Blog Posts From Kat Ran Antarctica Tagged With washington_dc

Marine Corps Marathon 2009

DCtoPgh — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:52:07 GMT

The 2009 MCM was my 9^th marathon, my 7^th since March. The goal of this race was yet another training run for JFK50 (total training races: 2 marathons and 2 ultras), but after coming so close to a PR two weeks ago at the Baltimore Marathon, I knew it could be a PR day.

Saturday: Expo and Pre-Race

I got to the expo and it was enormous, crowded and overwhelming.

Only some of the really huge expo

The volunteers were exceedingly kind and helpful and I just love seeing the Marines in their uniforms. I ran into my buddy Dane and we chatted for a while.

Me and Dane. He runs a LOT!

I also went to the Semper Fi Fund table where I finally got to meet Corey, an injured Marine who was helped by The Fund and now works for them. We’ve been in touch since I raised funds with Antarctica. She was so sweet and I was so happy that I was able to help the cause; if you would like to donate to an incredible organization, you can do so here.

I also bargained a $110 jacket down to $80 (paying cash, asking for deals and male vendors all help) and got a $50 Dick’s gift card for signing up for the Pittsburgh marathon. I love deals! Next up I headed down to Ike’s where we would meet Shell to go to dinner with friends. I was relaxing on his couch, curled under a blanket when I see Shell come in… followed by Ben! Why is this notable and/or exciting? Ben is one of my very best friends and my neighbor in Pittsburgh who is supposed to be visiting his family in New Jersey this weekend. So why is he in DC?! Well, come to find out, ever since Ben met Shell and Ike at the Pittsburgh marathon, he has been scheming to come down and surprise whoever was running MCM! I love Ben! Both Shell and Ike were out with injuries so they were co-conspirators! After a lot of confusion as to why he was there, squeaking about the fact that he actually WAS there, telling him I hated him, proposing to him, and hitting him a few times so that I wouldn’t cry (and yes, I realize the diversity of that response) we headed to an awesome dinner with friends in Crystal City.

Me and Ben at dinner

The rest of the night was spent making signs, drinking pumpkin beer, eating ice cream and watching Grey’s Anatomy.

Shell making one of several awesome signs

Good times with great friends. I went to sleep feeling so excited for race day and so well-loved to have such fabulous people rallying to support me. If I’m not the luckiest girl in the world, I want to meet the girl who is.

Sunday: Race Day

Shell and I are up and going a million miles a minute and before 6:30 she had already rewritten song lyrics to reflect race day (e.g. “Shorty fire burning on the race course, whoa-o; Kat’s gonna run real fast, she’s gonna kick a lot of @ss on the race course, woa-o”), hosted a disco party in Ike’s car (courtesy of his emergency light/whistle) and slow danced with Ike while waiting for balloons.

I love, love, love, love, LOVE race morning. Getting to the start of the race was such a rush and we timed it so that I could use a porta potty, meet some old friends and make some new friends before the start. Perfect.

Me, Mike, Carl (who is also running JFK50) and Chris

Since a PR was a possibility my plan was to start out conservatively (9:45-10 min/miles) and pick it up if I felt better later; I think I tend to go out too fast in the beginning of races and I wanted to mitigate that.

MCM Start

Video of the start, and thanking Marines

Immediately after the start we pass by Arlington National Cemetery. My step-dad’s sister was just buried at Arlington and it simultaneously shook me and inspired me. There are always inspiring stories at races, but MCM seems to have more- they are everywhere you look. But I wasn’t ready for one so early, and also not such a personal one. I turn a corner not much later to see an enormous American flag suspended over the marathon course. I’m such a giant, sappy, bleeding heart and this race is going to tug on every heart string I have.

American flags were hoisted

and carried

We run down Spout Run and turn onto Canal Road where I befriend Wayne, a Navy guy who is also running with Team Semper Fi.

Running by Georgetown University

I catch up to a runner from a DC running group that I ran with when visiting DC this summer and then I have my next tear-jerking moment. I see a singlet with a very handsome Marine who was killed in action- Bill Jacobsen. The singlet also says, “My son, my hero.” I’m compelled to say something, but what can you possibly say to a father that has lost his beautiful son? I tell him that I’m sorry for his loss and am completely overwhelmed by tears that I choked back as I ran ahead. What I said felt too superficial and I regretted it, but couldn’t figure out what else to say. I spent most of the rest of the race running right behind Bill’s sister (wearing a similar singlet) and trying not to think of my own brother who is a Marine about to deploy to Afghanistan.

We then turned into Georgetown where there are lots of great crowds and really fun personal memories. MCM was less of a trip down memory lane than the Baltimore marathon, but the house I grew up in is 11 radial miles from the White House so I’ve spent a lot of time in DC and I love so much about the city.

Georgetown spectators, Part I

Georgetown Spectators, Part II (shorter but better quality)

Before we reach the Kennedy Center I start to pass a man when I read something on his singlet that makes me realize he is Will Brown, one of the Groundpounders, a group of 4 men who have run every single MCM. All 34 of them! I know Will through the MCM message boards, but instead of treating him like a friend, I act like a total groupie and ask to take a picture of him. He humors me, but as I run on I can only hope that I didn’t annoy the Marine and ultrarunner with my obsequiousness.

As we head into Haines Point there are lots of spectators, even MY spectators!

Ben, Ike and Shell cheering for me

Lined up and ready to cheer

I also remember that last year this is where I started to fall apart and, in contrast, this year I feel great and I’m keeping my sub-10 splits as planned. I find Haines Point peaceful and I see my friend’s girlfriend who cheers for me and I stumble upon Ray, who is carrying an American flag. The theme for the day is tearjerkers and seeing a Ray immediately made me think of my friend Ray who is currently deployed in Afghanistan. I thank runner Ray and try to shift my focus to anything but worrying about “my” Ray. On one hand, as an American I am so proud to have amazing men like Ray doing good for our country; on the other hand, as a friend, it breaks my heart that someone that I care about is deployed. After dating my ex through 2 deployments, I want my heart in the US and not in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I think it is so amazing that people carry flags the entire race.

Check out this amazing tree in Haines Point!

After Haines Point we turn onto the National Mall where I see Ike before I am swarmed with spectators. I’m holding onto my pace but it’s a little more work now. I keep telling myself just to run the mile I’m in, make it to the Sports Beans, and to get to Ben, Ike and Shell.

A high school band playing for the spectators

Pink gorilla. There were also spectators dressed as a beaver and a bumble bee

Mile 15 had an awesome band and a great view of hte Washington monument

Runners and spectators behind the Lincoln memorial

Around mile 16 I see a man who is walking on crutches who is missing some of his calf and he is being followed by men pushing a wheelchair. I have this overwhelming wave of feeling so thankful that I have two working legs and lungs and heart that are more healthy than not. A flash of an e-mail that Corey once sent me sticks out: she asked me to enjoy running because she misses it so much (she is paralyzed). I suddenly feel so thankful yet burdened by wanting to do well for all those people who can’t do what I take for granted more days than not. I keep running, trying not to cry. I can’t believe I’ve held back so many tears in one stupid race.

It was such a perfect day for a race

Capitol Building

Bagpipers played for the runners on the National Mall

A ridiculous womens drumming group that comes out every year

I see my friends at Mile 20 coming onto the bridge. I hate the bridge. It’s long, boring, there are very few spectators and it’s a hill. Plus, people start to fall apart here so it’s easy to thinking about stopping to walk with everyone else. The problem is, if you’re strong enough to keep running there are so many runners who have stopped or slowed that it becomes a contest in weaving which makes running even harder. I see my friend Tuan, who is running across the bridge with runners from his running group and I run with him for a bit before I tell him to go take care of his own. He later told me I looked “so relaxed” like I was “going to get the paper.” I don’t believe him based on how I was feeling, but I get to the end of the bridge and turn into Crystal City.

A member of Team Semper Fi

Best end of bridge spectator EVER!

I also don’t like Crystal City. There are lots of spectators but it’s an out and back and that late in the race it’s tough to mentally have a loop going in the wrong direction just to tack on mileage. I make it to mile 23 and I start to have problems breathing. Stupid asthma. I’m so angry and frustrated, it feels like I’m sucking air through a straw into lungs the size of golf balls. The rest of my body feels great and mentally I’m so in the game but it’s all I can do just to get enough air to keep moving forward. This means I also can’t cheer for spectators, encourage other runners or thank the volunteers- my favorite parts of racing. Add to this that I see a group of motorcyclists who escort the coffins of members of the armed forces who were killed in action. Tears well up as they cheer for me and I choke them down again, telling myself I can cry at the end.

The last few miles are some of the hardest I’ve run because I feel muted by my difficulty breathing. I want to interact with people around me, but don’t have the air to do it. I run in silence and as the spectators begin to thicken near the finish line so many people look me in the eye and cheer for me by name. I can’t thank them and it kills me. A thumbs up just doesn’t express how thankful I am that they are cheering for me. I see friends Brett and Steve and begin up the hill towards the finish at the Iwo Jima memorial. The hill isn’t terrible but men are walking and limping up it and I think of how hard it would be to be a wheelchair athlete. There are Marines standing near the chute and I muster all I can for a high-five as I cross the finish line at 4:26:53.

Final hill on the way to the finish line. What's it like to cross? You'll need to find out for yourself.

A Marine puts a medal around my neck and I think of Dan, who I met at the start. Dan said that he had ordered a hundred medals that he passed out to runners so that the runners could give the Marines a medal that was so deserved. Dan, thank you for sharing such a wonderful idea; I hope you don’t mind if I borrow it next year.

Salty and not cute after 26.2 miles but so honored to be getting a medal from a Marine. I tried to thank him for his service but ended up a stupid, stammering mess and shook his hand.

The medal Dan was going to give a Marine at the finish.

My race wasn’t a PR, although I think it could have been if a) my asthma wouldn’t have started to give me problems and b) I wouldn’t have run an extra (are you ready for this?) 0.8 miles! I love this race, but it’s so crowded and so many runners stop to walk in the middle of the course (please move to the side), which resulted in a lot of weaving which really compounds over 26.2 miles. My pace applied to 26.2 miles and not 27 would have been a PR by almost 2 minutes, but such is racing. At the end of the race I got to give the pink balloons that Shell and Ike carried to help me locate them to little kids! I am the biggest fan ever of random acts of kindness so this was possibly the best part of the race! Next up: JFK50!

At the end with great friends and awesome signs

Esprit De Corps Ultra Update

DCtoPgh — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:36:08 GMT

I just wanted to update and let my readers know that Jimmy and four other Marines completed a 177.5 ultra marathon to raise money for the Inured Marine Semper Fi Fund. They did a phenomenal job, but they are unfortunately still short of their fundraising goal. Please check out the video below and support our men who ran 177.5 miles to raise money for the men and women who were injured to protect our freedoms.

Click here to donate

RR: Marine Corps Marathon 2008

DCtoPgh — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:08:49 GMT

On Sunday I ran my second marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon. After a summer full of strong and consistent training, quality cross-training and finally feeling like I had this marathoning thing down, I was very optimistic about the race. Based on several recent races and 20-mile runs, I thought that I could run 4:15 comfortably, with a margin of error for a particularly good or bad day. No matter what, I knew I would beat my previous PR of 4:42:18 since even my slowest training runs would put me under that by at least 20 minutes.

Sounds nice, right? Well, friends, welcome to the world of marathoning. Even with a lot of quality training and perfect weather, this was what I considered to be a very ugly race.

Pre-Marathon

The days leading up to the marathon were incredible. It started on Wednesday, when Jen and Chris decorated my condo and was followed by Thursday when I finally started to feel like I kicked the cold that reared its ugly head on Sunday. Friday Chris and I had a safe trip to DC where I went to the Expo, met Bart Yasso, saw friends and later joined some additional friends for a long and lovely dinner. Even race morning I was able to meet up with a half a dozen friends and make some new ones while I waited at the start. I had planned to run with the 4:00 pace group for as long as I could hold on, so I was exceptionally excited when I saw that there was a 4:15 pace group, which was the pace I wanted to run from the beginning. I should note (this may be important later) that to run a 4:15 pace with even splits, you would need miles that were 9:43. I've run two 20 milers at less than 10 minute pace, so I was psyched for an awesome race and a PR when the gun went off.

The Race

The race is phenomenally crowded and I continued to trip over people who were oblivious because of their iPods or who didn't place themselves in the appropriate corrals. Mile 1 is comfortable and right on target: 9:43, but both the speed and the course elevation increase sharply thereafter. I ran with the pacers until mile 8 when I realized that it was a very bad idea. Some of the splits that I ran with the "pacers" included: 9:03, 9:05; 8:59, 9:20. For the most part, about 40 seconds too fast, especially on early hills, and much closer to a 4:00 pace. I'm not sure how much of a role going out too hard and too fast played, but I know it didn't help. By mile 11 I began to feel a blister that I later found out was solidly the size of a silver dollar (three Army guys later eagerly looked at it and took pictures) and I thankfully saw some of the wonderful spectators from the MCM message board at this point. I was rather sad to see that one of the spectators was my friend, Len, who continuously gives me wonderful running advice and was my running angel at last year's MCM; he had to bow out early in the race due to an injury that had been nagging him.

At this point, the course turned onto Haines Point. In theory, changing the order of Haines Point and the Mall was smart, but in practice I thought it was terrible. There was an extra part of the course leading into Haines Point (11-15) that had no spectators, and this was true as you left Haines Point as well. This part of the race was terrible for me psychologically- I had lost the pace group, I felt myself starting to slow down, and there were no spectators to pull me through. Between miles 15 and 16 I saw my best friend, Hannah, and her husband, Andy. I cut off at least one poor person, jumped onto the grass and almost knocked Hannah over as I gave her a bear hug. I only remember telling her that I hated running and was never going to run again.

I hopped back onto the course, unsure how long I was going to be able to keep going before needing to stop to walk. My lungs were burning and hurt as though I had pneumonia. I couldn't catch my breath. I haven't had an asthma attack since high school, but suddenly found myself considering my options if my wheezing got worse. I was also favoring my blistered foot, so my knee was in pain because of my adjusted gait. My calves were knots. It was terrible. It was only mile 16.

Miles 16 through 21 were terribly difficult and really felt much more like miles 20 through 26.2. I got a boost at the beginning of the bridge where Lauren and Holly cheered me on (Lauren most definitely wins the most enthusiastic spectator award. I still smile when I think of her popping up and cheering!). A little while later, I saw the MCM support team again and I was sad to run by them because I knew I didn't have any more spectators. The last cheer I heard was Jen yelling "Who's a runner?! Kat's a runner!" It would need to carry me. I did a ton of walking on the bridge and had the realization that I had a granola bar with me and I should use my walk time for a snack. Best decision ever.

I got off the bridge and suddenly, out of nowhere, had my kick back. I was able to run from mile 22 until the finish. They were not terribly fast miles, but I ran them. Last year I remember so sadly hobbling past the Pentagon and this year I felt so much stronger. I rounded the corner at mile 25, thrilled that the finish was there and I was going to make it when I saw Chris' friend Aaron. It was so incredible to see support when I needed and wasn't expecting it. I was so disoriented and sad because I couldn't find Chris who was a few meters down course- Aaron was planted as an "early warning system"! I could have cried when Chris started to run next to me. Partly because his presence was so comforting and partly because I hated him for making running look so easy! He had water and a protein bar and when I turned down both, he came close to me and told me he loved me- something we save for special occasions- and would see me at the finish line. I remember him putting his arm around me and kissing me on the forehead. I might have made that last part up, but I like it and it is something he would do, so I'll keep it as part of the memory.

I ran up the hill and crossed the finish line, relatively unscathed save for blisters, cramps and a maybe-injured ankle. My final time was 4:42:52... a personal worst by 34 seconds! (I actually find this very funny) In some ways I'm disappointed, but I learned a lot from the race. I now know to trust my own pace (and not pacers!) and that I need more fuel on my runs. I also know I have a much faster marathon in me, and I'll continue to train hard to make sure that one day that race will end up in the books. There are always good runs and bad runs and I think I just had a bad run on a big day, and I'm okay with that.

Post-Race

I met up with some friends after the race at Carpool, a sports bar in Arlington (below is a picture of me and my friend, Isaac). It was wonderful to hear people's successes and seeing everyone's accomplishment gave me some much needed perspective on my "bad" race. Really, my race wasn't bad. I didn't meet my goal, but I finished, and did so with minimal injury. I was also healthy enough to have gotten to the start. I am very thankful for those things. I should also note that Jimmy successfully completed his 177.5 ultra marathon to raise money for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and looked better after 177.5 than I did after 26.2! Jimmy, I'm so proud of you and thankful that we have people like you in this world.

Next up: Antarctica. It certainly won't be a PR, but it will definitely be an experience!

Pgh to DC

DCtoPgh — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:00:46 GMT

Since Saturday I have been in DC for the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (imagine a big science fair for anyone who studies anything related to alcoholism). As a doctoral student I wear a lot of hats, one of them scientific researcher, and I was at this meeting to learn, network and present some preliminary findings from my Masters (although collateral- and self-reports of smoking, drinking, and deviance are significantly concordant, adolescents are not sensitive in their reporting of their friends' problem behaviors). I had a great conference and I learned a lot, met a lot of really incredible people and saw some old friends.

Even though I did was I was "supposed" to do, one of my favorite parts of this trip was the time I spent running. I like running in Pittsburgh, but a thousand miles later my routes have gotten a little stale. I know hills are good for my training, but a break would be nice. I wasn't necessarily looking forward to running in DC because I knew I'd be so busy with the meeting, I thought I'd really just be squeezing them in when I could.

Sunday I was up at 5:30 to meet Jen, a colleague from Pittsburgh and an MCM runner from last year, and Isaac, a member of the Marine Corps Marathon community. Ike brought a friend, Dave, and we headed out for an 8-mile run along the mall, Haines Point and the tidal basin. It was hot and humid (much more than Pittsburgh) and we were going at a pace about 30 seconds faster than I had run my 8 the week before. I'm not sure whether it was running with a group (I always run solo) or just the excitement of seeing the city early in the morning, but the run was the easiest long run I've ever had. Not only did we come in under our target pace as a group but I had enough in me to push the last bit. I can't imagine a better way to start a Sunday morning than a sunrise run in the Nation's Capital with a group of friends. We met some other MCM friends at Lincoln Diner and I had some scrambled eggs and blueberry pancakes and I was ready to start a very long day. Not only was the run great, but I really do think it set me up for a great rest of the day as well (including a student luncheon and 6 hours of meetings!).

(Tidal Basin)

Tuesday I ran 4 miles around the monuments... I hit the Washington, WWII, Korean War, Lincoln (including running up the steps), Vietnam, and then ran by the White House. I've seen all these monuments dozens of times, but I really think running them is the way to do it. See, with the monuments, once you see them, you see them. There isn't much to DO there. You can stand, look, take pictures. But then you go to the next one and see that. I basically condensed a good morning worth of sight-seeing into about 35 minutes. Awesome.

(Lincoln Memorial)

This morning I ran a 5-mile loop with Jen. We started at the Woodley Park metro and ran to the National Cathedral, down Embassy Row and then through Rock Creek Park. It was so different than seeing the big touristy spots and it was wonderful not to need to dodge a million scattered sight-seers. Instead it was a really nice tour of beautiful neighborhoods, amazing architecture and DC's famous traffic circles (I've heard the traffic circles were to protect the Capitol during a war to confuse enemy troops). It was also nice to feel like a DC-er as opposed to a tourist.

(National Cathedral)

I miss DC a lot. I love the architecture and the people. I LOVE the food! I'm sorry Pittsburgh, but just because you put fries on it (salads especially) doesn't make it cultural, and it definitely does not make it good. A lot of people think DC is stuffy and Type-A.... but I'm formal and Type-A. When Jen and I were walking out of the Metro I realized where I got my impatience for slow Pittsburghers. In DC you can't stand and be confused because otherwise you create bottlenecks and inconvenience lots of people. I've learned not to do that and it drives me CRAZY when people in Pittsburgh (read: everyone!) does that (especially in the grocery store as they stop in the middle of the aisle and wonder where, or where could the milk possibly be).

It was great to be back home and although the conference was great in itself, running was definitely the icing on the cake. It made me feel really privileged to be healthy and in-shape enough to be able to enjoy the experiences I did (sight-seeing, being with friends) as I ran around the city this week.

(Pictures taken from the web... if I wasn't supposed to use them, tell me and I'll happily take them down)