#blueridgemarathon

A little over a week ago, I headed to one of my favorite places- Roanoke, Virginia. For third time, I was looking forward to running my favorite half marathon- the Blue Ridge Half Marathon. That’s right on of America’s toughest road races. For the greater part of a year, I have served as an ambassador for the race. Between hosting events and sharing promo codes with people all over, it had finally come.

Unlike other springs past, I usually run a half before this one in the season but lately I have been fighting off overuse injury, general stress and exhaustion in multiple forms. I looked forward to this weekend for so many reasons- a hotel room to myself, seeing some of my favorites from my college days, the concert after the race, great beer and a mini reunion with some of my Roanoke runner friends. And once again this weekend held up to the hype. 

First stop in town, I hit the expo before it officially opened around 2pm. I was shocked to see lots of people already picking up their stuff with all of the tables ready to go. It tends to the a smaller expo but with their cute swag offerings and a happy hour drop in, I made my way through, bought some stuff and grabbed a beer. While standing over in the happy hour area, I started to see friends from college and the rest of the RVA runs the Blue Ridge crew. Its funny how you can be almost three hours from home base and still see people you know! 

I talked some friends from Richmond to come out to Salem VA for a beer before having to check into the hotel. Olde Salem Brewing was not there when I went to college but it seems to be a excellent addition to the landscape without being too college student heavy. They had great stouts and my company was even better. 

I then made my way back towards Roanoke to check into my hotel, Springfield Suites. Last year, this hotel did not have my booking as it shifted to a different company. This year, I booked directly and I am so glad that I did. For a race hotel, it was nice. The rates were good, they had cute souvenir buttons at check in, had a shuttle to and from the race start and end and even opened breakfast at 5:30am so runners could have breakfast before the race. All in all, great value and will plan to stay there again. 

Quickly, dropped my stuff and freshened up to go out to Ballast Point and see my past sorority standards advisor- Wellman and a sorority sister I dont see enough at all- Katie, It had been far too long and I love checking in with people that still live in the area when I go back. I also got to see Lauren (pictured below). This sweetheart says that I have been her inspiration for this race. What she didn’t know is that the feeling was oh so mutual!   Ballast Point was rather interesting as they had all kinds of beer on tap. Being the stout and porter lover I am, I got the flight so I could try them all. For $8, it was a win/win. After dinner and beer, I headed back to Roanoke and settled in for the night. 

Next morning, I woke up and went downstairs to grab some breakfast. I was shocked to see so many runners ready to go at 6am eating breakfast. The race did not start till 7:35am and the race start was less than 1.5 miles away so I was stunned to see I was the only sleepy head rolling in an hour and a half before race start. It did take me a little bit to catch the shuttle to the start so I actually missed my RVA runs the Blue Ridge team pic. I will admit, this is probably the first time I have been so relaxed to get to a race start. 

One of the things I love about this race is that there are no waves and everyone starts at the same time. With the generous time limits and the all the races doing the first 2.5 miles together, it only makes sense not to do waves. 

In the past, I started out way too fast with the crowd. Having past years experience, I let my friends head off and I settled in for what I knew would be a good time. Using the first mile as a warm up proved to be a smart move the later I got in the race. After a couple training runs at Jarmans Gap, I decided that I would be power climbing the steep climbs rather than waste energy running. I am so glad I did not let my pride get in the way of this choice. It turned out to be a warm day with a decent amount of humidity. 

As I climbed Mill Mountain, the back of the pack started to spread out and I got to catch up with some of my friends from past ambassador groups, Chicago GOTR teammate, a couple folks I met on course last year and my buddy Julia who I met on the course last year and shared a few salt tabs with. With this race being so small but having almost a cult following, its always fun to return and share past war stories. Not sure why, but Mill Mountain seemed so much less daunting this year- Jarman’s Gap training worked its magic.

Mill Mountain has multiple rewards- this year I counted all the blessings. The view, the star, a porta potty, an orange slice, a mimosa with Jeff Galloway- all things Mill Mountain rewarded me with this year. 

Coming off Mill Mountain, I felt good. Knowing that I was solidly in the middle of the race and still feeling pretty solid boosted my confidence. I also knew that the next couple miles were the last couple gasps of flat before the mile 11ish. Running along the river in mile 5/6 gave me a boost of energy similar to the boost I get from the river at home. I was able to get my heart rate back down and prepped myself for the climb to and through Peakwood. 

Oh Peakwood, clearly last year I blacked out because I did NOT remember it kicking my behind this bad. It could have been the heat, it could have been the humidity or maybe even the two peaks it has to offer. But multiple times, I thought I could not climb anymore. My heart rate was way higher than usual so I took it nice and slow with the goal of strawberries and champagne at the very top. Here is a series of photos of my faking how happy I am to be in Peakwood...

See so happy... 

Once I got to the top of Peakwood, I took my time and enjoyed the cool washcloth, shot of champagne and strawberries. All this gave me the boost I needed to come on down the mountain, tackle a couple shorter climbs and get on down to the finish. 

Mile 11 has a climb that is just rude. Its not a mountain but it will make you cuss. Once you get past it, there is about a mile or so of decline and straight roads. I noticed that I was coming down way too quickly to make it through the next climb so I backed off. 

After passing out a couple salt tabs to marathoners that had some cramps, I hear “NIKKIA!!!” in a rather familiar voice. And there she was, Erin. Fellow ambassador and Chicago Marathon traveling buddy slowed down and climbed one of the two bridges between us and the finish line. We chatted and talked about the battle at hand. Honoring how hard this race is even while trying to finish it up. She and her husband charged on to the next 5 miles of their journey as I kept kicking through my last mile. 

Once again I hear “Nikkia!” and it was Ruth! Ruth was my accompanist for my senior lecture recital in college and I had passed along my promo code a few weeks prior. She was doing her first full, looking strong and pretty well for being so close to the finish. As she turned to the left, I charged on to the finish

As I make that final turn and straight away to the finish line, I hear “Proud Roanoke College Alumna” and cross the line on my 22nd half marathon. 

 This race is a must do. Even if you do it once and never again. No matter the distance you choose, its worth it. Its a course that gives a lot but can take even more. It forces mental and physical strength in a way other races don’t.

I don’t know how but after the race, I some how hung out in VIP, got rained on, had brunch and beer with sorority sisters, dinner with the RVA runs the Blue Ridge group and even sat through a good chunk of the Tank and the Bangas concert before heading back to the hotel and crashing.

However, the race weekend was not yet over. This year the race organizers added the Slow-K. Leis served as the race bibs, coffee and doughnuts as the pre and post race food and some speedy walkers made for a good morning and a good way to see all my Roanoke and ambassador buddies before hopping in the car and going home. 

I loved the Slow K because it allowed us to share war stories, laugh and shake it out before traveling home. I really hope they do it again next year. It was a blast! 

I can not recommend this race weekend enough. I may be a little biased but I cant imagine my spring without this race. It is fun, well thought out, full of activities (running and non) and is a quick get away from Richmond. Over the years,I have had the pleasure of watching the race and Roanoke grow but never lose its charm. I might even be charmed enough to attempt the full next year. Stay tuned. 

Since I am training for a mountain half, it only makes sense to climb some mountains in prep. Rather than driving 3.5 hours to Roanoke, it was suggest we head to Crozet to get some much needed hill training. So early on a Sunday a couple weeks ago, Audrey, the Larocks and myself headed up to the base of Jarmans Gap Road.

It was hovering around 20 degrees and we knew it would be even colder at the top. 1500’ feet of elevation was all that separated us from the top. Yeah that’s all. Very similar to the elevation of Mill Mountain. The climb was very different. At many points Calf Mountain seemed to be steeper than I remember Mill Mountain to be. I wonder if because every time I’ve done Mill Mountain and Peakwood it was during the race so I had extra adrenaline rushing through my body. This climb was different. It felt like a hike. There were moments where it was easier to stop, turn around and walk backwards than to keep climbing the way we were. As we went higher, the air got thinner and colder. The views were pretty amazing even from the midway point. After 2.8 miles, we finally got to where Jarmans Gap Rd met Calf Mountain. We were greeted by a man that recommended various routes for the next time and how to keep from running up and down the mountain to get more mileage. We hope to implement some of those ideas the next time we head up. 

To be honest, coming down was way harder than I expected. Between my toes slamming at the front of my shoes, the steep terrain and the rocky soil; the further down we got the harder it felt. We came down the mountain in about half the time it took us to go up. And it seemed as if it was getting colder as we came down the switchbacks. 

The Larocks caught us coming down the mountain and we all went back to the orchard, finished together and headed over to Crozet Pizza for a victory lunch. It was a great idea to train on some serious mountain climb in prep for Blue Ridge and I can not wait to go back and see how much progress we have made when we make our way back later this month. 

I rarely do the same race twice but I loved this race so much last year that it was only right to come back again to tackle mountains.While I did not beat last years time, I really took this race all in, stayed positive and kept it moving more than last year. From packet pickup to the finish line party, I had a blast and I am pretty sure I am going to come back next year for round three of Americas’ Toughest Road Half Marathon. 

This year, the race expo was significantly bigger than last year. I was interested to see how the race expo would be set up when I saw that it was going to be at the Patrick Henry. In my college days, we had a formal in the lobby of the Patrick Henry. I knew that the expo wouldn’t be like Pittsburgh, Richmond or Shamrock but was impressed to see how they were able to utilize multiple floors to have more presentation tables and a much larger swag selection. I got my traditional pint glass and even a hat... 

When I asked one of the swag booth employees about the hats (and the lack of a quarter zip), rather than assume I was running a race of a lower distance, she asked me which race I was running. Immediately, my grouchiness soothed and I bought a hat I NEVER would have bought but now I’m in love. 

We even got a cute gifs done at the booth before dropping stuff off at the hotel and heading to dinner. The hotel situation could have been horrible but Holiday Inn Express near the Civic Center saved the day when the former Cambria Suites did not have my reservation FROM JULY. 

We went to Fork in the Alley for dinner. I knew they had something for everyone and also thought there was a Bubblecake next door. To my surprise when we pulled up, I saw that Viva la Cupcake had moved in next door. Sadly they were closed but saw that Bubblecake had moved to the Towers Shopping Center around the corner. Nothing like pizza, a beer and cupcakes to carb up for a serious race that was going to tax me hard core. 

Kim and I got back to the hotel and I shortly took an Estrella PM to help me fall asleep. Between a pill and NPR, I was out before I could count to 10. It was my first time trying this brand of sleep aid but it worked wonders and did not leave me feeling dry and drowsy the next morning. 

Race morning Kim and I got up, got dressed and took an Uber to the start. While the start was only a mile from the hotel, I really did not want to put extra mileage on my feet giving the climb we were going to take on. The race had around 2,000 runners so it was easy to get to Elmwood Park, the start, even with all the roads being closed. Getting dropped off at the back of the park was smart because there was a long line of porta potties, bag check and we ran into quite a few Richmond folks even before our meet up.

We got a good many of our Richmond friends and my college friends in a photo right before the start. Little did I know that the Patrick Henry was the perfect spot for a group photo because it put all of us right at the start line, got a chance to see everyone before the task before us and the ability to pop into the building for a last minute potty break. I saw the race director Molly before the cannon at the start. She not only remembered by name and took the couple minutes to talk to me. WHAT RACE HAVE YOU RUN WHERE THE RACE DIRECTOR CAN HAVE A LEISURELY CHAT MINUTES BEFORE THE RACE START?! If that doesn’t make you feel comfortable and taken care of, I don’t know what will.

Once we got outside, the race was starting and I looked for Jeremiah (J-Money aka Mr. Gigi aka the guy from Baltimore/MCM10k). I wasn’t sure of Jeremiah's goals for this race other than survival so I was hoping I could stick with him for a little bit of the race. We ended up climbing Mill Mountain together and we split off after reaching the Mill Mountain star which is the top of the first mountain. The first mountain is hard because it is a long steady climb. Luckily my memory served me well and I figured out the climb was longer than I remembered. Once you get to the top of the three mile climb, you are greeted by the Mill Mountain Star and nice soft gravel for a quarter of a mile. After that, I released J-Money to run how he wished and did not see him to the end. 

Coming down Mill Mountain, I let the wind and gravity do the work. I also knew there was mimosas on the one of the switchbacks. While being passed by the first marathoner, I made friends with some folks that grew up in Roanoke but now live in Raleigh. I hung with them until I got a mimosa, which I stopped and savored. While I continuously got passed by speedy marathoners, almost all of them told me good job as I passed or threw up a thumbs up. One guy even patted me on the back as he passed. So friendly! 

After Mill Mountain, there is a couple miles of flat-ish course along the greenway, passing the hospital and through a park/ soccer field. It is just long enough to stretch your legs, get a real run going, fuel up and get ready for the even steeper climb of Peakwood. As I started the ascent into Peakwood I hear “Nikkia!” and I look up and there is a sorority sister directing traffic. She was accompanied by a woman with two young girls. They had fruit and gummy bears This was one of the several unofficial SAG stops. I am not sure what is in the water in Roanoke, but these residents welcome and look forward to this race. While the streets aren’t lined with spectators, the spectators and volunteers that were out there give it all. 

Lord have mercy Peakwood. I feel like Peakwood was harder this year. The funny part about Peakwood is that you think you made it to the top but then you turn a corner and there is EVEN MORE. There is a pretty cool pay off at the top of this mountain- Champagne and Fresh Cut Fruit. A very nice and friendly lady offered to refill my water bottle while I walked the cul de sac, drank my champagne and threw back a mini cup of strawberries. I met her on the other side, slid on my handheld and flew down Peakwood for the next 3 miles. Coming off of Peakwood, I saw a woman that seemed to be struggling to stay upright. I stopped and asked what was wrong. I’m First Aid trained and rather than assume someone else will take care of it, I would like to be sure before leaving someone. She said she was cramping. I offered her two SaltStick tabs because I always carry extra. She later found me on Instagram and thanked me for the help. I was happy to see she made it to the finish! 

So I’ve climbed two mountains so the rest of the race must be flat right? Wrong. There is a pretty good climb around mile 10 and two long over passes between mile 11 and the finish. I affectionately call them insult to injury. 

I came across another woman who was having some issues with her feet and shoes. The more she talked about how her feet hurt, I thought about my feet. Even with my sport shield soaked feet, compression socks and well fitted shoes, the climbing, shuffling, and gliding down the mountains made the sides of my feet raw. At this point, I knew the finish was not too far off and then I could land my feet in my new pair of oofos! 

Coming into the finish shutte a nice spectator was cheering me on telling me how “ I was going to complete a half marathon today!”. I responded, yeah number 19! With that, I had what I needed to push to the finish. There was Molly and the coveted medal! I happily took it and ran to my friends in the finish. 

While I did not beat my 2017 time, I felt better. I felt strong and like I had another couple miles in me. I will take that and count it as progress. I can’t wait to go back next year with an even larger group from Richmond and an even stronger respect and love for those great mountains that feel like home. 

And I must go! Back to Roanoke, to once again try my hand at climbing Mill Mountain and Peakwood. 

Even if I wasn’t an ambassador for this race, I would rave about the experience I had last year. Every climb had a generous payoff of views, spectators or a relieving downhill. While the streets weren’t packed with people, there was a steady stream of support for this smaller race. Another joy is that, it is not really about time (at least it wasn’t last year). The time limit is more than generous to allow for people of all paces to finish the 10k and the half marathon. 

So what’s different this year for me? Well, I am going to do Blue Ridge at least once more. Ideally, I would like to beat my last year’s time. I am stronger than last year. This season I have been actively working on my positive thinking along with my strength training. 

While I have not been laying down as many miles as I normally would in the spring, I think it is for the best. I have been getting more out of my workouts. Its possible I have taken more rest days this training season than in my last two marathon training seasons. 

I have been doing more body weight, strength, yoga and TRX this year too. The elevation in the Blue Ridge Half is hard to simulate here in Richmond even with all the hills but squats and general core and leg strength will be important for the parts of the course that are more of a power hike than a run. 

Right now, the weather looks favorable with 65 being the high and 40ish at the start. I already have my blue and RVA themed outfits picked along with my regular festive sock options.