Just Run Half Marathon Recap

Happy Tuesday that feels like a Monday to you...

Last week, I signed up to run a half marathon in a pretty little college town about an hour away.  It promised to be a good race - lots of scenery, a very small, competitive field, and a chance to run the last 13 of my 20 miler with other runners to distract me.

I woke up on Saturday, got ready and waited for my buddy Matt to pick me up for the trek out to Stevens Point.  While I was waiting, I noticed a little note on the counter:

I am a lucky woman!

Matt and I found the race start, laced up and got in an easy almost seven miles (hey, if DailyMile rounds up, I can too.)

I actually felt pretty crappy during the warm-up run, and considered a DNS.  My knee was killing me, I felt there was a decent possibility of having to find a spot on the course to deal with some GI issues, and I just felt tired.

We kept it an easy 10:15/mile pace, and headed back to the car to stock up on provisions for the run.

Pretzels on a string?  Yes, I am a genius.

A klutzy genius.  Sad after dropping my pretzels in the parking lot.  

 The race started on a bridge, and the sun was shining beautifully off the water.  There were about 120 half marathoners and another hundred or two 5k runners who split off about 100 yards into the race, so the start had that fun, tiny race feel.

I ran the first mile with Matt and went on ahead when he stopped to walk through the water station.  I had hoped to run 10 minute miles through mile 8 or 9, and then push it if I had anything left.

Mile 1 - 10:05

Mile 2 - 10:04

Mile 3 - 9:51

Mile 4 - 9:42

Mile 5 - 9:40

About five miles in, I was feeling GOOD.  Fluid, easy.  Wanting to pick up the pace, but trying to remember that I was actually running 20 and not 13.  I did not want to crash and burn at the end.

Mile 6 - 9:03

When I saw the 9 minute mile on my Garmin, I thought, "Wouldn't it be hilarious if I could pick it up enough to go sub 2?"  

Mile 7 - 8:57

Mile 8 - 8:50

Mile 9 - 8:29

Miles 7-9 just cruised by.  Easy auto-pilot miles, and I rarely looked at my Garmin.  I knew I'd have to pick it up to get my average pace down to 9:09 (for a sub 2 finish) but I felt great and was loving the faster pace.

This course was had some loop portions, so there were plenty of opportunities to cheer for the faster runners ahead of me and also the walkers that had started an hour earlier.  I made it my goal to cheer for every single person I saw, and I did.  

There were also a lot of middle and high school kids out on the course playing their band instruments, and it was awesome. 

Mile 10 - 8:20

Mile 11 - 8:19

After mile 11, I started feeling pretty tired.  I cranked up the tunes and thought about how bummed I'd be if I put in all of the work over the last hour and didn't get under two hours. 

Mile 12 - 8:16

Mile 13 - 8:16

The finish was in a pretty park, and I cruised into the finish, happy to be done, but still feeling pretty strong.  A glace at the clock brought a smile to my face:

1:58:06

***In the spirit of full disclosure, I feel I have to mention that this course was pretty short.... about a quarter mile by my Garmin and the Garmins of the people finishing around me.  But, my pace was still under 9:09, so I'm counting it as under two hours.  :)

Just Run Half Marathon

1:58:06

9:01 pace

Overall:  56/122

Division:  11/25

Sex: 25/70

This was my last long run before my FIRST MARATHON, and it was a good confidence booster.  Enough that I think I'll actually register today... :)

Do you prefer big or small races?  I really like both, but there there's something special about the community feeling of a tiny local race.

Do you try to run negative splits when you race, or do you prefer an even pace?  I love negative splits... the races where I feel happiest at the finish line are those when I took it easy in the beginning and had energy for the second half.  

August Recap

It's been months since I've done one of these recaps, but as it turns out, I'm way better at getting in cross-training when I have some set goals and the accountability of all of your judgmental eyes... 

August Recap

Miles Ran: 90

Cross Training Workouts Completed: 5 (all bootcamp workouts)

Meters Swam:  0  Whoops.

Highest Run Mileage Week: 29

Races Completed:  0

Upcoming Races:  9/1 - Justice Works Just Run 1/2 Marathon

                                9/22 - Fox Cities Marathon (first 26.2!)

Current Book:  The Runner's World BIG Book of Marathon and Half-Marathon Training   - I've been sporadically reading this bad boy since Runners World sent it to me a couple of months ago, and I have to say, I really like it.  I have an entire shelf dedicated to running books I did not like, and very few that I enjoyed or ever referenced.  Stay tuned for a full review soon...

Current Song: I'm going through a super huge Beatles phase right now, so I've got to go with "Eleanor Rigby."  Super depressing song, but it's beautiful and the kids love dancing to it.  :)

Current Triumph:  I have now been injury free for longer than I ever have since I started running... about 8 months!  Thank you PureFlows and cross-training!

Current Goals:  

1. Well, I've got this full marathon thing going on in a few weeks... my first.  So I guess not to die.  Or cry too much.
2. Start a new class at the Y.
3. GET BACK IN THE POOL!  :)

2012 Goals

Running/Fitness:

• Run 1,000 miles in 2012  - This one just wasn't smart this year with rehabbing from my stress fracture... so new goal:
• Run 400 miles from September - December:
• Run a sub 1:55 half marathon  - 1:55 and change.  I'm counting it.
• Get a new 5k PR - current PR 23:17 - Done!  22:43!
• Run Ragnar Madison to Chicago relay -  Done!  6/8/12
• NO MORE STRESS FRACTURES! - through August- none so far!  

Life

• Join Toastmasters to face my fear of public speaking. - I went to one meeting, but haven't taken the plunge.
• Pass the ACSM Certified Personal Trainer exam - Got my CPT!
• Knock out at least eight items on my "Fear Can Suck It" list. - Completed: #9 (Jan)
• 
  

How was your August?  

What's been your biggest accomplishment of the summer?

Number One Thing You Should Not Do As A Runner

We all know what spells disaster for runners, right?  Upping your mileage too quickly, running through injury, drinking a bottle of champagne the night before a race... 

Suddenly I feel like this list is just a summary of my blog the past year and a half.  Huh.

Anyway, no, I wouldn't be stupid enough to any of those things again, right?  Depends on how good the champagne is..

However, I would be stupid enough to get a pedicure.  My dearest brother got married on Friday, and all of the girls got mani/pedis (why do I feel pretentious just using that abbreviation?)

So as they were scrubbing away at my feet, I was prepared to tell them to leave my beautiful runner callouses alone, but I... didn't.  I think I chickened out, or I temporarily was paralyzed by the horror of having someones face four inches from my feet.  

A miserable hour later, I had pretty pink, soft feet.  Swell.

That next day, I went for a pre-wedding ten miler, and got the blisters from hell.  Not quite as bad as The Longest Day blisters:

Some of my less gross blisters from TLD I didn't want to make any dear readers lose their breakfast.

I realized it all sort of backfired when I put on my sexy little wedding shoes and the strap had a blister peeking out on either side of it.  I know what you're thinking; how can I even contain my sex appeal?

Anyway, I have a 20 mile run this weekend, the last big one before my FIRST MARATHON, and I am super not looking forward to the carnage that will be my feet.

Please share something stupid you have done that sabotaged your running... idiocy loves company.

Tough Choices

This blog has been neglected on the farthest back burner in my brain... in fact, I don't even think it's on the stove at all.

I wanted to write today to document some things for myself; probably more appropriate for a diary than a public blog, but I'm guessing with my lack of posts, not too many people will see it anyway.

I was lying in bed last night and was struck with the simple realization of how fragile and tenuous each one of our existences is.  Literally, at any moment, one of my loved ones could be ripped away by an illness, an accident, and while incredibly overwhelming, these thoughts are pushing me in a different, and more positive, direction.

I started a personal fitness coaching business in January, and I love it.  I'm lucky enough to have several loyal and wonderful clients, and seeing their growth over the past few months is nothing short of moving.

The downside is that I'm gone many evenings throughout the week, and that has had a ripple effect on my children and my marriage.  Instead of devoting myself during the day to my 2.5 year old twins, I find that I'm stressed out because I'm always behind in housework, behind in meal planning, behind in record keeping and planning for my business.  So they get a lot more "one second, honey" and "guys, please leave mama alone for five minutes" than they used to.  They get less of the fun homeschool activities we've always enjoyed so much, and more time with mom instructing them to "find an activity."  The moment Nick gets home, I rush out the door to meet a client, and when I get home for the night, I am exhausted.  I push the housework to the next day, and the cycle continues.

It's hard for me because I'm a very forward-progress kind of person, but I've decided to not grow my business any more at this time.  I may take on the occasional new client, but I'll be stricter with my availability so I'm not gone more than two nights a week.

I want to cherish every moment I have with my sweet boys and my incredible husband.  Time moves so fast.

Happy birthday.  :)

Peanuts.

Christmas 2010

Reading with Daddy, December 2011

Impromptu hallway snuggles, Summer 2012

Things I Hate Thursdays - Bereavement Edition.

Hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen, shit's about to get real...

Not quite two years ago, I lost my dad very suddenly.  It sucked and my world came grinding to a halt for a long, long time.

Besides the obvious tragedy and the pain of missing someone so much it literally takes your breath away, a new world of irritation was revealed to me:  the stupid shit people say after someone dies.

Which brings us to....

*** probably you should stop reading now if you're easily offended***

There are three main types of bereavement offenses.  Allow me...

Offender #1 -   Excessive exclamation points/ capital letters.

Look, I know you're really, realllllllly, sorry for my loss, but writing, "I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS!!!!!!!!" on a sympathy card makes it look more like you're screaming for an encore at a fucking Miley Cyrus concert (or whatever crap music you and your offensive personality listen to).



Offender #2 - Improperly used good manners.

I'm all for good manners, I am.  And part of that is saying "You're welcome." when someone says "Thank you."  But this does not count as good manners: (taken from my Facebook wall)

"I'm so sorry for your loss"

         "Thank you for your kind words"

"Ur welcome!!"

Seriously.


Offender #3 - Weird religious crap.

Listen, I generally have a lot of love (and occasionally a little envy) for those people who have strong faith, and it can be comforting in a difficult time, even for the non-religious of us out there.  So when you say, "I'm praying for you", I think that's great.  "My prayers are with your family".. that shit is sincere and thoughtful.

However, "Your dad is looking down on you from Heaven!"  Uhhh, awesome, glad I can think about that every time I have sex/take a crap/pay too much for car insurance.  Seriously, if there's an afterlife, I hope it's a whole lot cooler than watching the people on Earth like some kind of incredibly drawn out reality show you can never turn off.

Same thing with "He's in the loving arms of Jesus".  Oh, wow.  If that's the case, then there's a lot of people in those lovin' arms, am I right?  I'm pretty sure there's nothing my dad would have hated more than a billion-person-strong group hug with everyone who has ever lived and died.  And Jesus.

 _________________________________________________________________________________

Whew.  I feel a lot better now.  :)

Just What I Needed

Turns out, recovering from running an ultra wasn't quite as easy as I thought.

A month later, I haven't been having too many aches or pains, my blisters are almost healed, but my runs have been lackluster and draining.

I've run a dozen or so times in the last month, including two interval sessions and a shittastic 13 miler that left me super demoralized.

Today I got an unexpected hour reprieve from stay-at-home motherhood, and I took advantage of it with a fully loaded iPod and ran a hilly four miler in my neighborhood.

A few minutes in I noticed I was grooving a bit to the music.  And smiling.  I was having fun.  On a run.  F*ck yeah.

Then, this came blasting through my earphones:

gotta get that boom boom pow

And you know that part where she goes "Will.i.am... drop the beat now.." and it gets all crazy awesome?   Well my dance moves got crazy awesome.  I busted out some sweet runner-dance moves and the ONE car I saw the entire run was some lady in a pick-up truck who passed right as I was dancing and yelled "Shake it baby!"  Seriously.

I've got a 16 coming up with Rachel and Mattie this weekend.  Rachel's been just freaking rocking her long runs recently, so I'm looking forward basking in some of her positive energy and finishing happy and strong.

How do you get out of the running doldrums?   


What's your fav running song?

Oh where, oh where have my blog posts gone...

Oh where, oh where could they be?

It's amazing how fast time is going right now.  Two little kids at home, a beautiful, hot summer, concerts, and weekends away... and blogging has gotten pushed to the back burner.

I don't mind - I never really feel the pressure to blog, and while I appreciate all of you who read and comment, I don't feel an obligation to keep you entertained daily with my self-important drivel. And I figure it's less likely you'll tire of me if there are occasional lapses in our semi-weekly one-sided banter.

That said, I am ready to get back on the bandwagon!  I have about a million posts floating around in my head because you guys, so much funny stuff is happening!  That's how I know I need to blog more... when on a daily basis I see something and it's like "What the fuck?  Someone else needs to see this shit!"

On that note- funny random thing #1:

I was hanging out at my sister-in-law's house doing a little HIIT workout (which kicked ass, by the way), and sweet woman that she is, she brought me a beer after we were done.  And it was an IPA from O'so brewing company.  Hell yeah.

I noticed, but didn't pay much mind to the little warning label:

"WARNING:  bottle may contain hop cone"

 So I drank that bottle of hoppy deliciousness, and was almost to the end, when I felt something... tickle my lip.

I shit you not, for some reason I thought it was a June bug, and the 12 year old girl that lives inside screamed a little bit.

I alerted Kathy to my predicament, and we went to the kitchen to find something long and skinny we with which we could fish out the intruder.

It wasn't a June bug, but what plopped out was equally disturbing:

A freaking hop cone!  Who knew?

 Half pickled brussel sprout, half pine-cone, half something else that reminded me of college  liberal hippies... a hop cone!

                                              

O'so beer.  Oso tasty.  (see what I did there?  I'm going to get a slogan job* after that one, for sure)

*Upon further review, "slogan job" sounds inexplicably dirty.  Please replace with "motto-maker" in your head.