In Sandy before our first legs, not sure what we are doing :)
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Hood To Coast pics
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Summer and some advice
Summer flew by, there was lots of running and some racing. Not any fantastic running, mostly easy miles as the past couple of months have been filled with really low energy and heavy legs, more on that in a minute.
A few race pics from some fun races :)
Freedom festival 10k 7-4-12, knowing I had a half 3 days later I gave it a good effort but did not push hard so that I had something left for Saturday. Surprisingly I still got 3rd in my age group. 43:39
My sister in law Heather and I after the race :)
Hobbler Half Marathon 7-7-12, beautiful course and weather :) My legs were tired from some hard running during the week but I did the best I could and enjoyed it. I ended up 4th female and 1st in my age group. 1:32:43
Heather and I again :)
Some beautiful runs during the summer months! St. George, Utah. Hot but beautiful!
shadows mean sun :)
Preview of Hood to Coast post coming soon!!
Lastly If any of you have any advice on anemia I would love to hear it. I have been struggling with really low energy and finally went to the doctor to get my labs done. Yep, anemic, now what? At least there is an explanation for why I have had no energy!
A few race pics from some fun races :)
Freedom festival 10k 7-4-12, knowing I had a half 3 days later I gave it a good effort but did not push hard so that I had something left for Saturday. Surprisingly I still got 3rd in my age group. 43:39
My sister in law Heather and I after the race :)
Hobbler Half Marathon 7-7-12, beautiful course and weather :) My legs were tired from some hard running during the week but I did the best I could and enjoyed it. I ended up 4th female and 1st in my age group. 1:32:43
Heather and I again :)
Some beautiful runs during the summer months! St. George, Utah. Hot but beautiful!
shadows mean sun :)
Preview of Hood to Coast post coming soon!!
Lastly If any of you have any advice on anemia I would love to hear it. I have been struggling with really low energy and finally went to the doctor to get my labs done. Yep, anemic, now what? At least there is an explanation for why I have had no energy!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Windermere Marathon Race Report, 3 weeks later :)
So that fact that it has taken me almost 3 weeks to write this probably gives you a clue as to how it went. In the words of Amanda from Runninghood, there was and still is a lot of race residue.
Let's start from the beginning, when I made the decision to race the marathon I knew that I as not 100%, maybe 75% :/. But as anyone would I prayed for a miracle and hoped that there would be race day magic. I tapered and crosstrained to try and give my rear end and hips a break. I tried to do everything right. I packed up and boarded the plane to Spokane solo. My friends are awesome and decorated my door with some awesome inspirational quotes.
I felt loved and was excited and nervous but I just went with it, trying not to over think anything. Arrived got all checked in found some of my favorite foods Costa Vida chicken Salad) and sat in bed eating and watching ER. Oh and I iced and rolled my rear end. It was aching a lot but I just tried to put it out of my mind. After all I was there and I was doing it. I did not sleep all that well which surprised me but I think it may have just been too weird for me that I was all alone with no one who needed me :) I also planned on sleeping in and that did not happen either.
So I got up and got ready for a little shake out run in downtown Spokane. This was very nostalgic for me because I went to highschool in Spokane and as I was running around I had so many memories come back. I could feel my rear as I ran but it wasn't bad and I just put it out of my mind. The sun was shining and I was ready to get the show on the road :)
It took about 35 minutes to get to the start line after dropping off most of the runners at the half marathon start point. When we arrived there was about 20 minutes until go time. I hurried and got in the porta potty line and started to get a little nervous. It was quite chilly an I admit that I took my time in the Porta potty taking off my pants and putting on my arm warmers, making sure everything was just right. I dropped my bag and it was 3 minutes to 7am. Perfect timing!
As I lined up I realized how small this marathon really was, about 400 runners. Why oh why did I pick this marathon when I know I prefer medium to big marathons? The countdown started and we were off. It felt so good to finally be running after all the junk leading up to the race. I was just happy to be there at this point, that would change :( I hesitate to put my splits on here but I think it is all part of the healing. Failure is a part of every success, right?
Mile 1- I was happily chatting with the guys around me, and could not help but notice that there was only 1 girl in front of me. As my watch beeped I remember saying to the guy next to me, "well that pace is not part of my plan, i am going to slow some. 7:10
Mile 2-Everything was feeling so good and I chucked my gloves at the aid station. 7:20
Mile 3-Started running with 2 guys who seemed to be running together, so of course I asked and they were. we were running the same pace so I just stayed there. 7:14
Mile 4-I was wondering if I was going too fast but I was also so happy to have found some people to run with. Found out their goal was 3:15, perfect :) I told them that I was going to stick with them if that was okay. It was nice to have people to talk to. 7:14
Mile 5-I was very conscious of my hydration, I was not going to get dehydrated, again, been there done that. :) 7:22
Mile 6-12 Everything was going so well, my glute felt good and I was so happy. It was a little warm at times as the sun was beating down but I was still good. Took several sport beans at mile 8 and water and gatorade. 7:22, 7:17, 7:22, 7:19, 7:31, 7:23, 7:21
Mile 13- At about mile 12.5 the wheels started to come off, I cant really describe it but it was like my legs just firing correctly. My right quad was aching and I instinctively knew that this was not something that was going to go away. I quickly assessed my options and slowed in hopes that I could hold on to my B goal. 7:23
Mile 14- Shortly after crossing the 1/2 mark things started to go downhill fast. My legs were hurting and I was getting really discouraged. My guys were gone and I was pretty much alone. I was trying to dig deep but I still had over 12 miles to go. I was not sure what to do, I had told myself that if it got bad I would DNF and save my legs for Utah Valley on June 9th. At that point though I really was hoping that I could pull it out. 7:50
Mile 15-18 A lot of bargaining going on with myself. What to do? I found myself completely stopped on the side of the course crying around mile 17. Both my legs seemed to be shutting down and I was watching my B and C goals slip away. I really could not fathom even starting another marathon in 3 weeks. I was not sure I was meant to run another marathon ever. 7:56, 7:45, 8:14, 8:47
Mile 19-I decided that I wanted to finish and while my legs were extremely crampy and achy I knew that eventually I would finish. I wanted to walk and I did. It seemed like I was walking more than running even though I wasnt. I needed a goal to get me through so I looked at my overall time at that point and realized that I could still BQ and because I am old I had until 3:40. So with an actual Plan D I plugged along. 8:39
Miles 20-24 It was ugly, my legs hurt and I was so frustrated with them. I tried to concentrate on my form and tried to keep my head in it and i was wishing so bad that I had not gone alone. I needed someone to look for, someone to cheer for me, and I would have given anything for someone I loved to run with me. I needed support in the worst way! But I knew that really I had to do this on my own, this was my battle! "Feel it, Fight it, Finish it" kept running through my head and I was feeling it and fighting it. 8:29, 9:06, 10:42 (cramping bad), 9:09, 9:42
Mile 25- The bridge on the Gonzaga campus was when I finally knew that I would finish this thing, I still had a little to go and it was going to hurt but I was not giving up. 10:12
Mile 26-end- I was emotional and was barely hanging on. I was fighting back the tears trying to find some joy in finishing. To top it off I got passed by a woman with about 3/4 of a mile to go. The finish line seemed to be so far away. As i crossed the finish line tears immediately streamed down my face. I was disappointed but proud of myself for finishing. 9:56,8:45 (Garmin 26.39 3:35:09)
Official 3:35:06
5th female
1st in my age group
I immediately picked up my bag and found my phone so i could call my husband. I was tearful and so wished that he had been there. I don't think I will travel alone to a race again. I was not sure I would ever run another marathon again, I was convinced that I was not meant to be a runner.
In the almost 4 weeks since the race i have gained alot of perspective!
I am a runner.
I was overtrained.
I can not run 80+ miles a week and not ice, roll, massage, on a regular basis
More is not always better
I am not superwoman.
Running can be fun again
Numbers Will NOT define me
 |
| I Chose to Believe |
Let's start from the beginning, when I made the decision to race the marathon I knew that I as not 100%, maybe 75% :/. But as anyone would I prayed for a miracle and hoped that there would be race day magic. I tapered and crosstrained to try and give my rear end and hips a break. I tried to do everything right. I packed up and boarded the plane to Spokane solo. My friends are awesome and decorated my door with some awesome inspirational quotes.
 |
| Love my friends :) |
So I got up and got ready for a little shake out run in downtown Spokane. This was very nostalgic for me because I went to highschool in Spokane and as I was running around I had so many memories come back. I could feel my rear as I ran but it wasn't bad and I just put it out of my mind. The sun was shining and I was ready to get the show on the road :)
 |
| Welcome to Spokane |
 |
| Meant to take a before picture. oops! |
 |
| Beautiful shakeout run along and across the River |
I met up with some high school friends for lunch and shopped a little. I tried to keep busy knowing that was the best thing for me mentally. I drove around my old neighborhood and my old house. When I got back to the hotel it was around 4pm and I still needed to head to the expo. The great thing about staying at the host hotel was that it was so close to the Finish Line and the convention Center where the expo was. Now I would not really call this an expo, it was more a packet pickup with a few vendors. One sample, really one? I know every expo cant be Boston but really? A little disappointing but I got over it :) I already knew that I liked bigger marathons but this was another thing that confirmed that to me. So I headed back to my room to get all my gear laid out and make sure that I had not forgotten anything. I was happy that I had not because been there done that before Boston. It is not fun to realize that the outfit you were planning on wearing was not with you. All ready :) 
Now onto figuring out what to eat. Wendy's was close by so I decided on a baked potato and when I wen there they actually had baked sweet potatoes. I could'nt decide so I got both, it was a rather unsatisfying meal but for good measure I had my pre-race soft serve ice cream cone. Then it was time to try and get some sleep, unfortunately I had a huge headache and was having a hard time sleeping. I had a normal prerace night waking up every hour paranoid that I was going to wake up late. I got up around 4:30 and hoped in the shower to wake up and it is just easier to tame my mane when it is wet. got dressed, glided up, and made my breakfast. I was out the door at 5:30 for a short walk to the Coliseum to catch the bus to the start line. There were several other runners walking over and we chatted some, the weather was beautiful, sunny and around 50. cool but terrific running weather. I was hopeful and ready!
Now onto figuring out what to eat. Wendy's was close by so I decided on a baked potato and when I wen there they actually had baked sweet potatoes. I could'nt decide so I got both, it was a rather unsatisfying meal but for good measure I had my pre-race soft serve ice cream cone. Then it was time to try and get some sleep, unfortunately I had a huge headache and was having a hard time sleeping. I had a normal prerace night waking up every hour paranoid that I was going to wake up late. I got up around 4:30 and hoped in the shower to wake up and it is just easier to tame my mane when it is wet. got dressed, glided up, and made my breakfast. I was out the door at 5:30 for a short walk to the Coliseum to catch the bus to the start line. There were several other runners walking over and we chatted some, the weather was beautiful, sunny and around 50. cool but terrific running weather. I was hopeful and ready!
As I lined up I realized how small this marathon really was, about 400 runners. Why oh why did I pick this marathon when I know I prefer medium to big marathons? The countdown started and we were off. It felt so good to finally be running after all the junk leading up to the race. I was just happy to be there at this point, that would change :( I hesitate to put my splits on here but I think it is all part of the healing. Failure is a part of every success, right?
Mile 1- I was happily chatting with the guys around me, and could not help but notice that there was only 1 girl in front of me. As my watch beeped I remember saying to the guy next to me, "well that pace is not part of my plan, i am going to slow some. 7:10
Mile 2-Everything was feeling so good and I chucked my gloves at the aid station. 7:20
Mile 3-Started running with 2 guys who seemed to be running together, so of course I asked and they were. we were running the same pace so I just stayed there. 7:14
Mile 4-I was wondering if I was going too fast but I was also so happy to have found some people to run with. Found out their goal was 3:15, perfect :) I told them that I was going to stick with them if that was okay. It was nice to have people to talk to. 7:14
Mile 5-I was very conscious of my hydration, I was not going to get dehydrated, again, been there done that. :) 7:22
Mile 6-12 Everything was going so well, my glute felt good and I was so happy. It was a little warm at times as the sun was beating down but I was still good. Took several sport beans at mile 8 and water and gatorade. 7:22, 7:17, 7:22, 7:19, 7:31, 7:23, 7:21
Mile 13- At about mile 12.5 the wheels started to come off, I cant really describe it but it was like my legs just firing correctly. My right quad was aching and I instinctively knew that this was not something that was going to go away. I quickly assessed my options and slowed in hopes that I could hold on to my B goal. 7:23
Mile 14- Shortly after crossing the 1/2 mark things started to go downhill fast. My legs were hurting and I was getting really discouraged. My guys were gone and I was pretty much alone. I was trying to dig deep but I still had over 12 miles to go. I was not sure what to do, I had told myself that if it got bad I would DNF and save my legs for Utah Valley on June 9th. At that point though I really was hoping that I could pull it out. 7:50
Mile 15-18 A lot of bargaining going on with myself. What to do? I found myself completely stopped on the side of the course crying around mile 17. Both my legs seemed to be shutting down and I was watching my B and C goals slip away. I really could not fathom even starting another marathon in 3 weeks. I was not sure I was meant to run another marathon ever. 7:56, 7:45, 8:14, 8:47
Mile 19-I decided that I wanted to finish and while my legs were extremely crampy and achy I knew that eventually I would finish. I wanted to walk and I did. It seemed like I was walking more than running even though I wasnt. I needed a goal to get me through so I looked at my overall time at that point and realized that I could still BQ and because I am old I had until 3:40. So with an actual Plan D I plugged along. 8:39
Miles 20-24 It was ugly, my legs hurt and I was so frustrated with them. I tried to concentrate on my form and tried to keep my head in it and i was wishing so bad that I had not gone alone. I needed someone to look for, someone to cheer for me, and I would have given anything for someone I loved to run with me. I needed support in the worst way! But I knew that really I had to do this on my own, this was my battle! "Feel it, Fight it, Finish it" kept running through my head and I was feeling it and fighting it. 8:29, 9:06, 10:42 (cramping bad), 9:09, 9:42
Mile 25- The bridge on the Gonzaga campus was when I finally knew that I would finish this thing, I still had a little to go and it was going to hurt but I was not giving up. 10:12
Mile 26-end- I was emotional and was barely hanging on. I was fighting back the tears trying to find some joy in finishing. To top it off I got passed by a woman with about 3/4 of a mile to go. The finish line seemed to be so far away. As i crossed the finish line tears immediately streamed down my face. I was disappointed but proud of myself for finishing. 9:56,8:45 (Garmin 26.39 3:35:09)
Official 3:35:06
5th female
1st in my age group
I immediately picked up my bag and found my phone so i could call my husband. I was tearful and so wished that he had been there. I don't think I will travel alone to a race again. I was not sure I would ever run another marathon again, I was convinced that I was not meant to be a runner.
In the almost 4 weeks since the race i have gained alot of perspective!
I am a runner.
I was overtrained.
I can not run 80+ miles a week and not ice, roll, massage, on a regular basis
More is not always better
I am not superwoman.
Running can be fun again
Numbers Will NOT define me
 |
| Really happy to be done! |
 |
| Age group award |
 |
| #7 in the books |
 |
| Into the bin of medals it goes :) |
Monday, May 14, 2012
Hurt? Hippie & Hope
So obviously from my desperate last post I have a problem :(. Pretty sure I have piriformis syndrome or as my Team Athena Coach calls it Dumb A** syndrome. This is the same thing that caused me problems before Boston in 2010, although then I ignored the signs until it literally prevented me from running for the 3 weeks before Boston. So since then it has been fine until this training cycle when I upped my mileage quite a bit. I tried to be smart and started seeing a sports chiro regularly for maintenance. But then he was out of town and I ran hard a lot while he was gone. 10k, 22 miler, yasso 800's, hilly 18 miler, you get the picture. I think I just got behind and have been trying to get back to a happy place with my butt ever since.
So with my marathon scheduled for the 19th my taper took on new form. There have been decisions made not to run, then decisions to run, doubt, fear, peace, you name it I have probably felt it. So there has been pool running, ellipticalling, swimming, and some running. I have done my best to keep my fitness up and I think I have done a pretty good job. I have a backup plan and have secured a bib for the Utah Valley marathon on June 9th.
So I had plans to run the Hippie Chick 1/2 this past Saturday as a training run and my butt had been feeling better so I got the okay to run it. I planned to run it with my friend at an easy pace and just have fun. It was fun but I did not run it all at easy pace. I ran the first 4 miles easy with my friend and then she was in the zone listening to her iPod and she wanted me to go. So I started running what felt good. Smart? Anyway it felt pretty good and I was keeping a pretty good pace, right around 7min/mile. I ended up finishing with an average pace of 7:30 according to my Garmin which measured the course a little long. After finishing I went back for my friends that I could. I had the opportunity to meet Tasha from Healthy Diva It was fun to visit with Amanda from Runninghood on the ride to and from, she is hilarious! In hindsight I should have probably slowed down and run with them but Amanda told me to not second guess what I did so I am moving forward.
Now comes the hope and faith part...as of right now I am going to run Windermere on Saturday. I am not going to be dumb, I have a plan. If my body is not cooperating I will slow way down and use it as a training run or DNF(this would be tough for me to do but I will try and be smart). I know many people think I am crazy but I feel this is what I need to do. Time goals may go out the window in fact while I want to run fast I really don't want the clock to define my success.
So with my marathon scheduled for the 19th my taper took on new form. There have been decisions made not to run, then decisions to run, doubt, fear, peace, you name it I have probably felt it. So there has been pool running, ellipticalling, swimming, and some running. I have done my best to keep my fitness up and I think I have done a pretty good job. I have a backup plan and have secured a bib for the Utah Valley marathon on June 9th.
So I had plans to run the Hippie Chick 1/2 this past Saturday as a training run and my butt had been feeling better so I got the okay to run it. I planned to run it with my friend at an easy pace and just have fun. It was fun but I did not run it all at easy pace. I ran the first 4 miles easy with my friend and then she was in the zone listening to her iPod and she wanted me to go. So I started running what felt good. Smart? Anyway it felt pretty good and I was keeping a pretty good pace, right around 7min/mile. I ended up finishing with an average pace of 7:30 according to my Garmin which measured the course a little long. After finishing I went back for my friends that I could. I had the opportunity to meet Tasha from Healthy Diva It was fun to visit with Amanda from Runninghood on the ride to and from, she is hilarious! In hindsight I should have probably slowed down and run with them but Amanda told me to not second guess what I did so I am moving forward.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Desperatlely looking for....
A race bib for the Utah Valley Marathon! I will blog the full story later but short version. Fighting some injuries and don't think I will be able to run the marathon I am registered for on the 19th :(((. I am distraught about this but am trying to find another good option. Utah Valley is sold out but they allow bib transfers until May 25th so I am looking for a bib. If you know of anyone that wants to sell their bib, I would love to pay them for it! Spread the word I figure someone has to know someone, right? Crossing fingers and toes and anything I can :)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
ClubSport 10K
Okay just to clarify how I feel about shorter distances and track, they scare me!! I do not have a background in track or Cross country. I did not run in highschool in fact I really did not like to run. So why did I feel the need to race a 10k? Well I feel like I am trying to be the best runner that I can be and so I knew that doing this would help me push myself and help me to know where I am. Oh, and I really wanted to face my fear :) So with many reservations and fears, I registered for my 1st 10k race in over 10 years.
I was not planning on tapering as I am at the peak of my marathon training. in fact, not only did I not taper but I had some pretty tough workouts during the week and was kind of wondering if I was even going to be able to hold a respectable pace.
I woke up before my alarm and was feeling pretty good about running strong. I was going to run my own race and run as strong as I could whatever that turned out to be.
The race started at 8am and I got there around 7am. It was a beautiful morning, although chilly and foggy. I knew that once I started running it would be the perfect temp and the sun was burning off the fog. I was immediately greeted by Paula (the race director) and after catching up with her for a few was escorted to packet pickup. :)
I ate part of a bagel and got ready. I went out for a 2 mile warmup, got back, put my jacket in my checked bag and headed out to the start line. It was 2 minutes to the start which was great timing. Not really enough time to get cold or nervous. I chatted with a really nice girl next to me and then we were off :)
Mile 1: 6:24, I think this was the only accurate mile on my GPS. I had really debated on whether or not to wear it. I really wanted to run this race by feel. I was beginning to wonder what I had done, I knew it was going to hurt a little :)
Mile 2: The course was winding through a neighborhood and into a park with some thick wooded areas. I remember thinking that I could just make this a good tempo run and pull back a little but I just kept pushing.
Mile 3: During this mile I found myself winding around a park, there were some steep downhills that were covered in moss and I had to slow a lot, it was not worth slipping and injuring myself. When my watch beeped it said 7:10 and I actually said outloud, "Come On". My body felt like i was running faster but I tried to push harder.
Mile 4: Going down into the park meant that I had to climb out. I was finally starting to feel good and was no longer thinking about slowing down and copping out.
Mile 5: This was a great mile, wish had some accurate paces from my watch but it was way off. I was catching the girl in front of me.
Mile 6: this mile help some really big hills!!! I pushed and tried to help push others. Angie(the girl I had been keeping in my sights)was slowing and struggling on the hills so I started talking to her and trying to get us both up those darn hills. We did it and then stuck together. We turned back on tot he road and I realized that we were closer to the finish than I thought we were. I felt so good and felt like I was flying. I told Angie that we were going to give it everything that we had and I pushed harder:) I saw the clock and knew that I was going to break 4o. 39:48, 6:24 pace I was shocked!!!! Finished right in front of Angie and felt bad but we both were giving it our all.
I was not sure of my time so I stayed around for the awards. I ended up taking 3rd behind some very talented runners. Hallie Janssen (Olympic trials runner) took first in 35:something.
She was so nice and gave me some good advice.
I won a gift card which was a nice surprise :) I talked to Angie because I was feeling guilty about getting a gift card for beating her by 1 second. I needed her to know that I was not trying to beat her. I really was just trying to do my best. She was so sweet and told me that I deserved it and that there was no way she would have got the time she did without me encouraging her up the hill and through the finish. Runners are so nice :) Love this community.
It was a great experience :) A great way to wrap up a 77 mile week.
In other news, I got a new treadmill a couple of weeks ago:) This is what my little spot looks like.
I have hauled my Boston poster around for 2 years for just this purpose :) I plan on adding some of my race bibs and other inspirational things. This is where I did 12 miles of my 22 miler yesterday, watching the Boston marathon.
Kudos to all who ran and completed the race yesterday! Those were some seriously tough conditions. True character was shown :) In awe of your determination!!
I have to say thank you to Nicole for believing in me and always telling me that I can do things that I think I can not. You are always lifting and supporting others and it does not go unappreciated!!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Training, treadmills, and toes
Training is going well, my body is adapting well to my speed workouts. The first couple of weeks were a little rough. My legs hurt and I was having some knee issues but I went to the chiropractor and had him work things out before they became anything major.
Last week was my highest mileage week ever-80 miles.
It looked like this-
M-15 miles easy 7:58 pace
T-11.25 miles speed 12x400's
overall pace 7:22
W-10 recovery miles 8:00 pace
Th-11 miles hill work on the treadmill
3 mile warmup then mp the rest of the way.
Varied incline between 1%-7% for 3 miles then 1% the rest of the way.
F-ran double day-18 miles 8:10 pace
S-ran double day 15 miles 7:39 pace
The crazy thing about this 80 mile week is that all of my miles were on the treadmill. Not my choice but I had to run at some crazy times due to my hubby's schedule and my own schedule. I wish that I could run outside in the early morning hours but without a running partner I just done think it is a good idea. I was not able to meet up with Nicole at all this week :(. Do you like running on treadmills?
Speaking of treadmills, I am getting a new one :). My current treadmill is over 10 years old and is about dead so my hubby said that I could get a new one :). This will allow for better training and more options to breakup more of my runs and more early morning runs.
I am still intimidated by speedwork on the track. It is hard for me and I totally psych myself out. I have some major mental work to do. I have found that since I have increases the intensity of training and my mileage that it has also increased the amount of self doubt that I have. Do any of you find yourself doubting your abilities even though you are training harder?
Okay lastly I need some suggestions for good socks. This past week I have had several blisters. I have never had a issue with blisters but I am pretty sure that I need new socks. Do you have socks that you love? Please share, my toes will thank you :). My poor feet really do look like runners feet
I need a pedicure but is it worth it because I will just ruin it the next day?
Okay, off to bed. I am meeting up with Nicole for a long run outside in the morning:). Yeah for fresh air!!!!!
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