Here We Go Again.

Hello World, I'm back. It's been awhile and life has gone on - in many directions. I'll have to play catch-up as I restart this telling of my running story. I'm going to have to go on a solo run to think about where to start - I do my best thinking that way and it will be an excuse to run alone. So, I'll be right back to get on with the story and fill in the gaps.

Beach Running!

Headed out for my beach run yesterday. It was a beautiful day; sunny, clear blue skies, warm but with that wonderful cooling breeze that comes in off the Pacific - my idea of perfect. I generally wear shoes or flops to run to the sands' edge, then slip them off and carry them across the deep sand. Yesterday I wore my running shoes so I sat on the bike trail curb to take off shoes and socks, then I did my best to jog to the water. As I approached I saw that it was high tide. Hmmm. I had planned on a longish run, but I knew that the tide would slow me down. Why? Because when it's high tide the sand near the water's edge is not the wonderfully firm yet giving surface that I adore, but rather a squishy foot-enveloping terrain that makes me smile, but also makes me work really hard for every mile.

So, as I was navigating through this part of the run, my mind began to wonder. I decided my beach runs were like a box of chocolates. You just never knew what you were going to get. At that point I heard an acquaintance's voice in my head, telling me I should start checking the tide charts before my runs. This also brought a grin to my face, as I recalled being at someone's house who offered chocolates as an after-dinner treat. Only, they had cut each chocolate in half so no one would be surprised by what was hidden inside the creamy exterior. I guess some people aren't as inspired and entertained by surprise as I am. I love not having everything planned and living in a rather serendipitous manner whenever possible.

So, my mileage was not as long as I had planned yesterday, but I got a terrific workout in - just a bit different than I had planned. But, like a box of chocolates, that was one of the best parts about these runs, and what keeps me coming back for more.

So, here's to beach runs and boxes of chocolate. You get what you get - enjoy it for what it is!

Sixty-Five-Year-Old Women!

Interesting thing about this relay.... before we started I met the only person on the team who I didn't already know - Wayne, Marco's boss. Well, Wayne and I seemed to hit it off immediately and when he heard I had run both Boston and New York he kept asking me questions about those races. When I was telling him about Boston and how, because I was coming back from injury I wasn't running at my BQ pace but was back with the 65 year-old women and 70-year-old men, he laughed. But then I kept going on about those da**ed 65-year-old women. They are amazing! They are fast and steady. There is always one in front of me during races who I think I'll over-take and then never do. Or, they breeze by me at mile 20. Dang them!! I also told him that I finally figured it out though. When I ran past the spot at mile 2 where the Boston Race director tried to remove Kathrine Switzer from the course in 1967 it dawned on me who these incredible 65-year-old women were. They were the Kathrine Switzers of their time. They were the ones who were running and racing despite people telling them they couldn't or shouldn't or mustn't. They were told they were too fragile, that those distances were for men, and that their uteruses would fall out. Really! These women were the ones who said too bad I'm doing it anyway. They were strong both physically and mentally. They knew they could, and they did!! I remember watching in 1984 when Joan Benoit won the first ever women's Olympic Marathon!! I was inspired! But I never, ever dreamed that one day, I too would run a marathon and join that group of women - not in speed, but in determination and perserverance.

Soooo, back to the relay. My first leg was paved, fairly flat with an over-all downhill grade, and sunny. I took off fast and held a sub-8 pace for the first mile. I felt good. There were two youngish girls in front of me who I thought I might be able to catch. Then, I heard someone behind me - gaining on me - figured it was some guy. No, it was a woman. She passed me easily and then I could see her grey bob hairdo and easy glide. She was 65 years old I'd bet! She had shifted into 6th and was just breezing past me. She passed the two young women with ease. Dang her! She was the only person to pass me.

When I came to the checkpoint and handed off our 'rock' to Elizabeth for the next leg, Wayne was the first of our group to walk up to me to say good job and such. After I caught my breath I told him that only one person passed me..... a 65-year-old woman!! We both laughed and shook our heads.

Here's to the 65-year-old women who opened the doors for women like me!! I'll just smile now when they breeze by me in races - but in my heart I'll be thanking them and hoping that one day I will find my 6th gear too. Maybe when I'm 65.

R2R 2010

After what seemed like nine months of constant rain, I woke up Saturday to silence. No rain on the roof. That was a good sign. By the time I had finished getting ready for the day, it was beginning to get light out. Not the grey dimness that we had become accustomed to, but a real brightness. It was clear skies out there. As I stopped at the light to turn onto the main street, Mount Rainier was showing off. She was perfectly silhouetted by the sun and surrounded by a vivid blue sky. One of her flanks was that bright pink that is only seen during perfect sunrises and sunsets. What a good sign that this was going to be a great day.

I was to pick up Dan at 5:30 and I arrived at 5:20. After a few last items were throw into his bags, we were off and headed toward the mountain. We had to stop at South Prairie for the pre-race checkin and instructions (they weren't sure until that morning whether they'd have to re-route the second leg because all this rain has greatly raised the level of the creek there). After that Dan and I headed to the start - past Carbanado. His race was to start at 7:30 so we had plenty of time. Temperature at the start was 38. Right before the race started he began to verbalize having seconds thoughts about his ability to run this thing. I did my best to convince him that he was ready, and that it was just a mind game at that point. Reminded him that the weather was perfect, and we had been escorted by a Bald Eagle for a portion of our drive out. Both good signs. We went over his bag drop preps and the fact that there were other runners out there who would be going his pace. Got him out there and took a few "before" pictures. The mood of the runners was good! They toed the line, the bell rang, and they were off.

My relay team showed up soon after the 50-milers started and our race started about an hour later. I was 5th leg so I had plenty of time. By the time my leg came around I had changed into shorts and the unshaded parts of my run were going to be hot. Nice!! Before my leg started though, I was able to meet Dan as he came in to the checkpoint at South Prairie (where my leg was) and I changed his shoes, socks, and shirt and got him going again. My handoff was 15 minutes or so after he left. I kept an 8:32 pace for my 5.2 mile run. I wish I could have done better (it was downhill most of the way) but I ran as fast as I could. I passed Dan midway, which meant we handed off at the next checkpoint before he arrived. We would stay ahead of him from here on out. His wife and kids were at the checkpoint three miles farther down the trail so I didn't feel too bad missing him there.

My next leg, #11, was on the access road next to Levee Road - down by the river. It's a sand surface there but it was pretty packed down from the rain. The problem was going to be the mud puddles that went from one side of the 'road' to the other. It's like a wide ditch down there and there was no alternative but to head straight through the water. If I kept to the center, the water was only up to my lower calves, but if I veered off even a little, it was 6 inches deeper or so and came up to my knees. I couldn't see what the running surface was either because the water looked like chocolate milk. I never knew what the next footfall would bring. By midway through the second puddle (think lake) I decided to walk through instead of run. We were not going to win the relay and I wasn't going to twist an ankle to save a minute or two. This portion of my leg lasted for a mile. After I came out of the water zone, my shoes squeaked for a good mile or two. It became somewhat entertaining as the sound changed as the water worked its way out. This leg ended at the glass museum and George actually ran the last 2.5 miles or so with me as I wasn't totally sure I'd see the arrows for the turns through town (and he knows the course well). We averaged 9 minute miles over this portion. Not bad considering the stops (waits) for lights and such.

There were only 4 miles left in the race after my run, and I handed off to Elizabeth (the junior-high student who was the captain of our team) . She ran well and came in strong and we all joined her for the finish. Fun!! As soon as we could, we took off in one of the cars to take me back to run in with Dan. I had a clean pair of shoes and socks for him. I was worried about his feet being in those 'lakes' and staying wet for miles. Not a good thing after 30 miles of running. We found him after the water portion and they had guided them to Levee Road at that point so he missed running through the 'lakes' anyway. He declined the clean shoes - he was afraid his feet were swollen too much to get them on. He was tired but still had quite a bit of mojo left in him. I ran with him for 7 miles to the finish. He came in 11 hours, 31 minutes after he had started. He was wearing my Garmin and it showed 53.3 miles.

Sooo, my total for the day was 9 fast (for me) miles, 1 mile of slogging through water, and 7 miles of a slow run mixed with a walk break every now and again. Perfect day of running and being with friends. Loved every minute of it - including the water!

Several Perfect Runs...

I still feel that I am 'coming back' from my injury and have that at the top of my mind every time I run now. With that in mind I decided that I was going to stick to my plan and just run 10 miles last Sunday and not a half-marathon as I was tempted to do. I was able to join Dan Pf. at the Y Run Club's (of which I'm a dues-paying member) 50k/Marathon/Half-Marathon. He was going to hit the official start time of 7am, but since I only needed those 10 miles, I slept in a bit before heading to the park. I got there and ran a little, one-mile loop with Rick before joining Dan in his 3-mile loops. I told Dan I still planned on going slow and taking it easy - my goal being to increase my distance, not my pace - and he said that'd work perfect with what his goals were for the day; he was taking it easy and walking the hills. Perfect. Really. It was wonderful running slowly and walking the hills; laughing out loud when Dan pointed out the Campus Center Ctr. Building in the middle of the community college we were running; and then checking out the Douglas Fir straddling the decaying cedar stump. We talked about the name choices for the baby he and his wife are expecting, and then diverged on to the names of his daughters and my sons and how and why those were chosen. The run was about 3/4 shaded but the 1/4 that wasn't made it feel like a spring day. Before we knew it, our miles were completed and it was time to stop. Perfect.

On Monday, the teacher who usually runs with me on Tuesdays texted to see if I wanted to switch to Monday this week. No problem (despite the fact that Monday is usually my no-run day) - the weather forecast was calling for 60's and sunny for Monday, and much cooler and rainy on Tuesday. That was an easy switch to make. I would be working at a nearby school so I packed my running gear and went to work. After work we ran in the sun on our usual route - the one we haven't run since my injury. It felt good to be back in the swing of things and we both noticed that we picked up the pace considerably in the last mile - but neither of us mentioned it until the run was over. It just felt too perfect.

Tuesday brought the predicted rain and grey skies. Those are always the toughest days for me. None-the-less, when the phone rang after work and it was my neighborhood running partner checking to see what time I could come out, I said without hesitation, "give me 15 minutes". I was changed and out the door without stopping to think about sitting down and snuggling with a book. We ran our usual Flat-4 route and kept our chatter up-beat. It was a perfect rainy-day run!

I had an 8-mile run written on my planning log for Wednesday. My neighborhood partner went 6 with me and I just continued on and did the last two on my own. Without trying, I increased the pace by 30 seconds per mile, and finished feeling like I used to when I ran. Like I did just months ago. Hey, maybe things are falling into place. Felt perfect!

I usually run with the group on Thursdays. OK, usually I run with my neighborhood running partner - and then with my group later in the evening. I decided that it was time to take a break however, especially since I had run 5 days in a row and was supposed to be honoring my two days off a week. Instead of running with the group, I went to the track and threw the ball for Juno, then Rick walked with us around the track several times. That too felt perfect.

Friday I ended up cleaning the house and doing some things for my sons. I was going to try to run a few miles but then decided that since it was my usual day off, and I was running short on time anyway, I'd just go with it and not run two days in a row. Felt like cheating!

That brings me to today. I had posted earlier in the week that I was looking for someone to run 12 miles with me and Ray responded. He wanted to run the Orting Trail and while that would mean that I'd miss coffee with the group, I was looking forward to the trail. I really love that trail. It's an old railroad bed so there are no hills to speak of on it. It has a very gentle, uphill grade going East out of town (which is the way we go to start) - which of course means that once you turn, you get to enjoy a gentle, downhill grade for the return. The path is rural and goes past several farms, through many wooded areas, and along the river. Like I said, I love it. We decided to start at 8am (I like to start when it's light out) and it was already sunny but the mist was rising all around us creating a dream-like setting. There is a farm with cattle in the field in the first mile and I looked at one of the cows and noticed she was about to give birth. I pointed this out to Ray and said we'd have to be sure to check for the newborn on our return. We continued on at a comfortable pace, chatting easily as we went. The buffalo and emu were out as usual at mile two, and the river was rushing by beyond that. The sun was glistening through the trees and it was fun checking out the different varieties of mosses covering the trees as we ran by; and listening to the birds singing as if it were already spring. I pointed out common mergansers, bald pates, and a kestral to Ray. Nice birds to see. In what seemed like no time at all we hit the 6-mile point and turned. It's hard not to smile when you turn on that trail. All of a sudden you realize that you've been running uphill, and it makes you feel full of new-found energy. The miles clicked by and we neared the original cattle pasture. Sure enough, there was the newborn bull calf, licked clean, a light, reddish brown, standing at his mother's side, both of them looking right at us as if to say, " hello, what a beautiful day". And it was a beautiful, magical, newborn-feeling day!

Swam Alone!

As part of my injury-recovery program, I've joined the local Y and have been meeting with friends at 0 dark 30, two days a week, for swim sessions. Right before I left for our session this morning, one of said friends caught me on Facebook to say that he was not feeling great and was going to have to cancel. No matter, I still had another friend who would be there waiting for me. I was running late so I was surprised when I got to the water's edge and didn't see my friend. No matter, I'd get started on my own. I swam a few laps, took a little breather, then swam some more. I took few breaks, concentrating instead on my breathing, and extending my stroke, and gliding, and counting, and somewhere in there I got lost in the movement of it all and felt like I do on a long run where the body is moving but my mind is in a sort of dream state. Wow - I thought that'd only ever happen on a run. Nice! I didn't even think about my friends not being there, so lost was I in the moment. Hmmmmm. I like this swimming thing.

Coming Back is Tough!

It was just a short little run - drop off the DVD at Hollywood Video around the corner, continue on around the block, go to the end of the cul-de-sac to make it four miles of relatively flat pavement. My running partner went with me and we took off joyfully talking and catching up on each other's lives. Then, around 2.5 miles I got tired - really tired. Needed to walk a bit. It never got easier after that and my wonderful partner proceeded to turn our conversation into a monologue - to keep my mind off the fact that I really, really felt like stopping. Wouldn't have finished four miles without her! Thanks Barb!

Almost a Year....

It's been almost a year since my last post. Well, soon after that post I ran Valentine's Marathon with Abi. We took it slow and easy - almost too slow and easy. Finally had to put a stop to the stopping in the last few miles. It was fun talking and enjoying the morning, but the best part of the race was after it was over. Abi and I walked a short distance to the lake at the park, stripped down at a picnic table, then walked into the nearly-frozen lake and stayed until we were almost too numb to get back out. Laughed about how they were going to find us - two half-naked women, smelly from the waist up, and frozen from the waist down - drowned because they were too numb (read: dumb) to get back out! Fun!

My primary goal in 2009 was to break the 4-hour marathon barrier and thereby BQ! Well, I decided that a wonderful attempt would be a marathon on my birthday - Napa Valley Marathon, March 1. I convinced Carlsson that he should run that one with me as his birthday present to me. He took me up on it. We flew Elliot up from UCLA and he and Larry crewed for the two of us. The course is billed as flat - but Lesa O. had warned me that she found it to be rather hilly - especially in the beginning. Always listen to Lesa! She was right - it was not only hilly, but the road was quite canted which made running difficult. Not only that, there was a steady downpour throughout the race. None-the-less we had a nice, happy run for about 20 miles. Then it got tough. I was getting increasingly tired and the 4-hour mark was becoming more and more elusive. However, I did know that this race was a qualifier for the 2010 Boston - at which time I would be 50 years old (this being my 49th birthday after all) - which meant my qualifying time was actually 4:05. With two miles to go, and my energy flagging, Carlsson took the lead and started singing to me. That was just what I needed to keep me going. We came in at 4:03:28!! :))

April brought the Yakima River Canyon Marathon. I was totally unprepared for the beauty of this course. Wow! Started out with Jill Hudson - both of us wondering how it would go for us - and we ended up sticking together for the entire race - urging each other on! We came in at 4:08 - with a PR for Jill!! Very fun!

May brought the Tacoma City Marathon. I planned on running between 4:15 and 4:30. Found out that Eric volunteered to be the 4:15 pacer so I thought I'd try to stick with him as long as I could and if/when I fell back I asked Marco and Tom (who planned on a 4:30) to scoop me up and 'carry' me along with them. Well, Marco, Tom, and I started together slightly in front of Eric and his following. We kept thinking we'd hear him on our heels at any time, but never did see him. Marco, Tom, and I joked around the entire race. It felt great! We were all very pleased with our 4:10 finish! I didn't stay long afterwards - but later found out I had placed in my division - 3rd woman in the 30-34 year old category. Not sure how they decided I was 34 but I let them know their mistake and declined the plaque.

In early June I was feeling good and Larry had to work the first weekend of the month, so I decided at the last minute to run North Olympic Discovery Marathon. I emailed some friends of ours (actually, the parents of friends of ours) on Thursday evening to see if I could spend Friday night at their place. They'd love to have me was the response. Sooooo, on Friday I drove to Sequim, signed up for the race, then drove to their house for dinner. On Saturday morning my friends drove me to the start and made plans to 'see' me at mile 16. It was a beautiful day for a race and I met Lesa and Dove at the start. I stuck with Lesa and a few other Maniacs for a few miles but then pulled back. Seemed that this was not going to be my race and I never did find my mojo. Thank goodness for a fellow Maniac (can't remember his name right now) who kept me going the last 6 miles. He was an angel! Disappointed with my 4:21 finish. Days later I found out I had placed 3rd in my age group - this time the correct age group. Made me laugh - all I had managed to do was outrun the women my age who had run a marathon the day before! I felt this was a make-up plaque for Tacoma!

Late June brought the 1st Seattle Rock 'n Roll Marathon. Huge event. Tons of Maniacs. Hung out with 'the group' pre-race but started alone. Nice race, nice day, but again, couldn't get it going. Finished with a 4:24.

July's race was the San Francisco Marathon. Loved being in San Francisco for this race but it was a cold summer day. The start was staggered and I couldn't find any of the runners I was looking for. The bridge was socked in so there was no view. The hills were all in the first half, and the second half had a lot of downhill. Beautiful course - the half marathon runners merged in and out - there being two half marathon races - and that seemed to keep me preoccupied at times. I was glad to see the finish line and felt frustrated again. Wondered if maybe I needed to try something other than marathon-running. Hmmm. Finished in 4:20.

A week after the San Francisco Marathon I decided to run the Tacoma Half Marathon. I wanted to run a race across a suspension bridge where I could see the view. For whatever reason, I ran as Elaine - she had already paid and was not going to be able to use her number. Rick was running as Mike and Patch was running as Monica so it seemed like a fun thing to do. Rick and I drove together and had fun talking and joking along the way. At the start I found Dove and she and I ran together chatting for the first 9 miles or so, then she took off. I was feeling a bit tired so I held back. Ended up with a 2:05 I believe. Felt strange when they announced Elaine's name as I crossed the line. Oh, nearly forgot - this bridge was also socked in with fog. Two races over two major suspension bridges in two weeks - both too fogged in to see anything. Drats. I did enjoy this race. I'd like to do it again - under my name - and improve my time.

No marathon in August (just the above-mentioned half) and in September I took a two+ week break from running while we visited Greece. Didn't even pack running gear! Returned from our trip the day before the Grande Ass Marathon and I ran it with Abi. Torrential rain erased the markings the last half of the course and we got lost twice. We ended up with a slightly altered course than the one designated, but RD Eric still OK'd it for us. Got home just in time to prepare for the post-marathon party at my house.

By October I was beginning to truly doubt my ability to run a marathon in the 4:15 range so I was nervous going in to the Victoria Marathon where I'd be running 'with' some nurses who Larry knew from the hospital. We met on the ferry ride over and they seemed very nice. Both had run two previous marathons in the 4:15/4:30 range. Good - we should be able to at least start together and see what happens. This ended up being just the medicine I needed. We started together, joked and listened to music and encouraged one-another for 18 miles. Then one felt strong and took off - I followed for a mile or two, losing the other in the process- and we ended up finishing with several minutes between the three of us. I came in at 4:10 (a few seconds faster than the time I had made in 2008). I was thrilled!!

November brought New York City Marathon. I decided there was no use trying to set a time-goal in a race this big (37,000 marathoners - no halfsies here!) and anything under 4:30 would be acceptable. If I could pull off a 4:15 I would be very happy, but my main objective was to run and enjoy the scenery and spectators. Well, this race ended up being amazing in every respect and I'll write a separate piece on it later, but suffice it to say I came in at 4:06:34!! That was 35 seconds away from another BQ!! Thrilled!

A few weeks later, and again at the last minute, I decided to run the Ghost of Seattle Marathon- but it was filled. I decided to email the RD, Scott Krell to see if there was a wait list and he said to just come and pay day of. Wow! Well, two days before the race, I injured my groin. That week I had run the pipeline with Lesa, then did speedwork with Lesa, then did a trail run near Emerald Ridge High School with Lesa and Abi, and by the time we finished that last trail run, I was limping. The next few days, despite icing and no running, I was still unable to put weight on my left leg. I had to email Scott and tell him I wouldn't be running, but I would be able to volunteer. I ended up cooking hotdogs for five hours for the runners. It was a lot of fun, but I certainly would have preferred running - especially since Scott had secured medals for the first time ever, to give away to the finishers. Drats!! It's OK, I still planned on running Pigtails 50K in a few weeks and by not-running this one, I would be more than ready for her race.

Well, in the end, I did not run Pigtails. Nor did I run First Call 50k on January 1st. I would not run for six weeks after having both an x-ray and an MRI which indicated damage that needed time to heal. My last run in 2009 was December 3 and my first run of 2010 was January 11. And thus begins this new chapter.....

Frustration

Ran 14 yesterday. It was supposed to be 16. I had a pace goal. Was supposed to run them with two friends. Had runners with me the first half - then was alone the second half. Except for when I reached the turnaround and a biker turned around about fifty yards in front of me (he had been following me). He kept that space between us but never increased his speed. The path had many curves in it at that point and he disappeared in one of the bends. It gave me a weird feeling. Weird enough so I wished I had pepper spray, or a big dog, or even my cell phone. I ended up cutting my run short by two miles. Ran too slow too. I am disappointed in both my pace and my distance. I need a better plan. I'm feeling frustrated.

Pigtails - the short version...

I decided that since I need an 18-20 mile run this weekend, I'd just run two loops of the Pigtails 50K to give me a total of 19.2 miles. After talking to Abi last weekend, we decided to do it together. We drove together part of the way and arrived just in time to grab a few things, get our numbers and toe the line. Well, I had time. Seems that Abi needed a little extra time and when the call came to start I got swept with the crowd and Abi was nowhere in sight. The race is a short spur from the parking lot to the perimeter path around Lake Youngs. If you go right at the trail juncture, you go down a steep incline. That was the direction the arrows pointed and although Van didn't really care which direction you went, to 'win' the bacon, you had to go right. I turned right with the vast majority of the crowd. After reaching the bottom, the trail smoothes out and I kept turning to look for Abi. Finally, I walked a bit and after a few minutes I saw her approaching. Good - now our adventure would begin. We ran, we talked, we got tired, we decided to walk the hills (well, the big ones). We decided that we'd reverse directions after we finished the first loop. We dawdled at the parking-lot-check-in-stock-up-on-calories station. We decided the clockwise direction was more to our liking and continued to expound on how much more we enjoyed it the farther we went. We felt like we ran much, much more of the route in this direction. Going in the opposite direction meant that we'd have to tackle the last, extremely steep hill head on. We planned on walking it but Abi joked that she'd cheer me on as I ran it if I so chose. Not! We crossed the finish line together. That felt good. Ate a little and talked a little and then realized that I had lost my hat somewhere on the trail. We asked one of the 50K runners who had a short out-and-back to do, to look for it if possible. Abi and I ended up walking down the steep hill to look - and of course walking back up said incline. Ended up the 50K guy found it - someone had put it on a post. Nice!! Watched most of the runners come in but got a sudden chill and we both decided to go. Too bad - we missed congratulating Jessica on her first 50K and Michelle on another job well-done.

Capital Peak Half Ass

Met at the Y at 5:50 to carpool to this race in the Olympia area. We ended up taking two vehicles for the seven of us; Steve, Eric, Michelle, Linda, Jenny, Abi, and me. We arrived with plenty of time to make clothing decisions and sign in and even rest up a bit. The race started at 8am and it was just getting light at that time. The temperature was in the low 30's but it was not supposed to rain. Hmmm. How many layers?! Deciding on what to wear is sometimes the most difficult part of a run.

I had promised Michelle I'd run with her this race and I was glad for that. It'd be fun and energizing and we'd just take it easy. As we started it seemed that Abi was going to run with us - at least for awhile. She kept open the possibility of taking off later on (she never did). The course this year was different from last year's due to snow and the flooding we'd had in the last month. It ended up being the perfect combination of mud, snow, streams, mud, logs, clear trail, mud, puddles, mud, and fir bough-strewn trail. Did I mention the mud?

It seemed that the finish line appeared too soon. We were still having fun and I almost hated to see it end. The food spread was good, the fires felt great. We changed and warmed up and ate while waiting for the 50K runners to come in. I loved watching the 50K runners come in with their dogs. I talked to Allison for quite awhile about running and dogs. The sun came out. What a wonderful day. Nice!

Me and Dred Together Again...

School was cancelled today because of the flooding in the area so I slept late this morning (after rolling over and going back to sleep on severallll occasions....)! That felt great. I do feel like someone beat me up though. Sore all over. I ran/walked (yes, you read that right - /walked) 5 miles on the "Dred" yesterday after work and it felt like the last five miles of a really bad marathon! I should have bucked up and hit the road instead of Dred but I just couldn't bear going out into the dark monsoon. I had run through it the day before - straight from school - with one of my teacher friends, and we re-entered the school dripping wet after just four miles. It had still been light out though - and it was with a friend. That always makes running fun for me. That run felt like childhood - running and trying to miss the puddles - but getting totally soaked anyway. It was fun! The run with Dred - despite watching a fun show on the TV - was dreadful! I'm just glad it's done!

New Year's Day!

First Call to Run 50K – January 1, 2009

I woke up several times during the night to the sound of pouring rain. By the time my alarm went off at 6am I was questioning my sanity in signing up for this race. (I had just wanted to run another 50K and I had wanted to do it soon.) I went through my regular pre-race routine – ate, dressed, drank some coffee. At 6:05am I drove to the local Y where I would meet Rick and Steve and we would drive Sully (my vehicle) to pick up Rob in his hometown and then on to Bothell. The rain stopped somewhere en-route but as we neared the start of the race, we saw lots of snow. The snow had nearly all melted in Puyallup so this was a bit of a surprise. Hmmmm. Trail shoes or regular? I was really hoping I could wear my regular shoes. After talking to one of the local runners (who insisted the snow ended after a hundred yards or so on the trail) I decided to wear my regular shoes.

This is a very small race and most of the faces were familiar. The race director explained the route to us (a double out-and-back) and started us on time. The snow was very slushy and it was slow going at first. Within a few hundred yards I was running with Linda from our run club, and she and I were both a bit concerned when the snow went on past the distance where we were told it would disappear. It ended up lasting for nearly a mile (which meant we’d be running in about 4 miles of snow in all with the double out-and-back scenario). Whatever. We’d just have to be careful of our footing in that section.

Nearly the entire race was run on the Sammamish River Trail which runs (amazingly) right next to the Sammamish River. It was beautiful and I loved seeing the waterfowl floating in the water. Linda and I ended up running the entire race together and I very much enjoyed spending that time with her. For me it was the perfect combination of companionship, talking, and just silently running side by side. We were each very clear on telling the other that if she wanted to run off ahead there would be no hurt feelings – it was a race after all. I never felt that need, and evidently neither did Linda. We crossed the line together. We came in at 5:48 and I was pleased with that. Fun!

....On My Mind....

I've been thinking about it ever since our run on Saturday. I didn't think about it as we ran down the street. Well, I think it was the street. I'm not positive which street it was, but I think we ran down that same street. We were on the other side though, and I was just chatting with my friends and concentrating on the hill to come, and I ran right by where it was, or might have been. We had just been running along - like we were on Saturday - that Saturday several weeks earlier, when we turned onto that same street. Chatting and running. We saw it in the middle of the road and kept chatting - teasing each other about something I'm sure - laughing. Then we realized it was an animal - hit by a car - not moving - dead. Lots of wild animals get hit around here - usually squirrels, or opossums or raccoons. This one had golden fur though. Maybe a cat - probably a cat. As we neared, the chatter and laughing died down a bit. The cat's fur was moving slightly in the breeze (or did I imagine that afterwards?). It wasn't until we were right next to it that one of us - who? - said, "no, it's a dog". And it was a dog. A pomeranian. An indoor breed usually. Someone's lap dog. Golden fur. The same golden as my dogs. Much smaller of course. Mine were Golden Retrievers. Lying in the middle of the street. Someone's looking, searching, panicking, calling out the car window. I'm sure of it. Perhaps with the children in the backseat gripped in the fear of not-knowing. Or, an elderly couple, equally frightened. It had to be moved. They couldn't find it in the middle of the road - mutilated by some car coming down the hill. I can't remember if there was snow on the ground yet. No, I don't think so. But it was cold out. Cold enough that I had worn gloves for the run. A small pool of blood had formed around it's mouth. Other than that, it could have been sleeping. When I lifted the body it felt like my dogs had felt. Not stiff - but stiffening. Hard to describe, but equally not-scary - as I had thought it would be. I laid it in the grass. Between the fence and the sidewalk. It would be visible there but not threatened by tires. They would find it - looking like it was simply sleeping. A peaceful death. I petted it's fur down where it had been mussed by the wind. A brief pause as my dogs flashed in my mind - being lowered into the holes we had dug in our garden. I had petted their fur too. Didn't want it to be mussed. Peaceful. The group was silent for the next half mile or so. Sort of lost in our thoughts I guess. Petting their own Golden fur perhaps. The chatting started softly, tentatively, finally resuming it's usual gaiety. It's been on my mind.

Christmas Day Run

It was a traditional Christmas morning - presents under the tree, A Christmas Story on the TV, and cinnamon rolls in the oven..... It was a nice, relaxed, fun, family day. After the wrapping paper was cleaned up and boxes stacked and too many cinnamon rolls consumed, it was time to "letharge". That's our term for sitting around reading, napping, digesting cinnamon rolls... - just a lazy, hazy time. After an hour or two of that it was time to don my new running vest and headlamp and head out the door to run with George from the running club. He and I ran through the snow and ice and talked and ran and listened to the bells on my shoes and had a wonderful time. We ran until his Garmin verified that our five miles was complete and then we walked and talked for a bit and headed back out into the snow and ice in our respective vehicles with the sweat and fatigue that comes from a good run. Nice!

Beautiful Day!

It was gorgeous outside yesterday - fat, fluffy flakes falling. The snow reflected the ambient light and it brightened everything. I convinced Elliot to join me on the cross country skis and we toured the neighborhood and the school grounds. Everything is prettier covered in snow. It's quieter too. We returned home and I started to shovel the drive, but then decided I liked the look of it better with the snow. I took some pictures. In the late afternoon several neighbors got together and we all decided to go sledding. Fun! Although it was a bit of a workout climbing the sledding hill each time I rode down it, somehow I still felt the need for a run. I moved a few things in the garage (didn't I just clean this place?!) and put the ramp down on my dreadmill. At 8:30pm I pounded out four miles. Felt good. I guess for the next week or so (until it gets less slippery out there) I'll be getting to know my friend, Dred (makes him seem like a cool Caribbean bartender when I call him by this moniker). Yep, me and Dred - we're going to have fun!

Been Doing Some Running....

Despite the fact that I haven't written about it - I have been doing some running lately. After the Victoria Marathon my next race was Autumn Leaves 50k. We carpooled down to Portland and stayed at Jenny's parent's house. They were away on a trip but they were kind enough to let us bunk down there. We got up before the crack of dawn (or the middle of the night as I see it) to take the early start. It was my first "Ultra" and I ran it with Michelle and Margaret. It was just plain good fun. Margaret and I were both "Ultra Virgins" so our plan was to run with Michelle - an "Ultra Connoisseur". There was a short out and back at the start and then a 5-mile loop that took us along a river and through the fallen leaves. We had fun - dawdled at the fueling stations, talked to other runners, kicked up the leaves, sang songs, made jokes - it was very nice. Once again though, I had too much energy left at the end to feel like I had given it my all. Just like my first marathon though, I think it only encouraged me to want more. I can't wait to run another 50k and see what kind of time I can make!

My next race was the Seattle Ghost Marathon the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I had really planned on doing a double this year - the Ghost and then the Seattle - but that was not to be. It was going to be the first time my son would be home after leaving for college and I just didn't feel right taking all that time for myself. I wasn't going to run either race until Michelle mentioned that maybe I could work it out so that Elliot could spend time with his friends while I was running. I talked to him about that and in the end he thought it was a good plan too. Soooooo, I was able to run the Ghost - a race I really wanted to run because so many of my running friends would be there too. My husband drove me to the race and hung out with Sonya for awhile, did some wine shopping, and then met me at the finish. I ended up starting the race with Tom and Dan - both of whom planned on running a 4:15 or so. I planned on a 4:30 so I thought I'd just hang with them for the first half or so. It was a perfect day and the route runs right along Lake Washington and is fairly flat. Dan, Tom and I kept a conversation up while moving at a pretty fair clip. Eric ran with us for a short while on several occasions. I had forgotten my Garmin and there were no mile markers so I relied on Dan and Tom for pace information. We hit the halfway mark at 1:58. Not good! I was too far ahead of my pace - I knew I needed to back off a bit. At mile 15 or so Tom and Eric started pulling away from Dan and me. I was OK with that - I didn't want to burn out at the end and I was afraid I would if I kept up the faster pace. At mile 17 or so I started pulling away from Dan. He was tiring and I had caught up to a Maniac (number 365) I had never met before and he and I started to talk. Nice guy, nice pace. We ran and talked for several miles - then I began to tire and I felt the need to walk. Number 365 pulled away. Once I wasn't talking anymore I slowly gained on him until I caught up. Again, we started to talk and after a few miles I needed to slow my pace again. This cat and mouse game continued until the end of the race. I felt strong clear to the end and was very pleased with my time of 4:14! Happy and content!

This last week was a little tough running-wise because of the stress of work, holidays, and planning for a formal meal for 17 members of an investment group we belong to. I wasn't able to run for 5 days straight. Not good. I get sad when I don't run on a regular basis. This time was no different. With the way things were going I wasn't going to be able to run for several more days either. Egads!! Then, a gift from above - snow!! Three snow days in a row and the dinner is done (well-done I might add), the packages are mostly sent, and vacation from school has begun. But, more importantly, I've been able to run!! I put large jingle bells on my trail shoes today and ran to the Post Net through the snow to send my Ohio gifts. My son ran with me. We loved it!! Happy happy!!

Sunny October

Well, it was a busy weekend and my husband and I got home after midnight both Friday and Saturday, That's why when it was time to get up to go run with my group on this morning I rolled over and went back to sleep instead. I hate it when I miss the group runs and that meant of course, that I'd have to run alone. We had some errands to do around the house so I would be running around 1:00 in the afternoon. Good! It was sunny and warm and dry. I'd do my 9-mile loop. I wore one of my running skirts and a tank - first time in awhile that I didn't need a long-sleeve shirt for the first mile or so (or even gloves). I carried my water bottle and took a gel along just in case. Took off with my iPod on ( I just remove one of the earbuds when I cross busy streets) and the music seemed perfect too. My 9-mile loop was beautiful - Mt. Rainier was in full view most of the time and the neighborhood boulevard trees were in full color. Sunny, clear, and gorgeous - what a beautiful day to run. I kept a good pace, walked and gelled at the halfway point, and kept taking swigs on my water bottle. I ended up coming in with a better time than I had hoped. Perfect!!

Post-Race Thoughts....

I've run twice since the marathon on Sunday. I took Monday and Tuesday off, ran 4 miles on Wednesday, and 6 miles today. Both days I ran slow and easy. Nothing hurt and I felt strong, but tired towards the end. Sunday's race energized me. I really want that first number to be a "3" now. I want to work at this running thing until I achieve this goal. Just wanted to say, "yippee!!" one more time!

My Thoughts:

Power-Gel works for me. I alternated their coffee-flavored gels with s-caps approximately every 4 miles. No real G-I problems during or after the race. I did have lots of swelling during the last 5 miles. Even my timing band and iPod wrist strap got tight.

Take along the iPod if able. The music was very motivating.

Use the pace bunnies if possible - especially if they're cute.

The 10/1 strategy worked well.

Practice gelling and s-capping on the fly. (Carry water bottle?)

The post-race PowerBar recovery drink really hit the spot!

Do or do not, there is no try. Around mile 24, this phrase seemed to help motivate me.

Keep smiling!

Royal Victoria Marathon

Our weekend started at 5am Saturday when we left our house to drive to Port Angeles to catch the 8:20am ferry to Victoria. There was frost on the windshield (the first we’ve seen this year) when we left. Hmmmm, did I pack enough cold-weather running gear? We made the obligatory stop at Starbucks on the way and then continued the two-and-a-half hour drive. We arrived at the dock, waited briefly in the car line, and loaded right on time. The crossing takes 90 minutes so we arrived in Victoria and were through customs by a little after 10am. We parked and went straight to the expo. I got my running packet, looked for Hammer-Gel (my running friends had convinced me the night before that I needed to try it), and just generally perused the displays. I didn’t see any Hammer-Gel at the expo so we asked someone who pointed us in the direction of Running Room, a local running store. Two blocks and several minutes later I was loaded up with gel. We continued shopping until we came to the Bank and Bard Pub where we stopped for food and drink. Delicious food and a gorgeous pub that was just recently refurbished. It also has live music every night - I’d highly recommend it! After lunch we proceeded to the Ashcroft House Bed and Breakfast. We stayed in the beautiful Sheldon room. Everything seemed perfect there. After we took a little nap at the B&B we decided to drive up the coast a bit and just wander about in general. It was a fun, relaxed afternoon. We had 8:30pm reservations at Il Terrazzo where we had a wonderful pre-race meal. I decided to have wine with dinner - the food was just too good to ignore the bottle my husband, Larry, had ordered. Then it was back to the inn and a good night’s sleep.

I awoke at 6:30am. I always like to allow plenty of time to drink my coffee and eat my breakfast (a few pieces of banana-nut bread that the innkeeper had made for me) before my race. I also made last-minute decisions on what to wear. I decided against my new skirt and chose instead to stick with the tried-and-true; my usual black shorts and Maniac singlet. I decided to put a white singlet under the Maniac one for added warmth (I could always remove it later I decided). I wore a long-sleeved marathon shirt to the start line but knew I’d hand it to my husband before the start. Oh, I wore my gloves too. Old ones, so I could ditch them if I chose.

Our inn was just a half mile or so from the start so we walked. It was a beautiful morning - slightly overcast but felt like it was nearing 50 degrees and even looked like the sun might pop out. This was a good sign, I love running in cool but sunny weather. As soon as we arrived at the start we were greeted by fellow club members Monica and Linda and their spouses Mike and Rich. Within minutes up walked MaryLou - an on-line friend (and fellow Maniac), and Jill, another Maniac whom I met at previous races. I knew Monica wanted to race at a slower pace than I had planned, and Linda - who has been racing nearly every weekend -generally prefers to run alone, so I had planned on running alone too. I had even worn my iPod in case I needed the company. I stated that I planned on running a 4:15 and if they wanted to join me I’d welcome the company. Well, MaryLou, Jill, and Linda all three said they would be interested in aiming for a 4:15 and would at least start at that pace and see if they could hold it. All three of them have been racing a lot this year and sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don’t. We would all start together and just see how it went - no hurt feelings if someone fell back. Last-minute kisses to the spouses and we were off.

The first few miles wind through town and even though we planned on running, not talking, MaryLou and I started conversing none-the-less. Before we knew it we were with the 4:00 pace group let by a young man in bunny ears. I told MaryLou that my goal was to not pass the 4:00-hour bunny. The back of his shirt said he was doing a 10/1 run/walk. The pace seemed comfortable, the crowd around him friendly, and he had the nicest calves ever - yes, we could follow him. The course narrows and circles around an in-town park between miles 3 and 5 or so. Somewhere in there I heard my husband call my name, but he was on the opposite side from me and the crowd was too thick to move over in time. All I could do was wave. I felt bad but sometimes those things happen. Our bunny was doing a great job of keeping the pace and sticking to his 10/1 schedule. His schedule did not line up with the water stops though and at the second one MaryLou and I slowed a bit too much and by the time we looked up, our bunny and the group were far ahead. We had to hurry to catch up. After that I started to run through the water stops and I gelled enroute. At one point I needed to take an s-cap but had no water. MaryLou thought I should try just swallowing it dry so I did. No, it wouldn’t go down and wasn’t dissolving well. I noticed the man in front of me was wearing a belt with bottles, plus he was carrying a full bottle of Gatorade. I asked him for a swig. I’ve never done that before in a race. He seemed more than happy to help. Good - S-Cap down with no problem. By now we were running along the waterfront, past the golf course and through some neighborhoods. The course has gently rolling hills and we were enjoying the run but had quit talking and were just working. Around mile 12 or 13 I looked behind me and didn’t see MaryLou anymore. Should I slow and wait for her or go on and try to stick with the group? I decided to go on. She had already said several times to go ahead - it’s just hard moving on sometimes, I felt a sense of loss, but I did have my bunny and pace group yet. I hit the halfway point at 2:01:something. Good, right where I wanted to be. I started to fall behind the pace group right before the turnaround which is about a klick past the halfway point. At the turnaround though I saw they were less than a minute in front of me. Good. I switched to my own 10/1 with the water stops being my walk zone. I decided I could hold on to a slightly slower pace but still keep a good tempo this way. I saw Larry, Mike, and Rich somewhere in the teens - I can’t remember now. I know I didn’t slow my pace but I threw my gloves to Larry. Larry said something about me running a good time. Seeing them boosted my energy. The next time I saw them was around mile 20. It was during one of my walk breaks and I motioned to Larry to walk with me. He had water for me and I drank it while I walked. Rich was snapping pictures. Again, it was a shot of energy. Soon after I ran off I decided to turn on my iPod. I knew I wouldn’t see a familiar face again until the finish and I needed a little distraction. The course had thinned out enough that I felt I could plug in and tune out without harm to anyone. The music was a motivator but I still had to remember to keep up my pace. It was too easy to fall into my tired-runner slow pace. I kept imagining catching up to the 4:00 pace group even though I knew I probably couldn’t at this point. From 37k to 39k is a hill. I ran halfway up before it was time for a walk break. I had been hoping to just pick up the pace the last three or four miles and run it in like I did in Tacoma. Had I been able to do that I would have knocked three or four minutes off my time. Dang! I just didn’t have the mojo. I knew I’d hit my mark of under-4:15 but by the end I had been hoping for even more. I came in at 4:10:37. I was tired and happy and I heard Mike shout my name as I approached the line and there they were - the three Muskateers shouting my name. Yes! I had not only met my goal, but I had surpassed it and I knew that a sub-4 was an absolute possibility for me. Yippee!!