Froze My Fanny!

My new Tshirt and Headband

Hey there!  On Saturday, January 18th I went down to Clarkston, WA to run in a little race called "Freeze Your Fanny 5K" and let me tell you....the race lives up to its name....it was 27 degrees at race time....BRRRRR!!


On race day, it had been almost 2 weeks since my last run, but I kept telling myself, it's only 3 miles...this will be cake!  When I go to a race, I have to believe in my training over the past 22 months.  I ask myself all the time....when is running going to become easier for me??  Well, I must admit, 3 miles is fairly easy.  I may not be the fastest runner in the world, but I CAN finish 3 miles with ease and with little struggle.  So the answer to myself is:  Denise, running IS getting easier....keep going!!

I was joined at this race by my friend, Kristi.  We were ready to concur our first race of the year together :)  We began the race and stayed with each other for about the first half mile, but Kristi is faster than me and I would never hold her back.  I told her to just run and I will see her at the finish line.  So she did, Kristi took off and I kept running my pace.

Last year at this same race, I ended with a PR of 33:29.  My goal today was not to beat my PR, but to simply run a solid run.  If I finished at 36:00 or under, I would be super happy!  At the first mile marker, I was happy to see my Garmin telling me that my first mile was 10:56.  Sure made me smile as most of my training runs lately have been an average of 13 minutes per mile.  I was bookin' it!  Yay me!!

The 2nd mile is usually slower for me than the first mile.  So my goal for the 2nd mile was to keep running strong and get as close to an 11 minute mile as I could.  But, this was the point in the race where my outlook changed....a few yards in front of me, I noticed a little girl struggling a bit.  Then I saw her put her hands over her face as she was crying her little eyes out.  She was struggling and scared...so sad :(

I quickly caught up to her and said...."hey there, come on, run with me!"  She looked up at me, and with a crying voice said..."ooookkkkk."  I asked her name and she said "Ruby".  I introduced myself and said..."nice to meet you Ruby".  "Guess what?  We are almost halfway done.  You can do this!  I will stay with you.  Not everyone can run 3 miles.  Think about all of the people sitting on their couch right now.  You are doing great!".  Ruby smiled at me, stopped her tears and began to run along side me.  I suddenly had a new goal for this race....my plan was to help Ruby the best I could while staying solid.

So I had a running buddy for the rest of the race.  I discovered that Ruby is 9 years old and in the 4th grade.  Pretty cool :)  Ruby and I ran together.  She actually ended up being a little faster than me.  She would take off on the downhills.  I told her..."go ahead, I will catch you on the uphills.".  So, that is what we did.

Near the end of the race, I had a woman come up from behind me.  She said..."I watched you help that little girl.  Nice job!".  That made me feel good :)  Ruby's Mom finished the race before us and ended up coming back to cheer Ruby on at the end.  Ruby took off with her Mom and finished in front of me.  I finished solid, just like I wanted to do.  My finishing time was 35:50.  Pretty dang good!!

Finishers! (Me and Kristi)

When I ran across the finish line, I had a great cheering section...Kristi, her husband, Dan, Sym, and Logan.  Always feels good to have people supporting me at the finish line.

I won something! What?!?

 This race had a raffle at the end.  My name was actually called!!  Can you believe it?!?  I never win anything!  But this time, I won this really cool Brooks' headband.  I was so excited!  It's just what I needed for my running wardrobe....so cool!!

2nd Place Finisher!

Kristi is a rock star! She won this cool mug by finishing 2nd place in her age group....sweet!  Great job Kristi!! You inspire me :)

My first race of the year was a huge success!  Kristi said..."I can't believe we are running a race in January!".  I (we) are year-around runners for sure!  I'm ready for the next race in February.  Yay for 2014 :)

New Year, New Goals, Change is Good!

5.07 Miles Done!

My New Year's Day began with a nice 5 mile run with my running buddy Chris O.  We decided to take a route that included running up Stadium Way....and when I say "up", I do mean up!  I have a tendency to avoid hills if I can.  Not an easy thing to do in Pullman considering you can technically go up hills both ways.  But today I trudged up the endless hill.  Chris was telling me a story, I was listening, and then before I knew it, we were at the top....whew!

This is the 2nd year in a row that I've gone for a New Year's Day run with Chris.  It really is a nice way to start off the year.  Makes me feel good anyway :)

Last year at this time, I wrote a post that included my goals for 2013.  It's time to check-in and see how I did.....

2013 Goals...did I complete them?
1.  Run 500 miles.  If you have been reading my posts regularly, you know that I made a goal to run 500 miles between November 1, 2012 and October 31, 2013.  I didn't quite make it to 500 miles.  Life has a way of changing plans sometimes.  I adjusted this goal back in August after doing the math.  I'm happy to report (in case you missed my previous post) that I ran 309.5 miles.  Happy face!

2.  Sign up and run at l race each month.  So this goal was also adjusted back in August, but the outcome was still the same.  I finished 14 races during 2013.  I would say this goal was met.  Check!

January 26, 2013 – Freeze Your Fanny 5K, 33:30

February 9 – Sweetheart Run 4 miles, 44:00

March 2 – Snake River Half, 3:03:00

March 30 - Campus on the Run 5K, 39:36

April 13 – Mom’s on the Run 5K, 39:00

April 21 - 100K Relay, 5.6 miles, 1:12:00

April 27 – Seaport River Run 10K, 1:17:00

May 5 – Bloomsday, 12K, 1:44:00

August 17 – Lentil Festival 5K, 42:00

September 21 – Dash for Cash 5K, 36:00

October 5 – Fall Flash 10K, 1:19:30

October 24 – Virtual 5K College of Education, 38:52

October 27 – Run for Your Life, 5K, 39:58

November 2 – Doc Sears Half, 2:52:21

3.   Finish at least 2 half marathons...done and done!

2013 Highlights!

4.  Continue to motivate myself and be a cheerleader for my friends.  I was just talking to Chris about the motivation piece this morning.  I'm dedicated to my running.  However, it's still not easy for me.  I have to motivate myself daily and sometimes talk myself into going out for a run.  BUT...I'm still doing it!  As for cheering on my friends, I try to encourage others as much as possible.  Great job everyone!

5.  Keep a consistent running schedule of 3 days per week.  I will have to say that I did not complete this goal.  I always had it in the back of my mind, but I'm still working on the consistency part.  Keep moving my feet!

 I've been sitting here thinking about what I want my goals to be for 2014.  I already have a couple changes coming my way.  Which is both exciting and scary at the same time.  I start a new job tomorrow and I have a new jeep coming soon.

I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to my 2005 jeep liberty.  I feel that it sacraficed itself to protect me and my boys in our recent accident.  Thankfully we are all ok.  My small injuries will heal.  I'm so thankful!!  RIP!

The upcoming changes to my life will inevitably affect other parts of my life too.  That will be a challenge in itself, but I'm ready.  So here we go with my running goals for 2014....

1.  Run 400 miles.  Now that I have a baseline, I think 400 is do-able.  Don't you?
2.  14 races in 2014.  I know I already did this, but I think I will do it again.  I'd like to add a couple more 10K's if possible.
3.  Run a race with my sister Laura.  We ran Bloomsday together last year.  I'd like to travel to Seattle to do something with her this year.
4.  Continue to motivate myself and soak in the enthusiasm of other runners.  Thanks to facebook for helping with this one!
5.  Finish a half marathon in 2:30:00 or less.  This one will be hard, but the challenge will be good for me.

Ok, that's it for now.  I hope you all have an amazing year!!  Oh and....Go Cougs!!

Doc Sears Fall Classic Half Marathon....3rd Time's a Charm!

 

I did it!!  I finished my 3rd half marathon....Holy Cow!!!  So let me tell you a little more about the race and how it all went down :)

As you know, even though I've been preparing for this race, the thought of having to run 13.1 miles all at once, AGAIN, was still a bit scary for me.  I think I was even more in my head than the last 2 times because I know how not easy it will be.  BUT....I said I would do it and so I did....AND I finished....whew!!

I went to this race with my running buddy, Chris O.  and my cousin, Carrie.  This was actually the first race that Chris and I have done together, other than the 100K relay.  I was really happy to have her there with me...especially before and after the race. 

This was the 2nd half marathon that I have done with Carrie.  She ran the first one I did in St. Maries, ID, but this time it was going to be different.  The only reason I signed up for this race was because Carrie said to me back in August...."Let's do another half together".  I said...."ok".  So I found this race online, we signed up, and there you have it....I was going to do another half marathon whether I liked it or not!

Carrie arrived at my house the night before the race.  I know she is a faster runner than I am, but she assured me that she was here for us to do this together.  I didn't want to slow her down.  But she kept saying, "I'm not here to get a PR.  I'm here to be with you and get a medal"(BTW....Carrie has a goal to get 20 half marathon medals before she turns 45.  This one was #7 for her....go Carrie!).  So Carrie and I made a plan of what our pace should be and how we could get a PR time for me.  FUN!

Prepping for the race:  Chris, Me, & Carrie

Carrie and I picked Chris up and we headed for Asotin.  I have to giggle a little because neither of them were very good at reading the map on my phone, but we made it to the start line with plenty of time. 

We had no idea how big or small this race would be.  I found out afterwards that there were 10 marathon runners who started their race an hour before we did.  I would estimate that there were only about 20 half marathon runners around us.  There was also a 5K run, but I didn't see that race since I was still running mine.  I did hear through the grapevine that my friend Kristi came and ran the 5K with her son, Joe.  Kristi finished 2nd in her age group and Joe finished 4th overall AND 1st in his age group....so AWESOME!!

Ok, back to our race....when it was time to start, we all walked out to the street, the guy told us to watch for the cones (to tell us where to go on the route) and the gun went off.  It was right about that time when the rain started....really? rain?....great!  It was not a light rain either.  I was glad at that point that I made the decision to wear long sleeves.  They came in handy for extra warmth and for wiping the rain out of my eyes.

Chris took off to run her race....Go Chris Go!!!  Carrie let me set our pace and she matched me.  I knew my pace was going to be slow for her, but she was so supportive.  She wanted me to PR if I could.  I of course wanted that too, but also just wanted to finish the race.

Most of the runners were way ahead of us.  We could see one woman in front of us and were determined to pass her.  I think we finally caught up to her around mile 4 or so.  This was exciting for me.....I knew we weren't last!!!  Yay!

We actually kept a good pace going and at each mile marker we would make a goal for the next.  We were talking a lot, but then would say...."no more talking for 1 mile".  We needed to focus and get 'er done!  Hahaha!

I always love the part in the race where I start to see the lead runners have turned around and are working their way back to the finish.  This gives me a burst of energy and excitement.  I like to say good job and smile at them as we pass :)  This time I saw a woman named Megan that I know...gave her a high five!!  Go Megan!  I was super excited when I saw Chris....she was rockin' it!!!  High fives for Chris too!!! :)

Carrie and I kept truckin' along.  We hit the turn around point at about 1:20.  That was definitely on pace to finish with a PR....cool :)  This is also when we discovered that there were 4 runners behind us....nice!

I felt good, Carrie was keeping me company, and we were having fun.  So far so good!  But then around 10.5 miles or so, I started to get tired.  My legs were beginning to feel like jello, my stomach was queasy, I was a little light headed, the ball of my right foot was hurting, my lower back felt tight, and my hands/arms were going numb....ugh!!  I had to walk for a minute.  You know I hate this because as soon as I start walking, the harder it is for me to keep going.  I had to listen to my body though.  I needed a little break.  Oh and it started raining hard again....lovely!

Carrie was a trooper.  She kept encouraging me.  We ran a little, then I needed to walk again.  Carrie could walk as fast as my trudge.  At one point, she was walking and that made me want to walk.  I had to tell her that it was distracting.  She said..."ok, we are going to run the rest of the way".  I think we were at about mile 12 when Carrie looked at me and said...you better get going, the woman we passed is catching us.  What??  I need to kick it into gear.  I tried to run faster, but my body was saying NO!!  We stopped for water at the last water station...only 1.5 miles left the LCSC Cross Country boys said (BTW...all of the guys "manning" the water stations were so nice).

We started running again.  Carrie ran ahead of me.  She needed to keep going.  My pace was making her body ache more.  Go Carrie Go!!!  I started to walk again.  The woman behind me caught up.  We walked together for a little bit.  She was super nice!  This was her 2nd half marathon.  She made me smile :)  With about a half a mile left, we started to run for the last time.  I needed to finish strong.

I finished!!!  I didn't PR, but that is ok.  My time fell right in the middle of my other 2 times.  According to my Garmin, my time was 2:52:21.  I will take it!!

Here is how my splits ended up:

• Mile 1 - 11:44
• Mile 2 - 12:33
• Mile 3 - 12:16
• Mile 4 - 12:39
• Mile 5 - 12:39
• Mile 6 - 12:16
• Mile 7 - 12:26
• Mile 8 - 12:50
• Mile 9 - 13:14
• Mile 10 - 14:26
• Mile 11 - 14:45
• Mile 12 - 15:04
• Mile 13 - 15:30

It was great to have Carrie and Chris cheering me in at the end...and getting my hugs when I finished!  Chris finished in 2:02, first in her age group!....she is amazing!!!  Carrie finished in 2:48:35....she did this pace for me...Cousins Rule!!

We didn't exactly get a medal for this race.  We got something more unique....Cow Bells!!!  They say "Fall Classic Half Marathon Finisher" on the front.  Carrie and I decided to write on the other 3 sides to make them even more special :)

13.1 miles is not an easy distance for me.  So far, each half has been a struggle in it's own way.  But I always feel empowered when I finish and proud of myself for getting off my couch.  Carrie and I want to make this a tradition where we will run one half marathon with each other per year.  I also plan to do many more races with Chris O. in the future.  She is the best!!

Keep running everyone!  Hugs to you all :)

Oh...P.S.....I've started a new ticker for the new running goal.  13.1 miles isn't too shabby for my first entry into the log.

Over 300 Miles!

Guess what??  I'm near the end of my "how many miles can I run in 1 year?" running goal.  I started this goal on November 1, 2012 and the end date is October 31, 2013.  As of right now, my grand total for the year is 309.5 miles....YAY!!

As you know, I started out with the goal of running 500 miles in one year.  It didn't seem like something out of my reach or unrealistic when I set the goal, as that is only an average of 10 miles per week.  Well...life happens and a few months ago I adjusted my goal to simply be "run as many miles as you can".  I did it!!!  I think 309.5 miles is a huge achievement and now I have a baseline for next year's running goal :)

So....what have I been up to lately?  I'm glad you asked.  I've been training for my 3rd half marathon.  Part of that training was to run as consistently as possible each week, have some shorter races to help keep me motivated, and run longer runs on the weekends.

Me, Amy, and Kayla

On October 5, 2013 I ran the Fall Flash 10K in Moscow, ID.  I was joined at this race by my friend Kayla and met a new friend, Amy.  This race had a 5K which was an out and back course and a 10K that went in a big loop through some back roads of Moscow.  I signed up for the 10K because I needed to keep increasing my distance working towards my half.

This was an interesting race for me because it didn't seem like much of a "race".  I ran with Kayla and Amy until we got to the turn around point of the 5K.  It was so nice to have their company.  But....then they turned around, I waved goodbye, and said "good luck ladies".  I turned onto the road to keep going on the 10K route.  Once I made that turn, I was ALL alone.  That's the interesting part.  This no longer felt like a race for me.  It was more like a training run....I was a lone wolf.

I kept myself motivated and kept running.  When I finally got to the finish line, I realized that I was literally the last person to cross the finish line.  All the people who were slower than me only did the 5K run.  It was a little emotional for me, but I was proud of myself for running strong.

Oh hey, do you see the picture above?  Kayla and I are both ambassadors for Swirlgear.  We were proud to be "swirling" on this run together :)


Next came an increase in miles....on October 13, 2013 I had a nice 8 mile run with my friend Chris O.  I've said it before....Chris is an amazing running buddy!!  She keeps me going and always willing to run my pace.  Thanks Chris!

The following weekend, Chris O., Kerri, and I ran a lovely 10.24 miles together.  The weather was beautiful.  We didn't run fast, but we ran the whole way!  I needed this run to help me mentally prepare for the half coming up soon.  13.1 miles still sounds like a really long run and even though I've done it twice before, I'm scared.  So....if I can do 10, I can do 13, right?  Yes :)

On the evening of October 24th, I did a virtual 5K run just for the fun of it.  I put on my race number and ran 3.2 miles out and back from my house.  I'm sure I looked a little silly to the cars going by....they were probably wondering where the other runners were....but, I didn't care.  It was fun! 

Today...October 27, 2013 I ran the "Run For Your Life" 5K with my friend Kristi.  How do you like Kristi's outfit?  I love the striped leggings!!!  I had on my camo Swirlgear shirt to help fight off the zombies ;)

The Run For Your Life course is a course that I'm very familiar with.  It's on the WSU campus and it's extremely hilly.  I have to say that I was kind of dreading the run today.  I know how I felt the last time I ran this course, but I couldn't let Kristi down.  I said I would join her and I did!

In the training runs that I've done lately, I've been doing more hills.  This definitely helped me today.  One thing I worked on was getting my breathing under control.  Sometimes when I run up hills, it's hard for me to get a deep breath.  Today I regulated my breathing before tackling the first major hill.  That was what I needed....for sure!  I ran the entire course....hills and all!!!  AND...so did Kristi :)  Yay us!!

The picture above is Kristi and I right after the race and with our new finisher T-shirts.  Nice! 

So....next week is the half marathon in Asotin., WA.  My cousin Carrie is coming to run with me.  We have made a deal....we will stay together, have fun, and finish :)  Chris O. will be coming to this race too.  This will be the first race we have done together.  I'm excited!!  Wish me luck and stay tuned to see how it goes......

Dash for Cash

Kristi, Jake, and Me

Hey everybody!  How's your Saturday going so far?  Mine started out great!  As you all know from my last post, I've been working towards an adjusted set of goals which includes running at least 12 races in 2013.  I'm one step closer to meeting that goal after today....this morning I ran the "Dash for Cash" 5K.

It was a last minute decision to run this race because I just found out about it yesterday.  I ran into my friend Kristi while participating in "National Run at Work Day".  She mentioned that she was going to run this 5K.  So I said......oh, I can do that race.  I need to get a good run in tomorrow anyway.  So let's do it!

Kristi picked me up this morning and then we went to pick up her son Jake.  I will tell you more about him later.  I had to register for the race this morning (due to me just learning about the race).  So guess what happens sometimes when you register for a race on race day??  Well, for me, it meant that they were out of Tshirts in my size.  So I ended up with an extra from last year.  Please pay no attention to the fact that my new race shirt is dated 2012....I'm still proud that I completed the race! :)

My 2013 Dash for Cash race Tshirt ;)
 

When the race started, Jake was in the front because that guy is fast!  Kristi and I started in the middle.  We took off and my Garmin quickly said...."Ahead of Pace".  Hey, that sounds good to me :)  Kristi and I stayed together for about the first 3/4 of a mile.  Even though I felt that I was running fairly fast (for me), I knew Kristi was going a little bit faster pace.  I looked at her and said...don't worry about me, just go and run.  So she slowly pulled away from me.  But I was still running solid. 

This race was an out and back....guess who I saw as the first person making their way back? Oh yeah...it was Jake.  Speedy Gonzalez!!  I enjoy doing races that are out and back.  For some reason, it helps me mentally to know when we reach the half way, we get to turn around.  It just seems a little less daunting.  I also like it when I get to say "good job" and/or get support back from the other runners.  Love it!

After the turn around point, I had my eye on a girl in front of me with a light blue shirt on.  She was quite a ways in front, but I was hoping to catch her.  I could also hear that there was someone fairly close behind me.  I just needed to keep running.

With about a half mile left, I closed the gap on the light blue shirt girl.  But around the same time, the person behind me moved up to pass.  I didn't know it at the time, but her name was Kat and she had me in her sights through most of the race.

I decided I needed to kick it into gear.  I made my move to pass both of them.  I felt good and was running strong.  With about 100 yards left, blue shirt girl passed me....so sad :(  I kept running.  Then I heard Kat moving faster behind me.  I thought....no way....run Denise, run.  I started to sprint, held off Kat and finished the race really strong!!!

My goal for today was to keep at least a 12 minute mile pace (or faster if I could).  Here are my results:

I was a happy girl.  After the race, Kat came up to me.  She was so sweet....congratulated me on my run.  It's always great to find a person during the race that can help motivate you.  Kat was determined to catch me and I was determined to hold her off.  Thanks Kat for helping me to keep moving my feet!!

Now for some other results....like I was mentioning before, Jake was speedy.  He won the entire race and the men's division.  His final time was 17:26....way to go Jake.  Kristi ran solid and had a most excellent time of 32:00 (I can't remember her seconds).....Kristi, you did so great!  I'm so proud of you for running the entire way.  Thanks for telling me about the run and for taking me along.  See you next time!

I have one more exciting thing to tell you all about before I finish this post.....I have recently become an ambassador for the Swirlgear brand.  Check out their website:  http://www.swirlgear.com/
Hopefully by my next post, I will have my new gear to show you all.  Stay tuned!!

Back on Track...Thanks to the Lentils

Taste T. Lentil 5K Run T-shirt

Hey ya'll....it's me....Denise!  I know you haven't heard from me in awhile.....I'm so sorry.  I've been a little off track and working my way back.  Before I get too far along in this post, I want to re-cap some of my goals.  Then I can give a status update :)

Goal #1:  Finish at least one race each month during 2013
Goal #2:  Run 500 miles by October 31, 2013
Goal #3:  Finish at least 2 half marathons during 2013

So, as I was saying...I haven't been doing so great with my running lately.  The last race I did was Bloomsday in May.  Which if you are keeping track, that means I'm totally behind on my one race per month goal.  I missed June and July :(

I've still been running, but it's been more like once a week.  Having a race to look forward to is very important for my motivation.  I've learned that lesson. 

I continue to learn what makes me happy, feel good, and what I need to do to stay on task.  So, I had to stop slackin' and make a new plan.  Step 1 - find some races to get on my calendar.....Done!

The Taste T. Lentil 5K run was this last Saturday.  I put out a post on facebook that said the following...."Anyone want to run the Lentil Festival 5K run with me? I'm now taking volunteers ;)"  I know I can run the race alone, but it's always fun to have some company.  I got a few bites and was excited to have my new friend Theresa join me. 

My goal for this race was not to get a new PR or push as hard as I could.  My goal was to run the entire race and finish.  I just wanted to get 'er done!  So this is what I did.  Theresa and I started the race together.  We were about 3/4 of a mile into the race when we turned onto Stadium Way.  Time to trudge up the hill....Keep Moving My Feet....right?  This is the point where I left Theresa behind, but knew I would see her again at the finish line :)

Then about 1.5 miles into the race, I came up on a former colleague, Kayla.  I tapped her on the shoulder to say hello and encouraged her to run with me.  Kayla and I ran the remainder of the race together and had a chance to catch up a little bit.  Great to see you Kayla!  Thanks for running with me :)

I finished the race...I wasn't fast...in fact, I was kind of running like a tortoise.  But ya know what?  It didn't matter.  I finished!!  AND...ran the entire way.  Goal accomplished....check! 

Theresa and I....Finishers!!

Thanks to Theresa for coming with me....you did great, sore shoulder and all :)  Want to do another one with me soon?


My plan for some more upcoming races:  another 5K next weekend in Lewiston, 10K run in October in Moscow, 1/2 Marathon in Asotin in November, Turkey trot, and Santa run at the end of the year.  I just need to find a little race for September.  Any ideas??


Now, for how I'm doing on my 500 miles in 1 year goal.  If you look at the top of this blog page, you will see my little running girl moving her way across the screen.  As of today, I have ran 218 miles since last November.  So yeah, I'm a little behind.  This is a goal that I don't think I am going to be able to check off my list.  But....I'm ok with that.  I will continue to keep a spreadsheet of all my runs and watch my running total increase.  I am still running more than I was 2 years ago.  I'm proud of myself and I will finish 500 miles eventually :)

I was considering whether I wanted to do another half marathon or not.  The one I did last March was rough.  Is 13.1 miles the right distance for me?  Well...I'm still not sure.  But I'm signing up for another one anyway.  My cousin Carrie and I are going to do it together.  It will be great motivation for the both of us and I'm excited to be support for each other.  I love my cousin!  She is awesome!!

Me and Carrie :)

 

Newly adjusted goals:

• Finish at least 12 races during 2013.
• Run as many miles as I can before October 31, 2013
• Finish my 3rd half marathon
• Stay motivated!!

I will keep you all posted!!!  Hugs!

Bloomsday 2013

Finisher Tshirt!


 

Ok, so Bloomsday was back on May 5th....I know, I know....I'm really slow about getting this post created, but I think I still have some fun stories to share.  So here it goes!

 

Bloomsday is always on the first Sunday of May, which means that it very regularly falls near my birthday.  This year I considered this event to be part of my birthday weekend.  I was totally excited to run the race this year....let me emphasize the word "run".  I'm originally from the Spokane area, so I've done Bloomsday numerous times in the past.  But this year was going to be different.  It was my first time participating in Bloomsday as a "real" runner. 

 

I had plans to meet up with people before and after the race, but I was going to run this race alone....and so I did!

 

 

Getting on the bus

Bloomsday is such a huge event in Spokane, they actually have locations around the city where you can get on the city bus to take you downtown.  I met my little sister and her friend Reid to ride the bus together. 

Take note of our awesome attire before the race.  Even though the day was beautiful, it's still a little cold in the early morning.  So runners will pick out items of clothing that they are willing to donate to the Goodwill and wear it before the race.  My little sis, Laura was wearing this super funny sweatshirt that our Mom made in the early 80s.  I think I actually remember my Mom wearing that thing.  You can't tell from the picture, but I was wearing this blue long-sleeved Tshirt that had a stain on the front and had become mis-shapen over time.  We discarded these beauties before the race by throwing them into the trees.....sure hope they find a good home :)

The bus ride was fun.  Even though we had no plans to run the race together, it was good to have support and not feel so alone in this race of about 50,000 people.

Once we got into downtown Spokane, we had to find our color zones.  This year I was in the Orange Zone....super proud to move out of the walking zones....go me!  Laura and Reid went into the Green Zone.  We still had about an hour before the race officially started.  I decided to find a good spot as close to the front of the Orange Zone as I could find and get prepped for the race.  I put on my headphones, rocked out, and got into a good headspace. 

If you have never experienced Bloomsday before, let me tell you a little bit about the start.  Each color zone has a scheduled time to start.  While we are waiting, more people crowd in.  There is music playing over loud speakers and people like to pass around beach balls throughout the crowd.  As I mentioned before, this was the first time I was by myself at the beginning of the race.  I kind of became a loaner with my head phones on, but I was still friendly enough to help people take group pics with their cell phones and tell another racer all about my Road ID when she asked :)

Oh, by the way....I decided to wear my older pair of running shoes.  My new ones are completely broken in yet and with this being a longer race, I didn't want any issues.

Ok...it's race time for the Orange Zone.  One cool thing about the race these days is that it is chip timed.  The race officials know exactly when you step across the start line.  In the old days, you always had to pay attention to how long it took you to actually reach the start time.  Then when you found your finish time in the newspaper, you had to do a little math and tell everyone your "real" time.

The first mile or so into Bloomsday is always interesting.  There are so many people and we are all shoulder to shoulder.  So it's not easy to find a good pace right away.  But, I had my trusty music on and I was playing my "Run FASTER" play list.  I tried to just keep running solid and do my best to zig and zag, in and out of the crowd.  After about 2 miles, I started to get a little bit more personal space, but don't get me wrong....there are always people around you at every mile of Bloomsday.

Alright, I'm running along and make it to the first of 3 significant hills. I decided to dig down and make it up the hill strong.  I channeled my friends Chris O. and Madison....one foot in front of the other, don't stop, get up that hill!!

This was how I managed to make my way through the first 5 miles of the race.  Things were going well.....and then there was Doomsday Hill.  This hill is very similar to many hills in the Pullman area that I choose NOT to run up regularly.  My body is not conditioned for big hills....something I need to work on.  When I saw Doomsday, my thought was....."screw it"...I'm going to walk!!  Which was exactly what I did.  I allowed myself to walk up that dang hill.  This year they actually timed how long it took each racer to get up Doomsday....my time was 7:42....it did kind of take me forever!

But when I got to the top of the hill, I had to get my butt in gear again and find a good pace.  This part of the race is one of my favorites.  It's through residential streets and people are always out on their lawns to cheer everyone on.  I even found Butch T. Cougar....gave him a 'high five' and a "Go Cougs!".

Some people also like to use sprinklers or hoses to help cool down the runners on the hot days.
This year I was happy to get spritzed when I could....there was just one problem.  Whenever I went near the water, I felt like I was going to pee my pants!  How embarrassing would that have been?!?  Even though I hated to take the time, it had to be done....I made a pit stop around 6.5 miles into the race.  Whew....I felt so much better!  And back onto the course I went :)

Knowing I only had about a mile left of the race, I was starting to dig deeper to keep going.  Then suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see someone I know in one of the medic tents along the side.  It was my Aunt Paula.  She was a volunteer, helping out the runners.  I decided to go say hello.  I ran right up to Paula, tapped her on the shoulder and stood there with a big smile on my face.  I still had my head phones blasting, so we couldn't really have a conversation.  I could tell that she was asking me if I was doing ok....I gave her a hug and 2 thumbs up!  Then I was again on my way to the finish line. 

The best part of Bloomsday is turning the corner and seeing the finish line.  I got a little shot of adrenaline and finished strong.  It felt so good to be done!!! :)

Ok....so my time...my goal time was 1 hour 30 minutes.  I didn't quite make that time.  My finish time was 1:42:28.  I've decided that I'm happy with that time.....especially after walking up Doomsday, taking a pit stop, and visiting with my Aunt.  Good times!!

After the finish line, it takes awhile before you get to the water station.  Once I finally got there, I downed 4 glasses of the yummy hydrant water.  Then I moved on to find my T-shirt.  The Bloomsday T-shirt design is always a secret.  You never know what it is going to look like until you cross the finish line and claim your prize.  I was so happy with the colors this year....gray, teal, and orange...pretty!

Alright, I have my tshirt now, I need to find my sister and my sister-in-law.  They both finished way before me....great job ladies. 

I found Erin first.  She did amazing in her 2nd Bloomsday.  Shaved off a few minutes from last year.  Her finish time was 1:10:39.  The picture above is of the 1st and 2nd place finishers of people with the same last name....we Rocked it!!  Thank you to Erin, Aaron, and Kate for waiting for me to finish.  I really appreciated the hugs before you left for home.

Then I found Laura....she ran like the wind.  Laura's finish time was 53:42.  She will be in the elite division next year...for sure! 

I need to do a little plug for my little sister.  The T-shirt she is wearing in the picture above is for her business, "Laura Hunter Nutrition".  Check out her website:  http://www.laurahunternutrition.com/
You can also get some really great tips from her on facebook.

Bloomsday was a success....I'm already looking forward to next year....keep moving your feet!!