Chocolate Covered Running

Summer Races Recap

2013-09-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Working full time has put a damper on my blogging so in an effort to play catch up, here is ONE blog with all the races I haven't reported on this summer.

Taylor Mountain Marathon: 6/29/13

It was hot. It was hilly. That's the summation! My coworker decided to run this as his FIRST marathon. I can say for certain he learned A LOT of lessons about trail racing the hard way. He did go on to finish an hour after me and you can rest assured I never gloated about it in the office (ahem). Sadly there was no finisher's medal. I had been warned about the difficulty of the course and the possibility of very muddy, buggy conditions. We were fortunate that neither were an issue. I self-supported with a camel back and loved the race despite the difficulty. This was an out and back course for the marathon and I was just running it to finish, not race, after the prior weekend's double marathon adventure.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel - July 14, 2013

Bright and early, Lori and I left the Albertson's parking lot and carpooled to North Bend, the finish line of the marathon. Time passed quickly (except when coffee finally hit us and we needed a bathroom). It seems people don't pee between Federal Way and North Bend due to the lack of restroom opportunities. There was plenty of time for us to catch a 6:45 bus to the start.

The skies were clear with sunshine forecast all day. I had my gators on and opted to try out my Moving Comfort shorts and sports bra. I loved them! They are a Brooks owned company and have super cute clothing.

Bill can always sneak a hug from me!

This is by far one of my favorite races. The time of year is perfect, it has an elevation loss and the scenery is spectacular! The first 2 miles run through the pitch-black Hyak Tunnel. I used a headlamp and flashlight with great success. There were patches of water through the old train tunnel but the terrain is easy running. A volunteer took my extra gear as I exited the tunnel and runners were greeted with a beautiful day for running.

My pace felt good, comfortably hard, and my goal was to keep my rhythm as long as possible. I ran this last year in 3:21 and although I knew I wasn't in that kind of racing shape, I felt confident I could bring my time down from earlier marathons in the year.

I finished strong with 3:29 and more confidence in my future races. You MUST do this race!

Northwest Passage Ragnar Relay 2013

12 runners, 2 vans, 2 drivers, 197 miles to the finish line! Pain Now, Beer Later’s team captain, Jeff, had a last minute opening in his Ragnar Relay team and since this was filled with friends, the coercion to run was overwhelming and welcomed. Suddenly I found myself squished into a vehicle with runners amidst bags of running essentials and non-essentials (are angel food cake, raw cookie dough, or tequila (consumed AFTER the run, of course!) essentials in running?).

Friday, 7:00 a.m., van 1 started their legs while van 2 drove to Bellingham High School to wait for Marie, runner #6, to pass the wrist bracelet. Technology allowed us instant results as each runner posted times, quotes, pictures and musings to Facebook.

Each runner has 3 “legs” during the relay varying in distance and elevation. After all the runners in the van complete a leg, we get to rest (ha!) while the other van does the next 6 legs. Repeat. Repeat again.

Do you remember slumber parties? That’s about as close to how it feels running Ragnar except you can add in cow bells, chafing, sweating like a pig (do they really sweat?), and not having to check in with your parents. We danced, broke out in old-school hip hop montages, told bad jokes and ate whatever we could reach. We made fun of each other, yelled for each other, accidentally touched each other because how can you not in a squishy van. Strangers became instant friends through a relay of silliness, costumes, twinkly lights, FOOD, running, more food, running some more…did I mention food? Oh yeah, pain (another HILL??) and beer at the finish! 29.5 hours never went by so fast. I had all that fun AND our team raised money for a great charity through Triingforachallenge.com

Seafair Torchlight 8k

My good friend, Sharon, and I caught the ferry to Seattle and hoofed it to Seattle Center for a night of running the Seafair Torchlight Parade route. The weather was warm, the crowd was buzzing, and we had plenty of time to enjoy our time in Seattle before and after the run. The route follows the parade route and runners get the boost of energy from countless spectators. Sharon and I had a super fun time and at just under 5 miles, my $15 entry fee was well worth it.

Riding the ferry home and being silly like we do :)

Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon 8/3/13

I love this race! We start at the airport in Gig Harbor, cross the Narrows Bridge and make our way to downtown Tacoma's Tollefson Center. The last 2 miles are super fast! I wanted to finish under 1:40 and barely made it but I got it! I am slowly getting some speed back in these legs.

That's it! All the races I've done but haven't share with you. There are so many details I've left out but just know I have been LOVING this year getting back to the roads and trails, but most importantly, spending time with my running friends and feeling heathy.

Cle Elum Ridge 50k is up next in 2 weeks (it was cancelled last year due to fires).

Why I run

2013-09-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

I run because I can. I run because I'm good at it. I run because I'm bad at it. I run because I want to. I run because I love it. I run because I find a part of me in the run that is hidden without it.

My orthopedic doctor who treated me after my stress fracture following a 3500 mile year encouraged me to cross-train and stay healthy so I could get back to what I loved. He's a runner, too.

My dermatologist asks me what races I've done and praises me for staying so active.

My OB/GYN also asks me what my training and racing is like and always says she is amazed and proud of what I'm accomplishing in a day filled with women struggling to regulate their hormones, weight, and preventable diseases. She noted that my hormones have likely evened out after making running a consistent part of my routine after I had struggled with up and down emotions after my children were born.

My physician loves that I run. He has encouraged me to continue to be active and pursue my dreams.

My DENTIST asks my my races and believes that physical health correlates to dental health.

My daughters' orthodontist always asks me about races and brags to anyone in the office about my latest adventure.

My physical therapist who helped me recover from a perroneal tendon issue noted to the office and all patients in hearing distance that I was a marathoner and he was so impressed with my leg and core strength. He was anxious to help me get back to running.

In my daughter's science class, the teacher asked me to participate in an experiment measuring lung capacity after all the kids had done so. She noted that I was an endurance athlete and that my lung capacity should be greater. Most kids could remove about half of the water out of a gallon of water through some tubing (one long breath). I removed it all and could continue if there had been more water.

I had to take a lie detector test for an interview in a high security clearance job. I was asked if I was on medication to keep my heart rate so low. I am not.

I've had 2 injuries in my lifetime running history since 1991. Perhaps some are more prone to injury and I'm fortunate to be built for the sport. I've never ignored doctors'advice. I know there are doctors who don't encourage running. They don't know me. ALL my doctors encourage me to run because they know me, my body, my results.

Running has given me confidence not just in races but it has transcended into the rest of my life. It has changed my body. It has given me an incredible amount of forever friends. It has given me countless memories and adventures. I have traveled places you cannot get by vehicle and most people wouldn't be willing to walk so far.

Running isn't for everyone. Running IS for me. Of course there are dangers and chances I take when I run. What kind of life would I have if I only did SAFE things? Why live a life limiting yourself and ignoring that little voice in your head whispering another adventure only to ignore it? I know someday I won't be able to run. Today is not that day.

Run free. Run without limits. Run Happy (and don't let ANYONE steal that happiness!)

Ginger

12 Hour Transcendence Ultra Run 8/11/13

2013-08-31T21:49:00.002-07:00

This race snuck up on me and when I checked the calendar in June, it occurred to me 12 hours could require some specific training. So what did I do? I ran my 4-6 weekday mile runs, ran some marathons and some shorter races and hoped for the best. My daughter's soccer schedule included a tournament in Oregon the same weekend as the 12 hour. That presented a challenge. My husband's work schedule was hit and miss on the weekends so we couldn't make any definite plans until the last minute. We were down a car after it was totaled in an accident. Thankfully Jeff is okay after that scary incident.

Jessica, her best friend and I left for Oregon Friday night for the tournament. I wouldn't be home until after the race so I had to have everything packed Thursday night for the Sunday race which felt much harder than it sounds. I couldn't find both my gaiters for my shoes and that was the only item I needed but didn't have.

Jessica had a game on Friday and 2 games on Saturday. After her second game, I left her with her best friend and her family and drove a few hours back to Olympia. I was so lucky to have Andy Fritz offer his spare room for me to stay in the night before the race. I was either going to have to park somewhere to sleep, leave at 2 am from Oregon, or get a hotel room. None of those were appealing to me.

I had a little snack on my drive and as I arrived in Olympia, I was greeted with a rainbow! I felt like that was a sign for me to just trust that everything would be okay.

Carb loading

Chasing a porta-potty. Is there a hidden meaning here?

Rainbow over Olympia

Andy had a room bedazzled with running medals and had a banana and Gatorade waiting for me. I had some yummy cobbler Jody, Andy's wife, had made and spent some time prepping for the race. I filled 12 bottles with Perpetuem (one 12 ounce bottle per hour) which Andy just sat looking bewildered as he imagined drinking that much fluid. He was going to try Carb Pro which I don't think he enjoyed as much as he hoped. I used Perpetuem last year with great success. I then proceeded to get 12 sandwich bags and put in one pill each of Salt Stick, Anti-Fatigue caps, and Race Caps Supreme. I had 2 separate race day outfits in ziploc bags and 2 pairs of extra shoes. I kept Aleve, Tums, Excederin, Benadryl and a small first aid kit in a small cooler along with some Honeystinger Waffles, a bag of grapes, jerkey, trail mix and a bag of salt and pepper chips. The bigger cooler was filled with ice and my 12 bottles. During 12 hours, you just never know what may befall you or what cravings may hit.

An ironman triathlete, Suzy Degazon, had helped me last year in my nutritional and supplement planning and I am so indebted to her for providing valuable information on how to not keel over during a 12 hour race. Planning ahead by separating the supplements into separate baggies as well as the 12 bottles simplifies my race day so that I don't have to think too much other than knowing I need to be done with one bottle and one bag each hour. If you've never done an endurance event, you'll have to trust me that there are moments where you cannot think clearly, even if you are not dehydrated or lacking nutrition. It's what I call the "Race Day Idiot Syndrome." I've accepted the fact that there are many races where I can only do simple math and every mile is a 10 minute pace so I can guess my finish time.

Woke at 4:30 a.m., loaded up the SUV with my luggage and 2 coolers and followed Andy to Marathon Park in Olympia, Washington. Did you know that this park hosted the FIRST trials for the Women's Olympic Marathon in 1984? Read about it here: Marathon Park, Olympia.

I unloaded my coolers under a tree next to the running path and drove my vehicle to the street side parking. I discovered last year that having my gear next to the path kept me lollygagging at the aid station. I didn't bring a chair. Or a tent. Or any other amenities which would make it tempting to sit down and relax. The bathrooms weren't unlocked until a few minutes before the race and I barely made it back to the start line before we were sent on our way. With 12 hours, I wasn't OVERLY concerned about missing the start by a few minutes.

The day was long and honestly I cannot remember the order of memorable moments. So in no particular order, here's what I recall:

I set out to keep my miles ideally under a 10 minute pace for as long as possible to build up a safety net for later in the day. Most of my non-running friends or those who haven't ventured into distance races may be thinking, "Wow, 10 minutes miles. What a slacker." It's okay. I can take it. The cumulative effect of running is something to be experienced rather than explained adequately. Just know that yes, I can run faster; however, that would mean the later miles/hours would be that much more difficult.

Last year I set the course record at 67ish miles and my goal was to beat that, even having a sky-high goal of 70 miles. Sharing that goal seemed foolish so I muttered it to my husband and shyly mentioned the possibility to my friend, Sharon. Some concerns about my goal were: (a) lack of decent mileage, lack of confidence because of (a), and (b) my right calf had been cramping since Friday despite (a) and not running at all Friday or Saturday. My first steps were nerve-wracking as I waitied for a sudden charlie-horse but luckily my legs were especially kind to me. People passed me from the start and seemed to be running faster than my plan. I knew from last year that the sun rises and sets on peoples dreams and not to get caught up in the early excitement.

I hadn't eaten anything yet but had no worries since food was a mere 1.53 miles away. The course looped around Capital Lake which had a paved sidewalk for about half of the loop with a runnable dirt section next to it just dirt the other half. Oh, how I missed my Dirty Girl gaiters! I stopped so many times to get itty bitty rocks out of my shoes.Dirty Girl Gaiters are found here and worth every cent if you run trails.

Rikki Bogue looped with me for quite some time and that was a highlight of my day. She's an amazing runner and I've been wanting to run with her forever! I had pinned my number on my shorts and had to yell off the number for a number of loops as I passed the check in table. Each loop, I would either grab a bottle of Perpetuem, drop one off, grab supplements, grapes or a Honeystinger Waffle. I tried not to waste too much time and only sat down to either take rocks out of my shoes or use the bathroom. I never sat to rest all day. I honestly don't know if I would get up again if I did.

With this short of a loop course and so many hours, it's difficult to keep track of standings. I just kept moving and didn't attempt to figure out if I was doing well relatively speaking or falling behind the average. Everyone seemed to be doing great and moving along at a nice clip. Steve Walters looked like he was on a mission and I just let him fly by me. Joe's wife was running and he had set up a table and offered runners help and a friendly smile and encouraging words. I really looked forward to his cheery presence each lap.

My stomach was doing really well this year but when pizza was offered, I had no interest. The sun was up but after last year's heat, I had no complaints. I stuck to my nutrition plan like clockwork, not taking time to clean up my discarded bottles or baggies but kept moving along. At the marathon distance, I stopped to change into my Brooks Glycerins, ran one loop in them and promptly changed into my second pair of Brooks Launch shoes. I love my Glycerins but they felt so heavy! I got my ipod as it was getting lonely as runners separated. There were a couple hours when I didn't see any of my friends and I began to wonder if people quit. They didn't.

40 miles! I had been running with a new friend and we took a picture of my accomplishment. I asked Joe if I did my math correctly: "If I run a 4:45 marathon, I will finish 67 miles..." to which he replied, "Yeah, right. A 4:45 marathon. Well, yes, that's right." Later, Joe looked stunned as he was running with me and said, "Oh, you were serious about the 4:45?!"

40 Miles!

Jeff and my friend, Beverly, arrived around this time and they joined me for some laps to help pass the time. I was getting tired but didn't have any cramping or discouragement. I remember an hour or so when I had to tell Bev that she could just keep talking but I didn't feel like answering. Sounds rude but I know she understood. During that hour, it just felt like too much effort to talk. 50 miles and I stopped for a quick picture.

50 miles!

Ice cream! Rikki sponsored my run with a lime Popsicle and it was magical! As I waited for it, I noticed how many people were at the aid station sitting, eating, having FUN. I had to get out of there before I got sucked in. Must keep moving. I remember playing Bust-A-Move on loop for a few miles. Also Ton Loc and Robin Thicke. Whatever it takes!

I finished 100k (62 miles!) and felt great. Well, great for having run 62 miles. I wasn't told my standing in the race and I didn't ask. Just keep moving, just keep moving (in Dora's sing-songy voice). I figured out I had time for four more loops if I kept plodding along.

I got some cheers before my last lap and heard a rumor that I was in first. I really wasn't sure and the main thing that I was focusing on was I had just finished my distance from last year and still had time for another loop! I made up my mind that this was it after doing some simple math. I smiled the last lap and just before the finish, Andy Fritz cheered me on from the bridge. Just another straightaway and I was finished! Cheers and some people telling me to go do one more lap! I told them, "YOU go do another lap!". I had 14 minutes left and MAYBE I could have done it but my last lap was so happy, I didn't want to ruin that feeling.

I was on the runner's high and danced a little to some music before realizing that I was thirsty. Oh, and tired. Um, and a little sore. Hmmm. It occurred to me that I could sit down. So I did. Here's the funny thing about endurance events; you can keep moving for a long time but when you stop, your muscles lose their fluidity and suddenly, movement is thwarted in every direction.

I felt the need to lie down and needed a bit of help standing. Last year I was nauseous and cramping. I felt relatively great in comparison. I DID win first place overall for women and 4th overall. This is the furthest distance I have run to date. My moving average pace was 9:41 per mile and my average pace overall was 10:15 per mile. My elapsed time on the course was 11:45:56 while my actual MOVING time was 11:06:26. So I spent about 40 minutes stopped for one reason or another. Add the extra 14 minutes at the end that I had remaining and that leaving nearly an hour of semi-wasted time (getting nutrition and rocks out of shoes is not wasted time).

That's it! My 12 hour which was more like an 11 hour, my second year running it, my second year winning it. Dare I consider a 100 miler?

Hanging out with Andy Fritz - well, just long enough to take a picture!

What's more surprising? My distance or that my Garmin didn't die?

Steve Walters and I celebrating our first place finishes

Get up? You want me to get up?

http://www.guerillarunning.com/files/72813072.pdf

Time:	11:45:56
Moving Time:	11:06:26
Elapsed Time:	11:46:37

Avg Pace:	10:15 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:	9:41 min/mi
Best Pace:	7:29 min/mi

Bellevue Ghost Marathon 6/23/13

2013-07-13T20:56:00.001-07:00

Woke up a little tired from the little jog I took the day before. I wasn't hurting especially but just fatigued. There were a handful of people signed up for this run and I somehow made it to the start on time. I had my camelback filled, tank and shorts on, cap and sunglasses prepped. I had studied the map the night before and even wrote out left/right at each turn. It would have helped if I had brought it with me. Thankfully the race director, Arthur Martineau, had copies of the directions for everyone.

No fanfare, timing mats and a finishing remark from Arthur that "the race started 2 minutes ago" set up off on our 26.2 mile journey. Here's our huge group of runners. I'm standing behind my beautiful, leggy friend, Betsy.

My goal was 4:30 or faster. Or just finish. I would REALLY know until I had a few miles under my belt to see how my body was feeling. We set out on a beautiful, quiet morning in Bellevue. A guy took off in front and I started putzing along, staying in front of most of the group without trying. The general consensus this morning was, what's the hurry?

David Pierson was quickly at my side, a fellow marathon maniac, a surprise since I didn't see him at the start. He was a little late and hurried to catch up with us. He also ran Seattle Rock and Roll the day before and finished about the same time as I did but we didn' see each other. I met David during my Winter Triple, discovered he is deaf, and have blundered my way through conversations while David remains ever-patient with me. My daughter is minoring in ASL in college and keeps telling me to study!

David had the same plan, sort of, in that he wanted to run a 4 hour and I told him I would run a 5 hour and he told me I couldn't slow down and we'd run a 4 hour. Yeesh, these are the kinds of friends I have! We worked well as a team not getting lost and keeping each other on track taking in nutrition and liquid.

The course was rolling and we hit this very long section of downhill that killed my quads. We thought it would never end. I told David we must be running to H-E-L-L. And what goes down, must come up or something equally original. Haha. Surprisingly we never had a huge uphill that seemed to be the equivalent of the downhill. Thank the Lord!

David started tiring around mile 16 and after walking some more uphill and not being able to convince him I didn't mind sticking with him, I powered on my own off the main roads and onto a nice bike trail. The time passed so much more quickly with David by my side. My pace significantly slowed and I expected to see David and many others pass me but it didn't happen. I wasn't the only tired runner out there. I wasn't feeling hurt but just fatigued. Finishing seemed like a great idea.

There were numerous times I had to stop and look around at street signs and/or ask people where I was to be sure I hadn't missed a turn. There were a few times I was positive I had taken a wrong turn but somehow I was on the right path. I kept my pace slow and steady and made my way up the last final uphill to the finish line. Less than .2 to go and I stood waiting at another intersection for the light to change. What a difference between a big city marathon and low-key marathon. I love both for different reasons.

The finish line arrived and I was one happy girl to be done. 26.79 on my Garmin. Got some water, found myself in second place and penguine-walked to my vehicle for the drive home. First I had to GPS a fast food place because I NEEDED french fries.

My next race, Taylor Mountan Marathon, was in 6 days and I would not run leading up to it because my body was struggling to recover. It was a good move.

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon 6/22/13

2013-07-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is my 5th year running this race. For those of us who have run all of the Seattle races,we were given special bibs and we had our name on a banner at the expo. Our bibs allowed us to start in the corral of our choosing.

Jeff will one again be running the half marathon (his 5th year, too) even though he tells me he's never doing it again EVERY time. He once again signed up for next year at the expo.

Literally as we were still on our driveway about to leave for the expo on Friday afternoon, I received a call from my step-mom with devastating news. My step-brother's daughter, Jordyn, died from a drug overdose at noon. She was 19, just a few months older than my older daughter. My heart was heavy all weekend as I thought about the circumstances and the pain my family was experiencing.

Jordyn with her brother

Jordyn was a beautiful girl, loving and left behind many friends and family.

Jeff and I went about our weekend, faking our way through the experience, keeping emotions tucked away so we could get through the race. The expo was packed and after picking up our special bibs and packets, we tried lots of free samples before heading to our hotel, Travel Lodge. This is a couple blocks from the start line and completely worth the money to be so close for such an early start race.

I packed leftover pasta this time and was so happy not to have to hoof it around Seattle looking for an overpriced restaurant to find some decent carbs. I need to remember to do this more often. It was so relaxing to sit back, eat our homecooked food while watching a movie. No waiting or tips required.

Lights out around 10:00 and the alarm set for 5:00 a.m. My earplugs were in and I was able to sleep fairly well once I let my mind stop asking impossible questions about Jordyn. I immediately went downstairs to find some food (the hotel opened it up early for runners) before getting my race gear ready.

The morning flew by and by 6:40, we left our room for the start. I again missed the Marathon Maniac picture which was at 6:15. I chose corral 4 and Jeff moved back to 7. My emotions were welling up and I kept squashing them back. Found Larissa and met a fellow blogger. Just as were were to start, my tears couldn't be stopped and I grabbed Larissa's hand and asked her to pray for our family as my brother's daughter had passed away. I hadn't meant to do that to her just before a race but my heart needed a release and I knew she would understand. Thank you, Larissa, for being my rock on race morning. I couldn't share with anyone else what was going on until all I knew that the news was given to everyone that needed to know first. I haven't seen Jordyn in years but the pain is still there as I consider my own daughters and the void that would forever exist without them.

My goal was to finish in 3:40 or better. I tried to run the first half smarter than the last race. The weather was close to ideal, a bit on the warm side but I loved it. I don't have a lot of mile specific memories but here's what I do remember:

The tunnels, while providing shade, also provide a cantered surface, especially the Mercer Island tunnel, which makes running uncomfortable. I couldn't wait to get out of that tunnel! I also lost reception in the tunnels on my watch. I somehow locked my Garmin and somehow unlocked it a few minutes later; how I did either is a mystery. I was passed by a guy wearing a Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz costume. I passed him later as I also passed the guy dribbling two basketballs throughout the entire marathon. Imagine listening to bouncing basketballs nonstop and you will know why I made an effort to get by him.

The bands were good and the cheer squads but, in reality, you only hear them for a a minute as you approach and run by them. Most of my race was solo as I wasn't keeping pace with other runners or friends. It was great seeing some Maniacs on the out and backs. I know I was not feeling great and wished I had more pep in my legs. My half marathon split was about right for a 3:40 finish.

I tired the second half, took a couple quick walk breaks up some hills and felt faster as I passed half-marathon walkers. Finally I made the last turn onto Mercer and up the dreaded finishing hill. 3:42:19 chip time and as I made my way through the finisher's area, my arms were overloaded with bagels, smoothies, chocolate milk, water and just as I placed my bagel over the top of a water bottle, I found my beloved waiting for me with Pedro Infante. This guy is so fast and so sweet! He promised to outrun me to the finish of Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon in July since I was faster than last year.

I realized I wasn't feeling great and we made our way to the beer garden where I gladly let Jeff have mine. Sharon, Erik, Brian and Melissa (future Ragnar Relay partners) were all hanging out and soon we made our way back to the hotel where they allowed us a late checkout. Red Robin was our next stop before heading home and resting up for the next day's run, Bellevue Ghost Marathon.

Yep, already signed up for next year!

Overall:

291 out of 2361
Division:
9 out of 136
Gender:
57 out of 1032

5 km 24:41
10 km 49:32
10 mi 1:21:32
half 1:47:48
18.1 2:30:57
20 mi 2:46:50

Pace: 8:29
Chip time: 3:42:19
Clock time: 3:45:34

North Olympic Discovery Marathon - 6/2/13

2013-07-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

The night before a marathon shouldn't involve waiting for your duck to have x-rays. It's not right. My life has never been "normal"(and who has a life like that anyway?). Tawney (or Tawny/Tawnie/Tawni depending on which family member you ask) has been limping for a couple of weeks but seemed to be getting better until June 1. We have 2 ducks, Stella and Tawny. We are Accidental Duck Owners, definitely a must-see Hallmark movie title.

Tawny and Stella

They are in a fully-enclosed pen and we have no idea how she hurt herself. Tawny took a turn for the worse this day and we decided she needed to see the vet. Our ducks are pets, not for eating, thank you. I'm mad at those who suggested we just shoot her and have her for dinner. I'm sure some of you are snickering but seriously, we've hand-raised her and she's a sweetheart. I could never ever ever ever do that.

Hours later, we are told she has a broken femur, a little unusual for a duck, and we are sent home with instructions to keep her enclosed in her small house. We would have to wait until Tuesday to hear from a doctor to see if she could get any further help or if we would have to put her down because her quality of life would be so poor.

Race morning arrived and I put thoughts on Tawney on hold and tried to focus on the race before me. Last year, I won the female race after coming in second overall a few times. Here's that race report: NODM 2012 race report. I had a great first half but struggled with major muscle cramping later and scraped the win by seconds. Thoughts of winning today were far from my mind as my training and body weren't ready to race hard and I really was just looking for a little improvement over Tacoma City Marathon's 3:49 finish.

Jeff drove Lori, Sharon and myself to the starting line (Sharon was pacing the half marathon) after arriving an hour early. I met up with other Maniacs in the building as we waited but my heart was heavy and I had to leave to get my emotions under control. I didn't think anyone would understand why I was teary over a duck.

I lined up for the 7th year in a row for the start of the North Olympic Discovery Marathon. This was my qualifying race for the Marathon Maniacs in 2006. I had a goal of keeping my pace about 8:00-8:30. For many miles, I was near the 3:35 pacer along with a woman running her first marathon. She had hoped to Boston qualify on her first marathon and I could only tell her that if she did, she would be the exception to most first-time marathoners.

The first 8+ miles are through the streets of Sequim before we get to the Discovery Trail. The day was warm and many inexperienced runners haven't hydrated properly and begin to slow. Jeff sightings through town and I feel a boost of confidence with his presence. We finally enter the trail and get some shade. I was with the 3:35 pacer through the half marathon and said adios to him as I could tell I was fading. I hoped I could not fall too far behind but I knew my legs weren't ready to keep up yet.

Mile 16 and we begin to get some rolling hills. The trail is beautiful, especially over the wooden bridges. Caterpillars are dropping from trees and litter the trail, dying by the hundreds as runners cannot avoid them. I tried not to think about it as I went on a killing spree to the finish line.

I focused on the mile I was in, tried to keep a decent rhythm, kept my heart rate under control on the hills and remembered how lucky I was to be running. The last five miles of this course have given me some really fast miles but I knew that wouldn't happen today. And I was okay with it. The marathoners were finally merging with the slower half marathoners. We finally arrived along the last mile of waterfront running and the marina looked incredibly far away. I plodded along, tried to pick up my pace but realized my body has one gear. As I approached the finish line, I saw Jeff on my right and Sharon on my left and that gave me a little extra energy to push harder to the finish line. I crossed just under 3:45, not as big an improvement as I would have liked but I accepted it as a step forward. No age group awards for me today.

I love this race even though there are some friends who don't see the appeal. I enjoy the smaller field, rural roads, beautiful surroundings, excellent volunteers and cool shirts. I don't LOVE the hills but if ya gotta run hills, might as well be on a pretty trail.

**I wrote this a month after the race and I know I've forgotten some important details, funny tidbits that always happen in a marathon, etc. I wanted to share for my animal loving friends that Tawney is doing better after getting some medical attention. She's been steadily improving and Stella won't have to live alone.

1	8:02.4	1.00	8:02
2	8:16.4	1.00	8:16
3	7:52.4	1.00	7:52
4	7:45.0	1.00	7:45
5	8:01.4	1.00	8:01
6	8:08.0	1.00	8:08
7	8:09.8	1.00	8:10
8	8:24.0	1.00	8:24
9	8:07.6	1.00	8:08
10	8:34.1	1.00	8:34
11	7:58.9	1.00	7:59
12	7:57.6	1.00	7:58
13	8:17.7	1.00	8:18
14	8:48.9	1.00	8:49
15	7:58.5	1.00	7:58
16	8:22.3	1.00	8:22
17	9:05.2	1.00	9:05
18	9:05.3	1.00	9:05
19	8:37.0	1.00	8:37
20	9:14.4	1.00	9:14
21	10:26.9	1.00	10:27
22	8:32.2	1.00	8:32
23	8:40.2	1.00	8:40
24	8:47.1	1.00	8:47
25	8:58.5	1.00	8:59
26	8:35.3	1.00	8:35
27	4:05.1	0.54	7:36

Summary

3:44:51.8

26.54 miles

8:28 average

THE Rest Week - 5/18-5/23

2013-06-01T08:04:00.002-07:00

Post Tacoma City Marathon report - June 1, 2013

Life can turn on a dime. One day you're healthy, and then you're injured . Then 3 months later, you're healthy and run a marathon too soon, run another one too soon again and then suddenly, you're injured again. Thankfully this time, it's a short-lived bout with knee pain.

The week following the marathon, I ran short and easy-paced runs but noticed right away a bruised feeling under my left patella aka kneecap. It hurt every step but not enough in the beginning to make me stop. I then noticed a few days later that it hurt when kneeling as I was on the floor folding laundry. Don't get sidetracked on the minor issue of how little I actually complete the last step in doing the laundry. Kneeling nearly brought tears to my eyes. Of course I kept poking and prodding the pain in an effort to solidify the fact that it did hurt.

May 17th, 12 days after TCM, I finally called it quits for my daily run, something I should have done a week earlier. The pain was getting worse and my running thoughts consisted of words such as: Ow! No! Ow! Shoot! No! Umph! Owie! and other words not suitable for this blog or my thoughts. I knew I MUST take some time off or face yet another long layoff from running. My streak had been blown for the year anyway.

Reluctantly, I stashed my running shoes away from the front door and decided to not run for 5-7 days before trying it out again on a short run. Walking didn't hurt at all.

The week of not running was filled with some new adventures for me. I have been job hunting for a VERY LONG ARDUOUS time (1 1/2+ years)with disappointment after disappointment that I will not elaborate here. Just know it was a time-consuming and frustrating journey. My homeschooling days have ended and suddenly I am able to work full-time again. My last full-time job was in 1993! For most of my job-hunting time, I was still my younger daughter's driver and this kept my available hours to work more limited which kept me from getting hired. Retail stores of any kind want you to be available 24/7 or they won't even call you in for an interview. It's nuts.

I received a call from a local hardware store for a customer service position (previously interviewed the summer before and didn't get hired as well as 5-7 other applications for different positions over the past year). It was a weekday only position, 20 hours a week. Sweet! I could still race on the weekends! Interviewed, waited, hired in 2 days! The same day I was hired, I received a phone call from an attorney's office I applied to calling me in for an interview. Seriously?

I interviewed with someone the next day, felt like I blew the interview and decided to just be happy I had a job with the hardware store. The hardware store had to do a background check on me so it would be a week before I actually started. I received an email asking me to come in the next day for a group interview at the office. I was really surprised but so thankful and nervous. Back to the office and was happy with my group interview experience. I didn't place any hope in it after so many disappointments over the past year. Another email arrived that night asking me to come in one last time. I was floored. Would it be a skills test? Another interview? I arrived at the office with uncertainty. I left with a full-time job as a legal receptionist. What a crazy week! I started work the next day, a Thursday, and my no-running week began the following Saturday.

On the 5th day, after pushing and prodding under my kneecap without pain, I met Sharon for a slow 4 miler. I ran with trepidation for a few steps and quickly realized I didn't feel any pain! Inside, my thoughts turned to the chorus of this song:

Until mile 4. I felt an ache in the same place. Sigh. Cue new music.

I laced up the next day anticipating more of the same and very happily my knee pain was magically gone and hasn't returned since May 26th! That brings us to today, the day before the North Olympic Discovery Marathon. My longest run since TCM was 10.7 miles. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to race NODM but elated that I can run. Period. Here's last year's NODM race report: North Olympic Discovery Marathon 2012

Now to figure out how to fit in all my training while working full-time.

Until next time, RUN HAPPY!

Tacoma City Marathon 5/5/13

2013-05-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Marathon #53

Tacoma City Marathon

5/5/13
http://www.tacomacitymarathon.com/

Sharon and I sporting an XL Maniac shirt. We're patenting it as a tandem running shirt. I know I can get Sharon to her PR with this! Stick with me, Sharon!

Marilyn Pyke, me and Sharon Butler

Me, Bill, Marci, Bob, Sharon Tony, Marilyn and a Maniac I don't know

Monte, Sharon and I with our prizes.

The Tacoma City Marathon was the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Marathon Maniacs, a pussycat group of 3 can-you-top-this guys that started in 2003. You can read how it all went down here: So how did the Marathon Maniacs club start anyway?

Steve, Tony and Chris had no way of predicting the magnitude of that decision a decade ago.

The weekend started Friday with the expo held at Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma, race headquarters. Currently unemployed, I chose to pick up my bag early. I snagged some free leftovers from previous races, socialized a bit with some friends and made my way back home before the swarm of Maniacs arrived after regular work hours.

Saturday, Sharon and I went to the Maniac meeting, scored a couple plastic cups as prizes, and left the meeting early as it was running late and we both needed to get home and carb up for the next day. The meeting and dinner had some unexpected problems, like running out of food and being oversold, but like any family, we still love each other and recognize stuff happens.

I ate leftover spaghetti for dinner and was suddenly feeling wired. With a 7:00 a.m. start, even with a start line 25 minutes from my house, it was going to be an early morning and I wanted some decent sleep. There are moments in time when you wish you could slap yourself and the next is one of mine.

Thinking that I would not be able to sleep, and knowing that the PM medicines tend to make me headachey and groggy in the mornings, I decided I would pour myself a drink. You have to know at this point that I am not a drinker. I won't go into details on my past exploits when under the influence, but let's just say...hmmm...no, let's just not say anything. I will say I'm not a depressed drinker but rather EVERYTHING is funny. That is all.

I sipped on my vodka-infused lemonade (did I forget to mention it was Mike's Hard Lemonade?), hoping it would make me sleepy. Instead it made me dopey and I poured myself another. I would have been okay with one (maybe) but two? Let the ridiculousness begin! 10:00 or so and I sauntered to bed, feeling a bit woozy and wobbly.

10:05 pm: Swoosh! Wait, what was that? Oh, must be a cat in the litter box. With 4 cats, the box is like Grand Central Station.
10 seconds later: "MOM!" Okay, what? I really had too much to drink because the litter box swooshing sounds like someone calling MOM. It's like when the heater is on and you hear voices. You do hear voices, right? Oh...never mind.
10 seconds later: "MOM! MOOMMMM!" The whisper yell of my daughter finally made it's way into my loopy brain and I rolled out of bed and teetered into the hallway. The first thing I noticed was one of our cats, Lily, at attention staring up a wall. This was followed by Jessica in freeze frame position, ready to run as she stated that a frog was in the hallway. A frog!

Never mix Vodka and frogs

At this point, it should be noted that I am not an insect-loving, nature-is-my-friend, oooh-please-let-the-snake-wrap-around-me kind of girl. I'm the, "Get a shoe or box or anything and get it out of the house!" kind of girl. Sorry, but the inside of my house is my territory. You critters need to keep your place in this world.

I saw that it was a little guy (I actually don't know if it was a male or female, for the record) trying to escape the certain death by feline. I got in sprinter's stance and quickly got down and wrapped my hands over it, totally like a National Geographic episode in real life. Ha! It escaped through my fingers and I was jealous of it's plyometric skills. I caught it again and fell backwards a bit (this is a Vodka Topple ®) before recovering my balance and still holding the slimy bugger hostage. And then...lights out! No, I didn't pass out. Jessica hit the light switch, accidentally or not I am still not sure, and suddenly I had a slimy frog wiggling in my hands in the dark. Another Vodka Topple coming up!

The giggling commenced, the lights returned and I slalomed my way to the front door to release the frog to its rightful home.

I snickered my way back to bed after washing my hands and fell asleep quickly. Unfortunately when you drink, it has a cause/effect having to use the bathroom. 2:30 a.m., my bladder informed me it was quite ready to be emptied. A straight line from my bed to the bathroom could not be found as my head was in a Vodka cloud. I realized this same cloudy head was pounding and my stomach was also unhappy. The blankets and bed held no hope of a good night's sleep for me and not-so-soon, it was 5:30 and time to peel myself from their angry grip.

I arrived at the airport in Gig Harbor at 6:15, enough time to use the secret porta-potty that I didn't know was a secret until I was called out while waiting in line. Thankfully I wasn't kicked out of line but still missed the group picture of the Maniacs. I think I've only made one of these in the history of my racing.

Sabrina, myself and Heidi before the start

With my head still pounding and stomach revolting, I lined up at the 8:00 per mile pace sign and made a decision to try to run that pace or close to it for as long as possible just to test the waters. We head out en masse for a short out-and-back before bustling our way towards the Narrows Bridge. The sky was blue and temperatures were expected to reach the low 80s. There was no need for an extra layer of clothes before the race, a real treat in May for the Seattle area.

Being chased down by the 3:40 pace group,

The first couple of miles were in the high 7s, a pace I knew I could not sustain but I wanted to take advantage of the early morning weather. David Spooner asked me if I was "going for it" as I passed his 3:30 group and I responded that I was, but wouldn't be able to for long.

As we rounded the corner toward the bridges, with the mountains as the backdrop against azure skies, the waters of Puget Sound under the two Narrows Bridges, the beauty of this image caught out-of-towners by surprise.

Galloping Gertie IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW THE STORY OF THE FIRST NARROWS BRIDGE: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TNBhistory/Connections/connections3.htm

WAIT...that's not the right image! It was more like this:

The bridge crossing is about one mile and finishes with a deceiving incline up through War Memorial Park. I had the advantage of knowing this and kept my effort steady. Miles 5-13 meandered through different neighborhoods and I managed to keep my mile averages in the 8s for the first half. I crossed the half-way mark in 1:48-1:49. I had been taking salt tablets, gu, water and the electrolyte drink offered at each aid station. The heat was a bully, relentless and unforgiving. Had this been a race in July or August, most of us would have had time to acclimate but most Seattle natives were struggling. I knew early on in the race I wouldn't be able to hold a low 8 pace for the duration but this was a day to hang on as long as possible to check in on my current fitness.

Miles 13+-18+ had us run through Point Defiance Park on Five Mile Drive.The previous TCM's had us run this in the opposite direction and you have to believe me when I say this was definitely easier. Really. Despite the rolling nature, the beauty of Point Defiance and the most-welcomed shade made this section a treat.

Five Mile Drive looks like this plus it has astounding views of Puget Sound.

I began to feel nauseous as I came out of the park and forced myself to continue fueling and drinking water. Miles 18-26.2 felt like this:

Each mile that passed along this long, flat road to the finish, I would set a new goal. First, stay under a 9 pace each mile. Okay, maybe 9:30. Alright, a 10 minute pace is just fine. I would walk at times until my mile pace hit ten before running again. Hopes of coming in under 3:45 faded quickly and after leap-frogging with different runners, I was able to settle in with a guy running his first marathon. He was aiming for a sub-4 and we did the math and estimated a 3:50 finish was possible with a 10 minute pace. He had to walk and I continued on, found some more people to share the last miles with before finally seeing mile 25 and hearing the finish line.

My pace quickened slightly and I made myself not take any more walk breaks. The finish line seemed so far away. I rounded the last corner and crossed the finish line exactly in 3:49:00. Marathon Maniacs received special finisher's medal and after getting some water, I made my way back up the course a little ways to watch for my friend, Sharon, to finish.

Tony Phillipi asked what I thought of the new course after I finished. At the time, I really couldn't tell him if I like it any better except for Five Mile Drive, which is decidedly better than the original course, at least for me because uphills suck the life out of me.

The heat made it difficult for me to judge or compare between the two. If it had been in the typical 60 degree temperature range, I believe the course could be exceptional. The last stretch is beautiful and flat but the temperature made it difficult to enjoy when most runners were overheated and wanting shade. The one thing I really miss from the original course is the last couple of miles. I have some seriously fast miles at the end of a marathon from the original course.

I plan to run this again and again and again. Love the race organizers, the ever-present Marathon Maniac spirit, and its proximity to home.

Split	Time	Moving Time	Distance	Elevation Gain	Elevation Loss	Avg Pace	Avg Moving Pace	Best Pace	Calories
Summary	3:49:06.2	3:47:55.0	26.48	1,148	1,335	8:39	8:36	5:51	3,216
1	7:41.0	7:34	1.00	56	7	7:41	7:34	6:17	121
2	7:58.1	7:58	1.00	10	56	7:58	7:58	6:53	123
3	8:00.4	8:00	1.00	66	105	8:00	8:00	6:36	122
4	8:22.0	8:22	1.00	20	46	8:22	8:22	7:06	124
5	8:53.3	8:54	1.00	184	0	8:53	8:54	7:39	122
6	8:11.9	8:12	1.00	26	13	8:12	8:12	7:05	122
7	8:26.4	8:27	1.00	36	49	8:26	8:27	7:03	121
8	8:14.9	8:14	1.00	46	23	8:15	8:14	7:15	123
9	8:12.1	8:07	1.00	23	62	8:12	8:07	7:08	121
10	8:09.1	8:10	1.00	16	16	8:09	8:10	6:58	123
11	8:06.9	8:06	1.00	10	56	8:07	8:06	6:32	122
12	8:07.6	8:08	1.00	43	75	8:08	8:08	6:47	123
13	8:41.0	8:32	1.00	13	33	8:41	8:32	7:16	122
14	9:00.7	8:50	1.00	30	75	9:01	8:50	7:19	122
15	9:17.3	9:11	1.00	59	16	9:17	9:11	6:41	120
16	8:33.6	8:33	1.00	10	118	8:34	8:33	6:52	122
17	9:01.0	9:01	1.00	72	30	9:01	9:01	7:15	122
18	8:02.6	7:58	1.00	3	131	8:03	7:58	6:15	124
19	9:18.9	9:18	1.00	56	20	9:19	9:18	7:25	120
20	8:34.5	8:35	1.00	16	108	8:34	8:35	7:07	122
21	9:16.3	9:16	1.00	33	33	9:16	9:16	7:51	120
22	9:28.7	9:20	1.00	10	23	9:29	9:20	8:07	120
23	9:47.1	9:40	1.00	36	30	9:47	9:40	7:37	118
24	9:33.1	9:28	1.00	118	108	9:33	9:28	7:09	118
25	9:30.6	9:31	1.00	72	39	9:31	9:31	7:30	119
26	8:59.6	8:53	1.00	66	36	9:00	8:53	7:25	122
27	3:37.2	3:37	0.48	20	26	7:35	7:35	5:51	58

overall place:	143 out of 886
division place:	6 out of 87
gender place:	32
time:	3:49:00
pace:	8:44

Yakima River Canyon Marathon - 4/6/13

2013-04-25T10:15:00.004-07:00

April 14, 2013

YAKIMA RIVER CANYON MARATHON
April 6, 2013 8:00 a.m.

I've been asked numerous times if I'm training for something, how I train for a marathon, and how many miles do I run a week/day, along with many other questions with muddy answers. My usual answer goes something like this: "My mileage ranges from 35-80+ miles a week, depending on how close the next race is and I like to be physically ready to run a marathon on any given day. Not necessarily race, mind you, but in such shape that I can finish without wanting to die." Yeah, pretty much. This answer confounds most non-runners.

The Yakima River Canyon Marathon was scheduled just 3 1/2 weeks after getting clearance to "start slowly" with my running. I got the "slowly"part down, but maybe not in the way the doctor meant. My times were slow but I have jumped back into daily running without much thought. It just happens.

To answer the "how did you prepare for this marathon?" question for Yakima, here is my non-training plan:

Week One (March 12-17) : 26.2 miles with long run of 6 miles. That was completely unplanned.
Week Two: (March 18-24) 41 miles, long run 10.2
Week Three: (March 25-31) 59 miles, long run 14.45

Bart Yasso at the pasta diner

Week Four: (April 1-7) Marathon week! 62 miles, long run on Tuesday of 10.2 miles

I wouldn't advise anyone to jump in and run a marathon less than a month after getting cleared from a semi-bad injury. My running was slow-going for the most part, with little bursts of potential speed. I debated whether I should even attempt it and finalized my decision after the 14 miler since I finished the distance without feeling too horrible. My foot still hurts but not like it's broken. That's an unmistakable feeling I never wish to recreate.

The amazing Bob Dolphin

Race weekend, Bill Barmore and I made the trip over the mountain passes to Ellensburg where I picked up my daughter from campus. Next stop, packet pick up and pasta dinner. I snagged a Marathon Maniac clearance jacket, enjoyed a great talk by the one and only Bart Yasso (Yasoo 800s) before making my way back to our hotel room where Crystal and I would toss and turn all night. Thankfully the start line was less than a mile away so I could sleep a little later for the 8:00 start.

I arrived at the start about 7:45 with not much time to spare before the start. The morning was sunny and the mood was light. I found familiar faces and made a plan to finish without injury by staying comfortable. There was no need to push myself because getting a "fast" time was out of the question. The frontrunners, including Chuck Engle, sped off into the distance while I jogged at an easy pace. My miles splits were in the high 8's which actually surprised me. I spent time meeting Maniacs, catching up with friends, taking pictures. I found Bob Dolphin along the way and had my picture taken with him. This was his 501st marathon! And he started marathoning at age 51.

Looking back at one of the big hills

Canyon River Road was closed to through traffic and very few cars were on the course. The skies were blue, the weather was perfect for running (for me), and the only issue faced was the wall of wind that blasted runners at various points along the course. Since I wasn't racing, the wind didn't cause me any anxiety. I just relaxed, slowed down, kept moving forward. I felt surprisingly wonderful. My body was hanging in, my mind was in the right place, I was surrounded by wonderful people and glorious scenery. When I went through mile 20, I had the semi-rare thought that I couldn't believe I was already that far into the race and that I didn't want it to end.

I found myself crossing the finish line in 4:03:19 and later found out that I was 3rd in my age group! I received a beautiful plaque. This race is on my list to run again. The directors and volunteers are wonderful and the course is beautiful. My next race is Tacoma City Marathon and I haven't decided yet what my goal is. Finishing, yes, but do I add any time goal? It's still pretty early in my comeback.

1	8:45.0	1.00	8:45
2	8:55.8	1.00	8:56
3	8:48.9	1.00	8:49
4	8:51.5	1.00	8:51
5	8:49.2	1.00	8:49
6	8:54.9	1.00	8:55
7	8:34.2	1.00	8:34
8	8:53.0	1.00	8:53
9	9:07.5	1.00	9:08
10	8:38.7	1.00	8:39
11	9:09.8	1.00	9:10
12	9:43.5	1.00	9:44
13	9:10.0	1.00	9:10
14	8:45.3	1.00	8:45
15	10:13.8	1.00	10:14
16	8:18.4	1.00	8:18
17	9:36.2	1.00	9:36
18	8:53.2	1.00	8:53
19	9:24.6	1.00	9:24
20	9:20.6	1.00	9:21
21	9:40.5	1.00	9:40
22	9:37.8	1.00	9:38
23	10:58.2	1.00	10:58
24	9:18.0	1.00	9:18
25	8:47.0	1.00	8:47
26	8:28.5	1.00	8:28
27	3:58.4	0.50	7:53

Yakima Herald: Post marathon article

Pre-marathon article

My Running Family

2013-04-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

April 17, 2013

The Boston Marathon bombings, words that should never appear in the same sentence, tug at my heart. I've run Boston three times, 2006-2008. While I have qualified to run it each year since then, finances have kept me from making the trip east for this hallowed race of marathoners.

You have certainly read multitudes of posts and news articles about the unfathomable tragedy so I will resist the temptation to insert quotes and pictures from Monday's insanity. Instead, I want to express my deep gratitude for this sport. My life is decidedly different from the sedentary lifestyle that awaited me had I not found running, or maybe it found me. Through the years, I've recognized the physical and emotional benefits achieved while chasing after goals in the sport of running. Many goals have been achieved while others remain elusive.

Monday, as news of the bombing unfolded, details still fuzzy, I only wanted to know that my friends were safe. Of course I wanted everyone to be safe, but you know how it is. You need to know that people you care about are out of harm's way. I followed Facebook all day, searching for news about my friends. I'm extremely thankful to know that everyone is safe from my world, although shaken. Some were very near the bombs.

This is the BIGGEST GIFT running has given me. A family. I'm anxious to hug my friends. As with any tragedy, we are shocked into remembering what is truly important in our lives. Sharing the roads and trails with others for hours unites us in ways that non-runners don't understand.

Week One - The Return of the Runner

2013-03-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

March 22, 2013

26.2 miles. The distance of a marathon. The race, other than ultramarathons, that requires the most time from my daily life. Unless you are a certified Marathon Maniac or one in spirit who is marathoning at least once a month, there really is this thing called "training."

Oh, so back to the 26.2. My first week of running unearthed the newbie runner legs. It was weird, this pain I felt, deep in my muscles, a bruising, hot sensation, the sledgehammer effect of landing on my feet over and over. Day four, my first run on pavement, was excruciating. I had done 3, 5 and then 6 miles on the indoor YMCA track the previous days and think the new mileage took its toll on my body. It was only 3.5 miles outdoors and I had been contemplating "running" the St. Patty's Day half marathon the next day. The cutoff was 3 hours and a walk/jog might work but this run sealed the deal. All bets were off. The Leprechaun had left the building. The pot o' gold was stolen.

To finish my first week of running, I did another 5 and 3.72 miles. Here's the awesome thing. My weekly total mileage totaled 26.2 miles. I didn't plan it but there it is. Just a coincidence. Sure. Could be. Personally I believe there is something greater going on in this world, the unseen forces that many can't or don't want to recognize. It's such a small thing, 26.2 miles. I look at it as a little gesture of faith and reassurance, something I can hold onto while I'm struggling to run faster than 10 minute miles. It's a reminder that even in the small things, I am loved and remembered.

As I am finishing off week two, my legs have recovered from the initial broken concrete feeling to almost no soreness. My foot doesn't feel 100% yet but my times have improved. My easy run started at 11 minute miles and this week I have a couple of runs that averaged in the low 9s!

My next race on the schedule is the Yakima Marathon set for April 6th. Yes, really. I signed up last year and shouldn't do it. Probably. But I might. It starts just minutes away from my daughter's campus and it has a 7 hour cutoff. That's a 16 minute per mile average. That's TWO TIMES my normal marathon pace. I say, GAME ON! My family says, "What?!? WHAT?!??" I don't know what my doctor says because I'm not telling him. Hopefully I won't have to tell him on April 7th.

Run Happy!

Can't stop smiling!

2013-03-13T10:40:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, a little more than ten weeks following my fractured metatarsal, I had a third follow-up visit with Dr. Vaughan.

In case you forgot where I started...

Anticipation was high as I thought about how it would all go down. I've been working out at the YMCA almost every day and when I'm not there, I'm pushing play on P90X2, RevAbs or another amazing Beachbody workout. AWESOME BEACHBODY SITE HERE! Yeah, that's a plug for Beachbody and you better believe I will only promote what I truly believe to be the best at what they do.

My workouts have extended to three hours of sweating bullets on Jacob's Ladder, StairMaster, Expresso bikes, rowing machines, rope pulling, elliptical running...basically anything that will get my legs moving with some arm work thrown in for good measure. My foot has been feeling good but occasionally gives me a burst of pain, especially when flexing (toes up).

As I sat in the waiting room, I found the latest copy of Runner's World and read this article "Last Man Up" which was so inspiring. I haven't done any races like the one in the story, but I felt a kinship with him and the craving to keep testing personal boundaries. The nurse called me back and I told her I would sometimes have pain so she proceeded with an x-ray. Finally the doctor arrived and shared the x-ray. He pointed out the cartilage buildup around the break but went on to show me that the break was basically healed and I had clearance to start running again! I have to admit that on Saturday, I slowly shuffled through a jog/walk on the YMCA indoor track with my partner in crime, Sharon. It didn't hurt but my feet barely left the ground. That was 3 days ago.

I asked Dr. Vaughan what he thought would be an acceptable rate of progression and he mentioned the 10% rule...increase mileage 10% per week. So...um, that won't work for me. I won't jump in with a 50 mile week but running one mile this week and jumping like a crazy person to two miles (50% jump) next week is a bit too slow for me. I asked him if participating in a half marathon this weekend would be okay...could there have been rolling eyes? Perhaps. He offered to write a note for the race director who could possibly defer my entry...yes, I super glued my eyes in place at that. I mentioned I knew the race director, Tony Phillipi, and that I wouldn't need a note!

He sent me on my merry way and I immediately went to the YMCA, put on my running clothes, and plodded through three miles! Tears of joy flowed, followed by a crazy person smile, all to the horror of other gym members who didn't quite know what to make of the insane person jogging, and occasionally tripping, on the track. Whatever. Isn't that what runners do? We keep moving. We trip, we get hurt, we get back up, brush the dust off ourselves and keep moving forward. And we don't care if anyone is watching.

It's not about trying to impress anyone. It's about proving something to ourselves, to delve deeper into our character, our drive, our will. Sometimes we find we're undisciplined, lack desire and determination. Other times, we amaze ourselves at what our heart, minds,bodies worked together to accomplish. In the end, it's really not about the "running" but about what running brings to the surface and somehow we are stronger for it.

Hello legs!

2013-02-13T09:46:00.000-08:00

February 13, 2013

I have a challenge for you. Try to exercise without putting pressure on one of your feet. Go! I'll be waiting in the elevator while you try to sweat. If you put pressure on anything but the heel of your "injured" foot, you're cheating.

Did you have to get creative? What did you do to work up a sweat? It's possible to work your body without using your foot, yes, but it's takes some thought and effort. I have found it difficult to really sweat since my injury. You know, drip off your nose and elbows sweat. I was given the a-okay to try the bike and other low impact equipment and as long as there is no pain, I can go for it!

My sit bones are a little sore but my psyche is extremely elated. As long as I don't stand up on the pedals, I can bike with the best of them. I tried the stair climber and no longer have to look with envy because now I am climbing, too! I've also discovered another couple of tools at the YMCA that get the sweat flying: the ROPE PULL and Jacob's Ladder.

What is Jacob's Ladder?

My life is feeling more normal now. That first drip of sweat was like a revelation: I am healing and I am love sweating. I know that may sound weird but if it doesn't, you are my friend. You know.

Who are these women who CHOOSE to not break a sweat intentionally? My guess is they have emotional problems. My theory is that more women would suffer less physical and emotional problems if they would force their bodies into uncomfortable effort. Now don't get down on me, ladies. I know what's what. Our bodies can do crazy things. But GENERALLY speaking, physical activity does wonders for our stability, both physical and emotional.

Did you sweat today?

Cue Marvin Gaye...

2013-02-08T17:19:00.001-08:00

Click play first:

So I've crawled out of the pool and grown legs and have begun my journey to the weight and equipment part of the YMCA. I've looked with envy at the ellipticals and treadmills. I even have longed to get on the stair climber, that's how sick and twisted I have become without my daily dose of running.

The free weights part of the room is like a carnival display of testosterone-filled, sweaty, grunting men staring at their biceps and thick necks with admiration. I have postponed that area for another day. For now, I have been finding machines that don't cause pain in my foot. Hamstring curl, leg extension, bicep, tricep, shoulder press, captain's chair for my squishy abs, and the sex machines. It's been a good experience for me to...what's that? Back up? Sex? Machines?

Technically, they are the abductor and adductor machines. Here's how it goes:

I see them, side by side, waiting for a volunteer to sit and show their goods to the entire gym. I believe these two machines should be set aside in their own dimly-lit room, jasmine candles burning, and a little Marvin Gaye playing in the background.

The last time I used them, I realized in horror that the seam in my capris had a little tear in it...not THERE, thankfully, but it was a good reminder to choose my adductor apparel more carefully.

What's your favorite machine at the gym? Do you abduct? Adduct? Do you grunt in the front of the mirror in public?

Thought you'd enjoy this little groin-busting picture.

Until next time, I have a hot date at the YMCA.

Naked Yoga and Other Gym Adventures

2013-02-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

February 2, 2012

The aqua saga continues.

It's been 5 weeks today since I broke a metatarsal. Dr. McCrum told me a typical time frame for healing would be 6-8 weeks. I can't imagine being able to run in one week. I have progressed to gimpy walking, some people not noticing that I avoid pressure on the top of my foot. I have tried to walk normally and it's not ready. The pain is immediate and I'm smart enough to not push it. I'm hopeful that 3 more weeks will do the trick but I also want to continue running without injury so I will let it heal no matter what the time frame.

While I wait for my bone to repair itself, I continue driving to the YMCA nearly every day for swimming and/or aquajogging. It's been about 3 weeks since I started this routine and I have discovered something about myself. I not only love competing in running, but I believe I just love competing, even against myself. My water running and swimming began quite innocently, me just a poor little fish trying to survive in a pool of flip-turn, drill masters. With my aqua belt strapped on tightly, my bingo-blue stamper head bobbing ever so slowly down the lane while underneath, I'd be stirring up a storm with my running. I began with 30 minutes of running and have progressed to 90 minutes. I read that I should be running in the water as long as a planned road run. Sigh. I have incorporated swimming and am up to 2 miles. Of course I had to look at the ironman swim distance, 2.4 miles, and have this incessant need to swim further than that.

Today I will attempt 2-2.5 hours of running while trying not to go bat-crazy or call anyone a monkey butt for splashing me with their wide splish splashy strokes. Don't get me wrong; I love the pool and most are quite polite and give me plenty of birth while I skim the rope line to stay out of their way. It's just the guys - usually - who take up an entire lane with their wide flinging arms. And can I say the breast stroke is not an invitation to touch the boobies as you go by me?

Outside of the pool, in the secret caves aka locker rooms, I have discovered oddities...things that make you go hmmm.

Naked hot yoga. Why pay for hot yoga when you can just strip down to nothing and do it in the sauna? Hey! No criss-cross applesauce!
Massages in the steam room. Naked. Okay, ladies, knock it off!
Getting ready to leave the locker room and staying naked until the last possible second.
Discovering I am an anatomy lesson for little children after 3:30 pm.

Hey, I know it's a locker room and naked happens. But really, can you leave SOMETHING on while you deep stretch in the sauna? Grrr. Oh. GUYS! In case you're wondering, whatever you're imagining, yeah...not.

I had my first water running lane sharer this past week. A guy joined me and hey, I'm okay with sharing a lane. No big. It's just a little awkward, 2 heads bobbing slowly up and down the lane, and you're kind of forced to smile every time and, you know, converse. The swimmers are pretty much submerged so that's not a big deal. Found out he's planning on running a 24 hour race this year sometime. He's up to 16 miles. He doesn't have ultra experience but after hearing him talk, I think he thinks he has it all figured out.

While passing each other, oh yes, lots of time to talk as we approach and pass, he tells me he thinks that in a 24 hour race, it comes down to "what's up here" as he pointed to his brain, and yes, I agree, your thoughts and discipline, etc. are huge in ultras. But let's not forget the body. It's going through self-imposed fatigue and pain in ways you won't understand unless you've gone through mega distances. So how do I respond? I say, "It has a lot to do with what's down here," pointed under the water. Yeah. Idiot. What I meant (legs, feet!) and what he heard may have been different based on the look on his face. Insert blush. My friends said that I was right. It takes balls to attempt a 24 hour.

See you in the pool!

I'm running again!

2013-01-21T11:01:00.002-08:00

So maybe it's not on land and perhaps I don't need shoes to do it but at least my body is going through the running motions. In water. Have you aqua-jogged? Was it during an injury or part of cross training or were you looking for a way to test your boredom coping capabilities?

Not-me aquajogging

I have been strapping on the aquabelt about 4 times so far. I have worked my way up to near an hour and a half of aqua running and have also started freestyle swimming without kicking. I initially added that because I needed to break up the monotony of running in water. The equivalent expression, "A watched pot never boils," with aquajogging is, "A watched string of flags never gets closer."

The most exciting sessions I have are when the water aerobics class gets their groove on so I have been trying to plan my running around that schedule. I taught water aerobics at the Y and loved it and loved the mostly-seniors who participated. What an entertaining group of people!

I had my follow up doctor's appointment last week and discovered that I really do have a fractured metatarsal even though the written report by the radiologist stated I didn't. It was very odd. The xray clearly shows the break. The doctor will see me again in 3 weeks to see how it's progressing. I still cannot do any impact exercises and will continue pursuing my water exercises. I am going to add in weight machines this week since I can do those without using impact on my foot.

Here is an interesting article on aqua jogging. The latest research on the effectiveness of aqua jogging and 3 scientifically supported tips to help you get the most out of your deep water running

A friend mentioned an alter-g treadmill as another option during my rehab. I will look into it, however, I don't know if it will be acceptable as there may be some impact. Have you used one of these rare machines? http://www.alterg.com/

I know your secret!

2013-01-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this, I know your nasty, little secret. You hide it, lie about it, cover it up, try to keep yourself from succumbing to its powers, and blame others. Admit it! You. Are. A. Farter!

Now, now, it's okay. I won't tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me. Can I tell you something, though? As much as you break wind accidentally, cut the cheese in enclosed spaces, produce silent but deadly clouds of gas, you are not fooling anyone.

Even Google is shy about it. I searched facts about gas and facts about farts. Every suggested search item produced something completely irrelevant to what I want to know. Every person on this planet lets loose and yet no one wants to discuss the inevitable moments when our bodies betray us in the most awkward places and times. Shocking, right? Apparently this phenomenon only happens to certain people, like, I don't know, EVERYONE! Look around today and remember that they have or will have flatulence today. And it's normal. Okay? Totally normal. My best guess is that we are ashamed to admit we have an ANUS. Okay, there, I wrote it. Get over it.

As a runner, I feel it is my duty to inform all the non-runners that we are crude and rude on the run. Topics surrounding bodily functions on the run are often accompanied by a show and tell session. Our modesty is wiped away with each step (and wipe in public...truth). Have you ever seen the line to the porta potties at a race? We are not ashamed to hold a roll of toilet paper in public or squat down in the middle of the trail with our lookout runner-friend 2 feet away. Warming up before a race is just another way to test our stomachs and jar all of the gas out before we immerse ourselves into the race crowd out of courtesy for other runners. It doesn't always work, though, and many a "horn" is heard at the sound of the gun.

For whatever reason, farting (you are cringing because I wrote that, right?) in a race isn't nearly as embarrassing as, say, in the elevator.

My most embarrassing gas escape happened during an overnight party at the high school for my volleyball team. It was in the middle of the night, lack of sleep, hopped up on caffeine and pizza and we were goofing in the gym. I jumped up to spike the ball and when I came down, well, it was not my finest moment. It's how I shut the game down.

What is your most embarrassing fart moment?

Flatulence pads - reusable! In case you ever need a "muffler"...

Did you know there are products available to filter your farts? Seriously! Fart filtering cushion!

Not Running Life

2013-01-10T17:14:00.002-08:00

January 10, 2013

Obviously this won't be a race report, unless you want to hear about how I was in a race to the bathroom with my kitty, me on crutches and wearing a boot, and kitty hyped up and doing circles around me since she knew I would be doing the magic trick of opening a can of food for her. Note to my former writing students: that was a run on sentence.

Nearly 2 weeks have passed since "the Incident" and everyday tasks such as bathing, cooking, dressing myself, etc., have all taken on a new level of importance. My chopsticks, er...crutches, have been used in ways not intended. My left leg is thankfully strong and getting stronger. I recommend not carrying liquid in an open container while moving about your house, heaven forbid, should you be in this predicament.

My family is super helpful but can't always be there when I need help. Some ways I've worked around this is pushing a laundry basket around with one crutch, hopping, and pushing it more until I arrive at the designated spot. I've also kept a backpack near my chair and carry things around in it. A cat-pack is in progress and I'll let you know if I am successful using my four cats to carry things around the house for me.

Exercising has been more challenging with this injury than the one I had 2 years ago. With Injury #1, I had more ability to use my leg as long as I didn't point my toes. There's not much I can do with a broken metatarsal since any pressure is painful and not advised at this point. I've used free weights, done some ab/core work but have found myself slacking. I did an hour of Just Dance last night which was awesome! Perhaps if you saw me, awkward might better describe it, but for me, AWESOME. It annoyed me to not be able to move my legs and get my cardio up but I did sweat a little.

Today I am contemplating aqua jogging. You've seen them in the pool, those pretend runners. Well now that will be me. Don't judge me, tell me I'm in your way or kick my foot as you go by. I will be working my tail off to get some cardio training. And when you jump out of the pool, think of me hopping my way up the pool stairs and crawling out on my hands and knees. Have a heart. I will definitely be wearing shorts!

I've been keeping track of my food intake since my injury and I will freely admit that when I'm healthy and running, I eat a lot. A LOT. It's been a challenge to cut down on portion sizes because my gut didn't get the memo that I'm not running.

On another note, I have started taking Christmas decorations down today. Normally it's done by January 2nd but I've been a little sidetracked. And I heard it's not even a crime until March 1st. So technically I'm ahead of the game!

Yukon Do It! Marathon December 31, 2012

2013-01-07T10:18:00.004-08:00

This is the third year running of the Yukon Do It! Marathon. I had the idea for this in 2010 and Tony Seabolt implemented my idea and I handed over the race to him the following year. Here's the first year's report in 3 parts: Pre-race Race Day - part one Race Day - part two.

I couldn't stay home and sulk while my friends were out there running. This would have been the third race in Quadzilla. Other than my injury, my body was in good shape. I wanted to get out there and cheer on my friends and take part in some small way. It still feels like my baby and I'll always want to participate or help in some way.

My daughter, Crystal, agreed to drive me to Manchester where the half and full marathoners would be running. She brought her computer and set out to get some editing done while I rang bells, took pictures, and way-to-go'd as many runners as I could. Bill Barmore, an ever-present helper or runner at races, let me hang out at his aid station. Steve Walters was also there taking pictures. He coordinated the Quadzilla and when I told him he could let someone else buy my sweatshirt, he told me he already did. Gah. Of course!

Pedro, 1st Female Marathon winner, Pedro

Lori Moriarity, 2nd female, 1st masters.

Amanda Hoskins led in 2nd place for most of the race

Hi Beverly!

Erik and Sharon Butler

Crystal and I drove to the finish and I found some friends to congratulate and saw Lori and Amanda finish with seconds apart.

The weather was overcast and cold, but not biting cold like it was last year.

I packed myself back to the car with Nancy tagging along so we could give her a ride home. Nancy is an inspiration that everyone should hear about and perhaps someday she will share her journey with us here.

Nancy!

My next race report will hopefully be in March. Oh, how I wish it was sooner. In the meantime, I will still be blogging and finding joy on my journey.

Sharon and post-race

Quadzilla - Day One

2013-01-07T00:03:00.001-08:00

December 29, 2012
Quadzilla - Four marathons/Four Days,

Day one of Quadzilla was Loop the Lake Marathon. We started in front of The Balanced Athlete in Renton and followed this route: Loop The Lake Marathon Course.

Race start: 9:00 a.m. I left my house at 7:25 and was parking by 8:30 a.m. I have never been this close to Boeing which is crazy considering I've lived in this area my entire life! I found the parking garage easily enough and made my way to the store, packed with runners ready to tackle either a half or full marathon. The half-marathoners would be running the same loop but would have a partner and each one would run the first or second half of the course.

Accidental photo that looks kinda cool

Mary Hanna and I had a chance to catch up while waiting for the bathroom. After a short briefing about the course, we squeezed out of the doors and were let loose along the streets of Renton. Our goal was to follow the flour markings and hopefully we would end up across the Lake Washington, Mercer Island, Bellevue and back down to Renton.

My camel pack was filled with water, Gu, salt tablets, and my iphone, set up with a playlist. I had forgotten my headphones so I had music playing, hopefully not too loud, and also used the Nike Run app to track my miles and also wore my new Garmin 310XT. I set out without any big goals other than to finish and with any luck, in 4 hours or less. This was the first of four marathons so that wasn’t my top priority.

I apologize to everyone around me who had to listen to "Dirty Little Secret" or any of the other songs that may be annoying. I downloaded a playlist from Rock My Run (This one) and This one which I like better. FREE. I have been getting free credits from this website since I ran the Rock and Roll marathon. Pretty sweet deal!

We followed flour markers as we made our way around Lake Washington. I ran mostly on sidewalks but there was a bike lane for much of it and opted to stay in it as much as possible. Cement sidewalks are much less forgiving on your body. I found myself running alone for most of the race, either behind or in front of others, not have the joy of sharing miles together with friends.

Running across Lake Washington

I passed a group of runners at one of the aid stations that I had been trailing for miles. I had plenty of water and nutrition to keep me going with stopping other than to grab a Gu. The sky was overcast but dry, a mini-miracle in Washington State during winter. My knit cap stayed glued to my head even though I was warm enough. I have Gumby hair; it tends to stay in the shape of whatever is placed on it.

Everything was feeling good for the run. Easy, comfortable and my concern over having not run over 11 miles at a time since the Seattle Marathon was abated. Finally we arrived at Seward Park and after circumnavigating it, I passed a big group of runners at another aid station. I had no racing intentions other than to finish in 4 hours, hardly a winning time for a marathon.

I noticed the sidewalk along Lake Washington cantered toward the water and also had numerous tree roots poking through the pavement. I ran close to the road as much as possible but had an ongoing stream of bikes and runners to contend with. The bridge was a welcome sight and I found the flour markings and proceeded up a hill, hesitant as I climbed a lot of stairs, not knowing if I followed the right path. Thankfully I did and crossed the very noisy bridge with constant streams of traffic.

Finally across the bridge, I followed the bike path and found myself unsure at times if I missed a flour marking but would be greeted with one just when my doubts were escalating. Not long after crossing the bridge, the top of my right foot started hurting unexpectedly. It was a pain that started small, like a bruise that was getting irritated by constant pressure. I thought about stopping to relace my shoes but they didn't feel tight. This was around mile 18.

Over the next 6 miles, I was intentionally changing the way I was running to take the pressure off my foot. This was a sure sign but I rolled right through it because I have this:

I shifted my weight to alleviate the bruised feeling and would get more relief occasionally but overall, the pain would not go away. It wasn't excruciating but annoying. And then, I felt more pain when going uphill. And then I started wishing the finish line would hurry up and get there. My body felt fine and all I started thinking about was my foot. My foot, the world revolved around my foot. I caught up to some runners ahead of me during the ignorance phase of the pain. I was on pace for 4 hours and was sure I could get there just in time. Until.

Until is like the cliffhanger of all stories. It does not always end well.

As mile 24 approached, I was consumed with foot thoughts. Where does it hurt, what bones, tendons, muscles are there? Did I wear the right shoes? Should I stop and look at it? A "snap" brought me out of my thoughts and back to reality. I can't say if I heard it, felt it or both. I knew it wasn't good but needed to keep moving, going completely flat-footed and shuffled along the trail. I came out of the trail and couldn't figure out where to go. A few runners passed me and I followed them toward the finish. Almost to the finish, cringing and anxious to be done, I saw my reflection in a store window and thought my stride looked off-kilter but not bad to the untrained eye. I was hiding my pain quite well.

The Balanced Athlete finally appeared and I checked myself in at the store. I recorded my time as 4:04:18 but see on my Garmin it was really 4:01:07. I would easily have made my goal without a hurting foot. Nancy Szoke and Sharon Hendricks both greeted me in the store, a blessing to me to have such wonderful friends.

I made a quick exit and after settling myself into my car, I called home and told Jeff I was going to Urgent Care. He and my daughter met me there, a 40 minute drive from the finish. I carefully made my way to the desk, checked in, and was escorted within minutes to a room. St. Anthony's Emergency Room was so efficient and caring. Well, except when the nurse said, "Wow, that is a big foot," when asking my shoe size to be fitted for a wrap-around shoe to wear home. Yes, thank you. All the bigger to stomp your little foot.

Dr. McCrum - this name makes me laugh - gave me the news that my 2nd metatarsal on my right foot had an oblique fracture and anther one that went horizontally through the bone. I asked to see the xray and the oblique fracture looks like peeling bark. The other break "luckily" is aligned and will heal easier than if it had separated. Dr. McCrum was a collegiate runner and shared his empathy for my plight. He recognized the look in my eyes and warned me to take time to heal. I was so thankful to have a doctor understand that not running is akin to not breathing. He suggested aquajogging to help keep endurance but suggested waiting until the pain had lessened. The sentence: 6-8 weeks without running. Overuse, plain and simple. Ironic considering the past month my miles have been reduced easily by a third.

Quadzilla will have to wait for another time. Now, I am concentrating on upper body, core, any leg exercises I can do without standing, and nutrition.

Have you been injured? Did you cross-train during your down time?

Just found out I can't run for 6-8 weeks

Guess which foot is injured?

My life now

Jeff's only happy I won't ask him to run with me for a couple months

Brooks Pure Flow and a not so pretty shoe on my BIG foot.

What, am I going to do nothing for 6-8 weeks?

Kitty is loving my lap

QUADZILLA!

2012-12-29T06:39:00.002-08:00

I'm awake, contemplating my decision-making skills. The prospect of running 4 marathons in 4 days was mentioned at last year's Winter Triple Winter Triple marathon adventure. Steve Walters suggested it was technically possible to have 4 marathons given the days the holidays would happen. And here we are. Someone stepped up and added the fourth marathon. Thanks Balanced Athlete of Renton!

I have not run more than 11 miles at any one time since the Seattle Marathon and 4 miles has become quite customary as the holidays drew closer. How do I prepare for this? Eat more cookies and don't think about it.

Today is Loop The Lake put on by The Balanced Athlete of Renton. We will be running around the southern portion of Lake Washington. We bring our own race numbers but they are providing some aid stations along the way. Cloudy today but not likely to rain on us and it's about 40 degrees. Somehow this Quadzilla should have exceptionally better weather than the one that happened over Thanksgiving weekend. There should be 7 runners who will have run both Quadzillas.

I have no real time goals other than to finish. Of course, 4 hours would be nice but I want to come out of this injury-free and still love running.

Wish me luck! It's time to Run Happy!

2012 Recap Plus 2013 Goals

2012-12-27T12:29:00.003-08:00

Where did the year go? Each year I age, I find the days and months move along at a faster clip. As a child, I recall waiting endless hours for the next holiday or birthday. Now they sneak up on me and are gone in a flash.

It's that time of year when we examine our lives and wonder what exactly we accomplished and contemplate our goals for the next year. I find I spent a lot of time running, not enough time cleaning, too many pieces of chocolate consumed, tears shed over life passing and memories that still make me laugh out loud.

Non-running major milestones:

Older daughter is away at a 4 year college after officially completing Running Start/Homeschooling
Younger daughter has begun her Running Start journey
Celebrated 22 years of marriage
And other stuff that I won't detail here but, you know, we all have a lot of things we don't need to share with the WORLD!

Running milestones:

Accepted into the Brooks ID program for 2012
3300 miles logged for year
1 ultra - 12 Hour Transcendence Run
12 marathons (assuming I complete the Winter Quadzilla!) Currently at 9
1 - 15 mile race Resolution Run
1 DNF (Mountain Marathon) - First Ever! Mountain Marathon
2 - 10k-s
3 - 5k-s (including one Elite (ha!) 5k Ruston Way Elite 5k
2 - Half-Marathons

Wins:

First Chance Marathon Winter Triple
Dizzy Daze Marathon Dizzy Daze Marathon
Dash Point Trail Marathon Dash Point Trail Marathon
North Olympic Discovery Marathon North Olympic Discovery Marathon
12 Hour Transcendence Run - 67.85 miles 12 Hour Transcendence Run
Running with the Reign 5k Reign 5k

Non-wins:

Everything else!!

Running/Fitness Goals for 2013:

Represent Brooks ID for a second year! Work hard to get into the 2014 program

Quadzilla! December 29-January 1st: 4 marathons, 4 days

Get a job (this may have a dramatic effect on my running and goals and family)

Finish 12 hour (I have a mileage goal!)

Potentially sign up for a 50 miler (looking at White River)

Ultra Relay

Specific speed training for a fast marathon (hopefully 2 very specific marathons)

Sub 20 5k

Sub 1:31 half marathon

Sub 3:20 marathon

Incorporate cross-training 2 times weekly

Do not get talked into an Ironman Triathlon! Not yet.

Non-Running Goals:

Update blog consistently

Declutter house (every year, same goal!)

Be intentional with my relationships

Grow spiritually, daily reading of my Bible Bible Reading Plans

Some of these goals are a little generic right now but once I have my non-running life decisions and commitments set, I can set more specific goals tailored to the time I have available.

As you and I reflect on the year, we need to ask ourselves, "What did I accomplish that will positively impact my family and friends?" It's easy to get caught up in accomplishing goals that lift ourselves, but truly the most important thing is what can we do to lift up others.

Wishing you a year filled with courageous acts of kindness and love and immeasurable moments of joy and laughter.

Last year I left you with my verse for the year: "The LORD is my strength adn my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 26:7

This year I leave you with my verse for 2013:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

12 Hour Transcendence Run - 8/12/12

2012-12-20T12:54:00.001-08:00

Sunrise over contaminated Capitol Lake

Still fresh 2 hours into the race.

The event kind of snuck up on me as I had been busy thinking of other races and getting my older daughter ready to go to college in September. My thoughts have been scattered and one day I realized I needed to think about running for 12 hours when my body is used to 4 hours at the most. Having trained for a 50 miler two years ago, I knew a small bit about the upcoming challenge.

I contacted Suzy Degazon, a fellow Brooks ID athlete and ultra extraordinaire for nutritional advice. My biggest concerns were cramping and eating enough but not too much. Suzy gave me excellent advice and I promptly ordered Hammer products to support my endeavor.

Shivering with Sharon

My training consisted of my normal marathon mileage, finishing the Ragnar Relay and Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon. Nothing at this point could prepare me for running 12 hours so I just needed to focus on nutrition and running at a consistent, comfortable pace.

Erik, Sharon and I ready to tackle the day.

Jeff and I checked into a hotel in Olympia after getting my race packet. The elevator was right out of Tower of Terror! I ziplock bagged hourly nutrition/supplements (Anti-Fatigue, Race Caps, Salt caps) as well as prepared individual bottles of Hammer Perpetuem drinks. My cooler was super organized and I had a plan to consume one bottle an hour along with hourly supplements based on Suzy's advice.

6:00 a.m. race start and we arrived about 5:45, enough time to greet my friends and start shivering in the cool morning air. It will be impossible for me to describe 12 hours of running without boring you to tears so I will condense my memories as much as possible.

The morning hours were cool but comfortable. A few hours into the race and the sun was up and the heat was impossible to avoid. Shade was non-existent or few and far between depending on the time of day. I kept a comfortable pace around the lake, about 9:30 or so. It was difficult to tell who was in front or behind you after awhile. I felt comfortable and was taking in my nutrition like clock-work. Jeff went back to the hotel and came back to run a couple loops with me after 10:00 and then returned to the hotel, showered, checked out, went to the store before returning later. It's amazing how many things can be done in 12 hours!

It was HOT! By the end of the day, I believe it was recorded close to 90 degrees. I had a bandana and was filling it with ice to wrap around my neck. I had thrown ice in my cap but soon found I had a brain freeze and needed to dump it. One of our first tries putting ice in the bandana wasn't very successful as Jeff kept spinning the ice right out. Andy Fritz used this to keep him distracted during his race. Here's his race report.

I started taking in watermelon, pretzels, salted potatoes in addition to my own nutrition. At one point, I had Rachael, the race director, feed me a potato because my hands were filthy and I didn't want to stop to wash my hands first. My stomach was causing problems and I had to stop in the bathroom a number of times during the race. After 2:00 I began dousing my head under the water faucet each loop which helped cool me for the first quarter of each loop. I truly never felt bad at any point during the race despite the heat and bathroom issues which I will not elaborate.

As I passed the aid station later in the day, Monte Pascal was doing the Electric Slide. I was missing out on some serious fun! I found out sometime during the day that I was the second female but that she had stopped at some point. My husband, Jeff, informed me that if I just kept going, I should be able to tie or pass her mileage. The hours and order of events are a bit blurry but I can tell you that Jenni did start running again but somehow I did pass and stay in front of her mileage the rest of the day. I don't know her story but she ran 64 miles.

At one point, I stopped at the aid station and was rummaging through my cooler, not able to remember what I was looking for. About a minute went by before I remembered that I had to pee. That's what I was looking for! My brain was a little fuzzy. Jeff had been cheering me on each loop, all the while roasting in the sun and drinking beer. I asked him to run with me the last hour of the day not knowing he had been drinking! I remember passing the 50 mile mark and getting lots of cheers at the aid station those last few hours.

Being told I met the 100k mark was amazing! Since my Garmin had died, I lost track of miles but felt sure I was one loop ahead of what was being reported. Betsy came running up the trail towards me when I had time for one more loop and told me that I was one more loop ahead of what I was told previously. If I hurried (ha!), I could tie the one guy who was ahead of me in miles. I knew I had time for one more loop but two would require a 5k pace and there was no way I could do that! I ran that last loop with a joyful feeling in my heart. I couldn't believe I had actually kept going for 12 hours and was going to come in as the first woman.

I crossed the finish line with Jeff by my side, finishing 67.05 miles in 11:52. The first place male finished 2 minutes earlier with one lap ahead of me, 68.75 miles. I heard a rumor that he had actually stopped, found a place to lay down and was told that a "girl" was going to tie his mileage if he didn't get up and do one more lap. I don't know the whole story on that but found it humorous and good for him for getting up!

I was good for about 2 minutes of standing before my legs decided they were done and I found a place to lie on the ground. Without help, I might still be there. I made my way carefully over to a recovery tent and put my feet in ice water. How is it possible to feel good for so long and as soon as I stop, everything wakes up to yell at me?

I knew I needed to eat but could barely get anything down without gagging. The awards were presented and Jeff made his way back to our vehicle to drive it to the finish line. I waited and the recovery area was nearly deserted by the time he returned.

The drive home was interesting. Poor Jeff. He drove while I would occasionally start grunting in pain, my legs throbbed and shooting pains would throw me into spasms of agony. I wouldn't recommend driving after this kind of race. When we finally arrived home, I found I could get some food down and the pains subsided to a grumble. Amazingly enough, I went out for 4 miles the next day and managed a 10:10 pace without pain.

This race is probably my biggest running accomplishment, though not my "fastest". It was definitely a Run Happy day for me.

Ran happy!

When it's this hot, the belly makes an appearance.

Done and still standing...but not for long! Jeff put in a sold 9 miles throughout the day...powered by beer. No wonder he's looking so tired.

http://www.guerillarunning.com/Transcendence_12-Hour_Run.html

Here's the first 41 miles before my Garmin died.

Ragnar Relay - Northwest Passage July 21-22, 2012

2012-12-20T11:48:00.002-08:00

This is the second time I've run Ragnar Relay, last year was with the Sole Sisters and this year, we changed our name to the C(razy) N(asty) Honey Badgers. Here's the inspiration for our team name:

Van 2

Here's a summer race report to warm up your winter days.

Ready for my first leg!

Last year I ran leg 7 in van 2. This was the first person to run in van 2. This year I was the 12th runner. I waited for what seemed like forever before I was up for my leg. Sunset would begin on this leg so I was required to wear reflective gear and a headlamp. 10.8 miles and I had a goal of 7:15 to 7:30 miles. The run was fairly flat and I had maintained a steady sub-7:20 pace until just under 9 miles when I was stuck at a traffic light. I lost my average here and struggled to make up the time until the hand-off. I met Steve DeKoker, my Brooks Running sponsor, before running my first leg.

Leg 1 finished! My only non-Brooks outfit all year.
Needed sparkle and didn't want to alter any of my real racing outfits.

Van 1 was waiting for me and after the hand-off to Kris, we set out to find food! After some much needed real food, we drove to the van exchange and tried to rest in the parking lot. A constant stream of cars and runners made it difficult to really relax.

2nd leg done!

Much too soon, our van was again on the road again after our first runners made the hand off with van 1. Driving through the night, cheering on our runners and other teams, we finally made it to Whidbey Island. I quietly made my way out of the van as my girls were knocked out all around. Soon I saw Angela running down the road, bracelet slapped on my wrist, and away I went into the upcoming sunrise. My first leg was into sunset and this one was sunrise, meaning I was the only runner required to wear night gear twice. Wow, I was tired! My pep in my step was missing. This was a lonely run. I finally found my way to the next hand off and Kris was off and our van could finally go to the hotel room and rest on a real bed!

We split up into a couple rooms and after a quick shower, I snuggled deep in the blankets, expecting to restlessly await our departure. Instead I was being shaken awake that it was time to get ready. I must have fallen asleep literally in the "blink of an eye." Last year, I didn't sleep at all during the relay.

The other room was fast asleep and we had to rush them to get to our handoff. Sabrina, leg 7, had a beautiful run ahead of her. This is me running this leg last year:

The day was heating up and when it was time for the final leg of the race, I was in for some serious heat. It was less than 5 miles but with the heat, some hills and just being exhausted, I found myself not able to keep my pace below a 7:45 average. I threw off my shirt and ran with abandon in my sports bra for much of the leg. With less than a mile to go, Tony Seabolt met me along the road with the team Honeybadger shirt and I slipped it on while running the last uphill. Crowds were lined up the street and there was my team! They all started running with me and we made our way under the finish line together! What a relief!

After a short recovery time, shirts exchanged, beer downed, we made our way to the ferry and quickly found out that it's not a good idea to write on paint. A thoroughly exhausted team made our way home, completely ready to rest and recover. We finished 2nd (almost first!) in our division and received awesome green batons. I hope I can do this next year, maybe the ULTRA version?

3rd leg! Onward to the finish line.

Phew! Just across the finish line.

Honey Badgers!

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/northwestpassage

Port Orchard Jingle Bell 5k

2012-12-19T17:44:00.001-08:00

December 1, 2012

The Jingle Bell Run/Walk is the Arthritis Foundation's nationwide holiday run/walk event, raising both awareness and funds to fight arthritis. Participants are provided with jingle bells to tie to their shoe laces and are encouraged to dress in holiday costumes, making the Jingle Bell Run/Walk a festive holiday event for individuals, families, companies and community teams. The event consists of a 5K Run/Walk and a children's 1K Run With the Elves.

My hometown knows how to have fun!

Six days post Seattle Marathon, I ran a local 5k that I won last year. My time last year was 20:03, a time that intimidated me this time around. I wasn't sure how I could run that fast but the course was flat and something magical happens at the starting line. With a late start of 1:30 pm, I had plenty of time to sleep in, check in, warm up. A Christmas party with dancing, contests and games was in full force before the race and I was just trying to stay warm! I wish now I had joined in the dancing because it looked super fun.

Finally it was time to line up. I stepped to the front of the line, a do or die move. Wearing my long sleeve Brooks ID top, much-needed gloves, capris and my amazing purple Brooks Flows.

We ran down Bay Street past small local businesses draped in holiday garland. This street would be flooded within a week and close a crossfit gym. I was near the front pack of runners and soon was ahead of all the women but one young teen girl. No mile markers on the course so the only indication of time was at the turnaround. I was at 10:30. A barrage of Christmas trees, Santas and many other festive costumes greeted me on my way to the finish.

Start of the race. I'm in my Brooks gear on the right.

I rounded the last corner and sprinted for the clock, trying to get there before it hit 21 minutes. Headwinds were heavy and just as I was to run under the clock, a gust of wind threw the clock to the ground , barely missing me as I stopped short. I was hoping there was a picture but the moment was missed on film. I have no official chip time as I didn't get to run through the timing system but was given 20:56 on record.

I finished 2nd female and will be sent an engraved award in the mail. I love this race!

Flooded Bay Street.