Long time no blog...

Hello anyone who still checks and/or reads my blog. Hello? Anyone? *crickets*

Well yes, it's been a while (ahem, 3 months) since my last post (as usual), but that's only because I haven't really had much to report on. So, I'll use this post as a "catch-up."

Life is somewhat busy, but not all that exciting. I'm still working my cubicle job, teaching voice lessons, attending church meetings, etc.

The bulk of my remaining free time has been spent...you guessed it...running! So far, so good. My toe is still healing, I'm waiting for the scar tissue to go down, so it will be a normal size. But, it doesn't affect my running or anything else. So that is good.

I've been in race mode ever since the doc cleared me to run. Don't worry, I won't bore you with every race I've done...just a few. I love seeing friends and fellow runners at races and obviously trying to better my times. (the food at the end of the race is a big draw, too!)

For whatever reason, I'm hitting some big PRs that I really didn't expect to hit this year or this early (given being off for a month). So far, I've PR'd in the 5K, 8K, and Half Marathon. I'm so excited!

The 5K PR came at an adorable "tutu" trot fundraiser race. My Garmin wasn't working, so I really had no clue what my pace was. I ran a 23:04 and was shocked!

The Half Marathon PR came at the Sturgis Falls half in my hometown. This was a tough race, as my dad has been at that race cheering for me for several years. I knew it would be weird running it and not seeing him at the usual spots. Lucky for me, I still had some cheerleaders. My mom was at several spots and my brother, sister-in-law, and their kids were at the finish. The best surprise was around mile 11. I came to a corner and saw my aunt and uncle, their 3 kids, and grandkids. I didn't know they were going to be there, so it was SO nice! And that's where the big teardrops fell.

I took off too fast and felt horrible for the first two miles. Like, I pretty much decided during mile 2 that it would be a 2:00 half marathon day...and that was ok with me. But then I fell into an 8:15ish pace and couldn't break out of it. With four miles to go, I was still thinking I'd run around 1:50, which was my previous PR. It wasn't until the last half mile that I realized I was definitely going to do better than 1:50. I ran a 1:47:48, nearly a 3 minute PR. Wahoo!

Before reuniting with my family, I took a moment and thought about my dad. He would have been photographing the time clock and then running over to SHOW me my time. I definitely got emotional, but I know Dad was excited, watching from his new place.

A week after the half, I ran the local 4th of July 8K race in CR. My previous PR was at this race in 2009, 39:24. While I wanted to set a new PR this year, I just wasn't sure if it would happen. I made a "secret" goal of running it in around 38:00. I figured I could try to keep a 7:30 pace and see what happens.

Well, what happens is, you feel like crap! OMG - I started a little fast, but fell into the right pace...painful as it was. By mile 4, my watch was reading just under 31:00. I don't think I've ever run 4 miles that fast...and there was still 1 more mile.

I won't lie, I did the math and figured I could just jog that last mile and still come in under 39:00ish, which would technically be a PR...right? But I tried to keep at it, pukey as I felt, and push through. I'd say I was near puking in the final stretch, so I couldn't finish as I hard as I wanted to. But, my final time was 38:04! Wahoo again!

Common denominator for all 3 of these PRs? I wanted to puke my guts out during all of them. So, the pukey feeling is apparently key to running well...

I have no idea how/why I'm hitting these PRs, either. For starters, I took a month off and did absolutely NOTHING...but still ate crappy. For another, I am not doing any speedwork (other than races) or weight training (at least, not regularly). And the final thing? Um, I eat terrible. Maybe not as bad as what they talk about on news programs...but a health freak I am not. It makes it kind of tempting to keep up the bad behavior, doesn't it? :-)

To be fair to myself, I have been pretty good about getting back into a regular running routine, and adding in longer runs. No plans for a marathon this year...looks like I'm taking the year off from that distance.

What else have I been up to?

Oh, I went to visit my Auntie Rose in Prescott, AZ. I'd never been to Arizona before and it was gorgeous. I had perfect running weather, too! It was so good to bond with my aunt and just hang out, no plans. We shopped a little, ate a lot, read, and watched some junky tv. Good stuff.

My wonderful friend Sarah came to visit in late June and we had a blast! Again, there was good discussion, junk food, and a movie. Love it!

I also babysat my nieces and nephew the night before the half. We watched "Tangled" and snuggled on the couch. They are the cutest, sweetest, most fun kids - period.

I've declared this the "summer of reading" and so far, it's going well. I'm 2 for 2. I've read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "The Help." I highly recommend them both - so interesting and hard to put down. I just started reading "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand." I'll let you know my thoughts on that one.

OK, let's hope I don't go another 3 months before I post again...

Hello again...

Yep, I'm aware it's been over a month since my last post. And? I have no excuse...nothin'. So, I'll just do a little catch up and assume none of you missed me. My last post referenced a 5K I was about to run that weekend. It was a lot of fun and my time ended up being only 5 seconds slower than my PR in October. So, I was pretty happy about that.

It was a fun morning with fellow friends & runners. That was my final race before having surgery on my toe. The surgery went well, as did the recovery. It killed me to be couch-bound for 5 days and then pretty sedentary for another 3 weeks. But, I did it! I was cleared to run (as tolerated) on March 31st - and, of course, went running that night. I would say I'm semi-back, as it'll be a while before I can run farther than 4ish miles. Other than that, it feels great. The toe still has some swelling, but doesn't bother me when I run.

I have to say, my sanity has returned (a bit) since I could start running again. I honestly felt like I was going to explode, without the outlet of running. So, that has been a big boost. I ran my first post-surgery 5K last Saturday. I had never run this one before, so I had no idea what the course was. My only goal for this 5K was to run it. I really wanted to get a feel for how much fitness I lost. It should be noted that large quantities of food/sweets may have been consumed during previously mentioned sedentary time. While my metabolism stepped up (thank you) and there were no major weight ramifications...I was concerned how un-fit I might be as a result.

I took off, knowing I was going too fast, but just tried to stick with it. First mile - 7:36. Ouch! OK, on to the 2nd mile. It turns out there are 2 sizeable hills in this course - CRAP! So, they made their appearance in mile 2. I did not enjoy them - at all. Mile 2 - 8:30. LOL, that really shows that I must have been walking those hills (I didn't, I promise). My legs and body were hurting by mile 3. I was thinking, "WHY did I think this was a good idea my first week back?" There was a also a fun little headwind during the last half mile. Mile 3 - 7:56. Overall time was 24:11 and the course ended up being short. It was basically 3 miles.

I'm pretty happy with it, considering I've done zero hills (or anything) in the last 4-5 weeks. It was good to get out there and see where I'm at. I think endurance is the big thing I've lost, but I'll get it back. (I have to, I'm running a half marathon in June!)

Other than that, life goes on. Nothing else to report - that I can think of.

Catch up...

Well, yet again, I've neglected my blog. Oops!

My life has had a significant change since my last post. Many of you already know about it, but I'll share it here. I was awakened late on Tuesday night in mid-January, to hear that my dad had bleeding in the brain and was in the ER. After some cat scans, he was taken, by ambulance, to UIHC. It was determined that he had had a brain aneurysm.

A brain aneurysm is bad, but my dad was on blood thinner for another condition, so, it was extra bad. Dad went into a coma before I ever saw him. I made it to the hospital that night and UIHC sort of became our home away from home (not in a good way) that week.

They did perform brain surgery on him and were able to sort of stop the bleeding, but the damage had been done. After several days and a meeting with the doctors, it was determined that Dad's condition would not improve. We made the difficult decision to take him off of life support. Dad passed away peacefully on January 25.

It's been a difficult time for all of us, and definitely a rough start to the year. Many of you know this, but I'm so incredibly appreciative of the thoughts, prayers, cards, donations, etc., that were sent my/our way. I'm very blessed to have the friends I do - believe me, I know it!

Since the funeral, I've been trying to get caught up and back into my routine. I finally feel like I'm in a place where I don't feel completely behind, which is good.

I've been running and enjoying it. In fact, the morning Dad passed, my friends Carrie, Erin, and I went for a run. I know Dad was smiling down on us! It was just what I needed.

I'm running a local 5K this Saturday, which should be fun. I don't have any big goals, other than to have a good race. After that, I'll be on hiatus for a few weeks (most of March). Remember this post? Well, that stupid toe still hasn't healed. I actually broke a piece of bone off...and it never reattached.

So, I have to get a little surgery on my little toe. So. Stupid. But, necessary. At some point, shoes shouldn't hurt (because your gigantic pinky toe doesn't fit in them). I'll be fairly immobile for a few days and then a bit better after that. I hope to be running sometime in late March.

Then, I'll be back at it and planning some races. I will not do a Spring marathon this year, as it's just not in the cards. But, I do hope to run a Fall marathon - not sure which one yet. Here's hoping I "come back" better, stronger, and faster (and not just in running)!

50K...errr, 25K Race!

Last weekend, my friend Carrie and I ran in a local 25K or 50K (~31 mile) race. It was the first year for this event and we thought it would be fun to do. Yes, we thought it would be FUN to run a 31 mile race, in Iowa, in December, on a trail, in the snow and cold temps. We girls know how to have a good time!

Let me just interject that this is a for realz trail race. It's not all nice and sparkly. We're talking mud, trees, roots, rocks, etc.

So, race day is a bit rainy, but at least it's a balmy 30 degrees outside! We geared up and headed to Lake MacBride. As we're sitting in the car with Denton (Carrie's hubby), Carrie says this. "I don't get why people seem to think we could get hurt." To which I say, "Carrie, because we might ACTUALLY get hurt!!!" Um, duh! Carrie then says that we are smart runners, so we wouldn't get hurt. To which I say, "No, we are not smart, Carrie. The very essence of what we're doing today, in these conditions, is stupid." I think I made Denton's day at that point.

We all gathered at the start line and took off. The first part of the race is on a short little woody trail, then it drops you off at a road. We were on that road for a few miles, before linking up with another trail.

I have to say, even though it was raining and not ideal conditions, I was able to keep a decent attitude. I was actually pretty warm for the first part of the race. I had no real time goal for this race, other than to just run however I felt and finish. So, I took my time and enjoyed the Christmas music mix on my Shuffle.

When I got to the trail in Solon, I realized just how much rain was falling. The trail was muddy. I have a bum ankle that doesn't particularly do well in uneven, muddy terrain. It basically starts to roll. It can only roll so many times before I actually sprain it. So, around mile 7, I was entertaining the thought that I might be doing one loop. The only reason being that my ankle wasn't going to do well when that trail got even muddier.

I finished that piece of the trail and then headed off to the part of the trail where you head toward the spillway. Oh yes, the spillway. This part of the race wasn't too bad...until the spillway.

As I came upon the spillway, I heard, "GO MARIAH!!!" It was Denton, being a fantastic cheerleader - that was a huge boost! I had packed a few Target bags in my coat, hoping they would help. The DNR lady told me not to bother. I was trying to figure out the best way to cross without getting wet. Then I decided that it was all just too funny, and I should just walk right through. So, I just let myself soak my shoes up to my ankles and crossed. I told Denton that it may be a one lap day and went ahead. I had about 4 miles left at this point.

Again, I had a pretty good attitude and hadn't thought about how wet I actually was...until now. My pants kept falling down and I honestly couldn't figure out why. Only after 11 miles did I realize they were SO soaked, they couldn't stay up. I thought, "Hmm, I might be wetter than I think I am..."

I came back to the start/finish area for one final drink, before the last 2 miles. When I took off for the last bit, I felt great and just went with it. But, the last mile slowed me down. It was all mud/sludge and very tricky. I can't say there was much running, as I was constantly dodging trees, rocks, and falling on my behind.

As I crossed the finish line, the volunteer said, "Are you a 25K or 50K runner?" My reply? "I'm a 25K now!"

Physically, I felt fine and I think I could have done a second lap (albeit, a slower second lap). But, I had a couple concerns. #1 being that my ankle(s) would likely collapse on the second lap, going through the muddy sludge. #2 being that I would be out on that second lap pretty much by myself. I had a cell phone with me, but I was worried about being soaking wet, in the middle of the woods, with the temps dropping and snow falling.

I opted for the smart choice of calling it a day at 15.5 miles. And I'm completely fine with that. It was a challenging run, but I'm glad we did it. I would do it again, but not in December.

When I finally changed into dry clothes, I can't even describe to you how heavy/soaked my clothes were. It was ridiculous!

A few pics from the race, courtesy of Denton:

Here I am crossing the spillway

Marathon #8 - Oorah!

As usual, my blogging is very sparse... Would it help if I said that I would LIKE to blog on a more regular basis?

Anyway, marathon #8 is complete! My brother Gabe and I ran the Marine Corps Marathon on Halloween. The trip was pretty good and it was fun to be in DC again. I love how much there is to see there!

Gabe had an injured foot and had concerns about being able to run the whole thing. Lower back pain struck me at mile 9 (grrrr), so I was not a very happy camper either. The BEST part of the race was around mile 20 on the bridge. There I was running along, trying to stay positive, and my bro comes up beside me. Let me relish this moment for a minute - my brother (uber-athlete) caught up, to ME. (Sure, he had an injury, but let's just pretend he didn't, mmmkay?) Anyway, we ran together very briefly, but long enough for me to snap a picture of us with my disposable (cheeseball) camera. To date, said camera has not been developed, so the picture could very well be of our heads.

Gabe moved on so he could keep whatever pace he was doing and I stayed my course. I looked for him in the last miles, but never did see him. We ended up finishing about a minute apart! How crazy is that? If either of us had known that would happen, we could have just run the whole thing together!

So, here's a bit more detail on the overall race. A howitzer kicks off the 26.2 mile journey and it's incredible! I crossed the start line after only a few minutes (over 21,000 people ran this race). Overall, I felt pretty good. I saw Dad, Pat, Julie, and new niece Sydney, at mile 1. I was amazed that in a race that big, with that many spectators, that I could see them!

I ran pretty much on pace for the first half of the race. Like I said, around mile 9, my back was aching, but I tried to stick to my plan. I crossed the halfway point nearly on pace for 4:00. But, the back had other plans. I made it to mile 16ish and saw my family. I decided it would be worth it to stop and take a picture. When ELSE can I do that? So, I gave my new baby niece a kiss, told my Dad I was in a lot of pain, and took off running. At this point, I wasn't sure if Gabe was still running or not. Then he and I saw each other at mile 20. I ran/walked from mile 15ish on, I think.

We had perfect running weather, it was gorgeous! But, at mile 24, a lovely headwind decided to swoop in and stay for the last 2.2 miles. Good times, good times. I finished somewhat strong (as much as I could) and was greeted by Marines at the finish (and all throughout the race!).

Here's the thing, as disappointed as I am that I still haven't hit my 4:00 goal, I'm not THAT upset this time. Had either Gabe or I run any faster/slower, we wouldn't have had that moment at mile 20. And that moment will always be special to me (however brief it was). Because I highly doubt he and I will ever be in that situation again. It also allowed me to get that picture with my family cheerleaders during the race.

Overall, this marathon was an incredible experience. My dad so appreciated that we ran in his honor (we had t-shirts made for the race). And it was very inspirational to see so many amputees/vets doing the race. I certainly couldn't complain about my back if these guys were charging up hills on hand bikes!

Below are a few pics from the experience:

The shirts we made/wore for Dad

Mid-race pic (mile 16ish)

Gabe & I post-race, modeling our stinky shirts!

Cutest. Cheerleader. Ever!

Best post-marathon activity? Feeding my beautiful niece, Sydney!

Back again...

It's been a few weeks since my last entry and I've decided that I'm a horrible blogger. I am very sporadic and would like to post more often. Unfortunately, my busy schedule is to blame. Maybe someday, I can actually blog on a regular basis. Because, let's face it, you all are DYING to read my daily entries!

Update #1 (for those who don't know or haven't seen) - I recently chopped nearly ALL of my hair off! Yep, I had 16" cut off and donated 2 very thick pigtails to Locks of Love. I've been wanting a major change for a while, but couldn't get the guts. I finally reached the point of full on annoyance with my mass of curly hair, that cutting 16" was PAINLESS! I didn't even flinch!

So far, I have no regrets and am really enjoying the new 'do. I can't believe how much easier life is with short hair. Seriously. It's easier. I'm not making this up! For the record, I lost 3 pounds of hair...3 POUNDS! That. Is. Ridiculous. 'Nuff said.

I've run a few more races since my last post. They have both gone well. Most recently, I ran a 5K and hit a big PR. My goal this year was to break 24:00, and I came close in April, with a 24:10. With all the speed work I've been doing, I was 90% sure that I'd break 24:00, but didn't expect my 23:21 final time. Total surprise!

This was the Especially For You 5K (benefits breast cancer research) and I ran in honor of my Aunt Marilyn. She must have been pushing me along, because I felt pretty good throughout! It was incredible to see over 15,000 people out walking/running for this great cause. What a sight!

So now, my new goal is to break through...23:00? Seriously? I would NEVER have set that as a goal. For some, that might seem easy, but that's a time/pace that wouldn't have occurred to me until this past Sunday.

I'll say it again...Our bodies are AMAZING!!! I don't think I could have run a 23:21 5K when I was in college. So, to run that 10 years later is exciting!

In other news, my fave workout buddy, Carrie, is back in town. So, we are taking advantage of running/biking together and catching up, which has been fun! She's joining me for my final 20 miler this weekend.

My 8th marathon is only a few weeks away and I couldn't be more excited! Life is somewhat stressful/busy/overwhelming lately, and I'll take any break/vacation I can get. Even if it involves me running 26.2 miles.

At age 33, I still haven't learned the word NO. There are multiple "adds" in my life right now that I need to just say NO to and/or quit. If I don't, I'll never get sleep or time to clean my house. Or, time to just SIT.

So, here's to REST! May I get plenty of it in the next few weeks leading up to the marathon!

Catch up...part deux

Seriously, I have no idea what happened to the month of August. Absolutely. No. Idea!

Work has been busy, weekends have been busy...

OK, we'll start with running. For a while now, running has been a real chore. I've felt tired on runs and just really struggled with it in general. In mid-August, I ran a 10K race. Well, saying I ran it is generous...I pretty much willed myself to finish. In my defense, it was a very hot and humid morning, but still - the race shouldn't have gone that bad. I was winded, nauseous, and light headed.

Then, I attempted to run 18 miles the next day...I managed to complete 14.5, with a lot of walking. (My friend Denton is a true gem, for sticking with me, and for convincing me to stop.)

I talked to an elite runner friend of mine and sort of self diagnosed myself with anemia. I've been anemic before, but sort of slacked on taking my iron pills for a long while. So, now that I've been taking iron again...things are hopefully turning around.

I ran 2 half marathons within a week of one another and set a PR by over a minute. While I'm very happy to have PR'd, I really just wanted to run long and feel GOOD - for once. So, for both races, I was able to push myself but also feel strong. (Oh yah, and being able to breathe and not want to puke? Those are also good things!)

I went for a 10 mile run tonight and felt pretty good. It was 80 degrees with a breeze, but I felt good throughout. A month ago? I wouldn't have made it a few miles without dying.

So, I think things are turning around and I'm on the right track. Good thing, too...since my marathon is in 6 1/2 weeks!

OK, moving on to some fun stuff. I had my 2 nieces over for a sleepover at Auntie Mariah's. It was soooooo much fun! We colored, watched movies, ate pizza, painted nails, and just had a good time. And this past weekend, I took my nephew on a "date" to Chuck E. Cheese. I'm so fortunate to be an aunt.

My brother and his wife welcomed their first baby, Sydney, so I can't wait to meet her at the marathon. She's a doll and I can't wait to hold her!

The only other big news I can think of is that I will no longer have a ponytail after this weekend. The hair is getting chopped! I've had long, curly hair for a very long time and am just bored with it. I found a cut I really like and I'm hoping it works out. If not...I'll be on the hunt for a wig!