Category Archives: Running Buddies

Girls Head Start Mountain Run

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Yesterday, after a pretty great morning run, Ryan mentioned he was going to run “hard and fast” on some of the most difficult trails we have in the Boise Foothills. Of course, that got the wheels turning in my head and I asked him later if he’d share the route with me for my Garmin so I could start early and do it too (without messing up “fast boy” training!)

My buddy, Rachel C. stopped by my house while I was looking over the map and said she’d enjoy coming along too, so we met up at 4:30 am to get a jump on Ryan A. and Derek (who I refer to as the “fast boys” because they are exceptionally FAST runners!)

After looking at Ryan’s Garmin info (where he’d done this route in the past in 1:29) we started a half an hour (it turned out to be 27 minutes exactly since they started two min early and we started one min late -not that I’m being a numbers geek) before the guys and decided to hike every step since we thought it would be fun if they caught us at the halfpoint and we all ran downhill together. The sky was pitch black, the city of Boise twinkled below like a thousand sparkling diamonds, the wind whistled and I was thankful for my thin Brooks jacket keeping me toasty. We reached the 4 mile spot and could see two headlamps about a mile down the trail heading steadily up towards us, so we waited for about 7 minutes (that’s ALL it took them to catch us with a half an hour start!!?!! WOW)

They were flying too and in great spirits! We said our hellos and we all started running fast downhill having a blast! If the fellas were tired from running hard on the steep uphills, they didn’t show it! They were FLYING!!!! And whooping and laughing and having a great time! Rachel and the boys took off super fast and I had to hold back on the super technical downhill right after we joined up. It’s like a death trap, a zillion various sized rocks, uneven terrain, by headlamp. Totally exciting! Loved every minute of it – but I had to take my time. I definitely lost my “early morning running” skills with the several week lay off from running much with the calf injury and am eager to get back to being a bit more fearless on this sort of thing!

Once we hit the smoother sections of downhill running I was in my element and started running much faster! That’s when I started whooping and hollaring – and it started to rain! I felt like a little kid I was having so much fun, my hair plastered to my face, arms and legs pumping hard through the mountains under the stars! My fastest mile was mile 7 at a 7:18 pace. I felt I could have ran it a bit faster, but I had to pee!

I stopped to take care of business and wait for Rachel (who’s headlamp was fading making it hard for her to go as fast as she wanted to.) Once I saw her light behind me, I took off again to the final stretch, lungs burning and breathing heavy as I gave it all I had to the finish!

That was the most incredible workout I’ve done in MONTHS! Totally loved it and can’t wait to do it again!!!! THIS kind of running will make me a beast!

Elevation gain: 1,659 feet. When I got back to the parking lot and realized Rachel and I had done the 8.64 mile route in about 1:45 I was pretty excited! Not bad for hiking the first 4 miles! Next time, I think we girls need to start 15 min early instead and run as much as we want. I am betting we could do it even faster!! What do you think, Rachel?! Are you in?!

40 Miles for 40 Years – My “Over the HillS!” Birthday Run

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On November 2nd, I turned the big four -O!! 40 years YOUNG! I can’t believe it! 40 is a pretty special number for me since it was the age my Mom was the year she ran her marathon. Four and a half years ago, when I took those first steps to becoming a healthier Mommy, my ultimate goal was to run a marathon the year I turned 40 years old just like my Mom had done.  So, here I am!! Finally 40!

Since I’d ran that first marathon a few years back (and gone on to do other ultra marathons including my 100 miler this past March) I needed a special way to commemorate the day.  So, I invited a bunch of my crazy running buddies to join me as I ran 40 miles to celebrate 40 years of a good life!

It couldn’t have been more perfect to begin my special day, in the dark, at 5:30 am with a headlamp meeting up with Ryan at the base of Lucky Peak. That alone was kind of sentimental for me. A year ago I moved to Boise. The night before my birthday, I was feeling a little down since I was still unpacking and didn’t have any official plans to run with anyone the next day for my birthday. It was late when the phone rang. It was my friend, Ryan, inviting me on my first-ever midweek trail run by  headlamp!!! Just one of the “cool, new things” that changed for me when I moved to Boise! The next morning, I awoke at 4:30 am (a time that seemed ungodly, but would over time become my new normal on running days.) It was freezing cold, windy, my hands were numb and I could hardly hear Ryan when he spoke because the wind was blowing so fiercely! But, we ran the Homestead Trail up towards Lucky Peak, stopping once we’d reached a great spot to view the city lights below. It took my breath away and almost made me cry! I felt like the luckiest person in the world — standing on the top of a mountain as a new year of my life began in a new city!

So, beginning this run in the same way was pretty special. To make it even better, my friend Andrea was joining us and my amazing friends Bobby and Calvin, who had driven all the way from Baker City, Oregon to join in were along the for celebration too! I was dressed in my new purple birthday tutu and I was feeling rather festive and full of appreciation for my good friends, my loving husband and five children, the gorgeous trails I run on and my good health! We ran under the bright moon and the twinkling stars and chatted as we made our way up.

At the top, we paused, taking in the views below of the city lights – twinkling like diamonds beneath us against a black sky. Though I’ve seen this view many times since last November, it still causes me to catch my breath and my heart wells up with awe at the sight and wonder of it all. Me, way up on a mountain on the morn of my birthday.

We headed down the hill, running hard and fast, dodging rocks, uneven washout on the road, letting gravity pull our bodies like speeding bullets down the hill, trying not to fall the way I did on my birthday the year before. This time, I can feel the familiarity in my footfalls. I run this trail in the dark all the time now and I don’t hesitate on the downhills anymore – I push myself instead – loving the riskiness of daring the rocks to trip me up, the drive welling up inside my chest as I try to chase down my faster friend! I run well, my cheeks are flushed and I am smiling. In fact, I find that I am running effortlessly — floating down the mountain, gracefully, quickly gaining on Ryan and I am not out of breath. I feel wonderful! I push a little bit harder, see the gap between us closing bit by bit. My mind is buzzing.. “Could THIS be my day? The day I finally catch my faster pal?!” My stride stretches and I get closer and closer, my breathing heavy, when I am right at his heels – JUST as we reach the gate and finish the run! I am elated! He teases, “If you hadn’t had on your headlamp you might have caught me this time!” Maybe next birthday….

We get about 8 miles in before the day starts to dawn. We say goodbye to Ryan as he heads off to work for the day and the others and I head back to my house as the sun starts to rise to meet up with a few pals who will join me for the next leg of our journey. I find my sweet friend, Martha there with her bicycle and a delicious homemade key lime pie — baked special for me! Yum!!! I hug her, and my friends Mark and Dennis also show up, giving me hugs and saying, “Happy Birthday!” My five kids wake and are enjoying all the commotion at our home at such an early hour. They love my friends and I think my friends love them too.

We head off as a group, this time running some roads and the Boise Greenbelt on our travels. We keep the pace easy, conversational. Today is about pleasure, celebration – FUN! We talk about the fall leaves – the golds, the eye-popping reds, the browns. It’s a lovely day – sunny, blue skies, comfortable. A perfect fall day for a 40 mile run! We spot a deer standing statue-still in the Boise River! I jump up and down and clap like a 5 year old! It really feels like nature just sent me the best gift of all – this moment to gaze at this powerful and graceful beast — as she walks serenely through the water, pausing, staring at us, then walking on. It’s a perfect day!

By the time we are back at my house, I and three of my companions have ran over 22 miles! The mission is half complete! My husband is adorable – wearing a pink flamingo hat, working hard to whip up grilled cheese sandwiches for all my friends and I, spreading the table with other goodies for us to munch on – yogurt covered pretzels, potato chips, M and Ms, bananas, oranges and all sorts of tasty drinks! We are nourished, we’re in good spirits and then my friend, Uli comes over! Ulrich Kamm is something of a legend in our group. He’s from Germany and he brings me a delightful little champagne fruit and nut cake covered in chocolate. Uli is over 60 years old and has completed more than 250 ultra marathons, including multiple 100 mile finishes including Leadville, Wasatch, The Bear, Big Horn and 10 at Hardrock – and he’s never ran a step of any of them! He’s a power walker unlike any I’ve ever known! His walking pace causes others to run just to keep up! He’s energetic, funny and inspirational and I am thrilled to have him at my party!

This loop on the Oregon Trails with Uli is one of my favorite! Bobby, Calvin, Mark and I laugh and enjoy the chatter of our faithful leader — as Uli keeps us all putting in a solid effort just to keep him in sight! It’s wonderful! We enjoy the rocky terrain, the views of the Lucky Peak Dam reservoir and I feel very, very alive and incredibly happy as we run (and Uli walks!)

We get back to the house, say goodbye to Uli and Bobby tells me his foot is bothering him. I feel so badly for him. He’s gone 30 miles – a huge effort and I am so proud of him! My buddy, Jon has shown up and joins in with Calvin, Mark and I for the final round. We are in good spirits and the boys are being silly – harassing me like school children, playfully kicking at me or running off with my cell phone to take funny pictures that I’ll find later!

We get a call a few miles later that two of my gal pals have shown up to run with me. Wayne drives them down to meet up with us and it’s a pleasant change of pace to run with the girls, with their fresh legs. I am struggling with needing a bathroom so we do more walking than running, but they don’t seem to mind and we laugh and talk and enjoy the rest of the day.

My friend Christena needs to head off to a family dinner, so Wayne comes to give her a ride and I hug her and thank her for joining me! Denise stays and we slowly meander up the trail back towards the house. Calvin has reached a new milestone — he’d never gone more than 33 miles before — and Jon and Mark help him run strong to the end! They are done several minutes before I come trotting up the road with Denise. I am smiling. Only Denise is there when I hit the big 40 miles goal and the low key finish seems just perfect.  She tells me “congratulations”, hugs me and I head into the house for a shower before my birthday dinner.

It was a wonderful day. About 40 people come to my dinner. My oldest daughter says, “Isn’t that perfect, Mom?!” And, yes, it really is!

I am so lucky! I feel surrounded by people I adore, people I respect and enjoy the company of! My kids and husband are there, smiling, enjoying the fellowship of our friends and I am happy. It has been a life well lived thus far!!! :) Here’s to many, many more miles and years ahead…..

 

Foothills 50k Frenzy

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I had been looking forward to running the Foothills 50k Frenzy since last year when my friend and fellow race director, Jenny put on this event in our very own Boise Foothills! I was filled with anticipation and excitement when I headed out into the light rain towards the race (which conveniently is less than 20 minutes from my front door – a real treat since I often have to travel for doing my ultras!)

I had been asked to sing the National Anthem at the start and I think I was more nervous about that than racing! I said hello to several friends and grabbed my bib and goody bag at the start, then headed towards the long, long line for the porta-potties.  Usually I need to use the facilities at least a couple of times as I deal with my nervous bladder, but unfortunately, while still in line the first time, I realized the line was moving so slow that I would not be able to even get one shot at it! So, like any good ultra runner, I headed off to find a private spot and peed there, beneath some wooden bleachers in the dark, chilly morning.

Then it was time to get the party started, so I headed over to the start line, grabbed the microphone and waited for everyone to line up.  The crowd grew quiet and I saw many familiar faces smiling back at me, which calmed me down and then I begin to sing. Last year when I sang the Anthem, I was so nervous, my voice was shaking.  This time, I felt more sure of myself and relaxed and actually enjoyed the moment.  When I was done, I rushed over to the racers and found myself a good little spot, turned on my headlamp and got ready to race! Several people patted me on the back and said, “Good job!”  That made me feel good. Then it was time! They counted down and we were off!!!!

I made it a point to not go out too fast. I pulled back on the pace right away and let the crowd surge ahead and thought to myself, “It will be more fun to chase people down at the end than have them pass ME there!” And, I settled into a relaxed, steady pace and started to look around and enjoy the early-morning views, the sounds of the footfalls on the trails, the steady stream of lights ahead of me zig-zagging up the hillside, the city lights twinkling below and the nervous, early morning chatter of many racers.  It was a wonderful time. I kept thinking about how many times I’d ran these same trails in training and how often I’d been running at exactly this time with a few, hardcore friends who don’t mind getting up before the sun for our runs.  This time, I had plenty of company and it was funny to hear many of them say things like, “I’ve never seen the city lights from here before! I usually run later in the day!” It felt like all of these runners were out trying out my usual running time and they were enjoying it!

A couple of miles in, my stomach started to act up.  I had been in a rush to leave the house and had not had time to use the bathroom there and here my stomach was reminding me that it still needed to take care of business!  Unfortunately, in the Boise Foothills, it’s mostly sagebrush and medium grasses — not a great place to find a good hiding spot to use nature’s bathroom! At about mile 5, I knew I couldn’t hold off any longer and walked down over the side of one of the hills as far as I could to get out of sight of the racers and then, I shut off my headlamp and did what I needed to do.  About 15-20 people passed me here, way up on the trail.

I fell back in line and settled back into a comfortable pace and watched the day gradually turn from dark into light. It was one of the prettiest sunrises I’ve seen all year — all pinks and oranges, grays and whites. It took my breath away!  Not long after, I could tell I needed another private bush moment, but there was nowhere to hide as it was getting lighter out. I knew there was a spot around mile 10 that I’d used in training and I just focused on getting to that wonderful place with lots of trees to hide behind!

It turned out, I wasn’t the only one holding out for a great spot to get indecent!  There were four other women hiding amongst the trees and bushes doing the same thing.  I lost a few more minutes here, but it was time well spent! As I was coming out from the bushes, a couple of men said, “Great! Is that a good spot to use the bathroom?” And I had to break it to them that there were still several other women already back there. They sulked and said, “NO  FAIR! Where’s the men’s room around here?” That made me laugh!

I was really enjoying the day after that stop! I felt warmed up, relaxed, in a good groove! I glanced at my watch and felt pretty pleased to see that despite the two pit stops, I was right on pace with where I’d hoped to be at this point in the race.  I didn’t really concern myself at all with my watch or the paces, though. I ran by feel and was intent on staying steady and strong for the entire race, so I could finish strong.

My husband Wayne was running an aid station at mile 11.5 and I focused on getting up the steepest climb of the day to get there.  I was glad I’d done this section three times before so I knew what to expect as it’s kind of a long, steep haul to the top of the ridge road! I passed a few people here, which surprised me since I was just power hiking and not running at all.  It was a real confidence boost to see how much stronger I’ve become at powering up difficult climbs in the last year!  I picked up the pace and started to run once I heard my husband’s loud music booming out over the mountains. It made me smile and gave me a little swagger as I raced up to see him and several helpers on the top!

Wayne handed me the Frappuccino I’d asked him to buy for me and I thanked him and headed out to the turnaround point a mile past his aid station (which is also mostly uphill!) Not long after the aid station, I realized I needed to take a quick pee, so I headed off down a  little ATV trail for some privacy. As soon as I had my shorts down, I looked up and saw another runner gal who’d been following me and said, “Oh! I’m sorry! This is the wrong way. I just needed to pee!”  She was embarrassed, laughed and headed back onto the correct road!

Back on the road, I was having the time of my life! I love out and back sections of races since you get to see the smiling faces of the other runners who are ahead of you. I exchanged a few hugs and high fives through here and really started to take in the view from up high. We were running through the forest, the fresh scent of rain still strong and pure in our nostrils. There was a heavenly mist just hanging over the mountains and all around us. It felt kind of magical, honestly — just lovely and I could not stop smiling!

I reached the 12.5 mile turnaround and heard my Uncle Mike yell out, “I know that girl!” That made me grin and I said hello, then turned around and started to really fly downhill back towards Wayne’s aid station, this time getting to say hi to my fellow racers and pals who were behind me. It was a ton of fun!! I spread out my arms like a bird and just ran, and let out a “WEEEEEEE” as I went!

Wayne gave me a kiss at his aid station, I grabbed some bonus TP and then I headed back out. I had made it a point from the start to get in and out of aid stations as quickly as possible. I don’t think I spent more than 60 seconds at any aid station all morning and I was pleased about that.  The section from the Ridge Road to the next aid station is mostly downhill. I relaxed, fell into a comfortable downhill pace and soon found myself running stride-for-stride next to my pal, Matt!  We had a great time catching up. We hadn’t seen one another since Wilson Creek Frozen 50k in January, where we also ended up running stride-for-stride midway through the race.  We ran for several miles together and he said to me, “I can’t believe how fast we’re going! It doesn’t even hurt!” I told him chatting and running downhill were two of my favorite things and the best way to gobble up some trail miles pretty fast! At the 18 mile aid station, Matt stopped to get some grub and I just wooshed right on by and up to the next trail.

In miles 18-22, there is a lot of climbing again.  I settled into my power hike mode and made sure to eat the peanut butter sandwich in my Nathan pocket. I glanced at my watch and knew I was having a great day and that I was right on target for what I’d hoped to achieve.  I caught up to my friend, Randy in here and we enjoyed running together, him leading on the ups and me leading on the downs for several miles. It’s always nice to run with a friend! I got a bit ahead right before the aid station at mile 22, where I saw the first porta potty of the day and knew I needed to use it. The only problem was there was a line! Since I was having an unexpected visit from Mother Nature, I knew I had no choice but to wait and use the bathroom and deal with my female issues, so I did. Finally, the restroom opened up and I dashed in there, took care of what I needed to and then headed back onto the trail to complete the final 10 miles of the race!

I was really feeling on fire by this point! I’d conserved my energy, eaten and drank well and not dilly dallied at the aid stations and I was totally on target to have a strong finish! I was ready to really race the final stretch! I saw race photographer, Michael Lebowitz in this section, laying on the ground in the golden grasses snapping pictures as the runners went by.  I leaped when I saw him and he said, “Do it again!” I did and I grinned and thanked him for being there as I passed.  I was right behind Randy.  Michael (who knows us both), hollered out to Randy, “How are you feeling?”  Randy said,”Not great!” Michael said to me, “How about you?” I turned to face him as I ran backwards and said, “Like a MILLION BUCKS!” And he said to Randy, “You’re about to get chicked!!”  We laughed and ran on.

Not long after the steady climb finally gave way to some awesome downhill! I took off like a rocket and felt so grateful I’d saved something in my legs for this section! I weaved and bobbed and passed several people, saying, “Good job!” as I passed each one. After several good, solid miles, I spotted a yellow shirt up ahead! It was my neighbor and good friend, Frank! I couldn’t believe I’d caught him! I sneaked up behind him as quietly as I could and then said, “BOO!” to him.  He looked so tired and really happy to see me. I hugged him and told him that he was doing an awesome job on his first ultra! He said, “I’m so tired. Everything hurts.” I said, “We’re almost done, Frank! We can do this! Just hang in there for 3 more miles!”  I pulled in front of him and said, “Follow me, Frank! Just chase me down!” and we ran like that for awhile, nice and relaxed. We were on cruise control, footstep by footstep approaching the finish line! Frank got a second wind here and I let him past and yelled out, “Go, Frank, GO!!! You’re doing great!” then watched that yellow shirt sail off into the distance ahead of me. I was happy for him and happy for me. We were both having a wonderful race!

As I wound along the final stretches of the trail on the path covered in the golden leaves of fall, I couldn’t help but feel grateful.  Grateful that I was healthy, that I was running, that my friends were all over this course, excited that I had people waiting at the finish line ahead to welcome me and cheer me in.   My heart was full of joy as I finally reached the stairway to heaven!  This final section has about 55 wooden steps up a steep hillside. I saw my friend Billie at the top, clapping and cheering for me! I made my way up the steps, grinned at her and said, “I’ve got a race to finish!” and then headed off with their cheers loud in my ears, pushing me onward!

I summited the final climb and could see Frank’s yellow shirt down below and heard the crowd cheering him into the final home stretch! That totally motivated me and I started to pump the arms and legs with all I had left. I ran strong and felt the cowbells and cheering pulling me forward.   I threw up my hands and pumped my fists in the air as I came across the finish line, a huge smile on my face — in 6:26 — a time I was really, really pleased with!!  They handed me my hand-made finishers coffee mug (a prize I will truly treasure by a local ultra runner and artist) and I got a hug and kiss from my husband.

It was a wonderful race! I can’t wait to do it again next year!

 

3 Years Ago Today I Ran My First Marathon

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 My Dad took this shot of me about 15 miles into City of Trees Marathon 2009

I was caught by surprise when I saw the City of Trees Marathon race in progress while I was out running errands this morning. A flood of emotions came rushing over me as I saw those runners gutting it out on the streets of Boise – just as I had done three years ago today.

 Just past “The Wall” at mile 20 and near a graveyard that I joked I could just keel over and die into.  This photo is deceiving. I was walking and repeating, “This is so hard” over and over just before this. I rallied and mugged for the camera though!

The City of Trees Marathon of 2009 was my first marathon. It was 40 degrees, the sky was gray and it rained the entire race! I was so nervous and excited at the starting line that day! I’d never ran more than 20 miles and in fact, had only gone beyond the 16 mile mark for the first time in July leading up to this race, when my best friend, Bertha had taken me running on the Boise Greenbelt and kept encouraging me to keep going when I just wanted to lay down in the sweltering heat and DIE at about mile 12!

Bertha was my hero! She’d already ran two previous marathons and I could not believe my  incredible luck when she agreed to train with me – a total newbie who could NOT keep up with her to save my life! We had grown up together in the small town of Homedale, Idaho, a little farming community only 5 miles from the Oregon border. Though we’d played together as young children, we’d lost touch as we grew older and only bumped into one another again at Wal Mart more than two decades later.  We ended up becoming friends on Facebook, which led to our chatting about our common interest in running, which led us  to becoming close friends and running partners in 2009.  It was a wonderful summer!

Though I had grown up with a fit, athletic, runner Mom, I only took a slight interest in the sport in my late teens, often joining my Mom for local fun runs and I never signed up for anything beyond the 5k mark! I do remember once doing a race called The Oregon to Idaho  - which started at the state line in Oregon and had us run the 5 miles right back into Homedale, ending at the City Park.  I remember my 35 year old, spandex-clad Mom kicked my 18 year old butt that day and I walked a LOT of that 5 miles!  Luckily, not many other teen girls were signed up for the race and I won my age group!  Mom won hers too.

Though Mom dragged me along to a few small races, I hadn’t yet developed the passion she had for running long distances like the marathon. She completed her first (and only) one the year she was 40. It was the Great Potato Marathon in Boise. It rained the entire time. My Dad and I were there to hand her bananas, powerbars and Gatorade along the course (I didn’t know it was called crewing back then) and we were there when she finished the race. She’d taken a wrong turn and ran a few bonus miles, so the finish chute was torn down when she came to the end. It didn’t matter – not to her or us! Tears flowed freely and the pride swelled in my heart to see my Mom accomplish something I couldn’t even fathom - running an entire marathon! I promised myself that one day, I would experience it for myself!

This photo was taken a few weeks after the birth of my fifth child.  I struggled with depression and anxiety and had been fighting my weight for a decade by this point. I really wasn’t sure I could change (glad I was WRONG!) It would be one more year after this photo before I was willing to make some big changes in my life so that I could start chasing my dream of becoming a marathoner.

I didn’t know that I would end up overweight, out of shape and the busy Mom of five children before I was ready to make my own path into the marathoning world. My Mom ran her marathon in 1995. I didn’t run my first until 2009 — 14 years later – same city, same RAIN! My husband and five kids were there that day to see me cross the finish line. But, the person that I wanted to be there most that day — my hero — my Mom — was there too! She and my Dad had driven along the course, holding up signs that said, “You can do it, Christie! Your’e already a winner to us! and “Pain is temporary, but PRIDE lives forever!” It was an emotional, wonderful day.  My dad even had a little trophy (an almost exact replica of the one he had made for my Mom when she ran her marathon) that he handed me at the finish line. It made me cry and I still consider that trophy one of the most valuable treasures I own.

Seeing the racers out today took me back in time to that day, three years ago, when it was my first time on the marathoner’s  journey. The exact point of the race I saw today brought back me in that same location, feeling giddy and attack hugging Bertha every few steps and saying, “Can you believe it?! Look at ME! I’m running a marathon!! And, I’m with YOU!!” Bless her heart! I think I annoyed her to death those first few miles with my overzealous enthusiasm. Luckily, she pulled away from me within a few miles and went on to run a PR race — beating her best time (and her hyperactive running partner) by about 15 minutes! It was an amazing day for both of us.

 Bertha and I on Federal Way, racing in the rain!!!

I want to encourage you — if you’ve been secretly dreaming of attacking some huge goal like running a marathon (or a half marathon or your first 5k or your first ULTRA!)  Whatever your heartfelt desire is, however you want to put your body to the test — stop secretly wishing or pining for your dream! Go out and make it happen!!!!!! I’m so incredibly happy that I didn’t give up when I was a size 14, overweight, busy Mom of 5, who hadn’t exercised in over a decade! It seemed ridiculous that I wanted to run a full marathon when I hadn’t even completed a half marathon yet. I could not run an entire block in May of 2008 when I decided to change my life! But, I started getting outside 3 x a week for half an hour and just doing what I could do — which mostly involved walking.  Slowly, I got better at it, became stronger and my weight started to fall off. I went from a size 14 to a size 4 from running. Running changed my life! It helped me realize my dreams! It made me a calmer, happier Mom — a better version of myself.  Please don’t let any excuse hinder you from looking your naysayers in the eye and telling them that you ARE capable, that you WILL achieve your dreams — and then GO DO IT! I’ll be cheering you on!!!!

Pacing Rachael at IMTUF 100

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I had the great honor and pleasure of pacing my good friend, Rachael at http://imtuf100.com/ over the weekend! It was a wonderful experience to run one of the most difficult courses (with more water crossings, log hoppings, mountain side scrambles than I’d ever experienced) in temperatures ranging from sub freezing in the night to nice and comfy under a beautiful blue October sky in the afternoon for nearly 100k as a pacer! I now say pacing is how you “Try before you buy!” an ultra marathon!  After helping my pal chase her dream down and complete this race in 35:38:09 (which is for a 105 miles I should mention not just 100 – because how can you have too many beautiful, challenging miles when you’re doing this stuff?!) I feel pretty certain I’d like to toe the line next year and find out if “I” am TUF, too! :D   The finisher prize was a gorgeous, leather belt — to hold all those belt buckles we 100 milers like to collect! What a genius idea! Looking forward to next year when it’s my turn!

I’m overwhelmingly proud of my gal, Rachael! She was tough, focused, she gave me her all out there and she never, ever, ever, wanted to quit — even though many other runners did.  33 started the race, 15 DNF’d it and 1 finished after the official cut off.  THAT IS TOUGH! And, yet, she rose to the occasion, she did what she needed to do and she proved herself strong enough to go the distance and fast enough to do it under the cut offs! It was a pleasure to be invited to pace my friend and an honor to be there by her side for nearly an entire day and night! Thank you, Rachael for allowing me to be part of your dream-chasing! I’m so happy for you!!!! You rock, sister!

Hey! I’m Famous! Or Almost Famous!

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Well, tonight was a special night! I just got home from the Pulse Running and Fitness Shop’s Marathon and Beyond magazine night. The featured guest was none other than my good friend (and one of my ultra running mentors), Dennis Ahern who was the cover boy for the September/October issue of the journal.

Dennis gave an hour long presentation about the running adventures that he’s been able to experience this year.  He has already ran four 100 milers (Salt Flats, Zion, Big Horn and Wasatch), covered every single distance in a race from 1 mile – 100 miler (except the marathon, which he will do at my race, the Idaho Wine Run on September 30th).  He’s fast packed the 221 mile (which includes the ascent to Mt Whitney, which he did) John Muir Trail through the Sierra Nevada mountain range in less than 6 days (most people take 3 weeks) and he’s still got two more 100 milers he’s signed up for before the year is done! The man is amazing! Several of his races are just two weeks apart – including 100 milers! Did I also mention that Dennis is 54 years old and almost always beats the majority of the runners in our large ultra running group — even guys half his age?! Yeah, he’s pretty unique.  Despite all of the accomplishments, Dennis is also one of the most down-to-earth, kind-hearted people I’ve ever known. He’s quick to share his snacks on the trail or offer a kind word when a runner’s had a bad race and he’s always willing to share his sage advice with the beginners (Iike myself) who are still feeling out this sport and learning the ropes. I call him my Yoda. He doesn’t own a Garmin or wear a watch or heart rate monitor when he races. He keeps things simple and I really respect that about him.

I really enjoyed listening to Dennis share more about his adventures, his passion for running and setting difficult challenges for himself that he works hard to achieve and it really inspired me to keep pushing towards my own goals.

One goal has always been to be featured in a magazine! I’d always hoped it would be as a writer, but I got the next-best thing when my friend, Jenny Stinson (a fellow Boise ultra runner, friend and employee of Marathon and Beyond magazine) contacted me a few weeks back and asked if she could use a couple of my photos — one of me as I was directing Lake Lowell Marathon where I am giving a massage to one of my runners who has finished and the other of me collapsed on a cot in a medical tent at Antelope Island Buffalo Run, where I’m wearing bright yellow compression sleeves right after my 100 mile run. I said I’d be honored and tonight she handed me a glossy copy of a magazine where I am actually within the pages! That’s a surreal feeling!! :D And one less thing on the bucket list!

So, pick up your copy and turn to pages 84 and 85 and marvel with me in how crazy it is that an overweight Mom of five somehow turned her life around and is now having some pretty cool experiences in this life now that she’s gotten fit, fallen in love with running and made some pretty cool friends (including one who just happened to want to use some of my photos for her magazine!) What a wonderful life! I can’t wait to see what happens next! Stay tuned!!!!

Pocatello Marathon Recap

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It was a beautiful, late summer day, the blue sky was filled with cotton candy clouds and my husband and I were looking forward to having a little time together by ourselves on the drive to my marathon in Pocatello. In fact, this was the first time we’d been more than an hour away from our kids overnight, and even though the oldest is now 13 and the “baby” is 5, I felt a little misty-eyed kissing each of them goodbye as we left for the weekend.

We hopped into our little Escort and started driving to Pocatello for my 5th marathon – the first one where I felt that my training and preparation meant that I had a shot at qualifying for Boston. For those who are unfamiliar with the process, those runners who want to run in the famous Boston Marathon can’t just sign up, pay the fee and show up to race as in most marathons around the country or world. Instead, you have to first run a “qualifying time” based on your gender and your age in another certified marathon just to have a shot at going to Boston.  So, this was my first attempt at “BQing” as other competitive marathoners refer to it.

In May, I ran the Famous Potato Marathon in 3:48:32. Since I’m turning 40 this year in November, I need to run a marathon in 3:45:00 or faster (which works out to about an 8:35 min per mile pace for 26.2 miles) to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2013. I had chosen the Pocatello Marathon specifically due to the course having 1,550 feet of elevation drop in the race, since I have always ran faster and stronger on downhills and figured this course would help me shave off those 3 1/2 minutes from my time.

The day was lovely and Wayne and I were relaxing and taking in the desert scenery as we drove from Boise to Pocatello. About an hour into our trip, the car started giving off a bad odor like burned oil or the smell a car has when you leave the emergency brake on and drive down the freeway. We pulled into a rest stop and Wayne inspected under the hood and even pulled off the left tire since the bad smell seemed to be coming from around there.  While he did that, I took the opportunity to stretch out the legs by doing laps around the parking lot. When Wayne couldn’t find the cause of the trouble, he put the wheel back on, checked all the fluids (which were looking good) and we headed on our way, hoping there’d be no more trouble ahead.

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of our car troubles.  We decided a couple years ago that we were tired of having a car payment and so we paid cash for our little, white Escort wagon ($350!) The car has had trouble here and there, but each time we’ve had minor repair we’ve reminded ourselves that we were saving a bundle by owning our older, used car. So, it was not a huge shock when our cheapy, high-mileage car started acting weird. Too bad for me, though, it was on my marathon weekend, so I was trying not to panic!

We started having a hard time getting the car up to freeway speed. Wayne realized it was the clutch going out and we were trying to decide what to do. We were kind of in the middle of nowhere and were able to maintain a consistent speed of about 40 mph, so Wayne turned on the emergency flashers and he started driving along the shoulder, keeping us moving forward towards civilization but out of the lanes of faster traffic. Each time we’d pass an exit, we’d look at one another and say, “Go on or pull over?” and we’d both say “Let’s keep going until we get to a bigger town!” And, on we putted.

We made it to Jerome, Idaho before the car just couldn’t do it anymore. Thankfully, we weren’t far off a freeway ramp, so we pulled over, parked the car and got out and started walking towards town. Since Wayne and I do not have web service on our cell phones, I texted my running buddy, Ryan and asked if he could look up a few car rental places in the area that we could call. I was incredibly grateful to him and his wife Michelle for being so helpful during our little crisis!

On the walk off the ramp, I spotted something shiny and leaned down to pick up a lucky penny! Wayne said, “You’re going to get us killed! This isn’t the time for that.” I said, “I think we could use a little good luck right now, actually!” Surprisingly, I found one more penny that was totally scratched up and banged up before we arrived at a gas station. I pocketed the two pennies in my running shorts’ pocket and believed in my heart of hearts that it meant everything would turn out just fine in the end.

We called Enterprise first since their motto is, “We’ll pick you up!” They said they were all out of cars for the weekend. Darn it! Then we called another agency. That call went straight to voice mail. Finally we called Hertz and both breathed a huge sigh of relief when they said they had cars and we could rent one! The only catch? They were 14 miles away in Twin Falls and were standing at a Shell station in Jerome. Thankfully, my friend Sean and his family were coming the same direction from Boise and when I told him about our dilemma, he said not to worry and that he’d give us a ride to the car rental agency! The best part was that he was only forty minutes or so behind us! Yay!

Sean and his family arrived shortly after, we climbed into the car and enjoyed some fun conversation as we headed into Twin Falls. Sean was excited since his 21st birthday fell on race day and he was hoping that the good luck from that coupled with his hard work in training would bring him a BQ, too! We talked about the race and soon we were at Hertz. We thanked Sean and his family and happily paid for a working car to get us to Pocatello!

I have to admit that I breathed a giant sigh of relief when we were finally cruising down the road towards the race again.  And, it didn’t hurt that we were doing it while sitting on leather seats! Whew! Disaster averted! Onto the MARATHON!

Once we arrived in Pocatello, we checked into our hotel (the Super 8 that I’d scored a room in for $30 less than the host hotel fee) and then we headed across the street to the host hotel to pick up my packet. I had heard so many rave reviews about this race and it’s schwag! And, I was not disappointed! I was given a nice, sports bag, a cute, technical, long-sleeved tee-shirt and a sack of Idaho Potatoes and a little carton of hash browns to boot! It doesn’t get much better than that! I will also say that I was very impressed with how well organized the packet pickup went. We were in and out in about five minutes and every single person I encountered greeted me with a smile!

It was getting close to dinner time when we got back to the hotel, so Wayne and I ate, I took a bath and then I laid out everything for the race so it would be easy to find in the morning. Then I set an alarm, laid back on the bed and fell asleep while Wayne watched the BSU game.

I slept well and woke up before my 4 am alarm went off. I had heard rain pounding on the windows during the night, but by the time we headed out to the host hotel, it had stopped. It was a chilly, but lovely morning. I hopped on the first bus and we took off shortly after towards the start line. I was so happy to find my friend April on the bus, so we sat together and tried to calm each others nerves down. April, also had Boston dreams, so we talked about our race plans for the day.

We arrived at the starting line and it was really unique. We were out in the middle of the country, on a farm! There was a red barn with adorable baby goats to pet and many runners were huddling in there to keep warm in the early morning chill. They had set up huge lights, which was really nice and there were two long rows of porta potties and a table with bottles of water for hydrating before the race. It was really well organized and I had a nice time walking around and mingling with the other runners as we waited for the 6:15 am race start.

They called us to line up a few minutes before 6:15 and I heard the most angelic version of the National Anthem being sang. The woman hit the high note on “free…” and it just floated, perfectly in tune way up in the sky. It was beautiful and gave me shivers! Then they yelled, “GO!” and we were off!  I had planned to run the first half of the race in 1:51 or better, assuming the downhill would make it the same effort that I had ran a 1:52 first half in May. I held back, tried not to let myself go out too fast and tried to just tune into myself and run.

The scenery was spectacular! We started high up on a mountain and there were lush, pine trees all around. The air was fresh. The temperature perfect. I felt pretty good and made sure not to “race” anyone who passed me. I thought I was in control and though I felt good, I did not feel quite as light and feathery as I’d expected to early on.  But, my Garmin started ticking off the first miles like this:

Mile 1: 7:53, Mile 2: 8:13, Mile 3: 8:17, Mile 4: 8:15, Mile 5: 8:13.  Things were going steady, smooth, strong and I wasn’t even breathing hard. I thought I was playing my hand smartly. I knew I could run those downhills faster but I held it back and just tried to ride the wave of gravity, never pushing, just coasting along — or so it seemed….

I walked through every single aid station, taking Powerade or water, taking a GU and and S Cap every hour just like I’d done in May at the Potato when my race went so well. I had my IPod playing loudly and just tried to zone out and run and hoped I could keep up the pace I needed to qualify for Boston by the end.

At mile 7 or so, there’s a little spur on the course, so it was fun to see the smiling faces of those runners up ahead of us coming down the little hill as we went up it. This would be the first of many little (and not so little) hills in the race. I was honestly surprised how many times I was climbing, especially after mile 10.  As I was coming down the hill, I saw my friend, April and we high-fived. That put a smile on my face!  Mile 6: 8:06 Mile 7: 8:07, Mile 8: 8:14, Mile 9: 8:30.

The course levels off around mile 10. There’s an elevation loss of 1,500 in the first 13 miles, but most of that is done by this point. There’s only another 150 of loss the whole rest of the way and lots of little ups and downs and plenty of flat especially towards the end. The prettiest part of the course is the first ten miles or so. Then, as it levels out, we were running through the industrial part of town, with factories here and there and railroad tracks running parallel to the road. My legs went from feeling fairly good to fatigued around this point. I was able to still hold the faster pace, but it became harder as the course leveled out and the thrashing my quads had taken on the down took their toll. Mile 10: 8:18, Mile 11: 8:22, Mile 12: 8:02, Mile 13: 8:50.

I was running strong, feeling ok and realized I was coming up on the half point in the race, when I looked down at my Garmin and realized that I was in fact going to be on target with a 1:51 or better. In fact, my PR at the half marathon officially is 1:53:05 from about two years ago (the last and only time I’ve ran a flatter road, half marathon), though I have ran a nonofficial half in training in 1:51 and did the first half of my May marathon in 1:52. Imagine my thrill when I saw a 1:47 at the half point!!!!!!!! A PR by several minutes! Woo hoo! I was running with the 3:40 pace group at this point (who were all ahead of pace!) I started feeling hopeful, but reminded myself, “You still have a LONG ways to go! Do not get overconfident until you see the finish line in sight and have a BQ pace on your Garmin!)

Around mile 14, the marathoners around my pace (about 8:15 average) caught up with the half marathoners. Suddenly the road was swarming with people and just like that I could not see my pace group! And, the hardest part was we’d caught up with the walkers at the back of the half marathoning race, so mentally I went from running on pace with only other marathoners also going my pace to suddenly being swarmed by those going a much slower pace.  There were also crowds cheering along the streets here and lots of cars drivnig in the lane next to us. I tried to dodge the walkers and get around them, but they often were talking and having a nice time in rows of 3-4, so it made it really hard to get by without heading into traffic.  Mentally, this section really got to me. The half marathoners also had pace groups, so while I was looking for the pace sign above the crowd to help me find my same-paced marathoners again, I was confused to see other pacers from the half in the crowd.

Mile 14: 8:28, Mile 15: 9:32, Mile 16: 9:22

In what seemed a blink of an eye, I went from feeling pretty good to feeling pretty fatigued, to having cramps in my calves and hamstrings, deep soreness and exhaustion in my quads and the realization that after all that downhill running, I needed to find a bathroom asap! I finally saw my husband for the first time at around mile 14. I had been eagerly looking for him along the way and got my hopes up many times when I’d see other people cheering along the side and mistakenly thought it might be him, only to get closer and realize it was someone else, cheering for another runner.  By the time I saw him, I already was starting to fall apart physically. I know myself and how I am supposed to feel at that point in a marathon and I knew I was not going to get Boston by that point. I was still holding onto the proper average pace through mile 17, but the wheels were coming off and I knew it. It wasn’t going to happen and I knew I had no choice but to stop and take a bathroom break, which would only make it harder to catch up to the pace I needed again. I gave my husband the “thumbs down” sign when I saw him. I rarely speak when I run road races, to conserve energy, so this has always been our way of communicating when he sees me along the course. A thumbs up means I feel awesome and am on goal. A thumbs down means, well, it means “Today sucks bigtime!” I had tears in my eyes when I made the signal and saw the sadness reflected in his eyes. He knows how much Boston means to me, how much I’ve talked about it and dreamed about it over the years and we both knew that this was likely the best chance for me to qualify this year… and I was watching the paces on my Garmin get slower and slower with every step and it seemed there was nothing I could do about it, but keep moving and just accept my fate.

Mile 17: 10:05, Mile 18: 11:20, Mile 19: 11:29, Mile 20 13:02

I finally found a porta potty in mile 20. There was a line. Coming to a stop and waiting for the bathroom was symbolic. I was having a crappy day! Everything hurt. I was suddenly so tired. I just wanted to lay down and be done with it. Finally, I had my turn and went in and sat down to take care of business. Within a minute, I heard a rapping on the door and an anxious man saying, “CMON CMON! HURRY!” That stressed me out, so I didn’t “finish” what I needed to do and hurried out of there and back into the race.  But, my stomach was saying, “I don’t mean to be a bother, but we weren’t really done back there! You’ll need to make another pit stop up ahead if you don’t mind!” Ugh!

The biggest hill of the course happens after mile 21. It’s steep. Traffic is thick through this section. It was hot and everyone I could see up ahead was walking. It was a low (though elevationally high) point. I slogged up the hill, eyes scanning the road up ahead for the glorious turquoise color of a porta potty.  Mile 21: 13:28. Mile 22: 15:38

Finally, I spotted one and aimed straight for it! Shutting the door and sitting down, I had the urge to just pretend I was no longer in a race at all. I just wanted it to be over. I did what I needed (thankfully without any rapping on the door this time) and then slowly stepped out of the loo and back into the race.  My brain is a little fuzzy on the details, but somewhere around here there was this darling little old lady standing outside her mobile home, pointing to a mister that had been set up to run under. She offered and I thanked her and walked under that pleasant coolness. It was a nice touch! That’s when I realized that I needed to make the best of things no matter how slow I was going. I turned off my IPOD and started looking every volunteer in the eye and saying, “Thank you so much for being here today!” I smiled and cheered for each runner who passed me the rest of the way. I gave a thumbs up sign to the band playing Eye of the Tiger alongside the road. I giggled when I saw the aid station worker dressed up as Elvis and took a hard candy at the table and thanked them all for their help. I wasn’t going any faster, I still wasn’t going to qualify for Boston or even PR or break 4 hours, but step by step, I started to enjoy the race again.  I spotted a woman in a Pulse shirt and struck up a conversation with her and I felt much better, much happier just talking to people and walking and willing my legs to just keep moving towards the finish line.

Mile 23: 12:19, Mile 24: 13:54, Mile 25: 14:33, Mile 26: 13:41, Last .31 – 9:08 pace.

My husband had parked the car and walked back up the course to find me at about mile 25. It was so nice to see him. I yelled out, “There’s my pacer! I’ve been hoping you’d show up, but you’re about 10 miles too late to save me now!” He laughed and I grinned. We both knew it wasn’t my day but I was ok with it. He said, “Your buddy April is back there.” I didn’t believe him. April is a much faster runner than I am and I assured him that he must have seen someone else back there who looked like her.  But, he was right. Within a short while, April caught up to us and we hugged and shared our sad stories. April had stomach problems for much of the race so had not been able to run her usual pace either. We both said we were sorry for the other, but both also agreed that misery loves company and we agreed to finish it up side-by-side.

When we finally could see the finish line, my heart lifted again. I knew it had not been the day I’d dreamed of, the day I’d hoped and trained hard for.. not even close — but here I was with my husband running ahead and snapping pictures and saying, “Good job, ladies!” and my friend by my side running stride for stride with me, that the day was not a loss. The marathon had been the master and I was once again the student, coming away with lessons about what NOT to do in future races, but at the end of the day, everything was going to be ok.  We picked up the pace to about a 6:45 as we grabbed hands and started sprinting towards the finish line, smiling and lifting our hands in victory. It had been a tough day. A difficult course. But, in the end, we conquered. We finished what we started. And we did it together!

Finish time: 4:27:01 – about 42 minutes behind my “goal.” And, if you’re wondering about the splits. First half: 1:47. Second half: 2:40.  This, kids, is what NOT to do in a marathon! Negative splits are much prettier to look at!!!! ;)

I’ll find that Boston time. It’s in my blood. I can feel it. My May race was just 3 1/2 minutes off of the time I need. It’s here in me and it may need more lessons on other tough days before I finally have my magical moment and cross that finish line with a shout of “YES!!! I FINALLY DID IT!!” Because when it happens, it will have not come easily. I will have worked very hard and fallen down many times, dusted myself off and got back up again to fight again. For isn’t that really what the marathon is all about — never, ever, ever giving up. Finding out that down deep you are stronger than you think. You run with your heart. You don’t quit. You hold your head up and you keep moving no matter what!

Sean was waiting for us in the park as we finished. We all hugged and congratulated one another on running a difficult race. Sean ran a 3:23, which was a PR for him! He didn’t get his Boston time either, but it was still a pretty sweet birthday race for him – especially when he found out he was 2nd in his age group!

We showed off our medals, which I have to tell you, were the HUGEST medals I’d ever seen! They are awesome and they were worth the fight out there! I have it hanging proudly on my Marathon display rack and it makes the other medals feel insecure and puny by comparison!

My husband shared this with me today and I think it’s perfect! I hope you are inspired by it too!

No BQ — This time…..

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The short story. I did not qualify for Boston. Not even close. I did have a plan and I stuck with it for the first 15 or so miles, then the wheels fell off. PR’d at the half marathon distance by several minutes (1:47) which was awesome. Felt like I was holding back at that point, running strong and steady but not pushing too hard. Guess I was wrong. Soon after, my quads protested loudly, my legs felt like heavy tree trunks that did not want to move (and kept cramping up despite plenty of hydration, powerade and S caps along the way) and then my stomach started giving me problems that sent me to the porta potty lines repeatedly. It was a death slog to the finish. Could NOT muster the ability to run even a 12 min mile for several miles. Wow! Lots of lessons today on this course. I run to better myself – to have new experiences. I’m not sad. I learned several things today. No Boston 2013 for me, but I’ll keep tinkering with the training and I do believe I have Boston in my blood and will get there — eventually.

The best part of the day was having my friend April catch up with me in the last mile and finish hand-in-hand, smiling as we crossed the finish line. We both had BQ dreams that didn’t come true today, but having a friend there by my side to the bitter finish brought a silver lining to a pretty difficult day. We’ll both get it, April! I know it! Just not this time.

Boise Trail Running Videos

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“Why do you run trails?” “Is it worth it to run in the mountains versus running on the roads?” “What’s it like to run for hours?” “Is it fun to run with others?” These are some of the questions I frequently hear from others and my answers are usually along the lines of “I really just need to take you along and let you experience for yourself how the whole world looks different from a mountain top, how much pride you can feel in yourself when you’ve pushed so hard to climb steep sections at elevation to reach that lovely summit, how spotting a bunny or a herd of deer or a snake or a chipmunk or a hawk can remind you that this world is full of more life than you ever imagined and had forgotten about while sitting at home in front of your computer or on your couch, how awe and reverence can overwhelm you as you watch the sun rise or set (or both!) while you’ve been running, how coming around a bend and seeing a meadow of wildflowers can make your soul sing, how the smell of pine forests or sagebrush and rain and earth can make you breathe more deeply than you have in a long time, how splashing through a creek or a river can make you feel like a five year old again, how stopping to sit on a log and share a sandwich with a friend can make you feel like you’ve never been happier in your life before.”

Well, now I can also “show” those who ask by sharing these little YouTube videos! I am thrilled that a local runner has taken the time to make videos of a few trail runs on some of my favorite trails to run in the Boise Foothills and at Bogus Basin and I wanted to share them with you since it’s as close as I can come to taking all of you running with me in beautiful Boise, Idaho (and it doesn’t hurt that they used two of my favorite songs in the world as background music!) Just a word of warning, though… you will likely feel inspired to lace up your own shoes and head out to find some trails to run!  Happy running!!!!

 

 

Silence The Negative Chatter!

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I had a workout that didn’t go perfectly today. It was an interval workout that I thought I could handle with two faster guy friends. It was 3 x 1600 at 7:20 w 800 recoveries + 1 mi WU and 1 mi CD.  Bonus for doing a 4th interval at 7:20.  I told my buddy, Frank before we started “Let’s do the bonus one today! It’ll be good for us!” The truth is I haven’t ran intervals for about two years (and neither had Frank) so we weren’t actually sure how it would go!! Seems I was a little overconfident!

We did our warm up mile then Frank took off like a rocket ahead of me. I yelled out, “Frank! That’s too fast! (He was doing about a 6:30 pace.) I looked helplessly over at Ryan who was beside me and he took off after Frank to try and get him under control and back on pace. And, the amazing thing was, though he was able to slow him down just a bit, Frank continued to feel awesome and kept running really well for each and every interval! Ryan stayed with him encouraging him on and pacing him and it was fun to watch the two of them doing so great.  I, on the other hand, was struggling just to make the splits!

Interval 1 was at a 7:18 pace and felt pretty good.

Interval 2 was harder since I was chatting with Frank when it started and had to go from walk pace to super fast in a hurry.  7:24

Interval 3 I was determined to go faster so I could get back on track for a 7:20 average. My time – 7:18 — right on the nose (back on track!)

Interval 4 I fell apart. I was pushing myself as hard as I could, lifting my knees, swinging my arms harder, harder, trying with everything I had to get my pace up — but I kept seeing 7:50 ish. It was like running in sand even though I was on the asphalt. I was just out of gas.  My time? 7:45.  I know that doesn’t seem like much off, but I was discouraged. In the past when I did intervals or tempo work, I would nearly always nail my times. I was consistent.

With my dream of qualifying for Boston at the Pocatello Marathon in 6 weeks looming on the horizen, it caused some self doubts. “Am I really fast enough to BQ if I can’t even hit my numbers in a speed workout in training?”  It really bummed me out. I don’t handle failure very well. I know it’s just part of life (and I’ve certainly had plenty of practice with it) yet it’s still a difficult area for me.

While I cleaned the house today and looked after the five kids, I was considering what to do for the next few weeks as I prepare for my marathon.  I haven’t used a traditional schedule to prepare. I’ve honestly spent most of my time in the mountains on trails, running longer distances at slower paces with plenty of hillwork.  It seemed to serve me pretty well since my last marathon in May was a 3:48 (just 3 1/2 minutes over a BQ time!) I’ve continued to put in between 175-200 miles a month and have spent most of that doing trail running with the intention of adding a bit of speed and tempo work to the schedule on roads to sharpen my speed to hopefully shave off those last few minutes between me and my dream goal!

When I came home from the run today, I went to Runner’s World online and created a specific Smart Coach plan based on my own abilities just to see how close today’s workout goals were to what would be prescribed for me. Turns out it was pretty close. A 4 x 1600 at 7:35 was the suggestion for me. I am fairly certain that would have been easily doable. It’s only a few seconds difference, but when you’re really pushing, that little bit can make the difference between attainable and out of reach.

While I was obsessing about this, my friend Ryan headed into our local running store, Shu’s to ask advice from the owner, Mike, who is well known for happily giving training tips to the locals.  I hadn’t even thought of that and felt incredibly lucky to have a running buddy who cared enough to help research my dilemma.  Mike’s advice for me? I should stick with the tougher workouts and just do less intervals.  If I’d have stopped at the 3 intervals that ended up being right on target, the workout would have been a success.  My form was suffering in the final one. I was struggling.  He says I should have allowed myself to quit the lap right then and not feel bad about it. That was awesome to hear! He gave Ryan some other helpful training advice for me that I will read over and try to implement in these last few weeks as I fine tune myself for the marathon!

I found this tonight and thought it really hit home for me and was something I needed to see. I hope it helps some of you who may also be struggling with challenging workout goals or big dreams that you aren’t totally sure you can accomplish! I’m really very lucky to have amazing friends who care enough to guide and direct me (and offer encouragement when I need it!)  But, ultimately, I am responsible for what goes on in my head. I need to learn to silence the negative chatter and instill a positive mindset no matter WHAT as I approach each workout, each day, each race.  Believing in myself regardless of the outcome is really the ultimate goal!