3 races, 64.2 miles, lots of fun times!

That's a lot of running!

The focus this winter was trail running.  To help celebrate turning the big 4-0 this year, Bethany was going to sign up for the 50k, so naturally I said I'd run it with her.  (Do I have "SUCKER" tattooed on my forehead?!)  Turns out we were not alone--Lynn and Molly said they wanted to run it too so we had more company and the training was quite fun!

The Richmond Road Runners sponsors two trail runs leading up to Holiday Lake, a 10 miler in early December (Bear Creek) and a 35k (Willis River) in January.  Lots of our friends ran the two as well, so we made weekends out of both races.  Last year was the first time I had run Bear Creek, so I knew the course and what to expect.  This year I finished 15 minutes faster, but I think alot of that time is due to the fact that we didn't get lost in the last 2 miles like last year.  Here's a small sampling of our group prerace: me, Lynn, Bryan, Molly, Bethany, Emmie, and Jill.

Christmas came and went, and soon we were gearing up for the Willis River 35k.  This race starts in the same place as the 10 miler, but runs in the opposite direction.  That other direction must be much lower in elevation, as it was beyond MUDDY.  We're talking suck-the-shoes-off-your-feet muddy.  The course is an out and back, and I felt good up to about mile 15.  Then I got really sick of skirting around all the damn mud.  Molly and I ended up coming into the finish line together; we made the 5 hour cut off and had we wanted to keep going, we could've done the 50k.  No thanks!  I needed a shower, chili, and time in front of the fire.  We had 2 crock pots of chili cooking while we ran, and I can't tell you how delicious it tasted post race!!!  Of course I brought cupcakes.

 Dirty legs!

 Glad to be done: Cindy, Jill, Bethany, Lynn, me, and Molly

 Doggies playing!

 Joey and Lulu Snuggling

Bethany and Jake (Sophie is the brown lump in front)

At the finish of the 35k I couldn't imagine running for another 2+ hours.  I was a bit nervous heading into Holiday Lake, mainly because I didn't know what the course would be like.  I heard there wasn't as much mud and more fire roads.  The four of us doing the race all stayed at a nice B&B in Appomatox not far from the race site.  The state park where the race is held has bunk houses where most people stay--yuck.  We were much more comfy in our carriage house, which had a full kitchen, plenty of hot water, and breakfast on Sunday morning.  Bethany and I drove down together, and pulled in to the B&B just before Molly and Lynn.  We found our rooms, dumped our stuff, ate a quick bite and headed to the packet pick up/race meeting.

This 50k is really well attended by top trail running legends.  There was one guy sitting at our table that the race director introduced--he had just the previous year run ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  The kid is just 23 years old and has written a book about his experience.  Such an amazing accomplishment.  I felt totally out of my league.

Packets picked up, it was time to head home and hop in bed.  I think we were all asleep by 9:30--we were hoping to be in bed much earlier, but that race director likes to talk!  Race morning dawned, blessedly warmer than the 19 degrees originally forecast.  We had all packed umpteen different layers, so were well covered for any possibility.  We got to the race start, checked in, peed, and it was time to go!  It was dark!  The race started at 6:30am, so we're all standing around with headlamps on.  Love the low-key attitude at Holiday Lake--there was no professional singing of the national anthem, so everyone just sang on their own.  Can't say it sounded that great, but it was special in it's own way.  "Ready! Set! Go!" marked the start, and we were all off heading up the hill.

By the first aid station at mile 4 it was warm (about 40 degrees), so we all peeled off some layers and kept going.  An hour in, poor Bethany tripped and really whacked her thigh on some hidden rock.  We walked a bit, chatted her up, and tried to put it behind us.  She is one tough cookie!  Her leg was swollen for the entire race, and she had quite a contusion.  There were definitely fewer hills and less mud than Willis River, so we tootled along well for the first loop.

The last 2ish miles before the turn around, the trail hugs the lake and gets very winding and full of trip hazards.  It was here that Lynn took a bad spill, landing on her shoulder.  Like the Tough Mudder she is, she got up, brushed off, maybe cursed a bit, but kept going.  She was in some serious pain, and coming into the half way point, we could see her shoulder wasn't right. (Turns out she had dislocated her shoulder!)

Bethany's husband Bart and Lynn's boyfriend Mike had come out and were there at the turn around.  I refilled my camelback (made the mistake of adding 2 Nuun's to it--too much!), we all refueled, and headed back out. The weather was getting colder, and the wind had picked up significantly. 

 By mile 21 I was hitting my wall.  We were 5 hours in, and I just was running out of steam.  Bethany and Molly were feeling good, so they kept on, and Lynn hung back and kept me company until mile 28.  We made it to this last aid station with 20 mintues to spare before the cut off.  At this point I was almost hoping not to make it, just so I could be done.  The guys manning the tent, however, pushed food at us, and sent us on our merry way.  Ooof.  Now I was on my own (Lynn ran down Bethany and Molly and they all finished in under 7 hours).  Close to where Bethany fell in the morning, Bart and Mike found me.  Bart was a dear and ran/walked with me for the last 5ish miles.  That last aid station 4 miles out was a turning point for me.  Most of the trail became downhill, and I was able to talk myself into a little 4 mile "recovery run" to get to the end.  I was so glad I finished!  I can't believe I propelled myself, on foot, for over 33 miles!

We celebrated with margaritas and mexican food, and then cupcakes before hitting the sack!  The four of us girls were so hungry the next morning, and while our B&B breakfast was yummy, we could've eaten at least 3 times as much food than what they gave us.  Recovery after that race felt slow--I was super tired all week following that, and even swimming wore me out!  Just 3 weeks later was my next race--the Napa Valley Marathon!  (more on that to come!)

Yes, I know....it has been a while!

Every few weeks or so, I come to my blog page and think "I really should update this."  Then I get overwhelmed by the task and put it on the back burner.  You know the back burner WAAAAAAAYYY back there.  The I-really-don't-want-to-think-about-it burner shoved into some obscure corner sharing space with the clothes you'll never fit into again but hate to get rid of, the gifts from the mother in law that you can't really get rid of either (hello, Lladro statue), and sewing projects that will never be finished, all obscured by the haze of "what do I need to accomplish today" demands.

I've had a tough year.  If you've read any of the previous blog posts, you know I was training for IMCdA.  Maybe you even gleaned that my heart wasn't really in it.  You may have realized (or if you are a friend on Facebook know full well) that I am in the midst of a single-parenting stint--hopefully NOT permanent--while the hubby is off gallivanting (and earning a paycheck to keep us fed, clothed, housed, and vacationed) in Europe.  The kids and I did spend 5 weeks over there this summer visiting, doing enviable stuff like going to Greece and the Dalmatian Coast, but since we got back and jumped whole-hog into high school and middle school, I've been floundering.  I am not one to pop a pill to make everything better.  Maybe what I need to do is just blog about it....

IMCdA Race report:

This was my first time training, and then racing, without the support of my husband.  Damn, that sucks.  Lots of juggling kid time, making them fend for themselves while I rode my bike for umpteen gazillion hours.  I think I did a fair job of getting in the majority of the workouts, and doing ok on them, but by race day I was over it.  I think it was the day we arrived in Coeur d'Alene that, while lounging on our great deck over looking the lake and drinking a beer, I told my fellow racers that I was seriously contemplating just parking my ass exactly there, doing exactly that, on race day.  A dear friend overheard and got quite upset with me--basically told me off for having a bad attitude.  And you know what?  He was right.  Ironman is a long day, and heading into it with your mind not in the game is just plain stupid.  Well, fast forward a few days and race day dawned with me looking forward to just having it over with.  The swim went surprisingly ok--I swam a 1:25:46 (IMLP was 1:24:44, IMFL was 1:25:31)--and right within range of my other IMs.  It took about 10 miles for my hands and feet to warm up on the bike, but then I started to enjoy the first loop.  I didn't like those rollers, especially since I still have some real issues decending.  The second loop of the bike plain ol' sucked.  I did find my friend DG out there struggling, so we rode together for a good part of that second loop.  I got through the bike in a not so great 7:39:30 ( but still close to my other times IMLP 7:38, IMFL 7:13) and headed out for the run.  Bleh.  Let's not talk about that.  By this point my mind was saying I wasn't having any fun, and isn't it so nice to be able to enjoy these beautiful views by walking.  I finished with my slowest IM time of 16:14:10.  The finish chute was fun, as DG and I rocked out to AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long."  It was time for the summer to begin.

NW Wine Tour:

My daughter was off at camp and my son had flown out to California with my mother in law the week before IMCdA so I was childless.  I was able to join my good friends the Mathaletes and Lynn for a little wine tour from Walla Walla to Portland.  The traveling was very relaxed--Missy was in charge of the schedule, Greg the driving, so all Lynn and I had to to was sit back and enjoy (and drink!)  It was my first time out that way and I was blown away by those endless expanses of sky and wheat.  We stayed in some really nice places, and had some great wines.  I was bummed to have to return to the real world, but I was anxious to see my kiddos.  I flew from Portland to Santa Rosa,  and reunited with Joey at my in-law's.  Such a tough life having to wine taste all over Sonoma county for another few days after all that...

 Family Vacation:

I didn't see my husband for almost 6 weeks between June and late July.  I spent my anniversary with my in-laws, bemoaning the 9 hour time difference between California and Kosovo.  I was so looking forward to our European adventure--5 weeks over there with 10 day trips to Greece and the Dalmatian Coast planned.  Lynn (otherwise known as the fourth Oliver child) joined us for the first two weeks of Kosovo/Greece.  I had tried planning a good itinerary, but messed up some timing/ferry aspects so we ended up spending ALOT of time in the car.  I must say though, Greece really is all it's cracked up to be.  I don't think we had a bad meal anywhere.  Getting around in a car wasn't bad, save driving through Athens.  And the weather was awesome.  It would've been perfect had I been getting along better with my husband.  Let's just say that long absences are not good, and leave it at that.

By the time we headed to the Dalmatian coast, Joe and I were getting along better but I was getting sick.  Stuck in a car for 9+ hours is no fun.  I truly felt like I was going to die.  I wished I could've seen more of Dubrovnik, but we all really enjoyed Kotor.  By the 5th day I was finally feeling better and we headed to the island of Brac.  Our hotel there was a funny place, but by the Adriatic was gorgeous.  I think the kids got awfully tired of eachother and us, and were ready to head home after 3 weeks away.  Such is the case with teenagers.  We did all travel home together for a last beach week hurrah.

Fall/Winter:

Maddy started high school and Joey started middle school.  Unfortunately Joe had to go back to Europe on Labor Day, so he missed seeing them off on their first day.  How is it my kids grew up so fast?!  Here's a picture of them showing Maddy's first day of kindergarden next to her first day of high school:

I can't remember what I did all fall, other than schelp kids hither and yon (music lessons, scouts, etc), run some road races, and sign up for *gasp* my first 50k trail run and another Ironman in 2012. Yeah, I can be talked into just about anything.  Joe and I spent a nice weekend in St. Michaels MD for his birthday while Lynn hung with the kids at home.  Also in October we adopted another Vizsla, Jake, who came to us from St Paul, MN.  He is a big galoot of a dog--he outweighs Sophie by almost 20lbs--but is such a lovebug.

Joe's parents came for a week at Christmas, and soon I was staring down the barrel of turning 44.  January 3rd marked the one year anniversary of Joe having taken the travel job, and I felt like I had spent most of 2011 as a single parent.  Bleh.

I was glad to be able to spend some fun time with my trail running buddies.  I can't believe I am now an ultramarathoner!  The race was just a few weeks ago, and then I was able to jet off to Europe (a new concession--I get to go gallivant with the husband every now and then) for a weekend in Switzerland with Joe.  I know, I should write a race report for the 50k, and I will try!  Otherwise, that leaves you all caught up on all things Kate.  Looking forward:  Next weekend is the Napa Marathon (more wine tasting!), then TriCamp, then Easter break in Europe, then race season!  Summer travel plans have yet to be nailed down, but Joe and I are looking at some fun options.  xoxo everyone!
 

(Sham)rockin' some PRs!

Spring, wherefore art thou?  It's snowing this morning!

I have raced (and PR'd!) the past two weekends (this weekend is a blissfully light one!): a 5k that doubled as a run test, and the Shamrock 1/2 marathon in Virginia beach.  The 5k was a great neighborhood event in Forest Hills that I ran with Sharon, Lynn, Molly and Maddy.  It was "canine friendly," so leashed dogs could run with you, and a nice little one hill course winding through the park.  The hill was a beast though.  My mile splits were roughly a 7:46, 9:15, and 8:30.  Sophie was having a ball, and would've won top dog had I been able to run faster. Pictures show all of us in the background:

I've been biking mostly outside with Bethany, and she's kicking my butt.  She and Bart, along with the Deals, stayed with me at the beach for the half marathon. Shamrock weekend I was totally overbooked-- Friday night I took Maddy and a friend to her then-prospective high school performance of Guys and Dolls; Saturday was the JDRF gala set up and party; and race was Sunday morning at 7am.  Something had to give and it turned out to be the gala.  I'm so glad I didn't go--the kids and I drove to the beach around 4 and met Bart and Bethany at the greek place we like for dinner.  A little schluk of wine back at the beach house and it was bedtime!

Race morning was early, but for whatever reason I didn't hear my alarm go off.  I rolled out of bed at 5:19 and we were due to leave the house at 5:45!  Ack.  Over coffee in the kitchen Bart and I looked at eachother at 5:40 and had a moment's panic--overnight the winds had picked up considerably and we weren't relishing the thought of battling a headwind for the first half of the race.  Down the coffee and jump in the race clothes--weather be damned!  I was putting my shoes on and wondered why my "new" shoes felt so roomy....same socks I normally wear.  I turned on the light to see I had grabbed the wrong shoes.  The ones I brought that had been lying on the floor of my closet weren't the new ones--instead they were over a year old and had absolutely NO liner/insole/orthotic!  Over a quick skype with Joe, I was feeling totally screwed.  Bethany wasn't feeling quite herself either, so we had a mini pity party but we decided quickly that we couldn't not race, so may as well make the best of it.  At that point I was resigned to at least a couple of good sized blisters.

Off we went, speeding toward the Virginia Beach oceanfront.  Parking was going to be a bear, but I showed Bart our secret lot next to a 7-11 that no one knew about.  We gathered up our stuff, kissed Bart goodbye, and headed up to the race start at a nice jog.  WINDY!  We dropped off my post-race bag and lined up for a last pee at the portapotties.  Found Lynn and Sharon and good-luck-hugs all around.  The national anthem was playing while we made our way to the starting corral.  Bethany and I had the same time goal in mind, but given how we were feeling back at the house, we knew it was going to be a mile by mile race to overcome and agreed that if either was "feeling it" to go on ahead.  After standing around for another 5 minutes, it was time to start!

In discussing the race plan with Jen, we agreed that I would start out conservatively.  Build and hold was my mantra.  First three miles I'm always afraid of starting out too fast, or not fast enough... Our mile times were good:  9:25, 9:14, and 9:17.  Right past mile 3, the course turns west as you head to Fort Story and the trees provided some nice wind break.  I felt good.  Bethany told me to go on ahead, so I did.  I knew several runners around me were aiming for about a 2:00 half, so I decided if I could keep my pace steady, hang with them, I'd probably be ok.  The race clock at mile 5 said 47minutes and change, but was from the first gun.  I was doing good!  I vowed not to look at my watch until mile 10--just keep this pace and I should be fine, and don't walk the water stops.  Between mile 7 and 8, the course is right along the beach, and man did it get windy!  I found a tall guy running my pace and I tucked in right behind him and let him break the wind.  I gu'd every 3 miles, and tried to drink a little water in between.  My feet were definitely feeling the rubbing in the shoes but it was nothing horribly unbearable.  My splits for miles 4-10 were 8:47, 9:00, 8:50, 8:46, 8:47, 8:55, and 8:56.

Mile 10 is close to the gate leaving the Fort, and I finally looked at my watch.  I was right at 1:30:00 so I knew then that I was going to make a sub 2 hour half.  I was totally pumped!  At this point I knew I could do it even at a 10 min mile pace, but wanted to be under that 2 hour mark by as much as I had left in me.  The next mile went pretty quick (8:44), but then the fatigue started to settle in and the legs started to hurt.  Mile 12 was a 9:05 and I told myself the faster I ran, the sooner I was done but my legs felt like there was no turnover left.  Halfway through mile 12 you turn back onto the boardwalk and hit the wind again.  One of the race pics taken at this point isn't very flattering of me; I was in pain! That tall guy from mile 7/8 showed up right beside me and told me to push it in.  I asked him to carry me please!  Final mile was a 8:54, and the last .2 miles (I started my watch before crossing the start line) was 1:30.  My official time was 1:57:59--I did it!!! 

Melissa was right behind me, also with a 1:58, and the rest of our peeps came in shortly after that.  We all had great times!!! It was time for a beer!

Nikki was a dear and let the kids sleep in and brought them down post race to the beer tent.  We made it through 2 beers and decided it was time for pancakes!  Oh my legs hurt so bad.  Walking up to Pocahontas Pancake House, the wind was blowing and we cheered for the marathoners running by.  Bart, Bethany, kids and I headed back to the beach house to let the dogs out and take a well deserved nap.  And yes, I did have some pretty gnarly blisters.

This past week I have been in race recovery mode.  Running wasn't feeling too great on the calves, but hopefully the massage I had yesterday will help.  Time to finish off the Lumber Liquidators project and pack for Arizona!!!

Bear Creek 10mi Trail Race Report

Last weekend was my first trail run of the season.  Not one to build up to anything, I signed up with friends for the Bear Creek 10mi race in Cumberland County.  Nothing like going from a max of 7 miles of road running to 10 miles of trails.  And not just any trail run, but the full on "over the river(s) and through the woods" single track hilly as all get out trail runs.  Luckily I had awesome company!  All my friends are race veterans, but this was my first year running it. 

Saturday afternoon Tyler and I loaded up our respective pups and swung around south side to pick up Jilly before heading out of town.   Deere and Sophie were quick friends and behaved well in the car on the way down.  Bear Creek State Park is an easy <1hr drive from Richmond, and has both camping and cabins to stay in.  Lynn and Mike had arrived earlier in the day and had mulled wine warming on the stove.  YUM!  The weather was overcast and chilly--the forecast was for a dusting of snow that evening with clear skies in the morning.  Fellow racers Karen, Shawn, and Sharon were staying in the cabin next door and invited us over to share hors d'oeuvres and their crackling fire as it started snowing. 

The progressive dinner continued back at our cabin, where Lynn made an awesome pasta dish accompanied by salad courtesy of Jill. Fully carbed, we played a few hands of what my family calls "Dinosaur," a card game taught to me by Shawn and Karen while at Torturefest in Placid last year. Horror of horrors, we ran out of wine and seriously contemplated schelpping into town for more. But it was after 8 or 9 at night and many of us were trundling off to bed soon. I can't say many of us slept well, poor Tyler had to put up with someone snoring half the night. Must've been Sophie....

The morning dawned early--I was the first up and tried to sneak out quietly with the dogs. We had over a half inch of snow! It was so gorgeous, and cold!  You can see the lake through the trees, just as the sun is rising over the tree tops.

Back inside as everyone else got up, we all went about getting bundled up and eating our pre-race breakfasts.  Here is our cabin ready to go:

Thank goodness for heated seats!  No need to do that 20 minute warm up Jen wanted me to do.  We made it to the start with about 10 minutes to spare.  With fewer than 150 entries, it's a nice, small field and most everyone knows eachother.  Lots of familiar faces!  After the race director gave his little talk about blazes to look for and water stops, we walked down the start of the path and....we were off!  15 yards down the trail and we turn into the woods.  We let most of the fast folks go ahead which turned out to be everyone except us and 5 other folks!  Tyler was in the lead group as he was out for the race win (he finished in a blazing 1:18!) 

Up down over stumps and trees through beautiful woods covered in a fresh dusting of snow.  It was spectacular!  We kept up some fun banter and stories as we wound our way through the wilds of central
Virginia.  I think we counted 7 creek crossings on our way out.  This year they added a water stop at the 3/7 mile marker.  The race registration page describes the course as 5% on gravel trails--I think it was more like 200 yards on gravel trails.  The rest was a little biddy path through the woods.  We didn't see many other racers until mile 4--they were all on their way back.  Did I say it was hilly?  Jen had estimated a 2 hr race, including that 20 minute warm up that I didn't do.  Ha!  We finished almost last in a whopping 2:30 ish.  We could've finished a little earlier had we not got lost at the 9.75 mile point, but what's an extra 4/10ths of a mile?  I was pretty much toast at mile 9 and was working hard to just keep with the pack for the last mile.  Getting left for dead in the woods was not my idea of a good time.  Here is the course profile from my Garmin:

Check out the overall elevation gain.  Whew!

We made it back to the start (not from the correct direction, however...) Time for breakfast!  Back at the cabin, while everyone showered and packed up, I made blueberry buttwheat pancakes (pun intended) with bacon.  Sharon made some warm cinnamon apple slices which was the perfect accompaniment!  Sated, we cleaned the remaining dishes and headed home.  I needed a nap before tackling my Revit homework, but Joe made an awesome dinner that night and I slept well.

Lessons learned:

•  trail running is hard and taxes your brain as well as your body.  You have to pay attention to the trail or risk getting tripped up--there is very little time to admire the view. 
• friends, good stories, and singing songs are all required! 
• I would've paid very good money for a hot tub post-race!
• trails are a good way of working more than just road running-specific muscles.  I couldn't walk the day after, my quads would not let me go down stairs--all those hills trashed them. Ouch.
  

Sign me up for next year!

Trotting, Tailgating, and Turkey!

This Thanksgiving marked the fifth year I ran the RRRC Turkey Trot.  I love this race--friends to run and party with, a challenging course, and the start is a mile from our house.  This year I wasn't expecting much in terms of times.  My running is just ramping back up, with 6-7 miles farthest I've run since Vineman in July.  As much as I would love to be able to beat my husband in this race, it just looks like it'll never happen. Joe ran a speedy 48 minute 10k, and I set a 40 second pr on the course with a time of just barely over 57 minutes. My mantra was to work the downhills (thinking all the time of my friend Jill), and to survive the uphills.  Here is a map of the course, along with elevations:

Joe was a dear and zipped home to pick up Joey and the breakfast casseroles.  Sharon brought mimosas, and other friends brought more goodies.  No better way to kick off a day of eating than with a little run and a little tailgate!

After that, it was time to pack the pies in the car and head to Williamsburg.  Cousins Maggie and Jenny were kind enough to get the turkey going, and we had a great time watching football, catching up, and hanging out.  Here I am getting some good snuggle time with Mia and Duncan while reading:

Looking ahead is a 10mi trail run on Dec 5th, perhaps a Christmas light run or 5k, time at the beach with the family and in-laws.  I can't wait for #1 son to come home from his deployment to Iraq!  He is done with his missions and is packing up.  He should be home in time for Christmas--I can't think of a better present.

Hanging out with rock stars

Yesterday I had the honor and priviledge to hang with these chicks.  All ran and PR'd the Richmond Marathon.  I like to think I had some little part in their success--cowbell in hand, I cheered them on at miles 7 and 10.  I then changed and hurried to meet up with Lynn around mile 20 to pace her last 10k to an incredible 4:23.  She and I caught up with a struggling Kelly at mile 21 and talked her into hanging with us for the next few miles.  I am so proud of Kelly for sticking it out, and crossing the line with a very respectable time.  I am insipired:  these ladies have been training and racing all year (one race number per month!) and finished the year in style.

It is time again for me to work on my 2011 goals.  There is still so much I need to figure out: prep races, interim goals, what to do after June.  Life has been in such limbo, but I'm hoping by Thanksgiving I'll have a good sense of how far out I can plan.  In the meantime, I am trying hard to get back into the workout swing.  I have the run test behind me, the bike test coming up, and a rest week next week to look forward to.  The hard part is just balancing that with the work load I have right now--I'm a juggling fool!  I am loving having a close friend on a similar workout plan, and look forward to our once or twice a week sufferfests in the basement.  TRX is kicking my butt, but in a good way, just the way Jen would like it. 

Conquering the Red Baron?

In January I blogged about a rare run with my husband (read it again here). Back then I wasn't able to keep up with his pace--which is usually right around an 8 minute mile. My husband has the gift of natural speed. Here's a guy whose dad--who started running when he was 45--has run over 20 marathons, including Boston. Joe ran his first (and possibly his last...) marathon the year he turned 40. He found a training plan online and ran it almost to the letter, cranking out a 4:05 marathon. This was before I started the ironman journey and now I keep wondering how he'd do with a little coaching, some track workouts, and a better nutrition plan... Running with Joe was a lesson in humility about how slow I was, and that day in January I was left cursing him with raised fist, much like Snoopy at the Red Baron.

Yesterday we ran together, my regular 4.5 mi loop. Sophie pulled me along as usual, but where I'd normally reign her back with a strict "NO PULL!" I was keeping up with her just fine. And I was also keeping up with Joe. He might have slowed down a bit since his marathon training year since he hasn't been running as regularly, but he's still pretty quick. And yesterday was the culmination of the biggest running milage week for me EVER--almost 40 miles of pounding the pavement. And I did that loop in about 40 minutes and could've kept going!

I'm liking this new running pace. I'm sure at some point I'll still get my ass kicked by Lynnie, since she's getting better and stronger every day. But you know what? I'm thinking this 4:30 marathon thing is in my reach. Now all I need is a trio of farm animals to boogie with at mile 20!

Morning Run with Sophie

This video is a little wobbly, so I apologize in advance. Hopefully you won't get too woozy watching it.

Fall Madness

Here we are already half way through October, with the end of the year in sight. I have one more "A" race this year, and it's now just two weeks away! This week is my last big running week before the Marine Corps Marathon on the 25th, time to start believing! In TP, Jen has instructed me to start "thinking PR!" So that is what I will do.

The Army 10 Miler on October 4th was fun, even though I ran it with no one to find me at the finish line. I can't believe I pr'd, and by 10 minutes!! I was hoping for anything less than a 1:35, and I came in at 1:31:48. If only I hadn't stopped so long a the water stop at Mile 2...

That was a beautiful morning for a race--at the start it was about 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I had a fun evening the night before with my friend Heidi, shopping for wedding jewelry and then dinner at a Thai restaurant. Pre race I had my normal breakfast and coffee, and ate my clif bar just before walking to the start. I was early (unlike the Rock n' Roll half that started at 7am, not 7:30...ooops), and I hung out in my corral and watched the paratroopers drop out of the plane. Some guy behind me noticed my tattoo and asked which Ironman I had done. He then just wouldn't stop talking! I was glad for the start of the race so I could move away from him and hopefully lose him in the 30,000 people running. He found me at mile 2 while I was trying to down a gu. Ack!

I hit mile 5 and took stock--I was just at 45 minutes, and half way through the race. I realized I could, if I just maintained my pace, come in close to 1:30 so that became my focus. Don't slow down...steady... I didn't walk through any more water stops. At mile 7 I passed this kid, and commented to another woman that we couldn't let an 8 year old kick our ass. The kid piped up that he was 10! At the turn onto the 14th street bridge at mile 8, I took in my last gu, downed some water, and bucked up for the last 2 miles which are the worst! Running on a freeway, with no shade, and tormenting signs saying "Pentagon 1/2 mile" when you feel like you've run an extra 12 miles. I had been hitting my watch at every mile marker and at mile 9 it felt like I had no gas left, but I got it done in 8:50! Bonus! I sprinted in and just knew I nailed that run. Whew!

This weekend was more travel, down to Naples FL for my dear friend Heidi's wedding. Some pictures:
The Bridesmaids

The Bride and Maid of Honor--little ows on wedding morning

The Bride and her attendants

Post Wedding Fun

Live Sand Dollars!


Many congratulations to my friends who finished Kona--I am in awe! I am so so so happy for my friends Fave and IronGreg who got engaged this weekend. I also send lots of love out to dear Julia this week.

Eating Vegetables (it's good for you!)

Poor Jen, I called her last night and started complaining. About being alone at my races without my family, about how slow I'm feeling. She must've said something to ELF, because I was later instructed on Facebook to pull on the big girl panties and EAT MY VEGETABLES. And they're right. It's time to HTFU, realize that I signed up for these races ostensibly for a reason (like maybe because they'd be fun? or maybe I could set a new PRs?) Neither Jen nor ELF can do that for me, and neither can my family. And while it would be nice to have a familiar face meet me at mile 20 and say "Let's get you to the finish line sooner rather than later," I shouldn't rely on that. Just like in an IM, it should be ME that gets me to the finish line. That little voice in me in Placid was really annoying, telling me how much better I'd feel if I slowed down, how easier it was to walk than run. It almost had me convinced I didn't even need to finish, but I knew better on that score (Jen and my husband would've killed me!) I don't think I've tuned it out yet either.

I have a hard time with that voice. It is the voice of self-doubt. It can be very persuasive. It is the voice that says the hurt will stop when you do. It can easily wipe out months of hard work and progress with just a little whisper of "what if..." or "you don't need to do this..." or "ouch this hurts." I think this is where people who grow up athletic have it a little better in that they learned to tune out that voice back in high school or college. How do you reprogram that voice when you're just finding that athlete inside yourself at age 41? Ha, Jen, there's a question for your blog!

On the way to dinner I was doing some math. I was trying to remember my pace for the 2007 Monument Avenue 10k which I ran in just over 52 minutes, a 2 minute PR. I wasn't running that race with a specific time goal, but I was running with a friend. She had pulled away from me at the 3 mile mark, and I remember how I push push pushed to find her again and cross the line with her. Where was the voice then? Who knows. But I wanted one thing, and that was to not be beat to the line by much. My fitness has only improved since then, so I have no excuses but damn I still feel slow! Someday I want to run a sub 50 min 10k. Right now though, my 800m repeats that have me dying by the end are not far off that 8 1/2 min/mile pace from 2007. Is IM training really THAT damaging to your speed?!

While at dinner, Joey asked how much I'd pay him to eat his vegetables. I told him he better get used to being hungry, because I won't bribe him to eat. I guess I better figure out what I'm craving, and how badly I want it. No one is going to eat those veggies for me, and even if I have to choke them down, they're good for me.

Tuesday Mishmash

This past Friday was LONG RUN Friday. 3 hours. All alone. Yuck. Maybe I should back up and let you know what I did Thursday. Thursday was "run hills with Lynnie and Jilly" day. We ran Riverside Drive on the south side of town, up and down, up and down. At 6:30am (or a little later because if you know me you know I'm always late). Bleh. Oh, and we're running at Lynn's new pace, which is pretty fast, especially on hills at o'dark thirty when I still haven't had my morning coffee. I kept reminding myself as I looked for those two girls waaaay ahead of me that I chose to do this over running 1:15 by myself. Here's the route:

So Thursday's run was hard. Then I get to top it with another tough 3 hr run with 30 minute intervals building from easy to zone 4. As I was putting on my running togs, Sophie starts bouncing up and down, "oh boy oh boy oh boy we're gonna go for a run!" I felt so bad that she wasn't going to be able to come with, but dragging a half dead Viszla after 10 miles wouldn't be fun. So home she stayed. I loaded up the fuel belt with gu and water, mapped out my run, and headed out. It was a beautiful day, thank goodness. Not too hot. The first 4 miles were good, and even included MORE hills as I ran up to Grove Avenue from the UofR/CCV cut through on Tapoan and Iris. I took in the first gu at Starbucks, refilled the water bottles, and was waiting for the light to turn when I ran into a friend. He's training for the Tour de Tucson that is our local JDRF office's fundraiser this year--lucky guy just got a new road bike, all carbon with better gearing. He's amazed at what a difference it made! So chat chat chat, gotta run...and off I go down Grove. I was cruising along and just ahead along the curb of the road was a turtle. Can't leave the turtle there to wander into traffic, so I ran holding him for a block or two looking for a good place to put him out of harms way. Someone's walled garden was just the place, but I think the roofers working there all thought I was nuts for saving a turtle.

I hit the 195 overpass and it was time to put it in high gear. Time for that zone 4 area. ooof. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to run this part on sidewalks that are buckled and wobbly. Oh well. Bounding over curbs and whatnot helped keep the hr elevated. I picked the route since it's familiar territory, and has ample water and potty stops along the way. It took me exactly 1:25 to get all the way down to the VCU campus. Time to refill the water bottles, so I wandered up to my old MFA program stomping grounds and found Rob! Poor guy, I left sweaty bottom prints on his chair and sweaty elbow prints on his desk. But it was nice to see him and catch up briefly before heading back out.

The way home wasn't half as fun. It was getting late (it was about 12:30 when I turned for home) and was quite warm. I was drinking as fast as I could refill those bottles, and taking in my gu every 3 miles. I did run into Sophie's trainer and was able to put the bugaboo in his ear about her staying at Vizsla heaven (he owns 2 viszlas) while we're in Florida. Trudge trudge trudge on home. The guy at Starbucks looked at me and said "You again? How far are you running?" The downhills back by CCV hurt, but not as much as the last hill up to our street. Home at 2pm, in the ice bath by 2:10. Then it was time for a nap. Then packing for the beach. Whew. Here's the map of my route:

We had a great weekend at the beach. Saturday was cool and overcast and since (HOORAY!) I didn't have a run to do, we took our bikes down to the Back Bay Wildlife Refuge to bike to False Cape State Park. I loved biking with the family. I think this is the first time we've ever all been on bikes as a family (the four person ones with the canopy on the boardwalk don't count). The kids are totally ready for new bikes though, and could probably use ones with gearing. Once at the park, we went out to the beach and had some impromptu races. The ride back wasn't nearly as much fun due to a headwind (welcome to my life), but the kids were troopers and handled it well. Next time we'll try biking all the way to the North Carolina border, which is about 5 miles further down from the Park.

Of course the day we have to pack up and leave was gorgeous. The guys went to hit some golf balls and Maddy and I goofed off. I did get my run in, with Sophie. We have a regular ~5mi loop where we run down on the road and back along the beach. She must have run an additional 3-4 miles just running ahead to chase birds then coming back to me. Tired dog = happy dog! We stopped in Williamsburg on the way home to visit with my uncle. My aunt is still in the hospital, but will be coming home soon we hope. I still need one of those pink "Cancer Sucks" splish suits.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

IMLP Race Report part Deux, LOOONG overdue

The Run

I haven’t wanted to write this part of the race report. Can we just say my race ended in T2, with me having what was (for me) a kick ass bike?! Quite a few friends have said they were following along online and kept thinking to themselves that I wasn’t going to make it…yeah, the run was that bad. Better yet, instead of calling it a “run,” let’s call a spade a spade—it was a roughly 20 mile walk, with a little 10k action to start it off.

Ok, so T2 went pretty well, and I got out the door just behind Cyndi and Deanna. Both were walking (Cyndi very quickly…) so I caught up to them before the ski jumps. I chatted with both of them along the way, Cyndi so upbeat and positive even though she must have been in such pain from the torn labrum. Deanna had her toe broken during the swim, but she was out there getting it done. I was feeling good at this point so I trucked on down the hills. I remember feeling pretty hungry, and at the first aid station surveying their offerings. I chose 3 orange slices which tasted good, and some water. It became pretty apparent at this point that it was not the “upper 70” degrees forecast. The cold sponges were hot sellers—people shoving them down tops and squeezing them over their heads. They did feel great!

I ran my regular pace (about 10 min miles) for the first 4 miles, then things started slowing down. I kept wishing someone would flip the OFF switch for the sun, but it was still pretty high in the sky and I knew it wouldn’t set until well into my second lap. Damn. Mile 3 or 4 I took in a gu and some water, thinking I’d keep this up for the duration of the run. They didn’t taste too good. I thought it might be those orange slices I had, and tried to shake off the nausea. My plan was to run the first 13-18 miles, so I kept on truckin’. Close to the turn around, I passed coach Mark, and that’s when it hit me how rough so many of us out there felt. The aid stations seemed like more than a mile apart—and I think there were only two of them on the lonely, dark stretch out River Road (the Hawaii and Christmas themes). Oh, and I think there was the one close to the message board sponsored by Ford. Anyways, I digress…

At the turn around, I saw Lynn and Bethany trucking along behind me—both looking GREAT!—but I had hit a wall. What previously felt manageable became almost insurmountable. The heat felt oppressive, and my mind hit that ironman spacey place. I didn’t feel this way until about mile 15 of the IMFL run. I started trying to just run between aid stations, and that lasted another mile. So I teamed up with some guy named Matt who was walking a brisk pace. We chatted along until Matt felt good enough to run again. I tried to pick it up and hang with him, but it was a no-go until just past the ski jumps. Another mile of perking along, then I hit that hill back into town. Augh.

I walked up that after trying a quick potty stop (that didn’t help), and just at the top I found Bryan and Karen. A quick stop to tell her my woes—at this point I could barely take in anything. For the last 3 miles I had been nibbling on some pretzels and ice chips, but nothing felt like it would stay down if I gulped anything. Karen reminded me that with just over another lap to go, I needed calories. So I bucked up and took in another gu—very slowly. Then I made it to special needs and Joe and Joey. Joe could tell I was looking pretty rough but was very encouraging. I grabbed my long sleeve shirt of the bag, but had forgotten to pack any salt tabs. Does this woman look happy to you?


The turn around up there was so far back, but I snagged a few more kisses from my guys and headed back out of town. If my first loop was ugly, this one got even uglier. At various points I tried everything the aid stations had to offer. The Gatorade (orange flavor, YUCK) was a no-go, the chicken broth was ok in little sips, and the ice chips were good. Everything else did not appeal. I can’t remember taking in any more gus, and it took so much mental energy just to keep making forward progress, that contemplating nutrition was going to overwhelm me. Cyndi caught me and we tried hard to figure out how much more time we would be out there. She was pretty appalled at my ironman math—I couldn’t keep up with her speed walking and my mind had checked out hours ago. Just after the turn around, Lynn and Bethany caught me and we had a moment in the dark, all peeing along the side of the road. Classy! They also tried to convince me to hang with them and pick up my speed, but I couldn’t do it so off they went.

I hated passing the Olympic oval, hearing people being announced, and knowing that I had to find that turn around somewhere about a mile away. But Heidi, Joe and Joey found me, urged me on, and said they’d meet me at the finish line. Coming into the finish felt very different from Florida. I was happy to be done, but realized that I was darn lucky to have done so. My marathon time was a whopping 6:34, so much slower than IMFL (5:48), and a whopping 15 minute/mile pace. My total Placid time was an hour slower than Florida, mostly due to the run.


Karen was at the finish line and after a quick hug, directed my volunteer to take me to the med tent. I passed some TriGirl/Maramarc folks at the athelete food area and gave them a quick wave. Joe was able to finagle his way in to find me, and after I had a couple of iv’s, he helped me do a quick change into some dry clothes and helped me home.


I’ve thought a lot about this race, and what I did right and where I went horribly wrong. While I am very happy to have done the race, and have it behind me, I am disappointed in my time. I know I could have done a better job (but won’t sign up for next year to prove it!) In two races now, I’ve had issues with my run in hot and humid weather after what was, in both cases, a strong bike portion. Jen and I have talked it over somewhat, and there may be a nutritional piece of the puzzle that I haven’t yet figured out. I have promised my husband and family that I will take at least a year off from full ironman distance races, so I think they are all heaving a big sigh of relief about that. I have plans for next year, but will write a separate blog post for that…

Thank you, my friends, for the support and encouragement! I carried you all with me on ironman day and knew you’d be waiting for each update as I crossed the timing mats. Hugs.