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!!

Got Tunes??

I'm getting ready to run Bloomsday this weekend....you know, that little 12K run up in Spokane ;)

One of the items on my prep list is to update the "running" play list on my ipod.  I want to make sure that my songs have a fast enough beat to keep my pace where I need it to be.  So...I made a new list.  It's called "Run FASTER".  Think the name will help?

I think runners are always trying to find the best music for their workout.  My friend Kim told me about this great little website called jog.fm.  I tried it tonight.  You can search for music based on your per mile pace or the bpm (beats per minute).  That is really cool!

I came up with a list of about 29 songs and thought I would share some of my favorites with you :)

In no particular order (cause I don't really want to take the time to rank them)

1. Holiday - Greenday
2. Raise Your Glass - P!nk
3. Thunderstruck - AC/DC
4. Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
5. How You Remind Me - Nickelback
6. So What - P!nk
7. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix A Lot
8. Paralyzer - Finger Eleven
9. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine
10. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
11. Marry You - Bruno Mars
12. Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen

I picked 12 in honor of Bloomsday being a 12K.  What are your favorite running songs?  I would love to hear.....

Global Grrrrlz - 100K Relay Team

 

Our team shirts, Race #54, & Honoring Boston ribbons

When I think about my running anniversary, the 100K relay is the reason I got started.  In February 2012, I was asked to join an all women's relay team.  That was the beginning of it all.  I said yes and I started training because I wanted to do a good job for my team.  Fast forward to April 2013....

Yesterday my team....Global Grrrrlz (make sure you say that with all those R's) participated in the 24th annual WSU 100K relay.  I was blessed to be with an amazing group of women who all went out there to run hard, do our best, and enjoy the day. 

I truly love and enjoy the team aspect of this race.  We covered 62 miles together....that is alot of miles!!  While one person is running, the rest of us are supporting and cheering.  We stopped about every 2 miles to be there for our teammates.  Sometimes we just cheered, sometimes we gave water, sometimes we encouraged in ways specifically requested by the runner, and sometimes we went the extra mile for the team. 

So.....here are my thoughts from the day :)



Global Grrrlz before the start

Kerri

Leg 1:  As you probably know from some of my previous posts, Kerri is one of my "partners in crime".  We have done many races together.  She is super fast so we don't usually train together, but we are constantly encouraging and motivating each other.  She started our team off for the day and definitely ROCKED it out!!  Leg 1 is 6.3 miles and full of hills.  She was amazing and set the mood for the day.  I heart Kerri!!

 



Leg 2:  Laurie (sorry I didn't get a pic of Laurie running, she is in the team pic above though) was part of our team last year and drove all the way from Omak to run with us again this year.  Leg 2 is 5.6 miles and has some nice rolling hills.  Laurie ran her booty off!!  She amazed me with how fast she finished.  Great job Laurie!!  Thanks for joining us again this year :)

Madison

 

 

Leg 3: I'm calling this girl the MVP of our team.  She ran 7.9 miles of mostly downhill (good thing she is young and has strong knees).  She was a champ and as you can see....she did it with a smile on her face :)  Madison is a very positive person and I love that about her.  She was so supportive throughout the entire race.  Many times, she was the first to go hand out water to the teammates and/or run along side them to help motivate at the end of the leg.  Madison is amazing!!  (Read Leg 8 for more of my MVP reasons)

Cassandra

 

Leg 4:  Cassandra was our anchor leg from last year.  She joined us again this year as an even stronger, faster runner :)  Leg 4 is 7.7 miles of all flat along the Snake River.  It was extremely windy throughout the day which was deceiving.  Cassandra's leg was the first one where it became a little warmer for the runner, but she handled it in stride.  She totally crushed her leg and ran like the wind!

 

 

Leg 5:  I met Angie back in October 2012 at the Run for your Life race.  We were chased by Zombies!  Before the race, I was kind of hiding in a little corner.  Angie sat down right next to me and we started talking.  I think it was fate!  Angie and I were meant to meet, she was meant to join us in this experience (a perfect addition to the team)....and I see many more fun times ahead with Angie :) 

 

Back to leg 5 - This is the longest leg in the race, 8.9 miles.  We knew Angie was the right person for it.  She ran the Snake River Half Marathon like it was a 5K.  This girl can RUN!  Per Angie's request, the team changed up their cheering tactics for this leg...super fun!  Angie was killin' it, we were all hanging out about 5.5 miles into her leg, we gave her support, she kept on her way....and then.....gravel jumped out and bit her....down she went :(  Angie went down hard, scraped up the palms of her hands and got a nasty scrape on her right leg.  Our support crew (aka my hubby Dan, more about him later) came in to help.  Kelly (more about her later too) jumped in and said...I'll run some of this leg.  We patched Angie up and went on to Plan B for leg 5.  Angie ROCKED her leg of the relay.  I was so proud of her.  I can't wait for her to be my teammate again next year :)

 

 

Madison, Me, Chris, Kajsa

 

Leg 6:  I know for a fact you have all heard me talk about Chris before.  She is the person who asked me to run in the first place and my best running buddy.  I love Chris!!  She ran what I consider to be the hardest leg of this race.  I really don't think I could do it without walking the entire time.  She inspires and amazes me!  Leg 6 is 6.3 miles straight uphill on a gravel road in the canyon.  It's beautiful scenery, but hard as hell!!  Chris did this leg last year because nobody wanted to do it and volunteered again this year.....she took one for the team.  Chris was awesome!  When she finished, I asked her how it went.  Her reply..."it was hard, but as I was trudging up the hill, I played a slide show in my mind of all you wonderful women.  You inspired me to keep going!  Go Global Grrrrlz" (I may be paraphrasing a little on that quote, but that is what I remember her saying to the best of my ability.)  Chris continues to inspire me daily.  She is the best! Oh and thanks for the cookies Chris...they were yummy!

I know it's hard to see, but that is Kelly finishing her leg.

 

 

Leg 7:  Do you remember me saying that I had more to say about Kelly?  Well....I've known "of" Kelly since our college days which was many moons ago, but yesterday was the first opportunity I've had to get to know Kelly.  This woman is a TEAM player!  The Friday before the race, we didn't even know if Kelly was going to be able to run her leg due to a back issue.  But she is a true athlete and competitor.  She wanted to run her leg to the best of her ability and be part of the team.  We all said....go for it!  As I mentioned, Kelly not only ran leg 7 which is 4.1 miles in length, but she also ran at least 3 miles of leg 5.  Wow!  Great job Kelly!!  She is a really great person and I thoroughly enjoyed her company.  Thanks for joining out team and going above and beyond!!  Amazing!

 

 

Me finishing my leg

 







Leg 8:  This one was my leg.  It was 5.6 miles of rolling hills on partial pavement and partial gravel.  I was excited to do my leg and ready to see if I could improve from last year.  In truth, this ended up being a hard run for me.  I'm not sure if I can explain why, but I was having breathing issues and my stomach hurt....but I do have determination....I was not going to stop.  My team was great, offering their support every couple miles.  I think I was a little over 2 miles into the leg and Madison came out to offer me some water.  I didn't need any water, but I asked her if she would run with me a little bit.  Her answer was....sure!  This is another reason why I think Madison was the MVP....at least in my eyes.  She had already ran 7.9 miles earlier in the day, but was still willing to run a little bit more with me.  In my mind, having someone run along side me was the motivation I needed to keep moving my feet.  Putting one foot in front of the other was how I finished my leg.  Thank you Madison!!  You are awesome!! 

Oh, do you see the sky in the picture above?  With about 1.5 miles left in my leg, the dark clouds came and the rain started.

Kajsa, ready to run!

 

Leg 9: This leg is 5.3 miles of mostly flat on gravel.  Let me tell you....Kajsa is a trooper!!  She supported and motivated the rest of the team all day long.  When it was finally her turn to run, the rain had already started and then the HAIL came!!  Kajsa ran her entire leg in either pouring rain or hail.  She deserves an award for running in the most extreme weather.  She didn't give up and she ran her heart out....way to go Kajsa!! 

 

Alex finishing the relay

 

Leg 10:  This was the last leg.  4.1 miles from the Johnson Rd elevators, to Stadium Way, and back to the Fieldhouse.  Still raining, Alex joined us as the anchor of our team.  She just went out there and ran us home.  The picture above is the best I could get of Alex.  She was running so fast that it became an action shot :)  Alex always makes me smile.  Thank you Alex!

 

 

Done!

 

Support Crew:  For the 2nd year in a row, my husband Dan was our team support crew.  He drove us along the route, offered water or food when needed, and shared his first aid skills.  Thanks Dan for being a great hubby who is always willing to support my running endeavors.  You truly are the best!  I know the team appreciates you too :)

 

Officially receiving 3rd place

 

 

So....are you all wondering how we did?  Well...we all ran out butts off!  We brought home a 3rd place ribbon in the all women's category.  We finished with a time of 11 hours and 3 minutes which was 54 minutes faster than last year.  We did totally awesome and can't wait to do it all over again next year!!

 

 

  

I have a couple little thank you's.....

 

1.  Troy...thank you for supporting the relay by manning transition point 2.  You and your son do good work.  It was great to see your face!

 

2.  Tony...thanks for coming out onto your porch to give me a little extra support.  Every bit helps!!

 

3.  Rob C...we know you missed running with your own team this year, but totally appreciated you coming out to see our first runner start the race.  Thanks for all the constant encouragement, Coach Rob!!



 

Happy Anniversary to Me!!

Hey guess what everybody?...It's now officially been one year since I became a runner....wooo hooo!!

In March of 2012, I participated in a little race on campus called "Campus on the Run".  I've done this race many times in the past, but last year it was special.  It was the first race to start off my journey as a "real runner".

Fast forward 1 year later....Look where I am now???  I'm still running.  I've changed my life, my health, and my outlook....Who knew??

I was super excited to run this race again this morning.  I was thinking...this will be a true test.  I will be able to see how much progression I have had over this last year and this should be cake.  I've been running for an entire year now..I'm stronger and I'm much faster. 

All those things are true, but I was wrong!  The race today was still hard and very much a challenge for me.  Let me explain :)

Before the race, I was talking to my friend Joe.  We were talking about our goal times and the route.  I told Joe, just follow the people in front of you....they will know where to go. The organizers of the race changed the route....what??  It's always the same route, but not today.  I didn't realize that the route had changed until after I was already running.  I was following all of the other runners in front of me and then..wait...you're all going the wrong way :(

This new route felt like it was uphill both ways (we can say that in Pullman because it's true).  I just had to say to myself...Denise, just keep going.  No matter what!  Just trudge up the hills, you can do it.

After about the first mile, I got a little tap on my shoulder.  I turned to see my friend Kristi running along side of me.  It was nice to see a friendly face.  Kristi explained that she had not ran since last October.  Her goal today was to just finish and not stop.  We looked at each other and said...we can do this!  I was happy to have someone beside me.  It's easier to keep running up hills when you have someone else trudging along with you. 

Hills are rough on my lungs.  I don't know what it is, but sometimes I feel like I can't breathe.  I have trouble getting a nice, big breath.  It happened again today.  Kristi and I were running up another long hill...I had to stop.  I just needed to catch my breathe.  I told Kristi to keep going.  I would start again in a second.

I did catch my breath and motivated myself to start again.  At this point, I only had 1 miles left.  No problem!  I didn't let myself stop again....I had to finish strong.

When I came across the finish line, I saw Joe and his son cheering me on.  I also saw Kristi with a nice big smile.  Thanks to both of you for helping to inspire and motivate me today!!

My official time was 39:38.  It's not my best 5K time over this past year, but you know what???  It's still faster than this same race last year (41:48) with what I considered to be a harder new course.

This journey has not been easy.  In fact, it's been alot of hard work.  But it's also been extremely rewarding and makes me happy.  I'm excited to see what year 2 will bring :)

Up next:  100K Relay in April....go Global Grrrrlz!!

BTW....119.81 of 500 miles are DONE!!

P.S.  Kerri...I missed you today, but I know you were there in spirit.  Run on Spartan! 

2nd Half...Success or Epic Fail?

My race swag!

Yesterday I ran in my 2nd half marathon called the Snake River Canyon.  I think this was one of the hardest races that I have done so far.  I finished the race.  So does that mean success? or was it an epic fail because my time was at least 15 minutes slower than my 1st?

The night before the race, Kerri and I made plans for the next morning.  Both of us were really nervous since neither of us felt ready for the race.  I told Kerri that we are just going to go, finish the race, and not worry about our time or anything else.  This is good advice, right?  But is it easy for me to accept for myself??

Unfortunately, it had been 3 weeks since I had done any kind of running.  Let's just say that the twist and turns of life got into my way.  Hence the reason why I was really nervous.  Before my first half marathon, I had only had 6 weeks of training and I was able to run the entire race without any stopping.  I didn't realize then that that in itself was a pretty amazing feat.  I do now!!  This time around, I kept telling myself...."It's ok Denise. You can do it!  You have a solid running base now.  No problemo!"

My husband drove Kerri and I to the race.  During the ride, we just talked about how we could do this.  Tried to calm our nerves.  I knew Kerri was prepared whether she realized it or not.  That woman is a spartan!!  (Fyi...she beat her time for the last half....I'm so proud of her)

About 2 minutes before the race.

We saw a few familiar faces before the race and were ready to go for it.  The race started and off we went.  My first song of the day was "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC...good beat to start running to :)  I turned to Kerri and said....see you at the finish!

I was pretty solid for the first half of my race.  One of my favorite parts of the race is when I begin to see the people in front of me coming back.  This let's me know that I'm closer to the turn around point and I always get extra energy from high fiving my friends.  This time I got to see an old friend from growing up (great to see you Jackie), Jake, Kerri, Angie, Cassandra, and Mirenda....Yay!

So all my friends were past me and then things started to go a little off track around mile 7 :(  I let myself walk (which is a HUGE no no in my book).  After that, I had a really hard time getting back on pace.  I think my splits speak for themselves:

• Mile 1 - 11:15
• Mile 2 - 12:01
• Mile 3 - 12:13
• Mile 4 - 12:31
• Mile 5 - 12:36
• Mile 6 - 12:38
• Mile 7 - 15:12
• Mile 8 - 14:41
• Mile 9 - 15:28
• Mile 10 - 15:42
• Mile 11 - 17:12
• Mile 12 - 17:36
• Mile 13 - 14:43
• .1 - 0:35

Do you see what I'm talking about now???

Around the time I started walking, I spoke to this nice woman in teal.  We encouraged each other on and off during the race.  In the last mile, I caught up to her again and said...let's run, we can finish this! We did it together.  Here we are finishing the race.....

I met some really nice people along this race who were so supportive.  Thank you for cheering me on and all the "good jobs" always help :)

At the end, Kerri, Cassandra, my hubby, and our friend Scotty were there to support me and say "Yay, you finished!!"  I don't think I have ever been so happy to be done....whew!  I really liked the part where I got to collect my medal :)

Ok....so back to the title of this blog post....this was a hard race for me.  I was disappointed in myself for walking so much.  I had a very slow time and I'm kind of thinking that maybe I should stick to 12K maximum for my race distance.  Was this race a success or an epic fail?

I've realized that not every race will be easy and I won't always have PR's, but I finished 13.1 miles yesterday.  That has to be a SUCCESS!!!

Check, Check, & Check!!

Ok....so I know it's been about 3 weeks since my last post....I apologize to my 3 fans....I didn't mean to keep you all waiting ;)

Who wants to hear what I have been up to lately????  (My imagination just envisioned a group of people jumping up and down saying....oh, me, me, me!!)

I thought this blog post would be a good place to evaluate where I am with the goals I set for myself.  It's good for me to go back through previous blog posts and see how many things I can check off my list.  So...here we go.....

1. On November 1, 2012, I wrote a blog post called "I will run 500 miles!".  This is a long-term goal that I'm working on.  On average I should be running at least 10 miles per week.  According to the chart I've been keeping, I've ran 93.87 miles in the past 15 weeks.  If you have done the math already, I should technically have 150 miles behind me.  I've got a little catching up to do.  I'm not upset though....I'm still running and I know that during my run tomorrow I will pass the 100 mile mark.  I rock!....Check!
2. For 2013, I made a goal to run at least one race each month.  This goal is on track :)  As you know, I ran the Freeze Your Fanny 5K run on January 26th and had a 5K PR....I was so happy!  On February 9th, I ran a 4 mile race called the Sweetheart Run (Thanks for being there with me....Nancy, Chris W., and Dan).  I again felt really good during this race and was able to keep an average pace of 10:53 per mile.  I'm definitely getting faster!!...Check!
3. My March race is going to be the Snake River Half Marathon on March 2nd.  I'm still prepping for this race.  I ran 8 miles last Sunday.  It was hard and tiring, but I finished in 1:40.  My legs were tired from the 4 mile race the day before, but I still did it.  I'm running out of time to get my distance increased.  Hopefully tomorrow I will get a nice 10 mile run done....Check! 

Ok, so I know that not all of the items I discussed above are complete.  They are still a work in progress, but I'm still giving myself checkmarks for what I've accomplished so far in regards to those goals :)

Plans for the next few months:
March:  Finish my 2nd half marathon.  Finish the Campus on the Run 5K (this will be my 1 year anniversary for running....I think we need to party after the race)

April:  Finish my leg of the 100K relay and be supportive of my team throughout the entire race. 

May:  Finish Bloomsday.  I've done this race a bunch of times in the past, but this will be my first time finishing as a real runner :)

June:  Finish my 3rd half marathon (I think I'm going to register for the one is St. Maries, ID again.


Thanks to my running buddy Chris O.....she keeps me going even when I want to stop!

Thanks to Kerri for inspiring me with her own running and encouraging me with all of her fb posts and text messages :)

Thanks to Dan for being the best, supportive husband.....EVER!!

Thanks to all the friends who click "like" when I post things about my running....every little bit of support makes me smile :)

Freeze Your Fanny = PR!!

Yesterday I ran in a little 5K run called "Freeze your Fanny".  This was a run I signed up for to help keep me motivated in the month of January. 

I was ready to get to the run since I'm feeling more and more confident with my running as the days go by.  A year ago my thoughts would have been..."will I be able to finish the run without stopping?".  Now my thoughts are...."What will my goal be and how will I push myself as a runner today?".

My husband came with me to this race, but he decided to take a little nap until it was time for me to cross the finish line.  He was up the night before, working.  So I couldn't get annoyed or upset with him.  I was just glad that he came with me. I left the hubby in the car and headed off to check-in.

I was excited to see my new T-shirt (see above). I'm definitely getting a collection of shirts from all these races and my drawer is over-flowing, but I see the shirts as rewards and mementos of my hard work :) 

Right before the race started, my friend Laura G arrived.  I was happy to see her.  I will take every little bit of support that I can get!!  I told Laura that my goal time was 36 minutes, so she could keep an eye out for me.

When the race started, I took off with a fairly quick pace.  My Garmin was telling me "Ahead of Pace" and I made the decision to go for it!  I was only running 3.2 miles, so I didn't really have to save energy or anything.  My new goal was to run my little heard out.  Run Denise Run!!!  If my Garmin said "On Pace"....pick it up Denise!!  You can rest when you are done!

At the end of mile 1, my Garmin beeped at me.  I looked down and guess what???  My first mile was finished in 10:16.  Do you know how fast that is for me???  I was so happy :)

At the end of mile 2, my Garmin beeped at me again.  I looked down and it told me that my second mile was completed in 11:02.  I had slowed down a bit, but I was still booking it!!

I only had 1.2 miles left to go....cake!!!  I set my sights on this woman in front of me.  "Kick it into gear Denise...you can pass her!!"  So that is what I did....I caught her and I passed her....awesome!

I was nearing the finish line and I could see the cones.  The adrenaline was pumping.  I was so happy with this race.  I could see Laura and her husband Bill.  They were cheering me on :)

I finished....with a personal record for myself!  Laura said to me..."You are early!"  Love it!

This is what I saw on my watch at the end of the race:

AMAZING!!!

In the words of my friend Kerri....."My fanny was on FIRE!"

I found the official race results today.  My time was 33:37.  I was the 95th person to cross the finish line out of 141 people.  I was also 9th out of 13 in my age group.

When I look back, 10 months ago I started this "running thing" with a 5K time of 41:38.  I have shaved off 8 minutes.  So happy!!

Stronger, Faster, Better!

This last week has been a little slow for my training plan.  I went for a run on an indoor track and ended up running only 2.5 miles.  I had minimal motivation and it's a little intimidating when all the college students are literally running laps around me.  I felt slow and like a complete amateur.

I looked at the calendar today.  I have 6 weeks until my 2nd half marathon.  Ummm....hello?  6 weeks is not very much time.  I need to kick IT into gear!! 

Keeping my motivation is key.  I think I'm a little more nervous for 13.1 miles this time around.  Before my first half, I didn't truly know what to expect.  BUT....now I know what I'm getting myself into.  And guess what?  I'm ready and willing to do it again! :)

Today is beautiful outside.  The sun is shining and it's "warm" (32 degrees).  I went out for a great run with a goal of at least 5 miles.  I settled for completing 4.7 and feel really good. 

This is what I discovered after I finished my run today:

• Even though the college students make me feel slow, I'm getting faster.  My fastest mile today was 11:22.
• I ran my fastest 5K split ever!  36:49
• I enjoy running outside way more than running in circles around the indoor track
• My average mile today was 11:55.

I'm getting stronger!  I'm getting faster!  AND....running makes me BETTER!!!

P.S.  I think I'm going to make The Bionic Woman my new idol.  When I was a kid, I used to think that Jamie Summers was so amazing!  Have you seen how fast she can run??? ;)

Running as Therapy

I've been told that 30 minutes of running has the same effect on your brain as an anti-depressant.  I choose to believe this is true.  This week has been rough for me emotionally, and I really needed something to change my mood.

I think the quote above, says it all.......Today I am STRONG!

I went out for a little run this afternoon.  It wasn't really important how far, I just needed to get outside and run.  I ended up running 2.63 miles in 32 minutes.  I'm slowly getting faster...yay!

The temperature was 22 degrees, there was plenty of snow on the ground, and more falling from the sky.  Beautiful :)  I think I'm starting to adapt to the colder weather.  The temp didn't bother me and running in my Yaktrax is fun!  

Here is what my tracks look like. Pretty cool, huh?

   

I've stopped running with my head phones for now.  I like hearing the sounds around me and taking the time to just be with my thoughts.  Therapeutic for sure!!

 

 

End of my run with a smile on my face!!

 

Recap of last week's running:

January 5th - 3 miles in 37 minutes (outside)

January 9th - 2 miles in 20 minutes (inside track...I think I run faster on that track, weird)

January 12th - 2.63 miles in 32 minutes (outside)

 

Planning to run with Chris O. again tomorrow.  The goal will be a longer run of about 7 miles.  Wish me luck!

 

 

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

January 1, 2013

Happy New Year!!!  I know I'm a little bit slow about creating this New Year's post, but at least I'm doing it now :)

The picture above was taken shortly after I finished my 6 mile, New Year's Day run.  My friend and running buddy, Chris O. and I decided that there was no better way to start off the new year.  As you can see, we still have snow on the ground and it was a balmy 25 degrees.  We didn't care though....it was fun!

Ok, so some of you may be thinking that the definition of "fun" probably doesn't include a 6 mile run in freezing cold temperatures.  As I look back at 2012, I realize that 12 months ago, I didn't think that any type of running would ever be fun either.  How things have changed!!

Here is a list of my running accomplishments from 2012:

• March - started running, cold turkey! Finished the Campus on the Run 5K
• April - Finished my leg of the 100K relay and cheered the rest of my team on during the race; Finished the Seaport River Run 10K
• May - Began training for my first half marathon
• June - Finished the St. Joe River Half Marathon (13.1 miles....OMG!!! I ran the entire way)
• August - Finished the Lentil Festival 5K
• October - Finished the Care to Share 10K; Completed the Run for your Life 5K
• November - Finished a Turkey Trot (4 miles); Began a 500 mile goal (November 1, 2012 - October 31, 2013)
• December - Finished the Santa on the Run (3 miles)

So, looking back, in 9 months I finished 9 races and logged countless miles....amazing!!  I never knew I was capable or would enjoy it.  Look at me now!!

Also during this past year, I've learned how important the right equipment is when it comes to running.  Actually....if you had asked me about running gear a year ago, I probably would have just said....shoes?  I've been slowly collecting the right gear and enjoying my new toys.  I love my shoes, bras (very important), tank tops, dry fit shirts, knee braces, shorts, pants (warm and cold weather), jacket, socks, yaktrax, and my really cool running watch!

Ok, now looking forward to 2013, I've set a few goals already.  I'm sure more will come along as the year progresses, but here is what I have so far:

1. Complete my 500 mile goal.  So far I have 53.4 of 500 done!  I'm on my way.
2. Sign up and run at least one race each month....so doing the math, that is 12 races in 2013 ;)  I'm ready to run another 5K on January 26th....that will be cake!
3. Within those 12 races, finish at least 2 half marathons.  I'm already signed up for the Snake River Half Marathon on March 2nd and I plan to run the half in St. Maries again in June.  We'll see if a 3rd will be in my future this Fall.
4. Continue to motivate myself and be a cheerleader for my friends.....Kerri, Chris O., Jake and I will be at the half marathon together.  That will be cool!
5. Keep a consistent running schedule of 3 days per week....2 short runs and 1 long run.

 

Special people in my life, who make me happy and support my running (some in-person and some in- spirit):  Dan, my boys, Chris O., Kerri, Nancy, Chris W., my Mom, Carrie, Erin C., Greg, Richie, Wakana, Erin K., Christine, Laura G, Mary, Farah, and Jody.....thanks guys!!!