2016 Goals...am I really sharing this aloud?

One of the side effects of running (especially for people who just jump into it and see how much you can do in a short period of time) is that you tend to start believing anything is possible. Since I started running 3 1/2 years ago, I've kept adding all of these ideas, goals, and dreams to my plate. Now, there's nothing wrong with having big dreams, but it can make life a little tricky sometimes. Here's the thing: I'm starting to get older (I know, I'm as shocked as you are). And the Hubs and I do want to start a family at some point. Unfortunately running long distances at high intensities doesn't really work hand in hand with that. So, last year when I was planning out my 2015 goals, I knew I had to make a choice. I had 2 goals I wanted to do before having kids: running Boston and running a 100 miler. Lofty yes, but doable with enough work.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I did not get my Boston goal last year. So the question was posed for 2016 - continue working towards the BQ, or move onto Goal #2 of attempting a Hundo? It was a tough decision. After MUCH deliberation, I've decided on a few things:

I worked hard to get that BQ and after all that work and not getting it, what did I have to show? Honestly, not much. I missed out on a lot when I focused so intently on road running. I got burned out. I barely did any trail running, which, while it is NOT my strong suit, I enjoy more than road running. Trail running always leaves me remembering why I run. Road running is much more short-term goal oriented and coming up short of those goals, is tough mentally. With trail running, at least at the end of the day I've spent time in nature (which, I know it sounds cheesy, but really does restore the soul).

So where does that leave me? Well, I've decided to give the BQ one more shot this spring. Let's face it - I don't run trails that much in the winter anyways, so I may as well focus on roads for one more training cycle. Therefore I will be running the Salt Lake City Marathon on April 16th with my goal to BQ.

However, that being said, running marathons for time is hard. Like, really hard (way harder than just running them for fun). So, if I do not get the BQ, I will swallow my pride and move on to bigger things (literally). I'm sure a BQ will happen someday if I continue running throughout my life. It's time to stop focusing wholeheartedly on it. It's just one race. And does running a 3:34:59 marathon really make me more of a runner than running a 3:35:01? (That's rhetorical, but if you must answer, make sure it's a "NO").

After said April marathon, I will start getting back into trail running with the intention to attempt* (and hopefully finish) a 100 miler before the end of the year. The plan is to attempt a late summer or early fall race.

(I say "attempt" because SO many things can go wrong in a 100. That being said, I will be training for this and I will go into the race very committed. I do not plan to DNF unless absolutely necessary - I just want to keep it in mind that it COULD happen).

Which brings me to my next problem - picking a 100 to try. ONE. HUNDRED. MILES. is going to be hard enough on it's own, let alone factoring in traveling, elevation, terrain, availability of pacers, etc. So needless to say, there are a lot of things that go into choosing a 100 mile race.

Ideally, I would love to stay in state. I love Colorado and would like to run on familiar territory. It would also make finding pacers and having my family there much easier. Which is where Leadville comes in. As cliche as it probably is, ever since reading Born to Run I've wanted to attempt the beast that is the Leadville Trail 100 (LT100). I know it sounds crazy that I would want to attempt this as my first 100, but, as surprising as it may sound, Leadville Trail 100 is actually one of the easier hundred's in Colorado (it is by no means, "easy", but easy in comparison to other 100's offered in the state). I also ran the Leadville Trail Marathon in 2014 and really enjoyed it. I generally don't have many issues with high elevation and that is one of the main reasons LT100 got it's reputation for being one of the toughest. My biggest issue with LT100 would be the time cut-off's. At 30 hours, it's not strict for most 100 milers, but it is for a mountain ultra with over 17,000' of Elevation Gain over the course. With all that said, I still want to attempt this beast someday.

So, at the beginning of December, I did the crazy. I entered the lottery for the 2016 Leadville Trail 100. 

At first I was terrified. However, the more I waited and waited and waited for the lottery to take place in January, the more excited I got. What if I got in? Obviously, I'd have some major work cut out for me. But I love spending time in the mountains. This would force me to hit the trails almost every weekend all summer. It would be tough, yes, but worth it.

Just as I was getting really excited about it, the lottery was announced yesterday. All that time spent planning things out...yeah, it was for nothing. I did NOT get in.

Here's the thing: when I first hit the submit button on my lottery registration on December 2nd, I started shaking. I wanted to "not get in" at that point. But, as I mentioned above, the longer I waited, the more excited I got, and so I was beyond bummed when I got that rejection email. This really was the only Colorado hundred miler that I had a strong draw towards (don't get me wrong - we have some other AWESOME options - I just had a strong connection to that one). I know when I really think about it, Leadville is probably a much better race to attempt once I have a little more experience under my belt, but it was still a tough reality to accept.

So, I guess that just means I need a Plan B. Deciding what that Plan B will be is another story...one I am still working on, but for now, here are the top contenders:

I still have NO IDEA which one I'm going to go with (I change my mind about every hour), so stay tuned!

2015 Racing Recap

I honestly cannot believe ANOTHER year has come and gone. I've officially been running for 3 full years now, the last 2 of which have been FILLED with races. It's always tough to recap the year because there were so many awesome experiences (I mean, I did 22 races this year alone!), so I've decided to narrow it down to some "favorites" and "bests" of the year...

Favorite Race: GOLDEN LEAF HALF MARATHON
Ah, Golden Leaf Half. This tops my racing for the year because it was one of those races where my time didn't matter, I simply enjoyed it. A race that reminds me what it is exactly that I love about running. The trails, the scenery, that feeling of being alive. Simply Stunning. All of it. It's a PERFECT time to be in Aspen. Seriously - if you have a chance to run this race, Do.

Best Overall Experience: PHOENIX MARATHON [3:41:35]
Number two on my list of top races of the year would be the Phoenix Marathon. It was, by far, my most well trained, well executed race this year. It's funny that it happened to be so early in the year. My goal this year was to qualify for Boston. Had I known this would still be my PR 10 months later, I definitely would've been slightly more aggressive in this race, but I am still 100% happy with how it went. I had trained my a$$ off, I was confident, I ran a solid race. I can only hope to do that again this next year. As an added bonus, I also had a lot of fun exploring the Phoenix area with my friend Kellee and meeting up with 2 online running friends, Amanda and Shirley!

Best Time / PR: SLACKER HALF MARATHON [1:39:44]
Slacker was another really well executed race of mine. I am thrilled with my time at this race - although given the fact that it was VERY downhill, I'm never as confident showing it off as my PR (I always have to say, "oh, but it was a downhill course"). However, I still ran this really well - holding my pace in those last few miles was one of the toughest things I've ever done. If there's one thing I've learned this year, it's that I need to work on my mental toughness: pushing through the pain, and just, in general, having more confidence going into a race.

Best Course (and most challenging): RIM ROCK MARATHON
Ah Rim Rock. I FINALLY got to run you! Since this was on my home turf, I'd ran bits and pieces, but never the whole thing. And boy was this tough. There are some people who can run this as fast as a flat Marathon. I am NOT one of those people. With over 2000 feet of elevation gain, the first half of this race left me SO incredibly worn out. It was seriously tough. Had the second half not been downhill, I honestly don't know if I could've ran this whole race. Thankfully..THE VIEWS. Stunning. This is why I run! (In addition to the views, I also consider this the "best course" because I just love the feeling of accomplishment after completing a tough course).

Best Amenities: ROUTE 66 MARATHON
What a fun race. Seriously. Me...drinking Beer at Mile 9 of a Marathon? Check! Mimosa's at 22 - why not? I loved not having a goal and simply having fun with this one. It forced me to talk to random other runners which was a blast (and I swear, I don't know what it is about running...I am so NOT talkative in real life, but I can find anything and everything to talk about on a run). This really is a great race to just have fun at (plus with all those hills - who wants to go for a PR anyways!?), especially if you're a Marathon Maniac or Half Fanatic - so many people to talk to and drink with and who knows what else!

Race that didn't go as planned: REVEL ROCKIES MARATHON
Oh Revel Rockies. You sweet, terrible, wonderful, cruel race. This was my #1 goal race of the year. Unfortunately the race had other plans for me. So well executed until Mile 17 when my race suddenly came crashing down on me as the stomach issues just kept rolling in. First it was side stitches for several miles, then I just felt completely sick. And finally Mile 22.5. Me. On the side of the road. Vomiting. Running can be SO lovely at times. But hey - we all have bad races. Unfortunately this was one of them, and unfortunately it ended my dreams of Boston 2016. It was tough to accept (it still is actually), but I have faith that my day will come eventually! But hey, the day wasn't a total loss. I got to meet Chris, another online running friend. He ran this as his first marathon in 3:32 and change....want to trade finish times?!.

Other notable races: MT. SNEFFELS HALF MARATHON & LOVELAND FALL CLASSIC
I just wanted to note Mt. Sneffels because I love the race and it was extra special this year since I got to share it with my dad as he ran his first Half Marathon! Loveland Fall Classic was another noteworthy race because after several weeks of extremely rough training (or lack thereof), I was in a bad place mentally until I decided to leave the fate of this race up to God. I trusted him completely and he carried me to my second best executed marathon of the year which I really needed after bombing Revel Rockies. Scott was also able to be at the finish line for this one which was a nice surprise for me, and we went and spent a few days in Estes Park afterword.

Mileage (as of 12/22/2015): 2046 MILES COMPLETED
A big goal of mine that I had this year was to complete 2015 Miles in 2015. This counted anything done "on foot", which for me was running, hiking, walking, snowshoeing. 1909 of those alone were just running, so I'm pretty proud of that, especially considering my highest year before was only ever in the 1500-1600 range.

Anything else: [Being a] SKIRT SPORTS AMBASSADOR & RUNNING CHICAGO
I had a blast being a Skirt Sports Ambassador this past year and meeting so many awesome other women! I absolutely LOVE the Skirt Sports ambassador motto: Real Women, Real Bodies, Real Inspiration! Before I started running, I was so timid and constantly telling myself I couldn't do things like I do now. That I wasn't Athletic enough. Fit enough. Skinny enough. Brave enough. Skirt Sports encourages all women, in all walks of life, to live a healthy and active lifestyle - which is just SO awesome to me! And last, I got to go to Chicago for work, but had a free afternoon where I was able to explore the city on my own two feet, by myself, and honestly, I LOVED it!

Winter Sun 10K 2015

Well my 2015 racing season is officially over. I ended it by running the Winter Sun 10K for the third year in a row. With all the speedwork I did in the first half of the year, I wanted to try and PR this race (it's a FAST course, making it great for a 10K PR), but unfortunately with the time I took off over the fall, it didn't happen. That being said, I did still manage a pretty good performance for myself and FINALLY managed to get myself on a podium (my first podium!!), so I'm overall happy with how this race went and intend to keep running it (plus I want to go for the Moab Half Marathon Series Triple Crown next year!).

Since we have such a large group of from Grand Junction that go every year, several runners decided to organize a bus to take a bunch of us down this year, and I was lucky enough to get in on the action. As soon as the idea was born, it quickly evolved into a "party bus" complete with goodie bags:

Needless to say, we rolled up in style. No seriously, we even got permission to have our specific bus take us directly to the start (and park there, so we could stay on the bus as long as we wanted before having to get off - unlike when you take their shuttles). It was pretty sweet.

Our party bus!

The weather was very tricky to dress for. I believe it was low 30's for the race but very sunny out (actually this was the first "Winter Sun" race that I'd actually seen sun at - last years race was overcast, and the year before was snowing!). So after much deliberation, I decided on a skirt and long sleeve shirt. However, at the very last minute, post warm-up (thankfully I did one), I took off the long sleeve and went in just the tank top I had one underneath.... Yes a tank top and skirt in 30 degree weather. But the sun really was nice and since I knew I was going to be racing this as fast as I could, I was okay with it.

Taken on my warm-up - the Moab Golf Course!

As I mentioned before, this is a FAST course. So I started out at a hard pace, and just did my best to hang on for the remainder of the race. Overall this was a pretty good strategy, especially since I knew when to expect the hills - there are a few small ones in the first 2 miles, and then a BIG one right after Mile 2. I always get passed by people on this, but can usually catch back up once I get over the hill and have a chance to recover.

Picture from the race website - it just does a great job showing the views!

After you get over the big hill, it is a really nice gentle downhill until the very end. I managed to keep a decent pace (with the exception of the Mile 3 hill, which resulted in my slowest mile) until the last mile when I definitely started to struggle. The race ends with a lap around the high school track, so I told myself I just had to make it to the track and then sprint it in. Unfortunately, I was dying by the time I got to the track, so I managed to sprint for about 10 seconds as I rounded the first curve, and then I was back to just running. However, I still managed to finish in 48:13 - my second fastest 10K time!
 

They didn't post the results anywhere, and since the competition for this race has always been very tough in previous years (my 46:29 from last year left me in 5th place) I wasn't expecting to place. Therefore I was pleasantly surprised when I got called up for 3rd place in my age group (women 20-29)! This was my first race I've placed at that had an ACTUAL podium, so I was pretty excited!

RACE STATS:
Race: Winter Sun 10K
Date: 12/5/2015'
Location: Moab, UT
Distance: 10K (6.2 Miles)
Bib Number: 57
Weather: 30's and Sunny (my first year the winter sun actually had sun!)
Official Time: 48:13
Average Pace: 7:46
Overall Rank: 83 of 406
Gender Rank: 21 of 249
Age Division Rank (F20-29): 3 of 27
Garmin Splits: 7:40, 7:39, 8:22 (the big hill mile), 7:30, 7:39, 8:00, 7:30 (last .2)

Course Map & Elevation

Our group stuck around for the awards and raffle, then went to lunch at the Moab Brewery before having one big Fireball Toast as we headed back home.

Turkey Tracks 5K

I've participated in some sort of Turkey Trot every year since I started running. It's become my new tradition in a way, so when I knew I was going to be in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving this year, I decided I had to find one there as well. Being a larger city, they had several options, but with help from an online running friend, I decided on the OKC Turkey Tracks 5K in downtown Oklahoma City, and was not disappointed (aside from the uphill against the wind section during Mile 3...).

As I've mentioned in about EVERY post since mid-fall (I know it's probably getting annoying), I knew I wasn't in "racing shape," and so didn't really know how this would go. I was HOPING, especially given that I was at 1000' elevation (as opposed to 4500' where I live), for Sub-24:00. That would be a 7:44 pace for those who can't do math in your head (like myself). My comfortable, no worries, no sweat (well maybe a little sweat) pace is about a 9:30-10:00. So 7:44 is stretching it a little, especially when I haven't been pushing my pace AT ALL lately... so I gave myself a B Goal of running a sub-8:00 average pace.

The weather leading up to the race was questionable at best. The forecast called for rain all day on Thanksgiving - although LUCKILY the temperatures were going to stay warm for the first half of the day. When we arrived downtown it was 60 degrees and drizzling with a bit of wind. We were pretty thankful we had opted for the downtown race given the wind (the other one we looked at was at Lake Hefner - which would've been VERY windy). At least the buildings would hopefully block some of the wind for us!

The race starts downtown at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial site, so my dad and I walked through the memorial while we waited. After that, I saw Jennifer - who I only knew from social media (I started following her on Instagram at the Walt Disney World Marathon in 2014) - so we met up and got a picture! It's always fun to meet online running friends - everyone is always so nice!

The Race Start/Finish

The Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

Meeting my online running friend Jen in real life!

Finally, it was just about time to line up. This was by-far the biggest 5K I'd ever ran, and I knew I wanted to "race" it, so I opted to start pretty close to the front - where I snapped this picture looking at the crowds behind me:

Then pretty soon, the gun went off, and we were off! It was a lollipop course (and out-and-back with a loop connecting the beginning out from the end back), and the very beginning was slightly uphill. I knew this would be nice for the way-back! Unfortunately, about 1/2 mile in, once we turned to start the "loop" portion, it was all downhill - this would mean it was "up" on the way back! But - not much I could do about it, so I took advantage of the downhill as much as I could and ran my first mile the fastest in 7:38.

Mile 2 was slower, but not terrible in 7:44, but I could tell I wasn't going to be able to keep this up, especially since I knew I was going to have to make up for that downhill soon. Sure enough, the uphill came right into the first part of Mile 3...and of course, not only was it uphill, but we were also running against the wind. I tried my best to keep my pace up, but I knew the sub-24:00 wasn't happening. Finally with 1/2 mile to go, it was back to downhill and I managed an 8:17 third mile, picking up the pace as best as I could for the last .1, and finishing in a time of 24:33.

Not my A-goal, but managed my B-goal with an average pace of 7:55. Much to my surprise, this was also good enough for second in my age group, although they weren't actually giving out any awards to age group winners (which I actually decided was probably for the best, since I wouldn't have wanted to wait around for awards anyways - not only was it raining, but I wanted to get back to helping out with thanksgiving dinner).

So - overall this was a good race for me to get a feel for where I'm at right now. I have a lot of work to do to get back into marathon racing shape (aka "operation BQ"), but I know with hard work and commitment, I can get there!

Proof that I DO have some bad race photos! This was the least embarrassing out of 5!

RACE STATS:
Race: Oklahoma City Turkey Tracks 5K
Date: November 26, 2015
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Distance: 5K (3.1 Miles)
Bib Number: 895
Weather: 60's and rainy (sprinkling)
Net Time: 24:36
Gun Time: 24:33
Average Pace: 7:55/mile
Overall Rank: 83 of 1193
Gender Rank: 17 of 707
Age Division Rank (F25-29): 2 of 108
Garmin Splits:7:36, 7:44, 8:17, 6:47 (last .1 - clearly I had a LITTLE left in me)

Not very many 5K's have Finishers Medals!

Elevation Profile - although this makes it look worse than it was.

Course Map

My Dad and I, post-race!

Race Recap: Route 66 Marathon

Yesterday I ran my 13th Marathon (16 if you count ultra's) at the Williams Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I signed up for this one at the end of last year after hearing it was a great race for Marathon Maniacs (a club for people who run a lot of marathons - you have to qualify by running multiples within specific time frames - I qualified by running 3 in 90 days last year, and then "leveled up" to the second level by running 8-11 marathons in 365 days). It also worked out nicely because it's the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving - and since I have family in Oklahoma, I decided to make a trip of it - run the race and then stay for Thanksgiving week. The only real issue I faced was finding plane tickets - I prefer to fly directly out of Grand Junction during the winter (since getting to Denver is much trickier in the winter months due to unpredictable weather), however flights were just outrageous, so I bought Tickets out of Denver from Southwest...and hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, my hoping didn't really pan out. The forecast for Friday in the mountains was for 7 inches of snow from Vail to Loveland. My biggest fear was I-70 getting closed, so I made a last minute decision to leave Thursday night instead. As stressful as it was to pack in 30 minutes so I could hit the road at a decent hour, at least the drive was good (mostly just a bit wet in places), and the bonus perk was having the entire day Friday to do whatever I wanted before our flight left on Friday night. So I ended up spending the day leisurely exploring the Boulder area before our flight left that night:

After two hours of delays, we finally made it into Oklahoma City late on Friday night. We headed to Tulsa on Saturday afternoon, hitting the expo and packet pick-up at about 4pm. After walking around the expo for a bit, we headed to our hotel out near the airport, then finally to dinner at Red Robin, followed by a trip to Walmart so I could get some cheap toss-able sweats (a lifesaver considering how chilly it was waiting for the start). Then it was time for bed.

With my bib, and my #FlatRunner all ready for the next day!

The next morning I got up just before 6 (SO late compared to most marathons - it was NICE!), quickly got ready, grabbed a bagel and coffee from the hotel, then my mom and I hit the road so she could drop me off at the start line at about 6:45. She was able to drop me right across the street from "Maniac Corner" - the special VIP area of the race start just for Maniacs or Half Fanatics (same club, but for Half Marathoners - I actually just joined this a month or so ago so that I could become a "Double Agent"). The VIP area had it's own separate bag check, port-a-potties, a tent area (to somewhat provide warmth - although it was still COLD), and then we all did a group picture at about 7:20.

All of the Marathon Maniacs & Half Fanatics - I'm somewhere in the top right!

I headed over to my starting corral at about 7:45 and got ready for the 8:00 start. I waited until the last possible minute to shed my sweatpants, and opted to keep my sweatshirt on for the time being. The wheelchair races were off at 7:58, and then it was our turn. They shot off a bunch of confetti with the start of the gun which was pretty awesome (and it kept going long after I had gone through) and fit with the "party" atmosphere that would continue through much of the race.

The starting line (photo from the Route 66 Marathon Facebook page)

The first few miles went okay - my feet were frozen from standing around for so long, and it took several miles until I could feel them again! I ended up shedding my sweatshirt at about 1 1/2 miles, but still had another light long sleeve that I kept on until about Mile 6 (I didn't want a repeat of Rim Rock where I dropped everything too early and regretted it). Honestly the first 8 or so miles went well, but mentally just felt LONG. I was a little worried about how I was going to go for 26.5 miles at this point (yes I said .5 - they have an optional Center of the Universe detour, adding .3 miles to the race, making it the "World's Shortest Ultra"). But luckily, starting at around mile 9 things got a little more interesting (don't get me wrong - the first 8 were through really pretty neighborhoods that still had a bunch of fall color - I enjoyed it - it was just mentally I wasn't in it yet or something).

Only about 1/2 mile into the race.

1 or 2 mile in - it still looks like Fall here!

So what happened to make it more exciting? Well for starters at Mile 9 was one of the best "un-official" aid stations (this one vs. the Mile 22 one are up in the air - they were both awesome) - a group of spectators had beer, shots (not sure of what), and then jello-shots! I was a little hesitant at first since I was only 9 miles in (that's 17 1/2 miles still to go!) but I just decided, why not? I'm clearly not going for a PR (I'm not in shape for that right now - and even if I was, it was an INSANELY hilly course), so I had some beer!

Beer at Mile 9...what could possibly go wrong? (Thankfully nothing)

I contemplated the jello-shot, but ultimately decided against it (the 17.5 miles to-go being the reason - had I been past the 20 mile mark, I totally would have). After that, things just seemed to go faster. At about Mile 11, I saw a guy wearing a Runners Roost Race Team Singlet (P.S. I got onto the Runner's Roost 2016 Road Race Team!!! Pretty excited about it - I've been applying for the past 3 years) so I struck up a conversation with him about it and then we got to chatting about various Colorado races for awhile. We stuck together until about Mile 13 or 14 which helped those miles pass by immensely!

The Half Marathoners and Full Marathoners start together and split off at about 12.5. This was similar to the Denver Rock-n-Roll Marathon in 2014 - which I hated at the time, and so was a little worried about this. That race I really struggled with the transition from huge crowds to extremely small crowds post-split. But I decided I didn't mind it that much during this race - I actually found it much easier to start up conversations with people once the crowds has dispersed - and chatting always makes the miles go by more quickly!

Once I lost the Runner's Roost guy (I believe his name was Joel - I'll probably find out when I officially start the team in 2016), I continued on for a bit by myself before striking up a conversation with another Marathon Maniac from Indiana for a mile or so. Then I was back to running by myself for bit until around 20 when I met Ron - another Maniac (I told you this was a big race for Maniacs!). We ran together until right around Mile 22 - when we hit the other awesome "unofficial" aid station. They had Guiness, Mimosa's, Gummy Bears, Pretzels, Oranges, and Pickles! It was pretty AMAZING. I toasted my mimosa with this awesome lady, then had a pickle (I know it sounds weird - but they actually taste really good in races - it's the sodium I think - it's such a nice change from all the sweet stuff), and finally grabbed some gummy bears as I continued on (although it was one of my slowest miles of the day at 12-something).

Cheers!

Only about 1/2 mile or so later there were some more people with Beer, so I had a quick sip, and kept at it. Meanwhile, the hills just kept coming (I was getting a little tired of them by this point). Just before Mile 24 we turned onto a section that was an out-and-back - although when I was on my way "out" I didn't see anyone coming "back" yet so I got super confused on whether we were on the part of the course that was the "out" or the "back". Ron ended up catching up with me again on this section and confirmed when I had eventually determined - that we were on the "back" section. I also saw a fellow Skirt Sports Ambassador Cheryl on this section - so I said Hi as we passed (although - I wish I had thought to snap a quick picture - but I didn't think about it until it was too late to go back)!

My pictures never seem to do the hills justice! I swear they were big.

Meanwhile Ron and I got back to chatting for a bit about different races etc. Then before we knew it, it was TIME! For the detour. I had been waiting for this all day (especailly after seeing how cool the coin was at the expo the day before). We turned right for the short out-and-back section. It required going up a big hill, past the actual Center of the Universe, then down a hill where Michelob Ultra was giving out Beer (this is a great race if you like beer BTW). Naturally, I had to have some and I got a picture with the Beer Keg and Ron, and then we headed back to the course, stopping for a picture "on" the Center of the Universe. From here, it was just about a mile left to the finish. We kept at it, kicking it into high gear once we could see the finisher's shoot. My mom and sister were watching from the finisher's shoot so I waved at them and then sprinted to the finish, finishing in 4:17:18 - not my fastest, but also not my slowest, and considering the amount of chatting, drinking, ultra-marathoning, and pictures being taken, it's not too shabby!

Seriously, how awesome is the Beer keg costume?

Standing on "The Center of the Universe"

The awesome coin we got for completing the detour! (Front and Back sides)

Finishing (and showing off my coin)!

The race had Spaghetti and various small treats for finishers. I had a little bit, and then went to find my mom and sister before going in Maniac Corner to get my drop bag, switch my finisher's medal from the regular medal to the special "Maniac" medal. They also had a separate beer area and pulled pork sandwiches just for Maniacs which was awesome (and way better than the spaghetti). I had part of a sandwich and beer before we took off and headed back home!

RACE STATS:
Race: Williams Route 66 Marathon
Date: November 22, 2015
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Distance: Marathon (26.2 Miles) + .3 miles for the Center of the Universe Detour, making it a total of 26.5 Miles
Bib Number: 3673
Weather: Chilly, but honestly perfect for running - 30's at the start, 40's at the end and sunny.
Net Time: 4:17:45
Gun Time: 4:17:18
Average Pace: 9:49 minutes/mile
Elevation Gain: 661 Feet
Overall Rank: 611 of 2585
Gender Rank: 177 of 1269
Division Rank (F25-29): 28 of Unknown (can't find where this is listed)
Garmin Splits: 8:51, 9:21, 9:06, 9:24, 9:22, 9:00, 8:58, 9:20, 9:27, 9:21, 9:01, 9:38, 9:29, 9:11, 9:58, 8:59, 9:55, 9:12, 9:52, 9:16, 9:30, 12:02 (enjoying a mimosa), 9:42, 9:51, 9:38, 12:07 (enjoying some beer and taking multiple pictures), 9:10

Elevation Profile - SO many hills!

Course Map

Race jacket and bling! (Love it all!!!)

Finisher! (with special Marathon Maniac metal)