Buffy's Ironman 70.3 Austin!

This report is (hopefully) Part II of my trilogy of race reports. I’ve got one more event to survive in October, but for now here is the second installment of…

My Family is Trying to Kill Me (Part II): Die Tri Harder

My last race was my mother’s idea. The only family member I can “blame” for me doing this race, though, is myself. It was entirely my idea. I was so psyched after doing Vineman 70.3 back in July that I registered for the Austin 70.3. As the race got nearer and nearer I wasn’t so sure I had made the best decision. Now that I’ve completed the Austin 70.3, do I feel like it was a good decision to do it? Hell, yeah.

I headed over to the expo center on Friday for athlete check-in. I was really impressed with how organized it was. They got us in and out and everything was done in nice, little, easy, baby steps. There was good shopping to be had there, too. Maybe a little too good – I left there with a bag full of new sporty goodies that I just had to have! My buddy, Sandy, was out there working Friday evening, too. I got to hang out and chat with her a bit, which actually made me feel very good and calm about the race and the event in general.

Saturday, I got up and did a very, very short mini-brick workout and headed back out to the expo center. I attended the athletes’ pre-race briefing that went over the course and the rules, and I dropped off gear in T2 and gear and my bike in T1. T1 and T2 were in separate locations for this event. Due to transportation issues on race day, bike check-in on Saturday was mandatory and gear check-in in T1 and T2 was optional. I loved it – much less to think about on race morning. I also loved the organization of the bike racks in T1 and T2 for this event. They all had stickers with each athlete’s name and race number on them – everybody’s spot was pre-labeled. There was no trying to figure out a “good” spot. You just went to your assigned place and that was that. I liked it that way, for sure. After I dropped of my gear, I headed back home and met my mom. She had offered to come over and braid my hair like she used to when I was kid. That also gave me one less thing to think of on race morning. And it was nice to have my mom take care of me, even though I’m 33 years old!

Race day began for me at the ridiculous time of 4:15am – so gross. Early morning alarm clocks are definitely my least favorite part of racing. I got up, got dressed, and grabbed my breakfast and the remainder of my gear (basically just my swimming stuff – everything else was already out there). Terry played the role of “super awesome husband” and got up to head out to the event with me. I’m not the sort of wife that feels like her husband has to go to every event. I race a pretty good amount and that would just be unfair for me to insist he go with me every time. I was really appreciative for his companionship at this race though as I was scheduled to start in the third to last swim wave. That would have been a lot of alone time for me to be sitting and waiting and being nervous!

Once we got out to Decker Lake, I got my body marked with my race numbers. We had a bit of a numbering mishap, but Terry kindly tracked down a paramedic and got some alcohol swabs to use as body marking “erasers”. We got my numbers all fixed up and I was good to go.

Even though we got out there early and I didn’t have much that I still needed to set up, the morning still seemed to fly by. All of the sudden, it was time for the national anthem, and it ended up being the coolest national anthem I’ve ever seen. There were two parachuters and the flag was attached to one of them – it was a giant, full-sized flag, too! It was really, really cool to see. It was unintentional, but very cool, too when the PA system went out right at the end of the singing of the national anthem and the crowd picked up and finished singing – I’m not the country’s most patriotic person, but that was really lovely.

Then the pros were off and the race had begun. I still had an hour or so to go before my wave started and I got really, really nervous. So nervous that I kept thinking I was going to burst into tears (which is not the norm for me). I’m not sure what it was, but I was freaking out. Terry kept asking if I was okay – I’d just nod my head and kept quiet. Finally, I decided that I needed to move, so we got up to go watch the wetsuit strippers. I’ve never seen a race with strippers before and it was awesome fun to watch! It totally took my mind off of being nervous. People would run out of the water and remove their wetsuits down to their waist. The athlete would flop down on the little carpeted area and stick their feet in the air. One or two volunteers would then, very forcefully, grab the wetsuit from the waist and yank it off in one quick pull. Water, neoprene, and limbs were flying everywhere! The volunteer would then simultaneously help up the athlete and hand them back their wetsuit and move them on their way into T1. It was so entertaining! Then Terry pointed at the time on his cell phone and I had to go line up for my start.

I walked into the water wearing my very awesome, new, sleeveless, X-terra wetsuit. Immediately I thought, “Oh crap, the water is too warm – I’m going to overheat out here!” Then my wave was signaled to start and we were off. After being out there for a few minutes I realized that, while I was warm in my wetsuit, I wasn’t going to get too hot. The water actually felt quite nice once we got further from shore. A little ways before the first turn on the swim course (we swam a triangular shaped course) the first wave of boys appeared around me. I knew this would happen as the only two remaining waves behind my wave were men in their early 40s. Those tend to be some fast dudes and I’m slow in the water, so I totally expected to be overtaken by them all. Shortly before the second turn I was passed again by what I believe was the bulk of the last wave of men. Once again, this didn’t bum me out (getting passed in the water). Swimming is not my strength. I actually got much further along than I expected before being overtaken by the guys. Somewhere there in the middle I got a nice little pat on the butt, too. I’m sure it was on accident, but it makes me chuckle thinking about it. It was just a gentle hand on my bottom – I like to think of it as a “sportsmanship-like” butt pat. Sort of like what football players do. Overall, the swim was much smoother than I expected it to be. It think in this distance of race, most of the people are very comfortable being in the water and just swim more smooth and straight than in some shorter distance events with more novice swimmers. For example, I love the Danskin Women’s Triathlon and do it every year, but I get beat to hell by other athletes out on that swim. Besides my little butt pat and a few touches to me feet, I don’t think I was touched at all out there at this race. It was pretty nice, smooth going. I actually had a surprisingly fast swim time, for me, of around 49 minutes. That might sound slow to you, but that is super fast for me!

I had promised Terry that I would use the wetsuit strippers, so I stepped out of the water and immediately started getting my wetsuit down to my waist. I ran up to a volunteer, slid down on my back, and put my feet up. One quick motion and my wetsuit was off. She pulled me to my feet and I was back on my way. So much better than trying to take that thing off myself! I walked a few steps while pulling off my goggles and swim cap and then started to run. I knew I wasn’t going to win or anything, but everyone looks cooler if they run through transition rather than walk. I was just keeping up appearances!

Despite my awesome run into T1, I had the worst overall T1 time. I hate that – I know that transitions are “free time”. I need to get in and get out, but it just takes me forever. Just putting on sunscreen takes me a good amount of time. And that is a step that I can not skip – I’m just too pale and I’m very freckle-y (okay, mole-y) so I’m already high-risk for skin cancer. I have to be careful with the sunscreen. Also, I decided to be chatty with the girl next to me. That probably took up some of my time. I just like to be social! So, eight minutes after exiting the water (eight minutes?! – groan), I was on my bike and back on my way. I got some good cheers from my fellow RLE brand ambassador, Adam who helping out at the bike start. It always is awesome to have someone you know cheering for you out on the course.

I know I said that I’m not a fast swimmer. Well, I’m not a strong cyclist either. I enjoy both, though, and I think that is all that matters. My biggest fear on the bike is getting a flat. I don’t really know how to change one. I sort of know, but it has only happened to me twice, so I haven’t been able to get in good practice at changing them. No flats on the bike for this race for me though! My only bike “malfunction” was a dropped chain. I dropped it after a 90 degree turn onto a short, but steep hill. This hill is part of the Danskin bike course so I’m very familiar and comfortable with it. I felt very confident going into it until I realized that I was pedaling and nothing was happening! I barely got clipped out before falling over. I had to put my chain on one-handed as I had keep my bike from rolling back downhill with my other hand. I stood there for a second to think what to do – I could walk my bike to the top of the hill or I could get on and take it from a dead stop. I didn’t want to look like I couldn’t make it up the hill, so I chose the later – and I made it. Not the world’s biggest victory, but it made me feel like a badass in my own little universe.

Most of the rest of the bike course was pretty uneventful. I was somewhat dismayed to see a lot of water bottles and gel packets all over the road. I feel like you should stop and pick up something if you accidentally drop it. I know it is a race, but part of it is keeping everything on you. The road is not our race day trash bucket. If people don’t start picking up after themselves we aren’t going to get to keep racing – it is as simple as that. There is my little rant for the day. Oh wait, I’ve got one more rant – there was the dog….

Seriously, I was chased by a dog at around mile 30. I’m sure it isn’t the dog’s fault. I do think his owners, who were outside in their front yard and not doing anything, totally suck. I’m a bit afraid of some dogs and this was a big, fast one. I saw him run after a cyclist for a bit and his owners whistled for him. He trotted back partway to them and then turned back to watch the cyclists. He let two ahead of me go and then took off after me – I knew that was going to happen! I tried to be calm and thought, “Okay, he just wants to run” but he started growling all mean-like and then barking real loud. And he just wouldn’t let up. He just kept on me. And his owners did nothing. Eventually (okay it probably only lasted for a few seconds), he turned and let me go on my way.

And the rest of the course really was uneventful. I saw my friend Beaux out helping change flat tires – awesome guy. Towards the end I did start to get tired and I felt like I should have probably taken in more fuel. I wasn’t in too bad of shape, though, and figured I’d feel okay once I got off the bike. I don’t usually have much trouble with discomfort from sitting on the bike for extended periods, but I sure did towards the end of this ride. I was ready to be not sitting on that bike anymore. I did get to see my most wonderful buddy, Carol, at the end of the bike and her cheering definitely perked me up.

Speaking of Carol, she wrote in a ride report for the Ring of Fire Ride awhile back that she kept singing Sunshine on my Shoulders by John Denver, which was strange because John Denver isn’t the most fierce workout music. Well, John Denver must be a saint of cycling because during this race I couldn’t stop singing Leaving on a Jet Plane for almost the entire 56 miles. Oddly, this wasn’t a bad thing for me. I hate my singing voice, but I actually was singing out loud at one point. Kept me moving.

I rolled on up to the dismount line, didn’t fall over as I always fear, and ran into transition. Yup, I ran into T2 – like I said earlier, it makes you look cooler if you run. I did much better with my T2 time, but still not great (~ 5 minutes). I ran out on only slightly wobbly legs and had my wonderful moment of “Ahhh…now we run…I can do this part!”

I got some more good cheers from Adam who was headed back to the finish line area. Shortly after that I saw my sweet Carol again. She really had the best spot – her volunteer location was right where she got to see cyclists twice and the runners four times. This run course was a two loop course that was part on roads and part on trails. As I was turning onto the trail part, I got some more cheers from my buddy Joey (of Red Licorice Events management team fame), who was out as the run course captain. I got to see him four times on the run as well.

So, it was hot at this point. It wasn’t getting hot – it was already hot when I started the run. It was a bit brutal. As we ran through the trail part of the course I realized where we were headed. Part of the course was the same as the run in the Danskin triathlon, which has a long, gross hill on it with relatively no shade. The race officials were smart enough to put a fellow at the top of the hill with a microphone to help motivate people to get to the top (twice – damn two loop course!). Even on my first loop I was already having to walk for little bits here and there. That really isn’t my style – I pride myself on my ability to still run at the end of a triathlon. It was just too hot and I was beat, though. I came up with a lovely strategy to only walk a minute or less at a time and only where I knew I wouldn’t see large groups of spectators, Carol, Joey, or the dude at the top of the hill. That didn’t leave me too much “walking” area and it kept me moving. I walked the bottom of that hill and then ran once I knew I was in view of the guy with the microphone. I got good props for running so I blew him a kiss (which also got a good response) and I kept moving.

The water stops were awesome on the run course. I really appreciate those volunteers – I know it was hot out there for them, too, and many of them were in full Halloween costumes! Everyone was so nice and supportive out there, and so many of us needed that support. Most of the rest stops had cups of ice, which was the best thing for me. I was drinking loads to cool off, but I got to feeling very full (too full) of liquid. I ended up putting a total of five cups of ice in my sports bra over the course of the run to keep cool. It was the most awesome feeling ever. I will also admit that I was hot enough that more than once I grabbed a piece of ice out of my sports bra and ate it. I know that is gross, but at that point I had to do what I had to do to keep moving out there. They also had iced-down sponges at many of the rest stops. My first one was great. My second one was sort of warm. My third one was the best. Full of ice cold water! I kept a hold of it and decided I would wait to throw it away until I got another cold sponge. I think the stops were running out of sponges at this point, though. So I kept holding it. And I kept holding it. And then I decided that it was my security sponge and I couldn’t let it go. It was all mental, but that sponge was going to stay with me until the end.

I finished up my first lap of the run and got some great cheers by all the finish line spectators. I saw the best sign that a group of spectators had, too – it said “Worst Parade Ever” – that made me laugh hard enough to pep me up. My coach, Shawn, and some other Pure Austin Coaching people that I know were out there, too. I got some good cheers and a great high-five and I started on my second lap. I knew I was slowing down, but somehow I felt better just knowing I was on my second lap. I was on the way “home”. I passed by Carol and Joey and got back on the trails. I walked the bottom of the gross hill and then ran the second half to the top. I caused a few guys to get jeered by the microphone guy as I ran past them (sorry, fellows). With only 3 miles left to go, I realized that I could beat my time from Vineman. I just had to maintain. I did slow down, but I knew that if I managed around a 10 minute/mile pace, I’d be okay. I was hurting as I was running toward Carol for the last time. She was at the top of a hill, so that was more uphill running, but I felt like I’d disappoint her if she saw me walking. So, I ran and got my biggest Carol cheers yet. I did let her know that if it wasn’t for her I would have been walking (thank you, Carol!).

I rounded a corner and knew I was nearing the finish area (about a mile to go). I started walking for a few seconds next to another girl. Poor thing wasn’t doing too good. She was finishing her first lap and was really hurting. She told me she just wanted to finish but she was worried about making it before the cutoff time. I tried to assure her that if she just kept up a steady walk, she could make it. I also tried to give her my security sponge (even though it was dry). She wouldn’t take it though – she probably actually thought I was crazy trying to give her a dry sponge while I explained that just holding it made me feel better. I tried to talk her up as best as I could, but I knew that I had to get moving again or I’d start to crash.

I started running again and knew that I was done – I would run until I crossed the finish line. Big cheers from Shawn and the PAC kids again. Then, as I turned another corner, I saw my lovely husband cheering me on. That was the best.

I turned the last corner and ran into Luedecke Arena to finish. It was very disorienting, but in a cool way. You run in and the air and light is all different and it is super loud with people cheering. I liked it – it made the finish line seem like an even bigger deal than it already was. I got my medal and started walking towards the food. And then I almost lost it. I don’t know why, but it was everything I could do to not start crying. What was it with me that day?! I know that I just accomplished something huge, but I think I really was emotional just because I was so spent. I felt great and happy and was so proud of myself but wanted to just cry – it was so weird. I got myself pulled together right before Terry found me. Oh, and I still wouldn’t let go of my security sponge.

We walked outside and bought a snowcone for me (delicious and perfect). Then we headed over to talk to Shawn, who very kindly handed me a beer. Best beer ever. And I still wouldn’t let go of that sponge.

We hung around for an hour or so and then headed off to collect my gear and get home. I was still holding on to my sponge. Once in the car, I finally put it down…in my lap.

We got home and I finally let the sponge leave me. A quick shower and we were off to celebrate with margaritas and bean dip – my favorite post race goodies. I went to the restaurant in high-fashion, too – I wore my new compression socks with my knee length shorts. I totally looked like an old man with dark socks pulled up high and long shorts. They worked wonders though. Compression socks, margaritas, and bean dip – all a girl needs to recover!

Silicon Labs Marathon Relay Race Report

Sunday, September 26, 2010

It wasn’t pretty… actually, it was downright ugly and humbling, but such was to be expected. Having injured my medius during the Texas Independence Relay back in March and unable to ride aero as cause of a torn supraspinatus, I decided to forgo triathlon season and take some much overdue time off during the summer. The medius is now healed; I’m consistently doing yoga each week, and so the Silicon Labs Marathon Relay, the first unofficial race of the Austin Distance Challenge, marked my return from the endurance athlete’s underworld. I’m coached again by ultra-marathon great, Amanda McIntosh, but while last year’s goal was to qualify for Boston, this year’s goal is quite possibly an even greater feat: to fall in love with and find my passion for distance running all over again. To ensure that the goal is achieved, I’m now following my teammate David Garza’s Platinum Rule: Have Fun! My Distance Challenge running buddy Amy Saberian and I agreed that rather than obsessing about podium positioning, this year we’re running solely (no pun intended) for fun and post-race mimosas!

While I packed on a lot of muscle over the summer, I arrived at the race 20 pounds over ideal race weight. Though I have complete faith that my body composition will change and that I’ll be able to slim down before the Austin Marathon in February, I still need to find a better balance between work, travel, and training. The past week working the Interbike expo floor for three days in Las Vegas certainly did not help this morning’s cause, nor did Sin City’s night life!

Amy had already staked out a location for our tent by the time I made it down to Auditorium Shores, but being that our other teammates hadn’t yet arrived; I volunteered to run the first leg 12k. However, I didn’t realize just how quickly time had gotten away from me. The announcer began calling the first runners to the starting chute, so I pulled on my jersey, slapped some Flex Power on the quads and calves, and laced up my racing flats. I had no time to stretch or warm-up, my stomach couldn’t handle pounding my protein shake, but being that I had no expectations for this B race, I was okay with the fact that I’d be starting the race cold and jogged over to the starting chute where I bumped into Red Licorice teammate Buffy Weaver. We were positioned near the back of the pack, but being that my legs felt like lead, I wasn’t planning on going out fast anyways. The gun sounded but it took us a good 30 seconds before we crossed the timing pad. I started the Garmin and we were off.

I lost Buffy in the crowd as I zigzagged to find an opening and by the time I was finally able to lower my heart-rate and ease into a steady turnover, I was already across the South 1^st bridge running along Cesar Chavez about to make the turn onto Congress Avenue towards the capitol. While I’ve long considered myself a king of the hills and false flats, I simply didn’t have enough recruitment in my legs to mount an attack. Buffy caught me as we rounded the capitol and asked if the effects of Vegas had worn off yet to which I replied, “not even close!” As she sped ahead, I made sure to stay within range, but decided to ease off and focused on running my own race. Thankfully, we turned back onto Congress/Chesar Chavez which was now a slight downhill, but it was here that I relied on my running veterancy, engaged the core muscles, and leaned forward to let momentum take me the next couple of miles to the Mopac turnaround. I let my mind go blank and simply put one foot in front of the other.

Buffy had already made it past the turnaround by the time I ascended the ramp so I yelled “Go get ‘em, Buff Stuff!” as we exchanged encouraging waves. Finally, I had made it past the turnaround and back up the ramp incline and was now heading east on Cesar Chavez towards the South 1^st bridge. When I first started taking my running really seriously, I’d race this event each year with the Capitol Elite Striders. My teammate Cody Smith, a Boston Marathon qualifier, would pace me along this same portion of the course encouraging me to close the gap on the runners in front of me and lead me to the bridge. Cody passed away three years ago from a tragic accident, but he’s not soon forgotten. His spirit always seems to make an appearance this time of year. Even though I didn’t have much motivation to turn up the pace, I asked Cody to give me strength and he delivered. I quickened my pace as the bridge came into view and decided that it was finally time to mount an attack.

As we turned onto the bridge, the runners in front of me began to turn up the volume so I told myself that I needed to be faster and picked them off one by one. At that moment, I remembered just how much I’d missed racing in Downtown Austin, Texas. The fans lining the bridge, the enthusiasm of the crowd, the cheers and hand-made signs, the little kids holding their hands out for a high five… it’s truly an amazing atmosphere and undoubtedly encouraging for the athletes. I turned onto Riverside, the finish line was now in full view, and I decided that it was time to empty the tank and do what I do best… “come in hot!” I crossed the line and veered to the left to hand Andrea the timing chip bracelet. My job was done.

I spent the rest of the morning taking pictures, chatting with and cheering on my teammates and friends, enjoyed the cloud cover day, and had fun. I ran nearly 20 minutes slower than last year, but while a performance like this would’ve completely demoralized and haunted the old me, the new me acknowledged that despite all the variables (i.e. Vegas, poor nutrition, no warm-up), there’s always plenty of time and room for improvement. Going forward, I’ll do a better job of sticking to my pre-race ritual and as training continues and comes into full force, I’ll only get stronger and faster. Lady Marathon, I’ll see you in February!

-Eli Cohen

Buffy Weaver - 2010 Race Schedule

January 9-10, 2010: Walt Disney World Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge
RESULTS: 1:46:58 (half-marathon) 3:52:06 (full marathon)

January 24, 2010: 3M Half Marathon

February 14, 2010: Austin Marathon

March 21, 2010: Get Your Rear in Gear 5K/10K

March 28, 2010: Champions Co-Ed Olympic Triathlon

May 22, 2010: Real Ale Ride

June 19, 2010: Varsity/Junior Varsity Co-Ed Sprint Triathlon

June 2010: Danskin Triathlon (Austin)

July 18, 2010 Vineman Ironman 70.3

July 25, 2010: Cougar Country Classic 5K

August 1, 2010: Jack’s Generic Triathlon (tentative)

August 16, 2010: Ring of Fire: Ride or Race Luckenbach

August 22, 2010: Sweet and Twisted Triathlon

September 19, 2010: Red Licorice Olympic Triathlon

October 2010: Longhorn Half Ironman

December 5, 2010: ARC Decker Challenge Half Marathon

December 12, 2010: Jinglebell 5K

Buffy Weaver - Past Races

2009 Decker Challenge (1:54:09)

2009 ING New York City Marathon (5:18:05)

2009 IBM Uptown Classic 10K (48:24)

2009 Disneyland Half Marathon (1:46:29)

2009 Sweet and Twisted Triathlon: (1:50:11)

2009 Rock ‘N’ Roll Seattle Marathon: (3:50:32)

2009 Danskin Triathlon (Austin): (1:47:01)

2009 Disney’s Princess Half Marathon: (1:59:27)

2009 Austin Marathon: (4:26:47)

2008 ARC Decker Challenge Half Marathon: (1:44:38)

2008 Rock ‘N’ Roll San Antonio Half Marathon: (1:47:01)

2008 ING New York City Marathon: (4:24:45)

2008 Sweet and Twisted Triathlon: (1:51:23)

2008 Danskin Triathlon (Austin): (1:55:30)

Buffy Weaver :: Jinglebell k5

RACE DAY: December 13, 2009
Race Information
Race Results

On Friday after work, I went to pick up my packet and register my husband, Terry, for the race. I really appreciate the volunteers for working that packet pick-up. It was cold out there, and they are all troopers for being out there to help everyone get what they needed. Thank you, volunteers! Good race packet, too. I love getting those mini Clif bars in race packets – the regular size ones are usually just too much for me.

I got to bed way later on Saturday night than I had planned, but I suppose that happens from time to time. I rushed around a bit on Sunday morning trying to get all my stuff together and make sure I had everything that Terry and I might need. We headed out into the ridiculously foggy morning – it was so foggy it was like driving into nothingness. We didn’t make it too far because we decided that we needed breakfast tacos first. After a quick stop for delicious tacos, we were back on our way. We are “Southies” so we don’t get up to the Domain often. Luckily, we got there with ease and in plenty of time to amble around before the race and chat with some of the RLE Brand Ambassadors.

I really like that this race started with a Kids K. I think it is super important to keep kids active and it is just so fun to cheer on kids in a race. After the Kids K we lined up for our race. We got stuck in the pack pretty far back. I’m just not good at pushing my way to the front. I probably should line up for races sooner so I can get a better starting spot! My general goal for the race was to finish in under 25 minutes. I didn’t think that was even remotely possible after the start of the race. It was a very, very slow start for me. Since I lined up so far back, I ended up sort of slow jogging/walking behind other participants and trying to weave my way in between people without being rude and/or knocking people over. After the first half mile or so, I managed to get out of that pack and I had some more room to move. I did my best to pick up my pace, but I told myself that I wasn’t going to look at my Garmin to see how my time was going until I reached the 2 mile mark. At this point I still thought I’d come in way over 25 minutes.

I really enjoyed the out and backs on this course. It makes it more likely that you’ll see other runners you know out on the course and you can wave and cheer each other on. It was really fun to get to see everyone in the race that way (and many thanks to Terry and my RLE buddy, Carol, for the cheers out there on the course!).

At the mile 2 marker I finally took a peek at my Garmin and realized that I very well could still finish in under 25 minutes. It was pretty exciting, but I decided to just try to keep my pace steady at that point. The weather had warmed up considerably and I was getting pretty hot, but didn’t want to stop to lose any clothing. I crossed the finish line a second behind another RLE buddy, Corina, and had a good time with her reviewing how our races went. Terry found me after that. He did awesome and finished way faster than he thought he would, especially considering he didn’t decide to participate in the race until 4 days earlier!

I would like to insert here how cool it was to see all the Girls on the Run participants out there. I’ve heard of this organization, but I haven’t seen them out at a race until this one. I was so impressed with both the girls and with the adults running with them. They were all encouraging each other along and cheering for everyone. I also noticed that they had medals for their girls after the finish line, which I think was probably a good reinforcement/motivational tool. Seeing them out there really made this a special race for me. Great job, Girls on the Run – I appreciate what you all are doing!

After the race, Terry and I walked around checking things out and talking to the people we know about their race experiences. We just happened to stumble upon the race results table (it didn’t even dawn on me to look for it) so we stopped to check it out. I was pretty shocked to see that I finished 3rd in my age group. I just couldn’t believe it. Until this race, I had never finished in the top three in my age group in any race. Honestly, I’m still a bit stunned by it. I also noticed that a whole slew of other Brand Ambassadors finished in the top three of their age groups (way to go, you guys!). We had a great time cheering for everyone at the awards ceremony. I must admit that I was super excited to go stand on the podium (thank you, Red Licorice, for having a podium at races – I think that made it extra fun for me). Also, I’m a bit obsessed with Christmas so I really appreciate that the awards were jinglebells decorated to look like reindeer. That was just about the most perfect award I could hope for!

Buffy Weaver :: NYC Marathon Race Report

RACE DAY: November 1, 2009
Race Information
Race Results


Friday: I flew in to New York around noon. I made my way to the hotel and then stressed out about whether I should hide out there or if I should attempt to brave the subway by myself and find the expo. My friend Missy was also running in the race, but wasn’t flying in until later that evening. We’ve braved New York City together before, but I was nervous about getting out there on my own. I’m super proud of myself because I decided that hiding out in my hotel was no fun so I made my way to the expo. I did well riding the subway to where I needed to be, but then I was supposed to take a bus from the subway station to the expo. I waited for nearly 30 minutes and never saw a bus (they were supposed to be running every 10 minutes). Then I felt silly for waiting because I looked at a map and realized I was only a 10 or 15 minute walk away from the expo! So, I booked it on over there and got my goodies.

I did not run this race as a registered runner this year. I ran as a guide for the Achilles Track Club. Achilles helps disabled athletes train for and run in races. I was assigned (along with 3 other girls) to a runner named Richard who is blind. I’ve never been a guide before, but lucky for me Richard had run in 11 marathons up until that point. He was very comfortable being guided and was very good at making sure his guides knew what they needed to be doing. Anyway, back to the expo…

I picked up my guide bib and shirt (all of us ran with Richard’s bib number). I poked around a bit more at the expo and then made my way back to the hotel. I relaxed a bit and then headed back out (another successful subway trip) to the Achilles Welcome Reception and pasta dinner. There I met Richard for the first time – we previously had only spoken on the phone since he is from Michigan. The reception was just awesome. It was such an honor to meet all of the wonderful Achilles athletes and guides. I met so many people who are so upbeat and accomplish such wonderful feats of athleticism – it was just really amazing to hear everyone’s stories.

Saturday: Missy and I got up and walked over to Central Park for a short two mile run. We ran one mile out which took us right to the race finish line which was all set up already. Then we turned around and headed out to run the one mile back to our hotel. Somehow we managed to get turned around and ended up right back at the finish line again! I really have no idea how we got lost like that! We walked back to our hotel, picking up bagels and coffee on the way.

We made our way back down to the expo later that morning. There we got Missy all set up with her chip, tag, goodie bag, etc, did some light shopping at the expo, and met one of Richard’s other guides (Becca). Oh, and Deena Kastor was there signing autographs. We missed getting an autograph, but when we were just finishing up checking things out at the expo she walked right past us on her way out – it was super cool to see her in person!

Later that night we met up with Richard, two of his other guides (Becca and Sonia), and all of our assorted friends at a very nice restaurant in the Meatpacking District. We got slightly lost on the subway on the way back to our hotel, but we ended up getting on a train with some hilarious people on their way out for Halloween festivities, so that was totally worth it. Back at the hotel I began my usual panic that I was going to oversleep for the race the next day. This was compounded by the fact that it was the night to set your clocks back for end of Daylight Savings Time. It was nice to get an extra hour of sleep in there though! I had two or three nightmares about oversleeping for races and then it was time to actually get up.

Sunday: After happily not oversleeping, I tried to get ready as quietly as possible. Missy didn’t have to get up to catch the subway and ferry to the race start until about 2 hours after I had to get up to catch the Achilles buses. I got all dressed, crept out of the hotel and made my way to the Achilles meeting spot. There I met up with my fellow guides (Becca, Sonia, and Leslie) and Richard. Getting to the start of the NYC Marathon is a bit of a trek for most people. Last year I had to take a long subway ride, walk to the ferry terminal, take the ferry to Staten Island, then take a bus to the start area. This year I only had a short subway ride and then a bus to catch. Achilles has buses especially for their athletes and guides, but it was still a pretty long ride over to the start.

We got to the start hours before our actual assigned race wave (that is just how you have to do it for this race – your assigned travel time to the start and your assigned start wave can be hours apart). Achilles was able to set up a couple of tents for their people though and that kept us out of the wind and quite warm while we waited. We happily chatted, snacked on bagels, and drank coffee and then we headed off to the actual start line. That part was not so happy. It was a mad house of people who were confused about where to go and where they needed to be. We also had a volunteer really say some ugly things towards us. Once past that volunteer though we got to a quieter, calmer area. Then we started to run.

The start of this race is spectacular. There are a staggering number of runners and the race starts over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge which is pretty impressive itself (it is a very long suspension bridge). If you are the sort that gets emotionally moved during races (and I tend to be that sort) then the start of this race may bring tears to your eyes. It is just amazing. But then I got nervous.

I’ve never been a guide before so I was really worried about messing up. Once past the first mile we all got into our groove though, and everything was pretty great. Through water stops one of us would break away from the group to grab water or Gatorade for the others. We just always made sure that someone was tethered to Richard on his left side (he has a rope with small handles that he uses for races) and that someone was on his right side. The other two would run in the front to try to clear a path through the other runners or to try and kick random discarded clothes or debris out of the way. By the way, it is really hard to kick discarded clothes out of the way – I mostly just ended up with sweatshirts wrapped around my foot and had to disentangle myself from them. I ended up running in one of the front positions for most of the race, which worked out just fine for me.

New York has the best spectators I’ve ever seen in a race. Hoards of people come out to cheer the runners on. My favorite spot is around mile 8 where both last year and this year there was a church choir outside singing. I’m not a religious person really, but it is just fun to have the church out singing for the all the runners! Also, somewhere on the race course there was a whole street of brownstones with people filling the stairs and cheering. That was a fun, rowdy crowd of spectators. One of the building was blaring the YMCA song and all of the people had on Village People-type hats (I have no idea around what mile this was, but I think it was somewhere in Brooklyn).

Now, Richard ran the Detroit Marathon a few weeks ago and was having some muscle troubles in his lower left leg. We ran a pretty consistent 10 minute/mile pace until around mile 18. Around then we started walking. Well, we sort of walked. Richard is the fastest walker ever. The rest of us could walk as fast as him, so we ended up mostly doing a speed walk/slow jog combo. It worked, though. This part of the race was fun for me. I did a lot of clapping and cheering and waving to the crowd. Usually I tend to be all about running as hard as I can, but this time I was just out there really having fun. It was a nice change of pace (unintentional pun there).

Around mile 18 I saw the guy who sat next to me on my flight to Austin (random that I saw him, right?). He works for Livestrong and was at the race to cheer some of his fellow Livestrong people on. Then around mile 21 my friend Missy passed us and we got to cheer her on. There was somewhere around 42,000 runners in this race – I just can’t believe that I happened to see Missy and the guy from the plane. Crazy!

Anyway, we got up to the last mile of the race and I started to get really nervous again. I spent that last mile worried that something was going to happen to Richard. The last mile in a marathon is tough. You are almost done and you start just running to the finish. I looked around me in that last mile and saw many runners who just looked beat and a bit out of it. I knew that if Richard was going to get bumped or pushed or knocked down this was going to be where it was. Not that I think someone would have done it intentionally, but that is where people’s minds sometimes just don’t work quite right since they are so tired. And after that gigantic build up there….nothing bad happened! We happily crossed the finish line (5 hours: 18 minutes: 05 seconds) and we were done.

We got a great group photo in and picked up our post-race snack bag. Since we were with the Achilles group we were able to cut out early of the ridiculously long finishers chute and head over to the Achilles tent and bag pick up. We got some food, water, and a chair for Richard and then just milled around. It was really fun to meet back up with other Achilles athletes and see how their races went and hear their stories. Eventually, I knew I need to get moving back to my hotel. I said my good-byes to my fellow guides and to Richard and headed off, proudly wearing my awesome finisher’s medal (it was a great medal this year). Missy is super smart and had booked our hotel very close to the finish line so I was able to just walk there. Well, actually I was able to just walk to the pub a block from our hotel where I met Missy and we had a delicious celebratory beer!

Buffy Weaver's IBM 10k Race Report

RACE DAY: October 18, 2009
Race Information
Race Results

After entirely too few hours of sleep, I woke up early on Sunday morning (5am-ish), checked the temperature (because who really knows what it will be like outside these days), threw on my race clothes (neatly laid out the night before), got my hair into some nice pigtails, poured myself some coffee, grabbed a waffle with peanut butter, and hit the road. I met up with two buddies at a friend’s house close to the race start and we headed down toward the start line at IBM. Of course, we missed the road closure by minutes so we had to park a bit further away and walk, but no big deal. We’re all in good shape – we can manage a bit of extra walking!

I was a little concerned about the temperature and my running clothes. I am one of those people who tends to feel colder than most. I was sporting my snazzy Red Licorice running shorts and singlet with a long sleeve black shirt underneath. I was a bit chilly in the shorts instead of running pants, but once the actual race started it was perfect. The weather was just right for shorts (but I’m still happy I wore a long sleeve shirt, too).

Now I ran this race last year, but I totally forgot that they put all the hills at the end of the course! It is pretty flat for the first half and THEN they throw those hills in there. Nothing too killer though – and I actually tend to do well on hills. I’m not the fastest gal out there, but I can tackle hills well and that can help me out with overall race rank. There was a great spot in the middle of the race course that the participants ran by twice, and there was a DJ playing music there. The second time I passed the spot there was some dance-club type music going. That was okay. The first time I passed by, though, was AWESOME! The DJ was playing the theme music from Superman – what a great pick-me-up! Who doesn’t want to run to superhero music?! The best part of the race was right before the finish line, though. I was nearing the finish line and had it in my sights, but was feeling a bit tired. Then I heard a whole crowd of people cheering me on! I looked over and saw a crew of Red Licorice people yelling and cheering for me – it was just what I needed and gave me a nice little kick that got me past that finish line a bit faster than I probably would have gotten there. I love a good race, but I really love a good race with a great cheering section! (Thanks, you guys!)

My race goal was to finish in less than 50 minutes. I ran the race with my Garmin 305, and I set it for the virtual racer setting. That was nice because I could just glance at it during the race and see if the little stick figure that represented me was ahead of my virtual, stick figure opponent who was set to run the 10K in 50 minutes. I managed to finish in 48 minutes and 24 seconds (chip time), so I’m quite pleased (take that, virtual, stick figure opponent!).

Post-race I chatted with the Red Licorice group a bit and then milled around until I found one of my friends that I went to the race with. We saw our other running pal coming in and cheered her to the finish line. I was starving at this point, but the lasagna that they were serving post-race just wasn’t doing it for me. I think it is really cool that they served “real food” instead of just cookies and crackers after the race, but it just didn’t sound good to me at that moment. I grabbed a mini Clif Bar to tide me over (Blueberry Crisp – delicious) and we headed out.

Back at my friend’s house, I hopped in my car and headed home. I walked in the house, kissed my husband, and demanded that we go for breakfast tacos. Two tacos and some chips and queso later I was done for and took a well-deserved, big, fat nap.

Buffy Weaver's Decker Challenge Race Report

RACE DAY: December 6, 2009
Race Information
Race Results

Well, it was cold and it was wet. Yup, cold and wet – the whole time. Seriously, though, I really had a great time. I’ll start back at the beginning.

I love to travel to race, but there really is something nice about racing in your own town. Loads less to stress about! I took a little break from working on Friday and headed down to Rogue to pick up my race packet (which was very familiar since I helped stuff them). I was super pleased with the Decker Challenge technical shirts this year, too. In fact, I’ve worn it since the race and I love it! It is long-sleeved, but thin so it is really perfect for Texas in December.

I took Saturday off from training and just bummed around running errands and getting my race gear all set out. This is one of things that is nice about racing locally. I didn’t have to worry about if I had packed everything or what the weather really would be like. If I didn’t set an item out on Saturday night, I knew I could always grab it on Sunday morning or make an impromptu clothing change if the weather went funky.

I got up around 5:45am (really closer to 6am since I like to hit the snooze button), drank some coffee and worked my legs and hips out with my foam roller. I have been having some trouble with pain/tightness in my left hip so I really concentrated on that since it was my biggest worry for the race. My running buddy picked me up at 6:30am and we headed off to the race.

I love that they have that building at the expo center open before this race. It was so nice to not be standing outside in the freezing rain before the race started. We milled around and checked things out until we heard Leilani say “10 minutes to race start” and we headed outside. Once outside, though, it was cold and wet.

The race started and my friend and I took off. Lately in races we haven’t been running together and we usually split up close to the start of the race. This time we stuck together almost the whole race. It was a nice change and reminded me a lot of when she and I first started running and always ran together. At this race, the ground was wet, my hip started hurting (around mile 3), and she has recurring hip issues that were flaring up. We decided just to run for fun and we chatted and talked almost the whole race. We did split up between mile 10 and 11 but we still finished within minutes of each other. The cold and wet conditions were a bit miserable, but the crap weather also made me feel sort of tough. Running in poor conditions is good for the soul, I think. Worse than the weather was that I realized I needed to pee only a few miles into the race. For some reason though, every time I saw a port-a-potty I’d just run on by. I understand that is strange since I wasn’t running all out, but I just wouldn’t stop – I haven’t had to make a bathroom stop during a race in a very long time and I guess I just couldn’t bring myself to stop – dumb, I know. I wish I had more to say about this race here. This was my second year to run it and I know it is a hilly, tough course. It did feel like a hilly tough course, too, but I think since I had good company and was just out there running for fun that it really seemed to fly by pretty quickly and was enjoyable (even with the hip, the weather, and the need to pee).

This race in 2008 is my half marathon PR. I was pretty sure that with the wet conditions and with my weird hip issue that I wasn’t going to beat that PR (and I think I was in a tiny bit better running shape at this time last year). I think if I had tried to run it all out and not beat that PR I would have been a bit disappointed. I’m sort of glad that I had the rain and my hip pain as excuses to not feel like I had to beat that time. That may sound strange, but it keeps me happy (until next year)!

After the race I ran into some of the other RLE Brand Ambassadors and chatted a bit. I would also like to say that I really, really enjoyed Lindsay’s yellow apron at chip collection at the finish line. It had nice, big pockets for her to stuff chips in after she retrieved them from runners. Quite functional, but cute because it looked like a June Cleaver apron. Nicely done, Lindsay!

My friend and I headed back into the expo center building to escape the cold and the rain. We milled around a bit and chatted with some people, but we both were freezing so we headed home. After she dropped me off I ran in the house, took one look at my husband, yelled “I’m soooo cold!” and then took the longest, hottest shower of my whole life. It was sort of awesome.

Oh, by the way, my hip is fine. I went to my sports doctor to get checked out. Nothing crazy – tight IT band that is rubbing over the bursa in my hip and is causing inflammation. Stretching, foam rolling, and ice and I’ll be good to go!