomach during 13.1 miles. This time by downing some infamous Skyline Chili:

There was a good chance of thunderstorms on Sunday morning, but thankfully it held off long enough for us to have perfect running weather. Lindsey (who ran Race #4 with me) and I woke up at the butt crack of dawn to run:

With my jacket and her laces there's no way we are getting lost!

We had gone out to the area the day before to scope out the race course. It was a whole lotta this:

You kind of just had to pretend that the massive fields of corn and soy beans were big crowds cheering for you.  We crossed into Indiana at mile 5, but honestly, without the "Welcome to Indiana" banner you wouldn't have known.

We had to be extra happy and excited to make up for the grumpy lady next to us. Maybe she was just super focused. She probably finished an hour before us. haha

Since I've was a total slacker when it came to training for this race, my goal was just to walk no more than twice. I only walked once, so I'm glad I hit that goal, but not exactly happy with my time. It was nice to cross the finish line together at 2:18:22, but Lindsey and I both wanted to PR this mostly flat, perfect weather, out and back course. Fortunately for us we each have more fall races to accomplish that. 

That face says "this is when I regret eating those 14 cream puffs"

Some cruel race course designer put a massive hill in with .2 miles left to go in the race, but we finished strong and promptly ate massive Jimmy John sandwiches...yumm!

Aside from the race we also got to visit a pumpkin patch, a farmer's market, and a small Oktoberfest event:

I swear I looked between the Okra and the Peppers and I did not find any half marathon runners.

I seriously contemplated bringing this back on the plane with me. Pumpkin guts aren't considered liquid are they? Either way that is definitely less than 3 oz.

Too bad this was the night before the race and we couldn't actually drink those beers.

And obviously races wouldn't be races without fro-yo:

My topping to fro-yo ratio might be a little unbalanced.

Was I smoking something when I signed up for back to back races? I'll be checking Virginia off my list this weekend!


Happy Running,

BIG Changes

I would first like to apologize for my blogging hiatus. I wanted to tell you all why I had been so aloof, but due to employment reasons I couldn't post anything online about it until yesterday when I made a BIG change in my life. Are you ready for this? I swear it is going to come out of nowhere like a Chuck Norris round house:

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy. 

Told ya it was big. Instead of writing new posts and commenting on all of your wonderful blogs I have been re-learning math from 6 years ago that I never fully comprehended in the first place. Filling out mountains of paperwork and studying for the standardized test that determines which military jobs you qualify for took precedence over blogging - I know, how rude. I promise I will be back on track now. 

Are you thinking what everyone else has been asking me? "But, Sam...WHY? Why are you joining the Navy? You are a college graduate. You have a well-paying job. We are involved in major conflicts overseas. What are you thinking?" Well alright, here comes my "Why I Decided to Join the Navy" story:

I have always been a traveler at heart. Last year, instead of taking a relaxing summer vacation on a beach, I explored as much of Ethiopia as I could. I place an extremely high value on my vacation days so when I was flying back from Africa I literally went straight from the airport to my office with all my luggage in tow. That's just how I roll. My current job is based in DC and doesn't ever require me to travel. I want to explore a little more, but unfortunately flying half way around the world costs quite the pretty penny. An aircraft carrier will take me there for free :)

source

I have an opportunity to do something I love (and get paid for it). All of my life, photography has been a hobby. In college I had several friends who were majoring in graphic design. They often suggested political science might not be my ideal fit and that I should join them amongst the creative folks. Photography never crossed my mind as a potential career field because I am a person who depends on stability and certainty. I couldn't handle the risk of a ridiculously expensive education and such an unreliable job market. With any luck I'll soon be a Mass Communications Specialist in the Navy. My days will consist of journalism, photography, and public affairs events. I will be responsible for telling the Navy's story. I'm not saying I don't like the job I have now in the civilian world (because I really do), but I honestly don't think I could be more excited about this new opportunity. I promise to keep you posted on when I officially get the job.

My family is supportive of everything I do. I am blessed with wonderful parents. In fact, my dad is the one who encouraged me to look into military service. Since I have a college degree, he had originally suggested officer school for me, but the program I wanted (Public Affairs Officer) is extremely competitive and only takes 2 or 3 civilians every year who are experts in the field. Enlisting isn't the end of the world. I figure if I get in there and decide this is what I want to make my career, then I can always try for Officer later. I have time. Also, just a side note - my dad is extremely excited that he has another college football team to root for. He spent all of yesterday online shopping for Navy Midshipmen t-shirts and hats for the family. Gotta love him.

Fear the goat?? Ummm, not sure how I feel about that. ha.  source

I feel the need to serve my country. Of course, I had to save the best reason for last. I love the United States of America. We might be going through some tough times right now, and we might not all agree on politics, religion, or values, but there is a sense of camaraderie and patriotism in this nation that could never be diminished. America provides opportunity and freedom to people of all colors, sexes, and religions. I'm proud to be a part of something that defends those liberties.

source

Well, there you have it. Now I'm back to focusing on running races until I ship out on May 1st, 2012 (tentative date). I have a half marathon next weekend that I am so not ready for.


Hooyah,