About that race...the finish!

Between the lack of bathrooms without huge lines, some (minimal) navigation issues, and the uphill and trail runs that some of us had, the second half of our 77.7 mile run was definitely a little bit more challenging than the first.  But it was no less fun.  And it was amazing how quickly the many hours flew by.

By the time I got to my second leg of the race, the sun had warmed things up enough for me to brave removing a layer or so of running gear.  I felt the pain for runner 4 (who had the hardest leg of the race - a huge and pretty steep uphill climb) as I ran for a little less than a mile downhill and then the remaining almost 4 miles uphill.  I was glad for the many miles I had run around my house, with the rolling hills of the area serving me well for the uphill climb.  But still, my pace slowed and my calves screamed as I made my way up.  And up.

The first (and easiest) part of my second leg...I can definitely learn a few things about my running form from this pic.

Unlike my first leg, when I had passed no one and no one had passed me, there were many more people around for this 4.8 miles.  The hill did many people in; I passed 8 or 9 people but I also got passed by a few people.  I worked hard.  I had to force myself to look around and enjoy the scenery.  I was so happy to see the exchange point and I was so proud of my average pace for the difficult run: 8:16/mile.

The lake was beautiful.  The sky was clear.  The route took us through a state park and past many more wineries and distilleries.  Amanda's leg of the race took her past the winery where she was married.  The evening was upon us.  With an 8 am start, our projected time of finish was 7:03 pm if we were to hold to the 8:30 pace chart.  With some legs we would gain a minute, but with others we would lose a couple.  The uphills were challenging.  The fatigue of getting up at 6 am and running twice already was catching up to us a bit.

My third leg was my shortest leg, and despite my legs having already carried me over nine miles, it was the most fun.  I actually still felt pretty good.  I was really enjoying the day and was definitely excited to see what I could do, having never run three times in the same day before.  As Amanda ran in for the exchange, I lived up to our team name (70's Seven - You Should See Us Dance!) and danced her in.

Then I took off.

I had a great deal of confidence as I left, knowing I had nothing to lose, that I didn't have to save anything, and that we had all done our best.  I knew the worst was behind me and that this was it.  I enjoyed my music.  I enjoyed the fresh air.  I enjoyed the scenery.  As I approached my last hill of the day, I enjoyed the steady pace that I found.  I passed a few people who had slowed to a walk, and got passed by one or two, as well.

One of the people I passed was not happy about it.  She was walking when I passed her going up a hill, but I felt her right behind me as I came to the crest of the hill.  I wasn't sure how far the exchange point was from there, but when I crested the hill, I saw it.  I started to speed up.  So did she.  I sped up more.  She did, too.  By the time we got to the exchange, we were both in a full sprint, with teammates cheering us on.  Unfortunately, we would have to cross paths to get to our teammates.  We got a little tangled, but my teammate took off first.  I finished the leg with a 7:59/mile average...slower than my first leg, but I was thrilled to have broken 8:00 on my third run of the day.

The next stop would be the end of the race, where we would all reunite and cross the finish line together.  There were many start times for the race, with some people starting as early as 7 am and waves leaving every half hour until 9:30 am.  The 9:30 groups were the fastest.  Their goal was to pass everyone along the way and finish before the 7 am groups.  So, as we jubilantly crossed the finish line, we had no idea how we really did in comparison to everyone else.  But, it didn't even matter.  We couldn't have been prouder of ourselves.

Initially, we weren't sure if we would finish by 8 pm.  Then we set our sights much higher.  We ended up crossing the finish line at 7:12 pm...11 hours and 12 minutes after we had begun our race.  Our average pace was 8:38/mile.  When we woke in the morning, we discovered that we had placed 5th (out of 35) in the all-women groups and 87th (out of 209) overall.

Our team finish!

This was definitely a race that I will never forget.  I met some awesome women, laughed my butt off, and ran my heart out.  We exceeded our own expectations and had an amazing day filled with memories and experiences that will last a lifetime.  Thanks, girls, for a great race.  For a great day.

About that race...part 2

As runner three took off, we all got in the car, with runners five, six, and seven thinking of coffee more than anything.  Fortunately, not far along the drive to the next checkpoint was a little gas station.  I ran in quickly, and it was like a scene from an old movie - the sheriff sat at the counter enjoying his cup of coffee and some small-town conversation with the owner.  I filled three cups, and the owner asked, "Are you involved with this running thing that is going on?"  Yep.  I am running around the lake as part of a team of seven women.

We got to the next checkpoint with about ten minutes to spare, and then off went runner four.  Our short term goal became to find bathrooms that didn't have a long line before quickly heading to the next checkpoint.  Fortunately, there were several port-a-potties at this stop, which was one of many wineries along the way.  Unfortunately, port-a-potties without lines would not to be the norm for the next many hours.

Runners 7, 5, and 6

I began to get a touch nervous as runner five (Amanda) sped off.  There would be another bathroom trip necessary.  I was worried about what I had eaten (and not eaten).  I was definitely not used to running in the late morning. As my turn approached, I was glad that a teammate had packed some energy chews.  I ate a few and downed some water.  My adrenaline started and I anxiously awaited as Amanda flew in to the exchange point.  I grabbed the slap bracelet, slapped it onto my arm, and went.

Heading out for my first leg of the race...

It was cold.  Only in the upper 30's at best, I was not quite sure what to wear.  But once I got moving, I warmed up quickly.  Starting off, my legs felt wobbly and unsure, and I had to mentally move them for a while before I felt them calm down and I was able to find a comfortable stride.  I was excited when my team drove by, honking the horn, ringing the cow bell, and cheering me on.  I would see them again soon.  The rolling hills were much like the roads I run around my house.  I could handle them.  I ran along a relatively isolated road with but one person ahead of me, just out of reach.  I focused on him, and, for a while, thought I might be able to catch him.  I did close a bit of distance, but never did reach him.  I passed no one, but no one passed me, either.  I passed the slap bracelet to the last runner on our team.  My pace on this 4.6 mile leg: 7:42/mile.

Just finished my first leg and made the hand off

I stretched for a minute or two before we took off in the Yukon again.  My next focus was to eat.  Never have an avocado smeared on bread and a hard-boiled egg tasted so good.

We would do the whole thing twice more.  Getting out of the car, cheering one runner in as the next went off, getting back into the car, passing by our teammate, honking and yelling and ringing the cow bell, finding bathrooms (or sides of roads), sneaking in food when and where we could (the pit stop halfway through for pizza was one of the best decisions).  We were pretty close to being on our lofty-goal average pace of 8:30...at least for the first half of the race, which was predominately down hill.  The second half proved to be more of a challenge, as it was just as much uphill to get back to where we started.

Mmmm...pizza!

To be continued...

Half Marathon #3

When I ran a half marathon through the city streets in May, though I was proud and satisfied, I was mostly happy it was over.  I enjoyed the race only on some mental level that I am not quite satisfied with, or at least not enough to want a repeat performance.  The early-bird registration for the 2013 version of that race has come and gone, and I have no desire to sign up.  After that race, I took a short break and then resumed running, though without any goals in mind.  I continued running, often meeting with a new running partner, through the summer, and then, surprisingly, into the fall.  My mileage steadily increased as my friend and I talked away the dark evening miles after the kids were in bed during the week and I headed out at daybreak on the weekends.  With no goal in mind, I actually wasn't sure when to stop or what to do.  In late September, my friend finally convinced me to run the half marathon that she was training for; somewhat reluctantly, I did.

My reluctance was largely due to the fact that I was kind of enjoying the no pressure runs.  With no plan, I didn't have any regrets when I cut a run short.  I didn't care if I did sprints, or hill workouts, or tempo runs.  When I felt like it, I went a bit faster, when I didn't, I went slower.  But I also felt as though I needed a "grand finale" to this season of running.  Not that I am going to totally stop, but I kind of was missing something to work for, after which I could give myself permission to cool it for a bit.

About a month prior to the race, I signed up not having the slightest clue as to how I would do.  I had certainly been putting in the miles.  At my peak, I was running over 30 miles a week; typically, more in the 26-28 range.  I knew I had it in me to finish without an issue.  I had also done some workouts with my friend here and there when our schedules aligned and we wanted to.  But I really didn't know what to expect from myself.  Therefore, I didn't put a whole lot of pressure on myself. 

It was a chilly morning, with threatening rain.  My friend picked me up at 6:30 AM and five of us drove the 40 minutes or so to the race packet pick-up location.  We got our timing chips and bags and got on the school bus that served as the shuttle to the start.  Once there, we headed into the heated building that was available.  I did my fair share of waiting in lines for the porta potties but otherwise managed to stay warm.  Soon, it was time to line up.

The five of us that drove together split off, with two sticking together and the rest of us going at it alone.  The gun went off and so did we.  Stuck in a large pack, I jockeyed myself through the sea of people until I was in a comfortable place with some elbow room.  We ran on the streets for about half of a mile, and then a hairpin turn took us down onto a trail that is part of a "Rails to Trails" program - unused railways have been converted into running paths; the rails are gone and crushed gravel and, in some places, asphalt have been put in their place.  As soon as I got onto the trail, I knew I was going to love this race.

One of the guys that rode with us had a similar race plan as me...we both planned to start at around an 8 minute mile pace and adjust from there.  When I was approaching the hairpin turn, I spotted him heading the other direction.  I got to within about six feet of him and decided to hang there behind him for a while.  He had no idea I was there, and I later found out that he thought I was ahead of him.  I let him pace me at between 7:55 and 8:00 miles for a while before he noticed me.  I was surprised at how easily I was able to maintain that pace, but I still didn't feel confident enough to speed up at all.

I had thrown together a play list the night before, and I was loving it.  At around mile 7 or 8, a great song came on that made me itch to run faster.  I pulled up beside my friend and said, "Are you ready?" He said, "You go."  I did.

As I ran, oftentimes singing along to my music, I was struck by the beauty of the course.  All around me were trees with beautiful fall foliage.  At one point, to my right was a lake.  For much of the course, there was a creek to my left.  I passed a water fall.  There were boulders and cliffs.  The skies cleared and the sun shined through the tree branches.  Leaves, blown by the slight breeze, fluttered down.  For a little while, I tried to catch them as I ran, thinking that Cortlan and Everly would love to have a leaf that I caught during my race.  I soaked it all up and enjoyed it; this was such a different experience than May. 

And I could hardly believe it, but my legs felt great. 

As I came upon mile 10, I still felt like I had another gear left.  In that mile, I averaged 7:51 as I slowly caught and passed people.  I did the same for mile 11.  Something fantastic happened in mile 12 and without looking at my watch until the end of the mile, I was able to average a 7:36.  With 0.2 mile to go, I could see the finish line and I began to go as fast as my legs could carry me...I brought it home with a 6:59 pace.

With low expectations, a beautiful downhill course, and what turned out to be perfect race conditions, I finished with a personal record of 1:43:05.70.  What's even better is that this may be one of my favorite runs ever.

_____________________________________________

Here are my results:

Finish time: 1:43:05.70
Overall Place: 164/822
Division Place: 7/87
Female Place: 35/426
Average Pace: 7:52/mi

Pittsburgh Half Marathon

Well, I did it.  I trained for a race through the winter, injury and all, and this morning I ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.  And right now, I am sitting on the deck enjoying my runners high on a beautiful day, relaxing while the kids are asleep.

This was my second half marathon, my first being last September in Erie.  And the two races couldn't have been much more different.

I had been nervous for a little over a week, since my last "at pace" run.  That run was supposed to be five miles at the pace I hoped to run the race, and those five miles weren't nearly as easy I had hoped they would be.  In comparison to the training I was able to do last summer (waking up early in the AM to run, not one injury holding me back, completed most of my scheduled miles), my training for this race was not quite up to par (running in the evening after working all day, three weeks off in February due to injury, then a gradual ease back into training, missing many miles).  There were definitely more challenges to overcome in preparation for this race...and that is not an excuse of any sort, but it is exactly what led me to have no real idea at what pace I should hope to run today's 13.1 miles. 

The mental aspect of running long distances, and the planning and thought that goes into training and running a "smart" race, is still something that I am working on and that doesn't come easy for me.  I ran my race in the fall in ideal conditions on a completely flat course in about 1:44.  When trying to decide on my goal for this race, I took into consideration many things:  It would be a more difficult course, it would be warmer, and I hadn't trained as well; but it would be a larger race with much larger crowds and potentially more energy to push me along.  I set my sights high on a 1:45 goal but knew I would be very happy with a much more realistic 1:50.

They were giving away free pace tattoos at the Expo...I went with an ambitious one.

The morning started off well.  I rode down to the city with a new friend and a friend of her husband's and we got street parking (for free!) right near the baseball stadium. We walked to the bag check with plenty of time to spare and made our way to the bathrooms and then corral B.  (For reference, there were no corrals in Erie.)  The excitement at the starting line was palpable...we were near a parking garage and people were on all levels of the garage hanging over the rails ready to cheer us on, and cheer they did.  The starting gun went off and so did we, en masse.

I remember in Erie starting off and finishing my first mile too fast and with ease.  I didn't want to do that, but when I looked down at my watch and my pace, I was surprised that I was going slower than my goal pace.  That was a little worrisome, being only the first mile, but I spotted the 3:30 marathon pace group ahead and established my plan.  I would try to stay with them until mile 7, reassess, and speed up if I could.

Through the race  - over bridges, through neighborhoods and business districts, under overpasses - there were crowds of people lining the streets cheering us on and many bands rocking out tunes.  I tried to focus on the 3:30 sign that the pacer was carrying, while simultaneously avoiding tripping over curbs, manhole covers, and other people's feet and also trying to avoid being elbowed or elbowing anyone.  The 3:30 pack was tight.  But I was happy to find a groove.

The miles went on.  I hardly listened to my music.  I was happy to not have too many hills to run.  At mile 7, I felt pretty good and braved passing the pacer.  At around 8.5 miles in, the pacer was passing me.  Ok, then.  I resolved to keep him in my sights.  At mile 10, he started to pull away.  No, wait...that was me falling behind.

I was struggling a bit, but was hopeful...I had managed to gain a touch of time somewhere along the way, so my slowing by a touch would still be ok if I could maintain my new pace and then kick it in at the end.  That became my new plan.

At mile 11, the marathoners stayed right, the half-marathoners stayed left.  I lost my pacer, but would have anyway.  As I crossed the bridge, I hit a wall.  I looked at my watch and saw I was going a full minute and forty-five seconds slower than my anticipated pace.  I willed my legs to go faster; they wouldn't.  And then came the largest uphill of the race.  Awesome.  I was swearing at the hill.  I asked a police officer on the side of the road to make it stop.  He told me I was almost there.  My thoughts went to Erie for a second, remembering me jubilantly singing along, cranking up my pace at this point in the race and the guy I passed telling me he hated me.  I hated my Erie self, too, in that moment.

Finally, the top of the hill came, and so did mile 12.  A little more than one mile to go, and it was literally all downhill from there.  I had slowed for the better part of a mile and a half.  My legs had recovered just enough to let me get down the hill at a decent clip and recover some of the lost time.  I took my ear buds out and soaked it all in.  I can't tell you how happy I was to see that finish line.  I did my best to push through.

Hot, sweaty, gross and not looking too pretty, but damn proud!

I finished my race in 1:46.43 and I am extremely happy with that time.  I feel that I left it all out on the course and came in on E, and I can't really think of anything I would have done differently during the race itself. I walked through the finishers chute, got my picture taken, grabbed a Smiley Cookie, some water, and some fruit, and just as I got my wits about me to start looking for somewhere to stretch and meet my friend, I heard, "Joyce!"  It was John and the kids, and I was so glad to see them...I wasn't sure if they would be coming down to the race at all; the logistics got pretty tricky and it was going to be a game-time decision.  Everly wasn't interested in being my monkey (I don't blame her - I was so sweaty), but having my family there at the finish was awesome.  I stretched, we walked around a bit, and then headed home...with the windows down because I stunk so bad I was repulsing even myself.

So happy to see my family at the finish...a great end to the event.

All in all, it was a pretty good race - it was extremely well-organized, the crowds were great, the volunteers awesome.  I challenged myself and, for the most part, came through.  I am proud.  But at the moment, I am also glad it is over!!

________________________________________
My results: (updated...they fixed my division)

Time: 1:46:43
Pace: 8:08.4 min/mile
Division Place: 47/1302
Female Place: 286/7432
Overall Place: 1058/12,103

The Race Weekend, Part 2: The Race

Sleeping in my own bed may have been nice the night before the race, but at the very least, staying in a hotel forced me to plan for the morning well beforehand.  The alarm went off.  I turned on the coffee pot.  I brushed my teeth and got dressed in my layers that were all ready to go (with my bib already pinned).  I ate half of a chocolate muffin, drank my coffee, checked my ipod and laced up my shoes (with the chip already tied on).  As the kids and my parents still slept peacefully next door, John and I headed out the door at 5:45 AM.

With the race being held so close to the hotel, it was no time at all before I was getting out of the car and making my way down the dark path lit by orange glow sticks toward the sound of music being played near the starting line.  And it was no time at all before the full body shivers began, partly because of the cold air and partly because of nerves.  I had to be there by 6, but my race didn't start until 7:30, after the full marathon and 5K had already begun, leaving me plenty of time to stand in the line for the bathrooms.  Twice.  (Again, nerves.)  Fortunately, my neighbor was there, too, and we got to talk and laugh the time away.  Soon enough, I was lining up at the start.

The gun went off, I started my watch, and I concentrated on my pace, trying hard to heed the advice from so many:  Don't start too fast.  I felt great, but I knew I had to hold back.  There were plenty of miles to go.  When I got to the first water station, I couldn't believe how fast the first mile went.  I looked at my watch: 7:26.  And people were passing me left and right. 

When I began training for this race in April, my training plan perplexed me.  In the plan were written tempo runs, runs that included certain distances at marathon pace, hill sprints, and more.  I had no idea how to figure out what my marathon pace was without ever having run one.  I had no idea at what pace to run for tempo runs when I hadn't run a race since before being injured.  Unlike my high school sprinting days, when I ran as fast as I possibly could for 100 or 200 meters, I realized that this distance running was going to require some thinking and control.  And if it was going to work, I had to have a goal.  I adjusted my goal throughout the training, as I realized of what I was capable.  And not capable.  And when I got to the race day, I had in my head goals in three tiers: what I would be happy with, what I hoped for (which was what I thought I might be able to do on a great day), and what I would love to achieve.  On the pace band that I wore on my wrist was a little better than what I hoped for: 1:45, which was about an 8:01 pace.

So as people passed me through the first couple of miles, I just focused on my music and the sights, and tried to keep my pace.  The second mile came at right around 16:15.  I had slowed a bit too much, so I picked it up and found some people to keep an eye on.  I took my long sleeved shirt off at mile 3.  The sun was just above the horizon over the water to my right.  I tried to take mental pictures as it shone through the trees on such a crisp, beautiful morning.  I looked straight up and couldn't help but to smile.  As I write this almost a week later, the picture is still there.

The miles clipped by.  Water/sports drinks at every mile helped me keep track of time.  As always, I sang along to my tunes, a great play list I had put together specifically for this race.  I tried to keep my voice quiet, though, and did a lot of lip syncing, especially around people who didn't also have earphones.  But, honestly, I was so excited to be running that it was hard to not dance just a little here and there, too.

Near mile 8, I was right on pace.  I had been running near a particular couple for much of the race, and suddenly I heard the guy say "time to go."  At first, I wasn't sure whether he fell back, or if she took off, or if both happened.  But suddenly, I was running ahead of him and she was pulling away from me.  I got out of the trance I had been in for the previous few miles, and refocused.

It was hard, having never before run 13.1 miles, to know how much to have in reserve as mile 10 came along.  I increased my pace ever so slightly.  At mile 11, I finally figured out how to drink from a dixie cup while running without most of it splashing on me or making me nearly choke or drown.  At mile 12, when I still felt great, I knew that it was time to go.  I hit my power song on the ipod, and pushed, with adrenaline rushing through me.  I was nearly there.

The power song ended, one more song came on, and I kept singing...this time perhaps too loud.  The guy that I passed on the left said, "I hate you right now."  I smiled. 

The song ended.  The finish line was almost in sight.  And through my headphones suddenly blared "Hey Diddle, Diddle."  WHAT?!!  Seriously.  I have no idea why, and I can't figure out how.  The song was definitely not on my play list.  But, though pushing the power song again (because I certainly couldn't finish the race with "Hey Diddle, Diddle"), I couldn't help but to run a little faster having been reminded of my kids and how so much I do, including running this race, has so much to do with them.

I approached the finish line, and tried to look for my family.  I couldn't see them, but I could hear them.  "Go Joyce!"  I heard my mom say.  I raised my arms, and seconds later crossed the line, finishing with a time that I loved to achieve.

Almost a week later, I still can't shake the feeling of pride from running this race, and I am not trying to.  I know a lot of people that have run many half marathons, and perhaps some may think I am being a little too dramatic or am making a bigger deal of this than I should, but I am hoping that they know exactly how I feel and can totally relate.  There is just something about setting a goal, working hard for months in preparation, and then achieving or even surpassing that goal.  I enjoyed every moment of this race, wouldn't change a thing, and would totally do it again.

__________________________________________________
Here are the results of my first half marathon, September 18, 2011

Time: 1:43:54
Pace: 7:56/mile
Division Place: 4/72
Female Place: 17/440
Overall Place: 97/800

July 4th 5K

As I mentioned before, I am training for my first half-marathon, thanks in large part to some inspirational running friends and a plan written by one of them.  So far, I haven't missed a single run from that plan.  And, at least as of last week, I have been feeling strong.  My endurance has definitely improved, as has my cardiovascular shape.  With tempo runs and sprint workouts sprinkled in, I even feel like I have been getting faster.  I may actually meet my goal time once race day arrives. 

At some point last week, I looked at my training plan and decided that I might like to try to run another 5K before the summer is over.  Since I don't think it would be a great idea to do that too close to the race, and since there happen to be many local races to choose from at the beginning of July, I decided that now would be the time.  With the encouragement of a friend, as well as my husband, I decided to run a local 5K that benefits pediatric cancer research.  On the last available day for online registration, I signed up.  The race was today.

We left the house at 7:20 for an 8:30 race start, and I picked up my packet and chip at the pavilion when we got there.  For some reason, I felt much more nervous today that at any other race I had run.  With the weekend's festivities, including late and sleepless nights (one in a tent), and 12 miles run in the last two days (leaving me a bit more achy than I had anticipated), I wondered if this was the best idea.  I began to second guess everything, including what I had for breakfast.  I warmed up and started to feel a bit better, but had to pee four times before the race began.

The race was called The Race for Virginia & Friends.  Virginia died of cancer not long after she turned 9; she would have graduated from high school this year, the final year for the race.  As the racers were called to the starting line, a man who I believe to be Virginia's father spoke.  When he choked up about three sentences into his speech, I found myself fighting back tears.  When he reminded us of why we were running, some of my nervousness subsided and I just was happy to be there running, happy that my own children were able to be there playing on the playground during the race and cheering me through the finish line.

The race was not easy.  While I was running, there seemed to be nothing flat about the course.  Though I felt strong at the beginning, I lost some of that feeling somewhere just past the 2 mile marker.  When the finish line came into view, I was able to pick it up a bit more and ran hard through the finish.  I was happy to walk to the stage with my two children to receive my 3rd place medal (for my age division) and to have set a new personal record.  I was proud to have run the Race for Virginia & Friends.


_________________________________________________
Here are the results of my July 4, 2011 5K*:

Time: 21:14
Pace: 6:51/mile
Division Place: 3/41
Female Place: 18/374
Overall Place: 72/706

*I never have a particular goal in mind except to always try to do a little better than my prior races.  This one will be tough to beat for me.  I wish I hadn't heard someone say that they thought the race distance was off by a little bit, because it kinda tarnished it a bit for me; I feel like I will never know if this was a true pace (I heard nothing official about any distance issues), but I certainly felt like I ran faster than my prior races!

Another one about running

The May issue of Shape magazine states that "Nearly 44 million Americans reported running outdoors last year (that's a 7 percent jump from the year before)."  Well, count my family among them.

Besides Cortlan's 1K run two Saturdays ago, in March my nephew ran his first half marathon and then more recently his first marathon in Prague.  John has started running.  Everly wants to run.  I ran a 5K the same day as Cort's race (results below).  And as of today, I am officially registered for my first half marathon.  Woo hoo!!

I am not joking or exaggerating when I say that four or five years ago I would have laughed hysterically and not believed you for a second if you told me that I would be training for a half marathon in 2011.  Back then, if I ran, I was happy to complete a mile.  I had a mind block against anything more than 20 minutes of running.  I flat out didn't enjoy it and may have gone so far as to say I hated it.  So much for a person not being able to change.

My neighbor ran with me the other night for the second time.  She is not a runner.  (Yet.)  As she struggled a little bit as we made the loop around a nearby neighborhood, I thought about how torturous running used to seem to be to me.  And I was thinking that she may be thinking the same thing.  And as I tried to verbalize it to her, I realized that trying to describe the transition from running being torture to it being something that I love, need, and generally look forward to doing is like trying to describe to a person who has never been pregnant what it is like to have a baby kick you from inside.  (Now that is quite a parallel, huh?)

I hope that I always enjoy running as much as I currently do.  I hope my legs carry me many more miles.  I hope my neighbor, and many more people, are able to someday understand through experience what I can't quite express in words.


___________________________________________
Again, as my self-designated place to record them, here are the results of my May 21, 2011 5K:
Time: 22.48.70
Pace:  7:21/mile
Division Place: 2nd
Overall Place: 47/415
Team Place: 1st in Women's Division (with a total time of 1:09:57.10 for all three women)

My "Great Race"

As a kid, there are so many things to get excited about and look forward to:  birthdays and birthday parties, holidays like Christmas and Halloween, sleepovers, the first snow, school dances, etc.  Somehow, as an adult, a lot of those things lose a little bit of their shine.  Of course, now that I have kids of my own, I kind of live vicariously through them, and enjoy those types of things right along with them.  But, honestly, Christmas just wasn't as magical as a twenty-two year old childless woman who didn't even have her own home as it was to my seven year-old self, for example.  Even now, birthday parties are stressful because I have to plan them; the first snow brings fears of horrible road conditions; and the thought of my child's first school dance kind of makes me shudder.  I remember what they were like.

But let me tell you, I have honestly been looking forward to, and excited about, the race that I ran today.  I mean, couldn't-get-to-sleep-last-night-and-woke-before-the-alarm-went-off-at-6 AM excited.  And now, just slightly more than twelve hours past the time that I boarded the shuttle to the start line with a great friend by my side, I am still feeling the highs of the day.  Age-telling injury aside, I think I have found my fountain of youth.  Not only does running make me feel that I am doing something healthy for myself and helps me to be a good role model for my kids, it also keeps me rejuvinated and motivated.  It gives me a release and much-needed, feel-good endorphins.  It gives me at least half an hour to myself, or if I feel like multi-tasking, at least half an hour to socialize with a friend.

And today, it gave me a feeling of accomplishment, of a well-deserved pay off, and a smile that I can't wipe off my face.  It gave me that excitement that I remember feeling as a kid - the kind that lasts and lasts.  It took me back to high school and the feelings I got then when I raced.  But back then, I ran for less than 30 seconds a pop.  This was a long-lasting, bell-ringing, people-clapping, heart-racing, adreneline-filled run that I enjoyed to the fullest.  I have never run a 10K before, but I will run this race again.  I have officially turned into a person I never thought I would become.  And I am thrilled.

My friend and I entered the race together and promised each other that we wouldn't hold each other back.  We weaved through the crowd together through most of the first half of the race, an exciting adventure in itself.  I was happy to be only a handful of steps behind her by mile four.  At mile four and a half, I lost her as she pulled ahead.  I was genuinely happy for her and thrilled that I had her to run with; I know I did as well as I did because she was there not allowing me to mentally flake out of the race.  Now, I am pretty sure she is feeling what I am feeling as we exchange text messages that go something like this:

Me:  "Still feeling great about the day. And the best is that i feel like i have room to improve, too."
Her:  "Exactly. :)  We should do a race in the spring."
Me:  "Are you saying we are going to train thru winter???"

And the crazy thing is that I am considering it.




_____________________________________________
And for posterity's sake, my results (sorry, this is my self-designated place to record them):
Chip time: 46:54
Clock time: 48:47 (I had no idea it would take nearly 2 mintues to get to the start line!!)
Overall:  1141/7958
Females:  226/3843
Age group:  42/664
Pace:  7:33

I did it!

The week is over and I feel good.  This week...

• The kids started at their new daycare (aka "school").  Everly didn't nap the first day, which resulted in a disastrous evening on Monday due to sheer exhaustion, but at least she saved the worst for home and made a decent impression on her teachers.  Cortlan loved it so much he didn't want to leave.  Seriously.  He wouldn't even come over and give me a hug when I got there.  He just said, "Can I just stay for a couple more minutes??"  Every day got better for Everly, with Friday being the first day that she didn't even cry when we left.  Cortlan still didn't want to leave, even on Day 5.  And I didn't have to make one single lunch.  I am very pleased with our decision to change schools - a decision that I was once so very worried about.
• John and I started back to work.  We survived the first days of in-service, with which I have a love-hate relationship.  I asked John too many times what time it was during the superintendent's speech, only to find that it was merely 8:30 AM at last check.  Though, I loved the African Dance Troop that performed for us.
• I managed to maintain a relative calm up to the first day of school with students.  It was an effort.  I had made a conscious decision that my anxiety and nerves were not going to get the better of me this year.  To a large degree, it worked, and I think I was able to enjoy the last days of summer more than any year prior.  However, the night before school started, I had a weird feeling and actually said to John, "I am a bit unsettled that I am not more nervous right now."  It felt foreign to not be worked up into some sort of a frenzy about the first day of school.  Well, next year I need to heighten my level of concern and find a happy medium, I believe.  Thursday morning, I was going crazy because of the things that I had neglected to be stressed about and therefore hadn't taken care of in the way that I should have.  The day with the students went off without a hitch, but it was a sprint to the starting line and there is still quite a bit to take care of behind the scenes that would normally be done by now.  You live and you learn, I suppose.  I will find my balance.
• I ran.  I wasn't sure that I would be able to keep up my running once school started (and truthfully, it was just a week, so I can't really make that generalization just yet), but I did get in my scheduled three of the five days this week.  For the first time ever, I ran instead of going out to lunch on an in-service day.  I have mixed feelings about that.  I knew that there would be no other time that day, and I am proud of myself for doing it.  BUT, I missed out on lunch with friends I haven't seen all summer.  AND I was a sweat ball for the afternoon in-service meeting.  I felt like I ran pretty quickly, but factoring in changing clothes, drive time, the five miles around the lake, drive time back, toweling off and changing back into my clothes, I was lucky to only be five minutes late to the afternoon session.  Lunch just isn't long enough. 
• I ran.  Switching to the evening runs is not proving to be easy.  Yawning on my way out the door at 6:30 AM is a kind of waking of the senses, a relatively pleasant experience.  Yawning on my way out the door at 8:00 PM after a day that began at 5:00 AM and included teaching all day and savoring every energy-filled moment of the sacred after-school time I get to spend with my kids is a different sensation altogether.  But, I did it.  We will see if I can continue to do it.
• And I ran a little more.  Last year, I ran my first 5K.  Today, I ran the same one again, and this time I did it 2 minutes faster.  A definite highlight of the week was after the race when John said, "I am proud of you." And when Cortlan said, "Great job, Mommy! I liked how you ran fast the entire time!" I am going to include the details of my finish, not for any other reason than if I don't record them, I will forget them as I did in May when I had to google search to find my time in last year's race.  But I am thrilled with my race -  I managed a 2nd place in my age division and 29th overall, with a time of 22:47.  Or maybe it was 22:46.  I have to check.

So yes, the week is over and I feel good.  And now I am going to take a nap.

A new year begins

I turn 33 today, and...

• I am pretty sure that I got about 33 new grey hairs overnight.  Seriously.  Was there some sort of switch that got flipped?  Turn 33, go grey - flip! I am to the point now that I have to make a decision: go grey gracefully or go against my cheapskate nature and cross over to the dark side of having my hair dyed, never to return again to the natural world.  Neither option is very appealing right now.  But, if I pluck many more, I will be bald before I know it.
• I am very curious as to what the future will hold.  When I think about all of the things that have happened in my life to lead me to this point, a point that I would have never envisioned years ago, it really amazes me.  All of the good stuff, all of the bad stuff, every twist and turn, the things that I had control over and the things that had control over me - it all has led me to this point.  All of those experiences have made me who I am.  And I am happy with that, and I am happy to have realized that, too.  Because it makes thinking about all of the other experiences that I have yet to have seem that much more exciting.
• I am proud to say that while I may not be in the best shape of my life, I am in better shape than I would have ever anticipated at this point.  I remember a time not that long ago when I wasn't able to run three miles without stopping.  On Saturday, I ran my second 5K. 
• I am not proud to say that if I didn't write my time down, I would forget it, as I did with my first 5K time that I thought I would always remember.  (That race was in September.  You would think that I would have been able to keep it in my head for less than a year, especially since it was my first.  But, no.  I had to look it up online, where it thankfully was safely stored.  So here, for my own future reference, are my times:  September 2009: 24.46.  May 22, 2010: 24.38.)
• I am happy to say that overall, I am happy. Genuinely happy. Not in a "my life is perfect" kind of way, because it isn't. Not in a "stress-free" kind of way, because it isn't that, either. (Obviously. Remember the grey hairs?) But in a "this moment is as good as it can possibly be, and I am going to enjoy it thoroughly" kind of way. Of course, there are moments that get by me unnoticed, and there are other moments during which I am irate, but when I stop and think about my general state, I am definitely happy.
• I am extremely thankful for all of the gifts that I have in my life - my husband, my two beautiful kids, my awesome and thoughtful and supportive friends and family, my health, the ability to laugh, to cry, and to celebrate, and the realization that I could sit here for days listing everything that I am thankful for.

This is going to be a great year, grey hair (or not) and all.