ON THE WAY

Ready or not, here I come.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:08:00 +0000

I'd like to think I'm back "in the groove" of things. I've signed up for some races and I'm chugging away at them. Last year I didn't get to race as much as I enjoy. First, I had a tough time recovering from the Firecracker Triple. Second, I fell while trail running and broke my pelvis. Then, I kept running and struggling--not knowing what the problem was until after it had actually healed. Then I fell and hurt my back. (Not running related.) I was not allowed to run for awhile because of that.

But here I am ready for some running fun again. I've been faithfully doing strength training three times a week. I'm getting strong and I feel far fewer aches and pains during and after runs as a result. I can't say enough good things about being consistent about doing strength work as a master's runner. I realize in hindsight I was far too hit and miss about this in the past. I would do it for a season and then let it drop. I'm now subscribing to the year round schedule.

Overdue update!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:31:00 +0000

It’s late, but this blog deserves an update. So here is my attempt to bring you up to date with my
running without belaboring events that are long past.

The Vancouver USA Marathon in June was my attempt at Boston qualifying. Training for that became a
little hit and miss towards the end as my left foot started having tendon issues. I actually made a trip to
the podiatrist for diagnosis since it had me perplexed. It was painful and I couldn’t figure out whether
I could run on it or not. The doctor was a bit perplexed too but said I could run on it, I just needed
to experiment with some things to try and alleviate the pain. (It had to do with the insertion of the
peroneal tendons.) Anyway experiment I did, and did my best to prepare for Vancouver with the time
I had remaining. I did not make it to the start of McDonald Forest 50k during that time and that was a
bummer.

I ran Vancouver in 4:09. A personal best, but not what I was aiming for. I flat out ran out of steam at mile 22, part of it was a fueling problem and part of it my (lack of) training.

Fast forward to 4th of July weekend. I was signed up for the Firecracker Triple. Three days and three
marathons. I loved this! It was one of those events for me, in which the minute I knew it existed, it was a 'must do' for me. The first two days were marathons put on by marathon maniac Steve Walters and the last day was the Foot Traffic Flat at Sauvies Island.

By the time the third morning rolled around I seriously doubted my ability to run a third marathon.
Standing in line at the porta-potties that morning I realized I was barely able to put any weight on my left foot at all. It was painful just to stand—how was I going to run? I flip flopped back and forth in my mind as to whether I should even start, but before I could make a decision I heard the race start. I hadn’t even got lined up. When I heard the race begin I just took off to find the start and figured I could change my mind and turn around at mile 1 or 2. I was dead last across the start line.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day! I was in so much pain, but I just kept thinking about how I didn’t want to go home and miss the day. (I must be crazy.) It was one mile at a time that day because I never felt any better. A friend of a fellow marathon triple runner rode by me twice on his bike and encouraged me, and that is what kept me from turning around early on. Whoever you are, thank you.

I’m really not sure how it works, how you can be hurting so badly and enjoying yourself simultaneously- but I did. Then of course, as I got into the last 6 miles I started thinking about the fact I was now going to be a Marathon Maniac. And of course, it doesn’t mean anything to anyone but me and that’s just fine. No one knows the personal real price paid for any achievement in life except the person who pays it!

It is now the beginning of September and I have not raced since. My body has not recovered well from that weekend and every time I attempt to push my body hard it protests. Part of it might be the kind of work I’ve done this summer has not allowed my body full recovery. (Without being specific, it was 6-7 hours in the sun doing very physical work.) Whatever it is, all I can do is do all the right things and wait patiently for my body to get back it’s mojo. I'd hoped to give another attempt at a BQ time but it isn't in me right now.

As much as I’d like to plan more, I am only registered for one fall half marathon. I really would have
loved to do the Seattle Quadzilla! Right now I’m working on building a foundation again, which consists of weight training, cycling and running. So there you have it—several months rolled into one post!

Happy training!

Dr. Jack Daniels and the half life of training.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:47:00 +0000

I love pushing myself and training hard, but this week I have two reminders relating to this video--an injury and a birthday....

(Which would also be why I was DNS at Mac Forest last week.)

"Everyone has limits." Dr. Daniels.

The principle of accelerating setbacks.

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I don't sit at my desk anymore.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:21:00 +0000

For about 6 months I have used a standing work station when I'm at my desk doing paperwork or on the computer and it's been a great change. I feel better. It's been good for my posture, for my pelvic girdle, my feet, and you burn more calories by standing!

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Saucony Peregrine

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:49:00 +0000

So it’s time for a little review of the Saucony Peregrine. Many of you have probably given up on finding anything to read here. That is what happens when you have several children, you are training for ultra marathons, working two jobs part-time, doing volunteer work, leading a bible study, taxiing your children around to their events and--(as though it’s just a small add-on) homeschooling! Anyhow, here we go.

After running many miles in the minimalist Kinvara this fall and winter I was looking forward to trying something on the minimal side for the trail. I had been using the Montrail Masochist on trail and have no complaints except that they now feel clunky to me as a comparison. Since I liked the Kinvara I figured the Peregrine was going to be a good companion on trail.

I ordered the Peregrine from The Running Warehouse. They have a great feature on their site called the “shoefitr” in which you can get a pretty good idea as to what size shoe you need in any model they carry based on what you wear of another shoe model. (If they carry it.) This is really helpful! However, being the patient person that I am, I ordered it before they had the shoefitr feature ready for the Peregrine. In fact, I had been checking nearly daily for the appearance of the Peregrine bird and as soon as she appeared I ordered.

I figured I would fit in the same size I wear in the Saucony Kinvara since the Peregrine was being labeled as the Kinvara’s trail twin. Turns out I was wrong, you need (at least in the woman’s model) a half size bigger. Mostly, this is due to a slightly shallow toe box. The toe box is slightly tapered as well. Again, I am speaking about my experience with the woman’s model and the men’s might be a different story. My friend Stuart got the Peregrine without sizing up and has found it has adequate room. I exchanged my too short shoes for a size up and was ready to go.

I had the Peregrine before the Hagg Lake 50k but opted to run in the tested-true Montrails for that race. The Peregrines have the same 4mm heel drop as the Kinvara - a significant change from the 10mm drop the Montrail’s have, so I transitioned just as slowly on the trail with the Peregrines as I had with the road shoes, keeping my first runs short. I wore them quite a bit while coaching. (I coach middle-schoolers.)

The Peregrines actually feel like they have a little bit of medial support (which is what I’ve traditionally worn) for mild pronation. They aren’t in the category of “support” shoes, but this is probably more due to the design of the outsole which has some stiffness for protection on the trail. This really is what I was looking for. Although my feet have made some huge leaps in strength in the last months I did not want a shoe that left my feet vulnerable to rocky trails. I want light and flexible, but I want a rock plate under me, not a pure ‘barefoot’ shoe. ( Yes, I want it all..so picky.) I want shoes I can train in and then feel comfortable completing a 50k race in.

I do plan to wear these for the MacDonald forest 50k. My experience in them there will be the ultimate test because some of that course is challenging for the feet.

I have not had any issues with the tongue of the shoe shifting around on me and causing irritation --this was one of my pet peeves with the Brooks Cascadia that I own; no matter what I did the tongue caused me problems.

I am still playing around with what socks I will wear with the Peregrines, the drymax regular trail sock feels a bit thick in them. I wore a thinner sock in them and felt like I was feeling a hot spot at the end of 10 miles. Maybe the drymax light trail sock(?)

The sole of the Peregrine is aggressively lugged and gnarly, they grip nicely and don't feel slippery on wet rocks. I have not had any issues with stuff sticking in the outsole, nor do they collect an excessive amount of mud. So far I feel like they keep my feet feeling light and fancy free. (Right! We'll see about that at mile 50 at Waldo 100k.)

So a thumbs up for the Peregrine, I'm still in the transition phase as far as increasing distance in these shoes but so far I'm giving a thumbs up. I plan to get some aggressive hill climbs in them so and we'll see how my achilles feel. If you've worn the Peregrines please post your take on them!

Which one today?

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:33:00 +0000

The new Saucony Peregrine and the Mirage. Actually, yesterday I ran in the Peregrine. (I wore both of them.)

Vancouver Lake half...and some bruised ribs.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:03:00 +0000

Here's a short recap of the Vancouver Lake half. (Jan 23) This was the first time I've run there, every year it is sold out so I figured I better check it out. And yes, it's terrific- Very well organized!

1:45:49 Age place 3rd. Female overall 32. An 8:05 pace.
Third in my age group, and a bit faster than I thought I could do that day! I'm real happy with that.

I had intended for this race to serve as a challenging tempo run because I haven't recently run any speedwork and only a limited amount of tempo runs. I've been working on increasing my mileage and trail time to get ready to run 50k at Hagg Lake and I don't do well increasing mileage without backing off intensity. (Yeah, I hope I've learned my lesson on that.)

On Sunday morning while I was running around getting myself ready to leave, my family was getting ready to go to church. As I said my good-byes to everyone my husband challenged me, "Run a 1:40!", I smiled and waved him off.

But on the drive there my husband's voice kept repeating in my head, and I got to thinking about just going out faster than I'd planned and see what happens. After all, if I was considering this a training run, then so what if I crashed at 10 miles and had nothing left and had to jog in? So this was just going to be a little test and experiment.

My first mile splits were 8:15, 8:14, 8:16, 8:11,8:14; then I took a gel which always slows me somewhat and I ran an 8:21, but I felt really good! By this time I was challenging myself to pick it up. I ran through the aid stations grabbing a cup for only a sip and I took no pit stops for the bathroom. (Unfortunately, I usually I have no choice but to stop.)

The next splits were 8:00, 8:09 and 8:04. Still feeling good. 7:56, 7:54, 7:42, and 7:33! Hurray!

By the way, I wore those Kinvara's I've been raving about, they served me well on that mostly paved course.

Okay, that's the race report--what about the bruised ribs? Move forward from Sunday to the next Saturday where I was running out at Hagg Lake with three other wonderful ladies.

On the south side of the lake there is a log laying parallel along the narrowing trail. My left foot hit the edge of a broken off limb and bang and wham. My whole body came down on that tree. My left rib cage took a severe beating. I was pretty sure from the get-go there was nothing broken or I wouldn't have continued to make a second loop of the lake, but it hurt. It hurt then, and it's hurt all week,I can't sleep on my side and can't get quite a deep breath yet. My whole left side and back has felt it.

In addition to the soreness, my digestion has been off since then, suggesting that I bruised some organs. A big thumbs down on that since I already have weakness there and I sure wasn't looking for any additional problems. But today I'm feeling on the upside.

I also made a trip to my chiropractor this morning. In fact, this was the first day I felt good enough to have any kind of adjustment but it felt good and was probably perfect timing in terms of helping me recover fully.

Next up, Hagg Lake 50k on February 19.

The Saucony Kinvara

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:13:00 +0000

First of all, I’d like to say I am not one of the bloggers that Saucony sent out a freebie pair of Kinvaras to. I’d be super happy if Saucony would send me a pair of their upcoming ProGrid Mirage to review, which is sort of a support version of the Kinvara for slight over-pronators. (hint, hint)

Anyway, this review comes from a paying customer. Honestly,between road and trail running I try quite a few shoes. (I'm sure my husband wishes it was less of a hobby for me.) My go-to training shoes in the near recent past have been from the Asics GT 2100 series and Brooks Adrenalines (I even got to test the 11’s!), and I’ve been okay with the NB 760’s although I have some issues with them. (That should be saved for a whole different post.)

Since I’m a mild overpronator and the Kinvara is a lightweight neutral shoe why would I buy a pair? What interested me was the 4mm heel to toe drop. I’ve gradually been working on moving to a midfoot strike and really wanted less heel to toe drop than your average shoe--which is generally closer to 12 mm. So I wasn’t primarily looking for a lighter shoe but rather I just wanted my heel closer to the ground!

Initially, I had planned to use them for short tempo runs, track workouts and possibly short races and I figured that would be about my limit in them. However, each day regardless of the planned distance, I found myself eyeing those visi-pro bright orange and black shoes! I eased into my use of them cautiously because they are not a protective shoe and far from what I’m accustomed to.

What is so fun about them? First of all, a mid-foot strike comes much more natural to me when I’m wearing them. Combining the mid-foot strike form with the lightweight shoe finds me running faster when I’m in them. (And who doesn’t like being a bit faster?!)

Second, it feels so good to come down on that cushy foam sole! They remind me of the pair of Saucony shoes I owned in high school with the triangle on the outsole except these are far more comfortable and lighter than I recall those being -so apparently it’s the ‘high school’ part that causes me to be reminiscent.

Lastly, my feet don’t feel like they are cinched into and harnessed by the seat belt of a high powered roller coaster. No, they are gently embraced by the shoe with just enough upper to be comfy. My feet feel free to operate at their best and as a result I suspect they are a bit stronger than when I first started wearing them. In overly supportive shoes I think my feet get a bit lazy and are over-reliant on the shoe to do all the work.

I’ve had my pair since September of 2010 and since then Saucony has come out with other color combinations of the shoe only adding to the fun.

Good reasons to look at the Kinvara shoe: For such a minimalist shoe they are soft and comfy. They are responsive. They may encourage you to have good running form. They are priced reasonably! As a bonus, I think they even make cool every day shoes for strengthening your feet while running errands, working or doing housework-- For that, maybe pick a different color than the orange ones! =)

A little break from running.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:05:00 +0000

So I took a little break from running but not from working out!

Shortly after I ran the Columbia Gorge Half I begin to experience a bit of lateral ankle discomfort in my right foot. I shortened my stride up a bit, tread lightly, and it seemed to be doing fine until one day I leaped from one embankment to another and I knew it was not okay. I felt something tweak. I've never had a stress fracture but it sure felt like it could be one.

That day I made a decision to give the foot some time off from running before I truly couldn't run on it. So I gave it 5 days and then went on a short run. Not better.

I gave it another 11 days and went on a run. Better, but not perfect. So I went to about 3 runs a week at this point only because I had figured out it was not the stress fracture I'd thought it might be. I haven't gone to a specialist, but I'm 90 percent sure it is peroneal tendinitis.

So in short, I'm back to running but I have this nagging thing going on and I'm not ignoring it I'm working on it.

What did I do on all those non-running days? Worked hard. I worked so hard I was dreaming about getting back to running because it would be easier. The running break has been good, and I hope to be good about continuing to include some of the same stuff as I ease back into running.

Without going into great detail, I did bike interval workouts and resistance training. (kettlebells, free weights, TRX etc.) I worked hard because I did not want to give up the fitness I've worked so hard to attain. I may have lost some running specific fitness but I've gained in other ways.

One indicator has been watching my bodyfat drop during the non-running workout stretches. My weight has stayed fairly consistent so I've built muscle. (That is tough for me, and takes a deliberate plan to consume more protein as well.) Interesting how the body responds when you begin to throw it some stuff it's not used too!

Lastly, I want to leave you with a video of some IT band applicable stuff just because I try to be faithful to bring you everything that seems helpful in that area. You can go over to Endurance Buzz and check out the full scoop on a great injury management post-- but here is the one I'm referring to:

thanks for stopping by!

Columbia Gorge Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:56:00 +0000

After a bunch of 'hem hawing' I made a last minute decision to enter the Columbia Gorge Half marathon.I registered and loosely came up with a race plan. I've never run out there on the Mark Hatfield trail before and didn't really know what to expect.

And then there is this issue of hills, I generally have to really go out of my way to run hills because there are none around my house. This time around though I had actually had included some hill work in my training. I'd like to get more, I'm just saying, at least I'd done some! And yes, there are lots of hills in this race.

The early morning of the race provided a preview of the day's weather. As I left my house, I watched a lightning show in the sky to the north of me. As I drove up the gorge it rained, and rained, and rained.

When I arrived at Hood River there were cars circling around the race start area and everyone seemed to be lost. I was asked several times where the race start was, and this was after I had already chosen a spot to park. I didn't know--I just figured I'd stop somewhere and then figure it out. ;-) (Turns out I wasn't far away.)

Before the race start, as I waited in line for my first porta-potty pit stop the sun came out and a beautiful double rainbow graced the sky. This was shortly before the full marathon start.

Well, things changed by the time the half marathon started at 9:30 (half hour after the full start) the sky was darkening and rain was falling pretty steadily. It wasn't cold --just wet, everything was wet--most runners were hiding under the provided tents and canopies and had to be coaxed out by the race directors near start time.

We hadn't even exited the marina area at the start before a steady rain turned into a torrential downpour. Honestly,the rain was so heavy it was downright comical. Fortunately, although it never stopped raining, that was the worst of it.

My first three miles were not good ones. First of all, somehow I turned my watch off after initially starting it. I turned it back on but didn't know how long it had been off so this really irritated me because I couldn't tell what the real time was.

I also ran the first three miles too slowly. My plan was to run a few seconds slower per mile those first miles but not a full minute slower! ;-< I think I was not properly warmed up before the start.

Then, there was my stomach. After doing so well (see previous posts) with my stomach I'd just had a three day stretch of misery and I was feeling this at the beginning of the race.

The day before the race was a long one for me with lots to do, topped off with an evening at working at a fund-raising auction. I had to eat what was there, and although it was good, it was not what I would have chosen for a pre-race meal since my stomach is so finicky.

Lastly, by the first aid station I had to go to the bathroom and lost a good minute and a half there!! grr!

After those initial miles I finally felt in the groove and decided I would make the best of what was left just to see what I could do after, and despite a poor start. I actually ended up feeling quite good in those middle miles and finished with a pretty strong final three miles. In fact, I passed lots of people in the last two miles.

I averaged an 8:34 pace (my target was 8:17) and I finished in 1:52:11. I had no idea until the next day but that was good enough for 1st place in my age group!

After finishing I ate the provided food at the finish(I had a chicken taco from Taco del Mar )and then headed home because I had some plans and chores to finish back at home before the day was over.

Lots of fun, astonishing scenery (of course, it is the Columbia Gorge!),and a really well run race I recommend it to you for next year!

On the road to digestive health. Step two.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:47:00 +0000

In my previous post I wrote about my quest to get off the prescription drug pantoprazole. I’ve been taking this for years now. I have never stopped taking it because of the severe rebound effect it, (and other proton pump inhibitor drugs), has. I am going to share with you what I have done, and am doing, to help the process along. I was going to wait two weeks to update but I’m making progress so I will go ahead and post now.

In the first few days off pantoprazole I sporadically took ranitidine 150mg (Zantac 150). These can be bought over the counter and are a different type of acid reducer than the proton pump inhibitors. These are good for 12 hours compared to the 40mg pantoprazole tabs which last 24 hours. So that was step one for me in breaking up my stomach’s dependence on a drug 24 hours a day. I would take a ranitidine and then go longer than 12 hours before taking another one.

Next, once I began to go some time in between, I would use regular ole’ Tums when I was feeling any discomfort. I also began to chew up DGL 20 minutes before eating. DGL is deglycryrrhizinated licorice, combined with saliva it stimulates the natural protective factors in the digestive tract, so that is why you chew it up. I can tell you, although there is the remote taste of black licorice in it, it is not an enjoyable experience chewing this up but I can definitely tell when I don’t take this, so for now, DGL is a keeper.

Then, right before eating I take enzymes. I’m pretty sure these are helping too, but I may try some different formulas and brands for settling on which helps the most.

Currently, I am adding ginger. Ginger force is the brand I bought and I haven’t taken this long enough to give any feedback at all.

Next, I will look at taking some kind of probiotic.

As a further note, I have cut my running back and added lots of cycling and some swimming for now. The reason for this, is that running is tough during this weaning off stage because of all the up and down movement of the stomach while running. There have been times I thought I’d throw up in the first 15 minutes of a run because of it. (Even on an empty stomach.) I’ve found if I slow the pace down a few minutes it works itself out but it’s tough for the first minutes of the run.

I’m not officially in the middle of a training cycle for anything so even though my running mileage is cut I’m happy with running, cycling, swimming and resistance training sessions. I’m feeling overall fit!

Thanks for stopping by.

I'm done with it. Step one.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:02:00 +0000

Unless it actually makes me better, faster, stronger or healthier I don't want to take it. So why have I been taking something that does none of those things? Why am I talking about it here? I'm doing it to bring an awareness to others who may be taking the same stuff and aren't aware of the risks. Also, to document the process of getting off it. You are excused from reading this post if you have no interest. ;-)

I've been on 40 mg of Protonix for several years now. Prior to starting the Protonix I had been on a high dosage of ibuprofen (also doctor prescribed) for several months, which I suppose is what started this mad cycle. At this point, not only is it a risk to my health but it is, no doubt, adversely affecting my running.

Protonix is a proton pump inhibitor, a class of drug that very effectively blocks your stomach’s ability to produce acid.Once you are on these drugs your body adjusts, and when you stop taking them there is a rebound effect. Here is where the trouble lies...try to stop and you have troubles as large or bigger than you started with-the body’s chemical processes have been altered! If you look at the bottle, or insert, for these medications, you will see they are not recommended for long term use. I take a prescription, but you can now buy many ppi meds over the counter.

So here I am, still taking it once a day, day after day. I’ve asked my doctor(s) more than once about how to to get off and I’ve had no help. One response was, “Well, I just wouldn’t.” Another response, “Just stop.”

Lately I’ve had more problems than I can to lay out here, but let’s just say I’m more determined than ever to get off them. The short term mild side effects include nausea and headaches. (Sounds good so far right?) But I’ve gone on a little hunt to find out just exactly what these things are doing to me with long term use. Not to mention that I just don't feel good.

Decreased b12 absorption! Also, reduced calcium absorption, leading to increased risk of fractures!
Wikipedia sites a study of 135,000 people 50 or older, those taking high doses of PPIs for longer than one year have been found to be 2.6 times more likely to break a hip. Those taking smaller doses for 1 to 4 years were 1.2 to 1.6 times more likely to break a hip. The risk of a fracture increased with the length of time taking PPIs.

clipped from refluxdefense.com

So what am I going to do about it? My plan, initially, is to take pantoprazole 40 mg (protonix) one day,alternated with ranitidine tabs of 150 mg once -or twice if needed the next day. I'm going to do this for a couple weeks to shake things up some. This will be a process but I'm determined to get it started and get off this stuff.

After the two weeks, I will reevaluate where I'm at and post step two.

Siskiyou Out and Back

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:05:00 +0000

It seems there are similarities between ultra runs and child birthing for me. I crave the good, pain is a sweetener, and I just keep doing them. (I do believe I’m done with the child bearing -but the analogy stands.)I’ve given up trying to explain to people why I would continue investing time and effort into ultra running. I understand people are trying to figure out what makes it appealing when they ask questions. “So you enjoy it?” (Well, not always.) “Do you win?” (No.) It is good exercise? (Um. It’s not in the same category.) You like the scenery? (Yes, but often I can not avert my eyes from my path to look.) “What was your time?” (Well, I’ll tell you-but how can it mean anything to you?) Obviously, my responses are inadequate for a clear picture of my motivation.
If I answered honestly, I would lose the hearer in two sentences.
If you are reading my blog then you probably don’t need the explanation because in some degree you already understand. But it’s about livin’ isn’t it? To experience life fully you must take some chances, be inconvenienced, and push past the comfortable. There is no other way. Sure I’d like to win. Sure I’d be thrilled with more time to train than I have- -but will I stop diving into the lake of living because I can’t have everything perfect? Of course not!

So here is my report of my running of the Siskiyou Out and Back or the further misadventures of a middle aged mom who refuses to be a spectator to life.
The trip was designed to be a family outing for us. We left early on Friday morning, arrived in Ashland in early afternoon. On the way there I got sick. I will provide no specifics, that is all you need to know. ;-) Anyhow I was still functioning and happy enough to stop in at Hal Koerner’s Rogue Valley Runners store in town where I bought a pair of Moeben sleeves to wear for the race the next day because along with being sick, I had a rash on one of my arms that was reacting to sun. I didn’t know if sunscreen and sun light was going to be a good combo for the next day so I got the sleeves to cover.On to the campsite. Yes, along with being sick, we were camping in 90+ weather. ;-) It’s all good folks, really.

I chilled roasted in the tent once it was set up trying to re-coop some energy. The kids went swimming in the camp ground pool. (I think the pool saved me from complaints from them about my resting.)
Friday night I slept in the van while everyone else was in the tent. The van was closer to the bathrooms I needed... and kept me from waking everyone else when I did my normal nervous pre-race ’wake every half hour’ to make sure I hadn’t overslept.

By morning my stomach was still a bit funky but okay for water. So I did sips of water and no food. At 4:30 am my husband drove me to the start at Mt. Ashland ski lodge and helped me get gear arranged before heading back to the kids. (Don’t worry -two of my kids are now “adults” so they weren’t children left alone.)
Although it wasn’t my original plan I decided to take the early 6am start so I would miss some of the heat and so that I would finish at a more reasonable time for my family. This was a wise choice.

It was a beautiful clear cool morning for the start and I was basking in the beauty of that country. The start is already above 6000ft so this race is a challenge altitude-wise. Forgivingly, the first 3 miles or so are downhill giving me a nice warm-up and my stomach a chance to adjust. As we start I begin to drink quite a bit because I know I’m a bit dehydrated and because I know the first aid station comes soon and I can refill my bottle right away.

The race becomes single track and I begin to get frustrated with the slow pace of the runners ahead but settle in behind them anyway. I’m a fairly good downhill runner and like to take advantage of that when I can. Finally Liz Kellogg barrels ahead and around the group of trotters so I take her cue and slip in behind her. Hey, you can’t go wrong following the cue of a veteran runner!

So I continue to run comfortable, not pushing the pace but it is time to test the stomach with a gel! Yikes! This part is scary for me. I’ve got to eat if I’m going to make it through the day. Gu’s have become less and less friendly to my stomach so I’ve brought along a couple honey stingers to mix in and I start with one of those. Ah, success! It goes down and settles no problem.
Around mile 9 the course begins to become seriousness in it’s climb. the stomach is still fine so I take an expresso gu because I’m now feeling the lack of my normal caffeinated routine. And here, I begin to have to attempt to do some power walking. I am not good at it. Generally, I have to stay at a trot to keep with a good walker. This is not a good thing because it takes more energy to trot than walk. It’s something for me to work on.

At the Siskiyou Gap aid station I have a drop bag and I grab a payday bar. This was my attempt to offer myself something I might eat if I wasn’t getting gels down. I was happy to have it. Ate half of it and stuck the rest in my pocket for later.

I think it was somewhere along road 20 Erik Skaggs passes me. I don’t necessarily enjoy being repeatedly passed toward the end when the regular start runners begin to overtake me; however I have to say I’ve enjoyed getting to see the leaders pass when I’ve taken the early start and this was no exception. Erik makes it look so easy. He encourages me as he passes. I guess he is just a nice (fast) guy huh?! He is followed (a few minutes back) by Tim Olson.My pace slows somewhat as the altitude climbs but I’m feeling pretty good.
I’ve gotten pass the Jackson Gap Aid station and we are now at least pointed back toward the start. In my head I’m thinking the course will be a bit more forgiving at this point. Wrong. More climbs, more heat, and more ice fields. Now fast forward.
Mile 21 and something...I fall. Not a small trip but a big one. I had just come across an ice field (there were lots of those this year) and I caught my toe .There was no catch It was ugly.

I wish it looked like this: (It didn't.)
It was a diving, skidding, rolling type of thing and it knocked me for a loop for a good hour--which surprised me! I tried to just get up, walk it off, and go again and it just wasn’t happening. The problem wasn’t that my right side of my body was scraped up and my knee was torn and swelling; the problem was my head was spinning! I had my get up and go knocked out of me. I bet I walked a good half an hour! Obviously I lost some substantial time, eventually I did get back in the groove but it just never was fun from there on.

Apparently, part of this was I was getting a little low in blood glucose (bonk) when I fell contributing to the disaster. So after walking drunkenly for awhile I came to my senses and forced down a honey stinger gel and 20 oz of ice water and I gradually came alive. I also had taken too many s-caps and so my stomach was woozy and my fingers were slightly swollen before getting the water down.

I was so “off” for a while that someone even stopped as they were on their way past my wobbled walking and tried to get me to take a gel or shot block from her. (Nearly, insisting.) I knew I needed it --but I had my own I just need to take it.

Just a note here on the aid station volunteers. They were the most knowledgeable group of volunteers, overall, that I have encountered on the race course. People were asking a lot of fueling questions at the stations and getting wise answers --nice! Real nice to have help when needed right!?

Finally, I can’t say the last ten miles were comfortable but I think I did well all things considered,and a tough tail end of the run made finishing sweet. There is a significant climb on the forest service road to the end. Here my husband is waiting for me. When I see him I think “Oh surely I’m nearly done.” He informs me that actually I still have a half marathon half mile to go. Argh. I trudge in and pick up the pace as it flattens out to the finish.
Happy now to see my kids and glad they have spent time hiking and enjoying themselves while waiting for me. I get a big plate of food because I know I need some,and I do want it but it just stares at me I only got bites down.

Along with the food (burritos and soup) there are homemade ice cream bars and beer (I decline) at the finish. Finishers received nice medals and nice swag in the pre-race bags. (Socks, body glide, dagoba organic chocolate)
The next day we hit the Shakespeare festival-the whole works- backstage tour and all. Much fun. We walked in Lithia Park, where I saw Erik Skaggs run by again. Impressive to me only. I don’t know why I bother pointing this out to anyone in my family-they shake their heads unimpressed. Oh well, to each their own. ;-p

Thanks for stopping by!

Shh--don't tell anyone!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:13:00 +0000

2010 White Salmon Backyard half marathon race report.

Photo by Scott McMullen

Saturday I ran one of the best trail events around for the second year in a row. (It's been going for 3 years.) The race starts in White Salmon, Washington and climbs up the hill for a glorious view over the gorge. Well actually, this year it was a glorious view of major mud, fog and gorge showers;there wasn't much of a scenic view until we were descending back down to White Salmon.

Last year it was sunny, and this year was mild weather but quite wet. But showers and all--not to be missed by a trail loving runner. We are a strange breed, I suppose this is why I can risk sharing about this event here on the blog. If race director Allan Dushan continues holding this event every year it will grow, but I don't have to worry that everyone on my street will sign up and ruin it for me because we trail runners are a peculiar breed, not every one thinks this kind of activity is fun right? Not every one thinks doing a balancing act as you fly down- hill through a mud slick is a good time.

I suppose I should mention if you consider doing this race in the future that you will not get a half marathon pr, well probably not anyway, there is a 2200 foot climb up to that lovely view and a lot of switch backs and rocks on the way back down. (Perfect.)

Honestly I didn't push myself too terribly hard- I was pretty sleep deprived. On top of that, I had spent five hours cleaning carpets the night before. (If you are in doubt, that is hard work.) I felt pretty spent for the first half but once I warmed up and got into the groove I picked up the pace some. (Why not, because by then I was headed into the downhill section anyway.) ;-)

I forgot to stop my Garmin at the finish, but I was around 2:38- ish.

Oh, and free swag was given. Wow, impressive for a free event! A very nice Greenlayer sports beanie hat with "BACKYARD HALF" embroidered on it. Nice, really nice.

I followed up today with a 21 mile run and felt great, almost too good to be true great. Consistent stretching and strength work is doing me good.

Oh, and after that half marathon in slick mud, and some of it on fairly technical trails --I saved the tripping and falling down for today during my 21 mile run on fairly tame pavement and roads. Scraped up knee, arm, elbow and hands. I'll spare you any photos. ;->

Thanks for stopping by...

How can that be?

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 15 May 2010 02:13:00 +0000

MacDonald Forest 50K race report.

I had kind of a bad race at Mac Forest last year, running injured and having to take about 4 plus weeks off afterwards. So this year, I figured a PR for Mac Forest was easily in the bag. I have no injuries going on and I thought I was in at least as good as shape as last year. Guess not. My time was slower than last year and I was really thrashed and tired through out the second half--lots of walking!

I really felt good for the first part of the race and ran well, but at mile 15 I found had no better gears to move into; by mile 20 my achilles tendons were yelling and at mile 26 my calves were crying too!

First of all, it's obvious I just haven't spent enough time on the trails. It's been extremely hard to get the time between my work and other commitments in addition to my kid's schedules.

And secondly, it eventually became obvious to me that part of the problem I had was due to fueling. I had some time to go over it in my mind on a long drive to visit my Grandma the next day. (An eight hour trip.) I started to think about how few calories I got down and realized that was part of why I had a good 15 miles followed by a rough 16.6. I only managed to get one full gel packet down. I opened a couple other gels but only got myself to take about a third of each of them.

I would think about food before I would get to an aid station but when I got there nothing looked good. Before I approached the aid station at Dimple Hill (18.3) I was thinking about getting Coke and some peanut butter sandwich. I only crave Coke when I'm already in trouble fuel-wise so that already a signal I needed to do something different. I did not see pb and j so I just had the coke.

Between there and the next aid station at 22.4 I saw my hands were a bit puffy so I took an s-cap and seemed to be good by the time I reached the aid station but still unable to get down much food. (I think I grabbed a piece of banana.) In short, I spent much of the last ten miles nauseated and had to walk too much of it.

I am happy to report that I had only very mild soreness the next day and no disasters like last year's recovery. This past week I ran, but took it easy with the exception of one run where I pushed the pace a little. I feel good and that is exactly where I need to be--I'm ready to enjoy some work on the trails.

I hope to get better trail time worked into the coming weeks and I need to work on a better fueling plan! Nine weeks to S.O.B.

Running Tillamook Head

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:27:00 +0000

So I'm pretty delinquent with my posting but I thought I'd go ahead and post this late just in case it ends up being a resource for other runners who head for the Oregon coast.Three weeks ago (gee, time flies) I spent the weekend in Seaside, Oregon.
Before heading for home I spent a few hours running on Tillamook head between Seaside and Cannon Beach. The weather was near perfect that day, the sun had peeked out and I never got rained on- any day you don't get rained on at the coast is indeed rare.

I started running at the trail head on the south side of town at the end of Sunset Blvd and ran south on the trail for an out and back run.It's a beautiful place to run, the trail allows for frequent glimpses of the ocean, and of Tillamook Rock Lighthouse ("Terrible Tilly") sitting out a mile to the west. The lighthouse was built during the years of 1880 and 81 and was in use for 77 years.
I found myself imagining how crazy it must of been in those early years of it's use to be a lighthouse keeper out there. The conditions had to have been really, really harsh. There were 4 keepers at a time.They started out with a schedule that required a three month stay followed by only two weeks off. Apparently, experience proved this was a test of the mind and body--as you can imagine, and so they switched to an 'easier' schedule of 42 days on and 21 on off. There were all kinds of stories of keepers losing it mentally--attempted murder and so forth. Well, I would of never signed up--there is no room to run out there anyway. I prefer my ocean viewing be done from the shore.
The trail was in terrific condition with the exception of a large number --I lost count-- of extremely large downed trees across the trail. These were not the kinds of trees you just hopped over. In most cases, you could not easily get under them either. For that matter, going around the tree to either side was not always an option. For instance, a peek this way over the tree. "Nope not going this way!

I spent a lot of time getting over the trees and it slowed my progress. So it would have been terribly frustrating if I had intended on making a targeted amount mileage. As it was, I really was more concerned with time on my feet and enjoying myself. So that's my recommendation. Do it when you aren't aiming for anything more than a fun run in the woods.

By the way, I definitely wouldn't want to make a trip to that lighthouse today because all trips are now to stay. It is owned by Eternity at Sea Columbarium. If you go there now it will be because you've paid to store the ashes of your body in the lighthouse.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yakima River Canyon Marathon race report.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Here are the details if you care to wade through it.

First of all, Thumbs up. A big thumbs up for this marathon. Numbers-wise this marathon is the smallest one of the three I've run. (Eugene and Portland are the other two.) There were 500-600 runners. There are no wave starts or pacing groups. There are no timing chips for your shoes. The start is much like an low key ultra marathon start. I enjoyed it all of it. I actually prefer races of 600 participants over races of thousands. Also, the race course is gorgeous. The amenities of the race are tops. (Little details, like boxes of clean clothing at packet pick up to keep warm with on marathon morning. Nice buses for transportation. Showers after the race.) And not least of all- the most terrific race volunteers are at this race. (But hey, aren't all race volunteers terrific?)

I'd never seen that many Marathon Maniacs in one place. I guess the Tacoma City Marathon takes the cake for Maniac presence but I've never personally seen so many red and yellow Maniac shirts at a race. For me, seeing a large recognizable group of undeniably certified crazy, committed, addicted, wild, and awesome runners is far better than seeing any other kind of famous celebrity. Many of these runners are the nameless but real over-comers and heroes.

I sure noticed those Maniacs love their Lenore (Dolphin)- hugging on her at every opportunity. (Even along the race route.) I did not go to the pre-race meal or the awards meal after the race, so I probably missed a lot more of that Lenore love at those events too! ;-)

The week preceding the marathon was a bit rough for me. I was sick, one of my kids was sick, my dog was sick, (even my car was sick). I was really looking forward the race even though I had come down with a cold. In my mind, choking on mucus is much more desirable than being plagued by injury.

My last two to three weeks of training were starting to indicate that I should adjust my pace chart a little. I was aiming for a 4:05 marathon but my training was starting to look more like a 4:10 marathon. (That's when I started putting my leash on to slow down my recovery runs.) I decided not to lower my goal and I wore a 4:05 pace band.

I arrived Friday afternoon, checked into the motel and picked up my race packet. After being sick all week I was really tired so I did not want to go to the pre-race dinner, I just wanted to get something to eat, become zombie-like as possible and then try to go to get to sleep early if possible. We did take time to drive to the race finish area (this is a point to point marathon) just to make sure my mom would know how to get there, but after that headed to the motel to at least sit around and try to relax.

While we were eating an early dinner my mom checked the messages on her phone and learned that my grandma had fallen and broken her leg and shoulder. (So I was able to add one more stressful event to the tough week.)

Saturday morning I got up around 4:30 to get ready for the 6 a.m. bus ride to the start. I showered, and made some coffee by boiling water and pouring it through a coffee filter into my cup. Why did I do this? Well, let's just say I always inspect a coffee pot's water reservoir before making coffee. Yeah, 'nuff-said. I then had my regular oatmeal and chia seed concoction and some emergen-c.

I put on capri tights but quickly changed my mind and changed into shorts even though it was a chilly 28 degrees. I wore a short sleeve shirt and arm warmers and then I put on some extra layers to shed off after the bus ride to the start.

It was cold at the start, but it was to be a dry beautiful sunny day. The temps rose into the 50's by the time I finished, however much of the canyon is shaded and so it was cold for a long time. The most important choice I made was to wear double gloves, one pair to keep on, and a second pair to throw off at some point, and I had some hand warmers. My hands stay cold for quite awhile so this works well for me. It seems like if I keep my hands warm the rest of me can tolerate cold much better.

I kept on pace for the first 6 miles and then I got off by about two minutes due to a bio-break. I had to run off the course into the brush because every time I passed a porta-potty there were at least 2 people waiting. I intended to make up the time by picking up the pace 30 seconds or so per mile for 4 miles. Despite my intentions, I never really made any time up. So I reset back to my 9:21 pace and held that, but fell off pace again when my stomach begin to protest gels and powerade.

Around mile 20 I noticed my left IT band was beginning to protest slightly so I began to (intentionally) run with my pelvis as stable as possible. This brought relief and I had no additional alarms through the race.

It was quite obvious at mile 22 that I was not going to make up any of the time I'd let slip. It was more of a matter of holding to the pace I had going. Mile 22 marks the start of a long hill and just when you think you are done, you take a turn and it continues on. It's a good mile and a half long. (I ran my slowest mile at mile 23 in 12:28.) My mantra along there was, "all you've got to do is not walk." Sounds like a negative mantra but it wasn't, I was encouraging myself that I was guaranteed a personal record if I didn't succumb to walking. It worked, I plugged away at the hill and when I reached the top I found enough energy to pick up the pace down the hill to the finish.

A crazy thing happened in the last tenth of a mile. A race volunteer was driving by slowly in an SUV with her window down encouraging the finishers. I did a double take and recognized her as someone I ran cross-country with in college and hadn't seen since! So here I was finishing the marathon and we were yelling back at forth at each other. She pulled over at the finish and we spent a few minutes chatting before we both had to go. Good times. ;-)

And with no further delay, I headed for the showering facilities and then it was time to head out of town to home. I could not stay for the awards dinner. Maybe next time!

A day later, other than my left hip flexors being a little bit tender, I feel great! No delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)--which I had in both of the other two road marathons I've run. No blisters (drymax maximum) and no tender toenails. I consumed Fluid recovery drink within 10 minutes of finishing and I tried to keep moving and stretching my legs as much as possible on the ride home in the car. I also put on my trusty compression socks after showering at the local jr. high after the race. (I do love those socks--they go on after all my long runs.) It is a really nice race bonus by the way--getting to shower before a long ride home is super! They even provided towels and shampoo!

Oh, my time? 4:16:48. Not what I was shooting for, but it's my best of three! I've worked hard and made progress, I'm not content with that time but at the same time, I'm satisfied with it and grateful. Does that make sense? Now I also know, for future reference, this isn't probably the course to go after a marathon PR on, but it is a great marathon!

On a leash.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:21:00 +0000

No tears were shed over it, but this past week when I did my interval workout I found I was really having to work hard to hit the given splits. I was also taking up to 30 seconds longer recoveries than the prescribed 1:30's I was given by the Furman FIRST training program I'm following. ( Folowing...modified, because I do more than the given workouts and mileage.)
Then, a couple days later I was off my pace on the tempo run too. It was cold, windy and raining during both of those workouts, but that really doesn't account for my lack of get up and go.

And the third key workout of the week, the long run? Yep, you got it. Even though my effort was there I was off the target.

Am I not as in as good as shape as I'd hoped? Well, may be that's not the case. First, I think this is just an indication that I really need the taper I have coming up. Second, I'm a bit over-trained, but it's not too late to do something about it.

Besides, with two weeks to go, it is too late to add significantly to my fitness level as far as the upcoming marathon goes. (I'm running the Yakim a River Canyon Marathon.)

I've only run two marathons. The first one, Eugene 2008, I ran with a severe case of piriformis syndrome in my left butt so I was thrilled to have endured the pain for a finish.(4:37 or was that4:38?) My second one, was the Portland Marathon in 2008 and I knocked 10 minutes off my time but bonked pretty severely around mile 18 because I wasn't fueling correctly.

I'm fitter now than in 2008 so I'm expecting a significantly better time. Then, however the story goes, it's on to a lot more trail running for the rest of the year.

So along with needing the taper, I am making a pretty big change in my training starting this week. I am putting on my heart rate monitor and setting heart rate alerts on my Garmin for all my recovery runs. As I've thought about last week I realized I am not taking my recovery runs easy enough. I thought I was--but that's not good enough. The truth is that if I felt good I'd pick up the pace. For that matter, if I didn't feel good I'd pick up the pace.

If I had planned to run 6 miles and found I was short on time to get it done then I would just pick up the pace to get it done in the allotted time! That's all wrong. What I need to do for recovery runs is figure out how much time I have to run and run that much time even if it is short of the goal mileage.

I don't really enjoy the heart rate monitor but I am employing the heart rate monitor as a leash. Kinda like a reckless dog who must, at times, have a leash for her own safety. So we'll see how long I hang in there with that plan but it will be at least through these next two weeks until the marathon and perhaps beyond that.

Hagg Lake 50k 25k uh... Fun Run in the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:31:00 +0000

Subtitle: "In which I finally lay aside my stubbornness for a better plan."

First of all, what an incredibly well run race! The organization was quite impressive and the race directors and volunteers were really great--a big thanks to you all. I'm so glad I got the chance to run it!

The week leading into Hagg Lake left me feeling really 'iffy' about the state of my left leg. My IT band was stiff, as well as my hip flexors and glutes, and I obviously re-injured a tear in my hamstring from last spring. (This all in the same leg.) In fact, the left leg was slightly swollen. (I measured just to see if it were my imagination.)

I'm getting smarter though, I didn't press on to run through all that -- I rested. I did exercise, but no running-well almost no running- the week before. It's early in the year, not the time to play roulette with the leg.

My dilemma for Hagg Lake was whether to run it at all. So I weighed it all out. I've been waiting three years to run it, every year there has been some reason why I couldn't. The weather was to be ab-so-lute-ly gorgeous! I would be miserable all ~~day~~ week if I didn't at least give it a try. It was already paid for.

On the other hand, I ran two races last year in which I should have DNFed and didn't because once I start I don't like to quit. (Apparently at any cost, because I paid dearly.) If I ran Hagg Lake and messed my leg up even worse then I'd truly be miserable.

The compromise solution. First, to 'downgrade' to 25k from 50K. (That way I knew I couldn't keep going, because once I started at 9am with the 25kers I could only do one loop.) Race director Kelly was great about letting me do that. Second, not to race, but just run for training and have fun! Lastly, if it hurts STOP. I knew I needed to be firm on that one!

Furthermore, I did not allow myself to warm up. I know that sounds crazy but there was strategy in that. I had to use the first part of the race to warm up and see how the leg was doing rather than freak myself out warming up. I would have to start slow (and the out and back hill section was perfect for it) and I would keep the pace slow as molasses so that I could pay attention to how I was feeling. By the way, under my cw-x compression tights I had my left leg taped up like a mummy with kinesiotape!

Then, the plan was to drop out at the first (or second) aid station if things were not good, or to pick it up and finish the second half as a strong training run. It ended up being the second option, half way around the lake the leg was still stiff but no familiar pain in the quad or knee so I said let's rock. By now I was in a position where there was not much to do but pass people because I'd been in first gear up until then. So I picked up the pace nicely until I hit the mud beyond the Tanner Creek aid station that was ankle deep, and again, not wanting to make any stiff or injured part worse slowed it down.

What an great day to be running! The sun was out in full and I love that--I really do. It was good medicine for my moodiness over all matters.

My time was 2:47:52 and 4th for my age group, not too bad considering my slow shuffle for the first half. The leg is doing great which makes me proud of myself for passing on the 50k and for taking it easy because I've been able to glide right into this weeks' training without any problems.

Apparently, the only problem I came away with from the race is from my Brooks Cascadia 4 shoes. I can not keep the tongue on those shoes from shifting around over my foot. The top of my right foot is irritated from the tongue moving into an uncomfortable position and digging into my foot. I even stopped to adjust it several times, but I've always fought that with those shoes. Anyone else experienced that? I've wondered if the Cascadia 5's are the same in that manner.

Overall, it was great day, lot's of fun. Mud + trails + sun = yee haw! As I've mentioned, this was my first year to run Hagg Lake so I can't do much in the way of comparison but I call it a five star race. Everything from the pre-race communication and instructions to the course markings, aid stations, race swag,and overall organization.

Also, the treatment of all the participants was top rate;the back of the packers were treated with as much respect at the elite runners. But I'm learning that ultra runners are known for that kind of class...

Thanks for stopping by...

First race of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:08:00 +0000

Last Saturday I ran in my first race of 2010, the Aaron Rogers Open Invitational. This race was put on as the Senior Project of a local high-schooler as a fund raiser. Aaron did an excellent job directing the race. (There are lots of details in race directing!)

I ran a 22:33 5k. I'm plenty happy with that. However, now I also have a lot of tenderness in my left IT band and quad. That means lots of rest this week in hopes of a full recovery in time for Saturday when I take on Hagg Lake. Funny how this IT band stuff seems to always be an issue for me for ultra races. (Now imagine me shaking my head in frustration.)

Today rest worked out nicely. First, I skipped my morning work out and then in the afternoon when I went to work to coach there was a natural gas leak at the school so all after school activities were cancelled. (Even though we run outside that meant us too.) So no running today--normally this would bother me but I really want to be healthy Saturday so I'll take the rest with a smile.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wanting it all.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:34:00 +0000

Recently, over at Endurance Base Camp I read a post by Gary Ditsch that I want to encourage you to hop over to and read, "Balance, Simplicity and Priority: Life lessons from Tiger from Tiger and Urban."

This subject of priorities in life is one I have wrestled with frequently as a wife, a mother of 6, a working homeschooling mom, but also possessing a high-drive goal-driven personality and an absolute love for endurance sports along with a limited budget.

The truth is you can't have it all. We would like to think so--but the truth is we have to prioritize and pick and choose because when we choose to do one thing we are typically choosing to reject doing something else. Right?

A small example: I left my girl's cast party early last night to run home in the dark. It was the only time I had left in the day. I gave up some time with them to do that- And yes, I did choose that.

Now, if it is just a choice of watching a tv show over a strength workout that is not a hard decision for me at all, but often it is a much harder choice.

I continually have to evaluate where I'm at, because my drive to to succeed in one area of life can easily overtake what I've stated was a higher priority.
It's a dance really, but the dance must be done because when all is said and done I know my marathon time or ultra finish means very little in eternity-- God and people are so much more precious!

Thanks for stopping by...

It's tech week...again.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:30:00 +0000

sAs I mentioned in an earlier post, my girls are now in a community play production. (Larry, my son, was Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" back in December. That play, indeed, was a long haul, compared to this time around.)

This play that the girls are in is an all children's cast, has had a shorter rehearsal schedule and a shorter run time. (2 weekends of 3 performances vs. 4 weekends of 4 performances.)

At any rate, we're in tech week for "The Bird with the Golden Feathers," and it has come so fast it has caught me by surprise.

For that matter, how I've ended up as a backstage volunteer for 3 nights in a row has also caught me by surprise. {sigh} Especially, since my daughters are narrators and are on the stage during the entire production and never come backstage! Oh well, no matter, "It's my duty." as they say. ;-)

Now on to running notes. This week this thought has occurred to me over and over: I just need to stay injury free. Now, I know those are big words. ;-) There are no guarantees.

I've been looking forward to my schedule, but mostly I see the same races as last year, a couple of them at least. I noticed how I was viewing those races with nearly the same excitement and anticipation as if I were getting to run them for the first time. It didn't take me long to understand where that was coming from--it is from the perspective of having done those races last year, for the first time, in great pain! Not just your regular "healthy" pain that comes with an ultra, but with the kind of pain that is yelling at you "STOP you are tearing your body up!" Yes, I ran races that way last year.

So this year, I have grand hopes. I am in better shape than I was last year but I am even far more focused on staying injury free--if I do that I am, no doubt, going to have some personal bests.

I'm putting it here publicly in my blog so I will hold myself to it: I will do quality stretching every day. I mean not just token stretches here and there after runs, but I will take some time. Yes, no guarantees it will prevent injury but it will help.

Also, I am now doing Prison Workout #3. That is not a daily deal but I'm trying to get in two a week. These sessions are barbell based.

I'm back to coaching kids too, there are not as many kids that are motivated to sign up to do a winter running program as for X-Country or track. The goal for the winter running program is to do a 5k in March and not many kids have signed up, nothing I can do about it since I'm not at the school during the day.

I have also found I can't get much of a work-out for myself during those sessions, so I do my own run, shower and change and then head out to do a second work-out with the kids. All the more reason to stretch...

Next up, Hagg Lake.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cooking, reading, running.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:12:00 +0000

It seems as though January demands routine. November and December are so crammed with events that January just screams at me to do the regular. It's not as though any of that stuff goes away at the end of the year, but rather it gets enmeshed in the rest of holiday demands.

It's possible I enjoy cooking less when I must. It could be that during that time I read to be escaping. Nevertheless, I am enjoying (life) routine again.

I start coaching again this week. (After a Christmas break.) This will be under that category of "winter running" I will be preparing middle schoolers to complete or compete in a 5k in March.

Meanwhile, we're getting back in the homeschool mode. I've also been cooking a lot of vegetarian meals, intermixed with the regular meals with meat which the family is not ready to depart with. ;-)

Also reading, a little of this, a little of that. (My normal pattern.) I'm nearly through with a book Stuart sent me, called "A Step Beyond: A Definitive Guide to Ultrarunning." It is a compilation by different authors and basically a large reference guide on the many aspects of ultrarunning. Ah, good stuff.

I am still training away for a marathon at the end of March and I am also signed up for the Hagg Lake 50k in February. The registration is completely full on that. It will be a muddy fun run. it is one of those runs I've never gotten to do and wanted to!

I am training injury free. Yes, that is something new for me and making great progress. Last night I did my speed work on the track and nearly convinced myself I was aiming for too slow of splits. Completely demolished that workout! Well, except for when the soccer players decided to stand in lanes one and two and chit chat.

One of the things I have resolved to do is to some of the things I am quite disciplined to do when I am injured--- while I am not! More on that later, but it is strength and stretching.

That's all for now. I'll be back. ;-) Hope January is starting off with a bang for you!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:50:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Bring on 2010. I don't always make a big deal out of a new year, but for many reasons I'm ready.

So I am now at the beginning of week 5 in my marathon training. It is all going pleasingly well. I did miss a track work out last week due to an unexpected snow storm. It was impossible to do considering it was already going to be a challenging workout without the snow and slush. No matter, I just did some extra mileage and it was all good fun. No use stressing over what can't be changed.

But now, this week is a new challenge. I don't like missing a planned workout--but I can deal with it--but more than one?! --Well now, that's just not right. I had forgotten I was scheduled to get some (major) dental work done tomorrow. This fall I bit an olive pit and ruined a tooth that already had a root canal and couldn't be saved. {sigh} So last night I also realized the dentist is probably going to instruct me not to run for 2 or 3 days. ;-( Ack!! What to do?! What to do!? Well, in my mind, the only reasonable thing to do is to cram three days workouts into 36 hours.

Then of course, however long he says not to run, you divide that by half.

...Well, we'll see how it all goes.

Lastly, I leave you with this. I love it. Design it, put workouts on it, shopping lists, calendars and reminders and then throw it away when it's no longer useful. Check it out. The pocket mod.

Let the training commence.

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:15:00 +0000

This coming week I will begin "officially" training for my spring marathon.

Meanwhile, this past week was kind of a rough running-wise. It started with cutting my track workout short on Tuesday. I couldn't hit any of my splits for the workout. I should of been able to do it but I was just off. Rather than continue on struggling and missing it, I ended it early.

All week I just continued to feel "not my best", not really over-trained or sick --but just "not right".

Now, at the end of the week I think I have it figured out.

This was "tech week" for the opening of the play my son is in, ("A Christmas Story"), I spent a lot of time on the set backstage, helping during the week and the air quality wasn't the best. By Thursday my sinuses were on fire. Just too much time breathing in fresh saw dust and other "stuff" on the set. Add to that I was just plain exhausted even before we hit opening night on Friday.

But here we are Sunday night and 4 performances later--Mom and son made it through! It was a great opening weekend. And now, I really am tired (as though earlier in the week didn't qualify!?)

He is looking forward to a four day break before next week's showings and so am I! Four of the mom's of the kids in the play (including me), are working backstage with props and costume changes. This weekend was a learning experience and challenge for us. I'm hopeful next weekend won't be as draining just because we will have the routine down somewhat.

Meanwhile, my two middle school girls start rehearsals this week for a play they are going to be in! WHAT IN THE WORLD? (What am I doing?) Their show will be at the end of January. (And by then, I will be back coaching again on top of it all.) Remind me not to get in this mess again.

Somewhere in there this week we will also fit a birthday party and I am determined, as I said, to get my training going for a marathon at the end of March. I've been running in the afternoons because I really like trying to catch a little sunshine if it comes out. This week may require some very cold early morning runs. Lows down to 13 and 14 degrees Fahrenheit are fore-casted. Not my favorite, but not getting it done is far worse than a bit of cold...

Thanks for stopping by!