Week In Review: Week 9

Not much longer now! Shamrock Marathon is almost here and that means peak training followed by taper madness begins next week! This week, however, was nice and easy.

Monday: Off.

From Saturday's long run.

Tuesday: 5.5 miles easy.

Wednesday: 2 miles warm up, 8 miles with 1/2 mile hard, 1/2 mile easy. 1 mile cool down.

Shane did 11 miles in the snow.

Thursday: 3 miles. This was supposed to be a one hour easy run like Tuesday but I just didn't feel all that great.

Friday: 1 mile warm up, 8 hill sprints, 1 mile cool down. Total: 2.5 miles.

So glad I can go eat and get warm after 12 COLD miles!

Saturday: 12 miles with the Greater Pittsburgh Road Runners + strength training.

Sunday: Core work.

Total: 33 miles. Can't believe I'm calling that an 'easy' week!

Calibration Celebration

Have you ever thought, "10 minute miles on the treadmill feels so much harder than outside." Or, "Why am I huffing and puffing at recovery pace on this hamster wheel?" Or maybe even, "Wow! This feels so much easier than the same pace on the road!" If so you've probably wondered if your treadmill's calibration could be off. So here's how to find out.

Disclaimer: I didn't figure this out myself or even locate the procedure myself. However, I did decide that it would be nice to have it laid out step by step with some pictures.

Step 1: Gather the necessary supplies: Tape measure (preferably a soft one), bright colored duct tape, a notepad, a pen or pencil, a stopwatch, and a calculator. Or you can do what I did and use your iPhone/smartphone as a stopwatch, calculator, and camera.

easy peasy

Step 2: Measure your treadmill belt using the tape measure. I found that it worked best if I folded my treadmill up and then wrapped the tape measure around. Record your measurement in inches. (Mine was 112.75")

Step 3: Place a piece of brightly colored tape on the treadmill belt.

Orange worked well

Step 4: Set your treadmill to your normal running speed while you stand on the side rails or off to the side. (My treadmill takes a minute to get up to full speed so I waited to start timing until it was humming along nicely.)

10 minutes/mile according to the treadmill

Step 5: Wait for the tape to come around again and then start your timer. Start counting on the next appearance of the tape at the starting point (one rotation) and continue counting until you reach 50 rotations of the belt. Record the time it took.

Time to reach 50 rotations

Step 6: Do some math. The speed of your belt in MPH = (50 x length of your belt in inches x 0.0568) / the time you recorded.

(50 x 112.75 x 0.0568) = 320.21 

320.21 / 51.3 = 6.24 MPH

So the 6 MPH button on my treadmill actually causes the belt to spin at almost 6 1/4 MPH! I conducted the experiment again at Shane's average running speed (8.0 MPH) and found that actually runs at 8.1 MPH! 

So now I can either adjust my time/distance for what I know the actual pace is or I can remind myself that a 10 minute mile pace outside feels easier because it's ACTUALLY a 10 minute mile pace instead of 9:35 per mile. I'll probably stick with recording the treadmill's distance and time readout since I'm lazy but it's nice to know I'm not just being a baby about the hamster wheel!

Week in Review: Week 8

Two months down already! I can't believe I'll be starting to taper for Shamrock in just another month or so! This week was a great week aside from the dog incident. I also got in some fun on the trails so I have some pictures to make this a little less boring.

Shane decided to jump a stream instead of taking the bridge

Monday: 4.5 miles of hill work. 10 minute warm up, 5 minutes at 8% incline, 2 minutes at 4% incline, repeat. Really happy with how much easier the hills are becoming! I actually forgot I was on 8% at one point and tried to increase it!

Taking a tree over the water

Tuesday: 50 minute tempo run. 7.25 miles. I actually didn't feel like this was tempo effort. Guess I'm getting faster!

Sleep running? :)

Wednesday: 7.25 miles of 9:1 run/walk. Not much to say about this workout.

I took the bridge

Thursday: 6.5 miles including 8 x 400m repeats. I really surprised myself by being able to complete this one at the prescriped paces.

Shane stopped to do pull-ups during the run

Friday: This is the day I was jumped on by the dog. It should have been a repeat of Wednesday. Instead it ended up being 1.14 miles on the trail and 1.86 miles on the treadmill to make 3 miles total.

Horses!

Saturday: 18 mile long run. I had to break up my long run because Shane's parents were watching the girls. I ran 15 miles in South Park and then ran the 3 miles home from his parent's house to our house.

Tiny Shane but pretty trees

Sunday: This was scheduled to be a rest day but since Friday got so messed up I went ahead and did 3.5 miles of 9:1 run/walk. It felt fine which I was pretty excited about the day after a long run!

Total: 50 miles in under 9 hours of running! Woah!

Hey Dog Owners!

I have two dogs if you didn't already know that. I love our two mutts and because I love them I take care of them. One of our two is a rescue. She appears to be mixed with beagle and she will run like one if she gets away. One time she went to chase a rabbit, tangled my legs in the leash knocking me to the ground, and ran nose-to-ground for over a mile before I caught her. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.

Our Scoops

Our second dog is a purebred miniature dachshund. She is the sweetest, funniest, most cuddly dog I've ever met. She sleeps with me every night and she's always either with my kids, my husband, or myself. I couldn't imagine life without her now.

Lily

And that's what makes what happened today so horrific to me. I will start at the beginning and see if I can write this without being a total bitch. (Yes, I'm swearing today. I am that upset.)

This morning Shane asked if I'd like to do my run before he went to bed. This meant two things: 1) I would be able to run outside. 2) I would actually run while it was still daylight. I, of course, said yes and ate breakfast quickly before donning my warm gear to brave the 20-ish degree temps.

I headed out the door and down to the recreational trail. I did everything right. I had only one earbud in and my music was turned down so low that I had no problem hearing everything around me. I eased into my first mile at about a 10 minute pace. My plan was to use 9:1 run/walks to reach 7-8 miles at an easy pace today. I hit the 1 mile mark at 10:36 after my first walk break and was feeling good. I was just settling into my second run interval when I heard it.

A terrifying snarl which was coming from directly behind my right shoulder. I barely had time to turn my head before the dog plowed into my back at full speed. Only my momentum from running kept me on my feet as I hurtled forward struggling desperately to turn towards the dog so I could defend myself. The dog ricocheted off my back and to my right landing on his feet and taking off through a yard beside the trail. I struggled to catch my breath, worrying the dog was going to return at any second, and decided that I would follow his tracks in the snow to see where he went so I could give the owner a piece of my quaking mind.

This is the dog that attacked me.

I followed the dog through one yard before losing sight of him but I did get a good look at him. Brown and brindle with a bandana on his neck.... NOT a stray! The woman who's yard I was walking through had heard me scream and let me inside quickly after I explained what had happened. She told me the dog had been walking around her house all day and she was afraid to let her own dog out because of it. We discussed it and decided the police needed to intervene.

A few minutes later two officers arrived on scene. They tucked me into a cruiser and we went in search of the dog. It only took a minute to find him a few houses over. The officers knocked on several doors but no one claimed the dog. Animal Control arrived but the dog wouldn't let them get close enough to catch him. They finally had to give up and an officer drove me home since I was now too afraid to run back.

When I got home I posted on my Facebook page about the incident and a description of the dog. It turns out the dog had been lost just a week or two ago and the picture above had been circulating until he was found and returned to the owner. A friend suggested it was the same dog and I identified it easily as the one that had ruined my run and taken the feeling of safety I have on my home trail. 

Shortly after that someone commented on my post that the dog is a 'sweetheart' and just likes to run with people. And this is where I get PISSED! A dog is a responsibility like a child or a weapon. It is the owner's responsibility to take care of the dog and protect other people from said dog. There are leash laws and control laws that this owner has broken, at least twice now since the dog was already running loose just a few weeks ago. 

I have NO WAY of knowing that the dog did not intend to hurt me. Had I been elderly or had my children with me or one of my own dogs along someone could have been hurt! The trail is covered in a thin layer of snow and ice packed hard from repeated trampling. Being hit behind by a 40-50 pound dog could seriously harm a young child, elderly adult, or cyclist. And no matter the dog's intention the owner was nowhere to be found to call it off or control it. 

The dog is obviously not friendly enough to allow police officers or animal control officers to approach it. It did not try to run with me or 'play' with me after it struck me. If this is the owner or dog's idea of playfulness they are WAY off base. This dog ATTACKED. It saw a moving target and went after it. 

So the moral of the story is that I will be carrying a weapon from now on. I will be carrying pepper spray and an emergency whistle as well. And should I encounter another loose dog (or human attacker, God forbid) I will not hesitate to use force. The owners of this dog should know that the next time I encounter this dog off of a leash it won't come home in one piece and I will press charges.

To all other dog owners out there: Be responsible for your pet. Just because they have never hurt anyone or 'just want to play' doesn't mean that they won't accidentally (or purposely) hurt someone if you aren't in control of them. If you let your dog off leash in areas where it is illegal or if your dog continually escapes your home/yard and you are not correcting the problem then YOU are the problem. You should give your dog to a home that will keep them safe and protect the general public as well. To the responsible dog owners, thank you for setting a good example!

Have you had an encounter with a dog? What was your reaction and was the owner there?

Focus on Recovery

One thing I'm finding with increasing my mileage is a need to focus on diet and recovery like never before. Every day there's something sore and DOMS is my constant companion. I've been asked if I'm pushing myself to injury. The answer is.... I don't think so. It's more just that my body is adjusting and being pushed beyond the limits I gave it. I felt a lot like this the day after running when I started with the Couch to 5k program in 2008. Now I'm running 5-6 days a week so I feel it every day.

So how do I continue to increase my mileage while running quality sessions a couple times a week? The answer is multifaceted and complex. It's been a mix of hydrating properly, eating a cleaner balanced diet, sleeping more, and seeing professionals for help on the things I can't do myself.

On the hydration and diet note, I'm not an expert. I know what I've learned in school and what I've picked up from many, many books, articles, and studies. What I've found works for me is not counting calories but focusing on eating healthy, natural foods. Lots of salads with some protein on top (diced ham, chicken, or seafood), whole fruits and veggies, and simple recipes without lots of added butters or oils. I've been going through my pinned recipes on Pinterest looking for ones that I can make in a short time with common and simple ingredients. Roasted sweet potatoes, oatmeal berry bake, paleo oatmeal cookies, etc. And then I drink water with every meal and snack but only to thirst. I don't force it. So far, so good. I feel like I'm losing fat and getting more toned but I'm not willing to weigh myself and check. I'll let my performance on my runs dictate whether I've 'improved' or not.

As for sleep, I am a glutton. I would sleep 10+ hours every night if I could. What I've been doing is going to bed as soon as the kids are asleep (not just in bed but actually asleep) which usually equates to 9 or 9:30PM. I don't necessarily fall asleep right away but I get off my feet and relax with a book or magazine until I'm ready to sleep. I also set my alarm for the last minute possible. I'd rather be rushed in the morning than miss another 15 or 20 minutes of sleep. I just need that extra rest lately. I've even taken naps once or twice in the last couple months and I never nap.

I want to be able to sleep any where, any time like my kids!

But the biggest changes in my routine have come from massage, chiropractic adjustments, and Graston treatments. Everyone is familiar with massage even if they've never had one. I had never had a professional massage but I figured it was worth a shot because stretching and foam rolling weren't giving me the results I wanted and needed. My first massage was fairly gentle and the second one was deeper. I honestly didn't mind either way. The first one was more relaxing but the second one really helped with the muscle pain and soreness. I imagine I will request different things from now on as I feel the need arise.

The chiropractor may or may not be familiar to most athletes. Adjusting your spine to create better health can sound a little folksy but it's worked for me. I've been going on and off since my sophomore year of high school when I was diagnosed with rotational scoliosis (not only is my spine curved, it is also twisted). At first I went a few times a week but, as time elapsed and I began to strengthen the muscles, I found I needed fewer adjustments. Once I started running I needed adjustments more often to ward off injury from an uneven gait. Over time I've whittled the number of appointments back down but with heavier training I'm going more often again to be safe.

Graston tools

The Graston technique is the newest weapon in my arsenal against injury. My left knee has been tight since the Marshall University Marathon. It wasn't getting worse and it wasn't getting better. Getting adjusted and a massage helped but it was still there so another runner suggested Graston. I made my first appointment two weeks ago not really knowing what to expect. 

The Graston technique uses the tools above to break up scar tissue and the like in the soft tissues. This promotes blood flow and flexibility and healing. Some people told me it was really painful and some told me it was only mildly irritating. The doctor told me that it seemed to be related to the amount of scar tissue in the area being worked on. So I went ahead and let him try it on my calves and IT bands. Wouldn't you know that the areas that haven't bothered me it actually tickled? I giggled and had to try not to accidentally kick the doctor. I'm sure he thought I was an idiot!

But then he hit the top of my calf muscle near the back of my knee and I almost jumped off the table. The pain was unexpected after the ticklish sensations of the other areas but once I got ahold of myself it only took some deep breathing to make it bearable. The doctor said he could really feel the scar tissue in that area and he grabbed another tool to go a little deeper. It was pretty intense! But at the end of the hour I only felt sore as if I had done a hard work out. Nothing I haven't been walking around with for the last few weeks anyway.

Post-Graston bruises

That night I walked instead of ran to promote blood flow without further damage. There were some rounded bruises in the worst areas but nothing too bad or painful (thankfully it's winter so I can wear long pants!). I ran the next day and my knee was about 75% better. After the second visit I'd say it's 85% better. I have one area of tenderness left and I'm hoping the third visit will (almost) cure it. Based on feeling better and improving on my runs, I would definitely recommend Graston for anyone dealing with soft tissue/muscle pain. 

And that's what I've been up to outside of running! 

What do you do to aid recovery? Have you tried massage, chiropractic, or Graston? 

Week In Review: Week 7!

Time flies when you're having fun! Ummm, training hard? Sleeping 9 hours a night? Spending double digit hours running? Yeah, that's fun right?

I've been meaning to write a post about keeping your body in top shape during blocks of heavy training (and I know what I'm doing is moderate by most standards but it's the hardest I've ever consistently trained). I'm really trying to nail down the things that make me feel better and experiment with recommendations from other runners to find more recovery tricks. So if you're interested look for that soon!

Now onto the nuts and bolts fun:

Monday: 10 minute warm up, walk at 8% incline for 5 minutes, walk at 2% incline for 2 minutes, cool down. Ab Ripper X afterwards. Total: 4.5 miles

Tuesday: 2 mile warm up, 3 x 10 minutes at 5k pace with 3 minutes recovery between, 1 mile cool down. Total: 7 miles

Wednesday: 90 minutes of 9:1 run/walks. Total: 9 miles

Thursday: 1 mile run + weights.

Friday: 1 mile warm up, 5 miles of hills, 1 mile cool down. Total: 7 miles

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 10.6 miles of hills!

Sunday's elevation profile

Total: 39.1 miles

It's funny how that seems like low mileage to me after having a few weeks in the mid 40's - 50's. Not that long ago I would have been stoked about running this much and now I feel like a slacker for not hitting 40. The good news is the coming week is going to beat that slacker feeling right out of me!

How was your week? How are you keeping track of your training in relation to your goals?

Big News!

I'm now an Altra Zero Drop ambassador!

 

My Altras in the snow....

 

On the trail....

 

And off the beaten path....

 

Man I love these shoes and I love the Altra Zero Drop crew! They have been awesome and supportive and helpful at every turn. Now it's my turn to share the love and I can't wait to put up my best race season yet while representing the brands I believe in!

PR'ing in the New Year

First off, sorry this took so long! It's been a crazy day which I will explain in tomorrow's post!

Now, for the good stuff!

Yesterday Shane and I travelled to West Virginia to take part in the Run To Read Half Marathon. I was scheduled for 18 miles anyway so I had no intentions of actually racing. My plan was to run 5 super easy miles right before the race and then run the race as close to 10 minute mile pace as I could depending on how I felt.

We had a fast trip and pulled in to Prickett's Fort just after noon. We found the bathroom and then picked up our packets. No T-shirt, no finisher's medal, no goodies in the bag, just a hat and gloves. I guess I should have realized that considering the race only cost $25. The volunteers also parked Shane and I about 5 feet from the edge of the river which made me really uncomfortable. I would kind of like to pay off my vehicle before I let it get swept away by a freak flood or something.

View from our parking spot

 

I asked a volunteer for some directions about which way the race ran from where we were. They pointed out the path and I headed off to do my warm up. I was disappointed to find my legs felt like lead and my heart rate was sky high for how slowly I was moving. I had plenty of time before the 2PM race start so I just kept moving and taking some pictures of the course I would soon be running with 400 of our closest friends.

 

The running path

 

This race is nice in that the views are pretty cool. The first part of the race runs a 2.25 mile out and back which goes through a tunnel (which threw my Garmin off by a good bit). Going out it's slightly uphill but it gives you a good boost coming back down on the way back past the start. After you cross the parking lot where the race started you continue on the path over a couple bridges (a little scary with the ice in January) and beside the river. There's another turn around at the 9 mile mark and then the runners make their way back towards the parking lot for the finish.

 

Running in the hills of West Virginia

 

After my warm up I headed back to the car to drop my jacket and hydrate and fuel. I expected Shane to be in the car staying warm but he wasn't there. I ate two Shot Bloks and drank some water before I checked my watch. I had less than 15 minutes until start time! Whoops!

 

I made my way past the fort to the parking lot and lined up at the back of the pack. There were no real directions on paces or walkers being towards the back. I was hoping I was in the right place based on the looks of the people around me. That is until the woman beside me started talking about running Boston. Apparently I think I look a lot faster than I actually am?

 

Prickett's Fort

 

The race started only a minute or two late after a couple runners realized they weren't wearing their chips. Doh! I was down to just my INKnBURN denim print pants and peacock long sleeve top plus a hat and gloves and I was COLD! I believe it was about 35 degrees with a wind chill of 28. Getting started felt so good that I went out way too fast. I was passing lots of people despite the uphill grade and I was wondering if maybe I had started too far back. Then I hit the first mile marker and my watch beeped out a 9:11. Whoops!

 

The really cute mile markers for this race

 

I backed off and tried to get closer to 10:00 pace. My legs and lungs seemed pretty happy in the 9:30-9:45 range though so I just went with it. It was really odd to be moving so well after such a tough 5 miles right before but I figured I'd be slowing down soon enough. My splits for the first out and back:

 

Mile 1: 9:11

Mile 2: 9:21*

Mile 3: 9:21*

Mile 4: 9:23

Mile 5: 9:39

 

* Miles 2 & 3 are averaged because the tunnel screwed up my GPS signal.

 

As I hit the second out and back portion I lost a little steam and walked through the aid station just after mile 5. I wanted to take a GU but didn't want to take my gloves off. I was just comfortable and I knew that as soon as my hands got cold I would be freezing. I decided to walk the next water station and take one there. However, I started running next to an older man and at the 7+ mile water stop we started talking while we walked and drank and I completely forgot to take my GU. I stayed right behind this man up to the turn around hoping to catch him and passing quite a few people in the process. I was really surprised how many people were quitting and walking back. Splits to the turn around:

 

Mile 6: 10:05

Mile 7: 9:50
Mile 8: 10:04
Mile 9: 10:01

I was pleasantly surprised reviewing these splits. Every other mile is a little bit slower because I walked and drank a little bit. I had been planning to carry my handheld but with aid stations just over 2 miles apart I didn't really see the point. If I had actually been in the frame of mind to race and not walked every aid station I bet I could have put up a really good time! As I came around the turn around I could see the older gentleman in front of me and I decided I would slowly reel him in before I got to the next water stop. It worked perfectly and I caught him at mile 11.

Another section of the trail

We ran together for the next mile or so. He introduced himself as Jim and we didn't chat much because we were both working hard to keep passing the large number of 'walking wounded'. There were a surprising number of people trying this as their first half and a lot of them were under-trained. The looks of desperation and pain on the faces I passed were a little disconcerting. I remember those feelings all too well. Somewhere in mile 12 Jim jumped into a port-o-potty and I was left to continue on my own again. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see I could still make it under 2:10.

Mile 10: 10:17
Mile 11: 10:34
Mile 12: 9:45
Mile 13: 10:13
Last .23: 8:27 pace

My brain was screaming at me to walk but I told myself there was no time to be a baby now. I pushed on, setting my sights on each person in front of me and slowly working to pass them. Finally there was no one left in front of me and I could see the finish line. I wanted to lay down, I wanted to puke, I wanted to just walk so freaking bad. I threw in one last surge and crossed the mat. I looked at my Garmin and couldn't believe my eyes! 2:09:45!

Visitors' Center

I stumbled around the finish area for a bit and grabbed a can of Pepsi and a flavored water. I couldn't find any plain water and I really didn't care at the moment what I drank so long as it was wet. I wobbled back up the hill to the visitor center where we were treated to chili and cookies. The chili totally made the lack of medals and shirts worth it.

I finally found Shane a little while later. He had gone to the finish later expecting me to come in around 2:15-2:20 so we just missed each other. He finished in 1:49! I ended up coming in 185/277 finishers and 12/25 for my age group. There were 73 DNF's according to the timing site. I think that they included people who registered but didn't show up maybe? It's hard to believe that many people quit.

In the end I'm thrilled to start off 2013 with a new PR (prior 'official' PR was 2:20) and a great long run. And I have some more big news to share tomorrow. It's going to be a great year!

Week In Review: Week 6

Wow! Have I really been doing this for 6 weeks already? My weekly average mileage is sky high compared to just a few months ago and the extra work is beginning to show rewards already. I'm really excited about what this will mean for me by summer!

Monday: Silvester Harmony 5k plus warm up. Total: 6.1 miles

Tuesday: 7 miles in the snow.

Wednesday: 6 Rounds: 24 squats, 24 push-ups, 24 walking lunges, run 400 meters.

Thursday: 5.5 miles easy.

Friday: 2 mile warm up, 5 hill sprints, cool down. Total: 4 miles

Saturday: Off. Volunteered at the Odyssey 5k.

Sunday: 18.23 miles including the Run To Read Half Marathon. Race report to come tomorrow!

Now I am exhausted! Off to bed! 

How was your training this week? Any races?

Three Cheers for Volunteers!

Today was the inaugural Odyssey 5k in Monongahela, PA. It wasn't huge, it wasn't the easiest course (but it apparently wasn't the toughest either!), and it wasn't the most competitive field. What was it? A show of solidarity and community. It was a gathering of strangers and acquaintances who left as friends. It was also a huge blow to neuroblastoma.

What's neuroblastoma? It's the most common cancer of infants. Everyone's heard of leukemia and yet neuroblastoma is almost twice as common in young children. 70% of children diagnosed with this cancer will be in the late stages and less than 40% of them will survive 5 years. It's hard to diagnose because the symptoms can mimic normal childhood illness with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or breathing difficulty. This cancer needs to be more widely recognized and more research needs to happen to save the lives of the children affected by it.

The reason for the race today was two-fold, a mix of grief and celebration. The director and founder of Team Odyssey, Laura, is a mother of two. Both her son and her daughter were diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 1999, just 6 days apart. Her daughter went into remission in 2000 but still suffers the late effects of neuroblastoma and treatment today. Laura's son was not so lucky. He passed away in 2004 after a courageous fight. Laura's war on neuroblastoma began from this heartbreaking chapter of her family's life.

The Odyssey 5k began at 11:01 am, the time of her son's passing. 119 runners and 25 walkers started under sunny skies after a brief prayer from the church pastor. It really didn't seem the day could be going any better.

Blessing before the race

This race was different for me because I wasn't lined up and I wasn't wearing running shoes. Instead I stood on the sidelines and cheered as the runners took off. I was a volunteer...

Race morning started as usual, with an early wake up and some strong coffee. However, I followed the usual routine with loading my car with a Gatorade dispenser and some steel tubs to hold bottled water. I arrived at the church a little after 8 am and was introduced to a couple other volunteers. We got right to work mixing Gatorade, cutting bananas and oranges, laying out food tables, and setting up registration. Laura kept us organized and moving right along.

On your marks!

Before I knew it people were filing in to register or check in and more volunteers continued to arrive as the morning went on. I couldn't believe the amount of giving that I saw today. Volunteers brought soup, chili, cookies, sloppy joes, and all kinds of homemade goodness to warm up the runners. There were baskets and baskets of goodies donated for the chinese auction and door prizes from business throughout the community.

First year races usually have a lot of flaws and issues but Laura and Team Odyssey planned everything really well and the volunteers came together perfectly. There was a table for pre-registered runners, a table for race day registration, a table to pick up race packets and t-shirts, and a table to buy raffle tickets. It all moved like a well-oiled machine and there were volunteers to spare. Soon most of the volunteers moved off to different corners of the course to direct runners along their way. The local police and Team Odyssey closed the roads and marked the course and a cruiser followed the last group throughout making sure everyone was safe.

The after party

After the last person crossed the line the timing company got right to work on sorting out results while volunteers organized the medals and attended to runners. There was even a massage table! It wasn't long before results were handed over and Laura read off the winners. Even after the awards were doled out and the food was mostly gone, runners and volunteers continued to hang out and talk shop. The atmosphere was just that positive and fun!

The volunteers didn't disappear as soon as the race ended either. I could hardly believe how quickly the church's rec room returned to its pre-race state. Food was packed away, tables were returned to proper order, and banners were taken down. The floor was swept and all of the trash was moved to receptacles, even separated into garbage and recycling.

Lots of happy runners

I could easily list out all of the duties that the volunteers today performed and overwhelm this page with a list a mile long. But in the end all that really matters is that the volunteers made this race amazing and helped raise funds and awareness for neuroblastoma. I am honored to have been included in such an amazing group and I can't wait to take part again next year!

For more information on neuroblastoma vist the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation.

Kicking off the New Year

I spent my first day of 2013 on the trails, in the snow. It was cold and it was slow going but it was awesome nonetheless! The crunch of fresh powder under my Altras and my warmest jacket over my new INKnBURN gear were just what I needed to feel like I was starting out on the right foot (pun intended).

I think I've made my goals for 2013 pretty obvious but for the sake of having them listed and quantifiable I want to put them here:

1. PR at every distance from 5k - 50 miles
2. This is a sub-part of #1: PR at the Shamrock Marathon
3. Run 80+ miles at the North Coast 24 Hour
4. Finish Burning River 100 Mile
5. Run my third leg of the Baker 50 Mile and complete my medal
6. Return to Oil Creek for a distance I haven't done there (either 50k or 100M)
7. Run at least 2013 kilometers in 2013 (1,250 miles)

These are my 'bare minimum' goals. These are things that I believe I can accomplish with my current training and history. I will refine these goals throughout the year and for most races I will have 'A', 'B', and 'C' goals. For example: Just finish, finish in X:XX time (time I will be happy with), and finish in Y:YY time (time I will be over the moon about). I try to make all of my goals attainable and reasonable but there's always outside forces. It may be snow or extreme heat or an injury, whatever.... It's important that I remember that just putting in the training and getting to the starting line is an accomplishment in itself. The rest is the icing on the proverbial cake.

So there's my 2013 goals in writing for all the world to see. So what's your goals? Have you made them quantifiable and attainable? Let's see them!

Silvester Nacht (New Year's Eve)

Yesterday Shane and I ran the Harmony Silvester 5k for the third year in a row. This year it was kalt! (Cold!) This race through historic (and hilly!) Harmony celebrates its German heritage by kicking off Silvester (New Years) on Germany's time. A 3PM race is followed by a 6PM countdown and ball drop with fireworks (midnight in Germany).

Shane and I knew parking would be a nightmare. The timing company (Miles Of Smiles) owner had warned us that over 300 people had pre-registered earlier this week so we made sure to arrive early and get a good parking spot. We picked up our race bags and dropped them in the car and then ran the course as a warm up. We arrived back at the starting line 10 minutes before the start and I did some form drills to stay warm and hopefully get ready to PR!

Race day weather was not ideal

 

At 3 o'clock on the dot.... we stood there.... There was a flatbed truck and a bunch of cars on the course (open course) so we had to wait for them to move out of the crowded starting area. We finally got the bullhorn about 5 minutes later. I took off with a woman I had lined up beside and quickly realized I was being pulled out too fast. My Garmin flashed 6:35 pace and I pulled back, maybe too much. The first mile is rolling and ends with one GIANT uphill but I was fresh. It should have been fast! 

 

Mile 1: 8:05

 

The second mile is more downhill than uphill. There's a few good ups but it's mostly runnable. However, I was fretting over my slow first mile and trying not to overcompensate on the downhills. I was worried about ice and the broken asphalt and the fact that I fell on ice yesterday and my knee was feeling a little tender. Once again, I erred too much on the side of caution.

 

Mile 2: 8:00

 

The last mile is almost entirely uphill with one good downhill stretch. I tried to let my legs fly on this downhill but I couldn't catch my breath. I think partly due to the fact I overdressed and partly due to the cold air temperatures and wind. I really struggled on the last hills and people were flying by me. I think I kind of mentally threw in the towel as groups of women passed me.

 

Mile 3: 8:32

 

As I came into sight of the finish line I checked my watch and realized a PR was out of reach. I was getting really angry at myself at this point and I heard footsteps approaching my left shoulder. I dug deep and out-sprinted a man to the timing mat. I beat him by 4 tenths of a second! At least I can be proud of that.

 

Final .13 miles: 1:05 (8:24 average)

 

Overall time: 25:41

 

I was kind of sulking in the church where the food and water was set out until I talked to a few other runners. It seems like a lot of our friends had a pretty rough day, probably due to the weather. Finishing only 36 seconds slower than last year and placing better was a big morale boost.

 

Elevation Profile

 

Last year I placed 5th in my age group. This year I was.... wait for it.... Second! There were 19 women in my age group. I think it's pretty awesome that I was able to take an award when there was that much competition! I finished 2/19 age group, 56/255 women, and 163/518 overall.

 

Happy with my award

 

Shane and I

 

Shane and I had to haul our butts home pretty fast though as the weather began to deteriorate even further. We ended up driving home in a white out!

 

Right in the middle of a snow storm!

 

Overall, I think this was a good way to end the year. It may not have been the PR I was hoping for but it wasn't PR conditions. I still outperformed my competition and took an award for the first time at this race. I'll just have to look forward to a very big PR in 2013!

 

Shirt, bib, and medal