A Happy Birthday to Me

I didn't ask for a spa day.  I didn't ask for new clothes.  I didn't ask for a fancy dinner.  I didn't ask for a new purse.  I asked for a garden and a half-marathon.  And I got both!

Right before the Tinkerbell Half, my sister-in-law invited me to run with her and her running partner, Mary in Santa Cruz on my birthday.  I accepted the invitation.  Here are my results.

Santa Cruz Half-Marathon 
Distance: 13.01 miles
Time: 2:03
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:34

Mary, Me, and Katie

 It was an absolutely beautiful run along the coast.  There was a high surf warning and the waves were crashing high on the coastline.  The day before was rainy, cloudy and windy but it was perfectly clear for the run.  We stayed at Chaminade in Santa Cruz and had a fun time laughing and having conversations without kids interrupting!

My time was ok. Officially it is a Personal Record.  I'm disappointed because know I could have done so much better.  I definitely needed to train more.  There were other factors too.  Part of the course that was really a trail run.  For over 2 miles we puddle hopped over uneven terrain.  It was less running and more avoiding falling in single file.  That was an 11:00 minute plus mile.  Then there were hills.  Blech. And then there was my head.  I hit a mental wall at mile ten/eleven.  I couldn't bob and weave through the crowds, I couldn't reconcile the remaining mileage, my toe was blistering and it was just bad.  That was a 10:00 minute plus mile. 

My shoes now have over 300 miles on them and I was seriously considering hanging them up after this run (as in for good).  Now I want to break through that 2 hour wall (and make sure I GLIDE my toe!).

My new garden.  While I was in Santa Cruz eating huge hamburgers and chocolate cake, Kevin and the kids were building me 64 sq. ft. of happiness.  I am so happy to once again have a garden to produce all kinds of wonderful produce.  The weather is great and seeds are going in the ground this week!!!!

Maintenance

Distance: 13.02 miles
Time: 2:03:36
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:13

My weekly running schedule usually goes something like this:
Wednesday Evening run 3-4 miles
Friday run 3 miles (sometimes I run to school to pick Patrick up, sometimes I run after I drop him off in the morning.)
Sunday long run (usually after church)

The two runs during the week are maintenance runs and only take about 30 minutes.  Most weeks I can squeeze in the runs without a problem.  The last few weeks have been tricky.  Overtime, meetings and Junior League have consumed most of our evenings.  This was the first week that the maintenance runs came easy.

The difference is night and day! Two weeks ago I only got one quick run in during the week and I had a horrible long run.  I can't even tell you how bad it was because I paused my GPS and forgot to un-pause it for 3 miles!  I almost cried.

Today I had a great run.  It was muddy, rainy, sunny and strong.  I owe it to my maintenance runs.  My next half-marathon is only 2 weeks away.  I wish I had another couple of weeks to work the hills and make up for the lost weeks.  Oh well, such is life.

Sometimes I'm An Idiot: TFTP

Distance: 9.03 miles
Time: 1:23:16
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:13

Today as I ran I was thinking about all the things I think about when I run, namely what I was going to write about my run.  I have lots of things to say to you but my head and heart kept coming back to this saying that I pinned the night before.

 

"3 Choices," you can substitute the word bad  with the words: hard, tough, dumb, unfair, or lame.  I will substitute "something bad happens" with: you have a tough (slow) run.  But I was buoyed by the fact that I could run another day and run faster and get over this dumb cold.  So I ran, slowly.  And when RunKeeper asked me how it went, I said: OK. 

That's not an enthusiastic "OK," that's a "BLAH STOP ASKING ME OK."  I wanted to be under 9:00 minute miles.  It didn't work

I got home and ate my just burned calories in the form of this, that and several scrambled eggs.  A few hours later I checked my run against my other long runs and discovered something: that was my fastest long run yet. 

You might wonder how I didn't know that but like I said, sometimes I'm an idiot.   I don't hold numbers in my head the way some people do.  I just forgot what times I was running.  So I might be an idiot but apparently ignorance is bliss.

What rhymes with FUN?: TFTP

Tinkerbell Inaugural Half Marathon
Distance: 13.1 miles
Time: 2:14


Um.... RUN?! Run rhymes with fun!  I know, I'm a dork.  I had so much fun this weekend. And did you know that my first Half-Marathon was also Tinkerbell's first Half?  We didn't actually see Tinkerbell (run Disney that was my only complaint)  but I'm guessing she was running  flying with Sean Astin (yes, Sean Astin was one of the 1,200 men running in the race--sans wings).

I don't have anything to compare it to but I thought Disneyland put on a really well organized event.  You can see from my bib that I was in Corral E because this was my first race.  My friends, Kim and Jill were in the first corral, they're fast runners. So we just took matters into our own hands and moved from the last corral to the first.  Thousands of women, 5:00 in the morning, costumes.... it wasn't hard to sneak my E into the A.  And this was one of the best ideas we had all weekend.

Kim, Me, and Jill ** ready to run

It was a super early start but the weather in Southern California was amazing, a Chamber of Commerce 81 degrees all weekend.  We were chilly waiting for the start but warmed up by Mile 1.

Waiting!

Most of the course was really fun.  After starting near Downtown Disney you take the long way through the back entrance of Disneyland.  We saw lots of the back lot props even though it was still pretty dark.  After stopping to pee at the first opportunity we were in the actual park pretty quickly.  And who did we see?  A whole bunch of princesses!  PHOTO OP!

We stopped about 6 or 7 times to take pictures with characters in Disneyland.  We ran through most, if not all of the park.  It was hard to tell because we cut through the back lots a couple of times.  My favorite was Fantasyland.  The Lost Boys were on the Carousel.  Smead and Captain Hook were hilarious.  And Sleeping Beauty's castle was so pretty at sunrise.

Our husbands did a great job of supporting us (they ran 5K keeping up with us).   The first time we saw them was at Mile 4 in Downtown Disneyland.  My Forever Friend Devre and her husband Steve were there cheering me on too!  And I'm sure there were all kinds of antics in between but they all made it to Miles 4, 8, 11, and 13.

Downtown Anaheim featured cheerleaders, dance teams, bands and lots of asphalt and buildings.  We stopped for another bathroom break at Mile 9 and that was our turning point.  My right knee completely locked up and Jill's left knee started screaming like a little girl.  We kept running but it was really tough.  We finally got to California Adventure and at that point we just wanted to find Mile 13. We really had to dig deep and support each other to get ourselves through the park and back out to the finish (we actually called our husbands at one point to cheer us on!).

But we did it!

And we got awesome medals for our trouble.

I'm really grateful for everyone who cheered us on (in person and otherwise).  I'm especially thankful for my biggest cheerleader, Kevin.  I'm very glad that I can still impress him.  And I'm forever grateful to Kim who convinced me to do it and coached me up on all things running (because I knew nothing!).  And thanks to my parents for watching my kids while I ran and ran and ran.  Thanks to Devre and Steve for being there for me!  And everyone who has continuously encouraged me. 

The official Disney time is HERE
Our GPS splits (every mile tells a tale!):

mi	Pace (min/mi)
1	10:41
2	10:42
3	13:06
4	10:58
5	9:57
6	9:34
7	9:42
8	9:27
9	9:58
10	10:20
11	10:04
12	9:49
13	9:48

Tapering: TFTP

1 Week until the Half Marathon
Distance: 4.02 miles
Time: 34:06 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile: 8:29 minutes

I'm a swimmer, not a runner.  And I was a pretty good swimmer in my day. I considered myself a sprinter so my coach made me swim distance.  Lap after lap after lap.  I was pretty lazy and generally distracted.  So for me, the best part of the swim season was always the taper.  Tapering is the time during the season when you pull back on the frequency and intensity of your work outs and prepare your body for the big race.

Tapering is as much about your head as it is about your body.  Even a lazy swimmer like me felt strong during the taper.   I also was happy to get done early and not feel like my arms were going to fall off.

Enter the running taper.  Tapering has been messing with my mind.  One minute I feel good about it, the next minute I'm sure that I'm going to have to walk the last 8 miles. But Sunday's run made me feel much better.  I ran fast and strong.  My body didn't seem to be objecting the way it has in the past and my head was in the game.   I love tapering (just for different reasons now!).

Part of the psychology of the swimming taper is the "taper and shave."  Shaving your arms and legs (girls and boys) the night before the race was a ritual.  As a shout-out to my aquatic roots I've been growing my leg hair (that's drag) and will shave down before the race.  There's nothing that says fast like shaving your legs after 20+ weeks of training!  Wish me luck!  See you after the race!

The longest mile(s): TFTP

3 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 13.95 miles
Time: 2 hours 14 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:40

Last long run! There is really nothing that can test your dedication like running 14 miles (almost, I think my GPS was whacked) with a very, very, very upset stomach. There's a stomach flu going around. My sister-in-law and her whole crew came down with it last week. I haven't been around them but the power of suggestion? Who knows. What I do know is on Saturday I wondered if I was going to be able to complete my Sunday run. Then Sunday came along and I felt fine in the morning. By the time Kevin woke up I was once again questioning my ability to run.

The two reasons I made it: 1) I had to come back here and tell you about it; 2) My stomach was completely empty.

I'm still not 100% but impressed Kevin with my ability to "eat my way out of the stomach flu." And according to MyFittnessPal, if every day was like this one I would lose 25 pounds in 5 weeks! Well, if that's all it takes! Bring on the salmonella and 15 milers.

Shortcuts: TFTP

5 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 13.03 miles
Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:36

Running on Christmas Eve... in the country...  My two biggest fears about running in the country are the big dogs (that I can't outrun) and the big fast trucks (that I can't see coming around the bend).  I zigzagged my way through the country roads. 

As I ran I was tempted and my logical senses were tested.  I am the kind of person who likes to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible.  As you know, that is almost always a straight line.  My run was mostly North/South (up one long country road and down another), so when I passed streets running East/West that would quickly take me back to my parents' house and a hot shower, I had to fight the urge to take a shortcut.  Of course, not running 13 miles wasn't an option so the shortcuts were really empty temptations but your head doesn't always make sense after running for an hour.  

The easy and efficient option was the shortcut, but it was cheating.  My path was longer and harder... and in the end surprisingly more fulfilling.  A person like me who speeds through life needs this lesson.  God's path for us isn't always the easy path but the journey is what makes the destination worthwhile.  We put aside comfort and efficiency for the greater gift, completing the journey, surviving, and succeeding. 

My journey over the last year has very much been like the longer run.  Putting work on the back burner has made a lot of things crystal clear.   I can see the shortcuts but most of the time I can't afford them.  So I will happily journey on with three little kids and a husband with a heavy career.  Grateful for the long run that I can't cheat. 

A destination in mind: TFTP

8 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 4.11 miles
Time: 37:11 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile:9:03

Today I passed 100 miles.  So far, yet...not.

After 100 miles on the same routes around my neighborhood, I am now struck by my desire for a destination.  As I run, I wish I could have run to Starbucks for a salted caramel mocha.  I probably would have run much faster for a salted caramel mocha.

Running in a circle is sort of annoying. I've started changing my circles to limit my back tracking.  For some reason I can make myself believe that I'm going somewhere.  I need a destination, I need a place to end up.... which is why the last half mile is the best.  I'm heading home.  Home to smiles, chocolate, a hot shower, wine, and my couch.  I love running home.

Plateau:TFTP

9 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 9.99 miles
Time: 1 Hour 40 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile:10:03

Plateau... that's my positive spin.  I'm letting you know that running has totally sucked for the last week and a half.  It all started with a short run to pick Patrick up from school.  Three miles seemed like 20 miles pushing Keith and Lauren in the double jogging stroller.  Then there was the run that can only be described with two words: Robin Quivers.  Most of you don't know what I'm talking about but those of you who do, please note that her story is a cautionary tale and I know when to turn back.  There have been other runs in between that have been less dramatic but still not so great.

Reasons not to run:
Kevin has been working a lot of overtime and I want to see him
It's too dang cold
I'm too busy with the kids and the house
I ate too much
I'm dehydrated
I have to grade papers
I have Pinning to do
I have nothing to wear

Reasons to run:
...............

Sunday after church, Kevin gave me a pep talk and I set out to run.  I ran farther than I have ever run in my life.  It was a beautiful day and a really hard run.  I don't know what is going on with me but that run convinced me that I have to kick it.  Sometime after Mile 6 I realized that I could kick IT, hard, right in IT's you know what.  Could I have run 3.11 more miles?  I'm going to go with quite possibly yes.

A Grateful Heart- Day 12 AND Tales from the Pavement

11 Weeks until the Half Marathon
Distance: 5.40 miles
Time: 53:07 minutes
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:50

Today you get a two-fer *gratitude and running.  I am grateful for the pebble in my running shoe.   On the final half of my run today I picked up a pebble in my shoe.  I was running to my parents house and there aren't any sidewalks out there!  This meant running on the pavement and dodging cars in the gravel.  It was fun, until the pebble. 
Here is today's submission in the running as a metaphor for life files.  The pebble is an annoying distraction that can completely mess with your focus.  I've heard that running is a mental sport and I believe it.  I was pacing at under 9:00 minutes before the pebble and suddenly I was running an 11:00 minute mile. 
Last night at Bible study we talked at length about doing all things for the Lord.  We discussed how we can get distracted by our own agendas and forget that we are supposed to first be serving the Lord. Our worries are like the pebbles, tiny bits in the grand scheme of God's glory.  However, it is almost impossible to not focus on the pebble.  Only with God's help can we overcome the tiny pebbles that distract us from the bigger picture.
For me today, focusing on the run and not the pebble in my shoe was so hard.  The same way that mean and lame people, financial worries, annoying politicians and other daily pebbles are so distracting.  I didn't stop and take my shoe off.  I said a prayer and kept going.  I ran faster and prayed harder and soon the pebble lodged itself behind my pinky toe. 
Thanks Pebble.

Roadkill: TFTP

Distance: 8:64 miles
Time: 1:25:13
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:52

My biggest running accomplishment will never be the time or the distance (even though I ran the farthest distance today) it will always be doing it. Getting up, getting out, getting going.  Running.  I was a swimmer in high school and did everything possible to avoid running.  Today my total mileage topped 60 miles.  That's not a lot but it is more than I have run in my entire existence.

It was a beautiful day for a run!  It was also a beautiful day for animals to die!  Two possums (one was a baby), a large cat, a frog..... Those are all things that make me run faster.  I'm so scared the dead frog is going to jump on me or the baby possum will try to grab my sock.

On my health: my hip hurts (luckily it hurts more when I'm walking) and my body seems to be giving in to a season-change cold.  Boo.  

Whew:TFTP

Distance: 4.02 miles
Time: 37:05
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:13
Back at it, Tales from the Pavement fans!  Between Lauren's Birthday and Halloween, my stride has been broken.  Today was payback for two weeks of slacking.   I'm going to tell you something, I really like running.  Especially when I am seeing results.  I want to shake my iPhone and try to figure out how I can run that far.  Speaking of my iPhone.  I'm using the RunKeeper ap on my iPhone.  I love it.

Wii Dog:TFTP

Distance: 6:02 miles
Time: 58:37
Avg Pace Per Mile: 9:44

Have you ever run on the Wii?  There is this little dog, he's the pacing dog.  He helps you run at the right speed and he also periodically looks over his shoulder to make sure you haven't crashed into a tree or something.  He's friendly, fun, and oh so helpful.
My run this morning started before 6:00 am..D-A-R-K dark.  Shadows are scary this early in the morning.  There is always something that is going to jump out of the bushes (seriously)!  This morning it was my Wii dog.  A little dog followed me for most of my run.  Unlike the Wii dog, he was tailing me.  I wasn't sure how friendly the dog was so this officially represents my running turning point.  The Wii dog had me running at the elusive pace of 10 minutes or under!!  Thank you Wii dog, come run with me anytime (just don't bite me).  WOOT!

Treadmill Musings: TFTP

Distance: 5.14 miles
Time:54:04
Avg Pace Per Mile: 10:39
Lauren and I have been heading to the gym a couple of days each week to run on the treadmill.  Am I the only one who is afraid of the treadmill.  My run on the treadmill is an attempt to not fall off the thing.  It is so scary. 
Also, what is up with people who don't give you a treadmill buffer.  Endless treadmills and you have to run right next to me?
The good news is the treadmill has improved my time and I am finally closing in on the 10:00 minute pace that I've been coveting.  My hip still hurts but I'm stretching and praying.

Running Scared: TFTP

Distance: 5.68 miles
Time: 1:05:09
Avg Pace Per Mile: 11:28
New series!  Tales From The Pavement!  TFTP if you are me.  In case you didn't know, I'm doing something that I never thought I could possibly do.... RUNNING.  Yes, I am running a half-marathon in January and I am scared!

I've been practicing for my training for a few months.  My friend Kim got me into this and she is running a race in November.  She's fast and can talk while she runs.  I'm trying to break an 11:00 minute pace and figure out how to breathe.  I ran from our house to Patrick's soccer game.  What I was hoping would be 6 miles was shy of that goal and I was slow!  If this hip doesn't stop hurting I won't be able to walk, let alone run!