The Pistol Ultra Relay

Peer pressure gets me every time.  Race peer pressure is especially hard for me to turn away from.  This is how I found myself on a relay team for The Pistol Ultra Run.  One morning after a run, I was minding my own business enjoying my banana granola pancake and next thing I know I've agreed to do this race.  You'd be astonished how often this happens to me.  Or maybe you wouldn't be.  At this point, I think Mark actually expects it.  

How often do you see a giant cow covered in lights?

The race was in Alcoa, TN.  It was a 50k relay, 50k, 100k and 100 miler. Yes, people actually run 100 miles for fun.  It sounds crazy to me.  But I actually know a couple people who have completed 100 milers.  I felt a little bit like a slacker at the race because I was doing the shortest leg of the relay - 9 miles.  Sure 9 miles is a respectable distance, but maybe not when you're standing by a lady who will run 100 miles in the next 30 hours!!  

Heather organized our team.  She was the lead Pretty Pistol.  Of course, it didn't really take much to convince me and Gail to participate.  There were two other teams we knew from our running group.  And we had one crazy friend running the 50k.  It was really a great group of people to run with.  They are supportive, funny and positive.  

The night before the race they had a mandatory pre-race meeting followed by a pasta dinner.  It was a great time for us to connect and chat about the race. More than half of our group have had recent injuries.  No one was planning to have their best run ever.  It really was just going to be a day of no pressure running.  

This was my first ultra experience.  I've heard that ultras are a lot different than half and full marathons.  Often in a half or full marathon people are focused on their time and trying to set a record. Everyone seemed to be more relaxed.  You would think that people who are about to run crazy long distances would be nervous and less friendly, but the exact is true.  Everyone I met was super friendly, relaxed and genuinely interested in just completing their race.  

Jeff Galloway was the speaker at the pre-race meeting.  He ran 11 miles of the 50k and then hung out for several hours after.  He was so kind and engaging.  I loved getting to chat with him. And as the last runner on our team, I had plenty of time to talk to him and have my picture taken with him.  I was thankful to have a couple less miles than my teammates, but it was hard to stand around all day and wait for my turn to run.  I had just had my gallbladder removed about 2 1/2 weeks before the race, so I planned to just take the run easy.  But I was anxious to get started. 

The course was absolutely beautiful.  I love races with water on them.  And this course runs beside Pistol Creek (hence the name).  Gail ran the first couple of miles with me.  I felt strong.  But about half way I started to get tired.  I could definitely feel the effects of only running twice in December.  It's amazing how quickly your body forgets how to breath effectively.  This is about the time that I caught up to Roy, who was running the entire 50k. 

Roy is someone who was born to run. He runs long distances and runs them fast.  At speed sessions he breezes past me on his cool down laps when I'm on my hard laps. But he had been off the better part of 2 - 3 months from a couple surgeries.  His only goal was to complete the 50k.  I was so happy to get to run the second half of my relay race with him.  What I learned from this is if Roy has been off due to an injury and he gets a 25 mile head start then I can keep up with him for 5 miles!  



When I ran my first 5k, I had already decided to run a half marathon.  It took me a few half marathons before I would commit to running a full.  After my first full, I knew I'd want to do at least one per year.  I've flirted with the idea of doing a 50k.  It is a bit of a challenge to find a road 50k.  While participating in the 50k relay, it became very clear that I want to run this 50k next year.  See you in 2016 Pistol 50k!  

Coach, Mentor & Friend

I started running with Fleet Feet's No Boundaries Couch to 5k program 4 years ago this month.  At the time the program was still pretty new here.  It had 3 coaches, Matt & Christi Beth Adams (the owners of FF) and Tammy Sanders.  It was a special group - the people and the coaches.  I can easily say it was a life changing experience for me.  One of the really great things about it was that I felt like I really bonded with the coaches.  

At the end of the training, I knew 2 things - I wanted to keep running and there was no way I ever wanted to start over.  I'm sure Tammy doesn't remember it, but I remember being very afraid of training for a half marathon.  When I asked her if she thought I could do it, she was so convincing that I signed up for FF's training program the next January.  And I've been training with FF and Tammy every since.

Christmas lights run with Tammy & Nicole

One of my favorite Tammy quotes is that you will never regret the runs you go on, but you will always regret staying in bed.  I can't even list the number of times that thinking this in my head has gotten me out of bed, shoes on, and out the door.  Tammy has always encouraged me in all of my crazy running plans.  There have been many times that I've told her whatever my current insane plan is and she just shook her head, but then found encouraging words to share.  

When Mark and I decided to train for our first marathon in 2011, Tammy was one of the first people I shared this goal with.  We were running that race with Team in Training (TNT).  She had also done her first marathon with TNT.  She was amazingly supportive and more than helpful when we were coming up with fundraising ideas and plans.  She lost a grandparent to a blood cancer, so it's cause close to her heart.  This year she helped us create a team to train with FF and fundraise with TNT.  To check out that site click here.

More than a running coach, mentor and encourager Tammy has become a great friend.  We've had many long discussions on Monday nights about a variety of subjects.  It's easy to become friends with people you spend lots of time and many miles with.  I'm thankful for all the friends I've met through running.

This past weekend Tammy told me and Mark that she was leaving FF.  I'm being completely selfish when I tell you how sad this makes me.  Of course, I can't really blame her for wanting more flexibility and to have her Saturday mornings back. Without Tammy, I wouldn't be the runner I am today and possibly I wouldn't be a runner at all.  And, as she keeps reminding me, she's not going anywhere.  She's getting married in a couple weeks and they will continue to live here.  She's assured me that she'll still be at Tin Roof 2 on Monday nights.  She is leaving FF very amicably and going to work in a completely unrelated field.   And in her words, she'll be a great ambassador for FF.

Tammy, I can't thank you enough for the amazing influence you've been in my life.  Thank you for always having a smile and an encouraging word.  Thank you for all the times I've come to you nearly in a panic about a running problem or a race and you've always calmed me.  Thank you for believing in me before I believed in myself.  Most of all thank you for being a friend.

The Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon was the most awesome race experience I've had so far.  All the stars aligned creating nearly perfect racing conditions.  I was feeling the best I had felt in months physically.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect - overcast, 30's to start the race and never over mid 50's.  Of course, I did whine about it being chilly at the start (to answer your question, yes I always whine about some facet of the weather).  Even with an ideal race morning, I still had a few doubts and my less confident self tried to talk me out of doing the race...I'm so glad I won the argument over her!

Nicole, Jeanie, Gail and I were all doing the race.  I practically begged Nicole to run with me...in a way that made it sound like I wanted to run with her.  Really, I knew it would be a better experience with someone than by myself.  Nicole and I had matching outfits for the race before we left home.  But with the chillier temps we bought very loud, nearly obnoxious capri pants to wear instead of shorts.  Thus breaking the first rule we ever learned from our coaches at Fleet Feet about racing - nothing new on race day! 

Wearing a matching outfit with the person I ran with was a great idea, making it a bright orange and purple outfit that you can't miss was a stroke of genius. Why?  Because for 26.2 miles, people commented on our outfits constantly.  Other runners, spectators, and volunteers all said something to us.  It was extremely encouraging.  And when you really want to punch something at mile 23, you can't help but smile when someone tells you they love your outfit.  We may never win a race, but I think we have best dressed covered.

It's no secret that I love the city of Chicago.  It's one of my favorite places to go.  Sometimes Mark and I daydream about moving there someday (as long as I can have a winter home at a beach).  The absolute best way to see a city is by running.  We saw so many parts of the city I hadn't been to before and I loved all of it!  My favorites were Lincoln Park and Chinatown.  At one point in the race, we ran past a large nursing home.  Lots of the people there were looking out their windows and waving.  I smiled and waved.  When I looked around every runner I could see was also looking up and waving.  It was a wonderful, heart warming moment.

The race had a vibe about it that I hadn't experienced before.  I've been to some well supported races before, but nothing like this.  I wore my ipod for the first three miles but never turned it on.  At mile 3 I took it off and put it away.  There was music through most of the course and the crowd support was astounding.  They estimated 1.7 million people came out to see the race. That just amazes me. 

And the crowd wasn't just there to cheer.  They were extremely giving too.  Many had extra water out and available for runners.  Some had tylenol or ibuprofen measured out in little cups, I had brought my own but loved the gesture.  I saw several people giving out pretzels - I did have some of those.  But my favorite was the man at mile 22 who had Nutter Butters.  I wanted to kiss him and propose at the same time.  Luckily for him, I'm already married, so he got the most heartfelt thank you I could muster.

There were so many race volunteers and plenty of water and gatorade stops.  I carried my water bottle, but would have been fine without it.  The water stops were also nice and long and great for walking.  The only downside was the stickiness from gu's and gatorade made it a little hard to walk through.  It wasn't terrible but by mile 20 or so it seemed like a lot of extra effort to get my feet off the ground.

Nicole was the best person to run this race with.  She enjoyed (or faked it) every part of the race.  Well every part except for the grated bridges, where she ran straight for the carpeted side.  I'm thankful they had it carpeted or I may have had to carry her over the bridges.  She sang and danced and high fived her way through the race.  Even when I was feeling like death (about mile 21) she kept singing and dancing with a little running mixed in.  It was infectious.  And it made me stop (figuratively, not literally, thank goodness) and think if you can't enjoy the race and have a good time then there's no reason to do it.

Going into the race my only goal was to finish the race and have fun.  With a couple miles left, I started calculating what I needed to do to PR the race.  Early on we had been moving along nicely, but I knew as we got closer to the end I'd probably slow down - not crash exactly, but close.  It was very hard to keep pushing it at the end, but I tried.  I finished in 5:21:35, which was a PR over my first marathon by just over a minute!  We were also able to finish the race in front of the man dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow, which was a small personal victory.

I'm so proud of Nicole and Jeanie who both finished their first marathon.  And also super proud of Gail who PR'd by more than 20 minutes!  Also, very proud of Mark, who was registered for the race but didn't get to do it (he didn't whine about that nearly as much as I would have). He managed to see us on the course 3 times on crutches - that is love! 

I loved the race and I will do it again. Before my first marathon I had said I would do one and be done. After it, I said I would do one a year. Now after Chicago (my second), I would entertain the idea of doing two a year.

Country Music Half Marathon

My first time to run the country music half marathon was in 2010.  It was my second half marathon ever.  It was hot and hilly and poured rain just as I was finishing.  I finished in 2:44:53 that day.  I promptly swore off ever running country music again.  I love the Rock n Roll race series.  I think their races are so well planned and runner friendly.  However, the course in Nashville is hard.

After Mark's surgery last month, I missed a race and was looking for a way to make it up.  I started thinking about running country music this year.  I kept hearing so many people talk about running it that it made me want to run it too.  And I wanted to see if it was as hard as I remembered.  Personally, I think races in the city you live in are harder because you know the course so well.  There is plenty of time to dread the next hill or think about how far away the finish is.

The race yesterday was hilly, hot and hard.  However, it was also beautiful, fun and inspiring.  I've done lots of half marathons and, by far, country music has the best crowd support of any race I've done.  I love hearing the people cheer, reading signs and high fiving kids along the course.  Nashville looks it's best when you are running it with nearly 40,000 friends. 

I know lots of people who completed their first half marathon yesterday.  I find myself getting just as excited for them as I do for myself.  I'm so proud of their race, but I'm even prouder of the hard work and determination they put in to train for their first race.  I've often read and heard people say the race is the reward for all the training.  It's so true.  If this was your first race, I suggest choosing another race in this fall of this year to sign up for.  After all you don't want to start over.  And being signed up for another race is great motivation to keep going.

My goal for the race yesterday was just to enjoy it.  I also wanted to finish faster than I did 2 years ago, which I knew wouldn't be terribly hard.  I didn't wear my watch, and I purposely ignored the giant timers (of course when you start in corral 20 the time is off anyway).  I focused on running the mile I was in and enjoying it.  When I found myself complaining or hurting, I refocused.  It was a great run.  And I finished in 2:34:43.

I really enjoyed seeing so many friends and celebrating their accomplishments.  It's been so fun to hear how everyone did either in person or on Facebook.  My favorite part of the race was seeing my family on the course.  Mark and the boys were near miles 5 and 9.  They were easy to spot because Mark was waving one crutch in the air.  I know it was physically hard for Mark to be there, and I'm so appreciative.  I'm also thankful for my friend Jeanie (and daughter Meg) who picked them up and wheeled Mark around all day.  It was great to see them cheering me on too!

See You Soon Dublin

I can't believe that this time tomorrow I will be in the air on my way to Dublin!  And in just over 4 days I will be running my first marathon!  It's finally starting to sink in that this is actually happening.

Mark and I are so extremely grateful to every single person who contributed to our fundraising efforts to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through Team in Training.  Whether it was a dollar or $350, each donation meant a lot to us and fueled us to continue fundraising and training.  We are waiting on the last batch of checks we mailed in to be posted but our total should be just over $11,000.  We could not have done it without so much support from so many people.  There is no way to say thanks enough.  And most importantly we are $11,000 closer to curing blood cancer!

I also can't say thanks enough to all of the positive comments and all the encouragement we've received.  Just thinking about how many people have reached out and encouraged us in the last 5 months astounds me and gives me so much confidence.

I'm a bundle of nervous energy right now!  I'm, of course, nervous about the race itself.  I'm also a little bit of a nervous about the flight. My goal is to sleep through most of the flight, which will be helpful since when we arrive in Dublin it will be 8:45 am.  And in order to get my body on Dublin time I'm not going to sleep until that night. 

My mantra until and during the race is - "I'm trained. I'm ready. I am an endurance athlete."  I throw the last one in because, while it's true, it also makes me smile and think about all the fabulous training I've had with Fleet Feet and my great running friends! 

Our race is on Monday (Halloween).  It starts at 10 a.m. Dublin time.  Which should be pretty early in Nashville.  My main goal for the race is to finish it smiling and to soak up the experience.  I'd like to finish in 5:35 to 5:45, but I'll be happy with anything under 6.  Sometime after the race is over, I should be able to post on Facebook that we are finished.  Also, I hope to update here too.  

We are thankful for any prayers, happy thoughts, good vibes and other mojo you want to send our way during our trip and race.

Progress - Look How Far You've Come

It's easy for me to get caught up in my next goal and forget how far I've come. This can be true for lots of areas in my life, but most of all it can be applied to my running life.  It's also easy for me to be disappointed in myself when I'm not where I want to be in relation to my goals.  It's harder for me to take a step back and appreciate the progress I've made.  But when I do, it's truly motivating. 

I began running 2 years ago this month with Fleet Feet's No Boundaries program.  On our first group run, we ran 1 minute and walked 2 minutes.  We did this for 30 minutes.  I was sure I would die from the effort.  We did this to train for my first 5k.  A 5k is 3.1 miles.  On the first night of training, I remember feeling like a 5k might as well be to the moon because it seemed just as impossible.

Today, I am training for my first full marathon. I've completed 10 half marathons.  I've ran in all sorts of other races from the Ragnar Relay to several local 5ks.  I've also always run intervals.  Every race I've ever run was as an interval runner. I'm training to run my first race (Franklin Classic 10k) without intervals.  On Monday night at Tin Roof 2, Gail and I ran 6 miles without intervals. 

It was an amazing feeling to complete that run.  There have been many days when I was absolutely sure I could never give up my intervals.  There also days I was sure I could never run more than 5 miles or 13.1 miles.  On Saturday, I will run my first ever 16 miler! 

I'm a slow runner - back of the packer.  I've consistently run my miles in the 12:30 time range.  Recently, I've been able to run in the 11s!  But it's easy for me to forget that I started at 14 minute mile. 

I have so many more goals as a runner.  I want to be faster.  I want to run a half in each state.  I want to run a half without intervals. I could go on and on.  But right now I think it's important that I pause and look back and appreciate the progress I've made.  When I think about the progress I've made, I'm excited.  I feel strong and capable.  If you find yourself struggling, take a step back and appreciate the journey that's brought you here.  It's helped me.

Mark and I will be running our first marathon this October in Dublin with Team in Training.  We have to raise $10,000 in order to participate.  All the money we raise benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is a charity we've actively supported and volunteered with the last few years.  Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.  Please help us find a cure.  Visit our website to make a donation and for more information.  http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/dublin11/emilymark 

Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon

*originally posted on nashvilleandbeyond.com

Can you feel the energy in the air in Nashville? Extra excitement is buzzing around town. In case you’ve been living under a rock – I mean in case you didn’t already know – this Saturday is the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon.

Even if you aren’t a runner, you can find a reason to be excited about the race. It’s easily one of the top 10 road races in the country based on attendance. Over 35,000 of your closest friends will lace up their shoes to run. Many of those people will come in from out of state, which gives us a great opportunity to showcase our fabulous city.

If you are running the race – best of luck to you! It’s a great race and an awesome experience. Running a race is one of my favorite ways to see a city. If you aren’t running the race consider volunteering or cheering the runners on. Having participated in the half last year, I can say it makes a huge difference to those of us running to have people cheering along the route. If you are feeling creative make a sign, most runners welcome the distraction and enjoy reading your sign!

For the last 4 months I’ve been pacing a group of runners for Fleet Feet Nashville’s training program for this race. Every Saturday morning instead of sleeping in, we’ve been up early to train. This is going to be the first half marathon most of them will complete. It’s been a truly amazing experience to watch each of them grow and prepare for a goal as big as running 13.1 miles.


If you want to feel inspired or encouraged, find yourself a place near LP Field (the finish line) and watch thousands of people meet their goals on Saturday morning. Each of those finishers has been training for months. They’ve gotten up extra early in the morning or stayed up late at night to get in their miles. They’ve been training in both freezing and hot temperatures, the rain, the snow and the sun. No matter how hard or easy the race has been for them, you will see each of them break into a huge smile as they cross the finish line. The feeling in the air will be joy, exhaustion, elation, but most of all, accomplishment.


For more information on the race, road closures, volunteering, being a spectator and much more check out http://nashville.competitor.com/.