I don't usually talk about the training aspect of a race, but a race challenge is a whole new beast for me. Training wasn't that much different from how I usually train for any half marathon. I generally used Kara Goucher's half marathon plan for mileage. (I do speed and hill work at OrangeTheory and I run a little further on Wednesdays after class so I felt it was enough.) The only difference I made was flipping my rest day on Saturday and a short(ish) run on Friday so I would have a short run then a long run the very next day. Training went pretty well and I was able to do the majority of my runs. (I ended up missing my last long run before race weekend, but still got in 11 miles so I just went straight into a taper.)
EXPO
The expo was pretty similar to a lot that I've been to with some slight variations compared to others. Getting my bib was super quick. Afterwards my friend and I got our IDs checked so we could get bracelets for our beer. (We ended up having to wear them the whole weekend. At first I was a little nervous but they held up pretty well!)
After getting our shirts we had to stop at a little spot for a photo opportunity!
J&A Racing had a big area with all kinds of merch for the race--some of it generic with just the race logo, others saying a distance and then finisher. (I got a generic black gaiter with the green race logo printed all over it.) They also sold a few things if you forgot anything green for race day--beads, glasses, headbands, basically anything you could find at a party store. (I had picked up a few things at Target so I was all set.) The other vendors were an interesting variety because there was the usual home improvement companies, other race companies showing off their race calendar, running stores selling fuel and other last minute necessities, and a few new racing gear booths (like Koala Clip, which I also bought.) But the standout in my mind were all the CBD vendors. There were at least 4 of them around the expo. I got a sample of a salve from one of them, but truth be told--I haven't used it yet as of this writing. On our way out we saw some familiar faces taking their picture in front of the leprechaun welcoming you to the expo.
Lesko (Corp Dev at Oiselle), Courtney (EatPrayRunDC), Sally Bergesen (founder of Oiselle) and Emily (another Volee teammate)
After the expo, my friend and I went back to the hotel to start to unpack and look at the swag we got at the expo. We ended up staying about halfway between the start and finish of the half marathon. Close enough to see some of the race preparations, but far enough away that we couldn't hear any of it.
I got a shirt for each race, beads from the pub making the post-race Irish stew, a chip clip, a Koala Clip and Buff, and we got animal crackers from Wegmans! (They were delicious.)
We then had dinner with our Oiselle teammates in downtown Virginia Beach.
After dinner we put out our race gear, took pictures and called it a night. We had our first race (the 8k) in the morning.
Race #1: Shamrock 8k
I was feeling pretty good. Got up plenty early so we could meet up for a pre-race team photo.
Neptune!!
Obligatory selfie with Neptune!
Obligatory Volee photo! I loved seeing so many familiar faces before the race. Shortly after the picture, we headed over to the start.
The race starts out two streets over from the beach (on Pacific) and then you turn onto Atlantic Ave, which runs parallel to the beach. You run about two miles on the street, then turn onto the boardwalk where you get some great beach views. Right around a mile and a half I was about ready to be done. Seeing buildings (mostly hotels and tourist traps) wasn't really all that exciting and the flatness of the race also didn't help when you're used to hills.
So at about this point I knew this wouldn't be my goal race. I had the half tomorrow, and weather was still looking good. Honestly despite the beach views, I was bored. And just as you thought you were about to cross the finish line and can see Neptune, they turn you off the boardwalk and back along Atlantic Ave. There was still a mile left and I was starting to get frustrated because I just wanted to be done. It had been awhile since I had been really glad for a race to be over with and didn't bode well for my longer race the next day.
I walked through the finisher's area and got my water, chips, granola bar, banana, medal and solo cup coozie and was pleasantly surprised when I was also handed a drawstring bag with the race logo on it! (Race directors take note: It's amazing for food to be accessible to runners only and to get a place to put all of it!) I also surprisingly ran into a Radford alumni table--completely random since the school is at least 5 hours away (I know, I've driven from Radford to Virginia Beach!) They gave me some alumna swag and took a picture with a couple other alumnae that came over. I then went over to the celebration tent and got my cup of Irish stew and beer (no lines because they had so many stations!) Once I staked out a spot in the tent I sat my beer down and texted my husband to see how everything was going. (It was his first weekend taking care of my cockatiels so I wanted to be sure everyone was okay.)
I was so ready to get a shower and find real food. Then the word got out that most of the Volee was meeting at Pocahontas pancakes for post-race breakfast. I have major respect for the woman who waited on our tables because there had to be at least 20 of us split among one long table across the width of the middle of the restaurant and another couple tables of us.
I was so thankful for coffee and banana pancakes!
Once I got back to the room I had to check out everything in my new drawstring bag because I felt so zombie-like post-race I didn't even know what all was in there.
And of course there's the medal! After spending some time in the hot tub with a couple of friends in the Volee, I was so ready for a shower and put on some real clothes. My friend and I also wanted to relax in the room a little bit more before finding food.
Course sweepers so you know the race is basically done!
We settled on going to a Buffalo Wild Wings. I got boneless Buffalo wings and we shared an order of Buffalo chips (basically potatoes cut into slices rather than julienne and then fried.) It wasn't anything too spicy since I didn't want to go too crazy, but at the same time it was a vacation to the beach! I also still knew there was cake and wine coming at a Volee leader's home. And there was yoga too, but cake was of course the priority. (Yay, carb loading!)
I was really glad to do some yoga post-race and to loosen up for the next day, and get to spend more time with some of my Volee teammates too. And the cake was amazing!!
Isn't that beautiful?! It was also delicious. The design was based off of the Moody Floral pattern that Oiselle released this season.
After cake, wine and yoga, it was time for dinner. (Yes, this is normal for a runner especially on a runcation. You run, then you eat. And eat. And sleep. Then run some more.) Another Volee member met us at Mannino's, and it was perfect. I ate a big bowl of gnocchi with some chicken for added protein. After dinner, it had been such a long day and I was so ready for bedtime. But of course first I needed to lay out everything I would need in the morning. It would be a little colder than the first day, but I could easily get away with wearing capris, and a light jacket over a tank top. (Naturally I had to wear green since it was St. Patrick's Day!)
Race #2: Shamrock Half Marathon
I was definitely more nervous for this race than the 8k. My training had gone okay, but not great. (I'm a wimp when it comes to cold weather and it was really hard some days to get out for a long run.) I questioned every long run, but I still lined up. I had come that far, I might as well! As always, the Volee got together for a pre-race picture. There were definitely more people spectating and racing so it was exciting for there to be such a big group of us together!
Shortly after we took the picture, it was time to line up! I was going to be in the same corral and pace-wise as the friend I was sharing a hotel room with, but we got split up on the walk over.
Can you tell I was anxious?
For this race the starting area had expanded to both sides of the road with a median strip running down the middle. There were a lot more people for the longer distance races. This race was also a slightly different course because you headed north then south, where the 8k had you go south then back north.
This race was definitely hard for me. I had trained on hills and you would think that would make running on a flat terrain easier--it didn't. This race was more scenic than the 8k because you got to run through the woods and a good part of it was also on a military base (which may have slowed down some runners because those with hydration packs had to have them checked by security at the gate.) I ended up stopping to use the bathroom at about mile 6 (which I rarely ever do) and I started to feel better, but I was still struggling. The constant pounding on flat pavement with no change in elevation was SO HARD on my body and I paid for it later. After the halfway point you're closer to the beach and having the wind pushing against me didn't make it any easier. I stuck with my usual fueling plan of having a chew at every mile and the majority of the time it's enough. But this time, it wasn't. I was starting to feel hunger pangs for real food right around mile 11. I was too far along in the race to change things up even though I grabbed a gu when it was offered. (Since I've never used gu specifically, I didn't want to risk it upsetting my stomach.)
I was SO happy to see familiar faces cheer for me as I got to the last miles of the race. And I was so ready to be done, especially since my chews were done. (I usually have a few leftover at the end of a race.) When I stopped my Garmin it said I finished the race in 2:24:58. Not my worst time, not my best, but I was still kind of shocked that it was so much slower than my previous half marathon time in Richmond of 2:16:20.
Once again after I crossed the finish, I was handed the same snacks as the previous day, but this time there was the addition of the finisher hat and blanket (and another drawstring bag to stash everything.) This time, I went straight back to the room to get a shower because my temporary roommate and I were going to head back to Maryland after hanging out at the finishers festival.
The light was hitting Neptune beautifully! I definitely had to take a moment just to appreciate the sculpture on the walk back to the hotel. After my shower I shoved my bib, id, medals and phone into the drawstring bag, loaded up my friend's car with the last of my things, and headed over to the festival to get one more beer and cup of Irish stew.
And of course I had to take lots of pictures of my medals!
And an obligatory selfie
And a lineup of all three medals together!
After finishing our beers and soup, we started to head over to the car to head home. But when we saw the somewhat infamous sand sculpture, we had to stop for a picture!
It's HUGE! Pictures really don't do it justice, because it is really impressive in person.
The drive home felt like it took forever, probably because it took so much longer than the drive to the race itself. I was really eager to get home. When I got home, I washed everything immediately and put my new race blanket on the couch. Almost immediately one of my cats claimed it, and he looked so cute snuggled up in it I didn't even care.
