Santa Hustle Half Marathon

Before the Race

Stardate 67440.9

12:45 - I like making goals. That is nothing new about me, Focus Foxies. I have always liked setting a goal and achieving it. However, most of my goals are seemingly far-fetched. Enter in my Fall 2013 goal: run a half-marathon. For many people, running a half-marathon is a very achieveable goal. Before this training, I had only run 6.25 miles once and afterwards I was hurt. Doubling down seemed far fetched, but I felt like I was ready for it. I made it my plan to run the Santa Hustle Half-Marathon in Galveston, Texas. This run would coincide nicely with Christmas break.

I also did not want to do this journey alone. I figured 20 weeks of running and working towards a goal could get pretty lonely, so I peer-pressured my sister Kim into running with me. We both were at a similar level of fitness before this journey started and both felt up for the challenge. We kept each other accountable for running and keeping in shape. We mostly had to internet shame because she was/is in College Station and I was/am in DC.

Spoiler alert: I finished!

The previous race's injuries made my training plan from 0-13.1 miles very slow. I mean what usually takes "normal" runners to train for a full marathon, I trained for a half. In layperson's terms, that is 20 weeks of training with a vacation in the middle. I followed this plan. I am a big fan of having cross-training involved, and that plan allows a bunch of it. I get bored easily if I have to just run. Considering my end goal, I realize that previous statement sounds silly.

Twenty weeks flew by pretty quickly and before I knew it, race day was upon us. We spent the night in Galveston before the race in a pretty sad and smelly beach house. That was a whole situation. Kim and I woke up early and topped off our carbohydrate supplies and put our game faces on. My training plan topped off at 12 miles, but that was weeks ago. I was a bit nervous about completing all 13 miles. As soon as the race started, I ran quickly. I mean a minute under my usual race quickly. I was not prepared for that. I would have to say the hardest mile would have been the 13th mile. I did not have a bunch left in me. I still finished and didn't walk any of the race. I consider that a victory. I did have really beaten up feet among other ailments.

I will say that if I run another half-marathon (and I will), I will make sure I train for the actual 13 mile run. This way I have no doubts in my mind that I can do it. Also, a word of advice, Focus Foxies, do not attempt to go full marathon too soon. There is a point in every half-marathon training that you think you can go the full distance. This usually happens before you reach 10 miles. Training  is really tough on your body and your social life. I can't tell you how many times I was at home on Friday night or couldn't move Sunday because of soreness and fatigue. I mean I was constantly tired.

I believe it was worth it.  To know that you beaten what was once impossible in your mind is a very powerful feeling. A feeling, I don't want to give up any time soon.



Central Park in the Fall

Flying out of NYC

Stardate 67307.7

15:25 - Our grand trip to Ireland had us flying in and out of JFK. We had the pleasure of staying in New York City on our way back from Dublin. It was only one night, but we made the most of it. We met up with Rob's family members for some Thai food and fun at his cousin's apartment on Saturday night. I must confess, Focus Foxies, that I was pooped after the long flight and train ride to get into the city. I slept for most of this fun. The next morning, we went out for some brunch on the Upper West Side at Jacob's Pickles. This restaurant specializes in the 'craft' experience, especially in the Southern craft experience. So we had chicken and waffles galore. It was a pretty snazzy place. They sat us family style with tables and benches where they could fit in a bunch of people into a small place.

After brunch, I wanted to do something touristy. We only had one day in New York City, and I did not want to sleep any longer. We decided to walk around Central Park. Focus Foxies, the rumors are true about New York City in the fall. Every where we looked in the park we saw trees in varying shades of green, yellow, and orange. We were lucky because our weekend coincided with the NYC marathon. We got to cheer on runners at mile marker 24. These were some of the over achievers. They were keeping a 10 minute mile pass and some of them didn't look like they were breaking a sweat. One day I want to go back and run this race, but for now, the electric feeling of good will from the sidelines was enough for me!

We only had a layover in New York City. We would soon be on our way home to Washington DC where we could sleep in our own beds.

The Land I Love So Well

Stardate 67302.1

20:45 - On our last day in Ireland, we drove from Killarney to Dublin. We drove along the southern coast line of Ireland because we wanted to go to Waterford. The Southern shores of Ireland seemed to be way more populated than the Northern parts we visited earlier in the trip.  So while we were technically outside of a city, we were far from being in the country.

We wanted to go to Waterford to check out the legendary crystal factory. Originating in 1783, the Waterford Crystal Factory came about because of Waterford was a large port town that could procure fine flint glass. This glass is needed to make the hand-etched crystal pieces.
The factory has changed many hands since then, but they still make crystal in Waterford as well as Slovenia, Czech Republic and Germany. Each craftsman spends years apprenticing with Waterford before they are allowed to work the line. There are not many openings for the positions in the crystal factor because turnover is so low. Rob and I got to play with one their creations, a replica of the  BCS National Championship trophy. We did not drop the crystal ball, but we came close.

We did our touring and our shopping before heading up to Dublin. We still had one crazy night left in Ireland and we made use of it. We start out at this small pub called The Brew Dock which specialized in Irish craft beers, found our way to an underground hardcore/punk show, and ended up in a hotel with a train running through it.  All the way making friends.

Connolly Station

Red is the Rose

Muckross Friary

Stardate 67299.4

20:35 - We spent our full day in Killarney at the Killarney National Park. Spanning over  100 acres, Killarney National Park is the first national park in the Republic of Ireland and consists of three lakes: Lough Leane, Muckross, and Upper Lake. The park became apart of the national portfolio when the Muckross estate donated it to the Republic of Ireland in 1932.

Max, our transportation and companion

 Before that time, most of Killarney National Park belonged to two families. The Herbert family originally bought the land and built the magnificent mansion that resides by Muckross Lake. Built in the Tudor style, the mansion, eventually known as Muckross House, went through extensive and costly renovation in preparation for Queen Victoria's visit. Apparently, hosting royalty is an expensive chore. It is not just the fact that you have a fancy house party lasting for days. This family bought huge pieces of solid wood furniture with ornate carvings from the Continent. They had to reorganize their household because Queen Victoria would only sleep on the first floor (side note: she had a huge fear of fires and needed an escape from them). Eventually, the Herberts sold the estate to American mining magnates. Their stay was short because of a death in the family, they gave the property to the Republic.

Today, they keep the mansion and gardens up by giving tours. We got to see where the families dined, their rooms, their billiards table, and even where Queen Victoria stayed. The tour even went through the kitchens where we were able to see the old cooking equipment. It was a regular Downton Abbey experience. Along with giving tours, the estate sponsors many local artisans, including weaving. They have looms onsite where tourists can purchase wool garments of all shapes and sizes. They even have their own label: Mucros Weaving. The guide informed us that the spelling for Mucros was no mistake, it takes after the Gaelic spelling of Muckross.

On our way back to the car, we stopped by the Muckross Friary. Today the Friary stands in ruins, but in the 1600s, the Friary was alive and kicking. The Friary belonged to the Observantine Franciscans. The order that lived and worshiped here were dedicated to the Holy Trinity. They were known to also have a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary. King Henry VIII decided to disband the group of brothers, but they came back. They had a pretty good run until 1662 when Cromwellian forces sacked the place. After that, the friary sat in ruin. Today the ruins still stand and are helped by a few arm rails. We got to climb all over and go up 400 year old stairs.

After the Friary, we continued our walk back to the car through the national park. It was a lovely fall day. As it should be because it was Halloween.

Wild Mountain Thyme

Tralee Bay behind us

Stardate 67296.6

22:22 - After a night out of great live music, we got a great tip on where to go for the next day from some locals. From Limmerick, we set off for the winding roads of Dingle Peninsula. This peninsula stretches 30 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean in southwest Ireland. Through the middle of the peninsula runs a pretty steep mountain range. Since we started on the North of the Peninsula, we drove through the mountain range, which led to some pretty breathtaking views of the bays and ocean below. We stopped to take a few pictures of Tralee Bay from up high. Lucky for us, there is always a turnout available.

The Dingle Peninsula has many fantastic features, but one of the prettier ones is Inch Beach! Inch Beach basically sticks out of the south part of Dingle Peninsula. In the Summer, it is a pretty happening spot to swim and sometimes surf. We arrived in the winter with a bunch of wind and sea foam. The views from Inch Beach were outstanding. Everything there appeared to be softer shades of green, blue and grey. We did not stay here long because of the cold and the hunger we felt.

We could have stopped anywhere to eat. In fact there were a great number of pubs or inns or general food places, but I had my eye set one place. Armed with a travel book, I told Rob to trust me as we traveled a bit further to eat lunch. You see, Focus Foxies, we have a love of penguins and there was a famous Irishmen from the Dingle Peninsula who went to the Antarctica, named Tom Crean. Tom Crean was a member of the crew who lost the race to the South Pole. He had even worst luck when on another boat that sank, he remained stranded near Antarctica. He managed to survive the 800 mile open ocean journey to safety. Eventually, he came to Annascaul, Ireland where he opened the South Pole Inn. The Inn is decorated in his honor with memorabilia from his travels to Antarctica. Also, it has a cute penguin sign. Totally worth driving and extra half an hour on an empty stomach for.

After lunch, we turned our attention to our nightly destination, Killarney. We had a grand first day in County Kerry, but it was about to get better. We settled into our bed and breakfast and then popped out to Danny Mann Inn for some Irish folk music. A man by the name of Dan O'Sullivan entertained us with his voice and his guitar. We drank our Smithwicks and sang along with him to songs we were just learning. By the time we left Ireland we knew them quite well. In fact, most of the Irish blog posts are named after songs that we sang that night.

Four Green Fields

Stardate 67294.1

22:45 - Our day in Limerick helped us to explore the history of Ireland. We traveled around quite a bit at this point, but we welcomed a chance to actually stay in the city we were staying in. Out of all of the places we stayed, Limerick offered the best guide to the history of Ireland. Along the banks of the River Shannon lies an important piece of Irish history: King John's Castle. While the castle's namesake is English (see the lion in Disney's version of Robin Hood), the castle represents years of Irish oppression and rebellion.

Before King John ordered his castle built, Limerick started out as a Viking base.  They did their best to raid the local church buildings until the King of Munster put their shenanigans to rest in 943. Limerick remained a quite town with both Viking and Irish influences until the Anglo-Normans came knocking in 1172. In what would later become an ironic twist of fate, King Henry II (King John's papa) was authorized by Pope Adrian IV to invade Ireland and bring the Irish Catholic Church closer to the Roman one. So King Henry II helped the Anglo-Normans invade Ireland and named his son, John, Lord of Ireland. When John became King of England, he retained the title Lord of Ireland. King John's Castle began being built in the early part of the 13th century, mainly to protect the city of Limerick and its strategic location from the Gaelic tribes in the West.

Limerick's location as a strategic location did not diminish with time. Time and time again, the Irish did their best to take back King John's Castle and rule themselves. One such time was the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the subsequent 1642 Siege of Limerick. As mentioned before, the original English goal for Ireland was to "bring them closer to the Pope" or at least that was the claimed moral reason. Well, this bit them in the ass when King Henry VIII upgraded his title from Lord of Ireland to King of Ireland and then went and made his own religious sect. Most of the Irish stayed with the Catholic Church. The Tudors, both King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, did not take to kindly to this. Harsher and harsher conditions were laid on the Irish until some decided to rebel. Well, the rebels were able to take King John's Castle by surrounding the castle and then digging under it. The Irish Confederate Army had no siege artillery, but they could knock a wall down by making the foundation uneasy. Although King John's Castle was surrendered to them, the Irish Confederate Army eventually lost their campaign.

By the Treaty Stone

The spirit of rebellion did not stop there. Later in the 17th century, King James II was expelled from Great Britain due to Catholic tendencies. King William and Queen Mary of Orange came in to take his place. However, some folks in Limerick did not like their new boss. Once again, King John's Castle became the site of a rebellion skirmish. The Irish fought to a draw where the Williamites signed a treaty granting the Irish freedom of religion and it allowed their army to go freely. The treaty was commemorated in stone to remember what was promised. The army left for France to fight for France in what was called "The Flight of the Wild Geese." With the military gone, the British quickly reneged on the treaty.


Now, King John's Castle is not an active military site, but it is an archaeological site. The public can walk around in the basements and all the way up the towers to see sweeping views of the city.

After we toured the castle, we went to got grub in the most amazing place. I mean seriously, Focus Foxies, the best food in Ireland. We went to the gastropub, Locke's. We loved it. I had bangers and mash in red wine gravy. The food was so good we went back for dinner. At dinner we had local musicians play for us. Before we left we joined in an encore of 'Wagon Wheel'. It felt right at home.

Wild Rover

His hair was not bothered by the wind

Stardate 67291.5

23:45 - From Galway, we traveled down the Atlantic coast of Ireland to Limerick. We had our sights set on The Cliffs of Moher. Focus Foxies, much of the western coast of Ireland has sharp and imposing cliffs, and The Cliffs of Moher are particularly impressive.

My hair was bothered

The day we set off to The Cliffs of Moher, we experienced some of the most intense weather in Ireland. As we drove along the coast, we could feel the car shaking from the wind. Every time we pulled off to take pictures, we were blasted with cold air from the sea. Storms kept rolling in with the waves; we could not catch a break or some clear skies. I wanted to get some pictures of the jagged coastline, so we pulled off once more and took some pictures. While we were shivering out in the mist, an Irishman rolled down his window, laughed at us, and told us, "It is too cold out there for any of that, lads." I mean he was right, but I would not let that get in the way of photographing that pretty coastline.

I found a Mama Cow to pet.

Wildest of Rovers

We made it to The Cliffs of Moher and promptly bundled up. The wind had felt rattling the car was in full force. We were practically flattened on our way into the visitor center. Because we were forced to take shelter in the visitor center, we learned a lot about how these cliffs formed and what was living near them. The Cliffs of Moher began forming 300 million years ago in warm and shallow waters.
Fun fact, Focus Foxies, the Ireland was in a very different and very tropical place on Earth 300 million years ago. The Cliffs of Moher were in fact a river delta at one point, which allowed it to continue to grow in height as sediments settled. The Cliffs of Moher's layers of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone show much of its history, but that history is constantly changing with each wave. We were warned against getting too close to the edge as they were known to give way. Seriously, you could just erode off the cliff straight into the ocean.

This eroding issue did not keep some of The Cliff of Moher's more famous residents away. A colony of puffins has made the cliffs their home. We wanted to catch a glimpse at them, but alas, the cold kept us away. It actually began to sleat as we fought the wind to get back to the car.

The Cliffs of Moher, featured in The Princess Bride and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Price