Catching Up

So, I am bummed because after a lot of back and forth, Rick and I decided that I should run the Boston Marathon this year. We planned to register me together tonight. I went on the computer around 5:10 p.m. and saw that registration was already filled at 5:03--yeah, I missed it by like 7 minutes. I had no way of knowing--it took 2 months to fill up last year but less than a day this year.

The main reason that I'm bummed is that I realized that I may be pregnant for Boston 2012 (we are thinking about Baby #3 for then), so it may be a long time before I qualify again and before we can afford a trip up there for me to run it. I just wonder if I will look back on today and wished I'd done something different. I guess Suzanne Taylor will be a good example for me--she just ran her first marathon in a decade a little while ago and qualified for the Boston Marathon and will be running it in 2011. So I guess there's no way to know what the future will hold for me!

Today I ran for the first time in 9 days, and I managed to run 20 miles. I had been having foot pain in my right foot that I thought was plantar fasciitis. It was in the arch, but it spread up to my ankle and even made my left knee buckle too (from over compensation). I finally hurt so bad after running and limped so much during running that I went to see a podiatrist. She gave me oral steroids, a band to stretch with, and instructions to ice and do physical therapy. Well, I did most of that but skipped the therapy. I managed to do a 12-mile run in a lot of pain before completely not running for 8 days. I used the elliptical and pretty much adjusted my goal in the marathon. After not finishing St. Louis, I just wanted to be able to finish the Marshall Marathon next month. I feel a little more optimistic after today's run (which was actually a combination of an 11 mile run with my running friends in the early morning and a 9 mile run after dropping the kids off at preschool). It was hilly and fast (at parts) and really wonderful. I missed running!

Marathon Training

This week marked the first of 3 20-milers that I will do in preparation for "marathon season." For me, it will begin with the Marshall Marathon in West Virginia on November 7. Rick prints the training programs for me (usually from Hal Higdon) and I do my best to follow the long runs and omit all the speed work!! Seriously, I usually just run whatever I feel like during the week without paying attention to what I'm "supposed" to do. This week was one of the higher mileage weeks for me, and it was still under 50 miles. But that's totally fine, since I can clearly remember weeks just last year that were only 10 miles or so. So I'm proud that I'm doing more than that! I got some good advice today to just keep using the "Katie approach," which to me means doing what works for me. Also today and on the 20-miler, my right foot was driving me crazy (plantar fasciitis). I have been icing it, taking Advil, and massaging it. Today it even affected my left knee as I overcompensated and, during the long run, my right ankle hurt too. I sure hope it will not cause any more problems. Mostly for me to remember my "big week" of training, here are the miles I did this week:

Sunday-off

Monday-10.5 mile run in the a.m. Walked the kids for over an hour in the stroller, so 3 miles?

Tuesday-25 minutes on the elliptical

Wednesday-8 mile run (convinced Kristen to do the last 1.5 miles with me--Good job, Kristen!)

Thursday-30 minutes on the elliptical

Friday-7 mile run (with Jane, wanted to do a few more on my own, but decided not to with the 20-miler the next day)

Saturday-20 mile run (started at 4 a.m., at the soccer field by 8 a.m.!)

Monte Sano 5K

You know you are finally feeling fall weather when you can start the morning like this...

And end up like this!

{At the 39th annual Monte Sano 10k and 5k races September 4, 2010)

My family went up to one of our favorite places, Monte Sano Mountain, for Rick and me to run the Monte Sano 10k and 5k races this past Saturday. We had originally planned to each run both races (the 5k is an hour and a half after the start of the 10k), but our sitter fell through so we opted to only race one each. It turned out to be a lot better for me because I was running on fresh legs for the 5k while many of the other runners had already done the 10k.

I have to admit that I really liked watching the 10k runners warming up before the race and knowing I did not have to run it myself! I took the children for a nice walk in the double jogger. They thought the race had already started since they saw so many people running! During the race, we cheered for Daddy, who placed 3rd in his age group and looked pretty tough finishing his race!

Rick was able to run his cool down with me during my warm up (he pushed the stroller). I met my friend, Julia, and we all three finished the short run together. He suggested I shoot for a 20:30, to take 7 seconds off of my last 5k time. Now I am getting forgetful, but I think it was something like a 6:37 per mile, so I figured I would aim for that. Right before the start, I couldn't figure out how to start his Garmin, but luckily my fellow teammate, Lisa, pressed a couple of buttons and got me to the right screen easily. Two things were different for me from the last time I had run this race: the women start separately from the men by 10 minutes (we are second), and the women could start on either side of a median (I chose the right side if you are facing in the starting direction). As we started the race, I took first place but felt another girl right behind me. The weather was great, and I felt strong in the first mile. I had forgotten that probably a mile of the race is run on loose gravel. It was very hard to run on. This is where I caught up to the men's race, and I found it hard to maneuver through the other runners. I have that same problem when half marathons start with marathons in the same start line. It is much easier for me to pace myself with runners of a similar pace, and I am kind of clumsy when it comes to passing people gracefully. One really nice guy called out, "You're first female. You're my hero!" That was so sweet and uplifting! I also liked the turnaround because I was able to see many of my friends and cheer for them as we passed one another. My second split was a 6:43, just a tad bit slower than what I wanted to get, but I was just trying to hold the lead for the last mile since it ends with a slight hill. I saw the finish line and heard Rick and the children yelling, "Go Mommy!" That was the best part! And I finished in 20:40, not quite what I wanted to get but very consistent with the 20:37 in my last 5k and good given this course. My running friends have inspired me to run the day before races (I used to take the day off), and I had run 12 miles the day before, and I felt fine and don't think it hindered me at all.

We really enjoyed talking to friends after my race and waiting around for the awards. I won a really nice picnic blanket and an Outback gift certificate (dinner for 2) for first overall female. I love sitting in the old amphitheater for the awards in this race. My friend, Kathy, came over and talked to us a little bit. She is getting ready to run a 153 mile race in Greece called the Spartathalon. That is amazing! The children ate ice cream and hunted in the woods around the amphitheater for sticks and bugs. It was a great day for our family and a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/47546268

10.5 mile run

Here is my Monday run. Rick (my husband) went for his 17 mile run that day. When I asked to join him for a little bit of it, he said, "Yes, but you should know that I normally do 8:30 miles." That seemed fast for an easy long run, so I declined and decided to do my 10 miles alone. And I decided to average 8:30 miles just to show him! (yes, I am competitive!!). I borrowed his Garmin the minute he got back. That thing is addictive! After starting slow for the first mile, I played around with my pace until, finally, at mile 8, I had that 8:30 average pace to show him! Then it went down to 8:27 and up to 8:28 at 10.5 miles. I have learned that it is hard to make your average pace move too much on a long run! It was fun running with the Garmin and turning the pace thing into a game for myself. It helped to pass the time, but I probably looked at it 15-20 times more than I would have looked at just my watch. So the Garmin is helping me feel accountable for my pace and to motivate me to go faster--I guess that's what they're for!

Today's Run

http://connect.garmin.com/player/46347054

17 miles

My run this morning was a first---earliest run ever for me! I set my alarm for 3:49 a.m., then I kept waking up afraid I would miss it going off (I know, that makes no sense!). So I was ready and jumped out of bed even before 3:49, and I headed out to meet Jane at 4:10. I tried out my new Nathan handheld water bottle from Fleet Feet (oh, Jane and I got a big laugh when I at first strapped it onto my hand backwards! I'm such a goof!). We ran together for about 8.5 miles, then she left to go to No Boundaries, and I ran back to Asbury and met up with Madelyn, Kristen, and Angie for about 5 miles or so, and then I finished the run alone. I "ran" into my supervisor at work, an old friend from college, a fellow soccer mom, and a former teacher friend all in one run! So there really are other people up before the sun rises! As far as the training part of the run, I felt very good and strong for the entire run. My right foot hurt a little (plantar fasciitis). I drank a Gatorade and had Sportsbeans, and that seemed enough for the distance today. I also tried picking up the pace again at the end (I think it's good for my training and it helps Rick when I get back earlier). My last mile was slower because I ran into my former teaching friend (she passed by my in her car), and we got to talking. So, with the Garmin, I kind of feel bad if I stop it for that sort of thing; I mean, the clock won't stop on race day for me to get water, tie my shoe, etc. So I debated a bit about whether to stop it on that last mile because I really wanted to see how fast I had run it, but it didn't feel right stopping it so I let it run. My best piece of advise for those running in the early morning--stick to the larger, well lit roads. We did quite a bit on Hughes Road this morning and another well lit subdivision and felt very safe. So, another long run done (17 miles), and a race next weekend (Monte Sano 10K and 5K).

Rick's First Blog Entry

So Katie has been encouraging me for quite a while to provide a post for this blog. We talked about a few topics that I could use for an entry, but I just haven't pulled the trigger. Until now.

The topic I've chosen isn't something I feel strongly about or something I got too excited about. I just found some time and this was on my mind. The topic is the Sprint Triathalon that happened this past Saturday. I've worked the run/bike transition for several years and the experience is very similar every year. I enjoy working this event because of the diversity in the participants. There are athletes completing the run course (~3 miles) in 17 minutes and there are kids riding their bikes with 16 inch wheels and streamers on the handle bars. There were several bikes with aero wheels and several with baskets and/or bells.

But the triathalon is also the day that I have to be a big meanie. I think I'm starting to soften some, because I had a hard time motivating myself to be a meanie this year, but I still think I managed. Why do I have to be meanie? Because it communicates to people, and it is the only way to communicate to some (some I still didn't get through to). I have to shout at spectators in a less than pleasant tone to chase them out of the transition area, or to get people to stop riding their bikes in the transition area, or to buckle their helmets.

I feel strongly about chasing people out of the transition area because I have seen what happens when they don't listen. One of the first times I worked the transition area, a family with three young girls showed up very late, after the first heat had already started the run course. I encouraged them to quickly place their bikes and move out of the area. As the time approached for the first runners to be coming through, I told them they had to leave. When they didn't leave, I asked again with more urgency. When I saw the first runners finishing, I told them they had to leave immediately. Of course they didn't leave and the next thing I knew there was a girl (probably 8 years old) laying on the ground crying after a collision with one of the top competitors. So I felt that some of that collision was my fault because I was the "transition guy." So that's why I run around encouraging people to stay out of the area and even picked up a young toddler on Saturday to carry him out to his mother. I don't want to see another kid (or adult) laying flat on their face in the transition area.

One thing I found interesting on Saturday was all of the reasons people came up with why the rules didn't apply to them.

The rule about staying out of the transition area didn't apply to them because "I just have to get something real quick," or "I was already past the tape when I realized I'm not supposed to be in here, so I'll just cross the rest of the way." One guy told me he would just look to make sure that he wasn't in a competitor's way. Do people realize what they are saying? Do they stop to think what would happen if everyone took the same approach? But no, the rule applies to everyone else... But like I said, I'm headed towards becoming a softie. One woman wanted to put an encouraging sign near her daughter's bike, and I offered to do it for her.

Most people who we had to tell to push their bike instead of ride it out of the transition area were quick to hop off. They didn't even realize they were supposed to push it to the mount line or force of habit caused them to throw a leg over and start riding. But there was also a guy who rode his bike through the entire transition area after three (maybe four) of us told him to get off his bike and push it. He explained to us that he was already clipped in and he couldn't clip out. Yeah right. If that was true, I'd like to see what happened when he got to the end of the bike ride.

I did try to offset all of those corrections with some encouragement too. I clapped and told people, "way to go" or "nice job, keep it up." So maybe not everyone sees me as the transition meanie.

Birthday Run

http://connect.garmin.com/player/45372904

Well, most people may not think this was the best way to start my birthday, but I got up at 4:30 am this morning and met my friend Alice for a 16 mile run. I had a great time; it's been awhile since I've run that far, and I am getting excited about the upcoming marathon season! We started a little faster than normal (9:45s) and ended her section of the run with me with a more comfortable 10-10:30 minute miles (miles 5-10). It was SO dark, and it was just the two of us, so it was a little scary in the neighborhoods (though we were wearing lights for visibility and carrying pepper spray). We also took a couple of wrong turns since our usual friends that are super good with knowing the courses were not there. We had a great time catching up with each other about the first weeks of school and about our busy lives. She had to get back to Asbury and finished right over 10 miles. Not really knowing the rest of the route I wanted to do, I headed for a familiar route that was pretty hilly but also more scenic than the busy Hughes Road! I put in my headphones and picked up my pace. Around mile 14, I realized that I was running short on time because I was still a long way from Asbury. I used my husband's GPS watch (or Garmin or whatever they call it!) for the first time, laughing at the word "bezel" as he instructed me on it last night. Anyway, the Garmin was set to show average pace and distance, not duration of the run or the current time! And I was afraid to push any button thinking I might accidentally turn it off! So, as I passed Bob Jones High School, I read the clock which said 7:07, and I knew I was LATE (had to be back at my car at 7:08 to make it home in time for Rick to leave for work). I booked it back to my car, running near 8 minute miles and feeling very tired! And then I called Rick quickly and jumped into my car and raced home. Then I hurried to get the kids ready for school, got myself ready, and taught my class of 8 1 1/2 year olds until 1. We had a small birthday party for my twin sister and me tonight, and now I am getting ready to crash! Yea for the weekend, and yea for the long run for the week already being over before Saturday!