Run with the Wind 25k

The short:

I ran Run with the Wind in 2023, 2022, 2015, 2012, and 2010, so you'd think I'd have figured out how to race it by now, but I have never been able to finish strong and this year was no different - though finishing strong with 5 miles against the wind and uphill is relative I guess! I ran 10 miles of the race with my running buddy Sally, but she had more in the tank in the final 5 and I also settled a bit when I lost contact. I was hoping I could average under 7:00 pace, and I did that with a 6:56 average. By some miracle it seems I ran a slight negative split (6:56.3 average for the first 7 miles, 6:54.9 average for the final 7 full miles), which is quite challenging on this elevation profile. I ended up 3rd overall female, 1st masters female, and with a new state record for the 25k in 1:48:01. This was the second fastest I've run at this race, and the fastest I've run from Carthage to Sarcoxie, which is the harder direction with a net uphill.

My state record will be here.

My Strava activity is here.

Mid-race smiles

It's hard both directions, but this one is harder!

The long:

I updated this bit from my 2022 race recap; it is still very accurate:

I've run this race 5 times previously, which was enough to know that 1) you never actually have a tailwind the entire way, 2) it's hilly, and 3) 25k state records are generally easily attainable since it's not a common race distance. The race organizers announce the night before the race which direction it will run, and this year was Carthage to Sarcoxie, which means primarily a south and east route. The northwest wind was behind us going south and we had a headwind going east.

Sally rode to the race with me and we had a great time on drive. The race had a bus this year, which was a nice update! We parked at the finish in Sarcoxie, picked up our packets, and boarded the bus bound for the starting line. The bus was supposed to depart at 8:00, but it left nearly 30 minutes late and we arrived at the Carthage starting area less than 20 minutes before the 9:05 start. We dropped our bags, used the bathroom, and jogged as much as we had time for which was about 1.25 miles. I'd have liked to get in at least 2 miles plus drills and strides, but what can you do? I was very cold on the warm up (the wind chill was 7*!) and questioned if I should have put on a thicker shirt, but there wasn't time.

Sally and I planned to run together, knowing that one of us would likely feel stronger at some point, much like at Bass Pro. The woman who beat me at this race last year (Katie) was in it again, so I expected she would be tough to beat, but I also thought Sally and I had an advantage working together. From the gun, one male took out hard, then Katie, then a few other men, and next Sally and me. I planned to run by effort and wanted to go out conservatively, fearing the hills from past experiences. Sally and I chatted and relaxed. After a few miles, we started passing men. I told Sally she had to tell me when we passed 5 miles so I could take a gel, because I didn't want to look at my watch and the course didn't have mile markers.

Rural racing at its finest

The miles passed quickly and the hills didn't seem as bad this year, despite this being the harder direction on this course. I could tell Sally felt better than me for most of the race and she was pulling me along. Before I knew it we were halfway, we had passed all of the men between us and Katie, and we could see that we were maintaining pretty steady with Katie. Sally gapped me a bit going up a hill around mile 8 or 9, and I caught back up going down it but could tell that she was itching to go get Katie. I encouraged her to go chase her down, and hoped I could hang on.

Me hanging on

We took a turn onto the final long stretch heading east into the wind. You can also see by the elevation chart that 10 to the end is a long net incline. Sally gapped me again and this time I couldn't close it. I watched her pull farther away from me and closer and closer to Katie over the next few miles. I got a little complacent running alone, into the wind, and uphill, but I stayed pretty steady with just a slight slow down - but if it hadn't been uphill I think I'd have been consistent. I wish someone with Strava premium had been on this run because I've love to know my GAPs!

Final couple of miles

I was thankful when I saw Sally turn left and knew the final half mile was in sight. I stayed steady through the finish but now wish I'd have kicked because I ran 1:48:01 (1:47:59 just seems a lot better!). I was pleasantly surprised to see my time because I'd only broken 1:50 on that course once before, and that was going the easier direction. Once I learned that Sally ran her final 5 miles in the 6:30s, I felt a lot better about my performance because I hadn't been fading so much as she had been hammering! I don't know official splits or my 7.75 mile time, but my average for my last 7 full miles was a tiny bit faster than my average for the first 7 full miles, which I have definitely never done at this race - so, progress. I have never run a stellar pace relative to my fitness in this race, so I am happy enough with this one! My perfect day would have been the race that Sally had, but I'm glad I didn't have a bad day like last year. 

Finish

Post-race we enjoyed soup and snacks while waiting for the awards. I ended up getting 4 awards: 1st in my age group, top female age-graded performance, state record, and something else. This was a fun low-key race and I look forward to the next - which will surely be flatter!

We won identical awards

With the youngest (14) and oldest (71)

State record breakers - ages 71, 43, 33, 26, 14

2023 event photo on the registration site
featuring me, Colin, & Amy up front

Olympic Trials Marathon Trip

When Orlando was announced as the location for the 2024 Olympic Trials Marathon, one of my running buddies spearheaded getting a group together to go spectate. Allegiant flies direct and cheap from Springfield to Orlando, we found great deals on AirBnb and Turo, and the trip was organized! We made the most out of our long weekend, laughed excessively, and made lifelong memories. Here is a summary of what we did!

Friday, February 2:

• Christian, Sarah, Jessica, and I left Springfield at 11:00 a.m. Our flight and Turo car pick up went smoothly. Jessica lived in Orlando for 10 years so was nominated as our main driver for the weekend.
• We had lunch as Miller's Ale House, which was delicious. Their specials photos were effective because three of us ordered the same thing.
• We found our AirBnb and unloaded. It was adorable, clean, and just what we needed! 
• Jessica drove us by her old house and got to talk to her old neighbor in his yard.
• We went to a Citius Mag podcast live show, which took place right after a Hoka shake-out run. We got free Hoka bags and posters, and ice cream (they also had free Olipop and Goodrs, but we were a little too late for those).
•  We then went to the Brooks Hyperion House, where everyone got two free drink tickets and appetizers (which ended up being "dinner"). The Brooks House definitely had the biggest party vibe of everywhere we went: music, lights, crowds, and the free drinks probably helped. There were also free shirts but they only had XXL left. Jessica and Sarah nabbed hats. Abby met us there, after her flight got in around 6:00 p.m.
• We next tried to pick up Holly from a Mill City party, but she had actually not made it there yet, so we went by the Nike hotel to get her. There we also got Dreamweaver cheer squad shirts for everyone and some free sports nutrition products.

On stage at the Brooks house

Photo station at the Brooks house

Citius Mag live show behind us

Saturday, February 3:

• Abby, Jessica, and I got up early and ran 10 miles.
• We headed to the Trials course! Due to road blockades, we ended up walking a lot further than expected to get to our planned spot, but luckily we'd allotted plenty of time. Because of this, we also walked past the athlete warm up area and saw all of the competitors jogging up close. We also ran into my friend Melissa who was similarly trying to navigate around the road closures.
• We found a good spectating spot not long before the start. We were able to see the race 5 times from our location.
• Kristen, a friend who used to live in Springfield, found us and spectated with us.
• Seeing the race unfold in front of us was awesome! We also had the live stream on Peacock going on Christian's phone so we were able to track what was happening when we couldn't see the runners. Everyone cheered so hard our throats were sore.
• There are too many stories of the day for me to do them justice here! Some of my favorites were: Dakota Lindwurm, one of the happiest runners ever, making the team; training partners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young working together to go 1-2 (I have mixed feelings about Clayton handing the win to his friend though); 4th place Jess McClain being absolutely ecstatic about her race (often 4th is upset); CJ Albertson charging hard for a close 5th; seeing my rabbit and Dreamweaver teammates out there; and 7 months pregnant Meagan Kirchin getting the biggest cheers. My biggest heartbreak was Sara Hall not making the team; I believe she wanted it more than everyone and probably worked the hardest too. She did set the US masters marathon record, but I doubt that was a great consolation.
• We had lunch at a restaurant that I don't remember the name of, after trying to get in at another nearby restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the area was packed. It worked out though, because we sat right next to CJ Albertson's family, then about halfway through the meal CJ himself came in. We eavesdropped on him telling his family his race story. He only missed the team by 10 seconds!
• We went by the Brooks house again, which was still partying and giving out free drinks.
• We next went to a Nike Dreamweaver after-party, with more free food and drinks.
• Then we tried to go to a Hoka party but it was mostly over.
• We had Jeremiah's Italian Ice for "dinner", then went to Publix to buy real food but no one was hungry. After two nights of not eating real dinner we decided we were done with that!

Matching cheer shirts

Women's lead pack

Top two men 0.25 from the finish

High class Italian ice

CJ Albertson is a fan of me too

Sunday, February 4:

• Sarah and I got up early and ran 8 miles.
• Jessica, Sarah, Christian, and I spent the entire day at Universal Islands of Adventure! Abby had to fly out early and Holly met up with others to do free activities. We were at the park from when they opened at 9:00 a.m. to about 5:30 p.m. (they closed at 6:00) and got to ride everything we wanted to except the Velocicoaster, which closed when we were in line. The Harry Potter coaster and Hulk coaster were our favorites.
• We had real dinner at The Hall on the Yard food hall. 

Universal Islands of Adventure

Monday, February 5:

• Jessica and I ran at 4:20 a.m. before our return flight. Some people asked why we didn't just run when we got home, but we both thought that would be harder, plus I had to teach MSU class at noon. I was definitely ready to nap right after class!

I couldn't have gone to the 2020 Trials to watch, because I was too heartbroken over not qualifying - but I still saw the big party in Atlanta and wished I was there. The standard dropping to 2:37 for 2024 made it very easy for me to fangirl this one, because qualifying was never in my realm of possibility. It was the ultimate running fan experience and we all want to go back in 2028!

Holly & I at a host hotel

St. Louis Frostbite Series 20k

The short:

My husband needed to go to St. Louis this week, and I told him that if there was a race there on Saturday I'd go with him. I found the St. Louis Track Club Frostbite Series 20k and registered for $20 the day before. The race was a lot bigger than I expected (over 900 runners between the 20k and 5k!) and a little longer than I expected, but I also felt better than I expected to! There was snow on the ground in Forest Park, helping the race live up to its name, but it was really nice out for the morning of January 6 in Missouri, at 33* with virtually no wind.

I ended up running 1:25:32, which was 6:43 pace for 12.73 miles per my Garmin (Strava said my 20k was 1:23:36). I ran the first half of the race at 6:46 pace and the second half at 6:40 pace, finishing with 6:37, 6:31, 6:30 so I think I got about all I could have out of myself on the day. I ended up placing 4th overall female, after running in 3rd for about half the race and getting passed with less than a half mile to go, so that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth - but I was still mostly pleased because I gauged my effort well and ran way under 7:00 pace, plus Premium Strava said to subtract 4-5 seconds for grade-adjusted pace!).

Results are here, my details here.

My activity on Strava is here.

The long:

I wasn't sure how I'd feel for the race having raced the Chilly 5k five days prior, not adjusting my training to account for racing since it wasn't pre-planned, and doing no training focused on long-race prep since October (although you could possibly count the Jack is Back 30k as one). I'd debated on whether to run my hill workout on Wednesday or Thursday that week, and ended up doing it Wednesday so I was glad for that at least! I looked up results of the races in the series that had already taken place when I registered, and from those I figured it was doubtful I could win overall female, which made it easier to not care if I didn't feel good and needed to make it into a moderate long run.

We left our house at 4:15 a.m. on race morning. I brought breakfast and planned to eat around 5:00, but ended up falling asleep until 7:20, which is quite late for me! The race started at 8:20, so being only 30 minutes out from my warm up I didn't want to eat anything. I had a couple of gels so figured I'd use one during my warm up and one during the race.

Jon dropped me off at the race and I picked up my number, used the bathroom, and started my warm up. The Frostbite series is a 5-race series, with a short and long race each time. I found the 5k start on my warm up but had to ask a few people where the 20k started. I found it with about 10 minutes to spare, so continued my warm up jog, took a gel, and stashed my throw away shirt (which I got back after the race, so wasn't throw away this time). I only had time for 1.6 miles of jogging and 2 strides, but I figured I'd just ease into the race and be fine. During my warm up I saw many, many fast-looking women and it seemed like a larger percentage of people were warming up than usual, which made me feel like the race was going to be competitive.

The grassy areas of the park were snow-covered, but the roads were just wet. The temps had been warm enough that the snow didn't last on the roads, but they were a little sloppy and the bridges were slick the first time we crossed them (they seemed to melt after that, I imagine from cars and runners going over them). The temperature was 33* and I ran in a my uniform very thin long sleeve shorts, shorts, and gloves. I ended up being both cold and hot during the race, and wished I'd worn a tank top and capris instead - though if I'd worn that I might have wished I'd worn long sleeves and shorts!

The race consisted of two laps of the course, with each lap including two out-and-backs. The first out was only about a mile, then we went around a round about. It was easy to see what place I was in, which was 4th female. There were also what seemed like 50 women right behind me. The second out and back was longer and much hillier, and had a hair-pin turn. Again, I was in 4th female with what seemed like 50 women close behind. At that point I was going back and forth between "I'm going to catch the two in front of me" [it seemed #1 was a lost cause because she was so far out, which made sense once I realized who she was] and "50 women are going to pass me!". But I was also focusing on and reeling in men one by one.

I was gaining on woman 3, so that kept me going from about miles 4-6. I passed her a little before halfway, and got excited that I was in 3rd! The course was a bit of a cluster from about 5-8, because we were running through slower 5k runners, the faster 5k runners were leaving the parking lot right off the course (the roads weren't closed to traffic), volunteers were waving 5kers to turn, and then when I was coming back lots of other 20kers were going out. I was relieved to get through that part. I was going to take my gel at halfway but forgot about it and didn't, so this wasn't my best fueled race.

I started feeling really great on the second tour of the course, and kept picking off the men in front of me. I saw fewer women close to me on that turn around the round about, and started feeling confident that I could go with anyone who tried to pass me.

Mile 10 included a long uphill, a gain of 82 ft per Garmin (on the first lap it was during mile 4-5). It wasn't steep but just long. I knew it was coming since we'd run the course once, and I kept reminding myself that I'd get to go back down it. I also told myself that it was to my advantage because it would take some of others' speed, plus I've been doing hill work. I caught and passed a man on it, which helped keep me going. As I approached and went around the hair-pin turn, I learned that there was no way I could catch the women in front of me, but one woman behind me was dangerously close and also running with a man she seemed to know. Though I was tired, I also felt strong and like I'd be able to push the end. The man who I'd passed going uphill passed me back when the course flattened out, and I went with him. It was hard to stay with him but I kept telling myself it was easier with someone else and I needed to stay with him to stay ahead of the woman.

I was able to stay right behind or beside him, and as we passed the 12 mile mark I started feeling confident I wasn't going to get caught. But then I heard footsteps and a man talking behind us, and it was clear the man was coaching the woman to go by me. I mentally prepared myself to fight for position, but when she passed me she was hammering it and I couldn't hang. I felt strong and finished strong relative to my other splits, but unfortunately I didn't have what she had. As we made the final turn one of the volunteers said something like, "2nd and 3rd woman, who wants it more??" and I guess I was really hurting at that point because I thought "she does." (also he must have missed a woman because we were actually 3rd and 4th).

The guy in gray was the one I ran with for the final
 few miles, woman in green had just passed us here

After it was clear I wasn't going to get her, I didn't hammer quite as hard as I should have for the final bit, but it was also on a curvy sidewalk that made it very difficult to run fast. Jon got back just in time to see me run by on her tail then he ran to the finish. He tried to take pictures in the rush that didn't come out great, but at least they show the snow on the ground!

Finish

I stopped my watch to see it showed me as averaging 6:43 pace, which I was happy with! I wasn't sure I'd be under 7:00, and don't look at my watch during races so had no idea what I was going to end  up with. All of my miles were under 7:00, even the 82 ft hill. The course read 12.73 on my watch. I don't think I've ever had a certified half read more than 13.25, and rarely have they read more than 13.15-13.20 unless they have a ton of turns. With this one being two out and backs I'd buy 12.50 or a smidge more for a 20k but not 12.73 (most others on Strava had 12.65+ too)! Plus they have a certified half that follows almost the same course and it is barely longer than what we ran for the 20k. Strava said my 20k was 1:23:36, and of course Strava isn't perfect either but had it been certified I'd probably have run 1:24-something. With non-certified races you get what you get and everyone in the race gets it, but everyone in that race should get credit for faster paces than the results show...especially me, hahaha!

I decided that I was first place masters female; the overall female was also in masters, but since she got overall I took her out of the very unofficial masters standings. I admit I am using a double-standard here, because when I have won both overall and masters I thought I deserved both, but this is my blog so I can do what I want, right? The race did not have masters, but I have to take my victories where I can find them. I am getting better about being happy with running well for me "right now" instead of being upset about running slower than I used to, which is probably the biggest victory of my 2024 races! I also wish Springfield had a cheap multi-race winter series like this; I'd love to do all 5 races but driving to St. Louis that many times in a winter seems excessive.

Elevation gain per mile, in feet, with my splits:

1. 3 - 6:39
2. 16 - 6:47
3. 36 - 6:52
4. 69 - 6:48
5. 49 - 6:48
6. 23 - 6:43
7. 23 - 6:42
8. 16 - 6:33
9. 30 - 6:47
10. 82 - 6:57
11. 33 - 6:37
12. 30 - 6:31
13. (final 0.73) 20 - a little faster than 6:30, I stopped my watch 3 seconds after I finished

Chilly 5k

The short:

I jumped into a New Years Day 5k and it was a great way to kick off the year! I was unsure what to expect time-wise but I aimed to compete, and came away with the overall female win in 19:20. I got to run through a finishing banner, got a few great photos, was interviewed post-race, and had a fun day with friends, so 2024 can really only go downhill from here. ;-)

Results are here, my personal results are here.

A Joplin Globe photo of me from the race is here, and an article that I am quoted in and pictured in is here.

I love a breaking the tape action shot!

The long:

A friend told me about the Chilly 5k in Joplin a couple of months ago, and I wrote it in my training calendar for reference but didn't really think I'd run it. The week before the race, a very tentative girls' day in Pittsburg started becoming more definitive, and I decided if the girls' day happened it only made sense to run the race on my drive to Pitt, since I'd be driving by Joplin anyway. 

I haven't done any time-based workouts since before the Bass Pro Marathon, but I have been running consistently and doing hill workouts so figured it would be fine enough. I also figured that no one is 5k sharp on January 1! My primary goal was to place as high as I could, going for the overall female win if it was within reason, and not worry about my time.

The race is point-to-point, from downtown Joplin to the YMCA on the south side of town. I parked at the Y and ran to the start plus a little more to warm up. It was simple to do, but the downside was that I didn't have a car at the start to toss clothes into. I dressed between what I would wear for an easy run and a race in the conditions (air temp 30*, wind chill 22*) in a thin long sleeve, gloves, an ear warmer, and tights. I was a little cold on my warm up and a little hot during the race as expected.

The race was decent-sized at around 300 participants. I wasn't sure who my competition would be, but as I was warming up I saw another woman warming up and thought, "She looks fast!" As I got closer I saw it was my friend Liz, who is fast! After I got my race number I connected with my friends Natalie and John, and stashed my phone in their car. I'd warmed up with it in a pocket because I was paranoid about getting lost on my warm up and missing the start, which ended up being a very unfounded fear. 

The start that I was not ready for

I lined up near the front, not far from John, Liz, and a woman who I know from Joplin, Christy. After the National Anthem and a prayer, we were off! It seemed like many men and boys went out fast, but I zeroed in on women and noted I was in 3rd behind a teenager and Christy. I settled into 5k effort and found myself right next to John. The first two women weren't too far out, and staying steady I reeled them in and passed them both around the mile.

Around that time a young man (from the results I know he was 23) settled in just behind me. Passing for the lead and having him on my shoulder was good motivation to push, and the second mile had several hills so it wasn't easy. After a bit he came up and ran beside me. Going up a hill shortly before the 2 mile mark, he pulled away slightly, but after the hill I closed the gap. When we hit mile 2 I pushed harder and gapped him, then extended my lead to 15 seconds by the finish.

This course was interesting because it was a net uphill for the first 2 miles. I thought mile 1 was pretty gentle, but I could tell it in my pace and by the elevation chart. Mile 2 seemed harder with more hills, though still nothing extreme for a Missouri runner. Then mile 3 had almost all down, which was fun! I felt like I ran in a way that mile 3 would be my fastest mile, but the downhill made it even faster. It felt really good to push and I felt strong coming towards the finish. I definitely felt better in this race than I have been feeling doing short hill reps in training!

About a quarter mile out from the finish, the lead bike came back for me after leading the top male in. As he rode me closer to the finish he waved his arms up and down, I assume to signal the finish line that the first female was coming in. I heard the announcer say something to that effect and saw the finish line volunteers put up a finishing banner. I love getting to break a tape! I gave a huge smile and the announcer said, "Keep that smile right through the finish line!" He was also announcing where the clock was at as I came down the final stretch, and when I heard 19:10 I was pleasantly surprised; I wasn't completely sure I could run under 20:00 but I was going to be way under!

Final bit

I had a huge smile on my face as I came in, and saw a photographer snapping photos in the finish chute, indicating that I was surprisingly coherent. I ran through the finishing tape, which was supposed to break at a Velcro attachment but did not. I then ended up tripping over the banner that didn't break, and narrowly avoided falling down. I was hoping I'd get finishing photos of that part, but they were either too nice to take them or too nice to post them. My official time was 19:20. I thought there were a ton of men in front of me but it turns out there were only 4.

Not my best photo but a big smile

I turned around to see where my competition and friends were. The second and third women came in at 19:43 and 19:48 (Christy), then John came though, then Liz, then Jacob - all pretty quickly after I finished. As I started walking out of the chute, a reporter from the Joplin Globe asked if he could ask me some questions, so I of course obliged. I think my runners high was clear from one of my quotes here, "It's great, a great way to start the year...I highly recommend it for everybody."

Joplin Globe article

My mention

John was planning to run back to the start to get his car prior to the awards, and I'd told him I'd run back with him when I stashed my phone in his car, because I wanted about 10 miles for the day. We ran the course backwards along with Liz for about a mile, and cheered for those we knew who were running. We ran 3.5 more miles total at my request, then hopped in his car and hightailed it back to the awards. I ended up just missing my overall award, but Natalie picked it up for me and later they called me back on the podium.

The podium was a nice touch!

My run on Strava matched with a couple of people who have premium Strava, one of whom was only 14 seconds behind me, so I was able to figure out my grade-adjusted paces for the race. My actual splits were 6:19, 6:27, 5:55 (5:25 final 0.12) - grade adjusted was 6:12, 6:22, 6:06. I felt like I got out well, eased up a little during mile 2, then hammered the final mile, so this makes sense to me. It's also faster than I expected to run, so I was happy about that.

I think 2024 is going to be my year of running races like this where I can compete for the win, because this race felt really right and I want to do it again!

Cute unique award

Post-race girls' afternoon!

The other Joplin Globe mention

2023 Running Recap

Quick stats:

• Miles run: 3619.7
• Teams/Support: rabbitELITE, UCAN, Nike, Miles from Mentor
• Races run: 11
• Races won (OA female): 5
• Races won (masters female): 10
• PRs: 30k, by default, though I have run much faster 30ks during numerous marathons
• Records:
  
• Missouri state road racing record for 30k for females age 43
• Kansas state #2 female 50k of all time (behind my 2022 50k record)
• Highlights:
• My amazing running group continued to grow!
• I was accepted onto my third rabbitELITE team.
• I was "promoted" to Team UCAN Inspire.

Longer Impressions:

I nearly didn't write a running recap for the year, which is why this is being published later than Dec. 31. On one hand I feel like I didn't necessarily get much performance-wise out of the miles I put in this year, but on the other hand it's all relative and I enjoyed running just as much or more than ever! The day-to-day is my favorite part; I genuinely love getting up early every morning and running in all seasons and circumstances.

I enjoyed running many races on a whim and racing (for places vs. focusing on times). I enjoyed aiming for masters wins in nearly all of the races I ran (the only exception being Chicago). I never really understood the masters category, even when I was 39-40, but now it's one of the best things ever in running! Going for overall female wins is still nice, but not having to compete with 20-30 year olds in a division is also nice.

I ran 3 marathons and a 50k, which is quite a bit of long racing for a year. My spring marathon was a training run for my 50k, then I hoped to run sub-3 in a fall marathon and believe I was there fitness-wise, but I ended up with the beginnings of COVID for Chicago and was feeling weak post-COVID at Bass Pro, so in the end I got two 3:07s instead. Another lowlight of my year was a weird imbalance issue that resulted in pretty low mileage in April and May.

I love my training group and it has continued to grow this year. We have 5:30 a.m. runs with 10-15 people often. I coach many of my training buddies free of charge, and I love seeing my friends excited about running and running fast! I hope I can help others through running since it's given me so much. The sport continues to be a cornerstone in my life, and I am thankful for every run!

Race Recaps:

• 2/18/23 - Run with the Wind 25k
• 2/25/23 - Running from Yeti Marathon
• 3/25/23 - Prairie Spirit 50k 
• 4/8/23 - Easter Sun Run 10k and 2 mile 
• 7/4/23 - Firecracker 5000
• 7/16/23 - Summer Sizzler 15k
• 8/12/23 - Riverside 5000
• 10/8/23 - Chicago Marathon
• 11/5/23 - Bass Pro Marathon
• 12/16/23 - Jack is Back 30k

Monthly Recaps:

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

Previous Yearly Recaps:

• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016 
• 2015

Jack is Back 30k

One of my friends won a free entry for the Jack is Back 15k/30k race but wasn't able to run it. I didn't think I really had the itch to race again in 2023, but a free entry to a low-key event sounded perfect, so she gave me her free entry to register for the 30k. I've never raced a 30k, so knew finishing would yield an automatic PR - and a state record for age 43, since the state records for the 30k are weak because it's a rarely run distance. I've been keeping my long runs relatively short since Bass Pro, so running 18.6 miles was a bit of a stretch, but Bass Pro was just 6 weeks before this race so I figured my legs hadn't completely forgotten how to run for over 2 hours.

The race was on a rails-to-trails trail, and I have learned these type of trails can be anywhere from immaculately maintained like Tobacco Road to rough single track like the northern part of Frisco. This one was somewhere in between, but we'd gotten a lot of rain leading up to the race so it was muddy! I didn't realize this would be a factor until I was at the race, when it was too late to turn back or wear my trail shoes that I'd left at home.

The race was a pretty small event, and my goal was to win overall female without running too hard. I eased into it for the first 3 miles, then got into a groove and ran really even. I never looked at my watch during the race, and afterward before I looked at my Garmin I told Jon I thought I averaged around 7:15 pace; my watch then confirmed 7:18, so I have a good gauge on my effort! My splits are here.

I was with a few men for the first couple of miles, then pulled ahead of them. I was in first female and there were 5 men ahead of me, but I didn't know who was in which race distance. The 15k ran out and back once, and the 30k ran out and back twice. The first 4.65 miles out were pretty uneventful, then once we turned back I enjoyed the race more because I got to see everyone else. I was also gaining on the man ahead of me, so that gave me something to focus on for the first back. I passed him around mile 8.

I started the race in arm warmers and gloves, because the wind chill was 37* and since I didn't plan to run all-out I thought I'd be chilly. The first out was into the wind and I was comfortable, but when we turned around I got hot and took my arm warmers off. They got annoying flapping around while tucked under a sports bra strap, but it gave me a reason to look forward to the turn around where I planned to drop them. I tucked my first gel wrapper inside of them so I could get rid of it along with the arm warmers. As I neared the turn around I decided I'd toss my gloves off as well.

As I neared the halfway point, the men who had been in 3rd and 4th when both races were together came back starting their second out, so I learned that the two fastest men had been in the 15k and I was 3rd overall in the 30k. I also saw the large lead I had on the next woman, who turned out to be in the 15k anyway. The race had an option to compete in both the 15k and 30k distances, with your halfway split being your 15k race time, and so at that point I wished I'd have signed up for that with my free entry - my rationale for not doing that was because I didn't want to race a 15k and then death march another 15k if there was someone faster in the 15k. After the race I saw that the girl who won the 15k was 14 years old, so I am sure the win meant more to her than it would have to me, so in the end I was glad I just did the 30k!

I dropped my arm sleeves and gloves at halfway, then turned back out for my second tour of the course. The spectators around the finish line cheered and someone joked, "Show off" when I turned around instead of finishing. Heading back out on the course I got to see everyone coming back in. I was also able to see that I was gaining on the man in second, so I decided I'd try to slowly reel him in. We were going back into the wind and I wished I'd have kept my gloves on.

When I was about a mile into my second out, a teenage boy who was running in the opposite way desperately asked, "Am I almost there??" I told him he was close, "about a mile left", then realized that probably didn't feel too close to him. 9.3 miles is a long way when you're 14! 

All of the course marshals told me I was first female each time I passed, which was fun. Many of the runners going the opposite direction did too! It was fun seeing the enthusiastic aid station volunteers multiple times, and that helped break up the distance.

I ended up catching the second place man just before the final hair-pin turn, which was about 14 miles in. After passing him I was just ready to be done. I have only been running 12-14 mile long runs since Bass Pro, so 18.6 miles felt a little farther than it usually does - plus I can't even tell you the last time I ran that far alone. I had a great runners high going, but it was pretty lonely out there! Like Frisco, the trail also felt uphill (incline) both ways, and the wet ground wasn't doing me any favors.

When I finished, many people told me how impressed they were with my huge lead and how fast I ran for 18.6 miles. I have decided I really like low-key races that I can win without going all-out! Although I didn't race race, 18.6 miles moderate is still a hard day, and I do 100% of my training on roads, so I ended up feeling quite beat up from this race! Running on gravel and through mud uses some different muscles.

Before the race they'd announced that the overall awards hadn't come in and would be shipped when they did. They said it's a personalized brick so I am interested to see what it looks like! I didn't stay for the awards ceremony because it was outside after all 30k finishers were in and I was freezing standing around, but I believe I will also get awards for setting a new state record for age 43 and for being the top age-graded female time in the 30k. I told the race director I'd get my awards from him the next time I saw him so he didn't have to mail them - a brick cannot be cheap to mail, lol.

My state record is here.

Race results are here.

This picture is from Bass Pro last month, but I
found it on Jon's phone on the drive home from
Jack is Back & love it

Bass Pro

The short:

I got 5th overall female in my 5th Bass Pro Marathon! I'm also getting old so I was the female masters champion. I registered for this race back in February, before I knew that October was going to try to kill me. The race doesn't do transfers or deferrals and is 20 minutes from my house, so I decided to start it with a training buddy and drop out if I needed to. Though I sure felt my post-COVID lack of reserves in the final miles, I got it done in 3:07:45. It was my slowest Bass Pro, though not by much - I won the race with a 3:06:57 in 2015 - and while I think it went about as well as it could have all-considering, I was sad not to nab an overall podium spot this year. I imagine I'll be back next year, ideally without the post-COVID/post-car accident training plan.

Results are here.

My Strava activity is here.

Miles from Mentor pre-race photo, missing a few

The long:

I love my hometown race. I don't like huge marathons, I love sleeping in my own bed and eating at home before the race, I love seeing the Springfield running community, and I love running an event with almost everyone I train with. My running buddies laughed at me (and said I'm the only one in the world who would say this) when I said I like Bass Pro far better than Chicago, but it's true! I'm not sure if anyone who doesn't live here would like this race, and if you like big marathons it is definitely not for you, but I get a bigger high out of this one than I get elsewhere.

Four weeks before this race I ran Chicago. That was in the plan. Also 3-4 weeks before this race I had COVID, and 2 weeks before this race I got into a pretty bad car accident. Those were not planned. As you can imagine, my body was a bit wrecked from those events and my mind was pretty wrecked from dealing with the other driver's insurance and searching for a new car, so I wasn't sure if I was up for running Bass Pro after all. But I'd entered back in February, so I decided I'd run with my training buddy Sally for as long as I could and then drop out; I'd be running that day anyway, after all. Two weeks before the race I thought I would for sure drop out, a week before I thought probably, but as the race got closer and I continued to regain strength I started thinking that maybe I could run the whole thing. Sally was ready to run 7:00-7:10, and I started reasoning that since I ran that pace in Chicago with the beginnings of COVID, I could probably manage it with some after-effects of COVID. There are calculators on how to adjust paces for temperature, humidity, and elevation, but not for post-COVID - but I now have some thoughts, hah.

In Chicago, I wasn't excited about the race; I was just tired. Before this race, I got very excited! It was so nice to feel like my pre-race self again! I loved going to the expo and the thrill of race morning with friends. Pre-race is always fun, relaxed, and stress-free here. I'm with friends I train with every day and I'm parked 100 m from the starting line.

Memorize these turns...

Expo (notice I look short in this group)

The front of the Bass Pro field is variable year-to-year. I've won the women's race with a 3:03 and 3:06, I've placed 2nd with a 2:54, and I've taken 3rd with a 2:59. On this year's starting line I spotted a fast-looking Kenyan woman wearing a full marathon bib, showing it was likely I wouldn't be competing for the win even if I was 100%. Sally also knew a woman from Columbia who would likely run 3:0x, and then you never know who else will show up! Plus, Sally was very fit so I knew there was a good chance she'd outlast me. I aimed to focus on going out conservatively and helping Sally as much as I could. My friend Michelle was running the half and also wanted to do about the pace we were doing, so we planned to run with her as well.

Starting line selfie

From the start, we settled into pace and I kept thinking about how much better I felt than in Chicago! In Chicago, I knew that something was off from mile 1, but this mile 1 felt effortless and exciting, as the first mile of a marathon should. Sally felt fantastic as well. The weather was warmer than we'd have liked, at over 50* at the start and mid-60s by the finish, but we took confidence that we'd trained in much worse all summer.

The first 10 miles flew by, and Sally, Michelle, and I ran stride for stride. The course has a lot of turns and I told them what was coming so we could stick to the tangents as closely as possible. We saw many friends and loved ones along the course, and it's always fun to be cheered for by name frequently! We stayed steady and passed people who'd gone out too quick, including the 1:45 half pacer (!!!). We stayed pretty much right at 7:00 pace, with some variations for elevation. This course has about 900 ft of elevation gain, so it's not going to be metronome clockwork - though I bet my GAP was for most of the race. When the half and full courses split at about mile 10.5, I cheered Michelle off with enthusiasm while Sally and I pressed on in the other direction. My husband told us we were in 5th female position at that point, which surprised me. I knew there were 2 in front of us in the full but hadn't known there were 4, and we were on about 3:04 pace, which I thought would be worth a podium spot.

Mile 9ish (notice I look tall in this group!)

Miles 12-17 of the course are the hilliest, but Sally and I both felt great and I reasoned that it would be a good break for the legs to work a little differently. I told her not to worry if our pace slowed a bit through that section. In hindsight, I think we should have slowed a little, but we didn't. This was partially my fault because I saw what I thought was a sports bra not far ahead of us and started working to reel her in. Once we were closer, I could tell it was actually a man in a hydration vest and no shirt. We came through the half in 1:32-mid-ish (no marker), both feeling positive and ready to do it again. I was really excited for her to get a big PR!

Mile 15 has a long incline, I hadn't realized the man in the hydration vest wasn't a woman quite yet, and I think my 6:58 up it was too quick based on the elevation. Sally started to fall a step back and stopped talking, so I started encouraging her ("It will be way easier after we finish this incline, we are going to catch that woman," etc.). She pulled back up and mile 16 was a little quick in 6:45, but also had decline. I was looking back a little bit and making sure she could latch on. I didn't want to separate and I wanted us both to move up in the women's field. By then I had realized hydration vest guy was a man, but soon after spotted an actual woman ahead of him. I got a side stitch from about 15-17, but it didn't slow me down, was just uncomfortable and made me take about 3 miles to get down my mile 15 gel.

During mile 17 Sally told me I could go ahead. I slipped into coaching mode and told her to just sit on me, to let me pull and do the work. That worked for awhile, but then between some combination of me working towards the woman in front of us and her feeling a little more fatigued, we separated. At that point, I was in mile 18 and feeling confident about chasing down the woman in front of me. Before the race, I had a lot of reservations about my body not being in a good place, but for a good 23 miles of the actual race I didn't think about that one bit.

I continued to focus on gradually pulling in the woman ahead of me, and I was gaining. At mile 20 I saw my family and I felt really confident I was going to move up before I saw them again. Jon told me that 3rd place was about 2 minutes up and she was really hurting, so then I thought perhaps I could even move up into a podium position after all. I was pumped with how great I felt for that point in the race!

I felt really strong until I didn't, which happened somewhere during mile 21. Initially I figured it was just a rough patch, but by 22.5 I could tell I was fading. I could tell by the body language of the woman in front of me that she was also fading, so it was probably going to be a matter of who struggled less. She had a good 15-20 seconds on me, but I was the hunter, which I kept telling myself gave me the advantage. 

Passing 23 I really tried to pump myself up. I'd done a fast finish 13 miler on the course the week before, and told myself to speed up like I did then. I wasn't gaining any more but she wasn't extending her lead either. As we neared 24 though, I felt myself fading more and more. For the first time during the race, I thought about being post-COVID and how my usual strong finish might not be in the cards, but I also kept trying with absolutely everything I had.

I saw the photographer at mile 23
 & *thought* I was smiling!

The final 2 miles of this race go like this, repeatedly: incline, turn, incline, turn, incline, turn. Some years I've still been able to close fast, other years I've lost time. I hadn't been looking at my splits since about halfway (early on I did because I didn't want to mess up Sally's race), but those final 2 miles ended up being my slowest at 7:42 and 7:39. The woman in front of me was pulling away, partially because she was chasing down the third place woman (Jon said it was a pretty dramatic finish between the two; 4th moved into 3rd with about 15 meters to go!). Anything can happen in the final mile of a marathon, so I kept pushing with all I had. I didn't have what I'd hoped to, but I tried my hardest. The first 21 miles of this race were far easier than Chicago, but the final 5 miles and especially the last 2 were much harder (I'd kept a little in the tank at Chicago, hoping to use it at Bass Pro...the irony). My legs felt like they were going to give out and the finish could not come soon enough.

Coming down the final stretch and hearing numerous familiar voices cheering for me is always a joy! I was really glad to make it in after just a week before the race being pretty sure I'd be too weak to run the whole marathon, and after how hard those final 2 miles were! I was pretty sure I'd won masters, but it wasn't until I went inside to change and had Jon pull up the results on his phone that I knew for sure. I was sad not to make it onto the overall podium, but I was thankful for the masters win and feel that I did the best I could with what I had. 

My time was 3:07:45 - in Chicago I ran 3:07:38. Bass Pro was warmer and has significantly more elevation, so this performance was my best marathon of my season of COVID-screwed up marathons. I executed Chicago better, with my half splits being just seconds apart, but the gauge of how to pace is different with post-COVID weakness and I don't have it figured out. I ran an 18 miler two weeks before this where I felt great for 14 miles then faded for 4, making me think there was no way I was going to be able to run 26.2 when I was bonking at 14. I gained strength between that run and the race, but not enough to stay strong through 26. The rising temperature probably also played a role. 

When you slow at the end of a marathon, the vast majority of the time it is because you ran too fast for your fitness at some point before then, but I kind of wonder if I'd have slowed no matter what due to COVID depletion - probably to a lesser extent had I gone out more conservatively, though. I am usually a strong finisher (unless going for an aggressive goal, see OTQ failures), and I also generally "know" the correct effort level; in Chicago I wasn't feeling like myself but I gauged what I could give really well and ran quite evenly. In workouts when I don't hit paces I am pretty much always off pace from the start. If I could run the race again, I would have either stuck to 7:10 for the first 10 miles or reduced the effort on the hilly section to see if that made a difference and because it would have made me a better pacer for Sally - but, alas, if we got do-overs in races I'd probably keep doing each one forever striving for perfection!

Post-race I enjoyed the awards ceremony, lots of socializing, and brunch with my teammates. I rode the marathon high all day! I hope I have some more faster marathons in me, but I've also realized that it doesn't matter too much if I run personal bests or worsts (I won't say it doesn't matter at all, though!). I love the process, the running community, the miles, the atmosphere - I love it all. I am thankful God gave me this sport, which has shaped me as a person for nearly my entire life.

Awards shot before Karen had to leave

Awards shot post-brunch

I was really proud of my training buddies! Sally came away with an 8 minute PR with a 3:12. Karen ran her debut marathon in 3:13. Casey was 2nd OAF in the half in 1:23 with a new state record for age 39 (I didn't have this one so it was more exciting; last year she broke my age 38 record), Rebecca was 3rd OAF in the half with 1:24, Jessica ran a beautiful negative split in her 1:33 half that exceeded what she'd been doing in training, Elise ran a 1:36 off of very little post-partum training with David’s help, Colin ran his longest post-injury run, Spencer ran a 1:25 half still feeling COVID-crappy (he had it right after me but did not get it from me!), and several paced others to their goals [note: the 1:45 pacer that went out at 7:00 pace was not from my group, lol!]. Abby and Sarah biked everywhere on the course to cheer, and Trae and Andy drove everywhere to encourage us. My heart was so full.

Awards by the fire when it's in the 70s

You can read about my past Bass Pro Marathons: 2021, 2016, 2015, and I don't have a recap for 2010 but I won overall female in 3:03 and befriended Julie that year. I also ran the half in 2017 and 2014, and the 5k in 2022. Fun fact: I have run 4 different courses in my 5 times running this marathon, with this race being my first time to run a course a second time (only 2021 and 2023 were the same route).