Good Morning from Key West

Good morning from beautiful Key West!  Yesterday's trip down here went well, and it gave me the chance to stop at Ballyhoo's for my favorite Keys lunch: a sweet potato burger.

Do you see how good those green beans look?  Normally, they would be sauteed green beans, but I (at first) asked if I could have them raw.  You should've seen the look the waitress gave me!  Then when she suggested they be boiled, I said "yes."  She did say "without oil," so I might've been giving off that "I want healthy green beans" vibe!

So what's the plan for today?  I already took my car to the beach & got a primo parking spot near the finish line.  Melanie, Michael, and I will pack up the van with our stuff and then head north to Key Largo.  From there, I'm hoping to have some time to relax, meet up with Renee who will be on my relay team, and then have a nice dinner with Hans and Morgan.

Oh, saw a beautiful rainbow this morning on the way to leave my car near the finish line.  If that doesn't say "it's going to be a good day," nothing does!

It's Keys100 Time!

Hola, blog-o-sphere!  It's time to reactive the Kim's Keys100 Adventure blog because Saturday is "go time."  I'm sorry I've kept you waiting, but let me bring you up to speed on all things running (in case you've been slacking)!

It's been a busy but great year for running!  January was my first ultra followed by my 2nd marathon (which was in New Orleans with Suz to celebrate her birthday).  February was an odd combo of recovery and ramping up again.  In early March, I paced the Treasure Coast Marathon (meaning I got to run really slowly...but I got to run for free!!!).  Later in March, Morgan and I hit the road to do another ultra in Utah!  A recap of that can be found on the Oceanside Physical Therapy FB page.  April was yet another ultra, but this was in Jupiter.  A report (which, I think, is worth the read) is here.  Since that last race, I've been focusing on running a few times a day (when possible) and doing so when it's hot, sunny, humid, and as miserable as possible.  Haha!

This year will be a whole new Keys100 relay team for me, and I'm excited to be with a whole new bunch of Coast Guard men & women.  Like the first year I did the relay, I'll be the only non-Coastie on the team.  Hey, I met so many really awesome people the first time I did it this way, why wouldn't this year be just as amazing?!

I hope you'll join me & "follow along" on Saturday via the blog!  While I can't promise I'll be as fast as I was last year, I can say that I'm ready to do as many miles as the team needs from me...even if that means doing 20, 30, or more miles!  I may not be a speedy demon, but I can go & go & go...

The Race-Related Things for Which I'm Most Proud

I would be remiss if I didn't start with the fact that I'm very proud to have been asked back to run with the team for this year's race!  I'm proud to be able to participate on a military team and show my appreciation for what they do for our country.  As a boater, I'm also extremely proud to be running with the Coast Guard in support of everything they do to keep us safe on the water.  Being a part of their Run to Remember event to honor a fallen Coast Guard member makes the event even more meaningful.  Thank you, Coast Guard, for "adopting" me and including me in your events!

Looking back at last year's summary, I'm also proud of the improvement in my average pace!  Last year, it was 7 minutes, 45 seconds per mile; this year, it was 7 minutes, 20 seconds per mile.  While 25 seconds per mile might not seem like a big deal, take my word for it: it is a big deal, especially when factored in over 16+ miles.

I'm proud that I had the balls to step up & volunteer for the 7 Mile Bridge.  This was something that I posted after last year's Keys100, and I think it fits (again) perfectly!

Lastly, I'm proud to say that running and racing have made me a stronger, healthier person.  I pay more attention now to things like hydration (the "real" kind with water, not Grandma's kind with Dr. L), nutrition, vitamin intake (especially calcium), and rest.  I've made a lot of new friends through running and racing, participated in some great events, raised funds for many worthy charities, and (hopefully) inspired a few people along the way to take up running for their health & well-being.

Proof of the Fun-Factor!

Just in case you need proof that we were having fun, check out this Keys100 SUV "selfie."

Beau, Erick, Jessie, me, Ryan

Let's Break it Down: Summary Time!

It's time to do my traditional summary of yesterday's events with the help of RunKeeper!  What's below is the reverse order of the runs.

I know the second one of the day, my bridge run, is shorter than what I really ran due to RunKeeper stopping (because I could barely see the screen, took a chance, and clicked the wrong button), but let's go with what's there!

• Total legs run: 5
• Total miles run: 16.96
• Total time run: 2 hours, 4 minutes, 14 seconds
• Average pace:  7 minutes, 19.48 seconds per mile
  
• Total calories burned: 1351

Wow!  My little chicken legs did darn good, huh?!

It's Post-Race Day!

It's so strange to think that at this time yesterday, we were about 2 and a half hours into race.  What a fun, crazy day it was!  How many people can say (or want to say), "Yeah, I ran off and on for 13+ hours and hung out in a van with 5 other sweaty, hot, salty, crazy runners."?

The relay, if you can't already tell, was awesome, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat...just not today!  My legs are sore, and I want to make it so running's fun and not something I feel like I have to do.  Today will, most definitely, be a rest day.  Tomorrow, though, might be a little bit of a "recovery run" (as Jessie so perfectly said this morning).

Ryan, Beau, Jessie, and I had breakfast this morning at Pepe's Cafe, and I had the blueberry pancakes.  I ordered the "big" version (according to the menu), and the waitress said, "That's a lot of food!"  She doesn't know my affinity for leftovers!  I did pretty well and probably ate about half of them!

Yum!

One Final Set of Team Stats on the Race

Our overall time was 13 hours, 21 minutes, 07 seconds.  (For those of you keeping track, this was more than an hour faster than our time last year.  Not a true "apples to apples" comparison since team members had changed and the weather was so much better this year.  But still a fun fact to say "yeah, we kicked ass!")

This put us 27th overall (out of 116) and 9th out of the military teams.

Full results are here:  http://mcmtiming.com/?page_id=3096

Some Finish Line Photos & Details

After I handed the bracelet off to Ryan, he had 2 miles to go.  I got in the van with the rest of the team, and we drove towards Higgs Beach to park & meet Ryan so that all of us could cross the finish line as a team in our Run to Remember shirts.  Here's a picture of mine.

The finish line is set up on the beach, and it's nice that we cross as a team.  Here are a few pictures.

I think the race photographer got some great action shots of us crossing!  Can't wait to see those when they're posted online.

These next few photos were taken after we finished!  Don't we look like a happy bunch?

Beau, Jessie, Erick, Tiffany, me, Ryan

Me, Jessie, Erick, Tiffany, Ryan, and Beau

One of the best parts of the finish line is the food!  For the runners, they provide complimentary hot dogs, hamburgers, cheese burgers, turkey burgers, banana bread, bananas, oranges, and beer!  Check out the awesome burger & beer that I had.  Absolutely delicious after a day of running!

In the interest of full disclosure, I had one and a half cheese burgers, two cups of beer, and a slice of banana bread!  Yum!

Don't think, though, that was it for me!  My first question once we got checked in to the hotel was what the dinner plan would be!  Look at me, I like to eat!  You know that!  Tiffany, her husband (Eric), Beau, and I went out to dinner with the Admiral.  That was neat!  How often does a non-Coastie like me get to break bread with the Admiral?!  He's a heck of a runner, so we had no lack of things to talk about!  It was a very nice dinner with everyone; what a great way to end the day!

Well, I'm sure I'll have many more "forgotten" details to share with you tomorrow.  My brain's mush, and I'm ready to sleep!  Enjoy this final photo, and I'll be back with you in the morning!

I'm so proud to have been a part of the Run to Remember again and to be a member of the team!  Like last year, my goal was to run hard & contribute.  Mission accomplished!

Some Run 5 Stats for You!

Wow!  My 5th and final run was a tough one.  Not because of the distance or the bridges (and there were, I think 2 small ones), but just because I was dead tired, and my quads had pretty much said "we're done!"

I powered through, but it wasn't anything "special."  I know, a pace that's still under  7:40 (considering all that was done today), isn't too shabby.

Ryan was there for the hand-off, and I was glad to give him the bracelet to continue on!  Jokingly, I had offered to "trade" my last leg to Jessie or Beau; they both had slightly shorter legs (2-ish miles).  Had they said "yes," I might have done that, but I'm really glad I kept that last leg of 2.9 miles despite my "complaining" about it.

Here's a cool "action shot" of me handing off the bracelet for the final time!  Thanks, Beau, for taking that & sending it to me!

 

Beau's Out There Now! I'm Next!

Three more runners: Beau (now), me (next), and Ryan after that.  I'll probably be signing off for a while folks.  I promise a final race update tonight (if I have it in me) or tomorrow morning!  Love & hugs to you all for following along, commenting, and sharing in my crazy habit!!!

xoxo

~KimmieLynn~

My Final Run is Nearing...

Beau is waiting for Erick to arrive, he'll go, and then he'll hand off to me.  My legs (specifically my quads) are tired.  Not just "tired," but more like "tired-tired."  I know I can get through the last 2.9 miles, but it won't be quick.  Besides, the sun's setting, the breeze is still kicking, and it's cooling down.  What a beautiful time to be running in the keys!

The Winning Relay Team's Time

Some interim results have been posted on the MCM Timing page, and the winning relay team finished in 9 hours, 16 minutes, 20 seconds.  That's faster than a pace of 6 minutes per mile.  Sweet Mary!  That's completely insane!  I want to know if these are elite/pro runners.

Linky to interim results:  http://mcmtiming.com/?p=3120

"So one more hydration?"

Those were Grandma's words to me on our last call!  Yes, Gram, one more hydration in about another 30-35 minutes!  She said she'd do it!  Woo hoo!

 

Oh, I'm Starting to Think...

...that my Monday long run will probably not happen.  The funny thing is that a few days ago, I said to Dave, "oh, I'm sure I'll be feeling ok by then!"  Huh?!  I need to have my head checked.

 

The Last Few Runners Will Be...

...Jessie's out now, she'll hand off to Erick, he'll hand off to Beau, I'll get it after that, and then hand off to Ryan for the final leg of the race.  We'll all put on our spiffy green Run to Remember shirts to cross the finish line together!

 

Only About 11 Miles to Go!

I can't believe we have a bit less than 11 miles to go!  That's it!

 

Run 4 Done!

2 miles done, and 2.9 left to go.  My quads are toast!  Here are some stats from my last run.

That's a decent average pace (7:10), but it's funny how I'm slightly mad at myself for going "slow."  7:10 should not be considered "slow" by me, and a recalibration of what constitutes "fast" and "slow" probably needs to be done.  Honestly, I pushed for that 7:10 pace and don't think I could've done much more.

Oy Vey! Forgot to Tell You that All 3 of my Runs Up til Now...

...have involved bridges!  Yes, that's right!  All 3 of my first runs were on bridges.  Luckily, only one was insane!  :-)

Once you do the 7 Mile Bridge, the rest of the ones in the keys pale in comparison.  (Does that sound uppity?!  I hope not.)

Beau's Out There Now & I'm Up Next!

Beau's out there now for 2 miles, and then he hands off to me for 2 miles.  I just put BioFreeze on my quads.  They're starting to beg for mercy at this point!

Talk at ya later, blog readers!

By the Way, This is a Whole Lotta Fun!

If you haven't noticed, we're having a ton of fun doing this relay together!  4 of us have run together in the past (either at the Keys100 last year or Ragnar in February), and the two new-to-me teammates are just as awesome as the not-so-new-to-me teammates!  We're joking around, busting each others' chops, supporting each other, and kicking ass!  Love it!

 

My Mind's Starting to Fade

Forgot to mention that I had 1 roadkill on my last run (the super-short one).  I'd have more of them, but the others who I passed were 50-milers.  It's not fair to count them, is it?!  

 

The Newest Grandma-ism

Just called Grandma to tell her about my 2 remaining runs.  She's so cute!  Her comment was "is anyone else on that team running or are you the only one?!"

I told her about the next run being 2 miles, and she goes, "well, then I've got to hydrate again!"  Hysterical!  Yes, she does need to hydrate!  Doing some quick math, I advised her to hydrate in about another 36 minutes.  That should be about when I begin my run.  Grandma commented how her "hydrating" will help "push me" along again.  Hey, it worked for the 7 Mile Bridge!  Why wouldn't it work for this?!

I've Got 2 More Runs Left

Erick's out there now, he'll hand off to Tiffany, she hands off to Beau, and then I get it for my next-to-last run.  This upcoming one will be 2 miles.  I've got this.  The final one, for me, is 2.9 miles.  That's going to be a toughy, but I'm hopeful that the adrenaline of the last run of the day will power me through.

Coming Up Toward the Last Few Miles

We're at at MM19.2!  This was one of the exchange points for Ragnar too.  Wow - 80% done!

I Also Forgot to Tell You About My Attempted Good Deed

Remember how I told you I carried that God-forsaken bottle of PowerAde and didn't drink a drop of it?!  I actually offered it to a runner who I passed.  He declined.  :-(

I know what you're thinking: he would've been doing me a favor taking it.  Yes, that would have been true...had he actually taken it!

My inner tree hugger didn't allow me to give in to the thought of tossing it over the bridge or accidentally "dropping" it.

Hopefully I earned some good karma points for offering hydration to a fellow runner.  What do you think?!