STATE #47 - South Hero, Vermont
Green Mountain Marathon and Half Marathon
Finishers: 376
October 10, 2015
Oh hereeeeee we go again. Again....again....again. Who knows what I was doing Friday night but I know I didn't pack until late and didn't go to sleep until late and then I started to have awake nightmares that I was going to wake up late and miss my flight. Just...so many sleep issues. Regardless of them all, I woke up on time, pulled myself together and called an uber for the airport. It was straight up pouring outside which always adds a nice extra layer to my already irrational travel anxiety. But made it to the airport safe and sound, grabbed me some ChickFilA and made our way from ATL to LGA (New York - LaGuardia for those of you who don't spend your life in airports). My flight out of LGA to Manchester was delayed so I sat around and just Sporcled. We made our way out of LGA a few hours late and landed in Manchester, NH where I basically skipped off the plane excited to be out of an airport/plane. I went and grabbed the keys to my rental car and made it all the way to the car, threw my backpack in the backseat and then had this weird feeling I was forgetting something....um MY LUGGAGE! I am so used to going on this quick 36 hour adventures with just my backpack that I totally spaced out and left my bag at baggage claim. Whoopsie - forgot I had work in New Hampshire for a week and then was off to St. Louis for John and Lauren's wedding (see Race 25) the next weekend.
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| That one time...I lost my mind for a split second. |
Silly Ashley.
So once I returned to get my bag, I hopped on the highway and headed northwest to Vermont! I was a bit tired from the travel but once I got on the highway, I was unable to shut my eyes taken aback by all of the gorgeous foliage along the highway. Reds and yellows and oranges and greens like you wouldn't believe. I've seen changing leaves before, but for some reason this display of fall was indescribable. Maybe because it wasn't just one area of trees, it was tree after tree after tree for two and a half hours of driving.
About an hour an a half into the trip, I finally crossed the Vermont border and pulled over to the welcome center because the "Welcome to Vermont" sign was dinky and in a bad spot and I needed a picture. Why you ask? Because crossing the border into Vermont signified a goal all in itself - crossing into Vermont, I had officially visited every state in the
United States of America! I feel like if you are a US citizen and you accomplish this great feat, you should get some sort of merit badge or something. I'm going to call Bernie Sanders and see what he thinks about that.
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| Dinky sign. |
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| Ladies and Gents - Official 50 State-r. |
So after my mini party, I continued on my endless drive of the definition of "Fall" until I reached Burlington. It was around 5PM and I had another 25 minutes or so until I reached South Hero, VT for the packet pickup for the race so I just kept driving. The race pickup was at the Folsom School and was just a little table with the race director handing out the numbers and shirts. In and out fairly quickly, I decided to drive the out and back course to check out what I will refer to as "my morning jog".
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| Packet PickUp |
Driving the course, I quickly found myself along Lake Champlain with the majestic views of the setting sun over the lake with the Green Mountains in the distance. It was unreal - like for real unreal. I stopped to take some photos but then got back in the car to continue on my way. Not a quarter miles down the road, something colorful caught my eye in the bushes and I did a double take when I saw a dinosaur! Upon further investigation, not only was there one dinosaur but two and HUNDREDS of colorful birdhouses on every.single.tree. EVERY tree. I didn't stop to read the sign, but I took a picture of the sign so I could read it later and then continued on my drive so I could see it all before the sunset. Past a vineyard, a few cow farms and under lots more pretty trees, I made it to the 6.5 mile mark and bid the course adieu and head back towards Burlington.
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| Ya... I think I'll stay here |
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| SO MANY BIRDHOUSES |
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| Spot the dino. |
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| P.S. - If you click on the photos they get bigger so you can read.....mom |
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| I love America. |
As I was making my way off the island, I had to stop on the bridge to take a picture of the setting sun because it was impossible to tell where the sky stopped and the water began. I stood just watching for a long time thinking of all of the hidden treasures of America. I can't say this enough, but if you ever have the chance or desire to travel - just do it. The money is well worth the memories and experience.
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| I just can't - water, sky, water, sky - which is it? |
So as I shook off my memorized stare, I headed to South Burlington to, sadly but honestly, call it a night. I did some quick google searching for an Italian restaurant and had some great choices to pick from but out of laziness settled on take out from the infamous Olive Garden because I could order online. I was staying at a friends house --
-- (
Flashback: September 2014 I met Susanna, the cousin of Katie and Andrew Bahn, at Katie's wedding in Saint Louis. Susanna lives in Burlington and told me if I came to town for a race I was welcome to stay with her. Originally I declined because I had another Vermont race planned but since that fell through (see Race 42), I asked if she would take me back after I rejected her and she accepted! However, a few weeks before the race she realized she would be in Canada for Canadian Thanksgiving but that I was still welcome to stay at her crib) --
-- so I rolled up to Susanna's condo around 7pm and made friends with her cat, Archie, and then picked up my fancy Olive Garden before heading back to the crib to watch football and pass out on the couch. I pulled myself together when I woke up around midnight to put a few race things together and set my zillions alarms for the morning. Again, didn't sleep very well because my internal clock is all out of wack from coffee, running, traveling, etc. but I got a few zz's in regardless.
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| Football and Olive Garden - so American. |
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| Archie - my entertainment |
October 11, 2015
RACE DAY! I woke up like 100 times thinking it was time to go but eventually actually decided I could get up...at like 6:00am. The race was at 8:30am but it was also 30 minutes away so I wanted to leave enough time for me to be the overzealous first person in the parking and eat my breakfast.
I stopped and got a nutritious oatmeal and coffee from Club Mickey D on the way and then rolled into the Folsom School parking lot around 7am. So I munched on some oatmeal and wholesome Honey Nut Cheerios like your average teething baby and eventually got out of the car to do some stretching. It was actually not all that cold but the wind was being a huge diva and ruining the perfect fall weather. So basic.
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| McDonalds - 6:30am - throwin' up those arches |
I saw a bunch of people going into the school so I figured I would go inside and do some stretching in the warmth. As I was sitting and participating in my favorite past time (eavesdropping) I overheard two men talking about the number of states they had completed. One was at 32 and the other was at...wait for it... 47!!! Twinsie! Once the 32 loser went away, I went and introduced myself, admitting I had been eavesdropping, and shared with him that this was my 47th state as well. He basically Jeff Lunded me when I told him I was only doing halfs.
(sidebar: Jeff Lund is my boss who has done Ironmans and marathons and calls me "mini miler" because evidently my goal is mediocre in his eyes -- doublesidebar: I think he's kidding...)
So I talked with the man and his wife for a while who I later learned went by the names of Chick and Bobbie (Chick being the man and Bobbie = Roberta). I told them about my goal and my education and my travels and the more I talked the more I could tell I reminded them of someone. It's a certain look - and I actually get it a lot. They finally said I was just like their youngest son and how they could tell I was the rambunctious baby of my family. We talked for a long time comparing races and giving suggestions for our last 3 adventures and talking about the race we were about to run in 30 minutes. It was great and AGAIN is part of the motivation behind why I don't love to run but I love to run. Don't try and understand that last statement...
So once it was 5-10 minutes before the race, we said our goodbyes and good lucks and went to line up at the start. It was for real windy but the start was like IN the apple orchard - hello fall! We also were lined up next to big ol' pumpkins but nothing like Dr. Parres. As the gun went off, I couldn't help but smile as we head south along a bunch of apple trees and farmers out unloading their bunches of apples getting ready for the Sunday rush of falling for fall families later that day.
A mile down the road, we took a right onto West Shore Road which we would follow all along the south shore of the island and then turn up north for the out and back course. Mile 1 went by quick and the second mile was a steady downhill - which I knew I would be climbing back up once I hit Mile 11. Woof. I knew the lake view and birdhouses were up ahead at Mile 2 and I was excited to hear the reaction of everyone around me once we approached - "Would you look at that? Is that a dino? Oh my gosh!"It was great - and this is when the wind started coming in off the water. Rut Rho!
We looped around off the water and up a bit of a hill and heading north. The wind was evidently at our back at this point but you couldn't feel it as much as I would've liked. We passed a large vineyard and then a cow field and picturesque red barn where we ended up all of a sudden at Mile 4!
I grabbed a water and some photos and kept moving. Not long after, I spotted Chick and the interaction between us was perfect. I bounced along side him like a spry toddler attempting to talk his ear off while he stayed focused on his race and responded briefly:
Ash: Hey Chick! How's it going? Whatcha doing out here?
Chick: Just hanging out
Ash: You ready for the next 22 miles? You know my race is almost over.
Chick: Save it, Ashley
Ash: What do you mean, Chick?
Chick: The hill at Mile 11 - save some gas in the tank for that hill
Ash: Oh Chick - hills are my thang!
Chick: Save it. Have a good race, Ashley
And off he went. I felt a bond between me and the good man - you only run your 47th state once! I know he was proud of me - or so I hope.
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| My main man, Chick! |
So we continued on, past more and more canopies of colorful leaf coverings and along lake view roads with the waves - yes lake waves - crashing on the shore. I passed the cutest little girl who was basically stuffed in a cardboard box standing in the middle of the course that read "Free High Fives". Oh I almost melted - I wanted to scoop her up and carry her with me for motivation. (But I didn't).
The half marathoners reached the turn around point at mile 6.5ish and head back the same way we came letting the marathoners carry on for their own race. I don't know why I didn't notice the wind at our back on the way out, but the headwind on the way back was horrible! Oh my goodness - any time we were anywhere near water or in an open field, the wind in our face was like walking into a wall barely moving.
At Mile 7 I finally checked in via snapchat (I snapped a lot during this race) and I kept moving ticking down landmarks along the way. The wind though - oh my word. Mile 8 was along the water - super windy. Mile 9 was back by the cow farm which was the super windy hill - like I was laughing really hard because it was so not funny it was funny. I could've sworn I was going like 2 miles an hour just chugging along and honestly I didn't care - I was too entertained by the landscape and finishing to care. So I waved to the cows and knew the vineyard was up next - Mile 10 I checked in on snapchat again and you can hear the wind in the background just chillin' the a villain. Like a big bad villain.
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| When did I start this tongue out thing? It's not cute. |
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| Climbing the wall of wind - struggling so much I just had to photograph it |
Mile 10 to 11 was fairly downhill and so windy I was getting blown off the road. A man laughed at me right before birdhouse row because I was legit just laughing and tripping with every step trying not to fall into ditches. He told me if I was built like him, I wouldn't be getting blown around so much. I then shouted out "You heard it here first folks! I have permission to eat as much ice cream as I want". Confused at my weirdness, he just giggled and kept on his merry way.
I couldn't really look at the birdhouses again because I was too focused on re-correcting my every step because my legs were blowing all around with every step I took. Oh and my dummy self didn't wear my knee brace and I was in a world of pain and pretty much dragging my right leg behind me at this point like a modern day, peg leg Quasimodo. I thought my knee was all healed up but evidently three races in 14 days qualifies as "overuse" in the world of knee pain.
Since I knew nothing bad would happen if I kept running through the pain, I did just that. Ran through the pain. I really wanted to break down in tears and snapchat my ugly running cry but then I remembered what Chick had said back at Mile 4.5 and I realized I had to save my energy for the Hill at Mile 11 - that was now right in front of me!
Hills are as much about your arms as they are your legs and since my legs were operating at about 50% capacity, I engaged the arms and started pumping like an Olympic speed walker. Fist pump jump jump before I knew it, I had chugged my way to the top of the mile long hill and was making the left turn for the final mile stretch -- that lasted forever.
Past the Mile 12 marker, I had 3 songs max left to listen to on the iPod. Why it defaulted to Ace of Base I will never know but I just tried to stay focused. Mile 12 is always when I start getting emotional. These past 14 days had be rough - really rough - but I was 4 laps around the track away from crossing my 47th finish line. Past the rows and rows of apple orchards that had started to fill out with families, I saw the 26 mile marker which meant my race was .2 miles from being over. I picked up the pace ignoring all pain and then saw the 13 mile marker - 0.1 to go. Right ahead was the tunnel and with a big grin on my face, I crossed the finish line shocked I had actually run faster in this race than the two weekend prior. (Still three of my slowest races though). Holding back my silly tears, I grabbed my medal and limped around thrilled to be done.
Traveling solo, I asked a man holding a fancy camera if he could take my picture with the fall leaves in the back. He did and then I realized I had misplaced the side of my hands with my number and my medal and I needed him to come back and take another #OCD. I actually found the same man a few minutes later with his daughter and wife and talked to them a while about my goal . It was the daughters first race and after hearing about my goal seemed really inspired and excited to start something similar of her own. I actually talked to the family for a long time and they were great!
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| OFFICIAL RACE PIC - 47 states down, 3 to go! #DREAMBIG |
I made a pit stop for some hot cider after the race and then head to shower and go downtown for the Chiefs game. Well...I couldn't find anywhere to park in downtown Burlington so I aborted that mission and found a "sports bar" on yelp a little further down the highway. I called them up and asked if they could put the game on for me which they replied - no problem!
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| Cool bar - too bad no one know what the NFL is |
When I arrived at Grazer's, they didn't have the game on but they had 4 guys trying to figure out what channel sports would be on. Sitting at the bar, I finally turned to them and said "Does no one in Vermont watch football?" - they laughed and regretfully confirmed my observation was correct. I finally found RedZone after they gave up and handed me the the remote and watched the first half of highlights before I got annoyed with all of the jumping around and head out for my last mission of the day.
Twenty minutes down the road in Waterbury, Vermont, I came upon the heaven of fat kids across America. The world renowned Ben & Jerry's Factory! Littered with tourists waiting in line for free samples, I made my way to the tour desk to which I was bumped up to an early tour due to my "Party of One" status. I had some time to kill before my tour, so I made my way over to the Flavor Graveyard to pay my respects to those retired flavors who have gone before us. Since it was the weekend, the factory wasn't in production but we still got to see the production floor and how the icecream is made and got free samples!
As my time in Vermont successfully came to an end, I made my way back down the colorful highway towards Portsmouth, New Hampshire where I would be working for the week.
I feel like I am saying this more than normal, but I HIGHLY recommend Vermont in the fall.
47 states down, 3 more to go!
#DREAMBIG
