My 2012 Top 5 List

We travel quite a bit around the holidays.  We spend Christmas with my family on the Eastern Shore and right after Christmas we leave for Tennessee to visit Stephen's family.  Because of the way the holidays fell this year, we haven't been at home for more than 12 hours since Saturday the 22nd.  This kind of a travel schedule tends to throw a bit of a kink into training programs.

I am not worried about it...I have quite a training routine laid out for after the new year.  But I'm seeing the effects of holiday eating and not working out like normal. 

As we get closer to New Year's Eve, everyone seems to be looking back at 2012 and doing "the best of" lists.  So here is mine...

Top 5 Moments in my Athletic Year 2012

5.  The Baltimore Half Marathon - going into this race, I was very optimistic about my ability to finish in a great time.  I was hoping for a PR and thinking that there might be a slight chance I could break 2 hours.  My knee had other ideas and starting at mile 7 I struggled with run/walking the rest of the race.  I still finished the race even though the thought crossed my mind to drop out.  I learned a lot about myself that day...and I learned that not every race has to be a PR to be a great learning experience.

4.  The Salisbury Half Marathon - running a half marathon with my good friend Colleen was something that I will always cherish.  We started our running careers together and even though we live several hours apart, I still think of her as my very favorite running buddy.  We started the race together, struggled through miles 9-11 together, and finished the race within 30 seconds of each other.  The friends I have made through running mean the world to me and the fact that we did this race together is very special.  I'm so proud of Colleen for the things she's been able to accomplish.

3.  The Ocean City Half Marathon - this is a race that I didn't run this year.  For the first time, I volunteered to help with the race.  I helped with registration, I helped with the race morning packet handout, I helped with the Tshirt sales at the after party.  I realized exactly how much work goes into putting one of these events together.  I gained a brand new appreciation for all the race organizers and volunteers who allow us to run the races that we do.  And I think it's harder to volunteer and help with the race than it is to run the 13.1 miles.  I was exhausted at the end of the day...but I had the opportunity to talk to so many of the participants and experience the race from the other side. 

2.  Finding the CCR Training Group - OK, so this isn't officially a moment but finding the CCR training group was key to getting me back on "track".  Without a running group, I find myself struggling to even get out the door.  But with a group, I am able to stay motivated to do my training.  Plus, the people who are in this training group are awesome people.  They are so willing to share their knowledge and really want everyone in the group to succeed. 

1.  The Osprey Sprint Triathlon - my very first triathlon was an amazing experience.  It was so much fun and I was surprised at how well I did with no training.  This event inspired me to focus my training in 2013 toward more triathlons, including longer distance tris.  As a result of my excitement, I've been talking to everyone about triathlons...which allowed me to meet Anne who connected me to the training groups for swimming and triathlon biking.  I am so excited to see where this leads me in 2013!!!

People Watching

I love to watch people.  It's a guilty pleasure.  I often get caught staring at someone because I'm trying to figure them out just by their facial expressions, the way they carry themselves and their appearance.  A college friend used to share this joy with me, except she took it one step further and would create fake conversations between these people we were observing.  (Yes I'm talking about you LLL)  Her fake conversations for these strangers would leave me laughing so hard I'd be in tears.

Anyway, since I love running, my eye is often caught by other people who are running.  I live in a great neighborhood for running and a lot of my neighbors run quite frequently. 

There's my daughter's friend's mom who looks like she is sprinting every time I see her.  She runs 3-4 miles when she runs, so I would love to know what her pace is.  All I know is that she's FAST!

Then there's my neighbor who annoys me with the way she and her family screw up the parking in the neighborhood.  (That's a whole different topic but parking is a pet peeve of mine.)  Anyway, she is tall and skinny and reminds me of a fishing bobber because all she does is bob up and down when she runs...I don't know how she covers any distance because all her effort is going up and down.

I have been working odd hours recently because work has been so hectic.  I've been leaving earlier in the mornings and coming home later in the evenings.  So I'm seeing a whole new set of runners. 

There is one guy who I noticed because he's a minimalist runner...he wears what looks like a glove on his feet.  It even has toes! I couldn't imagine running in a shoe like that.  He is Asian, which I only mention because there are a lot of Asian people in my neighborhood but very few that I see running. 

I also notice his stride...he always looks extremely at ease when he's running.  I'm sure every ounce of the effort I am making shows on my face when I'm running.  If you just saw this guy's face, you'd never know that he was running.  And I can never tell if he's just starting out or finishing up a long run.  He also wears really bright colors which is what caught my eye at first. 

So it seems like every day for the past week I've seen him running.  It didn't matter if I left the house at 6 am...I would pass him running up the main hill in the neighborhood.  Or I would be meeting Clara at the gym at 5 pm...there he was trucking up that same hill.  Then one day I came home mid afternoon.  Guess who I saw - yep, brightly dressed Asian minimalist runner man.

So I started wondering about this man.  How much does he run?  Is he training for something?  Does he have a family and is just trying to fit in workouts whenever he can? 

People watching can be fun but it definitely is frustrating in this instance.  I want to know more about why this man seems to run ALL the time!

Missed Turns

Sometimes a mistake can actually turn out for the best. 

On Saturday morning, I met the Charm City Running group for the first run I've done in awhile.  I was excited but very nervous about how much my knee would allow me to do.

Most of the members from the last training session were running the Celtic 5 mile race so I wasn't sure who would be there...turned out to be Glenda, Clarese and Denise along with a LOT of new faces.  I led the stretching and then we divided up into groups.  I went with the group that was going to run the shortest distance, which was 3.5 miles.

It was a typical run for me.  I chatted with the people in my group.  As we settled into a pace, another woman and I ended up pretty much running alone.  I really enjoyed our conversation and wasn't paying much attention to my route sheet.  We missed our turnaround spot, which I didn't realize until my watch alarm indicated that we'd gone 2 miles and we hadn't turned around yet.

So we turned around and headed back to the store.  By the end of the run, we had gone 4.5 miles.  That was a pleasant surprise because it felt good...it felt easy.  My knee was overall pretty good.  I had to walk up 2 hills because of my knee but was able to run comfortably as soon as we got to the top.

Without missing that turn, I would have been satisfied with running 3.5 miles.  But since we ran an extra mile, I was able to prove to myself that I am not as out of shape as I thought!

Dilemma of the Day

I have run the Ocean City Half Marathon 3 times and I've volunteered to help with it once.  I love this race because it was the very first half marathon I ever ran.  Plus I am so involved with the organizers of the race which makes me feel like an insider.  I have really been looking forward to running it in 2013 because I would LOVE to break 2 hours in this race.  It would be great to hit that goal in OC.

In the mail I get an invitation to my 20 year college reunion.  Yes, 20 years.  Yes, I've been trying to tell you readers that I'm old!  Guess what the date of my reunion is...yep...same day as the OC Half.

Now it is physically possible to do it all.  The half marathon is in the morning.  The race starts at 7 am.  I can be finished with the race and have time to hang out at the after party and get on the road by noon.

It's just over a 4 hour drive from Ocean City to Elizabethtown, PA, so I would get there around 4:30.  I have no idea what time the reunion starts.  (I just got a save the date in the mail.)  I'm assuming it would be a dinner.  I would definitely need a driver so that I could rest/recover in the car. 

So...am I even crazy to consider this?  I really want to do both things!  I am so annoyed that they are on the same day.  I'm soliciting advice...if you were me, what would you do?

My Schedule...Come on January!

My training is all set and I'm signed up.  Here is my schedule starting in January:

Sundays - mornings - Zumba class with Ryann, afternoons - Triathlon Swimming Class
Mondays - weight training with Clara
Tuesdays - Triathlon Bike Class
Wednesdays - Track Workouts with Charm City Run group
Thursdays - weight training/run/other training based on how I'm feeling
Fridays - REST!
Saturdays - long runs with CCR group

This Saturday is my first run with the CCR half marathon training group.  I've missed my friends and can't wait to get back out there.  I know that I've lost quite a bit of endurance and speed, so I'm just hoping that I can finish the run and keep up with the group. 

December is a tough month based on all the obligations I have, so I'm hoping to get in as much running as I can.  I had a GREAT workout with Clara today.  I am getting stronger and enjoying working out again.  I'm so excited to start these training programs!!

How Karen Got Her Groove Back

I have always believed that attitude is 90% of the battle.  Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile have probably been able to tell that my attitude has not been the greatest for the last few months.  Everything was suffering as a result...my workouts, my running, my weight and my overall health. 

Guess what kids?  I'M BACK! 

The funniest thing is that it was a chance meeting that completely changed my attitude. 

So the last few posts have been about my plan.  That was the start of this new 'tude of mine.  Having a plan definitely helps me.  Starting to put it into action was really good and a definite step in the right direction.  But I still didn't have the excitement.

Wednesday evening I went to Ryann's graduation ceremony from the Howard County Leadership U program.  It was a 5 month program where her group had to do a service project.  She had worked very hard, made some new friends and enjoyed herself.  I was excited to celebrate her completion of the program with her.  They sat us at a table with other parents from Marriotts Ridge High School.  Across the table was a couple who I recognized but had never spoken with.  We got to talking and guess what...they are TOTAL triathlon experts!  Abby has been telling me about Anne since I moved back.  That she lives in my neighborhood and is someone I should know.  Anne is a triathlon trainer who does swimming classes at the community college.  They welcomed me to ride with them any time!

The next day I emailed back and forth with Anne and decided to sign up for the swimming class that she teaches.  I sent Matt the information and he is going to sign up as well.  She told me that both of us should register for the intermediate class.  I don't feel like that's where I belong so after some discussion with her about that she said to sign up for beginner and she would evaluate me to see if that's the right class for me.

Ever since meeting Anne, I've been so excited! A chance meeting with someone like her is incredibly motivating for me.  I know that she is so much faster than I am on the bike.  So I need to get myself in gear (see what I did there...cracking myself up) and get in shape on the bike. 

I really think that triathlons are something that I will enjoy.  With the right training from Anne in the pool, my swimming is going to improve SOOO much.  That was the worst leg for me.  And getting better on the bike will happen...I just need more "seat time".  I've got to get out there and do it.  With my newly rediscovered attitude and excitement, it's going to happen!

Putting the Plan Into Place

Today I stopped by the YMCA. I had been considering several places for my swimming training.  There are advantages and disadvantages to all the options.  In the end, I decided to go with the one that was the most convenient and offered the most benefits to the family.  With all the programs the Y has for kids, free childcare and convenient location, it was hands down the winner.

So they have a master swim team (which Abby goes to) and a triathlon training group.  I have decided not to go to either of these classes.  My reasoning is simple...the times they meet are not convenient for me.  They have a ton of open lap swim times so I'll be able to go whenever I want.  I won't have anyone giving me drills or helping me with my stroke, so I will have to do some of that on my own.  But at this point, I really just need to get in the pool.  So getting access to a pool was key! 

Planning!

I'm a planner.  I always work better when there's a plan.  That's why I'm so much more disciplined in my running when I'm following a training plan.

I've been a little out of sorts recently.  I think my recent posts show that...but now I have a plan!!!  Not a training plan but an action plan. 

Let me rewind a bit.  I had lunch with Abby this week.  I drilled her with questions about triathlons...everything from training to races to finding places to swim.  I felt so much better after talking with Abby. 

I really want to do an Olympic distance tri in 2013.  Zack (a business acquaintance who is a seasoned triathlete) recommended that I sign up for the Columbia Triathlon which is in May.  It's an Olympic distance and I have heard that the course is REALLY challenging because of the hills.  As I said to Abby, I want to continue having fun with triathlons.  I don't feel like trying to tackle that course so early on in my triathlon experience would be fun.  Maybe in 2014...

So having decided NOT to do the Columbia Triathlon, I have identified several sprint tris that I would like to do.  I'm going to run the Ocean City Half Marathon (and hopefully break 2 hours), then focus on training for my tris.  With Abby's help, I've decided where to go for swimming training and she is sending me information on indoor cycling training.  So I'm excited about that.

My 90 Days of Me is not going as well as I had planned.  But I'm getting there.  I've lost 2 pounds in a week...not great but not bad either.  At least it's going in the right direction.  And now that I will be more active with my training again, I expect those numbers to drop much faster.

YAY! I wish you could see my grin.  I love having a plan!!!

Morning Dilemma: Sleep vs. Running

Every evening before I go to bed, I set the alarm clock on my cell phone.  As I'm doing this, I think about the morning ahead.  Ryann has to get up at 5:45, I need to be in the shower by 6:15, make breakfast for myself and lunches for the girls, get Ryann breakfast and out the door by 6:50, get the little ones up, fed and out the door as quickly as possible, then off to work.  Every evening I consider setting the alarm for 5 so that I can get up and out the door for a quick 3 mile run before it's time to wake Ryann.  Some mornings I actually do set the alarm for 5.  But 9 times out of 10, I don't get up to run when the alarm goes off. 

The little ones tend to wake up in the middle of the night.  They call out for a drink of water, needing to use the bathroom or just wake up crying and scared from a nightmare.  So I wake up when they call out.  Even if they go right back to sleep, I rarely do.  I lay there and worry about what time it is, whether or not I'll wake up feeling exhausted in the morning, did I do everything I should have done before going to bed, etc.  I try to avoid worrying about work during these moments, but sometimes work creeps into my head too.  Eventually I fall back to sleep.

When the alarm goes off at 5, I hit snooze, thinking that I can get dressed and throw my shoes on a little faster and still get in 3 miles, after all the snooze is only 5 minutes.  I hit snooze again thinking that 2 miles might be enough.  I finally reset the alarm knowing that I'm not getting up until I have to wake Ryann.  And really once she gets up and gets in the shower, I should have enough time to go for a run before I need to get in the shower, but again, I just want to crawl back into bed...so I do.  I've even tried to lay out my running stuff on the floor next to the bed so that I have to trip over it in order to get Ryann up...most of the time that doesn't work either.  I'm really NOT a morning person!

I know that sleep is extremely important for a healthy lifestyle.  I also know that fitting running into my schedule is extremely important.  I just can't seem to find the balance between sleep and working out.  Then I think that I'll run or work out in the evenings, but unless I have an appointment with Clara or I'm meeting the running group, something always comes up that is more important.  Why do I keep the "appointments" when I'm meeting others, but can't make the commitment when I'm doing it on my own?

Am I just stuck in a rut of making excuses or is this a challenge that others face too?  If anyone has any great ideas on how to get my motivation back to go for morning runs, PLEASE let me know.

The Week in Review

I've done some really boneheaded things before...however starting my 90 Days of Me the week of Thanksgiving has to rank up there pretty high.  I was pretty much set up for failure from the start.

I tried to be good...I really did.  I filled my plate with vegetables and ate turkey without the gravy.  I was doing so well until the pies came out.  I had a piece of pie...but no ice cream.  Again, trying to be good.

The next day I had pie.

The day after that...more pie.

The day after that...yep, more pie.

Clara (my trainer) asked me tonight how I did on Thanksgiving.  I neglected to tell her about the subsequent days of pie.  And when eating the leftovers, I wasn't exactly as disciplined as I was on Thanksgiving Day.  Sorry for the omission Clara, but you were already killing me on the workout and I didn't want to be punished more!!!

I did get some good sleep and pampered myself and Ryann with mani/pedi's.

Clara took my "before" measurements.  They are not pretty.  But I am working on changing that.  I went to the grocery store and bought a ton of groceries that will help with my healthy eating.

Meghan sent out an email today about the running group.  I'm so excited to get that started again.  They are meeting on Dec. 8th and I'm so excited.  I miss my running friends and I definitely need to get back to running.  I have also asked Andi about a triathlon training group. 

I'm so excited about the changes I'm making.  I know that as I make my body healthier, through eating better and exercise, my performance in running and triathlons will improve drastically.  That's my focus on this "off season".

I'm So Thankful

I'm thankful for...

-the ability to run because there are some who can't
-my healthy children because there are so many who aren't
-makeup and moroccan oil
-a job that I love even though it can make me crazy sometimes
-Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house...it's my favorite holiday
-my friends...the ones who have known me for a long time and ones who I've just met
-laughter
-sunsets
-the feeling I get when I cross the finish line
-the life that I have even though it's not the one I planned when I was 20
-a full night of sleep
-too many more things to mention

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

Progress Report

I think I might have overdone the "hard workouts" part of 90 Days of Me.  I'm SO sore all over.  But that's good! Thank you Clara for a great workout.  I promise you I will continue to do my work even when I'm not with you.  She had been taking it easy on me because of the half marathon, but she has definitely stopped taking it easy on me!  That's good because it's what I need, but my body is protesting every step I take right now! As Grace says, "OUCHIE!!!"

Yesterday was my designated rest day.  Today I will be doing a workout and tomorrow morning I'll be running my own personal Turkey Trot...since I can't make any of the races fit with my schedule.

Food continues to be my challenge. While I understand that healthy eating is really the best thing for my body, I continue to be tempted by sweets.  This is a very unusual situation for me because I am not normally a sweets kind of person.  I'm not sure why all the sudden I am craving donuts, pie, ice cream and cookies.  Hmmm.  Maybe it's just my tastes changing as I get older??  I don't know.  But the clean eating part of 90 Days of Me is still proving to be the hardest part.  Although my brother and sister-in-law just gave me 2 Paleo cookbooks for my birthday.  I have earmarked several recipes that look really good, and actually look like something the kids would eat too!

I have decided that I'm going to make an appointment for a mani/pedi on Friday.  It's been a long time since I've had one and I don't often splurge on things like that.  Maybe I'll take Ryann and it can be some mother/daughter time too. 

So I'm a few days into 90 Days of Me.  I am feeling sore and very challenged...but I know this is going to be so worth it.  I've taken some "before" pictures which are hideous and embarrassing.  Clara is going to help me take my "before" measurements on Monday even though it will be a week into my 90 Days.  I can't wait to see the "after" pictures and measurements! 

90 Days of Me

A few weeks ago, my friend Sandra had the following post on her Facebook page:

Today starts 90 days of me... hard workouts, clean eating, body pampering and new experiences.

 

Since I saw this post, I've been thinking a lot about it. After a lot of thinking, and way too much indulging, I am ready to start my 90 Days of Me. You see, I've thought about what I might be giving up if I went on a diet...which I really need to do. Sandra's post made me realize that my mindset was all wrong. Eating healthy is NOT giving anything up! It's choosing to put my body before food.

 

Another post that has convinced me to start 90 Days of Me was by my friend Lisa who posted a photo of a very fit woman with the words "No Food Tastes as Good as Being Fit Feels". SOOO true! I deserve to feel better than I do...and when I am feeling better physically, I will be performing better in the athletic endeavors I want to undertake.

 

So you might be wondering why I am choosing to start my 90 Days right before Thanksgiving. Well, in all honesty, it's because I want to prove it to myself that I can do this even with the holidays and all of the temptations that they bring. If I can handle it now, I will be able to change my lifestyle permanently.

 

Eating is only part of this change. Working out is going to become a priority during this "off season".  The running group starts their winter training session Dec. 15th. I will continue to run with them on Saturdays and Wednesdays. I will continue to meet with Clara on Mondays, but I will also do the work I'm supposed to be doing the rest of the week. I am going to come out of this offseason in better shape than I've been in a long time!

 

I know this is a running blog, but I hope you will indulge me in detailing my progress in the 90 Days of Me. If there's one thing I can promise, I will try to make it interesting!!!

Run For Your Cookies 5K

This past week was my birthday.  I don't want to write a post about my birthday celebrations, but I will mention that I had a happy hour on Friday night.  I agreed to run a 5K on Saturday morning with Daryl.  It was his first 5K.  I figured that since I have him to thank for my new interest in cycling, I should probably support his first running effort. 

I was concerned that I might be a little hung over.  I've run a long run hung over, but never a race.  However, this was my first race since the Baltimore Half and I've done very little since then in the way of training.  So I wasn't expecting a great time...I just wanted to be there to cheer on Daryl.

I woke up to a cold morning.  I dressed in layers and headed down the road. I got there before Daryl so I got myself registered and put my bag of goodies in the car.  The race supported the Girl Scouts and was called "Run For Your Cookies".  I was really hoping there would be a box of cookies in my goodie bag, but unfortunately there wasn't.

Daryl and his wife Cindy showed up a few minutes later.  It was her first 5K also.  I warmed up and walked with them to the starting line.  Based on the number of kids running the race, I knew it would be one of those starts that annoys me...where the kids start out sprinting and then just stop.  I decided that since it was benefitting the Girl Scouts, I should probably either be more accepting of the kids or I should do something to avoid the situation.  I decided to go the avoidance route...I lined up right up front with the really fast runners.

Lining up with fast runners is always a problem for me because it makes me think that I'm one of them. Especially without much training and coming off an injury...the last thing I need to be doing is going out fast in a race.  But that's exactly what I did.  Mile 1 was 8:40 pace...that's a normal 5K 1st mile pace for me, but I am not in a "normal 5K" condition.

The majority of the course was along a pretty paved path.  I spent most of Mile 2 looking around and enjoying the scenery.  Mile 2 pace was above 9 minutes which is where I should have been for Mile 1.  So by the time Mile 3 rolled around, I was struggling.  The only uphills on the course came in Mile 3.  I had a few other issues going on...namely I was overheating and should have taken off my outer layer but didn't want to be bothered...and the uphills were aggravating my knee.  On the longest hill, I actually walked.  I never walk in a 5K! 

So I crossed the finish line in just under 30 minutes...29:49.  However, full disclosure, the course was not a full 5K.  After crossing the finish line, I walked across the street and watched for Daryl.  It wasn't as long as I thought it might be...in no time at all, I saw Daryl trucking along.  He had a great stride going and (more importantly) a smile on his face.  I cheered him on as he passed and ran back across the street to see him cross the finish line.  I don't remember his exact time but it was somewhere close to 31:30.  That's an AWESOME time for his first 5K!!!

We both went back across the street and watched for Cindy.  Once we cheered her on to the finish, we chatted about our various experiences.  My favorite comment that Daryl made was "that's such a good time for my first 5K that I'm concerned there's not much room for improvement". I chuckled and said "oh you would be surprised".  Daryl still prefers the speed of cycling, but I think he had a good time with the race and I think he'll do more.  I hope so anyway!

How Travel Has Become My Latest Excuse

I am in Las Vegas for a work convention.  I came in late on Friday night and will not leave until Tuesday evening.  So this is a long trip. I was really hoping to get some good runs in while I was here.  Unfortunately I find myself making a lot of excuses about why I can't run while I'm here.

The biggest excuse is my absolute loathing of treadmills.  I am a little concerned about running outside because I don't want to get lost.  But it's COLD here and I did not pack to run in cold weather.  It's currently 37 degrees here in Vegas.  Brrr.  So outside running is out.  But there's no good reason for me not to go to the fitness center and run on the treadmill...except that it's a treadmill.  Ugh.  Have I mentioned that I hate the treadmill?

As I sit here typing this entry, I really should be putting on my running shoes and getting on the elevator to go run.  If I don't go soon, it will get too close to the convention start for me to get any distance in.  Ugh...so this post is short.  I'm going to force myself to go to the fitness center.

I am really looking forward to the winter training session to start in December.  I am much better at my training when there's accountability and when I make appointments on the calendar to meet the group for runs.

I'm Running and Other Random Thoughts

I've been running a little bit...a very little bit...but I've been running! The knee is holding up pretty well. So I'm really happy about that.  My physical therapist has cleared me for all activities.  YAY!

I'm leaving for a work trip on Friday and I would really like to run while I'm gone.  However I'm a little concerned about safety. I know that they have a gym in the hotel but I hate treadmills. Plus I have a big problem with being motivated to run by myself. So we'll see how well I do while I'm gone.

My friend Daryl is running his first 5K on Nov. 17th. I have decided to run the race too. I will try to "take it easy".

I really need to get back to running with my running group. I don't know why I find it so hard to get myself out there for a run when I'm not meeting a group. The winter training session starts in mid-December. I can't wait!!

That's it for now...

Memories

Since it's been almost 3 weeks since I've run, I don't have a lot to blog about in the area of my personal running. So I would like to take this opportunity to mention some important people in my running life. I'll do this chronologically.

Anna Kartalia (now Ferguson) - Anna and I took ballet classes together for years. We were good friends and I still consider her to be one of the funniest people I know. The summer before we started high school, she asked me if I would go out for cross country with her. Now I have to say that I've never been what is considered to be a natual athlete. Anna, on the other hand, came from a running family. Her older brother was already a star runner in high school. But I figured that even if I couldn't keep up with her, at least I'd be able to play a high school sport...and not have to worry about cuts...because everyone knows that no one gets cut from cross country! It is all thanks to Anna that I ever started running.

Ned Coslett - or Mr. Coslett - as I called him. Mr. Coslett was the father of a family that lived outside of Philadelphia and had a summer house in Betterton. Mr. Coslett was a runner and even though he suffered from various health issues in his life, he always ran. I can remember his unique running form. He amazed me with his determination to run no matter what. Mr. Coslett passed away several years ago, but I think about him often. When I am facing a particularly difficult mental barrier, I try to remember Mr. Coslett and his determination. During a mental struggle in the Salisbury Half, I was running by the University's fields and Bruce Springsteen started playing over the speakers. Bruce Springsteen was a favorite of Mr. Coslett's...so I took it as a message from Mr. Coslett and it gave me the boost I needed. 

Lisa Long - After knee surgery in college, I stopped running. In 2009 I met Lisa and started working out at her gym. She is completely responsible for getting me back into running. All it took was her asking me to run in a 5K that she was putting together. I've blogged about that race before. It was an immediate spark. The whole atmosphere was magic to me. I loved running (although I was so out of shape that I walked a large portion of the race), I loved hearing the age group winners (a year later I was one of them!) and I loved seeing the other runners. I was hooked. I went from struggling to run a half mile to running a half marathon...all with Lisa's encouragement and training. 

Colleen Denston - my running buddy, my workout partner, my friend. Colleen and I first met at Lisa's gym. We would work out together every day at ungodly hours of the morning. We would run together and talk about everything under the sun. When I moved back to the Baltimore area, I can say that the biggest change was not having Colleen to keep me motivated. She always says that I'm the one who is a motivator for other people but in reality having her with me was a huge motivational value. I love that Colleen and I are still in touch and still running together. I can't wait to run the next race with her!

Abby Glassberg - Abby and I have known each other for 13 years. She is an amazing runner. She has done ultra-marathons, the IronMan, endurance events and numerous "regular" marathons. The greatest thing about Abby is her encouragement. Whenever I've asked her for her advice on any event, she has honestly told me her thoughts and opinions. Abby was so helpful in providing me with some of the accessories I would need for the triathlon. She is such a good resource and I enjoy picking her brain...if I can keep up with her thought processes!

Everyone at the CCR Training Group - Instead of doing a full paragraph on each one, I just wanted to mention the entire group.  Meghan is such a fun person and I love the workouts that she puts together for us. I have felt extremely prepared for my races even though I haven't followed the training program to a tee. Erin, Andi, Heather, Glenda, Clarese, Denise, Katy, Margaret, Cassandra...and I'm sure that I'm forgetting someone...but these women have gone from complete strangers to friends in a very short period of time. I love running with them and miss seeing them since I've been sidelined with my knee issue. Every single one of them have reached out to me to see how I'm doing physically and mentally. Thank you guys!!!

I've been cleared to "jog" this weekend. Lookout! I'm hitting the streets this weekend! Of course I'll report about it here.

Commitments

It has been 2 weeks since the Baltimore half marathon and I haven't been able to run at all during that time. While this has been a painful time with my knee, this has been an enlightening time when I think about my motivation. A year ago I stopped running because I had no motivation...I was making excuses and finding all sorts of reasons why I couldn't run. Now that I really can't run, it gives me some time to think about my priorities.

Clara is my personal trainer. I meet with her every Monday. She adds strength training to my running workouts.  I'm sure she has been frustrated with me over the last few months. I've been doing just the basic and have not been eating properly. So I'm publicly promising her that I'm going to dedicate myself to doing the right things in terms of food and strength training. I am stating it now, with her help, I'm going to lose the 10 pounds that I really need to lose by the end of the year. With 10 fewer pounds to lug around, I can be leaner and faster! I am also committing to her that I'm going to continue our work throughout the week. One day of strength training is good, but I should be doing more to supplement my running.

In addition to those commitments, I'm making a commitment to myself. I have certain goals that I would like to achieve with my running. Anyone who knows me knows how important it is for me to break 2 hours. I know that I can do this. However, it's going to take some prioritizing on the days where I've formerly struggled to fit running into my schedule. This past training cycle, I really only ran on Saturdays and Wednesdays when the training group was meeting. This coming training cycle is going to be different...if I have to get up super early to fit in a run, I'm going to do that.

I am going to break that 2 hour mark. I'm going to train better in all areaas and I'm going to prove to myself that I can fit proper training into my schedule.

The Marine Corps Marathon is today. I watched the start of it. My friend Andi is running it as her very first marathon. She has accomplished so many amazing athletic feats in the last year and she inspires me so much. I hope she has a great run today and I can't wait to hear all about it. She definitely trains right...and she does running and triathlon training together...this is possible. I can do this! I just need to be focused and not let life get in the way.

I should be cleared to run again on Monday. I will take this time to get myself where I need to be so that when the next training cycle starts, I am ready.

Networking

Last night I attended the Howard County Economic Development Authority's annual meeting.  Since my dad was the CEO for 18 years prior to retiring a year ago, I have attended MANY annual meetings.  This year's was really cool because they presented my dad with the very first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.  This doesn't have anything to do with running...

Except for the networking prior to the ceremony...

Matt was there and we started talking with several people about our experience with the triathlon.  We both reflected on our race.  I spoke with Zack who I have known was a marathon runner.  We talked about triathlons...he and his wife are avid triathletes.  They both encouraged me to sign up for the Columbia Triathlon which is an Olympic distance.  I would love to do that...I'm concerned about training for it though.  I need to find somewhere to swim.  I need to get more time on the bike.  Apparently Zack and his wife are part of a cycling group and they invited me to join them any time.  YAY!

So while most people were networking for business, I am networking for training partners!

Follow up on the knee...on Monday's appointment, she is going to show me how to properly tape my knee and I'm going to be cleared to run again!!! 

Things are looking up.

Bad Knees

I have been told that I have bad knees before.  I had surgery in college to try to help correct my bad knees.  I am genetically pre-disposed to have knee pain because of where my kneecaps are...slightly angled and too far on the inside of my leg.  So when I run or bike, there is a great deal of stress put on my IT band.  It's not the pounding of the running that hurts my knee, it's really just the motion.

I saw Diane the PT twice last week.  She was great and talked with me about how we get me back to running after a short break of maybe 2 weeks with no running.  On Friday I saw Brenda the PT.  She said she had never seen knees like mine (I've actually heard that a lot before).  She told me that in her medical opinion, I should not run or bike again.  If I do, I will continue to experience pain like this.  She said that I could tape my knee, wear a brace or try surgery.  I did the surgery route 20 years ago...things have probably changed in that 20 years but I'm not sure I'm up for surgery.

So I left that appointment very conflicted.  I love running.  It's been a huge part of my life for the last several years.  Do I love running enough to continue hurting myself?  I had so much fun with the triathlon.  I was really looking forward to doing more of those next year.  Is it worth the pain that will come from that increased activity?  Ugh.  Why can't I just have "normal" knees?

It didn't take long for me to realize the answer.  It's pretty clear.  I've been running for a just over 3 years.  I've had 2 knee issues in that time.  Running is a passion of mine, it's a stress reliever and it's a source of pride.  If I get knee pain every year and a half on average, I think I can handle it.  I will just have to back off my training for a little bit and then get back on track.  It might mean that I can't do as many half marathons.  I have run 2 half marathons in 2 months...that might be a bit too much on my knee.

Other people in my position would probably think differently than I do about this.  I saw Diane at my daughter's school musical last night.  I told her what Brenda said.  She laughed and said, "we'll get you running again."  I like her attitude!!!

Baltimore Half Marathon

I have purposely taken a few days before writing this entry.  My half marathon was not what I had hoped for or expected.  But after thinking about it for a few days, it was the most incredible learning experience I've been through.

I got down to Baltimore on the metro.  It's about a 1/2 mile walk from the metro station to Pickles where I was meeting my group.  Had there been a train there and ready to leave when I got to the metro station, I would have been fine.  As it was, I had to wait nearly 15 minutes before a train came so I was running way behind schedule.  I got to Pickles just as the group was getting ready to leave for the starting line.  Meghan helped me get my stuff together, I ran to the bathroom and pinned my number to my shirt.  Then we were off to the starting line.

It was nice to be a part of a large group of people walking to the starting line together.  We all chatted and tried to keep from getting nervous.  At the start, we all huddled to try to stay warm and discussed race strategy.  Heather, Erin and I decided to try to stay together and shoot for a 2:08.

As the race started, I realized that my watch was being really goofy.  It would read that I was running a 12 minute pace, then drop to a 7 minute pace and my effort didn't change at all.  Heather and Erin's watches were pretty close on their pace, so I just stopped looking at mine.  We did a pretty good job of staying together for most of the first half of the race.  I was feeling pretty good although my knee was a little achy.  We hit the halfway point of the race in under an hour!  Woo Hoo!  On pace to break 2 hours!

It was around that time that my knee decided to really act up.  I was struggling to keep the pace.  I knew that I had to let Heather go.  Erin was somewhere behind me so I decided to drop back a little bit and wait for her.  I didn't have to wait long...she was only a few steps behind me.  She asked about my knee and volunteered to stay back with me.  I wouldn't allow that.  I firmly told her to go on and race her own race.  I would be fine.  She glanced at me again to make sure I was serious.  I nodded and she took off.

So the next couple of miles I tried to ignore the pain.  I was not keeping the same fast pace, but I was still running at a decent speed.  The hills were what hurt my knee the most.  I was hoping that once I got past the really hilly portion of the course that I would be better.  There were several hills that I simply couldn't run up...so I walked. 

I had just passed the water stop around mile 9 or so when I felt like I couldn't go on.  I kept counting down the miles on my hand and couldn't figure out how I was going to do over 4 miles with this pain.  I kept going, but started looking for a medic tent.  I've never paid attention to where the medic tents are on a course...I've never considered quitting a race before.  But I knew my knee was in bad shape...and it was starting to hurt all the way up to my hip.  Not good. 

Mile 10 and still no medic tent.  I was running, if you could call it that.  I looked at my watch and realized that I was still on pace to hit a decent finish time.  Are you kidding me?  10 minute miles were all I needed to match my previous Baltimore half marathon time of 2:08, which was my original goal for the day.  Determination set in...I can finish AND I can match my 2:08.  Watch me go!  I picked up my pace to under a 10 minute mile and set my mind on the task of just getting across the finish line.

1/2 mile later I realized how hard this was going to be.  But I wasn't going to give up.  I can do this.

Mile 11...Margaret runs past me on the bridge over I-83.  She yells "good job Karen!"  All I could manage was to lift my hand and wave to her.  My normal reaction would have been to cheer her on in response.  I was spent...every ounce of energy was going toward just moving ahead.  I was shuffling at this point.  The bridge is a steady incline and really difficult on a good day.  I moved as far to the right as I could as masses of people were passing me running up this bridge.  But I kept on going.

Mile 12...I am telling myself "you can do this" over and over again.  My body wants to give up.  My head is screaming at me to stop running.  But my determination won out...I kept on running.  One more mile, one more mile, one more mile.  I know at this point I'm not going to match my previous 2:08...but I'm still close.  I'm going to finish with a good time after everything I've gone through!  Incredible.

Mile 13...I see that damn mile marker.  I always hate that mile marker.  You think you're done, but you still have that damn .1 to go.  Today that .1 loomed larger than ever.  People are picking up their pace and sprinting to the finish.  The crowds are thick and everyone is cheering.  It was all a blur.  Where the hell is that finish?  I'm almost done...I'm almost done...I'm almost done.

I crossed the finish line and immediately started crying.  Actually I started to recognize that I was crying.  I think I had been crying for awhile.  The finish chute at Baltimore is notoriously a disaster.  It was so crowded that we had to stand completely still for several minutes before moving just a little bit.  I was able to shuffle through the crowd, get my finisher's medal, and leave the chute.  I saw Erin in the food line.  I chatted with her about the rest of her race and my knee issues.  I looked around for anyone else I knew but couldn't find anyone. 

It was at that point that I wanted to just get out of there.  I saw all the families there cheering on their loved one...I saw smiles on runner's faces...I saw everything that I didn't have...and at that moment, it was too much to deal with.  So I hobbled over to Pickles (which was a very long walk with a bum knee).  I got my stuff and tried to escape quickly.  I saw Andi and cried to her about my knee and my disappointing race.  I could only focus on what could have been and what wasn't.  She was so sweet and so encouraging.  She was right about everything but at that moment I wasn't sharing her perspective.

My conversation with Andi is the main reason why I have waited to write this blog.  I needed some time away from that disappointment and frustration.  I still feel some of that, but now I'm able to put it into the proper perspective.  I finished the race AND I finished with a pretty darn good time.  A lot of people would be thrilled to finish a half marathon in the time that I did.  I proved to myself that I could overcome the challenges and finish what I started.  I am proud of my finish.

And just as a follow up, I went to the physical therapist on Monday.  It is not a tear, it's just a strain of my IT band.  I've been put on "rest" this week...no running or working out at all.  I am hopeful that after this week I will be able to get back to running.  I'm going to break 2 hours...maybe as soon as Dec. 8th when I run the Rehoboth Half Marathon!

Freaking Out

The half marathon is 2 days away.  I'm going to go pick up my race packet tomorrow at lunch.  I am freaking out.  And my body is too.  My knee hurts, my ankle hurts, my back started hurting today...I'm falling apart...or am I just imagining it?

Do all runners go through this before a big race? Is it normal or am I just being silly?

Either way, Saturday morning is going to come and I'll line up with all the other runners.  Once I'm there and have started the race, hopefully my aches and pains will be gone and I can just run.  After all, I like running...right?

Splits

Several people have asked to see my splits for the triathlon.  I don't mind sharing, so here they are:

Overall time 1:54:51.31, 285th place
19:06 swim, 2:10 pace, 307th place for the swim
3:38 transition (SLOW!), 309th place for the transition
58:24 bike, 15.6 pace, 297th place for the bike
1:18 2nd transition, 166th place for the transition
32:25 run, 10:27 pace, 230th place for the run

I see several areas for improvement. With training, I can definitely significantly reduce the swim time. I didn't train AT ALL...unless you consider 2 swims to be training. With some practice and hopefully not getting stuck in the wetsuit, my first transition time can be cut down by at least a minute. I'm pleased with the bike, although again that's an area where I didn't train. I feel like with training, I can average closer to 17-18 mph...maybe. I can definitely cut that down a little bit. The 2nd transition was good, but with practice, I can improve there too. Although if I ever do the clip on shoes for the bike, that will add time back into it. The run was a very slow time for me in a 5K. I purposely didn't really push myself here, so there is a lot of room for improvement.  Even with the rubber band legs, I can run under a 30 minute 5K pretty easily. I am already trying to figure out how to get triathlon training fit into my already busy schedule...but based on how much fun I had, I'm definitely going to Tri again!

So the triathlon is behind me and the half marathon is looming in a few days! I'm excited about that. I know that I won't break my goal of 2 hours, but I am anxious to see how I conquer the mental demons that always haunt me around mile 8 or 9. Track practice is tomorrow night and Meghan's email said we would "chat about the race". I can't wait to hear what everyone's chatter is!

Osprey Sprint Triathlon Recap

I have completed my first triathlon! And I had SOOOO much fun! I'm going to go into a detailed recap in this post, but for those who don't want to read the whole thing, I'll do a quick summary. Overall time was 1:54:51...my goal going in was just to finish and I was hoping to finish in under 2 hours. Both accomplished!!! The swim was the worst part, I felt great on the bike and the run was HOT. For those who want all the details, keep reading...

I was a jittery mess driving to the race. I had everything I could think of to bring, I'd gone over my transition strategy several times, and I was at the point where I just wanted to get the show on the road. Although part of me was wishing I had never signed up for it.  But that part was really a very small part of me.

I arrived and parked next to a couple who looked like they knew what they were doing. So I struck up a conversation with them. As it turns out, it was the woman's first time doing a triathlon but the man had done several. I walked with them to the transition area and they helped me set up my things. They were very nice and I was relieved to have someone helping me.

After getting everything arranged, I looked for my friend Matt. Once we connected, I felt even better. Then I saw my friends Chris and Allison. I knew that Allison was in a similar situation to me, that she hadn't fully trained for the event. She's in my age group and I was really hoping to hang with her at least for the start of the race.

Pre-race the big discussion among almost all of the competitors was whether or not to wear a wetsuit. Chris and Allison decided not to. Matt was wearing his. Most of the people I talked to were going to wear it, simply for the benefit of buoyancy that the wetsuit provides. So I decided to go with the masses and wear the wetsuit. I figured that I definitely needed any advantage I could get. Matt and I went to get our body marking done. I felt like such a bad ass with my number written on me! Here I am proud of my marking prior to the race. 50 is my number, not my age! That was written on the back of my leg.

We had to walk down the road to get to the swim start. As I walked, I felt very anxious but also excited. Allison and I were in the 4th wave of swimmers. I was really hoping not to be the last person out of the water. I wondered why in the world I didn't train for the swim! With jitters at an all time high, I lined up with the other women in red swim caps for my start. I purposely started off to the left and in the back. My main goal for the day was to stay out of everyone's way!

The air horn went off and I waded into the chilly water with everyone else in my wave. Once the water got deep enough, I went under and realized quickly that it was salt water. Of course it was considering how close we were to the ocean...but my open water swims had been in fresh water. OK, I can handle this. I started to swim and quickly realized that the waves were washing over my head and every time I went to breathe, my mouth filled with salt water. I started to panic. So trying to get myself calmed down, I lifted my head out of the water and just swam the best that I could. I still ended up drinking a lot of salt water.

Allison and I swam most of the way together. She is a much stronger natural athlete than I am, so I wasn't surprised that she finished way ahead of me. As I saw the pier and the steps getting closer and closer, I got very excited to get on the bike. I just kept thinking, "you're almost done with this awful swim!" It's probably not the most positive message I could have been telling myself, but at that point I just wanted the waves to stop splashing salt water in my mouth. I banged my shin on the bottom step...I didn't realize that they started that far out...otherwise I had a pretty easy time getting out of the water and jogging down the pier to the transition area. Stephen and the girls were positioned at the end of the pier and got this picture of me as I was getting ready to get out of the water.  Notice there are still red caps behind me!  So I wasn't the last one out of the water from my age group!

I couldn't get the wetsuit off! I had practiced a couple of times in the hotel room, but for some reason I couldn't get the zipper undone. Running Buddy Colleen and Michelle had come to cheer me on and were standing right near the transition area. I ran over to Colleen and asked her to help me get the zipper down. I didn't want to yank too hard since it was her wetsuit! She unzipped me and I ran back over to my area and finished my transition. I didn't know if that was illegal or not, but I really couldn't get out of the suit. I didn't see any other choice at that point. Once I was out of the suit, my transition went relatively well. With some practice, my time in transition can definitely improve.

I got on the bike and immediately felt more comfortable. While I haven't trained for the bike either, I have definitely spent much more time on the bike than in the water. The first 5 miles of the bike I spent just trying to get a comfortable pace going.  I noticed that I was passing quite a few people and getting passed by only a couple. The second 5 mile segment of the bike was flat with only a slight wind. I felt very strong and kept increasing my average speed.  At one point I was going 22 mph and still pedaling to go faster.  Considering this was a speed where I freaked out on my first ride, I smiled to myself at how far I've come.

When we were about 12 miles into the bike, I was passed by a very fit-looking woman.  I decided to see if I could hang with her for the rest of the ride.  I was able to stay with her until about 1/2 mile out when she took off and I simply couldn't go any faster. I was SO happy with my bike leg. Overall I was only passed by about 10 people and I passed probably 30 or so. I felt good and strong. As I rode back into town and could see the transition area, I had a huge smile on my face. This was fun!

They made us dismount and walk/jog our bikes into the transition area. This was the time where my legs felt the worst. I tried to jog with my bike, but decided pretty quickly to walk. I figured that walking would give my legs more time to relax and I would be better off when I started the run. My second transition was pretty easy since I didn't have to change shoes like most of the serious bikers did. Advantage to the newbie for a change! I racked my bike, took off the helmet and replaced it with my running visor, took off my gloves and put on my Garmin watch. As I ran out of the transition area, I saw Colleen and Michelle. I pointed to them and yelled "you've got to do this...it's so much fun!" I meant it too...they both would love it.

At about 1/4 mile into the run, my legs still felt like I was running through cement. I looked at my watch and saw that I was running a 9:10 pace. WHAT? How am I going that fast and feel so slow? 1/2 mile and I'm still doing that pace even though I felt like I had slowed down even more. This is crazy. But by 3/4 mile, my legs were feeling more like normal and the pace showing on my watch matched how slow I felt.

Since the run was an out and back, I basically passed everyone ahead of me on the way out and everyone behind me on the way back in. There were a lot more people behind me than I expected. I heard Matt yell for me as he passed me.  He was finishing the 5K as I was starting. But I expected that...he's an amazing athlete.

I definitely ran a slow 5K. At that point, I was tired and the sun was really HOT. I saw Allison on her way back in. She was looking good. By the time I hit the turnaround, I was feeling good again. I could have picked up the pace on my run but I didn't want to do anything to hurt myself for the half marathon next weekend. So instead, I went into "Karen" mode...yep, the cheerleader came out. I encouraged the guy who was walking right before I got to him. I spotted several of the newbies I had talked to pre-race and cheered for them. I waved to the crowd and thanked them for being there. As I made the turn for the final stretch, I saw my girls. I waved and said a big hi to them. I was having so much fun.

I crossed the finish line and had a huge grin on my face. I couldn't wait to do this again! I don't remember ever thinking that immediatly after finishing a race. Wow...what a cool experience.

Keep Calm and Tri On

Last night we had a 2 mile time trial at track practice.  Heather and I ran together and I knocked 2 minutes off my time from the previous time trial!  YAY!

The other great thing that happened last night was that Andi gave me a necklace!

This necklace is perfect for me because I really do just need to keep calm.  I went to the bike store and bought myself a pair of tri-shorts.  I got into the car and had a mini-freak out.  I just feel very unprepared for this triathlon.

So after talking with Andi I feel a lot more calm.  I am approaching this as a fun adventure.  No matter what I do, even if I'm in very last place, it will be my best time ever since it's my first one ever! 

It is so nice to be involved in such a supportive group.  I have gone to several of the group members asking for advice and tips.  Everyone has been so nice about letting me borrow things (thanks Abby, Biker Colleen and Running Buddy Colleen), giving me tips from their experiences (thanks Abby and Andi) and giving me gifts (thanks Andi).  When I'm getting tired, I will just remember the message on my necklace....Keep Calm and Tri On!

Motivational Monday

Today was a struggle from start to finish.  I had so much to get done and very little motivation.  So I decided to turn around my attitude.  I have found these motivational quotes that I wanted to share.  I don't have much to say today so I thought I would let others do the talking for me.  These quotes have helped to make me feel better today.  Hopefully at least one will strike a chord with you.

"Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you're young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don't let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself."
-John Bingham, running speaker and writer

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham

"Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right."
-Henry Ford
"Every day is a good day when you run."
-Kevin Nelson

"Anybody can be a runner. We were meant to move. We were meant to run. It's the easiest sport."
--Bill Rodgers

"If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it."
-Priscilla Welch

"The advice I have for beginners is the same philosophy that I have for runners of all levels of experience and ability -- consistency, a sane approach, moderation and making your running an enjoyable, rather than dreaded, part of your life."
-Bill Rodgers

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."
--John Bingham

"I often hear someone say I'm not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner."
-Bart Yasso

"Running is not, as it so often seems, only about what you did in your last race or about how many miles you ran last week. It is, in a much more important way, about community, about appreciating all the miles run by other runners, too."
--Richard O'Brien

Hilly 10

Since I ran the 5K on Saturday, I did my long run for the week on Sunday.  Saturday was also the day where we could have run the course of the Baltimore half.  Because a lot of the group didn't want to run the course, we met on Sunday to do our long run.  It was a skeleton group, but I ran with Heather and Erin.

The course that Meghan had picked for us was a new one to all 3 of us.  I asked Meghan before we ran if it was hilly.  She said "is it Howard County?"  So that meant yes, it's hilly!  Ugh.

As we started running, Heather and I both confessed that we had gone out to dinner late the night before and both had several drinks.  So we were feeling a bit fuzzy at the beginning of the run.  hehe

We agreed to take the run easy.  The morning was crisp and I started the run with my jacket on.  Of course it wasn't long before I got too hot and tied the jacket around my waist.  The pace felt good and the conversation was flowing.  Before we knew it, we were half way done!  The hills were pretty rough, but we all agreed that it was a good training run for Baltimore.

I can remember how shell-shocked I was after the first time I ran Baltimore.  I was used to running on the Eastern Shore where not only are there no hills, there are no inclines!  It's FLAT.  Really FLAT.  So even though I ran "hills" on the bridge at Assateague, I was unprepared for the inclines.  Literally none of the race is flat.  It's all either uphill, downhill or on a slant of some kind.  Now that I'm training on that same type of terrain, at least mentally I'm in a better position to accept it.  I really hope I'm prepared for the hills!

Elementary 5K

I love running 5K races for many reasons.  So when Erin mentioned that her kids' elementary school was having a 5K, I was in without hesitation.  Here is a picture of me with my little ones before the race.  Grace was not happy...and the coffee mug in Ella's hand actually belongs to Stephen.  Ella was just holding it but it adds a comedic element to this picture.

Because it was a benefit for the elementary school, the race was filled with children.  The start of the race was pretty interesting.  Some of the kids decided to sprint for the first quarter mile or so...and then they stopped.  Literally just came to a screeching halt in the middle of the running path.  So it made for a very interesting race, dodging these children.  Normally I would be annoyed...I am not the most tolerant runner at the start of a race...but these are kids we're talking about, and the race does benefit their school...so I just had to smile.

Right before the start of the race, my watch began beeping "low battery".  It died before the race began.  I have not run without my watch except when Meghan made us unplug for that track workout a few weeks ago.  In a 5K, I typically need my watch to keep me from going out too fast.  Since it died, I had no idea how fast or slow I was running.

Here is a picture of me at the finish.  I like it when Stephen comes to the races because I get pictures! 

I finished with a 28:23.  It's nowhere near my fastest time, but considering I had no way to gauge my pace, I am pretty happy with that time. 

I will give a recap of the 10 miles I ran today in another entry since it's getting late and this blogger is really tired.  Have a great night!

Let's Talk

Unless I am meeting my running group to run, I struggle to put my shoes on and go out the door for a run on my own.  And when I'm running it always feel so much harder when I'm on my own.  So what it really boils down to is that I am using my running for social purposes.  I love running and talking.  I've been told that sometimes I share a little too much when I'm running.

When there is no one with me, there's no one to talk to.  I feel like I'm all alone...and all I can think of is how much I want to be done running. 

So how do I get that same enjoyment when I run alone?  I have considered running with music to try to gain some "company" during my runs.  This is a struggle for me because I don't like running with "stuff". 

My friend Abby always runs with other people.  She gets up at 4:30 in the morning so that she can meet someone to run with.  I don't know that I have the flexibility in my schedule to do something like that, but I think that I need to do some work to try to find runners in my neighborhood.  Maybe if I'm talking and running, I'll remember that I really do love running.

An Off Week

So anyone who is a regular reader of this blog is probably pretty frustrated with me that I haven't posted anything new all week. I am sorry.  It has been a challenging week for me with a ton of stuff going on both personally and professionally.  When that happens, I struggle to find time to run.  And when I'm not running, I'm not writing.

I went to track practice on Wednesday and had to stop halfway through the workout because I was feeling sick to my stomach.  I thought sitting down and resting for a bit would make the feeling pass, but that didn't help.  So I had to leave. 

Leaving practice early made me stress out.  I am in the prime weeks of training.  I need to be hitting every run with everything I have.  I can't afford to be missing running days or cutting track workouts short.

Then the realist in me came out...I did not derail my entire training.  I realized that while putting in the time to train is very important, it's not going to make or break it if I miss a workout or two.  I know that I can finish 13.1 miles.  And Baltimore is a challenging course, so there is no pressure for me to do a personal best time.

Sometimes I need to remind myself that it doesn't need to be so complicated.  Running is supposed to be fun...it's supposed to be my escape from the pressures of the "real world".  So I allow myself a one week "freak out".  Now it's back to running for fun!

Race Recap - Salisbury Hidden Treasures Half Marathon

I got to Salisbury on Saturday in time to help volunteer handing out race packets.  I really enjoy helping with registration.  I get to talk with the runners and find out interesting stories.  My favorite was a lady who came from North Carolina who was running a half marathon in all 50 states.  We were her 12th state.  I also enjoy it because it gives me time to work with other people who enjoy running.  I talked with Charlie about triathlons and he gave me some really good tips.  I also got to spend the entire day with Running Buddy Colleen!  It was so good to see her and we chatted the entire time.

Colleen and I agreed to run the race together and view it as a training run.  So her plan was to run the first mile or so at a 10:30 pace, then the next few miles at a 10:00 pace, then the rest of the race at 9:30.  We've both read articles about the importance of running the second half of the race faster than the first half.  While 10:30 and 10:00 are much slower than what I would normally run in a race, I felt like it made a lot of sense for me to do this "training" race at that pace to see how it worked. 

So at the starting line, I jogged along happily next to Colleen.  It took a lot of discipline for us to stay at a 10:00 pace, so we stayed there.  Several times we had to pull back the pace when we looked at our watches and saw a 9:15 pace!

The race had been billed as a flat and fast course.  It turned out to be neither flat nor fast.  But at mile 6, I was still feeling pretty good.  Mile 7 has always been my nemesis.  I don't know why but I alwasy struggle at mile 7.  So when I started to feel a bit like I had weights tied to my feet, I worried that it was my normal mile 7 issues.  Shortly after that we passed the Salisbury University's stadium.  One of their teams was having a practice and I could hear music pumping through the speakers.  As soon as I got in range where I could hear it, the song switched to Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run".  Now there is a very long story behind why that song is so special to me...and I don't want this blog to go off track, so I'll save that story for another day.  But let's just say that the song gave me some new life and some new motivation.

It was about a mile and a half later when Colleen was really struggling.  I wanted to stay with her but she could tell that I was still feeling good and she didn't want to hold me back.  So I did go ahead for a little bit.  But it wasn't long before I completely fell apart.  My foot hurt so badly that I couldn't ignore it, my knees were bothering me and I was getting a nasty blister.  I stopped to walk for a bit and wait for Colleen.  She wasn't far behind me and caught up quickly.  We walked together for a few seconds, then started a jog.

Now there was an older lady who was running around the same place as Colleen and I.  I noticed that on her shirt she had written several states' abbreviations.  Another 50 state runner!  The fact that she was probably 60 years old made that even more impressive to me.  I made a mental note to find her after the race and chat with her.

The last 2 miles were really just a mental struggle to gut out the rest of the run.  I was on unfamiliar roads and couldn't see the civic center where the finish line was, so I had no idea where I was.  The finish was inside the civic center.  Adding insult to injury, there was a hill we had to run up to get to the civic center.  Ugh.  The good news is that once I got into the civic center, it sounded like hundreds of people cheering for me at the finish.

My time was 2:15:23 on my watch and 2:15:39 for the chip time.  It's not the fastest time I've ever run, but also not the slowest.  My fastest is a 2:05 and my slowest is a 2:23. 

So I learned that starting slow is a good idea but doesn't mean I won't fall apart at some point in the race.  I am a bit worried about my knees.  It's a day later and I'm still in some pain in my knees.  I took today off from all activity in the hopes that I can be OK for track practice on Wed.

So back to the race recap...immediately after the finish, my calves cramped.  I tried to stretch and it only got worse.  I walked around quite a bit and slowly my calves stopped hurting so badly.  I've never experienced that before.  I wonder what that was about.  I'll have to google.

After the race, Colleen and I met up with her Ocean City Running Club buddies, Lauren and Pam.  Both of those women ended up winning their age groups!  I'll write another blog entry about Lauren and our competition to be the nicest runner.  She was great.

Overall, it was a really good experience to run the half in Salisbury.  I definitely learned some things and I realized that I'm a lot farther from my goal pace than I had hoped.  Still some work to do in the next month...

Half Crazy

So this weekend I've agreed to run a half marathon on Sunday with Running Buddy Colleen.  While we have both committed to running this race easy and view it as a training run, I know how I get when I pin on a race bib and cross the starting line. 

I'm entering this weekend a bit banged up.  The ball of my left foot is really hurting...to the point that I have been limping all day today.  It scares me because I don't want to do anything that will cause me serious harm, but at the same time, I seemed to do OK when I ran the track workout on Wed.  So I guess I will see how I feel on Sunday.

Even with approaching this race as a training run, this makes 3 half marathons that I'm running between now and the end of the year.  Is this too much?  Am I pushing myself too hard?  Time will tell but I do feel like I'm doing well in my training program.  There's definitely more that I could be doing, but I am happy with where I am.  Maybe by the OC Half, I'll be in a position to break 2 hours!  That would be awesome.

Life vs. Training

Anyone who is training for an event knows that there are many challenges with finding time to train while still conducting somewhat of a normal life.  Yesterday was an especially challenging day.  I had a 4:00 meeting that went until 5, I had to pick up Ryann from play practice, get home and changed, track practice at 6:30 and a parent meeting at 7.

I do not know when I would have been able to do my track workout if I didn't do it last night, so I needed to figure out how to get it done and still make the parent meeting.  So I went to the track at 6 and did my workout alone until the rest of the group got there at 6:30.  Of course I'll was on a different cycle than everyone else, and by the time they got going with their workout, I was just about done.  But at least there were other bodies running around the track at the same time as I was.  Ryann had already let her director know that I would be late getting to the parent meeting.  I figured if I got there by 7:30, I'll miss all the repeat stuff that I heard from last year's 2 productions and still be there in time to sign up on the parent volunteer sheets...that's all they really care about anyway!  :)

So I walked into the meeting all sweaty and stinky.  (Of course I completely forgot to grab my body spray so that I would smell nice.)  I tried to stay away from everyone during the meeting and I was as quick as possible signing up on the volunteer sheets.  Mission accomplished!

In the past, I have allowed challenges like this to keep me from running.  I allowed the excuses to dictate my training schedule.  Yesterday proved that I could fit it all in.  Sometimes it's uncomfortable (like standing in the back of the parent meeting smelling badlly) and sometimes it's inconvenient (like doing the track workout mostly alone)...but training requires dedication and a will to get it all done. 

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Do you remember the children's book "The Little Engine That Could" and the famous line "I think I can, I think I can"?  Well that pretty much sums up my biking experience on Monday morning.  40 miles.  That's a LONG way to ride on a bicycle.  And there were a lot of hills...big hills...

Let me take a step back and explain the circumstances surrounding my decision to ride 40 miles.  Daryl and Biker Colleen are part of a cycling club based in Easton.  This particular club has done a ride in Kent County (where Betterton is located) in the past.  The last time they did it was the 4th of July, I believe.  So they organized a ride on Monday of Labor Day weekend.  Since I was going to be in Betterton, Daryl invited me to join.  I was nervous but excited about the idea of riding 40 miles.

After my brick workout on Saturday, I was very doubtful that I would be able to complete 40 miles.  But it was a ride that started in Chestertown, went through Betterton and ended back in Chestertown.  So if I could only do half (which I knew I could do), I would be right by our house and could get someone to drive me back to Chestertown to pick up the car.

So when I woke up Monday morning, there was no rain.  So off I went to Chestertown with my bike, my helmet, my water bottle and my sports beans.  I pulled into the parking lot and saw the group gathering.  They all looked like very nice people but they all looked like they were serious cyclists.  I got nervous again, but I hopped out of the car, unloaded my bike and pretended like I wasn't shaking in my sneakers.

So we reviewed the route sheets and off we went.  The group stayed mostly together through Chestertown but once we hit the open road, we quickly got separated.  There were 3 other women and 4 men in the group.  Two of the guys were much faster and were well ahead of everyone else most of the way.  I assumed my position in the back of the pack, partly so that I could see what everyone else was doing but mostly because I was going as fast as I could and still couldn't keep up with the pack.  Tom was a very nice guy who hung in the back with me and chatted about his running, biking and hiking experiences.  I was really trying to pay attention to what he was saying but the whole time my mind kept racing thinking about all the things that could go wrong with me and this bicycle.

I believe it was on the first large downhill that I finally decided to just let go and let the ride happen as it was going to.  I didn't put my brakes on at all.  I stopped looking at my speed once it creeped scarily close to 30 miles per hour.  I just enjoyed the wind as I sped down the hill.  What I realized very quickly is that a big downhill normally means one thing...a big uphill.  So my first uphill climb was upon me.  I was still not comfortable with my gears so I just kept it where it was and tried my best to get up the hill with some respectable amount of speed.  It was a pretty small uphill compared to the ones yet to come, but I made it up. 

I was very relieved to see that the group was assembled at the top of the hill for a water break.  Unfortunately the problem with being the little red caboose (a nickname I coined for myself because of my choice to wear a red shirt) is that when you get there, everyone else is rested and ready to go again.  I got one big swig of water before we were off again.

At the 10 mile point, we had made it to Molly's, which is a restaurant/gas station/tractor store/hunter's hangout.  I was surprised at how quickly the 10 miles had gone.  I sent a text to Stephen letting him know where we were so that I would have a cheering section as we entered Betterton.  The stop at Molly's was a long one so I was able to recover from the ride up to that point.

As we rode through Still Pond on our way to Betterton, Daryl pointed ahead and said "what's that guy doing?" I looked up and saw Stephen standing in the middle of the road shooting pictures of us.  I knew right away - "that's Stephen".  The group encouraged me to ride up ahead for my photo op.  Grace was standing in the back of the car cheering, but still wearing her nightgown.  Here is the photo that Stephen shot of the group.

This photo is literally the only time I was anywhere near the front with this group!  Shortly after this we made it to Betterton which was the halfway point, and my decision point.  Do I go on or do I throw in the towel and stop?  Anyone who knows me knows what I decided.

The stopping point was at the public beach, which was very scenic.  But the bad thing was that there are 2 ways out of town from the public beach and both of them are up a big hill.  We debated the merits of each and ultimately the group went with my suggestion - the shorter but steeper option.  Let me tell you that starting from a stop and trying to go up a steep incline is a very difficult thing to do. 

The second half of my ride was a blur of me repeating "I think I can, I think I can" as I go up these seemingly mountainous hills combined with portions of flat road where I try to get my breathing under control and my legs to stop burning.  My feet started to get that tingly feeling when you know they are falling asleep.  My butt hurt from the seat, but then it went numb so it didn't hurt so much anymore unless I hit a bump.  But here's the thing - at the bottom of every hill I would think "I'm not going to make it" and at the top of the hill I would think "wow, I made it".  In the middle I just kept going.

The last 6 miles were pretty rough.  At one point I really just wanted to stop.  But of course my stubborn nature wouldn't allow that!  As we rode into the parking lot after completing 40 miles, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment.  That's a long way to ride and 4 times longer than I'd previously ever ridden.  And I (sort of) kept up with some very seasoned riders.  I am the little engine that could!

Brick

Now that I've committed to this triathlon, I decided that instead of today's long run, I was going to do a run/bike.  I talked to Andi about what she does for training and she described a training session consisting of a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike and 2 mile run.  I thought that would be good, except I needed my workout to be 2 hours today so I planned to do 3 miles, 12 miles, 3 miles.

My run felt good, although because I allowed myself to sleep in a little bit, it was already pretty humid.  When I got back to the house, my "transition" to the bike was pretty long so I'm not sure that I got the full effect of the workout.  I got on the bike and headed out of town.

I was feeling much more confident on this ride than on my first one.  Even though I was riding on roads with cars, the shoulder was big enough that I felt comfortable.  I decided to push it and see how fast I could go for the 10 miles.  I struggled on some of the hills but overall averaged over 14 miles per hour.  Pretty good for my 2nd ride in my opinion!  I forgot to reset the computer on my bike until I was almost out of town, which I'm thinking was about .75 miles.  So the computer said I rode 10.4 miles but in actuality it was over 11. 

Once I got back to the house, I drank some water, popped a jelly bean or 2, put on my water belt and started running.  Now I know why it's called a brick workout.  My legs felt like complete bricks.  I couldn't really make them move.  My knees hurt too and I didn't want to do damage so I modified my run from 3 miles to 1 mile.  I don't know how to feel about this.  On one hand, I know it was the right thing to do so that I didn't hurt myself, but on the other hand, I need to get used to running after biking if I'm going to finish the tri.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to swim.  I definitely need some practice there!

I Love My CCR Training Group!

Continuing my freak out session concerning the triathlon, I went to track practice last night with the intention of having people who have experience with triathlons tell me that I can either do it or that I should wait until after the Baltimore Half.  Every single one of my friends from the training group basically said it would be no big deal for me.  Really?  I'm glad they are confident in me but I don't share that same confidence just yet.

There were 2 people who I really wanted to hear their opinion:  Abby and Andi.  Abby is my friend who I've known for about 13 years.  She does ultramarathons, Iron Man Triathlons and numerous other endurance events.  Andi is my friend who I recently put a link to the profile that Runner's World online did on her.  Andi is relatively new to triathlons but just completed the Columbia Iron Girl Triathlon.

So as soon as I mentioned it, Abby got really excited.  In her purely Abby way, she has already planned out how she's going to let me borrow her belt (apparently I need one to put my race number on my back for the bike and on my front for the run), her box (I didn't know I needed this but it's what you put your stuff in that you'll need for the transition from swim to bike and she said you can also sit on it to put on your shoes) and she's already thinking on a suit for me (definitely not a full wetsuit because the swim is so short and it will be a hassle to get it on and off).  Andi was just so excited for me.  Both of them said that I will be able to finish it.

This brings me to the title of my post today.  I love my CCR training group!  I have met some really interesting people, some very supportive people who I think will become long term friends, and some great resources for information on events I am curious about trying.  I also love running with such a diverse group.  I tend to stick with the 2 girls who are my speed...Glenda and Heather...but I also enjoyed Saturday's run where there was a bigger group of us staying together for part of the run.  I love to see the different ability levels and how everyone looks at training differently.

So now that I've gotten some tips from Abby and some encouragement from the rest of my friends at the training group, I've decided that I'm going for it!  I am registered for my first triathlon!  Gulp....

The Hazards of Drinking and Googling

Last night I drank a glass of red wine.  True confession:  it was a really BIG glass of red wine.  When I drink red wine, I feel like I can do things that I wouldn't otherwise feel capable of doing...like a triathlon...in a couple of weeks...

So there I am, drinking my red wine and googling "sprint triathlons".  Turns out there is one on Oct. 6th in Snow Hill.  My friend Matt did it last year.  So I sent him an email asking if he had a good experience and if he was going to do it again this year.  He responded almost immediately and said that it was a great race for a beginner and yes he was considering doing it again this year.  He went on to say that he would probably register in the next day or 2. 

I started to get excited about this sprint tri...so I sent a text to Running Buddy Colleen and ask if she thinks I'm crazy for considering it.  She replies back that she and Michelle were just talking about doing that triathlon!  So now I'm really excited.  I start googling "triathlon suits".

My only hesitation is that it's one week before the Baltimore Half.  But, according to my training plan, I'm supposed to run 6-8 miles that day.  How much different is the effort if I swim 1/2 mile, bike 17 and run 3.1?  I'm thinking (in my intoxicated state) that it's totally achievable.  Plus the course is flat...so it's less effort that riding and running on hills like I do around here.  I start googling "preparing for your first triathlon".

Now that I'm sober and it's the next day, I'm starting to have my doubts.  I can swim 1/2 mile...I can bike 17 miles...and I can run 3.1 miles.  Can I do all 3 activites together?  Will I look like an idiot because I don't know what I'm doing?  Matt said it's good for beginners but will there be people there showing me what to do?  Will I get kicked in the head by the other faster swimmers?  Running races are easy because you just show up, pin on your race bib and run.  But this event requires all sorts of logistical things that I'm not used to...like finding my bike after swimming in chilly October water.  They say the water temperate averages 68 degrees.  That sounds really cold to me.

If I have any readers, please provide your opinions on this.  Should I do this tri?  Is it too close to the Baltimore Half?  If you've ever done a tri, please tell me what to expect!

UGH.  I should not drink red wine on a weeknight...especially when there is a computer involved.