2018 USATF East Region and NE Masters 1500m Championship

Start of the 1500. I'm 3rd position

I'm posting this and the Loon recap backwards. I had intended to keep it as just one post, but I got on a roll with the Loon one last night and decided to just keep it separate. This post will be the week leading up to Loon that includes my first 1500m on the track. I finally got my total mileage for the week over 30! Woohoo. 37.1 miles total. 7,159ft of elevation gain. Happy for the gain since I like to do as much climbing in the summer as possible. The increased mileage and two races (well, 3 races technically) really didn't seem to affect my injury much at all which is a good sign. I'm hoping to get in another 35 miles this coming week and then go for 50 the week after that. 50 is going to be my stopping point. It seems to be my happy place for weekly mileage so I'm going to stick with it for awhile. I'll add in a workout or two on the spin bike a week, as well.

So, the spin bike. I decided NOT to rejoin the gym. Instead, when my CMS Women's Racing Team reimbursement check came in, I made the decision to buy a bike. The weird part was that I needed to order my 5lb bag of coffee, as well. The bike and the coffee came out almost to the dollar of the reimbursement check so I decided to just do it. I could have definitely used that money elsewhere, but I felt that the bike would be smart purchase for me. It's cheap, like I said in the last post, but I have to settle for that right now. I'm so excited for it to arrive. I'm not excited about putting it together, though. Haha.

This week was kind of weird. I had more Bryan drama. I had disappointment that led to me pouting half of Wednesday and all day Thursday...and maybe Friday...and I might as well just admit I'm still pouting. Haha. It wasn't anything horrible. Just plans I'd been looking forward to for a week (well, more like almost 3 years to tell the truth ;) ). It was totally random that they fell through so I wasn't really mad or anything, just disappointed. I allowed myself to pout, and I'm mostly kidding that I'm still pouting about it now. Haha. It was actually a mostly good week with crazy stuff thrown in there to keep it interesting. Better than sitting bored in a hotel room in Texas.

I do have to say that my body felt super gross from the trip. I was so bloated from flying and just the sitting around and eating too much did not make my body happy at all. It took until probably Thursday to feel normal again.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018- John and I both slept in until almost 9am. I went to bed around 2:30am so it made sense. Woke up to heat and humidity outside. It was so gross. I did my usual morning routine then took some laundry down to the basement. Omg. It was probably in the 60s down there. I decided I had no shame. I was running on the treadmill this morning. I brought down my wind tunnel fan and enjoyed a really good 3 mile run. 22:02. I upped the elevation like I used to do before my injury and anemia put a halt to my progress in March. I felt great. No pain in the tendons at all.

After Bryan's crazy behavior the day before, I was worried about him having Phoenix and really wanted her to be dropped off, but when John asked him, he said he had both dogs on the river. Great. I expected a phone call from a stranger later in the day. I was certain he would lose her. I really was.

Thanks to a text from John's dentist, I was reminded he had appointment at 11:30am. If they hadn't sent that I would have forgotten. So off we went. It was a long appointment so I read my book. I didn't really mind sitting in the a/c today since it was in the 90s out. John came out, and I immediately cracked up at his face. Totally numb on one side.

From here we planned to go right to Conway Lake, but just as we got in the car, the call I was expecting came in. "I'm only a mile away. I'll be right there," was my response to the stranger calling from First Bridge to let me know he had Phoenix. So fucking predictable and so irresponsible. As I pulled in a guy walked over carrying Phoenix. She was panting like crazy and HOT to the touch when he handed her to me. He said he had just pulled in the lot and noticed her panting like crazy while sitting under a tree. She was probably close to heat exhaustion. No telling how far she had run along the bank of the river until she got to a place she knew. My poor little dog! The guy said he was trying to get her to cool off in the water but she refused to get in. I was so thankful he had found her and for calling me. I put her in the cold a/c in the car. She looked scared and traumatized. I decided just to bring to the lake with us. She didn't seem to be cooling down, so I made a stop at another place on the river and put her in the water. Once she was cooled off and back in the car, I could tell she was exhausted.

I stopped at Frye's to get us some pizza since we were starving and then drove to the lake. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach so I set up our stuff on the opposite side of the bridge where dogs are allowed. It was actually the perfect spot. Phoenix slept a lot next to me, and I made sure she stayed cooled off. John swam with some other kids and jumped off the bridge.

Oh so we never let Bryan know we had Phoenix. I wanted to see how long it took for him to let me know she was gone. I'm not sure when he lost her, but it was probably a few hours before I got a voicemail that just said, "I can't find Phoenix." So John took a photo of her and sent it to him. His only response was something like, "Ok." Wow, but not an unexpected response.

I took them both home and then got dressed to run Whitaker Woods. It was SO hot, but that's not unusual for a summer Tuesday night. I ran a half mile then stood in the shade with Roger Marcoux and Joe LaRue until just before the start. I expected this to go badly in the heat, but right off the line, I felt really good and took off. For some reason the heat didn't affect me much and I ran the first (marked) mile in 6:27, faster than the two previous weeks. I even felt good on the climb in mile 2. As I started the first downhill, I felt my car key fly out of my pocket. NOOOOOO! Fortunately, I heard where it fell and only wasted about 5 seconds backtracking before I found it. I was lucky with that one! The last time that happened, I was in the middle of nowhere in Maine, and it took me 15 minutes to find my key. So phew on finding it and carrying on. I had no one near me for the final mile and finished in what I thought was a second faster than the first week. Turned out, I was wrong. 21:15, as opposed to 21:13. Had I not lost the key, it would have been faster. Very good sign! I left immediately after since I just wanted to go back home, shower and relax the rest of the night.

Phoenix seemed super sad all day. I was so angry at him for being so irresponsible. My poor little dog. Since then she's been extra clingy, and not just with me, but with John, too. I don't even want Bryan taking her with him again unless John is there to make sure she's taken care. Kind of sad that the child has to parent the parent.

My sad dog

Wednesday, July 4, 2018- Not a holiday for me unfortunately, but I couldn't complain since it was the only day I was working this week, and I got holiday pay. This turned out to be one of the most excruciating days at work, and I very much regretted not getting my ass out of bed this morning to run. The 4th stuff didn't start in Schouler Park until 3:45pm, but I received word that we were required to begin staging at 12:30pm. WTF.

Since we had two trucks staffed for the day starting at noon, I chose A3 for our truck thinking I was taking the better one. Well, I was WRONG. I spent two hours doing the truck check and getting it fully stocked and then washing it. When I was done, I went to back it in and realized the a/c was barely working up front. Hmm. The back was fine, so I didn't think much of it. It was going to be in the mid-90s again today, though, so I had a feeling the truck would not keep up just parked and running for almost 10 hours. I was right. What a miserable day. Michelle and I at least snagged the hidden spot while the other truck had to sit in the middle of the park with the crowd. We had no calls other than two fire alarms. We only left once to get food and iced coffee. But other than that, I sat in the back sweating my ass off. I read my book, stared at my phone. Talked to a few people I knew including Jennifer and Steve Brightman. We had to move over to the crowd area briefly while the other truck transported a patient and I talked to some other people I hadn't seen in awhile. That part was good. We watched the fireworks, then hung out until the crowd dissipated. What a waste of day.

I was so happy to leave the staging area and head back to the base, but about 1/2 mile shy of the base we got our second fire alarm back to the same place we went earlier in the day. So I turned around and back we went. We cleared quickly since it was just a faulty system. We were back maybe 15 minutes when we got a tone for paramedic intercept with Fryeburg Ambulance. We met on the road, and as I stopped, I looked in my side mirror to see smoke coming from the driver's side rear tires. The smell of burning brakes soon filled the ambulance. Haha. I was glad Michelle was getting into their truck, but I still had to follow all the way to the hospital with this disaster of an ambulance. I was just happy it made it back to base where I quickly put it out of service and wrote my 3rd maintenance request of the day for it. Haha. It was after midnight before I got to bed, but we slept all night! Yay!

Thursday, July 5, 2018- I had made loose plans a month before to run with Steve Brightman this morning while he and his family were up for the 4th and Loon. We solidified plans on Tuesday, and I decided to have us meet up at the Moat Mineral Site right after I got off work at 7am. I had done this since I had plans to go away for the rest of the day and night. Unfortunately, those plans fell through the day before. I was pretty bummed, but the plan change was for a good reason so I couldn't be too mad. But I did decide to pout all day and hung out alone after the run with Steve. Haha.

I was really glad I had made early plans with Steve, though, since it was going to be a really hot day out. The earlier the run the better. I decided to take him on a loop starting at the end of High St at the trailhead that would take him by (the nearly dry) Thompson Falls and then climb up to the top of Whitehorse Ledge. It's good mix of mostly non-technical mountain bike trails so it was runnable. We ran a pretty easy pace the whole way. Steve tripped a lot. Haha. He managed to recover every time before hitting the ground, though. I'd promised close to 8 miles and lots of hills. I was close to accurate with 8.3 miles in 1:33:56. 1,432ft of elevation gain.

Steve had to rush off to meet the family for breakfast and then Storyland, but not before giving me some beer he'd picked up and a whole 4-pack of PUFF that Jennifer had found for me. The beer that Bryan stole!! Jennifer saw my post on the beer page about it and snagged some. So cool of her!

 I went home and enjoyed a little downtime before getting in an upper body and abs workout and then loading up the kayak for a paddle on Moose Pond in Maine. This wasn't the first time I'd paddled on Moose Pond, but the only other time I had was during the now defunct Great Adventure Challenge, an off-road triathlon that included kayaking, mountain biking and a mountain run. (My first kayak race and my one-and-only mountain bike race ever.) I was looking forward to checking it out at a leisurely pace today. The lake was super busy with motor boats which I normally don't like. I'm always afraid of some moron running me over, so I stuck close to the shoreline and paddled out and back for about 4 miles. There was a strong wind on the way out, but as soon as I turned around, all I felt was hot air so I stopped on the shore to take a quick swim and then carried on. It's a nice place to paddle, but I would definitely pick a less busy day next time.

Pleasant Mt (Shawnee Peak Ski Area)

I drove into Bridgton to hit the Standard Gastropub since I hadn't been there in awhile. They have a great beer list, and, even though the portions are way too small, their food is good. Unfortunately, I hit it on a bad day. Service was REALLY bad. Like really, really bad. For such a small place, you wouldn't think they'd have trouble, and I've never had an issue there before, but today. It took over 15 minutes just to have someone come by, and then it was a good thing I didn't want a second beer because it was almost 20 minutes before anyone ever came by after I was done eating and my drink emptied. I'm hoping that maybe they were just new or maybe it was a bad day, but I'm not likely to go back anytime soon.

Instead, I decided to check out a new brewery that caught my eye on the way into town. Bear Bones Beer. The place was pretty cool. And I liked the beer list. I was only having one here, as well, so I picked an interesting stout, the Ex Cadis Stout that was gin barrel-aged. I hate gin, but I'd never had a stout like this so I had to try it. And wow, it was really good! Way better (to me) than bourbon or whiskey-barrel aged. So, I shared a photo on the Runners Love Their Beer FB page. And omg, you'd think I'd committed a crime. I was immediately informed that my glass was dirty. And it was followed by subsequent comments. Well, guess what? I.DON'T.GIVE.A.FUCK. I said that in a much nicer way, although "nice" is debatable. So sick of beer snobs! I thought I was one until I saw what a real beer snob was. Sooooo...I proceeded to leave the beer page for a second time. I was reminded why I left it in the first place. The beer was good. That's all I care about. I don't need to break it down like I'm at a fucking wine tasting. I don't even know the difference between any of the hops. Not a clue. And who doesn't have dirty glasses?! You're delusional if you think that glass that just came out of your dishwasher is sterile enough to go into an operating room. So to the beer snobs...Fuck all y'all! And I'm from the South. I can say that with legitimacy. I sat back on the cozy couch after that and enjoyed my dirt infested stout. By the way, I liked this place and plan to return.

I'm allowed to post this goofy selfie. :)

When I got home, John was already there so I hung out with him and Phoenix and continued to pout the rest of the night since I was supposed to be somewhere else. I still had a good day. I can easily fill my day, but I was disappointed, nonetheless.

Friday, July 6, 2018- I was so tired that I had to sleep in this morning. I woke up to this sweet face. Unfortunately, this was ruined by the sound of a horn honking in my driveway. Seriously, Bryan?!

I assumed he was honking for John who was still asleep, so I woke John up and told him his dad was waiting for him in the driveway. John got right up and walked into the room to put his shoes on when Bryan called him via video chat so I could hear the call. He was mad that John wasn't up and kept asking him what was going on. John finally got a word in and said, "I didn't get up." OMG. A 12 year old boy who didn't wake up early? NO! Bryan responded with, "Then you lied to me, you piece of shit. You little piece of shit." I was HORRIFIED. Like my mouth fell open. It was awful. I didn't really know what to do. I told John he didn't have to go with Bryan if he didn't want to, but then I realized that this was Bryan's time, and I actually had no say over that. So John left with Bryan. Who says that to their kid?! We all lose our shit and get angry sometimes, but this crossed a line. But in the moment there was nothing I could do about it. And in reality, it really has to be John who makes a decision on where their relationship goes in the future. I talked to him later, and he said that he does have fun with his dad half the time. He doesn't want to end his relationship with him. I have to respect that. I just made sure he understood that Bryan calling him a piece of shit isn't ok. It's downright WRONG. I think John knows that. But, wtf. I feel like this drama never ends!

I decided to do a mountain run this morning. I'm not sure why I chose that since I had the Loon Mountain Race in two days, and I was kind of sore from the day before. I guess I felt it would be slow enough that it wouldn't wear me out for Sunday. I was half right. Haha. I drove to the Thompson Rd trailhead and ran up Middle Mt and then over to Peaked Mt before looping back to the car. It's a run I've done a million times. I was happy to find I could still run the entire thing, but I was nervous at how slow it was when thinking about Loon. I had a feeling I was going to suck really bad at Loon and pretty much gave up any thought of doing well. Phoenix joined me for this run and was so good! No photos since I didn't have my arm band for my phone. Haha. 4.7 miles in 1:01:38. 1,687ft of elevation gain.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Just hung out at home.
 

Saturday, July 7, 2018- USATF East Region and NE Masters 1500m-

Since I wanted to count for the whole All-Terrain Series again, I realized that I had to do the 1500m on the track. Except for the Wachusett Mountain Race, I was already doing the rest of the Series. This would be the only I'd have to fit in, and since I didn't care about Loon, it sounded reasonable to register for the 1500m the day before. I didn't think a 1500m would be too taxing. I was kind of excited since I hadn't done a 1500m before, and this would be my first outdoor track race since the 10,000m one in Lowell in 2016 (BARF). 1500m sounded super easy in comparison. I was also excited to do it at the Masters meet where the vibe is always so much more laid back and less women wear running underwear, although, funny enough, the two women seeded ahead of me in the 1500m were wearing them (see the photo at the top of this post). They could pull it off, though, so more power to them. They were both over 50.

The drive down wasn't bad at all, but it took me awhile to find the track at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Google Maps sent me down a dead end road. It wasn't wrong. The track was at the end of the road. It was just that there was a fence in between them. Haha. I finally found it. And wow. What a beautiful facility!! The track was on the top of a hill, a really beautiful spot. A cool breeze was blowing over it which made the sun feel less hot. The weather was actually ideal for a July track meet.

I got my bib then went back to the car to change for a warm up. I had intended 2 miles, but after I ran down a HUGE hill and knew I had to run back up it, I cut the warm up to 1.5 miles. I noticed my quads, the left especially, were pretty sore. Oops. Back at the car, I packed my bag and grabbed the umbrella for John then we both walked over. I set John up, then put on my spikes and ran around a little bit while the women's steeplechase finished up.

I missed it that the meet was running behind so I had already done some strides before I learned I still had about 30 minutes left. Haha. I ended up talking to my CMS teammates, Scott Leslie and Scott Mindel, who were also doing the 1500 (well, Scott Leslie had already done the 5000m earlier). They were funny talking about how there was no way they were doing Loon the next day. Scott M. had no desire to ever do it, and Scott L. had already done it twice and would probably never do it again. Haha.

When it was finally time for our race, I realized every other woman was wearing sunglasses, and I was dying in the sun so I ran back to get my sunglasses and made to the line with about 20 seconds to spare before the gun. Haha. I was seeded 3rd since I had no idea what time I would run today. My last mile was indoors in Providence in January so I decided to just put something close to that time. 5:45. I knew it was too slow, but with being out of shape and hardly running, I wanted to err on the side of caution.

As soon as the gun went off, I quickly passed the 2nd woman and fell in behind Jennifer Hegarty whom I had raced at the Masters indoor meet. I had finished far ahead of her there, but I knew she would be more experienced at the 1500m than me so I want to follow her lead. By almost the 100m mark, I realized I had made a mistake. The pace was too slow. So I passed her and then crossed the lap mark where they called out, "3 to go." What?! That's it?! Haha. This 1500 thing already seemed way better than a 1600. It was almost over before we completed one full lap. Haha. Unfortunately, I found myself in the lead where I had no one to try to catch and no one to pace me. I'm clueless when it comes to pace on the track. It's why I sucked so bad in Providence at the 3000m this year and last year. Since I knew it was only 3 laps, I tried to go almost all out for the next two laps, but it definitely wasn't fast enough. When I hit the bell lap, I realized I had a lot left in me so I put all of that out there, finishing the race in 5:15.69. 1st in the 40-44 (by default since I was the only one, and this was the only heat haha). Full Results

Coming through the finish

I was really happy with my effort on the last lap, and I also really, really enjoyed this distance! I felt like I definitely can run that faster. Not sure it would be a lot faster, but I would think under 5:10 easily. I really wish I had my splits, but hitting splits on my watch in a track race is extra difficult for me since my watch isn't left-handed. The reach is just too far and awkward to hit the lap button. Never even realized why this was so difficult for me when I'm doing track workouts until recently. I need a left-handed watch. Not even sure that's a thing, but it should be. Haha. And the funny part is that I'm not even left-handed. I'm slightly ambidextrous in that I do a lot of things left-handed although I'm predominately right-handed. I've always worn my watch on my right wrist. When it comes to using my watch, my right hand feels like my left hand trying to write. Kind of weird, but it is what it is, and I doubt you'll ever see me hit my splits in a track race.

I hung out just a bit after talking to Jennifer Hegarty and watched the men's 1500. The two Scott's would finish 1 and 2. John and I packed up and went back to the car. I love track meets. They are so quick. Haha. From there we drove to Westborough to the Skyzone Trampoline Park for John to get some exercise. I hadn't taken him to one in awhile since they're so expensive, but he needed to have some fun today. The parents there were so nice. I had conversations with two of them. You'd think we'd known each other. I really enjoyed that.

We headed home from there. John slept almost the entire way. I made a very quick stop at Garrison City Beerworks (my race sponsor!) to buy some cans so that I'd finally be able to share some beer with Steve and Jennifer Brightman the next day after Loon. They've been so generous, and I needed to reciprocate. It was home from there and time to get in the Loon mindset.

The beer I bought to share with the Brightman's