We were just 12 ordinary people...

Yup, that's right. We were just 12 ordinary people who met on the internet (or through TNT in my case) who decided to run the Inaugural American Odyssey Relay race on April 24-25, 2009.  I believe the slogan is: "Don't just run a relay, run an odyssey!" 

Around Christmas, my friend Jeff sent me an email asking if I'd like to replace a lost teammate on the team "Four Score & 7 Blisters Ago" and run the relay. Had I ever run a relay? Nope. Was I interested? You betcha! I was pumped. I couldn't imagine why no one would want to participate in this. 200 miles, 12 people, 24-36 hours needed to run from Gettysburg to Washington DC.  Our team was composed of people (good thing, huh?!), mainly bloggers from all over the US and Canada. EVEN COOLER! The team was originally built about a year ago, unfortunately things happen and about half the team needed to be replaced over the last few months.  

Obviously I am a huge fan of Facebook. Over time, teammates started finding me on there and daily contacts started to be made. Our team captains were Karen and Jeff. (Wonderful captains, might I add...) I was in charge of two things: myself and van decorations. Naturally, I'm great at putting things off until the last minute. I approached the art teacher at school and asked her for help. What did we come up with? Check it out:

   

Thursday afternoon, Scott and I loaded up the CRV and began the trek to Gettysburg. I can't even tell you when the last time I was in Gettysburg was.  Before we hit the road, we stopped at Lowe's. I needed to figure out a way to attach the decorations to the van and low and behold - they make double sided duct tape! It worked like a charm by the way, and just in case any residue was left on the cars - Goo Gone is a miracle. We reached the hotel around 5pm, checked in and decided to head to dinner. We found a cute little local italian restaurant close by and took a drive.  After an amazing meal of Baked Ziti, it was time to drive through some battle fields. I mean, we were in Gettysburg, right?! 

At 8:30pm there was a Team Captain meeting. I knew Karen had thought it might be good for the team to attend the meeting. Except, NONE OF US HAD EVER MET! Hmm... how would I find everyone? I already knew Jeff, but had yet to spot him. Thanks to my awesome Facebook stalking skills, I did have a good handle on what people SHOULD look like. However, most people post only the good looking pics, which could mean - if Thursday was a bad day... I'd never know who was who. Turned out, we didn't all have to attend the meeting, so I went to the lounge with Scott while the rest of the team went to dinner. We had a brief team meeting around 10, and decided to head to our rooms around 10. I laid out all of my clothes like I do the night before every big run - creature of habit... I know... 

5:15am... the phone alarm goes off. DAMN it's early. I didn't really even fall asleep until 12:30am. Up and at'em, time to get ready. I was headed for a shower that was going to be great. It was also the last time I would KNOW when I'd be showering. Who knows when the next one would be. I woke Scott up at 6 - it was time to decorate the vans... he said he'd help the night before..........

So, this is how this works... 12 people, two vans. 6 people per van (Hey dad, check out those Math skills!) We all met outside and got to decorating. We had to be at the start line before 7, that was when our team was scheduled to start. We shot a few photos of each van and a squeaky clean team photo:

Continue reading below... 

Onto the Race....

At about 6:55 we made our way up to the starting line... MAN, was it small. However, it was small for a reason - there was a staggered start. Graceful (I like that term better then slower...) groups started at 7 leading all the way up to the Crazies who started around 3pm. The race directors wanted it to take at least 24 hours - whether or not that worked, I'm not sure. 

My "van mates" were Jeff, Karen, Dan, Matt and Taryn. I'd have to say, I think the 6 of us got along pretty well. We all had a decent sense of humor and many things in common. Going with the flow was certainly a skill that was needed in an event like this. Hard for someone like me, who likes to be in control of everything.  At 7am, the race directors yelled START and Karen was off. Our van was responsible for legs 1-6, 13-18 and 25-30.  I was in charge of legs 2, 14 and 26. Once Karen was on her way, we hopped in the van and hit up a Sheetz. It was time for some coffee. About 40 minutes later, we were waiting in the parking lot - and here comes Karen. My leg was next. Instead of using a baton, we were passing a bracelet from teammate to teammate. My leg was labeled EASY and was 4.3 miles. For some odd reason, I neglected to pack the Garmin, so I was on my own... No idea how long I was running, how far I was running and what my pace was. 

There I am headed through Gettysburg National Park. So, so beautiful. Green fields, beautiful monuments, perfect temperature and rolling hills.  What a sight. As the van rode by, I had asked Taryn to snap some shots. I didn't need assistance, so everyone kept going to my finish - Boyd's Bear Country. As I turned around a corner, I could spot the red barn. There it was... I was almost finished. I felt like I had been running forever. I predicted my 4.3 would be completed in 45 minutes. Turns out... 4.3 was measured wrong... I really ran 5.3 and I did it in just under an hour - new time for me.  I passed the bracelet to Jeff and he was on his way. I changed my clothes and back on the road we went. The next 36 hours would be consumed with doing the same thing, over and over until each one of us had done it 3 times. 

Once our van completed the first 6 legs, it was time for a break. We decided to drive for awhile and hit up a Wal-Mart. We were all ready for lunch, by now it was almost 2pm. Once lunch was over, we hit up McDonalds for another cup of coffee and drove to the next transition spot to wait.

 

A local high school had opened their grounds for vans to come in, use facilities, lay on the grass and enjoy each others company while we waited for our runners to come in. At this point, Karen was preparing to get started again and we were beginning to enter dusk. I was estimating my next run to be around 8pm. Karen got started and we loaded up the van for our next spot. Once we arrived at a local firehouse parking lot, I started to get prepared. In order to run the night legs, it was required to have a headlamp, vest and blinking lights. I had never run with a headlamp before!!!!! I was really excited. Here I am before my run waiting for Karen to come in:

This run was a lot harder then the morning run. I wasn't properly hydrated, I think I was hungry and it was warmer out. Plus, when it got dark... IT GOT DARK. The headlamp allowed you to see maybe 100 feet in front, but certainly made it a challenge. For the first time, I thought I was going to throw up twice. This run was labeled as EASY and was 4.0 miles. Well, wrong again... my run ended up being 4.5. Nat, another teammate in the other van, loaned me her Garmin for that run. I couldn't believe the distance was off again. At least it was only .5 off and not an entire mile. I ran up to the transition spot and once we sent Jeff off, I downed two gatorades and a banana covered in peanut butter. There we go... now I was feeling better. We loaded back in the van and headed to Boonesboro High School. The school was nice enough to open up to us for the entire night. We were allowed to shower in the locker rooms, sleep in the gym, eat good food (well, not good for you...) and get massages at an awesome rate of $1 per minute. By now, it was close to 10pm. At this stop, the other 3 runners in our van would finish, so overall, we spent about 2 hours here. Once Taryn was back in (runner 6 in our van) we decided it would be best to head to the next transition spot where our van would take back over in the morning and get some sleep. This is when we hit Antietam. I vaguely remember pulling into a parking spot, at this point I was pretty much asleep. Dan decided to sleep in the bed of a cannon on the field (I would have been scared shitless) and Taryn also decided to sleep outside somewhere. If I had any complaints, it would be that by this time, we no longer had access to a working bathroom - so when I woke up at 3:30am needing to go, I had no other choice but on the pitch dark battlefield! Needless to say, some of us got more sleep then others, but no more then 4 hours overall I'd have to say. Katie (the last runner from van 2) was scheduled to arrive around 6:30 and this is when we would take back over for the last time. 

This was our beautiful, early morning sight:

Continue reading below... 

We were just 12 ordinary people...the end

So, here we are... 6:30am and Karen is preparing to being our last set of legs for the relay. Katie appears in the distance and is rounding the bend. Karen is ready to roll. The bracelet is handed off and we were onto the next transition spot. Around this time, I could feel my stomach start to turn. That wasn't a good feeling, especially since we didn't have access to real bathrooms... I have never been camping, so I have no idea what it's like to do THAT business in the woods - so I prayed. I prayed our next spot would have a bathroom, because I wasn't quite sure I could make it through my last leg. This leg was labeled as MEDIUM and was 5 miles even. As we waited for Karen to show, with a little encouragement from my van  - and increasingly worse feeling in my stomach - I grabbed my Charmin To Go and off to the woods I went. What an accomplishment for me! I have to say I was so proud of myself for not whimping out.  

Onto my leg.... the race directors provided these really great elevation maps for us along with our routes so that we would have an idea of what to look for. They were so great... they weren't even true. What a fake out. Somewhere in the middle of my last leg, I had a hill. The hill didn't look tooooooo bad on my elevation map, but when I came face to face with that hill I was screwed. I ended up having to walk it, but that was OK. I still came in 10 minutes under my predicted time. The feeling of turning the corner on my last leg, seeing my team cheer me on along with others was amazing. I had completed all 3 of my legs! The remainder of the race was along the C&O canal and into Washington DC. 

Our Van was done running around 2pm. At this time, we started to head toward the hotel so we could shower and get ready for the finish line while Van 2 finished. Unfortunatly, Van 2 had the worst time of the day...

Yup, that's right... 92 degrees and blistering. I give them all the credit in the world for handling it as well as they did. It would have been a challenge. We got to DC and I was able to head to my sisters for a wonderful, well needed shower and some dinner with Scott. It was great. The rest of the team was going to head to dinner after the race, but I knew what condition I would be in and knew I wouldn't be a lot of fun to be around. Sleepy Ann Marie doesn't make for a good Ann Marie. 

Around 6pm, we got the call our last runner would be crossing the finish line around 6:55pm. I left my sisters and went to the hotel to pick up Dan, Matt, Jeff, Taryn and Karen. They all piled into the CRV and now it was time to find the finish line. Find. Yes, that's right... I said find. No one knew exactly where the finish line was... uh oh... Good thing I am an aggressive driver... after a few illegal u-turns, asking of the locals and signs stuck in the ground, we made it. Our last runner had already gotten there but didn't cross the finish line - she was waiting for us. 

As a group, all 12 of us headed in the direction of the finish line. With the Washington Monument in our sight and the beginnings of a beautiful sunset, under the finish we went. 

The next day, Jeff and his wife Deb were nice enough to host a brunch at their house. It was awesome to see everyone (well, almost everyone some weren't able to come) back at Jeff's house, not so much as a team, but as friends. So, while we were just 12 ordinary people, we had spent 36 hours together, in a mini van, eating bagels, exchanging stories about our lives and actually came out developing friendships. 

I have to admit, 4 days later, I still miss these people because we really didn't just run a relay....... we ran an odyssey. 

American Odyssey Relay

What an incredible experience! I’m posting from work, so I don’t have the ability to add photos to this post so I will be sure to do so soon. One team, 12 people, 36 hours and 200 miles. Over the hills and through the woods (except, we didn’t quite get to grandmothers house) to Potomac Park in Washington DC. I’ve attached a photo of the team, so hopefully it uploads. When I have more time, I’ll be sure to add all the gritty details (because some sure are GRITTY!) so you all can read what an amazing experience I had.

 

 

It's been a long time

I feel like it's been forever since  I've posted something. There's lots going on these days. Swimming lessons are going great - well except for the fact I got beasted by a 5 year old today, but he's been taking lessons for 2 years, compared to my 6 days, hahaha. I think I'm finally starting to catch on. Needless to say, I'm practically working out twice a day now, but I'm okay with that. 

My dad is doing really really well. There was talk last week of doing another blood transfusion last week, however they are trying to control his blood levels with medicine. He's looking better and better each day, and even went for a walk around the block yesterday! My mom made him climb a huge hill in our neighborhood. There will be no cripples in our house. = ) (at least that's what she keeps saying...)

The American Odyssey Relay is in 4 days - that's right 4 days!!!!!! I am so excited, I can't wait. Our team is made up of bloggers all over the US. Most of us have never met until Thursday. I believe we are projected to start at 7am and finish around 7pm, Saturday night.  Then the following weekend is the Pittsburgh Marathon... well, half marathon. I ended up having to drop due to my crummy knee issues in Jan. I really wanted to run the full. 

Also - I'm down to my last 2 weeks of grad school! LAST 2 WEEKS! Oh my gosh. I can't believe it. The time flew by when I wasn't really thinking about it. However, mentally I am SO finished. I was finished a month ago. I get so antsy in the classes just thinking about how it's almost over. I am going to attend graduation and walk. I am excited. 

And to finish up, Scott has been in Florida since last Wednesday. He's finally coming home tomorrow - I can't wait! He's going to come to my swimming lesson Thursday morning and snap some photos, then head to Gettysburg for the AOR. He's in charge of the luggage and making sure my car makes it back to MD. 

Hope everyone is doing well!!!! 

Tomorrow is my first lesson!

That's right... I have finally found a private swimming instructor who
is prepared to get me through this learn to swim thing! I'm excited.
10 lessons crammed into about 3 weeks. They say training for
Triathlons actually helps with marathon training as well. I've read
several different articles in which marathoners wanted to break 3 hour
and after training for a Tri actually did it. Maybe I could shave a
little time off?!

The race I'm scheduled to run in October is one of the top 10 fastest
marathons in the US. 25% of the group that runs it actually qualifies
for Boston. Only 700 people run it! Hope it proves that same for
me : ) (not the qualifying part... But the fast part!)

I'm raising money to help support the mission of The Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society while training for my first Triathlon! Please visit: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/irongcol09/adiegelman
to donate.

Nutrition books

So, in preparing to train for my first Tri, I've read that I want to know a lot about nutrition and the right foods to eat. I'd have to say, even with being a runner I'm pretty poor with it. When I'm in peak training, my weight yo-yos. I adapt the "I just ran 8 miles, why not eat what I want

 attitude". It's not a good one to have.

Does anyone know of any quality nutrition books for athletes, or even endurance athletes? I need something with meal plans or suggestions. I'm ready to tackle this aspect so I can continue to train the right way.  Thanks! 

Blood Donation

The last day my dad was in the hospital it was discovered he needed a transfusion. I have never donated blood before - thought about it, but never actually did it.  Seeing that he needed it made me think about the fact that thousands of people need them daily. Some people need them just to live. 

I decided today I would go donate. It would be my small contribution. I did all the research until I felt comfortable and went to the clinic. After all my information was given, it was discovered my iron level was a tad too low to donate. Bummer.

The nurse handed me a sheet with "iron rich" foods I could eat (best part is... I already eat those foods!). I asked when I could come back and she told me any day other then today. After talking to my mom, she mentioned she also has low iron. I started taking an iron supplement and am going to try again later this week. The nurse wanted to give me a t-shirt for coming in. I told her I didn't really "earn" it... but she made me take it anyways. Ha. 

Random

Yet again, I've decided to jump in and do something random! I've signed up for my FIRST Triathlon - The Iron Girl Triathlon. That's right... swimming, cycling THEN running all in the same time frame. I've decided to take on this adventure with Team in Training again. This time the event is in my area, so the fundraising minimum isn't too bad. I've pledged to raise $2,500. 

IF anyone would like to donate, below it the link to my page.  So far I'm on a good track - getting started early. Now all I need to do is sign up for swimming lessons... I did tell you I can't swim, right?! = )

http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/irongcol09/adiegelman

Frustration

Why is it when women say they'll be home, they are home. But when guys say they'll be home, it's just an estimation. Then when we get pissed that they're not home on time, we are in the wrong for getting bent out of shape. We are limiting them from having their fun, because heaven forbid, we actually thought they'd be home when they said they would. 

It's a screwed up cycle, but seems to be a problem everywhere. Take today for example. I wanted to hang out with Scott today, but he told his friends he would go out with them. So, before he went out, he told me he would try and be home earlier - so we could still hang out. I asked what time earlier might be and he said 8-8:30. Well, now he might not be home till 9-9:30 and whats the point. It's not like we can DO anything on a Sunday night at that time. If he would have come home the time he said he was going to come home, then maybe we could have gone to Rita's. Or maybe we could have taken a walk. We could have done something other then sit on the couch and watch TV - like we'll be doing when he eventually shows up. 

I don't think I ask for a lot. I just ask that when someone tells me they'll be around at a certain time, that they actually are around then. I just ask that you don't tell me excuses as to why you're not home yet. The best from today was "well, he's been dying to hang out with me" GREAT. So have I. I guess HE is just more important.