Trains, Vans, and Gummy Bears - TIR 2008

There is absolutely no way that I can possibly blog about the entire experience of this weekend at the Texas Independence Relay.
I'll try to hit the highlights without boring you.

Tommy did a great job of creating a word salad packed with memories for those of us who were there.

The whole experience was probably the most fun I have ever had with a van full of almost strangers. Sure, we've come to know one another through the blogging world, but who, in their right mind, signs up to spend an entire weekend in a mini-van (and I do stress the word mini) with people other than family, most of whom you've never met in person? The real world will tell you that this is crazy! And they would be right, except that in this case crazy worked very well!

The weekend started at 1:00 am Saturday morning as I waited for the alarm to go off. I think I had a total of 45 mins of sleep. This was to be expected as I was nervous about forgetting something. As my bag would indicate by its sheer weight, I didn't forget a thing! First lesson that I will take away from TIR is to thoroughly evaluate every single item I packed and determine if I used it or needed it. This will help me in future races, ultras in particular.

Dave and Holden picked me up at about 2:15 or so and we headed to Jon's house for our departure to Gonzales. It is a very good thing that I wasn't in charge of the map or driving on TIR, as I managed to get us lost within the first 20 mins of our trip!
Once we arrived at Jon's we had a few introductions, Edwin, and then Katy, and Adrienne. We met Cassie and her van just outside of Gonzales and followed one another in.


After the two vans parked and introductions were complete, the first order of business once we arrived was to find the restroom. Thank goodness for 24 hour Whataburger. Truly my biggest fear about TIR was my tiny bladder capacity. I was able to overcome the fear I have of port-a-potties pretty quick.

As the sun rose, we met Bill's team, the Texian Road Warriors, gathered together and offered prayer for a safe and fun weekend. God was very good to us.

Gonzales was a great town. They really came out to support us with free breakfast tacos, coffee, and a cannon blast or a bang of the gong to each team as they crossed the start line.


photo courtesy of Joe C

The prologue was a great start to the race. We all ran together for the first mile. Afterwhich, Dave started us on our journey of 40 legs to the San Jacinto.

Our van headed out to find some breakfast and we were treated to a buffet in a little restaurant in Shiner. There was only one waitress in the place and there were several TIR teams. I saw several folks from the Champions Fit group. The coffee was nothing to brag about, but it was a great time to sit back and get to know one another.

From breakfast we went to the first Van exchange at the Shiner Brewery. Keith would be handing off to Sarah as she began leg 7. Blogger 1 Van had a nice morning to run, cooler temps, but lots of fog. As soon as Sarah hit the road, the sun came out and the temps began to soar. On top of 70+ temps, we had a nice set of hills to conquer. As the baton was passed from teammate to teammate, our commoraderie grew. We realized that if we were going to make it through this weekend, we were going to have to take care of one another, cheer each other on, maybe even make sure that we were wearing the right gear! At one point, Jon realized he didn't have his bib on, so one of the runners ran one out to him. At another point, we realized that Jon didn't have any reflective gear on, so we took care of that. Jon was so busy making sure that we were all taken care of that he forgot to take care of himself. Watching my teammates show the care that we should all show to one another every day was an awe inspiring event. It was one of those beautiful moments in life that I hope I never forget.


dinner at Schobel's in Columbus (I think) photo courtesy of Joe C

On top of the incredible experience of running the TIR, we had the added fun of a Texas Throwdown between us and the Texian Road Warriors.


Coach Bill and the Texian Road Warriors as they cross the finish line

While we enjoyed the competitive angle of the Throwdown, I think we all enjoyed cheering one another on, making sure we were all safe, and sharing the joy of the finish with both teams.



Battling Bloggers of the Texas Republic 2008

Some memories that I'll state in no specific order will not mean much to anyone other than my teammates.

Back seat of the Sienna - ouch
Jose and Manny - Drivers/Saints could not have done this without them!
Trains - Keith kept imagining them
Dogs - there's dumb and then there is Texas Dog Dumb!
Pepper Spray - not so effective on Texas Dog Dumb dogs
Sleep - 90 mins is all you need
Shower - the best thing since sliced bread
Red Bull - desperate times call for desperate measures
Gummy Bears - Keith's only request
The guy who was "just a guy" running
Last Hill- it wasn't on the map
Epilogue
Each saying this is a once in a life-time event and then wondering when registration for 2009 will be
Jon's face as he watched his daughter sing at the base of the San Jacinto Monument
Family - seeing ours after the weekend away

TIR - Short Version

We made it! Imagine spending the weekend with 1200 of your stinky (in a good way) running friends (those known and those unknown), getting not much sleep, not much to eat, and lots of running in the fog, heat, dark, rain, and wind... multiply that amazing experience times 1000 and you still won't capture how much fun it was!

More to follow... for now, my bed awaits...

Battling Bloggers Rock! Texian Road Warriors Roll! Forever the Two Shall Rule!

Excitement in the air

or is that rain? Oh, well, who cares! We will be on our way in a matter of a few short hours. I am going to try to get a few hours of sleep, though I don't know if I'll be able to.

I am excited to get to finally meet all of the team members that I have had the pleasure of meeting yet in person. There will be a few team members that won't be with us this weekend, at least not physically. But to Barbara, JD, Christy, and Jessica, we will be holding you close at heart as we head out on this venture together.

TIR Article

Jon was nice enough to share this article with us so I thought I'd post it here for those of you who might be interested in what the TIR is all about. I must point out that Jay and Joy, the organizers of the race, are also homeschooling parents!

It's Independence Relay time in Gonzales: Stage set for inaugural running event in county
By GREG LITTLE/publisher@gonzalesinquirer.com

The stage is set and the players are cast.

All that remains is the firing of the cannon shot early Saturday morning.

The inaugural Texas Independence Relay is all set for Saturday morning in Gonzales. The event will feature relay teams traversing a course from the historic museum in Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument east of Houston.

The event is being organized to commemorate the unique history of independence in Texas. Runners from all across America are scheduled to participate in the event and each one of them - along with their support teams and some with friends and family members - will make Gonzales their first stop.

That could translate into an nice economic impact for the city and county.

"That is one of the reasons for all of our tourism," said Bob Burchard, one of the organizers of the race. "We have a story to tell and it can be economically beneficial for us."

Gerri Lawing, economic development director for the city, said the economic impacts will be diverse. Whether it's someone spending the night in a motel, others shopping downtown and many eating at a restaurant, it all adds up.

Burchard said one of the goals of this year's event is to hopefully do it well enough the race organizers will want to make it an annual race in Texas.

"We want to build it, increase it," said Burchard.

He said the eventual goal is to build all of it around Texas Independence, which is celebrated annually in Gonzales.

In fact, this year that celebration is today with various activities around the city. On the heels of that will be a pasta dinner provided for the runners tonight at Victoria College.

Lawing said 375 runners have signed up for the dinner.

"That's amazing in itself," said Burchard.

The reason, he said, is because Gonzales cannot accommodate that many people, meaning some are staying elsewhere in the area but coming in for the dinner and then coming back the next day for the race.

Mayor Bobby O'Neal will present a key to the city to Jay and Joy Hilscher, the race organizers.

It was the Hilschers who first approached local officials about this concept of putting on a Texas Independence Relay. He wanted to showcase the history of the state as the theme for the race.

Burchard said it was a natural fit to start the 203-mile race, which has 40 legs, in Gonzales. Runners will go through Gonzales, Shiner, Flatonia, Schulenburg, Weimar, Columbus, Eagle Lake, Simonton and La Porte as they wind their way to the San Jacinto Monument.

Gonzales was chosen as the start because the first shot of the Texas Revolution was fired here in 1835 and it finishes at the monument in Houston because that is where Texans overwhelmed the Mexican army in a surprise attack six months later.

The race will begin in front of the historic museum on Smith Street. The museum will be open at 7 a.m. Saturday for visitors.

In front of the museum, city workers have installed two large poles where a 25-foot by 40-foot Texas flag will hang at the start-finish line.

Lawing commended city workers for getting the museum grounds cleaned up and in pristine condition for the event.

Organizers also have a large Come and Take It flag which will be displayed near the museum.

"We are ready," said Lawing.

Both Lawing and Burchard had nothing but praise for the many volunteers who will be doing everything from organizing parking to serving breakfast tacos to simply filling in where needed.

"We could not do this without all of the wonderful volunteers," said Lawing.

Also during the day, residents in the area will be hearing cannon fire as runners leave the starting line. The first shot will be fired at 6 a.m. and then periodically throughout each hour of the day as runners leave.

The story behind the firing of the cannon is an interesting one, as well.

Burchard said a man named Joe Snow from White Oak will be firing the cannon. Snow became associated with Gonzales in a unique way.

A few years ago, one of his children graduated from Texas State University, so they came to south Texas for the graduation. On the visit, they went to the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin and saw all of the information about Gonzales and what it means to the history of Texas.

According to Burchard, Snow said something to the effect that he could make a cannon which resembles the First Shot cannon and he wanted to know where Gonzales was located.

Snow contacted local officials about his idea and used his metal working craft to make the cannon. He's been at the past couple of Come and Take It celebrations, even putting the cannon in the parades. He also takes it out to the Cost area where the first shot was fired. There he fires a ceremonial shot to signify the beginning of the Texas Revolution.

Snow enjoys firing the cannon so much that Burchard contacted him when the race was being organized and convinced him this would be a great opportunity to fire the cannon a whole lot in one day. He's bringing five pounds of powder, which should be enough to fire for the entire event.

Another aspect of the event organizers are hoping comes to fruition is getting some of the runners and their families back to Gonzales for a visit. Lawing said all of the historical information has been sent to each team entered into the event.

She noted that many of the runners will be from Texas and hopes they will be intrigued by Gonzales and plan a day-trip or more to this area.

"The project is appealing to all arenas of the community," said Lawing.






Copyright © 2008 The Gonzales Inquirer. All rights reserved.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!

designed by my son, Foo 12 years old



As I continue to procrastinate my packing adventure, I look with great anticipation upon that which lies ahead of us...

and of course on those who lie in our dust!

Actually, I wish the best of luck to all the teams, all of the runners. May God watch over us all as we celebrate the inaugural run of the Texas Independence Relay, in the spirit of fun, encouragement, strength, and goodwill.

Swimmingly good day

Today started out with a swim class at 6 am. A nice hour in the pool trying to act like I know how to swim. I don't think I fooled anyone...

I did get to try out some of my new swimming gear. The flippers were fun!

Tonight I find myself on You Tube trying to learn how to swim through video instruction.

Tomorrow will be a run, perhaps hills. I don't plan to "taper" per se, as I do need to be ready for Hogs Hunt in four weeks.

Hannah's Run

Hannah looked like she needed a run this morning. We hit some dirts for about 3.5 miles. 11:00 pace. Beautiful morning!

Saturday Trail Run

I wasn't sure I would be able to make my run this morning. I've been trying to kick a cold the past few days. My vitamins seem to have helped to cut it short and I pushed myself out the door for a run at Jones Forest.

This was my first time on the trails there. They were pretty nice. Glad I was running with folks who knew where they were going. I would have been acting like Andrew for sure if I was on my own...

Total Mileage: 5.50 Total Time: 58:46 Avg Pace: 10:40 Avg HR: 176 Temp: 42 degrees

Mile 1: 11:15
Mile 2: 10:26
Mile 3: 10:27
Mile 4: 10:33
Mile 5: 10:48
.50: 10:25 pace

I felt a slight pull in the groin as we were coming in, so I walked the last few yards in. I can't afford another 8 week vacation from running!

I ran with Tiffany who has half-convinced me to run my 1st 100 miler in 2009. She is looking at the Javelina Jundred. I am not ready to commit just yet. Let's see how Sunmart goes for me first. Also, I don't know if I'd like to run in the heat. I think I'd rather try cold, but that might mean snow and I am NOT doing that!

Holden, I am dying to hear if you made your goal today at RTW! Sorry I skipped out on the run there, but I heard the nature trails calling my name. I need to hit many more of those before Hogs Hunt in April.

Obsession

At what point does one cross over from being interested in something to becoming obsessive about it? Could it be when a huge box full of gear arrives to quench the new activity's hunger??

My box-o stuff arrived yesterday from Swim Outlet. I ordered a nice bag, kickboard, Zoomers, pull bouy, and paddles. They are all color coordinated as well! Unfortunately, they are currently collecting dust until next week. I am trying to kick a bad cold...

Email Troubles

To anyone who has been trying to reach me over the last several days via email, apparently, I am having troubles. Not quite sure what, but I have two email addresses going through outlook and neither one is receiving ALL the emails.

Please reach me at holyoakhs at yahoo dot com for the time being... or you can post here!

9 days til TIR!!

Unscheduled Rest

I ran last night at a pitiful pace. I won't post it here so as not to freak out my TIR captain. It was a good indicator that I needed to take today off and rest the legs. They are complaining and I guess I should listen.

Swim scheduled for the morning with a round of push-ups and sit-ups on the ball. Holden, I meant to mention to you that I have found the ball is very effective for me in working the abs. You can get one at Wally World pretty cheap.

10 days and counting until TIR! I got the coveted dog deterrent in the mail today!!

At least I'm not in a full body cast, right Barbara?!

Running with the guys!

Thank you to Pete and Holden who showed up to keep me honest this morning.

Our first loop was a bit on the humid side... ok, it was really, really humid. Pete and I made the ridiculous decision to go back out for loop 2. I don't know what we were thinking. Three steps into it, we were both in pain, Pete with his calves, and me with my hamstrings. They were revolting! The only saving grace was the intermittent rain to cool us off a bit. That and a few walk breaks helped me finish. Without Pete and Holden, I would not have stayed the course. Thanks so much guys!

Total Mileage: 13:57 Avg Pace: 10:40 Avg HR: 177

Mile 1: 9:53
Mile 2: 9:34
Mile 3: 9:26
Mile 4: 9:42
Mile 5: 11:16 (walk break in here to remove the 400 lb man from my chest!)
Mile 6: 9:41
Mile 7: 10:27 end of first loop
Mile 8: 10:53 (hamstrings begin their revolt)
Mile 9: 10:38
Mile 10: 11:35 (still revolting)
Mile 11: 12:06 (damn ham)
Mile 12: 11:19
Mile 13: 12:23 (nice walking pace, eh?)
.57: 10:20 pace

We saw plenty of runners out there this morning. No one looked like they minded the rain. Pete almost got hit in the first mile by someone who didn't notice the big honkin' floodlight on my head. Thankfully, we saved him. I hate the sight of blood.

Burned 1327 calories this morning. I think I earned my Starbucks!

I did try the Succeed Caps today. I still had swelling pretty bad by the end of the 1st loop, but I took 2 on the 6 mile loop and had less swelling at the end of the run. I may try to switch out the hydration. I'm looking at going to Accelerade, but I am not sure how my stomach will handle the protein.

Happy Running!

Night-time Hills

Tonight I met up with the Trail group and ran the hills for 3.6 miles, 9:19 pace. The legs felt pretty good, finally!

I think the swimming may be helping the legs relax a bit.

Just for Barbara and Holden, I did my gazillion sit-ups (I do mine on the ball) and even threw in some push-ups, which I stink at, but I got 20 in.

The abs are sore from Sunday's situps, but feel better now that I've done some more.

I missed seeing Bill at the track tonight, but it was nice to run the hills. I really enjoy them!

I made it through my second swimming class today. I joined the "Beginner" class. Don't let the title deceive you. It was still a tough class for me, but I managed to hang on till the end and didn't feel like I wouldn't make it through.

The Coach was able to give me a few pointers which will help me, if I can figure out how to incorporate what he said. More time in the water is what I'll need. For now, it's only going to be twice a week.

I did feel pretty relaxed after class and most of the day. A totally different feel than what I normally have after a run. I feel energized after a run, but relaxed and ready for a nap after the swims.

I'll run and hit some weights tomorrow.

Beautiful Day!

To pretty not to run! I needed to test out the calf and woke up to the most perfect day to try. The calf held up fine. It only hurts on stairs. The hip is a bit tight. I need to find a good stretch for the iliopsoas muscle. Any one have one they want to share?

I took advantage of the slow pace that my body seemed to want to take today.

Total Miles: 3.55 Total Time: 36:32 Avg Heart Rate: 175

Mile 1: 10:12
Mile 2: 10:30
Mile 3: 10:16
.55: 10:19 pace

Avg Pace: 10:20

Slacker week

I rested on Monday this week because I had run both Saturday and Sunday. This week was the start and finish of my swimming career. Actually, not the complete end, but definitely gave me something to think about.

Let's face it. I have the wimpiest arms on the face of the planet. I have not swam since about 6th grade, (ya know, before the wheel), and I show up at a Master's Conditioning class. Who did I think I was?!? I arrived a bit early to scope things out. The pool was full of tri-athletes. Thank goodness I wasn't with them, these guys were seriously serious!

My class begins to arrive and I begin to realize, this must be the second wave of tri-athletes. They were just as serious as the first bunch. I asked the coach if he thought I should try this class or re-consider myself for the mom and tot sessions.

He inquired to my level of fitness and I stupidly mentioned that I had just run my first marathon. Sometimes I should really keep my mouth shut...

He did not feel that his class would be too much for me and encouraged me to stay. I jumped in the pool and began trying to swim. After the warm-up, we began some laps with specific direction from the coach. I have no idea what we were doing, I just followed along. After about 15 mins, I got out. The coach stopped me and asked what I was doing. I told him how tough this was for me and he strongly suggested I get back into the pool for at least another 20 - 30 mins. He was quite insistent, so I did. I'll admit, it did seem to get a bit easier for a little while, but I distinctly remember at one point thinking that I could willingly let myself go under the water and it would be ok...
The other swimmers were so strong. I felt like I was holding up the pack. The Coach told me to slow down. Honestly, I didn't realize that there was pacing in swimming...doh!

I kept telling myself that I had trained for and finished a marathon. I could finish an hour in the pool! I finished the class, went home and attempted to dress myself. My arms were like spaghetti. I had little control over them and I prepared myself for several days of pain.

Amazingly, I have had no upper extremity arm pain. I have, however, had a sharp pain in the mid-calf region all week. I'm afraid to run on it so I have not run at all since Sunday. I am planning to run tomorrow, but I can't decide whether I'll run in Huntsville with the trail group or the 5K with extra miles tacked on so I can stay local.

I am concerned about running on it and risking an injury before TIR. It seems better today after icing and deep massage, but it is still there.

I did receive my running legs for TIR yesterday. I'll be running 11, 23, and 32. It's getting more exciting as we get closer to the start. I'm looking forward to the experience. Then I'll focus on Hog's Hunt.

On Monday, I'll be back at swimming class. The less intense, learn how to do strokes properly, class. Same coach. Hopefully, I will be more on my level.

I meant to congratulate Jon on his first 50 miler! He did a great job of it yesterday and should be very proud of himself. I hope to follow in his footsteps at Sunmart later this year.

Dirt Runner looked strong yesterday, but as we all know things happen and we usually can't control when our bodies decide to work against us. He got 53+ miles in, nothing to sneeze at! He can save those legs for Western States in a few months!

I decided after inspecting my socks today, that I really need to invest in some black socks. I hate dingy white ones and unfortunately, they all get that way. Even bleach doesn't seem to get all of the dirt stains out.

I found these on running warehouse. I had to laugh! They are Anatomical 5-toe socks.... as opposed to Anatomical 4-toe socks?? Now watch, someone will send me a link to a site that carries 4-toed socks.

I love the Injinji socks. Not one blister on my toes since switching to them. They are a little tight at first, but seem to loosen up as I move in them.

Trails

I made it to the trail run this morning. It was quite a lot of fun and in my opinion, a great way to start the day!

We ran 5.25 miles with an average pace of 10:05. I had to walk a few times because of the mud and such, but I had a great time and look forward to more of these.

Now off to the shower!

No Where, Texas

Tuesday - I went to the track for a speed workout. We took it fairly easy since we were still recovering from the Marathon. 4 X 300 It was nice to focus on some speed, although my hip was pretty tight and I wasn't as quick as I'd like to be.

Today - Went for an 8 miler (almost 8) with a few others who will be running TIR. It was nice to run with a group again. I ran with Pete and Alan most of the time. It was a bit tough as this was the longest run I've run straight, no 9/1 method. The last .5 mile or so, Pete and Alan picked up the pace and I gladly took my time.


Total Miles 7.69 Avg Pace 9:34 Avg HR 182

Mile 1: 10:14
Mile 2: 9:50
Mile 3: 9:24
Mile 4: 9:03
Mile 5: 9:17
Mile 6: 9:36
Mile 7: 9:19
Mile .69: 9:33 pace

After the run, Fish and I headed out to Huntsville for the Rocky Raccoon. Rick is running the 100 miler and Jon the 50 miler. It was a beautiful day to be out there and really got me excited about running Hog's Hunt in April.

I am planning on running a few miles on the trails in the morning, barring any heavy rains.

On the way back from Huntsville, Fish came out with his latest Fishism. We were looking for a place to eat, his choice, McDonalds. When he couldn't see anything familiar he asked me, "Hey, mom, are we in that place called the middle of nowhere?!"

Within moments we saw the golden arches and he proclaimed, "Thank you Jesus! We are out of No Where!" I love that kid!

Weekend Running

What a glorious weekend for running in Houston! It was a bit chilly yesterday morning, but things heated up rather quickly for me at RTW.

I finished the 5K in 26:53; an 8:40 pace. Garmin wasn't cooperating again so I don't know how accurate my splits were. This was a PR for me! It was great to see several folks from Woodlands Fit (Ruth, Richard, Rich, and Coach Bill) and a few TIR Teammates Captain Jon, Dave and Holden). Rick was RD and did a great job! Always a nice crowd that shows up for a nice Saturday morning run.

Today I headed out to find the new Woodlands trails that are set to open for Muddy Trails 5K. They start between Flintridge and Falconwing and the sign is currently covered by plastic until the grand opening. I didn't go onto the trails as I am a bit nervous to go solo. I'd rather have company on the off chance that a whacko is lying in wait.

From my house, the trails are either 2.4 miles or 1.75 miles, depending upon the road you take out there. I headed out Shadowbend to Panther Creek, then onto Flintridge to reach the trails (2.4 miles) and continued past the trails to Falconwing into my subdivision (1.75 miles). It is a nice little run and if you add in 4 miles of trails (2 out and 2 back) it could make for a decent long run.

My pace today was nice and easy. I haven't even looked at the splits yet. I may post those later. Or I may just chalk it up to a nice run on a beautiful day...

Out of the Zone

The comfort zone that is.

I attended my first BodyPump class tonight. I truly did not expect to like it, but to my surprise, I did. I had intended to really develop more of a cross-training routine and I think this might be a good fit once or twice a week.

I like the high-energy, low-weight, high-rep style workout. It fits my personality while at the same time addresses the fact that I have the weakest arms on the face of the planet.

Next on my list is to attend a swim class. I have not been a "swimmer" since everyone had to wear a bathing cap (circa late 70's - early 80's). Even then, I wasn't the strongest swimmer. Committing to a class really puts me in that uncomfortable zone. I don't know what I am doing, I don't know what questions to ask, I don't know what equipment I HAVE to have. Throwing all caution to the wind, I will start the first week in February.

Of course, I always like to throw in some spinning classes, which I would be able to do if there were 40 hours in a day. For now, I might have to settle with once in a while as I am beginning my training for Hogs Hunt next week.

If I keep this up, I might just have to try a tri one of these days...

Reset

I went for a run today. I could tell by the look in my husband's eyes this morning that I really needed to get a major attitude adjustment. Don't you just love how our loved ones eyes are in fact mirrors for our behavior? Yah, me too.

I ran with Lem for the first 2 miles. She is fighting a cough and cold and couldn't keep up with the run, so we ran very slow and then walked a mile. I dropped her back off at home and ran a mile on my own. I was able to keep a 9:02 pace for the mile and it felt wonderful!

I have a little something in my hip, but I think it's just residual soreness from the Marathon.

This nice little reset has correct my poor outlook and I am sure my husband will be so glad.

As I told Jon and Bill, I think running has officially become my crack.

For Barbara

Here is a new pair of Cross "Train" ers. Boo loves them!

Slacker

I heard the rain coming down at 6 am and made the decision to hang up running with Bill this morning. My asthma is giving me trouble right now, not sure why, and my hips and hamstrings are still pretty tight. I couldn't have run very much even if I did get my sorry self out of bed. Still, no justification for not being there this morning. I was just a slacker...

First Run

I took the legs out for a quick spin and it was anything but quick. I didn't intend for it to be, but I can attest that my lower limbs are certainly not ready for any major running yet.

The hips and hamstrings are pretty tight, so I ran about 20 mins and came back for some extended stretching. It felt good to run a bit tonight, but I am certainly not going to push anything just yet.

I do have TIR to consider. I am not sure how to train for this exactly. I know Rick has offered to take Barbara and I out for a 2 am 40 miler.... right Rick?

Shave your 5K

Here is something fun to consider. I've been reading Vanilla's blog for about a month or so and he makes me laugh out loud! If you need a good read, check his blog out, and take him up on his challenge!

I received an email today about the pictures being ready from the Marathon. I took one look at them and almost decided to give running up! Are they kidding me??!! I look 20 pounds heavier and my face is so contorted that I look like I am having a stroke or something worse! To top it off, they only want 110.00 or so for these horrid things that should never be seen by anyone. Seriously. These things stink! I'd rather have received an email because the compassionate photographer recognized that the pictures were awful and deleted them rather than look at them and actually have to decide to not buy them.

Oh, well. There's always next year's marathon to look good!

Houston Marathon Race Report

I feel so out of place trying to write a report for this race. I am certainly not a writer, and as a runner, I have a horrible memory for what happened at which mile. I try and try to recall details about miles, but they elude me. Forgive me if this report is choppy and not very fluid.

I think I managed to tweak out about 90 mins of sleep on Saturday night. I could not calm my restless mind. I wasn't worrying at all. I really couldn't figure out why I couldn't sleep other than pure giddiness like a child on Christmas Eve.

Pete and Mike picked me up at 4:30 am. I had never met Mike before, but he and Pete are friends, neighbors, and have run together for some time. I had packed my bag the day before and it was full, as any good woman would be sure it would be. I didn't decide until Sunday morning which running gear to run in. It was chilly, but I knew I'd be hot if I wore my capri tights. I opted for the shorts and a couple of shirts, one of which I could toss away if I needed to.

We arrived at the GRB in time to use the "real" restroom and then attend Mass. Mike went to the upbeat service on the other side of the GRB. Pete told me that Mike preferred to run his races on his own and he wouldn't see him till the very end.

After Mass, I decided that it might be a good idea to use the restroom once more. The lines said otherwise. They had to be an hour long! Pete had departed for the men's room, (not a long line there!) and we said our goodbyes. Then I realized that I didn't have my mp3 player. I felt panic set in for about a half a second but reassured myself that if it was gone, I would be fine, just mad about losing an expensive mp3 player.

I walked around the GRB for a few minutes to see if I dropped it on the floor. That was a joke. There was no floor space available to drop it onto! There were people everywhere! I thought that perhaps I left it on the chair at Mass. I went back in to see and it was not there. I almost walked out of the make-shift chapel when something told me to go ask the priest. As I approached the front, I could see my mp3 player sitting on the altar. I ran up to the woman helping clean things up and she said, "We figured someone would come back for it!" I hugged her and her daughter and thanked them profusely. I knew it was going to be a good day!

As I walked out of the chapel, I saw Pete again and told him about what just happened and that I needed to find a restroom. After walking around the GRB a bit more and trying to find our Woodlands Fit Yellow Group to take our picture, we headed out to the start line. Pete was in the first wave that was leaving out at 7:00 am. I was in the second. I found a nice row of portapotties with very little line. I was in and out in 5 mins. I knew it was going to be a good day!

It was quite breezy and chilly, but once I settled into a spot within the second wave, it seemed to be warmer. Having a few thousand folks around sheltering me from the wind will do that I guess. I met two guys on my left from Temple. My oldest daughter just moved there! They were wearing trash bags and I asked if they worked well. They said that they helped cut the wind, so I thanked them too. I told them next year I would help them decorate their bags so that they could be more fashionable.

To my right was an interesting character. A man with a button down flannel shirt and a hat with a flap all around the neck. As I looked towards his feet, I recognized the shoes! It was Pete's friend Mike! He had on an interesting pair of Nikes that I have never seen before. There is no way that I would see two people wearing them in the same day! Sure enough, I leaned over and called his name. He looked at me and smiled! We laughed at the odds of two people having just met then gone their separate ways meeting up again in this sea of people. I could tell he really didn't want "company" for the run, so I didn't plan to run with him very long.

At 7, the first gun went off. It was a huge "BOOM"! Wow!! That was our 10 minute warning. The energy was rising as we made our way closer to the start line. Finally our gun went off and we started... walking that is. We didn't walk too long, however. I started my Garmin as I crossed the start mat and headed on my way. It was going to be a good day!

It truly was a glorious morning. Chilly, windy, but sunny, and bright! It was sent from Heaven. We ran through the first mile and I never checked the Garmin. I was keeping with the 9:15 pace group and felt comfortable. I knew that was probably a bit too fast for me, but I thought I would give it a try for awhile. I didn't stop at the first water stop as I still had plenty of fluid on my belt. I did walk through every water station after that.

The crowds were amazing! I can't believe how many came out to cheer us on. I have to say that I think runners are some of the most dedicated people I have ever met, except for those that cheer us on! They were out there, freezing, cheering, taking care of us and for no other reason than they want to be there! That is true dedication.

I was surprised to see how many "hills" we crossed on this course. Most were not too bad, but the last one or two about killed me. Most of the course was fairly flat and though it was concrete, was still pretty in most of the areas we traveled through.

I was feeling great and keeping a good pace. I noticed at about 12 miles that it seemed to be an awfully long mile. I was feeling very tired and had to slow down a bit. I glanced at the Garmin again and noticed that the thing had stopped running. It was on, but it was not running. I am not sure how this happened, if I hit it or if some fluke wave of some sort turned it off. The Garmin registered 11.97 at mile 14. It was a long mile!

I turned Garmin back on and tried to gather my pace again. I had slowed a bit and knew I really needed to listen to my body. My feet were killing me and I felt like my toes were being cut into by my Injinji socks. At one point I sat down and checked the socks. They were fine, no blisters, so I started up again. Thinking back now, I believe my feet were swelling and this was what was causing the pressure in the socks.

I also noticed that I must have dropped a GU or two. I had planned on taking one every 3 or 4 miles, but wanted to stretch that out to 4 or 5 because my stomach hates recovering from the stuff. Now I had to because I had dropped some and I wasn't going to have enough for the rest of the run.

At about mile 12, I also noticed a guy running with a green bib. I was pretty sure the green bibs were 1/2 marathoners so I asked him if he decided to run the full. He said "NO! I haven't trained for that!" So I asked him if he realized that he missed the turn around. He said, "Really?" I felt bad for the guy, I don't know whatever happened to him.

I kept looking for the family. I knew that they were coming to watch, but I wasn't having luck finding them. I was praying with each mile that I would see them and assuring myself that if I didn't, I could still make it. I had a wonderful thing waiting for me at mile 25.

At about mile 18, I felt like my hands and neck were hurting. I am not sure what was up with my neck, but I could feel my hands swelling badly and they hurt. At some point, I also noticed that my arms were chafing a bit. I saw the most beautiful woman cheering us on and she had a jar of vaseline!! I asked for some, and used it for the arms and then for my hands to try and get the swelling down by massaging and running at the same time.

I had began to feel a bit "loopy" at 19, when I looked over and thought, "Hey, that guy looks like George Bush!" Then I realized, it WAS George Bush and Barbara!! I was within 5 feet of him. For a half-second, I thought I could go and shake his hand but before I could reach him, I thought "Wait! The secret service will shoot me if I try to touch him!" Like I said, I was feeling "loopy". I saw another runner turn back to shake his hand and considered doing the same, but I let it go. Maybe next time.

Miles 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 were all pure grit to get through. My pace reflects this. I had to take it a half mile at a time. .5 to the marker, .5 to the water station, then I could walk. Once I hit 24, I knew it was only 1 mile until the best part of the race would happen.



At 25, I saw my family! Finally! I was hurting and I wanted to stop, but I knew if I did, I might not be able to start running again. I gave them all a kiss and then grabbed Lem's hand as we ran to 26 together. It was so awesome having her run with me. Poor thing had very sore legs from the day prior. She had worked out with her TKD instructor and ran two miles. But she didn't let that stop her. She gave it her all and in turn she gave me the boost I needed to finish this thing off. Bill was going to be waiting at 26 to pull her off the course so that she didn't cross the finish line with me.

I found that I had a renewed spirit and picked up my pace drastically. I think I did my last mile in 8:24 or so. Sweet Lem was actually going a lot slower and I had to beg her to pick it up. She did and I am sure she was glad she only had to do a mile with me!



I saw Bill and he took our picture. It's not a great one of me, but it will represent a moment in time that was one of the most incredible moments of my life, aside from the birth of each of my children.

I crossed the finish line and surprised myself when I didn't become emotional. I merely repeated over and over, "WOW! I did it! WOW! Holy Crap!" Profound, eh?

I was weighed by the Hydration Initiative upon receiving my medal and they became concerned that I was showing signs of low sodium. They were able to confirm it with a blood and urine test. I had not needed to use a restroom the whole race. I stayed with them for about an hour, and then asked if I could leave. I wanted to see the family, Bill, and get my shirt!!



I know without a shadow of a doubt that there is no way I could have accomplished this moment with the love of my wonderful family, immediate and extended. My fantastic friends, and the wonderful folks I have met within the running community. I especially thank Bill for his faith in me. He has more in me than I have in myself. I don't see what he sees, but I suppose that is why he is so good at what he does. Thank you, Bill. You are amazing!

My husband, Mark, the most incredible man you'll ever meet. He puts up with my ridiculous schedules, food choices, complaints of aches and pains, and even still offers to rub them away. Thank you, Mark. You are definitely ULTRA-MAN of my heart!

My children, you all inspire me every day to live life to its fullest. Thank you for being the wonderful people that you are and for loving me and all of my imperfections.

To everyone else, please know that I love you all. Your words and deeds of encouragement do not go unnoticed. They are very much appreciated and the prayers are felt. I hope one day, I can offer that same support to each of you in some way.

As I look ahead to what is next on my running agenda, I must remember to not forget the first marathon. There will never be another first. And honestly, I don't think there could have been a better one. It wasn't a good day, it was the BEST day!

Stats: poor at best secondary to the Garmin flaking out.

Total Time: 4:36:42 Total Distance: 26.2 Avg Pace: 10:33 Avg HR: 181

10K 58:42 half: 2:06:45 30K 3:08:16 Overall 3170 Age: 962
Mile 1: 10:13
2: 9:18
3: 8:54
4: 8:52
5: 9:52
6: 9:01
7: 9:33
8: 9:28
9: 9:43
10: 10:05
11: 9:29
12: 10:21 (Garmin flakes out)
13: ??
14: ??
15: 11:54
16: 10:28
17: 10:28
18: 12:14
19: 11:25
20: 10:33
21: 11:48
22: 11:05
23: 10:37
24: 12:44
25: 12:16
26: garmin flaked out again.....
.2:

I finished!

taken by Bean at mile 25


Praise be to God! I finished! My unofficial time was 4:36 and change. Average Pace 10:34.

Thanks so much for the well-wishes and prayers. You made a great day even better!

More details to follow...

12 hours, and counting

Actually, 12 hours and 10 mins because I'm in the White wave which is being let loose at 7:10. Good thing! I wouldn't want to run over any of those elite slow runners....


Bag is almost packed. I still can't decide what to wear, shorts or capri tights? It's supposed to be 43 in the morning. I would usually opt for the capri tights in that temp, but I know I'll be overheating by the time I finish. I have both laid out and I'll make up my mind in the morning, I guess.

I've done a lot of thinking about whom I would dedicate this marathon to, and there are so many that I could choose. I've come down to this. I have to run this marathon for my mom. She is the reason I began to run in the first place. I think of her on every single run. As I struggle with my aches and pains, I remember her in her struggle to live one more day. She was a tough cookie and I hope to have even a 1/10th of her strength.

I feel her most when I run. I talk with her, pray with her, laugh with her. Sometimes, I smell her infamous perfume as I run. It is a strange yet comforting feeling.

I know that so many people run for so many great causes, and I hope to do the same one day. But there are soooo many, and I can't choose just one. I think of many people as I run, Kim, Kelly, The Crews family, Hans, my family. I offer up each ache and pain for their good. But it doesn't seem to be enough. How can it be?

For this day, this first marathon of my life, I must dedicate to my mom. I pray she can watch me tomorrow and feel proud.

Good luck to all the runners tomorrow, wherever you are running! Enjoy the day, enjoy the run, and enjoy the moment. Thank God we have them!

Whatever!

Here is another affirmation of why I need to do this for the kids...

Mark and I decided it was time to revisit our insurance policies and update them. We both went through the usual physical exams, blood tests, and medical history.

We discovered that my resting heart rate was about 10 points lower than a year ago, approx 44. My heart is in great shape, my weight in line, my over all health good and in my mind as a result of eating better, exercising, and taking better care of myself.

My husband has always been in good shape, but of late, the late-night ice cream treats have made their presence known. His knee is in bad shape so he doesn't feel he can run, and he only recently started getting back to the gym to exercise.

He loves red meat, bacon, etc, and only has cut down because I have.

Well, we got our new policies yesterday and I came in at the "Preferred Rate". Thank you very much... wait... My dear husband came in at "Ultra Preferred"!! WHAT?!!!

I was one point away from ultra. The point was taken because of my parents health, in particular I am sure it was my mother's. She passed away at 62 (almost 3 years ago) from heart and lung disease. She was the reason I began to re-evaluate my lifestyle because most of her health problems were the result of poor eating, smoking, and lack of physical activity.

How I can be penalized for that, I will never understand, but again, this is the reason I am "Doing it for the kids."

Ultra preferred... whatever!

*** Ya, he's loving this right now! CREEP!***

Update: Ultra-man is currently frying up his eggs!

Easy Run

Just an easy 30 mins tonight. Beautiful night for a run with a nice breeze and cool temps.

Sunday is looking like perfect running weather!

Yellow Fever

This is a shot of a few of us from Yellow Fever this past Saturday after our last "long run". Several of the group either didn't show or left before the picture was taken.

I vascillated between yellow, red, and rebound groups, but since I originally committed to yellow, I thought I should take a picture with them.

All I can say is, I really need to figure out how to get rid of these ghostly white legs! Yikes!

Houston, here we come!

The last long run before Houston next Sunday. The weather was not the best, but it could have been much worse.

Mile 1: 10:34
Mile 2: 10:13
Mile 3: 10:11
Mile 4: 9:37
Mile 5: 9:30
Mile 6: 9:38
.25: 9:11 pace

Total Miles: 6.25 Avg Pace: 9:54 Avg HR: 177

Welcome 2008!

First off, congratulations to Rick, Jon, James, and Andrew who ran the Texas Marathon yesterday! What a great day for a run and a great way to start the new year! I hope to be there next year myself.

I did not get out to run yesterday. Lem and I did get out today, however, and that little cutie stayed with me for 3.5 miles! We did walk a bit a few times so that she could get rid of side splits she was having, but she was awesome and so driven to finish our run together. We kept it nice and slow and just enjoyed the beautiful weather.

10 days til the Marathon. I am excited and scared at the same time. And my loving husband just shared with me that he read somewhere that I should bring my own TP as the portapotties can run out... great, not only do I have a "thing" about portapotties, now I have to worry about how to discreetly carry toilet paper with me for 26 miles... or not. Which is worse? Thanks, dear.

If we could be blessed with weather like we've had the past two days on Jan 13th, it will be so wonderful. But being Houston, you just never know what it will be like.

And Bill, I've already re-organized the frig, the junk drawer, balanced my checkbooks, cleaned out my closet and am thinking about the remainder of the cabinets in the kitchen... has the insanity started yet?

Goodbye 2007!

For the last run of the year, the skies were darkening, the wind was blowing and I was loving a quick little jaunt over Flintridge!


Total Time: 41:51 Avg HR: 177 Avg Pace: 9:34

Mile 1: 9:51
2: 9:21
3: 9:39
4: 9:41
.37: 8:49 pace

Edited to add: Total miles for Dec was 103! This was the highest mileage month for me all year. 2nd was November with 69 miles. I realize that many others who run can do 100 miles in a week, but I am still happy with my numbers for the month.

Also, I began 2007 at 140 lbs. I end it today at 125.

Total Miles for 2007: 494 (If I was a bit more insane, I would consider running 6 more before midnight to make it an even 500.)

I had set a goal of 600 for the year, having no idea what I was doing. Considering how many times I was on the sidelines for various injuries, I am proud of how close I came to my goal.

And, it's 400 more miles than I ran in 2006!!

I wish a Happy, Healthy, and Wonderful 2008 to you all!

10 miles 40 Degrees

Brrrrrrr....

Total Time: 1:42:37 Avg HR 174 Avg Pace 10:20

Mile 1: 10:37
2: 9:19
3: 9:14
4: 9:29
5: 10:29
6: 9:53
7: 11:04
8: 11:46
9: 10:46
.92: 10:36 pace

I ran the first four with Pete, no walking. I had to slow things down a bit as much as I wish I could keep that pace, I knew that I would not last the whole 10 miles. Pete looks great and should do very well at the marathon.

I walked a minute at 4, then at 6, then every mile after that. I got colder at mile 7 and my hips seemed to get stiffer the longer I ran. Not sure if the cold caused that, but it seems so.

Enjoyed a nice breakfast at Skeeters afterwards and even better conversation. Listening to everyone's experiences is a real treat!

And Unto Us a Savior is Born!

Rejoice!



Merry Christmas! We will see you in 2008!

A 21 mile lesson

Each long run that I have taken part in has given me deeper insight into the inner-workings of my mind and soul.

Yesterday's run was no exception. On Friday morning, I was quite positive that I would be able to handle the 21 miles without any difficulty. I felt so great last weekend, there really wasn't any reason to think otherwise.

However, something happened to my state of mind at about 7 pm Friday night. I began to become filled with anxiety about the run. 21 miles is a long way! How could I possibly finish without being in immense discomfort afterwards? Did I really want to put myself through this?

I prepared my gear bag and laid out my clothes as I normally do and then made it a point to get to bed by 11. I would be waking at 4 am to allow myself the time I needed to eat, hydrate, and stretch.

I awoke at 3:45 before the alarm, a usual occurrence for me. I began my morning ritual and the anxiety hit again. I questioned even going. I re-thought everything. I knew I had to get out the door before I changed my mind. I re-packed my gear, grabbed the bag and headed out the door. When I arrived at our start location, more fear crept in. I was the only one there and began to think that I had made a mistake about the time and/or the location of the run. One call to Bill confirmed that I was in the right spot, and that others would be arriving shortly. Sure enough, Jon arrived and was ready to go. It was then that I realized I had forgotten my hat with my lamp. I guess I'm becoming ritualistic in some ways, because the idea of running without the hat was unfathomable. I then couldn't find my bag with extra Gu and my inhaler. There was no way I could do the run without that so I let Jon know that I would need to head back to the house to retrieve these items.

I returned home to find only my hat and lamp. Now the hunt was on for the Gu bag. I dumped out my gear bag and found it, right where I placed it of course, in a separate pocket of the bag. Now I knew that my nerves were getting the best of me.

On the drive back to our start location, I beat myself up for being so disorganized. Thankfully I was only a few minutes from home, what would have happened if this was Marathon Day? I had to quickly put these thoughts to bay because I really needed to focus on the day's run.

When I arrived, Bill was there and I asked him to hold onto my items. Thankfully he did and refueled me along the course. (Thanks, Bill!)

I ran back to the car to throw my jacket into the car and Jon and I left off for our run. I didn't realize that my phone and my mp3 player were still in the jacket until I began running and I didn't want to ask if we could go back to get it. I knew that this was all happening for a reason and that the real challenge this day was going to be my own mind.

When I first began with Woodlands Fit, I ran many runs by myself. I hated it. I thought it was unsafe and not very much fun. Slowly, I learned to enjoy the experience of running mostly alone figuring that the marathon would be a solo run anyway. I found that I was able to enjoy the runs more once I accepted this.

The day I pulled my groin, however, changed my mind again. I was in bad shape, by myself, and had to walk 2 miles to the end. There was no one else out there that I could call on to help me. I decided that no matter what, I would never run alone again.

Yesterday's run was well-planned. Jon and I would run together and Bill would be checking on us from time to time. When Jon told me to go ahead of him, two thoughts went through my mind. First, I didn't want to leave someone else out on the course alone. It just isn't safe. But I knew that Bill would be checking on us both, so I convinced myself that it would be ok.

Secondly, I didn't want to run alone. What if I hurt myself again? What if I became dizzy like I did in Kingwood? I thought perhaps I'd call Mark and see if he wanted to meet me somewhere and ride the bike alongside me. No phone. Then I thought, I'll have Bill call him next time I see him. I didn't see him till the finish. God had this perfectly planned. I didn't even have music to distract me! I started the negative thinking for about 2 minutes and then I let it go.

I assessed the situation. I felt great. I had plenty of fluids. I had plenty of Gu. It was a beautiful day. If something happened, I was close to my home so I could end my run there. I could even just sit on the side of the road and wait for Bill to come and get me.

Mind games. It's an ironic thing that I have to overcome my own brain since I am a brain-trainer! God has a very funny sense of humor, doesn't He?

I ran well. I continued to feel good. At about mile 16, I started my rosary. Mile 18, the Divine Mercy. Before I knew it I had one mile to go. I still felt good. I came up to Market street with 20.55 miles, so I tacked on a bit more to make it an even 21. My body was ready for it so I didn't want it to be anything less than that!

Seeing Bill, Denise, and the others at Luke's waiting for me made my whole day. What a blessing to have caring folks supporting me the whole way.

The greatest lesson of this run was learning to conquer my biggest fears. It was the hardest lesson I have had to date, but I had been well-prepared for it by all of my previous "lessons".

Another lesson of sorts I learned is that I have been very blessed. After my groin inury, I was out of active training for 8 weeks. There is no reason that I should be able to run this marathon. I have been so fortunate to have Coach Bill alongside me helping me to return after my injury. His faith in me has given me faith in myself.

I have met some wonderful people who have all helped me to continue training, not really knowing if I'd be able to run. Pete, Jon, Rick, Kim, Liz, Denise, just to name a few. I've been truly blessed with a wonderful family that supports me even when I'm being a pain in the hiney. For my friends that cheer me on in spirit and pray for me. This means more to me than you'll ever know.

I pray that each of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

21 miles!

I had the pleasure of running with Jon for the first half of the run today. It was great to get to know him better and enjoy the sites along the paths. Thanks, Jon!

Total Time: 3:49:02 Avg HR 167 Avg Pace 10:54

Mile 1:10:43
2: 11:07
3: 11:27
4: 11:24
5: 11:14
6: 11:29
7: 11:15
8: 11:15
9: 11:17
10: 10:52
11: 10:41
12: 9:43
13: 10:26
14: 10:33
15: 10:27
16: 10:31
17: 10:36
18: 11:08
19: 10:58
20: 11:03
21: 10:41

3 week Taper on the schedule. Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Now I KNOW I can finish that dang marathon!

My last student before the holidays has just left and he was kind enough to point out to me that I have been pregnant A LOT! Yes, I have.

He then went on to figure out that I have been pregnant for 54 months, roughly 4.5 years of my adult life. Couple that with 12 years of nursing, (2 years average per child, no pace available unfortunately) and I now realize that I can do anything!

Bring on Houston! You can't scare me, I have 6 kids!

It must be Thursday

How can I tell? Well my first give away is that I am not able to see clearly. Seriously, is that a 6 or an 8? Thursdays are bad about this stuff. I just can't see. I guess glasses are on the horizon. Worse is the number of times I have to hit backspace while typing because of the number of errors in spelling I make, not because I can't type, but because I can't see if I've typed a letter or not.

2nd clue that it is Thursday? Sucky run. Yes, that's a technical term. The run that wasn't. I ran about 1.5 miles and realized I was wheezing. Not just a little bit either. I forgot the inhaler so I had to walk it back. I feel fine now and should be fine for Saturday's planned 21 miler.

I am looking forward to this run, as long as I can see...

I'm Runnin' in the Rain, Just Runnin' in the Rain

I had prepared myself for a cold run this morning, donning my tights and older shoes in preparation for the wet street and puddles that I was sure to run through in the dark.

As I began to eat my breakfast (a new thing for me, especially before a run) I realized that it was 70 degrees outside! Skip the tights. I changed to my shorts and new shoes because the awaited front had not come through. I left the nerdy-looking parka on the kitchen chair (which cinched the deal) and headed out the door.

This run was going to be a test of sorts. I was rehearsing a few things today. Nothing really new, just changed a couple of things like hydrating more this week, more food this morning before the run, and taking gels more often (every 3 miles). It really seemed to help to do these things. The only issue I had was that I felt very full and heavy the first few miles. I didn't feel sick to my stomach, so I think I'll continue to eat a bit in the morning to keep myself properly fueled.

About 10 minutes into the run, the skies opened up, the wind kicked up, and the fun really began! (why did I leave my parka at home??) There were a few hints of lightening, but none that got close to us, thank goodness. My new shoes got broken in very well. Honestly, the rain felt great. I couldn't help but think about last Saturday. The humidity was unbearable and yet here it was today, down-pouring and it felt wonderful!

I wasn't sure how far I would be running today, 12, 14, or 16 miles. Coach Bill said he'd meet me at Flintridge. I ran the entire time never knowing when I'd be through until the very last moment. The Woodlands Fit ran 21 miles today, I am running 21 next week. I met up with Bill at 15.4 miles. I really felt like I could have finished the 21 off, but I let Bill be my guide and he told me to end while I felt good and then grab the 21 next week.


Total Miles: 15.43 miles
Total Time: 2:42:28
Avg. HR: 173
Avg Pace: 10:31

Mile 1: 9:49
Mile 2: 10:29
Mile 3: 10:40
Mile 4: 10:32
Mile 5: 10:50
Mile 6: 10:42
Mile 7: 10:52
Mile 8: 10:25
Mile 9: 10:08
Mile 10: 10:49
Mile 11: 10:31
Mile 12: 10:31
Mile 13: 10:40
Mile 14: 10:36
Mile 15: 10:19
.43: 4:29/10:15 pace

I stuck with the run/walk plan until mile 11. I felt well enough to complete the run without the walks breaks, but I didn't see any drop in time. The last 3 -4 miles were on hills, so I suppose that eats up more time as well.

Recovery Week

This week was a week of slower, easier runs which allowed my body to heal from last Saturday.

I got out for a brief jog/run last Sunday, in an attempt to move around the lactic acid.

I rested on Monday and headed out on Tuesday for another slow run.

Thursday was a bit better, having Mark ride his bike alongside me, although my asthma seemed to show up unannounced.

Today's run was nothing to get too excited about either. I was happy to finish the run and tried to focus on anything other than the run itself. The humidity was pretty nasty and the temperatures were quite warm. I kept thinking of the folks running Sunmart today and prayed that it was a bit more pleasant for them.

The first 5 miles of the run today were pretty tough. Nothing felt like it was working the way it should be. After 5.5 miles, I finally felt somewhat normal. My legs were good, but the breathing was hard. I suppose the thick air had a lot to do with that.


Total Miles: 9.33 miles (11 mile route came up short and I didn't have it in me to add more on)
Total Time: 1:40:14
Avg. HR: 169
Avg Pace: 10:44

Mile 1: 10:33
Mile 2: 10:19
Mile 3: 11:04
Mile 4: 11:14
Mile 5: 10:59
Mile 6: 10:52
Mile 7: 11:00
Mile 8: 10:50
Mile 9: 10:01
.33: 3:18/9:55 pace

I have managed to put on about 5 pounds which I intend to get rid of before the marathon. Sugar is out again. It will not be easy with the holidays upon us, but I am really feeling the extra weight especially when running.

18 miles - Done!

Total Time: 3:10:55 Total Mileage: 18.35 Avg. Pace: 10:24 Avg HR: 175

We ran in Kingwood today with the Kingwood Fit group. It was a beautiful run and I met some really nice folks from Kingwood. There was a breath-taking sunrise that met us as we crossed over Lake Houston. What a site to see as we headed out on our run.

Pete ran with me today and I am every so thankful. I don't know if I could have made it through the last 3 miles without him. We followed the run/walk pattern walking a minute after each mile. A few of the miles at the end I had to take longer walks (about 2 mins). At one point I had to walk for about 5 mins. I got pretty dizzy and felt like I was going to fall over. After about 2 miles of that, I felt better and was able to finish fairly strong.

I felt good physically the whole run, but the dizziness was hard to get through. I ran completely out of fluids at 17.
The massage therapist at the end of the run was awesome! (Thanks, Bill!) He stretched me out really well and I am hardly sore at this moment. I know tomorrow will be a different story.

Mile 1: 10:33
Mile 2: 10:13
Mile 3: 9:52
Mile 4: 9:51
Mile 5: 9:53
Mile 6: 10:10
Mile 7: 10:13
Mile 8: 10:10
Mile 9: 9:46
Mile 10: 10:03
Mile 11: 10:15
Mile 12: 10:17
Mile 13: 10:12
Mile 14: 10:41
Mile 15: 10:04
Mile 16: 10:32
Mile 17: 11:21
Mile 18: 12:58
.35: avg. pace: 10:32

Thanks to Bill and Pete for your support today! You guys are awesome!

Why are Thursday Runs so Hard?

I don't know what it is, but it seems Thursday runs are the hardest for me. Perhaps it's because it's the end of the week and I am more tired? I really can't figure it out.

Tonight, Bean rode her bike alongside me while I ran. I really liked having her there with me. It was a pretty late run, but I knew I needed to get it in. I hope she will come along again! It helped brighten up the whole night!

Total Miles: 4.47 Total Time: 46:27 Avg Pace: 10:23 Avg HR: 169

Mile 1: 10:53
Mile 2: 10:18
Mile 3: 10:22
Mile 4: 9:44
mile .47: 10:55 pace

Quick Steps

Only time for a quick trip to the track tonight because I had to pick the kids up from Church.

2.13 miles; 10:08 avg. pace; 163 Avg HR

Mile 1: 10:26
Mile 2: 9:56
.13: 9:24 pace

Coach Bill gave me the go-ahead on running the 18 miles on Saturday. I am so excited and yet nervous. My longest distance thus far is just shy of 12 miles. God-willing, I will tackle this challenge to the best of my ability.

Monday night run

I just had to post this great picture of two of my favorite guys! These two do so much for our running community and all because of their love of running. They are not in it for the glory only for the love of the sport.

All day today, I told myself I wasn't going to run. I planned to take an extra day to rest since I have been fighting this cold. But something happened at 8:15 tonight. My body said, "GO!" So I went. I felt great during and after the run, so I believe I made the right choice.

Total Miles: 4.07 Total Time: 41:57 Avg Pace: 10:18 Avg HR: 169

Mile 1: 10:31
Mile 2: 10:03
Mile 3: 10:10
Mile 4: 10:27
mile .07: 10:29 pace

Nice and easy pace. Aaron Shust keeping me focused on the task at hand. The best part of my running of late is that I have not had to use my inhaler! Gearing up for some heavier mileage this weekend, possibly as much as 18 miles.

Yucky

I was doing great until yesterday afternoon and then I could feel it coming on. Running nose, fatigue, just plain blah. My "running" body feels fine, no aches or pains to speak of, aside from this cold I seem to have picked up.

I don't know if this is a result of running three races in a row or just bad timing. Either way, I am taking my supplements, resting as much as I can and praying I'll be good to go tomorrow so I can stay on track with my training.

Here's a picture to cheer me up...


Picture taken by Debbie Tripp; shamelessly stolen from the Montgomery Country Triple Blog.

Montgomery County Triple

It is finished! My body is finally warming up after the slight chill that was in the air this morning. A shower, a power nap, some Shipley's, and some decaf helped to nurse me back to 98.6.

It was a very wet, 43 degrees as Lem and I headed for RTW this morning. There were even some rumbles of thunder, yet, we ignored the ominous start to the day because we were on a mission. A pine cone mission.

As I pulled up to the start, I noticed Missy! She was there with Coach Bill. It was only 7:10 when I got there, so I knew she must have been plagued with pine cone fever as well!

Lem and I retrieved the awards from the back of my car and placed them on the table in their position of honor.

Waiting for the run to begin, I realized how great it has been to run this series. I ran with some folks that I've known for awhile, but didn't really know. The MoCo Triple gave me the opportunity to get to know them even more. I am so blessed to be a small part of such a great community of people. They don't care how fast or how far I can go, only that I achieve my personal goals.

Mark made sure that I take along a parka today to keep myself dry. What's worse, he put Lem in charge of making sure I wore it! She was his spy, and if I didn't wear it, I would be in BIG trouble! (at least I let him think so...)

I was opposed to wearing it because I thought it looked ridiculous. So when I arrived to see everyone else wearing theirs, I pulled mine out and put it on. I was very grateful to have it as the rain drove continually through the run. The gloves were nice to have as well. My hands still got wet, but they were warm for most of the run.

I started out with Liz Berry. I thought maybe I could run with her and keep my time under 28 mins. However before I had even rounded the parking lot for the second loop, I found out that she had just finished a 6 mile run and was much warmer than I was. We were running close to an 8 min pace so I told her that I was never going to be able to keep up because my legs were cold and stiff. I don't know how you warm up in weather like this.

I ran with Debbie Tripp for a little bit as well. She was a bit tired from the last few days, so she slowed down and I kept on. I kept trying to catch Liz, but no such luck. She was quicker than yesterday! Later I told her how quick she was and she said that she really felt great. It showed!

The run went by very quickly. I wish I could have been a bit faster, but don't I always?

After the run, the awards were handed out. Unfortunately, my camera was dead, so I wasn't able to take any pictures. If I come across some, I'll be sure to post them later.

Dana-Sue Crews and her family were present and had two of her books given away as prizes. Additionally, there were two race entries given away, The Davy Crockett Bear Chase and the Huntsville Half! I need to figure out which of these I'll be able to run.

Lem was also given an award for running two 1-milers and then volunteering today. She was a real trooper! Never one complaint though I know she was cold, very cold, and really didn't want to get up so early. But she did and she lit up my whole day. Thank you, Lem! I love you!

Total Time: 29:42 Total Mileage: 3.14 Avg. Pace: 9:28 Avg. HR: 171

Mile 1: 9:32
Mile 2: 9:46
Mile 3: 9:19
.14: 7:43 pace

Be sure to keep abreast of the upcoming Spring Montgomery County Triple by checking out the blog from time to time.

And we're off!

Here we are at the start of the Conroe Turkey Trot this morning! We didn't stay together too long, but it is nice to have this shot of the group of us, though we were missing a certain "dirt" guy...

Total Time: 29:48 Total Distance: 3.15 miles Avg Pace: 9:27/mile
Avg HR: 173

Mile 1: 9:37
Mile 2: 9:44
Mile 3: 9:03
mile .15: 8:57 pace

I was much colder today than I was yesterday. My hands were freezing for the first 2 miles and I couldn't think of much else. Once they warmed up, I was able to relax and enjoy the run a bit more. Afterwards, I went and picked up some gloves at Luke's. Even if I only use them once or twice a year, they will be worth the cost.



Lem was the only runner in the family walk/run. She was afraid to go by herself so I started out with her, but she quickly left me in the dust. I picked her up again to run the rest of the mile with her. Of course, I was running behind her!

Two down, one to go! Forecast for tomorrow, 90% precipitation; HIGH of 46. Might be just right for my new gloves!

Run Thru the Woods

What a absolutely beautiful morning for a Thanksgiving Day Run!

Lem, Andy, and I left the house at 6:45 am. The temps were about 40 degrees. Someone turned on the cold weather last night. Since it was 81 here yesterday, we were all a bit chilled this morning.

Lem ran the 1 mile and did great. She came in at 10:05. We were all so proud of her. There were some pretty quick kiddos out there, many of them coming in at 6 and 7 min paces. Amazing!

Andy and I lined up to start our run. We saw several folks we knew and even more we didn't. It was a sea of people, but the more the better. Body heat can be a good thing sometimes.

The run was lots of fun, well organized, and just an all-around great community event. It is a nice way to start off the day that we choose to show our thankfulness as it is quite difficult to deny our blessings as we look around us.

I stayed with Andy for the first 2.5 miles. He was doing a great job hanging in there, but I knew he was going to need to slow it down a bit and I felt too good to dial back.

He did an awesome job of finishing especially considering it's been a very long time since he has run and he did not train at all for this 5 miler. I don't know how people do that. I don't think I ever could.

The very best part of the day was nearing the finish line. I saw Mark's face and then Lem's. It was so awesome! The day was made perfect in that moment!

Total Miles: 5.12 per Garmin Total time: 46:40 per Garmin
Avg HR: 174 Weight 125

Mile 1: 9:55
Mile 2: 9:22
Mile 3: 9:09
Mile 4: 8:48
Mile 5: 8:28
mile .12: 6:59 pace

The official results has me at 50th for my age group. I think I was 1:33 behind gun time leaving my official pace at 9:22/mile.

I was very happy with my run today. I wasn't running to race, just to run.

Compared to last year, which I had only been running about 6 weeks when I ran it...

Avg HR 190!!
Total Time: 51:10
Avg Pace 9:50
Weight: 145.00

I only remember that I felt like I was going to die several times in that 5 miles. Rick was running with me, so he was able to push me when I needed it. The way I felt at the end of today...I could go another 5 if not more. What a difference some training can make.

I plan to run the Conroe run tomorrow, then the RTW on Saturday. Saturday could get ugly with a 80% chance of rain and a HIGH of 49... maybe we'll have a lower turn out for the RTW?

Off to make some turkey! May you all have a truly blessed Thanksgiving day! Thank you for being a part of my life.

5.5 for Ryan Shay

We ran the first 5.5 for Ryan Shay this morning. It was a great way to really put running into it's proper perspective.

After hearing coach Bill talk about Ryan and what we were setting out to do, one lady commented that he really shouldn't send us out on such a negative thought. I was appalled, honestly. I mean seriously, how's this for a positive thought... you can run today. You can kiss your family today. But I suppose in this world of "let's all feel good ALL the time!", it is difficult to count ones blessings.

Coach Rich started us with a moment of silence and then we were off to run the 5.5 Memorial Run for Ryan.

I was so grateful to be running today. The air was a bit chilly, well at least for the first 15 mins or so. I was able to run the 11 mile route with Pete who was so kind to stick it out with me and walk every mile marker for my one minute walk. I know I was holding him back, but he was more than happy to stay with me.

I saw that Rebecca, another Yellow Fever runner, was back today and looked great! She had been recovering from the same injury that I have been. It was wonderful to see her coming back.

After the run, we were treated to a cold weather clothing clinic by Andrew Perry and a sweet gal, but her name escapes me. I was blessed with winning a nice tech shirt that I have always admired from afar.

I noticed that my arm was quite sore after the run and realized that I had chaffed it. This happened last week also on my leg, so I picked up some Body Glide. I also picked out a pair of Terrasoles. Ever since the chiro told me to quit wearing shoes without backs on them, I've been looking for a comfy, easy to slip on pair. These definitely fit the bill.

Luke's was kind enough to also let us pick up our race packets for the Thanksgiving Day Race. I retrieved mine and Lem's. She is so excited. She will be running the 1 miler on Thursday, then the Conroe Turkey Trot 1 miler on Friday. She will also either skate the 5K on Saturday or volunteer at it. She really loves the whole running thing and I am happy to have someone in the family that likes to run with me. I just need to spend more time doing it with her. These years will fly by and she will be out of the house before I know it.


Total Miles: 10.84 miles
Total Time: 1:48:02
Avg. HR: 186
Avg Pace: 9:58 (what an improvement from last week's 11:04 pace!!)

Mile 1: 9:50
Mile 2: 9:36
Mile 3: 9:41
Mile 4: 9:54
Mile 5: 10:13
Mile 6: 10:04
Mile 7: 10:16
Mile 8: 10:31
Mile 9: 10:00
Mile 10: 9:49
.84: 8:03/9:37 pace

I felt great most of the run. Obviously I was slowing down a bit in the middle, but overall, I am very happy with my run today. I know that running with Peter really helped me pick up the pace a bit. I did take walk breaks at every mile for 1 min.

I am looking forward the upcoming Montgomery County Triple. If you are up for the challenge, come join me! I double-dog dare ya!

97%

97% Humidity. Yuck. At least it wasn't 95 degrees!

31 mins; 2.71 miles

11:41 pace; yep, slower than molasses!

175 HR

Praying for cooler weather and less stickiness!

10 miles, almost

OK, who turned the heat back on??! Overall a very nice run today. The last 30 mins or so was a bit warm, but not anything like the runs from just a few weeks ago.

I ran with Denise today who is coming back from a fractured foot! We ran for 6 miles together and then she took the shorter way back. She was struggling today and I was a bit concerned, but when I saw her at the end, she was doing fine. Way to hang in there Denise!


Total Miles: 9.2 miles (I think I turned into the wrong entrance at Market Street)
Total Time: 1:41:41
Avg. HR: 178
Avg Pace: 11:04

Mile 1: 10:26
Mile 2: 11:05
Mile 3: 11:14
Mile 4: 11:43
Mile 5: 11:49
Mile 6: 11:31
Mile 7: 10:00 (I headed off without Denise for the last few miles)
Mile 8: 11:26 (dropped one of my bottles AGAIN and had to go back for it, it was the only one with water!)
Mile 9: 10:39
Mile .20 10:39 pace

I felt pretty tight after the run today. I made a quick stop to the chiropractor and she was able to fix me up pretty well. I am pretty sore tonight because I then went to help at the Children's Festival and stood for 3.5 hours. My legs started screaming at me!

I am looking at this hydration belt. I am going to put it on my list for Santa. (size M, Santa!) I have a hard time getting my bottles to stay put on the Amphipod belt I am using now. I lose a bottle just about every run! It is quite frustrating and it is slowing me down on the road. If I am not having to stop to pick one up, I am having to slow down to make sure it is popped in correctly or I have to use two hands to get the bottle out of the holder. It didn't always seem to be giving me this much trouble, but I suppose the longer the mileage gets for me, the more the little things can irritate me.

I was also able to start to break in my new pair of shoes. They felt great! Also, I tried out my new socks and am happy to report that my toe is much happier. Ahhhh, what a good day!

Theft!

I stole it. Yes I did. But I had to! How could I not? This is THE picture of the year! (thanks, Coach Bill! I'll send royalties your way!)

Fish has had a pretty rough night. I was up worrying and mothering most of the night, so I didn't get my run in this morning. I am going to try to get it in tonight, but it really depends on how he is doing. I took him into the doctor today and found out that he has pneumonia! He hasn't even been very sick; just a slight runny nose. Last night his temps spiked to 104 and we couldn't get it to come down.

Please say a quick prayer that he recovers soon. Thanks!

What to do on Turkey Day...

Why not join some of us for the 2nd annual Montgomery County Triple Fall Edition?

The challenge consists of running the Run Thru the Woods 5 Miler on Thanksgiving followed by running the Conroe Turkey Trot 5K on Friday, finishing with the Run The Woodlands 5K on Saturday.

This blog was created by the MoCo3 creators. Be sure to check it out for the history and more information.

Hope to see you there!

Next Year

I came upon this race 4 days too late for this year, but I am going to be there next year!

How often do you get to mix the sport you love with a cause you admire and the faith you couldn't live with out??

Ran yesterday for 30 mins. Avg. pace 12:15 7/1 run/walk method.


Ran today for 45 mins. Avg Pace 11:24 7/1 run/walk method.

Nothing too fancy the past few days. Slow, easy, active recovery pace. Still following the run/walk method.

8 miles

I was able to make it to the run yesterday morning and complete the 8 mile run. I am still in 'active recovery' which includes me running 5 mins, then walking 1. I didn't want to, but I know I need to follow this plan if I intend on making it to the start line in January. My goal was to run each mile at about a 10:30 pace.

I felt great. No pain. My body felt like it was mine again. The past few runs, I have felt as if I was in a borrowed body. It was very strange.


Total Miles: 8.24
Total Time: 1:27:40
Avg. HR: 183
Avg Pace: 10:38

Mile 1: 10:48
Mile 2: 10:32
Mile 3: 10:32
Mile 4: 10:01
Mile 5: 10:39
Mile 6: 10:47
Mile 7: 10:24
Mile 8: 10:54
Mile .24: 2:57/ 12:06 pace

It was great to see Dirt and Jon hitting the road as well! Of course I couldn't even dream of keeping up with them, but soon, very soon...

In the afternoon, Lem and I visited Luke's to see Dirt. I picked up my second pair of Kayano 13s! I also picked up a package of SOLE socks to see if it can help with my toe issue.

Looking forward to getting back to some real running in the next few weeks!