Gettin' Lucky in Kentucky: Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon

I ran the Run the Bluegrass half marathon in March 2018 and somehow convinced the family to drive from New England to race country in Kentucky.  The race is self-proclaimed as America's prettiest half marathon.  The race course spans from the track and Kneeland through roads that take you to several horse farms and back to the track.  

I happen to be writing this in 2021 - on the same weekend as the race.  

The drive was a bit of a stretch for the kiddos - but there was a plan. Caroline was going to be in Kentucky with her family - so the kids could see each other.  I call that a parent win - kiddos enjoyed the visit.

The race expo was hoppin!  Some of the race memorabilia for purchase sold out during the expo.  I was hoping to add to the trucker hat collection.  Packet pickup was organized as well.  Pick up your bib, grab your race shirt, stickers, or any other swag.  Things were so well organized I would consider doing this race again!  And of course, it felt like a back-yard party at the expo.

Race day started off a bit on the cooler side, so I dressed up in way more layers than were needed.  Fortunately, the main building was large enough to hold a crowd of runners, support indoor lines in and out of the bathroom, and pre-race yoga.  A great start to a half marathon.

The Pre-Race Selfie

Race day was a bit chilly so I layered up - should have brought some throw-away items!  The course warmed up fast!  I stopped along the route to remove some layers- this caused me to lose a few minutes on the course.  So did a pit stop or two during the race.

The race course is a bit hilly - more on the back half than the front half.  Mile 9 was THE WORST.  The signs on the hill were entertaining and great motivators.  My favorite was "Ain't no time for Walken" with a picture of the infamous Christopher Walken.  

No race is complete unless you have a post-race medal-wearing selfie!

It was nice to have the family at the finish line and to see them cheering runners on.  I saw the fam right before I crossed the finish line 💗.  The kids asked what took me so long.  Ha!  My pace is a bit on the slower side.  After all, I don't really train...

This race was a PR for me: 2:20:55 for a finish time without much training.  I have no clue how long my longest run was prior to race day.  I'm pretty sure I ran the Little Rock Marathon before this race.

Cannot leave Kentucky without some bourbon crafted by the race sponsor

Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:

Shoes: Topo Flylite 2

Compression: I don't remember...

Pros: Felt like a party, race signs, perfect running weather, near Bourbon country, Half Marathon PR

Cons: Hilly back half 

Race injuries: Nada! I felt great 😁

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 running shoes.  I would consider doing this again but fly rather than drive.

Denial is more than a river

I started getting back into running in late 2017 and struggled a bit with hills and runs. My “summer” pace as I called it hovered around a 10:30 to 12:00 mile with the thought that hot and humid days were just going to be tougher runs because humidity makes it harder to breathe. I looked forward to spring and fall just so I could do a 9:30 mile for shorter runs. I accepted that while I liked hills, I would be walking up them to keep my heart rate down or walk at the top because my chest hurt too much. There were times my watch showed a 180+ pulse with me gasping for air and pausing to alleviate the tightness. This feeing happened on slow runs with fast friends, when I was sprinting toward the finish of several races, and the day Angie and Tracy said “you need to see a doctor. You sound bad” while running the Essex Steam Train Half Relay. The wheezing was loud in the upper airway but I felt my usual “normal” while running.

My friends told me I sounded bad in October of 2019. I did not see my primary doctor for a diagnosis until late March 2020. Denial is a powerful thing.

I reviewed my symptoms: rapid pulse, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and symptoms alleviated with walking. Cough and runny nose were in there, but I realized this after the diagnosis.

The first step with the diagnosis was to try an albuterol HFA.

“Inhale two puffs 15 minutes before exercise.” Okay... I have some planning to do for runs. Know when I want to go out, use the magic “puffer.” Okay... I was skeptical since side effects of albuterol include a rapid heart rate and cough.

I was *finally* diagnosed with exercise-induced bronchospasm over a year ago (around the time the pandemic started) and continued to have disbelief.  My first run following instructions was proof that I was over-due for albuterol.  Going up the hill to complete mile one: not so bad. Stops to catch my breath: three in my three mile run.  Baseline: at least five stops sans albuterol.  There was also a change in heart rate zones.  Albuterol helped to lower my average pulse while running - so much for the side effect of an elevated pulse!  I was off to a good start.  I mentioned that cough and runny nose were part of the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma.  I did not notice these until after I started treatment.  I attribute this as self-awareness rather than being aware of the textbook reasons.  I noticed that mucous production was higher after a run - it seemed less with albuterol.  I also noticed that I did in-fact have a weak cough with a fuzzy feeling in my chest for 20-30 minutes after a run.  That fuzzy feeling is the bronchospasm.

I asked for Singulair at my next appointment to help reduce the need for a bronchodilator.  Can one pill manage the symptoms: yes and no.  Singulair helped control the amount of mucous.  I went from blowing my nose several times after a run to maybe once or twice.  Part of the denial aspect was having the mindset that adding medications was cheating.  I should be able to handle everything with exercise and the more I run, the better things will get, right?  Obviously, things did not get better.  Running continued to present the same breathing challenges until I added medications to support breathing.  This is not cheating, either.  Athletes use interventions such as bronchodilators and oral medications like singulair to decrease the work of breathing.

Using the phrase denial is more than a river encompasses the essence of my thought process.  I was in denial about the need to breathe just a bit easier.  I thought everyone felt like they were dying while running.  Maybe I was not strong enough and needed to lift more weights.  No one feels like they are dying while running unless it is race day.  My body should not have felt like I could not breathe on a regular run at my average pace.  Things have improved since starting on the breathing regimen.  I hope to break a PR 5K for me: Run a 5K in less than 27 minutes, run a 10K under 59 minutes, a half marathon in 2 hours, 25 minutes, and a marathon under 4 hours, 55 minutes.  The goals are achievable now that I can breathe easier.

Virtual ain't the same: Completing a virtual half marathon

 Virtual Half Marathon: Carlsbad Half Marathon 2020

I signed up for this virtual half to help me keep track achieve training goals and prepare Run the Alamo with Caroline in 2021.  Well, the great city of San Antonio decided it would not allow the race organizers to have a portion of the course because of COVID (yet allowed indoor sporting events).  The race organizers felt compelled and cancelled the 26.2 mile event and defer all 2021 registrants to 2022.  Okay... sigh.  Moving forward there are two 26.2 mile events planned in the near future: the Delaware Running Festival & Grandma's Marathon.  

Digressing, I signed up for the virtual half pre-injury and completed it on a planned post-travel rest day.  The original goal was to complete it during the actual Carlsbad Marathon weekend.  But MTSS happened and my left leg had other plans.

My longest run since re-starting was for miles and I could not find my albuterol HFA today.  But, I finished under my intended goal of 3 hours.  So a short long run and no inhaler.  How did I do? Not bad - and better than my goal of three hours.

Lets start at the beginning.  How did I find out about this marathon?  Well, I was eyeballing Carlsbad for California but decided on another race that may fit my introverted tendencies.  Then comes along an ad on social media after searching for my version of a Goldilocks virtual half marathon because virtual runs are not the same.  Translated in my speak: which event has the best swag?

Two shirts, a bib, medal, and a pint glass?  Yes please! 

Preparation was supposed to be easy after completing a 10K in the fall.  My body had other plans after I stopped weighted workouts: MTSS or Shin splints.  The decision to stop running for a while was difficult but the worst case scenario: stress fractures, would mean no running for a longer period of time.  

I completed the run in the megalopalis of New London, CT because it is fairly pedestrian friendly and all the touristy spots to see along the way.  Watch time is not strava time! 

Mile 1: The United States Coast Guard Academy.

Outside the gates of CGA

Mile 2: Somewhere on the Conn College Campus

Hi from one of the mist expensive colleges in America :)

Mile 3: Outside of the Lyman Allan Art Museum

Mile 4: A neighborhood tribute

Black lives matter

Mile 5: A fountain on the corner of Bank and Shaw Street

A fountain donated to New London

Mile 6: I miss Fred's Shanty!!!

Can't wait for Fred's Shanty to open!

Mile 7: Missed one here!

Mile 8: So many geese!  Glad none of them decided to chase me.

Not a fan of geese.

Mile 9: Oops. Missed another photo here.

Mile 10: Only 5k to go and at the pier!  Wahoo!!!

City Pier, New London

Mile 11: The wall was creeping up here!  But hey, there is the whale tail!

The Whaling City!

Mile 12: In the neighborhood.  Just needed to run a few extra blocks in and out of streets to get the mileage.

Mile 13: In the neighborhood

Mile 13.1: Finished before the ascent up the hill.  Strava time is 2:28:04 over 13.15 miles.

Just a two block walk to the house.

The title of this post is Virtual ain't the same.  And it is not for so many reasons, not all are listed here.  The first being race-day excitement. Sure, you can do a virtual run with a group of friends sans large crowd, blaring music, and course support.  Sometimes we need those motivators to keep us going and pick up the pace on the course.  There is no archway at the end or a clock to tell you how awesome you were.  There are no volunteers to don on your medal, no one is handing out space blankets, and there is no beer tent waiting to take your ticket.  You make your own post-run meal.

I miss running at a festival or race.  My post run meal was a salad with beef brisket because I did not feel like going to a restaurant solo.  I finished half of my post run beer because the comaradarie of sharing a post run pint was not there.  The positive from the experience was goal setting with increasing the long-run distance.  

I cannot wait for the virtual run as the gold standard to end.  I miss race day crowds and people.

Cost:

$70 for a virtual race with two shirts, race bib, medal, and a pint glass.  Everything was shipped to the house.

Downside: I had to hunt a bit to find out how to post my time to the Carlsbad website.

The Gear: 

Brooks Ugly Sweater Christmas 2020 beanie

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21 running shoes, color 193

Goodr Runways in Breakfast run to Tiffany's

Under Armour Cold Gear hoodie

Nike 7/8 running tights

Camelbak hydration pack

Race Injury:

Got one large blister on my right foot.

So, I went back to South Carolina

 Myrtle Beach Marathon, 2020

Running along the strip in Myrtle Beach

I traveled to Myrtle Beach as we were amping up for a lock-down thanks to SARS-CoV-2.  This would be the last in-person marathon I run for a while.

Travel day was noting too unusual.  Fly in, grab luggage. The hotel had not shuttle so I hitched a ride via Uber to the hotel.  Note: Caroline and I stayed in the hotel recommended by the race organizers.  Great, makes lodging easy to book.  The down-side is that we were not extended a late check-out after running 26.2 and the hotel was rude about storing out bags while we ran.  The race was held during the start of spring break/tourist  season to the beach town.  It was not overly-crowded, either.  It would be nice to grant the late check-out to race participants since we  are helping to support the economy in the area.

The pre-race dinner and post-race lunch were at Dirty Don's Oyster Bar and ate tuna tacos for both meals.  Plus had a pint with each one.  

I managed to score a Bloody Mary from one of the few race spectators.

The course was flat as advertised and the crowd was not bad - not too much traffic.  But the spectator race support was not there.  You get used to this as a runner and it helps with motivation.  There were a couple of golden nuggets with this marathon: the post-race party was chill, finishers medal and tank (yes! two race shirts).  I still sport the finisher tank on summer run days.

His sign says "No Melt Downs"  Best one of this race!

Come prepared with a cooler weather set of clothes and a warm day set.  I was cold & windy for most of the run due to the overcast day and high humidity.  The sun decided to peek and wind died down toward the end of the time I was on the course.  Go figure.  

Sporting the Finisher Medal

The post race party was chill.  Pizza was served and runners were able to get up to two refreshing beers to help wind down after  26.2 miles of man-powered road time.

Chip time: 5:13:41

Only 0.2 miles to go - and I'm taking a selfie?!?

Travel Cost

Airfare & Parking: $600

Uber Rides: $40

Food: $150

Swag for the kiddos and DH: $100

Estimated cost: $1000

Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:

Shoes: Altra Torin 4

Shades: A throw-away pair picked up at a race expo

Race Day Shirt: Raw threads Bamboo mix Hoodie from the Nightmare Before Christmas collection

Compression: CEP Compression sleeves

Pros: Flat course

Cons: Limited flight options from Myrtle Beach to Connecticut, hotel refused a late checkout during the early states of tourist season

Race injuries: Some sore muscles, the usual blisters

Rating: 2 out of 5 running shoes. If you are looking for a flat course to BQ, then sure. The lack of late check-out for marathon runners contributed to this being a less-than-desirable race. If you want to get South Carolina as part of your journey to run a marathon in all 50 states, then go to Charleston.  The city has more charm  and better dining options.

The First Hartford Half

Hartford, Connecticut.  Home to the infamous Hartford Marathon series of races.  Which also happens to be the city of my first endurance race: the half marathon.

Keep in mind, I decided to start "this running thing" after finding that I needed something in my life to fulfil a void.  I asked mom friend, Chandra, if she would be game.  No problem!  She was the morale committee + her husband and kids.  

Chandra's kept saying if you can run 8 miles, then you can run a half marathon.  So that is what I did.  Well, maybe half of that distance.  Chandra's husband met us at a few crowd points during the race.  She collected GU gel from him, as well as swapping out layers and sporting a fun princess race tank.  This was a nice first endurance race - not too hilly, plenty of electrolyte replacement, and great crowd support.  To top that off: you get to run under the arch at Bushnell Park.

Chandra and her eldest held hands and crossed the finish line together.  Super sweet!!! 

Now, trying to recall specifics from 2017 when writing this in 2021 is a beast!  There will be another post on the 2019 Hartford Marathon. 

Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:

Shoes: New Balance - Not sure which line, though!

Compression: KT tape

Pros: Local, great running support + volunteers, race crowds, after party

Cons: Weather is hit or miss.  We were lucky this year!  Post race food is meh, start of the race is crowded

Race injuries: The usual shin splints, blisters

Rating: 4 out of 5 running shoes because you never know what kind of weather you are going to get!  Post race food is okay, but the beer makes up for that.

Crabs Everywhere!!

At the Baltimore Race Expo

Crabs, running, Baltimore's inner harbor, and a flippy-style medal. Sure, I'll run the Baltimore Marathon!

The decision was made.  Caroline and I traveled separately and met up on race day.  I stayed in the inner harbor and she stayed with a friend in the area.

But.. race day.  The expo is HUGE. Like Boston Marathon HUGE.

Baltimore, MD, here I come!  I flew into BWI, picked up my rental ride, and made the drive to the inner harbor area.  As a side note, if you are not traveling outside of the downtown area, consider using public transportation.  The train takes you into downtown Baltimore for roughly the cost of a grande coffee at Starbucks.  And of course, there are the sportsball teams!  mentioned staying solo in a hotel during this trip.  I knew this trip would be expensive.  And yes it was.  But I was super close to the race start and finish.  And a Starbucks.

I met up with a runner that I met at the Hatfield McCoy marathon at the expo and later for dinner with a few other fellow runners she met while traveling.  Had some crab cakes for dinner at Philip's seafood, then went to retire for the night - after consuming a pre-race day beer.

The inner harbor is set up well in advance pre-race with multiple races: a 5K that starts before the marathon, a marathon, and a late-start half marathon.  The concept of the late-start half was awesome.  I did not feel the course was too crowded with how everything was organized and the aid stations throughout were packed with snacks, beverages with electrolytes, and interventions to make your race comfortable (Vaseline, Tylenol, water, ice, etc.).  The energy from the supporters and runners was amazing.

The race starts behind Camden Yards. Take some photos!  This place is amazing.  Poe, the Baltimore Ravens mascot is part of the pre-race shenanigans.  Some of the treats on the course include running past the Under Armour headquarters, seeing some animals in the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore (don't forget your selfies!), a stroll near Johns Hopkins University, and the infamous Lake Montebello.

The after party was sponsored by Dogfish Head.  Two beers- hells yeah!  Beers along the inner harbor? Incredible. Flippy marathon medal?  Fantastic.  Chip time: 5:06:12, with an average pace of 11:41 per mile. 

Bonus: I went to Alexandria to see my dad and bonus mom!  This is the only reason I had a rental ride.  

Overall, I loved this race and it still is a top 5.  While I would not do 26.2 again, I would like to do the Baltimoron-athon.  The 5k and half marathon in the same day.

Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:

Shoes: Topo Flylite 2

Compression: Whatever I purchased on a large on-line retailer

Pros: Race setup, aid stations, crowd energy, crowd support, the Baltimore Zoo (I took a selfie with a SKUNK!)

Cons: Cost of lodging & valet parking

Race injuries: Nasty blisters on my great toe

Rating: 5 out of 5 running shoes.  I loved this race.  Corrigan Sports, the race organization, is well-organized.  I look forward to the Deleware Running Festival in 2021.

I will start adding in cost of travel in future blogs because this adventure is expensive and requires a bit of planning to be and feel successful.