So, here's how I work: I get fixated on stuff. Like, right now, I'm obsessed with finding me a running partner. This came about because I am training for a marathon and the thought of doing 16-20 mile runs by myself kinda freaks me out. On a boredom level, not because I don't like being by myself. In fact, that's one of the reasons I run; to be by myself. To escape from life for 30-90 minutes a few times a week.
With that said, I still want a running partner. I feel like I need one. But finding one has not been as easy as I thought it would be. Granted, I haven't put as much effort into it as I can. I have gone to a local running group a couple of times, but I never talked to anybody and always felt out of my element and uncomfortable. I have asked friends if they have any running friends that are training for the upcoming marathon and want a partner. No dice there.
I guess I can't really say that it's been hard to find a partner; what with me not putting too much into it. What is hard about it for me is the social part of it. I have never been good at making friends. I am socially awkward (although I know it's not PC to say this, but I am socially retarded). I don't really know how to talk to people at first. So, this kinda scares the shit out of me. Showing up at a group-run where I know nobody and the only thing I immediately have in common with any of them is that I run. Knowing that many of the runners there are of the fast variety, or veterans of the sport. And, isn't it weird that after all these years of running I still feel that runners are snobs? They aren't; I know they aren't (okay, some of them are... but some people are snobs in general), yet I still feel like I don't "belong". Why? I don't know. I mean, wtf... I run, therefore I belong, right? Not to toot my own horn, but I ran 16 f'ing miles at once... I should not feel out of place around other runners. Yet I do. Such is life, I suppose.
This is not something you can just Craigslist, you know? You can't just hop on a site and type in "running partner" and hope to find "the one". If only it were so easy. While I am VERY new to the dating scene, it seems that finding a running partner is very much like finding somebody worth dating. You can't just find somebody who has a similar pace as you, somebody who is ready to get out there and do 20-mile runs. There has to be the chemistry, too. You have to be able to stomach the person for up to 4 hours. There has to be trust on a few different levels. I think the only difference between finding a suitable running partner and dating is that the physical attraction doesn't have to be there for a running partner. It's actually probably better if there isn't the attraction. I don't know...
So, tonight I went on this run with a group called the Eugene Hash House Harriers. It was a damn lot of fun. I plan on going to it more and I know that once I get into it, I will most likely write a post about it. The group seems like a good place to find a training partner, maybe. I actually talked to people in the group (What?? Me, talk to people??) and there were several that are long-distance runners. Like, ultra-runners. One of the men I talked to qualified for Boston.!! He's probably out as a training partner because his pace would be wicked fast. Who knows, though. The fact is, I'm getting out there. I might be able to find somebody who wants to put in some serious miles with me. Maybe share some laughs and some stories. This group could be what I've needed for awhile with my running. I'm not getting bored or anything, but knowing other runners is always a great way to keep that motivation bar high.
I have high hopes for finding somebody to train with me. I still have several months before the marathon, which means I could very easily slack on the miles. But, I have already done a 16-mile training run and I'm very ready to bump it up. I hope to be doing 20 within the next month. Maybe by that time, I will have found somebody just crazy enough to join me! If not, I think I can probably survive doing the runs by myself. I am pretty content to just cruise along listening to my music and spend some time thinking... or not thinking.
We shall see how it goes!!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Something Stellar Happened... (and keeps happening!)
So, last time I wrote I said that you'd hear from me in March or April, unless something stellar happened. Well, it is now September. I didn't post in March or April and something stellar did happen. Actually, a lot has happened since my last post; much of it not running related at all, but running kept me sane (mostly sane).
This stellar event was the Eugene Marathon. Okay, okay... not the full. I had registered to do the full, but stupid crap happened. Minor injury that led to me not being able to train for two weeks. This, of course, came at the worst possible time in my training; I had just bumped up to 14-mile long runs. The following weekend would have been 16 and then 18. Yeah, stupid body said F' that! So, into the doctor I went, had a minor stress fracture. Doc said no running for two weeks and then gradually work my way back up. Full marathon was out. But, given the shit storm my life had turned into, it was probably for the best.
I decided to end my eleven and a half year relationship with the father of my son. Awesome timing, for sure. What a big stinky mess all of that turned into. So not gonna go into it here. But... running saved me. Those horribly emotional days when I was alone at home... I would just hit the paths. Didn't matter what the weather. In fact, the more violent the weather, the more likely I was to be out there pounding the pavement; with rain and tears pouring down my face. Hail, wind, rain, thunder and lightning a couple times... didn't matter, I was out there.
There was one day in particular I remember: the wind was wicked, knocking over trash cans and tearing branches out of trees, the rain was coming in sideways. I could not wait to get changed into my running clothes after work and push myself as hard as I could. I don't remember the distance, but I remember that it was difficult. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. I ran as fast as I could. I bawled while doing it. The tempest that was the weather that day fully reflected my emotions. It. Was. Perfect.
So, training for the half-marathon was a bit of actual training (speedwork on the track, tempos, hill work, etc...) mixed with crazy, willy-nilly whatever the F kind of run I felt like doing. I discovered coconut water, Greek yogurt and the awesomeness that is almonds during my training. I found out that a whole-wheat tortilla slathered with peanut butter and rolled up around a whole banana (peeled, of course), paired with a glass of milk, is the perfect post-run meal. I purchased the sexiest piece of running equipment I own; my Garmin Forerunner 405CX (having that thing on my wrist made me run further just to see the numbers go up, faster just to see my pace get better... God, I love that thing!!)! All-in-all, aside from my life being a mess, my training was great! I enjoyed it.
April 29, 2012. Race day was perfect. The weather was exactly what one would want for a long run; no rain, cool and overcast. Didn't need a jacket or anything at the start, so there was no need to discard clothing on the run. I got off the shuttle with maybe 15 minutes to go before the gun (the pick-up for the shuttle was conveniently located a mile away from my house, so I got a great warm-up in on the way to it). And... naturally, I had to use a Porta-Potty right after I got off the bus. Didn't matter that I had made sure to go about 14 times before I left the house. Staying hydrated has its costs. Needless to say, the line was roughly a mile long. There is nothing like standing in a line that long, surrounded by other runners that have to pee just as badly as you do, and hearing the sound of those Porta-Potty doors slamming. There were so many of them that the line was moving pretty quickly and a door would slam every 5 seconds or so. Nice little rhythm to it. There were, of course, those runners who have no shame and could not wait to use the bathrooms; instead, they used the bushes. I saw several butts that day.
The gun went off while I was standing in line for the toilet. Of course. I was already nervous about the run because it was my biggest to date. Why wouldn't I be standing in line when it started? So, while I was supposed to be in Corral B, I didn't enter the race until Corral D was streaming through. I crossed the start line 6 minutes after the gun went off. I wasn't too concerned about it because the race is chip-timed (LOVE chip-timed!!) and my official time would not start until I crossed. Because I knew that, I was able to keep my pace slow for the start. That is my biggest problem; I take off at the start of races. With a 5K, I can usually survive if I take off too fast. A half-marathon... not so much.
Everything was going great. Until about mile 4. I had to pee... again! You runners know how it is; you can go out for a long run one day and not have to go once, and then your next run it's like you have to go every two miles. No fun. So, I had already passed the Porta-Potties and I wasn't sure how far it was before I got to the next row of them. But, I do have shame, so I wasn't about to cop a squat on the side of the road (besides, running down Amazon and Hilyard in Eugene, kinda not anywhere to go where I wouldn't have been spotted). Turns out, the next row of toilets was at mile 7. During the middle of a race you find out just how fast you can get in and out of one of those things. Yeah... it was about 7 seconds.
Yep, I just wrote a whole paragraph about needing to pee. But, us runners get it. Just like we get snot rockets, spitting during a run, losing toenails, the beauty that is chafing and the occasional need to pop an Immodium before a run. We are a sexy group, for sure :D Anyway, I digress.
Next up: the hill at mile 8. Maybe it's not that great of a hill, but it's something. I knew about it. I trained on it. I was looking forward to it. And I ripped right the fuck up it. I was weaving in and out of other runners like we were on flat ground. It felt great. My pace was dead-on; I wasn't pushing myself too hard but there was a bit of a challenge to it. I crested that hill feeling incredibly accomplished and then flew down the other side. I flew down with surprising grace; I usually flail about somewhat spastic on the downhills.
The rest of the race was pretty unremarkable. I know that I never felt super-tired. I remember that during the last 3 miles I REALLY picked up the pace. Of course, I can't remember how many seconds per mile I shaved, but I know I picked it up a lot. I also remember skipping ahead to certain songs on my MP3 player to make sure that my pace was where I wanted it and I had the motivation to keep me going (Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger"?... yes, please!!).
As I approached Hayward Field, I got so freakin' excited! I mean, how damn cool is it to be running on the same track that so many running legends have ran on?? Hitting that track was like getting a turbo-boost. It's hard to not take off at a sprint for those last few meters when there are spectators in the stands. So, I bolted. Seeing the finishing clock was a little disappointing. My goal was 2:04:00 and that's pretty much right where I was. That was my GOAL, but I had done a solo half and finished in 2:02:00, so I was actually hoping to get less than that. I was secretly hoping to finish in 2 hours or less. Oh well, next time, right?
So, I crossed the finish line and went into the finisher area. I was sporting my finisher medal around my neck, chugging some chocolate milk, doing some stretches, and trying like hell to text my mom. I was ready to take a couple pictures, get in the car and head home. Did it work out that way? Nope! I found my mom, son and stepdad after much looking around. She was grumpy and not really into taking any pictures. I wanted to get my final results before heading out, but the computers were down... naturally. So, we left on our trek to find the car. Boy, do I mean find... they had forgotten where they parked. I believe we walked for 20 minutes to find that damn thing. I had just finished a 13.1 mile run, walking 20 more minutes was beyond painful. It did not help that a few blocks from Hayward the CRAMPS hit. The stomach cramps. The painful, almost make you double-over in pain cramps. Finding the car became of the utmost importance!!! It happened, but it was after much bickering about if that house looked familiar, or that bush, or that car. It was an awful walk!
A short drive got my son and myself to our apartment. I carried him and all of our stuff just so we could get to the apartment faster. I HAD to get there! So, we got in our place, did what had to be done and then booted up the computer so I could upload to DailyMile and Facebook. The Eugene Marathon (and I am sure many others) has this cool thing that updates to Facebook so your friends can see where you are, what your pace is and all that. Well... imagine my surprise when I saw my finishing time on there: 1:58:38!!! I totally forgot about chip time!! I literally cried when I saw my time. I could not believe it!! I finished better than I had hoped. I PR'ed by 17 minutes and 36 seconds!!! That is HUGE!! I have had great runs before, but I was so elated when I saw that time. It was such an amazing accomplishment for me. :D
So, I did that. I kicked the crap out of my personal record for the half-marathon. What next?? Well, shorter races, of course. There are 5Ks, 10Ks, that weird-ass 8K... So many different races that I could PR. I decided to go for the "Butte to Butte"; the annual 10K that is held on the Fourth of July. I had never done it before, but I had done some training on the bitch of a hill that it starts out on. The first mile is all uphill. A gnarly hill, too. Which makes the second mile all downhill, and as I stated before, I tend to hit the downhills a little spastic; like, I always feel like I am going to faceplant.
That first mile was a 9-something minute pace. Not horrible for being uphill. I went pretty slow at first, but I felt I could give it some more and I started passing people. That was not an easy mile!! The second mile (all downhill, mind you) was a 7:21 pace. I don't know how I didn't eat it! When my Garmin beeped my second split, I couldn't believe I ran a mile that fast; even a downhill mile.
Pretty uneventful run. Except towards the end; this guy just fell, rolled a little, stood up and kept going. Not sure what that was about. I was all ready to help him, but he got up like nothing happened. Anyway... I finished the race in 51:20, an 8:16 pace. Pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. Definitely my best 10K ever.
I have had some pretty decent solo PRs, too. Getting my pace down to sub-8s, while pushing a stroller. I will admit... I have impressed myself a few times. The fastest I did was a 7:31 mile, pushing my boy. He was yelling, "You can do it, Mommy!!" I don't think he even knew what I was trying to do (hell, I don't know what I was trying to do...), but he knew that I was after something. That one was near vomit-inducing, I tell ya.
Just my average pace alone has become something that occasionally trips me out. Since I quit smoking, I have gone from an average 10:30 pace to an 8:00-8:30. Duh, quitting smoking is going to help with speed (and endurance and basically any part of running you can think of), but I had no idea that I would get THAT much faster! I am pretty sure that if I were to seriously train, I could actually have some speedy races under my belt. But, I am kind of lazy and tend to go for "junk" miles. I am happy with the running I put in and what I get out of it, no need to get all wacko about it.
I did Relay for Life. I am not a walker, so I ran it. I ran 14 miles around a track. Not all at once. I did 4 miles the first night, came back, did 5 miles, took a break and then did another 5 miles. Around a track. AROUND A TRACK! Boring. But, I will probably do it again next year. I will most likely do even more miles. I am thinking maybe a marathon. Just to be a little crazy and to say I did it.
On to my next big thing... the 8K here in Creswell. It has been a couple years since I have done it, so I thought I would give it a go. The start of it is less than a mile from where I live; giving me absolutely no reason to not do it. Besides, it's fun. It's little and local, always a nice combo. I rocked the shit out of it!! For me, anyway. I didn't quite hit my goal, but I wasn't so far off that I was upset or anything. I finished in 40:09, with a pace of 8:05. I was hoping for a pace of 8:00. I was close enough. The times were being posted almost as fast as they were coming in (which really surprised me for a Creswell run) and when I looked to see my official time, I saw something that I couldn't believe. Something that made me stay for the award ceremony, which I typically don't stick around for. I placed!!! In two categories!! I got 1st in my age division and 3rd overall female!! Yeah, it's a small race, but I am going to go ahead and take those victories!! What's really great is that there were more than 3 women, and more than 1 in my age division. The only times I have ever placed before it is because I have been 2 out of 2 in the division. I think I even placed 1st one time, and that was because I was the only one. Anyway... Yeah, I got ribbons!!! I was super-stoked. I still am, actually. I want more ribbons! I want more places. I need to do small-town races more often!
Okay, what else do I have to go on about before I finally wrap this thing up? Nothing much, really. I've been pushing myself quite a bit on my solo runs. I am starting (kind of, slowly) my training for the Eugene Marathon. Yes, the full one this time!! I will be doing the Turkey Stuffer 5K on Thanksgiving this year. I set my 5K PR there last year and I plan to blow that one right out of the water; hoping for a sub-24 minute 5K! Should be doable, I did a 22:02 solo while pushing a stroller that had a flat tire, and races always make me run faster than I do on my solo runs.
I'd say one of my greatest non-race related accomplishments came this past Sunday. I headed out for what I was hoping would be a 15-mile run. My longest distance had been 14 miles and I was wanting to best that. I ended up going 16!!! I was beat. The last two miles were pure agony. But, I got the bitch done and it felt AWESOME!!! I got that done after a night of camping, which consisted of eating nothing but junk food, barely hydrating and sleeping on the hard ground. Little bit of Hell I put myself through before going through a little more. It gives me hope for the marathon. But, I also wonder how the hell I plan on adding 10.2 more miles to that feat. I will do it!!
Unfortunately, I have a doctor appointment in 3 days for something I have been ignoring for far too long: a weird, painful leg problem. I think it might be my IT band, but I am not entirely sure. I will request that my doctor refer me to a sport medicine doctor because I really want this figured out. I have enough time now to rehab if I have to and get proper marathon training in. I REALLY don't want to hear that I'm going to have to take some time off; I will totally lose my shit if I can't run for even a week!!! But, I suppose that's better than having a minor stress fracture, ignoring it, and then having my ankle snap during a run. Fingers crossed that it's a problem that can be fixed with different shoes or an orthotic insert!
Well, that about does it. I believe I have summed up all of the great running stuff I have done since my last post. I'm feeling pretty on top of my running game at the moment, aside from stupid leg hurt. So, until my next entry (5 or 6 months from now, I'd wager from posts past), I am outta here!!
Happy trails!
This stellar event was the Eugene Marathon. Okay, okay... not the full. I had registered to do the full, but stupid crap happened. Minor injury that led to me not being able to train for two weeks. This, of course, came at the worst possible time in my training; I had just bumped up to 14-mile long runs. The following weekend would have been 16 and then 18. Yeah, stupid body said F' that! So, into the doctor I went, had a minor stress fracture. Doc said no running for two weeks and then gradually work my way back up. Full marathon was out. But, given the shit storm my life had turned into, it was probably for the best.
I decided to end my eleven and a half year relationship with the father of my son. Awesome timing, for sure. What a big stinky mess all of that turned into. So not gonna go into it here. But... running saved me. Those horribly emotional days when I was alone at home... I would just hit the paths. Didn't matter what the weather. In fact, the more violent the weather, the more likely I was to be out there pounding the pavement; with rain and tears pouring down my face. Hail, wind, rain, thunder and lightning a couple times... didn't matter, I was out there.
There was one day in particular I remember: the wind was wicked, knocking over trash cans and tearing branches out of trees, the rain was coming in sideways. I could not wait to get changed into my running clothes after work and push myself as hard as I could. I don't remember the distance, but I remember that it was difficult. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. I ran as fast as I could. I bawled while doing it. The tempest that was the weather that day fully reflected my emotions. It. Was. Perfect.
So, training for the half-marathon was a bit of actual training (speedwork on the track, tempos, hill work, etc...) mixed with crazy, willy-nilly whatever the F kind of run I felt like doing. I discovered coconut water, Greek yogurt and the awesomeness that is almonds during my training. I found out that a whole-wheat tortilla slathered with peanut butter and rolled up around a whole banana (peeled, of course), paired with a glass of milk, is the perfect post-run meal. I purchased the sexiest piece of running equipment I own; my Garmin Forerunner 405CX (having that thing on my wrist made me run further just to see the numbers go up, faster just to see my pace get better... God, I love that thing!!)! All-in-all, aside from my life being a mess, my training was great! I enjoyed it.
April 29, 2012. Race day was perfect. The weather was exactly what one would want for a long run; no rain, cool and overcast. Didn't need a jacket or anything at the start, so there was no need to discard clothing on the run. I got off the shuttle with maybe 15 minutes to go before the gun (the pick-up for the shuttle was conveniently located a mile away from my house, so I got a great warm-up in on the way to it). And... naturally, I had to use a Porta-Potty right after I got off the bus. Didn't matter that I had made sure to go about 14 times before I left the house. Staying hydrated has its costs. Needless to say, the line was roughly a mile long. There is nothing like standing in a line that long, surrounded by other runners that have to pee just as badly as you do, and hearing the sound of those Porta-Potty doors slamming. There were so many of them that the line was moving pretty quickly and a door would slam every 5 seconds or so. Nice little rhythm to it. There were, of course, those runners who have no shame and could not wait to use the bathrooms; instead, they used the bushes. I saw several butts that day.
The gun went off while I was standing in line for the toilet. Of course. I was already nervous about the run because it was my biggest to date. Why wouldn't I be standing in line when it started? So, while I was supposed to be in Corral B, I didn't enter the race until Corral D was streaming through. I crossed the start line 6 minutes after the gun went off. I wasn't too concerned about it because the race is chip-timed (LOVE chip-timed!!) and my official time would not start until I crossed. Because I knew that, I was able to keep my pace slow for the start. That is my biggest problem; I take off at the start of races. With a 5K, I can usually survive if I take off too fast. A half-marathon... not so much.
Everything was going great. Until about mile 4. I had to pee... again! You runners know how it is; you can go out for a long run one day and not have to go once, and then your next run it's like you have to go every two miles. No fun. So, I had already passed the Porta-Potties and I wasn't sure how far it was before I got to the next row of them. But, I do have shame, so I wasn't about to cop a squat on the side of the road (besides, running down Amazon and Hilyard in Eugene, kinda not anywhere to go where I wouldn't have been spotted). Turns out, the next row of toilets was at mile 7. During the middle of a race you find out just how fast you can get in and out of one of those things. Yeah... it was about 7 seconds.
Yep, I just wrote a whole paragraph about needing to pee. But, us runners get it. Just like we get snot rockets, spitting during a run, losing toenails, the beauty that is chafing and the occasional need to pop an Immodium before a run. We are a sexy group, for sure :D Anyway, I digress.
Next up: the hill at mile 8. Maybe it's not that great of a hill, but it's something. I knew about it. I trained on it. I was looking forward to it. And I ripped right the fuck up it. I was weaving in and out of other runners like we were on flat ground. It felt great. My pace was dead-on; I wasn't pushing myself too hard but there was a bit of a challenge to it. I crested that hill feeling incredibly accomplished and then flew down the other side. I flew down with surprising grace; I usually flail about somewhat spastic on the downhills.
The rest of the race was pretty unremarkable. I know that I never felt super-tired. I remember that during the last 3 miles I REALLY picked up the pace. Of course, I can't remember how many seconds per mile I shaved, but I know I picked it up a lot. I also remember skipping ahead to certain songs on my MP3 player to make sure that my pace was where I wanted it and I had the motivation to keep me going (Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger"?... yes, please!!).
As I approached Hayward Field, I got so freakin' excited! I mean, how damn cool is it to be running on the same track that so many running legends have ran on?? Hitting that track was like getting a turbo-boost. It's hard to not take off at a sprint for those last few meters when there are spectators in the stands. So, I bolted. Seeing the finishing clock was a little disappointing. My goal was 2:04:00 and that's pretty much right where I was. That was my GOAL, but I had done a solo half and finished in 2:02:00, so I was actually hoping to get less than that. I was secretly hoping to finish in 2 hours or less. Oh well, next time, right?
So, I crossed the finish line and went into the finisher area. I was sporting my finisher medal around my neck, chugging some chocolate milk, doing some stretches, and trying like hell to text my mom. I was ready to take a couple pictures, get in the car and head home. Did it work out that way? Nope! I found my mom, son and stepdad after much looking around. She was grumpy and not really into taking any pictures. I wanted to get my final results before heading out, but the computers were down... naturally. So, we left on our trek to find the car. Boy, do I mean find... they had forgotten where they parked. I believe we walked for 20 minutes to find that damn thing. I had just finished a 13.1 mile run, walking 20 more minutes was beyond painful. It did not help that a few blocks from Hayward the CRAMPS hit. The stomach cramps. The painful, almost make you double-over in pain cramps. Finding the car became of the utmost importance!!! It happened, but it was after much bickering about if that house looked familiar, or that bush, or that car. It was an awful walk!
A short drive got my son and myself to our apartment. I carried him and all of our stuff just so we could get to the apartment faster. I HAD to get there! So, we got in our place, did what had to be done and then booted up the computer so I could upload to DailyMile and Facebook. The Eugene Marathon (and I am sure many others) has this cool thing that updates to Facebook so your friends can see where you are, what your pace is and all that. Well... imagine my surprise when I saw my finishing time on there: 1:58:38!!! I totally forgot about chip time!! I literally cried when I saw my time. I could not believe it!! I finished better than I had hoped. I PR'ed by 17 minutes and 36 seconds!!! That is HUGE!! I have had great runs before, but I was so elated when I saw that time. It was such an amazing accomplishment for me. :D
 |
| I wasn't pleased with myself at all. Nope, not even a little bit! |
That first mile was a 9-something minute pace. Not horrible for being uphill. I went pretty slow at first, but I felt I could give it some more and I started passing people. That was not an easy mile!! The second mile (all downhill, mind you) was a 7:21 pace. I don't know how I didn't eat it! When my Garmin beeped my second split, I couldn't believe I ran a mile that fast; even a downhill mile.
Pretty uneventful run. Except towards the end; this guy just fell, rolled a little, stood up and kept going. Not sure what that was about. I was all ready to help him, but he got up like nothing happened. Anyway... I finished the race in 51:20, an 8:16 pace. Pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. Definitely my best 10K ever.
I have had some pretty decent solo PRs, too. Getting my pace down to sub-8s, while pushing a stroller. I will admit... I have impressed myself a few times. The fastest I did was a 7:31 mile, pushing my boy. He was yelling, "You can do it, Mommy!!" I don't think he even knew what I was trying to do (hell, I don't know what I was trying to do...), but he knew that I was after something. That one was near vomit-inducing, I tell ya.
Just my average pace alone has become something that occasionally trips me out. Since I quit smoking, I have gone from an average 10:30 pace to an 8:00-8:30. Duh, quitting smoking is going to help with speed (and endurance and basically any part of running you can think of), but I had no idea that I would get THAT much faster! I am pretty sure that if I were to seriously train, I could actually have some speedy races under my belt. But, I am kind of lazy and tend to go for "junk" miles. I am happy with the running I put in and what I get out of it, no need to get all wacko about it.
I did Relay for Life. I am not a walker, so I ran it. I ran 14 miles around a track. Not all at once. I did 4 miles the first night, came back, did 5 miles, took a break and then did another 5 miles. Around a track. AROUND A TRACK! Boring. But, I will probably do it again next year. I will most likely do even more miles. I am thinking maybe a marathon. Just to be a little crazy and to say I did it.
On to my next big thing... the 8K here in Creswell. It has been a couple years since I have done it, so I thought I would give it a go. The start of it is less than a mile from where I live; giving me absolutely no reason to not do it. Besides, it's fun. It's little and local, always a nice combo. I rocked the shit out of it!! For me, anyway. I didn't quite hit my goal, but I wasn't so far off that I was upset or anything. I finished in 40:09, with a pace of 8:05. I was hoping for a pace of 8:00. I was close enough. The times were being posted almost as fast as they were coming in (which really surprised me for a Creswell run) and when I looked to see my official time, I saw something that I couldn't believe. Something that made me stay for the award ceremony, which I typically don't stick around for. I placed!!! In two categories!! I got 1st in my age division and 3rd overall female!! Yeah, it's a small race, but I am going to go ahead and take those victories!! What's really great is that there were more than 3 women, and more than 1 in my age division. The only times I have ever placed before it is because I have been 2 out of 2 in the division. I think I even placed 1st one time, and that was because I was the only one. Anyway... Yeah, I got ribbons!!! I was super-stoked. I still am, actually. I want more ribbons! I want more places. I need to do small-town races more often!
 |
| RIBBONS!!! And I earned em!! (Yes, this pic looks very much like the one from my half-marathon... I have certain race outfits, based on color of shoes) |
I'd say one of my greatest non-race related accomplishments came this past Sunday. I headed out for what I was hoping would be a 15-mile run. My longest distance had been 14 miles and I was wanting to best that. I ended up going 16!!! I was beat. The last two miles were pure agony. But, I got the bitch done and it felt AWESOME!!! I got that done after a night of camping, which consisted of eating nothing but junk food, barely hydrating and sleeping on the hard ground. Little bit of Hell I put myself through before going through a little more. It gives me hope for the marathon. But, I also wonder how the hell I plan on adding 10.2 more miles to that feat. I will do it!!
Unfortunately, I have a doctor appointment in 3 days for something I have been ignoring for far too long: a weird, painful leg problem. I think it might be my IT band, but I am not entirely sure. I will request that my doctor refer me to a sport medicine doctor because I really want this figured out. I have enough time now to rehab if I have to and get proper marathon training in. I REALLY don't want to hear that I'm going to have to take some time off; I will totally lose my shit if I can't run for even a week!!! But, I suppose that's better than having a minor stress fracture, ignoring it, and then having my ankle snap during a run. Fingers crossed that it's a problem that can be fixed with different shoes or an orthotic insert!
Well, that about does it. I believe I have summed up all of the great running stuff I have done since my last post. I'm feeling pretty on top of my running game at the moment, aside from stupid leg hurt. So, until my next entry (5 or 6 months from now, I'd wager from posts past), I am outta here!!
Happy trails!
Monday, December 5, 2011
It's Been Too Long...
So, when I first started this blog I just KNEW that I'd be posting often. I mean, I run a decent amount (usually), so I should have plenty to blog about. Turns out that I'm just as lazy about this blogging thing as I am about many other things (ie. cleaning my car out, folding and putting away laundry, etc...). I have posted twice and the last one was in June or July. WOW!
A lot has happened since my last post. I mean, a HUGE running accomplishment that I had all kinds of blogging plans for, yet here it is nearly 5 months after the fact and I'm just getting around to putting it on here.
I ran my first-ever half-marathon! And I did a pretty decent job of it, if I do say so myself. Finishing was, of course, my main goal, but I managed to do even better than that and finish right where I thought I would. When I was asked by my soon-to-be brother-in-law how long I thought I'd take, I told him 2 hours and 15 minutes, about. Well, I crossed the finish at 2:15:14. A mere 14 seconds off from my calculations. If I were an elite runner, that would be a big difference, but... I'm not. So, I was pretty pleased. And future brother-in-law was pretty impressed with how dead-on I was with my time (he, too, is a runner).
Naturally, I had all these plans about posting my post-half-marathon blog within a couple days of the actual event. It would, of course, be filled with all the little details that nobody really gives a crap about. So, I'm kind of glad that I didn't post immediately. Now I can happily say, "I did it. It was fun. It hurt a little." and spare my readers (all one or two of you) the details. I will say this... it rained the ENTIRE time I was out there, and I couldn't have been happier about it :D
Let's see... I've moved since then. To a bigger, better, more "runner-friendly" city (a place that is known as Track Town USA kinda has to be runner-friendly). I now live closer to my work, giving me more time when I get home to get out there and pound the pavement. I have SO MANY options when it comes to running. I can head north and hit flat, fast paths and sidewalks or I can head south and hit the hills... and man, are there hills!! I can mix it up from day to day. I don't have to take the same route two days in a row if I don't want to. In the town I moved from it was the same run every day, except on my long runs, but even those started out with the same 1-2 mile route at the beginning AND end. I am happier in this city. I feel like I belong. I love getting out there and seeing all kinds of runners no matter what direction I head in. Since moving here, my pace has decreased and I have a renewed love for my sport.
On November 24th I did my first 5K since September of 2008. I desperately wanted to beat my PR of 30:51 that I set back in '08. I had a goal of 30:00. For the 5K I went back to the very first one I ever did; The Turkey Stuffer. Man, it has GROWN... there were 1200+ people there. The first time I did that one there were not quite that many runners/walkers. Anyway, I'll just cut to the chase here: I finished in 28:02!! Even better than I had hoped :) It seems that running the hills around my neighborhood has really paid off when it comes to the flat courses.
While I had fun with the 5K, I have decided that I am not going to spend money to do a distance that I run on my easy days. I guess maybe that seems a little snobbish, but I'm not made of money and if I'm going to fork out $20-30 I want to get a little more out of it than half an hour. With that said, I am pretty sure the next time I put forth cash for a run will be THE NEXT BIG STEP... a marathon!! The Eugene Marathon, to be exact. It's going to put a small dent in my wallet, I will have to set aside money just to make sure I have the funds for it. But... I. WILL. DO. IT!!
That about does it for tonight. Looking at how "often" I have posted in the past, you can probably expect my next post to be in... umm... March or April, perhaps. Unless something stellar happens before then.
A lot has happened since my last post. I mean, a HUGE running accomplishment that I had all kinds of blogging plans for, yet here it is nearly 5 months after the fact and I'm just getting around to putting it on here.
I ran my first-ever half-marathon! And I did a pretty decent job of it, if I do say so myself. Finishing was, of course, my main goal, but I managed to do even better than that and finish right where I thought I would. When I was asked by my soon-to-be brother-in-law how long I thought I'd take, I told him 2 hours and 15 minutes, about. Well, I crossed the finish at 2:15:14. A mere 14 seconds off from my calculations. If I were an elite runner, that would be a big difference, but... I'm not. So, I was pretty pleased. And future brother-in-law was pretty impressed with how dead-on I was with my time (he, too, is a runner).
Naturally, I had all these plans about posting my post-half-marathon blog within a couple days of the actual event. It would, of course, be filled with all the little details that nobody really gives a crap about. So, I'm kind of glad that I didn't post immediately. Now I can happily say, "I did it. It was fun. It hurt a little." and spare my readers (all one or two of you) the details. I will say this... it rained the ENTIRE time I was out there, and I couldn't have been happier about it :D
Let's see... I've moved since then. To a bigger, better, more "runner-friendly" city (a place that is known as Track Town USA kinda has to be runner-friendly). I now live closer to my work, giving me more time when I get home to get out there and pound the pavement. I have SO MANY options when it comes to running. I can head north and hit flat, fast paths and sidewalks or I can head south and hit the hills... and man, are there hills!! I can mix it up from day to day. I don't have to take the same route two days in a row if I don't want to. In the town I moved from it was the same run every day, except on my long runs, but even those started out with the same 1-2 mile route at the beginning AND end. I am happier in this city. I feel like I belong. I love getting out there and seeing all kinds of runners no matter what direction I head in. Since moving here, my pace has decreased and I have a renewed love for my sport.
On November 24th I did my first 5K since September of 2008. I desperately wanted to beat my PR of 30:51 that I set back in '08. I had a goal of 30:00. For the 5K I went back to the very first one I ever did; The Turkey Stuffer. Man, it has GROWN... there were 1200+ people there. The first time I did that one there were not quite that many runners/walkers. Anyway, I'll just cut to the chase here: I finished in 28:02!! Even better than I had hoped :) It seems that running the hills around my neighborhood has really paid off when it comes to the flat courses.
While I had fun with the 5K, I have decided that I am not going to spend money to do a distance that I run on my easy days. I guess maybe that seems a little snobbish, but I'm not made of money and if I'm going to fork out $20-30 I want to get a little more out of it than half an hour. With that said, I am pretty sure the next time I put forth cash for a run will be THE NEXT BIG STEP... a marathon!! The Eugene Marathon, to be exact. It's going to put a small dent in my wallet, I will have to set aside money just to make sure I have the funds for it. But... I. WILL. DO. IT!!
That about does it for tonight. Looking at how "often" I have posted in the past, you can probably expect my next post to be in... umm... March or April, perhaps. Unless something stellar happens before then.
Friday, June 10, 2011
I'm a runner, dammit. I don't JOG!!
Recently my cousin told me that she had seen me out "jogging" and I quickly corrected her, "I don't jog, I run."
It made me think... what makes me a runner and not a jogger? And just when did that transition happen?
I have never felt that I was a jogger, even when I first started out and was slow as a snail. I guess at first I jogged, but it wasn't long before I would let people know that I RUN, I went for a RUN, I'm going to go for a RUN... never did I use the term JOG. I felt it belittled my sport.
Shortly after that exchange I came across a paragraph in the book "Complete Book of Women's Running" that describes exactly how I feel about being a runner, not a jogger;
"Women turn from joggers to runners for different reasons and at different stages. For one woman, the transformation might occur when she realizes that she no longer runs to keep her weight down but rather to keep her sanity." "Once a woman becomes a runner, she finds that the sport is woven into the fabric of her life. Whereas running might have been only a vehicle before -- to fitness or to weight loss, for example -- it now becomes that rarest of things: a means and an end. To a runner, running is still a means of strength and health, of exploration and socialization. But unlike the jogger, who seeks only external results, the runner finds that the very act itself is enough; running is the thing she craves." "When a woman knows this feeling, she knows that she cannot do without running. And thus is born a runner."
Ok, maybe it was a little more than a paragraph. But upon reading this I thought, "Aha, this is it. THIS is what makes me a runner." I cannot live without running. I do not want to live without it. It IS woven into the fabric of my life. I feel that I cannot describe who I am without saying that I'm a runner. I am a mother, I am a wife, and I am a RUNNER.
It made me think... what makes me a runner and not a jogger? And just when did that transition happen?
I have never felt that I was a jogger, even when I first started out and was slow as a snail. I guess at first I jogged, but it wasn't long before I would let people know that I RUN, I went for a RUN, I'm going to go for a RUN... never did I use the term JOG. I felt it belittled my sport.
Shortly after that exchange I came across a paragraph in the book "Complete Book of Women's Running" that describes exactly how I feel about being a runner, not a jogger;
"Women turn from joggers to runners for different reasons and at different stages. For one woman, the transformation might occur when she realizes that she no longer runs to keep her weight down but rather to keep her sanity." "Once a woman becomes a runner, she finds that the sport is woven into the fabric of her life. Whereas running might have been only a vehicle before -- to fitness or to weight loss, for example -- it now becomes that rarest of things: a means and an end. To a runner, running is still a means of strength and health, of exploration and socialization. But unlike the jogger, who seeks only external results, the runner finds that the very act itself is enough; running is the thing she craves." "When a woman knows this feeling, she knows that she cannot do without running. And thus is born a runner."
Ok, maybe it was a little more than a paragraph. But upon reading this I thought, "Aha, this is it. THIS is what makes me a runner." I cannot live without running. I do not want to live without it. It IS woven into the fabric of my life. I feel that I cannot describe who I am without saying that I'm a runner. I am a mother, I am a wife, and I am a RUNNER.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
I used to be a fat girl...
My love affair with running started when I was 22 years old. That was 8 years ago. Maybe love affair isn't the correct term. It was more of a love-hate relationship. I was fat and I HAD to do something about it. Pushing 200 pounds at 22 years old doesn't do much for the self-image. Weight had been an issue for me for a long time, but I had never been that big.
I started by going to a nearby lake and walking/running on the trail. It was slow going, painfully slow. Naturally, I expected more out of me than I was getting, so I started getting frustrated with the whole thing. I started thinking that maybe it just wasn't for me. I had never been into sports in high school and I HATED running, why would I even think that it was something I would enjoy?
My mom had been running for quite a few years at that time. She had lost a lot of weight with running and I remember being in awe that she could actually go out and do 8 miles at a time. She basically coached me through this trial period. She taught me the fine technique of splitting my "runs" into walk/run intervals. Walk for 2 minutes, run for 1, working my way to walk for 1 minute, run for 2. She taught me to use landmarks as goals, rather than distance or time. With her help, I eventually ran my first full mile! While I don't remember how long it took me (I probably didn't even time it back then), I do remember how it made me feel; powerful, invincible, amazed at my own coolness!
I kept on like that for awhile, just kind of "pretending" to be a runner (hell, I still feel like I'm just pretending sometimes). I decided to run my very first 5K (The Turkey Stuffer) on Thanksgiving Day of 2003. It was awesome! I couldn't believe how fun it was. The atmosphere and excitement was something I didn't expect. So many runners! Old people, young people, kiddos jogging along with their parents, groups of women walking and laughing together. My only goal was to run it, and I did, at a dismal pace... it took me 42:41 to finish it, a pace of 13:45. I placed 620 out of 642. I listened to Classical music on a Walkman, of all things. Regardless of my horrid time, I was proud, and I enjoyed every painful minute of it. I remember getting home, taking a shower and putting on the race shirt and sweats, then it was nap time. I felt that I earned it, I also felt that I earned the massive amount of food I ate later at dinner.
Since then I have done enough 5Ks to have lost count, a handful of 10Ks, a couple oddball 8Ks and one 15K. The next time I did The Turkey Stuffer 5K, in 2006, I was a couple weeks pregnant (didn't know it, couldn't understand why I felt like throwing up the whole time) and I finished in 31:36. Much better! I did another 5K just a couple weeks later (still had no idea that I was pregnant), my time was even better. I believe it was a about a week later that I found out I was pregnant. I had already quit running by then because every time I did I ended up getting sick. It is no fun to do a pathetic 1-mile run and come home to throw up, or not even be able to finish the run because of unexplained queasiness.
So, I was pregnant, totally sedentary the whole time. Well, I went on walks, sometimes. I gained 63 pounds. I was massive, I was a hippo! My ankles looked like tree stumps, my feet like footballs. My ass got huge, my belly was ridiculously large and I was just plain uncomfortable from about 5 months on. I had morning sickness for the first 3 months and then just felt yucky the rest of the time. Turns out, I had severe edema (water retention). It was so bad that my doctor was worried that the skin on my legs would split like over-cooked hot dogs! Thank God they didn't! From ultrasounds my doctor had figured that my son would be a whopping 11 pounds! She scheduled me for a C-section 2 weeks before my due date. The date came, I had my little boy and the C-section seemed pointless; he was "only" 9 pounds 1 ounce. While that's a pretty big baby, he still wasn't as large as predicted and I feel like I got ripped off, I probably could have done the thing the way a woman is supposed to. Anyway...
It took me about 7 months to become active again. It started with walks. My sister and I would take our boys (her son is 4 months older than mine) in the strollers for walks 3 times a week. My son would scream the whole time. Not a lot of fun. After a couple months of this, I decided I wanted my "me" time back. I wanted to work on becoming a runner. I ditched my kid with my husband and met up with my sister. She had her son in a bike trailer and she would ride her bike beside me while I tried to gallop along at my pre-pregnancy pace... right. Eventually we decided to do our own thing. She would go ahead while I did what I could do as far as running went. It took some time, but I found my pace. I worked back up to 3-mile runs. I was happy again :)
I entered my first post-baby 5K when my son was about 14 months old. That is the last 5K I have done and so far it's my best 5K time; 30:55. Three months later I started school and again I lost touch with running for about a year. I finished school in 2009. I started running again towards the end of school and ran an 8K in July of 2010. I gave myself an hour to finish it and I actually exceeded my goal: I finished in 47:28! Then in September I ran my first 15K. I ran every single step of the thing! My legs were PISSED by the end of it! I'd say about 1/2 mile before the end they were wanting to give up, but I couldn't possibly walk my way past the small gathering of finishers and supporters. I finished that thing in 1:31:07 (that is the only time I didn't have to look up on the internet, it is forever stuck with me). I placed 3rd in my division, but here I must admit something; there were only three people in my division. Whatever! I got a medal!! And I won a pair of nice running socks in the raffle. While that was such a huge race for me, it was rather bittersweet; I had nobody at the finish line to cheer me on. My husband had to work, my sister had made plans to go fishing (really, fishing??) and my mom... well, my mom and I were at odds at the time. I did make a "friend" there who had finished before I did and she was all about the high-fives and the "good job". Thank goodness for random, running friends.
So, here I am. I've been at this "sport" for nearly 8 years. I have a few races under my belt. None of them great victories aside from the fact that I have done them. That doesn't bother me. I will be, at most, mid-pack and I'm totally OK with that. I run for me, and only me. Well, that's not exactly true. My son knows I run and he has developed a liking for it. He sees other runners and will exclaim, "Hey, he/she is running! Like mommy does". He has actually ran laps with me. Two laps, non-stop (granted, at a very slow pace) and he wanted to keep going! A couple weeks ago, after I had finished my 2-mile easy run, I met up with my husband and my son on their way back from the library. We were walking home and my son wanted to run with me. So, we did. We ran, holding hands, for about 1/2 mile. If my running will instill in him a love for it, so much the better!
I am currently training to run a half-marathon. It's time. I've been at this gig long enough, there is no reason for me not to. I don't know if I will ever be up for a whole marathon; that just seems crazy to me. I recently watched finishers come in from a marathon and, really, the pain on the faces of some of them!! My sister's boyfriend actually ended up in the emergency room a few hours after he finished. Runner's colitis sent him there. Ugh, no thanks!
So, this half-marathon training... I'm loving it. I have a schedule that I am following. I have found that I am a better runner when I have a training schedule telling me what kind of run I am going to do today. I wouldn't have the first clue as to where to start with training. It's nice that there are such cool websites out there that make it easy to be told what to do.
I recently found this awesome social networking website for runners/athletes. Dailymile.com. It's great. I'm hooked. I'm making friends that inspire me and support me. I am cheering on random strangers for getting out and running, or cycling, or lifting weights. I love that site more than Facebook. Wait, no, I said that wrong. That sentence implies that I love Facebook; I don't. I never have. It's a way to keep in touch with some people, and a way to get annoyed with others. Sometimes friends on FB can be inspiring, but it's really not common. I have received more support from people on DM that I have never met than I have from people that are friends/family on FB. That's not to say all of my FB people are not supportive, I just feel that many of them are sick of hearing about my runs, or never cared in the first place. So, I now save those posts for the site that is made specifically for that purpose. We all have something in common and that is our love for our sport. It seems to be a feel good place, where whining about sore legs is the norm and drama is not.
With that said, there is something I need to fess up to. I don't want to. I'm embarrassed and disgusted with myself for it. But, since I have people that are supporting me with my running, maybe they will support me through this... I am a smoker. I am quitting, or trying to quit. It's tough. No, it's not tough... It's damn near f'n impossible. How the hell can I call myself a runner when I do the most non-runner thing there is? Aside from legs, what is the most important body part for a runner?? The lungs!!! And what do I do to these lungs of mine? I fill them with poisons! Not while I'm running, of course, but still. I have drastically cut back. I mean, a lot! But still... 2 cigarettes a day is still too much. You would think that I could just cut this out of my life so easily by putting it into perspective, but I haven't been able to yet. If I can run a 9:17 mile now, what could I do if I didn't smoke?? My goal is to have these awful things out of my life before I do that half-marathon. I WILL do that!! Even if I have to fork out the cash for Chantix. I can't be a smoker any more. There, I've done it, I've let this embarrassing skeleton out of the closet. I want to hide it from other runners, but if I want to be true to myself and get past this nastiness in my life, I need to own up to it.
So, there's my novel. I had no idea that I would end up being such a windbag. Next post should be much shorter, I hope...
I started by going to a nearby lake and walking/running on the trail. It was slow going, painfully slow. Naturally, I expected more out of me than I was getting, so I started getting frustrated with the whole thing. I started thinking that maybe it just wasn't for me. I had never been into sports in high school and I HATED running, why would I even think that it was something I would enjoy?
My mom had been running for quite a few years at that time. She had lost a lot of weight with running and I remember being in awe that she could actually go out and do 8 miles at a time. She basically coached me through this trial period. She taught me the fine technique of splitting my "runs" into walk/run intervals. Walk for 2 minutes, run for 1, working my way to walk for 1 minute, run for 2. She taught me to use landmarks as goals, rather than distance or time. With her help, I eventually ran my first full mile! While I don't remember how long it took me (I probably didn't even time it back then), I do remember how it made me feel; powerful, invincible, amazed at my own coolness!
I kept on like that for awhile, just kind of "pretending" to be a runner (hell, I still feel like I'm just pretending sometimes). I decided to run my very first 5K (The Turkey Stuffer) on Thanksgiving Day of 2003. It was awesome! I couldn't believe how fun it was. The atmosphere and excitement was something I didn't expect. So many runners! Old people, young people, kiddos jogging along with their parents, groups of women walking and laughing together. My only goal was to run it, and I did, at a dismal pace... it took me 42:41 to finish it, a pace of 13:45. I placed 620 out of 642. I listened to Classical music on a Walkman, of all things. Regardless of my horrid time, I was proud, and I enjoyed every painful minute of it. I remember getting home, taking a shower and putting on the race shirt and sweats, then it was nap time. I felt that I earned it, I also felt that I earned the massive amount of food I ate later at dinner.
Since then I have done enough 5Ks to have lost count, a handful of 10Ks, a couple oddball 8Ks and one 15K. The next time I did The Turkey Stuffer 5K, in 2006, I was a couple weeks pregnant (didn't know it, couldn't understand why I felt like throwing up the whole time) and I finished in 31:36. Much better! I did another 5K just a couple weeks later (still had no idea that I was pregnant), my time was even better. I believe it was a about a week later that I found out I was pregnant. I had already quit running by then because every time I did I ended up getting sick. It is no fun to do a pathetic 1-mile run and come home to throw up, or not even be able to finish the run because of unexplained queasiness.
So, I was pregnant, totally sedentary the whole time. Well, I went on walks, sometimes. I gained 63 pounds. I was massive, I was a hippo! My ankles looked like tree stumps, my feet like footballs. My ass got huge, my belly was ridiculously large and I was just plain uncomfortable from about 5 months on. I had morning sickness for the first 3 months and then just felt yucky the rest of the time. Turns out, I had severe edema (water retention). It was so bad that my doctor was worried that the skin on my legs would split like over-cooked hot dogs! Thank God they didn't! From ultrasounds my doctor had figured that my son would be a whopping 11 pounds! She scheduled me for a C-section 2 weeks before my due date. The date came, I had my little boy and the C-section seemed pointless; he was "only" 9 pounds 1 ounce. While that's a pretty big baby, he still wasn't as large as predicted and I feel like I got ripped off, I probably could have done the thing the way a woman is supposed to. Anyway...
It took me about 7 months to become active again. It started with walks. My sister and I would take our boys (her son is 4 months older than mine) in the strollers for walks 3 times a week. My son would scream the whole time. Not a lot of fun. After a couple months of this, I decided I wanted my "me" time back. I wanted to work on becoming a runner. I ditched my kid with my husband and met up with my sister. She had her son in a bike trailer and she would ride her bike beside me while I tried to gallop along at my pre-pregnancy pace... right. Eventually we decided to do our own thing. She would go ahead while I did what I could do as far as running went. It took some time, but I found my pace. I worked back up to 3-mile runs. I was happy again :)
I entered my first post-baby 5K when my son was about 14 months old. That is the last 5K I have done and so far it's my best 5K time; 30:55. Three months later I started school and again I lost touch with running for about a year. I finished school in 2009. I started running again towards the end of school and ran an 8K in July of 2010. I gave myself an hour to finish it and I actually exceeded my goal: I finished in 47:28! Then in September I ran my first 15K. I ran every single step of the thing! My legs were PISSED by the end of it! I'd say about 1/2 mile before the end they were wanting to give up, but I couldn't possibly walk my way past the small gathering of finishers and supporters. I finished that thing in 1:31:07 (that is the only time I didn't have to look up on the internet, it is forever stuck with me). I placed 3rd in my division, but here I must admit something; there were only three people in my division. Whatever! I got a medal!! And I won a pair of nice running socks in the raffle. While that was such a huge race for me, it was rather bittersweet; I had nobody at the finish line to cheer me on. My husband had to work, my sister had made plans to go fishing (really, fishing??) and my mom... well, my mom and I were at odds at the time. I did make a "friend" there who had finished before I did and she was all about the high-fives and the "good job". Thank goodness for random, running friends.
So, here I am. I've been at this "sport" for nearly 8 years. I have a few races under my belt. None of them great victories aside from the fact that I have done them. That doesn't bother me. I will be, at most, mid-pack and I'm totally OK with that. I run for me, and only me. Well, that's not exactly true. My son knows I run and he has developed a liking for it. He sees other runners and will exclaim, "Hey, he/she is running! Like mommy does". He has actually ran laps with me. Two laps, non-stop (granted, at a very slow pace) and he wanted to keep going! A couple weeks ago, after I had finished my 2-mile easy run, I met up with my husband and my son on their way back from the library. We were walking home and my son wanted to run with me. So, we did. We ran, holding hands, for about 1/2 mile. If my running will instill in him a love for it, so much the better!
I am currently training to run a half-marathon. It's time. I've been at this gig long enough, there is no reason for me not to. I don't know if I will ever be up for a whole marathon; that just seems crazy to me. I recently watched finishers come in from a marathon and, really, the pain on the faces of some of them!! My sister's boyfriend actually ended up in the emergency room a few hours after he finished. Runner's colitis sent him there. Ugh, no thanks!
So, this half-marathon training... I'm loving it. I have a schedule that I am following. I have found that I am a better runner when I have a training schedule telling me what kind of run I am going to do today. I wouldn't have the first clue as to where to start with training. It's nice that there are such cool websites out there that make it easy to be told what to do.
I recently found this awesome social networking website for runners/athletes. Dailymile.com. It's great. I'm hooked. I'm making friends that inspire me and support me. I am cheering on random strangers for getting out and running, or cycling, or lifting weights. I love that site more than Facebook. Wait, no, I said that wrong. That sentence implies that I love Facebook; I don't. I never have. It's a way to keep in touch with some people, and a way to get annoyed with others. Sometimes friends on FB can be inspiring, but it's really not common. I have received more support from people on DM that I have never met than I have from people that are friends/family on FB. That's not to say all of my FB people are not supportive, I just feel that many of them are sick of hearing about my runs, or never cared in the first place. So, I now save those posts for the site that is made specifically for that purpose. We all have something in common and that is our love for our sport. It seems to be a feel good place, where whining about sore legs is the norm and drama is not.
With that said, there is something I need to fess up to. I don't want to. I'm embarrassed and disgusted with myself for it. But, since I have people that are supporting me with my running, maybe they will support me through this... I am a smoker. I am quitting, or trying to quit. It's tough. No, it's not tough... It's damn near f'n impossible. How the hell can I call myself a runner when I do the most non-runner thing there is? Aside from legs, what is the most important body part for a runner?? The lungs!!! And what do I do to these lungs of mine? I fill them with poisons! Not while I'm running, of course, but still. I have drastically cut back. I mean, a lot! But still... 2 cigarettes a day is still too much. You would think that I could just cut this out of my life so easily by putting it into perspective, but I haven't been able to yet. If I can run a 9:17 mile now, what could I do if I didn't smoke?? My goal is to have these awful things out of my life before I do that half-marathon. I WILL do that!! Even if I have to fork out the cash for Chantix. I can't be a smoker any more. There, I've done it, I've let this embarrassing skeleton out of the closet. I want to hide it from other runners, but if I want to be true to myself and get past this nastiness in my life, I need to own up to it.
So, there's my novel. I had no idea that I would end up being such a windbag. Next post should be much shorter, I hope...
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