Five Things Friday 5/9/14

I’m behind on my updates…not surprising, but things are busy and there were a few noteworthy items this week so I’m using that a springboard to get back on track.

-Quinn earned All-A Honor Roll for the 3^rd straight quarter. We are proud of him and the hard work he puts into school – we almost never have to nag him about homework, he just does it on his own. He takes pride in his work and has really caught on to the time management skills needed in middle school. I am very spoiled opening up progress reports (teachers send them every two weeks so there are no surprises) and seeing average grades near or sometimes even over 100%. I attended his Honor Roll ceremony on Monday, and he’s among less than 40 who earned all-As. On top of that, he is in all honors classes. Middle school is treating him quite well!

-Keely also had a great third quarter report card, earning all 3s and 4s. She also took her field trip to Jamestown last week. The weather was iffy but it turned out to be fine with no rain and warm, humid weather (typical for SE Virginia). She was so excited the night before – almost worse than Christmas Eve – and sprung out of bed that morning. I think her favorite part was the bus trip – coach buses and they watched 3 movies – but she enjoyed the ship and fort tours. She does enjoy history and often asks us to visit such places (Gunston Hall as an example). Someday I will get to Jamestown, now that my whole family has been there.

-Keely had her annual orchestra concert this week. She has been playing the viola since September. She did well in their 4 songs. She seems to like viola, and says she may stick with it for 5^th grade. It would be nice to see her progress over two years, instead of switching to band (she says she would pick the flute). We’ll see what she decides come September, but it’s been nice for her to continue her musical talents with a strings instrument this year.

-I ran my 5^th half marathon on Sunday morning, the Frederick Running Festival. I signed up back in January with a nice discount code (under $60!) and figured I’d be in good shape by May. Ha, the best laid plans…well, you know how those go. Soccer got in the way of my return to running…and the move to a new office further from home makes less time for working out during the week. So the longest runs I could get in were 6-7 miles. Yeah, not too good of a base for a half. I should have written a post called ‘How NOT to train for a half marathon’. In any event, I considered deferring but decided to do it just to cover the mileage – and hey, it was a nice t-shirt so I wanted that :) I ran with two friends, one of whom is 3 months pregnant and we did a 7/1 interval (7 minutes running, 1 minute walk). It was perfect for me, I honestly don’t think I could have done it much faster without really tearing up my body. The course was fairly flat with good scenery and excellent crowd support for a small town. Afterwards, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for a much deserved breakfast. I would definitely do this race again – I am even considering signing up now to get the best rate for next year. I think with proper training, I could PR.

-Sports continue in earnest for our house. Keely has had 4 soccer games – her team is doing well this season, 2-1-1 so far. She plays mostly midfield as she is the speediest on the team. Quinn has played 4 or 5 of his basketball games with three remaining in this spring league. He continues to enjoy it, but I think he will be ready for a break come June. I have played 4 soccer games – and my body seems to finally be adjusting to the rigors of a soccer game. I have also learned that I can’t play without warming up my quads and other leg muscles.  It’s still a lot of fun, and I enjoy playing – and my team is undefeated so far :)

Top News Flashes: April Fools Edition

-Each quarter in Social Studies, Quinn has to do a project. They are given three choices in which to deliver the project – one of which always seems to include a diorama. He is very hands on and prefers creative projects so he tends to pick the diorama. His first two have been very creative and scored him high marks. For the 3^rd quarter, he chose something slightly different. He made a model of a steam engine to signify that development in United States history (the unit is mostly geared towards Westward Expansion). He used mostly Styrofoam, with some spray paint and created a very unique and creative project. Thank goodness I took pictures of the final result, because his teacher is keeping it on display in his class and he got a 100 on this effort!

-April Fool’s Day came and went without too much fanfare. Overheard at our house – Keely to James: ‘Dad, I wore flip flops to school today.’ to which he responded that she knows she is not allowed to wear sandals until the end of the year, and not flip flops at all and to which he was given a prompt ‘April Fools!’. James to Quinn when he asked what was for dinner: ‘We’re going out to eat!’ and when Quinn surprisingly asked, ‘Really?!?!’ he got a sharp ‘April Fools’! All harmless, but a little bit of fun on what was be an otherwise normal weekday.

-This weekend we visited Gunston Hall, George Mason’s home. It is located just down the road a bit, at an exit off I-95 where Quinn happens to have a basketball game each Sunday. Keely was just recently discussing learning about and seeing photos of the home in class (it’s Virginia Studies for 4^th grade) and when she saw it at the exit on a sign, she was insistent that we make a trip there. I love that she loves history and actually wants to visit places such as these (I wasn’t really like that as a child) and I love that we live so close to so many historical places. Now we have visited Mount Vernon (Geo. Washington), Monticello (Tho. Jefferson) and we hope to add Montpelier (James Madison) and Oak Hill (James Monroe) to the list this summer. Keely really wanted to compare Gunston Hall to the other two we have seen. I know she loves the fanciness of the houses, and imagining what life would have been like in those days. Something that she said fascinated me and showed me that she’s really thinking about what she is learning – why would Geo. Mason have had slaves if he believed in free rights for all people? Honestly, I could answer her other than that he was a bit ahead of his time in that belief. Anyways, the house was quite lovely and a bit more practical than the other two historic homes. I would choose Gunston…for the size and practicality of the house, and the peaceful grounds on the banks of the Potomac. I also thought it was humorous to think that in those days, Geo. Washington was his closest neighbor – because of the ease of arriving by boat. It was a lovely spring afternoon, spent exploring a lovely piece of Virginia (and really US) history.

-I have new hope for my running legs returning after two runs this weekend – one a slow, painful 4 miler and one a speedier almost pain free 4.6 miles. I am feeling stronger and I think I just need to pick my days – when I feel good, I can run but when I don’t, I probably just need to know not to push it (even if the weather is nice or if the stars align for a run). It also helped that my soccer game was canceled on Saturday due to unsafe field conditions. I think it would have prevented the good run I had yesterday…but it was also bad because now when I play again (2 weeks since the first game) I’m not sure my muscles will remember and I could end up just as sore as last time. Hopefully next time out my mind will realize that my body is not 20 and it won’t be as bad afterwards. I’m still looking forward to another game, just being a little more realistic about how far I can push this aging body.

And that’s only 4 things, but I’m going to post anyways since a new week is upon us. A little over a week until we head to Florida for some hopefully sun and fun with the family J

Trying Something New - Top 5

• We started this week with yet another snowstorm. This winter is like the gift that keeps on giving J We got another 10” or so, and school was canceled for the 11^th day this year. I even got to work from home. Because it was St. Patrick’s Day, Quinn made a shamrock in snow using green food coloring.
• Keely’s heading to Jamestown on May 1. She is super excited and has honestly been looking forward to this trip since Quinn went two years ago! There was some uncertainty about whether MC would go, but apparently they do the same as BT for 4^th graders.
• Quinn took the first step in qualifying to take Algebra 1 (a HS math class) next year in 7^th grade by achieving a 95^th percentile on the Iowa Math Tests. He also has to get above a 500 on his SOLs later this year, and then will need a recommendation from his math teachers. We are proud of him! This does seem to come naturally though so I guess he got some of this math brain from James and I J
• I went out for two runs – one on Saturday of 20 minutes and one on Thursday of 25 minutes. I’m focusing on adding time, not distance and running at a comfortable leisurely pace as I continue to test the waters. These runs are not pain free, and honestly I sometimes wonder if I’ve literally ‘had a good run’ with distance running and may just need to focus on other areas to stay physically fit.
• We continued to talk and talk and talk about our plans for Spring Break. We are most likely renting a car and driving to Florida but the exact dates and any stops along the way are undecided.

I go back and forth on the blog and how to shape it into something I can maintain. I need it not to feel like a chore, yet I continue to feel guilty because of not updating it. I feel like I only capture the ‘big events’ and not enough of everyday life. But then I wonder what the purpose of capturing everyday life is – will I feel better reading about birthdays and holidays, or reading about the minutia of everyday life when I get older and wistful for times past? I guess I need to decide, because ultimately I write this mostly for myself. I do think Keely will read it at some point because she very much likes to hear stories of the past, about herself and our family. So for now, I’ll try this Top 5 format. Maybe I can update it more on a daily basis and publish each week. We’ll see how it goes, but it can’t be worse than posting nothing and feeling guilty about it J

A Light at the End of the Tunnel…or Staying Healthy

I started having pains in my left leg when running back in October. I presumed it was a hamstring issue, stemming from my high hamstring and that it would either get worse causing me to stop running or it would go away. It persisted though, and just became a nagging issue through the end of December. However, let it be known that I had three PRs with this issue…including my best 5 mile at the Born to Run and my best half marathon at the Wilson Bridge both in November. So it was an issue, but one that clearly didn’t prevent me from running at my best. Or so I thought. By the end of December, I was through with it. I decided it wasn’t going to go away with my current course of action so I stopped running and made an appointment with my orthopedist. At the end of 2013, my goals for 2014 included balancing my running with other activities, i.e. cross training and strength training so that I would be a better runner. Now I am even more convinced of that goal, and I am working to make it a reality. I ran minimal miles in January and didn’t run a mile in February. The diagnosis from my orthopedist was not a hamstring issue, but a nerve issue that he thought stemmed from my lower back. I did have resident pain in my lower back but I didn’t connect it to the leg pain. I thought this was plausible, but the nerve pain could either be from lower back or piriformis syndrome. I now think it was (is) both. To date, I have been through 6 PT sessions and am in the middle of 13 chiropractic adjustments. PT was good for teaching me strengthening and stretching exercises for my core, lower back, hips and upper legs. But the pain was still there so I decided to try a chiropractor. 

At this point, I am beginning to see the light at the end of this tunnel. I am feeling stronger and getting healthier. My pain is lowering with each day, and I believe it’s either the chiropractor or time off from running. I have tried two runs in the past week – the first 8-10 minutes and the second for 15 minutes – with good success. I know that’s not going to be a magic bullet but I did want to test the waters. I still hope and pray that this issue doesn’t come back, or flare up again but I do know that’s a possibility as I try to increase distance and mileage. But as much as I know I love running, I also now know that I value being healthy over that livelihood. I have found other ways to stay active – finally using my gym membership to take classes and work out. I vary my workouts to elliptical, stationary bike, rowing, yoga, and an occasional kickboxing or Zumba class although I am very careful with my back in these types of classes. I also do core and strength work at home including squats, lunges, and a lot of stretching. I know I could always be doing more but I have a lot of variety right now and it’s hard to fit any one thing in more than 1-2 times a week. When I add running in, I’m going to have to maintain more of a strict schedule with my non-running days. Truth be told, I’m lazy some days and I am quick to push the workout to the next day. With the long, cold winter we’ve had, it’s been easy to fall into that lazy mode. I actually haven’t missed running as much as I thought I would. It’s no longer the be-all, end-all for me. I know that there is life outside running, and I’m embracing that. I want to add running back into my workout, but not for the sake of injury. I plan to run three times a week – one speedwork, one tempo, and one long slow easy run. Long may start out 4 but I need to work it up to 8-10. I have a half marathon on May 4^th that I plan to use as a test to see if I can cover the distance. I have another half on June 8^th – depending on how my return to running goes, I tentatively plan to PR in that race. But my perspective has changed greatly. I really miss the camaraderie of running with my friends, and the joy of running with some great music. I don’t miss trying to beat paces and increase mileage. I just want to run for fun, and mostly I just want it to be pain free. If I can't do that, then I am not sure it's worth it. As another aspect of cross-training, I have joined an over-30 women's soccer team! This will be my first outdoor experience since college and I'm nervous but excited. On weeks with a soccer game, I will consider this my 'speed' workout. I know I'm not in soccer shape but my goals are to be competitive with the other women on my team and the league, have fun and stay active! 

I'm not sure how to wrap this up, other than to say I have learned a lot about myself these last few months and weeks. I have challenged myself in ways other than running, while giving my body and mind time to recharge and focus on priorities. I hope that's been helpful, but time will tell!

November PRs

From a running perspective, November was a great month for me. I started with the huge PR on my half marathon time at the Wilson Bridge Half, finishing in 2:01:28. I am so very close to my goal of beating 2 hours, and I know that’s going to be a reality in 2014. I also entered two other ‘races’ and had PRs in both. I put races in quotes because one was an event with the moms running group I belong to (MRTT) and wasn’t an official event, but we did time ourselves so I still count it.

A couple of ladies decided it would be fun to have a mile race just to see how fast we could run if we were only running for one mile. I was always curious too, because I never just do one mile. If I put it all out there, what could I do that mile in? So we did just that. I knew it would hurt, and I knew I needed to push myself.  I started out a little faster that I should have and faded a bit, but it was hard to know how to pace for a one mile race. I actually think it would have been easier on a track because you can easily see how you are doing for each quarter mile (lap). The weather was very cold and windy, and we ended up with the headwind the entire mile. Excuses, excuses, I know so here is the time: 7:37. I think without the headwind, I could have run closer to 7 minutes. I started out running a 7:15 pace and faded, and I think that was mostly due to the headwind. It was so strong that I was crying from the wind. Anyways, we are planning to do this every few months to see how we improve so I’m eager to try again and see how close I can get to a 7 minute mile…and gasp, even possibly a sub-7 minute mile. I never ran the mile hard in high school so I have no idea how fast I was when I was younger, but I’m happy to be able to push the paces in my (gasp, again) late 30s.

Lastly, I entered a 5 mile race in Freehold while we were in New Jersey for Thanksgiving. I have never run a 5 mile race so this was an obvious PR for me. But I did set a goal to run sub 45 minutes (9 minute miles or better). The course starts out downhill and then has some rolling hills, a flat loop around a lake and then finishes up the hills you ran down in the beginning. I knew to pace myself for the hills at the end, and I didn’t think a negative split would be possible so I wanted to start out fast and give myself some breathing room at the end for those hills. I did just that, starting out at about 8 minute mile pace. Maybe more like 8:15 pace, but it felt very comfortable. I kept looking at my Garmin thinking I’d be slipping with my pace, but I held very steady. The pace felt comfortable the entire race so I just went with it. I did slow down a bit in the last 2 miles because of those hills, but I still maintained around an 8:30 pace. I ended up crushing my goal and finishing in 41:28 – an average of 8:19 for 5 miles! I was 7^th in my age group…it was a small race but still, a top 10 finish in women aged 30-39.  I was very proud of myself, and I felt pretty accomplished. I think with a smart attack, I can beat 40 minutes in my next 5 miler. Of course, I have no idea when that will be.

While I'm on the subject of running, here are my goals for 2014:

Break 2 hours for a Half Marathon – see notes above. I definitely think this is an achievable goal for my next half.

Run 1,000 miles – this should be very attainable, considering I’m going to break 800 for 2013 and I started out the year running pretty minimally. I just need to be more consistent – and if I end up doing a fall marathon again like I am considering, I will crush that. Even without a marathon, I can still do a 1,000 with just 20 miles per week – very manageable.

Run a 5K for time – After my 5 mile PR, I am very curious how fast I could run a 5K. With my one mile time below 8 minutes, I am pretty confident I can break 24 minutes but I’m not sure how much below that I can push. Again, it’s just a matter of pushing myself and I almost never just run 3.1 miles so I really don’t know what I am capable of in that distance.

Strength train and cross train more – I believe being well rounded will make me a better runner. I’ve already started to include yoga once a week and I love it. It’s so good to stretch and flex, and I know it’s helping my sore muscles. I also want to include some strength training to build up my muscle endurance. I used to do that once a week but I have gotten away from it when I started running consistently. I want to incorporate that once again and I know it will help my running.

Break 4 hours in a marathon – I know I said I wasn’t sure I would run a marathon again, and I’m still not sure. But I have this nagging feeling that I can improve my time, and I feel I would be regret it if I didn’t give it a shot. I think a Spring Marathon is too much, but I feel a Fall Marathon would work for me. The only thing that worries me is my left foot. I’m not sure the bunionectomy can hold up for another marathon training cycle, especially if I am pushing myself to faster paces in hopes of a better time. So this is a maybe goal, I will likely decide once 2014 is underway.

Half Marathon #3

On Sunday, I ran my 3^rd half marathon, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. This race was supposed to be run on October 6^th but was postponed for 5 weeks due to the government shutdown. I’ve recently read that the November 10^th slot was the only possible weekend that worked for all 5-7 jurisdictions involved between the original date and the end of the year. I’m happy that they found that date and were able to hold the race – this was my only fall half planned and I wanted to run it to see what I could do with my time. The postponement was frustrating but I think I prepared well nonetheless.

The hamstring soreness that I had been experiencing was diminishing run by run as the date approached. I honestly think that all the stretching, heat and incorporating some yoga into my routine helped immensely. In the end, it didn’t bother me at all on race day!

Pre-race, I had penne a la vodka with garlic bread for dinner. In hindsight, I am not sure that was the best decision. I had already increased carbs all week and I think the increased gluten the night before the race left me bloated and unsettled. I think it would have been better if we used brown rice pasta – though arguably not as tasty. Also in retrospect, I did not eat enough calories the day before the race and I expended more energy than I typically do. This was not a good combination and something I will do better with next time. Hydration wise, I was fine – drinking coconut water and Gatorade all day but calorically I dont' think I consumed enough.

The morning of the race, I had a 4 AM wakeup call. I didn’t feel too well when I stepped out of bed. I had gotten max 5 hours of sleep, and those were restless hours. I felt dizzy and weak, never a good sign when you are asking your body to output a ton of energy. I knew I needed calories to help balance me out, and the banana and two pieces of toast helped. My body burned right through those calories though, and I was already hungry again on the bus ride to the start. This race is hard to time, because it starts at 7 AM but we arrived at National Harbor to catch the bus to the start at about 5:20 AM. I drank 32 ounces of Gatorade leading up to the start of the race. I tried to eat some of a Stinger waffle on the bus ride, but I felt nauseous and wasn’t able to get it all down. The Gatorade was about the only thing my stomach was tolerating at that point, most likely due to nerves. It was also chilly that morning, and I’m not sure why but my muscles kept shaking and I found myself having to force my teeth not to chatter. Again, I suspect this was the lack of calories. Anyways, the race time came and the starting corrals were pretty uncrowded. I started the race with Beth though I suspected we wouldn’t stay together the whole time and I was right – we ran the first mile together (way faster than I wanted to start out because it was downhill) and then parted ways.

Other than my first fast mile (9 minutes), I ran a well executed race. I slowed myself down for Miles 2 though 8 and dialed it in, running a pretty consistent 9:30 pace. I did get hungry pretty early on, and ate my first snack (Honey Chews) at about 3.5 miles in. I also took the Gatorade and Water at all water stops. Sometime after 5 miles, I felt better and that’s when I was able to run most consistently. My A goal was to beat 2 hours (9 minute miles) but I knew I wanted to start slow and conserve energy for the last few miles. That’s exactly what I ended up doing. I hit the bridge which is Mile 9 and one of the only hills on the course (the rest are rolling) feeling great. I was passing people up and down that bridge. I hit the 10 mile marker at 1:34ish and started to do some quick calculations in my head. With a fast 5K to finish, I could come close to my goal. I turned on the jets, continued passing people and saw paces in the 7s and 8s on my Garmin. I ended up running about a 26 minute 5K, pretty quick for me considering it was the end of a half marathon. I finished with some juice left in my legs, and so so close to my A goal with a time of 2:01:28. If I could have shaved 6-7 seconds off each mile, I could have beat 2 hours. That’s easily attainable for me in my coming races. I now know I can do it, I just have to execute another good smart race and I’ll get it done.

Overall, I really liked this race. It was point to point, and I wasn’t sure how I would like that but I did enjoy the course. The GW Parkway is one of my favorite places to run, the race size was smallish (under 2,000 runners this year) and it was a well managed race. I am not sure if I will do it again, but I’d say the chances are good that I will do it again sometime in the future. The weather ended up being perfect – starting in the low 40s and ending right about 50 and sunny.

My race recovery was a little tough, I think mostly due to the 4AM wakeup call and not getting enough rest after the race. I was pretty knocked out through Monday night, and ended up not feeling too great on Monday (stomach wise). I’m starting to wonder if 13.1 leaves my immune system weakened, but I’m not sure I could have done anything more to prevent that letdown. It’s definitely something I want to figure out though, because I can’t get sick after each half. What I also know now is that the half is a distance I really enjoy. It’s enough distance that I feel accomplished but not so much that my body is shredded. That’s not to say I won’t do other distances – I like the 10MI and I haven’t yet ruled out another full marathon – but I definitely want to keep focusing on 13.1 and better my time.

I’ll do a post on my 2014 plans, but I already have 2 halfs lined up for February/March, plans for races in April and am thinking beyond as well. First up though, one more half for 2013. I will be pacing my sister through her first half marathon. I’m excited for that, I hope I can be a good pacer and coach through the race – and I’m proud of her for working towards this goal! 

Postponed

I don’t normally write about political events or even about current events all that much. This blog was always intended to be only about the current events in our life. Sometimes the world or state or local current events intermingle with our own little world though, and then I’m forced to incorporate them into my writing. The government began a partial shut down on October 1^st. When it was looming and even when it happened, I had no thoughts of it impacting my life. Months ago, I had chosen my fall half marathon which was the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon to be held on October 6^th. What I didn’t realize about the government shutdown was that it would affect the race because much of it is run on National Park Service land, which technically closed with the shutdown. A day later, the decision was made to postpone the race to November 10^th. Two of my friends and I ran our own 13.1 that Saturday, dubbed the Government Shutdown Half, because the shut down couldn’t stop us from running. Truth be told, the weather was abnormally hot and humid for early October and it was probably for the best that the race had been postponed. Our 13.1 turned into a training run, and we took our time finishing in about 2 hours, 15 minutes…a far cry from my personal best, and from my goal of close to or under 2 hours. I could have run faster but I stuck with my friends and it was a nice run, aside from the heat and humidity. We even got a few thumbs up from fellow runners on our homemade shirts. 

The race being postponed has left me with a mix of emotions. Obviously, I felt well prepared and was mad that it didn’t go off as planned. I was so ready to be done with weekend long runs and training. On top of that, I was dealing with a sore hamstring on that last 13.1 mile training run. I tend to over-react so had I written this a week or 10 days ago, I would have been pretty down because of that hamstring. But in the last week or so, I’ve been able to run with less and less pain thanks to stretching, heat and incorporating weekly yoga into my workouts. I even got a 9.5 mile long run in on Sunday. I feel like I will be able to get one more long run in this weekend and then do another two week taper. The government is re-opened, so no worries about another postponement or (worse) cancellation. And with the date change, I will have more spectators in my cheering section at the finish line because the Weitz family will be here that same weekend :)

A Tale of Two Runs - ZOOMA Half 2013

Last year, I trained for my first half marathon. Once I found the ZOOMA half in early June in Annapolis, I knew I wanted to do it. I had a great experience…although not what I expected because of poor weather and having to drive to the race early that morning. It turns out that was a blessing in disguise. I was eager to run this race again this year, only my 2nd time at that distance. After my great experience with the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, I was hoping to not only beat my time but break 2 hours.

However, the week of the race my body conspired against me, or so it seemed. I got an infection and had to go on antibiotics on Tuesday. My doctor told me to go off of them on Thursday to get them out of my system…her worry was an increased risk of tendonitis. I did indeed stop the medicine on Thursday but not for her reason, but because it was causing me horrible stomach issues. Running already does a number on your GI system, so having a problem like this was a big cause of concern for me. I stopped the medicine, hydrated well and hoped that my stomach issues would clear. They did, for the most part. However on top of all of that, I started feeling ill on Wednesday night – the beginnings of a head cold. Again, not ideal for running a race. I thought I could fend it off…and I think I did a pretty good job with vitamins and hydration, but I wasn’t 100%. Nevertheless, I still felt confident – ready to rock the race and do my best, hoping for a PR.

The weather cooperated this year, so we headed to Annapolis on Friday evening. After picking up my bib and tee, we found a nice Irish restaurant for dinner. A pre-race meal is pretty critical, and I was unsure what to order. I chose a chicken and cheese quesadilla, which was fine but again, I’m not sure if it was the best thing for my already upset tummy. I slept pretty well in the hotel, but having to get up and hole up in the bathroom for nearly two hours was not ideal. I also forgot my Gatorade Primes…something I usually have the night before and the morning of the race. Staying in a hotel the night before was not something I was used to…and not having all of my ‘normals’ threw me off. It was just another thing that was not ‘right’.

The weather on Saturday morning was already hot and steamy at 7 AM when the race started. I walked the half mile to the start. I still felt pretty confident, but within the first two miles I felt very sluggish and tired. I even thought about turning around at the 10K mark, unsure I could finish the half distance. I started with the 1:50 pace group, trying to push myself and started off very fast – probably too fast. My first two miles were in the 8:30 MM range. I felt the entire race that I couldn’t keep up, that people were passing me. Actually, it wasn’t a feeling – it was true. A PR was not to be. I knew that pretty early on, but was still hoping to beat my time from last year. When the 2:10 pacer passed me between Miles 11 and 12, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I was beat, I didn’t even think I could finish. I felt intense nausea the entire last mile. I only saw James and the kids near the finish. When I saw them, I was relieved and I shouted to the kids ‘Run with me!’. They did, and that helped propel me to the finish line. Even then though, I felt like I was so slow. I couldn’t move my legs. It was horrible. The photos of me crossing the finish and immediately after are telling – I’m totally beat and exhausted. The heat, humidity, hills (they changed the course and it was much more hilly), my body...a lot of things worked against me. It was a tough day, but I must remember that I still ran 13.1 miles again!

I think I will take a break from ZOOMA Annapolis. I love the tees, small number of runners, neckalce instead of medal - but there are a lot of other races to choose from that weekend and I need to find something new and fresh. I am now running as much as I can…2-3 times during the week and a long run on the weekends. I’ve been running 8-10 miles on the long run. I think I have picked a fall half, one close to home so no traveling involved. I’m sure I can get used to races away from home, but it will take a few more before I get that routine down. I still want to beat 2 hours…so that is what I will train for all summer and into the fall.

GOTG 5K

The seasons of Girls on the Go (GOTG) and Young Men in Motion (YMIM) wrapped up with a 5K on Saturday morning. The run was held at a local middle school and run in the neighborhood streets. It was a low key event, only serving the youth programs at three local elementary schools. Keely chose James as her buddy runner, which meant I was to run with Quinn. He missed it though since he was attending his first Boy Scout campout, so that meant Keely ended up with two buddy runners.



She did really well, running almost the entire time. She complained of a stitch or two, but pushed through. I honestly think it's because James was with us...he doesn't take the complaining and makes her push on, where I would probably say it's okay to walk a bit, all the while irritated in my head that we are walking :) In any event, the first part of the run was two loops around the neighborhood and then a small loop to get back to the start/finish line. I was timing us, and we were making great time...too great actually, so much that I thought we cheated or the course was too short. We finished in 27 minutes, 15 seconds. An amazing 5K time for not only Keely, but me as well! When we got home, James mapped the course and it turns out it was only 2.9 miles. It was still great time...had we ran the extra two tenths, we still would have finished under 30 minutes. Keely finished first of the GOTG participants from her school, and also beat all of the boys from YMIM from her school. A great day overall! We missed Quinn, but it was fun to spend time with just Keely and to enjoy running together on a crisp April morning.

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

Back in December, I started thinking about my 2013 race calendar. One of the first dates on my list was the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. The race is huge, with entry only by a lottery system. On my first try, I was happy to be selected. There were 17,500 runners so I’m not sure how hard it was to get in, but I was happy nonetheless.

My winter training has been tough, I’m not going to lie. I took it easy after completing my first marathon, but as the calendar turned to 2013 I knew I should kick it back into higher gear. My goal was to work on speed. I've been running around a 10 minute mile pace since mid-last year, and I want to get faster. I flirt with faster paces but only for small distances. I often go out fast on runs and get slower as the miles tick by, so my average pace still drops closer to 10 mm. This winter was tough because it was cold, and most of my training was done on the treadmill. Try almost 6 months of running 2, 3, 4 times a week on the treadmill and it just gets old. There are only so many shows I can watch. I cannot handle running consistent paces, it just gets so boring. I mixed it up a lot, and almost none of my runs were single speed. I did intervals and repeats…pushing my speeds higher for shorter distances. I had no idea if it was helping at all, but it did seem to help my motivation. Still, I was only running 10-15 miles a week.

April 7^th quickly was upon me, and I’m staring down 10 miles with my longest runs since the MCM being just less than 7 miles. It really wasn't the distance that worried me. When you've conquered 26.2, anything less seems easy. I just wondered how my splits would be, and if I could make my goal time of 1 hour, 30 minutes (9 minute mile pace).

Race morning was very chilly for April, starting in the low 40s and only gaining a few degrees to the upper 40s. The sun peaked out though and it really was perfect weather. There were light winds that increased as we traveled into Hains Point. My first two miles were fast, 8:30 pace. As typical for me, I dropped my pace as the miles wore on. I watched my splits though, and was pacing well at just over 27 minutes for my 5K, and 55 minutes for the 10K. And then it was almost over. Like I said, 10 miles feels so fast when you've run for three more hours. I knew I would be flirting with my goal, and I kept telling myself to push harder because I knew I would be disappointed if I was just over the goal. I had quite an internal battle those last three miles, constantly calculating and talking myself into running harder and keeping the same pace. The only hill to speak of in this race is in the last half mile, and it was tough. I was so relieved when I crossed the finish line…in 1 hour, 29 minutes, 22 seconds. Mission accomplished!

I felt great overall. It was nice not to be going into a race with an injury. No pain, no cramping, and my nutrition went well. I drank nothing but Gatorade starting on Friday night, ate mostly carbs on Saturday and the pre-race dinner of pancakes and eggs seemed to work well (I also ate this before my half last June). I woke up at about 5:30 AM on Saturday morning, and had a piece of toast with honey, a banana and Gatorade watered down. I also had a Gatorade Prime the night before, and another one about 20 minutes before the race. Post race recovery was good. I was only a little sore, and nothing major. This was the longest distance I have run in my new sneakers. Speaking of which, I switched from my ever constant Nike Free to a new brand and a true zero drop sneaker, Altra Intuition. I made the switch a few weeks ago. It was a different feel from the outset, and I’m sure most of it is in my head (most of running is mental) but I think I like them. They have a ton of room in the toe box, and I think it was better on this 10 miles. I only had one toe with a small blister, and the ones that normally bother me were fine. I was lusting for my old sneakers and I tried them on a week or so ago, and I was floored by the difference. They just don’t feel right anymore, and I knew then that I couldn't go back. Altra comes from Utah, they are a company formed by runners for runners and I think they've got a good product. I tried on just about every ‘minimalist’ shoe on the market and kept coming back to this one.

My next race is on June 1^st when I will participate in the ZOOMA Annapolis half marathon for the 2^nd time. It will be my first repeat distance since I starting running consistently. Since March 2012, I have run a 10K, 10 mile, half, and full. I’m excited to focus more on one distance. My goal is to beat 2 hours for the half. That will be 10 minutes faster than my first, and will mean I keep under a 9 mm pace for the entire 13.2. It’s not too lofty of a goal, considering my performance this past Sunday.

In other running news, Quinn ran the ½ mile kids run on Sunday morning and finished 10^th! He got a pretty nice medal for his efforts. Also, the kids are finishing up their 5K training programs at Beech Tree. Next Saturday is the 5K. Quinn will not be participating because he will be camping, so we will run with Keely.

26.2

 The day I have been focusing on for almost a year has come and gone.  I can't believe it, but I did what I set out to do.  I ran a marathon.  I honestly didn't know that I could do it, but I trained and prepared and succeeded.  I remember when running 3 miles would feel long.  Now, anything less than 20 will feel short.


Before I describe the day, my emotions and results, I need to back up a couple of weeks.  My training plan called for one last long run of 20 miles, and then a taper with long runs of 12 miles and 8 miles.  My 20 mile run went fine - I ran the only section of the Mount Vernon trail that I had not yet run from Old Town Alexandria to Mount Vernon and back.  It was boring but I did fine, averaging a 10 minute mile pace.  The next week, I set out for 12 miles again on the Mount Vernon trail but adding a stretch of the Capitol Crescent Trail in Georgetown.  I felt great, averaging a 9 minute mile pace the entire 12 miles.  When I got in the car, I noticed a slight pain in the top of my left foot but didn't think much of it.  The pain increased the next day, hurting when walking.  I didn't try to run again until Thursday, and had to stop after only 2 miles.  The pain started on top of my foot and radiated to my instep.  It's safe to say that I freaked out at this point.  Nine days until the marathon and I couldn't believe this was happening to me.  Turned out it is quite common to have injuries such as this in the latter part of marathon training.  At this point, I didn't know if the injury was tendonitis or worse (stress fracture).  I hoped it was just tendonitis, but the only thing I could do was rest and wait.  I did just that...stayed off my feet as much as possible, iced lots and lots, and took Aleve each night to reduce swelling.  I tried not to think about it, but truthfully I was consumed with it.  I didn't try to run again until the next Tuesday...and only with minimal success.  I tried wrapping the foot a couple of different ways, and there was still pain after a little bit of running (i.e. less than one mile).  I went to the MCM Expo on Thursday to get my bib, etc. and still had no idea if I would be running on Sunday.  I was so disappointed.  The day I was waiting for an entire year and I might not be able to fulfill my desire to run a marathon.  After all the training and hard work, I felt like I was being punished for something I didn't mean to do.  The truth is, I was so tired of the training and I felt that marathon training is not sustainable for me...so in my mind, this marathon was the only one I would be running and I didn't want to miss it.  I know there are many other marathons, but I didn't think my mind could handle another set of lengthy training only to not know if I would be injured again at the end.   When I went to the MCM Expo, I stopped by the KT Tape booth.  I spoke with the guy about my pain and he suggested another taping method.  He would have taped me but his partner was not yet there, but the taping method was simple and I knew I could do it myself with ease.  I tried when I got home, and walked on the treadmill...even running about a mile with some pain, but it was bearable.  I was still uncertain though.  The next day, I was eager to try the new taping method on the streets.  James ran with me, and we kept an easy 10 minute mile pace and I was able to run for almost 4 miles.  The pain subsided and my foot seemed to warm up as the run went on.  I was sore afterwards, with pain when walking for the next 12-18 hours though so I still didn't know if the foot would hold up for 26 miles.  My nerves were at fever pitch, but I prepared for the race and knew I had to give it a try.  My favorite quote from Runner's World arrived on Friday morning...

"There is no time to think about how much I hurt.  There is only time to run."

How true, and appropriately timed!  What this two weeks taught me is that I truly have developed a love of running.  I am emotional just typing this.  I missed it.  It was a good break, but I was ready to run.  I wanted to run, I needed to run.  It keeps me in check...keeps me balanced.  I knew that regardless of whether I could run and finish this marathon, I have now become a runner and it feels great to know that.

Race morning arrived.  I was still nervous, but I was excited.  This was a course I love, with spectators almost the whole way, and the excitement of running with so many people.  I soaked it all in.  The National Anthem, the flyover, the crowds, the cool of the morning, just everything.   The weather was dicey, with the threat of a hurricane looming.  It was perfect though...50s, cloudy, and not a drop of rain on us runners.  The only negative was a pretty strong headwind that affected most runners, including me for the last 10 miles.

The gun went off, and it took almost 10 minutes to cross the start line.  And my race had begun!  I started out cautiously, measured and let my foot warm up.  There was some pain, but nothing unbearable and it didn't get worse so I suspected it would be fine.  I forgot my watch, so I couldn't pace myself the way I wanted to...and my MapMyRun was off with distance so the pace was off.  All in all though, I knew I was running consistently and I was conserving energy because I knew this was more than I had ever run.  My one mistake early on was not drinking or eating enough as I felt a bit lightheaded and dizzy around Mile 14-15.  Increasing my food and drink though seemed to help and I overcame that feeling.  A marathon is mostly mental, and I fought through it many times throughout those 26 miles mostly in the last 10 miles.  It was also physical near the end with my muscles burning and willing me to stop, but I would not...could not stop.  I knew I would make it, I would not give up.  I loved the spectators...my 6 spectators especially who walked 6 miles to see me 4 times on the course.  James and the kids, my parents and Annie cheered me on and picked me up at points when I was doubting.  I needed that, I knew I would and I'm so grateful that they made it through the course to see me.  I loved the Marines, slapping me five as I ran by.  I loved the course, with its diversity and sights.  I loved running in a group of people, though they were strangers we were all in it together.  I especially loved the finish, and the Marine putting the medal around my neck.  I ran a marathon!  I still have to remind myself that I did it.  I set out with a goal to run a marathon in 2012, and I did it.  Time isn't really important, but it will stick in my mind.  I finished in 4 hours, 31 minutes and 37 seconds.  My foot wasn't even really an issue...by the end, so much hurt and I was thinking about so many other things that my foot was the least of my concerns.  I do think it was tendonitis, and rest did the trick.  I am so happy, and so proud of myself for this accomplishment.  It is one that I will remember forever.

Many people have asked....will you run another marathon?  Before I did it, and also for a few hours afterwards, I said no.  This was a 'bucket list' check, something I could say I did and move on.  The intense pain I was in immediately afterwards was enough to make me ask why, oh why would people do this to themselves more than once?!?!  But time fades those pains.  I liken it to childbirth...and most women have more than one child so obviously the pain fades.  I'm now 3 days post marathon, and I feel pretty much back to normal.  My muscles are still sore, but nothing major.  Going down stairs is the hardest, but that pain is easing.  And now I'm not ruling out another marathon.  I won't say yes at this point, but it's not a definite no either.  I still think marathons and their training are hard on a body, and I prefer a half marathon distance.  I'm making up my race calendar for 2013, and I know it will include many halfs...but I'm not ruling out another fall marathon.  What I do know is that I'm excited to be done with this race, and I'm looking forward to more running!

13.1

Last weekend, I completed my first half marathon.  I just began running again around Christmas time, so this was a big accomplishment and I am very proud of myself.  I was nervous the week leading up to the race, but I knew that I had done my training and was well prepared.  The night before the race, we were supposed to drive to Annapolis and stay in a hotel so that I could walk to the start in the morning.  Well, Mother Nature didn't like that plan much.  There were heavy thunderstorms, tornado watches, and inches of rain falling as the time to depart neared.  We decided to stay home instead, and drive to Annapolis early in the morning instead.  Thankfully, the hotel let us cancel our room at no charge (we will most definitely stay there in the future, because of how nice they were when I called).  The plus side was that I got to sleep in my own bed, and we saved the cost of a hotel and boarding for Callie.

The minus side was that I had to get up at 4:30 AM, and then the entire family had to be in the car and on our way around 5:15 AM.  Yes, it was an early wake up call.  We got to Annapolis fairly quick and then waited a while to park.  After parking and waiting on a 20 minute line for the pottys, I made it to start line with 3 minutes to spare!  No time for nerves, because it was time to run.  I started with the 2:10 pacer, because I consistently run 10 minute miles in training.  In hindsight, I could have started with the 2:00 pacer, because I think I could have pushed it more.  But when I started I knew I had 13 miles to go, and the last thing I wanted was to fade. I felt great, I had no cramping or aches...just a great run.  There is something so fun about running in a group, and this race was mostly women so it was even more fun.  I didn't even listen to music the first 4 miles, just enjoyed running through downtown Annapolis, the sights, the scenery, and the group running dynamic.  I drank Cytomax and water at each aid station, and had a Gu Energy Gel at around 4.5 miles.  I also had another Gu at 9 miles but I don't think that one helped that much.  It also gave me a bit of heartburn (apparently I don't like the Vanilla flavor).  I'd say the last mile or 1.5 miles was my hardest.  I was just tired, and felt like I was fading.  Thankfully, I saw James and the kids a couple of times in that stretch and Quinn even ran with me for a bit to help push me long.  I didn't lose any ground on my very consistent pacing, finishing just a shade under 2 hours, 10 minutes.

I was very tired that afternoon and evening, and my toes were very banged up. It's taken me over a week to recover.  I have to stay patient with myself, but it's tough.  Running seems to be in my blood now and it's hard not to run.  I really enjoyed the half marathon, I like the distance and I know that I will do more.  My goal is to finish under 2 hours.  First though, I have to concentrate on the next step in the ultimate goal of 2012, to run a marathon.  I am only halfway there, but I still have over 20 weeks until the marathon.  I feel confident that I can do it...I've shown myself that I can stick to the training.  I'm taking a little breather through June and July, but then I will step back up to a more formal training program and be on my way to 26.2!

Beech Tree 5K

This past Sunday, we ran our first 5K together as a family.  James was Quinn's buddy runner, and they also ran with Quinn's best buddy Jack.  I ran with Keely, and we ended up running along with two other 2nd graders.  Quinn finished in just over 33 minutes, which was about 6 minutes faster than his first 5K last month.  Keely finished in just over 37 minutes, pretty good for her first 5K and with no training.  Her only practice was to run around our basement for about 40 minutes while I ran 4 miles on the treadmill.  I couldn't believe she ran the whole time, and just kept doing laps around the outline of the basement.

The school got a ton of great photos of the event, and I've clipped those that show our family in action.  It was fun, and I'm proud of the kids for running a 5K at such a young age.

Running is such a great way to keep in shape, and I hope to instill in them an enjoyment from running so that they can continue with it on through their adult lives.  I've definitely been hot and cold about running, but I do think it's important to stay fit and running is just one possibility for that. I'm not sure if the kids will love running, or continue on with other races, but I do know that we all had fun on Sunday, and that's a great start!

The Year of the Run

I've never really liked running.  As a teen, I only ran to stay in shape for soccer.  When I didn't have soccer, I didn't want to run because it was always dreadful.  About five years ago, I started running again and enjoying it.  I ran several 5K races but then had foot surgery and never got back to running.  Running seems to have gotten way more popular and I've always been slightly jealous when I heard people talk of running half and full marathons.  Last fall, we happened to be out to dinner on the night of the Marine Corps Marathon which is held here in DC.  I saw people with medals and had a wild thought...maybe I will do the MCM in 2012.  The next weekend, we were in NY for the kids TV show appearance and it just so happened to be the weekend of the NYC marathon.  Again, people with medals and my crazy thought that I could do one too.  Coincidentally, James got me some new running clothes and Lois was in town for Christmas and New Year's...she suggested a run on Christmas Day.  We ran about 3 miles and ran several more times before she flew back to Florida.  I had to do it on my own then, but I started researching races so that I would have something to focus on.  The first distance I set my sights on was a 10K...a St. Patty's Day run in Quantico.  Running it would give me guaranteed entry to the MCM.  I find that I enjoy running more, and was blessed with a very warm winter and spring so that most of my training runs were outside but a number were on the treadmill and that worked well too.  I ran the 10K in the midst of March trips to New Jersey...and it went very well.  My time was very consistently a 10 minute mile, and I finished in 1:04.  I am now signed up for the MCM in October, and a half in June in Annapolis.  I know this will be a challenge, and I often wonder if my crazy thoughts were really just crazy but I'm committed to making them a reality.

In the course of this new found commitment to running, I managed to convince Quinn to participate in a Young Men in Motion program run by his school.  It's a group of 4th and 5th grade boys who gather after school once a week to train for a 5K.  He really didn't seem interested at first, but then he agreed to do it.  He seemed to really enjoy it.  A couple of Sundays ago was his 5K, and I was his buddy runner.  We combined running with walking, and it was a challenge to keep him going and push him to the finish line.  But he did it, and he even wants to do another so that he can better his time.  We finished in just over 39 minutes...pretty good for a 10 year old.  I typically run a 5K in 30 minutes or so, and my (unstated) goal for us was under 40 minutes so we met that.  

We're also signed up for a 5K as a family in May...and James has been running more, mostly helping me on my longer training runs.  It's definitely looking like the year of the run for our family, and I'm excited to continue my training and increase distance!