Race Report and Miscellaneous Stuff!

Beautiful Morning for a run!

My training partner Jeannie, and her Cincy friend Ron. This guy is hysterical!! Had me in stitches up until he decided to blow us away!

There's something about running that makes Jeannie want to kiss people!

Not the best looking pic of me, but I'll take it!

I'll especially take the above pic of me after seeing this guy finish the 1/2 in about 3:30. Just more motivation. You go guy, don't let it hold you down, no excuses!!

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Haven't been keeping up with blogging due to finals at school, and final preparations for the Columbus Half Marathon. So, this is my attempt, albeit crazy, to catch up!



The race was incredible!! What a gorgeous day we had to run! It was about 55 degrees when we took off, and I was a bit chilled but it felt sooo good about 4 miles in. I had no idea that Columbus was so beautiful. When people ask where I'm from I always say Columbus, because they really don't have a clue where I'm really from, if I told them.............they'd say "huh, where's that?"..............I'd say..........."Columbus".................so I just skip all the in between stuff. So, to say I had no idea it was so beautiful really would be true.



We started right at Broad and High. 10,000 runners right up Broad Street. We passed right in front of the Rhodes Office Tower where my mom has worked over 30 years. When my brother and I were kids we used to go to work with her sometimes. We would hang out in her office running stuff through her paper shredder until COSI opened. Then we would walk the 5 blocks or so to COSI and hang there all day long.



So, running right down that street was pretty cool. We then ran through Bexley. Wow, kids that place is just...........hummm.........well......it's just drippin with money! I even thought I saw a few trees with some cash dangling from them in a few front lawns! Beautiful, sprawling mansions. Gorgeous lawns. Tree-lined brick streets. It just blew me away! I even saw the governor of our great state! I had to ask someone what his name was.....but, I still saw him out there cheering for us. Great guy............now that I know his name and all!!



Then I saw it...............yes.................I saw it....I almost kissed it.........and I almost bowed down before it............I thanked God for it..................yes it was.........the first turn off for the HALF MARATHON!!



Those poor, poor marathoners kept right on going and I celebrated as I once again loved my decision to stick with the 1/2 this time around! It was so liberating to turn off!



The "full fools" (get it....full marathon, fools............yeah, yeah I know it's a bad joke) re-joined us about 1.5m later. I didn't realize that they had come back in with us until I asked why all these people were passing us. We had kept a pretty good pace (9:40-9:50) and had not been getting passed, but then people were flying by us. But, it was okay!



I saw Ceito at mile 9. I think he was surprised to see us so soon. I felt great and was telling him to get moving to the finish area 'cause we were haulin' it in to the finish. 4 more miles to go! Wheee Yeahhh!



Then it happened. Mile 10 1/2. The right side of my abdomen started to cramp up. I had been drinking gatorade diluted with water at every water stop. Not too much just enough to wash down the spit! But, here I was cramping or so I thought. I tried to run it out and ended up walking about 2 minutes at a time every 1/2 mile or so. It just really sucked!



I got to mile 12 and just said "suck it up and get this over with". My training partner had pulled ahead and I let her go. There was a bit of an incline right up to the turn off to the finish and she just really likes those little inclines, so I just thought, let the girl sprint it, it's okay, let her go! She did! I saw a friend at the bottom of the incline and she jumped onto the course purse and all and ran me up the incline to the turn off. What a great friend. She told me later she was going to have to have oxygen therapy for a week after that little trick!!



I turned off (away from the full fools for the last time) and coasted down, yes down, oh my down to the finish line...............2:15:36.............I was thrilled!!!! 2:15???? I was expecting a 2:30. I knew we were well below that pace, but I was so excited with my time! The Full Fool Winner finished after me, which was also very liberating!!



When we walked through the finish chute we were corralled into what felt like another 1/4 mile walk through some of the best finish line food and drinks I've ever witnessed!! I really do believe it was for the pure fact that I finished before the Full Fools that I witnessed such a spread. Usually I'm in the back of any idea of a pack, so the food tables are usaully being washed down by the time I get to them. They had panera bagels, all kinds of fruit, protein bars, cheez-its, cookies, COKE ZERO.........oh, my you've got to be kiddin' me I said...........this is my fave!!! Then, get this, they had Starbucks Coffee!!!!! Oh, how I wish I could eat right then. I picked up a cinnamon crunch bagel and ate about 1/4 of it's mammouth size, and could go no further. I did down a coke zero though, but refused to stand in line for a Starbucks!!



So, all in all.............great day! I looked at my ranking a few nights ago, and was even happier to see that I actually finished in the upper 1/2 of my age group, and that my finish time was actually faster than the average (2:20). Granted that's only 5 min. faster but..........3 years ago I weighed 214 pounds and could not even climb the stairs without being out of breath. I never would have thought then that I could do what I've done in the past 2 years!!! I'm very proud of myself. I'm not fast. I'm not slow. I'm not miserable. I'm estatic (most of my waking hours)



The abdominal thing turned out to be a muscle strain. I didn't feel right until yesterday. It's better today and I actually did a few crunches this morning to test the buggas.



This post has rambled too long so I will post my Miscellaneous stuff later.



I will post now, however, that you can go to my Team In Training fundraising page at

www.active.com/donate/tntnoh/racewithtiffany to donate or just check out what I'm up to next.



I will not stop moving for I know that I am happier and better as an active person! Although, this week off felt good..........really good..........but, not as good as training feels! I did eat some great sugar this week though! Oh my, pumpkin donuts are just divine! When you work hard at eating to be able to train it pays off, but I'm pretty sure that those pumpkin donuts can fit somewhere in my marathon training!!! Fat chance, no chance to get fat!!!



For now enjoy the pics and thanks for cheering me on!