State #47, Tobacco Road Half Marathon, Cary, NC, 3/15/20, Part 1

I was a bit worried going in to this race due to a really sore right glute muscle I’d been nursing for a few weeks. I think I overtrained the past couple of months and it manifested itself in my butt. I guess there’s worse injuries I could’ve incurred, but it really has been a royal pain in the you-know-what! After a much needed visit to the massage therapist things improved, but I still erred on the side of caution and did a hard taper the two weeks before the race. I mostly worked on getting some outdoor walks in along with the Dynamix routine on the P90X3 DVD workout series. Those measures, along with becoming BFFs with my foam roller, helped very much. I still had some achieness back there, but not nearly as painful as the previous weeks had been. 

So the butt pain ended up being the least of my worries for this trip. I was set to fly to Raleigh-Durham (NC) for the Tobacco Road Half Marathon to be held in Cary, NC. I planned to get together with old friends of ours, Douglas and Lynn Solomon, who recently moved to Durham. I was so looking forward to seeing them and having a look around their new city. My flight was on Friday, March 13th, but then on Thursday the 12th, I received a message from the race director saying the race was canceled due to Coronavirus concerns. I was certainly disappointed, but completely understood, considering the growing spread of this strange new virus. After some back and forth with Lynn, I decided to still travel to NC for the weekend just to have some fun. 

Email from race director announcing  cancellation of race.

After settling on still going to NC, the race director sent a follow up message saying that they were encouraging runners to run a virtual half or marathon and to upload their results. We could still get our medals and shirts (in a manner to be determined still as of this writing), so for me, this sounded as close to an official race as possible given the crazy circumstance. 

Virtual race option email from race director.

Frida Kahlo mural in Durham.

Flower, butterfly mural in Durham.

Off I went on Friday. It was great to see Lynn. She and her youngest daughter, Rette, showed me all around Durham that day. We had a blast walking through their neighborhood (Brightleaf Square) out to the downtown area and to the site where they were going to be moving in the next couple of years as their townhome development takes shape (under construction). We ate lunch at a yummy Middle Eastern place and saw the famous bull statue in the main square. We stopped into a hotel that also had an art gallery in it called 21C, which was very cool. 

Bull statue in the Bull City center.

Later in the afternoon we walked out to the Duke Gardens on the Duke University campus. The gardens were incredibly gorgeous, and I loved feeling the springlike weather and seeing all the beautiful plants and flowers. It was such a nice escape from all the craziness of the world at the moment. 

Asian garden view.

Wooded, water feature in garden.

Flowering tree.

Flowers and herbs in planter. 

White garden.

Cherry blossoms. 

Fountain with cherry blossoms.

Raised vegetable beds.

Wand tree. 

Stepped tulip garden.

After all that walking, I headed back to the hotel to relax and change before heading to the Solomon’s place for dinner. Lynn made a yummy pizza dinner and we shared some cocktails and good cheer before heading out to the movies. Lynn and I intended to see the old Bowie film Labyrinth, but when we arrived, it was sold out — due to cutting back on the number of people who were allowed to be in the theater due to the virus. We ended up joining Douglas and Rette for the movie Emma instead. The theater was nearly empty, which was fine with us. It was a fun night out. 

After that I headed back to the hotel and ended up staying up much later than I should have reading the news online and checking various stories on Facebook and other outlets. I had to run the next morning, but the nice thing about this virtual run was that for once, I could sleep in and not have to rush to an obscenely early starting time. Yay for me!

State #46, Jazz Half Marathon, New Orleans, LA, 10/26/19, Part 2

I woke up on Saturday morning just a few minutes before my alarm, and I have to say, I had a pretty good night of sleep. Although much to my horror, I woke up to the start of my period. on race morning.  just fantastic. But, I came to New Orleans to run, and run I had to. 

I stopped down to the breakfast area at the hotel to get some coffee and then went back up to the room to finish getting all my gear in order and to prepare mentally. Craig got up and got ready and we stopped back to the lounge area so I could get some hot water for my oatmeal packet. While we were down there, we bumped into two other runners who were from New York, Frank and Sarah. Frank was running the half and Sarah was doing the 5K. This was to be Frank’s 10th year running the Jazz Half Marathon. He has friends in the area and comes every year to run and get together with them. What a great excuse to visit! We chatted with them a bit and they told us that they saw Slash from Guns & Roses at the hotel the night before. I guess he was hanging out in the lounge. How funny! Anyway, we wished each other well and were on our way. 

The weather had cleared somewhat from the day before. It was no longer downpouring, but the wind had picked up overnight and it was quite blustery. The temperature was not bad, in the mid 60’s, and there was a bit of a mist in the air. Craig walked me to Lafayette Square where the starting line (and finish) were located, and then he was on his way. 

Lafayette Square in the early morning...getting ready.

Starting line up.

I walked around the square a little and got my bearings, used the porta-potties a couple of times and then got in the starting line up. The race start ended up being delayed 30 minutes due to the heavy winds overnight. Apparently the race organizers couldn’t set up all their equipment in the wind and needed to wait for it to subside a little. Luckily it was only a short delay.

After a very nice version of the National Anthem, we were off. We started on Camp Street and headed up Poydras toward the Superdome. Along this stretch were some of the tall buildings of the downtown area that then led to long stretches of highway bridges. We ran past the football stadium to a turnaround at Broad Street. Not much was up in this area, so there isn’t much to report, but as we made the turn to run back toward the stadium, we caught a cool view of the city which at this point was covered with a gray cloud of mist. It was a little eerie in the morning light. 

We headed back in toward the city and then out on toward a traffic circle and on St. Charles Street. This street reminded me so much of Comm Ave in Boston. The first part we ran was similar to the commercial stretch of Comm Ave near Kenmore Square and points on out toward B.U. Not super pretty, but lots of businesses along the way. As we continued out along this 5 mile or so stretch, the street became more tree covered with gorgeous old trees and the houses became bigger and more grand. The New Orleans street car tracks run in the middle of the road along a green space (similar to the green line T on Comm. Ave.), although due to the race, the streetcars were not running. This street runs through the Garden District of New Orleans, and it is so incredibly lovely. Definitely the section I’d want to live in if I lived there. We ran out to the Loyola University campus (with Tulane’s campus right next door), and turned into the beautiful Audubon Park. 

Trees in Audubon Park. 

Fountain in Audubon Park. 

Tree lined street in front of park on St. Charles.

We ran a lovely perimeter around the park through its gorgeous canopy of old trees and along a water feature. There was also a small golf course in the middle of the park. 

Street view of the Loyola Campus.

I forgot to mention that there were some musical groups playing along the way, most notably at mile 5 on St. Charles were a traditional brass/jazz New Orleans style band kept us moving and again at mile 6 where a gospel choir with drums and keyboard accompaniment were cheering us on. Both of these groups were revisited at miles 10 and 11 on the return trip back along St. Charles. The other thing that was nice about this stretch was admiring all the gorgeous southern style mansions as we neared the park. They were absolutely stunning. 

Blue Lady mansion.

Blue Lady historical marker.

One of my favorites was the Blue Lady, which is right near the park, and it actually for sale! Another favorite was a house that clearly loves Halloween. Their whole entire lawn was filled with skeletons adorned with punny signs and costumes. Craig and I walked back to this area after the race and I snapped a bunch of photos. They really were fun to look at. 

Skeleton display on St. Charles St. 

Really funny puns on all the skeletons. 

Luke "Skull-walker" 

The first part of the race, I felt pretty good and managed to keep ahead of the two hour pace group until mile 5. At about mile 6 (just like in Missoula) my stomach started to feel a bit uneasy, and so I stopped at the sorta-potty at the mile 7 water stop as a precaution. Unfortunately, I lost a few precious minutes there, but I just figured I’d enjoy the view from this point until the finish. One nice thing was that by the time we exited Audubon and made the turn to head back toward the city via St. Charles, we were already well into mile 9. Mentally that really helps it feel quicker than having the turn around point be at the halfway or pre-halfway mile mark.

I felt pretty good for most of this stretch back along St. Charles and about a quarter of a mile from the finish, I found myself running along next to and chatting with some younger guys as we neared the end. They were in good spirits and it was a fun distraction to help with the last stretch. I was doing well until about the last 100 yards or so up to the finish, and they my stomach just started to cramp up. I’m not sure if it was due to my period or if I was dehydrated or if it was something else, but as I crossed the finish line, I was in pain. At least I finished and it was done. I had to walk it out a little in Lafayette Square after I finished. Craig met me and we walked slowly back to the hotel. 

I didn’t bother stretching right away because I really needed a hot shower. So I took care of that first, then I stretched. After that, I sat in bed relaxing for a little while until some Aleve kicked in. Once I had some time to relax, I was ready to head back out, and we started our walk out to the Garden District (basically the bulk of the route I had just finished). 

Movement steps for the day! Yowza!

New Orleans streetcar.

We had a nice day walking along Magazine Street and out to Loyola and Audubon Park. We took the streetcar back, thank goodness! Looking up my official finish time, I was pleased to see that I was only at 2:05:33 which was definitely better than I thought considering I was behind the 2:15 pacer at one point in the race. 

View of cemetery along our walk toward Magazine Street.

Shirt, bib and piano shaped finisher's medal.

We celebrated with a nice dinner at Arnaud’s in the French Quarter that night, complete with live jazz trio in the restaurant and tap dancing street performers outside the restaurant. Since it was the weekend before Halloween, Bourbon Street was alive with many costumed revelers and a festive feel. We didn’t stay out, but rather ended up back at the hotel lounge for a night cap and some beignets. YUM! Not a bad treat after so much exercise. 

Cover of Arnaud's Restaurant menu. 

Beignets back at the hotel. YUM!!!

New Orleans was fun, and we’d very much like to come back to tour around more and learn more about the historical sites and other aspects that we missed. It was a great place to visit and to run through. Thanks to the Crescent City for warm hospitality and a great time. 

State #46, Jazz Half Marathon, New Orleans, LA, 10/26/19, Part 1

My husband and I flew down to New Orleans Thursday afternoon after work. We decided to make this race a little getaway trip for the two of us, so the grandmas tag teamed back in CT to take care of the kiddos. Neither of us had ever been to New Orleans before, so it was a trip we really were both excited to have.
Our first morning in the city brought us tons of rain. In fact, the whole weekend was looking bleak weather-wise, but no matter; we took to the streets to see the French Quarter. We decided to splurge and stay at the Ritz-Carlton on Canal St. What a treat! It was a luxurious hotel with every amenity available.
We stepped out in the morning after a nice bite of breakfast and headed for a walk along Bourbon Street. It definitely had the feel of a party haven kind of place, with bars on every corner (many of them adult themed) and the air of last night's partying still being washed off the sidewalks. We enjoyed walking along looking at the southern architecture and ornate iron balconies.

View along Bourbon St.

French Quarter street view. 

Historic architecture in French Quarter. 

Balconies in the pouring rain!

We made our way down to the Mississippi River waterfront area where we saw Cafe DuMonde, the Steamboat Natchez and ended up in a pretty cool artists co-op where we picked up a couple of souvenirs. We also caught a great glimpse of the St. Louis Cathedral from this vantage point.

Joan of Arc statue.

View of St. Louis Cathedral from waterfront area.

We walked around the waterfront area for a bit before deciding to head toward the hotel area where I was to pick up my bib number. So we started to head away from the river and ended up at the Cathedral where we stopped in to take a peek. It was so calm and beautiful in there. Gregorian chant music was playing, and we sat for a few minutes. I snapped a couple of pictures there of the beautiful works of art adorning the ceiling and walls.

Cathedral interior.

St. Joan of Arc statue in cathedral.

We meandered along Chartres Street, stopping at a couple of shops along the way. I managed to find a cool silver charm for my charm bracelet in a jewelry store, and we saw many restaurants and novelty shops along the way.

Marathon expo and number pick up. Not much to see there but this sign.

We finally reached the Renaissance Hotel where I easily picked up my bib number. We decided to have lunch at the adjoining restaurant, the Legacy Kitchen, where we both got a crab and corn bisque and split a caesar salad. It was good food, although I had to hold myself back on ordering any serious cajun inspired food until after the race. (Don't want to end up with stomach problems in the middle of tomorrow's race.)
With the rain still holding on, we decided to just head back to our hotel for a bit to relax, and ended up booking dinner at the hotel as well, just to keep things simple. 

Relaxing the afternoon away in the hotel with wine and snacks.

An interesting item of note, our hotel was only about four doors down from the fated Hard Rock Hotel that collapsed last week. Just outside our hotel property, at the corner of the road, a barricade stretches across Canal Street blocking vehicular traffic and pedestrians from passing in front of the collapse. Pretty scary stuff.
I'm sure we will have a fantastic dinner tonight and then hopefully I'll get a good night of sleep.

Marathon t-shirt and bib number.

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.