Last year, I kicked off the 2024 Race Season with a distance I had been chasing down for years, the 10K (St. Paddy’s 10K). It was my first official race as a Tacoma City Marathon Association (TMCA) and it totally set the precedent for an incredible year for running and racing (I met amazing and fun people, and even set a PR).
Fast forward to 2025, and I’m back for year two as a TCMA Ambassador and just as stoked as ever to represent this series. This go around, I decided to register for the half marathon distance, since it lined up pretty well as a check-in race for my Boston training. Whilst 2024 was my year for PRs, 2025’s focus has been refining and reframing, so I went in aiming for MP (marathon pace) over 13.1, which would equal about a 1:45 finish time (8:01 pace).
My training had just started to ramp up, with a 11-miler on Thursday, so I was going in with semi-tired legs, a similar approach to the Hansons training I had done back in 2021, though not quite as aggressive. Still, I had enough familiarity with the course to know it would be a challenge to reign in pace in some segments (big downhills) but that I could trust my body to get through the miles.
Of course, a component that I trust in keeping a certain goal is to find a fun way to approach the race. As always, I had my trusty shamrock compression socks (I looked back in Google photos and I am pretty sure I wore them most every year other than 2020 for St. Patrick’s celebrations), but I wanted to up the ante with a fun race day fit. I kicked around the idea of a green plaid skirt – but couldn’t find one I liked – then thought about other reusable costumes, and then it struck me: the Clovers uninform from Bring It On! Not only was it perfect for my nostalgic mood as of late, but the colors and mascot theme definitely were a “medium cut” reference that I knew those who knew (#iykyk) would get a chuckle out of it (spoiler alert: those that did knew definitely did!)
Leading up to the race, I took fleeting looks at the weather forecast – almost-spring in the Pacific Northwest really could mean anything, and for us this time, that meant a high chance of rain, cool temperatures, and wind. I thought about modifying my race outfit for half a second til I remembered that I run hot, and as long as I packed clothes for post-race, I should be ok.
Race morning arrived, and I woke up to torrential rain. Lisa, Christy and I were carpooling, so I had some extra time to get ready, slam a couple glasses of water, and nosh on a chocolate chip granola bar. Before long, we were on our way to Tacoma.
It was smooth sailing, and we even got out favorite parking spots, picked up our packets, and since they were doing the 10K, I bid them farewell for then, jumped in an ambassador pic, and it was off to the races!
The event starts on a pretty dramatic downhill, which you want to strike the balance on gliding down and taking advantage of the gravity, and not burning out your quads. At that point, it was just overcast, and I thought about ditching the visor I had brought, but later, was glad I didn’t cos the skies opened up!!
Splits: 7:20, 7:32, 7:46, 7:31
Talk about theming!
About four miles in, the rain cut out, leaving giant puddles, but also a really lovely rainbow – apropos for the theming, I’d say! The 1:40 pacer (you can see her in the picture) passed me somewhere around here and I was feeling good about that, timing-wise, and she was just really nice and encouraging too, so good vibes all around.
Splits: 7:48, 7:35, 7:55, 7:55, 7:52
These miles were out toward Ruston Way, then up around the lookout. The sun was trying to come back out again, and my shoes were completely soaked (I was just charging right through puddles like I was offroading) but vibes were high. My playlist was hitting. I was laying it down, but not pushing too hard. I walked through the aid stations (took one of my gels at 6 1/2 ish) and always took water. It felt uncomfortably good.
Splits: 7:40, 8:17, 7:40, last bit, 8:31
I told myself if I ran up and over the overpass, I’d let myself walk a little up that uphill back into downtown, and I kept that promise. The slowest mile, 8:17 reflected that, and that was just fine with me. There was also a steep last bit toward the finish line that I took a few walking steps before fueling back up with adrenaline to kick that finish line!
(insert finish line pic when I get that later! haha)
The whole race, I had paid little attention to the overall time, since my COROS was counting backward as a workout (like I’d see 5 miles to go, instead of 8 miles in, etc), so I was pleasantly surprised at my finish, a little ahead of my intended pace goal.
Cheers to another TCMA season!
After crossing, I stopped at the results tent and was excited to see I had gotten 4th place in division, and even picked up my Crown of the Sound medal (for completing 6 events in the 2024 season) before joining some friends in the beer garden for an emerald-colored libation!
I really cannot express how fun this race is, and despite the wild and wacky weather, it was one for the books, yet again!
Join us at our next TCMA event! Save 10% with my promo code: KRISTINA2025 ❤
Seattle Marathon Expo, Westin Seattle, 30 November
Despite running many, many marathons in Washington State (I think by last count it was 8?), the longest running one around, the Seattle Marathon (est. 1970) was one I had never run before. Whether it was scheduling, or training, or any other number of reasons, it just slipped off my radar, year after year until finally, as part of my ambassadorship with Tacoma City Marathon Association, I had the opportunity to run for the first time, and I jumped at the chance!
A bit infamous for having many different courses changes over the years, I must admit that I was just along for the ride, despite warnings of it being “hard, hilly, and challenging,” because, eh, that’s fine, right? In the past, I had fared well with such courses (i.e Baltimore was my marathon PR for years!!) and spoiler alert, this lower-stress attitude definitely paid dividends for me.
The view from my room in the South Tower.
Now, downtown Seattle is, on a good day, about an hour, hour-15 away from home and about a month and a half ago, I saw an incredible rate being offered by the host hotel ($129, I want to say? for the iconic Westin Seattle?!) so I decided it would make the most sense to take advantage of that for an easy breezy morning, and that too, my friends, turned out to be an excellent choice. While it is not the closest hotel to the start/finish at Seattle Center (for that, I would recommend Hyatt House for that), it was a short enough walk, and impossible to get lost to/from as you can simply follow the monorail tracks…not only that, the hotel is situated right across the street from Westlake Center (hence the monorail convenience) which also means a super short walk to Pike Place Market, and all the fun touristy stuff, like the beautiful new revitalized waterfront area.
But back to the recap!
I was able to skip the check-in line conveniently with the Marriott Bonvoy app, and headed straight to my guestroom with the digital key, dropping off my bags before heading back downstairs to the expo, which was in the ballroom area of the hotel. While the expo wasn’t that big or bustling, it was easy to navigate, and the bib pickup was a snap. I easily was in and out, and even noticed there was race registration still available, so that was interesting to note.
Iconic Seattle!
I popped back to the room, dropped off my bag and swag, and then took a walk to the Pike Place Market to catch a brilliant sunset and pick up a bite before relaxing in the room.
The weather was so crisp and cool – perfect fall feeling! I was hopeful it would carry on to the next day (the hope worked).
Back in the room, I enjoyed a light meal of a tuna sushi burrito and diet coke (along with a huge bottle of water), before a quick lavender bath bomb soak in the tub before luxuriating in the delicious Westin bathrobe (seriously, so comfy) and half-watching Guardians of the Galaxy on TV and eating bites of an incredible pecan pie cookie I had picked up.
I drifted off to bed around 9ish and woke up just once (3 AMish) so I counted that as a win, waking up with my alarm at 5:30 AM (I definitely could have slept in a lot longer but I just don’t know how to sleep in anymore).
Of course, I had set out all my gear the night before so it was a snap to get everything on and ready to head out. I had made a little “42” sign to carry in my vest and snap a pic with (original plan was gonna be to try and take it out of the pocket and hold it across the finish line but I had forgotten how to use my arms lol).
Being such a seasoned marathoner as myself, of course my nutrition was completely dialed in. Yeah, for breakfast I had a few more bites of that aforementioned pecan pie cookie and some swigs of water. Mmmm…healthy!
The weather said 39 out, so I layered up before heading out the door around 6:30 with some jogger pants (that I was ready to donate to the city of Seattle, as well as a crewneck sweatshirt) and my Grandma’s Marathon heatsheet that I had saved. Turns out, once I got walking outside, it really didn’t even feel very cold, as there was no wind (yay!) and after a really quick portapotty stop (didn’t even really need to go, but there were so many empty ones available I felt like it was kind of a necessity lol), I sashayed my way into the open chute (no corrals here, baby) and the race went off right on schedule.
As per usual, tears were streaming down my face as we crossed the start line, and “Free” by Florence and the Machine was in my headphones (yes, music will definitely play a big role in this race, as much as I can try and to recall certain moments, I will try and remember to add the soundtrack cues).
NOWWW…I did post this in my instagram, but there was a bit of a silly situation right at the start, where the lead pack veered left off 5th ave, but it was fixed relatively quickly. Not sure how that happened, and could’ve been a lot worse, but yeah! That happened! They joined back in two blocks-ish, but I was able to cut back over on course. From there…smooth sailing, as we coasted through dark city streets, with the vibrant glow of twinkling Christmas lights.
It was really lovely. Until we made a left turn…into the glamourous Express Lanes. Hah! Nah, it could be worse, but for however many miles (do not read this recap for expert course advise!!!) my GPS was haywire, the vibes were like my dread Queensboro Bridge memories (concrete!!!) so this was all by feel (goodbye to my loose plans of keeping the first half the race easy, ah welllll). I nearly busted out laughing when M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” came on cos this truly was the most urban feeling part of the race.
Along this stretch, I ran into (not literally! but beside! LOL) Tony Phillipi, Mr. Marathon Maniac himself and we chatted a bit about our insane splits, thanks to the loss of satellite – at that point, I was already “ahead” 1.2 miles of each mile marker. This was easy to figure that early in the race…but later on, yeah, let’s just say my brain did some weird things (more on that later).
Anywho! We were en route to the UW and by this point, took in some gorgeous sunrise views over Lake Union. Then it was some moderately hilly miles through the campus (note: it would have been perfect if my friend Matt’s recommendation of Cloud Nothing’s “Running Through the Campus) had come on, but alas, I got my Britney Spears instead, which provided some entertainment for me).
Leaving the UW past the Husky Stadium, we were routed onto some roads/paths of the Arboretum (??) – again, don’t ask me for specifics here, lol. It was green! Some better condition roads than others (I had a bit of a moment of panic around here, when I twisted my ankle a little, but brushed it off). Notable: there was a section around here that “Defying Gravity” from the new Wicked film came on and I definitely felt the magic and theatrics take me through that mile-ish.
Gasworks Park
Blah Blah blah…what happened between that? Like 10-13? I must have just been in the zone. Before long, we were merging in with the half marathoners and it was CROWDED on the Burke-Gilman trail. Kind of awful! Then my headphones started getting really loud and I had to stop and figure out what was going on…like I’d lower the volume, put the phone back in my pocket, then it’d go to full blast. Repeat like 4x. I just dealt with it then, I clearly recall it was “Hello Cold World” by Paramore, as we moved, en masse, through Gas Works Park. I took a quick pic, and then was swallowed by the crowd again, which I couldn’t be mad about anymore as confetti canyons blasted, music pumped, and spectators brought the vibes. Definitely the liveliest part of the race!!
Leaving there, we transitioned into the slog. The gruel. North UPPPPPPPP Aurrora. Mile 16. I died a few times, it was an out and back section; something I usually enjoy, but it felt endless and steep. Slowest mile by far (10:xx) but I think the walking helped conserve energy for what was to come, a double-ish loop around Green Lake. But not before a nice and smooth descent to the Green Lake neighbhorhood, where I got to perform by rendition of Walk the Moon’s “Can You Handle my Love” – arm gestures and air drumming, everything; this song was a BIG part of my summer 2021, and so many feels…wow!!!
Now, at this point it was exceedingly obvious that the day really couldn’t be any more perfect, weather-wise. Shifting overcast/partly cloudy/blue skies, but still very comfortable (low 40s). NO WIND! Beautiful! I ran the entire outer Green Lake loop with some renewed pep, thanks to a really lovely runner (Hi Madeline!) who, without words, motivated me along — paired with the IDEAL music coming on (“Clearest Blue” by CHVRCHES! and “What a Time to be Alive” by Fall Out Boy! and “Weightless” by All Time Low!!!!) I was in a groove.
In the inner loop (running loop) I had to take a few walk breaks as I could feel tightness in my quads and I didn’t want to fall into cramping. Oh! here I go forgetting nutrition again, I had Crank Sports e-Gels, and had been taking them every six miles (I could probably take more next time, but this method wasn’t bad!) and never had the dread calf cramps.
Anyway.
Inner loop featured some more pump up moments, “Head up High” by Fitz and the Tantrums, Smallpools’ cover of “everywhere,” ‘Thunder Clatter” by Wild Cub, always a fav.
Before I knew it, we were back on Aurora, successfully past the “wall,” which was great, but also meant that slight climb before coasting back toward Queen Anne. I alternated jogging and walking as the “Knight Rider” theme remixed blasted in my headphones (a humorous addition from the Philly Marathon finish area) so that kept me in silly spirits.
Around that time, it occured to me that maybe I should look at my watch. I really hadn’t paid much attention to it because I knew my mental math was weak, and the adding of overage would tax my brain (haha) but I somehow also thought my clock was wrong (like, overall duration) because I had no idea what any of my splits had been. I don’t even remember what I saw on my watch, but it must have been something that warranted a bit of a pickup, cos I turned it up as much as I possibly could on the way to the finish. I clearly remember: “Eyes Open” by Snow Patrol, “Evacuate the Dance Floor” by Cascada and “Show Me You Want Me” by the Regrettes as I hit the last mile in a deliberate sub-8 split, crossing the finish at 3:36!!
I couldn’t believe it. I still cannot believe it.
This was my second 3:3X finish this year, and ever. Second best marathon time. As a 40-year old. My 42nd marathon. A strong year of multiple distances, a big year for so many reasons, I could cry again just thinking about it. I probably will.
But before I collapse into a soggy mess again, some acknowledgements:
Thank you again, TCMA for the amazing year; from the many amazing Tacoma events, to this opportunity…it has been a delight, pleasure and honor to serve as an ambassador, and to participate in this sister event, what a treat. Thank you.
Nancy – for the many 5:30 miles we logged! For the runs that you planned for your Dublin Marathon. For all my lackadaisical ways, you, Chloe and I always get after it.
My Wednesday night crew! Having a social outlet for easy miles and amazing conversations – I am sure this is essential for any race preparation.
My playlist contributors. Aside from the two mentions of actual persons, I usually am alone when I run a marathon, but when I have the tunes, I am never alone. Thank you: Danielle, Matt, Liz, Patrick, and Patrick!!!
I am always asked, what’s next? And while I am still figuring that out (other than Fish’s 5K! Which you should sign up for!!) I can say this: running took me so many places this year, and for that I am intensely grateful.
Remember when I used to update after every race? Well….whoops.
It has been an amazing year for running, but I guess also tiring and action packed, so here’s a quick collage to get us up to speed:
June: Grandma’s Marathon, July: Independence Day 5K and Twisted Cider 5K, and August: Tacoma Narrows Half
It was a summer of fun, whimsy, speed and everything in between! I didn’t follow a specific training plan, but instead aimed for a baseline mileage and kept up with my hills in Tehaleh. It proved successful, as Grandma’s brought me my 41st marathon finish line (with a sub-4 to boot, despite being on antibiotics), a 5K PR on the 4th of July, a 5K Master’s Win at Twisted Cider, and a PR in FUN at Tacoma Narrows as I went baseball-themed for that Rainier’s Cheney Stadium finish.
So, running into September, and the end of the summer season, I locked in on a goal that kind of presented itself to me: completing a bit of a Tacoma City Marathon Association unofficial triple-threat challenge of PRing in the 5K, 10K and half. I had already nailed the first two (as detailed above, and back in March for the 10K) so it was time to get cracking!
Of course, I am very intimately familiar with the Mud Mountain Dam course, as my marathon PR was earned here, and I have logged hundreds of miles on the Foothills Trail, so it kind of felt like the stars were aligned. Of course, there would be a few modifications as there are some major construction projects going on, but all in all, I felt good about the basic course layout, so I looked up my old time (1:42:xx) and thought I’d aim more aggressively.
My Race Goals:
A goal – 1:38
B goal – sub-1:40
C goal – PR (sub-1:42)
PRE-RACE PREP
The night before the race, I wrote down my mantra for this race, EYES UP, borrowed from a friend the day before 🙂 I finalized my playlist, took an epsom salt bath, and followed the end of the WSU game (they won, in a OT nailbiter) and hit the hay around 11 PM.
RACE MORNING
Candis, Justin and me
Set the alarm for 5:30, so I could be out the door by 6. Filled up my water bottle(s) – one for just water, and the other one to mix Maurten once I got to the parking lot. Since it is point to point, the logistics were to park at the Orting High School, hop on a bus to start 8ish miles away, then walk back to car afterward.
Welll…as luck would have it, we found out, after the first shuttle time, that the shuttle had conveniently cancelled and not informed the race director! In a bit of a scramble, runners were recommended to group/cluster/carpool to get to the start. Fortunately for me, these races are like runner family reunions so we jumped into action pretty quick and made it over with plenty of time…and I mean plenty, as the race was delayed half an hour to allow for the discrepancy.
Nevertheless! We made the best of the time and my pal Justin even had time for warm up miles, and before we knew it, it was time to get crackin’ on 13.1.
THE RACE
My aggressive goal of 1:38 meant an average pace of 7:23. It felt a little scary, but doable.
Yes, looking at the splits now I can see a bit more of a conservative start may have prevented that lactic acid disaster that would happen later, but truth be told, I felt pretty amazing miles 1 through midway of mile 11. My playlist was hitting, the temperature was darn near perfect, and the smaller nature of the race meant no jostling or crowding anywhere.
When I say I can run the Foothills Trail with my eyes shut, I really mean it. While some people say this course can get boring, I just lock in and can “do the work” when my body cooperates, and it really was. I felt no pain, no labored breathing, nothing straining, my stride felt comfortable, and I knew if I could just hold on I would see a 1:3X today.
…which, as you know, did not happen.
At Mile 11, I started to feel that shot of cramping up the back of my right calf. Taking a few walking steps, I was able to work it out, still preserving a sub-8 mile. But then it hit my left calf. Then both.
I was doing long walking strides, trying to tease the cramping out, even side stepping a bit, until I could run a few steps. It was frustrating. I still felt so good other than the cramping, and I thought I would be able to at least hit B goal.
Unfortunately, as I neared closer to the finish, it got worse. Running was maybe 3-4 strides before the legs just would lock. I tried to skip, and hop to keep moving. A 5K walker looked very concerned about my limping and was so sweet to check in on me. I kept moving, despite looking like I had some sort of major problems hahahahah.
Photo credit: Rhonda
I am sure the finish photo is gonna look great.
RACE FINISH
I crossed the line at 1:41:20; PR by 1:11, and I rang that darn PR bell, still limping but with a mix of gratitude and frustration.
I could taste that 1:38. Looking at the splits, even more so. Nevertheless, knowing that I could do something like this as a 40-year old amateur runner, it is something.
What’s next?
Wicked Fast 5K, Oct 26
Tacoma City Turkey Trot, Nov 28
Seattle Marathon, Dec 1
Santa Runs Tacoma, Dec 14
(if you want to join me on any of the * above, use promo code KRISTINA24 for 10% off)
Last year, I ran the Big Sur Marathon (recap here!) and just fell in love with Monterey, California. It felt like a “once in a lifetime” type experience, but wouldn’t you know, sometimes you just have to do it again 🙂
Just about a month ago, I saw a post on the JAMBAR instagram page where they were giving away three entries to the Big Sur events (winner could choose from marathon, 21-miler, 11-miler or 12K) – although it was a 30-min old post, I thought, “hey, why not?” – and the gamble paid off! I won the third entry, lost my mind a bit, then quickly formulated a plan to make it happen!
Since I had traveled pretty extensively in 2023, I thought I’d check my Delta account, and sure enough, I had enough miles to book a roundtrip flight through San Jose, and so the only other expense would be hotel and food. I checked my hotel from last year that I really liked (which was unfortunately booked up), but I could recall the general vicinity and chose another place that was available and walkable to the expo and shuttles.
Of course, I had to decide what distance to choose, and though everyone knows my penchant for the 26.2 distance, I was just two weeks out from Knoxville, so I recalled a conversation that I had had with my running pal Nancy about the uniqueness of the 21-miler distance, so that sounded like a good compromise, and would also double as a good long run for whatever I’d be happening to train for next 🙂
It was going to happen! YEAH!
Expo at the Portola
PRE RACE THINGS
The trip kicked off on such a good note – when I checked in online on Friday, I quickly saw that I was going to be upgraded to first class! So, not only was the flight points + the processing fee of a whooping $12, I was flying down in style!
It was a crazy day – of course, I had to work all day, then take E to her play practice – then drive both kiddos up to my parents house for a fun sleepover weekend. But not only that! I was going to go see one of my favorite bands, AJR in Seattle, and my parents very conveniently live a lot closer to the Climate Pledge Arena then we do, so it really worked out. After arriving, we got the kids settled, then I ubered downtown and had THE BEST time. Wow, what a show!
LET THE TRIP BEGIN!
My ears were still buzzing when my early alarm went off, but my dad graciously chauffeured me to SEATAC for my early flight. The airport is so quiet and easy early, so it was low key – had my standard Starbucks breakfast, and before long, I was on that short 2-hr flight to Californiaaaaa!
Upon arrival in San Jose, I quickly was able to retrieve my bag, then picked up my chariot for the weekend (a Ford Escape! though the agent tried to convince me to get the Nissan Pathfinder lol) and it was on the road to Monterey. The traffic wasn’t too bad until right outside city limits, and I was able to quickly navigate to my hotel, park, check in, then walk over to the Expo.
…however, I was a little distracted on my walk as I strode past a big Trader Joe’s! I knew I wanted to pick up a few snacks, so I waltzed in and got a souvenir Bay Area tote, as well as the TJ brand poptarts, some Ube seasonal items, and some chocolate chip cookies. Armed with my goodies, I proceeded to the expo which was buzzing but not overwhelming, which was so low stress and lovely.
On the walk back to my hotel, I stopped into Ike’s sandwiches and had a weird-timed meal that was so delicious!
At that point, my room was ready and I chilled for a while, charging up my phone and changing clothes (it was feeling kind of breezy!) as I wanted to take a drive to the Pacific Grove area as I had really enjoyed the scenery there last year.
Beautiful vistas!
There is a really nice cycling/walking path along the water, so I enjoyed a nice stroll before heading back to grab a drink at my favorite local brewery, Dust Bowl Brewing. There, I ran into (almost literally! Haha!) one of the bartenders from last year and we had a nice chat about the marathon. Would definitely recommend that place for great drinks and very friendly service!
After that, it was back to the hotel to set out my stuff for the morning, then staying off my feet! I had everything set out, brushed my teeth and watched The Mask on TV and laughed my head off before falling asleep.
RACE MORNING
I was going to meet my friend Christina in the morning to take the shuttle over, and we wanted to grab the earliest busses so I was up a little before my 3:00 alarm, bright eyed and bushy tailed.
The vibes for this race were dramatically different than Knoxville a few weeks earlier – whereas I had big and defined goals for that one, this one was just a tribute to gratitude!
I was happy for so many reasons:
Being back in Monterey for the second time
Being healthy after a marathon training cycle
Running Big Sur by some act of serendipity
Excitement to “meet” friends that I had known forever but had never met in person (more on that soon!!)
The opportunity to run a very unique iteration of the event (just weeks before the race, there were some dangerous landslides that closed parts of the regular course )
…just to name a few! And so when I was getting ready, the word came to me: “savor.” I pledged I would commit to being in each moment that morning, and just take in the experience completely.
The ride over was low key, and we were pretty nice and early so I unfolded my space blanket and Christina and I chatted away about a variety of topics before my friend Sandra joined us. The time passed quickly and soon it was time to drop gear bags, hit portapotties then head to the start!
LET THE RACE BEGIN!
The corrals were hearded up the street: Marathon and 21-Miler were kind of interspersed and from what I could hear from the announcers, 21-Milers were to begin with the Corral C runners.
As part of my whole “chill” approach to this race, I had adjusted my COROS workout in the app and my watch to reflect the regular parameters…5 min warm up, 20 miles of threshold pace (defined as 8’27 to 10’14 as per my current fitness) and 5 min cool down. Since it was set up that way, I would not see my current pace or splits pop up, only would be notified if I dipped out of the pace, and a countdown of the miles. This proved to be a little trippy, but nice to not get absorbed in the numbers.
Early miles in the race were very congested, as Corral C had the pacers from 10-11ish mile pacing going, which meant a bit of weaving (I tried not to do TOO much as not to run 22 or miles lol) but it was kind of a fun mental boost to pass a few pace groups with ease.
The crowding was more dispersed around 10K in, and I had settled into a grove for the most part. I did my usual water station routine of running to the last volunteer holding water, and walking with the cup until reaching the last bin.
The course was just as beautiful as I remembered, and it was actually really interesting to recollect the memories of the Carmel Highlands so early in the race (since it was out and back) and I knew that road camber would probably bite me in the butt later, but I just kept it going!
The only time I had to stop for a significant amount of time was when I removed my sunglasses from my shorts pocket only to find them completely fogged up, so I had to wipe them off with my buff. Otherwise, it was a jaunty journey up and down the hills!
Our turnaround came sooner than I had expected (not sure why I thought it would be later, haha) and I quite enjoyed the mental shift in my brain hitting the ‘back’ part of the “out and back.”
Of course, some fast marathoners now were also hitting the ‘back” and that was kind of cool to experience, with them blazing past! On the flipside, there were also slower 11-mile participants that I would pass. It was kind of an interesting collection of people sharing the road and I found that pretty cool.
Another perk of running 21 instead of 26.2? I got to keep going straight when I had about 2ish miles to go and marathoners had to peel off for a loop through Point Lobos. Nice!
I felt pretty good coming into the home stretch, and reflected on the unique experience of never knowing how you might feel like at the end of a race – and I was feeling exactly how I envisioned: controlled, comfortable, and accomplished.
I love that you can see the power word clearly in this photo!
This race was a dream, and I am still on cloud 9.
RESULTS AND FUN STUFF
I checked my results on the shuttle back to town, and at the time, it looked like I was in a good standing, and my time matched my watch, but today, I checked again and found that the participant number was adjusted and age groups had been added. Wow! Couldn’t be happier with how that turned out!
Big Sur is such a special experience – it’s not easy, but most things that are amazing aren’t right? 🙂 I highly recommend this race weekend, or if you’re not a runner, just coming up to visit this amazing place – I am convinced it is one of the most naturally beautiful places I have ever been.
Thank you again, JAMBAR, and thank you to my parents for hosting the kiddos this weekend!
Sunday, April 7 was EPIC. And this is no understatement!!
I turned 40!
I completed my 40th marathon!!
I ran my second Boston Qualifying time!!!
I won Master’s Female in the first race I was eligible!!!!
So, how did I get there? Well, last summer I dreamed and schemed it, and over the fall and winter, I hammered those 26.2s, culminating with the Walt Disney World Marathon in January, took two weeks off, then dedicated to a serious training cycle with COROS.
Around 450 miles later (with only one missed run, and removed one run the last week on purpose, more on that later!), along with core and leg strength workouts, lots of recovery epsom salt baths, then travel across the country, it was game time.
My goal for the race was sub 3:40, which is about an 8:14 pace. While my watch race predictor wasn’t quite on board with that goal (it kept giving me 3:50s until about two weeks out), my last few threshold workouts were clicking, so I was feeling pretty confident about the likelihood/reality.
For the last few week leading up to the race, I had thought about a race mantra. For Mud Mountain, it was “Burn the White Flag” ( from the Joseph song ‘White Flag’) and that had just appeared in my mind, like a fancier way of not accepting defeat. This time, it was a lot simpler and matter-of-fact as one word appeared in my mind one run: “EXECUTE.”
There was no other option but to do what I was there for.
Of course, as all tapers go (thankfully mine wasn’t very long with this cycle, about 1.5 weeks-ish), everything started freaking me out. Weird knee aches when running easy, hamstring stiffness, etc.
There was one last MP (marathon pace) run on the schedule for Thursday of race week, but with that weird knee thing, I decided to take that day off, and packed an extra run outfit for a short shakeout run Saturday morning before the expo – and that one felt good, so the vibes are vibin’ 🙂
Looking down at the start area
Sunday morning, it was so laid back! The race start time was 0730 AM, and since our hotel was the CLOSEST possible to the start (we had the live coverage on the TV and then could look over and see the same action just downstairs!) so we headed down around 0715.
The race was a great size – I had to look at the stats later, but 612 full marathoners, 1859 half marathoners (and probably a couple hundred relayers?) which made for a good mix, plus handcycles and some runners with Ainsley’s Angels which is always inspiring to see! After the chair start, there was a nice rendition of the Star Spangled banner, and we were off!
The first mile, I had this weird dry feeling in my mouth and was a little worried about my decision to not carry water, but then that feeling went away in about 10 minutes.
The first mile clicked off, and I was going a bit too fast for what I was planning, but it was a little challenging to slow down as the mix and composition of the crowd was working itself out. Mile 2, same. Mile 3, I finally felt calm, and even had the luck of a photographer to prove it (first image in post).
These miles were undulating, small hills and dips, and that helped set a groove. After leaving the main downtown area, it was off to the beautiful Sequoyah Hills area and this took the miles over residential hilly streets, up the ‘big’ hill on Noelton, and then onto a Greenway path for a few miles before coming back through to the city, dropping off the half marathoners.
At Mile 13, my sister caught up with me and I commented to her that my right leg felt numb, which I think I had done to myself, in altering my gait a bit because of the weird knee thing, which was now gone. Huh, figured. I walked a bit in that mile (as obvious in the 8 paces) to shake it out, and then set back out of town past the Old City, back around for Mile 19 (where my sister saw me again and I was feeling better again), before we left for the segment across the river, to and around the Island Home neighborhood, past the sign that proclaimed our journey almost complete, crossing a different bridge…
I glanced down at my watch and was feeling good about my prospects, calculating backward how much buffer I had…
When it happened!
Mile 24, I felt twinges of leg cramping, but I was able to mostly rid them with a few walking steps, but then on the bridge…disaster! Both legs cramped up from mid calf to my upper things, nearly disabling me. I had to stop and hold onto a cement median.
At that point, a spectator was walking across the bridge, and saw my distress. She asked if I was okay and I must have been grimacing, so she asked if it was okay if I took her water bottle. I graciously accepted it, and slugged back a few sips which seemed to momentarily help, so I attempted to run-hobble again.
Fake it til you make it!
I was able to get a few good strides in before the cramp struck again. I tried to regain my composure quickly, and repeated, “you didn’t come this far to come this far” to myself through gritted teeth.
It was at this point I saw my sister again and she was so encouraging on one of the last straightaways, even taking some steps with me as I very painfully proclaimed I was not going to let this be the end like it had been years before at Space Coast!!!!
With a quick glance at my watch again, I knew as long as I could keep moving, my chance was still there, though the window was closing. I had already overran the course by a LOT so I couldn’t rely on the chirps of laps it was hitting.
Alternating a weird shuffle with a weird jog that somehow used my entire body to propel forward, I made my way closer to the sights and sounds of the finish line. Though it was only my third day in Knoxville, I had run right by the finish the day before and knew exactly how far I’d have to keep moving to reach my goal.
As soon as the finish line was in sight, I put everything into my completely strange propulsion at that point, and was actively sobbing as I saw the race clock.
Left foot, right foot…repeat! I was heaving a little, in utter disbelif that I had willed myself to that point and had not let myself crumble in those last crucial minutes. Huge tears welled in my eyes, and I was so grateful for my ridiculously large sunglasses!
Clock time: 3:39:39, chip time, 3:39:35, good enough for 1st OA Female Master, and 88th (this was adjusted since immediately following the race) of 612 marathoners!
It was my second BQ, and my first marathon time in the 3:30’s (my PR is 3:26 and previously second best time was 3:40) and I was just so, so grateful that I had not let myself give up. I had certainly executed!!
For anyone who knows me, seeing all those 3’s in the finish time made me smile, and I could not have been more pleased with how the raced turned out. Sure, it would have been so triumphant to power through the finish and a flourishing and energetic push, but that gritty finish felt so poetic. I did it. I had willed myself to follow through, and I couldn’t be prouder.
After the last few years of heavy marathoning focus, it occurred to me that there were a lot of race distances that have been neglected over the last few years. While my BIG BIG goal of a fast 5K still looms large in my mind, when I made it onto the Tacoma City Marathon Association Ambassador Team for the 2024 season, I know it would be the perfect opportunity to take down some long-standing PRs…and spoiler alert, with the opening race of the season, I was happy to do just that!
The St. Paddy’s Run offers a variety of distances, from the 5K and 10K to the half marathon. Since my training plan had 6 miles on the roster for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, I decided to go all-in on the 10K, and carefully crafted my plan to rock this run, starting off with a review of the last time I had officially raced the distance…a very long-ago fall 2012 frolic in Charlottesville, VA!
Almost 12 years ago!? Wow. I ran that Pepsi 10K in 48:01, so I worked backward from there…
A Goal: sub 47! (~7:30 something pace)
B goal: sub 48:01 (~7:45 ish pace)
C goal: hold on for dear life?! LOL
Hah! But really, I had been nailing that pace in shorter efforts recently, so I was cautiously optimistic about it, and then took two critical steps: looked up a pace chart for rough numbers to hit, then crafted a 47-minute Spotify playlist which would line up my desired mood and visualization for the finish line.
Race morning, Lisa picked me up at 0630 (she was also running the 10K!) and we headed to Tacoma. I was fortunate she knew a great parking spot, and we had no stress getting our bibs race morning; even had time to relax in the car again before I met with my Ambassador Team for a start line pic.
Dream team!
It was really neat to meet so many of these fun runners that I had been following on social media, and we wished each other well before some set off for the first event (half marathon), and before long, it was time for us to head to the start, too!
Fastie friends, Patrick and Justin!
I had a brief moment of panic because the background music was so loud I wasn’t sure if my shokz headphones were on (LOL) but I was able to get myself together and we were off to the races!! The first 1.25ish miles were a downhill to the waterfront, and I did my best to hold on to a comfortable-ish pace without overdoing it.
Once we went up and over a ramp/bridge, it was flat miles along Ruston Way, which is a beautiful waterfront view path. My playlist was motivating, and my pace was right where I needed to be. I coasted along toward the halfway point (which came up quicker than I thought!) and really enjoyed the way back as I got a lot of smiles and cheers!
That climb up and over the ramp/bridge thing was a little more tiring that second time, but soon enough, it was a wide open route back toward downtown. In fact, it had cleared up so much I thought I was going the wrong way since no one was around me! Haha.
Irish you were here!
Once the route merged back in with the 5Kers, however, I knew I hadn’t gone wrong and I pushed up the hill just as my last song was playing. I could taste that PR!
OFFICIAL 46:53, 1 AG, 2nd Female and 10th place of 301!!
Gliding back to the finish was such a great feeling. I split off again to the left for the 10K / half finish chute, collected my bling, and made it right on over to the beer garden, where I had fun chatting with Will, a fellow ambassador who definitely knows how to celebrate St. Paddy’s with some green dye for our well-deserved beers!
This was such a fun start to what is sure to be a fantastic season of racing, and nature could not have provided us better weather for the festivities. I would definitely recommend this event to anyone looking for a well-organized event with great swag and even better people!!
Okay, that might read a bit dramatic – and as always, I reserve the right to change my mind, but today, January 27, 2024 (20 days since running this race), I can earnestly say I am ready to retire from this race.
Since 2011, I have participated in the runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend a total of six times:
2011 WDW Half Marathon
2013 WDW Marathon
2014 WDW 10K
2015 WDW Goofy Challenge
2019 WDW Marathon
2024 WDW Marathon
…and, truth be told – it really is my favorite runDisney event, but there are far too many amazing events around the country (and world) for me to continue to return to this particular race for a multitude of reasons, of which I will address in this dissertation blog post.
But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves! Let’s jump into the metaphorical VCR and rewind back to fall 2023 (enter Wayne’s World style wavy arm moves here GIF).
November 2023 – registration!
I found out in late fall that our company was planning on its annual summit for the first week of January in Tampa, Florida. Since I had recently shared my plans regarding my goal of ’40 marathons by 40,’ I was deep in the throes lining up my races, and I thought why not look for a marathon in FL, fly in before the summit, and then skedaddle my way to Tampa afterward?
The two options that presented themselves were very different: a trail marathon in Brooksville, FL, or the ubiquitous Walt Disney World Marathon, which of course, I have done a handful of times. While my preference was obvious (I am a road gal, for the most part), there was a slight thorn in that plan: the race had been sold out for months at that point, and even charity bibs were a bit scarce. I wrote a few email enquiries to the charities that did have some options left, and brainstormed how I’d fundraise in that short amount of time.
It was also at this time that I remembered runDis alerts, which was a tool online that shared any open spots for all races on the runDisney schedule. I read up on it, and even downloaded the Chrome extension ”form filler” that would allow me the quickest way into completing a highly coveted bib.
The first time a Marathon spot opened, I swear my heart was beating faster than any instance of cardio I could recall in a workout 😛 I click, click, clicked but was not the victor. Undeterred, I returned to my normal breathing, and a few days later, when I got another chance, this time…success! I was in for the WDW Marathon!
Very very thankfully, I had a place to crash as my good friend Theresa was already planning to be in WDW for her FIRST half marathon that weekend, so I would just need to find my way to Tampa afterward for work – as much as I hate I-4, it would be worth it all for this epic experience.
Early December 2023 – planning!
With the way my marathon schedule was stacked up, this race was going to definitely be one run for fun, not time (I had a marathon on Dec 30, then this one just 8 days later) – so, what better way to infuse a bit more silliness than concoct an epic costume?
Over the years of runDisney events, I have worn a variety of outfits, from slight theming, to paired/group costumes (my fav was when my sister Jen and I had Haunted Mansion Stretching Room inspired get ups) and have done recognizable, obscure, and everything in between. This time, I wanted to go niche, but instantly recognizable to those “in the know,” but I just couldn’t put my finger on it…until one night, as I was about to drift off to sleep, I thought of the Adventurer’s Club and KNEW that I could wrangle up an incredible Pamelia Perkins.
Sure, it was over the top and could be a challenge for 26.2 miles, but the moment that Pamelia imprinted on my mind, I knew that I would have to do it! Over the next few weeks, I worked out the components, from a real QiPao found on Poshmark, to a running skirt from alo, and my take on the turban with an old beret I had in my closet, reading glasses with lenses punched out from the Dollar Tree, and the expert help of my friend Lisa to help me complete the look with a custom sash!
Of course, that would not be the only costume planned for the race weekend…read on!
January 2024 – it’s GO time!
Just weeks before the trip, we learned that our summit would be relocated…which brought temporary panic, but thankfully, it was still going to be in the wild state of Florida – just the other coast, in Miami! Phew! I purchased Brightline tickets for the second half of the trip, and before I knew it, was on my way.
I landed in Orlando on Friday night, and was very grateful to be picked up by my good friends Rick and Sher. We caught up over dinner, and had a lovely time – it had been too long since I last visited with them! Then, it was off to the hotel (Port Orleans Riverside) where Theresa and I reunited, I did a quick unpack, and the lights were off for her race in the morning – which, to her dismay, had been announced as a modified race course / distance due to storms approaching.
The alarm went off early! 2 AM? I helped Theresa with her bibs in the morning, and then she was off with her AWD guide/friend Lisa to the race start. I leisurely got into my themed cheering outfit (of course) and was able to hop on to the first bus that left POR that morning.
At Epcot, the air was weirdly warm, and there was a wind afoot, that definitely signaled what was to come later, but it was a good morning, given the circumstances. The vibe in the air was electric – runners were circling the lot, attempting to get in all their ‘missed’ miles (the ‘half’ was knocked down to 7.1 miles). I was able to see about half of the runners that I was hoping to track and cheer for, and screamed my lungs out for about two hours. There is just something about a finish line!
After that , I hopped the bus back, and Theresa and I chilled in the room for a while – it was still so early in the morning! I needed to head out to the Expo midday, and at that point, the rain was DRIVING outside. Theresa lent me her mylar poncho, and I was off to the Wide World of Sports!
If you know me, you know I cannot resist yet another costume change, and this time, it was my homage to the late Dick Nunis, the legendary Disney executive known for his penchant for bermuda shorts with his formal wear. I got a few puzzled looks, but for the people who got it..it was worth packing those items in my suitcase, for sure!
After picking up my stuff (and getting my first expo beer!) I hopped the bus to the Caribbean Beach Resort to hang out with my pal Josh for a few hours. We hadn’t caught up in quite some time (we used to work together in Epcot!) so it was nice just chatting aboard the Skyliner, grabbing an ice cream on the Boardwalk, and walking around on the by-then gorgeous day.
Once we part ways, I made it back to the hotel. Theresa was with some other friends celebrating at Boma, and I contemplated whether I should be responsible and grab a meal at the hotel and stay off my feet, or…meet my friend Lena who was doing a monorail bar crawl. Hmmmm…choices, choices!
Adding to my resolve about the race staying 100% fun, I opted for the latter, and was off to meet her at the Enchanted Rose (Grand Floridian), where we had a drink before riding over to the bar at Steakhouse 71 (Contemporary) for a few more (long story short…our bartender was definitely a character!)
We shared so many laughs, and it was worth not getting back to the room until around 11 AM, just in time for a nap before race morning rolled around. YOLO, y’all!!
RACE MORNING!
That alarm blared early, but I was high on adrenaline! My costume was all set out and ready to go, so after a quick change and prep, I was out the door, and ready for 26.2 miles of ridiculousness!
Arriving at Epcot, it was a very different vibe than the morning before. Less frenzied. Even kind of calm, or quiet?
I stood in line for some character pics before meandering over to the bag drop (pro tip: if you need a portapottie, go here after you drop your bag because there are GIANT and BLINDING floodlights that illuminate this area, which allow you to actually see in the small enclosed space) and then it was off to the corral area. There, I saw a few friends (Justin, Emelia and Gelcys), and we chatted before heading to our respective corrals.
Once I was in my corral, I found a nice spot to sit down for a while before it started to fill up too much. I wanted to position myself somewhere in the middle to get moving for my goal (of meeting as many characters as possible!! LOL) but not too forward where there were some definitely more serious runners gunning for time.
I knew the course was different than years before (notably: no more Wide World of Sports, and of course, the start area was very different) but I was not quite as prepared for the weird feeling of the start! It winded through the Epcot area early, and there were a lot of kind of funky narrow and sharp turns. Before long, it was highway ramp time and as I planned, I stopped for each character that was out.
To be honest, the first part of the race felt kind of like a blur until we reached the Ticket and Transportation Center. Once there, we magically seemed to be inside the Magic Kingdom (so unlike a regular visit to the parks lol), down a screaming Main Street, more characters, and something different – past and under the walkway at Tron, which was super cool!
After leaving the MK, it was the narrow runways of Cone Alley by the Grand and en route to the Animal Kingdom. I was moving along, unbothered…until around Mile 13ish and the SKIES OPENED UP!!!!
Truly, in what felt like a Hollywood fake-rain-maker machine, it was drenching and cold rain for about two miles.
I cursed myself for wearing a felt hat (LOL) as it was absorbing each and every drop of rain, but nevertheless, was not TRULY devastated until I realized the timing meant that my beloved Adventurer’s Club characters would NOT be out at their designated spot!
Downtrodden, I persisted, ambling my soggy self to the backstage of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and on stage to Africa. I always love running through this park, so my mood perked up here as I heard the sights and sounds of this beloved place.
As we crossed over to Asia, I ducked into a ‘real’ restroom to wipe my face and use the facilities before setting back out…since we were just around the bend from Expedition Everest, I told myself that IF it was open (which I was not overly optimistic about, given the weather), I would hop on.
still laughing about the sleeping/dead guy behind me
Well, reader. Never doubt that Disney magic!
The ride was not only open, it was allowing runners right on, just after a dash through the Lightning Lane! I was boarded and good to go! What a thrill to pop on to one of my favorite rides in the middle of a marathon…worth it!
At this point, the rain had slowed, and it was backstage again, then on the backroads headed toward Blizzard Beach (well, more specifically, the Blizzard Beach Parking LOT!) where I saw Justin again, as well as my friend Elizabeth. Running laps around that lot definitely felt silly but given it was already around 20 miles in and I hadn’t hit any sort of wall, I was feeling good.
Now en route to Hollywood Studios, it was a few more characters here and there (I’ll probably share these pics in another post sometimes since this has already become a tome on its own), crowds through the park (weirdest segment through DHS ever, if you ask me), on the walkway toward Epcot, World Showcase (and no characters there! Which was a bummer!! I had loved that in 2015 when I ran with Carlee and Megan) a stop in the new middle part of the park, and off to the finish line.
Needless to say, it was a wild, wet, and wonderful way to go out on a high note for this race.
I finished in about 4:36 (my second fastest finish for this race), met around 21 characters, had dyed blue arms from my soggy dress bleeding all over me, and a sore throat from all the laughing and screaming I had done in the past 48 hours.
At the finish, I linked up with Theresa and Lisa, I chugged a whole bottle of Purple Powerade, and put on a poncho to regulate my dropping temperature.
After the bus ride back, it was the most glorious hot shower, a change into my finisher shirt, and a boat ride to Disney Springs for our celebratory dinner at Jaleo, as well as an impromptu photoshoot at the studio (amazing JC Penney style shots).
Marathon 39 was one for the memory books, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to share it with such wonderful friends!! <3
Podcasts remain a big part of my everyday life, and yeah, you guess it – it was even harder to choose favorites this year, but here I am, sharing this list with you.
One fun fact from this year is I happened to travel a lot with work, so there was just something really special to listen to my favorite shows whilst cruising the Eastern Mediterranean, running alongside the Charles River on my Boston trip, or traipsing countless out and back miles during four back to back marathons as part of the Quadzilla Challenge. Of course, plenty other listening hours were done doing other mundane things like washing dishes, walking the dog, or driving the kids to the YMCA for swimming lessons, so don’t feel too envious of me 😉
But – back to the point. “Podcasts are life!” (said in Dani Rojas voice) and I am pleased now to present my top 10 pods/episodes of the year.
Editors notes: this year, don’t think of this necessarily as a ranking, but more of a list of powerhouse pods. It is way too hard to put any of these up against each other as they do have a lot of differing subjects/genres, etc.
What do you know about pilates? Well, I am guessing if you do them, you might know more than the average person, but if you’re like me and just kind of have an idea of what they are, this episode is a good one. Aubrey and Mike go into the history of Joseph Pilates (there’s your first little nugget of knowledge) and it turns out to be one of the more lighthearted episodes in terms of content from this regular favorite of mine.
I listened to this episode during the first half of my Pigtails Marathon just a few weeks ago and though it did make me a little hungry, it also made me very happy. The episode goes over early dining locations of the then-named Disney MGM Studios, including design concepts, menus and inspiration, and also an interview with Reimund Pitz (who formerly served as executive chef at the Walt Disney World Resort from 1976-1996) which highlights stories from those early days.
Have you ever been completely delighted by a memory you forgot existed? Well, I did, and the delight lasted through the episode, and honestly, through for the next few days at I amused not only over the film discussion itself, but the idea that there are just some movies that a lot of us millennial-aged individuals all watched at some point (probably from a video rental store), didn’t really understand or have context for (or get most of the jokes or references) but still enjoyed the film quite a bit.
Anyway!
I really enjoyed hearing the conversation here, and I love the fact that each week, I have the opportunity to hear the voices of Sarah and Alex on this pod, and it was just a cherry on top to hear BJ join the mix – and you can hear more from her (and her wife, Harmony) later on in this list.
The Bechdel Cast features some of the driest humor I have ever experienced in a podcast, and it is just what you (well, I) needed that warm morning in Iowa when I decided to run 17 miles before getting on a plane so I could crest 200 miles run in July.
Okay, so perhaps you will not find yourself in that situation, but if there is ANYTHING you are doing in your life where several moments of intense, IRL LOLing could improve your quality of life, I would highly recommend this podcast, and particularly, this episode because the discussion is just so freaking funny. I weirdly/unironically enjoy this movie, but hearing the rundown and commentary really made me think about just how weird many things in that film are, and was a good refresher of the content before I watched the newer version, which was somehow both much better and way worse than this one.
I look forward to new episodes every Wednesday of this pod (it’s been a favorite of mine since its launch, and I have listened and re-listened to much of the entire back catalog,) and this particular morning, I was delighted to be treated to an unexpectedly emotional story about that ubiquitous tuxedoed dummy.
And maybe I am in the minority here, but I had no idea that Candice Bergen was his sister.
If you check the release dates, this was a big day for great podcasts because both the Mobituaries and Very Amusing episodes dropped that morning. I will be honest that I listened to Mobits first, and the next morning tuned in to this one, but both morning runs were delightfully memorable.
In this episode of Very Amusing, Carlye chats with About Theme Parks guru Arthur Levine (a repeat guest on the pod) about the fun and fantastical world of Dollywood. Not only does he detail the bevy of food and entertainment offerings of the park, but he delves into technical and historical information about several different attractions, including their impressive roller coasters.
I really enjoyed the detailing of the park guest experience, and it hyped me up for my forthcoming visit, and I can pretty much guarantee if you listen, you’ll be packing your bags, too!
My friend Christy told me about this podcast over the summer, and within one episode of listening (the first one I tuned in to was the interview with Danny McBride) I became a fan.
This loose-interview style show centers around the basic premise of hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes inviting a surprise guest (the intro to each episode has the other hosts guessing who the featured personality will be), followed by lively conversation. Most of the time, at least one of the hosts is is familiar with the guest (sometimes they’re acquaintances, friends and/or colleagues) but it is always a good time.
While I have listened to and enjoyed much of the back catalog, one of my favorite listens was the interview with Paul Giamatti – not only am I a fan of this actor’s work, but I learned a lot I would have never known before (like the fact that his late father was not only a Yale professor, but also the president there, and the 7th MLB Commissioner?!??!) and the conversation was just so light and natural, which made it a really fun listen. Definitely check this podcast and episode out!!
Also recommend: Gerta Gerwig, Rose Byrne, Tom Holland, Jen Psaki, Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Bill Hader, Keanu Reeves and Brendan Fraser, just to name a few.
If you think you have never heard of Chick Tracts, you actually probably have.
While I enjoyed every episode of this podcast (it’s a repeat winner here on my podcast awards), this two-part series which was released in the spring was a big eye opener to one of those weird memories that you kind of forgot existed – seeing random comic-style evangelical paper materials scattered in public places, all designed to elicit strong emotional responses.
I never knew these minicomics had a name, but I learned that, and much much more, in this two-part series chronicling the history of the creator behind them, and all the interesting stories and hijinks surrounding their influence.
Yet again, another podcast I whole-heartedly recommend, but this episode was one of my favorites of the year for a few reasons.
If you’re not listening to this pod yet (why not?!?) it features the wives Colangelo (Harmony and BJ) who share their film analysis on movies often categorized as “teen girl” focused. Their thoughtful discussion is highlighted by the fact that many (or most) of the movies discussed were BJ’s favorites growing up, while many (or most) are unfamiliar or lack the nostalgic connection to Harmony, which makes for many interesting discussions!
I listened to every episode this year, but this one (with guest Valerie Ettenhofer) is one that stuck out to me for two reasons – first, that week also saw the release of an episode on the same film from a fellow podcast-award winner (the Bechdel Cast – their episode here), but also, as I was listening I realized I was so familiar with the cast, the movie poster art, and overall idea of the film, but given its release in 2002, I was (in my mind at the time) too old to see this movie when it came out, so I just…never saw it.
That changed this year, after I listened to both episodes on this wild and wacky film, but it was this episode that made me really think about the ideas about Scooby Doo’s longevity, the proximity of mysteries to horror, and of course, my intense desire to visit Spooky Island….always a theme park connection, right?
Another year, another top-tier spot for my boys at the thirty20eight!
This year, another full-calendar of excellent episodes, and I listened to each at least twice (sometimes thrice) but I definitely have to shout out to this one, as it inspired my second sticker design of the year:
I had a lot of fun with the podcast this year, not only receiving several shout-outs (each one appreciated greatly!) but connecting with fellow fans in creating the stickers (seen to the left) and interacting on social media and the little fanzine (more to come on that next year).
But about this episode.
This “Water Tower-ology” episode was super fun because it had that feeling of the listories of yore, but also the evolution and history that the podcast has made itself into. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true – it only gets better with the Thirty20Eight, and I am so grateful it is part of my life.
Fun fact? I based the sticker design from a Tom Bricker (Disney Tourist Blog) photograph of the Disneyland Paris Earful Tower! Also, I still have some available so I will be bringing them along to WDW next month and would love to share them and spread the podcast love.
So, there you have it! Another year of great listening, and it’s not over yet (my fingers are crossed for one more episode of thirty20eight for my last marathon of the year, 12/30).
But before I go….how about a few honorable mentions:
This American Life – just all of them! Every Sunday! but if you had to choose one, I would recommend: House on Loon Lake. Just go listen!!
5-4, episode: “Korematsu v. United States” – I started listening to this show (features lawyers analyzing Supreme Court Cases rulings with … often not great outcomes) at the end of 2022, and have continued on. Of course, you may pick and choose the episodes in which you have familiarity with for greater context, or jump in to learn something new, but this one, with the subject of the appeal of Executive Order 9066…it’s a must listen.
Synergy Loves Company, episode: Disney Family of Wines with My Wife Keri – I love Eric’s show, and this one was really fun as he brought his wife on and they not only discussed wines that have connections to Disney, but tried them, too! Very fun episode!!
This Saturday, I planned to wake up at 5 AM, leisurely gather my gear, have breakfast, then drive over up to Maple Valley around 6 AM, have ample time to find parking, attend the pre-race briefing, and be ready to rock and roll for a 7:30 AM race start of my 37th lifetime marathon.
It did sound like a good plan, huh?
Well, as we all know, plans sometimes are meant to be changed, as I fretted over the warning of inclement weather through the week. I set out appropriate clothing, and reminded myself I had run through rainy marathons before, but when I woke 10 minutes before my 5 AM alarm, and realized that at such an early hour, there was a very low chance of any sort of traffic, I haphazardly threw my stuff in a big tote, toasted a bagel (that I didn’t even end up feeling hungry enough for), and started the drive.
Fortunately for me, the directions were pretty basic and there were no issues arriving to the approximation of the race start area…I say this as the trailhead for this event is configured somewhat between a church parking and shopping area, and there were warnings about towing, so I made my way a little down a residential road and parked on the street before popping over to pick up my bib and swag, jaunting back to the car to drop the items, catching the general gist of the race brief @ 6:10, a quick stop in the port-o-pottie (as I had been chugging Liquid-IV on the drive up), and before I knew it, it was time to run!
I have to admit, the low-frills feel was welcome for that somewhat frenzied morning, but truth be told, once I was running, it felt very peaceful and easy. It was still dark, and since I couldn’t find the headlamp I had thrown in the car weeks before (for race 1 of Quadzilla), I tucked in behind a runner with a bright headlamp for the first few miles (9:23, 9:31, 9:19, 9:29, 9:31). The path was quiet and serene.
It was right around an hour into running that my shoe somehow got untied, and I pulled over to double knot, and I realized that the double out and back meant I was almost to the turn around already. I took my first gel (I had my Maple UnTapped again) which seemed to give me a little jolt:
9:11, 8:58, 9:00, 8:46, 8:34, 8:46, 8:53, 9:02
As I was approaching the start area again, it dawned on me that I was just about 2 hours in now, which meant that the half marathoners would be unleashed on the path. So, I took gel 2 a little early, timing it along when I saw a trash can. that was a smart move because as I neared the start line, I saw the runners all lined up, andI knew I would have to vamoose it a bit to not get run over, let alone leisurely take a gel, swig some water (I hit halfway right at 1:59, it was kind of hilarious actually to see them all kind of wonder what I was doing making a hairpin turn around).
Setting out for the second half, I knew I could maintain the pace for the most part, and switched on my marathon playlist. I enjoyed a little dance-running, and did my best to smile and wave at as many runners returning to the start as I could (there were not only half and full marathoners on the course, but 50K’ers too, some who had taken the early start with me, and some at the regular time).
Those miles: 8:23, 8:18, 8:33, 8:31, 9:11
At Mile 19ish, it was time to take another gel, and my legs felt a little fatigued so I walked a bit, and filled my water bottle at the aid station.
9:43, 9:02, 9:04, 9:11
I knew I was slowing down a bit, but was truly just enjoying the race at that point…it was just busy enough to feel the excitement of a race day, but a little desolate in sections to make you feel like you were on a secluded path, just enjoying the run. I realized I had one more gel, so took it with a lttle bit of an extended walk
9:45
With just a 5K to go, I knew it was going to be another sub-4 day, but not sure by how much. Seeing as I had two more races on the horizon, felt no need to push the pedal to the medal that day.
9:06, 9:31, 8:48, final bit, 8:08
I breezed into the finish, feeling good and happy to see a 3:56 on my watch. There was plenty of refreshments and snacks at the finish, but I somehow still didn’t feel very hungry, so just grabbed a bit of trailmix, collected my beautiful glitter resin piggy medal, and walked back to the car.
I took a selfie, changed out of my running shoes and tights (into uggs and sweats) and no lie, the moment I slammed the car door, it started to rain. Slowly at first, but by the time I pulled onto the main drag, it was coming down! Early start FTW indeed!
I really had a great and low-key experience at this race, and was delighted at the general positive vibes from runners, volunteers and even the few spectators there were (family members and people walking their dogs, but hey, I am not picky)!
40×40 progress
This was marathon number 37 (!!) for me, and what feels still unbelievably to me, my 10th (!!) 26.2 of the year – and it is not done yet! One more marathon (12/30) before the calendar turns!
In 2024, I will be heading back to run the Walt Disney World Marathon (my 4th time), and yes, for those who have been asking…my OFFICIAL 40th race is on the calendar for April 7, 2024: The Knoxville Marathon! It’ll be the 20th anniversary of that race and one of my biggest running SHEROS, DES LINDEN will be there! I will LOSE MY MIND if I can get her to sign my bib !!!
It is truly wild to think that just a few months ago, I seriously questioned this goal, and now – it’s so close! I cannot thank everyone who has wished me well, supported my races or just gave me a crazy look when I mentioned it (mostly my coworkers! LOL), but there’s really nothing like working toward big goals.
Since moving (back) to the Pacific Northwest in 2019, I had heard of an elusive and interesting endurance challenge, the Seattle Quadzilla. Originally conceptualized by the Marathon Maniacs group in 2010, the structure has changed a bit over the years with different race venues, but the idea is the same: four marathons in a row, beginning on (American) Thanksgiving.
For the 2023 iteration, the challenge was held over four races in the greater Seattle area:
Runners also had the option to participate in two other versions of the challenge, either a 13.1 version (Quadzuki) or 50Ks, but as I am on my marathon mission, I stuck with the original 4×26.2 challenge.
Now, this might sound silly, but my greatest apprehension about taking on this challenge was not the running, but the management of logistics, especially the driving component. If you know me, you know I don’t care for driving much, and have anxiety over finding parking in unfamiliar places, etc. But, I had to get over that to face the challenge, and now, on the other side, I can say that everything went better than expected, thanks especially to incredible people, including amazing and supportive race directors, my awesome family (shout out to my parents for helping me out with logistics of a fun sleepover for the kiddos, and my dad for dropping me off / picking me up for the Seattle race), and husband for not completely rolling his eyes at me for attempting this all!
Now, I’ll go through a bit of each day below, and will do my best to answer the questions people have asked me over the last few days to explain how I tackled each event, and a bit about how each went.
Day 1: Wattle Waddle
The first race was (ironically?!) 26 miles away from my house, so just about a half hour drive. I had entered the GPS coordinates in Google, which took me to an Amazon fulfillment center in an industrial part of town. After a quick stop, I switched to Apple maps and was able to correctly re-direct to the race start at the Three Friends Fishing hole parking area, and entry point to the Green River Trail.
The weather forecast that day was on the cooler side, but with no rain (which would – amazingly, for the Seattle area – hold true for the rest of the extended weekend) so I went with my long sleeve wool and Athleta Rainier tights. I also tried out a new waistpack (which I ended up really disliking) but otherwise felt comfortable, though I did notice a few runners wearing shorts, which I generally prefer to wear on runs. I wore my Asics Nimbus 25, which felt great through most of the run.
This was the hardest run for me, I think, due to a mix of jetlag (I had just returned from Greece four days before), and the unfortunate stress of starting off a little too fast at the beginning, resulting in a pretty dramatic positive split, which placed me at a 4:18 finish. Despite the leg cramps at the end and several double digit mile splits, I felt pretty good for having completed the first marathon, and enjoyed a great Thanksgiving meal at my aunt’s place, complete with a modest meal plate and some libations.
Day 2: Grateful Runners
The second marathon was the furtherst from home, about an hour drive. However, due to my constant concern of being late, I ended up being there much earlier than expected, and was able to take advantage of an early start thanks to the kindness and generosity of the RD, Jill.
Although the temps were a bit lower (by a few degrees), I decided to fall back on my standard marathon “uniform” and wore my rabbit shorts and compression socks – and this time, my vest, which conveniently held my phone, gels, and water bottle. Sure, my legs were a little cold at the start, but as soon as I got moving, it was not bad at all. I enjoyed these quiet miles alongside the river, marveling at the beauty of the ice-encrusted trees (as well as my eyelashes!) and settled into a pretty comfortable pace, even surprising myself at the relative ease I felt as I head out on the second out and back (both Thursday and Friday featured courses that had this format).
I completed this course eight minutes faster, without the fatigue from the day before, 4:10.
Day 3: Seattle Ghost
Day three was different in many aspects, as I had driven myself and the kids up to my parents house the day before, and my dad generously was able to drop me at the start (this race has limited parking, but lucky for me, is only about 15 minutes away from my parents’ place).
This race, although also small-ish, was the most “official” feeling of the series, as the course is certified/chip-timed etc and featured a bit different of a format as its urban setting meant mostly sidewalk running, as well as a scenic section through Seward park. While some might protest at the mental challenge of passing by the start/finish several times, I actually liked it to “check in” with myself on how I was feeling, and was able to let the miles just pass, with a nice amount of people around to feel part of an event, but never cramped or crowded – though the ‘wavy’ sidewalks (as a result of roots, etc) did keep me on my toes!
I can see why so many people enjoy this race – the organization was great, aid stations were well-stocked, and the feel was somewhere between that of an ultra (with all the “real” food), but also high energy like a major marathon. I relished in the views and basked in the gorgeous sunny day, crossing that finish line in around 4:08 (official results posted gun time, not chip time, which I found interesting).
I celebrated the third finish with a delicious hot dog and was awarded not only a finisher’s medal, but a hoodie, too!
Day 4: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Xmas
I got to sleep in for the last race (a whole hour!) and felt refreshed after the night out before (hubby and I celebrated our 14th anniversary the night before with sushi (which was a good protein/carb meal to fuel for marathon four) and headed out to the trailhead in which I had run many, many a mile before. This was my “home turf,” as I had logged many training runs here, as well as relished in my Mud Mountain Dam Marathon memories of yore, which always provided that mental boost.
We had a ‘mass’ start at 8 AM, and from the get go, I knew this was going to be a good day. My legs felt good beneath me, and I knew I would be able to finish this challenge on a good note, though as the miles ticked by, it became evident to me that it would likely be by an even better margin than I might have hoped!
Since there were a fair amount of half marathoners in that wave, I knew not to compete with them, and kept to my conservative pace, especially to the first turn around, when the gentle downhill propelled me down back to the start. Comically, I realized I was very well hydrated and all I could think about from Mile 9-10.5 ish was how much I had to pee.
Regrettably (LOL) I had to stop into the port-o-pottie that RD Kandi had dubbed as “sketchy,” and reader – this was BEYOND that definition. Quite possibly, the grossest I had EVER walked into! Thankfully, it was a very short stop so off I was again to check in at the start, then head out for round 2.
Glancing down at my watch periodically, it dawned on me around Mile 14 that I was well ahead of the pace I had set the previous three days, and that if I could simply maintain that momentum, I could possibly secure a sub-4 finish.
There’s really nothing like the feeling of setting your pace onto auto-pilot, especially in a marathon – it almost feels like you’re outside of your body! I was running, feeling good, and had a blast waving and greeting my fellow runners on the trail – their enthusiasm and encouragement kept me going, and even got me to turn it up the last miles, with the fastest splits I had seen over the past four days: 8:20, 8:03, 8:20, 8:20, 8:03, 7:59, 7:51 and 7:21 that last .4 (always overachieving, lol).
Seeing that 3:51 on my watch was the icing on the Quad cake! Four marathons, progressively faster each day, wow – the feeling could not be beat!
So what did you DO all those miles?
Other than run? I mean, I get it. That’s a lot of time, I got this question a LOT over the last few days, and each day was a little different.
I listened to a handful of podcasts, some bits of audiobook, and for races 1 and 2, some Peloton audio (long story short – this recurring issues from me being too cheap to add a second Spotify membership means the kids commandeer my music often).
For day 4, I was able to listen to my own music for the last 6.6ish miles, which was a nice boost. (here’s that playlist)
I took gels every hour. This quad was fueled by Maple UnTapped – delicious, no weird consistency, and easy to carry.
Was it everything you thought it would be?
Honestly, it was a lot more fun than expected. It was not a big crowd, but the people that showed up were all warm and friendly. Seeing the same faces was nice, and everyone is supportive and kind.
Plus, it did not hurt to find out a day later that not only was I successful in completing the challenge, I also WON it this year!
What an awesome surprise, amongst all these incredible individuals.
So how do you run your fastest marathon after three others?
I am a big believer in mantras, and for this challenge, for me I had to keep it simple: “Save it for Sunday” was what ran through my head. I knew from the beginning that I could do this, but was adamant about summoning strength for the end.
I am so grateful for completing these 104.8+ miles healthily – and am still baffled at the perfection of the weather. The cool mornings and brilliant sunshine couldn’t have been more perfect.
Will you do it again?
No.
I know, everyone says I will change my mind, but I love the idea of preserving this incredible memory. So many moving pieces had to be set for this to all work out, and I am so thankful to my family for the support, the lining up of other events (through this quadzilla, we also attended Thanksgiving with relatives, North Pole at the Fair, Meeting Santa, Anniversary Dinner) and it really is a sacrifice of so many to get this done – I may have run those miles “on my own,” but I am never alone in pursuing these goals.
Of course, I may pick and choose races from these in the future if they line up with my other training plans and structures – these races were all wonderfully organized, affordable and well supported.
In conclusion…
This was a great challenge, and I highly recommend it to anyone that may have interest! Feel free to send me any questions and I would be happy to talk your ear off 😉
Shiawase Life 