Race Day Poetry: Frederick Half-Marathon

Today I am running the Frederick Half Marathon, and, as is my tradition, I have composed a couple of race-day poems.  

But also, I thought you might find it interesting to note that this race is the first portion of a two-race series known as the "Maryland Double."  If someone runs this race and then also runs the Baltimore full or half marathon in October of the same calendar year, they receive a third "bonus" medal for completing "The Double."   And, since Maryland is my home state and possibly the greatest state in the entire union, I've included one stanza of our state song, "Maryland, My Maryland."  

If you've never heard this little ditty, it is sung to the tune of "Oh, Tannenbaum," like the Christmas carol.  It's actually a bit of an odd choice for a patriotic anthem, because it was originally written as a call for Maryland's secession from the Union, and it became a popular song throughout the Confederacy during the Civil War.  The author, James Ryder Randall, was a native Marylander living in New Orleans.  He refers to President Lincoln as a "tyrant" and the Union as "Northern scum."  Not exactly the most eloquent or timeless lyrics.  As a result, most of the stanzas are not at all inspiring or motivating or applicable to anything today.  But, according to Ken Burns, General Lee ordered his troops to sing the song as they marched into Frederick in 1862. It didn't go over well back then, but this morning I too will be marching (driving) into Frederick.  And I too have a battle (of sorts) to fight.  

Furthermore, today is also the first leg of the "Triple Crown" horse race, the second of which, the Preakness Stakes, is run in Maryland. "Maryland, my Maryland" is sung on this occasion. (The third stanza only, I think...as most of the poem is, as I mentioned, a violent battle cry against the North.)  Nevertheless, in the spirit of Marylander-pride and Maryland racing--both thoroughbred and human--here's to the Old Line state:

           Thou wilt not cower in the dust,

Maryland! My Maryland!
Thy beaming sword shall never rust,

Maryland! My Maryland!
Remember Carroll's sacred trust,
Remember Howard's* warlike thrust,-
And all thy slumberers with the just,

Maryland! My Maryland!

 

*I grew up in Howard County.  I don't remember his "warlike thrust," but I can tell you that HoCo residents have a lot of pride. :)

And of course, below are my decidedly less majestic poetic endeavors.

Race Day Haiku:

Added a 5K

After the half marathon.

I am a moron.

Race Day Limerick:

The Frederick Half Marathon I’ll race.

Though I’m sure I’ll have quite a slow pace.

If it’s not too much trouble,

I’d like the “Maryland Double!”

If I can’t, I’ll have egg on my face.

Cheers!

2010's Walt Disney World's Princess Half Marathon: A very belated race report on a very magical race!

Walt Disney World is hosting their third annual princess-themed half marathon today, and to honor the occasion, and since I cannot attend this year's event, I thought I'd write a race report of last year's race. (March 7, 2010.)

This was one of my most favorite races of all time.  Mainly because it occurs in Disney World--and I LOVE Disney World. (No joke--LOVE--pure and true.)  I did a brief stint there as a food-server in Epcot after college, and being there just makes me happy and turns me into a giddy six year old.  Also, the race took place during the late winter, a time of year when the cold weather has typically driven me to the brink of insanity, and I need a temperate climate to revive my spirits.  Lastly, my younger sister had agreed to run it with me--her first half marathon ever, and my second.  She had also agreed to dress up in Disney-Princess-themed garb for the race which, in my opinion, is absolutely essential to any Disney-related running event. 

I dressed as Snow White and Anne-Elyse dressed as Tinkerbell. (she was going to try to be Belle form Beauty and the Beast, but since I was crafting the race-day outfits myself, I was worried she would just look like a girl who really loves the color yellow. A lot.  This was before I discovered sparkle skirts...if only I'd known.)  For my Snow White outfit, I bought a yellow swim-skirt and hot-glued red fringe and red ribbons and bows to it.  Then I bought a royal blue top and put some white fringe around the neckline and a red ribbon in the center.  I was slightly concerned about the fact that I could not train at all in my race-day outfit (I was not going to run around in the snow in my bright yellow and red swim-skirt!) but thinking back, I actually have never run a race in a training outfit---I always seem to end up in something brand-new and untested.  To alleviate anxiety, I made my collar velcro so I could remove it if it started to irritate me. I made Anne-Elyse a bright lime-green glittery tutu out of tulle, and found a bright green tank top for her to run in.  I brought along wings to complete the ensemble, but we thought running with elastic bands under her armpits might be really irritating, so we left them in the suitcase.  She did wear a green and purple tiara and she carried a magic wand all 13.1 miles--impressive! (And, all my fears were unwarranted.  The weather was cool and sunny, so my outfit was as comfortable as it possibly could have been!)

I didn't have much opportunity to train for long runs because the two months before the race, the DC-Metropolitan region was hit with record-breaking snowfall (The "snowpocalypse," as I'm found of calling it).  I remember trying to do a long run outside and having it become a hike/stomp through mounds of snow and mud.  Often I was clinging to a stop sign or a street post to balance myself as I climbed around the snow-covered sidewalks, and I remember thinking that I would be so terribly upset if I twisted my ankle in the snow and mud the weeks before my race and couldn't run. (Thankfully that didn't happen!)

We left DC on Friday morning.  The race wasn't until Sunday, but this gave us a day to relax, pick up our race packet and wander around before the actual race-day.  This turned out to be a great decision, because apparently the expo was packed with people on Saturday.  (Friday it was busy, but far from crowded.)  Even waiting for our plane at the airport had a tremendous sense of occasion. A lot of women were traveling with us who were also running...some of them were even wearing their tiaras on the plane!  It made me so excited for the race.  Check-in at the hotel was the same way.  Lots of women who were so excited to be there!  (It really IS a magical place!)

Expo at Disney's "Wide World of Sports" complex.

Our packets left a lot to be desired.  The expo was great, with lots to look at and shop for (AE & I presumptuously bought some snazzy "I did it!" tee-shirts.) But the packet was skimpy for the price we paid to run the race.  The shirt was champion and either white or baby-blue (shouldn't a princess shirt be hot-pink or something really vibrant?)  Also, the race was sponsored by sharpie, so you'd think they'd give you a sharpie or something....no.  Not much. The thing I thought was really fun was that the race bibs had our names on them "Princess Mary-Michael" and "Princess Anne-Elyse!"  I loved that!  They also were color coordinated to match with your favorite princess--a small but fun and magical touch!

The night before the race, we ate a light and early dinner at the "Earl of Sandwich" in Downtown Disney, then went back to the room to rest up.  As we were getting ready for bed, Snow White (the full-length movie) was actually on TV!  I took this as a sign that race day would be great--princessy and successful!  I put some finishing touches on our outfits, set at least three alarms, and we fell asleep.  We had to be on the bus heading to the start line before 4:30 a.m. (two hours before the start of the race! Ugh....I don't care how much I love Disney, I still did not welcome Mickey Mouse's cheerful voice calling me at 3:30 am to tell me to get out of bed!)  I probably got about eight hours of sleep, but it was not restful peaceful sleep because I was so worried about missing my alarm.  I kept jolting awake thinking I was late....

4am: The line for the bus outside of our hotel.

A small cross-section of the insanely large crowd!

All too soon, it was actually time to get out of bed and ready to race.  I mixed up some delicious instant oatmeal, and my had usual pre-race banana baby food, and we headed out to join the masses (& I mean masses) outside the lobby of our hotel.  The line just to catch the bus was unbelievably long!  Both runners and spectators were filed in line, waiting to head out to Epcot to the start line.  Since the sun hadn't come up yet, it was a nippy thirty-eight degrees outside...my swim skirt and knee socks were not exactly keeping me warm.  When the bus finally arrived at our hotel to take us to the start, it was a relief to take refuge in the heated bus for a while.  (We were laughing at all of our comrades who were clamoring to get of the bus as soon as it parked.  We stayed put and were the last two people off.) We finally emerged from our warm sanctuary and made our way to bag check and the bathrooms.  We had brought some garbage bags to put over ourselves while we waited for the race to start, but those did very little (nothing) to keep out the cold.  Fortunately, the thousands of runners surrounding us provided a bit of body heat....the crowds were enormous.  I really couldn't believe how many runners were there, and how organized it was.  Disney is great at crowd-control if nothing else!  

Dawn at Epcot. CHILLY!!

Snow White! (& one of the very few male runners!)

A few more spirited male runners: Minnie Mouse & Belle

Cinderella - she must have been freezing.

Trash Bags (did nothing to keep us warm)

There were TONS of wonderful costumes and fun tee-shirts too!  Almost everyone running was channeling their inner-princess---even the rare male runners! I was one out of a sea of hundreds of Snow Whites, each with their own take on the wardrobe.  Anne-Elyse  had lots of tutu-ed companions as well.

Go Time!

The race started with tremendous fanfare. Cinderella's fairy godmother was there at the start, and they set off fireworks at the beginning of each wave.  There were so many runners, it took us almost thirty minutes to actually cross the start line.  (We were in the back because it was Anne-Elyse's first race.  Even though she's a better/faster runner than me, if she couldn't prove her time, she was in the back of the pack.)  It was almost daylight by the time we got started.

The first few miles were mostly spent weaving in and around the walkers. (I quickly realized there are a lot of walkers in the Disney races who are not necessarily avid runners, but very avid Disney fans!) We chatted about boys and life, and pretty soon three miles were already under our belts.  Also fortunately, as the sun came up, and we kept pressing along, we started thawing out a bit and the weather became quite pleasant and nice...perfect running weather!

I had my camera at the ready throughout the whole race so I could snap a photo at a moments notice.  The odd and most frustrating thing about this race (and probably all Disney races) is that there are characters along the course, and lots of opportunities to take picture.  For me, it's a constant mental battle between my inner-competitor, who wants a great time, and my inner-Disney Princess, who wants to pause for every photo opportunity.  Anne-Elyse, being slightly less enthralled with the Princesses and also nervous about her first-ever half marathon, was game to keep moving, only stopping here and there for a quick snapshot. We agreed that we would only stop for characters with short lines.  This meant we missed Belle, Cinderella & Pocahontas.  But we still had time to stop with lots of other characters along the way! (I did say my one exception to this rule was if I saw Snow White, but it was not an issue because she didn't show. Boo-hoo.)

Almost tripped on the downhill sidewalk while snapping this.

makeshift bathroom.

Before long, we were making our way through the gates to the Magic Kingdom parking lot, and Space Mountain loomed on the skyline.  We entered the park from "backstage," not through the main entrance, and there were a few porta-potties lined up before we entered the park.  Unfortunately, for two sisters with small bladders, the lines at the porta-pots were exceptionally long.  (It was a predominantly female race, after all.)  Interestingly, about 200 yards from the porta-pots, a small cluster of shameless (or desperate) women, were dashing off into the bushes to relief themselves.  I've never seen this in a race before or since, but AE & I immediately followed suit.  We veered off course and ran into the woods.  There was a small clearing that had become the makeshift restroom.  We took care of business, had a quick laugh about having just urinated in public in the Magic Kingdom, and started running again.

A few minutes later, we were cruising up Main Street with Cinderella's castle in front of us.  I almost wanted to slow down to prolong the view and the feeling I had--it was an exciting moment, and the sun was rising beautifully above the castle.  We paused very briefly for a picture in front of the castle, and kept going.  Running up to and through the castle were by far, the highlights of the race.  I've walked through the castle dozens, if not hundreds, of times but there was something about running through it during the race with the camera man snapping your picture that was extra-exciting.  those brief fleeting moments made the race worth the price of admission (which, if you're at all familiar with Disney races you know, is not cheap.)

Sadly, after we emerged form the castle, we were ushered out of the theme park pretty fast.  The next few miles, seven through nine, were a bit on the quiet side....there was still entertainment along the way (Thank you, Jack Sparrow!....although the line was too long for a picture with him.)

The last mile and a half was heading back into Epcot, doing one quick lap around "FutureWorld"  then crossing the finish line.  As we had been running at the same leaisurely pace for most of the race, I was expecting more of the same....maybe a few extra pictures of the park and the characters in the last mile.  But, Anne-Elyse turned to me as we passed mile-marker 12 and said, "ok, let's just bang this last mile out." She then started sprinting toward the Finish line!  She's a naturally better runner than me, but also I was not in tip-top shape anyway. I was not sure I'd be able to just "bang that last mile out."  But, I was not going to let AE cross the finish line that far ahead of me! I picked up my pace and started running as fast as I could after her. 

Anne-Elyse heading toward the finish!

Ursula (with Blue Body-Paint)

The park was now officially opened for guests, thankfully, because people started cheering for me as I ran past--definitely a pace (& mood) booster!  Some of the keener spectators actually caught my name on my race-bib, but most just yelled "Go Snow White" as I dashed by.  As we ran around the international gateway, I noticed that the Disney characters got more plentiful and closer together (again, an internal dilemma between my competitive runner brain and my disney-addict brain.) However, I could not stop and snap pictures or take much notice, because I was barely keeping up with AE.  Sorry Evil Stepmother--I'll have to see you later.  Peace Out Mickey & Minnie--we will catch up at the character brunch! 

I ended up rolling across the finish line only a few seconds behind Anne-Elyse.  I didn't catch her, but I didn't lose her either...We were awarded our tiara shaped medals, we grabbed as much free fruit and Luna bars as we could stuff into our arms, then we picked up our bags at the check-in and headed to the Contemporary Hotel for an enormous breakfast buffet.  (Our waitress had done the Goofy Challenge!!) We then headed back to our hotel where we lounged/napped in the sun for a few hours before hitting the parks. 

Doing this race--my first "Disney Race" was amazing.  Also, doing it with my sister was a fabulous time. I'm glad I got to run with her during her first half marathon.  I'm currently trying to convince her to do the Goofy Challenge 2012 with me in January.  She's agreed tocome to Walt Disney World, but I'm not sure if she's game for two days of getting up at 3am to go for an extended run.....not to worry, I have 10 months to change her mind!!

Post-Race (& post-nap) Mini-Golf!

I hope everyone who ran this year's princess-race has just as magical an experience as I did! Good luck runners!!

Race Recap: High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon

held upright with a tree branch.

On Saturday morning, January 29th, I could have easily (& happily) turned my alarm off, rolled over and fallen back asleep.  This was, I realized, the first race I had ever prepared for both alone and at home.  Every other race I’d done I have either stayed with a friend or at a hotel (also with someone there) or I’ve had my cohorts stay with me.  So there has previously always been a great sense of fanfare in races.  There was a feeling that a big event was about to commence and we had to prepare…it felt exciting!  This morning I did not feel that way.  My good girlfriend Cassie was running as well, but she was carpooling there with a group of runners that all live closer to Baltimore.  This race was maybe 15 minutes from my house and, as I made coffee and got ready in the dark, I felt like I was heading to work than to a physically taxing race through the snow and ice. 

The night before the race, all participants received an email from the race organizer.  The subject line stated in all-caps: “VERY CHALLENGING COURSE!”  It read:

Given the conditions, each runner is asked to carefully consider their own situation and act responsibility.  The towpath is covered with 4 to 6 inches of snow, ice and slush.  It is slippery and wet.  Temperatures will be below freezing at the start of the race and are only forecasted to reach a high in the forties all day.  Our timer ran the entire course this afternoon and it was very challenging.  At the start the hard freeze tonight will make the course slippery but you may be able to run on top of the snow.  Once the temperatures rise the snow will become soft and more challenging.  Watch for the slush bogs especially on the lower part of the course from milepost 6 to the turn around.  There are a few down tree limbs but you can maneuver around them.  BE CAREFUL, if you are not accustomed to this type of course be careful not to turn your ankles in the ruts.  If you like a challenge, come on out.  The course is not for the faint hearted.  Hats, gloves, thermal shirts, and leggings will keep you warm.  Bring dry clothing for after the race.

Sufficiently sparkling and ready to run!

With an ominous warning like this one, I was not at all looking forward to this race.  I actually was very worried I wouldn’t finish it.  But there was a medal and a free tee shirt waiting for me so, dutifully I layered on my winter running wear, stocked my fanny-pack with GU and chapstick, and headed out to the park. 

Despite the warning, there were actually a lot of runners who came to race.  Just under 300 participants finished.  Once I arrived, I stayed sitting in my heated car for as long as I could before I had to finally and reluctantly get out and find Cassie.  Her running group carpool had gotten there earlier than me, and had kindly picked up my race packet.  I introduced myself to this very friendly fun group, pinned my bib on, fastened my clip to my shoe and got in line at the porta-pot for one last pit stop before race time. 



The Start Line

The two ladies in front of me at the bathroom had both run this race last year and were reminiscing about how it had begun on the eve of the Snowpocalypse, the infamous blizzard that completely shut down DC last year.  Apparently, it was so cold that their eyelashes froze and they had to poke through their water with their fingers because the top had frozen over.  (I was hoping that would not be the case today!)  The two men behind me were fretting and worried that they’d miss the start waiting in line at the porta-pot.  I was surprised they were so concerned.  There were only 3 people in front of them with a solid 10 minutes until the start.  In some of the larger races I’ve done, the first waves have already set off while people are still waiting in seemingly never-ending bathroom lines.  Besides, the chip-timing won’t actually start until you cross the start line, so even if you start ten minutes after everyone else, you can still have an accurate time. No need to be nervous gents!

Walking to the start line was quite possibly the most dangerous part of the day, as the whole parking lot and walkway was covered in black ice and more than one of us lost our balance.  We all stood at the start for the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner (sung correctly, I might add!) then we were off.  Right away, I realized this was not going to be an ordinary or an easy race.  The course, as we were forewarned, was either ice (both smooth sheets and craggy) hard snow, soft snow or slush.  All hard to run in/on, but also, since I never knew what to expect, I had to constantly keep our eyes on the ground.  It’s a beautiful course along the C&O canal.  The canal was frozen and the entire scene was quite picturesque.  But, it was nerve racking to look around without walking or completely stopping (which I ended up doing a few times to take pictures, once it became VERY apparent that there was no chance of getting a PR here.) Cassie and I chatted and caught up on our lives, as we usually do as we run, but the miles seemed to inch by at a glacier-like pace. 

Cassie & I trudging along...

I had put some Christmas carols on my ipod for the run, in the hope that the Christmas music would make me appreciate the snowy scene.  But, we ended up talking through almost the entire race, so I didn’t even use my pod at all.  Also, because the ground was so unpredictable and the course was very narrow, it was reassuring not to wear one, so I could hear the sounds of the people around me.  And, the few crazy spectators and volunteers that braved the cold and snow were so excited and supportive.  I got a real boost from hearing all of them cheer!

 

We had to run 6.6 miles down the trail and then turn around and come back.  About 4 miles in, we started seeing the fast and talented runners on their way back and I got hopeful, thinking we were almost at the turnaround…but we still had 2.6 hard grueling miles to go and it felt like it would never end.

We finally—FINALLY—made it to the halfway point, ran around a cone, and then began the long trek back to the finish line.  For some reason, the last half seemed to go by a little faster. Not much, but it was nice to know I was over halfway done and that gave me some motivation.  Also, because it was later in the morning, more casual park-goers were appearing on the route.  They gave me something to look at and sometimes someone to talk to/about.  There was one guy pulling a kayak up the trail.  I joked that he should use the kayak to carry me to the finish.  He didn’t think it was funny...but then again I was probably the 50th runner who made that comment to him.  We also saw a foolish man walking out onto the canal on top of what I have to assume was not sturdy ice.  I kept my eye on him for a while, worried he might fall in, and wondering what we as runners should do if we all witnessed this situation and had to somehow stop our race for a rescue mission.  Fortunately, nothing dramatic happened, but this notion occupied my mind for quite some time.

At times it felt as if I was the only runner (or just dead last!)

I tried to have some GU around mile 7 and it was VERY solid.  It was one big mass in my mouth, which sounds a little gross but it was okay, just took longer to dissolve and swallow.  At least we didn’t have to poke through ice to get a drink of water.  (above 32 degrees, but not by much!) A hot cocoa stop would have been heaven!  One group was handing out peanut-butter filled pretzels, which were a perfect treat.

Towards the end of the race, around mile ten, I did exactly what the race directors had warned us about in the ominous email: I twisted my ankle by landing wrong on an ice rut.  I was growing tired—both physically and tired of concentrating so intently on the terrain—and I could tell that my feet were landing harder than they were at the beginning of the race.  I came down hard and crooked and a stabbing pain went through my left foot.  I wiggled it and it seemed fine, so I kept running.  It hurt as I ran, but it is just one of those race-day things you just deal with and try not to focus on.  (The doctor said later, that it was a good sign I could run on it.  If I weren’t able to put that pressure on it, it would have been a sign that my injury was more severe.)  Instead of slowing down, I picked up the pace, anxious for this race to finally end and ready to sit down to a hearty brunch.

Finally finished! Hooray!!



At last I crossed the finish line—2 hours and 43 minutes after I had started—by far the slowest half marathon I have ever run.  But, I think it’s also one of the races I am most proud of completing. It wasn’t expensive or far away and it would have been easy for me to skip it.  And, when I started the race, I honestly did not think I would or could finish it given the harsh surfaces.  It was one of those empowering achievements that you look back on and have a hard time believing you actually accomplished it.  Other than my annoying foot injury, it was a great race! 

Everyone was in high spirits afterwards.  I think everyone was equally impressed with themselves as I was, and also ecstatic that the race had ended!  I tagged along with Cassie’s running group to a nearby restaurant for brunch.  As we convened in the parking lot, a few people pulled off their shoes, revealing quarter-sized blisters on their feet from where their socks had gotten wet.  I thought they were all very hardcore to keep going with those monsters on their feet. (ick.) Fortunately, my socks were the super-thick wintery kind, so I was blister-free, even though I did hit a few slush bogs along the way! 

Gross, but I had to include it. So tough!

We had a great meal, except the restaurant turned out to be very sophisticated and fancy.   We charged in--a large, underdressed, rowdy, sweaty, smelly group of nine expecting to get out drink on—and were greeted with white tablecloths, tuxedoed waiters and a place setting that involved excessive utensils.  It was quite a funny picture.  I asked the matrie d, half jokingly, where they usually sit the riff-raff, and he pointed me towards the bar without skipping a beat. Har. Har. 

This is the first time I’ve ever hung out with a group of people solely because we all like to run, and it was a really fun experience.  Everyone was so friendly and nice! I wish I could run with them more often, but the majority of them all live at least an hour or more north of D.C. (too far for a weeknight.)

Lastly, Cassie and I exchanged our overdue Christmas presents.  And—wouldn’t you know it—we got each other VERY similar things!  (Great minds think alike!)  Check out our awesome taste:

Cassie gave me this lovely necklace:

And I gave her this lovely necklace from a fantastic Etsy.com store called “Jessica’s Gifts.” Jessica has some great jewelry and fun charms for runners. I highly recommend her site!

If I can afford to, I would really like to run the ING Miami Marathon or Half Marathon next January, but if I were in town, I would do the High Cloud again.

Cassie also wrote a report on this race on her adorable blog!

Race Pros:

Inexpensive

Well-organized

Convenient location

Good time of year of you’re training for a spring marathon

Race Cons:

Course is pretty, but it’s 13.1 miles of the same thing, which can get a little boring.

Swag is minimal & the medal is not high quality, but the entry fee is cheap and most of the money goes to supporting the High Could organization.