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Monday, November 21, 2016

The final countdown....



The final week leading up to my big day was nothing grandiose, but the miles (37.5) were still substantial (so what if the bulk of them happened at the marathon itself?).

So, what went down?

Monday, in keeping with my #nevermissaMonday ritual, I got clearance from Coach Suz to run my easy-paced 3-miler about nine hours early....under the light of the ginormous super full moon. Did you see the moon that night? It (literally) lit up the night....I barely needed my Knuckle Lights.


Tuesday was an active recovery day. Yadda Yadda Yadda. Some stretching, PT exercises, and some planking for good measure.


Wednesday was more of the same. It was weird to have two non-running days back-to-back. It's been several months since that's happened. I joined a new planking challenge since my #planks4thewin challenge kind of tanked (seriously, where did all of my plankers go?). I'm still planking daily, just not posting every single time I assume the position. Moving on...


Thursday was the final #5at5AM for Barb and myself (for this training cycle). The temps were in the low-50's, with a steady breeze...a near-prefect simulation to what we'd have in Oklahoma. I wore a tank with a long-sleeved top and capri's, and think I nailed it.  Don't you love it when that happens?


Friday was a L.O.N.G. day of travel.....our journey to Oklahoma involved nearly eight hours of car time. Not one to wear running gear unless I'm 1) on my way to a run, 2) actually running, or 3) returning from a run, I elected to dress like a runner anyways...with leggings (compression sleeves incognito underneath), a comfy top, and the running shoes. Desperate times.

#Fridayfashion was pretty casual this week
We arrived at our destination (a bed and breakfast lodging set-up for that first night), and then hustled downtown to meet Traci (from RUN? Are you in?), who was able to pick up our 5K bibs and from the expo. Traci and I have been Facebook friends for a few years, and it was awesome to finally meet in person (at a race, none the less). I knew we'd be cutting it close with our arrival, so she was a great help in getting our stuff for us.

We also met up briefly after the 5K Saturday morning
Saturday was the 5K. The temps were chilly at the start (low 30's), but felt fine once we were moving. 

Barb and I at the start line
Also, we spent some serious time at the expo, exploring.


And received a gait analysis, courtesy of Brooks. 


And, Sunday. The day we'd been training for. Another cool morning, especially at the start of the race. Thankfully, the coolness was bearable and felt fine after the first mile or so. But the wind? Not so much!


The race itself? Well, I'll share this much for now...the Route 66 Marathon has a beautiful course, but it's nonstop hills. Factor in the crazy wind (along with a very unexpected achy hip/groin issue), and it made for a rather difficult day in my running shoes. The recap will be posted later this week, so stay tuned.

Check out the size of that medal!
In other news....

...this is what happened in our hometown AFTER we left for the weekend. How's that for timing?



As usual, I'm linking up with the lovely HoHo Runs and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. Do head over and check out their blogs and see what everyone else has been up to!




25 comments:

  1. An 8 hour drive ? That means going and coming back, wow. Long distance. Can't wait to read the recap ! You rock woman !

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    1. Yes...8 hours there, and 8 hours back (after running 26.2 miles). The marathon itself had nothing on that car ride LOL

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  2. Congrats on your race! And that medal is huge! Sounds like it was a challenging course with many hills. Great job!

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    1. It was a tough race. Thankfully, most of the hills weren't too ominous, but they were nonstop. Lots of awesome crowd support, though, and the expo was HUGE. And, yes, the medal! Talk about "heavy" medal.

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  3. Congrats!! So you had some crazy wind too? It was really tough for us in Philly! The gait analysis looks cool! Glad you had a good time, can't wait for the full recap!

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    1. Oh, the wind was tough! It was mostly a warm breeze (after the first hour or so), but still a tough challenge to add to the already nonstop hills.

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  4. I like wearing running clothes when traveling, too. So much more comfy. It was really windy here in NC last weekend -- I felt it on my bike ride for sure. Congrats on your race!!!

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    1. Thanks! The running clothes sure are a comfy option....but I always feel like I'm "cheating" wearing them on non-running days LOL

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  5. Congrats again! Look forward to reading your recap this week

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    1. Thanks, Deborah! I'm so glad to have it over....but....now what??? ;-)

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  6. Congratulations Kim..that's some serious bling!! Hills and wind...hmmm, sounds like the same conditions of our local marathon this past weekend which I did not run but did go out to support others (including MissSippiPiddlin)! Can't wait to read the full recap! Rest up girl!

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    1. It sounds like it was windy everywhere this weekend! Oh, I'm resting LOL

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  7. I love gait analysis'! Learn anything new?

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    1. The gait analysis was pretty thorough. Didn't really learn anything new, but it confirmed what I'd been told before (from a different source), so that was reassuring I was wearing the correct shoes.

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  8. I love that your rug is just the right size for planking!

    That medal, though! It's huge! I am very excited to read your recap and see how it went!

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  9. Ugh the wind! I hoped it would miss you. And hills too? You are a beast. Looking forward to the recap!

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    1. Our Oklahoma wind was more of warm wind (thankfully) after the first hour or so.....but not a great combo with all those Route 66 hills.

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  10. great week! I have an 8 hour drive to meet the ladies in panama city- but it will be so worth it! looking forward to your recap! and, that medal is HUGE!

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  11. Hills and wind are a tough combination. You earned that medal for sure! Can't wait for the details.

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  12. Thats a long ride for a run! Looks like a good one though.

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  13. The Route 66 expo is my favorite. It's not HUGE but has plenty of great vendors. I can attest that the half course has hills and I expect the full was no different. Great job on pushing through. I've always been amazed by the crowd support. I hope the weather didn't keep them away. That is a long drive before a race. Do you think that affected you? (Sitting in the car bothers my old lady hips!) I look forward to reading your recap. Thanks for linking, Kim!

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