2016 Year in Review / 2017 Preview

Last year, we had a fun time reminiscing about our 2015 and making our plans for 2016 around this time. So we decided to do it again!

2016 was a tough year for plenty of people, that's no secret. It seems like there are infinite memes on the Facebook about how much 2016 sucked.

Since we are fans of MMA...
Mr. Marathon's brother is an MMA fighter!

For all the fans of Grey's, Scandal, etc. HAH!

But for us, we actually had a pretty decent year. Let's review, shall we??

Just a collage of some of our fun run-ventures of 2016!

In the winter, we traveled to Charleston in January for the Charleston Marathon (and both hit personal records!), he ran 105 miles in one week for the the What's Your Wall? challenge again, he nailed the rail and I ran it, and we got to do the Martinsville Half Marathon again. Then in spring, participated in the Blue Ridge Marathon & Star K 10K then hopped a plane to BOSTON! Then we had a really busy month of May! In the summer, I did the Runner's World Summer Run Streak (and then some!) and we got to do a new 4th of July race! Fall rolled around and he did some running and Spartan-ing, and I did some running. In November, we did our second marathon of the year and I achieved my marathon goal (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), I got pneumonia that sidelined me for several weeks, and he completed his second 24-hour ultramarathon! My pneumonia also derailed my 100+ miles a month goal, but I made it November 2015-October 2016 (12 consecutive months) before I had to cut back in November and December due to doctor's orders.

Here are my monthly totals during my 100+ mile/month streak!

And now for our total running mileage from this calendar year:
HIS: 1,762.56 total miles in 2016

Hubby's "Best Nine" (most liked) pictures from Instagram in 2016

HERS: 1,122.68 total miles in 2016

My "Best Nine" from Instagram

PHEW! I'm exhausted just recapping all of this! As this year comes to a close, we realize just how much we have accomplished this year, in running as well as other aspects of our lives. Mr. Marathon is halfway through his Bachelor's degree, and I got a job teaching at a new school this past August!

We are so proud of all that we have done in 2016! In 2017, we have a few plans already in place. We will be traveling back to Boston for mister to run the Boston Marathon (4/17/17) again, and he plans to do the Blue Ridge Marathon (4/22/17). We also have plans to stay active, have fun, run a lot, exercise as much as we can, and take on other challenges/races as they come.

We wish you all a very happy new year and many happy miles in 2017!

Busted Soles, Running the Vines 9.33K, Appalachian Power Festival Run 10K, and Tuff Strutter 5Kish

We have had some excitement in our run-ventures during the month of May! So this is one big post recapping all of May! So hold on and away we go...

Busted Soles

Last year, Mr. Marathon took on the Busted Soles Trail Race Series, which is a series of trail runs each Wednesday in the month of May of varying distances from 3-6 ish miles in Danville, VA. Each week was a different distance with different weather and different struggles, but each week, the first place winner was ALFREDOOOOO GARCIAAAA! He ended up winning the series overall, and then the final Wednesday night, there was a delicious potluck dinner of tons of yummy foods! Everybody won at the potluck! Even me, although I did not run in any of the races. Hah!

And they're off!

Race #3, which was about 4 miles

Last race of the series! I had to be in the pictures too!

The gang after the potluck dinner (Mr. Marathon is on the far right front row)

Running the Vines 9.33K

May 21st was supposed to be the day for me. I have been trying to get my 10K in under an hour for quite some time now. My previous PR for the 10K was 1:04:19 in 2013, and I was determined to get it under an hour. I haven't been doing many 10Ks but I had been training for a PR. I did a couple of practice 10Ks, and one day I got a 1:01, then after a couple more weeks of training, I got a practice 10K in under an hour! I was thrilled, and I knew (hoped????) I was ready. So I signed up for the Shelton Vineyards Running the Vines 10K, which we had done previously and it was actually my first 10K in 2012. Anyway, we drove over an hour to Dobson, NC to the winery to get our run on. We got ready, warmed up, and took off. Nothing was super eventful, and we started just fine. Both of us were a little confused when we got turned around a little early. Since we had run the course before, we knew where the turn around was supposed to be. Granted, Mr. Marathon was well ahead of me. But he was still equally confused, Both of us trusted the course volunteers and thought maybe they had added some mileage at the end or added an out and back somewhere along the way. But no, we were wrong. He finished with a time of 36:19 and me with a time of 55:51. But neither of us could accept these great PRs because the course was 0.4 miles short! He ended up finishing 2nd place overall though! It was great that the race organizers offered a discount for next year's race or some other local events due to the confusion, though! That was very nice of them and I do hope to do one of the races they offered, BUT I still didn't get my official 10K PR! Luckily, I remembered the Appalachian Power Festival 10K that would be held the week after. So, I signed up for that, and tackled it head on!

We both won! Hooray! psych

2nd place overall prize- a bottle of wine! Just in case we didn't WHINE enough during the race ;)

Appalachian Power Festival 10K

This race was all me. Mr. Marathon had another event coming up on Sunday the 29th, so this 10K on Saturday the 28th was all for me. We traveled north to Roanoke for me to finally (hopefully) get my PR! Today was the day! It was fairly warm (low to mid 70s) and very sunny, so that's a little uncomfortable to run in, but regardless, I was determined. I lined up at the starting line ready to go. Now, I got a little excited I guess because I started waaaayy too fast, but I managed to maintain my necessary pace for a PR for the first 4 miles. Then, the heat started getting to me. My breathing was ok, but I did have to use my inhaler, and I had my handheld water bottle with me, but the water was getting warm as well. I stopped at a water stop for some ice cold water, and kept trucking along. Because hubbs wasn't running, he was just spectating and taking pictures. He ran in with me after mile 4.8 or so. By that point, I was not feeling well. But I had managed to maintain my pace, so I knew I had to keep going despite the fact that I had 2 somewhat challenging hills remaining on the course. I kept going until I saw the finish after the final climb. I usually give an extra OOMPH at the end, but I didn't even have that in me. I saw a number starting with 5 on the clock  (it hadn't gotten to an hour yet!!!!!!), and gave what little I had left, crossing the finish line at 59:46!!! I did it! But I didn't make it much further before giving what I had left... in my stomach... on the pavement. Blech. That heat really got to me, but I managed to pull of a PR and my sub-hour 10K!!!! Hooray!

Going up the first hill of the course

Running along the Greenway

Victorious finish

We found some fellow MHC Inspire fellas from our running community!

My surprise 3rd place finish

Closeup of my bling

Tuff Strutter 5Kish

So now we talked about why Mr. Marathon did not run the 10K with me... It was because he was signed up to do the Tuff Strutter 5K(ish) the very next day. This is a great race that he did a couple of years ago. It is put on in conjunction with the music festival Rooster Walk that is held here in Martinsville and Henry County, and last year, it was moved to a new location and they didn't get to have the race. Now, before the festival and the race moved, he ran and won the race in 2014. He had heard that this year's course wasn't as hard as the previous course, which he determined after running this year's course was a lie! Or maybe it was the fact that it was raining the whole night beforehand so most of the course was nice and muddy and slick! He had his trail running legs it seemed since he had won the Busted Soles Trail Series, and so he did very well in this 5Kish (the ish is because it was closer to 3.4 miles I believe) and he won 1st place overall with a time of 23:41! 

The Tuff Strutters are off!

And he's done!

Now, we have finished out the month of May strong (despite a surprise root canal for SOMEBODY the day before the Running the Vines race), and we are taking on June. We don't have anything officially on the docket yet, but we are hoping to do a 4th of July run. Other than that, we are just going to keep on running!

Surprise root canal!

Yay!

Until next time, guys!

From Bassett to Blue Ridge: Marathon Weekend Part 1

We had a very exciting weekend this past weekend. As many of you know, we had a marathon-filled weekend. On Saturday, April 16, mister and I traveled to Roanoke, VA for the Blue Ridge Marathon and Star 10K! It was a gorgeous day for a run, and on our hour drive north that morning, we got to see the sun rise over the mountains that we were about to DOMINATE!

The sun rising over Mill Mountain

As we arrived, we hit the potty and headed to the starting line. One of the best things about BRM being a relatively small race (this year there were approximately 2,200 runners in the full, half, and 10K combined), is that participants can park very close to the starting line (like across the street) and they don't have to wait ridiculously long for the porta-potties! Both are very important factors for runners. Anyway, everything went smoothly race morning and I was lined up near the back of the middle of the pack while mister was up front chomping at the bit (no, he was not biting anybody... just excited to go).

The start line

Blue Ridge Marathon: 
America's Toughest Road Marathon
Mr. Marathon knew that he had a challenge ahead of him on race day, as he would be running the 26.2 and 3 mountains today, which is always a challenge, but he also had to remember to keep some gas in the tank for Monday, when he would be taking his 26.2 on the road (erm, in the sky?) to Boston, MA! Just a mere 48 hours later! He decided to still push himself throughout the course, but to a certain extent so as to not overdo it. He chugged up the hills, and pushed (flew? pranced? levitated?) down the hills. His pace was everywhere from 5 minute miles through 9 minute miles. Whatever he did worked for him, though. He ended up crossing the finish line with a time of 3:07:47!! This landed him 1st place in his age group and 5th place overall! You guys, that's a 7:09 min/mile pace. On mountains. 3 mountains. With 7,430 feet of elevation change. Let that sink in... Pretty impressive right? He was very proud of his performance and felt like he did try to reserve some energy for his upcoming marathon on Monday, but he did push during every mile.

Star 10K

I decided this year was finally the year that I would participate in the BRM shenanigans. However, I knew I was not ready for the full right off the bat. I briefly considered the half, but then realized I would probably finish the half after SOMEBODY I know who runs the full (cough cough, ALFREDO GARCIA). And that would not be ideal. So I decided to start with the Anthem Star 10K, which is essentially half of the distance up Mill Mountain to the Roanoke Star, turn around, and run the other half back down. It was very challenging going uphill. I was determined to try to run as much as I could. That did not last long as I made it 2.49 miles up the mountain, then I began taking intermittent walking breaks. I got up to the top of Mill Mountain and was averaging 13:51 min/mile (ew), but then back down, I was rolling and keeping my pace under 10 min/mile (!!!!!!) and so I ended up with an average of 11:54 min/mile and a total time of 1:13:54! My pace was all over the place. I do attribute my downhill pace to the extra power boost I got from the mid-race mimosa I drank at mile 4!

And now, enjoy pictures from our Blue Ridge adventure!

Starting up Mill Mountain,
leaving downtown Roanoke

The Adam and Alison Ascent :
Maroon and turquoise balloons
 lined the section near the
very top of Mill Mountain
in memory of Alison Parker and Adam Ward...
loved this so much ! < 3

Uphill was torture!
And the ladies with orange shirts had a quote on the back:
"I eat hills for breakfast"
Apparently that's where I went wrong. I had eaten oatmeal.

At the top of Mill Mountain!
The Roanoke Star!

View at the overlook at the top of Mill Mountain

Drink Mor Moo-Mosas!
Don't have to tell me twice!

Mooooo-Mosa!

This was the lovely lady making the mimosas!

Mid-race mimosa for the win!

My awkward, blinded-by-the-sun finish line photo

My parents missed my finish
and arrived right after I crossed the finish line!
Oops! I finished too fast! 

Chugging along

I don't look like I'm going very fast,
but at this point I promise I felt like Speed Racer!

Striding downhill

This totally looks like a promotional image for BRM!
So presh!

Is he levitating? Is he a magical reindeer?

Posing with the real celebrity here:
THE GOAT!

Um hello, I am a running goat
running this marathon

Our only complaint of the race:
ALL of the finish line volunteers were standing against the barricades on the side that the spectators had to be on!
Spectators were not allowed to stand on the other side, so the race officials SHOULD HAVE stood over there. So watching for finishers proved to be very challenging.

Our best attempt at the finish line photo...
We appreciate the volunteers, but they had access to the whole other side!

We finished! Hooray!

Our makeshift sign:
Go Alfredo! Boston Bound!

He got a massage after finishing to help his recovery for Monday!

His watch showing his finish time!

1st place age group award!

This race was a great experience, and we settled down Saturday night to prepare for the next leg in our adventure: flying out to Boston for the one and only Boston Marathon!!!!!!!!!! Stay tuned and there will be a Part 2 to recap the Boston Marathon experience! Coming soon!