Jan 24th 2013 12:21:22 pm

Bermuda was the second stop in my epic, 11-day double challenge race-cation. Read on for my detailed Triangle Challenge race report or go back and read my thoughts on the first leg of our trip, the 2013 Goofy Challenge at DisneyWorld.

2013 Bermuda Triangle Challenge

RECAP:

The Bermuda Marathon (and the corresponding Triangle Challenge) was chosen as a winter Team in Training event for our New York City chapter, and even though Travis and I couldn’t participate in winter season because we were finishing up with the overlapping Fall training season, we didn’t want to miss out on the fun. Travis and I flew straight from Orland to Bermuda on Wednesday. I was tired and it was another early morning wake up call to get to the airport in time. I wasn’t sure if all of this travel and running was a good idea at that point, but I had no choice but to carry on to Bermuda. Poor me!

It was fun to be on a tropical trip with Travis — just the two of us — but we couldn’t get up the energy to explore on Wednesday. We just ordered room service at our lovely Fairmont Southampton hotel, rested, and caught up on computer work using their free wifi. (Finally!) On Thursday, we were probably on our feet too much as we explored the towns of Hamilton and Saint George’s. We had a delicious seafood lunch, explored an old fort, took beach photos, and did some grocery shopping, then it was back to our hotel on a water ferry for more rest.

Our friends started arriving on Friday. We did some beaching and then headed into town for the big kick off of the Triangle Challenge: the one mile race! The Warriors among us wore our colors for this short race. I took it easy and completed the mile in just under 9 minutes. Of course, one mile was no problem, but I did notice that my legs were tired and heavy…

The 10k on Saturday was also no problem. I ran it easy with my friends Becca and Jon. We walked the water stops and the steep uphills. The weather was lovely and the views were gorgeous. I tried not to think about how much longer the marathon would be.

Six AM seemed like a totally reasonable wake up time for the 8 AM marathon considering our previous 3 AM Disney wake ups. I was nervous about the full marathon. Could my legs really handle a second 26.2 miles just a week after the last one? I wasn’t sure and I was sincerely nervous about not making it within the six hour time limit, but I was determined to get it done. Completing this marathon would mean I could apply for Marathon Maniacs — that was my motivation.

So, how was the marathon?? It was great! Surprising, right? I had literally no trouble with it. My legs were a little sore but strong. It rained the entire time, even pouring at times, and I was soaked through, but I felt incredibly fortunate to be running such a beautiful race. I was alone during much of the course and had to keep going and complete a second lap of the island while most of my friends stopped after the half marathon, but I didn’t really mind. Maybe I was just flabbergasted by my ability to keep going, or maybe it was the cool weather, or the friendly Bermudians, or the thought of that terribly ugly Marathon Maniacs singlet that I want so badly, but I was motivated, strong, and happy for the whole race. At 5:19, it is no personal record, but I ran it an hour faster than the Goofy full marathon one week earlier and I even ran it faster than my 2010 NYC marathon! So crazy!

THOUGHTS:

• I enjoyed Bermuda much more than Disney. In fact, I think that the pouring rain during the marathon was so bearable simply because I had the 80 degree Disney marathon to compare it to. Running most of the marathon totally solo was also a welcome contrast from the crowds of Disney. The cooler weather and amazing scenery in Bermuda made it a great race trip.
• Positives: The Bermudians are very friendly. The island is beautiful, even when overcast and rainy. Amazing turquoise ocean views! The races are small — only 142 completed the full marathon. You get four medals and four tech shirts if you complete the Triangle Challenge. The race atmosphere is is totally relaxed and they kept the marathon open much longer than six hours. So many of my friends were there!!
• Negatives: Not a ton of support out on the marathon course. Very small water stations with really weak Gatorade and no food stops. I had to pee on the side of the road at one point when there were no bathroom options. It rained a lot. Food and transportation in Bermuda is expensive, and the restaurants seemed to have a hard time handling our big groups since it was technically the off-season for tourists.
• The flight to Bermuda is so quick (less than 2 hours) and the island is so lovely, I would totally consider traveling there again. I would even do the Bermuda Triangle Challenge again.

I am so glad we ended our trip in Bermuda. It was much more relaxing than DisneyWorld and it felt more like a true vacation. I just wish Travis and I could have spent a few more days on the beach together!

Now that I know I can complete two full marathons on two consecutive weekends, what should my next challenge be??

View all of my Bermuda photos here.

8 Comments » Categories: Friends, running, Trips

Jan 24th 2013 11:12:16 am

Two weekends of marathon racing, eleven days of travel and fun, seven medals — what an epic vacation! I have so much to say about my double challenge experience that I’ve divided my ramblings into three blog posts. Read on for my Goofy Challenge thoughts or click here for my Bermuda Triangle Challenge recap.

2013 DisneyWorld Goofy Challenge

RECAP:

We ran this challenge with our friends Matt, Kenny, and Brian. (I felt a bit badass to be the only girl in our group… although there are plenty of women in the Disney races. Our sister Chelsea ran the full marathon with TNT.) We flew into Orlando on Friday, hit up the confusing expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, ate gross pizza at our resort hotel, then slept.

Both races started at 5:30 am, which meant we woke up at 3 am to catch the 4 am resort shuttles. The half marathon was impossibly crowded and I got very frustrated. But we stopped for a few photos in Magic Kingdom and pushed it a bit at the end. We finished it in just under 3 hours. We spent the rest of the day at Universal Studios checking out Harry Potter World (Butter Beer is not the best pre or post race beverage) and riding roller coasters.

For the full marathon, we started in an earlier corral to try to avoid some of the crowding. It was still shoulder-to-shoulder crowded, but the pace was a bit faster. We still took it easy, stuck together, and stopped for lots of photos and all the water stops. We rode the Operation Everest roller coaster at mile 13! Very fun and my favorite part of the race! It got really hot — 80 degrees and no shade. We were on our feet for 6+ hours and I was very happy to be done when I crossed the finish line and collected my spinning Mickey marathon medal!

THOUGHTS:

• Disney races are for Disney lovers. I am a Disney liker. I’d only recommend the Goofy Challenge to true Disney LOVERS who will get a thrill out of running through the full DisneyWorld resort property.
• Although you do get to run through all four DisneyWorld parks, that is a very small percentage of the races. Most of the running is done on highways and in parking lots. There is no shade. You also run by the Disney waste water treatment plant.
• Positives: The races were extremely well supported. Water & PowerAde stops every 1.5 miles and tons of volunteers. There were also four food stations (CliffBar energy gel, two bananas, and chocolate) during the full marathon and plenty of medical tents. Lots of food at the end. Lots of photographers. The medals are awesome — we got three: half, full, Goofy — and the race shirts, while a bit obnoxious, are high quality, long-sleeved tech shirts. Fun photos, music, comedians, and a roller coaster along the way!
• Negatives: The races were unbelievably crowded. I have run huge races, but this was the most crowded course I’ve ever been on. You could easily trip on the person in front of you and it was nearly impossible to dodge your way through your corral to find a faster pace group. There was shoving and some snide remarks happening (some of them coming from me). You spend a very short time in the parks and then run on a lot of highways, where there wasn’t much crowd support. It got way too hot and sunny during the full marathon.
• Disney races are nearly non-competitive. ALL runners and walkers are welcome. More than 8,500 people completed the 2013 Goofy Challenge and there were MANY run/walkers. Last year before signing up, the Goofy Challenge seemed crazy and ambitious, but after completing it, it feels totally doable for nearly anyone. Don’t get me wrong, we were very well-trained, but no matter your age/size/skill level/speed, if you want to complete a half & full marathon challenge in a supportive and safe environment, Disney is a good option.
• Disney races are also very family friendly. We did NOT totally enjoy our stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort (humid rooms, no wifi or phone service, horrendous food options) but it would probably be an ok option for a larger family with kids — there is a huge pool. The resort transportation is very slow, but convenient.
• Overall, we took the races really easy and knocked them out without much trouble. (Only the last two miles of the full marathon were painful for me.) I’m glad that our little group mostly stuck together. Travis and I finished both races side-by-side. We were all tired and a little sore after, but we still managed to spend Monday and Tuesday having fun at the Disney parks and replacing all of our lost calories with theme park treats and “international” cuisine at Epcot.

Disney is not my mecca, but I had a fun weekend hanging out with friends and tackling a huge physical challenge (and taking plenty of pretty castle photos) along the way. I don’t think I need to run a Goofy Challenge ever again, but I totally understand if you want to. ha!

View all of my Goofy Challenge photos here.

4 Comments » Categories: Friends, running, Trips

Jan 2nd 2013 07:12:45 pm

2013! Let’s do this! But first, let’s look back on 2012. Here are some of the highlights:

• I attended Alt Summit in Salt Lake City.
• I turned 31.
• I ran the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at DisneyLand with Chelsea.
• I went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans with my brother Seth.
• I went to a taping of the Wendy Williams Show.
• I reviewed a bunch of delicious, new, Brooklyn restaurants: Mile End, Fort Reno, Talde, Pok Pok NY, and Brooklyn Crab.
• I ran the San Diego Marathon 12 years after the first time I ran it in 2000.
• I went camping with friends at Mongaup Pond.
• I took a bunch of jump shots with friends at The Color Run.
• I participated in the 200-mile Reach the Beach relay with The Warriors!
• Dad came to run a 10k in NYC with me.
• I got a personal record at the Staten Island Half Marathon.
• I had fun at the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco.
• I survived Hurricane Sandy.
• I ran the Philadelphia Marathon in my fastest time yet!
• I hosted Thanksgiving.
• I traveled home for Christmas.
• I attended an awesome New Year’s Eve Prom party!

There was a lot of running in 2012… we’ll see if I can keep it going this year.

What were your 2012 highlights?

No Comments » Categories: Brooklyn, Family, Friends, running

Dec 4th 2012 11:05:53 pm

Go team, indeed. The fall season of Brooklyn Team in Training has finally come to a close. This was a huge, long, complicated, wonderful marathon training season. I am both happy and sad that it has ended.

Some highlights from our 6+ months of training:

TNT Night at the Brooklyn Cyclones, a big fundraiser event planned by Lynn and me /// my fast showing at the Bronx 10k /// my huge PR at the Staten Island Half Marathon /// fun times at the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Diego /// the cancellation of the NYC Marathon /// and our triumphant plan B race, The Philadelphia Marathon!

I was social captain this season, which turned out to be a very big job. I planned weekly socials and a few other events for the team, including our fun end of season party on Saturday. I REALLY enjoyed my role, but it was an intense time commitment. Plus, Superstorm Sandy and the cancellation of the NYC marathon put a bit of a damper on the final weeks of training. I think it is for the best that Travis and I are taking a short TNT break for the winter… of course, we will still be doing plenty of running!

Check out all the photos from fall season on my Flickr set.

I’ve said this 100 times before, but if you want to complete an endurance event, do it with TNT. You won’t regret it. (I can’t ever stay away for long. Travis and I plan to be back with our fabulous TNT peeps for Summer season.)

2 Comments » Categories: Brooklyn, Friends, running, Team In Training

Nov 24th 2012 01:54:26 pm

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Travis and I save our trip back to Kansas City for Christmas, so Thanksgiving is usually not a grand affair. But I love turkey, so I was intent on making a meal this year.

In between all the marathon craziness of the last few weeks, I started planning my big meal. I made Pinterest board to bookmark recipes and got out all of my Thanksgiving Martha Stewart magazines. The only glitch in my prep plan was the Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday. I was so sore from the race, it made shopping and carrying groceries up the three flights of stairs to our apartment slow and difficult. I also felt less than 100% at Thursday morning’s Turkey Trot, but Travis’ willingness to wear matching pajamas for the run helped motivate me.

I forced all of our sweet BK friends who didn’t have other plans to come over dinner. I ended up making this brined herb-crusted turkey recipe. The turkey turned out great – maybe my best yet – but the apple cider gravy was a little too tangy for me. We had mashed potatoes and cranberries and stuffing and apple pie. Our friends brought appetizers, pumpkin cheesecake, muffins, green bean casserole, cookies, and wine. We ate well. I had a relaxed, fun time. I am very thankful for kind friends who put up with my party planning antics. Life is good.

What did you do to celebrate Thanksgiving?

1 Comment » Categories: Food, Friends, holidays

Nov 19th 2012 03:24:30 pm

Philly was my fifth and fastest – yay – but most painful – boo – marathon yet.

I was in a daze leading up to this race. Between the terrible hurricane, the NYC marathon cancellation, and catching a cold/flu, my head just wasn’t focused on running my best marathon yesterday. But I did it. Thanks mostly to my wonderful friend Sarah Yuen who ran with me the whole way and made sure I got my PR (4:48) at the end when I was majorly struggling.

In June, I ran the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon. That was MY race! I made a detailed pace and fueling plan, stuck to it, pushed it at the end, and finished with my sub-5 hour goal time. That felt like a triumph. Despite my excitingly fast time in Philadelphia, the race overall felt more like my painful 2010 NYC Marathon than triumphant San Diego.

I trained hard this season. Really hard. I ran almost 50% more miles than last fall season. I achieved a crazy fast time at the SI Half. I had high hopes for my full marathon… even if it couldn’t be NYC.

I started maybe a bit too fast. We were running 10:30-10:45 minute miles for the whole first 20 miles and I really thought it was an ok pace. I was probably being too ambitious. Especially since I was sick. I thought I was going to be able to pick it up for the last 10k and get my super goal time. I was wrong.

Somehow I lost my mind and gave in to my flu/cold-induced lack of appetite and decided that I didn’t need to eat any more fuel after mile 16. So dumb. I ate about half of the calories I should have during the race. And so, unsurprisingly, I totally hit the wall at about mile 21. Coach Syed tried to keep us moving. I struggled. I was in pain. I stopped to walk. I wanted to quit. I’ve never wanted to quit a marathon as much as I did at mile 23 yesterday. Sarah kept me going. Then, Coach Kara jumped in and gave me Swedish Fish which basically saved my life. I was able to run. My friend Matt ran with us at mile 25 and lifted my spirits. Coach Amy jumped in near the end and got the crowd cheering. That was fun. I did my best to sprint to the finish line. I was just so relieved to be done. Whew.

Sarah and I got our medals. Took some photos. Drank chicken broth and ate pretzels. Then we found Travis near the bag pick up. He was sitting on the curb looking exhausted. He PR’d with a time of 4:15, but hadn’t quite reached his original goal. We saw a few friends, but then hobbled the mile back to our hotel. I wasn’t up for getting back out on the course to cheer. I just got in bed and napped. (Not a smart recovery plan, btw.) We missed our team victory party, but managed to go out for some dinner later in the evening. I wanted ice cream, but settled for froyo.

Travis and I feel very lucky. Lucky that we got into this fun, organized, giant Philadelphia road race at the last minute. Lucky that we are able to afford such fun trips and such a wild marathon running hobby — both financially and health-wise. Lucky that we get to enjoy it together. And VERY lucky to be part of our amazing Brooklyn Team in Training.

I say this every time I run a race, but I am serious: the only way to marathon is to do it with TNT. Philly was a mostly impromptu race for most of our team. Still, our coaches and team mates were there to support us. This training season didn’t end up exactly as we had all planned, but the team pulled together, reorganized, and made it fun. I am impressed.

I am in pain as I recover today. So sore, chaffed, sick. I’ll survive, but I wouldn’t mind taking a marathon break… that won’t happen, of course. We have the Goofy Challenge coming up in about 7 weeks! Gah!

UPDATE: I almost forgot!! Travis and I were on tv! We were interviewed about signing up for Philly after NYC was cancelled.

8 Comments » Categories: Friends, running, Team In Training, Travis, Trips

Sep 21st 2012 10:29:33 am

It is hard to believe, but right now I wish that I was sitting in a stinky minivan with five other adults eating pretzels and gatorade…

That is exactly what I was doing last week while participating in the New Hampshire Reach the Beach relay. Who else but Joel could organize two teams of twelve people to run 200 miles in 24 hours?!

Four vans of Warriors got ourselves all the way up to Cannon in northern NH, and then took turns running south until we got to Hampton Beach. We did not sleep. We ate brownies and PBJs and chocolate milk and carrots. I ran in extreme darkness at 11 pm wearing a head lamp. I ran on uneven roads, grassy fields, sidewalks, and bridges. I ran as the sun rose at 6 am past cows and barns. I ran in rain and up more hills than I thought possible. It was intense and challenging… and basically the most fun ever.

And! We all wore tear away pants!

See lots more RTB photos here.

4 Comments » Categories: Feeling Happy, Friends, running, Trips

Aug 31st 2012 11:17:42 am

With a group of running friends, Travis and I signed up for The Color Run this summer. The multi-city race is billed as “the happiest 5k on the planet” and the NYC event sold out within two days, despite the $50 registration fee. The photos and videos online made it look like a lot of fun, so we were excited to try it out.

A 5k is sort of low mileage at this point in our marathon training, so it was a little annoying to wake up early and drive deep into Brooklyn on a Sunday morning for three un-timed miles, but we were still pumped. Many members of our Brooklyn Team were there decked out in the required white t-shirts. We had fun dancing and throwing color on each other before and after the jog through the course on an abandoned air strip.

There were four “color stations” on the course where volunteers sprayed you with colored powder. There probably should have been more color stations, since otherwise the course was completely boring… but there was music and lots of young people acting crazy, so we stayed entertained. After the finish line we were instructed to throw our color packet (basically corn starch and dye) in the air for the grand finale. It made for fun photos. In fact, the photos were definitely the best part of this race.

It was a fun morning. And yes, all of the color washed off… eventually. Overall, I am glad that we tried out The Color Run, but I probably don’t need to do it again.

Have you done The Color Run? What did you think?

3 Comments » Categories: Brooklyn, Exercise, Friends, New York, running, Team In Training, Travis

Aug 16th 2012 02:25:51 pm

Somewhere in a box of memories in my parents’ basement in Kansas is a list I made when I was 19. The list was my extreme athletics plan and it went something like this: Marathons > Triathlon > IronMan > EcoChallenge* …and the list may have ended with Olympics. (2000 was a Summer Olympics year, after all.)

Well, I can cross Marathons off the list. And, as of last Saturday, a triathlon and eventually an IronMan have been moved to the top of my endurance priority list!

Saturday was the Inaugural IronMan US Championships in NYC. An IronMan, by the way, is a 2.4 mile swim + 112 mile bike ride + 26.2 mile run. I did NOT participate, but I DID volunteer.

Team In Training and the LLS (my charity of choice) manned an aid station at Miles 22 & 25 of the IronMan marathon course. We arrived early, set up aid tables, chalked the route with encouraging words, then waited to hand out water, food, sponges, and Coca-Cola to the athletes.

Volunteering was thrilling and I would love to do it again, but even more exciting was tracking and cheering for our friends on the course. TNT had an “IronTeam” and three of my Brooklyn teammates (Hi Joel, Yvonne, and Ronald!) were crazy ambitious enough to sign up and spend the last year of their lives training for this huge event.

A group of us got up early to go see the beginning of the bike before our volunteering shift. (The “Go Complete Stranger” sign was a huge hit, btw.) Then, in the evening, we camped out near mile 22 of the marathon and waited for our TNT peeps to run by…

We were there to cheer for all of the athletes, but especially the TNT athletes, and MOST especially Brooklyn TNT Coach Joel. There is legend surrounding the greatness of Joel, but all you need to know is that last fall he traveled to Washington DC on HIS BIRTHDAY to coach me (and a tiny & terrific Brooklyn TNT contingent) in the Marine Corps Marathon. That race day was one of the best days of my life and I needed to repay the kindness. (Also, Joel once gave me an epic birthday gift.)

We saw a lot of exhausted athletes Saturday evening, but Joel was not one of them. He was strong and happy and fast at the end of a MARATHON at the end of an IRONMAN! So strong and happy in fact, that I think I am completely underestimating the difficulty of the event when I say “I want to be an IronMan.” But… stating a goal is the first step in achieving it, right?

I guess I better go buy a bike…

*Travis and Adam agreed to be on my EcoChallenge team and don’t think I am forgetting that even if the adventure race reality show has been off the air for a decade. We ARE doing it!

2 Comments » Categories: Brooklyn, Exercise, Friends, New York, running, Team In Training

Jul 25th 2012 01:49:24 pm

Seafood! I love it, but it can be intimidating… or at least too fancy and expensive. So, I was really excited to go try out Brooklyn Crab, a brand new, totally casual, giant, three-story crab shack in Red Hook. Reviewing the menu online had me craving crabs and oysters and lobster… yum!

Brooklyn Crab officially opened about two months ago, but I was a bit behind in my restaurant watching. I hadn’t had a chance to read many reviews before Travis and I went to check it out with four friends the Friday before last.

It is a good thing I hadn’t read many, because the reviews have been pretty harsh. The up side is that most of the complaints center around the long waits for tables and the disorganization of the staff, not necessarily the food.

After taking the Brooklyn Crab shuttle from Carroll Gardens, we did indeed have to wait for over an hour for our table, but it was actually for the best. We grabbed drinks and ordered the Cool Platter seen above (1/2 lb. Snow Crab Legs, 1/2 lb. Spicy Peel & Eat Gulf Shrimp, 4 Oysters & Creamy Mustard Sauce) which you can get at the bar.

Then, after chowing down on our fresh, delicious, chilled appetizer, we checked out the game yard. Brooklyn Crab has a full 18-hole mini golf course and cornhole (bean bag toss) games. The games were free to play when we were there, but apparently now it costs $5 for a round of mini-golf.

Travis got two putt putt holes-in-one and our friend Nate dominated the bean bag toss, so basically it was a very fun ninety minute wait.

I was pleased when we were seated in the upper area of the restaurant at one of the big picnic tables. The table was perfect for our big group and the views of the water and city were incredible. We could see both the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. I wish I had taken better photos…

The meat-eating side of our table ordered two Steam Pots: the Northeast (1 1/2 Lb. Lobster, 1 1/2 Lb. Jonah Crab, Mussels, Gulf Shrimp, Red Potatoes & Corn on the Cob) and the Southern (Blue Crabs, Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Red Potatoes & Corn on the Cob in Old Bay). Our friend Casey (who took the photo above) is moving to North Carolina from NYC this summer, so the two Pots felt quite appropriate.

I was absolutely in LOVE with all of the seafood. Of course, it took a bit of work to eat all of the crabs and lobster, but cracking the shells is half the fun! The spicy, peel-and-eat shrimp and the sausage, with their Old Bay seasoning, were also delicious. The only item that I wasn’t thrilled with was the Jonah Crab… it had a strange flavor to me. Overall, I was extremely happy. Nothing was overcooked and I was satisfied, but not stuffed when we finally managed to finish up the very last bits of each Steam Pot.

Travis and our friend Amanda ordered the Vegetarian Steam Pot and Macaroni & Cheese. They were quite happy with their selection. You can tell your veggie friends that they don’t need to skip Brooklyn Crab.

We finished the meal with Brownie Sundaes and Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Tart – both received raves from everyone at the table.

Don’t be scared of the Yelp reviews of Brooklyn Crab. I had a great experience. As long as you aren’t in a hurry and are willing to spend $40+/person for a very casual, but delicious and fresh seafood meal, there is no reason not to go check it out. It is the perfect place for a fun & easy summer meal. Get there when they open at 2 pm on Saturday or Sunday and make a whole afternoon of it!

Check out Brooklyn Crab online or follow them on Twitter.

Have you been to Brooklyn Crab? What did you think? Which Brooklyn restaurant should I check out next?

No Comments » Categories: Brooklyn, Food, Friends, New York