A blog about running, and thrift shopping! The first Thursday of every month I post my latest thrifting finds. I also post race reviews for the DC and Baltimore area.
I know I probably say something to this effect every month but: Wow. December already?! It feels like the year has just flown by. So many races and my schedule for next year is starting to round itself out nicely. (I'll be updating my upcoming races in the bar up top soon.) But for now, here are my thrifting finds for the month!
Love a seamless, loud shirt for working out! Nike's Epic line usually fits the bill. As an added bonus it has a fitted hem at the bottom of the shirt that's meant to help keep the shirt down while running, doing burpees, etc. I've already worn this for a workout and it does not because I had to keep pulling it down during the workout otherwise it would go all the way up to my high waist. (Not a cute look!) So how do you fix that? Silicone caulk like I use in my shorts tutorial! Super inexpensive and an easy fix.
Nike Dri Fit Epic Knit Crew: Originally $70, paid $6
Sweaty Betty is a brand I've had on my radar for awhile. It's an athletic wear company based in England that has a price point similar to Lululemon, if not slightly higher because it's technically an import. I've started finding a few pieces here and there while out thrifting and at a thrift shop price point, it's totally worth trying out!
And I love the back of it too! Slightly dramatic since it's open but not too crazy.
Sweaty Betty Open Back Workout Tee: Originally $75, paid $6
I've been passively looking for these pants for awhile since I volunteer at the National Aquarium so naturally I do a lot of cleaning so water/cleaning products get everywhere. Pants that dry fast are a must otherwise you will be uncomfortable until you're able to change pants. This pair in particular I've been looking at but have had a hard time spending $85 on a pair of pants I would wear once a week every other week since I rotate between a couple pairs already. But when these showed up on the racks and they fit like a dream I had to get them! And now I know that there's a reason why they're Prana's best selling pants, because they're amazing.
So about Lularoe. The company is a Multi-Level Marketing (or MLM) based sales model, meaning that they sell product to direct sellers and then they sell it to the public. Lularoe is essentially imploding, and with that more of its products are showing up on the racks due to issues with the company's return policy. Essentially consultants are not getting their money back, and many are opting to at least get a little bit of a refund by donating their inventory to thrift stores. Despite also having quality issues, dresses like the Nicole and Amelia which have really high waistlines are super flattering on me. I just can't always justify the high price point when the quality of the product is iffy. But this one in a Snow White print is so cute AND fit perfect!
Lularoe Amelia: Originally $65, paid $10
Ink n Burn is a company based out of California that is known for making small batches of different prints. Once it's sold out, it's gone. Everything is handmade and printed on wicking tech material with gorgeous details in the print itself. A great example is this Christmas sweater print I found while out. I saw the tech material and when I saw the Ink n Burn logo I got really excited. I had bought a pair of shorts in the past, and the print was beautiful but the shirt is definitely on a different level because the little details makes it look like you're really wearing a Christmas sweater!
Ink n Burn Holiday Sweater Tech Shirt: Originally $69.95, paid $6
So there are my thrifting finds for the month! Have you found anything great while out thrift shopping? Any winter races coming up? Leave a comment below!
This was my fifth year running the MCM10k. (2013 and 2014, 2015, 2016) Last year I ran the full marathon and wrote three blog entries about it. Part 1 covered training and the expo. Part 2 focused on the race. Part 3 was some of the things I learned from running my first marathon.
This year's race would be slightly different because I would be running the 10k then spectating the marathon afterwards. A friend who captained my Pennsylvania Ragnar team from last year decided this would be her first marathon and I remembered how helpful it was to have people along the way and how that last 10k was miserable. I reached out to her and several friends because I knew I would be later in the race, just after the 14th street bridge with my Oiselle Volee teammates. I asked them if they needed anything at all and I went ahead and got it for them along with extra twizzlers to be ready for race day. I told them to be on the lookout for me in a yellow yeti (a union suit made by Oiselle that is always super comfortable) just over the 14th street bridge around mile 22.
Race Weekend
As always, race weekend begun with going to the expo on Friday mid-afternoon to miss the majority of the crowds. I got my bib pretty quick because there was only one person in front of me for my bib range. Then of course for shirts I lucked out because not only were there no lines AND the design for this year's shirt was great despite the olive green color. (The marathon's shirt quickly became notorious for how terrible it looks. It's a picture from a previous year of the race with little 26.2's, Iwo Jimas and Marine Corps globes all over it too. People were so vocal about it that the race organizers even did their own version of mean tweets!) Both shirts were a unisex long sleeved shirt made of wicking material rather than the fleece lined shirts that were given out up until 2016. (No idea if this will be the norm.) Generally it's a mock neck with the Marine Corps globe on the collar. The 10k had it embroidered on, the marathon had it printed.)
After I got my shirt and bib, some Wegmans employees handed out some snacks--apple sauce in a pouch, their version of a nutrigrain bar and one of their fruit twists.
The vendors at the expo were more of the same--a couple headband vendors (Bondi Band and Sparkly Soul), some hydration products (like Nuun), Garmin, Buff USA, Pacers Running and Balega was there with a local Fleet Feet. There were also a few charities scattered about, but generally nothing new or novel. If anything it felt like the expo was actually smaller than in previous years. I bought a new buff with the Marine Corps Marathon course and the Iwo Jima memorial on it because it didn't have the year printed on it and it was the same course as last year. (AND it's very similar to the buff from two years ago that I saw sell out last year just as I walked to the register.)
For the first time in a few years, I really had to put some thought into what to wear on race day. The last few times I've run this race it has been warm enough to wear a tank top and capris and be comfortable. This time it would actually be somewhat chilly at the start! I ended up settling on a long sleeve Flyte Shirt from Oiselle, Be Free Knickers from Athleta, Silver Socks and a headband from Balega.
Since I would also be a race crew for a few friends running the marathon, my plan for getting to the race was slightly different. Instead of taking Metro the whole way, I drove my Dad and I to Pentagon City close to where the Volee would be spectating, left my backpack of supplies in my car and walked over to the Metro stop to get to the 10k start. (I thought about simply checking a bag but that makes the security line for the 10k a little more of an ordeal since they want to go through every bag that comes into the starting area. Not to mention going through the line to actually check the bag!)
When we got to the race, the security lines were already halfway across the adjacent street. (Again, super glad I didn't bring a bag!) And they asked runners to empty their pockets and any sort of running pack they had with them. I took everything out and held it in my hand to show to one set of police officers then another police officer passed the wand over me to be sure I was safe to pass. From there we immediately went into the portajohn line. I was there with my dad so we lined up in our usual corral (1:10-1:19) hoping that I would be a little faster, but also knowing that my timing chip would not start until passing over the starting line I was okay starting with a slower group.
Obligatory selfie!
This year the first mile was very crowded once again. It's fairly typical due to the walkers and first timers walking several people across and starting further up than they should. You can warn people all you want, there are still going to be people who think the rule doesn't apply to them or they simply realize that they're walking several people across and blocking the path. Then there was this one guy who kept getting right up behind me, in front of me, occasionally kicking the bottom of my foot and I just couldn't shake him until the second or third mile. Somewhere along the 14th street bridge, I had lost sight of them and I was fine with it because once we all ran down the ramp the road (usually where the hand cyclists end up passing me) generally widened out so there was more space to spread out. Once the Pentagon begins to come into view it widens out even more and it's even better because you know you're almost done!
Every year I have the goal of running up the hill to Iwo Jima and I get closer every year I've run the 10k. (The marathon was a different story since by then I was just ready to be done. I basically fast walked last year.) The hill is short, but a 4.3% grade over even just a tenth of a mile makes it difficult. This year I made it the majority of the way, slowing just as I reached the apex to high five one of the paramedics at a tent at the final turn towards the finish. At that point I sprinted to the finish (was shuffled to the left side to allow the hand cyclists through), stopped my Garmin and looked down. 1:04:55! I had just barely gotten my B goal to beat 1:05!
After receiving my medal, I took a few pictures of the Iwo Jima Memorial. The clouds were starting to thin out and it was turning into such a beautiful day!
After getting my banana, food box and water I waited for my Dad a little ways from the Runner's exit. By the time I finished my water and banana I got a text from him saying he was done and walking through the line of Marines handing out food and water. We then walked over the bridge to my favorite part--the watermelon!!! We scarfed down the fruit and then visited a food truck hired by Brooks Running to cook bacon for runners that was parked just by the finisher's gear store. My Dad and I got some bacon, checked out the finisher's store (don't worry, we wiped off our hands before buying our 10k finisher's shirts) then got a second round of bacon before getting Sports Beans samples and trail mix from Wegmans as we walked to the Metro. I got off at Pentagon City to get back to my car and my Dad kept going to the end of the line.
Spectating/Race Crewing
Once I got back to my car I grabbed my backpack with race supplies, a clean shirt, my yellow yeti (basically a big, comfy union suit made out of sweatshirt material by Oiselle), and changed my shoes. As I walked over to the cowbell corner I stopped at a Starbucks for coffee and space to change. I ordered my usual and after it was done I changed my shirt and threw on my yeti over everything. I walked the rest of the way to the cowbell corner and found out I had just missed the founders of Oiselle (Sally Bergesen and Sarah Lesko) running past by about five minutes. (Sorry to have missed them, but I needed coffee. It was Lesko's first marathon and she even BQ'd for 2020!) Then the waiting for my friends to pass began. I had only received two texts despite asking for notifications on about 10 people, so I kept refreshing the app and even that was also not so reliable. For a little while I held out a pan of Swedish Fish to the runners but as some of my friends started to get closer I kept my bag close by and just rang my cowbell.
Finally some familiar faces started to run past and I offered them Twizzlers. After a little while longer, my friend came through with her pacers (two other friends who have run the race several times.) I handed one of her pacers a ginger ale and snickers, and her own water bottle with coconut water and handed her a couple fun size payday candy bars. They chugged their drinks and took some bites of their candy bars. After a few moments it felt like they were lingering. After last year knowing if I hung out too long it'd be hard to start up again I told them "Get outta here you have a race to finish!" And while they were lingering they took a picture of me, always happy to crew for a friend. (Seriously, I was kinda hard to miss but I was SO comfortable.)
And off they went! After handing out twizzlers to a few more friends, the crowd of spectators began to clear. It felt like the line of runners was never ending even though the familiar faces had all passed. Around 1:30 or so, a police car went onto the course and redirected runners to turn left under the bridge instead of going straight. From there on out, the runners would not be official finishers because they did not complete the whole 26.2 (really more like 21 miles.) Once the runners began to thin out even more and race vehicles began picking up equipment we called it quits for the day.
Overall Thoughts
Again, this is another race I love from start to finish. My description of the 10k is generally all the fun of a big race, but none of the pressure of the training for the distance. It really is fitting for the race. It's always super crowded, but so much fun. The course is fairly challenging and the crowd support is amazing. You end up running past so many landmarks even with the 10k it's worth running if you're local or from out of town. This year I feel like the experience was elevated by parking downtown and going back out onto the course to spectate with friends and help friends who were running. I'm not sure if or when I'll be back to run the marathon, but you can always count me in for the 10k as long as I'm able!
Have you run this race before? Want to run this race? Any questions about it? Leave a comment below!
This race was my first half marathon back in 2013, I went back for redemption in 2016 since I was a more experienced runner and knew I could beat my time. I was super excited to see what I could do this year.
Before the Race
Race weekend started with volunteering the first day of the expo (Thursday.) While we waited for the expo to open, I got my own bib and shirt since there was plenty of time and everything was setup. I helped with packet pickup at the later marathon numbers and the early half marathon numbers. It was nearly a constant stream of people coming through but it made the shift go quickly. I spent a little bit of time going visiting vendors and said hi to the new Balega rep and a friend who sells Bondi Bands at expos. (I also got a few new bands!)
I also remembered that Michael Wardian, a DC ultra runner who recently ran the fastest known time for the C&O Canal Towpath, was going to be doing meet and greets at the Medstar booth. He's also a runner I keep just barely missing meeting--I follow him (and his dog) on Instagram. Most recently a friend and I cheered for him as he finished the B.A.A. 5k but we were still in the chute to start the race when he started walking over to say hi. So I finally got to actually say hello to him before leaving the expo.
The next day I did a shakeout run with some of the ladies in the Oiselle Volee, and it was lots of fun getting to catch up with some friends and get to meet some new ones.
Afterwards we went to Nando's Peri Peri for dinner. I knew my husband was going to make dinner, so I just had hummus with vegetables and pita. (It was awesome and I found out they have bottomless Dole Whips for $2.95! I didn't take advantage of it, but I took a mental note so I could later.) Once I got home I saw my husband made a super simple dinner--chicken, pasta and he warmed up a couple different sauce options.
After dinner I got everything together for the next morning. It looked like the weather was going to be perfect! Upper 40s at the start, low 50s by the time I was done and overcast with clouds clearing out. I was a little nervous, but I call it "having a healthy respect for the distance and the race." I knew I could do the distance because I had 10 times already. But I was torn about how my training had went. My longest run was a 10 miler broken up into 4 pieces--a run to my OrangeTheory, the workout itself, a mile tacked on the way back from OrangeTheory then making up the extra distance on the treadmill. Even in the worst case scenario, I knew I could finish faster than my worst time (2:56:04 at the Blue Ridge Half Marathon because you go up and down 2 mountains), and definitely faster than the 5 hour cutoff. Best case scenario, I wanted to finish in 2:30 since my previous finish time was around 2:35. This was not my goal race but it was a test to see where my fitness was to see if 2:15 was within my grasp. (Seriously, Baltimore is not for PRs.)
As far as clothing went, I wore a flyout long sleeve from Oiselle, my Oiselle singlet, Be Free Knickers from Athleta and the latest pair of silver socks from Balega. I also packed up my usual coin purse from Blue Q packed with my id, some cash and a credit card, threw my Honey Stinger chews into a snack sized plastic bag, my Aftershokz, Garmin, and Road ID into a bag that I could grab and take with me in the morning. After putting a tablet of my favorite cherry limeade Nuun in a water bottle, it was time to go to bed!
Race Morning
Race prep that morning went off normally. Checked my email, got dressed, then left a little earlier and drove to the light rail station. I drank my usual Nuun on the drive over, parked, got my rail ticket. Heard some announcement about there being a delay, but at that point in my mind it didn't really matter--I was at the light rail and that was one of the harder parts of the commute into Baltimore. I got onto the slightly earlier train and took a seat by the window. After a couple of stops, we stopped and the conductor came over the speaker and said that there was a delay because they were single tracking at the convention center. Okay, no big deal. Still plenty of time. We stopped near the water so I got to watch some teams practice rowing.
Then 15 minutes passed, we still hadn't moved and there was no indication on when we would move. By now it was getting close to 8:20, so I was starting to get nervous even though there was still plenty of time for the 9:45 gun time. There were quite a few people who were running the half marathon and we started strategizing. Some people had overly hydrated that morning and needed to use the bathroom. Are there bathrooms in the station? (No.) How far is it to the start? (Three miles.) I had a few friends running, so I started scouring social media for anything. Then on an event in one of my running groups a friend had posted that a car was stuck on the tracks in front of Camden Yards and it was difficult to move because it was stuck on top of the tracks. Not perpendicularly, but parallel to the tracks. A couple people confirmed it because the race start was closest to the Camden Yards stop. The car was not moving. I told the others what I had read and after a few minutes of waiting the train moved to the stop closest to Camden Yards. Such a weird start to the morning, and it threw me off a little bit.
Awesome. I knew where we were, and we walked to the start of the half marathon. It was still a ways away, but if that was as close we could get I was okay with it. Crisis averted! I managed to find a friend and we took a group picture with one of my running groups. Then we explored the finisher's village a little bit and said hi to one of our favorite OrangeTheory coaches for a final pep talk before heading to the start.
I got lined up and my music ready to go with my usual go-to race playlist. Then as the wave ahead of mine started to run, the arch started to collapse just enough to raise a little bit of alarm. Thankfully the race staff got the arch back up so it didn't fully collapse. (This actually happens fairly often. When I worked in the racing industry it happened maybe once every 20 races. It's really no big deal since the majority of the time it's an easy fix.) Then we headed out through the city towards Patterson Park. Around mile 2 I saw a small crowd of people huddled around someone who was convulsing on the ground. He may have been having CPR administered or a seizure (I couldn't see much) but either way shortly after passing him an ambulance came down the race course to reach him. (After the race I found out that he was fine.) After that, I switched my watch to show how much time was left in each interval (rather than overall stats) and run based on feel.
The rest of the race went well. I really pushed myself hard and was determined to finish before 2:30. (Baltimore is known for being a very hilly race which makes it difficult.) I did notice that it seemed that despite the great weather conditions that a lot of people were having medical issues along the route. It could be because it was the first big race I've run in awhile, but it seemed like the medical tents were fairly busy the whole race.
With about 2 miles left I looked down at my Garmin and switched it to the main screen. I thought that I couldn't hit my goal but I'd get really close. Just as I could see the Baltimore Arena and the turn onto Pratt Street was becoming visible I checked one more time. It was going to be super close, but maybe I could make my crazy 2:30 goal? I took a quick walk break before turning the corner. I started to run again but I was feeling gassed. Then somehow in the crowd I locked eyes with one of my Oiselle teammates, saw her cheering for me, and suddenly the chant we said at Bird Camp during the track workout with Lauren Fleshman popped into my head: "Give 'em Hell! Oiselle!" Like magic, my legs to shut up and I ran like hell to the finish. As I crossed the finish I stopped my Garmin and looked at the time as I hobbled to the runner's village. 2:28:18. I not only hit my goal, I obliterated it.
I grabbed my water (they were HUGE 1 liter bottles) and started eating my banana while I walked along the line grabbing various snacks (pretzels, granola bars, the usual.) I headed straight to the beer garden and grabbed my first (and only) beer. It was all I had time for because I needed to head towards home because I had a flight to catch. I ran into another Oiselle teammate and we caught up for a few minutes before I headed towards the OrangeTheory tent. I couldn't wait to tell my coach what happened! She was overjoyed as well but the celebration was short lived since I had to get out of there ASAP to catch a plane. I went from the light rail to my car to the airport and told my husband to grab a couple things I left out and met him at the airport. (No, I didn't shower. Yes, it felt super gross and I threw on a sweatshirt to try and hold in the stink. It's probably the one time I felt totally justified taking the window seat.)
Admittedly, I have a soft spot for this race because it was my first half marathon. I ran it just after moving to the area in 2013, and after spending so much time in the city it's much more meaningful. The course is amazing but difficult. The crowds are always great. I've generally lucked out with the weather too. My one gripe about the race is the finisher's area. It's wonderful having it on the Inner Harbor, but there just is not enough space for everyone. Friends had warned me about it and I wanted to keep an open mind about it, but it is simply too cramped. I was constantly bumping into people and when you're feeling a bit wobbly already it's pretty much unavoidable. It's not enough to keep me away from the race though! It remains one of my favorites.
Overall I would definitely recommend it but don't go in with serious goals in mind unless you know without a doubt you can make it. (Case in point: I knew there was no way I could have come close to my big scary goal of 2:15 when my PR was 2:25.) It's great for first timers because of all the spectators along the route and the generous cutoff time of 5 hours. It's also great for seasoned half marathoners because no matter how many races you've done, the course is always challenging!
Have you run this race before? What did you think of it? Leave a comment below!
It's that time of year again where it feels like we're in a sprint to the finish because it just goes by so fast!
Sometimes when I'm out thrift shopping, I'll come across products that are super similar to others that I own. Case in point, these pants. I haven't kept my obsession with Athleta's Bettona line a secret. (Pants that feel like sweatpants, look like real pants? Yes, please!) I saw these and the quality of the fabric and sewing were super similar, only they're still in production and offered in different inseams. Only big difference is that there isn't a drawstring at the bottom so there's less guilt and difficulty if I have to alter them.
If you follow me on Instagram, I fairly regularly post pictures of my cats. When I came across these and tried them on, I had to have them!
Lululemon Drop It Like It's Hot Leggings in Cherry Cheetah: Originally $98, paid $8
Love a good tank with a built in bra and a fun print.
Lululemon Kanto Catch Me Tank: Originally $58, paid $4
I totally acknowledge these pants look really weird. It's essentially the fabric used on basketball shorts, but the liner is a super soft jersey knit. They're awesome for lounging around the house, and for the price I don't feel guilty for never wearing them out in public.
Brooks Run Thru Pants: Originally $95, paid $6
So disappointed I found these capris late enough in the year that I've only been able to wear them once. And they are ridiculously comfortable and with the bottom being slightly tight, I can pull them up a little bit so they actually look like capris! (Short people problems.) Since Lucy Activewear got bought out by The North Face, this style has changed a little bit and has been renamed the "On the Go" Capri.
Lucy Get Going Capris: Originally $79, paid $6
Any good thrifting finds lately? Who's excited for Thanksgiving?? Love running a turkey trot and then spending the rest of the day cooking with my husband! My race recaps for the Baltimore Half, MCM10k and Across the Bay 10k are coming soon! I'm starting to get super behind since the last few weeks have been an absolute blur with races every weekend.
Or, Why You Should NEVER Run a Night Trail Race the Night Before Another Race
A friend pointed out the BRRC Night Moves Trail Race in August and I was very indecisive about signing up. Usually I'm pretty confident in my race decisions, but this one it was a trail race. At night. I've run a Ragnar Trail Relay, so a night trail race is really no big deal. But doing it without anyone I know made me anxious. Finally the week of the race I put my foot down and signed up. The race was inexpensive enough ($33.25 after fees), had a different premium (a 64oz stainless steel growler with the running group's name and race name on it), it was only half an hour away and I had just killed it at the Dogfish Dash so why not? I had a 5k the next morning benefitting a breast cancer charity that helped a friend when she was going through her cancer treatment, but I'd be fine! Right?
On race day I left about an hour and a half before gun time. Naturally with Google Maps timing always being wrong (and traffic on 695 always being generally terrible) I arrived about 45 minutes before guntime. Parking wasn't an issue, but I did get the very last space along what would be the later portion of the route (there were still plenty of spaces available in a field that was slightly closer to the start.) There were portajohns close by so I took advantage of there not being a line since at this point I had no idea how many people there were coming to the race. (Spoiler alert: It wasn't many.) Then I walked over to the start and got my bib. I attached it to my hydration pack and started to take a quick inventory to be sure I had everything important--my inhaler, road ID, phone, headlamp and lip balm were all there. But I was missing something. My headphones. I left my Aftershokz headphones in my car. At that point it was too close for comfort for the start of the race so I decided to leave them there. It'll be fine I thought. It's a quick race and there's enough people that I would totally keep up with one or two of them.
The sun began to set and runners started turning on their headlamps. I turned mine on and it was dim. Again it'll be fine, I'll keep up with other runners. But it was a much smaller crowd than what I was used to. It looked like maybe 50 people (it was 66.)
Then the organizers called everyone to start lining up. I lined up more towards the back by a couple ladies who seemed to be about my speed. The gun went off and I kept up fairly well with the back of the pack. Then within that first easy mile I passed the two ladies and realized "Wow. My headlamp really isn't working." So I shoved my phone in one of the smaller pockets of my hydration pack with the flashlight pointing out. It really showed my movement and the shadows from fists coming out on either side of the darkness was super off putting at first, but it worked well enough.
"Oh what a pretty stream! This trail is going to be awesome!"
At the start of the second mile it started to become legit trail. And it was not easy. Maybe it was because of the terrible lighting situation and not being in the rest of the pack that took off. (I saw their light fade into the distance just as I was entering the woods.) The trail itself was about what I expected--fairly rocky, some roots here and there. At some points my arms were flailing around trying to keep me from falling. My feet landed badly on some of the rocks and during that second mile I stepped on one that particularly hurt but after walking for a few moments I shrugged it off and kept going. The hills were intense. After the first major one there was a clearing in the trees and a couple volunteers were at the one water stop and I was super thankful. One of the volunteers chatted with me a little bit while I drank. He said there were a couple more hills but I should finish in plenty of time--probably in about 40 minutes. Great. Forty more minutes of water crossings, hills, rocks, roots and climbing over a few fallen trees. This was where I started questioning my life choices and headed further into the woods.
By this point I had definitely started getting tired. I was hot. Sweat was absolutely dripping off of me. I tried focusing on all the sounds in the woods because it was actually really neat to get to hear the owls! (Not so much the rustling in the leaves.) There were some points where my shoes were almost swallowed by the mud by the few water crossings.
The aftermath
But I kept going. I was among the last of the finishers (61 of 66, finishing in 1:34:41.) But I was overjoyed to get that growler and walked back to my car. (No post race food. Not a big deal since I had my snack bag in the car.) A couple more runners passed me and I assured them they were almost there. Not too far behind them volunteers started picking up the glow sticks that were used to mark the path. When I got back to my car I started to wipe off some of the sweat and drink from the water bottle with Nuun Immunity I left in my car. (My hydration pack was basically empty.)
I also took a moment to check out the elevation of the race before heading home.
Yup, looks about right. Still more hills than what the volunteer told me though.
I had packed my snack bag that I bring with me on trips (still packed from my recent trip for the Dogfish Dash.) I grabbed a Trader Joe's peanut butter granola bar and ate that along with some Clif bar samples and kept drinking more Nuun. I was feeling super gross. I knew there was a ton of mud on my legs, but wasn't sure how much. I got home, kicked off my shoes. My left foot started feeling a little achy, but nothing terrible. I was shocked to see how much mud was on the inside of my calves, but was happy to wash it off. I went back downstairs for my nightly ritual of watching the news and elevated my foot because it was starting to hurt more. I also changed the batteries in my headlamp for laughs and it was fine. (See kids? Always check the batteries in your headlamp before you leave the house!)
Now for the fun, injury portion of the story!
As the night wore on, my foot started hurting progressively worse. I ended up laying in bed practically in tears as I Googled what the pain could mean. I couldn't believe how much pain I was in and I was so mad at myself for being so dumb and running a night trail race before a 5k and while in training for two half marathons and 10ks. I got up and hobbled to the bathroom. Definitely had to use furniture, walls, whatever was within my grasp to make it. My husband wondered what was wrong and I told him that I thought I sprained my foot, or worse broke it. He got me an ice pack and I shoved an extra pillow under the sheets at the end of the bed to elevate my foot. (I can't take OTC pain killers, so that was out.) I tried to get some sleep, but it was really hard. I ended up changing my alarm from the time to wake up and get ready to the time to wake up and text my friend about what happened and let her know I wouldn't make it to the race. Shortly after texting my friend and telling her what happened I tried getting up again but it was still painful. I made it to the bathroom again (probably not the best of choices for what I was about to do next?) and stood there moving my foot around taking inventory of what I could do. Could I wiggle my toes? Check. Spread the toes? Check. What happens if I roll my ankle around? POP! Almost instant relief.
I couldn't believe it. I COULD WALK!!!
Not totally pain free, but I COULD WALK!! I came out of the bathroom and told my husband. He was almost as surprised as I was. The best we can figure out is that during the trail race I dislocated a joint in my foot. Having my shoes on must have kept the joint in place until I took them off after the race and the joint just kinda floated out of place. The next day I took it easy and kept my foot elevated and iced it a couple times throughout the day.
When Monday morning rolled around, I was walking around mostly normal. The next day my husband urged me to take it easy at my usual OrangeTheory class. I started out power walking (this group works on higher inclines rather than speed), but got frustrated with my heart rate not getting up high enough. So I started running at my base pace (5.0mph) and everything felt good! I completed my workout with no major problems and I treated it like I would any other workout. Afterwards I iced my foot and it was only even slightly achy again a week after the injury post long run that I had to break up into four parts because of the timing with another OrangeTheory class.
Overall, I really enjoyed the race. However, I highly recommend checking your headlamp before you leave the house. I would definitely recommend it if you're up for a challenge, but this one is definitely not for beginners. There are some technical elements--water crossings, lots of roots, rocks and trees to climb over. If you are not comfortable doing any of this in daylight, it's not any better at night. Be comfortable with the idea of running alone if you don't have a buddy to stay with you.
Also as general advice: Don't schedule races so close together because you're setting yourself up for something to happen.
The Dogfish Dash has been on my radar for awhile. This year when the Dogfish Head Brewery announced that registration would open on April 4th, I created a reminder on my calendar with an alert to go off so I wouldn't miss it. In previous years, the race has sold out quickly. This year it was open for awhile longer (a few days rather than a few minutes.) I even convinced my husband to sign up for the race, which is kind of a big deal.
Before the race in honor of their recommitment to the brand, Oiselle asked Bird Camp attendees to submit a short video of their recommitment. I submitted two. I knew it was posted when a friend reached out and said she'd be happy to pace me. At first I was really confused and then I saw it in Oiselle's Instagram Story. There I was saying to the world that I was recommitting to breaking 2:15 in the half marathon. Shit. So we started strategizing. Dogfish Dash would be my trial to see where I'm at and if it's possible. Baltimore would be test number two to see what I could do. With Dogfish Dash being such a flat race, it should be nice and easy, right?
Packet pickup was a breeze. We arrived to the Dogfish Head Brewery towards the end of packet pickup, and there was a bottle release so the brewery was really busy. We then headed over to the large tent, grabbed our packets and in less than 15 minutes we were on our way to the hotel. We stayed right on Route One which was fairly convenient for race day and visiting the beach, but it was a little tough to get in and out of the parking lot because at least on Saturday and after the race on Sunday the road was pretty congested. When we got back to the hotel we got a closer look at our swag.
A heavy duty drawstring bag, sunglasses, bandaids, lip balm, a carabiner and golf tees. (Kind of an odd combination TBH.)
The race shirt! I love it. It's a long sleeve cotton shirt. Normally I don't wear shirts like this too often, but I like this one a lot.
The next morning, we left our hotel at about 7am for the 9am gun time and we got to the brewery about 20 minutes later. We were the among very last people to get parking spaces in the lot directly beside the brewery. After us, the first overflow parking from the truck entrance was still on Dogfish property, just behind the building instead. We had some time to kill and we could smell the grains being cooked for a batch of beer over by the car. (If you've never smelled it, it's not the most pleasant smell.) So we headed over to the runner's village and explored a little bit. A few minutes later we just stood around people watching trying to decide how to kill the next hour. Then at one point I see someone walking with a really cute black lab. And then I see who is holding the leash--Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head!!
I nerded out. I messaged the one other person (besides my husband) who was at the race and told her. After that I checked out the swag in the main tent. There was nothing super exciting. I got a hot pink cooling towel with the race logo and a super soft lens cleaning cloth from a personal injury attorney. Then I put it back in my car and took another bathroom break since the lines were starting to get long. Right afterwards my husband and I started to head towards the starting area. I lined myself up right around the middle of everything and by the time I got settled, the crowd started moving a couple minutes early. (If there was a gun, a whistle, or an airhorn I didn't hear it!) And we were off!
Game face. I got this.
The route was mostly flat, kind of scenic. Most of it went through Milton, DE which is a pretty cute little town. I was laser focused on averaging below 10:17, which is the minimum average pace needed for a 2:15 half marathon. I tried to not let my watch phase me, and after that first mile I set it to just show how much time was left in the interval. No worries about pace, how long I'd been out there, just worry about now. And when I get to walk again. (There weren't that many actual walk breaks. Typically I take them on uphill stretches or if my legs start to feel tired. Neither really happened during this race.) During the fourth mile I saw Sam Calagione again cheering on runners before he headed back towards the brewery.
My splits were amazing.
That very last mile was just .02 short of a full mile. But still. I had done it. My average pace was 10:06. If I could manage to do something similar for Richmond, even just a little slower I could do it.
After passing through the finish a little girl handed me a reusable water bottle filled with water and I walked over to get my first beer (a Seaquench Ale) and drank it while I waited in the food line. It was surprisingly short (just a perk of getting faster.) I got half a bagel, an apple cider donut, and a banana. The apple cider donut didn't stand a chance and it was gone by the time I started watching the race from the very last turn. And had another Sam Calagione sighting. You know, NBD. And I saw this great group costume too!
That would be a dog riding on the top of the cart in front. He was available for pictures after the race.
After a few minutes of spectating, I decided to go see if my husband was at our meeting spot, and after a few minutes I saw him make his way through the crowd. I joined him in line but didn't take anymore food. (They were offering granola with yogurt and were out of donuts by that point anyways.) So after my husband ate his granola and yogurt, we got in line for our second and third beers. You'll notice we didn't get a stainless steel cup this year, but I think it was because all the beers were in cans this year. Every runner got three beer tickets on their bib. The first was supposed to be for a Seaquench basically right after finishing, and the other two could be Lupa Luau, Namaste White or Flesh and Blood. I opted for a Namaste White and Lupa Luau, one I've had before and the other was new. My husband got Lupa Luau and Flesh and Blood. Since the volunteers didn't insist on opening the beers, we took them with us to enjoy later.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this race. It threw a curveball compared to previous years with the weird swag (not much of it actually Dogfish Head related), but it was still a great race. It makes for a really nice weekend away since it's still kind of warm but not oppressively hot, and the race is low key enough that it's not stressful leading into it. You still get a lot for your race fee too which in my mind makes it worth the trip. Being able to go to the beach after the race is pretty awesome too.
So if you follow me on social media, you've seen me mention something called Big Bird Camp quite a bit. Bird camp is when members of the Oiselle Volee get together to reconnect through running. Usually there are several around the country during the summer. This year things got changed up and there was ONE and we all descended on a camp in Equinunk, PA for a long weekend to get to know members of the Volee from across the country. We also had the chance to interact with employees from the company headquarters in Seattle, Washington as well as Oiselle's Haute Volee (elite runners) and their pro runners: Lauren Fleshman, Kara Goucher and Allie Kieffer. There were also some great visitors that popped in for part of camp (Jenny from Salomon and their elite Ultra runner, Cat Bradley and a couple reps from Custom Performance.) But without further ado, here's what happened during my weekend at Big Bird Camp!
Arrival Day!
I arrived with one of my chapter leaders who drove us from central Maryland, which took about 4 hours. Upon arrival, we started seeing some familiar faces from our own chapter and I started nerding out because Rebecca, one of the frequent models featured on the Oiselle website pulled up right next to us! My friend gave her a hug and chatted with her a little bit meanwhile I felt like...
But I was definitely more reserved. Pretty sure I was more like this...
(Full disclosure, if we ever meet in person I'm very socially awkward.)
We then grabbed our first loads of luggage and headed over to check in, walking past Lauren Fleshman while wearing my favorite bird lion shirt that I got at the gear swap at last year's camp. (I nerded out again. I may or may not have jumped around behind her pointing at the shirt so a friend could see me but she didn't. Or I at least like to think she didn't.) At check in we said hello to Stephanie (who organized the whole thing) and Lesko (who is the head of corporate development) gave us our cabin assignments. My cabin was close to the pool and lake access, but also furthest away from the fun and called "The Rock Pigeons." So at least a couple times I had to make the "I got a rock" reference.
After dropping off our second load of luggage, my friend and I also checked out the drink and snack situation (all kinds of terra chips and La Croix, the latter of which was available all throughout camp!) and got to say hello to familiar faces from the previous year's camp. (And of course some ladies I had seen more recently!) We also got a view of the camp store with some interestingly placed black cloth covering up some parts of the racks. Naturally we started speculating what was underneath.
The slight disappointment in my cabin's name quickly faded when I got to see who I was bunking with and the swag bag! Each bed had a Bird Camp drawstring bag with a wooden medal with an extra piece with our Instagram handle and our name.
(I took the picture after the spandos leggings showed up! They weren't initially in the swag bag because of some shipping issues.)
My chapter (DC, MD and VA) then had a quick meeting and of course, a picture.
Once I got settled, it was time for a quick gathering at the flagpole to hear some announcements, meet people from the nest, and hear our camp song performed by Lauren Fleshman!
It was followed by dinner with our bunkmates and a goal setting exercise for what we wanted to accomplish at camp. During the goal setting we paired off and got to basically have an individual verbal stream of consciousness for 2 minutes about why we were there and what we wanted to accomplish. Once we were done talking and listening, we had to write it down in a word or phrase. I said I wanted to get some of my confidence back and rediscover my love of running. (A lot has gone on in the last year that's left me pretty depressed and feeling like "I have to" run rather than "I want to" run. It's led me to become distant with some of the running groups I've been involved with in the past, and I'm still working on getting the courage to get back out for group runs and even just racing again.) We also got to see the brand refresh, which was super exciting!
Essentially Sally's presentation of the brand refresh can be summarized in this blog post. We got to see the new logos and some of the new products in the pipeline, and we had a feeling some of it was underneath the black cloth we saw earlier in the day. At that point Sally told us that some of the clothing in the camp store had the new logo, but we could NOT post them on social media until after September 6th.
Afterwards I decided to call it a night and head back to the cabin. I got the chance to chat with my bunkmates and so excited to see familiar faces who were in the same chapter of the Volee but had never met at events. I was really excited for the next morning and wanted to get as good a night's sleep as I could!
Day One
The first full day of camp was amazing!! Breakfast with cold brew on tap, more announcements then we broke off into our groups. First up? A track workout with Lauren Fleshman and Kendra Chambers! It was pretty much amazing. It was a lot of guided warm ups (which really helped my sore glutes from a rough week at OrangeTheory) and then a couple quick track workouts. For one track workout Lauren stood at one side of the track, and Kendra stood at the opposite side. We essentially ran hard to one person, easy to the other for 5 laps. Then we did Ins and Outs where we basically ran hard for 30 seconds, recovered for 30 seconds six times. I couldn't believe it--I actually felt what a 7 minute mile pace feels like!
After track work, I swung back by my cabin to get my wallet to get to the camp store when it opened. And it was awesome. We got to see some of the products that we saw the night before, only in an additional color we had never seen before called marigold. I put my hands on a muscle tank with the new crest in marigold in my size and even though it wasn't a "usual" color for me, I decided to try it. I kept considering different items, but in that time a lot of it started to sell out. I stuck with the muscle tank and checked out also because it was time for yoga with Dr Melody Moore.
Yoga was a lot of fun. I go to classes once or twice a year to get a feel for different instructors. Melody was calming and super respectful of everybody's personal space. It was definitely relaxing and good to get to do some really deep stretching.
After lunch I had a little time to relax, so I spent some time lounging on the waterfront watching friends go down the waterslide. (It looked a little intense so I opted against sliding down.) Soon it was time to go to my next stop: Hearing Kara Goucher talk about her new book, Strong, and getting to meet her. (I preordered her book pretty much the minute it was announced, so I brought it along since she would also be signing books.)
It was a great talk about how the book came about and a little about her past history with running. She also answered some questions about her future in running. (She's not retired and we might see her running competitively again sooner rather than later!) To end the session, she signed everybody's books so I got to meet her!
Afterwards I finally took a shower since we had team pictures in our singlets.
After pictures, we had dinner. Then came the body image session with Dr Melody Moore (the same woman who taught the yoga class earlier in the day) who founded a nonprofit called the Embody Love Movement that runs workshops around the country trying to help people create a more positive body image. It was really eye opening to see the responses during the first activity where we had to walk into the circle if we agreed with a read statement. It really dragged up some things I hadn't thought about in a long time and at times I teared up. During some of the later activities, I couldn't hold back the tears. It was hard confronting my negative body image, but it was long overdue. Afterwards I felt emotionally drained and I was ready to decompress. I threw on my yeti (a Oiselle staple, and a must have for loungewear), walked outside by the lake and called my husband. Soon after I was ready to call it a night since I had another early morning.
Day Two
The day started with meeting at the flagpole because it was long run day for almost everybody. I had signed up for a trail running workshop with Cat Bradley who runs for Salomon and was getting ready to run UTMB the weekend after camp. (She flew back to the states JUST to spend a couple days teaching us about trail running!) I was also super excited to get to try out the trail shoes we got in our swag bag!
Even though I've run trails a few times now, I still learned a lot from Cat. (Like to run on the balls of your feet because it's less of an impact and safer if you land on some unstable or slick rocks.) Since breakfast was going to be later to accommodate people on their long runs, after the workshop and we did some quick drills Cat does to help strength train and keep her muscles loose. We still had time for breakfast, so we decided to go back out to try what we just learned. I paired up with a girl from Boston who was in training for her first marathon. By the time we started to get close to the lodge, the smell of bacon lured us inside. The potatoes kept us there. No idea what was in them. But a lot of us got seconds.
Afterwards I went to the Style your Flystyle workshop. I got some suggestions on how to style some of the new Oiselle gear that came out. One of the big takeaways I got (besides how to style a lux infinity scarf into a turban--the trick is to hold it so its looped around both hands, stretched out flat. Then twist one hand twice, put the two loops together and put it over your head), was that not every style is meant for every body. If something doesn't fit just right or can't be tailored to fit right, move on. Don't take it personally. There will be other clothes that will work better.
Then it was time for more food. After lunch, I took it easy. I hung out on the sand by the lake catching up with a few people I hadn't had a moment to just sit and relax with much. I think it was starting to sink that it was almost time to go home and we didn't want camp to end. It was such a nice afternoon, but with the reality of it already almost time to go home, I pulled myself away to start packing. And change into my spandos for the fashion show and dance party.
Before dinner, there was a happy hour with Sufferfest beer, wine and cheese and crackers. I must admit--the beer was pretty good but the cans were large enough that I was happy with one. Lots of pictures were taken of everyone in their disco spandos. I wore my galaxy spandos so I just enjoyed chatting with some ladies from my Volee chapter that live nearby but hadn't really gotten to know yet.
After our picnic dinner, it was time for one of my favorite events at camp: The Fashion Show! We got to see Oiselle clothing on our friends as they walked the "runway" down the aisle between benches. It was fantastic. Then afterwards was the other event we were all waiting for: The spandos dance party!!! (Sponsored by Goodr) This was probably one of my favorite moments of camp.
Yes, that's a banana. (It was from my volee chapter.) And Kara Goucher dancing on stage.
I danced with my chapter teammates and cabinmates and kept going outside to cool off. Suddenly people started playing tennis.
I think this is right after Rebecca (lower right corner) chanted "MORE SPORTS! MORE SPORTS!"
It was weird but so cool watching elite runners suddenly go from a dance party to playing tennis. I alternated between being inside dancing away to cooling off outside. Around 11:00 pm I decided to call it a night. We had one more early morning before heading home. And because most of us were already back, we needed to take a group picture as a cabin.
Day Three
For the last morning it was pretty chill. After breakfast we had the option for one last run, but I ended up finishing up packing and spending some time at the waterfront relaxing. We had a couple more activities planned--a panel with the Haute Volee (Oiselle's team of elite runners) and a closing activity with Lauren Fleshman.
The questions were submitted in advance, but a lot of them had to do with coaching--like how to choose one (a few of the Haute Volee are coaches themselves) and what to do if you think it's time for a new one.
Afterwards Lauren Fleshman led a similar activity to the start where we paired up and listened to one another speak. I paired up with someone from my cabin and it was really awesome. After some reflection of our time at camp, it was time to have lunch, pack up and leave. I wasn't ready to go home yet and back to reality, so since almost all of us were in the cabin (one had left at some point on Saturday and another left earlier in the day) we had to take one more picture of the group of us. In front of our cabin's sign. (Which I totally tried to take, but my nail clippers were deep in my duffel bag at that point and my keys were NOT getting through the zip ties.)
And I had to take one last picture of all of our linens in the middle of the room. (The camp staff wanted us to do this.)
Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Bird Camp. I got to meet tons of new people from across the country, drink all the La Croix and cold brew I wanted, and learned a lot about myself and my sport. If you're interested in coming to Bird Camp in 2019, first you'll have to join the Oiselle Volee! Camp is an extra fee, but well worth it!
