Indianapolis Marathon and Half Marathon, 2013

Last weekend, John, Kira, and Kira's mom, Karen, ran the Indianapolis Marathon (and Half Marathon, for Karen) in Historic Fort Harrison. John wrote his own race report for the event, so I thought I would post that here. My version of the story is a lot more boring: I stood outside in the rain for 3 hours, waiting for them to finish and hoping that none of them had hypothermia. And I got a cold. Kira also had a huge PR that I hope she will write about at some point on her blog. The end. 

So heeeeere's Johnny!

I know I don't post much on the blog, but I wanted to write up a report for my first ever full Marathon. In September of 2012 Abby and I ran our first half marathon with friend of the blog Kira. Ever since then, the thought of a full seemed increasingly plausible. I trained for the half using the 10k plan out of Run Less, Run Faster. I know it sounds silly to use a 10k plan for a race that is twice that distance, but the 10k plan included long runs of ten miles at an aggressive pace. Knowing that I could run ten miles in about seventy-five minutes, I figured that I could at least finish the half and I even ran a 13 mile long run on my own to confirm this. After doing well in the half and loving the atmosphere a full seemed increasingly attractive. 

In February of 2013 I decided that I would attempt to train for a full marathon: the Indianapolis Marathon. I consulted friends such as Kira who had run a marathon, and I also decided on a few rules. If I was going to train for a full I had to: 1use the roller everyday, stretch for 10+ minutes after all workouts, and I had to avoid injury by strength training. There were certainly a few days when I forgot to roll, but I'm sure I averaged a good home roll at least 6 days a week, often more. Training for the marathon went well, and come October I felt strong and confident. 

The day of the race finally came, and I lined up on a cold and rainy Saturday morning in Lawrence, IN to run 26.2 miles. The previous Saturday had been spent in bed as I tried to get over a cold. It lingered all week, but by Friday, I was confident I could at least start. I had four tiers of goals: 1 Finish the marathon; 2 finish in under four hours; 3 finish with the 3:30 pace group; 4 finish under 3:30. I had trained for a 7:45 pace, but I didn't expect to be able to execute a 3:23 for my first run, and many experts advise against having time goals for your first marathon This turned out to be good advice. 

The first 13.1 miles really whizzed by. I know that sounds crazy to anybody who's never run that far, but after training on my own for 15 mile, 18 mile, and 20 mile long runs, having people to run with and fans to cheer us on felt amazing. I posted a 1:44:18 for the half, right on schedule for my third tier goal! This, however, was to prove the end of my 3:30 dreams. Soon after 13.1, I started to feel tired and tight in three danger zones: my glutes, hip flexors, and ham strings. Previous experience had taught me that combined stress in these areas indicated fatigue. Under similar circumstances in a few training runs, I had ended early because of such feelings. At around 15.5 miles I attempted to stretch my hamstrings, only to find them especially tight. I knew I was in trouble. 

For the remaining 11 or so miles, my pace became erratic and I battled leg cramps. The worst stretch was from 15.5 to 20 miles. During this stretch, I was not at all convinced I could finish the race. I knew that if the pain increased, I would have to drop out. Furthermore, I had ditched my shirt, as planned, but the stopping and starting contributed to a lower than planned core temperature. Basically, the race was far from over, I experiencing new pain, and I was running shirtless in 45 degree weather. Not ideal. 

I basically just kept running. at a little turn around, I saw my 3:30 pace friends, one of whom yelled "Enjoy it!" I took his advice, focused on my first tier goal of finishing, and set about moving in bursts. Once my watch read 32KM (20 miles), I knew I would be able to finish. It was still difficult. At one point I had to ask a volunteer to help me tie my shoe because I had to remove a pebble. My hands were too cold to tie them back on. I just kept going, and attempted to enjoy myself. I had never run farther than 20 miles, so every new mile was an accomplishment. I clung to such thoughts like an emotional life preserver as I kept moving, and other runners kept passing me. 

I was just short of 25 miles when I stopped again. Another runner who had been with me for some time encouraged me to continue, saying "Oh, come on!" He said this in a good way, as in "you're so close, don't stop now." I started running again. About .75 miles to the finish, I saw Matt, the 3:30 pacer appeared and ran toward me. He matched my pace (something like an 11 minute mile) and started pouring encouragement into me. 
"This is your first marathon," he said. "You're already faster than most everybody who runs a marathon," he said. "Do you have someone waiting for you at the finish with a jacket?" 
I probably could have finished without Matt, but when he appeared and started running with me, I felt like I could be proud of what I had done. I will never forget seeing him and the unconditional support he offered. With less than half a mile to go, he asked if I could make it on my own. I said I could and he left to go run with others. I don't think I sped up, but I kept running, even passing a few people before the final turn. Once in the finishing chute, I saw and heard Abby. As usual she was angrily screaming at me to run faster and finish. I heard my name called out, and then heard the beep as the mats registered my chip. Total time: 3:51:12. 

All in all, it was and continues to be an amazing experience. I keep remembering that I actually ran a full marathon. I don't know for sure what happened with my legs. I usually do some dynamic stretches at about 2-3 miles, but I skipped that. It was also a bit colder than I had been training, and it rained a lot. I also stopped to pee twice during the first half and ran hard to catch the group (a serious tactical error). Whatever the cause of my troubles, I still managed to finish (and I trounced that lying son of a bitch Paul Ryan, a goal that helped keep me moving). I think the training plan I used worked wonderfully, and I love how I only had to do three runs a week (plus cross training and strength. I loved having Abby there to catch me at the end and to think for me when I was too exhausted to remember to put my pants on. And I can't wait to do it again. 

Pre-race photos:

Lining up in the corrals: 

Abby, warming her gloves by the fire, during the race:

Awesome race sign:

Post-race photos:

Road Tripping in May

John and I had some more wedding business to attend to. We headed down to Bloomington in the time between finals and my area exam (which I passed! Woo! Subject for a separate post). In order to break up the drive, we decided to spend the night in Marshall, MI* and eat an enormous meal at Dark Horse Brewery. We've stopped there before and I wanted to come back when I knew we didn't have to get back on the road after eating. So we spent something like 3 hours at Dark Horse, trying various beers and pizzas.

For my first beer, I ordered the Amber, expecting it to be kind of run of the mill, like a lot of ambers. But it was so nice! Very smooth, and slightly sweet, almost like a Belgian. I ended up giving it to John because he ordered an IPA with a strong grapefruit taste that he didn't really care for. That IPA was perfect for me since it was less bitter than the average IPA. Either would be great for summer. 

Next, I ordered the Black Ale, which I've had before. It's very chocolatey and kind of thick for a black ale, and I wished I had waited for dessert to order it. John had something called the Arctic (IPA), which he described as hoppy, bitter, and full-bodied. We also kind of shared the Sapient Trip Ale, a triple (trip-ale, get it?), and John was smitten with it. I wrote down his reaction: "Do I like this beer? I LOVE this beer!" He also said it was better than Fin du Monde. It's fun to see what Dark Horse has on tap, since it's often beer that they don't distribute. 

All of Dark Horse's beers are fairly boozy, so we wanted to stick around and have some dessert before going the mile or so back to the Comfort Inn (...woo). We ordered an elephant ear for dessert. While it wasn't exactly the funnel-cake style elephant ear of my childhood, it was delicious. They basically make a sweet version of their pizza dough and spread cinnamon-sugar icing all over it. Yes, we ate the whole thing. 

Our plan for the next day was to work off all those beer and dough calories with what we thought would be a relaxing run at Pokagon State Park. The park is about 40 miles south of Marshall, MI, and about 40 miles north of Fort Wayne, and it's famous for its toboggan run during the winter months. I told John that the trails looked fairly wide and even on the website, and that it was northeast Indiana! How hilly could it be?! 

Famous last words. You can see where this is going.

It was one of the hilliest runs I've ever done. I got tons of practice swinging my arms for momentum on the uphills, and we were both pooped by the end. Most of the trails are described as moderate and the longest one is only 2-2.5 miles. We figured we would do 2-3 of the 2 mile routes and make sure we got enough mileage in. Turns out, it took us about 51 minutes to run just over 4.5 miles. There were a few flat spots, like this one that reminded me of a cabbage patch.

In general, the park is lovely. I hear the trails nearer the lake are less hilly, and all the trails we took were well maintained and pretty wide. We were able to enter without paying a vehicle fee for some mysterious reason, and the Potawatomi Inn has plenty of bathrooms and water in the gift shop. It's also really conveniently located off I-69, so we will probably try something like this on a future trip down to Bloomington.

Somehow, even on this very overcast day, John's white chest is just blinding.

We were in Bloomington over graduation weekend at IU, and my cousin Jeff graduated from the business school. The festivities started off with sushi, where Jeff, his mom, Aunt Becky, and John all did sake bombs.

John and I helped put the graduation party together while my mom went with Becky and my cousin Halley and her husband to the graduation ceremony. Mom ordered this cake from BluBoy** but wasn't sure what sentiment to add. So she went with this very apt message:

The weather cooperated and we were able to host Jeff and his roommates out on my parents' deck.

Aside from meeting with a florist, meeting with our venue coordinator, and a dress fitting, we did a few non-wedding related things. For instance, Mom worked on her ability to read Molly's mind.

The run at Pokagon was the first in a week of very hilly runs, including some speed work in the rain at Olcott Park.

I also had my trial appointment for my wedding make up. Afterward, I tried with moderate success to persuade Toby to sit for a photo.

We have about 6 weeks to go until the wedding, and even less before we leave for Bloomington to do all the final tweaks to our plans. In the mean time, I have food from the Rick Bayless cookbook to show you, and I'd like to do a little post summarizing my dissertation progress thus far, including the area exam.

I hope the weather where you are is appropriate for May - it sleeted in Southwestern Ontario today! Happy Spring!





*If you're curious, we stayed at the Comfort Inn. It was cheap and well located, but nothing to write home about. I will say that when hot air started coming out of the air conditioner, the staff immediately moved us to a better room with no trouble at all. If you happen to be looking for a room in Marshall, MI, I would recommend staying there. Just know, it's cheaper than the Hampton for a reason - but it's nice enough for one night.
**Not shown: for me and Halley, vegan peanut butter-chocolate rice crispy treat, and vegan cupcakes (salted caramel and sugar n' spice) from The Owlery, one of my new Bloomington favorites.

Reading Week 2013

Last week was our Reading Week, or Canadian "Spring" Break, so named because it won't be spring until May, and it's useless to pretend otherwise. We celebrated the week off from school by traveling to Bloomington, IN. 

John suggested stopping at Dark Horse Brewing Co. on the way down. Dark Horse is in Marshall, MI, very near the junction of I-69 and I-94, a convenient lunch stop on our route. They have a general store where they sell their own beer, brewing paraphernalia, and skate boards. John said he felt like they had a sort of f-you approach in general - you either like their beer, or you don't, and it's not their job to convince you. Beside the general store they have a brew pub with a big menu. You can see the mugs for their mug club hanging along the ceiling in this picture. 

John, looking almost maniacally happy to be at Dark Horse. 

The food was great, and we'll definitely be back. Some of the beers we tried are not available to bottle, such as the chocolate-caramel stout John's drinking in that photo. I think he really found his happy place.

Once we were in Bloomington, I took advantage of a few opportunities to saddle up the beasts and go for a walk/buy their love. Bloomington in February is still nicer than London this time of year.

We got to spend some time with our friend Mark and his girlfriend, Jessica. Here they are during the last 30 seconds of the IU-Michigan State game, which the Hoosiers narrowly won.

And also, Mario Kart. 

I mostly tried to relax and catch up on grading for the first few days of our visit, since the last few involved a lot of family and friends in town for our bridal shower (more on that to come). Once John's parents arrived, we celebrated his mom's birthday. Morgan bought her this beautiful chocolate mousse cake from Angel B's. 

                                      

And, you know, I took a hundred pictures of the dogs, as is my wont.

Toby loves to pose for the camera. 

Fort4Fitness Half Marathon

It's been a full two weeks since John, Kira and I ran the Fort4Fitness Half Marathon, in Fort Wayne, IN, where I grew up. This was the first half marathon John and I have ever done, but it was only the most recent of several that Kira has completed. She came up to hang out and run with us, and to help pace me. 

The race started near and ended in the Tin Caps stadium in downtown Fort Wayne, and we all agreed that everything about the set up was extremely convenient. The Marriott that's part of the downtown baseball complex offered a special rate for the night before the race, so we stayed there and didn't have to worry about parking. Staying just minutes away from the starting line bought us a little more sleep, and then we could practically see our hotel room window from the finish line.

(Side note: John and I finally replaced our ancient laptops with new ones, and my mom brought them up from Bloomington. Here's John in the hotel, embracing his new favorite toy.)

The race itself was pretty well organized and fun to do. I'd never raced this distance before, and I think I really learned a lot in the training process. Running a couple of 12 and 13 mile long runs really made me feel confident on race day - I knew I would be able to finish, though maybe not too fast. 

That morning, John and lined up nearer to the front of the corrals, while Kira and I were somewhere about 2/3 in. We didn't see John again until we were entering the stadium to finish, but Kira got text updates on her phone that told us when John was finished: 1 hour, 43 minutes. So fast! He said that he was with the 8 minute-per-mile pace group for most of the race. At one point, the pacer asked how many people had run Fort4Fitness before, and John exclaimed, "This is my first half marathon ever!" and impressed his 8-minute pace-mates. 

Kira and I gradually increased our speed during the course of the race. Afterward, her Garmin told us that we'd run the first 5 miles in about 10:38 per mile, then the next 5 at 10:35, and the final 5K at 10:14. I told Kira ahead of time that I expected to actually run about 11 minute miles - slower than I would want to, but it's what I felt was realistic. Kira was pretty mellow for the first 6, maybe even 7 or 8 miles, and I felt ok with the sub-11 pace. Even my foot cooperated and didn't hurt, so I knew I could handle the pace. But then, really surprising no one, Kira started to push the pace, and she ran a lot of the last few miles a few feet ahead of me, smiling backward in a way that said, "You can do it! You'll thank me later!" I knew she was right, even though she didn't say that she was pushing me. Around mile 10 or so, I think I said to her, "Listen. I'm on to you. I know what you're doing." I didn't know if I could really run any faster, but I just tried to keep up with her, and that seemed to work. I was tired and kind of sore by that point, but I was hanging in there. Fortunately (I think?), my foot seems to do better when I run at least 10:30 or faster, so the pace was probably helping me out, even if it felt a little fast. 

At the lowest point in my attitude, I said, "I'm going to beat you." [man next to us laughs.] "Not, like, at the finish line. I mean I'm going to beat you. Literally. With my fists." 

Kira ran slightly ahead of me. I think I was trying to be funny, but by mile 10, that's the best I could do. 

Having said all that, I think I was mentally pretty stable during this race. I didn't ever think it was a mistake or of dropping out. I didn't even get bored, since the crowd support was pretty good, and bigger than at other, smaller races I've done.

And while I started to threaten Kira for making me run fast, the paster pace meant everything went by really quickly. It also helped that I've done all my running pretty much alone. Thirteen miles solo is mentally much more draining than running with my BFF, who could tell me stories about her new church job, and whatever else we talked about.

It was also fun to run through Fort Wayne, especially since I used to spend a lot of time in the South end while I was in school, but I haven't been there much in recent years. I told Kira to prepare for me giving her a nostalgic tour of Fort Wayne, and it started when we ran past South Side High School, where my elementary and middle school concerts used to be, and where I spent a lot of hours swimming in the Natatorium. We also ran through Foster Park, where my dad would walk during my oboe lessons, and we almost ran past my oboe teacher's house.  

When we entered the stadium, we were basically at the 13 mile marker, and I wanted to just run like crazy for the last .1 mile, so I said to Kira, "Girl, we need to BOUNCE!" and we ran hard toward the finish line - holding hands like the lesbians people accused us of being in high school. 

I'm so glad Kira was there for this race. And damn, that girl makes it look so easy! 

I would definitely do another half marathon, but one thing I learned during this training cycle is how much time I really need to devote to it. Next term, I'm teaching more and trying to write my dissertation, and I don't think I can squeeze a half marathon into that (not to mention, I'd be doing a lot of icy miles). I think the 2013 Fort4Fitness might actually be the next half I'd do, just because training for it over the summer is so convenient. 

Next up: John and I are running the Halloween Haunting 5K and 10K respectively. I'm not going to worry about getting a new 10K PR. If it's a good day and it happens, then it will happen. I have, however, carefully put together a costume, so at least I'll be festive this year. I've been taking my 10K time too seriously, and I think that's part of why I haven't gone below 60 minutes. But this time I'll be carrying a prop, and it's hard to take things too seriously when running in a costume. No hints, I'll just post a picture after the race. 

It's odd, now that the half is over, to only do a 7 or 8 mile long run, but it's also been nice to drop down in mileage after running so much. I'll write more about that after the 10K. 

So thanks, Kira, for running with me! I think the three of us had a pretty good weekend and a very successful race. 

Bloom

How can it be the last week of August? This summer has flown by. I guess that's what happens when you're done with coursework, and you just have to keep writing and researching during the summer.

Since I last wrote, John and I attended a wedding, and spent about 10 days in Bloomington. My parents moved there in the beginning of August, so we went down to help them get settled.

Let's start with a single pic from the wedding. Our friends got married in Port Stanley, and the bride's daughter baked these fun, beachy cupcakes. Each of those shells is actually a chocolate truffle.

The day after the wedding, we drove down to Bloomington, where I took about 5 random photos.
My parents' new house is in the southern part of town, with lots of green spaces and big, shady trees. That landscape has proven to be too appealing for the large deer population in the area. This buck belonged to a whole deer family we found munching on the neighbors' foliage, and licking their mailbox. They were seriously everywhere, and it was a little disconcerting to see how unafraid they are of people and cars.

As promised, John took me to FARM for brunch on my birthday. We've recently been making things out of one of the FARM cookbooks, so I was especially excited to try the restaurant.

Above: John enjoying his mocha, served in a Guinness glass. Below: my very spicy Bloody Mary. I love the little tomatoes they used as a garden! This was a great drink.

 

John had an omelette, and I chose baked eggs with the sausage omitted: eggs, potatoes, roasted tomatoes, and lots of parm on top. It was delicious, and I took half of it home. Before the entrees, we shared the Biscuit Basket - which was maybe my favorite part of the meal. The biscuits were HUGE, flaky, and came with apple butter that reminded me of taking trips to Little Nashville with Kelly.

So far my dad's favorite retirement activity seems to be finding new places to walk the dogs. We explored Olcott Park, as well as the near-by Jackson Creek Trail. It's kind of a perfect place to run.* Dad and I took the dogs over to the Hoosier National Forest and hiked around on the trails for a little while. Tobey has had an especially difficult time with the move - so much change in such a short time seems to have heightened his anxiety. But as you can see, all the walks in new, exciting places help wear him out.

I wasn't able to get a lot of pictures of all the time we spent with friends who still live in Bloomington. John and I visited Mark often, and went out to a couple of bars that have opened since I left town. Places like Atlas, the Root Cellar, and the Bishop seemed to have a slightly older crowd, and appeal more to graduate students. Back when I lived there, I spent a lot of time at the Vid, and at Bears, but I don't feel like we had anything quite like those newer bars, and it was fun to try them out.

And, of course, any late night bar adventure should conclude with a trip to our favorite 24-hour spot, Crescent Donut. John and I are still trying to figure out a way to work Crescent Donut into our post-wedding-reception plans, since it's the kind of place that's best to visit after you've already been to party. They tend to give away donuts at that time of night, and we always have the counter to ourselves.

So here's to the end of summer! Even though it went by quickly, I'm ready for the new semester to begin, and for fall to arrive. Today I had to restrain myself from buying a pumpkin scented candle. I have to wait until September for pumpkin-anything, since I want to savor the end of the summer before I start to savor fall. If I "start" fall at the end of august, then I'll have an even harder time waiting to "start" Christmas until after Halloween.

I hope your summer ended as well as ours did!





*I need to write a separate post about running, since I've been doing so much of it lately! Our first half marathon will be Sept. 29th, and I have some other fall races planned. 

Greek Fest 5K and a Tin Caps Game

 After the party in Memphis, John and I spent some time in Fort Wayne. It was a good way to break up the trip. We ran a 5K that was part of Greek Fest, one of the summer festivals that take place at Headwaters Park every year.

 

It was a hot day for a race, but we both had a good time. What with my recent food problems, I wasn't gunning for a PR. Instead, I decided to just race the three or four people around me. I nicknamed the tall person in front of me "Big Blue," because of his shirt, and I stayed on his heels for almost the whole race. My plan was to pass him in the last half mile, but he ended up slowing down before that. I also set my competitive sights on a girl that, for now, we'll call The Pug.*

The Pug passed me within the last mile, and I was determined after that to pass her before the end. The very last part of the course was within Headwaters, and the paths are narrow enough that I didn't think anyone would pass me. I managed to get in front of The Pug just before the path narrowed, and I finished probably one second before she did.

Immediately after the race, we headed for the splash pad. I love this picture of John. Something about it is so sad.

 

Our registration included a food voucher for the festival, so we used them up plus $2 on lunch - Greek sausage, spanikopita, and baklava. It was a pretty sweet deal. John and I also tried a Greek beer called Marathon that we both enjoyed.

Since we stayed to use our food vouchers, we were able to hear the award ceremony, though neither of us expected to win anything. But THEN, I got a medal for third place in my age group!

John pointed out that The Pug was about our age, and if I hadn't passed her, she likely would have beat me out for third place - and I would have been pissed about it for the whole day.

That afternoon, my mom took us to a Tin Caps game with her knitting friends. It was a special afternoon at the ballpark for knitters called Stitch n' Pitch, and we saw lots of ladies knitting during the game.

 

It's so weird that I'm going to really have to say good bye to Fort Wayne when my parents move this summer. But we'll be back one more time before then.

*I know. We're assholes.

February in Food

Our kitchen didn't produce a high number of outstanding meals in February. Being busy meant turning to old stand-bys and only making a few adventurous dinners. But here are some recipes that stand out.

Black Bean Cakes with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream Sauce from Annie's Eats.


















My only complaints here were that this recipe took kind of forever and it has eggs in it, so it's not properly vegan. But they were SO flavorful! And I'm glad to have made the avocado cream, which is just lime juice, mashed avocado, and greek yogurt together. Dream come true.


Endurance Crackers from OhSheGlows.





















When I made these, I felt like I'd performed a magic trick! Chia seeds + water + time = glue. These are gluten free, soy free, nut free, and vegan. Just a bunch of seeds hugging each other in a delicious cracker. I think I'd add a little more salt and pepper, just because I expect a cracker to be salty. They were delicious and we'll definitely make them again. I loved taking them with some hummus for my lunch.



Quarter Pounder-Style Beet Burgers from Post Punk Kitchen.


















These may look and sound a little strange, but I cannot wait to make them again. We both drooled over these burgers. The texture is great, and they look disturbingly similar to ground beef! Cast iron worked perfectly to give them a little browning, and they held together better than any veggie burger I've made. This is my new favorite veggie burger by far.



Beet Bourguignon from Green Kitchen Stories.




















John has a thing for the real version of this dish with the beef, and when I saw a beet version, he was ready to try it. Neither of us is big on beets, but after the burgers went so well, we figured this preparation might also be good. It's basically just a stew made with wine - what could be bad about that?
I think we both wanted to tweak this recipe slightly. It calls for 8 beets, and we felt that was too much labor and too much beet. Four would be plenty, and we would up the mushrooms. Big slices of portobello give this a meaty flavor and texture, especially when combined with the lentils. We served it over mashed potatoes. I think I would also up the herbs (more thyme, especially as a garnish) and wine (maybe 1.5 cups instead of 1, and definitely an additional splash with every re-heat). Still, we were both pleased with it and it was a delicious way to end a cold, damp day in February.



I'll leave you with two images from our trip to Bloomington a couple weeks ago. First, this onesy I saw in the window at Greetings. Excellent.

















And last, John and Mark in the on-going arm wrestling battle. Even though John has built up a lot more upper body strength, he has yet to beat Mark. Ultimately, Mark has a fierce desire to win that John cannot seem to match. This month's battle took place at Nick's where we watched the IU basketball game with my mom and some other IU people. It was a great trip to Bloomington and I'm glad that we'll have more and more reasons to return there soon!