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!

State #44, Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon, Louisville, KY, 4/27/19, Part 2

Race morning, I woke up before my alarm and felt super tired. I did my best to get some coffee in me to wake up, but I just felt exhausted. I figured I’d just try my best to get through the race and finish somewhat close to the 2 hour mark. I could always nap later. I watched the local news coverage of the race from my hotel room. I was excited to experience running through Churchill Downs. I dressed warmly for the cool morning temperatures.

TV coverage from race at finish line.

TV coverage of race from Churchill Downs.

The race starting line area was festive. They kicked things off with a man playing “My Old Kentucky Home” on the trumpet (he was dressed like a horse jockey) and then followed up with the National Anthem sung by a local recording artist. Kathrine Switzer was on hand to give some words of encouragement before the starting gun went off promptly at 7:30 am. Although it was chilly at the start, I knew pretty quickly that I wouldn’t need my long sleeve half-zip for the whole race. Once we got moving, the body warmed up fast. 

Gold statue near first part of race.

Giant bat outside Louisville Slugger Museum.

Our first mile brought us through some of the downtown area, including passing some of the bourbon bars, a giant gold statue of David, and a giant Louisville Slugger baseball bat outside the Louisville Slugger factory. This stretch led us in to a more industrial/residential somewhat run down neighborhood for a bit. It wasn’t bad, but just had a different feel from the downtown area, for sure. We ran a bit on Market Street and then crossed Muhammad Ali Blvd. (He was a Louisville native.) Next, we ran on 4th Street, but outside of the downtown area I had walked through the night before. Along this stretch, I decided to remove my long sleeved top, which ended up being quite a feat. I was sweaty and the material was sticking to me, so trying to remove it while I ran was like a Cirque du Soleil trick. Finally, I shed the layer and tied it around my waist. 

The next section of the race was one of my favorites. It was the Central Park neighborhood, which was lined with beautiful brick homes and lots of trees. If I lived in Louisville, I’d want to live here. It was so beautiful, and the crowds were good here. They also had a dj playing, which helped keep us moving along at a good pace. I can’t remember if it was just before Central Park area or just after, but we passed by Spalding University, which from what I can gather is a religious affiliated college. Outside a church on campus, a brother was cheering us on in his brown robe telling us “he had confidence in each and every one of us.” That was some nice encouragement! I also thought it was neat that one of their main buildings had a red and white Pee Wee Herman style bicycle up above its door. Cute! 

Access road approaching Churchill Downs.

Next we followed a pretty straight away path through the University of Kentucky (or at least what I could see of it from the main road) and out to Churchill Downs. The neighborhood just before the horse track was sort of run down, but I could smell the horses about a half mile before getting to the venue. Once we turned in to the Churchill Downs entrance, it was huge and such a thrill to see it in person. I snapped a couple of photos as we turned toward the building, and managed to film my run through the underground tunnel in to the inner area of Churchill Downs. We didn’t end up running on the track (which is what I thought we were going to do), but we ran all through the roads inside the property. It was pretty cool to see the famous spires and there were some cute billboards along the way. Coming out of the tunnel was tough, but it was worth it to have been on this famous ground. 

Entrance gates to Churchill Downs.

Billboard inside stadium: This would be easier on a horse!

Billboard inside stadium: Run now, Juleps later.

Once we exited the tunnel, we were past the 8 mile mark and heading straight back toward the downtown area. The first landmark we passed on this part of the race route was the University of Louisville campus. It was beautiful as we ran along, and I spied the UL Cardinals baseball stadium. Impressive! Pretty much, from this point on, we were on a straight path along Third Avenue. I knew I didn’t have that much more to go, but I also felt myself slowing down a bit. The 1:55 group passed me at Churchill Downs, but I was determined to stay ahead of the 2 hour group. As I progressed these last 4 miles or so, I kept feeling fatigue but kept trying to pull out whatever small bursts of speed I could muster. 

Mile 9 must have flown by because the next mile marker sign I saw was 10. That was a happy moment! Less to go than I thought! The crowds along this last part of the run were lively in spurts, which helped to pump up my momentum along the way. Slowly, we came back in to the tall buildings of the downtown area and mile 12. Again for like the millionth time, the Morrissey lyrics, “Why is the last mile the hardest mile…” came to mind. Seriously, the last mile always seems sooooo long! How can that be? But at this point, I knew I was close…a right hand turn, a half mile, a left hand turn and the finish line was a welcome beacon. To my great surprise, I not only held off the 2 hour group, but I finished in a net time of 1:56:53! Way faster than I anticipated! Woo hoo!

Panoramic view of runner finish line festival.

Once through the finish chute, we were paraded through the medal, water, food and photo areas and the trail emptied into the waterfront park where gear check and runner/family meeting stations were. It was a lively atmosphere, with an announcer talking to various participants to get their stories, some of which were really inspirational. I asked another runner to take my finish line photo near a display of what I thought were bourbon barrels (only to see post-photo that they were marked as vodka…). I grabbed the obligatory cup of beer from the beer tent—local beer Goodwood. It was ok, but I didn’t finish it. I was ready to get back to the hotel for a shower. 

Finish line photo with metal.

I put my half zip back on to keep me from feeling chilled from being sweaty. The 3-4 block walk back to my hotel was nice. I got to stretch out my legs and just enjoy the sunshine and city streets. I enjoyed a longer than normal shower, called home to check in with the family, and then hit the streets of Louisville. 

Statue of George Rogers Clark. 

Panoramic view of waterfront area along Ohio River.

I took a walk out near the waterfront onto an overlook that connected to the plaza of my hotel. There was a statue of George Rogers Clark (brother of William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame) who was one of the surveyors/founders of Kentucky. He scouted the Ohio River for a safe settlement. There was a fabulous view of the rivers, area bridges and city skyline from here. 

One interesting thing I found about the downtown area of Louisville is all the skywalks they have. My hotel had several skywalks/connectors that went to the convention center, parking garages and other areas. It seems that this is a trend along the downtown area. From the waterfront plaza, I was able to walk on outdoor walkways over to the Muhammad Ali Center, a cultural center and museum dedicated to the life of the boxer. From there, I went street level down to the main street to walk to the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. Also in this area were an arts center and science museum. Pretty cool cultural area. 

Muhammad Ali Cultural Center.

I took the tour of the Louisville Slugger factory, which was fun. They make all their bats from ash, maple and birch trees sourced from forest land on the border of NY and PA. Most popular with MLB players is maple. It was very interesting to see the process (harvesting, billeting, lathing, sanding, finishing, etc.). It was really cool to see the process and hear about how MLB players contract with them to get their special bats made to their liking. There were some cool exhibits in the museum relating to some famous players. And the lobby boasts a wall of Louisville lumber name plates featuring the names, signatures and years played by famous players who used their bats. An impressive display for sure. The tour concluded with distribution of a souvenir mini-Louisville Slugger souvenir bat and trip to the gift shop. It was fun.

Wooden hall of fame plaques in the lobby of Louisville Slugger Museum. 

Ted Williams statue.

Babe Ruth statue.

Jackie Robinson statue.

At this point, it was nearing 2 pm and I was getting hungry and tired. I opted for a quick bite at Starbucks (saving a more substantial, celebratory meal for dinner) and then a nap at my hotel. However, before my nap, I stopped at the hotel bar for a mint julep. I figured, I might as well get an official Derby cocktail while in Kentucky! It was actually stronger than I expected, but I think it helped me fall asleep pretty quickly once back in my room! LOL!

Mint Julep.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep the previous two nights, maybe it was the julep, but I conked out for a glorious solid one hour nap. Just what I needed! I would’ve liked to have visited the Muhammad Ali Center, but that will have to wait until next time. My dinner plans brought me back to Fourth Street to a restaurant I spied the night before called Bourbon Raw. It was a seafood/raw bar/southern food place with LOADS of bourbon on the menu. I’m NOT a bourbon drinker AT ALL, but I figured I’d try some kind of bourbon just to say that I experience the local libation. There are bourbon distilleries all throughout the city where you can go on tours and have tastings. I didn’t do that, so I figured a tasting was in order as part of dinner. My very helpful bartender, Tesla, guided me to a gentle tasting of Makers Mark, Four Roses and Buffalo Trace. It was fun, and surprisingly, better than I thought it would be.

My tasting flight.

Restaurant menu.

Dinner consisted of some appetizer plates of buffalo cauliflower (so yummy!) and short rib sliders (the perfect bit of southern cuisine without it being too heavy). I left feeling perfectly fed and satisfied without going overboard and risking a post-race stomach issue.

Artwork at the restaurant.

Once back at the hotel, I prepped my suitcase for the morning and got to bed nice and early. I really needed a good night’s sleep. It had been a fun experience in Louisville, but I know I only hit the tip of the iceberg. I’d love to return to visit more of the cultural and horse racing attractions. A woman I met on my flight out said I should absolutely come back and fly in to Lexington, rent a car and visit the race track out there along with the bourbon trail. Sounds like a future plan. Great race, enjoyable place. 

Race shirt, number and finishers medal.

State #44, Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon, Louisville, KY, 4/27/19, Part 1

I flew out to Louisville, KY on Friday morning (4/26). The flight was easy, and my connections were made without incident. I arrived around 4 pm, picked up my rental car and drove to my hotel in downtown Louisville. I stayed at the Galt House Hotel, the host hotel for the marathon, and when I arrived, the lobby was packed with a giant line of people checking in, most of them marathoners by the looks of their attire and by the sound of their conversations. When I finally got my room key, I dropped off my luggage and made my way over to the running expo to pick up my bib number. Thankfully, it was only about a block away and was a quick walk. 

Banner logo at running expo.

After getting my bib and race shirt, I browsed quickly around at the various vendors, and the Humana booth (top sponsor of the race) caught my eye. There was a woman in the booth who I knew I recognized as a famous runner, and it wasn’t until I saw her holding a 261 bib that I realized it was Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon! She was taking a photo with a young girl and encouraging her to keep running. I asked one of the women working in the booth if Kathrine was taking photos with everyone, and she said that it was time for her to leave and that she’d been trying to leave for awhile because she had a dinner meeting to get to. I thanked her and began to walk away, figuring I’d head out myself to find some dinner. As I exited the expo, Kathrine was leaving and I decided to just say a few words to her. I thanked her for all she had done for women in our sport. She gave me a hug and asked if I wanted to get a picture. I was thrilled! So the man she was walking with took our photo. I was so overwhelmed with emotion, meeting this legendary running hero. What a thrill! 

Photo with running legend, Kathrine Switzer.

I was planning to grab dinner at a restaurant nearby called The Old Spaghetti Factory, but when I got there, a two hour wait for a table made me rethink my plan. Apparently all the other runners in town for the race were planning on eating there, too. Instead, I made my way from there to the Fourth Street Live area, a section of downtown that is closed to vehicular traffic and full of restaurants, bars and a place for live music to be staged. After browsing around all the options, I settled on TGI Fridays. Not my first choice, but at least I could get a regular plate of pasta there. All the other fancier restaurants had spicy or creamy pasta choices on their menus that I really didn’t want to experiment with the day before a race. It wasn’t the greatest dinner I’ve ever had, but it was food and the restaurant wasn’t crowded, so it worked. 

I stopped at a CVS before heading back to my hotel to pick up water and some other supplies. Once back at the hotel, I checked the weather for the next morning only to realize that the warm temperatures I was expecting were not what was in the forecast. It was looking to be in the high 40’s for race morning!  I laid out my long sleeve/pant running gear and tried to get to sleep on the early side. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a very restful sleep, but I slept on and off throughout the night. I guess it was better than nothing. 

Shedding Winter

It's been a rough winter, but now that spring is finally taking hold, things seem to be on the up and up. During the winter season, my family and I ski/snowboard on the weekends at Berkshire East. I completely enjoy this change in exercise. It is a great cross-training activity that really helps strengthen my legs. Plus, it is a nice way to enjoy the cold weather and get some fresh air. It seems to make the winter go by more quickly. 

While I was reveling in the wonder of the ski season, one weekend in February, for no particular reason, my back started to kill me after one morning on the slopes. I had no idea why my back felt tweaked after skiing--I didn't take a bad fall, I didn't twist weirdly or sharply, I didn't crash into anything or anyone--but nonetheless my back was out of whack after that day. I could not straighten up for about a week, and after 3 weeks with visits to my massage therapist combined with at home stretching exercises and foam rolling, I was still not quite right. What a mess!

I tried my best to keep "running" throughout this period of time, my pace was greatly decreased along with my mileage. I was at bare minimum mileage for February. Miraculously, I squeaked out my 100 miles for the month, but just barely. I was so annoyed by this because I was so energized after my California race in January, and I came home determined to add weight training back into my regimen. So much for that in February. (Meant to post these sooner, but here are 3 fabulous pics from the CA race taken by the official photographer, Rob Nelms. It is rare that all three of us would take a great race photo while running, so here's the proof...)

Hazel on the course. Making it look so easy.

Myself, flashing a smile and big wave.

TJ the running man, peace out!

Also in February, we experienced the death of one of our dear family members on my husband's side. Having the family together to grieve was a blessing, but my diet suffered around this few weeks with lots of comfort foods around. So basically, I was eating too much fattening food and not running enough. February was a cruel month, for sure. 

March brought a bit of change. My back finally came around to feeling normal, and with Lent upon us, I decided to clean up my calorie intake by giving up my favorite snack of cheese & crackers along with all alcohol. Plus, I've tried to just eat cleaner during this time. I also started off the month with a Beach Body 3-day Refresh, which is always hard, but it really helped me to refocus and get out of the comfort food mindset. The month of March ended up being a real bang up month...I clocked 125 miles for the month and lost about 5 pounds. Not too shabby. 

And now the weather is starting to improve, which feels magnificent! Spring is my absolute favorite season for running. I love the smell of the dirt and the blooming spring flowers and trees. I love the feel of the sunshine, fresh from its winter freeze. I love shedding the heavy layers and getting back outside, freeing myself from the confines of the treadmill. It is such a season of renewal, and it helps make running feel fresh again. I have started up the spring edition of the running club at the school where I work, and the kids are so happy to be back outside having fun. It feels so joyous!

I'm relieved for all of this change, as I have a race coming up at the end of April and was unsure about my training with my back being so bad in February. Thankfully, I feel good and strong right now, and I've been able to add weight training back in to my routine, so I hope I will be even better by the end of the month. Looking forward to the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini-Marathon (#44).

May your spring be filled with a newness, be it running, or some other activity. Get out there and enjoy whatever your passion may be! Time to leave winter far behind!

State #43, Winter Fun Half Marathon, Long Beach, CA, 1/20/19, Part 2

I woke up way too early for the race, my east coast internal clock thinking 3:45 was a good time to be awake. Try as I might, I tossed and turned until 4:45 am when I finally gave in and got up. I got dressed and headed down to the kitchen for some coffee. TJ was already there, and he was nervous about the race, leaving on time, and about a million other things, this being his first ever half marathon (and really with little training for it). Hazel joined us shortly thereafter, and we all talked and stretched a bit, grabbing some light breakfast and hydration. We ended up leaving closer to 6 am, as the traffic reports were showing no real traffic issues.

View just off the freeway heading in to the Long Beach area.

As we drove out to the race, we talked about running, and I caught Hazel and TJ up on my family. As we got closer to the Long Beach area, the sunrise was stunning. I snapped a picture and sent it off to my husband, who countered later in the day with a photo of himself snowplowing the 6+ inches of snow we received back in Connecticut. 

My morning view.

My husband's morning view.

We arrived in Long Beach without incident and easily found the starting line of the race and check in table. We got our numbers, used the bathroom and shortly thereafter the small but willing group of 5K, 10K, 15K and half marathon runners lined up and were given the starting instructions. 

Final race instructions before official start.

This race (for the half marathon) was a 4.36 stretch of paved sidewalk that ran all along Long Beach, leaving half marathoners to complete the out and back route 3 times to complete the distance. I wasn’t sure if I’d love the simplicity of the route or hate the repetition. It didn’t seem like there were very many runners for the race, and not all of them were half marathoners, but that didn’t really matter. We had a half marathon here all ready for us, now we just had to tackle it. 

Runners ready at the starting line.

Hazel, TJ and I gave each other a good luck hugs and posed for a starting line picture, and then we were off. Without a huge crowd to weave through, the start was pretty good. TJ took off like a shot, and I was worried he went out too fast and would crash later. I tried to stay at a moderate but strong pace despite the cool (50’s) temps and slight headwind. It was definitely better than being back at home in the frigid snow! 

The fun thing about this out and back x3 race was that Hazel and TJ and I all got to see each other several times as we passed back and forth. We’d shout words of encouragement along the way. 

The beach was nice to run on. There were beach volleyball courts, a large pier, a dog park, and a bike path to see, as well as the ocean (of course) and shipping activity. The first mile took forever it seemed, but once I had completed the course once, I had a good feel for what I had to do to finish and keep myself motivated. The temperatures warmed up as the sun rose higher in the sky, and it felt so nice to be on an outdoor run on a beach. Yum! 

Long Beach panoramic view.

I chatted with one man for a bit along the way, as we ran a similar pace. It was his first half marathon, and I shared with him that I was from the east coast and that I was running halfs in all 50 states. He was super nice, and we traded encouragement as well. Hazel was a little bit behind me, but she looked great, like this was just another daily fitness run for her. The path was pancake flat, except for a ramp that led up to the main pier on the beach and then down again on the other side. It wasn’t especially steep or anything, but by the third lap I was wishing it wasn’t there anymore. My only real complaint with this race (not that I can really complain since we were grateful to have this race available after the postponement of the other race we were supposed to do) was that they only had one water station at the starting line. There should have been a second one at the far turn around so that we had access to water every 2 miles or so instead of every 4.3 miles. I was glad that I’d brought my hydration belt, but by the end of the race, my bottle was empty. 

By my third lap, I was doing ok, but slowing a little. The star of the day though was TJ! He was still running a crazy fast pace, and it looked like he was one of the front runners! I was so excited for him. As I made my way to my last turn around, he was already on his way back to the finish line. I was cheering him like crazy. I made my turn and headed for my last half lap. 

I was so glad to tackle the ramp for the last time (the midway point of each lap more or less) and tried to pick up the pace a bit as I headed in to the last mile. TJ was waiting for me at the finish line, filming my triumphant crossing of the finish line. I was amazed to find out from him that he was second overall in the race and the first place male finisher! Holy crow! How the heck did he manage that!?? He was tired and his feet hurt, but otherwise he seemed excited and no worse for the wear. I took a few minutes to cool down and walk a bit. I collected my medal and started walking back out along the race route to find Hazel and run in with her. 

Finisher selfie with TJ.

We connected at about the half mile mark. She told me that her headphones hadn’t worked at all for the race, and since she always runs with music, it really made for a tough race for her.  We ran together back to the finish line area, but I ducked out in to the parking lot to allow her to have her own finish line moment. TJ filmed hers, too. What a good brother!

Three happy, accomplished half marathon finishers!

We chatted about our experiences, indulged in some of the finish line water and food, and then found out to our dismay that the race coordinators had run out of medals! Hazel didn’t get one, but they promised they’d mail one right out to her on Tuesday. What a bummer! But as a consolation prize, the organizers gave all three of us some free running t-shirts (2 each!). Huzzah!

We walked over to the bathroom area still trading all kinds of stories of our individual runs. I changed into dry clothes and we stretched out a bit before heading to the car. On our walk to the car, a woman driving by stopped and asked if TJ was the actor from Bones. He chatted with her for a few minutes, and we headed off kidding him about his fame. 

We found out later in the day, when the race results were posted, that TJ finished in 1:39:57, I was at 2:00:28 and Hazel had a new PR with 2:29:44. TJ finished first overall for the men, I was fourth overall for the women, and Hazel was 10th overall for the women. Yay, us!

The drive back was amazingly devoid of traffic, and in about an hour we were back at Mr. and Mrs. Thyne’s house, ready for some glorious showers and brunch. One of the other Thyne siblings, Shelly, was there with her baby daughter. It was so nice to see Shelly and meet her little one. Shelly was the youngest of the Thyne kids, so she was really just a baby still at the time when my family moved away from the town where we all lived as kids. She didn’t remember me all that much, but she was able to pull a few details from the past out. We talked about her job and mine, and motherhood. She’s a sweet girl and her baby is adorable!  After showering, we all enjoyed catching up, relaying our race stories and eating an amazing brunch together. Hazel and I were both aching from our Breathing and Bracing workshop from the day before, which Mr. Thyne thought was hilarious. Whenever I laughed, my abs killed. 

After a lovey, leisurely brunch, Hazel and I both decided we wanted to rest a little, as we had plans with Katie later that night to see Tig Notaro at the Largo comedy club in West Hollywood. I said my goodbyes to TJ, because he was heading home and I wouldn’t see him before I left the next morning. What a great guy he’d been to take us all around and then run with us. It was such fun! We vowed to stay in touch.

Walk of Fame star outside the souvenir shop I stopped into on the way to Katie's house.

Despite laying down for a little over an hour, I don’t really think I fell asleep. I think there was just too much adrenaline still running through my body and too many thoughts swirling through my head. Katie, Hazel and I headed out around 4:30 to get back to Katie’s house to pick up the will-call tickets for the show followed by a quick dinner. Katie’s boyfriend, Nate, joined us at this point, and we all had a great time hanging out in line at the Largo and for dinner at a place called Cal Mare. Even though we said we weren’t very hungry, we managed to do a great job clearing several shared plates of delicious food. 

Largo Theater marquee.

We got to the club at ten minutes of 8:00 (the show time), only to discover the show time was actually 7:30! Oh no! Our amazing reserved seats were given away and we were relegated to the last row. The show was already underway, but once we got in and settled, it seemed we hadn’t missed very much. Tig’s format for this show (apparently the first in a series) was “Tell Me Everything” and was interview style. Her guest on stage was Olivia Munn. Many of their conversation points were very funny, but a few seemed to drag in places. The show went for about two hours, which was awesome, and Tig was amazing. She is so lovable! It ended up being a fabulous end to another incredible day with the family Thyne.

We walked back to Katie and Nate’s house and hung out there for a short bit. Katie drove us back to her mom and dad’s house. Arriving there around 11 pm, we found out that the Patriots had won the last playoff game and were heading to the Super Bowl. Hooray! Mrs. Thyne chatted with all of us about our night out, but before long, the lateness of the evening started to hit me. I had been awake and very active for a very long time. It was time for bed. 

I thanked Katie for all her amazing hospitality—dinner, the comedy show, the visit at her house—and we, too, vowed to stay in touch. I headed up to bed, and I think I was asleep before I even had my head down on the pillow. What a marathon day! (Literally!)

Race bib, finishers medal and t-shirts.

Day 3—

I woke up early to get to the airport early for my 11:30 am flight out. I wanted to leave ample time, considering the government shutdown could affect TSA wait time. I got a little teary saying goodbye to Mrs. Thyne. Mr. and Mrs. Thyne were just the best for hosting me for the weekend. I felt so loved and cared for on my visit.  Hazel joined me for the ride with her Dad back to the commuter station. At the curbside of the airport bus station, I said my heartfelt goodbyes. What an amazing trip it had been, and so special to reconnect with such funny, creative, wonderful old friends. Hazel and TJ were already talking about running in Hawaii…I sure hope that happens. Los Angeles was fabulous, and I hope I get to return someday to explore more of it. Thank you for joining me, Miss Hazel, and huge thanks to your family for all their hospitality! xxxxxooooo

California card.