tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13923592943568857932024-03-05T04:13:43.885-06:00Running for the Thrill of ItAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-17174920344761471382015-08-19T14:31:00.000-05:002015-08-19T14:31:17.989-05:00RelayRides - How Am I Doing? (4 Months In)<br />
So my car has been listed on RelayRides for almost four months now. This time, I'm going to go through how much money I've made so far on RelayRides as well as my expected expenses to give you an idea of where things stand today. I'm also going to talk about the "new" car I bought!<br />
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My experience on RelayRides has been a mixed bag so far. That being said, I think I'll be sticking with it for a while - I bought another car about a month ago! The reason behind this decision was that I figured I should be able to **hopefully** cover my expenses for the unused vehicle, which would allow me to keep it for a rainy day. Why, you ask?<br />
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Well, I'm a fan of the less practical cars. Namely, I love the little roadster convertible, the Mazda MX-5 Miata.<br />
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<i> Isn't this just the cutest little car? </i></div>
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I actually owned one for about three years. I didn't sell it because I was sick of it, but because I decided to try going car-less. It was a failed experiment...heat, humidity, hills, rain, and public transportation all make me unhappy! Thus, I made it about 6 months without a car when I bought my Mazda 3. At that point, I decided practicality was in order.<br />
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Since then, I've gotten married and am now the step-mom to a wonderful 7-year-old little girl. So, you can see how my cute little roadster could cause some difficulties in transportation!<br />
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This time, I decided if my RelayRides experiment went well, I would buy another Miata and rent out the Mazda3, keeping it in case I needed it. This time, I'd get one used and cheap.<br />
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I did just that this July, buying a 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata with about 72K miles. And I got it cheap. As a CPA who is constantly thinking money and savings, this made me very happy. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://takeiteasyinlife.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/piggy_bank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://takeiteasyinlife.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/piggy_bank.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>There was only one problem. The convertible top was torn! My husband, being both <i>amazing</i> and <i>super mechanically inclined</i>, solved this and spent an entire day (10+ hours) replacing my top. This turned an $1,800 expense (the quote I got) into a $700 expense! (How's that saying go again? Oh, yeah. "A dollar saved is a dollar earned.")<br />
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My little Miata has been working great since then and I've been loving every second driving it. Almost makes my hour long commute in Atlanta traffic bearable!<br />
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Now, back to RelayRides. For the gritty details.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How Much Have I Made? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've only rented the car out <b><u>six</u></b> times so far. Why? </span></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Until I bought the Miata, I could only rent when I was willing to bike/ride MARTA (awful public transportation of Atlanta) to work. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wasn't sure how to rent the car when I couldn't be there for pick-up or drop-off (to hand over the keys). </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I got married in June!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> One of my renters had an unfortunate "incident" (the car was hit or they hit something), which required it being out of commission for <b>two</b> weeks!</span></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">That being said, I have made a total of <b>$1,387.75</b> in the last <b>four months</b>. This includes regular rental fees, as well as mileage overages, late fees and delivery fees. Thus, on average, I've made $231 per rental. Adjusting out the (unusual) overage fees from my first renter, it's an average of <b>$156.25 per rental</b>. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, to fully grasp what this means, you have to look at your <b>Net Income.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b>Here's a snapshot of the expenses I anticipate each month for my car, assuming it's only used for RelayRides (i.e., no personal gas expense, etc.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <u><b>VEHICLE EXPENSES </b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gasoline 5</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Insurance 79</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oil Changes 23</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other/Miscellaneous 30</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>TOTAL OUT OF POCKET COST $ 138</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Depreciation 150</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>TOTAL COSTS $ 288</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few notes about the above costs:<b> </b></span></span><br />
<ol>
<li>They're <b>estimates</b>!</li>
<li>Remember to factor in your <b>depreciation</b> on the car. Cars go down in value <b>every month</b>. How much it depreciates will depend on a variety of factors. I recommend using <a href="http://www.money-zine.com/calculators/auto-loan-calculators/car-depreciation-calculator/" target="_blank">the car depreciation calculator found at Money-Zine</a> as a starting point. </li>
<li><b>Oil changes</b> are expensive on my car (about $70 each). Factor these in as your renters will use a lot of miles!</li>
<li><b>Insurance</b> is important. If anything went seriously wrong, you want good insurance. I don't want to solely rely on RelayRides. That, and you're required to have at least the minimum level of insurance to rent through their platform. </li>
</ol>
So, bringing it full circle, looking at the definition of of Net Income (Gross Revenues less Expenses), I am currently in the black.<br />
<br />
<b>Gross Revenues $ 1,387.75</b><br />
<b>Expenses ($288 * 4 months) <u> (1,152.00)</u></b><br />
<b>Net Income $ 235.75 </b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clearly, this has <i>not</i> been a "get rich quick" scheme for me. But, it is paying for my car. That, and I can write off a lot of expenses, including all the mileage driven by renters. If you're renting or considering renting your car on RelayRides, talk to your accountant/CPA to ensure you're taking all the appropriate deductions!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Until next time - happy rides!<b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-12366039795453839832015-05-08T09:45:00.001-05:002015-05-08T09:47:05.073-05:00Wisconsin Marathon - Race Recap<br />
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I ran the <a href="http://wisconsinmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Wisconsin Marathon</a> last weekend, checking off State #24. I've enjoyed my races in the Midwest - they're nice and flat!<br />
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The race was held in the town of Kenosha, WI, about 45 minutes outside of Milwaukee (just about equidistant from Chicago and Milwaukee), a cute town of about 100K. Arrival went without a hitch - plane was on time and a nice ride.<br />
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<a href="https://www.southwest.com/assets/images/mkt/loyalty/rapid_rewards/promotions/promotions_rr_atlanta_companion_hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://www.southwest.com/assets/images/mkt/loyalty/rapid_rewards/promotions/promotions_rr_atlanta_companion_hero.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
As an aside, I'm a <b>huge fan</b> of Southwest Airlines. Being from Atlanta, I previously flew Delta almost exclusively, but when Southwest announced a <a href="https://www.southwest.com/rapidrewards/promotion?f=2rnm7i5x&s_tnt=74091:3:0" target="_blank">companion pass offer for Atlanta residents</a>, I jumped on it! I have since completed my 3 round trip flights and earned a companion pass for the rest of the year, which will allow my fiance to fly free with me everywhere!<br />
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<i>Note: If you haven't heard about this offer previously, you've probably missed the bandwagon, as the 3 RT flights have to be completed by 5/17. However, there are tons of blogs I follow that explain <a href="http://millionmilesecrets.com/2014/02/20/a-step-by-step-guide-to-the-southwest-companion-pass/" target="_blank">how to get the Southwest Companion Pass using credit card offers</a>. </i><br />
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During our trip we decided to stay close to the MKE airport, since my mom was flying out at a different time - and the hotels in Kenosha were way overpriced due to the race. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza, taking advantage of Priceline's<i> </i>Express Deals and saving 25% - one of my preferred methods to get hotels now.<br />
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We picked up our packets in Kenosha. The expo was held at the host hotel, right on Lake Michigan. There were a few vendors there, but it was a fairly small expo.<br />
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For food, we tried <a href="http://mikelikesbeer.com/" target="_blank">Captain Mike's Beer and Burger</a>, which had Awesome reviews on Yelp, and lived up to the hype. Their beer cheese soup was amazing as was the custom designed veggie burger we ordered.<br />
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There was a (not insignificant) issue we ran into that evening...my mom, would was traveling with me and running the half marathon, lost her bib. We never were able to figure out where it fell out of her packet...<br />
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After racking my brain, I called the race director (unavailable due to the race!), emailed them on FB and finally called the host hotel once I realized packet pick-up was still going on. They were <b>super helpful</b> and offered to just create a new bib that we could pick up for her on race morning! Midwestern hospitality. Loved it.<br />
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Slept like a dream in my super comfy bed that night. It was a beautiful morning for a race - sunny with temperatures starting around 50 degrees and a high of 70. There wasn't traffic to contend with getting to the race and there was plenty of race parking, either in parking decks or on the streets. We managed to find street parking.<br />
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There were decent sized lines at the porta-potties, but with 30+ minutes to spare, we were fine...definitely always arrive early enough to wait in line for the bathroom! <br />
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The race included three race distances: a 5K, half and full marathon. The half and full started together at 7:30AM, with the 5K starting later. Much of the course was run right along Lake Michigan - and let me tell you, that cool lake breeze certainly helped as it started to heat up! The course was run together for the first 12 miles until the full marathon split and continued down the coast.<br />
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I ran the first 12 miles with my mom, pushing her pace while tempering mine. Slowing down had a good affect on me, as I managed to <i>speed up<b> </b></i>during the 2nd half of the race, and felt GREAT the entire race (super unusual for me!).<br />
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It started to feel a little hot by around mile 10, but it wasn't too bad until miles 16-19.5, when we were running without any shade <i>away from the coast</i>. It was getting tough then, but as soon as we got back to Lake Michigan, that cool breeze cooled me down and cheered me up! <br />
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Spectator-wise, there weren't many people out, but the people out were super friendly and supportive. The two biggest things that need to be improved are:<br />
<ol>
<li>Need a wave start - there were 3,000 participants in the half and full, and it was one of the most crowded races I've run since there were no wave starts. The crowding did <b>not </b>thin out after the first mile or two - it was crowded until the half split from the full at mile 12.</li>
<li>Need food on the course! The <b>only </b>food on the course was PowerGel for the full marathoners at <b>Mile 18</b>! Half marathoners didn't get anything. I (only half) joked after the race that when I ate my one PowerGel (which I normally hate!) it was the best thing I had ever tasted since I was so hungry!</li>
</ol>
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Now, for the good part: the <b>BLING!</b> <br />
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Loved our race medal, which was the same for the half and full (different ribbon) and is also a <b>bottle opener</b>! The shirt was also great - black tech shirt with gender specific sizing (v-neck for the women!) and no sponsor information. Love it. <br />
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I was very happy with my time, knowing I had pushed the whole way and had a wonderful time. My chip time was 4:39:17, putting me right in the middle of women and my age group finishers. It wasn't my best time, but I wasn't expecting to break records. I just wanted to have a good time, and I did. <br />
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For the afterparty there was a sponsoring company giving away tons of awesome cheese and each finisher got a free brat and a free beer (I got 2 free beers since I'm a vegetarian). The weather was amazing and we hung out for a couple of hours listening to the (great) band playing and drinking beer.<br />
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This is a good one to do if you're looking to go to Wisconsin! <br />
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Overall Rating: 8/10<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-54226985236753233672015-05-07T09:50:00.001-05:002015-05-07T09:50:58.995-05:00Recap of 1st Relay Rides ExperienceAs I mentioned in my <a href="http://runningthrill.blogspot.com/2015/04/foray-into-relayrides.html" target="_blank">original post about RelayRides</a>, I recently decided to give RelayRides a try again, after a failed attempt a couple of years ago. My first renter had the vehicle for a week.<br />
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So, how did it go?<br />
<br />
Well, there were some <b>not so minor problems</b>.<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Renter indicated he wanted to extend the rental period for additional days, but never did despite repeated indications he would.</b> </li>
</ol>
Trying to figure out the plan, since the car wasn't extended, was a nightmare. Renter did not answer the phone, texts or emails. I was sure I would be calling the police the next morning. I finally gave up around 12:30AM. I left a firm and straightforward (nearly nasty) voicemail on his phone and wrote him in RelayRides to ensure I had something verifiable in the company's records.<br />
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The renter <i>finally</i> emailed me at 2:30AM, asking to extend the rental. I was up at 6:45AM and told him in no uncertain terms that that would not be possible. Respect and courtesy are absolutely paramount to using RelayRides, and he had done neither of those things.<br />
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Funny thing about this was, when I finally spoke to him that morning, he seemed confused as to why I was upset. I think he was just trying to smooth things over, but it was too little, too late. <br />
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/education-teaching-library-librarian-maths_teacher-math_teacher-late_return-aban1554_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/education-teaching-library-librarian-maths_teacher-math_teacher-late_return-aban1554_low.jpg" width="314" /></a><b> </b><br />
2. <b>Renter returned the car late. </b><br />
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Late fees with RelayRides are <a href="https://support.relayrides.com/hc/en-us/articles/203990780-Fees-Fines" target="_blank">No Joke</a>. At the beginning of the rental, I told the renter (and later reminded him!) that I had a flight to catch the morning of the return...so it was important I get the car back <b>on time</b>. He was late. <br />
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3. <b>Renter returned the car with an empty tank of gas.</b><br />
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No, not low, just about empty - the car range said only 30 miles to empty! He called and said he "didn't have a credit card" and "since my bank isn't open yet, I can't fill up the tank." I caught him in the lie - obviously he has a credit card, otherwise he couldn't rent on RelayRides. Then he changed the story to be that, of course he <i>had</i> a credit card, he was just waiting on a replacement.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDcxTuvmN5QvHxTFPbJlgLMTC_1jH-9SS2NKM4oKXBNoMS2Bm-lTRNJROXX0aXKbk5rgTeCEBOOAWcL5I4P_U4ln1Kpd04pDt3OBTFkK4LFLuXBMi9p4sdkw633bV22EVFoP4CkYuONXH/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDcxTuvmN5QvHxTFPbJlgLMTC_1jH-9SS2NKM4oKXBNoMS2Bm-lTRNJROXX0aXKbk5rgTeCEBOOAWcL5I4P_U4ln1Kpd04pDt3OBTFkK4LFLuXBMi9p4sdkw633bV22EVFoP4CkYuONXH/s1600/Capture.PNG" /></a><b> </b><br />
<b> </b>4. <b>Renter drove the car >500 miles over the mileage limit.</b><br />
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Mileage limits are set by the owner and can be pretty much whatever you choose. It's clearly indicated what they are...<br />
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Something to keep in mind for anybody that wants to rent out their car or rent a car using RelayRides - <b>Read the policies!!! </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
You can access RelayRides <b><a href="https://relayrides.com/owner-guide" target="_blank">owner guide here</a>.</b> Here are the things I did and highly recommend you do on every trip (which the guide will indicate as well).<br />
<br />
<u><b>Recommendations for Owners</b></u><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Always check the renter's information.</b></li>
<li><b>Get <i>signed</i> documentation at the beginning AND end of the rental indicating:</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Condition of car - mark any damage</li>
<li>Fuel level</li>
<li>Mileage</li>
<li>You can find the RelayRides checklist <a href="https://support.relayrides.com/hc/en-us/articles/203992050-Properly-hand-off-your-keys-to-a-Renter" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li> <b>If you don't get signed documentation, IMMEDIATELY take pictures of the aforementioned and add it to the "trip" on RelayRides. </b></li>
<ul>
<li>This is how you get reimbursement if the renter does not adhere to the rental agreement</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Report any damage/late charges/overages to RelayRides within <u>24 hours</u> of the rental end.</b> </li>
<li><b>Talk to the renter about any additional charges before adding them to the trip.</b></li>
<li><b>Review the renter. </b></li>
</ul>
Once all of that was said and done, I said I would never rent on RelayRides again. However, I've since had a change of heart. RelayRides was quick and courteous in dealing with all of the issues I had, and I'll be getting reimbursed for all of the overages (because I had documentation!). After reporting the issues to RelayRides, the renter has 72 hours to dispute. The renter did dispute. I was asked to provide documentation, which I did, so I'm good to go!<br />
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Another perk: RelayRides provides<b> direct deposit every week</b>! You can see before you even approve a trip how much you'll get paid, and in the case of shorter trips (a week or less) you get paid within a week of the trip end. <br />
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Here's to hoping my next renter will better!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-3878120076518864712015-04-29T10:02:00.001-05:002015-04-29T10:02:36.985-05:00Completed RacesBelow are listed all of the marathons (and beyond!) I've completed so far.<br />
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<tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th> #</th><th>Race</th><th>Date</th><th>Location</th><th>Distance</th><th>Time</th></tr>
<tr><td>1</td><td>Walt Disney World Marathon</td><td>1/8/2012</td><td>Orlando, FL</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:33:33</td></tr>
<tr><td>2</td><td>Country Music Marathon</td><td>4/28/2012</td><td>Nashville, TN</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:20:39</td></tr>
<tr><td>3</td><td>San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon</td><td>6/2/2012</td><td>San Diego, CA</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:04:15</td></tr>
<tr><td>4</td><td>Shoreline Oktoberfest Marathon</td><td>9/29/2012</td><td>Spring Lake, MI</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:00:01</td></tr>
<tr><td>5</td><td>Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon</td><td>10/6/2012</td><td>Winchester, TN</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:35:49</td></tr>
<tr><td>6</td><td>Freedom's Run Marathon</td><td>10/13/2012</td><td>Shepherdstown, WV</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:36:58</td></tr>
<tr><td>7</td><td>Atlanta Marathon</td><td>10/28/2012</td><td>Atlanta, GA </td><td>26.2</td><td>4:36:38</td></tr>
<tr><td>8</td><td>Nashville Ultramarathon (50 Mile)</td><td>11/3/2012</td><td>Nashville, TN</td><td>50</td><td>11:13:56</td></tr>
<tr><td>9</td><td>24 Hours of Hostelity</td><td>1/19/2013</td><td>Dahlonega, GA</td><td>24hr</td><td>55.4 miles</td></tr>
<tr><td>10</td><td>Mercedes Marathon</td><td>2/17/2013</td><td>Birmingham, AL</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:30:15</td></tr>
<tr><td>11</td><td>Georgia Marathon</td><td>3/17/2013</td><td>Atlanta, GA </td><td>26.2</td><td>4:57:33</td></tr>
<tr><td>12</td><td>Garmin Marathon in the Land of Oz</td><td>4/20/2013</td><td>Olathe, KS</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:28:16</td></tr>
<tr><td>13</td><td>King's Mountain Marathon</td><td>4/27/2013</td><td>Clover, SC</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:01:14</td></tr>
<tr><td>14</td><td>Pittsburgh Marathon</td><td>5/5/2013</td><td>Pittsburgh, PA</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:30:20</td></tr>
<tr><td>15</td><td>Make it by Midnight Marathon</td><td>7/13/2013</td><td>Macon, GA</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:04:10</td></tr>
<tr><td>16</td><td>Quad Cities Marathon</td><td>9/22/2013</td><td>Moline, IL</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:28:18</td></tr>
<tr><td>17</td><td>Silver Comet Marathon</td><td>10/26/2013</td><td>Mableton, GA</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:16:14</td></tr>
<tr><td>18</td><td>Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon</td><td>11/17/2013</td><td>San Antonio, TX</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:26:15</td></tr>
<tr><td>19</td><td>Honolulu Marathon</td><td>12/14/2013</td><td>Honolulu, HI</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:36:37</td></tr>
<tr><td>20</td><td>Mississippi Blues Marathon</td><td>1/11/2014</td><td>Jackson, MS</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:23:57</td></tr>
<tr><td>21</td><td>First Light Marathon</td><td>1/12/2014</td><td>Mobile, AL</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:24:48</td></tr>
<tr><td>22</td><td>Albany Marathon</td><td>3/1/2014</td><td>Albany, GA</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:11:11</td></tr>
<tr><td>23</td><td>Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon</td><td>4/19/2014</td><td>Louisville, KY</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:32:52</td></tr>
<tr><td>24</td><td>Blue Ridge Marathon</td><td>4/26/2014</td><td>Roanoke, VA</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:49:29</td></tr>
<tr><td>25</td><td>Merrill's Mile - 24 Hour</td><td>7/4/2014</td><td>Dahlonega, GA</td><td>24hr</td><td>64 miles</td></tr>
<tr><td>26</td><td>Center of the Nation - Montana</td><td>9/17/2014</td><td>Baker, MT</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:42:13</td></tr>
<tr><td>27</td><td>Center of the Nation - North Dakota</td><td>9/18/2014</td><td>Bowman, ND</td><td>26.2</td><td>6:44:08</td></tr>
<tr><td>28</td><td>Center of the Nation - South Dakota</td><td>9/19/2014</td><td>Belle Fourche, SD</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:54:34</td></tr>
<tr><td>29</td><td>Portland Marathon</td><td>10/5/2014</td><td>Portland, OR</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:41:56</td></tr>
<tr><td>30</td><td>Indianapolis Monumental Marathon</td><td>11/1/2014</td><td>Indianapolis, IN</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:51:02</td></tr>
<tr><td>31</td><td>Soldier Marathon</td><td>11/8/2014</td><td>Columbus, GA</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:32:37</td></tr>
<tr><td>32</td><td>Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon</td><td>11/16/2014</td><td>Las Vegas, NV</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:02:16</td></tr>
<tr><td>33</td><td>Mississippi Blues Marathon</td><td>1/10/2015</td><td>Jackson, MS</td><td>26.2</td><td>5:33:21</td></tr>
<tr><td>34</td><td>Miracle Match 50K</td><td>1/25/2015</td><td>Waco, TX</td><td>50K</td><td>5:50:20</td></tr>
<tr><td>35</td><td>Zydeco Marathon</td><td>3/8/2015</td><td>Lafayette, LA</td><td>26.2</td><td>4:46:02</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-72466618948210904502015-04-29T09:23:00.003-05:002015-04-29T09:23:54.062-05:00"Car Less" or "Car Free"?As you may have already read from my last post, I have jumped into the world of renting my car out using <a href="https://relayrides.com/car-rental/atlanta/mazda-mazda3/49574" target="_blank">RelayRides</a> on Friday, and am now without a car for the upcoming week!<br />
<br />
So, how has it been going so far?<br />
<br />
Well, it's certainly been an adventure. For starters, my fiance is still getting used to the idea, and seems at times, a bit surprised and forgets I don't have a car this week. On Sunday night I set my alarm an extra half hour earlier than usual, and when he asked why, I had to remind him that MARTA (oh, such a joy to ride!) is none too quick.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, I have to say I've found the experience more freeing than anything else. The weather has been ideal this week, making my 4.5 mile bicycle ride (each way!) to the train station rather stress free. I have a desk job, so it's fairly important that I'm not drenched in sweat when I arrive.<br />
<br />
My commute time is longer now, that is true, but I have the pleasure of knowing I'm actually multitasking while I bike to the train station; I am getting from Point A to Point B, <b>exercising</b>, and reducing my impact on the environment! Since running and fitness are always top of my mind, this is a significant benefit. I even decided another way to look at what I'm getting paid is that I'm 1), covering the cost of owning my car each day it's rented out, and 2), I'm getting paid to exercise!<br />
<br />
Looking at it like that may not be useful to everyone, but it has helped me, especially since I already make a good living. I have a steady, full-time job in corporate America and don't actually need the extra money from renting my car out.<br />
<br />
<i>So, why do it?</i><br />
<br />
The extra cash is great as is helping to preserve our environment, but neither of those is my driving motivation. Mainly, I enjoy <b>trying new things</b>,<b> escaping my comfort zone</b> and<b> finding new ways to make money</b>. Renting out my car is affording me all of those opportunities.<br />
<br />
Renting on RelayRides and being Car Free is not new to me. I experimented with ditching my car entirely for about 5 months a couple of years ago.<br />
<br />
<i>While living in Atlanta. </i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/960/img/photos/2013/11/21/91/3a/112213_Toll_ending_ba07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/960/img/photos/2013/11/21/91/3a/112213_Toll_ending_ba07.JPG" height="186" width="320" /></a>If you've ever visited Atlanta, you know it's not what you would call a walker or biker's paradise and has some of the worst traffic in the country. In addition to that, according to a <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2015/03/25/atlantans-have-the-longest-commute-in-entire-u-s.html" target="_blank">new report</a> released by the Metropolitan Policy Program at <span style="color: black;">Brookings Institution</span>, Atlantans also have the longest commute in the country. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Still, this was possible for me for a few reasons:<br />
<br />
1. I lived within 2 miles of work<br />
2. I had a great support network - family that lived nearby that didn't mind giving me the occasional ride!<br />
3. I was in the middle of the city.<br />
<br />
Still, I gave up the experiment after a few months and bought a new car. At this point, I don't believe it's practical to live in Atlanta without a car, but going without for occasional stretches of time, now that, I can do. <br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-12710055574466238472015-04-24T09:11:00.002-05:002015-04-24T09:12:24.286-05:00Foray into RelayRidesI made the leap of faith, so to speak, and rented my car through RelayRides for the first time today. I've been meaning to try out RelayRides for some time now. Basically, it's a service that connects people that have a spare vehicle/one that they don't need to use all the time, directly with renters. RelayRides runs each potential renters' driving record and credit before approving them and also requires certain information from the owners. Then the owner can list their car for rent at whatever price they think is appropriate. RelayRides also provides a $1M insurance policy so the owner doesn't have to worry about liability. <br />
<br />
I thought about trying it a couple of years ago and got cold feet worrying about the renter. This time, I decided I would jump in with both feet. <br />
<br />
Here's the <a href="https://relayrides.com/car-rental/atlanta/mazda-mazda3/49574">link</a> to my car listed on RelayRides. <br />
<br />
I relisted my car a few days ago (you can deactivate/reactivate your listing as desired), and tried to set the rental price at something I knew would be enough to make it worthwhile for me. I commute about 10 miles each way to work, so going without a car is not super simple. <br />
<br />
In Atlanta the public transportation system is called MARTA and is mediocre at best. We have a small subway system with a line that runs North-South and one going West-East. And then a bunch of bus systems. <br />
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My job is only about 1/2 a mile from one of the subway stations, but my house is a good 2-3 miles away...which is where things get a little tricky. To do this, I would have to <b>commit</b> to actually using my bicycle. I've been thinking about it for a while, but it's sort of scary to challenge the status quo.<br />
<br />
So, I listed my car for an amount I thought would actually entice me to rent it out. $39/day, $175/week and $600/month. RelayRides takes a 25% cut of those amounts, so my actual "take home" amount would be $29.25/day, $131.25/week, or $450/month. My monthly costs over the last year, excluding depreciation (which wouldn't really be relevant for car sharing purposes since I would have it either way by virtue of owning a car) were as follows:<br />
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I didn't include a car payment since my car is paid off. <br />
<br />
So, in simple terms, I would have a free car if I brought in $219/month in RelayRide rent, so I could average renting it about a week per month, at the daily rate, two weeks per month at the weekly rate or 6 months per year at the monthly rate. <br />
<br />
As it happened, my first renter travels back and forth from California for work and needed the car for at least a week. It happened pretty quick - he put in a request yesterday morning, we talked via RelayRides and on the phone, and once the logistics were figured out, all that was left was to figure out a good meeting point this morning! <br />
<br />
I had to drag my booty out of bed earlier than I like today to clean out the car. I was traveling for work yesterday until about 10pm, which made it impossible to prepare the car ahead of time. I made sure all my personal stuff was out, gave it a quick wash (the car wash wasn't open early enough to take it in!) and stuffed my bicycle into the car (yay for hatchbacks!) before I headed out. <br />
<br />
The renter and I chatted for a while, I verified who he was to his driver's license, checked the car for damage and mileage levels, and then he was on his way. As far as first impressions go, he seemed nice and I feel pretty good about this rental experience. He works in the television industry and was listed on IMdB!<br />
<br />
I'm excited about being car free for a while and expanding my horizons, while making a few bucks. Hopefully I'll have good things to report once I get the car back.<br />
<br />
Has anybody else tried out RelayRides? You can share your impressions or experiences in a comment below. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-64640101677393345772014-04-14T14:26:00.000-05:002015-10-27T09:40:40.531-05:0050 State Marathon Progress<br />
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<h2>
50 State Marathon Journey</h2>
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The map above shows the states I've run a marathon in so far. I've completed a marathon in <b>27 states</b> so far, and based on the races I am signed up for so far, I should have 1 more completed by the end of 2015!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-49938088185501819622013-09-23T15:07:00.001-05:002013-09-23T15:07:04.965-05:00Quad Cities Marathon Race ReportThe whole experience of travelling to and participating in marathon (or beyond) #16, and state #11 was even better than I could have hoped. This race took me to Moline, IL, a city with a population of about 44K. Moline is part of the Quad Cities, which in addition to Moline, includes Rock Island, IL as well as Bettendorf and Davenport, IA. The cities are separated by the Mississippi River. The idea of running through 4 cities, over a purported 3 bridges (we actually crossed more than that), and in 2 states, was quite the appealing slogan. That, along with a reasonable flight price, and I was sold. <br />
<br />
I flew up to the Quad Cities airport (direct flight, hallelujah!) on Saturday morning, seamlessly retrieved my rental vehicle and was up to packet pick-up at the i Wireless center (a large concert hall venue in Moline) in no more than 15 minutes. One thing that I love about small to mid-sized cities - traffic isn't an issue. There was ample parking, and I could have easily been in and out of the expo in 5-10 minutes. I had plenty of time, though, so I checked out the vendors. Not a huge expo like the massive RnR marathon expos, but very respectable with plenty of stuff. Had a sample of beer, got a free race themed bandanna and got my wicking race shirt (not a true tech tee, but still seemed nice). <br />
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<br />
The weather was perfect on both Saturday and race day with a low of 45 and a high of 72 degrees. I spent the afternoon getting a taste for the local flair, by visiting the John Deere Pavilion, which was essentially a hands-on museum showcasing the John Deere equipment of old and new, with many accessible for you to climb into and lots of explanations and videos. It was much more interesting than I expected. After failing at finding something from the gift store that I thought anybody would want (after all, I don't know too many stereotypically southern people or farmers), I headed to a Greek Festival in the area. The festival was nice - I enjoyed the weather, had some traditional Greek food like baklava, watched Greek dancers and got an hour long presentation/tour of the Greek Orthodox church. <br />
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Below: Inside the Greek Orthodox Church<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ85GZkjkyW3B1yoL0ptwneLRpzrX9jyJGnYtpUtzJcYf3flPuHbmKDKZ1KxGMmm4A7P1v0M9WqSPnMF490T7dyHBk5UOkcIkwN59sHo3LMAfSWKhmcxb1fCntB4tt7cZrBMa4t-EXF1Eo/s1600/QC+Marathon+Greek+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ85GZkjkyW3B1yoL0ptwneLRpzrX9jyJGnYtpUtzJcYf3flPuHbmKDKZ1KxGMmm4A7P1v0M9WqSPnMF490T7dyHBk5UOkcIkwN59sHo3LMAfSWKhmcxb1fCntB4tt7cZrBMa4t-EXF1Eo/s320/QC+Marathon+Greek+Church.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Getting to my hotel was a challenge. At this point my phone battery (and thus my directions) was almost dead, and I still needed to get there. Well, I missed a turn onto the interstate I needed (since it told me too late to turn), and ended up taking a joyride of over 25 miles..apparently, they don't believe in interstate exits in Illinois/Iowa. The interstates would go on for 6-10 miles before there was an exit at all. Finally I had to pull over, write down the directions before my phone died completely, and made an illegal u-turn. <br />
<br />
Despite this minor setback, I made it! I stayed at an affordable little hotel, an Econolodge. It was much better than I expected, so I was pretty happy, and they started serving breakfast at 5:30am, so I wouldn't have to search for breakfast on race day!<br />
<span id="goog_1061535049"></span><span id="goog_1061535050"></span><br />
For the evening I went to the pasta dinner ($10 for one trip, $15 unlimited). I wasn't overly impressed with the food, but that wasn't why I originally went. I was travelling by myself, so I wanted to feel like part of a group and meet people. Also, Dane Rauschenberg was speaking, who I met previously at the Georgia Marathon expo, and whose book I read. I got to meet Molly Reel, a woman who also spoke on behalf of Compassion International, a charity organization dedicated to helping children in foreign countries - essentially a (Christian) child sponsorship program. She'd visited one of the children she sponsors, which was pretty neat. This was her first marathon, which she successfully completed. <br />
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To the left: Dane Rauschenberg<br />
<br />
My evening went well, and I was in bed sometime between 10-11pm. I slept great, which is unusual before a big race. I guess I wasn't too concerned. I had been reading my inspirational books (for many reasons), and I think that helped me to relax. <br />
<br />
Breakfast at the hotel was an english muffin with butter and a biscuit and gravy. I was a mere 10 minute drive from the marathon, but to avoid any stress I headed that way well in advance, and was parked and ready to go at around 6:40AM. Gear check was inside their bus station, so I stayed warm there until around 7. Took care of my business - which, they had a line at the porta-potties, but not a bad line - only took me about 10 minutes to get through it. The race was a fair size, but there were no corrals, and the race start was with the 5K, half marathon, marathon relay and marathon all together. Different, and somewhat crowded at the beginning, but it thinned out within a couple of miles. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-19431746345126458022013-06-24T22:41:00.001-05:002013-06-24T22:41:24.420-05:00Possible Change of FocusI've been very focused on my long races - my marathons and beyond - for a while now. There may be a slight change in my priorities coming up. I'm probably going to start running more shorter races - 5Ks, 10Ks. This is due not in a small part to my (fairly new) boyfriend, Malachi. He's a runner as well, but a new one, so he's been doing 5Ks, and is happy to do those with me. I expect he'll start doing 10Ks soon as well, and has long-term plans of doing a marathon with me (his suggestion, not mine). In the meantime, though, I prefer doing shorter races with him than longer races by myself. I have some I've already signed up for, of course, which I still need to honor. I don't do well dropping out of races just because. <br />
<br />
My upcoming (long) races are:<br />
<br />
Merrill's Mile - 24 hour race - Dahlonega, GA - July 6-7<br />
This is a tough one in that this is the weekend I would have to spend with my angel, but instead I'll be doing this. Ah, well. He's going to drive me to and from there, which is super sweet.<br />
<br />
Make it Before Midnight - Marathon - Macon, GA - July 13th<br />
Sadly, I don't think I'll be seeing Malachi this weekend (my birthday weekend). He has a daughter whom he has every other weekend. We aren't at the point where I've met her, and probably won't be for a while.<br />
<br />
Then I have a couple of races in October, but those are too far off to worry about. <br />
<br />
We're going to do the 5K/10K on July 4th in Hampton together, which should be fun. <br />
<br />
Anyways, I digress. I'm focusing on my shorter distances. And quickly getting faster (again). I've done 5 shorter races so far this year. Breakdown of results and pace below. <br />
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<col style="mso-width-alt: 1353; mso-width-source: userset; width: 28pt;" width="37"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 1901; mso-width-source: userset; width: 39pt;" width="52"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 3291; mso-width-source: userset; width: 68pt;" width="90"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 1938; mso-width-source: userset; width: 40pt;" width="53"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 2742; mso-width-source: userset; width: 56pt;" width="75"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td class="xl68" height="17" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 206pt;" width="275">Name</td>
<td class="xl68" style="width: 62pt;" width="82">Date</td>
<td class="xl68" style="width: 28pt;" width="37"> </td>
<td class="xl68" style="width: 39pt;" width="52">Time</td>
<td class="xl68" style="width: 68pt;" width="90">Pace</td>
<td class="xl68" style="width: 40pt;" width="53">Overall</td>
<td class="xl68" style="width: 56pt;" width="75">Age Group</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Daffodil Dash 5K</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">3/3/2013</td>
<td></td>
<td class="xl66">26:50</td>
<td class="xl69">8:37:41</td>
<td>36/190</td>
<td class="xl67">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Healing for Haiti 5K - McDonough - GSG</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">5/25/2013</td>
<td></td>
<td class="xl66">26:15</td>
<td class="xl69">8:26:26</td>
<td>10/112</td>
<td class="xl67">2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Chick-fil-A Connect Series Macon 10K</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">5/27/2013</td>
<td></td>
<td class="xl66">56:35</td>
<td class="xl69">9:05:49</td>
<td>43/98</td>
<td class="xl67">2</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Quinlan's 5K Water Run - McDonough - GSG</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">6/22/2013</td>
<td class="xl65"></td>
<td class="xl66">25:15</td>
<td class="xl69">8:07:08</td>
<td>22/121</td>
<td class="xl67">1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Summer Splash 5K - Griffin</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">6/22/2013</td>
<td class="xl65"></td>
<td class="xl66">25:19</td>
<td class="xl69">8:08:25</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
<td class="xl67">1</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-42507237173463897202013-04-27T21:56:00.001-05:002013-04-27T21:56:05.457-05:00Garmin Marathon in the Land of Oz - Race Report<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<u> </u></h2>
<b>April 20, 2013</b><br />
<b>Marathon #10 / Marathon (or beyond) #12 / State #8</b><br />
<b>Finish Time: 4:28:16 (3rd fastest)</b><br />
<b>Place in Marathon: 377/685</b><br />
<a href="http://www.olathe.org/sports/marathon/" target="_blank"><b>Garmin Marathon Link</b></a><br />
<br />
First and foremost, let me just say that in addition to being in the top three finishing times for me, this was in the top three as my most enjoyable marathon - including the entire experience of the pasta dinner, the race itself and visiting Kansas City, MO.<br />
<br />
The only big negative had nothing to do with the marathon and everything to do with poor preparation and planning on my part. That is, I missed my flight to Kansas City on Friday morning. I found out later that a number of security personnel at the Hartsfield Airport had been laid off, with Friday being the first day that went into effect...so, lines were extra long. And I just got there too late. Still, I was happy to get there on the next flight, only having missed a couple of hours I would have had in KC.<br />
<br />
Having heard how flat and barren KC and Olathe would be, since they are in the great plains, I was pleasantly surprised to see there were gentle rolling hills (small, but there) and plenty of trees. I'm from Atlanta and so I'm used to running on hills and Lots of trees. Kansas City (and Olathe) seemed like nice cities. The people I encountered all seemed exceptionally friendly. This included the people working security/shuttle/rental car counters at the airport as well as all the volunteers and police officers assisting during the actual race.<br />
<br />
As just a little background, Olathe is about 45 minutes from the KC airport and is basically a suburb of KC. This was the 12th/13th (can't remember which) running of the marathon. The race starts and ends at the Garmin headquarters in Olathe. The race theme is the Wizard of Oz - they embrace it fully, with the finisher's medal this year featuring the Tin Man. (Picture to come soon)<br />
<br />
I got a rental car from Dollar after I arrived. This was my first experience with this rental company, and not one I would soon repeat. The car they gave me had numerous scratches and a dent I had to make them aware of, all of which could have been overlooked had the steering wheel not shook uncontrollably at spends in excess of 55mph. Totally ridiculous - and it did it so much that my arm got sore trying to hold onto it. Of course by the time I realized it I didn't want to go all the way back.<br />
<br />
In KC, I checked out a highly rated little bistro/lunch place called Gennessee Royale Bistro, where I had their potato cheese soup and a chicken salad sandwich. Both were very good and I recommend, although it was pricey for what it was.<br />
<br />
I also checked out the Toy and Miniature Museum in KC. It was only $7 to go into and very extensive. I'm a big kid at heart, so this was extra special to me. Needless to say, I got lots of pictures of dollhouses and miniatures. Fun stuff.<br />
<br />
It was an easy drive to Olathe where I checked into the Candlewood Suites. My room had a full kitchen, which was awesome, and they even offered on site laundry and free DVD 'rentals.' I would definitely stay there again. It was helpful too since I had a toaster for my bagels before the race - beats what I'm used to (chewy bagels on a butterfly ridden stomach isn't so tasty). <br />
<br />
Packet pick-up was uneventful, but fine. Pasta dinner that night was fantastic. Scott Jurek was the keynote speaker. I'll say now that I have (of course) bought his book. I had read about him and knew he is an ultramarathon icon from the book <i>Born to Run</i>, but I had not yet read his book. I met some cool people at the pasta dinner as well, which was the best. In the past I have gotten lonely for races I travel to by myself, so this was a nice change and break from my norm. Night was relaxing. Watched <i>Click</i> with Adam Sandler and slept soundly. <br />
<br />
I woke up pumped up for the race and wide awake, even having only gotten 6/6 1/2 hours of sleep. Up with plenty of time to take care of business and eat <b>2 </b>bagels with lots of cream cheese. <br />
<br />
I got to the race with plenty of time (my hotel was only about 2 miles from the start/finish) and stayed in my cozy car until about 10 minutes before the start. It was in the low 30 degrees at race start, so the longer I could stay inside, the better! <br />
<br />
Race start had a hot air balloon, keeping with the Wizard of Oz theme, which I really liked. National Anthem moved me more than usual, with the Boston Marathon having happened that week - and a number of the marathoners had been at Boston the week before. It was very quiet in rememberance/honor of the victims as well as solidarity as Americans. <br />
<br />
During the race I stuck with the 4:20 pace group from the get go. Figured I wouldn't finish with them (I tend to take bathroom breaks, and haven't been running that pace for a while), but it was a good time to aspire to for the beginning. I also wanted to chit chat with people again. I met and talked to a guy named Cornell until about mile 9, which really made the time go by quickly. Nice guy, lived in the Kansas City area, but from Romania originally. He was running his first marathon, and I'm happy to say he did fantastically! He finished around 4:26 (I finished in 4:28). <br />
<br />
Try as I might, I couldn't catch back up to the 4:20 group after my 5+ minute bathroom break (there was a line). And, of course, I had to stop once more around mile 16. There was fantastic support on the course - lots of people cheering throughout. I've become fond of running without earphones, and when I do I feel much more connected to other people. I'm also very grateful for all of the supporters on the course and did my best to thank them for their support/coming out. The course itself was beautiful. The 2nd half was run on a wooded biking/running paved trail about 12' across, which I really enjoyed.<br />
<br />
I felt strong for this race - and that was sort of my mantra. I wanted to finish in a good time (anything under 4:40 would be good to me, and under 4:30 would be awesome) and was very focused. I recited, silly as it may sound, "Strong, gentle, light, fast" over and over in my head. Sometimes I found I was mouthing/whispering it aloud unconsciously. It was a good reminder as well as affirmation. And I finished just that way, having sped up from my pace up until mile 19ish (10:23) to the end (10:15). <br />
<br />
Finish was great, with free (good) beer (Bud Light Platinum, Shock Top, etc), pasta and mac & cheese. Medals were great Wizard of Oz theme - shape of a heart with the tin man - and the 2nd largest I've received to date (only surpassed by the Disney marathon). Also received a tech shirt after finishing (on top of the cotton shirt!). Very nice swag. <br />
<br />
This was one of my very favorite races (and my 3rd best time!), and I look forward to coming back to run this one again in the future. Still waiting on pictures to be posted, but once I see them I'll see about adding a couple here.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-79427677505944135322013-04-27T21:38:00.005-05:002013-04-27T21:38:46.913-05:00King's Mountain Marathon<h2>
<b>King's Mountain Marathon</b></h2>
<b>Time: 5:01:14 (# 65/94 Finishers)</b><br />
<b>Marathon: 11 Marathon/Beyond: 13</b><br />
<b>State: 9 - South Carolina - King's Mountain National Park</b><br />
<a href="http://www.kingsmountainmarathon.com/index.html" target="_blank">Link to King's Mountain Website</a><br />
<br />
Race and race day turned out to be much better than I expected coming into the King's Mountain Marathon. There were *more* people than I expected - that is, it <i>looked</i> like there were more since I generally had people around me, unlike some marathons I've run with more runners and still being by myself for miles on end. The weather was threatening rain all day and we only saw the briefest of sprinkles during the race. <br />
<br />
And, the company couldn't be beat. Which partially explains my slow time. My mom and I were running this marathon together this time (that is, we were both participating- we never run the whole thing together since we have different paces). We met a very sweet girl, Allison, around mile 2. Soon she was joined by a guy named Tim, equally nice and fun to talk to. Our little foursome continued on this way, chit chatting at an *easy* (really easy for me, I kept slowing down to make sure my mom could stick with us as I could tell she struggled a bit up the hills) pace until around mile 12. <br />
<br />
Elevation chart for the marathon - note the scale:<br />
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<a href="http://api.mapmyfitness.com/3.1/routes/view_route_elevation?route_id=62089412&consumer_key=b513571b80685c74fa95b7755d916c24048889df4&graph_border_color=FFFFFF&graph_background_color=FFFFFF&graph_color=ff3df9&graph_shadow_color=FFFFFF&schema=custom&shadow_levels=0&foreground_levels=0&width=595&height=175.0&units=imperial" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://api.mapmyfitness.com/3.1/routes/view_route_elevation?route_id=62089412&consumer_key=b513571b80685c74fa95b7755d916c24048889df4&graph_border_color=FFFFFF&graph_background_color=FFFFFF&graph_color=ff3df9&graph_shadow_color=FFFFFF&schema=custom&shadow_levels=0&foreground_levels=0&width=595&height=175.0&units=imperial" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
At that point we ran into the first of <i>two</i> port-o-potties on the course. Yes, there really were only two. We carried tissue paper in case of emergencies. It's pretty normal for me to go at least 3 times during a marathon...luckily, my stomach held out and I was fine just using the two on the course. <br />
<br />
After mile 12, I was on my own for about 3 miles until I caught back up with Tim (I had to stop and wait in a nice line for the port-o-potty). We hung together until around mile 20, chatting away at a compromising pace (slower for me, faster for him). The scenery along the way was nice and rural (my favorite kind). The landscape during the entire race was <i>very hilly</i>. And these were steep hills. I'd be interested in knowing the total elevation gain, as I expect it was high. Additionally, there was a Very significant portion of the race (I won't guess at the miles as I didn't pay close enough attention) run on gravel. I am not experienced in running on gravel, but suffice it to say, it's much more difficult than paved road.<br />
<br />
In any case, pretty, but difficult course. The people couldn't be beat. Made great friends out there. There was one woman that finished the marathon with her <i>dog! </i>A little terrier (couldn't have been more than 25 pounds and he ran the whole way without any problem!). I'm happy to say he also got a medal. <br />
<br />
Before I finish this up, just a couple of more notes about the logistics. Race day packet pick-up was available (which we did). Major plus. No marathon cut-off - major plus for my mom, who doesn't like the pressure of finishing in a certain time. Cotton shirts, not tech, but it was a small low-key marathon. I'm happy with my shirt, which is a girl's cut and has a v-neck (which I really like). Medal was hand crafted - fits the theme of running in a rural area and in a national park, as it is a piece of bark with the name and race burned into the wood. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
This marathon takes the cake for the slowest marathon I've ever run. Not something I love to say, but it was also a lot of fun. Additionally, I'm confident that I could have run it faster if I had wanted to, but socializing was <i>so</i> much more fun. I split up with Tim at mile 20 to try to gain some speed and get under 5 hours. Too little too late, I suppose. I'm still happy with how I did. It was tough and I did what I hoped - I had fun, I finished, knocking off another state on my way to all 50, and, most importantly, I'm still injury free (knee soreness/minor pain notwithstanding). Success! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-70843854280599626812013-04-15T10:07:00.004-05:002013-04-15T10:07:45.180-05:0052 in 52 GoalI'm in the planning stages of the 52 in 52 goal (52 marathons in 52 weeks). I will certainly not be the first, but I plan on doing it just the same. I would like to raise money for a worthy cause like so many before me. Not sure exactly how to do that, but maybe I can talk to people that have and get some tips. I love researching people that have done this and the races I would get to run, not to mention the logistics (cost, places). Of course, we'll see how it all goes - I'd be happy to do the 52 in 52 with or without a fantastic cause to raise tons of money for.<br />
<br />
I met one of the famous 52 in 52 runners in person at the Georgia Marathon expo this year - Dane Rauschenberg. His blog is <a href="http://danerunsalot.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
<br />
This is all in the works. For now I guess I should get through the extensive list of marathons I'm running this summer (7 so far between now and my birthday in mid-July). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-12475160479285867482012-12-28T19:24:00.002-06:002012-12-28T19:24:26.219-06:00Jumping back on the bandwagonAfter a long hiatus with barely any running, I am getting back into the swing of things now. I'm ready to get back in shape, speed up my running and prepare for the run of my life (to date). That is, I'm currently scoping out a 100 mile race to do this summer (sometime between May-July). I find I'm easily bored and need a new challenge, so this will be perfect for me. <br />
<br />
I've done a couple of races this month, as noted in my completed/upcoming races posts, but those were basically done without any training runs. And my times showed it. My last race was the Atlanta Christmas 5K in Virginia Highlands (an area close to where I live in Atlanta), and my time was abysmal. It was a difficult day for a run, with lots of hills, windy conditions and only about 28 degrees! Add that to the fact that I haven't been running and my weight has been steadily climbing since April, and it's not a pretty picture. My chip time was 27:47, which put me at 22/126 in the F25-29 group, which as it turns out, was the largest number for a single age group! Huge race. <br />
<br />
My mom's time was 30:25, 16/63 in F45-49 group. <br />
<br />
Since then I've run three more times, my most recent run being into town from my family's lakehouse - an 11.4 mile run today. Making progress!<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-414993163839599302012-11-06T18:06:00.001-06:002012-11-06T18:19:51.268-06:00Freedom's Run Marathon Race ReportFreedom's Run Marathon was in (mostly) ideal conditions. Beautiful, but cold, day. Started at 30 degrees and never got much above 50, which worked out since I could wear my jacket the whole time. Ran this race accompanied by both my SO and my mother. It was the SO's 1st marathon ever (a tough one to start with!), and my mom's 3rd. <br />
<br />
Spent Thursday night driving up through the night, as it was a 10 hour drive from Atlanta. Yuck. I only got about 2 hours of sleep in the car (as did everybody else), so it was a testament to how nice the town was that we managed to enjoy it on Friday anyways. The hotel we stayed in was very accomodating in that they allowed us to check in as soon as we arrived (around 10AM!), so they get 5 stars from me. <br />
<br />
Enjoyed checking out the little town. It was a cute little college town with a lot of nice restaurants and boutique type stores. My mom found some great vintage consignment clothes and I found a lovely yarn store (I enjoy knitting). The food was pricier than I expected, but I suppose that's because of the college type of atmosphere and the fact that, although a tiny little place, apparently Shepherdstown, WV is considered a touristy place! <br />
<br />
The race expo was mostly just a packet pick-up. There were a couple of vendors, but nothing too exciting, which was fine since we were pretty exhausted at that point. <br />
<br />
Race itself was a point-to-point marathon that started quite a ways from Shepherdstown (ending in Shepherdstown), so there were shuttle buses (school buses!) to the start, leaving at 5:30 AM. Early wake-up call, but that's typical and wasn't a downside to me. <br />
<br />
The marathon and half marathon are on entirely different courses, so we started the race at 7AM, just with other marathon racers, which was great. No start corrals or anything, as this was a small(ish) race. <br />
<br />
Now, the race itself. GORGEOUS. My favorite race in terms of scenery, bar none, including all the smaller races I've ever done. Ran through 4 (or 5, we got different amounts from different people) state/federal parks. Ran really far downhill within the first few miles, which I greatly enjoyed - I fly down the hills, no braking for me, unlike most of the other runners. Went over a beautiful bridge, then spent a good 10 miles running along the C&O canal over dirt roads, and then ran along the roads to Antietem. I loved running through Antietem, with all of the history there. The killer hills were there, though. More like mini-mountains, really. It was almost impossible to run most of them, so I tried to make up time by flying down the backside of them. Hills just kept on coming until around mile 24 (monster ones stopped around mile 21, but there were still rolling ones after that). Then there were a few miles through a town, which I considered the worst - the scenery of the town was cute, but the course had us on a little side of the road - no lane shut down or anything - which wasn't fun. Gave me extra incentive to speed up, though! The race finish was inside the Shepherdstown football stadium, which was a cute touch. No cheering crowds to be found, though, so make sure you can be your own cheerleader. <br />
<br />
I finished in 4:36:58. I was 15/31 in my age group (F20-29) and 230/371 overall. <br />
<br />
The race swag was pretty good - long sleeve technical shirt, which I really like (I'll try to post a picture later). The medal is sort of odd and nothing neat looking like I'm used to, but fine. The race itself makes up for anything lacking in the actual medal. <br />
<br />
If this race were not so far away, I would Definitely put this on my yearly schedule. I hope to do it again someday anyways!<br />
<br />
Overall: 5/5Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-74682943768649403952012-10-10T14:09:00.000-05:002012-10-10T14:09:00.582-05:00Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathonthings weren't looking too bright for this race as I drove in that morning. It was pouring rain. Send since I have never run a race of any significant distance in the rain, paired with the fact that any sort of moisture (generally my sweat) caused a ridiculous amount of chaffing for me - everywhere- this put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm. I even considered backing out and just driving the >3 hours home. Considered. I didn't want to feel like this:<br />
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Still my conscience wouldn't allow me to do that - nor would the weather. Although I arrived for packet pick-up a good hour before the race, I ended up scrambling around until the last five minutes. First it was the bathroom. I overlooked the port-a-potties in the dark and rainy conditions. Found a Kroger a little ways down. Then I decided I should find a poncho so that I might have a chance of getting through the race with or without rain. They didn't have one, but directed me to Wal-Mart, where I purchased a $0.92 poncho. </div>
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The field of participants was small, but not nearly as small as it would get after the half marathoners split up from us. There wasn't much fanfare before the start, which was fine with me. I happily conversed with a fellow marathoner from the Atlanta area running his 20th marathon before the race started. He went on to get 2nd place in the grandmaster's division. There was a good turnout of Marathon Maniacs, two of whom I got to talk to during the race - Troy and Cathie Johnson. Those two have achieve Titanium level (level 10!) in the marathon maniacs, after running 33 marathons in a year (30 marathons in 30 different states within a year will get you to that level). Troy and Cathie are a "mature" married couple. Through our conversation I learned that they've been running marathons for 15/16 years, this was their 163 marathon, that they've done every marathon together (so sweet!) and finished running all 50 states and DC in 2002. They were a very nice couple, so I look forward to seeing them at future events. </div>
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<a href="http://www.marathonmaniacsdb.com/Maniacs/images/MM%20logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 163px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 183px;"><img border="0" height="174" nea="true" src="http://www.marathonmaniacsdb.com/Maniacs/images/MM%20logo.gif" width="200" /></a>The best part of the race/benefit after the race? I qualified to join the <a href="http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/" target="_blank">Marathon Maniacs!</a>! I'm entry level (Bronze) for now, but not for too long. My number is 5908.</div>
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I ran 2 marathons in 8 days. Entry level requires 2 marathons in 16 days or 3 marathons in 90 days. <br />
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As for the race itself, I enjoyed it, although it wasn't easy. Running a marathon the week after another takes its toll on your body. Nonetheless, I managed to speed up my time on this one over last week's race, finishing in 4:35:49.</div>
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<a href="http://www.southerntennesseemarathon.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon</strong></a></div>
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<strong><u>Course Rating</u></strong></div>
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Course: 3.0/5.0</div>
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Organization: 5.0/5.0</div>
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Fans: 3.7/5.0</div>
Swag: 4.7/5.0<br />
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Overall: 4.1/5.0</div>
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<strong><u>Course</u></strong></div>
The course itself was okay. The biggest downside was a long 5-6 miles stretch on a four lane highway. I understand the whole course can't necessarily be beautiful, but it was pretty boring and dreary out there, and at the time we reached that area (roughly Miles 5-11) the half marathoners had just split off from us, so there weren't many people to run near. Most of the rest of the course was run on little back roads, through country neighborhoods, which was cute and pleasant. The course support was astounding. There were police officers/firefighters/volunteers blocking almost every intersection! Many of them were very encouraging, which made up for the lack of actual spectators on the course. The biggest downside to the course was that there were many areas where the road was very sloped, which I found very difficult to run on. Additionally, there were aid stations with water and gatorade (and oranges later in the course) every two miles - and every aid station had a port-o-potty! <br />
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<strong><u>Organization</u></strong><br />
Details for the event were well communicated on the website and in a pre-race email that was sent a couple of days prior to the event. Additionally, packet pick-up was quick and easy (there were only 115 marathon finishers so no congestion there!). I didn't go to an expo or anything, so I can't comment on that. They also allowed you to change your shirt size, which was a nice perk that isn't always offered. The course was easy to follow with assistance/signage at all the turns. I was really surprised at how well-organized everything was even after reading reviews about how nice a job they do in this regard. Additionally, the race results were posted within a day online. <br />
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<strong><u>Fans</u></strong><br />
There weren't many actual fans/spectators out on the course, however, there were an extensive number of volunteers who served as cheerleaders throughout the course. There were a couple of places with high schoolers cheering us on that was very nice. Additionally, the police officers and firefighters directing and blocking traffic offered support much of the time. I would have liked more support at the finish line, though. There were only a couple of people clapping for any given finisher at a time. It would have been nice to have some volunteers there just to bring a bit more excitement to the end. The guy I met before the race that got 2nd place in the grandmasters went the wrong way with less than .2 of a mile to go - if there had a been a cheering crowd, I doubt that would have happened...just an illustration of how quiet it was.<br />
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<strong><u>Swag</u></strong><br />
Loved the swag. I haven't taken a picture yet, but I'll post it when I do. I did find one online - below it shows both the half and full marathon medals, and that's the swag bag, not the shirt. Received a nice green long sleved tech shirt. Came in men and women's cuts. Only improvement I would recommend there would be to make one just for the marathon. The medal is <em>heavy. </em>Also received a hat. <br />
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<strong><u>Overall</u></strong><br />
I enjoyed this race and would do it again, albeit probably not until I've run many other races, and only because it's convenient. For others I would recommend this race if the schedule/location works out for you or you just want to knock off Tennessee, but I wouldn't necessarily travel just for this race outside of that. <br />
The best part of this race were all the friendly volunteers and fellow marathoners.<br />
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Five marathons down and three more on my "immediate" list, starting this weekend in West Virginia! I'm super excited about this one because it will be my boyfriend's (Julius) first marathon. Additionally, my mom will be joining us - yay for help splitting up the 10 hour drive! - for her 3rd marathon. Julius like Civil War history so he wanted to do this one, and I'm stoked to be running through Antietum and <em>four</em> national parks, too. <br />
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To get pumped up about the West Virginia Freedom's Run, we watched a documentary called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_and_Wonderful_Whites_of_West_Virginia" target="_blank">The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia</a>. It was about the most redneck, southern trash family you could find. They followed them for a year. This is an exaggeration, but seemed like about half of them died - mainly from fights/shootings. Notorious for sure. So now we're ready to go to hickville, haha! My grandfather on my dad's side and his whole family is from WV, so I guess I'm getting in touch with my roots.<br />
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In other news, the underside of my right foot, close to my arch, was acting up during the entire STP marathon, and only got worse after, so I haven't run at all this week. I'm still recovering. I may try to get a run in tonight, informal medical advice from my family be damned. We'll see. I hate sitting around for too long. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-54514523613138325442012-10-04T16:31:00.002-05:002012-10-04T16:31:22.767-05:00Rearing and Ready to Go Somewhat impulsively, I decided to sign up for the Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon for this Saturday. It's a tiny marathon (last year there were only 60 finishers in the marathon!) in Winchester, TN (a place I've never heard of), between Chattanooga and Nashville. An additional upside is that I have a friend in Chattanooga who I may be able to visit before or after the race if our schedules end up meshing. <br />
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After my marathon on Saturday, I decided I would try running a short distance the day after the race, as I heard suggested somewhere through the grapevine that this could reduce soreness. I ran only about 2 1/2 miles on the treadmill Sunday, but I felt Much better on Monday, surprisingly enough. Hence, by Tuesday I felt mostly recovered and decided another marathon was in order! <br />
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I plan on approaching this marathon much the same way as the last one - to enjoy the process and treat it as a training run, rather than a race. Although I would like to go faster than the last one, because of course improvement is important to me, I don't plan on beating myself up either way. My goal is to improve my training and finish the race successfully, without any injuries. <br />
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This week I've been taking it easy. I ran the 2.5 miles on Sunday and then 3.5 yesterday, but that's it! I did go to my spin class on Tuesday and today, so I've gotten my cross training in. I honestly don't think running too many miles, at least this week, would be ideal, given that I'm doing another marathon. The three weeks prior to the Shoreline Marathon on Saturday I ran 10, 27 and 21 miles. Yeah, crazy that I went out and ran a marathon with stats like that! <br />
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Now off to get my hair cut and relax for the rest of the evening - or pack! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-16473813093337407782012-10-01T21:47:00.003-05:002012-10-01T21:49:23.795-05:00Shoreline Oktoberfest Marathon - Michigan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having run three marathons before, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from a race. However, even I knew that signing up for a marathon that had all of 133 finishers in 2011 was going to be a big jump for me. To summarize my marathon experience to date:</div>
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January 8th, 2012 Disney World Marathon 13,524 finishers</div>
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April 28th, 2012 Rock 'n Roll Nashville Marathon 3,942 finishers</div>
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June 03, 2012 Rock 'n Roll San Diego Marathon 7,106 finishers</div>
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So, on a whim, after "tentatively" (for those who know me, once I've made a decision and a plan, it's generally pretty set in stone) deciding to run a marathon in all 50 states, I signed up for the <a href="http://www.oktoberfestmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Shoreline Oktoberfest Marathon</a> in Grand Haven, Michigan. I chose this one mainly because I was able to find a flight to Grand Rapids using 25,000 skymiles (rather than 35K/40K), and the timing was right, as I already knew I was taking that Friday off. And, I always use <a href="http://www.marathonguide.com/" target="_blank">marathonguide</a> to figure out if a race is a win. </div>
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My personal rating for this marathon:</div>
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Course: 4.5/5</div>
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Organization: 3/5</div>
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Fans: 3.5/5</div>
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Swag: 4.7/5</div>
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Overall: 4/5</div>
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<b><u>Course</u></b></div>
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I enjoyed this course. It was run around small towns in northern Michigan and through many little neighborhoods, which is something I enjoy seeing. The race was mostly flat, with small hills throughout. To put it in perspective, it was not as flat as Orlando, but not anything like running in Atlanta/Nashville. Certainly closer to Orlando. There were a good number of turns throughout the course. Parts of the course, although not as much as I would have expected, were run along Lake Michigan. The weather was <i>perfect - </i>it started at 47 degrees and couldn't have gotten much above 60 degrees while I was out there (the high for the day was 70). There was a 6 hour time limit which I believe was extended somewhat this year, as I'll explain below. </div>
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<b><u>Organization</u></b></div>
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Although I loved this course, there was a disconnect on the most important part of the organization aspect of this race this year - the <u>course itself</u>. The marathon was first, followed by the half and then a 5K. There were lead cyclists for each race. The lead cyclist for the marathon must have gotten the wrong instructions as we were taken on the first part of the 5K course, which led us to run <b>27.5 miles </b>rather than the appropriate 26.2 (per two of the other participants who ran with their garmins). I will say this, however - the race director was there at the end of the marathon speaking to each finisher individually - apologizing, explaining what happened and that it would be rectified in the future. I appreciated that. </div>
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The one other big thing that needs to be improved is to add a gear check. There was no gear check of any sort. As such, having traveled by myself, I had to run with my rental car keys for the entire race. This is a simple thing, but would help a lot.</div>
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Port-a-potties were plentiful along the course, which was much appreciated. They were located every other water stop (about every 4 miles), and there were probably about 15 at the start. The water stops had plenty of volunteers, who were encouraging and helpful. They served water and gatorade. It's worth noting, that while not necessarily a negative on the race's part, they only have gel at mile 16/18, so it would be prudent to bring your own (which I didn't do!).</div>
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<b><u>Fans</u></b></div>
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There were not many fans on the course, as you might expect when the course is run in small towns (Grand Haven's population is less than 3,000) and only has 150 runners. However, those that were there were very enthusiastic and encouraging. Since it was a small field, the spectators that were there could easily move from place to place so you were able to get encouragement from them every couple of miles. </div>
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The fellow marathoners were also very supportive, which was great. I was able to speak to a couple before and after the race, which was nice since I went there without knowing anybody. It was also common to have a fellow racer say a few words of encouragement as they passed/you passed on the course. </div>
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<b><u>Swag</u></b></div>
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The swag, along with the course, are generally the most important aspects of a race to me, so I felt it deserved its on category. I was highly impressed with the swag in this race. The only improvement I feel could me made is to create a race shirt specific to the marathon, as currently it is the same for the 5K, half and full marathon. However, the medal was Very nice as was the pint glass at the end. </div>
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All in all, I was very satisfied with this marathon. I went into it to have a good time and not to try to PR, but to use it as a training run for my upcoming ultramarathon (Nashville Ultra - 50 miles in November), which it did well. </div>
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<b><u>Performance</u></b></div>
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Finishing time: 5:00:01</div>
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I estimate that my actual "marathon" time would have been more like 4:45 since the course was so much longer than it should have been. Even so, this was my slowest marathon to date. However, I was very pleased as I have not been running the mileage to just get out there and run a marathon (my longest run hasn't been over a half marathon since the end of July). Additionally, it's Monday now, two days later, and I feel okay, not even that sore! If the weather holds up for this weekend I may do another one this Saturday. We'll see how I feel as the week goes on.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0Spring Lake, MI 49456, USA43.0769625 -86.196997143.065364 -86.2167381 43.088561 -86.177256100000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1392359294356885793.post-35355056124646319582012-09-17T13:17:00.001-05:002012-09-17T13:17:19.347-05:00Starting not quite at the beginningI've been running for about a year and a half now, and with the number of races I've done (still to be determined, but probably in the range of 20-40) ranging from 5Ks to marathons, it seems like it's time to start writing about the experiences, if only to help other people choose races. <br />
I love going on marathonguide.com to help pick my marathons (of which I've done three so far), but sometimes a blog is just more interesting, not to mention informative, to follow. I can't promise to be incredibly entertaining, as I've read a fair number of witty and clever blogs. Instead, I want this to be a place to reflect on what I've done as well as provide some feedback on my runs and races. <br />
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Just a bit of background on myself. I live in Atlanta, Georgia and work a demanding job (public accounting doing taxes) that has large peaks and valleys, so I expect there will be stretches during which I won't post, although as this becomes more routine, I'll try to keep them to a minimum. <br />
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I'm 25 and before a year and a half ago had never run, nor aspired to run, any sort of race in my life. I grew up a bookworm and did not play any sports. In fact, I've struggled with my weight most of my life, despite enjoying exercising on a fairly consistent basis. Running has given me an outlet. I consider myself to have somewhat of an "addictive" personality, and running has served to give me something healthy to latch onto. <br />
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Running wise, I aspire to run a marathon in all 50 states. How long that will take has yet to be determined. 3 down (Florida, Tennessee and California), 47 to go! Additionally, I am exploring the world of ultramarathons, and running my first on November 3rd, which will be the Nashville Ultra Marathon of 50 Miles.<br />
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I just ran a local half marathon, the Heroes 1/2 Marathon in Hampton, GA, and will be running the Shoreline Sport & Spine's Oktoberfest Marathon in Spring Lake, MI in two weeks, so I'll provide feedback on those in the coming days and weeks.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07331401860434817324noreply@blogger.com0