First race in a long while!

Wow, it has been ages since I have raced!  And not having felt like I have been training super hard, I wasn't sure how the Leavenworth half was going to go at all!  I wanted to get under 1.30 for my own sake.  Last week when I did some speed stuff, I thought that while I could do a two-mile rep at 6.30 pace, there was no way I could do 13 miles at that!  But the race went great and I really felt pretty good.  My calf didn't give me any issues, and I was able to run pretty hard and consistent.  The mile markers were way off in the middle sections, so I really had no idea how far I had really gone and if I could count on the Garmin or not.  It all evened out pretty well, though, and I ended up winning for the women!  I ran a 1.25 which is pleasing given how things had been feeling in the last couple of months, and I was just happy that I could push that hard, and on my own really.  I passed a couple of guys that had been a ways in front of me, which is always a plus too.  The scenery was gorgeous, though it was really smokey due to recent fires.  I was very happy with it all.  And then to boot, we got to go out and celebrate Oktoberfest and drink lots of good German beers - I had a great time with my cheering buddy, JM!  So all in all, it was a great weekend and success all around!  Now for more races....!

The ups and the downs, of running and other stuff

I have obviously gotten out of the swing of this blog thing.  It seems to get to be such a chore.  And I don't really have any readers, so not sure why I am too worried, but I feel that I let myself down, since I do really think about doing it fairly often!

Anyway, things have been a bit rough on the running scene.  Sometime back my calves started bothering me, in the same sort of pain that I have had before.  It seems to start when I need to change my shoes--maybe typing it will help discipline me to shell out for new shoes next time before it is too late!! Either way, it got worse and worse, and after my trip, I could barely even run.  So I opted to take a couple weeks off and do time on the elliptical and in the pool.  It seems to have helped, I think.  I just started up again last week, and have been increasing slowly.  I am hoping to be fit enough for the Leavenworth 1/2 in three weeks, but not sure how it will go.  I haven't raced in literally ages, so don't feel like I have much speed in there right about now!

I should consider myself lucky though, having never had a 'real' injury that sidelines me for a long time; two weeks isn't too bad in the scheme of things, but it sure made me miss running!  Might have been different if the weather were shite, but it has been SO nice out, it just made me want to be out there!  Will see how it goes, and try to take it a bit easy on the upswing.

Dad has been doing pretty poorly, really down and really uncomfortable.  I am not sure what to make of it really, and my emotions are all over the place, usually hitting the full spectrum on any given day.  I try to keep that out of his view, as the last thing he needs is to fret about how I am feeling, but it takes it out of me somedays with usually at least one meltdown a week.  I just try to stay positive about him and with him, he doesn't seem to be able to muster it much most days now, and I am sure part of him has to be wondering about 'When?' not 'If?'  It just breaks my heart.  We have had lots of family visitors, which is good, I think--I know he likes to see his brothers, I just don't want it to seem like they are coming to say goodbye, and leave him thinking he has done all he needs to do.  But maybe that wouldn't be so bad either, if it is time...

But there have been lots of good things too!  Including J and me getting engaged in an extremely romantic gesture!  It has definitely been the highlight of late, and we are very excited.  Things on that front are going great!  We also decided to leap in headfirst and get a puppy!  So now we have Betsy, lab/airedale mix who is a bundle of energy and sharp puppy teeth!  She chews anything she can get hold of and is a rascal.  But she and Arty play nicely, after the first couple days, and I can tell he likes having her around.

Anyway, I will continue to suck at blogging and continue to try to be better.  If I had more time at my desk, it might help (and help the desk be cleaner!) but one thing at a time.

Races and things...

Things have picked up a bit on the running front, and I bounced back after Bloomsday.

I did the CDA 1/2 and it went pretty well - though I am not actually sure what my time was since apparently a sign on the last crucial turn was knocked over and all of us in the top 20 or so ran extra!!  I did probably an extra .65 miles, so my time of 1:28 was significantly over.  It was frustrating, but up until then I had felt as though I ran well, and I was pleased with it.  I hung on for 4th overall, and while I passed the girl who got 3rd at the turnaround, she hung on like grim death, which I felt like at Mile 11 and I left her pass and go, wanting to cruise the last two miles.  I know, not the right attitude necessarily, but I was tired.  Regardless, I was punished by this lack of initiative by the aforementioned detour of Riverstone Park!

I can't steal my pics off this website, but you can see my confusion here: http://orders.racephotonetwork.com/QPPlus/Images.aspx.  Unfortunately, I remembered the turn from last year, but so much of the course was changed, I figured this was too, and my Garmin was just off.  Grr, what frustration.  At least I wasn't going for a qualifying time or anything!!  Dad and JM came out to cheer at the finish, and despite their concern over my slower time, they were there with smiles on!  It was a great day for it, and a fun event, despite the mayhem.

The following weekend involved another 5am start, to head out for the Teen Closet 50, which sees teams of 10 run ten legs via all of the city's high schools.  I did it last year (on a massive Elkfest hangover!) and had a great time, so went out again.  This time I was Leg 1, and they had our team start an hour later than every other, since last year, we didn't have much competition after the first couple legs.  As such, I had to race myself to try to cover some ground.  I felt good, averaging less than 6.30s, which can be tough on unfamiliar terrain and solo.   Plus then I got to spend the day just cheering, which was great!  Oh, and again for year 2, we ran in tutus - a bit silly (and sort of cumbersome to run in) but fun!  We ended up 2nd overall - one HS boys team was super fast - and caught most of the teams.

Me in the tutu!

We also had a guest for Sunday Dinner who is doing a fabulously inspiring event!  JB from my Serpentine team is attempting to be the first woman to cross America on foot - this entails averaging 42 miles a day for 80 days, with 1000 miles or so on trail and the rest on road.  She started on the coast of Washington 12 days ago and will finish in Delaware on Aug 17th, all going well.  It is a bit nuts, for sure, but all the best to her - it is an amazing goal and will be such a feat!  Her spirits are high, and she is about to head into some lovely weather and terrain through northern Idaho and Montana.  We had a lovely meal with her and provided some, hopefully, needed home cooking and baked goods :)  To follow J's run, visit her blog here: www.runningandbaking.com.  Good luck Jen!!

As for everything else, it has been a bit tumultuous.  Dad has been in the hospital since last Monday, doing a series of tests and things to see if he is a candidate for a heart assist device.  His spirits have been good, and he is showing positive responses to the treatment they have provided thus far, but going home today also means wearing an external defibrillator 24/7 from here on out, and things are about to get a whole lot more intense if he goes through the surgery.  It is all a bit overwhelming, but for his sake, we have no choice but to be 100% positive and help him through this journey.  It is thought that this might add a couple years of higher quality of life for him, and that is something that we cannot just disregard because of inconvenience!  It will be hard and life-altering, but if it means a better life for him, we must do it!  Keep going, one step at a time!

Seattle sunshine

I should have written this last weekend, but got behind as always.

Dad and I visited CM in Seattle and had a nice time.  The weather was amazing, which is always fun in a beautiful city like Seattle!  I got to do an awesome run in a really neat park (Carkeek) which had great trees, greenery, and stunning views of the sound.  Here are some pics:

I feel a bit better after Bloomsday.  Bad races happen, and need to just get back into it.  I don't know what my mental deal is with races sometimes, but it seems I just lack the oomph, sometimes - the drive to win and go all out!  I am hoping I can harness it again.

I had a couple hard workouts this week with SR, so will see how that bodes for the CDA half next weekend - I would really like to better my time from last year (1:24 something) and feel good about the race.  Defending champion - I can't lie that that won't be on my mind too, but I know of at least one gal running who is quite speedy.  We will see - ultimately, I just want to have fun and feel good about it.

All here is okay.  We had some pretty intense stuff for dad last week, and that had me running the gamut of emotions.  He is still in the same place with things, so we will see what comes of it.  I just try to be there to help him think through things, but I have to admit that it gets very hard sometimes.  Just keep living, just keep living.

The weather has been stunning which is so helpful for running.  I think it is going to dip a bit this week, and might seem some rain, but I guess it is still springtime, so shouldn't complain too much!

Anyway, it is bed time - gotta be up early to run in the morning!

Nothing like a frustrating race....

To make you feel like you have two options: pack it in and become a 'jogger' or buckle down and get serious about training.

I am sure I know which one I will choose, despite knowing which one I wish I could choose some days!

So, no, Bloomsday did not go according to plans.  I really felt more confident about it, going in, knowing that I have trained on that course so many times and really felt like I was doing better at it recently!  But alas, it didn't come together yesterday.

I did the elite start again this year, and although I enjoyed the experience last year for the most part, it was not fun this year.  I ended up last of the elite runners, and ran pretty much the entire race on my own, even being passed by the male winner despite my 15 minute head start!!  It was humbling and miserable.  I really wanted to quit, and actually considered it, but I am glad that I didn't.  Having done that last year and knowing that it feels pretty crap afterward, regardless of how painful the race is, should no longer be an option for me unless I am injured too much to finish.  I need to get that idea out of my head.  So I trudged on, with no one around me, and just tried to will myself ot the finish.

I really don't know where everything went wrong, which is frustrating!  I didn't start out too fast, despite the pace of the group, and I thought some of them would come back to me - they never did.  I think I would have fared much better had I done the regular second seed start, since I would have had people around me and that would have helped keep me going, knowing that I want to beat person X or keep up with person Y.  I hope so at least.   This type of race took away all the possible competitive drive in me, since the people in front were too far out front, and any ladies that passed me did so at pace steep enough for me to not be able to keep up.  My legs felt weak from the start.  Ugh, it just wasn't fun.

I think I really haven't been training as hard as I should be, and I need to buck up and just get it done, and turn it up a bit.  I just am not getting better, and that is my guess as to the problem.  I haven't heard from DC in ages, which is frustrating too, so I need to get in touch there.

Either way, the good thing about Bloomsday is that there is always next year!  Those hills will still be there, and I can give it another shot of conquering it!  Onward and upward.

March lion

Aha - Under a month since I last posted.  Better, better.

It doesn't feel like much has happened in that month....a lot of running in the rain!  Spokane had record rain, so the sunny bits were too sparse to happen at the finite hours of running time.  There was also some slush, hail, and snow running time mixed in there too.  Character building I guess!

I finally got over the illness though it sure seemed to linger in my head and sinuses.  Seems to be all right now though.  We have been gearing up for Bloomsday, which is first weekend of May, and it will be a toughie.  Some of the track workouts have been a real challenge, but I have been pleased with maintaining.  We did a hard workout on the course a couple weeks back and I felt like that is the best run I had had in weeks.

This weekend is the Susan Komen 5k, so should be interesting to see where I am at fitness-wise - I really have no clue!  I would really like a 5k pb since it has been ages since I had one, but who knows.  I am sure some good gals will turn out to push the pace!  Then Bloomsday is two weeks later and that is always a challenge.

We just spent a great week in Disney World which might have hampered my running but not my spirit!  We did lots of crazy running around, it is all a bit intense, but was really a fun time.  The running was at least flat and hot!  Dad seemed to really enjoy, zipping around in his scooter.  He still seems to be doing pretty well and the docs are still pleased with his determination.  Just gotta keep living and being active.  As always, I am grateful to get to be with him so much.

Lots of my friends will be running the London Marathon next weekend - I will think of them in my (hopefully) sprint finish in under 18 minutes of 5k racing!

Slacking again....

I don't feel like I have been very motivated to run OR to blog about running!  I don't know what my deal is!

I have been sick for more than two weeks, which is super annoying.  It is this lingering thing that I can't really put my finger on - stuft head, headaches, sore throat.  I don't know why it is taking so long to go away!  As such, it has made running a bit of a pain, and days that I am not running with SR, I can hardly get out the door (like today!).

I did have my first race in what felt like ages - the St Paddy's day 5 mile.  I was coming off three days off due to this cold, and I knew going in that I wasn't going to set any records.  As such, I was sort of pleased to fair as well as I did - not a PB but only <20 seconds off it, and it was a Horrendous day - rain, wind, freezing!  So that was okay - I was 5th lady, same as last year, and like to think that I could have been a couple closer if I had been feeling better.

I am sure it will come back - the weather is hopefully going to turn, and I just got two new pairs of shoes, which is exciting to try out.  I am no longer in the S&C class that I was, so need to try to maintain my motivation on that front on my own.  There are a couple races coming up, so need to get healthy and get ready for those.

As for dad, he is doing all right and still holding his own.  I haven't really seen him too much recently, which I don't like - he has just been busy and had a couple sick days last week too.  We have our trip to FL coming up pretty quick, so that will be a nice time - some more sunshine and some Disney-filled fun!  Springtime will be very welcome around here - blue skies and rejuvenation!

Running in the sun

Time for a little vacay from the winter wonderland that is Spokane!

Well, actually it has been a relatively mild winter, and I have been able to beat the pavement most days without any real issues, unlike last year, when it felt like the combination of snow and working through all the light hours meant that I ended up at the gym a lot more.  It has actually been really nice, and the fact that I get to run with SR most days helps a ton!  We really motivate each other, and the days that I have to run on my own seem to slog on!

But right now, I get a break from all of that, as I am in Tucson with my dad and CM for a short sunshiny visit.  I can't say that the desert is my first choice for scenic runs; while it is beautiful, it is definitely so in a way that isn't necessarily my favorite, just in that it all looks a bit similar.  It probably doesn't help that I am pretty much relegated to the pavement of the major roadways, since straying off the beaten path in the desert seems a bit dicey given scary venomous animals and the threat of getting lost and dying of thirst.  That said, it is always fun to explore new places, and my running continues to be a boost to me.

The cacti have a neat eerie feeling to them, and the bright sunshine is such a relief after what seems like some very grey days at home.  I don't know how I was in London so long - it makes me realize how much the grey affects me!

The trip is going well so far, minus some hiccups with family travel arrangements!  But dad and I had a great day watching the PGA golf and MLS soccer yesterday in a fully spontaneous and sporty afternoon.  We intend to eat some good food and lounge by the pool and soak it in as best we can, while we can!  It is good to see CM too, after what feels like a long time - New Year, I guess.

At home, things are moving along.  I have a hard time gauging how my fitness level is right now - I have been running 45+ miles each week, but not really sure how fit it has kept me, and my first race of the year will help me know a bit better, I hope.  It didn't go well last year, so hoping it is better this one. I have been feeling better about my training efforts though, so hopefully they aren't misleading me into believing I am better off than I am.

Dad is fairing pretty well and had a couple good appointments with his two doctors, so that seems promising.  Just have to keep him positive and staying motivated to stick with it as long as possible!  We enjoy our laughs and times together, so again, I end up grateful for being so close.  In all respects, I know it is where I want to be.