Better Late Than Never…?

So I realize I failed to post my all exciting race re-cap that everyone was dying to read. Good thing only two (maybe three) people read this…and they either watched the race progress or heard a detailed summary after I crossed the finish line. Below is a short recap of the race and an update of the other running I have done since the half marathon.

Capital City River Run Race Recap
I wasn’t overly prepared for the race considering I had attended a wedding the night before, didn’t eat pasta and failed to stretch or warm up in the morning. Still, I found myself at the start line lined up with the 11:30 pace group. The first six miles were great – and then I remembered I still had 7.1 more to go. I made it to mile 10 and was still ahead of the pace group, but then I started doubting myself. Although I know I shouldn’t have been thinking it, the only thing on my mind was that I still had another 3.1 to go. That’s an entire race in itself. The miles were long and hard. Somehow I missed the Mile 11 marker and thought I was slowing to an insanely slow pace. Then, I noticed the 12 mile marked – huge sigh of relief. I wanted to be done with the race so bad that I picked up the pace. Soon I saw Chris (my co-race director for Ele’s Race and the closest thing I have to a running coach) in his full pirate outfit waiting for me. Despite the fact that he had already run the half as a pace group leader (10:00), he came back to run the last section with me. I’m pretty sure it was the only thing that got me to the finish line. Somewhere along that last mile, I felt every emotion possible. I also expressed my desire for a burger, fries, ice-cream and a 12 pack of cold beer. J When I crossed the finish line, I saw many of my Ele’s Race Committee members cheering me on, and was handed my fabulous medal. Because my parents are the best parents in the world, they had been at the entire race cheering me on at many different points with a variety of inspirational and funny signs. As soon as I found them at the finish, I told them, “Make sure I never do that again!” I was exhausted, but proud.

Healthy City Chandler 5k
I took a week off from running after the CCRR and then just ran a few times before heading to Arizona to see Beth in October. While in Arizona, I ran with Beth during her first 5k. It was nice to run with someone else, and I was very proud of her for running the entire race!

Run Thru Hell on Halloween
Following my return from Arizona, I didn’t put many more miles in before the Run Thru Hell on Halloween. At 32 degrees, it was a bit cold to be dressed as a nun for the upcoming 10k race, but I was in good company with Gillain, Megan, Megan’s friend and of course the greatest pep squad ever – my parents. There were over 3,400 runners between the 5k & 10k, and it was awesome to see everyone running up and down the hills near the start – over half of the people in costume! I will admit that these 6.2 miles were much harder than the 13.1 I had run a month earlier. There were tons of hills throughout the course, it was cold, and ultimately I hadn’t trained nearly as hard for this race. Overall, it was still an awesome experience and all the proceeds went to a worthy cause.

November-Present
The Run Thru Hell turned out to be my last run of the year. I decided to take some time off so my hip could heal (though it still doesn’t feel much better), but now I’m ready to pound the pavement again. I want to sign up for another ½ marathon sometime this summer, and depending on my progress, maybe for a full marathon in the fall or winter. My biggest obstacle right now is me. I know I can run on my own, but considering it is the middle of winter in Michigan, I have plenty of excuses to not put in the miles. I want to run. In fact, I have a desire to do it. I feel like something is missing from my life because I haven’t been running in so long! But, I also want a running partner. Someone to get me out of bed at the crack of dawn and put in a few miles with me during the brutal winter… Is that too much to ask for? I’m going to contact the local running shops to see if they have a list of runners in my area – and just maybe I’ll find someone to share all the joys (and pain) of running with.

Until then, I need to get out and just run…

The Final Countdown

To be honest, I’m not feeling very good about my upcoming race. Tuesday I bailed on a 5 mile run in order to enjoy spaghetti (prepared by Jesse) and a few games of pool. I was planning to run, but by the time we ate and I let everything digest, it was pretty dark out. Despite how many times I look at this lighted running band http://www.goneforarun.com/LED_NiteBEAMS_Arm_Leg_Bands_p/nb-ab01.htm I still haven’t ordered one (or more). Of course I regret not running now…

Wednesday I put in three miles, but not before finding an hour and a half worth of things to do in order to procrastinate. I ran 10 minute miles and felt good … except for this knee pain I have developed over the past few days. It all started during my 8 mile run on Sunday and it hasn’t gone away. It is weird because it is the outside of my knees that hurt.

Thursday I was supposed to run two miles, but it was dark by the time I made it home from work, and my knees were hurting pretty bad. John even offered to run with me, but I decided to rest and not run anymore until the race.

So I’m sure you can see why I’m a little nervous for the race. Hopefully the training I have put in will be enough to get me to the finish line without walking. I know I’ll have lots of family and friends out to support me, and my Co-Race Director from Ele’s Race, who is the 10 minute mile pacer is coming back to run the last two miles with me after he finished the race! Thank goodness so many people believe in me when I’m doubting myself!

On a side note – have you ever seen one of those stickers on the back of someone’s car that says, “13.1”? I want one of those…it just might be the driving force for me to finish!

One.More.Week

On Thursday I headed out for my 5 mile run and was feeling very good. The weather was cool and by the time I finished mile 1 I realized I was running way too fast – under a 10:30 mile (typically, this is not considered ‘fast’, but let me call it what I want!). I kept telling myself to slow down, but it wasn’t working so I stopped looking at my watch and just ran. In the end, I ran an overall 11:00 minute per mile pace – a whole minute per mile faster than I am planning to run the race. I was impressed!

My last “long” run before the race took place on Sunday, and the weather was beautiful again. I didn’t feel quite as good as I did on my last 5 mile run, but I kept moving. During the first four miles I was chased by five different dogs. Seriously? I obviously have a problem with dogs. I started thinking that maybe in a previous life I was a dog catcher or the leader of a dog fighting ring... Ok, maybe that is a little extreme, but I had a lot of time to think!

I also had several thoughts on how I could potentially stop these dogs from chasing me:
1. Get a bigger, vicious dog and take him along on runs
Let’s face it – I’d rather be chased than have a dog at home to take care of!

2. Carry a club/stick/cane
Animal cruelty – I know, I know

3. Pepper spray
Will it work on dogs? I doubt PETA would approve…

4. Place notes in each of the dog owner’s mailboxes asking them to control their pets.
The Post Office seriously frowns upon putting items in other people’s mailboxes - ok, maybe they consider it a Federal Offense...

5. Call the township and report each resident that is not following the leash law.
Considering I’ve only lived in the area about 7 months and still don’t know most of the neighbors, maybe I shouldn’t make them mad just yet!

Maybe I should look into alternative running routes for the time being…

Runs in review:
Miles: 5
Pace: 11:00
Miles: 8
Pace: 11:55

Upcoming Week:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4 Miles
Wednesday: 3 Miles
Thursday: 2 Miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest (attend wedding and TRY not to injure self in heels)
Sunday: CAPITAL CITY RIVER RUN

Pet Peeves

Yesterday I put another 5 miles on my shoes – and right on schedule this time! After work I decided to run the Lansing River Trail, which I assume with be part of the half marathon course. There were numerous walkers, runners and bikes on the trail enjoying the beautiful weather, which was nice to see. I really wanted to focus on just running and not thinking too much about my pace or mileage, but within seconds of turning my IPod on, the battery died. Without the distraction of music, I was obsessing about the details again. Fortunately, this run went better than my last 10 mile run. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel that great about it either. I feel slow and heavy, like I have cinder blocks strapped to my feet.

To the lady in the neon pink shorts riding her bike: Just because I run on the far right side of the walkway giving you access to both your lane and 75% of mine doesn’t mean you should ride on MY side of the yellow line. You have at least 4 feet of your own space on YOUR side of the yellow line. Maybe we need a class to teach bikers what the yellow line means. Come on, respect my personal space lady – PERSONAL SPACE!

To the numerous community members out walking their dogs: Dog + River Walk = LEASH! No, your dog is not so fantastic that he doesn’t need to be on a leash. Honestly, I’m glad your dog isn’t overly wild or aggressive – but all dogs should be on a leash when walking on a public trail where there are tons of other people and animals going in multiple directions at different speeds. No, I don’t want your dog to chase after me – even if he is friendly and you assure me he won’t bite. Trust me, I’m not just concerned about my own safety – I’m concerned about the safety of your dog. If he licks me when I’m stretching or chases me down again, your dog’s life will be in danger. Consider this your warning.

To the four young men running without shirts: Thank you for distracting me long enough to get me through the last mile of my run. Could I possibly hire you to run about 10 steps ahead of me during the CCRR? Talk about motivation!

Run In Review:
Miles: 5
Pace: 12:00

Bad habits die hard…

I waited until Sunday to do my long run that was scheduled for Saturday. Instead of getting it out of the way early though, I decided to wait until after I shot 35 targets at a local 3-D archery shoot – which took several hours. Why do I always wait until the last possible minute to begin? The run started off slow, and I wasn’t feeling all that great about my stride, pace or energy. Luckily, I ran my standard 5 mile loop twice, and left a bottle of grape Powerade at the end of my driveway, so that motivated me enough to finish out the first five and grab a drink.

The next two miles went by fast and I was feeling good. There was even a group of people having a bbq and playing horseshoes that I passed at mile 1 and then again at mile 6. The first time around they waved. The second time around they asked “Are you lost?” When I told them “no”, they asked if I wanted a ride. Although I really DID want a ride – to my house, to Detroit, to Kansas, really I’m not picky after 6 miles - I answered “no” again and they proceeded to ask me 3 or 4 times, “Are you SURE you don’t want a ride?” I’m thinking I must have been looking pretty tired at that point.

The last three miles were brutal. Every part of my body was hurting including my left ear where my IPod ear bud was. By the time I finished, I had chafed in multiple places that I didn’t think chafing was even possible. My legs felt like Jell-o and I swore to myself that I would NEVER train for a marathon (despite all the thoughts I’ve had over the past month that if I can run a half marathon, I can run a full marathon before I turn 25).

Prior to posting this today, I read Beth’s blog (http://bethlablance.blogspot.com/) which talked about the big goals she has put in place for herself – including running a marathon next year. Although my body still aches, I am reevaluating the thoughts I had of never running a full marathon. Thanks for the inspiration, Beth!

Hopefully the rest of my runs this week go better and I can get back to that positive state of mind!

Run in review:
Miles: 10
Pace:
First 5 Miles: 11:36
Second 5 Miles: 13:00

Upcoming week:
Tuesday: 5 Miles
Thursday: 5 Miles
Saturday: 8 Miles

“In the end, people either have excuses or experiences; reasons or results; buts or brilliance. They either have what they wanted or they have a detailed list of all the rational reason why not.”
-Anonymous

Oops!

I failed to run last night, but I have a number of good excuses as to why not. Not buying it? Darn.

This morning I managed to get out of bed early enough to put in my 5 miles. I drove to the gym but decided to run outside, so I headed towards the MSU campus. Only three people were awake on the entire campus – two landscapers and an unhappy professor - so it was pretty quiet for the first 45 minutes.

There is a huge rock on campus that different student groups spray paint with different messages during the year. Today the rock was all white and in red and blue it said “9/11/01 – We will never forget” and there were hundreds of miniature flags in the lawn behind it. Very cool.

When I was a half mile from the gym, I stopped at a cross road to wait for the little blue man to light up indicating that it was safe for me to cross the street. Waiting to turn left onto the street I was crossing was what I assume to be a young, inexperienced, under caffeinated, late for work college kid. I made eye contact with him as I was starting to approach the road so he knew which way I was going, and he nodded as if recognizing my intentions and giving me the ‘go ahead’ – then when I was in the MIDDLE of the road, he suddenly turned and I had to jump out of his way. Surprisingly, I did not chase him down, yell at him or flip him off. Shocking, I know! Seriously though, if you see a runner crossing the road and you make eye contact with them and you nod your head acknowledging they are crossing and non-verbally saying that you will wait for them to be out of the way before turning, THEN LET THEM CROSS THE STREET WITHOUT PUTTING THEIR LIFE AT RISK. If the guy wouldn’t have made eye contact and nodded, I would have just waited for him to turn or signal me to cross. Arg.

Saturday I’m scheduled to run 10 miles, but am hoping I feel good enough to run 11. Then next week I’ll run 12 and the following week will be the race. I think I’ll stick to back country roads where the biggest threat is a herd of cows!

Run in Review:
Miles: 5
Pace: 12:00

Gulp....

I registered for the race today... No turning back now!

17 days & 20 hours until the start - not that I'm counting or anything!