#327: SwimRun Race Report from Dimity + Katie
Sarah and co-host Dimity McDowell are joined by Katie Oglesby, Dimity’s teammate in a rugged adventure off the Maine coast called SwimRun Casco Bay Islands. The intrepid duo explains that, despite the title, there are numerous swimming and running segments in this rugged race. Learn what was Dimity’s “biggest unknown” about this endeavor—and how sometimes making any forward progress was a measure of success. Watch your footing (repeatedly!) when the duo explains how “the course is a competitor.” It wouldn’t be a Dimity undertaking without an (ouch!) injury—find out why she’s not breathing easy post-race. Laugh at the duo’s head-scratching race motto. Early on in the show, Katie tosses out one of best lines ever (“Running is my heartthrob”) and more than one great driving analogy.
While still wearing her co-host hat, Dimity learns updates on Sarah’s parents’ house. Conversation shifts to SwimRun at 12:45.
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Running Through It: Marcella + Infertility (+ Triplets!)
[[New on the Running Through It series, Marcella: an Arizona-based #motherrunner, dives into her journey with infertility—and then parenting triplets!.Check out her website: Tackling Triplets. ]]
“I work out. Just kidding. I chase triplets.”
This catchy saying went around a few of my triplet mom social media groups about 2 years ago. Our trios were starting to enter the Wonderful World of Toddlers, and we found ourselves having even less time for ourselves and running around after our kids even more.
I found the saying tongue-in-cheek cute and secretly hoped someone would order me one of the screen prints or mugs it adorned. But the saying wasn’t entirely accurate in my life. I’m able to fit working out into triplet mommyhood, but it’s hard—really hard. Especially depending on which stage of triplet life I’ve been in.
Pre-kids (circa 2012-2013), I had a solid weekly workout routine down. I pounded pavement 3 days a week, pumped iron 2 days a week, and rested 2 days a week. My strength-training regimen was built for my unique fitness needs by my personal trainer at Acosta Fitness, and my running regimen had me logging anywhere from 10 to 20 miles a week. I was cruising along—and even training for a half-marathon.
The last run Marcella took before beginning IVF—13.1 miles before what was supposed to be a taper to a half-marathon.
My fall-from-fitness grace happened in 2014—when our 19-month infertility journey brought us to the doorstep of IVF. In the information session, I learned that I’d have to curtail my workouts during the stim phase of the cycle to not overtax my stressed, hormone-riddled body. “Oh honey,” the nurse had said when I inquired about continuing to train for the half-marathon, “Kiss those plans good-bye.”
I left the session less excited about our next steps toward (hopefully!) starting our family and more angry at yet another thing my dysfunctional ovaries were robbing me of.
For the next 2 years, my workout routine was all over the place, ruled by various—dare I say it—dictators.
In the 8 months that followed, IVF directed my workouts. I walked during stim cycles and resumed my normal routine during non-stim cycles. The 2 weeks between our ET and first beta saw me sitting on my butt. I was cleared to do whatever I wanted after the first 48 hours following the ET, but I wasn’t going to chance having an errant lunge rip an embryo from my uterine wall.
IVF handed off its reduced-exercise baton to my multiples pregnancy, which was ruled equally by my doctors and my body. Ironically, my reproductive endocrinologist could get me pregnant with triplets, but he couldn’t advise me on more than a singleton pregnancy. So in the 8 weeks between learning I was pregnant and consulting with a specialist, my running shoes didn’t move above a walk. My maternal fetal medicine doctor cleared me for exercise—if it didn’t raise my heart rate above 140 beats per minute. So I bought a heart-rate monitor, walked, and found a pregnancy strength training regimen to follow.
Marcella went into labor a week after this picture.
My doctors weren’t the only ones who had specific rules about exercise during my pregnancy. My body also liked to throw its weight around. And as much as I had a history of pushing myself, I also knew that this wasn’t the time. When a little voice told me to stop strength training, I put the weights down where I stood in the gym and went upstairs to walk on the treadmill. When my body protested the walking, I demurred to simple stretching. I was determined to be as healthy as I could for the three tiny humans growing inside me, and if that meant sitting on the couch, then sit I would.
My workout routine entered a whole new level of nuttiness when my triplets, aka the Tagalongs, were born.
Working out was a fantasy in the Tagalongs’ first 6 months of life. Life during the babies’ 8-week residency in NICU was work, visit NICU, pump, sleep, repeat. When the babies came home, they were on a 3-hour feeding schedule. They were inefficient eaters, and we weren’t adventurous about trying to feed all three at once, so feeds took 1½ hours. Cleanup, prep for the next feed, and pumping took another 30 minutes. That left us with 1 hour in which to live life. One hour in which to shower and dress, eat, pay bills, run an errand, do housework, and complete other adulting tasks. I should mention that this schedule was 24/7. For the first 2 months the Tagalongs were home, we slept in 1-hour chunks we unaffectionately referred to as The Round of Naps—less during colic.
“What I look like after a full day with the kiddos + a workout.”
There were some bad@$$ moms in my social media groups who managed to get in workouts during that time. One mom won a CrossFit competition, competed in several road races, and even completed training for the Boston Police Academy. Me on the other hand … It took me over a year to make regular exercise more of a reality.
Even then, I had to baby step workouts back into my life. I started out with very light strength training a few days a week. Then we invested in an elliptical so I could run once a week. As I got my strength back and we finessed schedules, my workout routine increased so that by the fall of 2016, three years after our infertility treatment began, my workout routine was back to what it was in the days of yore.
But it hasn’t always been predictable or steady. I’ve had to juggle when I work out with ever-changing work and kid schedules. And I’ve had to learn to be flexible about whether those workouts happen. Sometimes, logging miles is eclipsed by the need for sleep after a long night with littles. Other times, workouts are interrupted by tiny people whose struggle to put themselves to sleep is much greater than one person can handle.
I’ve had to learn to be OK with this inconsistency and unpredictability. That’s been a hard and frustrating lesson to stomach. I’m a creature of habit, and I don’t get along very well with routine breakers. It’s hard to go from dictating the events of your life to having the events dictate you—particularly when you’re very passionate about something.
I’ve never been an uberfit fitness junkie, but exercise is important to me. It’s how I stay healthy—both physically and mentally. It plays a huge part in how I stay sane. Working out—running in particular—is my way of stepping back from the crazy in my life and regrouping. I’m a much better mom, wife, family member, friend, and person when I’m able to lace up my kicks and run or lift.
And that’s why I’ll continue to play Tetris: Adulthood Edition to fit exercise into my regular routine. My life is quite different from what it used to be, but that doesn’t mean that things I enjoy must go by the wayside. It just means that I must work a little harder to have them.
Running the redemption race: the 2017 Mesa-Phoenix Half-Marathon.
And that’s just fine by me. After all, hard work pays off. That half-marathon and I finally met in 2017, and it was everything I thought it would be—and more. I ran it again in 2018 and signed up for it again in 2019. And I’m flirting with the idea of a full marathon.
Some things are worth the wait.
Have you Run Through It—a challenging situation or stage in life—at some point? We want to hear from you!
Write up your essay (no more than 1,200 words, please), then email it to us. We’ll be in touch when we can publish it. Thanks!
A Running Truth: You Are Never Too Old to Start Running
“I can’t run anymore,” an acquaintance recently told me. “It’s too hard on my joints at my age.”
Mmmm. I made those noncommittal murmuring noises you make when you’re trying to not to offend (or scare off) someone you’ve just met.
At her age? I found out later that she is TWO YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME.
Hey, kids, I’m still running!
“I’ll walk but I’ll never run,” my mother told me when I first got serious about running and did my first marathon. I was 27 at the time; my mother was 61.
“Running would jostle my old bones,” my mother said.
A year or two later, my mother entered a women’s only 5K in Washington, D.C., with my sister, who took up running around the age of 40, after getting a divorce.
Mother called to report that she had WON HER AGE GROUP. This was 25+ years ago, so it’s entirely possible that she was also the last finisher and definitely the only woman in her 60+ age group. Still, a win’s a win.
And guess what she won? TWO AIRLINE TICKETS ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. Yep. That’s right. Talk about the good old days!
She took her friend Charlotte to a bridge tournament in Arizona. But of course.
My mother and me at the 2015 National Senior Games, where she won the gold medal in the 5K road race in the 85-89 age group.
When Sarah asked recently on @AnotherMotherRunner Facebook page for stories of women who came to running “later” in life, she got hundreds of responses, from mamas who took up running in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. For health, for fitness. To lose weight, to gain sanity. For friendship or race swag. Because it was convenient. Because it was efficient. For all the reasons you and I started running whenever we did, and kept going at it for however long we have.
This is one of running’s main charms: the low barrier to entry. Really all you need is a good pair of running shoes (and a supportive sports bra) and a half-hour a few times a week, and you can find yourself on a path to whatever new running world you want to create, whether that’s a 5K, a marathon, or a never-want-to-race-ever-but-want-to-stay-fit routine. It’s all good.
Amy Farr started running at age 45
“I’m 47 and have been running just a little over two years!” said Amy Farr. “I have two children and I have lost almost 100 pounds over the last four years.” [Ed note: Yay! Go Amy!] “I’ve done a lot of 5ks, 10ks and I’ve done two half marathons, one full and some sprint triathlons.”
We start with a 5K—the gateway drug of running—and find our endorphin high.
“I did a few 5ks and one 10k before having kids,” said Erica Logcher Richards. “But I didn’t start distance running until I was in my 40’s. I’m about to turn 54 now. I’ve run 1 ultra, 6 marathons, a Ragnar relay (reach the beach), a 39.3 challenge, 3 duathlons, 4 sprint triathlons, a half Ironman relay, and countless half marathons (30+).” [Ed note: Yay! Go Erica!]
Erica started running marathons—and ultras! (over 26.2 miles)—in her 40s.
Wise women—of any age—build up over time.
“I’m 52 and started running about 5 years ago when a friend wanted to do Cooper River Bridge 10k. I trained for a YEAR to run 6 miles!,” said Robyn Godfrey, with a smiley emoji. “I was hooked and went on to run 10 half marathons and for my 50th, the London Marathon, then last year the Chicago Marathon. In three weeks, I’m tackling Berlin using the HR TLAM Program with Coach MK. I never thought I would be a runner as I always had bad knees and a weak back but here I am.” [Go Robyn!]
Robyn started running at 47; she has four grandkids!
See, it turns out, contrary to popular and persistent myths, running is actually not bad for your knees and back and joints as one of the most trustworthy running-science experts, Alex Hutchinson, author of the smart book Endure, reminds us. Motion is lotion. Also: All that pounding means I have strong health bones, no hint of osteopenia, despite being a thin, menopausal 56-year-old.
“I feel like I’m just getting started,” Robyn said. “It’s never too late to try something new and set goals for yourself. And there is no better feeling than achieving those goals.”
And some lucky mamas discover a latent hidden talent.
“I started running in my late 50’s and earned a Boston Qualifying time and ran it in 2015 at the age of 61,” said Pam Kennan. Pam had kept fit playing tennis but had never wanted to run before her daughter talked her into it. “I have since run all the major marathons and earned a BQ at the last one in Berlin 2017.” Wow! Go Pam!
Pam didn’t stop with marathons: “I also just did my first pull up from a dead hang so you are never too old to start something new.” Okay, now that’s just crazy talk.
Coming to the game “late” has its advantages.
Some people think over the age of 35 is “old” in running. [cough splutter faint] Shalane Flanagan (on this week’s AMR podcast), who won the New York City Marathon last November and is going back to defend her title at the “old” age of 37, was recently described as a “grand dame.”
But mid-30s isn’t “old” for those (all) of us not competing on the world stage.
“People who start running later in life have the advantage of coming to the sport with fresh legs,” said Marc T. Riker, 55, the CEO of the National Senior Games Association, which hosts Olympic style Games in many sports—including track and field; and 5K and 10K road races—for more than 10,000 over-50 athletes every other year.
Start running in your late 30s and gradually build up, you could “peak” in your 40s and 50s and beyond.
You’re never too “old” to start; you’re always too young to stop!
My mother, now 90, represents the front of a wave of older women runners who didn’t have a lot of opportunity to participate in sports before the passage of Title IX in 1972.
But there are now countless examples of “older” women breaking all kinds of barriers from Joan Benoit Samuelson, who ran a 2:47 marathon at age 52, setting the US 50+ record, to Ida Keeting who is still running 100 meters on the track … at age 103. Yay!
Ida Keeting, still running at 103. May we be so lucky!
Not that it’s all flowers and sunshine. Eventually you’ll slow down. (My mother reports your times really drop off after age 75.) You’ll have to accommodate an increasing array of worrisome aches and pains. You’ll have to cross train and rest more.
But oh well. Even if we eventually have to shuffle along at a creaky rate on cranky joints, it’s better than the alternative—sitting on a couch or lying six feet under! At least we’ll be out there, cheering each other on, as long as we can.
HOW ABOUT YOU? HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST GOT “SERIOUS” ABOUT THIS WHOLE RUNNING THING?
#326: 2017 NYC Marathon Winner + Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. Co-author Shalane Flanagan
Here is a transcription of the interview:
Sarah: Shalene, thank you So, much for having us over to your lovely house to record the podcast.
Shalene: Well, thank you for coming here. It’s nice and hot, but yeah, thank you for being here.
Sarah: Okay. So, let’s start by getting a little bit personal, if that’s okay. We know that you and your husband had some foster children last year when you were training for New York and I just read in the New York Times that you two are looking to adopt a child. I mean, it would seem like that’s adding … both those things add a lot to your training plate and your life plate, So, how are you … You’re the mother runner, you know?
Shalene: Yeah. So, with Brianna and Kiana, we were contacted right before the Rio Olympics that they needed help and housing for their senior year at Lincoln High,-
Sarah: Oh.
Shalene: … So, they actually moved in while I was actually in Rio. My husband took them in and they moved in seamlessly and happily. So, when I came back from the Olympics, they were already living with us. Then, they have since moved on and graduated high school and now are enrolled in a community college across the river on the east side and living closer to school, and from what I understand and know with the limited amount of conversation, but through texting, we stay in contact and things are going well. They got drivers license, they’re going to school, they have summer jobs as camp counselors. So, it was a really rewarding process. They moved out a few months before New York, so, like, over the late summer. So, when I started to go do my high altitude training, they had already moved out. But that was an amazing experience.
Shalene: My husband and I say, like, “We could do foster care for the rest of our lives.” We really enjoyed our time with the girls and we could envision helping more children, and So, we’ve had the discussion of adoption for quite a long time actually. I think a lot of people think, “Well, oh, it’s because she only wants to continue running. So, she doesn’t want to take the time to actually get pregnant and have a child,” and that’s not actually the case. I’ve always wanted to adopt. It doesn’t mean we wouldn’t have our own children as well, but that has always interested me, and so, we’re aggressively pursuing that. It’s not an easy process. It’s really overwhelming actually.
Sarah: I bet.
Shalene: So, it’s gathering a lot of information and resources, but at the same time, it shouldn’t be easy. You shouldn’t be able to just get a child.
Sarah: Right. Right.
Shalene: So, it should be hard. But yeah. So, I think I’ve been vocal in sharing that because I guess I’m hopeful that there’s potentially some woman or parents out there that are in a precarious situation and maybe they hear of me wanting to adopt and maybe the stars align and I’m able to adopt a child just through of mouth. I don’t know. We’re using an agency and going through DHS here locally in Oregon and going through a lot of avenues to adopt, but who knows who’s out there and potentially in a situation that I could be helpful.
Sarah: Are you looking to adopt a newborn or … Because it said a child,-
Shalene: Yes.
Sarah: … So, to me that didn’t say baby.
Shalene: Actually, yeah, I think our first choice would be an infant. I think we want to go through the tough times, not just the easy times.
Sarah: There are no easy times.
Shalene: I know.
Ellison: I was going to [crosstalk 00:03:30]-
Shalene: Yeah. No, that’s true. There’s always just different stages. My sister just, in fact, gave birth to a healthy boy in late July, So, she is very sleep deprived right now, and So, it’s been interesting to watch her go through motherhood and the highs and lows. I think I just … We want that experience, too. We want to earn our stripes as parents. So, yeah.
Sarah: Yeah. Nice.
Ellison: Well, your career has been So, long and your bronze metal, which has now been upgraded to silver in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 10,000 meters. It must seem like another lifetime ago. Are you able to cast your mind back to what it felt like to step up from the 10,000 meters to a marathon roadways?
Shalene: Yeah. So, 2008 was when I was a track runner and had that Olympic metal, but I knew that that was one of those moments that, “It’s going to be hard to top that.” I ran as fast as I ever had and I got an Olympic medal, So, I was looking, “Well, what’s the next challenge, something to strive for?” and that was the marathon. So, I worked for two years after that Beijing Olympics to callusing myself and becoming a marathoner, and it was really hard and difficult and tiring, but really happy I did it and debuted in New York in 2010. It went well enough that I thought, “Okay. I want to pursue this and see if I can become an Olympian at that distance as well.”
Sarah: So, everyone was thrilled by your announcement that you’re going to be returning to New York to defend your title at the New York City Marathon. So, from some anecdotes in that recent New York Times profile, it sounds like you might be in the best shape of your life.
Shalene: Well, I don’t know if I’m in the best shape. I haven’t, like … I don’t really know, but I’m in good shape. I’ve been working this summer on getting back some of my speed and turning my legs over. So, when Lindsey had visited, the New York Times reporter, she watched me do a speed workout, and I think she could tell I was excited because I was running with younger teammates, literally like a decade younger, and chasing them around the track and they pulled me to some faster splits for a speed workout than I had seen in probably a decade. So, that’s just a good sign that even though I’m 37, I’m still running similar times to when I’m 27, and So, that can only bode well for the marathon for me because there’s, naturally, as you age, a decay of speed. So, for me to work on that and to actually get that back is a good sign. So, yeah.
Sarah: Nice. Nice.
Ellison: Well, you mentioned your debut and the 2010 New York City Marathon, and you finished second place in a time of 2:28:40. Now, that was the best New York City finish for an American woman in 20 years. So, now, given what happened last year, do you see that 2010 raises a foreshadowing?
Shalene: I don’t know. I think the New York course agrees with me. There’s something about the city that feels magical. When I land, I just get this great feeling. It’s just, like, a connection, and I can’t explain it. It just is there. It’s like whether you’re attracted to someone or not and it’s like there’s that chemistry that I have with New York and I think it’s just a good fit for me. So, yeah, when I ran in 2010, I knew that I loved my experience and I thought the course suited me well. I’d heard horror stories, like, “New York is So, difficult, So, challenging. The hills, the bridges, the win,” and when I ran it, I was like, “That wasn’t that bad. I really liked it.” Then, the same thing again last year. I’m like, “I don’t know what it is. I really like that course.” So, I hope I have the same type of positive experience again this fall. Yeah. Who knows what’s possible. It’d be fun to run, potentially, really fast this time, like really fast.
Sarah: Ouh.
Ellison: Yeah, because last year, when you all went at “slower,” than … People say the pace was slower in the beginning.
Shalene: Yeah. So, the best way to run a marathon is to do what they say a negative split. So, the first half of the race is slower than the second half. So, that’s a better way to run it and, also, you feel better and you’d get a better result. So, yeah, it was a slower pace where it really kept the group of women and athletes really together for a long amount of time, and then when it got going, it got really violent really quickly and it was really fast. But yeah, it was a nice negative split.
Sarah: I’m intrigued. You used the word “Violent.”
Shalene: Yeah. I call it … When paces get really uncomfortable, I call it violent.
Sarah: Nice. Nice.
Ellison: That’s cool. I’m going to borrow that.
Sarah: Exactly. Yeah, exactly right. Right. Okay. So, talking about the New York course. So, let’s get into the weeds for a bit with some astonishing, hella impressive stats laid out on your Wikipedia page. So, at New York last year, your average pace from 35 kilometers to the finish line, which over the course, averages a slight uphill, was 3:11.4 per kilometer, which is faster than the women’s only marathon world record pace of 3:14.8 kilometers. So, how did you achieve that incredibly strong finish and what was going through your mind as you were doing it?
Shalene: That’s really nice that you looked that up because I love geeks stats like that.
Sarah: Oh, good.
Shalene: I really appreciate that because that’s, like, one of the fastest closes in history of American women’s marathoning. So, it’s like I’m really proud of that body of work, and not many people, besides really geeky people, would know that and look that up. So, I really appreciate that, that you looked that up. Yeah, I mean, I guess it goes back to my track background and I visualized that moment and what it was going to take. My coach said, “You’ve got to be able to run, in terms of mile pace, like five oh something, 5:08s, 5:05s. You need to just throw down because you’re running against Mary Keitany who is the world record holder in the women’s only marathon right now with a 2:17, So, you’ve got to close hard and fast when you go.”
Shalene: So, I prepared here in Portland out on Sauvie Island, visualizing, running against the best in the world coming from Kenya to race. So, what I did in that last like 10k and to achieve those splits, obviously, it was a lot of training and a body of work over a lifetime, ut when I was in New York City, I was visualizing my training here in Portland on Sauvie and just thinking, “Okay. It’s just like practice. I’m going to throw down five minute miles and that’s what it’s going to take.” Thankfully, it did pan out, but yeah, it was like I was running scared because I knew that that’s what it was going to have to take to beat Mary Keitany.
Sarah: Were you by yourself out there on Sauvie-
Shalene: No.
Sarah: … or did you bring some of your teammates out there?
Shalene: No, my coach is usually on the bike.
Sarah: Yeah. I knew you weren’t literally by-
Shalene: Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Shalene: Then, sometimes my teammates, like Amy Cragg who lives here, she would come out to a few of my workouts and cheer me on, and then her husband, sometimes, would actually come out and run with me and pace me for little chunks of the workout. Sometimes, he couldn’t hang, it was too fast, but yeah.
Sarah: Humble brag.
Shalene: Yeah. Yeah. He’s only, like, a three-time Olympian or something like that, but he’s very kind to help us. Yeah.
Sarah: Nice. Nice.
Ellison: Well, us mother runners love a good best running friend or, as we call it, the BRF, and I need to have a shout out to mine, Monica Hunsberger who broke my running heart in 2010 by moving to Gatlinburg, Sweden. But anyway, it seems like a lot of your success, you’ve attributed to the training partners you’ve recruited to run with you here in the Portland area. Talk to us about what workouts with The Bowerman Babes, as you call them, mean to you both physically and emotionally.
Shalene: Yeah. I think the sport can be lonely if you opt for that avenue, but I’ve found that in order to sustain my excitement level and my passion for what I do, I need to be surrounded by other women for a variety of reasons. The comradery, the accountability, the high level of standards that we set every day, like-minded in the sense that we want to achieve greatness, and So, just having people push me every day, I enjoy that. If I trained alone, I could think, “I’m doing a great job. I’m kicking butt,” but then the reality of getting to a race and like, “Oh, no. I’m really not.” So, being confronted by the world’s best every day is, I find, a way to get better, but then on top of it, I just enjoy it more. I’ve told my coach So, many times if he didn’t bring on the women in these last three years, I easily would’ve been retired, like, four years ago.
Sarah: Oh, wow.
Shalene: I love running, but I think I’ve come to a stage in my life where I love it because of what men would describe in football is the locker room comradery. It’s the same thing with my team. I have this locker room comradery, and what I’m going to miss the most when I step away from competitive running is that, is the women and being with them day in and day out and going through the highs and lows of running and injuries and really incredible moments of fulfilling a dream. I’m going to miss that the most, for sure, and the people and the relationships that I’ve formed. So, they are a vital component to my success, not just literally because they’re physically running next to me, but just the emotional support. I mean we’re in each other’s lives on So, many levels that it’s really enhanced everything that I do.
Ellison: Yeah. You had mentioned Amy Cragg, and So, we all think back to the 2016 Olympic trials and that … I get verklempt a little bit thinking about that. By the way, I was standing in front of my television and solid tears when you won in New York. Okay. Get a hold of yourself, Ellison. But that I thought was the Olympic trials in 2016 was such a testament to both of your hard work but alSo, your friendship.
Shalene: Yeah, I think that … Wow. That moment, I can never repay Amy for helping me, but I think it’s one of those moments where I’ve done various things for other women and that was my moment to claim back some of those efforts. Their support showing me in that moment was incredible. Amy’s one of the kindest, sweetest people you’ve ever met, So, it doesn’t surprise me that she would do something So, selfless to help me out. So, that is probably one of my favorite memories. Even though it was, like, one of the more painful things I’ve ever been through, it was one of my favorite memories that I’ll have in my career is someone being So, selfless like that.
Ellison: It was just So, gracious and it was So, beautiful to watch. I mean, it was just something that I think you don’t really see in men’s sports, that-
Shalene: Probably not as much.
Ellison: Right. Right.
Sarah: Okay. So, enough with this running stuff. Let’s move on to F-O-O-D. So, you famously said, ” … yeah,” as you cruise toward the finish line at last year’s New York City marathon. What do you exclaim when you nail a super tasty dish like the Bison Chili or brown rice risotto with mushroom and peas in your new cookbook?
Shalene: Well, I think the “F yes,” still applies but maybe an “Mm, yeah.” Maybe that’s it.
Sarah: Because you showed us what you’re making tomorrow night. Tell us about that dish.
Shalene: Yeah, it’s a slow cooker dish that Elise came up with while she was recovering from having her son, Rylin, and it’s got lentils. It’s a really good source of iron, basically, because her iron levels dropped. So, it has beef and lentils and kale and a bunch of veggies, but a really great slow cooker meal. So, I’m going to make that because I head to New York next week for some more book promo, and So, I’m going to leave my husband with a big batch of food.
Sarah: You do not have to do that. You do not have to [crosstalk 00:16:05]-
Shalene: I don’t have to, but I’m going to because otherwise it gets really scrappy around here. I don’t want him eating the cat.
Sarah: But you’ve got nothing better to be doing.
Shalene: Yeah.
Sarah: Okay.
Ellison: Well, I’m looking over Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow. It sure looks like you and Elise paid attention to feedback from fans on what they loved from your earlier cookbook and wanted more of now, like serving up … You’ve got three variations of the super popular Superhero Muffins and then one of my favorites, Can’t Beat me Smoothie, now comes in 2.0. Were comments from social media and in-person events on your mind when the two of you worked on this new book?
Shalene: Absolutely. When we created Run Fast, Eat Slow, we didn’t envision ever having a second cookbook. We were just like, “This is it. We won’t do another one,” but then when we were on tour, we had people giving us So, much great feedback while we were traveling around the country and So, many ideas that we just started writing them down, and our agent just said, “You know what? You guys should just take notes and just see. Maybe there’s enough to materialize into another book,” and we’re like, “Nah, we don’t really think so, but okay.”
Shalene: So, we took a ton of notes between the two of us nonstop on tour and just listened to what our fans wanted, and we just heard from our fans that they were busy, they wanted to eat healthy, usually parents who are working, students, grad students that were on a tight budget or even high school students that were wanting to eat healthy, but didn’t have the time or their parents didn’t have the time. So, it was this time crunch, but want to eat healthy lifestyle. That, at times, for Elise and I is very relatable. There were just moments where we want a quick fix, but we want it to be healthy. We don’t want to be eating junk. So, that’s how this cookbook came to be. It was just listening to what they wanted and what their lifestyles were like, and so, “How can we accommodate and create a book that is going to fit everyone’s needs?”
Ellison: So, is it just our impression or is there way more advice in this followup cookbook, sort of like a Run Fast, Eat Slow ethos plus more running and fitness pointers?
Shalene: Absolutely. That, too, was also on the topic of discussion was just like, “Well, Shalene, we want to know what stretches you do,” or, “What are you thinking about when you’re lining up to race,” or, “Elise, how are you managing being a working mom with two kids,” and just people want to know more about our life a little bit more, So, we wanted to give them a glimpse into like, “Well, this is how we live our lifestyle. Maybe this can help you. Maybe it doesn’t apply,” but we just felt like we wanted to give a little bit more of ourselves into this book So, that people could really get to know us and what makes us tick. Then, yeah, there’s just a lot of advice.
Shalene: One thing that we were both really passionate about that we wanted to address head on was eating disorders because that is definitely an issue in the running world. We witnessed it firsthand in high school and in college. At the elite level, you don’t really notice it because to get to the elite level, you just can’t undernourish in that way otherwise you’ll get injured and you won’t make it. So, it was definitely more in the college aspect, and we feel that this can be a great tool for college coaches and college athletes and high school kids. It really helps. We’ve gotten So, much … So, many emails and letters that are … make us cry. The feedback that we get of how it’s helping someone overcome an unhealthy relationship with food, it was top priority.
Shalene: So, that’s what I’m most proud of in this book is addressing that issue head on. I even disclosed how, at various times in my career, I felt like I had to count calories because I had to be light and lean to compete with the best in the world. It becomes this obsessive, negative mental space and you look at food not as fuel, you’re looking at it as something negative, and So, we wanted to reverse that. I think when Elise and I just started discussing about the cookbook, she’s like, “Shalene, you should not be counting calories.” I’m like, “What? But yeah, I have to,” and she’s like, “No, just stop. Abandon it.”
Shalene: That’s why we don’t have any calorie counts or fat counts or grams of this, grams of that, because when you go to pick up an apple, there’s not a calorie count on an apple, right? You just eat the apple and you know it’s going to be good for you. So, we’re trying to just get people to stop obsessing about calorie counts and that the most important thing is how you’re feeling and then worry about the splits on your watch, worry about the amount of miles you’re putting in and just make sure you’re feeling good, and the rest is going to follow.
Ellison: So, talking about the dishes, what are some of personal favorites, especially, say, on your highest mileage weeks or even when you’re in the taper?
Shalene: Yeah, I think I’m most emotionally attached to the Thai Quinoa Salad because it was the first recipe I tested out of this cookbook and it was right after I’d found out that I had a fracture in my low back and had to pull out of the Boston Marathon. So, I drove out to Ben to meet up with Elise and our cookbook assistant and get started on this book, and it was the first recipe we created, and I fell in love with it, and I ate it. I was addicted to it and ate it, like, once a week, a couple of times a week leading up through New York and even the week of New York. So, it’s like I have this emotional attachment because it gave me this turn of events of being hopeful and passionate about my next project, which was this. When I had a moment of athletic bomber news, it really helped me turn that corner and feel positive about something. So, that’s my emotionally attached to recipe. I love … The peanut butter cups is like a dessert.
Ellison: That’s on my list.
Shalene: Kids love it. My recipe, tested it with my coach’s daughter who is in high school and she goes to Jesuit here, she’s a senior and a great little runner, and So, I love that one just because it’s kid-friendly and easy. Then, I love some of our hearty soups just because, as you know, cold, rainy, Portland winter months, I love having a good soup ready to go. The Superfood Soup is one of my favorites, but I mean, there’s So, many.
Ellison: Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow has So, many great smack recipes, both savory and sweet. You already mentioned the peanut butter cups. Are there any that you pack and take with you when traveling to races or to promotional events?
Shalene: Yes. What’s great is usually when Elise and I travel together, she’s always making a lot of these goodies,-
Ellison: Nice.
Shalene: … which is So, nice.
Ellison: [crosstalk 00:22:54].
Shalene: Yeah. She knows I get really … It’s true, I get hangry, and we both do. There’s a great trail mix in here that has pretzels and a bunch of nuts and good seasoning that’s kind of roasted. So, she’ll pack little baggies full of that. Our muffins, obviously, travel great and travel well, the three different versions. She made the apple carrot ones the other day while I was in Ben. I alSo, love the breakfast cookies. I don’t know if you guys have tried those.
Ellison: Yes. Yes.
Shalene: The sweet potato one’s in the first book, but then we have a new version with banana and coconut in this one. So, those travel well. Yeah. Then, obviously, some of those sweet treats, like the peanut butter cups and stuff like that, but those are some of my favorites. Yeah.
Ellison: Well, you and Elise have really, really built a movement and a loyal following with Run Fast, Eat Slow and we know you’re going to be gaining more fans with this cookbook. So, where do you see this all going? Nutrition retreats? More books? A TV show?
Shalene: I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to Elise. I think we try to focus on one thing at a time, but this is a labor of love. It’s a lot of work creating a cookbook. I mean, all books are, but recipe testing is quite arduous and time consuming. So, I think we’re going to let this soak in. I think she wants to focus on her kids for a while and really make sure she’s present, and they’re just … You know, with having two kids now, it’s a little hectic over there. Then, I want an addition in my family, so I think we’re going to focus on family for a bit and then see what’s next. But I always push Elise that I think she should create a cookbook for infants and what you feed infants and what’s good for mothers and infants, but that’s my idea that I think she should write next.
Ellison: You’ll be her agent.
Shalene: Yes, basically. I’m like, “You’d be great at this. You should do it.” But yeah, it’s easy to sit here on my couch and talk about, but … Yeah, I don’t know where it’s going to take us. I think Elise has definitely built such a great platform to help people with her nutrition background that I can see her taking it to another level and trying to reach a lot of young athletes and help them. I’m not sure what platform, maybe through our website, maybe the Facebook live, so she can do some coaching for people from all over the country. But I think that would be a great avenue for her, for sure.
Ellison: Now, because of you stepping up or announcing that you’re going to be doing in New York, does that mean that … I know the Portland event was postponed until November, so it sounds like you would have a very limited number of promotional events before New York. Then, is there going to be a slightly bigger tour post-New York? Your victory lap.
Shalene: Yeah. Yeah. That’s to be determined. We definitely wanted to make sure the Portland event was going to be really special, so that’s why we deleted because we weren’t getting the venue that we really wanted. So, that’s why we wanted to change things and just wait and make sure it’s done really well, but we’d love to collaborate and combine the two foodie worlds and athletic worlds. So, we want more and want it to be more special, so that’s why we’re waiting to do it in November. But yeah, I actually have to train for New York, so it limits where … how much time and energy because it kind of zaps me when we do a lot of traveling-
Ellison: Oh, sure.
Shalene: … and it’s just harder on me if I’m not getting enough sleep. Elise makes fun of me because I am … I get a lot of sleep and she’s, like, sleep deprived and she’s like, “Come on. Can’t you function?” I’m like, “But I’m running, like, over a hundred miles a week. It’s a little bit …” We’re both tired,-
Ellison: You just got to [crosstalk 00:26:36]-
Shalene: … but just different.
Sarah: And it’s a little hard to feel sorry for, “Oh, … you got nine hours, solid, uninterrupted. Oh, your cat jumped on your bed?”
Shalene: Yeah, exactly. So, we both are working really hard at doing the best possible jobs outside of … with the cookbook. So, we’re just making sure whatever we do, we do it really well, so that’s why it’s limited. Then, we’ll have further discussion after New York, but for sure, we’ll have a Portland event in November after New York.
Sarah: Good. Good, good, good. Okay. So, as Ellison said, we love BRFs, but another thing we love around Another Mother Runner parts are TMI topics. So, I would be sorely remiss if I didn’t ask about the bathroom break at Boston this year. I mean, come on, you even set speed records when you use a porta potty under 14 seconds. How do you get the job done?
Ellison: First, I want to know who was timing that?
Sarah: Some guy on … I don’t know where I saw this. This was … I don’t … Oh, I guess I clicked on something and some guy on Twitter, I guess, was following the live feed and he timed it. So, it was 13.86 in case you don’t know that.
Shalene: It’s pretty impressive. That’s pretty impressive.
Sarah: It is very impressive, woman, because … Okay. So, E and I were talking around outside, and I’m just going to just say it out loud, we think you just pulled your shorts to the side.
Shalene: Yes.
Sarah: Yes. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. You didn’t pull down because-
Shalene: I didn’t pull them down.
Sarah: Yeah, because pulling … I mean, your hands must have been cold,-
Shalene: Yes.
Sarah: … your-
Shalene: Body’s all wet.
Sarah: … bun-huggers were wet because it was raining, so it would have taken you longer just to peel it down and peel it back up.
Shalene: Totally. Totally.
Sarah: Yeah.
Shalene: Yes.
Sarah: Okay.
Shalene: You nailed it.
Sarah: All right. Okay.
Ellison: We spent more time talking about it than you spent doing it.
Sarah: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, did you just think about just peeing on the fly?
Shalene: I did, but I have never been able to do that, unfortunately. I know that people … You would think I would be able to, but I just couldn’t.
Sarah: Okay. Because I’m known for peeing on the fly because-
Ellison: I can’t.
Shalene: Yeah, I can’t.
Sarah: So, I … You got to practice it.
Shalene: Okay.
Sarah: So, yeah. You’re looking at me … The look on your face is like, “No, you can tell me all this and I’m not going to,” but I knew that the first time I was trying to qualify for Boston, a bathroom stop, had kept me from qualifying for Boston. I’m like, I’m not going to do it. So, when the national anthem was being sung here at 2010 Portland and it was pouring rain, I forced myself to because it’s hard as an adult to pee while you’re wearing clothes because it’s hard-wired, you know?
Shalene: Yes.
Sarah: So, then it’s mile 17 when I had to. I just-
Shalene: Just did.
Sarah: … peed in my Capris. Yeah.
Shalene: Yeah.
Sarah: My running partner, who I believe is faster than I am, she stopped at the porta potty and she missed qualifying.
Shalene: Okay. Well, this is a future question for you that you should ask if you have Cara on. She has some stories about teaching herself to pee herself.
Sarah: Oh, good. Okay.
Shalene: You get a heads up.
Sarah: Awesome.
Shalene: She’s good at it. When we train together, she could do it, and I’m like, “I can’t do it. I can’t do it.”
Sarah: Well, I know the Cara has said she has mad props for people, like normal human beings who have to spend four hours out there or something to hold their … to hold their bladder all that time, you know?
Ellison: I think they just shut down. I’m one of those. I was at … What … 3:52 and I just shut down.
Shalene: Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah. No. Well, it is wet, and so, I wasn’t … Yeah. So, anyway. Yeah.
Shalene: I should have, but I need to learn how because I cannot-
Sarah: I can coach you. Now, that I know the way up here, I can coach you.
Shalene: Part of me was thinking, “God, that porta potty looks so much warmer and even more inviting than being out here.”
Sarah: Oh, yeah. [crosstalk 00:30:04]-
Shalene: Part of me was like, “You know what? That porta potty looks nice.” That’s how bad it was, is that I thought a porta potty looked like a more opportune space to go hang out for 13 seconds.
Sarah: All the wind, [crosstalk 00:30:15]-
Shalene: That’s how I felt about that.
Sarah: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. But you didn’t have … But you obviously didn’t debate long about whether to stay in there or not.
Shalene: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. I know. Should have longer.
Sarah: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, if you need any, I can coach you.
Shalene: Okay. Thank you.
Sarah: I’m still here. Yeah. Well, thank you so much for taking time out of, I know, a very busy schedule to talk with us. So, thank you.
Shalene: Oh, yeah. No. Thank you for coming.
Sarah: Yeah. Good luck with the book. I just know that it’s just going to sell like hotcakes or like breakfast cookies with our crowd.
Ellison: And good luck in New York.
Shalene: Oh, yeah. Thank you.
Ellison: Make me cry again.
Shalene: Yeah. In a good way.
Sarah: Happy tears. Happy tears.
Ellison: Happy tears. That’s right.
Sarah: Yeah.
Shalene: That would be lovely. I would love that.
Dry Martini: Life’s Small Surprises
Even though Maine is only a five-ish hour drive from my house, I’d only been there a half-a-dozen times during the 15 years we’ve lived here. Then 2018 rolled around. During the span of a week, I packed up the Subaru for Beach to Beacon, then drove home, unloaded kids and laundry, and drove back to witness Dimity’s SwimRun on August 12.
This little dude at the SwimRun was a delight. His mommy and daddy were so happy to see him and his sign.
(Because of the way the universe works, I’ll be back in Portland in a few weeks for a friend’s wedding. Maybe the fates feel like I should eat more lobster and potatoes?)
Initially, I’d planned to just loll around the Portland area during the days between B2B and the SwimRun. I haven’t had a solo vacation in, like, ever and it sounded like a hoot. Life had other plans, as it so frequently does. While the extra back-and-forth on the Mass Pike was a bummer, I did catch up on months worth of podcasts. #upside
On the way back for SwimRun, I made a small detour for an overnight at my BRF Lisa’s place in New Hampshire. We had dinner, we laughed, and we watched the Great British Baking Show (French pastry week was intense, y’all). We set our alarms for an early wake-up so that we could run the rail-trail near her house.
Lisa and I on the trail. The pond is full of lotus flowers, even though they look like some sort of BAMR-eating algae from this angle.
Lisa had seven on her plan; I had nine. I was tempted to turned around with her at mile 3.5 but I am nothing if not a rule follower. It helped that the trail itself is mostly flat and cuts through ponds and rocks and neighborhoods. It also helped that Lisa was going to get breakfast sandwiches from a local joint while I finished up my extra two miles.
PRO TIP: If you can arrange to have someone meet you at the end of a long run with egg, meat, and cheese on Texas toast, do that. Always.
I made it to Portland in time to introduce Dimity and Katie to the Holy Donut. Then had my brief volunteer orientation for SwimRun and drove a little bit back down the coast to meet up with BAMR Erica, whose living room I’d be sleeping in, who took me to her favorite ice cream shop after dinner.
The ice cream in question. And Erica.
For those who are wondering: Yes. I do plan trips around running and food. Why would you do otherwise?
Sunday dawned early and hauled myself from car to ferry to beach, where I waited for swimmers. Of course seeing Team #COBAMR was a thrill — but it was also a reminder that every human responds differently under pressure. No matter where they were in the pack, most teams came out of the water thrilled to simply be doing a crazy thing. A few did not have their best moments on my beach. And a couple that I would have sworn would drop out managed to pull it together enough to go on.
My view for the entire morning. Sometimes, it had swimmers in it. Most of the time, it was just me and the ocean. It was wonderful
I channeled that same spirit during a speedy run this week in Southern New Jersey, where we visiting some friends from college. The workout called for an easy warm-up mile and an easy cool-down mile, with two at race pace in between. Calling the air “swampy” only begins to touch on how wet it was, even at 7 a.m. Because my run coincided with garbage day, it was also like swimming through a hot wall of fragrant trash soup. Woo.
From the start, I knew I couldn’t hit my race paces. No way. No how. Not even for money. But I figured I’d try, if only to show Coach Christine I was willing to give it a whirl even though I knew I was doomed.
Only that’s not what happened. Despite the heat, the humid, and the pockets of stink, I churned out my first race pace mile. Then most of another one before my brain weasels tried to get me to stop. Which is when I had to channel those SwimRunners and pull it together to keep up the pace. And I did.
This is my shocked (and sweaty) face.
I know. I was shocked, too. It’s like I might be able to do an okay job at this running thing.
This feeling will pass, likely during an easy run where everything hurts and I’m convinced I’m going to die. Still. I’m going to revel in this while I can.
When was the last time you were surprised by your running?
SwimRun Casco Bay: A Race Report (Almost as Long as the Race)
Post-race smiles! But let us start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…
This incident may or may not be foreshadowing–you’ll have to read on to see: Five days before the race, my SwimRun teammate Katie and I did one final short swim/run/swim. Because the “swim” part made my shoes wet, I pulled my custom orthotics out of them and, when I got home, laid them both out in the sun to dry on a flat rock, right next to our garage (as I’d done at least three times prior). I left them out overnight (as I’d done before) and woke up the next morning. Went out to grab them. Only the shoes were there.
Evidence of a rodent: a gnawed shoelace.
The orthotics, as best I can guess, were carried off my a soon-to-be hibernating rodent of some kind. “I’m not surprised,” said Grant, my husband, in a sympathetic tone, “They’re like a salt lick.” True, but losing my orthotics the day before I leave for a race? I’d rather have lost my goggles AND wet suit.
Oh, and for the record? I got my period on Thursday night. Lovely.
“I just don’t know what to expect—except for an adventure.” This was my standard—and very accurate—line about SwimRun USA. I’ve never swum (to make forward progress) in an ocean; I’ve never run across islands; I’ve never combined the two.
SWIMRUN: THE BASICS
I know I’ve talked about the race frequently on podcasts, but just in case you need a quick background, here you go: SwimRun is a newish event, where competitors (often as teams of two) swim/run/swim/run/swim/run, etc until the finish line. Rotation between the sports is a key point; it’s not like a triathlon, in which you swim, then are done with the swim; bike, then are done with the bike; run, then are done with the race. You’re constantly transitioning—and pretty much always wet—in a SwimRun race.
The event can be held on a lake, but it’s most often held in and around a body of islands, which requires you to swim between the islands and then run over them. That was the case for Casco Bay in Portland, Maine, where my friend Katie Oglesby and I entered as team #COBAMRS for the short course race. (We wanted to make it kinda clear that we were from Colorado, where there is no salt water, ocean, or islands.)
The short course (waterproof, must-carry-with-us-during-the-race) map: seven runs, six swims. 13+ miles actually turned out to be closer to 15-16ish miles, but we’ll get to that later.
SWIMRUN: THE GEAR
Let’s get this part done first, since we’ve already hit on orthotics. Because you are regularly transitioning between running and swimming, you have to be able to streamline into both events by a) swimming in your running shoes and b) running in your wetsuit. In addition, there are certain items you must have for SwimRun—they check them at the pre-race meeting—that include a wetsuit (ocean water is coooold!); a whistle; a compass; a tether (to connect you to your partner if/when the weather is nasty or you prefer the tether); and a compression bandage.
If these mandatory items give you pause, that’s a good thing. While I always felt safe, especially in the water, the conditions and the course are also competitors in SwimRun, and need to be respected as such.
Because you are wearing shoes while you’re swimming, many competitor prefer to swim with paddles and a pullbuoy between their legs, which helps with flotation. (You put bungee cord through the pullbuoy so it stays attached to your leg while you run.) And because running in a wetsuit can be a bit warm, Orca has designed the SwimRun Core, a much more user-friendly suit (compared to a tri suit) featuring optional long sleeves, a front zipper, and really flexible shoulders and midsection for easy and off.
Pull the look together, and you look the creature from the Black Lagoon. Or something like that. (These were our exact race outfits; I just traded my On Cloud Running Shoes for the On Cloudventure Trail Running Shoes.) And yes, we definitely got STRANGE looks as we practiced running in our wetsuits and carrying our paddles on the trails around the Chatfield Gravel Pond.
SWIMRUN: PRE-RACE
Out to dinner the night before the race, I realized I hadn’t raced raced in about two years (the Twin City 10 Mile). Couple that rustiness with the knowledge that I had very little knowledge about SwimRun, and I was pretty anxious as we headed into the pre-race meeting. There were schools of super fit athletes that seemed to possess a confidence I’ve never felt, even when I do know about a race.
But then Lars Finegar, the race director, kicked off the meeting with a tribute to Jeff Cole, who brought the SwimRun vision to Maine after watching the Otillo World Championships in Sweden unfold online. Cole was the kind of race director who, after cancelling a race, called each team individually to explain their options. He died in early April of this year, and several friends and athletes stood up and gave tributes to Cole. One of them asked us to hug a fellow (unknown) competitior like she or he was a longlost friend. That request made the room erupt with laughter—and pretty much disappated any anxiety I had.
Then Lars gave the gender make-up of the racers, and while I didn’t record the specifics, it was a pretty equal field, with lots of coed teams. It didn’t have that testosterone-laed vibe many newer/more challenging races can often emit.
This year, Lars renamed the race the Cole Classic, and before we headed out, asked, during the race, us to take care of each other and soak it all up. I wasn’t sure how swimming in the ocean would go for us, but team #COBAMRS definitely could do that.
SWIMRUN, CASCO BAY: THE RACE
Waiting for the ferry at o:dark:30.
We headed to the ferry to take us to Peaks Island, our starting line, at 5 am (3 am mountain time, for those of you playing the time conversion game at home). It was raining and cool—a big, helpful change from the weather the previous week—and the rain didn’t feel like a bummer. “This is perfect SwimRun weather,” Lars said before he sent us off.
On the ferry, Katie befriended a SwimRun vet named Bill, who wrote the (incorrect) distances on his paddle as well as the direction the tide was going to be: A good idea overall.
On the ferry, we sat at a table and laughed with two sisters—team Twisted Sisters, who were also first-timers—about the Air B’n’B on a sailboat they had the previous night; while it saved some money, it also made them a little seasick. We arrived at Peaks Island well before the 7 am start, which gave us ample time to use the bathroom; obsess, as all good endurance athletes should, about our gear; and chat with fellow competitors. BAMRbassador Aimee Bouchard, who is also training for an Ironman with the Train Like a Mother Club, was competing with a friend; they wisely stayed on the island the night before.
As we all milled about, the creature from the Black Lagoon look suddenly became the accepted norm. When I noticed somebody didn’t have a pullbuoy attached to their leg, it looked odd. The SwimRun family had enveloped us.
Katie, on the first run, in her gold cap. As she was putting on the yellow short course cap, she flung it down into the bay in an unreachable spot. Photo by Ruddock Visuals.
The race went off, and we were a flurry of yellow caps and bright jerseys down a paved road. After a mile or two, we headed into a forest preserve, and it felt like the adventure was truly beginning. Roots, rocks, bridges, logs, overhanging branches: Team #COBAMRs kind of fun. The map said the first run was going to be 2.5 miles, an updated version said it was going to be 3.2 miles; and my GPS had it at 3.6. Adventure it is.
The entry to the first swim. That seaweed is SLIPPERY. And guess what? It wasn’t only on shore. (How did that happen?) Photo by Ruddock Visuals.
The first swim? Not as fun as the first run—and a reality check for me. After we traversed rocks covered in seaweed, we dove in into the cold, salty water. It felt refreshing, and nice to be off our feet. We were moving well, and then two things happened at once: 1. A lead long course team, which had started an hour before us, came barreling by us (and they were kicking, which felt weird) and 2. We hit a patch of floating seaweed/kelp the size of a Ford F-150.
Suddenly there were bubbles all around me and when I turned to breathe, I had a cap and face covered in (super smelly) seaweed that I couldn’t manually push off since I had on paddles. I kept swimming, like a good Dory would, but I definitely lost my rhythm.
Sighting became my main issue on the swims. The water was relatively calm, but compared to our practice ground—serene Chatfield gravel pond—it felt pretty dang turbulent to me. Everything about it was unfamiliar: the salinity; the smell (I am not a fish eater, and the smell of seafood, when I was pregnant, brought me to my nauseous knees); the random, albeit smallish, waves; the large islands of seaweed that I couldn’t see (and such, couldn’t avoid). Being conservative with my estimate, I averaged 2.5 gulps of sea water per swim.
Not a picture of us, but really, a picture of all of us. Photo by Ruddock Visuals.
“Don’t let that happen again,” I’d tell myself as I got another bellyfull, “Keep your mouth closed.” A good strategy–except I needed an open mouth for oxygen.
Anyway, long story short: Katie grew up in Florida and is a pro at open water swimming and sighting. Even though we practiced my being the lead swimmer, she took the lead on most of our swims. Bless her–but dang her! She didn’t get my mental memo to clear out the seaweed.
We had a slight mishap on our first landing; we came to shore on—you guessed it—a farm’s worth of seaweed. Katie realized our mistake, and we jumped back in the water and swam some more. Finally coming to the right beach, I tried to stand up and pretty much felt drunk. Steadied myself, and saw none other than Adrienne Martini, who had volunteered for the race, standing on shore. She was suupposed to be a different spot, but jumped in when a hole opened up. Right behind her? Another BAMR: Amy WIlson, whose husband and dropped her off on their fishing boat earlier that morning. Beyond cool to see familiar faces in such a remote race.
Amy captured this pic as I spotted Adrienne, in green, on the shore. Love how happy I look: is it because of Adrienne + Amy? Being done with the swim? The whole SwimRun shebang? A combo, I suspect.
The next run was pretty short, the next swim pretty uneventful, and the next run? Or should I say “Run”? Because it was a scramble over large, small and endless rocks around Vaile Island. “Take how long you think it’ll take you to go half a mile and multiply that by five,” Lars told us in the pre-race meeting.
I’ll admit that I was on sensory overload during this portion of the race. I was watching my footing super carefully; I was trying to stay close to Katie (her neon jersey in my peripheral view); there was a drone filming overhead (cool but new experience); fast long-course teams were flying by us. Surreal doesn’t really describe it, but it’s the best I can do.
The 2016 SwimRun on Vaile Island; from jojogetback.blogspot.com.
At one point, after a really big dropoff—one Katie went around but I took on because of my height—I lost my footing and slammed the left side of my torso into a rock REALLY hard. Like take-my-breath away hard. I was pretty sure I’d cracked a rib, but I was in the middle of Vaile Island in the middle of an adventure, so I stood up and took a few steps and then a few more and realized I could move forward, so I did.
The swim/run pattern continued. For better or worse, the cold water numbed things (good for my rib, not great for our hands and feet). Katie slipped on one water exit, and bloodied up her shins and hand. “If you’re not bleeding, you’re not racing,” said Lars, as we ran past him and Katie held up her hand of carnage. The swims got a little easier, but Katie will (kindly) attest: I need to work on my sighting.
I didn’t know what to expect, but now I know that’s the beauty of SwimRun. It was an adventure, an experience, a chance to do something very few people get—or choose—to do.
The most beautiful thing about it—and all SwimRuns, I assume? The course forces you to be 100% present. You’re not watching the time or your splits. You’re not thinking about teenage drama or what’s for dinner or even the finish line.
Instead, you’re focused on getting as efficiently as you can to the next shore. Once you’re there, you’re navigating a trail through pristine scenery. Even on the paved roads? You can’t help but just soak it all up: The classic island homes + lighthouses and the residents, generously letting us run through their properties and cheering us on. At one point, a dad and two small boys were out on a forest trail. One of them had an unrolled pack of Rolos (I took one), the other had a roll of cookies (Katie took one). Made my heart melt. Plus, there was a Goonies-like bike squad of about six kids pedaling all over Long Island, which was great. We never knew when they’d approach and cheer.
“If you hurry, you’ll make the 12:05 ferry,” one local told us as we set off on our last run. Okay, then.
This kind of sums the state of team #COBAMRS: Katie and her gear is all packed up, while I’m coming unraveled at the seams, carrying both my pullbuoy (bungee came untied with two swims to go) and paddles.
I was, however, ready for the finish line when we crossed it. (Katie, rock star, could’ve gone for a few more hours.) My rib was super tender. I discovered this when I laughed seeing Adrienne, who snapped this shot, again at the finish line. Later, the results told us that the 15-16-mile race (everybody’s GPS was a little different) took us 4 hours, 41 minutes, which landed us in 14th place out of 34 female teams, and 38th out of 86 total short course teams. (Yeah for strong female racers!)
The rain didn’t look like it was stopping anytime soon, so the three of us (Adrienne, Katie + I) jumped on that 12:05 ferry. As we chugged along from island to island and eventually landed to Portland, we did laugh and recap and just pretty much marveled at our collective luck of all landing on random islands in Maine on a rainy Sunday in August.
And the foreshadowing? After chowing down a cheeseburger + cornbread, both delicious, I changed out of my shoes. I then realized that my jerry-rigged insoles, combined with the ocean sand, had rubbed both arches raw. I hadn’t noticed the irritation on the course at all.