Booooo-king it through October

Less than a week until the New Orleans Jazz Half which will be my 46th state half marathon. I'm super excited to visit New Orleans. I've never been there before, so I really can't wait to explore as many of the cultural areas as I can. It should be great fun. I received an email from the race directors this week saying that the race route has been changed because of the crane accident and collapse at the Hard Rock Cafe. I guess it is right near the beginning of the race, so we will be rerouted slightly in that area. I guess it shouldn't be that much of a big deal.
In the meanwhile, I've been getting my training miles in with my final long run today (12.91 mi.). It was a gorgeous October day for a run, and I indulged in some picture taking as I made my way through town and out to the canal trail. I was inspired to run this route after seeing pictures that my friend Casey posted yesterday on Facebook showing the views as she walked the canal trail. The trees were just past peek of their fall color, but the foliage was just amazing all along the way. Here are the photos I took.

Field along my route. Such nice colors!

Across the street from the field. Pretty trees!

The Old Town Hall and current Historical Society.

Typical New England church.

My favorite Halloween house in town.

Gorgeous view down a street as I head down.

Crossing over the CT river.

Another river view from the bridge.

Graffiti at the head of the canal trail. 

The beautiful fall on the canal trail.

The river along the canal trail.

Tobacco barns along the canal.

Better view of tobacco barn.

One more of the barn.

You can just see the church steeple across the way--the church I ran by earlier.  

After the turn around--running back along the trail.

It was such a pretty run today, and such a joy to spend a long mileage day with this amazing scenery. I took it slow, stopping to snap photos as I needed. I'm ready for 13.1 this weekend in New Orleans. Bring it on #46!!!

BRA-vo BRA-vo! A post for the ladies.

I just recently took the leap and ordered new running bras online. Usually, I find a running bra I like from shopping in a sports store, and I stick with that brand and those bras until they completely die. My Under Armor bras that I've had for probably the better of 9 years are at that point. One lost the zipper pull, another has the zipper track getting kind of wonky--they are ending their useful life, most definitely. 
I read Runner's World magazine faithfully, and some time ago, they had a good article on sports bras. One brand caught my eye, along with their targeted online marketing, and I decided to take the leap. Boy am I glad I did!
Meet the She-Fit brand of sports bras. Check out their link https://shefit.com . I've never ordered a sports bra online before, so I was a bit worried. But when I received my order, I was completely blown away. The bras arrive in a wonderful little mesh bag that says "Wake up, Kick ass, Repeat" on it, and the bag doubles as a washing machine pouch for keeping the bra safe. Love. The bra itself is as  easy to maneuver as the website videos show. It hooks in the front, and once you have it zipped up, you adjust the back and shoulder strap velcro strips to find your perfect fit. Once on the body, the bra cages you like iron. No bounce. Seriously, NO BOUNCE! 
I'm totally in love with these workout bras, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't try them sooner. I plan to order a couple more so that I always have one available when I need it. The prices are comparable to good quality running bras in the sports stores (I ordered the Ultimate Sports Bra in black $65), and the She Fit quality is far superior to any other brand I've ever owned. I'm hooked.
So, if you haven't ever found a proper workout bra, give this brand a chance. I'm sold!

Note: This endorsement is entirely my own personal experience with the product. I am not receiving any perks or sponsorships from the company for this review. I'm just a fan, and I want to pass along this fabulousness to other ladies out there!

Summer bummer and recovery

Haven't blogged in a while, but now that September is here, I figured it was time to check in and write about the end of summer running (or lack thereof) bummer I experienced this year. At the end of July, while out running a new route in a nearby town, I stepped on one of those green-cased, ball-shaped walnut coverings that drop from black walnut trees (I think that's what it was at least). At about 2 1/4 miles in to a 3 mile run, I stepped on the ball, twisted my right ankle hard and ended up with a pretty nasty sprain. Doc told me 2-3 weeks of rest. Total bummer! With 6 days left in July, I was looking for a banner month mileage-wise, but that wasn't to be. 
I rested for two weeks, diligently icing my puffy ankle, and not pushing myself much at all. It was so hard to just sit around, and I didn't like it one bit! I decided to try back slow, easy running after the two week mark, and I felt ok, but still really took it easy. I only ran 5 milers, and when I say slowly, I mean really slowly. In fact, on one of the days, my Apple watch indicated that I had done a 5 mile walk, even though I was slow running. Sheesh! 
I'm happy to report though, that I'm feeling pretty good now. The ankle feels fine while running, but I still get a little stiffness from time to time. I even managed to eke out my 100 miles for the month by doing those slow 5 milers for the remaining days of August. I'm so happy for that. 
With back-to-school looming, I hope to get back in my regular running routine, as I gear up for my next race, The Jazz Half Marathon, October 26th in New Orleans! Can't wait for that one. It will be my first trip to New Orleans, and it should be amazing to run there. 
Looking forward to a fun-filled (injury-free!) fall season of running. 

State #45, Missoula Half Marathon, Missoula, MT, 6/30/19, Part 3

I awoke bleary-eyed and pretty sleep deprived bright and early. I got ready as quietly as I could in an effort to not wake my sleeping family. Our room didn’t have a microwave in it, so I had to drink my day old Starbucks dark roast cold. At least it was a good dose of caffeine. I made my way down to the lobby to ask to have some hot water heated up so I could have my oatmeal before I walked to the bus pick up. I ended up meeting a guy from Kentucky who happened to be the race director for the Kentucky Bourbon Half Marathon. I told him I’d just run the Derby race and that Louisville was a great place, very enjoyable. Might have to make it back there for his race someday.

I left the hotel and walked along the paved path to the University of Montana campus where the buses were waiting for us. I happened to strike up a conversation with a woman from Florida who was a 50 stater (having already finished her 50 half marathons and a good number of full marathons, too). We had a nice ride out to the starting line together, trading info on races we’d both done and places we’ve enjoyed. She was running Montana in support of a fellow 50 stater who was completing her 50th race in Missoula. For the woman I sat with, Missoula would be her 111th half marathon! What a champion!

We made it out to the starting line area which was out in a rather rural area. It was a large parking lot for (I think) a health & wellness center. There were plenty of runners there, but I didn’t get the sense that this was an overwhelming race in terms of numbers. That’s good. From where we were, I could see the big letter M on the mountain way off in the distance…well, that’s where we needed to get to!

View of runners at starting area. The hills in the distance are the finish area and "M" trail. 

Every 30 minutes or so in addition to their race announcements, the race organizers set off some fireworks, which was a different perk. It was a fun way to help count down to the start time. When we finally lined up for the starting command, we were set off with a final round of fireworks. Fun!

Fireworks going off in intervals.

The first two miles of the race were a little crowded, but it thinned out nicely. We were surrounded on both sides of the road by gorgeous forests, including the Blue Mountain Recreation Area of the Lolo National Forest. The road was largely shaded (plus the sun wasn’t very high in the sky yet, and as such we experienced a beautiful sunrise during this portion of the race). We also passed through some river features in this portion of the race. It was really stunning. 

As we entered miles 3 and 4, the area was still very rural, but it became less forested and more farm-filled. There were some horse farms and other small farms and houses sprinkled along the way. At one point, we passed a large statue of a cow. I felt pretty good during this stretch, and it was fun to look at the various farm landscapes along the way. I was keeping a pretty strong pace (ahead of the 2 hour pacing group), so that was good. 

Miles 5-6 became more populated and more suburban. Houses were growing in numbers and roads were busier and more plentiful. We ran through a tunnel near a neighborhood garden which seemed like a pretty cool spot, but as I entered the 6 mile mark, I began to experience some really painful cramping. I wasn’t sure if it was gas or something I had eaten over the first couple of days in Missoula, but It was really killing me and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep running. As luck would have it, an available porta-potty was at the next aid station, and I took advantage. 

If you’ve ever had to stop mid-race to use a porta-potty, you know how difficult it is. You are super sweaty, your clothes stick to you, your legs want to keep running and when they stop it becomes harder to restart. The porta-potty has no air circulation, so you begin to sweat profusely while you are in there. You try to get your business done as quickly as possible, but it always seems to take an insufferably long time to do what you need to do and get your clothes back in place. Ugh. I lost a good 4-5 minutes at this little detour, but when I rejoined the race, I did feel a little bit of relief in the gut. The cramping wasn’t all gone, but it was a bit reduced. 

My goal for the rest of the race was to just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. I knew I’d fallen behind the two-hour group while I was in my pit-stop, so I figured I just wanted to finish the best I could, regardless of my time or pace. 

From this point on in the race, we were entering the neighborhoods that border the “downtown” area of Missoula. Houses were densely populated and more spectators were along the way. The neighborhoods were really cute with lots of smallish but really adorable homes. There was one house (I think near the 11 mile mark) that had an “aid station” of Tito’s drinks. Ha! I shouted to them as I ran by that I’d stop back later. Too funny!

My crew was waiting for me about a half mile from the finish line. I was feeling pretty fatigued at this point, and I was still cramping up in the middle. The neighborhood I ran through as I approached my family was the most beautiful along the route. It had big gorgeous homes and an incredible park in the middle. That’s where I’d want to live if I lived in Missoula! Anyway, as I exited the park neighborhood, I could see my husband and kids at the end of the street, waiting where I had to make a left turn to head to the finish line. I gave them a wave and told them I’d see them in a few minutes at the finished. 

Waving to the family as I approach their vantage spot.

Getting closer.

You can probably tell I'm not feeling my best.

As I made my way to the bridge where the finish line was, I was pleased to see that I was only slightly over the 2 hour mark. Official time was 2:03:39. Considering the discomfort I had for half of the race, I took this as a win. At least I finished and didn’t end up throwing up or pooping myself. That’s always good. 

Finish line selfie. Glad to be done!

I met up with Craig and the kids in the park down below street level and recounted for them my experiences along the run. I did some stretching and then we all made our way back to the hotel. I showered and we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant which was fabulous! It is so wonderful to have an awesome breakfast after a hard run! 

That afternoon we hung by the pool for a bit and I ended up having a nice chat with a woman we had met the day before at the pool who ran the full marathon—her first one ever. She and her family were from Annapolis, MD and she finished really well in her race. We traded some stories and just reveled in our accomplishments. 

Happy finisher in the park.

For dinner that night, we went back to the Tamarack Brewery and had another great dinner, followed by a stop for ice cream and walkabout around the city to look for a charm for my charm bracelet. 

It was nice to finally crawl in to bed that night, as my lack of sleep was catching up with me. The Missoula Half was a beautiful run with lots of interesting things to look at along the way. It was well organized and had a terrific spirit of fun about it. The city was a lovely and lively little city in the great wilderness, a gem to visit. Thank you, Montana, for a fantastic experience and family vacation. 

The next morning we hit the road to continue the rest of our vacation (a more restful portion for me) in Coeur D’Alene, ID and eventually on to Seattle, WA. We love our family & running adventures!

State #45, Missoula Half Marathon, Missoula, MT, 6/30/19, Part 2

The next day we decided to stay local in hopes that I wouldn’t be too tired out for the early race start the following day. We settled on a morning hike up to the big "M" on the hillside overlooking the University of Montana. The campus was a short walk across the river from our hotel, and it also allowed me to see exactly where I needed to pick up the shuttle the next morning for the ride out to the race starting line. Easy peasy. 

View of the "M" on the hillside above U.Montana campus.

We found the entrance to the M trail easily along the side of the campus. The walk wasn’t far, only a about a mile, but it was steep. The trail was a series of switchbacks to help with the incline, but it was still pretty tough. I quickly became a frustrated hiker, as I couldn’t keep up with my speedy husband and kids, but I decided to just forget their pace and take my time. After all, I didn’t want to overdo it the day before the half marathon. 

Once I changed my mindset, I enjoyed the walk more. The views got better and better as we reached the top. Our destination was the big white letter M that is cemented on the side of the hill. We finally all reached the M and had fun just taking in the view. We even saw a few parachutists running & jumping off the next hill over. Fun! Craig and the kids decided to hike a bit higher, but I just stayed at the M relaxing and enjoying the view. 

Me at the "M". 

The kids sitting on the "M."

Kids looking out at the view.

Panoramic view from the "M."

View of the University of Montana campus from the "M."

Ella and I took the lead on the hike down, both of us needing to find a restroom after all that walking! At the base of the trail we found what we needed and then decided a trip to the university bookstore was in order. The bookstore had all kinds of UMontana gear, and the family certainly cashed in. We learned that the university's mascot is Monte the grizzly bear and the teams are known as the Grizzlies (or Griz for short). With bags of shirts & hats, we started back to the hotel. 

Just as we were coming by the athletic center on campus, Monte, the mascot, came charging out of the building and right toward us! We were literally the only people around, and we were so excited for this chance encounter with the head Griz! We took some photos with him, and he seemed pretty shocked when we told him I was running the half marathon the next day. We laughed and had the most fun with him for a few short minutes. It looked like he was getting ready to film some kind of promotional video, so we left him to his work. I considered this meet up with us a good luck charm for the run. 

The kids with Monte! 

Monte, amazed that I was going to run the half marathon.

We dropped off our UMontana merch back at the hotel and decided to try another one of the Missoula breweries for lunch. It was called Tamarack Brewing and we had a fun lunch. We walked around a little bit after lunch to find where the finish line was. It was just in front of the Wilma Theater just after the Higgins Street bridge. It would be tough for Craig and the girls to be there due to the narrowness of the bridge. We figured they would find a spot nearby where they could see me coming to the end of the run. 

Cityscape drawn by Ella at Ciao Mambo.

For dinner we decided to try an Italian place called Ciao Mambo that our waitress from the hotel restaurant recommended to us. They didn’t take reservations (except for large parties), so we figured we’d get there as close to 5:00 pm (opening time) to grab table. Unfortunately, every other runner had the same idea. We ended up with about an hour and a half wait after putting in our name. This was not ideal, and for the kids it tough, but we made it. I’m glad to say the wait was worth it. The food was awesome, and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Absolutely worth another visit if we are ever back in Missoula (preferably on a day that isn’t right before a marathon)!

Bedtime was early that night, as I had to get up at 4:15 to catch an early shuttle bus to the 6:00 am start. I couldn’t fall asleep to save my life though, which really stunk. I think I finally fell asleep around midnight or so, not ideal the night before an early race. 

State #45, Missoula Half Marathon, Missoula, MT, 6/30/19, Part 1

My Montana race was a family vacation trip, timed perfectly just after school ended for the year. I chose the Missoula Half Marathon for Montana after researching and finding it was one of the top marathons/half marathons in the country! The whole family came on this trip, and we flew out on Thursday (June 27th) for the Sunday (June 30th) race. After a bit of a delay with the second leg of our flight, we arrived at the Missoula Double Tree Hotel situated very conveniently to most everything in the city. We ended up having dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was surprisingly really amazing. It was a top notch restaurant, and we all enjoyed a light meal before turning in after a long day of travel.

Giant grizzly bear at the Missoula Airport.

On Friday, we got up bright and early (still on east coast time) and jumped in the car for a ride up to Glacier National Park. The drive was about 2 and a half hours from Missoula, but we experienced a good flavor of the state along the way. Missoula is definitely a big city compared to the outlying areas. Although by major city standards, it still felt like a small town. The outlying areas were very rural, and at times, a little rough. We took in all the mountain vistas and big sky views along the way, which were beautiful. Highlights on the drive included passing along the east side of Flathead Lake (which was so gorgeous and I’m ready to look for a lake house there!!!)  as well as Big Fork (a tiny little town where our friends Kav & Roxann have a place). We passed by countless cherry orchards and farm fields on the drive. 

Views of rural Montana on our drive. 

Vibrant field of yellow flowers along our drive.

We finally reached the entrance to Glacier National Park around 8:30 am and made our way along the road that winds through. Called “The Road to the Sun” in homage to native tribes of the area, the views along the drive were spectacular and majestic. My husband had downloaded the GyPSy Guide touring app for the National Parks  for our visit, which operates off the GPS of your vehicle and narrates your travel for you as you progress along the national park route. We learned many fascinating facts about the history of park, how the roads were built, who its early directors were and how it is protected and maintained today. Only 50 of the original 150 glaciers in the park still remain, and we were startled to hear that it is expected that all the glaciers will be gone by the year 2030. A very sad state for our world, indeed. 

Jackson Glacier in Glacier National Park.

Family selfie at Jackson Glacier.

Information about the shrinking glaciers.

We intended to park at Logan Pass and hike one of the trails there, but upon arrival at that point (around 9 am or so) the parking lot was completely full and we were out of luck. The best we could do was jump out for a bathroom break while Craig circled around the parking lot hoping for a space. 

The mountains in Glacier National Park were taller than what I remember seeing in Yellowstone, and they were very rocky, snowcapped and steep. It seems impossible that the crews back in the Depression Era could carve roads through this treacherous  terrain. Absolutely astounding! The narrow, winding road along the mountain’s edge is nerve-wracking to drive, but the views are well worth it. Absolute beauty surrounded us in all directions. 

Gorgeous mountain views surrounded us. 

Each view was more stunning than the next!

At one point in the drive, we went through a pass that still had upwards of 20 feet of snow on either side of the road. The road often is impassable until sometime in the month of June, and we had heard that it was finally cleared on June 21st. Wow! Amazing to think of how much snow must be up there in the depths of winter! We also spied a few of the famous red touring vehicles the park uses to drive visitors along the road. This is a great way to see the park if you don’t feel comfortable driving or if you have a vehicle that wouldn’t fit along the road (RV, etc.). And they are kinda cute cars, too.  

If you look closely, you can see the red park touring car in the photo.

We finished the Road to the Sun drive, and rather than turn around and drive it back the other way, we exited the park and took the long way around to get back to the road that would bring us back to Missoula. This “long way” featured some beautiful views of the mountains we just drove through as well as some adventurous “off road” type driving. Some of the road was under construction, so it was dirt only for a bit. We pulled off at a nice spot with a river view to enjoy the picnic we brought with us for lunch. Eventually, the road led us back to the route we followed on our drive out. 

Some final views of Glacier National Park.  

Literally a postcard in every photo.

One panoramic of the stunning view!

Once back in Missoula, we decided to walk around the town a little bit, and we found a great local brewery for dinner. It was called Conflux Brewing Company. After dinner, we walked toward the river where we found the race expo underway. I was able to pick up my race bib and t-shirt, and we watched the beer run participants. 

Race shirt and bib number both feature the shape of Montana!

The Missoula Marathon features events all weekend long including a beer run, kids fun run, 5k, half and full marathon. There were lots of people milling about and a festive atmosphere was all around. 

Riverfront behind our hotel with running/biking path beneath car overpass.

We walked along the river bike/walking trail and ended the evening with a ride on the carousel for the kids. We walked back to our hotel along the trail which conveniently ran directly along the hotel’s back side. It was a great night in Missoula!