DreamBig 2011 - #5 Georgia

State #5 - Atlanta, Georgia
13.1 Marathon Atlanta
Finishers: 2,488

September 30, 2011
Between April 2011 and October 2011, a lot changed.

I ended my first year of grad school and dad got me a cool intern gig in Houston, TX working for Silver Eagle Distributors which is the nations largest Anhueser Busch distributor. I was doing logistics work and loved the company. While I was there I did my best to run as much as possible but most days I could barely make it down the block before dying from the Texas heat.

Once I got back to Auburn, I decided not to go back to my job at the bank and to focus more on life after graduation and the direction I wanted my career to go. With all of the free time, I was very committed to my running and training schedule. This last semester of school I was also living by myself so the temptations of constant baked goods and TV temptation were not around to keep me from my training.

My next race was set to be the 13.1 Atlanta race that took place in Brookhaven. The Friday before the race we had an MBA golf outing and then I packed up my car and headed up I-85 from Auburn. I stayed at Michael Layton that weekend and we went out and got dinner at Gordon Biersch and talked about the real world.

MBA Golf Outing with Adam Jones

October 1, 2011
Saturday I picked up my packet at one of the local running stores and then Michael had our friends over to watch the Auburn game. I think the highlight of that day was Michael not owning a can opener and prying a can of chicken open with a hammer all so that I could make everyone buffalo chicken dip -- very resourceful.

Boys....and what they would do for buffalo dip

October 2, 2011

The morning of the race I had to tip toe around the apartment in the dark because I didn't want to wake Michael up in the other room. I sort of just grabbed my stuff and some Cheerios and drove up to the race start....way too early. I'm pretty sure I took a nap in my car for a good hour before people even started to show up.

It was a cold morning and it was my first race I didn't have anyone there cheering me on but I felt very prepared.  (Sidebar -- I think I am still bitter that Michael didn't wake up to watch me run). The race started and I remember not having a clue where I was because it was also still dark. After winding through some very hilly neighborhoods in Brookhaven I started to get into a groove. The hills were kicking everyones butt but thankfully I had been doing a lot of training on my own butt and lower body and it was just the sort of preparation I needed for this unnaturally hilly course.

At the time at Auburn, Michael Dyer was one of our popular running backs and I had always admired how talented he was at high knees and putting in that little bit of extra effort in order to break an extra tackle or gain an extra yard. Whenever I got to a hill on the course, I just made sure to think of Dyer, lift my knees, pump my arms, and power up the hill. Leave it to me to find a way to enjoy hills that most people had reverted to crawling.

The course was up in Brookhaven and all those hoods

The neighborhoods were windy to the point you felt like you were running in figure 8's through the middle of no where. Once we were back on the main road (Peachtree Industrial Blvd.) heading for part two of neighborhoods, I started paying a little more attention to the mile clocks. (I don't wear a watch of my own because my main goal is just to finish. I have bad enough anxiety before races as it is to be worrying about a specific time.) So, as I was looking at the mile clocks I realized I was coming in a well under a 10 minute pace which is my typical speed. As I started to do the math (which is extremely difficult while running for me), I calculated that if I kept my pace and continued to pick it up on the hills, I might just make it in at under 2 hours (the only time goal I had ever set).

With the 2 hour mark in my head I continued to just stay calm and enjoy the cool day and the pretty houses and just run. The second neighborhood portion ended and I was back on the main road headed back to where the race started. Mile 11 passed and I will still feeling comfortable but not confident about the 2 hour goal. Mile 12 came and I started feeling like it wouldn't happen. The hard part about the clocks is that they are never your real time. My time starts when I cross the start line which depending on the race may be 5-10 minutes after the first person starts which is when the clock begins. A tenth of a mile into Mile 12 I was still feeling good. I knew I had that last kick but I couldn't figure out how to get it out. I passed the 20K mark (12.4 miles) and on my iPod all of a sudden came Lady Gaga "Edge of Glory". At the time she had a really cool commercial of her dancing/running on the Brooklyn Bridge and I LOVED the song. So once it came on, I literally took off. I wish someone had a clock on me from that point because I was really cruising. I could hear that someone was on my tail but I was too in the zone to turn and look back so I just let them tail me.

The song was coming to an end and I could see the last little turn that led to the finish line. It was an awkward slight downhill finish but I kicked in like my high school cross days and crossed the finish line with the race clock a couple minutes over 2 hours. I was exhausted but excited that I had done so well. A few minutes after crossing the line a man in yellow came up and told me he was trying to pace with me the last mile or so but at one point I just took off and he couldn't stick with my pace (#likeaboss). He asked what happened and I just said "Lady GaGa".

I wandered back to my car to check my phone and got an email:

Ashley Ahner at the Finish point in 1:59:39.
Pace: 9:08 min/Mile

I was sooooooo excited to make it under 2 hours by the skin of my teeth. I made a video right after I found which I will track down and add to this post at a later date.

That marked race #5 AND the beginning of the "counting on my fingers" -

OFFICIAL RACE PIC - 5 states down, 45 more to go! #DREAMBIG

Race #5 Complete! I'm sure I asked some stranger to take this picture

 Pretty cool medal - the 13.1 part of it spins!

Crossing the finish line - yes, this picture is sort of stolen from offline. But you can see the clock was over 2 hours and the man in yellow who was trying to keep up with me!

5 states down, 45 more to go!

#DREAMBIG

DreamBig 2011 - #4 Tennessee

State #4 - Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville Country Music Marathon
Finishers: 22,015

April 28, 2011
After each race, I am exhausted, worn out yet still excited for whats next. Soon after my New Orleans race, I signed up for the big event that everyone in the south always talks about: The Music City Half Marathon. Anyone who is anyone has run this race in the running community and I wanted to be part of the hype. I signed up for what is officially known as Rock N' Roll Nashville and continued my training in Auburn through the Spring semester. Was it fun coming home from work, school, work again, changing into running clothes, waving to my roomie Erin and heading out the door every evening? Not really. But I knew it was worth it.

The plan for Nashville was to meet my dad halfway. The weekend of the race was the weekend before finals so I decided to go home to St. Louis to do some studying. On Friday evening, I packed up the car and headed to Nashville. I got to the hotel just in time for dad to offer up some free appetizers and drinks, as always.

April 29, 2011
We woke up Saturday morning and went downtown to pick up my race gear. Dad was blown away by the number of people at the Expo. The line to get it was wrapped up and down hallways and staircases. Seeing as there were 22,000+ people who ran the half marathon, it all made sense. After getting my bag and race gear, we wandered around a little and then decided to map out the course and our plan of dropping me off in the morning. If you are not aware of this, I am THE ultimate planner. I don't like surprises especially when it involves my running.

That night we went to a very fancy establishment called Cock of the Walk where we had fried pickles, mushrooms and everything else I probably should not have eaten before a race. But at least I was drinking water. When we got back to the hotel my nerves were already playing games with me and between them and dads snoring, it was not a good nights sleep.

April 30, 2011
I got up far earlier (if I even slept) then necessary to start getting all of my gear on. Jacob Watkins had given me a new Auburn hat and I decided to wear one of my long sleeve Auburn National Championship shirts since we were in a different SEC town.

Our pre-race approach went to plan and I shivered at the start line with all of the other racers until the gun went off. Thankfully I had already run a RnR race before so I knew what they were like with the wave starts. The first couple miles were rolling hills and dad was supposed to be standing at the turn around mile 2.

When I got there I didn't see him and later found out he was inside enjoying a nice hot coffee and bagel. Rude. Around that same point I ran into Jack Robertson from Auburn and said a quick out of breathe hello before he took off. From that point on, the hills NEVER stopped. We ran around Belmont and Vandy and I feel like it was a roller coaster of pain.

So close to the finish! Acting like I'm totally okay

Really everything was a hill - especially the finish. At about mile 13 of 13.1 I finally saw dad in his Auburn gear as well and I knew I was close as I could see the stadium finish as well. I crossed the finish line at 2:12:45 which was my slowest race yet but it still counts. You know what's gross? I am about 90% sure that after my race we grabbed a quick bite to eat at like McDonalds or Panera and then we immediately drove back the 5 hours to Saint Louis. Meaning my poor father sat in the car with my stinky self for 5 hours. What a trooper.

 Tennessee - you can keep your hills. 4 down, 46 more to go!

Closest thing I have to an OFFICIAL RACE PIC - 4 states down, 46 more to go! #DREAMBIG

Calling mom - who still doesn't understand what I do

Me and Pops after the Race in our AU Swag

The Country Music 1/2 Marathon Medal --- pretty sparkles -- 2:12:45

DreamBig 2011 - #3 Louisiana

State #3 - New Orleans, Louisiana
Rock N Roll New Orleans
Finishers: 10,272

February 11, 2011
48 more states? Man, that was going to be expensive! I may as well start small and see where I could drive.

In 2011, I set my sights on 3 more states: Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia

Training for the New Orleans, LA race was not easy. I had a full course load of MBA classes and 2 part time jobs. Yet somehow that made me want to prove that I could fit my training in as well. I was waking up at 5am and jogging the streets of Auburn a few hours after most people had gone to sleep. I was getting up before game days and watching the city awake excited for the events ahead. People always talk about Auburn sunsets but the sunrises are just as good. I knew the mileage around that town by heart and there was no where else I would rather have trained.

So the Valentine's Day weekend of 2011 was the next big race in NOLA! We decided to make a weekend out of it so I drove down to Mobile to meet up with Miss Vicki and we jumped on I-10 and headed West. Miss Nita and Mr. Mike were not far behind us and soon after they got there we headed out on Bourbon Street.

We made good use of the typical 3 for 1 drink specials and hopped bar to bar checking out the classy bars we could find. At one point I am pretty sure I was sprinting down the street towards a life sized grenade...I think I had had one too many at that point. We ate dinner...somewhere...and then before we knew it - it was time to pick Cooper up from the airport who was flying in from Houston. I don't really remember going to the airport or much of the rest of the night but I am pretty sure Nita rode a whale and Cooper and Mrs. Vicki carried me home.

From a distance...our eyes meet....

Hugging a grenade - such a dare devil

Just me and the gals on Bourbon Street Balcony



February 12, 2011
I am not proud of this but I think I spent 90% of the night on the floor. The next day I tried so hard to get up and get lunch with Cooper and his mom but I was down for the count. At one point I have an "ah ha" moment and texted the Geeslin twins to see what they always drank in college after a hangover. Piedalyte for the win. (This is when this beautiful baby drink and I became best friends). So after spending the entire day in bed, I realized the expo was about to end so the dream team dropped me off and I sprinted through the conference center in order to get my number successfully. I was in no shape to sprint but I couldn't not get my bib! We grabbed a good dinner and I was thankful to finally be able to eat before heading back to attempt to get some sleep after a struggle bus filled day.

February 13, 2011

As I was leaving the hotel in the morning to head to the race start, 2 girls were passing me just coming in from the nights events. They wished me good luck and told me that I successfully have made them feel horrible about their decisions (had only they seen me 24 hours prior). The New Orleans Rock N' Roll Half Marathon is AWESOME! Running through the historic streets filled with lots of encouraging fans and people trying to give you beer....ugh...I couldn't think of alcohol.

Coop and Vicki said they would see me at mile 1, 3, 5 and 7 (the course did a lot of winding back and forth for the first 7 miles). I didn't see them for the first 3 stops and got a bit confused but finally saw them at 7 just in time to throw my extra jacket, give a quick wave and run on my way. I saw Nita and Mr. Mike outside Cafe du Mond and really wanted a beniget.

The last 3 miles was a straight away and it was the longest straight away ever. I never thought the course would end. But finally I saw the finish and took off! (Coach always told me I have far too much energy for how fast I finish races -- its internal NOS).

I crossed the finish line in 2:04:45 which wasn't a PR but I was still super proud after going from Trashley on Friday to Super Runner on Sunday. This was all during my "ankle kicking" kicking days so I was quite bloody around the foot area.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the streets and we even saw two of the guys from Swamp People at lunch! It was a very fun run and I was excited!

OFFICIAL RACE PIC - 3 states down, 47 more to go! #DREAMBIG

Pretty Cool Medal -- Finish Time 2:04:45