What The Hill?

Flights are confirmed. Hotel is booked. Vacation days are submitted.

Ragnar Wasatch Back is official. 

All I can keep thinking is....what in the good Lord's name am I doing?!

It all started in 2012 when I serendipitously met a bunch of crazy fools who called themselves the "Saints and Sinners". They were a Ragnar team that established in 2008. I hopped onto the team as a rookie for Ragnar Key West a few years ago (recap of that experience here) and have been running with them ever since.

It just so happened that in 2009, a year after we established the Saints and Sinners team, that Ragnar came out with a new "double medal" concept: run 2 races, get a special medal. They called it the "Saints and Sinners" medal, and it required running Ragnar Wasatch Back and Ragnar Las Vegas in the same year.

Wasatch Back runs through the mountains from Logan to Park City Utah, while Las Vegas runs through the Red Rock Canyon.

If you flip the medal upside down, it says Sinners. I know, so cool right?! 

Obviously, our Saints and Sinners team had to make this double medal a bucket list item. 

Our fearless captain decided 2014 was gonna be our year....so here I am!

All the logistics are finally coming together. I have 3 weeks until I get on a plane to Utah.

Now all I have to worry about is...you know... the race itself. 

If you hadn't remembered, I live in the flattest state in the country. 

Yes, it's even flatter than Kansas. Google it, y'all.

Besides being altitude-challenged, I'm also recovering from a torn tibial tendon that left me sidelined from January through May.

But hey, who needs conditioning for the mountains of Utah?! That'll be a piece of cake!

Yeah OK Mary, maybe a piece of cake made of titanium alloy. 
 

My first leg has a little over 1,200 feet of elevation gain. Put into perspective: the Clearwater Causeway is only 80 feet high. I'm essentially running the equivalent of 15 straight bridge inclines over 7.4 miles along a dusty gravel mountain road.

 

This leg even has it's own nickname -- "What the hill?" 

A leg with it's own nickname. How nice. I am so lucky.  

And that's only my first run of 3.  But let's be real. The scariest part of this leg is not the elevation. It's that I have to run across cattle guards. Does anyone realize how klutzy I am?! I can barely even walk across grated street vents without twisting my ankle! I am sooooo done.

What's funny (OK it's actually not that funny for anyone except for me) is that my legs are literally some of the easiest on the team. I got the injured runner's special! Thanks y'all!

Over 196.4 miles, there is 15,896 ft of elevation gain and 13,769 ft of elevation loss.

That's 29,665 ft total change.

From a team that trains at sea level.  

Hey, at least we'll be super cheap dates at the finish line! 

2 beers + 7,000 ft elevation = :) :) :) :) :) :)

If anyone needs me the next few weeks, I'll be out in Clearwater doing bridge repeats until I collapse into the Gulf of Mexico. 

No, really. Call it. I need one.

That One Time When I Blogged....

Admittedly, I have been a major social networking BUST so far this year. 
I unintentionally kind of put blogging on the back burner. 

Like, waaaaaaay way back there in the back of my closet.
 Next to the pants from high school that I swore one day I would fit into again. 

Needless to say, I decided to resurrect the blog and give away the high school pants. Let's be real, those things don't stand a chance.

When 2 Chainz talks about the girl saved in his phone under "big booty", he's actually referring to me. I am collecting royalties as we speak.

I figured now was as good of a time as ever to try and get back with it. I love writing and kind of miss it! So, here's a quick update of life's highlights so far in 2014. It may be only 4 months in, but there are plenty of things to share. 

I smelled the roses.

 This boondoggle really deserves a post of it's own.
 

Getting to the National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena was a true test of God. But once I was there, it was all worth it.

 

Summary:

• Find out at 10pm the night before our flight that our 6AM leg from Tampa to Atlanta had been cancelled.
• Called airline. Weighed options: fly stand by, fly out of another city and miss part of game, not go at all.
• Thought of one more option: DRIVE TO ATLANTA and then get on the plane there (mind you Prateek had not packed yet...yes...it was 10pm the night before. Welcome to our life.)
• Confirmed that the 8:30 AM Atlanta to LAX flight was on time. 
• Packed, rented a one way car to Atlanta, and drove 8 hours through the night
• Pulled into the Atlanta airport with about 2 minutes to spare and got to the gate as they were boarding the plane.
• Got off the plane at LAX, went to In N Out (duh), then went straight to the Rose Bowl

The game was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Even though Auburn didn't pull through with the win, it was worth every sleepless minute it took to get there.
 I was so proud of them I almost cried. War Eagle, y'all.
 

I injured myself. Like, really bad this time.

I've had running injuries before. But nothing that has kept me in a sedentary state for THREE AND A HALF MONTHS. A strained tibial tendon may sound minor. After a month in a boot, another 6 weeks in an ankle brace, and then being limited to only "low impact" activities for another 4 weeks, I officially respect my tendons.

My waistline (and my sanity) can't wait for me to fully heal.

Thankfully, a resurgence is near. I ran my first pain free mile last week. I was so happy I cried. It was slow and I had a side stitch the whole time and I kind of wanted to throw up at the end, but it was the best mile I've ever completed in my running career thus far. Bring it on, recovery! I have new Oiselle duds that need to be worn!

I sold the first "big girl" thing I've ever owned. And then purchased the first "big girl" thing I've ever purchased.

 I sold one of the loves of my life -- my 2002 Honda Civic with 190,000 miles on it - and bought a new car. I cried when the Honda sold. Then I cried again when I signed the paperwork on my Audi.

I think maybe I cry too much.

I am the greatest fantasy football commissioner and player to ever exist in the history of time.

OK, not really. But I did kinda love being commissioner. And I did in fact win two of the three leagues I was in this year (and came in 2nd in my other one). 

Had hit records on my demo..did y'all boys not get the memo?

Oh, and I went on to win the March Madness office pool as well.
I think everyone at work hates me. It's tough at the top, y'all. Haters gonna hate.

I got Bollywood Fever. 

This also really deserves a post of it's own.

  

 Everyone knows I'm no stranger to a packed social schedule. I've been fortunate to have attended hundreds of concerts and shows and events in my lifetime. IIFA, however, tops the list of them all.

The IIFA Awards are Bollywood's version of the Oscars, and had been hosted all over the world but never in the United States. This year, Tampa won the bid to host the awards and Prateek and I were so lucky to attend all of the events and their respective after-parties.

 

Imagine mixing the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, a Broadway musical, and Cirque du Soleil. That is what the IIFA production was like.

I've never seen anything like it and probably won't ever again.

The show was taped and will air sometime in June to over 800 million viewers worldwide. Incredible! 

And that brings us to May. 

The month that I have been simultaneously looking forward to as well as dreading since around this time last year.

But I'll save that for another blog post.

The Great North Left

Everyone has a life bucket list.

For some, it may be walking the Great Wall of China. For others, it may be riding a Gondola in Italy and getting serenaded by a Venetian man with a straw hat. Or maybe it's something like running a marathon or going scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.

For me, one of my life bucket list items was to see Dave Matthews Band live at The Gorge.

God's Amphitheater. It's a religious experience, y'all.

When I found out back in February that I had scored tickets to the show, I decided to base a Seattle vacation out of it as well. I'd never been to the state of Washington, and the idea of spending time in the Pacific Northwest during a hot Florida summer sounded better than a post-race ice cold IPA. (Well, actually, maybe those two things are about even.)

For the cherry on top of the trip, I was accepted onto the Oiselle Volée running team, and oh hey guess what?! Their headquarters are in Seattle. Two birds with one stone. 

Hmmmm maybe that reference doesn't really work here. Sorry Oiselle. You know I love birds.

 We rolled Eastward through the mountains of Washington on our way to the Gorge and I was fascinated by how different Eastern Washington was from the Western part. It was brown and dry - very desert canyon-ish. But absolutely beautiful nonetheless.

 

I have seen some amazing DMB shows in my time as a fan (God bless the moment when I first popped in that Remember Two Things cassette tape in 1993). I tried to count how many times since my first show in 1996 that I've seen him live, and it's gotta somewhere around 20.

Sure, I don't remember every single song from every single show, but I can say without a doubt that this show as a whole was the best I've ever seen him live. And probably overall the best live performance of any band I've ever been to.
Ever. 

Hooray for iPhone panorama! 

 

  

Playlist


After cleansing my soul in Eastern Washington, we headed back to Seattle for some rest and relaxation.

Which you know, of course, included me running a half marathon at the last minute. 

  Because why not?

Seattle also just so happened to be hosting a music festival the weekend we were there. 

Y'all know I was all over that like flies in a freshly manured farm field.

Bumbershoot is their music and arts festival they've held every year for the last 42 years. Great vibes, good bands, and a fantastic way to spend a beautiful Labor Day in Seattle City Center. 

                                                                            One of my faves - The Lone Bellow

We also went to the Pike Place Market and got a coffee at the original Starbucks, took a ferry ride over to Bainbridge Island, went to the top of the Space Needle, and (shocker) drank some local brews.

A major highlight of the trip was, of course, my visit to "The Nest" - AKA Oiselle Headquarters.

I was immediately welcomed with open arms (wings?) and felt right at home with these ladies.Their office is open and lively and has such a vibrant positive aura. I am very blessed to fly with this flock! 

@drlesko, @kemetcalf, me, and @JackElizabethK sporting our "Got Birds?" tanks

 This was about a week and a half before the Oiselle debut at New York Fashion Week. Sarah and Jackie totally rocked the runway along with Sarah Mac, Lauren Fleshman and Fast Kate.

Real runners on a runway...what a fantastic concept!

Check out the amazing runway photos here, and read about it here! (and here and here)

Between Oregon in June and Seattle in September, I think it's safe to say I have a love affair with the Pacific Northwest. 

Come Hell or High Water

In it's 101st year, the Calgary Stampede calls itself "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". Stampede is a 10 day city-wide festival that promotes Calgary's western heritage and values...meaning that basically the entire city turns into a country-western homestead complete with rodeos, chuckwagon races, and a midway that rivals any State Fair I've ever seen. 

I'd be willing to bet there are more people simultaneously wearing cowboy boots and cowboy hats during opening day of Stampede than there are in the entire state of Texas. It's quite overwhelming. 

As you may know, Calgary experienced some massive flooding 2 weeks before Stampede was due to begin. The first thoughts in everyone's minds were obviously loved ones and their homes, but an immediate second thought was: What about Stampede? 

Stampede is Alberta's most meaningful event in terms of economics, tourism, and community pride. 

And the Stampede grounds were completely under water.

Calgary's beloved and popular Mayor Naheed Nenshi promised that the show would go on. 

And y'all, did it ever.

Stampede officials launched the Hell or High Water campaign to raise funds for the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Floods Fund.

As of July 9th, T-shirt sales with the campaign have raised more than $1 million. 

You go, Calgary. You go.

 My sister and brother-in-law were gracious hosts as we made our rounds throughout Calgary. 

 

Calgary Airport welcoming committee - getting branded, lasso'd, and serenaded

With my sister at the parade

Sampling the local brews at Wild Rose Brewery 

Banff - Canadian Rockies  

 Lake Louise - Canadian Rockies

With it's high temps averaging in the 70's during the summer, Tim Horton's coffee, beautiful mountains a little over an hour away, and it's embracement of country music and cowboy hats, what's not to love about this city? 

Hope to see you again soon, Calgary.

Humpty Dumpty Doesn't Get Enough Credit

Running is hard, y'all.

  The Newport Marathon was a small and very well put together race with a gorgeous course that I will never forget. In my third marathon of my running career, I got my time down into the 3:40's and PR'd by 8 minutes.

I was also unpleasantly introduced to "The Wall".

I have never hit the dreaded wall in either of my past 2 marathons. Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was being able to stay in control and not push myself beyond my fitness limits. Either way, I officially acquainted myself with this phenomenon in Newport, Oregon last weekend.

It was a gorgeous morning, somewhere around 50 degrees. I was fueled up and feeling inspired, and decided to let my legs decide the pace.

 BAD IDEA-- not having a real time goal in mind and just running until your legs fall off is NOT a good plan. Don't do it. 

For almost the entirety of the first half of the race, I was running sub-8 miles.
 When I crossed the halfway point at 1:45, I knew I was probably gonna be in for a very grueling second half.

 Umm, what was I thinking. Really. Come on Mary. That is even faster than BQ pace. Heck, that is as fast as I ran the St Pete Half Marathon just 4 months ago.

Oh, look who's feeling so good at mile 10 with their sub 8 pace and their big smile. Yeah, you have another 16 miles to go, idiot.

The wheels started coming off around mile 18, where I logged my first split over 9 minutes. From there, my average pace was about 9:15. I had to stop and walk and tried desperately to jump-start my mental game, but I was dead. The 3 mile gradual incline beginning at mile 22 didn't help, either.

Over it.




The look of pain.

My run-until-I-crash-and-burn plan was a complete success. 

I crashed and burned and all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put my poor soul back together again.  

The only thing that truly gave me any hope to keep going at the end was this guy.

He had rented a bike and decided he was going to ride part the of course and stop to cheer me on every few miles. 

When I saw him around mile 22, he knew I was in rough shape. I must have looked dreadful. From that point on he slowly rode about 50 yards ahead of me, looking back every so often. It was either to make sure I could still see him, or to make sure I wasn't dead on the side of the road.

I forgot what the Garmin was telling me and how much my body hurt and how I longed to give up and quit. My new goal was to keep him within my sight.



I finally finished, feeling defeated and broken but happy it was over.

I'm extremely disappointed in my mental state those last few miles.

I hate you, Marathon Wall. And I hate that I allowed it to happen.

Still, after that dreadful performance of the last 8 miles of the race, I am an official 3:45 marathoner.

And that is really really really really cool.

Looking back at my splits, had I actually stuck to a pace and not gone out at a crazy suicide speed, I could have definitely gotten super duper close to 3:40. Maybe even a 3:39.

And that makes me CRAZY excited. Now not only do I know where I stand, but I know what I need to work on and have a clear goal for Twin Cities in October. I want to beat the wall and beat 3:40, and I want the chip time to prove it. 
You heard it here first. 

I also have to brag on the state of Oregon. I had never been to the Pacific Northwest and was completely blown away.

 Oregon Coast

Everyone in Oregon is so nice. They give the south a serious run for their money when it comes to hospitality and general friendliness.

 Pre-marathon breakfast at the Original Pancake House


 
International Rose Test Garden in Portland                Rogue Brewery in Newport

Voodoo Doughnut in Portland

 

After running, eating, and craft-beer-drinking my way through Oregon, I am back to the humidity and flat terrain of Florida with a clear head, a refreshed soul, and a shiny new PR.

And maybe a few extra pounds.

Maybe.

Thank you, Oregon. I can't wait to see you again.