#30- The Lost Dutchman Marathon! Arizona, Check!

I LOVED this race!!

While standing in line to meet Kara Goucher at the Las Vegas R&R Marathon, I ran into fellow Marathon Maniac Don Pemberton. Needing Arizona in my 50 State Quest and really wanting to avoid the high cost of doing another Competitor event, I asked Don (an AZ native) what his favorite Arizona marathon was. He answered without delay, the Lost Dutchman Marathon. The timing and cost of this event was perfect, so I signed up.

The race was right outside Mesa, so I asked my cousin and her husband if they could put me up for the weekend and they graciously said yes. THANK YOU Christie and Danny!

Going to the Expo!



I want to see these guys!

Now THIS is my kind of Expo!

I flew into Phoenix Saturday morning and went straight to the expo in Apache Junction (which was only 8 miles from my cousin's house- score!) As I walked into the expo, I was greeted with a table of cookies! I was in love with this race already! I picked up my bib and awesome race shirt and looked around the expo for a bit. I ran into a few other Maniacs and we chatted a few minutes and then I went over to my cousin's house where I relaxed, had dinner and just had a nice time with my sweet family. After dinner we went home and I hit the sack. My alarm would be going off at 3:00am and I wanted to make sure I was somewhat rested.

Maniacs at the Expo

The alarm went off and I got dressed and was out the door at 4:00am. The first bus left for the start at 4:30am and since I didn't know the area, I wanted to give myself plenty of time to get lost in the dark and still have time to catch a bus. Luckily, the rodeo grounds where the buses were departing  was pretty easy to find, so I caught the 2nd bus to the start.

Once we got to Gold Canyon, I got off the bus and headed for one of the many mats around campfires which were burning brightly (that was the perk of getting the early bus- I got my choice of campfires). Another fellow Maniac, Ron Rodriguez was on the bus with me, so we set up the one of many Maniac camps. Soon we had many Maniacs around the campfire!

I love the little things like the little mats they laid out by the campfires for us to sit on. I also liked the snacks and hot chocolate! It all kept me nice and toasty!

 Don from Arizona and I

Nancy and Mary from Florida

Mary, Nancy, Me and Sue. Utah and Florida together again!

Sue from Utah and Ron from Arizona

Before we knew it, it was time to head to the start line, BUT not before we get our Maniac group pic!

Waiting to start.

While waiting at the start, I ran into a few more Maniacs!

Annette and Arland from Arkansas (with Mary in the back)!

The Arizona Sunrise was awesome!

Before you knew it we were off!

We started off on this really nice packed dirt trail. It felt really good running on it for the first 6 miles!

Jonathan and Rob from Arkansas puts new meaning to father/son bonding. They both earned 10 Marathon Maniac stars after completing this race! CONGRATULATIONS!

The course was pretty hilly and I was feeling tired fairly early in the race. I expected this race would hurt a little more after taking January off. At mile 13 I got a little help refueling with Krispy Kreme donuts and bananas! Yum!

The volunteers were AWESOME!

I LOVED the spectators too!

I stayed pretty steady and felt pretty good for the amount of hills there were. At around mile 18 or 19 I met Andrea, another Marathon Maniac. She was new into the club running her 5th marathon. Having someone to talk to those last few miles can take your mind off the pain for a little while and make the remaining miles go by faster. We were both happy for that!

My new friend Andrea!

At about mile 22, we met Laurie. She was not a Maniac, but was friends with Ron Rodriguez! The three of us ran together the rest of the race and those last miles flew by.

At mile 24, we break through "the wall". I wanted to kick it down!

Once we got to mile 25 we knew we were in the clear to make our goal of finishing under 5 hours. We took one last hill and rounded the corner into the finish chute! 4:57:25. Not a PR, but I will take it!

Andrea, Laurie and I right after we crossed the finish line!



After we finished I made my way to the donkey! I NEEDED a photo with the donkey!

I LOVE it! I am a gold digger! I need that gold for more races!

My other prospector friend!

Me with two speedy Maniacs! Yay Sue!

Me, done and ready to head home!

This race was so much fun. It was really organized, the scenery was breathtaking, the cost was low, the swag was good and the weather was perfect. I would highly suggest the Lost Dutchman Marathon for anyone seeking an Arizona race!

When the Galloway Door Closed, the Team Challenge Door Opened!

When I moved to Salt Lake City in 2008, little did I know that I would become a marathon runner. Living and dancing in New York City for 20 years, I was an active person. When I got to Utah, I feared I would end up 30lbs overweight in a few months. I wanted to try something different so I went back to running after a 25 year break (I ran from the 4th grade through High School, then never again).

My twin sister, Angel started running marathons in the late 90's and had 12 marathons under her belt before I ever did one, so she was the perfect person to ask about training when I started running again. "Find a Jeff Galloway group in your area!" she said. So I did.

In April 2009, I ran my first marathon. In 2010, I was the co-director of the Jeff Galloway Training Program in Salt Lake City. Running this program for the past two years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Being there and watching people break through barriers they themselves never thought was possible, was inspiring. Every runner in our group inspired me to do better and dig deeper.

Without our awesome group leaders, I would not have made it through this season. THANK YOU!! While I loved this job, it was time consuming and a lot of work to take on. I really needed a break from being "in charge", so in December, I resigned as Program Director to focus on my own running and get my family back on track. I can't thank Jeff Galloway enough for the opportunity to be a part of such a great organization.

Now, to take a break and work on getting that Utah Grand Slam! Then...

About 3 weeks ago,  I was contacted by Jenn Atkin, Endurance Manager for Team Challenge (SLC), a half marathon training program to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. My sister is the Endurance Manager for the Georgia chapter and she gave her my name. She asked me if I was interested in coming on board as a coach! The team will begin training for the Napa to Sanoma Half Marathon in late March and needed one more coach. I was hesitant as I really wanted a break, but working for a charity has different rewards. I would still be able to help new runners meet their goals of not just finishing a half marathon, but finding a cure for debilitating digestive diseases that over 1.4 Americans suffer with every day. When all the information was in front of me and my husband was cool with it (as there was less of a time commitment) I couldn't say no! So as of February 7th, I am the new coach for Team Challenge, Salt Lake City (and I can still get that Utah Grand Slam)! I look forward to working with the other coach too. His name is Scott Browning and he has quite the impressive resume!

I believe things happen for a reason. I think this will be a great experience!

If you would like more information on joining Team Challenge in your area, go to their website: http://www.ccteamchallenge.org/

The 2012 New Year's Half Marathon

Last year while trying to figure out when and where to take our Utah Marathon Maniacs annual photo, fellow Maniac Jonathan Crampton offered to host a run at his house on New Year's Day where which we could shoot the photo. Within a couple of weeks the run turned into a half marathon complete with bibs, medals and a nice post race spread of hot chili, yogurt, french bread, etc. What a great way to start the new year! Only issue? It was 5 degrees and the roads were covered in ice on January 1, 2011!

With the success of last year's race, Jonathan decided to host the New Year's Half Marathon again this year, only this year the temps were in the 30's with only a light dusting of snow on the ground. It was a literal heat wave compared to last year!

This year there were quite a few more runners. Even though this is only a half marathon, all us Utah Maniacs wear our Maniac gear in order to get our annual photo.

Just a few of the Utah Maniacs at the start. A few others opted for the early start, hence missing the photo.

The course was really tough with the first 3 miles going uphill, but once we got through that it was nice and flat. The course was marked, but with snow on the ground, the small snowman markers were hard to see, so we missed a few and got lost a couple of times. Luckily, I had my smart phone with Google Maps and Teresa Baker (aka my GPS) to get us back on the right track. Other than that, it was a great run!

We got back to Jonathan's house where we stuffed our cold faces with hot chili and he gave out awards to the top finishers. I loved the awards! Electric blankets, crock-pots and blenders!

The 1 800 Contacts girls at the finish!



The medals this year were excellent! One of the cutest I've seen. A cute little snowman, perfect for the day!

This is a really fun race that I hope will continue to be a annual tradition. If I had one suggestion for next year, it would be to make the course a simple out and back for us directionally challenged folks! Other than that, it was a great time!

The 2012 Marathon Maniac Reunion Comes to Utah!!

That's right folks! After two years of lobbying the Marathon Maniac grand poobahs have selected the Utah Valley Marathon as the location of the 2012 reunion!



Sign up now while the price is still low! You will not want to miss this one!!

#29- The Las Vegas Rock & Roll Marathon

On December 2nd, I flew to Las Vegas to participate in my last marathon of the year, the Las Vegas R&R Marathon. I was really looking forward to this race as it is the only time during the year that I get to hook up with my twin sister who lives in Atlanta. Angel is the endurance manager for the Georgia Chapter of Team Challenge, the fundraising team running for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.

Teresa Baker and I got to Las Vegas and headed straight to the mall to pick up our Santa Suits for The Las Vegas Great Santa Run, which was held on Saturday morning. After picking up our packets and having some lunch, we cabbed it down the strip to our different hotels. With all intentions of hooking back up, we didn't see each other again until I got home!

I met up with my sister at the Mandalay Bay, unpacked my stuff and we headed down to the expo. We were so glad we went to the expo on Friday. My sister was in a meeting with the race staff and they told her that only 10,000 of the 44,000 attended the expo on Friday. That place was packed when we were there, I can't imagine adding another 34,000!

Elite Marathoner, Kara Goucher and I at the expo!

I so wish I would have had my showgirl outfit on for this photo!

Kara Goucher signed my race bib for extra mojo! I believe Kara!

After the expo, we got some dinner, got my flat Santa ready and then just relaxed. Not what most people do when coming to Las Vegas, but I was happy.

Saturday morning I hooked up with a few girls from my sisters Team Challenge team and headed down to the Santa run. When we got there all we could see was a sea of red. 8,123 Santas standing in the cold!

Ready to run! Ho! Ho! Ho!



 Lots of Santas!

I ran into Yolanda Holder on the course and she took this photo of me! 

We ended up beating the world record for the most Santas in one location! Yay! Sorry Liverpool!

After lunch a a little rest, we got ready to attend the Team Challenge pasta dinner. Before the dinner, my sister, coaches and her counterparts from across the USA got there early and formed a cheer-line (complete with pom-poms, whistles, horns, etc.) to welcome all of the Team Challenge participants. It was really inspiring!

My sister and I at the Team Challenge pasta dinner.

After the dinner, I went up to our room to relax while my sister went to see the the new Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show (I really wanted to go, but I would rather use that $100 towards a race entry).

With the race being held at night, it was hard to figure out how to eat on race day. I opted for a large breakfast and a small lunch as the Marathon began at 4:00pm. I had scheduled the Maniac/Fanatic photo at 12:00pm at the famous Las Vegas sign and didn't want to eat a lot of food too late. That was a good plan.

Maniacs/Fanatics at the sign!

Chris (#2), Tony (#3) and I (#1975)

Marathon Mitch and I

Endorphin Dude and I

After the fun at the Las Vegas sign I walked back to the Mandalay Bay for one more little rest before the start of the race.

I went all out for this race! I was all dolled up in my Maniac showgirl out fit complete with Sparkle Skirt, showgirl running hat, blinged out Maniac tank, false eyelashes (which I thought would drive me crazy after the first mile, but gave me no trouble and stayed on great) and bright red lipstick!

Me at the start!

I headed out to the start 10 minutes before the gun went off. It was really fun seeing other Maniacs, listening to Cheap Trick and just getting excited to start!

Don was freezing at the start!

Marathon Mitch and Kirby Mills

More cool Maniacs!

Waiting to go!

And then we were off!

This photo made it into the Las Vegas Sun Gallery!

The start of the race was crowded, but manageable. With only 6,000 marathoners, we had it much easier than the 38,000 half marathoners. We headed down Las Vegas Blvd., but before we got too far we took a left turn over the overpass and onto a really boring course for the first 13 miles. I was OK with that as I would much rather run the strip the second half anyway.

Everything was going to plan. I was running with the 4:15 pace group until about mile 12. When I saw I was safe of making the cutoff, I let up. I was feeling great, but didn't want to implode later. I thought I would still be close to a PR if everything went to plan.

Being fearful of the race running out of water and fuel, I brought my own, which would later be the smartest thing I have ever done. As I came around the corner at the half, I noticed that the first water stop looked like it was shut down! I never saw sports drink again until I went to my room after the race.

Shortly after getting on the Strip, I worried about the empty aid stations!

I was having a ball running the up the Strip at night with all the lights on. About a mile or so up the Strip, the gridlock came in the form of slower half marathoners and walkers. Apparently there was a lane dividing the half and the full marathon, but it was so poorly marked (with cones about a foot high), I didn't notice them until I almost tripped over one. 

I am no speed demon by any means, but walkers holding hands, walking 5 abreast and some even using walking sticks got to be a little annoying by about mile 16. There is nothing worse than finding your groove, than having to stop or take the long way around someone wearing headphones that can't hear you yelling "on your left"! Grrrrr! 

By about mile 19 1/2, I saw my sister cheering on the side of the road and I decided to not get stressed. The PR was out the window, so I might as well have fun. So I did.

By mile 23, it was cold and I was ready to be done! I sucked it up and finished in 4:55. Not my best, but under 5 hours. I will take it! I picked up my medal, and headed to where the post race food was. I was starving! When I got there I grabbed a bag of pretzels and the greenest banana I have ever seen!

Post race food at it's finest... NOT!!



I walked past the post race photos (I had no desire to wait in line for photos I wouldn't buy anyway) and headed into the Mandalay Bay. I couldn't wait to get a hot shower and some food! Did I get a rude awakening!

As I started down the hall, within a minute myself and those around me were trapped. There were so many people trying to get down the hall and nobody was moving. When we did move it was only a couple of steps at a time. I was trying to hold my foil blanket on without dropping my water and bag of pretzels. I knew if I dropped them I would never see them again. Then people started to drop. People were yelling for doctors, but any doctor in the crowd was already helping another runner in distress.  To see what happened in the Mandalay Bay, click the below link:

http://bcove.me/1d2tdx0j

It took me over an hour to get up to my room. I took a hot shower and ate a granola bar for dinner. There  was a 3 hour wait for room service! No thanks!

When my sister came in around 2:00am, she said the Mandalay Bay looked like the Super Dome after hurricane Katrina! She said there was puke, poop, foil blankets and trash everywhere! There were also a lot of sick people. Was it from the water being dispensed from fire hydrants? I don't know for sure, but I was glad I had my own supplies.

I am not a real fan of Competitor Group since they started  raising prices and lowering the quality of their races. For $175 I feel like I checked into the Plaza and got bed bugs!

It was nice to see my sister though.

#28- The 11-11-11 Marathon of Sarasota!

I remember sitting next to Greg Goebel at dinner after the Marathon in Casper, WY in 2010. He was telling us his plan to host a marathon in his hometown of Sarasota Florida on 11-11-11. He wanted to model it after one of his favorite races, the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon in Northfield, MN. In this race runners run 150  laps around an indoor track. Greg wanted to do something similar only outside. So he picked a small park right on the water and convinced 68 runners from all over the country (and 2 from the UK) to fly to sunny and flat Sarasota to embark on  58+ laps around a .44 mile loop. A race that will forever be know as EPIC!

I flew out of Salt Lake City Thursday morning and by the time I landed in Tampa, I was starving and dying of thirst (I will spare you the details)! I got my rental car (after waiting 45 minutes for the shuttle bus) and headed to Sarasota as fast as I could, hoping to catch the end of the pre-race dinner at the Sarasota Yacht Club.

Well of course I got lost on the way, but still made it in time to eat (thanks to Galen Garrison, who was nice enough to save me a plate! THANKS G!), meet up with my Utah peeps, Teresa and Bob Baker, and to hear Greg introduce each runner by name and present them with their bib!

Greg presenting me with my bibs (my number for the front and my name for the back)!

The wonderful and beautiful Donna Loud was nice enough to offer me a place to stay while I was there, so after the dinner we headed back to her house to prepare for the following day.

We were up bright and early at 4:45am. We had a little breakfast and got ready and were out the door by 5:30am. We headed down to the park where we landed some rock star parking right next to the trail. It was cold right by the water. I was glad Donna hooked me up with a foil blanket before we left the house. I didn't pack any warm clothing, I was in Florida for Pete's sake! After a little mixing with others showing up, we headed back to the car where it was warm.

Once the sun came up, it started to warm up and people started gathering. This was like a Marathon Maniac reunion with all the friends you really want to see (not that I don't want to see every MM, but in a group of nearly 5,000, it's nice to have it narrowed down to all your cool Facebook friends)! The only people missing were #1, #2,  and #3!

 Maniacs at the start including, Pascal, Me, Endorphin Dude, Galen, Teresa and Vance!

Bob, Me Teresa and Joe from The Marathon Show!

Worship the Endorphin Dude!

Maniacs!!

Due to some bathroom issues (the city forgot to come unlock the bathrooms), the race got started a little late, but that was OK as we are all busy talking and getting to know one another. Greg introduced the military officers that came to sing the national anthem and present arms. Being Veteran's Day we all were extra reverent and then we were off!

Race Director, Greg Goebel

The Start!

Utah in the House!!

Teresa and I having fun as usual!

Running with Joe from The Marathon Show!

Greg and I on the course!

Every runner in the race got their own sign on the course! Sooo fun!!

Scott Dahl gets my vote for "Funnest Runner". He changed costumes almost every lap, taking on the persona of one of the other runners. AWESOME!

While running this race was a BLAST, it was definitely hard both mentally and physically. Running 26.2 miles in small loops on concrete was difficult, but the love on the course was like the strongest ibuprofen! By mile 16 my legs were feeling it. We are used to hills and the course had an elevation gain of 5 feet!

Teresa and I hooked up with our good friend Patrick Finney on the last few laps. We were dragging our sore legs around and couldn't wait to be done! We decided we would all finish together!

Patrick, Teresa and I crossing the finish line together!

After the race, about 35 of us headed over to Marina Jacks, a nice bar and restaurant right on the water. We all sat around raving about the race, eating drinking, dancing (yes that's right folks, I said dancing) and having a great time. It was a BLAST!

HUGE THANKS to Greg, who to our amazement, picked up the check for everybody there! Just goes to show that Greg Goebel is one nice guy (but we knew that)!

The next day, Donna took me over to her beach where they were having this cool sand sculpture competition. Really amazing!

Me in front of one of the sand sculptures.

When we got back to the house, I packed my stuff and finished my gift for Donna! I hope she will need a MM hat soon, but she will have to leave Florida!

Cute Donna wearing the MM hat I made for her!

I just can't say enough about this race. Last winter, there was a chance that this race might not have happened. I am so grateful that our friend Greg is alive and well and doing what he loves to do! THANK YOU GREG! 11-11-11 was a HUGE success!