You just have to laugh...

This past weekend, I had a half marathon on the calendar. It's in my hometown and I look forward to it every year. While I wasn't planning to PR, I was hoping to have a good race.

Plans change...

Late Friday night, I woke up to go to the bathroom and walked back to my bedroom...in the dark. Well, I slammed/stubbed my pinky toe into the dresser (I think). Several thoughts went through my mind as I held my foot. The pain...oh the pain!

I really really wanted a good night's sleep, so I crawled back into bed, without looking at my toe. After about 10 minutes, the throbbing stopped, and I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up 7 hours later...remembering that I'd had a little mishap. My toe was at least twice its normal size and changing colors. OOPS! I've broken toes before, so I was fairly certain it was broken.

I tried to put my running shoes on, just to see, and that wasn't very fun. It felt so crunched in the shoe. I was a good girl, though, and elevated my foot. I even iced it!

Of course I was still planning to run my half the next day...stupid, I know. As I looked at the course route, I realized they'd made some changes, due to flooded trails. The course was going to be a bit boring and slightly more challenging.

It rained (for the millionth time this month) all night long. When I woke up on race day, it was STILL raining. Ugh! My shoe went on easier, so I took that to be a good sign. I picked up my friend and we headed to the race.

At this point, it was still raining, so I opted to leave my Shuffle in the car. I saw a ton of familiar faces, which was so fun.

Just as the race started, the rain stopped. Um...dang, I could have had music?

My friend took off and I just kept my own pace. I wasn't sure what I'd be able to do, let alone run the whole 13.1 on a bum toe. My plan was to quit, if necessary.

The first 4 miles were a bit of a chore, I was just telling myself anything I could to get to mile 5. By mile 5, I was convincing myself to make it to 7 miles. Actually, the last 8 or so miles, weren't too bad. My toe didn't bother me too much (thank goodness it's my pinky toe), until the last few miles. I'd say the humidity/muggy weather bothered me the most.

It turns out the course was shortened on race day, due to rain, so it was a 20K.

As I came around the final stretch, I saw members from my running club, my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, and their kids cheering me on. Seeing those kids brought the biggest grin to my sweaty face!

So here's my point (and the reason for the title of this post). Sometimes, things just don't go your way. But, you just have to laugh and embrace it a little. I'm not trying to be Sally Sunshine (ok, maybe a little), but I could have had the WORST attitude during this race.

1) I've got a broken toe - not ideal for running any distance, certainly not 12+ miles
2) The course has changed and is a bit more difficult, to me (on a street I hate)
3) The weather - very muggy and gross
4) No music (anyone who knows me as a runner, knows I prefer music and it gives me a
boost)

These four reasons alone, are enough for me to get super irritated and just not want to do it at all. But, I saw all of these familiar faces (ahead of me and behind me) and it just made me smile. And the fact is, everyone looked a little miserable. But it's that sort of miserable that is secretly happy...know what I mean? It sort of bonds us as runners.

I finished the 20K in 1:52:44 (9:05 pace). Considering I walked a bit a few times (and the reasons mentioned earlier), I was pleased.

The thing is, running is basically a hobby for me. It keeps me fit, sane, and usually happy. But having a bad race or less than ideal conditions, shouldn't get the best of you.

I have a friend who is out of work, a cousin with a baby in the hospital, and I'm sure there are so many other people suffering hardships. THESE are real problems that deserve care and attention.

Me having a crappy race? Not so important in the scheme of things.

Confidence Boost!

Yesterday, I ran a local race that commemorates the flood that hit Iowa 2 years ago, "Run The Flood." The race route (7 miles) takes you through many of the flooded neighborhoods and you can see where progress has been made and how far there is to go. I'm happy to support such a great cause.

But, I must say I didn't have high hopes for my performance at this race. For one, I've not run more than 5 or so miles since the marathon on May 2 (other than a slow 10 miler a week ago).

I've been running on the treadmill lately (I know, I know...) as well. I can't stand humidity and heat. There, I've said it. And no, I don't want to become tougher by suffering in it. Also, I've been trying to get back into a regular lifting routine. It's quicker for me to hop off the treadmill and go straight to the weights. If I run from my house, there's about 2% chance I'll go lift at the gym afterwards.

Aside from those things, I've just been kind of blah about running lately. I think the La Crosse Marathon really bummed me out. Of course, I've been running regularly, but just not very pepped up about it.

So, going into this race, I was thinking it would be a fun run - with NO expectations. I PR'd at this race last year, but didn't feel like that was realistic this year.

Add to that, the awesome forecast - 80 degrees with 90% humidity...and rain. Um, woohoo?

Alright, I decided I'd go run the race and plan on finishing anywhere between an hour to an hour and 10 minutes. Honestly, I'd have been happy with ANY time in that window, considering my attitude and the weather.

I found a bunch of my fellow CVRA club members at the start and got ready.

Mile 1 - I took off fast and then after a bit, realized I was running a 7:20 pace. While I dream of doing that consistently someday, I wasn't in any shape or attitude to do that to myself for the first mile. So, I made a concious effort to slow down a bit. I hit mile 1 at 7:53.

Mile 2 - I was feeling ok and tried to settle into a decent pace. I hit mile 2 at 8:20.

Mile 3 - Well, by now I was feeling pretty toasty (thank the LORD that the sun wasn't out). But, I tried to hold pace. I hit mile 3 at 8:22.

Mile 4 - At this point, I told myself that I was nearly half done and could do whatever I wanted for the second half. I hit mile 4 at 8:24.

Mile 5 - I was getting a little tired, but still trying to keep pace. I hit mile 5 at 8:36.

Mile 6 - When I saw that I hit 5 miles around 41:00, I did some quick math. Basically, I could run 9 minute miles for the last 2 and still finish under an hour. Since I honestly thought I wouldn't be finishing in an hour, this made me happy. I'm pretty sure I slowed down and "phoned in" the 6th mile. I hit mile 6 at 8:42.

Mile 7 - OK, 1 mile to go, so I might as well push it. By now, I'm positive I'll finish under an hour (unless something horrible happens). But, I still was doubtful of a PR. When I had about a half mile left, I was looking for the finish. They revamped it this year, so it was different than I remembered. All of a sudden it was in front of me - oops! So, I went as hard as I could. Mile 7 was 8:01.

I could see the clock and thought I could at least tie my time from last year. When I got home, I realized that I actually set a PR! My final time was 58:19. (Last year's time - 58:29) Woohoo!

I'm one of the biggest whiners about weather, so I am very excited that I set a PR in less than desirable conditions. It could have been much worse, had the sun been out or the rain come down harder. We even felt a breeze from time to time - which was heavenly!

This was a huge confidence boost for me right now. I have a half marathon at the end of the month and hopefully it will go well.

Make-Up

I ran my 3rd 5K of the year this morning. I have a little cold (again) and so, I wasn't feeling 100%. But, I still feel pretty good about my time and the race overall. Now, onto the point of this post.


I've noticed, for quite some time now, that many women show up to these races in full make-up and with their hair quite done up. We're talking, more make-up than I wear to go out with friends on a Saturday night. And the hair? Well, they're doing fancier stuff than what I have paid to have done to be in a wedding.


Let's get this straight, ladies...you are running/walking a 5K (any other distance), in other words, EXERCISING!!! Why on earth would you need to have your face covered in make-up and your hair done? Even if the pace is slow, you still might break a sweat.


OK, I'm not an idiot. I realize that maybe a single lady would want to put her best self forward, just in case. Um, I'm one of those single ladies and it's never occurred to me to wear make-up or do my hair. Well, I do throw my haphazard curls into a ponytail...but I don't think this qualifies as a hairdo. Make-up? Oh, I put Chapstick on, if my lips happen to be chapped. There ya go.


It's not that I don't care what a guy thinks of my looks, but it's that he should know that I'm there to exercise, not go clubbing. I guess I would naively hope that he'd be interested in me because of my interest in running/athletics. But, maybe I'm wrong.


I remember playing basketball against a certain school when I was in high school. Most of the girls on the team wore a LOT of make-up. So, halfway through the game, they've got mascara running down their face. And I'm wondering, "Why???"


I know a certain friend/fellow blogger who wears make-up to races...that's right, I just called her out. She's happily married and beautiful without make-up, but wears it. And honestly, she's the LAST person I'd suspect would wear make-up to a race.


So, apparently I've missed a memo somewhere about wearing make-up to races. All I know is that I look much better after a race without make-up on, than I would after a race with make-up running down my face.

It shouldn't surprise any of you, based on this post, to know that I also don't get all dressed up to get groceries. I mean, if I happen to already look nice, then yes...but I don't put a bunch of effort into looking good - for the grocery store. My mom is one of those, "you should ALWAYS look your best, because HE could be there." Well, he hasn't been there yet (and I've looked nice a few times)...so I don't plan on extending the additional effort.


Does anyone have any thoughts/opinions on this? Am I missing something?

Marathon #7 - Not so lucky...

Well, I had hoped that having the number 7 attached to this marathon would mean I'd FINALLY hit my goal of finishing in under 4:00.

I'm not a complete moron, I assumed my training would have something to do with it as well. But, it just didn't go as I had hoped.

This was the second year for the La Crosse Marathon and just under 300 people were registered, with several more running the half marathon.

We travelled to La Crosse on Saturday afternoon and then had a wonderful pre-race meal at Applebee's. We wanted Olive Garden, but the wait was too long. We went to bed at a decent hour and I think my sleep was pretty restful.

Here is something that was a little irritating, breakfast. We figured we could grab toast and/or cereal before heading to the race. The sign on the breakfast door said, 6-9am. So, we called the front desk, who snottily informed us that that was Mon. through Fri., Sunday breakfast starts at 7am. Um, wouldn't you think they'd make an adjustment knowing that most of their business the night before was in town for, um, a RACE???

My dad was nice enough to take us to the start, so we didn't have to deal with the shuttle. After an impromptu stop at Kwik Trip for a granola bar breakfast, we were on our way. We greatly misjudged how long it would take and arrived at the start area around 6:15am. The race was to begin at 7:30am. Oops!

Without going into any detail, let's just say my stomach was very nervous that morning. I'm fairly certain I started the race on a less than empty stomach. 'Nuff said.

The bonus of a small marathon is that you cross the start line within seconds...as opposed to minutes at a larger race. The negative? There were no pace groups to align myself with. I usually like to start with one and see how long I can hang on.

We took off and I felt pretty good. The first and supposedly only hill in the race was within a few minutes of the start, over a huge (and beautiful) bridge. Even though I felt like all 300 people were passing me, I tried to focus on not going out too hard. Well, I was marginally successful, but the first mile was 8:21, a little fast for what I was planning.

So, I re-evaluated and tried my best to slow down, but the pace I was running felt fine. Mile 2 was 8:25. OK, still not getting into the right pace...grrr!

My dad, stepmom, and Carrie's Dad were GREAT at getting around the course. We must have seen them at least 4 times before the first 4 miles, then again at mile 15.

I finally started to settle into a better pace around mile 3. Mile 3 was 8:38, Mile 4 was 8:46, Mile 5 was 8:42, Mile 6 was 8:51, Mile 7 was 8:45. All of these splits led to me hitting the 7 mile mark in an hour, 8:34 pace.

While I would normally be happy with that pace, I knew it could possibly come back to bite me later on. It did.

I still felt alright, but could feel myself slowing down, which was discouraging. Miles 7-14 were variations of 9:00, 9:15, etc. But, since the first 7 were a bit faster, I wasn't completely off my chance of breaking 4:00.

There were a few miles of panic where I thought I missed the turn off for the marathoners. It occurred to me that we hadn't yet split. So, I looked around me to see if there were any marathoners around me. Nope, all of them were half marathoners. So, I was beginning to wonder if I'd be running 13.1 rather than a full? As I approached the 13 mile mark, I could see that the half marathoners turned to the right to finish, while the marathoners continued ahead. Phew?

I saw my Dad and the crew at mile 15, which was encouraging. I have to say, with only 300 runners, I felt pretty lonely at times. I train with friends often, but I also run alone quite a bit. But, for some reason, it sure gets lonely in a marathon when there's no one else around you.

OK, so they advertised that this race was flat, other than the bridge in mile 1. I wouldn't say it was crazy hilly, but they could have been a bit more informative. We went over several overpasses and came back over them on the turn around. As I approached an overpass in the latter half of the race, I was SO negative, "Um, what the heck? Why does this overpass have to be here, now, at this moment?" So, I tried to push my way up the hill and then I see a mile marker sign, turned the other way. Frick! Now I know for sure that I will be coming BACK over this stupid overpass when my legs are even more tired. I checked the mile marker...mile 23. Grrr...

At this point, my splits are going into the high 9:00s and low 10:00s. I'm so disappointed in myself that I'm sure it's affecting my attitude, therefore my running. I hit the 20 mile mark around 3:05. So, if I busted the final 6 miles, maybe I could break 4:00. I can tell you right now, there was no "busting" in my vocabulary at that point. I tried my best to fight the negativity and make myself run through it, but it just wasn't enough.

My lower back wasn't really a big issue at this race, as it has been before. It did start to flare up in the final miles, but I can't blame it for my performance...or lack thereof.

As I finished the last few miles, I tried to remind myself that I was about to complete marathon #7 in less than 4 years. While that is a great accomplishment, it just didn't make me feel much better.

I crossed the finish line in 4:11:51, full of disappointment and frustration. Everyone has been so encouraging and telling me that I'm too hard on myself, which I so appreciate! But, when you spend 4 1/2 months working toward a goal and on the 7th attempt STILL don't do it...it's VERY upsetting. It's not as if I'm going to quit marathoning once I break 4:00, but it's just a barrier I need to break through. Then I can focus on qualifying for Boston (hopefully some day!).

I'm still down about it, but of course I realize there are much worse things than this. I have a ton of races on my schedule in the next several months. My goal is to set some PR's in the shorter distances and then start training for the Marine Corps Marathon!

Our post race "meal?" We stopped at Kwik Trip and purchased a 44 oz. diet pepsi fountain pop, a large bag of Cheetos, and a Twix ice cream bar, EACH of us. Mmm, very healthy!

Here are some pics from the race!

Me & Carrie before the race, we've run 5 marathons together (sort of)!

Here I am, I think maybe the first few miles of the race.

Here I am around mile 15, feeling tired...

Me & Carrie after the race
Carrie ran a PR and was the 4th female overall!

Yay for PRs (and taper time)!

Last Friday was my last long(ish) run before I taper for the marathon in 2 weeks. I had a plan...to have a fantastic run and just let the time fly by. As some of you know, this plan doesn't always work out. You take off and don't feel right, legs feel heavy, and the run takes forever.

I took off on a gorgeous day and felt great. It was a titch windy for my taste (I can be a pansy, I know), but for some reason I was just loving my run. I loved it so much, in fact, that when I hit the required 12 miles, I decided I'd tag a few more on. My pace was right where it needed to be and the time literally flew by. This is exactly how you want your final long run to go.

I ran a local 5K race on Saturday morning. My goal this year is to break 24:00 in the 5K. This requires me to cut 25 seconds off my current PR. Typically, I like to have an easy rest day before a race, but with training, that doesn't always work out. So, I went into the race with an open mind and just hoping to feel good and have fun.

An elite friend of mine (who was 1st female) reminded me of what a hilly course this was and how she thinks it's a tough course to PR on. Oops...maybe I won't PR today?

I took off and felt great! My first mile was 7:50 and I felt strong, so I tried to keep that up. Mile 2 was a bit slower, 7:56. I think the hills were in mile 2? I don't remember... I was feeling strong into the final mile, so I really tried to push. Mile 3 was 7:47. Final time: 24:10.

Woohoo! What a great feeling! The last few times I've PR'd were when I went into the race with low to no expectations. Maybe there's something to this? This was my 2nd 5K of the year and I felt SO much better after this one than I did after the one in February (which was slow and not a PR).

So, now I just have to cut a pesky 10 seconds from my time to meet my goal. Is it possible for me to run in the 23:00s??? I sure hope so and I'm going to push myself to do it!

Back to taper time...while I enjoy the decrease in mileage, I don't enjoy that I'd like to eat anything and everything at ALL times. Oh wait, I do that the entire time I'm training anyway. However, with less mileage, maybe I don't want to eat 6,000 calories a day? Ugh, I'm a born eater, I can't help it!

I hope I feel as good as I've felt the last few weeks on marathon day. No matter what, it will be another fun experience!

T Minus 3 weeks...

The LaCrosse Marathon is creeping ever so much closer...less than 3 weeks away!

I ran my 3rd and final 20 miler this past Saturday. After a brief experience with allergies on Friday, I was thrilled to feel 100% ready to run Saturday morning. The goal was to feel strong throughout and make sure my GU/water stops were very brief. Mission accomplished!

I met our local running club and ran the first few by myself. Then, I ran a stretch of 6 miles with a girl I had just met that morning. Again, a very cool by-product of running...making a new buddy in minutes! So, I ended up running about 13 of it by myself.

I felt pretty good throughout, with no major issues or moments of frustration. My last 2 miles were the only 2 over 9:00, so I was pleased with that. I ran this 3rd 20 miler in 2:56, which is pretty much what I ran the other two in. So, at least I'm consistent, right?

I just need to carry that through for the final 6.2 miles! That's where I typically get into trouble...so I really really really really really really hope I can push past that this time, and break 4:00!

I remember the first 20 milers I did and they took well over 3 hours...with a LOT of walking. Now, while I may stop for a quick water break, for the most part, I can run the whole distance. We can do anything we set our minds to!

On another note, I registered for the Marine Corps Marathon last Wednesday! Honestly, when I first started to think about running a marathon, THIS is the one I wanted to do. Four years later, here I go!

My dad was a Marine and served proudly in Vietnam. He and my stepmom will be coming out to the race and he is VERY excited. My brother is also running the race, so that will be cool. I also know a few others running. The race is on 10/31/10, but already it's all I can think about...I need to pace myself. :-)

I have a 5K this Saturday and am looking forward to it. Of course I'd like to PR, but I'll be happy having a good race and supporting a good cause, victims of domestic violence.

Laziness...

Hot on the heels of my last upbeat blog entry, comes this entry.

A few weeks ago, I caught a cold, my first in a long time. It knocked me out for the weekend, but after that I felt fine. Mind you, I was still coughing and going through 1,000 tissues a day, but at least I didn't want to die anymore.

Well, as of today, I'm still sneezing, sniffling, and coughing. Ugh!!! In my head, I've had this cold for about 5 days. I took a look at my calendar and realized that this all started on March 2. Oopsy, I guess it's really hanging on!

I ran Monday and Tuesday and felt ok, but not 100%. The plan was to run an easy 6 miler today after work. I wasn't too enthused about it and was hoping my mood would change once I started.

I came home from work and changed into my running clothes. I turned on the Garmin and waited for the signal to pick up. I turned on my IPOD. I took off...

Fast forward (at a very slow, pathetic pace) three blocks. I have now switched to a walk. Fast forward another two blocks, I've stopped.

Now I'm considering my options. I could turn this into a run/walk and just log the miles. I could keep walking for a few miles and at least do something. I mean, it IS gorgeous outside!

Alas, I turned around and walked home. So, tonight's workout lasted a whopping 6 minutes and 3 seconds. Whoa, Nelly!

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I took the trouble to put ON workout clothes, only to be gone for a few minutes.

But here's the thing, this happens. I don't know that I've ever punked out like this before, but I'm sure it's happened to someone, right? Please tell me I'm not wrong about this!

Rather than struggle through the 6 miles tonight, knowing I wasn't feeling well, I decided rest was better. Those of you who know what a stickler I am for a plan, know how hard it is for me to go OFF the plan. So, I must have been tired/sick, right?

Here's hoping I can still get in some quality runs this week! More importantly, I should probably continue to focus on rest, as this cold (potential sinus infection) doesn't seem to be going anywhere!