Seattle Half Marathon 2010

I ran the Seattle Half Marathon on Sunday.  I had originally hoped to do the full 26.2 miles for this race but due to my injury this summer that sent me all the way back to the start line of training (4 mile long run anyone?) ... I had to settle for 13.1 instead.  I suppose this was a blessing in disguise as it's been a hard last couple of months for training with illness in the house, migraines, a huge 40th birthday party and cake for my husband and did I mention illness?  Yes, the cold bug has been vicious.  Ha!  I guess it's been a hard few months for blogging too as I haven't done that either.  But I digress ... All that said, I'm happy I was able to run the half.  I mean, 13.1 miles is nothing to sneeze at.  It's still a really long way especially when you throw in all the hills of Seattle.  Yes, the hills.  They were okay.  At first.  Actually, the entire race was okay.  At first. The morning started with a very faint headache.  I debated taking something but opted to just ignore it and run it out since I don't like taking medication before a long run. I started the race out with a friend of mine and another friend of hers.  Both these gals are super fit and faster than me but I thought, hey, maybe they'll spur me on to a better time.  So, against my better judgement and ignoring the little voice in my head screaming, "Run your own race, run your own pace!" I kept up with my friends for the first 3 miles and hey, it was feeling easy.  I'm slow to drink water at the water stops and during those few seconds of lag time some other runners managed to squeeze in between us and I found myself father behind.  I knew I could sprint ahead and catch them but reason finally prevailed and I knew I had to let them go and just settle in at my own happy pace.  By mile 4 there was a slight nagging heavy sensation in my bladder.  Shoot!  I did not want to deal with a porta-potty stop.  I tried to keep running and ignore it but it was taking away from my enjoyment of the race so I began looking for lines at porta-potties that weren't too terribly long.  Mile 8 offered relief and I was so happy to make the stop.  My pace picked up a bit for the next two miles as I felt much better.  And then mile 10 came.  At the beginning of fall I had planned on getting in some longer runs ... 12 miles, 13 miles, maybe even 14 but like I said, life had a way of interfering with my plans.  My longest run was 10 miles ... 10 flat miles so when mile 10 came in the race my brain said, "We're done.  You spent the energy for these last 3 miles in the first leg of the race you silly girl."  I also noticed that unlike past half marathons the allure of miles 10-13 had vanished.  No longer could my brain tell my body, "Whoo hoo!!!  You're running 12 miles!  Now you're at 13!  Keep going!"  Nope,  instead my brain was saying, "Ho hum ... been there ... done that.  I'm tired.  Let's get this over with and go home."  I had to focus really hard on the fact I got to run into Memorial Stadium and receive a new medal.  Oh, did I mention my Garmin was messed up?  I had forgotten to clear it from my previous run so I had no idea what my time was.  That really annoys me and didn't help with prompting me to pick up the pace.

All said and done this was my worst finish time yet.  2:27:and some odd seconds.  Yuck!  But at the same time, "Ehhh ... it happens."  They can't all be great races.

And this wasn't a terrible race.  I may have had a terrible finish time but I didn't have a terrible time.  I enjoyed running through the streets of Seattle.  In fact, I really enjoyed running on the freeways.  It was fun to run on roads I used to have to wait out traffic jams on. In fact, slow as I was in this race, I am sure I was running faster than my car has moved on those roads at various times.  The views of the water and city were beautiful and the weather, you can't really ask for better running weather.  Even the hills weren't horrible.  When I'm better trained I prefer hills on my course.  What goes up must come down and I like pushing myself on the up and catching my breath again on the down.  I liked the Seattle course and so yes, I would like to tackle it again and hopefully, even tackle the full course.  But hopefully I can do it without a headache, with better training and with a lot more smarts in the first 3 miles.

Pushing Through the Heat

Once again, I am a very proud mom.  The other day my daughter's school had another fun run.  They usually have one at the end of the year but this is the first time they've held it at the school year start.  This being the case, I wasn't really aware of it going on.  I knew they were having some kind of "reading run" but figured it had to do with books.  Honestly, I'm still not sure what the purpose of the fun run was.  Anyway, since I didn't really know much about it I didn't give my daughter her usual pep talk and encouragement nor did I dress her in appropriate clothing (other than her running shoes) or give her my handheld amphipod water bottle full of Gatorade.  She did happen, on her own, to wear her new "I love running, I hate running" t-shirt so I guess that would qualify as appropriate clothing but the jeans she had on ... not so much. 

I took her to school and then went to the trail for my own run.  My daughter's school is between my home and the trail so as I drove home I happened to catch all the 5th grade students outside running laps around the playground.  "Hmmm, that looks just like the big fund run they do", I thought.  It was sunny outside and quite warm.  I had been slightly uncomfortable on my own run.  "Uh oh!" was my next thought as I knew my daughter reacted to the heat the same way I do - not pleasantly.  I wish I would have known she'd be running that much because I would have had her wear shorts and made sure she was properly hydrated before leaving for school.  As was ... I prepared myself for a downcast and whiny kid who overheated and complaining about how poorly she performed. 

True to my expectations, I got a call from the school nurse shortly after I arrived home.  "I have your daughter here in the health room.  It seems she got a little overheated at the fun run.  Her little face is very warm and she's feeling a little light headed.  I've given her some water and had her rest.  She's feeling a little better but I thought I'd have her talk to you before I send her back to class." 

I soon hear a small and weak voice on the phone.  "Mom, I got dehydrated.  It was so hot.  I think I pushed myself too hard."  (Yes, I knew I was listening to words I have uttered after my own hot runs - she learned from the master.) 

"Well sweetie," I said.  "It's a hot day today.  I'm sorry.  I didn't know you'd be running so much.  If I had I'd have sent you with Gatorade and made sure you drank more this morning before school.  How many laps did you get?"  I asked this fully expecting to hear her utter 12 (her total the first year she ran) in full disappointment but this was not the answer she gave. 

"I got 26 laps but mom, I got 29 last time!" 

"Ariel, that is awesome!  You only ran 3 less laps than last time and last time the weather was cool and you had Gatorade to drink!  That's super!  Hot weather will always slow you down.  Don't be disappointed.  I'm not.  I'm proud of you!  But yes, you probably did push yourself a little too hard.  You have to slow down in heat."  I then encouraged her to finish drinking the water the nurse gave her and that I thought she would be fine to finish out the day at school, which she did.  When I picked her up at the end of the day she was all smiles and beaming.  She had the 2nd highest amount of laps out of her classroom and the 1st highest out of the girls in her classroom. 

I am seeing a change in my daughter.  Two years ago she hated running.  She was teased for being slow.  She believed the teasing and she gave up easily.  Then she ran her first IronGirl 5K.  She felt the thrill of finishing something difficult, something beyond what she thought she could accomplish.  She learned that slow is sometimes what gets you across the finish line.  Sprint too fast and you risk burning out.  Perhaps she could do this.  She did her 2nd fund run and her learned perserverance pushed her forward.  She finished at the top of her class.  She still wasn't sure she enjoyed running but she did enjoy the finished feeling.  Then she ran her 2nd IronGirl 5K, made a huge PR and I saw her confidence soar.  I could see the wheels turning in her head ... maybe this running thing isn't so bad after all?  I am so proud.  Not just because she pushed through this latest fun run despite obstacles in her path but because she is learning how to push away the negative image she had of herself.  She's learning that she can keep going when the going gets difficult.  She's learning that she has a strength deep within that she can tap into.  And yes, this mom who has learned to love running, for all the same reasons, is proud that her daughter appears to be following in her footsteps.  Way to go, Ariel!

Seattle Aflac Iron Girl 2010

September 12th was the Seattle Aflac Iron Girl race. This was the second year my daughter and I have participated as a mother/daughter team. This was my daughter's second 5K race, last year's Iron Girl being her first and just like last year, we had a super fun time! The two of us drove down the Saturday before for the expo. I hate driving into Seattle and especially around Greenlake but it really wasn't all that bad. We found parking on a side street fairly easily. Since parking had been my big worry (I can't parallel park for the life of me) once that was out of the way I was able to relax. The lines were massive but fortunately, moved somewhat quickly. Once again, this race spoiled us rotten. They loaded us up with free goodies and we got our little stuffed Aflac ducks. My daughter was especially thrilled to see the ducks had tiny removeable running jackets. She also loved her reusable goodie bag and has used it multiple times in the weeks following the race. I was shocked when we stopped by a booth selling running slogan t-shirts and she begged me for one that read, "I love running. I hate running."
"That's me!" She said.
"Really?", I asked. "Sometimes you love running?"
"Yes," she replied with a grin. "And sometimes I hate it."
I bought her the shirt.

Sunday morning our family woke up bright and early, made a breakfast stop by Starbucks and drove back into Seattle. The park was overflowing with women and I do believe I saw more little girls this year than last. My son immediately hit the playground (a nice perk of having the race start at Greenlake park) and we took a few photos while we waited for the start.

This year they had us line up, start and race a different course from last year. Last year we basically ran the inner path around the park. This year it took us on the outer loop and on the roads. I liked this option much better. We didn't have to dodge as many people who weren't out for the race and it allowed us to run on soft ground as opposed to asphalt. Since I've been healing up from a shin injury this was a nice surprise for my legs.

But onto the main enjoyment of the day for me - running with my daughter! Last year she ran about the 1st mile straight and then spent a good portion of the remaining miles walking. We finished in 44 minutes and some odd seconds. This year she ran 1.5 miles straight before taking a short walk break, as in, just a few seconds. She continued the rest of the race in this manner ... running a few minutes with a short walk break of 30-60 seconds. I followed her pace, walking and running at her discretion. It was so thrilling to see her determination. I saw the previously purchased t-shirt sentiment on her face. She was loving the thrill of the race and the satisfaction of knowing she could conquer this thing and conquer it well.

We sprinted across the finish line in 38 minutes 22 seconds.  We came in so much faster than her last year time that her dad and brother missed us at the finish line. We waited for 10 minutes at the finish for them to find us with no sighting.
Finally, we walked around in search of them thinking perhaps, they were waiting for us to find them.  We located them on the other side of the finish chute still gazing off in the distance at the runner's coming in.  We knew then they had missed us.  We got their attention and noted their surpised looks and then the guilt on my hubby's face.  Oops!  He snapped a photo of us from across the way. 

Lucky for us the pro's got a good photo of us as we came across the finish line together in perfect synch.  Yes, I have permission to post it on my blog.  :)

That and this next photo really sums up the day for us.  We had a great time and can't wait to do it again next year!  Thanks Aflac Iron Girl for a great mother/daughter experience! 

Rest is Not Just for the Weak!

My devotion this morning was on one of my favorite verses, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." Ps 32.2 I like any verse that requires me to lie down. I love to sleep! Okay, so this verse doesn't exactly mean I have permission to sleep till noon every morning err ... afternoon. It is referring to the requirement we take time to stop the busy in our lives and dwell on God. This devotion in particular pointed out that this is the longest commandment given to us out of the infamous ten. God spent 96 words on this command (see Exodus 20:8-11) while only using 5 for adultry and four for murder. The value of rest in God's eyes is evident. He knew we'd be tempted to keep going and going like the engergizer bunny (he knew about that commercial long before our feeble minds thought it up)and knew He had to nip that in the bud right off the bat.
I was discussing this devotion with a friend who has just started running. She mentioned that she was taking a rest day from running because she overdid it the day before by both running and taking a Zumba class. Her comment made me think how important it is for us to rest both in our spiritual lives and also in our running lives. If we fail to schedule rest days into our running schedule we will eventually tear our muscles down and find ourselves injured. We need to rest so that our mucles have a chance to rebuild and something I've always found amazing is how our muscles will rebuild themselves stronger. As we exercise we create tears in the muscles and as those tears heal they actually strengthen! We come out stronger for having rested. Now, that doesn't mean we can simply rest every day and gain strength. It's not that easy. The strengthening can only come after we've done some work first. No excuses for being lazy! But if we do the work first and make sure to rest after we can be assured we will grow stronger.
Once again, our running lives are a great analogy for our spiritual lives. God wants us to work. He has a job for each and every one of us and He expects us to do our best. He gives us the tools and skills we need and if we follow His directions we will succeed but there is often one direction we frequently miss, skim over, skip and ignore. What is it? Yep, rest. We don't like to rest. Why? Maybe we think it will make us weak? Perhaps we feel it will put us behind the rest of the pack? Maybe we fear getting behind schedule but that is when we need to ask ourselves ... who designed the schedule?
When I train for a half or full marathon I use a schedule designed by an expert. The schedule will give me a day by day guide for what I am supposed to do in order to be ready for race day. Monday I will run, Tuesday I will cross-train, Wednesday I will run, Thursday I will ... gasp ... can it be? Rest. Wow, is Thursday ever hard. I'm usually on a roll and I don't want to rest. On Friday I am back at it cross-training. Saturday I have my longest run of the week. Sunday is, once again, a rest day and this time I am relieved for the time off my feet. The experts know the value of rest after a huge effort.
So too, the Expert who guides my life knows the value of rest. He knows I need rest before a big endeavor to build up strength(Thursday's rest) and also the power of rest to restore my soul after the endeavor is finished (Sunday's rest). As God prepares us for the things He has in store for us He requires that we rest. He knows how vitally important it is that we take time to sit quietly with Him. There are times when that restoration is in preperation of something big awaiting us. We may not know the exact date we will find ourselves racing but God does and if we trust His plan we will be prepared. We may not want to rest when the scheduled time pops up on our calendar. "But God," we'll say, "I'm on a roll here. My list is never ending. If I stop I won't finish in a timely manner." Once again, I ask, whose time are we operating on? Don't we think the Master List Maker has it under control? If He moves rest up on our list it is adviseable to take that into consideration and obey. I for one don't want to show up on race day fatigued, barely able to crawl across the finish line or worse yet, receive a DNF (Did Not Finish). And heaven forbid I wind up with a DNS (Did Not Start). These are all possible outcomes if I fail to rest.
I will take the time to read the plan in front of me (the Bible, anyone?) because I plan on showing up to the race prepared and strong, even if that means taking a day off once a week (or even two)to refresh my soul.

Yeah For A Healed Injury!

I just did my first run yesterday after almost 6 full weeks off. I say almost because there was one 30 minute run two weeks ago when I realized I needed a little more time to heal fully. I'm still not sure what I did to myself as I never coughed up the money to have it checked by a doctor. I simply treated it as worst case scenario and fortunately, it appears to be all better! Whoo hoo! I was a little worried with how my cardio survived during the downtime but it seems to be okay - not what it was but not as bad as it could be. I took it easy using a 3:1 run/walk ratio. This wasn't easy! I wanted to just keep running and cardio wise I felt like I could keep running. However, the last thing I wanted to do was risk re-injury so I let wisdom prevail and forced myself to stop and walk every 3 minutes. Well, until the last bit of the run. It seemed silly to stop and walk only two minutes away from the end of my run. But then it seemed silly to stop just shy of 3.5 miles. Anyway, I wound up running 8 minutes straight. I blame the poor judgement on endorphins. The good news ... the 8 minutes of straight running wasn't hard. Yeah for keeping some cardio up. Other good news ... I could feel a surge of energy coming on and knew I was just getting into a groove. I felt like I could have easily pulled out a 10K. Whew! No, it's not 26.2 miles or even 13.1 and yes, I still walked a lot but I'll take it. The other good news is there was no pain while running and no pain later. I'll take today off of running and cross-train and try another easy run tomorrow. Here soon I need to get my 10 year old daughter outside and running as we gear up for the Iron Girl 5K. It's September 12th and we haven't trained at all. I think she'll be fine as she's done some pretty difficult hikes in the 5-6 mile range but still, for confidence sake, it would be good to get her out running at least a couple times. I am so glad I'll be able to run it with her. I had feared I was going to be stuck walking it while she ran on ahead (which she was all set to do). The weather is supposed to begin cooling down by this weekend so we may have some good outdoor running weather next week. And hopefully, this 5K will be the kick start I need to a good running season this fall and into spring. I had hoped for 26.2 in November at the Seattle Marathon but now am thinking it may just be the half. Looks like my 2nd marathon will take place in the spring.
Meanwhile, I am just so happy to be running again! I don't care if it was on my treadmill, in my super hot house with fans blowing on me and the kitty box stinking in the next room (heat and litter boxes don't mix). I was running, my endorphins were kicking in and I felt great!

Pool Interrupted!

Well, it's been another week of no running. At least I think it's been a week. I'm beginning to lose track. I sure hope this leg heals up soon because I really miss running. It's so simple. Just throw on some shoes and running clothes and either hit the roads or the treadmill. In a matter of moments I have a good cadence going with my breathing and a soon to follow endorphin rush. It's pure sweetness! Now however, I have to work really hard for those endorphins. I've been doing a little pilates and then continuing to swim in the kiddos pool. I'm getting pretty good at twisting and turning (ab work, remember!) after swimming 3 arm strokes in the water. And when the kids join me I get a double workout as I have to swim against the whirlpool they like to create as they run circles around me screaming, "Shark!". Sigh ... it's not the most relaxing exercise in the world. I miss "ME TIME" on the trail. Yesterday I actually had the pool to myself. Grandpa and Grandma took the kids for a few hours and I was so happy to have adult swim time. No splashing but my own, no talking, no one screaming shark, no one screaming, "Dead spider in the pool! Get it, get it, get it!", no having to stop mid-stride to avoid a child's pool toy, no having to worry about kicking a child in the face on accident, no having to get out of the pool an incessent amount of times to "fetch" things. Well, 5 out of 7 isn't bad, I guess. I had just gotten my heart rate up when the little neighbor boy peeked his head over the fence asking for a paper he'd thrown over onto our side. "You know what, I'm working out right now. I'll get it for you when I'm done." I told him. I proceeded to swim. When I looked up a few moments later I saw his little face continueing to peer at me over the fence. Once more I ignored him and silently said to myself, "Go away, go away, go away." He didn't go away. I now know I should have just gotten out of the pool then and there and given him his paper because he stared at me the entire time. Why didn't I? I didn't want to lose the precious high heartrate I had achieved. I didn't want to interrupt my "ME TIME" for kids I wasn't supposed to be dealing with. Not to mention, it wasn't exactly warm outside and neither was my water. Each time I get out means another time of plunging myself into the shocking cold. Selfish? You bet! Anyway, after 40 minutes of being observed I finally said, "Do you need something?" Sure enough, he pointed at his paper. "I'll get it for you when I'm done. You don't have to wait there. I'll hand it to you. I promise." More staring. Fine. I took a deep breath and reigned in my frustration as I climbed out the ladder, retrieved the paper and handed it to him with a reminder not to throw things over the fence. His little head happily bobbed away not to be seen again. I should have just done it in the first place. It would have saved him anxiety over his paper and me a lot of frustration. Of course, even my own kids know not to interrupt mom's workout unless it is an emergency. I'm a much happier and less cranky mom if I'm getting my endorphin need met. But, as I said, my own kids know that. He's not my kid so how could he possibly know this about me? I suppose I should chalk this up to a lesson on loving one's neighbors. I actually like my neighbors and I'm blessed to have the neighbors I do. I suppose I just need to get running again so I don't wind up being "that cranky neighbor lady who won't even get out of the pool to give us our toy back".

Crazy Camping, Crazy Cakes and Crazy Considerations

It's been a busy couple of weeks in my house hold.  First we went camping at Lake Wenatchee.  It was an adventurous time.  No sooner had we set up the camper than my daughter told me, "Mom, my tooth feels weird."  I looked in her mouth to find a pus filled postule on the gum over her tooth.  She had an infection.  Oh joy, we hadn't even been in our site for 2 hours and we were already looking at possibly having to drive back across the mountains. We were lucky to be within cell range so we called the dentist office and they felt she could get through the weekend with ibuprofiin, which of course, I had forgotten to pack like I normally do just in case something should arise.  This meant a little trip to two different stores to track down children's motrin.  We finally found it and hurray for us (and her) the tooth didn't cause her too much pain.  What did cause her pain?  The mosquitos!  They were brutal!  It didn't matter how much insect repellant we used they just kept coming and coming and biting and biting.  My daughter is allergic to them so in addition to the Motrin she was also taking Benadryl.  It wasn't all a trial however.  We enjoyed a trip into Leavenworth where we feasted on German food and made a quick stop by the miniature store so my daughter could shop for her dollhouse.  We also took a 2 mile guided horseback ride.  The kids rode their own horses and though they were a bit nervous in the beginning they were all smiles by the time they dismounted.  And what is a trip to Lake Wenatchee without some time swimming in the lake? 

When we got home I had to quickly change gears and swap my focus to my son's upcoming 7th birthday party.  He had decided on a Toy Story theme as he is a huge Buzz Lightyear fan.  This meant a Toy Story cake.  Okay, I'm a glutton for punishment when it comes to my kids cakes but I consider it my creative outlet.  It's lethargic in the same way as scrapbooking  only with sugar and cake instead of glue and photos.  Seriously, I love it.  It takes me forever (my son's cake took me 3 solid days), covers my kitchen in powdered sugar and cornstartch from the floor to ceiling, okay maybe not ceiling but certainly all over the floor and appliances and me, and reduces us to take-out for at least 3 days.  Who has room to  cook food in a kitchen covered with frosting and cake pans?  Maybe one of these days I'll get a kitchen remodel (and more room) out of my cake decorating but that's a dream for another day.

So, I made him his cake (all edible except for the spring in Slinky the dog), cleaned house and made up goodie boxes for the 12 party guests (did I mention I'm a glutton for punishment?).  Here's a photo of his cake.  While I'm at it I'll throw in a photo of my daughter's cake I made for her birthday in June.  Her cake went with her Nancy Drew theme and once again, it's all edible. Yes, summer is for cake decorating in my household. 

So that is how I've been spending the last couple of weeks.  It's good I've been busy because I haven't been running.  Not by choice, mind you.  I'm still dealing with that nagging and very annoying shin injury.  While I had once thought it was a bad case of shin splints I'm now fearing it could be something worse ... something like a dreaded stress fracture.  I sincerely hope not but I've laid off of any exercise that is weight bearing while I wait on some money to come in so I can visit a doctor.  Right now it is not hurting me but then again, I'm not using it much.  It's frustrating and now that the birthday parties are out of the way I'm beginning to really feel that frustration.  Lord, I don't remember asking for patience in any prayers lately so I'm not sure why this lesson is necessary.  I mean, my new running shoes are just sitting in my closet taunting me.  "Come run with us", they say.  They didn't ask for any lessons on patience either.  Or maybe this is a lesson on healing.  Either way, I feel like a kid in the classroom two weeks before summer break.  So close and yet so far.  On the bright side, if there is a bright side, maybe I'll get better at swimming and who knows ... consider a triathalon one day.  I know, I know, I always said I'd never do a triathalon because if I get tired in a marathon I just stop running but if I tire in the swimming portion of a tri I will drown.  I was quite surprised to find my thoughts, as I was swimming back and forth in my kids Intex 15 foot diameter swimming pool (not an easy feat, let me tell you), roaming to "I can see why people enjoy this.  I wonder how I'd do if I could just keep swimming straight for a bit?" (as opposed to turning over and over again in the tiny little pool).  Yes, the world is a crazy place, God has a sense of humor, and I am actually having serious thoughts about a triathalon.  I can't even believe I just wrote the last portion of that sentence.  Me doing a triathalon.  Well, crazier things have happened.  Crazy things like an ex-cheerleader who hated running finishing a marathon in her late 30's.  Yes, crazy things indeed. 

Core Strength!

The core is everything, isn't it?  No, I'm not referring to the core of an apple.  I'm talking about your core. Your middle.  The area everyone tries to improve through sit-ups, crunches, pilates and the like.  The area many (including this girl) would love to be able to spot reduce. When I began running I had no idea how important this area of my body was to well, just about everything.  A weak core can lead to poor form which can lead to injuries in the legs. When the core is ignored one can find oneself dealing with an achy back.  And as if to add insult to injury a tired core (like at the end of a hard or long race) can lead to slumping which is like carrying a sign on your back that announces to all around you, "Hi!  I'm really tired!  Maybe I should have trained harder."  Even playing the Wii Fit Plus I am reminded of how important core work is as I try to shift my balance from side to side in an attempt to dodge snowballs, soccer balls or stand in Tree Pose without hearing, "Your legs are a little shaky." How do you stand in Tree Pose without your feet shaking a little?  Personally, I think I'm pretty steady. Sigh ... even my balance is tied into my core. 

Yes, the core is everything in fitness and so it is in life. Take a look at yourself.  First, can you identify your core?  Do you know what you stand on?  What do you center your life around?  Who keeps you balanced in this topsy turvey world?  For me, it's Jesus Christ. It is He I stand on.  It is He I center my life around.  It is He who keeps me balanced.  But just as in running sometimes I let myself get lazy about doing what it takes to keep a strong core.  I don't feel like doing crunches.  Can't I get by with just running?  My form won't suffer too much, will it?  Famous last words. 

Jesus knew we would need help keeping our core strong in this world so he gave us exercises.  We have the Bible, prayer, worship, church and spiritual gifts. All of these areas are meant to strengthen our core belief and reliance upon Jesus.  If we utilize them we will have energy in our spiritual walk.  Better, we won't finish the race slumped over with a sign that reads, "I'm tired!"  Rather, we'll run across the finish line of life shouting "Victory!"  I don't want to hear God say, "You missed so much I had for you.  You should have trained harder."  I want to hear him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant.  You trained well!" 

So how do I train my spiritual core?  First, I need to recognize that I have and need a core within the core.  What does that mean?  It means I need a core group of fellow believers.  This begins with my  church.  The church would be considered the overall core muscle. If I go to church regularly, worship with other believers and listen to the message I will grow stronger in my walk with God.  However, the core has varying levels and degrees of muscle, doesn't it?  Stretch one way we work this set of muscles, stretch another and you work another set of muscles.  All muscles need to be utilized for the core to be considered truly strong. This means I need to develop relationships with the people in my church.  I need to find a core group of friends I can be honest and real with and who will hold me accountable.  I need to reach deep and work muscles that won't necessarily be strengthened if I keep to the outer edges of the church. 

What is another way to dig deep into church?  I need to be active and involved.  Walking the outer edges will work the heart and make me healthier than if I were to stay home and sit on the couch but to truly reap the benefits I need to step up the game.  I need to figure out what my gifts are (spiritual and otherwise) and use them!  I need to run into the church, through its halls and into the areas that are in need of help.  Children's ministry?  You bet!  I've run a marathon.  I can keep up with those kids.  Women's programs?  Bring it on!  We'll do sit-ups together.  Worship Team?  In a heartbeat! I can sing and dance at the same time!  Clean-up duty?  I work out.  I can lift and stack chairs with the best of them. 

There's another reason I need to help my church.  Not only does it strengthen me but it allows others to rest.  What happens when our core is weak and we run hard and long?  That's right, we begin to slump.  If only a few people are doing all the work at church those few will eventually grow weary.  If no one else is around to step up the church will begin to slump.  A slumping church is not part of God's design.  We're to be energetic!  When people hear us talk about the joy of the Lord it goes a lot farther if we've enough energy to act joyful.   A healthy church is full of healthy believers.  Are you contributing to the health of your church?

Why not take a moment to look at your current core strength.  How are you doing?  What does your church look like?  Are you attending?  Are you involved?  Do you have friends who know you and are a part of your life?  How are you doing in your prayer life and bible study?  Do you take time to worship?  These are indicators of the strength of your core.  And remember, a strong core leads to a stronger run both in life and on the road.

Wahoo! I Survived My First Summer Run!

Yes! I did it! I almost didn't. As I watched the temperature rise throughout the day, to degrees I hadn't yet seen this summer, I continually found myself reaching for excuses.



1.The pool is up (a 4ft deep Intex soft side) and you ran circles in it and kicked and splashed with the kids. That burned calories, right? That got your heartrate up, right?

2.You're not used to the heat. You will collapse in the middle of the pavement and someone will have to utilize your Road ID and call your husband to come mop your sorry puddle of a self off the trail.

3.You have loads of laundry to do and that would be so much more fun than running in the heat. For the record, I hate laundry so the fact that this excuse was temping says a lot.

4. All your non-running friends have said, "It's too hot!" and if they wouldn't run why should you?

5. Okay, you're at the trail, running shoes on, tunes cranking in your ears, you're ready to go but look around ... The only people out here are cyclists! Where are all the runners? I'll tell you where they are. Home. In front of their fans. They ran early in the morning when it was still somewhat cool outside. You can still go home.


Well, guess what? I ignored all the excuses and I ran anyway. And as for that last excuse, I saw three other runners on the trail so I wasn't the only crazy one who waited til the evening to run. Why did I wait? The kids are home from school, dh is up early for work so ... evening is all I have.

Now, I know many of you are dealing with scorching temperatures and have been for some time now, but I live in the Pacific Northwest where temperatures have been in the 60's with overcast skies. In fact, the 4th of July found people wearing sweatshirts and coats. Suddenly, in one day we find ourselves jumping to 85 degrees. I'm not acclimated! Even when I am acclimated to the heat I can't say I enjoy it so the fact that I pushed myself to run yesterday feels really good. Today is a cross-training day so I get to reward myself with a workout dvd done in front of a fan (not a lot of air-conditioning in my neck of the woods) and a dip in the pool with some friends who are coming to cool off and then leave their kids for an overnighter. Yes, both my kids are having friends spend the night. Hey, I ran in the heat yesterday. I can handle a few extra kids for the night, right? Right? :)

Finally Running Again!

I went for my second run (4 miles) yesterday since taking 2 full weeks off to let my injury heal up. It was my first outdoor run as my other run took place on the treadmill. I am happy to report no pain! Whoo hoo!!


It's been a pretty sad month for me in regards to running. Two full weeks off (one week of pretty much nothing at all exercise related as it all seemed to bother my shin) and the two weeks prior only consisting of a 6 mile run one week and one 6 and one 4 mile run the next. I can't believe I ran 26.2 miles only 3 months earlier. I'm so bummed I've lost all that training but life happens and I need to get over it, pick up and move on.

I pretty much ignored my running life these last two weeks and avoided all running reminders (hence not much activity here) and that seemed to help me avoid the temptation to run sooner than I should. Of course, a camping trip and family visiting helped occupy my time, too.

The good thing about taking time off is I am now quite ready to begin training once more. I feel fresh rather than burned out and anxious to see how I can push myself for my 2nd marathon. I will begin to slowly build my mileage base back up these next two months and will begin my offical training in late August. I'm excited!

On a sidenote, I signed my 10 year old daughter and myself up for the Seattle Aflac IronGirl 5K race in September. Even though it is only a 5K and will be run at my dd's pace, I felt a rush when I clicked the registration link. A race is a race and they all bring a certain special thrill. It will be fun to spend some time with my daughter "training" together for what is her big race of the year. She was genuinely excited to run this race again. When I told her we were official she smiled and said, "Cool!" I totally agree!

My Kids Fund Run Made for a Proud Mom Moment

     I thought I'd backtrack my life by a few days and write about my kids Fund Run which took place at their schools the end of May. I would've written on the day it happened but I was a bit AWOL from blogging at that time. Why? For starters, I was at the fund run. But really, the reason is much less honorable. I was simply feeling overwhelmed and busy and blogging was just one more thing I had to do so I avoided it. Of course, now that I'm sitting here blogging about avoiding it I realize how much I missed it! :)

     So back to the Fund Run. Our local school is divided into two campuses. One is for the kindies-2nd graders and the other holds the 3-6th graders.  This means I had two Fund Run's to attend. My son's was on Thursday and my daughter's was on Friday.

     I didn't know what to expect from my son as this was his first year. However, I figured he'd do pretty good as he loves to run. The course ran the kids around the playground. It was a pretty good sized loop, about double the loop size at my daughter's school. All the kindies ran together with their teachers and principal for a period of 20-25 minutes. I never did see exactly how long they ran. I've gotta say, they were so incredibly CUTE and excited. At 5 and 6 years old most of them enjoy running and have the energy to do so. By 2nd or 3rd grade the enthusiasm level for Fund Run Day tends to drop off. The PTA supplied music for the kids to run to and it was blaring. The gun went off, well, actually just a teacher yelling "Go" and the kids ran. Immediately, my son got stopped behind a little girl who fell. His best buddy was in front of her and continued on. Bummer! The little girl was okay and they were off again. My son did so good. The look of determination on his little face was priceless. He ran and ran only stopping to walk a couple of times. He paced himself incredibly well and I was surprised to see just how good his form was. He looked as though he'd been running track for years. lol! When it was all said and done he'd done 13 laps which qualified him for 3rd place! His best buddy was 2nd place with 14 laps and some unknown kid to me did 15. Wow! The average was between 9-11 laps.  His teacher said, "Well, I'm not surprised he did so well. Look at his mom! All-Star!"
     I laughed and said, "Hardly, more like stubborn!"
     "Stubborn enough to finish, huh?" She replied. Yep! That's me. Stubborn enough to finish and that was the same look I saw on my son's face as he ran his laps. You bet I'm proud!

     The next day I arrived at my daughter's school with less grandeur expectations. My daughter wasn't as thrilled about the idea of the Fund Run. She is in 4th grade so the thrill of the Fund Run had run its course with her a long time ago. Running is hard work for her. She runs, when she runs, for the feeling of satisfaction she gets when it's all over and not for the pure joy of the process. Anyhow, I wasn't expecting her to run that many laps especially since last year she only did 12 - one of the least amounts out of her class. I showed up with my Amphipod handheld full of Gatorade for her. I think the knowledge that she had actual real-life sport drink gave her a mental boost and yes, probably a bit of a physical boost as well. It is sugar, afterall. The older kids ran for 30 minutes and I was shocked by what I saw. My daughter set off for her first loop and before I knew she was back around again. I gave her a word of encouragement and before I knew it she was back again and again and again and again. She was rocking it! I never even saw her stop to walk until the last 10 minutes. I heard some of the teachers commenting about how well a couple of the boys were doing. "Wow! He's got 23 laps". Hmmm .... my daughter had 22 laps at this point. I'm looking at other kids and their laps are considerably less. She stopped by me to get a drink of the Gatorade (she decided she didn't want to run with it) and I told her how proud I was of her but that it was okay to slow down if she needed to.
     "I'm okay," She told me and she was off again. She was focused, determined and yep, stubborn! She was not going to have the least amount of laps in her class this year! When it was all said and done she had 28 laps. She was 2nd place in her classroom and 1st place out of the girls in her classroom. Stunned and proud would sum up my emotions. Later I asked her what made her keep going this year. Her reply: "It wasn't that hard. I just started running slowly and kept going. Everyone else who was running fast got tired and stopped. I kept going."
     I hugged her and said, "That's what endurance running is all about. You're an endurance runner!" And she has the toenail to prove it. Yep, my baby has a black toenail. Next year, mommy needs to remember to make sure her toenails are clipped and her shoes fit properly. Oops! She's pretty proud of it though. :) Maybe I'll create a runner out of her yet.

     Suffice it to say, I am one proud mommy and to prove it I'll now post photos of my little runners. :) Ds is wearing the black/red shorts and my dd is the only girl in that group of boys. lol!

Not her best photo ever but not only is a black toenail a sign of a real runner, so is a bad race photo.  ;)  Here she is coming across the finish line of the Aflac IronGirl 5K we did in September of 2009.  She's got the same look of determination in this photo but her eyes are open!  By the way, she wants to run the IronGirl again!                

Keeping Pace With June!

Oh goodness!  It's never a good idea to try and stay ahead of the calendar because the days and weeks will always, always out run me!  I cannot believe it is almost June.  I think I wrote one blog all of last month.  How sad is that?  And why the blog today?  Well, I was watching the movie "Julia & Julie" about the gal who cooked and blogged her way through Julia Child's cookbook.  I'm not a big fan of cooking myself so the only reason I began watching it was because it was on cable and I had a headache.  In otherwords, it was something to watch while I lazed about on the couch.  Anyway, it wasn't the cooking that inspired me but rather Julie's accountability to her blogging.  It made me think about the poor lonely state of my own blog.  I started with such good intentions but have found the mind-numbing pull of Spider Solitaire more appealing than writing.  Writing requires brain power and my brain is currently tired.  Yes, tired.  I cannot believe how much brain power has been involved lately in keeping up with life's schedule and June is not going to be any easier.  EVERYTHING wraps up in June.  Dance rehearsals and recitals, multiple school events, field trips, graduations, church scouting programs and added to our family's schedule ... a birthday, anniversary and the first camping trip of the season.  It all happens in June!  I was really hoping to manage a race in June but there simply isn't a place for it on the schedule.  Last June we did the Flight for Sight race in Everett which raises money for guide dogs.  It was a great race and  I actually got 1st place in my Age Group and won a medal.  And yes, I would have thought it was a fun race even without the medal.  All participants received ribbons, guide dog pins, shirts, and they even had photos taken and available online for purchase - just like in larger races.  I would love to try for a placing again this year but my daughter is having her Stars sleepover that weekend.  Since I am helping with that group this year I will be coming off a long night of lots of giggles, squeals and little sleep.  When the gun starts the race I will be in the church kitchen pouring pancake batter.  Oh, the sacrifices we make as parents.  I guess I will consider it an opportunity to pay my daughter back for all the Saturday mornings she woke up earlier than she wanted, to be dragged off to her aunt and uncle's house, while mom and dad went to the trail to train.  Besides, there will be plenty of races in my future but only a couple more years of giggly 9-12 year old Stars sleepovers.  So June ... I may not be able to outrun you and all your commitments but I am prepared to keep pace and finish with my head held high!  Bring it on!

Plans For A Second Marathon

Wow, it's been a long time since I last blogged. It's amazing how time can get away from you. Speaking of time, I'm beginning the thought process of when I need to begin training for my 2nd marathon. If I do the Seattle Marathon, which takes place November 28th, then a 16-18 week plan puts me as beginning official training in August. Ugh! I hate running in August. It's summer which makes for more than one difficulty regarding training. First, it's hot and I tend to melt into the asphalt in heat. Yep, just bring a bucket and mop because there will be nothing left of me but a wet, sweaty puddle on the road. The other issue is I have the kids at home and it's hard to find time to run with them around. Both of these combined means I'll be putting in some treadmill time. But you know what? I can do that. It's okay. It's only one month and Septemeber arrives and they'll be back in school. And really, those long runs in August will only be in the 8-10 mile range, a distance I'm hoping to not drop below anyway during my "off " time. Since the plans I'm looking at start with 8 miles as their long run it will leave me a little wiggle room. What does that mean? It means real training will begin in September when the temps drop and my time free's up to run outside again.




I'm excited to think about doing a 2nd marathon. I ran into a dad at my dd's school yesterday who noticed my 26.2 sticker on my car. "You run marathons?" he asked me. I told him, "Well, one so far but hoping to do more." He's run 6 of them, including the Seattle Marathon. I can't wait to be able to tell someone I've run multiple marathons cause really, I felt a little silly standing there wearing my 26.2 sweatshirt in front of my 26.2 car sticker for my one marathon. lol! But he was great and said I should be proud of the accomplishment. I love marathoners. They're so encouraging to those just starting out.



So, the Seattle Marathon is on my calendar. I hear it is a challenging course with difficult hills at the end but I'm up for it. It's also usually a chilly and sometimes wet marathon and that suits me just fine. In fact, that's why I'm up for the challenging hills. I'd much rather deal with hills than heat. Now, to talk my husband into giving up part of his Thanksgiving Day Weekend to make an early morning drive into Seattle. I've got a few months to sweet talk him. :)

Yakima River Canyon Marathon - My 1st Marathon

I did it! I finished a marathon! I am a marathoner! It's difficult to put the whole experience into words but I will do my best.

I began my journey at the pasta feed held the Friday evening prior to the marathon. It was nice to meet a few people before the event and hear some of the stories behind who was there. This particular marathon was a reunion for the 100 marathon club. All I can say is, "wow!" To even be in this club you must finish 100 consecutive marathons - no dnf's. Many of these people had completed far beyond 100 marathons. We're talking 200, 300, 400 marathons. There were also members of the 50 stater's in attendance as well as numerous marathon maniacs. The speakers were Joe Henderson, former editor of Runner's World and "The Rev", a marathon maniac who also happens to be a reverend. The Rev's speech was directed at us 1st time marathoner's in attendance. He even made us stand so everyone could see who we were. Oh well, I've always liked attention. Ha! Prior to his speech I had had a pace goal in mind. However, after listening to his words of caution (given in full comedic humor) regarding going out too fast, the wall, and the hill at the end of the course, and hearing all the laughter coming from the more experienced in the room, I began to rethink that plan.

That night my husband (who was also running this as his first marathon) and I went to bed at 9:30 - we were exhausted! We both woke up around 11:30 thinking a full night had passed. Nope, back to sleep only to wake up again a couple hours later. The whole night went this way until 5:50 when I finally felt released to leap from bed. Our hotel was right at the start line which was nice. We had our own bathroom and were able to take our time getting ready. It was a chilly 28 degrees outside but I knew it would warm up to the low 60's with sun by the time I was finishing the race so I decided to tolerate the cold on my legs and wore my pink running skirt. I snapped a photo of myself in the mirror and sent it to my parents so they would know what outfit to look for at the finish line. That proved to be a big help for them! At 7:30 we checked out of our room and made our way to the lobby, met our friend who had trained with us, and made our way to the start line.

We were having fun chatting and didn't even realize when the start sounded (a semi-truck horn). All of a sudden we were moving! The first 3 miles meandered through some country roads in town. We began using our 5/1 run/walk ratio and were amazed at the amount of people with interval watches beeping all around us. We did not have to worry about ticking anyone off with our frequent slows to walk. I knew at some point I would switch up to a 6/1 ratio and head out on my own apart from my dh and friend (who I'll refer to as M from here on out) but wasn't sure at what point I would leave them. I was having fun enjoying their company. 26 miles is a long way to go alone. For the time being I was content with the pace. We left town and entered the canyon road we would follow for the remainder of the course. It was a beautiful course, twisting and turning along the river. The only real downside to it is the camber of the road - torture! We did a lot of weaving from side to side trying to find flat spots. I'd been warned it was bad and yeah, my ITB was not happy with me by the end. We saw lots of people shaking out their knees along the course. One woman was skipping in hopes of giving it a different range of motion.

The volunteers at all the water stops were so nice and quite plentiful. Even so, we used our fuelbelts as we like to drink when we want to drink. Plus, we were able to carry our own sports drink choice with us. I did take water from the stops a few times.

By mile 10 I was getting a little discouraged with the slow pace. I felt like I was running faster but every time I looked at my watch we were at an 11:40 pace - slower if we stopped at a water stop. Again, I debated going ahead on my own but fought the urge as I also feared hitting the wall at the end. Besides, I was still enjoying having company on the run. We ran into a 64 year old marathon maniac who told us we were being wise running the pace we were for our first marathon. "You'll be glad you did when you get to the end", he said. Did I mention we had stickers on our bibs (a foot) to signify us as 1st timer's? It was nice when experienced folk would see that as they would give us extra encouragement. Anyway, with his wise words I decided to hang back a little longer.

Mile 13 seemed to come quite quickly. Half-way! I snapped a picture of the mile marker with my cell phone and quickly sent it to my parents so they would know where we were along the course and could show our kids. I had promised to keep them updated. At some point along here I stopped for a bathroom break. Those volunteers were a chatty bunch and I lost some more time but it was okay. By this point, I knew I wouldn't be breaking 5 hours and had decided to just enjoy and they were encouraging and fun to talk to.

Mile 15 came and my dh and M began to slow down. I was finding myself a few feet ahead of them listening for the beep of the interval watch. I'd slow til they caught up on the walk and then take off again.

Mile 17 I heard them say from behind, "Pam, we release you!" I think I may have waved at them before hitting the 6/1 interval timer on my watch and taking off. Don't tell my dh but I was amazed at how quickly I lost sight of them. lol! I was on my own now and while I had enjoyed company the solitude was also nice. I admired the beauty of the canyon and the river and found myself singing the song, "Our God is an awesome God" in my head. Somehow, the awesomeness of God just seemed to fit with the awesomeness of the canyon and the awesomeness of what I was doing. It propelled me forward. Every now and then I'd say or receive a word of encouragement from a fellow marathoner (fellow marathoner, how fun to say that!). I stopped at a water stop, grabbed some pretzels and re-filled two of my water bottles. Then, it was time to tackle mile 22, the hill. I ran some of it until my walk break. That's when I realized I was walking the thing just as fast as I'd been running it. I ran a little more and then figured I'd just power walk the thing and save some energy for the end of the course. Another older marathon maniac was on the hill calling out encouragement to me and a couple of other 1st timer's. "Just around the bend is the top and mile 24", he told us. He was right. I began running again and quickly ran into both. I snapped another photo of the mile marker for my family as I knew they were already looking for me at the finish. I wanted them to know I was at least another 25 minutes out. It was at this point I was beginning to wonder what I had been thinking. Overall, I'd been having fun. In fact, at mile 23 - still on the hill, someone asked me how I was doing. I replied, "My knee hurts but I can say I'm still having fun." Fun was not what I was thinking at mile 24. Mile 24 was all about 2 more miles and I could stop as well as wondering if I would hit the dreaded wall (I never did).  My ITB was mad and the rest of the course was downhill. While easy on the lungs, it hurt the knee. But I got my race angel! A fellow blogger from the Sparkpeople site had mentioned her race angel in her recent race report.  I wrote her that I sure hoped I'd get a race angel in my race. "You will", she said. Sure enough, just past mile 24 I ran up to a girl who was walking and in some obvious pain. I asked her how she was doing. She said her knee was hurting. I told her mine was too and asked her if she'd done this marathon before. Turns out she was also a first timer. We decided we would finish the race together. I ignored my walk breaks and we ran the last 1.5 miles to the finish line, thankful for the extra push we gave one another.

As I neared the finish the wife of M and another friend met me to run me in. I received my medals and a rose. I crossed the finish line in 5:13:15. I was slower than I had hoped for but that was the least of my goals so I was okay with it. All my main goals had been met. What were those goals?

1. To enjoy my marathon.

2. To finish feeling strong and with a smile on my face.

3. To want to sign up for another marathon.

4. To finish uninjured.

5. To beat my husband. (yeah, I know ... sounds bad but a girl needs some competition in her life. By the way, I beat him by a full 18 minutes).

I met my family where my daughter presented me with a special award. She had brought little plastic medals for her dad and me. She put it around my neck along with my Yakima medal. Too sweet and I was very  honored to wear her medal.  Here's a photo of both my medals.     

                                                             

After the marathon we went to the local Jr. High where they had showers (and soap, shampoo and towels) provided. We then went to the awards dinner where we received a certificate honoring our first marathon (with little baby feet all over it) and took a group photo w/ other 1st timer's. Bonus was the great prize drawing! Pretty much everyone got a prize - included my kids. Ds got a fishing pole and peanuts, dd got a leather bag, and I got a gift certificate for a Road ID. Whoo hoo!

This was an awsome experience and I am so glad I did it! I am proud of my accomplishment and the accomplishment of my husband and am thrilled to call myself a marathoner. I only began running 5 years ago and never would have dreamed I would or could go 26.2 miles. But I did it! I finished a marathon! I am a marathoner!

Marathon Weekend - Here I Come!

I had a dream last night that I only had 15 minutes to get ready for my marathon. That included getting dressed, packing my fuel belt, putting on my shoes, using the ever-oh-so-important bathroom and everything else involved in getting ready to run a long race. I don't remember too many details about the dream other than I was excited, anxious and stressed that I wouldn't be at the starting line on time. Oh, the joy of pre-race dreams! I woke up around 2:00 a.m. from that dream feeling the nervous bug in my belly. Thank the Lord I was able to fall back asleep within the hour which is really good for me.
Today I finish packing and the family will head over the mountain pass to the race expo and the pre-race pasta feed. My parents live about 45 minutes from the race headquarters so they are going to meet us at the race expo and pick up the kids for us. They'll take them out to dinner while we participate in the pasta feed and then keep them overnight at their house. My husband and I will head to our hotel room which is just a hop, skip and jump away from the starting line. We've each packed a bag to give to my folks full of warm clothes to throw on after our run, clean clothes for after a shower (supplied at the finish line), some coconut water for electrolyte refueling and two instantaneous ice-packs for any muscle owies. The course is point to point so after our showers we will have to get a ride back to our vehicle at the starting line (hence the pre-packed bags for my parents). We will then drive back to the finish area to attend the awards dinner. My husband is thinking he will be hating life at that point and has warned me his mood may not be the best. He thinks he'd rather sleep than attend an awards meal. I, however, want to experience everything this marathon has to offer so I signed us up for all of it! I want the full meal deal! I mean you only get to run your first marathon once, right? I'm ready to gorge on 26.2 miles! 

This Marathon Taper Has Been Like One Long Suspense Movie!

I've decided that the taper before a marathon feels a lot like sitting through a really intense and suspenseful movie. You know, the kind of movie that has you gripping the edge of your seat white knuckled, holding your breath and biting your lips. Oh, and this movie goes on and on and on and on. It never lets up and the intensity continually builds until you don't think you can stand it a moment longer. You just want to know how it ends already!


Yeah, that's what my taper feels like. One long suspense movie and today I am finally seeing the end in sight. Of course, like all good suspense movies that is when nerves are the most frayed and fingernails the most heavily chewed. It dawned on me that today is my last full day at home. Tomorrow I leave for the race city, check into my hotel and pick up my registration and bib number at the expo. I will attend the pre-race pasta feed where I will take a bite of spaghetti while simultaneously getting my first bite of the local marathon culture.

I think I'm gonna be sick. My stomach is one big knot of anxiety and anticipation. If I'm already feeling this anxious how on earth will I sleep Friday night and what will I feel like Saturday morning? I can only trust past race experience and know that race day magic will show up and do its thing.  So what if this is double the distance? I've done double the training! I will be ready. I am ready!  I know there are multiple folks praying for me as I embark on this adventure.  I know God is faithful and He will toe the starting line with me.  I am confident He will be running beside me at mile 10, mile 15, mile 20, mile 23 ... all the way to 26.2.  If only life had a fast forward button to get me through all this suspense, a way to jump forward to the starting line. But then I'd be missing part of the experience, wouldn't I? So, I'm gently reminding myself to enjoy this day and worry about tomorrow when I get to it. Today I'm taking Matthew 6:34 to heart!

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Of course, prayers for very little trouble race day are much appreciated! :)

2 Weeks To My First 26.2!

Today I am officially two weeks out from my first marathon. How does that fact make me feel? Well, I can sum it up in two words. The first word is, "AHHHHHHH!!!!" The second word is, "WHOO HOO!!!!!" Or maybe whoo hoo is two words. Either way, you get the idea. I am both petrified and exuberant at the same time. It was around two years ago that I first felt the bug to run a full marathon. My husband asked me to wait until our youngest was in kindergarten. I did. The summer before we sent him off to the big world of education, I began the process of reading everything I could on spring marathons in my area to determine which one would make the best first marathon experience for me. In September I adopted the 4 day running week my plan consisted of and made sure my weekly miles hit the 20 mile mark so I'd have a base to start from. November was the beginning of my actual training and March seemed so far away. I could hardly fathom what it would be like to run 16, 18 and 20 miles. Well, guess what! A calendar is nothing like a watched pot that never boils. I can't believe how fast the months (and miles) have flown. It's as if the normal passing of time is a slow walking pace but as I began my training runs, time sped up to run with me. Now I am only 2 weeks and 26.2 miles shy of my goal. I have to wonder if this is the point when time tapers with me? Does its fast pace suddenly slow down to a crawl in this last stretch? Am I going to feel like a child staring at the lights on the Christmas tree, wondering when the presents will be fair game, while the days move slower than Santa and his sleigh stuck in a foggy storm minus Rudolph? Or will time continue at its fast pace leaving me as the mom who has to bake cookies, buy gifts for 20 more people, mail out Christmas cards, wrap presents and still finish the promised Christmas craft all in two very swifly moving weeks? I guess only time will tell. So far I'm feeling like the rushed mom and for once, that is just fine with me! Time, bring on this marathon! Whoo hoo!!!! Or wait, maybe that's Ahhhhhh!!!!

Oh Wise 10K, Teach Me About the Marathon!

I ran the Smelt 10K Saturday. I wasn't expecting a great time as I've done NO speedwork lately. My focus has been lots of long slow miles as I ramp up for my marathon. Priorities, you know. :) Last year I finished the same race in 56:13. This year I finished in approximately 57:58 (final results have yet to be posted). Not great but not bad. The most exciting thing about the Smelt Run this year is it marked the end of February and the beginning of March. March is the month of my marathon. I am so excited I can already feel the butterflies storming my stomach. Yikes! If I'm already this excited there's gonna be full-grown eagles flying around my stomach by race morning!


This 10K taught me a lesson about myself. I've realized I really enjoy the longer distances. Shorter races are exciting and I'll still run them but, let's be honest, they hurt. They require hard effort the entire way. I have to focus all my mental energy on keeping pace, breathing correctly and pushing through. True, long slow runs also require all of the above but in a much more relaxed manner. Those details don't occupy my every thought. On a long slow run I'm able to let my mind wander and ponder. I can pray, I can dream, I can even compose an entire blog in my head! I can think of nothing if I choose. I can take the time to look at the scenery around me. I can listen to the birds chirp, watch the squirrels as they scamper across my path, and gaze in awe at the hawk or even eagle as they soar overhead. If I'm running with someone I can carry on a conversation. There are so many reasons to enjoy the long slow runs. My goal for this first marathon is just that - to enjoy it. I don't want to get so wrapped up in my finish time that I forget to have fun. I want to appreciate the scenery of the canyon and river as I run their path. I want to "meet" others who are running the marathon. I want this day to feel like the celebration it is. Yes, I may have pain in the end, I may have to use all my mental energy to climb the last long hill, I may have to knock a few bricks out of a wall in order to succeed but my plan is to succeed. So I guess the hard effort of the 10K is good for me. When I come to those last 6.2 miles of my marathon, I will remember that hard effort is also within my capabilities and I will run to the finish.

It's All In How You Look At It!

     The sun is shining and the trees and temperature are both telling me it is spring. It appears we've skipped winter here in Western Washington. I thought it would be the perfect day for a run. I threw on some shorts, grabbed my sunglasses, filled my amphipod with some water and headed out the door. My run started okay. I had an easy six mile recovery run scheduled and was ready to enjoy it. I opted to run through town so I could get a good hill workout in. My pace was slow but that was okay. I kept reminding myself it wasn't supposed to be fast, hence the term "easy run". At 2 miles I realized I had to use the restroom. At 2.5 miles I realized my stomach was not feeling tip top in shape. Ugh! That's okay, I told myself. I'd just stop by my house for a quick potty break and head back out the door again.
     I never made it back out the door. I realized it just wasn't going to happen today. And you know what, that's okay. My training plan, much as I sometimes think, isn't really cognitive and aware. It has no idea I didn't do the scheduled mileage. Likewise, it doesn't care. Still, I threw in a short note about tummy troubles. I spent some time stretching, took a nice hot shower (something I typically don't have time for before I have to pick up my kids from school), blow dryed my hair (something else I rarely have time for) and put on some clean clothes. I felt good! It was nice to realize I can feel good about myself even if I find I need to back off here and there. Yeah, my tummy still feels "iffy" but I know it is a hormonal thing and it will pass. I'm also feeling a bit of hormonal induced fatigue. My body seems to be telling me to rest. I will respect my body and heed its wise advice. After all, it deserves my respect. I've pushed it and demanded so much lately. It deserves a day of rest. Even more so since I'll be pushing it again this weekend in a 10K race. I will not feel bad about myself and view today as a failure. Rather, I will call today a taper in advance of my race this weekend. It's all in how you look at it and I'm looking at it with the same enthusiasm most of the rest of this frozen country will feel when they too see the signs of spring outside their windows.

How I became a Runner

     I thought I'd take a moment to explain how a die-hard running hater wound up on a journey to a marathon. And I mean a real marathon. Not the type you see advertised on television, "All Day Saturday! Catch up on your favorite show! It's an all day marathon!" I mean a marathon consisting of running 26.2 miles.

     I was sitting in our family room with my infant son. It was the wee hours of the morning and I had finally given up the hope that he would go back to sleep. I signaled my surrender by turning on the television and was met with an ever present infomercial. Seeing as there wasn't much else on and I was too sleepy to expend the energy pushing the channel button on my remote control, I watched. It was full of a lot of happy people talking about the benefits of pilates. I had a bunch of baby weight still sitting on my bones and heard my once skinny pre-baby self-image tell me to listen up. At first my sleep deprived body resisted. "I'm too tired for any workout," it protested.
     "Nonsense!" was the response. "Look at what they are doing". So I looked. And lo and behold what I saw was every tired new mother's dream. They...were...lying...down! Now this was a workout I could get into. The sleepy fog lifted as excitement began to pulse through my veins. "I can get skinny lying down in my pajamas!" I picked up the phone, dialed the number, spoke to the representative, and ordered my miracle weight loss workout.

     It was a couple weeks later when my pilates dvd's arrived in the mail. The next day I excitedly put one in the player, sat my son on the floor in his bouncy seat, and laid down beside him (and yes, I was in my jammies). I was ready! It's a sad moment when giddy optimism and self-delusion are crushed. Okay, I wasn't crushed but I did have a rude awakening. The first rude truth was that this wasn't an easy workout. The second rude truth was that pregnancy had taken my ab muscles and demolished them. They appeared to have been squished, stretched and pulled like play-dough in the hands of a two year old. I had a long way to go. Still, I reasoned, I was lying down, in my pajamas. If I made excuses not to do this exercise then how did I ever expect to do a workout that actually required putting on shoes? I stuck with it. And you know what? It got easier. I lost weight. I lost inches. Not enough to become "skinny me" again but enough that when I looked in the mirror I could at least recognize her face once more. I was content for the time being.

     Eventually,I began walking. The kids loved getting outside and so did I as long as the weather was nice but what to do in the rain and cold? I convinced my husband a treadmill would be a great investment. I had every intention of using it simply for walking but at some point there was a switch in my brain that got flipped. I can't recall exactly when it happened or even why but one day I upped the speed and found myself running. That day a runner was born. Eventually, I found myself longing to run when I had my son in his stroller at the trail. But it was one of those big and bulky strollers and not conducive to running. Once more, I approached my husband about another investment in my health - a jogging stroller. I do believe at this point he was checking under our bed for the pod the body snatcher left behind when it took over his wife's body. How many times had he heard me utter, "Running is stupid. Why would anyone want to run?" My husband enjoyed running and this change in his wife was interesting if not even a little inspiring so he gave me the go ahead. I trained for my first 5K with that jogging stroller. I used it while training for my first half-marathon. That stroller was proof that I had discovered the answer to my own original question, "Why would anyone want to run?"
     Anyone, or in this case me, had discovered the joy that comes from shedding my pajamas, putting on my running gear, lacing up my shoes and pushing my legs and lungs beyond what I had ever thought possible. I could go beyond my self-inflicted boundaries. It didn't matter if I was running on the roads or running through life I could do whatever I put my mind to. Road blocks and life blocks can be moved, run around, jumped over or avoided all together by taking a new path.

     I recently read a devotion that made the point, “If you try to pull back each time you reach what seems like your limit, you’ll never know how much you can trust God – or how much He can trust you.” In the beginning of my running life, it hurt to run longer than just a minute or two. I had to push beyond what was comfortable, what I thought was my limit. Eventually, I got to five minutes, 10 minutes, 2 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles and so on and so forth. Eventually, the progressions got easier simply because I was becoming more confident in my ability to push forward. Because of that confidence I found myself able to entertain the idea of the marathon, something I never would have imagined doing pre-pilates, pre-baby, pre-marriage or even post first half marathon, for that matter. The same thing goes for trusting God. The more I allow Him to push me beyond my comfort zone, past my self-inflicted boundaries and all the road blocks I myself put in my path, the easier it will be to go the distance with Him and reach heights I now can’t even begin to fathom. It’s an exciting thought!

     When I see photos of my pre-pilates self I realize I found my new path. I am no longer that woman who wishes she was in shape. I am in shape. I am that mom who runs marathons. One day, I hope to be the grandma who runs marathons. I am a runner! And oh yeah, thanks to a continuation of pilates, I have a pretty strong core to boot!
     In the same way, I want to look back on my life and say I am no longer that woman who wishes she was stronger in her faith. Rather, isn’t it greater to say, I am a woman who anxiously reaches for all God offers me? I am strong and confident. I am a child of God and I am running the race of my life. And oh yeah, because I continue to read my bible, pray, worship, and attend church, I have a pretty strong core to boot!

Brrr ... That's Cold!

     Upon finishing my first 16 mile run I felt pretty good. In a desire to keep that good feeling I opted for an ice bath when I returned home. Yes, I know, the term "ice bath" doesn't typically coincide with feeling good. However, after lots of long miles on legs that are unfamiliar with those miles, it can feel blissfully numbing as it keeps them from swelling and becoming painful. Besides, if I'm crazy enough to run 16 miles it's not too difficult to figure I just might be crazy enough to plunge my lower half into a bath full of cold water. There are those who actually add bags of ice to their water. I'm not one of those. I'm happy with cold water straight out of the faucet. On that note, I walked in our bathroom, turned the thermostat up to 75 degrees (I'm not crazy enough to do this in a cold bathroom), put on a warm sweatshirt, grabbed a book for distraction and took the plunge. It was only the first few minutes that were uncomfortable. Those first minutes were filled with uncontrollable shivering as my body tried to shake a little common sense into my obviously overheated brain. I could practically hear it screaming at me, "What are you doing, you crazy woman?" But then it's as if my muscles figured out the cold water didn’t feel so bad and in fact helped their fatigue. Suddenly, they relaxed. The shivering stopped and I could hear them utter a simple, "Ahhh..." My hands were now able to steady the book in front of me and I proceeded to read while the cold water did its work. I actually had to force myself to stop reading when my time was up. I finished my ice-bath with a warm wash of my hair using the handheld. It felt so good! The warm water over my head totally hid the fact that I was still sitting in bitterly cold water.


     My relationship with God is often like an ice bath. There are times where I spend too much time doing something that injures my spirit. Maybe it was letting a temptation get the best of me. Perhaps it was following God’s leading and simply reaching a point where I needed rest. Whatever the cause of my wounded spirit, God recognizes when His healing hand is required. In those moments He takes me aside and offers me a hard and somewhat painful but ultimately healing “ice bath”.

     When spurred by sin, the initial plunge of His healing can result in painful memories and truths being brought to attention. I am stripped of all pretenses and find myself shivering as I am forced to recognize the cold of my own heart. Only then can I feel the warmth of His love as His forgiveness washes over me.

     Sometimes the reason for a godly ice bath is simple rejuvenation of my spirit. Stopping to rest is not always easy. It may require setting aside my pride and admitting I am weak on my own. What a cold and hard truth for my independent nature to accept. But this is no surprise to God. As my father he knows I am but a simple child in need of a nap. He knows where my strength resides and understands what my physical body needs in order to run again.

     Yes, the ice bath hurts initially but without its healing capability I could quite possibly find myself injured, side-lined and unable to continue training for my marathon.  Therefore, I will continue to take those baths even when I feel pretty decent after a long run.  Nothing hurts?  Great!  I'm in the bath for preventative measures.  May it be so in my relationship with God.  Everything going well?  Nothing painful?  No major sins swelling up?  Great!  I still need to go to God and ask him to show me my heart through His eyes as a preventative measure.  By regularly seeking His counsel and healing I can avoid the major downfalls that would injure and side-line me.  I don't want to finish this race called life by crawling.  I want to finish it upright and sprinting into the arms of my King.     

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.  Don't be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  Then you will have healing in your body and strength for your bones. " 
Proverbs 3: 5-8

Running Shoe Mileage

I just checked my shoe tracker on my running log and was amazed to see how quickly the miles have added up on my "new" shoes. Before I go on let me clarify what a shoe tracker is exactly.  It's simply a program that allows me to apply all the miles I've run to a particular pair of shoes.  If I run six miles I can tell the program to give those six miles to shoe A or shoe B - whichever shoes I wore for that run.  It's a simple way to determine when I need to upgrade to a new set of shoes.  Too many miles on one set wears them down and aches and pains can creep up.  Now that I've explained what the tracker is we can go back to my "new" shoes. They are already approaching 200 miles while my "old" shoes I've been alternating with are in the last days of their running life. They will soon be retired and turned into my walking shoes. My walking shoes, in turn, will be rotated into the position of camping shoes. And my camping shoes ... well, they will wind up in that space in my closet until I figure out what to do with them. The same place already occupied by other retired running shoes. One day I plan on donating them to a shoe charity or recycling place but have yet to find one easily accessible. Hence, they wait while I run out of closet space.


Meanwhile, I gave my husband the heads up that when he runs the next budget he will need to consider the cost of new shoes. That's the downside to all this marathon mileage. It's putting mileage on the pocketbook! It's a good thing I'm not into wearing lots of high heels and fancy shoes. I've not the room for them or the cash flow! Actually, I haven't the feet for them anymore either. The last thing I want on my poor tootsies after running for an hour or more is a pair of torture devices disguised as fashion. I don't care if they are supposed to make me look taller and sexier. I find my running shoes offer a more down to earth muscular look. They tell the world I've earned the calf muscle definition in my leg and that, in my opinion, makes for a sexy set of legs!

I'm excited to see the miles adding up on my shoe tracker. It's like wearing a pedometer but in miles instead of steps. It is the backstory to the concrete evidence my shoes display of all my runs in the rain, mud, dirt, leaves and grass. It is a testimony to all the hard work, dedication, perserverance and pure mental grit I've developed through this activity called running.

Think about this for a minute, what can equate to a shoe tracker and a set of shoes in your spiritual life?  Have you figured it out?  If so, you're good!  If not, let me give you a hint.  It requires reading and application.  Yes!  The Bible!  My bible is like my running shoes.  If it is being used on a regular basis then it will show the signs of wear and tear ... markings, scuffs, wrinkled pages.  The last thing I want as a Christian is a bible that still looks new and pristine after years in my possession.  It should look like I've taken it out for a few hard runs.  It should show all the work, dedication, perserverance and mental grit I've developed in my years walking (or running) with the Lord.  It should be the backstory to the concrete evidence my life displays of a commitment to Jesus Christ.  But here is where shoes and my bible differ.  While my bible may look worn down and old, the message in its pages will never wear down and become old.  It is as good today as the day it was first written.  I will never need to replace the words written between its covers.  I can  buy different bibles with different covers but the words, the truth, will always remain the same because Jesus doesn't change.  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."  Heb. 13:8

    So when I've had a hard run in life and I'm tempted to put on some of those fancy schmancy 'you need this to make your life better' shoes the world offers, I'm going to remember what my poor tootsies require after a long hard run and I'm going to give my soul the same consideration I give my feet.  I'm going to reach for the soft comfort my bible supplies through the grace and goodness of Christ and let the "miles" add up. 



 

Training Schedule Freak Out

     Early in our relationship my husband learned I don't particuarly care for schedules.  "Make a list" he'd helpfully suggest when I had more than a few things on my plate.  "Get yourself a planner and write down everything you need to do."  He is an engineer with an organized and structured engineer brain so this made perfect sense to him.  Why would anyone do it any other way?  Well, because I'm not an engineer.  I married an engineer so I wouldn't have to worry about things involving numbers and analytical thinking.  As far as I'm concerned, list making and schedules fall into that area - his area.  Not mine.  Nope, no lists or schedules for this girl.   Think of all the time I'd waste sitting down to make a list.  Yes, yes, I know.  I hear all of you very organized people right now sitting at your computers, during your scheduled computer time, talking out loud, trying to tell me how much time list making and schedules save.  Be patient with me and read on.
    That was early in our relationship.  As time has moved on I have conformed to grocery lists and the school calendar.  I've realized just like night owls (hey, that's me too) have to conform to the hours of early birds, we unscheduled sorts must also conform to the organized calendar of school, children's extra-curricular activities and the family meal time.  However, I'm still mostly an unorganized personality at heart and when the complications of life begin to swirl around me my reaction can easily fall into the category of an F4 tornado.  In husband lingo that means, "Watch out!" 
     Imagine my husband's surprise when I started keeping a very organized and structured running schedule.   I've been using a training program off of the internet and am able to track all my workouts on-line.  I get daily emails telling me what I am supposed to do for that day whether it be running, cross-training or resting.  I track my pace and how many miles I put on my shoes.  I track how I am feeling for the day, what the weather was like and what I had to eat before my run. I am fanatic about it.  It is my lifeline for this marathon and if I can keep to the schedule I can make it to the starting line.  That's my hope and prayer anyway. 
     If there is anything scarier than watching an unorganized person try and keep up with life without the assistance of a schedule it is watching that same person lose a schedule they hold dear.  I was attempting to change my long run day so that I could run it with my husband and another friend.  My schedule didn't make this process easy and I wound up messing everything up.  Not only did I mess up my future workouts but I even messed up the ones I had already tracked so diligently.  I was beside myself!  Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe it.  I slapped my forehead once, twice, maybe three times.  I threatened to pull my hair out while yanking on a few strands for emphasis.  I shook my head over and over and over again in a sad and dejected way.  It wasn't pretty.  My poor sister in law was sitting beside me on the couch and I'm sure she was wondering if we should call in my cousin who is a psychiatrist for some intervention.    Fortunately, intervention came by way of my husband.  "Put the computer down.  We're watching a movie," he told me.  The next day he calmly took me into his office where he had his plan and together we went through the dates of our long runs.  It still wasn't perfectly back to the way I wanted it.  My past workouts were off by a day and there was no way I could fix them.  However, the future workouts were there for me to reference and that is the really important part anyway.  I could breathe once again.
     On my scheduled run today I got to thinking, how do I react when God messes up my schedule?  Do I respond by saying, "Okay.  I'm unscheduled anyway.  I'll do it your way."  Or do I throw a temper tantrum and say, "Hey!  This is a schedule I hold dear.  What are you doing?  You're messing everything up!"  Maybe I like schedules more than I think.  At least when they pertain to my life.  I'm so glad God is calm and patient with me.  He pulls me aside and reminds me that my life is His.  My past is in the past and can't be changed.  It doesn't matter if it looks messed up.  More importantly, my future is still ahead of me.  If I want to try and schedule it myself He'll allow it but if I want my run through this life to be the best it can be then I need to let Him do what He does best.  He is the wise coach who has organized my life from the beginning.  He knows exactly where I need to be on any given day of any given year.  He is my lifeline. 
Ahhh ... who knew I could learn so much from a schedule?