Famous Potato Marathon 2012

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Sometimes the most amazing things happen when you least expect it! I had a “pipe dream” goal of breaking 4 hours today at the marathon. My PR from a year and a half ago was 4:20:59 – and that was the last time I ran a marathon – or trained for one properly! I’ve had my attention set on getting better at the ultra distance – at trail running, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this race since I’d done none of the “speedwork” or “tempo runs” that normally build a runner up for something like this. I knew I had endurance — but could I hold a faster pace on pavement? I wasn’t entirely sure.

I had something wrong with my left hip all week. It was popping when I walked and I’d seen the chiropractor twice in the last few days to help get it in shape for this race. He said my IT band on the left was really tight and was causing the issues. I was concerned. At Wild Idaho 50, my left IT band tightened up so painfully, that I limped the last 28 miles! So, I was conservative from the start today. I listened to my body, didn’t care about my pace and just zoned out with my music, walked through all the water stations in the first 20 miles, ate my GUs (3!! Which is really good for me! I’d only taken one in the last race and bonked at that one!) I did NOT bonk today! I also took my S Caps pretty regularly and just made sure to run a smart race. That’s what I wanted. To be consistent, strong and steady and I think I did a pretty good job of it!

I noticed at the half point that my average pace was 8:35 and it occurred to me I was on BQ pace without really overextending myself — BUT.. I have learned in distance running NEVER to get over-confident. I take one mile at a time. I stay in control. I don’t let myself “race” others who pass me. Interestingly, I passed several today by being steady and didn’t get passed as much as I have in the past. It was a good feeling to be in control.

My husband showed up along the course and took photos and offered me drinks. I was ok, though and didn’t need anything at all today, which is a first for me. When I saw my friend Christine and her guy Tim waiting for me at mile 21 I was so thrilled!!! They jumped in to pace me and shortly after,Ryan A. showed up at my side , Michelle A. behind me on her bike and their daughter, Hannah on hers also joined in the procession! I felt very supported and having my friends there really boosted my spirits — though since I refuse to speak in races, I didn’t share that with them at the time. (Thanks, guys!!!)

My endurance was good. I fueled well, but fatigue was really difficult in those last few miles. I was sore and my pace was slipping. But, I didn’t let it get me down. I KNEW I was close to a Boston Time, but realized that I was already giving all I could and that bumping up my average of 8:40 back down to 8:35 or so would just be more than I could do that day and I was totally fine with it. Inside, I was grinning like crazy, thinking, “I am definitely going to break 4 today and I feel fine!” I finished in 3:48:32

And, I did!!!! I came running across the line, arms up in victory, a huge smile on my face in 3:48:32. Before the Boston standards changed last year, my qualifying time would have been a 3:50:59 for a woman in the 40-44 age group (I’ll be 40 before the next Boston race and that’s how they do that.) So, by the old standards, I would have BQ’d which is really, very exciting to think about! The new standards require me to run a 3:45:00 or better, so I still have a bit of work cut out for me, but I’m CLOSE!!!!

My confidence was really bolstered today! AND.. I was 9th female overall and 1st in the 35-39 age category! Yay!!!!!

Ave HR: 175. Max HR: 212. Elevation Gain: 131 feet (nice and flat and fairly shady!!) The temperatures were awesome – 49 at the start and about 64 at the finish. The race was well marked, the aid stations were well stocked and did a great job showing support and I had a great time!

P.S. I forgot to mention something else exciting! My PR at the half marathon is 1:53:05. Today I did it in 1:52!! So, it was a half marathon PR by 1 minute and a full marathon PR by about 32 1/2 minutes! YAY!

Marathon Thoughts

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I’m running the Great Potato Marathon on Saturday. It will be my fourth marathon. I’m hoping to break four hours, which would be a pretty big jump from my current PR of 4:20:59.

Marathon #1 - 

Marathon #2

Marathon #3 

A Little Mountain Run on my Own

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Had a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration with my family yesterday. My husband always works major holidays, so we try to work around them. Today, the kids let me sleep in, then I got up and made the little ones breakfast and we ate together, which is always fun – and is the usual way I start all my days. I did my cleaning and got the kids going on theirs, then headed off on a nice mountain run by myself. Being alone is something I don’t do very much of. I’m the mom of five. I’m married and I have so many wonderful friends. I have a very blessed and rich life and much to be thankful for.

Once in a while, though, I really just crave time to myself. Time where I can run my own pace, without any pressure to speed up or slow down, time to sort through feelings that are hard to process when others are around. Sometimes it’s nice to just commune with nature. Gaze at the flowers, the trees, the hills, listen to the wind, hear the sound of my own feet hitting the dirt – even listen to the steady rhythm of my own heart beat.

Today, I did just that. It was hot out – 83 degrees and I went at the warmest time intentionally – from about 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm when it was sunny and I’d have to fight the heat a bit. I have three races coming up in the next few weeks. A marathon on Saturday, Pocatello 50 two weeks after that and Big Horn 50 two weeks after that. Each one is likely to be pretty hot, so this type of training is really essential to help my body adapt to the temperatures and stay steady and strong despite them.

My friend, Donna knew I was considering buying some trekking poles for the two technical, steep 50 milers I have coming up, so she offered to loan me hers for the weekend! That was so nice! I took them with me today since this particular climb is really steep, has some fairly technical sections and would give me a chance to test them out on a shorter run before buying some of my own. I have to say I was impressed with how easy they were to adjust to my height, with how lightweight they were (hers are the Leki brand and they telescope to the size you need), they also were not hard to get in a rhythm with and I liked the ergonomic handles since I found them comfortable and they did not chafe at all. I had decided to hike the entire first half (to the summit) and then run the whole way down – keeping the poles in hand the entire time. Since I just did this same run last Sunday, I also thought it would be interesting to see if I was faster/slower with the poles. This Sunday was about 30 degrees hotter than last Sunday, so I knew that would be a factor that may skew things a bit, but it was still fun to do it and see how it compared overall.

I bumped into a pal on the way up who was coming down. I said, “Hello!” and he said “Hi,” then passed me and I heard him say, “Christie???? Is that YOU?” It turned out to be my pal, Tom! I don’t think he recognized me with my trekking poles, hiking uphill and I didn’t recognize him walking on a downhill (he’s one the of the fastest downhill runners I know.) We both got a good laugh out of that, and stopped to chat about hiking poles. Turns out, he, too, tried a pair on this same path awhile back. He shared some ideas about them, we said our goodbyes and I was off, trudging up the hill again.

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I have to admit, I enjoyed the uphill section this week and I don’t think it was the poles that made me feel that way. They were fine and everything, but the main thing that made me enjoy myself more was not having any pressure to run uphill. I just let myself power hike. That’s always what works best for me and when I try to make myself run even some of it, I end up miserable. My right hamstring is still hurting from last Sunday’s hike/run since I was trying my best to push the pace to catch up to my faster friend. I was having a hard time and could not catch up no matter how I tried. So, today, I just relaxed, enjoyed the lovely spring flowers cropping up everywhere on the hillsides and just kept myself steady and determined.

It went well! Despite the heat, I felt strong. I took my S caps and ate as needed and never got tired or needed to slow down my effort level. Once I reached the summit, I snapped a few pictures and stopped to sit on a rock and enjoy the amazing views of the entire valley. I admit, I felt so good, so happy, so open to the beauty and so free to be me, that I cried a little bit. I cleansed some feelings, wiped my tears and then headed down the mountain, feeling refreshed and a little more at peace in my soul.

I almost landed on another bull snake, who was stretching his four feet body across the trail, but thankfully, he turned back and got out of my way before I landed on him! Eeek!

I had the poles fully extended, so ended up running with them held like two long sticks floating vertically above the ground as I flew down the hillside. I had fun, but was thinking, “I think I’ll do it without the poles next time.” My best mile was mile 13 with a pace of 8:37. I ran by feel entirely today. I tuned into my body and finished strong. It felt really good to be in control. I think more training on Lucky Peak will help me with my next two hard fifty milers! I’ll keep doing it!

Elevation Gain: 3,247 feet. Average HR: 157 Max HR: 190

P.S. Interestingly – My overall time was very similar today to last week’s. I don’t think the poles helped me much, but they were really fun to try out! I missed having my hand bottles, which I could not use while holding the poles.

Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Anniversary to ME!

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It’s Mother’s Day week. This will be the 4th anniversary of me choosing to be a healthier me!! 4 years ago, I was overweight, had not exercised in over a decade and decided that I really wanted to run a marathon the year I was 40 (I’m 39 now.) It seemed like a crazy idea. I could not even run a block back then. I printed out the Couch to 5k walk/run program to get me started, bought myself a pair of running shoes as my Mother’s Day gift to myself and got started – slowly, but surely.

I kept at it! I ran that first marathon in October of 2009 and will be running my 4th next Saturday. I never imagined I’d also start running distances longer than a marathon – all the way up to the 100 mile distance! Once you realize you are capable of what you once thought was impossible you realize that there are no limits! Dream BIG and be the YOU that you always wanted to be!!! To all the other moms out there – It’s ok to make time for yourself! It’s ok to have dreams that you’re pursuing! My kids think I’m a little nutty, but I know they are proud of me and I feel like a better example today to them than I was 4 years ago! Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Here’s a photo of the five kids and I four years ago before I was a runner

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I bought myself a little early Mother’s Day gift today – a sun dress! I haven’t owned one since I was a little girl and thought it would be fun! The five kids and the husband all said they liked it on me. :) That made my day!

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A Little Surprise

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I have had a fairly hectic week getting things ready to co-direct Lake Lowell Marathon with my husband this Saturday.  When I checked the mail and found this little award I must have won at Antelope Island Buffalo run last month, it made me smile and reminded me that even though it’s a lot of work on this side of putting on an event, for those racers on the other side, it could be a life-changing day –the day many of them will run their first marathon, half, 10k or 5k or set a new PR! :) I’m looking forward to setting the stage up so many of them can make their dreams come true!!!!! Happy racing!!!

It’s All About Heart at the Back

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I had the great honor yesterday of volunteering at the 2012 Race to Robie Creek Half Marathon, which is billed as the “toughest half marathon in the U.S.” The theme this year was Samurai Warrior, so my husband dressed as a  Samurai and I dressed as a Geisha to bring a little fun to the summit aid station at mile 8.4 that the local running store The Pulse puts on each year.

It was a lot of fun watching the team of volunteers at the top transform the roadway into the highlight aid station for the race! It was pretty cool to see how well the 20 or so volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got a few hundred cups filled with water and Gatorade – stacked three tiers high and got ready to hydrate and encourage the runners as they passed!

I placed myself just below the summit and as soon as I saw the front runners I started cheering and clapping and high-fiving them as they went by! It was a ton of fun to bring a smile to the very worn out racers who were fighting the relentless uphill of Rocky Canyon Road who’d been tearing it up for more than 8 uphill miles in about 90 degree heat by the time they reached us! I was very impressed by how well many of them tolerated the tough conditions! I told the runners “You are my heroes!”

I must have high-fived over a thousand runners on Saturday! I also got about a dozen sweaty hugs! You could just see how much some of them really needed to be told, “You’re doing GREAT!  You’ve got this!”  It was a really neat perspective to be on the other side of the race this year, since I ran it myself the last two years in a row. It may surprise you to know that I actually preferred cheering and helping out to running it myself. Seeing all of those grateful smiles will forever be a memory that will gladden my heart!

The highlight of my day came after the race had been going on for about four hours. The racers started at noon, so it was the hottest part of the day and the back of the packers were still toughing it out on the course, under the blazing sun, long after the front runners had crossed the finish line and joined the party down at Robie Creek on the other side.

The crowds of runners coming up to the summit had dwindled way down and I headed back down the hillside to find those who would need encouragement the most — the ones at the very end of the race.  I found them after about a mile and a half – a mother, in her fifties doing her first Robie with her college-aged son, my friend who was sitting at a search and rescue aid station, under an umbrella who had struggled in the intense heat who was making the smart choice to call it a day and another friend who was in good spirits but just needing a little more time to complete the long haul up the hillside in the heat.

I joined the mother/son team and my pal, Derek came back to help them too. It was nice! There was such a great energy at the back of the pack! The college age son kept saying to his Mom, “I’m so proud of you! You’ve got this, Mom!” And, his Mom’s eyes would well up with tears at the wonderful support and love her son was showing for her. I think Derek and I felt like we were being allowed to share in a very special time for this family. We moved along as a group, letting the Mom set the pace, encouraging her to rest when we came to shady spots along the road, offering her drinks and pats on the back as we went.

My friends, Jon, Ryan and Mike were also there, just ahead of us, offering the same support and encouragement to my friend Marcie. It was a very positive, humbling experience to watch these wonderful runners give their heart and soul out there and never give up!

The Mom and son team ended up pulling ahead a bit and I had the pleasure of staying with my friend, Marcie, with just the pace car pulling up the end of the race behind us. There was a great energy each time we passed another aid station or a person who’d stayed to cheer on the last runners!  Marcie was in great spirits, taking time to hydrate, rest or eat as she needed. There was never any doubt about her finishing! She was strong right to the last step!

The sweetest moment came when, about a mile from the finish line, our other friends walked back onto the course with her ten year old daughter, Felicity, who had ran the race herself and already had finished as the youngest runner on the course that day! What a huge accomplishment!!  Marcie had bought a special necklace that said “13.1″ to give as a  gift to her daughter when she caught up to her. It was wrapped beautifully in her daughter’s favorite color – purple! I think we all got a little teary eyed as Mom and daughter hugged and the lovely necklace was placed around Felicity’s neck!

As we came around the final curve, Marcie started picking up speed, her daughter and her friends all cheered her in as she pushed the pace right over the finish line! It was a wonderful time! I’m so happy that I got to be a part of it!

 

Conditioned Optimism

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When I read Jared Campbell’s blog this past week about training for the Barkley Marathons, he mentioned the phrase “conditioned optimism.” He was talking about seeing the weather reporting extremes like hail, blizzards, lightening or intense heat and thinking, “Woo hoo! Another chance to go running in this to train hard for Barkley!”

That phrase has been popping into my head every since I read that. It makes me smile! It gives me a new perspective on things!  So, tonight when my husband and I were in the KFC drive-through, ordering the mashed potatoes, coleslaw, chicken and big root beer I was craving and the car suddenly died and wouldn’t start back up, I didn’t get grumpy. Not a bit! I grinned at my husband and pointed to my feet. I’d gone on an 8 mile run earlier in the mountains and hadn’t gotten around to my after-run shower yet. I was still dressed in my running clothes and had on my running shoes, too!

I got another chance to practice my new positive mental attitude right then, too. We were still sitting in the drive-through with several other cars behind us. I happily opened the car door and hopped behind and started to really put my strong legs to work by PUSHING the car (with my husband still inside since we were parked so close to the ordering speaker he could not open the door!) I thought it was hilarious! And, I felt like a beast!!! Just a few short years ago, I was overweight and out of shape. But, today, I was happy to put my muscles to good use and help my husband out (and of course all those nice people behind us in the drive through that we were keeping from their fried chicken!!!!)

We pushed the car to a parking spot and headed into the restaurant to eat our food. We laughed and joked about what a funny night it had turned into. The car – our little white Escort wagon is a clunker. It’s got about a zillion miles on it and we paid a whopping $350 for it a couple of years ago!  It’s been a good car in that time and has taken us so many places without breaking down! I’d say we got our money’s worth out of it even if we can’t justify whatever it’s going to cost to fix it back up again.

We finished our dinner then headed into Fred Meyer for the garden hose attachment we’d actually been to town to get and then started running home together with our purchase.

Though it had been a really hot day with a temperature of about 90, the sun was setting and it was cooling down to a perfect evening. The spring blossoms on the cherry and apple trees along the route smelled heavenly! The Boise Foothills looming to our left were breathtaking to see! It was fun! We had a great time, enjoyed some chitchat and each got another 4 miles done today!

I’m excited to see in what other ways I can start making lemonade out of lemons!  I encourage you to do the same! The next time things go wrong, find a way to see the positive side of it! And, I will keep working on my “conditioned optimism” too!