Missed some posting opps as a result of no service between legs 20 and 33.
Leg 22 can best be described as a two-lane "highway" surrounded by dark, dense woods and no street lights or volunteers. The stretches of solo running were pretty freaky and i literally sprinted as much as possible in order to find other runners who matched my pace and wouldnt mind me running close enough so as to feel slightly more comfortable and relAxed. The scene would've been beautiful, but i couldnt appreciate it due to the fear that i felt at every random noise or rustling. I turned my music down and kept checking my surroundings, esp since the headlamp cut off my peripheral vision.
My body went into auto pilot and my legs just kept going, they became numb to the soreness i felt and continued to pound the pavement until making it to the exchange.
The experience was scary and surreal, completely different than i had imagined, but overall totally worth it!!

Overall standing per leg: 8:38 per min miles on 1 with countless kills, only claimed as road kill by 3 runners
9:02 per min miles on 2 with 6 kills, only claimed as road kill by 1 runner
8:05 per min miles on 3 with 3 kills, claimed as road kill by 1 runnee

Bout to start my final leg...With teammate Kit Donnelly

Van 2 rocking our medals!!!

Final exchange and passing of the baton from Tina to Pat. Tina's finale photos!

Last pic: almost at the beach, can see the ocean

DONE!!! Heading to the beach for our final finish line cross as a team!

Handoff from van 1 to van 2Really poor quality cuz its so dArk, but thats julia handing off to erik

@ exchange 18 bout to start our van's round of leg 2 .. Trying to keep warm. Its beautiiful here with tons of stars and a bright moon

Next leg in a few hours Hardest one i'll be running..so excited to wear Michael Macrina's headlamp tho ;) 
Will prolly b outta pocket once in the mountains so will try posting, but may not have service

Its 5pm and we have officially passed the baton off to van 1. Heading back to the Donnelly's for some much needed food and rest. 2 legs left..uy!

Post-leg pic

Just finished 1st leg..8:38 pace, all in the sun along a pretty flat trail. No puking ;)

Doug's running 6.9 and then im up for my first leg which is 

Kit finished 4.5 in 34min aka SUPER fast so in this pic he's waiting to hand off to doug who is still in line for the honey bucket..only a minor set back 

Exchange 7..still on pace to finish in 22 hours

Sean led us off from the top of my hood 

And we're off....

Waiting on van 1 to finish their 6th leg so our first runner can start .. Applying body glide in the pkg lot

Edwin and Lew rocking one of the team shirts ;)

On plane bound for portland. Sitting next to an oregon native who actually went to school with and knew steve prefontaine!!!!! Pre has always been an idol of mine so to hear that gave me goosebumps. Maybe i was meant to change my flight plans completely, get on this plane and get this middle seat..things r lookin up!!

A "peace" burrito..Dougie's idea of calling a truce. 

Original plan was to leave my place at 415am, but at 455, i decided to get in my car and drive to the airport. Doug aka team cpt slept thru his alarm..he was supposed to be picking me up in a cab.
Get to airport and am running to catch flight. Its now 628 and im at security. Of course the guy decided to remove ALL toiletries and even does vapor tests on three liquids. He knows my flight is in t-minus 25min but thinks ill have plenty of time to make it...umm what?!?! So after re-running my bags and the now removed ziplocs of liquids and makeup bag, its 542 and im racin to the ppl mover. I get on and look at my phone which now says that my flight is delayed till 630. Sigh
Of relief cuz ill actually make it!! Oh wait, the plane needs servicing and the maintenance guys dont get to work till 630 so the actual delay could be hours.
Im now going to miss my connection in texas and am told to go to united cust service. I stand in line for 20min and at this point Doug has switched his flights to a later time (still in first class mind you..cursing him over and over in my mind). I dl the united app and check the seats on his flights. I then get rebooked by the not-so-nice agent to be on doug's flights but with shittier seAt assignments. I had paid for an upgrade to economy+ when checking in yesterday. Im now sitting in a window seat on first leg and a MiDDLE seat for 2nd leg...can anyone else say AWESOME?!?!!!! Now have to get refunded $63 for that, something united forced u to do online
Oh and then to just make everything that much more fun, the flight to chicago is delayed from seattle so we won't be leaving till at least 945 now

Everything that could go wrong this morning did..new boarding passes/new flights

Hyperventilation --> Puking

Crazy, I know, but totally true!  My aunt spent some time discussing my "condition" (puking when I run) with her personal trainer and figured out that I must be hyperventilating while running.  I knew my inadequate or incorrect breathing techniques caused dizziness and the resulting stomach upheaval, but assumed the culprit to be asthmatic or allergy-induced.  I never got tested for either, but it seemed to make sense in my own head. 

Since I now believe that hyperventilation is the real cause, I've been researching the effects and potential solutions (ok, ya two days before the race is a bit late to be searching for a cure, but it's worth a shot). 

Here's what I've found out...

• From http://drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Hyperventilation__makes_you_feel_as_if_you_can't_get_your_breath

Typical symptoms of hyperventilation

Vivid dreams or nightmares; tingling and numbness of hands, feet, and area around mouth; yawning or sighing; sensation of needing to take a deep breath; panic attacks; feeling of being spaced out, faint or dizzy, episodes of weakness and exhaustion; muscle spasms, twitching, cramp, aching.

**I've noticed tingling/numbness in my feet when running, and sometimes even before and after.  Even though I recognized the numbness, I didn't consider a connection between the two symptoms.  I also experience the sensation of needing to take a deep breath in order to regain some balance.  Muscle spasms, cramping, aching, weakness and exhaustion are also present before, during and after each run -- no wonder I despise running so much?!?!

• From www.livestrong.com

"...the arteries constrict, causing feelings of dizziness or light-headiness. Other symptoms of hyperventilation include chest pain, numbness or tingling in the arms, weakness and confusion. Hyperventilation can be brought on as a result of the changes that occur in your body during exercise."

 

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/468947-is-exercise-the-cause-of-hyperventilation/#ixzz24HV3jKhC

 

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS:

 

"Firstly you must always breathe through your nose. This increases the amount of air which is exhaled and immediately re-inhaled and is therefore relatively rich in carbon dioxide. Mouth breathers must make a conscious effort to close their mouths always, if necessary tape your lips closed at night.
Secondly, breathe less deeply and more slowly. Initially this brings a feeling of wanting to breathe more, but this must be ignored. It is a bit like having an irritating itch and not being allowed to scratch it. Some anti-hyperventilation techniques ask you to practice breathing using your diaphragm instead of your chest. I don't see the logic of this because whether you use your diaphragm or your chest muscles, air will still be drawn into the lungs. Buteyko is similarly unconcerned about diaphragmatic breathing, so in this we agree! The results of reducing your rate of breathing are felt very quickly (within a few minutes) good positive feedback to encourage you to continue! But improvement may continue over weeks, so keep at it!
Thirdly, if you catch yourself sighing, yawning or taking a deep breath, hold your breath for a few seconds, breathe out very slowly, then start breathing slowly and shallowly again."

Lactic Acidosis

A study by the University of Iowa found that the accumulation of lactic acid in fatiguing muscles during exercise causes blood pH -- concentration of hydrogen ions -- to drop below normal.The mechanisms in the blood that normally buffer -- prevent changes in pH -- are overridden by the rate of lactate production during intense exercise, and pH continues to drop. Breathing rate is increased and hyperventilation occurs to rid the body of excess hydrogen along with carbon dioxide, and to compensate for the drop in pH.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/468947-is-exercise-the-cause-of-hyperventilation/#ixzz24HdbZ8lm

Stopping Hyperventilation

Carbon dioxide levels in the blood must be restored to correct hyperventilation, according to Kenneth Saladin, author of "Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function." Breathing in and out of a paper bag -- the expelled air contains carbon dioxide -- is one recommended method. Covering your mouth and breathing through one nostril is another method. Hyperventilation onset by panic should be corrected by attempting to remain calm and inhaling deeply.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/468947-is-exercise-the-cause-of-hyperventilation/#ixzz24HdVU7v1

Final Pre-Race Run

Date: August 21, 2012
Distance: 3.01 mi
Duration: 0:24:03
To view '3.01 mi Run on Aug 21, 2012 2:10 PM', follow the link below:
http://mapmyrun.com/view_workout?w=169647043

Had to stop and walk for a few minutes in order to respond to the texts and emails that had just come in -- then ran the rest of the way home

Distance: 2.21 mi
Duration: 0:20:53

Way slower on the way home, but made it up all of the steep hills without stopping!

Final Personal Training Workout

Rather than making my feet worse by jumping continuous hurdles, we spent the time working on upper body, squats and kickboxing techniques.  We kept the heart rate up by doing round house and front kicks in quick succession and then focused on the jab-cross combo followed by left and right hooks.  My body has been really sore these past few weeks so we spent the last 15 minutes of the session using "The Stick" to roll out the muscle tension throughout my body.  Unlike the foam roller, the stick is short and pretty painful.  Although it hurts while rolling over the muscles, the relief I felt afterwards was totally worth the momentary pain.  My muscles finally feel stretched and relaxed, it's a beautiful thing!!!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Friday -- rest day

Saturday -- 2.60 jog + stairs workout at the bleachers

Sunday -- rest day

Final days before the race and I'm exhausted; mind and body.  Going to take a few days off this week so that I'm hopefully fresh and energized for Friday and Saturday's runs.

Check it out!

Workout: Run / Jog
Date: August 16, 2012
Distance: 3.25 mi
Duration: 0:27:50

To view '3.25 mi Run on Aug 16, 2012 8:06 PM', follow the link below:
http://mapmyrun.com/view_workout?w=167411283

Workout: Run / Jog
Date: August 16, 2012
Distance: 2.03 mi
Duration: 0:18:01

To view '2.03 mi Run on Aug 16, 2012 8:39 PM', follow the link below:
http://mapmyrun.com/view_workout?w=167428819

Kickin my arse

Personal Training Session ... of He%%

I get that he wants me to be as prepared as possible for HTC, but dang!!!!! 

Workout Included:

• Ladder Exercises
• Jump Squats
• Wall Climbs
• Crunches
• Push-ups
• Alternating Lunges (by jumping)
• Hurdle Jumps (front ways and sideways)
• Plank Walks (on hands and toes)
• Jump Rope (first time doing double jumps followed immediately by singles!!!)

**Wore the mouth guard during this workout in preparation for change in altitude.

Bethesda Jaunt with Rachael :o)

Workout: Run / Jog
Date: August 13, 2012
Distance: 2.72 mi
Duration: 0:23:58

To view '2.72 mi Run in Bethesda on Aug 13, 2012 6:10 PM', follow the link below: http://mapmyrun.com/view_workout?w=165826647

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday: took the day off

Sunday: went to Gold's Gym for a spinning class..something I haven't done in almost a year and of course, it turns out that this particular class was the super-extended 1 hour and 15 minute one..barely made it through, but glad I went

8/10/12 -- 2 WEEKS TO GO!!!

First time running with a mouthguard -- did help with breathing control, but not with the puking..4x unfortunately

Workout: Run / Jog
Date: August 10, 2012
Distance: 3.01 mi
Duration: 0:27:04

8/9/12

Lazy, lazy, lazy -- all I did was take Gordon (my dog) for a walk .. will make up for it tomorrow!!

8/8/12

Zumba yesterday afternoon and kickball last night. Has been a nice few days away from running. Molded mouthguard yesterday, will try running with it later -- hopefully not many ppl will b out to judge me

Holy Soreness

Ladder drills, cone drills, running up the bleachers, push-ups, plank walks through ladder and cones, jumping over hurdles, etc

Need to stretch, don't want to, but must!

Back in Axn at Gold's Gym, Ballston!!

For the first time in over 3 months, I doubled up and took Sports Conditioning followed by Zumba...some parts of the classes were harder than I remembered, but other parts were definitely easier now that I've been running a lot and doing tons of burpies and mountain climbers from the boxing classes.  It was a good two-hour session at the gym.

I did twinge my lower back a bit in Zumba, but I have done that in the past and will be sure to take it easy for a few days.

I'm going to work on using my toes to scrunch up a wash cloth -- supposedly helps with the fasciaitis (sp?)

Friday - Took the day off from training and flew to Boston for the weekend

Saturday - Went for a run.  I started out on Newbury St (only 1.3 miles from our hotel), yet ended up getting sooo turned around and lost that I ran a total of 3.13 miles and had to stop a few times to consult the map.  Pretty sure I ran through Chinatown at least three times..anyways, the run felt good, I had some energy and felt fresh.  No puking!!!! (most likely because of all the traffic lights which forced me to run in place and because there were no hills)

Workout: Run / Jog
Date: August 04, 2012
Distance: 3.13 mi
Duration: 0:30:22

Sunday - Rest day

Via Map My Run App

Workout: Run / Jog
Date: August 02, 2012
Distance: 4.09 mi
Duration: 0:34:26
To view '4.09 mi Run in Arlington on Aug 2, 2012 4:38 PM', follow the link below:
http://mapmyrun.com/view_workout?w=160710695

ZUMBAAAAAA

Took a Zumba class today...LOVED it!!  Feels good to get back to the gym and do some fun exercise for a change..really sore today, will definitely be stretching out before kickball tonight!

Agility / Boot Camp Type Drills

Workout was an hour of various boot camp type drills (incl some boxing)

• Side and front planks
• Pull ups (assisted)
• Front and side jumps and high knees as if using a ladder, but actually jumping over blocks
• Monkey bars
• TRX Arm Raises
• Push ups using Vegas Straps
• Jab/Cross Punches (worked on technique and form)
• Knees
• Jump rope
• Deep squats

Gonna be sore...

Back on track..kinda

"Training" RUN

• Day Count: 24 days until race day
• Mile Count: Just over 6
• Time Count: 55 minutes total; about 9:15 average pace per mile 
• Puke Count: 2x; wayy more than usual though (sorry for the graphic image)

Light jog after full day of travelling

Jogged 1.8 miles at a 9:30ish pace after spending a full day travelling home from St Thomas..will get back on the longer runs and faster pace tomorrow!!

Last day in St Thomas ;(

Today is our final night in St. Thomas as we head home early tomorrow morning...I know that I need to get back home and continue prepping for the relay (which is now only 26 days away!!!), but, I'm gonna miss the beautiful views, the gorgeous ocean water and the fun times spent with syd, laura and my ma!!

Starting tomorrow night, I'll be working double time to make sure I'm prepped and ready for the world's longest relay race..lots and lots of running ahead of me..

7th Day of Training

Still in St Thomas...so I jumped on the treadmill again and ran 1 mile at a consistent increase in incline, then one regular, flat mile at varying speeds.  I did both in under 9:45 and then did three 30sec sprints before finishing off the workout with some push ups, yoga and stretching.

Back to the beach... :o)

6th Day of Training

6th "Training" RUN - no path or car-free area outside so used the hotel treadmill

• Day Count: 28 days until race day
• Mile Count: 3; ran 2 straight and then did 10 30 sec sprints at varying inclines and speeds, finished off jogging the rest of the 3rd mile
• Time Count: First 2 completed in 19:15
• Puke Count:  zero, usually avoid puking when running inside

5th Day of Training

Agility drills for 50 minutes yesterday...sore today


In St Thomas for the rest of the week so may be MIA.... 

4th Day of Training

4th "Training" RUN

• Day Count: 31 days until race day
• Mile Count: 4; link to map depicting our course-http://bit.ly/MBG68U
• Time Count:  quick pace, most likely in the 7:35 per mile range 
• Puke Count:  2x, 2 hills
• Wii Mii:  Better balance at first, but then got destroyed by the peripheral vision game
• Wii Age:  Initially, 39, tonight, 44 -- UGH!
• Body: I feel ok, not so good with the ChiRunning techniques today, but the tension in my neck and shoulders is gone so I'll take that as a good sign
• Mind: Starting to have a slight panic attack over the fact that my second leg starts off with a 2 mile incline..oh, and this leg will be run in the middle of the night in pitch black darkness!!!  I foresee several pit stops to puke, a potential bear chase or attack, Jeepers Creepers jumping out and kidnapping me, and various other horrifying scenarios.  Damn my vivid, wild imagination!

**Link to complete description and map of leg 22 -- http://www.hoodtocoast.com/files/course_leg_22.pdf

This just in...

The first leg I will be running is leg 10 -- description below

3rd Day of Training

3rd "Training" RUN -- w/ my roommate

• Day Count:  32 days until race day
• Mile Count:  3.71; Also did some hill sprints, on gravel and grass
• Time Count:  7:24 average per mile pace, roomie kicked my butt and kept me moving
• Puke Count:  Once, not much food in system
• Body: Hot in the sun and hilly at times; ran 3.71 and then walked the rest of the way home --feeling a lot of tension in my shoulders and neck while running and think it's because my posture and form is incorrect
• Mind:  Concerned that I won't figure out the Chi Running form and breathing before the race

Map of Entire Course

2nd Day of Training

2nd "Training" RUN

• Day Count: 34 days until race day
• Mile Count: 3 total; 2 outside and 1 on treadmill
• Time Count:  Pretty slow (9:30 pace), humidity was definitely a factor 
• Puke Count:  zero, but I hadn't eaten anything for 5 hours
• Wii Me:  Did not test
• Body: Feeling some tightness in hamstrings, specifically on left side -- came home and did a Comcast workout called "Yoga for Athletes" to try and release some of the tension
• Mind: A bit nervous -- tried incorporating ChiRunning posture and breathing techniques during workout and then again before bed

Breakdown of all 36 legs

1st Training Day

1st "Training" RUN

• Day Count:  35 days until race day
• Mile Count:  Just under 5
• Time Count:  Watch was on the fritz, but probably averaged out to 9:15 per mile
• Puke Count:  3x
• Wii Me:  Deemed "unbalanced"
• Body:  Feeling good/energized, not too sore
• Mind:  Overall positive

Slightly Nervous, Still Puking

ITS OFFICIAL!!!  As of July 19th, I purchased my flights from IAD (Dulles, Virginia) to PDX (Portland, Oregon) for the 31st Annual Hood To Coast Relay, and paid my $110 towards the cost of the team van and hotel room...yep, I'm officially starting to schvitz!!  Not only is this the longest relay in the world (200 miles to be exact), but also something completely foreign to me.  I'm an athlete with fast twitch muscles who literally vomits every single time I run outside (yes, it's weird and probably TMI, but it's part of who I am as a runner and therefore, important to note in this blog).  Plus, if I can't laugh about it, well, then it would just be downright depressing.


What I experience is a "puke and rally" type of response, except without the enjoyment of drinking beforehand.  Ever since two a day preseason practices for high school Field Hockey, long-distance jaunts or timed runs (damn that timed mile), have resulted in a brief stop, turn, and up-chuck, regardless of any contents in my stomach.  I realize that this reaction has most likely become an unfortunate habit which I have come to expect each time I don my workout gear and lace up my Asics.  Maybe I have an aversion to running which is manifested by a physical response?  My body's way of telling me it prefers zumba or yoga to the oxygen-depleting action of carrying my ass uphill.  Whatever the culprit, I have yet to find a cure. 


So, we have established that I am going to be competing in the world's longest relay, on the west coast, amidst 13,000 other runners and starting at an altitude of 6,000+.  Not to mention, I'll be running farther and faster than ever before in order to help keep the team per mile average under a 9:45 pace.  Despite these odds and the obvious excuses I could make (I puke every time I run, I only have a month to train, I have poor running form and therefore bad feet and knees, etc), I choose to suck it up and go for it!  What do I have to lose? Other than my breakfast, lunch and dinner, of course ;p)

*In the case of sheer curiosity, and in my opinion, WAY too much time on your hands, feel free to peruse the race website ... http://www.hoodtocoast.com/