The Flattest Century in the East (TFCE) - Recap

The stats:  101 miles on the bike 6:30 moving time 8:10 elapsed time (I know, 100 minutes, that is a BIG gap, but wait, there is a reason!)

The route and the overall stats
http://app.strava.com/activities/191411472 

My second Grand Fondo (ride 100km in one ride) Strava challenge met! 

Ro knew someone who had an extra entry for the TFCE for 9/7 was I interested?  Sure, I could ride a century - well the last one I attempted I was a few decades short, this would be different I would be riding with friends!  Friends always make things more fun!! Plus that stupid plague seems to have gone away!  Besides I learned about fixing tires and the dollar bill trick does work for a blown tire, all was not lost at the New Haven Century.

7:00 a.m. meeting up at UMASS Dartmouth, seemed easy enough.  I left in plenty of time still managed to be late, grrr, frustrating to me.  Fortunately Mark and Ro weren't committed to leaving exactly at 7:00 a.m.  We pedaled off at about 7:25 a.m.

Me, Mark, Ro

The first few miles were mostly finding my gear and figuring out this pace lining thing with Mark and Ro.  At about 10 miles in, we turned a corner and this gal says "OH I forgot about this hill."  I looked and said "What hill?"   Apparently this was a hill.  The ride is billed as The Flattest Century in the East.  A whopping 3K of elevation gain over 100 miles.  Are you kidding me? Hill?  Considering my last ride was 3K in elevation gain over 58 miles (Rhode Warrior) and that was a race not a ride, totally different animal.  Then there was the 4K in elevation for 57 miles of Tour de Lyme.  Of course  I know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, this would be a challenging ride, and I said, "oh it’s all new to me".

At the top of this 'hill' Mark and Ro pulled over to take off a few layers.  Skinny people and the layers, they are always cold!  I had on a tank and figured I'd suck up the chill in the first few miles.  On the way down the hill they flew past me and didn't slow up.  They got all mixed up with some quick riders and were having a ball.

First rest stop 30 miles - I hooked back up with Ro and Mark, they were done with this foolishness of being speedy and we stuck together.  

Mark, Ro, Me - 30 mile rest stop

Until...  Mile 40ish, Mark touched Ro's wheel and BOOM he was down.  Frigging spectacular fall.  I only say that because he is OK.  A driver behind us stopped and called 911.  As I was calling the SAG wagon, the SAG wagon showed up as did the ambulance. Talk about speedy!  Still there was a big chunk, 30 min, of the 100 minutes of non-moving time. 

Mark getting patched up.  Ro helping with the patching.  Note he didn't even take off his back pack.  STUD!!

Mark and his bike with the bent back derailleur were loaded in the SAG wagon and sent off to the rest stop at mile 50.  A bazillion flat tire fixes later they arrived at their destination 10 miles down the road a few minutes after Ro and I cycled up.  Another chunk, 30 min, of time spent getting Mark's bike fixed. 

Mark's boo boos and bike all patched up! 50 mile rest stop

All was fixed and we were off together for the last 50 miles! 

So that is 60 of the 100 minutes.  The remaining 40 were spent at 3 rest areas and an additional rest area at mile 85 (too beautiful of a view to blow by it).  Remember this is a ride not a race!!

Caught up with Shawn at the 50 and 70 mile rest stops.  She had the same opportunity as me.  Interested in riding a century?  Sure.  She had only ever been on the bike for 50 miles at a shot.  A triathlete so absolutely no worries about endurance!!

Ro, me, Shawn @ 70 miles
Curly haired girls leave their helmets on - it is safer that way!!

The second half of the ride was absolutely the MOST gorgeous part of the course.

Mile 85 stop -  yeah I occasionally do not smile....  I think I had a power bar stuck to my teeth!!

The closer and closer we got to 100 miles, the faster Ro and I seemed to move and we were dragging poor Mark along.  He was definitely in pain and so ready to be done.

Cool T-Shirts!!  You get these at the end!!

If you are considering a century, this is a great one!  It was great because it was flat, only rolling hills no wicked climbs.  The rest areas were well stocked and manned and offered porta potties and lots of shade plus awesome and fun volunteers.  There were only a few miles of road in not so great condition and one section (Compton) with rumble strips for the center and side lines.  All the riders were great, and were definitely enjoying the ride and being with other riders.  The scenery, oh wow, so beautiful, between the wooded stretches and the water views, amazing.  I will never tire of the beauty of New England.  If I stopped and took pictures I'd STILL be out there!!!

This was a really great ride for me.  I learned how to attack on the rollers and a little about pace lining, both getting pulled along and pulling people along.  Plus being with friends made the whole experience even better!

Thanks for all the great comments on Strava.  I really don't feel all that like a rock star, perhaps it is just my own modesty?  Seriously though, each and everyone of you (on and off Strava) impress the hell out of me and I only want be worthy to be in your presence!

Sincerely,
Beth, a little tired from a fun day with friends pedaling around MA and RI, wondering what's next!!

2013 Recap

Gizzy, Mr. Schedule, was adamant, no make that ADAMANT he was going for a walk at 7:30 p.m. last night or was going to blow out my ears (and Dave's) with his whining.  Well, he is a 13 year old boxer, and my special guy, and if you know dogs they have the attitude of an only child (or so I'm told from people with actual human children) that is an attitude of: me me me me; Gizzy won this argument, paws down.  Oh yeah, we do have three...  there isn't a sane brain cell between the two of us, well at least according to our families.  Prior to this disruption I got a quick peek at Mike B and Seth's year end recap so this gave me something to roll around in my head while Gizmo did his thing.  How to recap...  As usual I over think things.

I set my self with some BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goals - and I think I looked at them at the end of the first quarter and that was it.  Guess I expected I'd just meet them by chance?

Mileage -  1,500 miles, 1 race per month, 2 marathons, one with the Lung Cancer Alliances's Team Lung Love, 6 1/2 marathons.  Ummm, yeah, I ran about 1,000 miles, total between walking, biking and running I sit at:  1,455 best as I can tell it breaks down to: 433 biking and 1022 running / walking / hiking.   Running consists of 37 races of 310.8 racing miles, ridiculous, no wonder I wanted to throw in the towel and never run again after the second marathon of the year.  

37 races breaks down:

• 2 marathons
• 7 1/2 marathons
• 5 10 milers
• 1 8 miler
• 1 7.4 miler
• 3 10K
• 1 5.5 miler
• 2 5 miler
• 2 4 miler
• 12 5Ks
• 1 relay (20 miles over 30 hours on 2 hours sleep)

Ridiculous, period, end of sentence.  At some point I had designs on PRs (without putting in the requisite work, mind you, reminiscent of my 5th trimester of college - that didn't go so well, either) but at least I didn't have to face my parents with an expulsion letter from the dean, just look myself in the mirror, and be honest, not really sure which was worse.

Not quite this bad!!

PRs?  HA! Well, actually, 2! 

5K my goal was sub 27 - holding strong at Mews 2012 27:27,  my best for 2013 was 28:02 (Guilford Frost 5K where I coughed up a lung after being sick for a week) 
10K my goal was sub 1 hour - PR at the Niantic 10K 1:00:26, close...
1/2 Marathon my goal was sub 2 hours - holding strong at  Newport 2012 2:09, at least I could get Nicole to a PR for that 1/2 in 2013 at sub 2:30.
Marathon my goal was sub 5 - PR at the Arizona Rock n' Roll 5:01 close...  we won't discuss MCM, that was a disaster, much like my 5th trimester of college, you get out what you put in.

To blatantly steal, "hobbies in various states of disrepair"

Books - I read more substantial books, maybe Goodreads will tell me pages in 2012 vs 2013, because the number was pitiful.  All in all I enjoyed the books, some non-fiction, mostly historical fiction.  I am the daughter of a history teacher, she appreciates my love of historical fiction, but if there isn't a story to get involved in and characters to love and hate history doesn't really interest me and she appreciates that and offers up books of that ilk.

Knitting - no socks, just baby sweaters, lots and lots of baby sweaters, seems all were appreciated too!!  I did make amazing progress on my first Fair Isle and have yet to finish it... next year it will be finished, my knitting friend needs to catch up!  I'm not cutting apart all that work solo!!  My knitting student talked me into a cabled fitted sweater, I swear it isn't going to fit me, no matter what that gauge swatch says, so my mom may have a new blue sweater for her 70th birthday.

Diet - Out the window, let's not discuss it.  I've been eating like I'm constantly training for a marathon and drinking like I just finished one.  Betty Ford or a Weight Loss Camp probably aren't on the agenda...  the numbers on the scale are the numbers on the scale, this is the part of Weight Watchers I hate, the numbers, I can't keep to my goal weight, but I can keep to my clothing size.  So, I dropped out....

All in, I'm happy with 2013, I learned some great lessons, lessons I will carry forward into 2014.  What I most love about 2013 was getting to know other runners, to finally break out of my bashful shell and realize they really don't care about my pace, they, like I, thrive on the love of the run, period.

Sincerely,
Beth, not really sure about setting goals for 2014, just wants to focus on the 50K and being the runner she can be.  If she feels she MUST participate in a race, maybe volunteer, and not run it...  

MCM - Recap

At the expo - I am motivated, truly I am

On my travels home with my teammate MAC, we debriefed the, I’ll refrain from calling it a shit show, although I do love that phrase, not as much as I love amazeballs but this wasn't amazeballs so I can’t use it, marathon.

I finished what I started.  I did pace myself in the beginning and knew what I needed to hit to meet my goal, all I wanted was sub 5, 4:59:59 and I’d of been ecstatic.  I am not with 5:26:19.

My body decided that it was done being abused around the 20K mark.  I finished.  I earned that damn medal and that jacket.

This is what MAC wanted to talk about with me. 

MAC:  “How many races have you run this year?”

Me: Consulting Athlinks. “This is my 30^th.”

MAC:  “How many marathons have WE run in the last year, the last 365 days, not from January 1st”

Me: “Three MAC, we've run three, your point?”

MAC: “How many competitive miles have you run this year?”

Me:  After adding it all up (not in my head because yeah, even not running I don’t do math in my head, after using the calculator on the iPhone (twice, measure twice cut once a very important adage).  “ 241.2”

MAC: “How many training miles have you logged this year?”

Me:  Consulting Strava for my total miles “876 – 241, so 635.”

MAC:  “How many miles have you biked, since when did you get that, August.”

Me: Consulting Strava “347”

MAC: “Don’t you think all that could have something to do with your performance?”

Me:  “Probably?”

MAC: In her witty brilliant and ever so appropriate New York tone: “YA THINK?”

I think I’m done feeling sorry for myself and beating myself up.

A few things the runner people in my life have said/emailed/texted to me since Sunday (there were more, and ALL appreciated):

Karen “I love your jacket.”  Me: “I earned this.” Karen:  “Absolutely. I watched your splits and I cried a little for you.”

Mike “You have logged a lot of miles in the last month.  GOOD JOB”

Michelle “You didn't quit, so you won!”

I wanted to quit. I wanted to sit right down and have a frothing fit.  I wanted to cut across the parkways post halfway and suffer the DQ just to be done with that damn race. I wanted to get on one of those shuttle buses and say take me to the finish. I wanted to give in to the pain and the humiliation. 

I didn't.

So let’s break this down.  By the 5K because I like how it guides the telling of this story.  (Thanks for your kind words and sending me this Mike)

Once upon a time… oh wait that is a different story…

5K  (11:14) -  Bobbing and weaving in the beginning is expected, the first few miles are warm up and a little slow off my goal of 11 minute pace, enjoyed the view of Georgetown. Enjoying all the people and high 5ing and thanking the Marines.  Whoopiee!!!

10K  (11:02) – This was a new part, the route was re-routed from the hill at mile 7 because the hand cyclists were having trouble making the turn at the bottom.  So we were out and back along Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway.  This was a little bit strange, as we ran out there were runners running back and catching them in my periphery made me a little dizzy and my stomach flipped.  My stomach NEVER flips, I have an iron gut.  Are you kidding me?  I did see Gabe flying by, looking fearless!  Of course more Marine’s to high 5 and thanking, oora!!

15K (11:10) – Running along the Potomic is beautiful, water to the right monuments to the left. A little chilly and my the sun was REALLY starting to get strong.  I wish I brought a water belt, I’m parched.  I spy a couple of Team Lung Love runners, we chat and run along for a mile or so. More Marines, holy cow!!

20K (11:13) – This feels good, my stomach seems to have righted itself, sort of, damn am I going to have to stop at a porta potty, you are kidding me, right?  Oh my splits are going to look good when they post, yeah!  I’m feeling pretty psyched, more high 5ing and thanking!

25K (11:46) – This is the point where the fallen soldiers pictures are.  I always look.  I never want to see one of my friends.  I think of Adam and Dennis "over there" and hope they are well and staying safe.  I think of Brian’s and Lisa’s stories from deployments. I think of Tammy and her brother Steve.  I watch some runners stop and take a moment. I shed a tear, ok quite a few, lives lost so young.   And I hear a familiar voice.  I look over and say “You ran Surftown.”  Michelle looks over and says “OMG!!! This is crazy!!”  She is keeping up a great pace and I wish her well.  This gives me a boost.  Some high 5ing and thanking!

30K (11:48) – The porta potty is inevitable. And I look at my watch and my projected splits and this is completely unrecoverable, I might as well stop.  I’m not even functioning enough to remember to jump up and down at mile 18.5.  Look at the course map.  I never ever completely lose my sense of humor, at that point I remember my friend Heidi saying, whatever you do don’t poop yourself. 

35K  (12:06) – The bridge, finally that damn bridge.  There was some walking, there were some tears, I couldn't even work up anything to spit, my stomach.  Oh would puking help?  Probably not I’ll end up with the dry heaves.  Focus, focus, focus less than a 10K, this can’t go on much more than an hour.  Plus you’ll see Lani and crew at mile 23, you need to have that same happy face you had last year.  I've yet to see the picture…

40K (12:21) – I stopped at mile 23 to talk with Lani and tell her I was never doing this again, and does anyone have a bottle of water?  I smile my big smile and soldier on.  I am running for my mom, and especially for my mom after she found out one of her college buddies passed away after her battle with esophageal cancer.  She found out by googling her friend.  She had called and the phone number was disconnected and up for grabs.  Eventually, she thought well I’ll google her and see what I find.  She finds the obituary, from over a month ago.  I cry a little thinking how horrible to find out that way and remember what I can of Bert, Chuck (he passed in 2008 from Lung Cancer) and their two kids.

Oh and that damn hill at the very end, mile 26, there are Marines encouraging us to “Take the Hill”  Take the hill? Are YOU kidding me? I want to take a seat!  Carry me?

42K (12:26) – The shit show, oops I wasn't going to say that, is over.  A Marine puts the medal around my neck salutes me and I shake his hand and thank him.

Now it is time to find some water, a banana, one of those nifty warming jackets, and the shuttle bus back near the hotel to reunite with my team.

Me, Erwin, MAC, Gabe, Andrea Team MAC

I asked someone standing in a line if this was for the shuttle, they said “Nope for the Metro.”  I found a different line, asked the same question “Yep”.  It moved I moved.  The cop told me a different story.  “Mam this is just a line, I have no idea what these people are waiting for.  Go over there and THAT is the line.”  Oh thank you!  I hobble to that line, downhill.  Yeah, downhill.

Before I got on the shuttle I made sure it was going back to Crystal City.  One never knows where they are going to end up standing in line.  I dated a guy who ended up in the Air Force after standing in line!  True or not the story always makes me smile.

Perspective : 

First - I started, I didn't quit, I didn't cheat, I finished, and that my friends really should be enough.  The time on the clock is the time on the clock.   As Don said on our walk today:  “Age happens quickly; smarts do not.”  This was on one of the many trivets his father brought back to his mother after visiting the PA Dutch country.  I think it is very appropriate. 

Second – I need to run races to race, not just to run, even if it is ‘just a training run’ it isn't it is a race and it takes a lot out of me.  As I figure out what I want to race in 2014, it will be limited.  I've committed to a few races, one I absolutely cannot back out of.  Three others, I may.  I've run each of them two times before. 

Third – Marine Corps was grand the first time, the second, not so much, the reason why?  Partly, I've been there done that.  Partly, I’m exhausted. Partly, my heart wasn't truly in it.  And that my friend is it:  My heart wasn't 100% in this race, period.

Sincerely,

Beth, glad she didn't poop herself crawling across the finish line of the marathon (because when people run a marathon, they never forget to add that fact to every sentence they speak for the next month, even if they aren't proud of themselves).