A Shirt That Races

The shirt needs to be sent!

2009-05-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

Beka who's racing in Nebraska on the 9th:

Can you please email me the address you want the shirt sent to so I can get it to you in time for your race? My email address is in the comments section of your last "m" day post.

Thanks and happy running :)

The Shirt races Clemson, SC

2009-04-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

The women's A Shirt That Races hit the 1st annual Easter Bunny Run 5K & Half Marathon in Clemson, South Carolina on Saturday, 11 April 09. I was a sprinter and jumper in high school, but haven't run regularly - or at all - in about 10 years (while in college at Clemson). I just recently started running again, and my friend Beth convinced me to run this race for my first ever 5K.

The weather was a little chilly, but nice and sunny, unlike the horrible storm that we'd had the night before. The non-closed-course race was primarily on the sidewalks or bike paths, but there was little to no traffic so that was ok. We did have to run through the muck to get to the finish line on the intramural field, though!

I ran with my 15 month old daughter, Mattie, and my friends Beth (who wore the shirt last weekend in DC) and Lauren (who will wear the shirt later on in Maryland). Lauren's husband Marc ran the 5K while pushing their daughter, Sophia, and still won his age group!

Me, Mattie, Beth, Lauren, and Sophia

We started out next to the intramural fields and headed to Perimeter Road. Clemson's located in the foothills of SC, so the campus is pretty hilly. I pushed Mattie for a little over the first mile (one small uphill and two larger ones), and then Lauren took over for me (THANK YOU!!!). I continued running for a while longer, and then I had to start the walk-really-really-fast-then-run thing for the next mile over several more hills. I did run more than I walked, though :)

Cherry Road is almost ALL uphill - there are two short slightly level stretches. The water stop was a little past the 2 mile mark, and I caught back up with Lauren and Beth (who'd taken over the stroller - thanks again!) shortly after that. From that point on, it was all running. Of course, the fact that it was mostly level or down hill from there made it a little bit easier! I took back over pushing the stroller around the 4K mark - I couldn't let Mattie finish with a better time than me :)

Even with pushing Mattie approximately half of the race and doing the walk/run thing, my official time was 37:00, which was an 11:55 pace. That's a LOT better than I thought I'd do given the circumstances! Beth's already talked me into doing another 5K and a 4 mile mud run in May - I'd forgotten how much I love to run!

Almost there!

Whoo hoo! We did it!

My "official" shirt with race bib pic (please ignore the "body by baby")

Running in Washington, D.C.

2009-04-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

A Shirt that Races hit Washington, D.C. this past Sunday (April 5). I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. See how pretty they were?? We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather.

It was a very early morning! We had to be out of the house and headed for the Metro by 5:45..

Here I am in the shirt....It was too chilly to take my jacket off for the picture...sorry!

I ran the race with a few friends.... Lauren (who will be wearing the shirt at some point) and Michelle.

And at the end of the race, this beautiful face greeted me and said the phrase her Daddy taught her...."Mommy won the race!" (I was far from winning but finishing to me is winning!)

So now for the actual race report..... To give you a little background on me.... I started running just this past July and this was my first big race (as in over 5 miles). I am a relatively slow runner...11-12 minute mile...but I get there!

We started off very well....a good steady pace. The race started on the grounds of the Washington Monument and headed out over Memorial Bridge and back (2 miles down!). We then passed the Watergate Hotel and Kennedy Center...and came back (4 miles down!). Then at mile 5 we passed back by the Washington Monument and headed out to Hains Point for the next 4 miles. Once we were coming off Hains Point (which by the way was very quiet...but a beautiful place to see all the cherry blossoms in full bloom) it was just one more mile to the finish!

There were water stops every 2 miles so we walked through them and ran the rest of the time...until somewhere between mile 8 and 9 I think I walked for a minute or two....then once we passed mile 9, and the last water stop, Lauren wouldn't let me stop to walk anymore! When we rounded the corner and saw the finish line I was very excited! Lauren took off in a sprint so I followed.

The official time in the results was 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 9 seconds....which was under 2 hours...our unofficial goal!

The Shirt will be racing in South Carolina this coming weekend....by a person yet to be determined :-)

The Shirt Races in NC!!!

2009-03-18T04:22:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful morning in Charlotte; almost spring like. The temps where in the high 50's and I was ready to run my first race of the season. The Corporate Cup 5k; March 7th 2009.

I had had a long training week; lots of swimming, biking and running; so I was not going into the race completely rested. Per my coach's instructions I was to work on the mental aspects of my running; find some hurdle I wanted to conquer and go at it with all my might. For me that day it was finding the hurt while going fast and toughing it out until the end. I had secretly hoped for a PR as well; but since I was going on no rest I could not be certain I'd get it. The event was sponsored by my company so I had to run with the corporate T-shirt on top of the Shirt that Races; but that didn't deter me from wearing it!

I got to the race site; did my warm up, posed for the company picture and much sooner than expected the gun went off. I seeded myself close to the start line; since I knew I wanted to race the 5k; not just run it.

The first mile was slightly uphill and it got me breathing hard right away; I was putting an effort, but nothing I could not handle for 3 miles. I focused on my leg turnover and keeping certain people within sight and making sure they were not getting away. I saw the first mile marker and when I glanced at my watch I could not believe my split. It was the fastest mile I had ever ran!!

The second mile was better, my lungs were used to the effort, my legs were responding nicely and the course turned slightly downhill... Always a plus, right?? I was now gaining ground on the people I had kept in sight during the first mile and I eventually passed them. Mile marker 2 came along and I realized I had beaten my own fastest mile from before; and that if I could keep the pace up I could PR.

Mile 3 was the hardest one; since the course starts climbing for a good .5 mile. My lungs were burning, my stomach was churning and my brain was trying to convince me that I should slow down. I kept repeating to myself: You can do this, you can do this; only a couple more minutes, you can run for a couple more minutes. And it worked! Once I was up that last hill and with only .2 to go, I was able to pick it up even more and get myself to the finish line on a high note.

I even managed to PR by 20 seconds! What is best of all is that I felt great, not just because I had gotten a PR; but because I wanted to overcome the nagging voices in my head that want me to slow down when it starts hurting; and I did that too.

It is nice to know that with hard work and determination; you truly can achieve what you set your mind to. It makes you want more, don't you agree?

A Shirt That Races does two in one weekend.

2009-03-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

This was a doubleheader weekend. Yesterday was the Ostrich Festival 5k and today was a 3.8 miler at a movie studio. Old Tucson Studios is know for being a filming site for many a John Wayne movie, as well as, many other westerns.

Here's just a few movies made there.
1940: Arizona
1945: The Bells of St. Mary's
1957: 3:10 to Yuma
1957: Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1958: The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold
1959: Rio Bravo
1965: The Great Sioux Massacre
1966: El Dorado
1967: Hombre
1970: Rio Lobo
1972: The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
1974: The Trial of Billy Jack
1976: The Outlaw Josey Wales
1981: The Cannonball Run
1986: ¡Three Amigos!
1990: Young Guns II
1993: Geronimo: An American Legend
1993: Nemesis
1993: Tombstone
1994: Lightning Jack
1995: Hard Bounty
1995: The Quick and the Dead
2005: Seven Mummies
2007: Legend of Pearl Hart

It was almost a 2 hour drive for me. My kids and wife passed at the chance to get up at 4 am. The question was, would I be dead by the time I got to Tucson?

I ran again in "A Shirt That Races".

Look familiar? This is one of the sets that we ran past. My legs felt great and I was ready to run, but not as fast as yesterday. One, it's my first trail race with a lot of single track. Two, I brought my camera. The race director, who was pretty funny told us it was around 3.9 miles, unless you get lost. This race had lots of turns, as you can see on the map. One loop around the studio streets, then out into the desert, past the start line with a final loop around town. He warned us about rattlesnakes. He said, "the first runner scares the snake, the snake scares the second runner and the third runner gets bit. So make sure you're the fourth runner." Or something to that effect.

I was running and taking pictures and ran mile splits of around 11 minutes each for the first three. The final .8 was in town and I had already taken pictures there, so I ran my fastest. a 9:48 mile split. I finished in 41:27 and was happy with that.

This was put on by the Southern Arizona Roadrunners (which I am now a member) and they had a great awards ceremony. Lots of door prizes for adults and kids, AG awards and the Old Tucson Sheriff added some levity. We had a trail breakfast (scrambled egg burritos).

Here we are running the streets and below is Horse Poop Alley. Yeah, it's where they dump the waste and we got to run right thru it.

Old Tucson Studios is in the Saguaro National Forest. SA-war-o. And it is a forest, as you can see. The drive is majestic.

Now, it's time to send "A Shirt That Races" to another state. Our goal is to have a different runner in all 50 states and Canada run in this shirt. I'll write on the shirt about the two AZ races, wash it (promise) and then mail it to . . . you?

If you want to participate, let Nikemom know when and she'll put you on the calendar.

Race One for "A Men's Shirt That Races"

2009-03-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today was the debut of the men's version of "A Shirt That Races". I set my alarm for 6 am and woke up at 6:30 wondering why the alarm didn't go off. I was ok, since this year's Ostrich Festival 5k was being run on the parade route in downtown Chandler for the first time. Just a few minutes from home. I got to packet picket up an hour before race time. Picked up my race tee, which is just the festival tee. But, still good looking and went back to my car to stay warm.

There I am in "A Shirt That Races" with bib #149. It's a small race with less than 200 runners. About 50 degrees and sunny. There was a delay of almost 1/2 hour because the barricade guys slept in.

Runners started warming up. This guy wasn't going 15 mph, but I thought it was a funny picture anyway. I started out fast. My plan was to stay around a 9:09 mile.* Three of those plus a fast sprint at the end will give me a PR of around 28:10. My first mile was in 8:45. I thought I was moving pretty good, but there were still plenty of people gliding past me. This course is made for PRs. It's flat and straight. It all takes place on Arizona Avenue with just two turn arounds. Mile two was done in 9:36. I did walk for a drink and to down half a candy bar (much more enjoyable than a GU).

Mile three was the most fun. In the finish line picture below you'll see a little kid sitting on the curb. He ran the race. Maybe 10 years old. He cruises past me, looks up, smiles and says hi. I catch up to him, thinking that he's running a 1 mile fun run and it happens to be on the same course. So, I ask. Nope, he's running the whole 5k and it doesn't look like it's fazing him one bit.

Yeah, that little kid on the left. Maybe, he's 7 or 8. So we get to the 2.6 mile turn around and theirs a cop directing traffic. I tell the kid to give the cop a high five and he does. As he does I take the turn and say, "see ya kid, I'm in front". As the kid sprints past me, he says, "Oh no, your not".

We spend the last bit of the race running side by side and I give him some race advice about conserving energy and saving it for the sprint to win at the end. We match stride for stride and then I tell him at the light I'm going to start my sprint. 100 yards to go and we both kick it up a notch. I did mile three in 9:51, but now the kid and I are under a 7 minute pace. I had some gas in the tank, he was running on fumes. I could have taken the kid, honest. Of course, he probably told his dad he didn't want to beat the old man too bad, so he coasted. But, I like my story better. We both finished around 28:52. The kid won by a nose.

I stop my garmin, give the kid a fist bump and realize that I missed my PR by 3 seconds. Three Seconds! That's ok. I enjoyed racing with the kid, much more than any PR. There's always tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow. I hope I have the horsepower for race #2 this weekend. Yeah, I'm taking "A Shirt That Races" down to Tucson for a special race.

*9:09 pace per mile would give me a 2 hour HM or a 4 hour marathon. That's why my blog is named after my goal pace. I'm a long way from my goal.

The Shirt, The Shirt, The Man's Shirt is Here!

2009-02-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Men Runners I Have a Shirt

2009-01-13T07:22:00.001-08:00

Yes! It's true. I have a shirt. I'll get a pic poster by tomorrow. Let me know if you want to race it and we'll get it "running"!

RUN ON!

Ontario Bound!

2009-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

Well, the shirt is fresh out of the laundry and will be sent on it's way to Laurel in Ontario, Canada either later today or first thing tomorrow. Good luck with your half marathon later this month! You'll be wearing the shirt for 4x as long as I did in my short little race!

But first, a bit of business to take care of:

A photo of the shirt with the official race bib attached

And, I've now added my name to the illustrious shirt (oops, photo a bit fuzzy)

I look forward to reading about the rest of this shirt's travels!

Nikki's Resolution Run Race Report - Jan 1, 2009

2009-01-02T09:56:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful, quiet New Year's Eve at home with friends and woke up around 9:30 on New Year's Day, to drag ourselves out of bed and do the annual Resolution Run 5k at our local Running Room store. Even though we didn't have a rockin' evening the night before, it was very nice to have the race start at 11:00 am - it gave us some time to sleep in, greet the new year and don our cold weather gear.

One last check of the mailbox on our way down to store yielded a welcome package from Sarah - the shirt had arrived from Oregon! Thanks Sarah!

Unfortunately though, it had started snowing again the night before and we were greeted by about 3 fresh inches of snow on the ground. That's not a lot of snow, but it nicely covered the layer of ice that was already on the ground - very slick! A couple days earlier they had notified us there might be a course change depending on weather conditions, and the new snow definitely forced a change.

Instead of the standard 5k sidewalk loop, they decided to run us around a huge mall parking lot that at least gets plowed and salted. So, not the most scenic of routes, but at least it would be somewhat safe. There was a great crowd ready to start the run and everyone was in good spirits despite the weather. My friend and I huddled in a corner to stay warm before we started...

After the plows made one last loop of the parking lot, we all lind up and got ready to start. We had a few funny words from one of the clinic instructors to get us pumped up and then we were off!

So how would I describe this race? Well, how about WET!!!! The first lap around the parking lot wasn't too bad, but the pavement was pretty slushy and slippery. My friend and I actually preferred to run in the fresh snow because it seemed to offer some better traction. We had to dodge snowballs thrown by the volunteers, but that's okay.

However, by the time we got around to the second lap, everything had turned into a big slushy mess. The puddles were huge and we quickly got soaked.

The race was fun though and as mentioned, everyone was in a good mood. We got some funny looks from people arriving at the mall for their shifts, but hey, that's all part of the fun. We all had a great time splashing around in the puddles with each step.

Post race breakfast was a great spread put together by the volunteers - pancakes, yogurt, bananas, oranges, juice boxes, the usual fare, but for some reason it tasted extra yummy. I think the cold and the wet had something to do with that. So, after we had a bite and caught up with some running friends we hadn't seen during the holidays, I decided to pose for one last shot in the snow...

It probably doesn't look like much snow to those of you from colder climates, but that's the beauty of Vancouver snow. It melts pretty quickly but then turns into a very icy, slippery, slushy brown mess! Anyhow, the Resolution Run was a fun way to start of the New Year - it wasn't officially timed, but I think it took us around 27 minutes or so.

After slogging it up the slippery hill to our house, we decided we should shovel the driveway and sidewalk, so the Shirt that Races became the Shirt that Shovels!

So, after running and shovelling, I finally made it back into the house and sat in front of the fire to warm up a little bit. It was a very fine New Year indeed!

So what's next for me? Well, you'll have to check out my blog to find out! What's next for the Shirt that Races? Well, I believe it's heading out to Ontraio or possibly Tennessee!

I hope you all had a great New Year and I look forward to reading about the shirt's coming adventures. Upon reviewing this post I see I forgot a photo with the race bib attached, but since the shirt is in the wash at the moment, I'll update with that pic and with my addition to the shirt's writing...

It came! It came! It came!

2009-01-01T12:42:00.001-08:00

One last check of the mailbox on my way down to the race this morning and there it was! The shirt arrived!

I'll post a race report a bit later today after I've warmed up!

Happy New Year!

Watching the mailbox...

2008-12-31T10:36:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone - a big thanks to Sarah for sending out the shirt that races last week. I've been watching the mail but haven't seen it yet. Canada Post gets to our neighbourhood fairly late in the day though, so I'll be heading out later to see if it's arrived. I hope so!

Anyhow, I'll keep everyone posted and hopefully can wear the shirt in my 5k race tomorrow.

Happy New Year!

Where's the Shirt?

2008-12-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

Are you racing with it this month Holly? Just checking so the Shirt keeps racing. Feel free to create a link on your side bar for the Shirt That Races. Go check out my blog for an example.

Hope all you runners out there are ready for the Holiday season. Stay warm and Run On!

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.
~ George Herman ("Babe") Ruth

For Men Only!

2008-12-03T21:00:00.001-08:00

Ok, I know I've been lagging behind and I'm so fortunate none of you running men out there have given me a hard time. I did go shopping tonight and searched for a man's version of The Shirt That Races, but really did not have much luck. I came close, but no dice. I promise I'll make it happen. Until then, RUN ON!

The Portland Turkey Trot at the Zoo

2008-11-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, I got a fantastic box delivered to me from KimPossible. Inside, was the magical Shirt that Races. I know magical might feel like a melodramatic word to some people, but what can I say, that's how I roll and if you read my blog you already know that. There is something special about knowing other people before me and after me are contributing to the same journey. And the thing is, we're all so different! Different paces, different ages, different states, different places in life. But this we have in common. I love it!

I signed up for the Portland Turkey Trot at the Zoo. It was my first time running it - my first time in a Turkey Trot at all! I over scheduled my Thanksgiving a little bit and decided I needed to fly to Boise to see my family - as soon as the race was over. So I woke up at 5:30 with exaggerated race day anxiety - even if it was just a four mile turkey trot!

I had my usual cup of coffee:

Threw on The Shirt and other layers because it was freezing - and realized my camera was d.e.a.d. and that I'd have to rely on my cell for documenting the day.

I got to the zoo before they even opened up race day packet pickup so I waited in my car for a while to avoid freezing. Thank goodness for NPR! Eventually I calmed down, got my bib, and discovered - not only was this not a chipped race - it wasn't even timed due to the no number assignment!

Why is it so hard to just do something for fun? I mean, it's fun - but MORE fun if it's timed! Right? Or can a race at the zoo (one of my favorite places on earth) can just be fun on principle alone? I decided to take that approach. . .

After standing in line at the Starbucks cart and scoring another cup of free coffee, I met up with these other two awesome Portland bloggers out for a morning run. Gazelle and Emily. Two very fun girls - read their blogs and become friends with them!

The course for today's run was a there and kind of back again route. We started near the Forestry Center entrance, and ran downhill to almost the Rose Garden, just to turn around and run back up-hill to the zoo.

The race started a little late, and it wasn't well organized. Walkers were mingled in the start, oblivious to the runners weaving in and out behind them. There were also several people with dogs, even though the registration form forbids them. I got slimed by one large black lab. Eventually though, I got past all the distractions and just got to enjoy the run!

I didn't wear headphones at this race. My first time EVER doing that. And you know what, it was enjoyable! I don't see myself trying to do a marathon anytime soon without music (or with even - ha ha), but I really did like hearing everyone around me.

The downhill portion went great, as did the turn around. And the uphill portion didn't seem as intimidating as I thought it was going to be either. There were a few steep legs, but other than that, gradual incline. My favorite part, even though it did also prove to be the most chaotic part, was running through the zoo.

The course wasn't well marked at all, and volunteers were standing there yelling at runners to stay to the right, while spectators and people who had finished were just milling around and getting in the way. Lots of dodging and almost collision.

But there was one animal out while I ran. (crappy phone while running picture)
.

There was also a clock at the finish line. It gave me a 40 minute 4 second finish time. Not sure when they considered me starting, but that's OK. It's not official!

I didn't take time to linger and get my free pumpkin pie - I took off directly from the race to the airport. Where I wore the Shirt that Races to Idaho. Luckily no one had to sit next to me on the plane - and my family are the only people who made fun of me for flying in my running gear. But they should expect that from me by now!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T04:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Got Guts?

2008-11-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

 A lot of people run a race to see who's the fastest.  I run to see who has the most guts.

~Steve Prefontaine

San Antonio Marathon Race Report 11.16.08

2008-11-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

Where to begin...where to begin..

We had a great time in San Antonio. The River Walk and downtown area is great. A lot of hustle and bustle. We visited two missions, ate Mexican food, drank margaritas, saw the Alamo, had a Whataburger and much more.

A Couple Pictures of the River Walk

At Mission San Jose

Race Day

First off...A Shirt that Races pics. I don't have any pictures of the course itself as we have a mongo camera and didn't take it.

This is me before the race

And this is the back of A Shirt That Races so far

We headed down to the AT&T stadium to catch a bus to take us to the start line. Traffic was a mess. We left in plenty of time to get there and catch a bus but made it to the starting area about 15 minutes before the first wave was released. Doug mentioned that with this being a RNR inaugural event for SA, that was typical. This is something I'm sure they will have corrected next year.

Once we got to the starting area, we made our way to my corral. Corral 25. Yep. 25 out of 32. They released 1 corral every 2ish minutes. It took us over 45 minutes to cross the starting line. Not the most fun, but that's kinda how it goes.

Doug started back with me as he wasn't sure how his ankle was going to hold up. He ended up doing well. Me, on the other hand, I think he gave me his ankle issue.

As the race started, the sun was just coming up. You could tell it was going to be a great day for a run. And that it was. The weather was great. It was nice and crisp at the start, once the sun came up it was shining. Not a cloud in the sky. There was no wind. As the day worn on, it did warm up a bit but still not too hot. I did however have huge salt stains caked to my face.

The race itself was pretty flat. Not any hills to really speak of except the last push to the finish line where there was one. It was also pretty uneventful. We did pass by the Alamo and by 2 of the missions, but that was about it. It reminded me a lot of RNR Arizona...down a lot of flat streets but not a lot to see.

The traffic control was great. I didn't hear one car horn or angry driver. That was nice. The course roads were closed both ways to traffic so you didn't have car fumes in your face as you're trying to run. That was a plus.

As far as my race. It didn't go that well. I was having a great run up until mile 18 and then it all went to hell in a hand basket. What happened? I don't know. Early on I could fill my ankle. I could also feel an issue with the side of my knee. Not sure what that was all about or where it came from. I haven't had those issues in a long time. But when 18 hit, that's all she wrote. But I plugged along, mile after mile. I had to stop and stretch out my knee, ankle and back. I try normally not to do that as it only delays me getting to the finish line and I just want to keep moving forward. Not this time. I so just wanted to sit down on the side of the road for about 20 minutes but knew Doug was waiting for me and I didn't want him to have to wait any longer than he already was-so I kept going.

All in all, this was a crappy run for me. Not a lot of fun. Not a lot to see. I do have to say the bands at this RNR Series were better than any of the other RNR bands I've seen at the other events.

I do have to say, though, the finish was about the best finish I've had. Other than the times when I've crossed the finish line with Doug (which are plenty). But as I crossed the finish line, tears welling in my eyes from pain and just the sheer pleasure of being finished, there stands Doug. With my medal and a smile. Ready to place it over my head. How wonderful is heeee???

Me...The Shirt That Races...The Medal

Official finish time 5:52:14.

Another great thing about this race is they had plenty to eat and drink for us back of the pack runners. It was nice to get the same food as everyone else that came in ahead of me. A lot of times that is not the case-but they did well.

All in all...it was a good race. Not sure I would come down to do it again, except for the chance to hit the River Walk again-what a great area.

Sarah-You're next. I'll have the shirt sent off mid week!

Next race-this Sunday. Gobbler Grind Half Marathon. Running it with Karen to help her take some time off. Then in 2 weeks it's off to Kiawah Island, SC for another marathon.

Pray for a Speedy Delivery

2008-11-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping A Shirt That Races is delivered today. It's expected to arrive tomorrow, but maybe it will be delivered today so I can take it to San Antonio, TX. We leave for Texas tomorrow morning and if it doesn't come today, I'll miss out this weekend.

I do have another race next Sunday as well...the Gobbler Grind Half Marathon in Overland Park, KS. But I'm not certain I can race Sunday, get A Shirt That Races in the mail to have it delivered by Wednesday as Sarah needs it for Thanksgiving.

We'll just play it by ear and see how things play out. If I'm not able to get it today and don't think I can get it to Sarah in time for her to race in it, I'll just forgo this go 'round and try to get it for another race. Because there will be more!

UPDATE:

It's here! It's here! Gotta love the FedEx man.

A Man's "Shirt That Races"

2008-11-11T09:10:00.001-08:00

Without further ado.....men, I need your vote on size.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Shoe Running at DSE Embarcadero 10K

2008-11-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

I received the Shirt That Races from Jamie late last week. Opening the package and seeing the names of all the other bloggers who had worn the shirt was more powerful to me than I was expecting. It is really cool to think about all the places the shirt has been so far and all the places it will go :) Kudos to Nikemom for coming up with such a great idea!

The race I ran was a 10k. I decided on Saturday that I'd run home from the race, bringing the total distance to 12 miles. That's the longest I've ever run! The Shirt That Races suffered through it all right along with me!

So, here's the scoop of race day:

I set my alarm clock for 6:30, Sunday morning, giving myself an hour and a half to eat breakfast, digest and piddle around getting ready. I've never had trouble with my alarm clock, until Sunday morning. It never went off! I woke up naturally at 7:46 am. Crap! I had 15 minutes to get ready! I scarfed down some fruit, almond milk and puffed millet, threw on my clothes and laced up my Nike's. I was ready to go a bit after 8am. I checked to see when the next bus was scheduled to arrive...not til 8:20...OY! I had given myself an hour to get to the race, planning to be there 20 minutes early if the buses were on time and I made my connection. The only way I'd make it to the race on time was if my connecting bus was there a couple minutes after I got off the first bus. Luckily, that is exactly what happened. I made it to the race with 5 minutes to spare. I paid my $5 (yes, $5!), drank some water and lined up behind the starting line, with Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop.

I felt good for about the first mile. Then my stomach started cramping - more than it ever has before. Then my legs started to feel like they were made of lactic acid. Ick! I kept trying to pick up the pace, but my body just wasn't having it. Oh well :) I decided to just let my body decide what it needed, and went slow. I was going to have another 5.8 miles after the race was over, so going slow seemed like a good plan anyway. I figured I'd just enjoy the sunny San Francisco morning:

My time was 1:03. Slower than my last 10K. But, I think what's important is getting the experience and getting to know my body. I'm not sure why my stomach was cramping and my legs were angry, but now I know that it is an issue and I'm going to play detective and try to figure out how to keep it from happening again. My suspicion is that I need to hydrate more. I normally have a bunch of water in the morning, but since I was in a rush, I neglected to drink enough.

After the race, I guzzled down about 6 of the tiny little cups of water before continuing my 12 miles. I felt a little better after having rested and the next couple miles were nice and worth some pictures.

Golden Gate Bridge:

Park at Fort Mason:

Ducks at the Palace of Fine Arts:

Pond at Palace of Fine Arts:

It was a bit after I took this photo that I started to feel like I might die :) . The course I picked for running home had 3 gnarly hills, including the infamous Lyon stairs - all 288 of them.

Part One:

Part Two:

I have run up these stairs a million times, and they always hurt, but I was just too exhausted already and my body wasn't happy. I did a lot of resting and just walked up them. For the rest of the run I ran on flat parts and walked up and down hills.

In the end, I made it all the way home! It felt great to have completed a run that was so grueling and made me want to quit. I thought about taking a bus home, or a cab, or hitchhiking. Anything to not have to run anymore. But I did all those 12 miles!

When I got home, I ate a couple pieces of bread, took a shower and laid on the couch with sun pouring in the window onto me. It felt great to finally rest. I moved my resting into my bedroom after awhile. My roommate was really worried about me and kept knocking on my door to make sure I wasn't dead. Ha ha!

So that was that! Now the shirt is about to make its way over to Kim in Texas! Good luck Kim!

Hot Chocolate 15K

2008-11-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

This was the inaugural year for Hot Chocolate 15K/5K. I happened upon this race while at the gym one day and saw the advertisement in the free Chicago Sports periodical I was perusing while on the elliptical. A race that gives you a free fleece, bag, running hat, and is sponsored by Hershey's...sign me up! Plus I thought it would be cool to run the only 15K in Chicago and I needed something to get me motivated/back in shape post wedding.

here I am all squinty mcgee at the start/finish before the race

The race took place on the north side of the city near the lake/around the lakefront paths. It was cold and I was glad I put the long sleeve shirt under A Shirt that Races but regretted shortly into my run. The starting coral was a free for all with the 15k starting 10 minutes prior to the 5k race. Even though there were multiple announcements telling the 5K runners to hold off on lining up several ignored the message and lined up anyways. There is a pic of me in the starting coral but seriously it is too scary to post! I had a goal of 9:00 min/miles as I had not put in the training I would have liked and am carrying around some extra weight post wedding. Since it was my first 15k ever it would be a PR no matter what!

Not quite centered...only 3/4 mile into the race

Miles 0-4 - I was questioning my desire to complete the race and even why I had even signed up in the first place. I started to get really warm in the long sleeve shirt with the sun baring down and my legs feeling like sand bags. The path was tricky, it was narrow, parts on a asphalt path, then gravel, then a sand hill. No consistency and a lot of josteling for position. It felt like every single person running the 15k had passed me and I was just standing still. That probably deflated me the most. I had to keep reminding myself this is supposed to be fun - no pressure - who cares; really it was me not wanting to write DNF on the back of the shirt that kept me going :)

Miles 4-5 - Now over halfway done I finally felt like myself. The sandbag legs had left. I was consistently hitting and even beating my goal pace. I started to pass a few runners. The race wasn't such a mistake after all.

Miles 6-8 - Seriously I kicked some butt here. I posted my best paces during these miles even though mile 7 was nearly all on a very uneven gravel/rock path right next to the lake. I felt really strong.

Miles 8-9.3 - Almost done. I hit a mini wall where I was just done once I saw the out and back for the last 1.3 miles. Sometimes it's just best for me that I don't know what's left/can't see too much of the course. I pushed through and then tried to pass as many as I could in the last 3/4 of a mile.

Apparently I'm just so fast the hubby could only get the back of the shirt! That clock in the corner is for the 5k runners - I wish I had that time!

There were no finisher medals passed out (boo!) but I think it's because they gave so much swag away in the goodie bag. Found my husband (aka race supporter) then it was off to find the chocolate that was promised. There was a ridiculous line for the food tent and it was even worse when we left. The hot chocolate I have to say was a disappointment. Tasted a bit smoky?!? Weird I know. And with all the Halloween candy I have left over and ridiculous line for that I didn't grab much but there was a good spread. I focused on the graham crackers, bananas, marshmallows and chocolate fountain. Yummy!

The stats:

Time: 1:21:42 (8:46 min/mi!)

661/1515 runners

82/256 in my division

Good Luck!

2008-11-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

To Jamie who is wearing the Shirt That Races. Rock on!

Marine Corps Marathon in a Shirt That Races

2008-10-28T13:13:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the delayed report, but Beer Geek (my husband) left town minutes after I finished the marathon and many pictures were still on the camera.

Short story:

Clock time: 4:56:25
Actual time: 4:50:14

The rest of the story:

The weather was projected to be absolutely perfect for the race. Starting temp was low 40s, with the temp at the finish near 65, with a bit of a breeze. I got up at 4:30 am, took a shower, got dressed, ate a PB&J sandwich and proceeded to completely freak out. The topic I decided to stress about? A shirt that races. I had one seam that felt rough and the shirt itself feels more cottony than my normal running shirts and I'd only run two miles in it and...and...and... Just before 6, when we were about to leave, I almost changed out of it. Beer Geek convinced me to wear it and change at mile 2 (where they were meeting me) if it was bothering me.

(Can you tell I'm FREEZING in this picture?)

After being dropped off near the finish, a friend and I walked around to stay warm and hit the porta potties a couple of times and then headed into the 4:30-4:59 corral. The corrals got very full and we both ditched our jackets and tried to stay warm. Finally, at 8am, the race started.

We both crossed the start line at 8:06. The field was packed and it was pretty much all you could do to not step on people The first mile was a 10:49 pace and then we started up the first big hill, where I hoped to see Beer Geek, the boys, my mom, and a close friend.

I ran up the hill, waved at my family, and tossed them my gloves. As you can see from the picture, I decided the shirt was fine and kept on running.

Mile 3 was mostly downhill as we headed into DC then headed up the bridge onramp into an incredible fog hanging over the waterfront. Quite an amazing sight! I hit the 5K mark at approximately 32:30 and was feeling great. I was running exactly the 10:30 pace I wanted to be doing at that point.

The next 5K were awesome. We ran through a residential area of DC I'd never seen. The crowd support was minimal, but really not needed at that point. We went up the second "big" hill and I was totally unimpressed with it. My thought was, "really? That was the hill?" That was the last real hill of the race. There were a few minor ups and a few onramps, but that was it. I did my first Gu with some water and was feeling good. I hit the 10K mark at a little over an hour. My overall pace at that point was 10:15, but that was ok because we'd had a few fast downhills. Crowd support was picking up and a guy ran past me in a banana suit, so I was pretty amused.

Things continued to go well. We saw more of the fog hanging over the buildings and the sun was beginning to shine through it. I was making decent time and just enjoying the scenery. Just before the 15K mark, that all changed.

Just before the end of mile 9, my stomach started feeling off. I felt like I was running with a brick in my belly. I walked the water stop and tried to drink, but the liquid made me nauseous, on top of the brick feeling. I hit the 15K mark at about 1:35, which was still a 10:13 pace, but I was feeling absolutely horrid. I was unable to resolve the issue, so I made a mental goal of making the halfway mark with only walking at the water stops and kept on keepin' on. I tried to take another Gu with water, but had a really hard time getting it down.

I hit the 20K mark at about 2:15, which was a 10:47 average pace, but taking out the bathroom stop, put me still at about a 10:23 pace. I was hanging in there, but it was a struggle. Most of my mile splits were closer to 10:30 and I was really pushing myself not to walk. Finally I hit the halfway mark at 2:21:25.

I have to give major kudos to the Marines for their water stops. They were super long and alternated powerade and water at each side. I was able to get at least two cups of powerade each time that were about 3/4 of the way full. At the 13 mile point, I managed to get most of a glass of powerade in me.

I knew I was still ahead of pace for a 5 hour marathon and that I would "Beat the Bridge" by at least an hour, so I just kept pushing. I ran when I could and walked when I had to. I tried to do a third Gu at mile 15, but it took me over a mile to get the whole thing into me. I hit the 25K point at about 2:47, which put my overall pace at 10:47. I got hit with a sharp pain where the brick had been in my belly and starting to wonder why the hell I was doing this. At that point we were running around the Mall, near the monuments. I barely noticed anything around me. I drank two more cups of powerade just before mile 18 and the pain in my stomach finally passed. Woohoo!, but unfortunately, by that point, my legs were feeling like lead, so speeding up or not walking was not an option. I passed the 30K mark at 3:22, which still had me at a 10:51 overall average.

I walked the waterstop at just past the 19 mile point and drank two cups of powerade and one of water. I saw the Washington Monument up ahead and realized I was nearing THE BRIDGE. As I started up the onramp to the bridge I started crying as I realized that I would nearly certainly finish the marathon, even if I walked the entire rest of the way.

I hit the 35K mark at 3:58, which still had me averaging just under 11 minutes per mile. I had a cramp in my calf off and on and one in my knee still, but I knew that if I could just keep moving, I still had a chance at the 5 hour mark. I was back in Virginia and headed into the miles of heavy spectator support, so my mental state started looking up. Just after mile 22 was another water stop. I drank three cups of Powerade. Really. I thought to myself, "I'm going to regret this when I throw up".

I headed into Crystal City. The place was hoppin'! Music, tons of spectators, tons of offerings of vaseline and twizzlers and various things. I got my last Gu in and just focused on keeping moving. And suddenly, I started feeling better. I couldn't move fast because my legs were exhausted and my toes hurt, but I actually enjoyed those miles. I was able to "run" almost the entire loop back to the water stop. I drank another three cups of powerade just before mile 24 and kept on going.

I hit the 40k mark at about 4:34 and knew I could easily do the last 1.5 ish by the five hour point. I dug deep and ran that entire last bit. I turned up the hill and powered up it As I passed the 26 mile point and saw the finish line, I gave everything I had to finishing up. I sprinted to the finish line (if you can call a 10:48 pace a sprint LOL) and crossed the line with the clock showing 4:56:27 (my chip time was 4:50:14).

As I crossed the line, I thought to myself "I rock! I'm a marathoner!"

My next thought: "And I never have to do this again!"

The finish area was insane and it took me a while to get to my family and somehow I missed where all the food was. Thankfully I had a few granola bars in with my dry clothes! Beer Geek snapped one more picture of me in the shirt that races before he headed out of town and the boys and my mom and I headed towards home. The shirt worked great for me and I had no chafing at all.

Good luck to Jamie in the shirt that races this weekend in Illinois!!

MCM Momma is Official Marathoner!

2008-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Check out her Part 1 Race Report and Part 2 Race Report in The Shirt That Races!

Go Momma!!! Congrats.