Justin and Kristin

Half In Vermont

Justin got some wild idea and decided to run a half marathon just a week before another big race we had coming up. It was a fun excuse to get away to Vermont. Man it is beautiful up there! I wish that we hadn't been so tired 'cause we really could have enjoyed our time a bit better. But with kids acting up and all that comes with traveling for hours, sleeping in a hotel, and watching a half marathon we didn't have much left in the tank. But it did inspire me to make another special trip again to Shelburne, Vermont sometime when we REALLY can enjoy it (and when the farm is open so my kids can actually milk the cow).

But the real purpose was to see Justin rock his half marathon; which he did!

It was a VERY chilly and windy day. The course was a bit hillier than expected but Justin went out hard and hung in there!

Nice "action" shot of Justin. I don't have any idea what he is saying here, but I think it's a cool photo! It's like he's saying "I got this!" :)

 

It was an incredibly beautiful course, part of which went through Shelburne Farms.

 

We had fun cheering for him and many called us the "ultimate cheering section".....uh oh....am I raising cheerleaders? *pushing that thought out of my mind*

 

He was feeling really good and doing very well and around mile 10 started to hit a wall. But he pushed through like a champ.

Then with about two miles left the course ran through some wooded trail area and he thought he was lost so he turned around! Ah man! Trying to make up for his lost time he pushed his limits and came gruelingly through the finish line.

Does he or does he not have amazing legs?! So amazing. Kind of jealous.

 

I love how in just a matter of moments you can go from feeling like this:

 

To this:

Isn't racing/running weird? It's so cool though. It's such a test of physical and mental strength. After completing a race or just a hard training run there is such a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you gave it your all.

And to all you "sloggers" (slow-joggers) out there - If you're not giving it your all, you really should try it sometime! And I'm not just talking about running - I mean in all aspects of life. Pick something, anything - running, marriage, cooking, parenting, friendship, cleaning, spirituality, whatever; start by picking one and just giving it 100% for awhile. It's hard, but man does it feel good! 

I don't think that Justin was overly thrilled with his finishing time, but he still PR'ed (AGAIN) so it couldn't be that bad! He also placed THIRD in his age division!! Woot, WOOT!! He definitely gave it his all. There's no way you can look like that crossing the finish line and say you held anything back. Way to go Justin! You're making it harder and harder for me to keep my lead on you! ;)

When the Hearts Not in It

A little while ago Justin and I had another race. I must admit I had been overwhelmed with an immense amount of DREAD just thinking of doing this race. It was "just" a 5k, so what was my problem? The problem was that this race would be run on or near to the exact same course we ran back in January. And though that was "just" a 5k as well, it was one of the hardest races I've done; as I pushed my body beyond any threshold I knew I had.

The dread only intensified as I came down with a nasty cold the week before the race, only then to be magnified by the fact that the day before the race I was scheduled to do a 22 mile long run! *UG* I did NOT want to run this race. All of my despondent thinking was only supported by Justin's same sense of dread and apathy towards the race. 

But race day came, and almost completely out of a sense of obligation, we woke up early, left the kids with a babysitter, and made the drive in the cold pouring rain to the race that was to be run on grass and dirt* on a "hilly and challenging course".

*aka slippery turf and muddy muck of potential injury.

 

 

Out of shear need to avoid complete torture, I held back a bit- having my main goal just to participate in and finish this race. I still gave a very good effort, considering. The course was very difficult but beautiful. I should have felt more "proud" or excited about my results than I was; seeing as I placed second overall females and first in my age division, but I was still just feeling *EH* about the whole thing. Justin did amazing as well, considering he shared my  same sentiments. His time improved, as well as his ranking among the men and came in 5th in his age division! He didn't even dry heave this time! :) Though we did amazing, I was really just relieved that it was over and not hanging over my head any more! 

I know that this all probably sounds horrible - especially coming from someone who loves running so much! But I think that most every runner has days/races that are not the best or the most thrilling for them. To me, doing this race was definitely physical training, but more so mental/emotional training. Experiences like this are about refining our ability to do something even when we don't want to, and pushing through even when there seemed to be numerous things stacked "against" us. It's about enduring even when it's hard, or our hearts are not in it; A lesson that can be applied to many aspects of life. We don't just give up when we don't want something any more. We see it through, do the best we can in that moment, and strive to turn the corner back into a more hopeful, enthusiastic, joyful, fulfilling place.

Uninspired

February was an uninspiring month for me.

Not that February did anything in particular this year to piss me off, drain my creativity or stifle my spirit. It just...well...let's just say that February is like the scapegoat in the family. Everything bad gets blamed on February. And to be honest, it usually doesn't do a whole lot to prove otherwise. Most years February just plain sucks. For being the shortest month of the year it, more often than not, it seems to feel like the longest. This year though, February tried to redeem itself from last year (and to give credit where credit is due; actually did a mighty fine job). But for some odd reason I still found myself a bit hum drum this last month. Maybe I was just spending my energy preparing for the worst that February could potentially hand out, only to find that February was quite pleasant after all.

None the less, here I am having survived March coming in like a lion, and wishing I'd done more blogging in February. Because really, besides the one whole week of puke fest we had in February, the rest of the month offered some pretty great moments.

But onward I move, hoping that March doesn't throw us any weird surprises. But then again, March has kind of been known as a loose cannon, so anything is possible right?

The end of February Justin ran the half marathon he has been training for. He went into it a bit discourage and somewhat pessimistic. He'd caught the sick bug at the tail end of the rest of us, and February was a crazy month at work so his training suffered a bit. Essentially he threw most of his hopes and goals for this race out the window and basically ran it out of duty. Or principle. Or maybe just because I told him he didn't have my permission to woose out. He braved a frigid cold day (at least it was a sunny frigid day) with some strong winds and gave it the best he had. Apparently he hadn't fallen as far behind as he thought because he PR'ed as well as beat his original goal for this race. He left feeling very good about his time, his performance, and his efforts. What more can you ask for?

 A week later it was my turn. I had trained really hard, put in my time, made my sacrifices (i.e. early COLD mornings, pace runs with the double jogging stroller while still recovering from the flu, lots of miles, treadmill runs...you get the idea). But I was feeling pretty ambivalent about my race. I didn't know what to expect from the distance, nor what was a realistic goal. I wasn't feeling all that excited to race again either (to be honest I think that the marathon back in October and the 5k in January both have left me a bit traumatized). But I came up with what I thought was a reasonable goal for a 20 mile race. Then just to give me a little window to work with I used my pace calculator to give me bit more of an ambitious goal. I supposed somewhere between the two would be ideal.

I thought the crappiest thing about this race would be the fact that not only was it an out and back race, but it was a double out and back because of the 10 mile racers running at the same time. Ug. I was surprised that the only slightly discouraging part was hitting half way and realizing I had to do everything I'd just done all over again. But the out and back part actually broke the race down into smaller more attainable milestones. Plus Justin got to just pick a spot at mile 3 and stay there the entire race and I ran by there 4 times! It made spectating with three small children a lot easier than it normally is!

I was grateful that I didn't suffer with anything during this race besides just major fatigue and a small mental game around mile 17 to keep pushing harder all the way to the end. I came through the finish line WAY before both goals with a time that I would have thought unattainable for a 20 mile race! Oh and an age placement award as well! :)  I was proud of myself and my efforts to race the course and myself, giving it my all. I think though that soon again I need to run a race just "for fun." Is that possible any more? Would I really let myself hold back? Hmmm. Maybe it's worth the experiment!

 

"Runners Are Wild"

Since the beginning of the year we've managed to get two races in already! Yes we've been busy! :) It's turned out that these races have been key in kick starting my butt back into "training" mode. Not that I have a ton of races planned or anything officially, but it's good to have some bit of specific running "expectations." That way I don't just always go out the door with a big question mark hanging over my head as far as distance or speed (though that had it's enjoyment for awhile as well). 

The first race (in honor of the new year) we did as a family with strollers and all. Nothing like trying to run a race pushing a double stroller half the way, not to mention into coastal head winds! We had a blast though, which is most important! We even managed to finish respectably given our "stroller" challenge (How's 7:08 min miles for 4 miles?)! Really I don't know how many more races we'll be able to do with the strollers! These kids are getting so heavy!

I thinks it's kind of funny though. Everyone at the starting line was trying to make sure they were in front of us. I even heard one guy say there was no way he was going to get stuck behind us! I remember passing him even before we even hit mile one, and he became just one of the 705 people we finished in FRONT of! I think we placed like 65th overall! So there! :) We're no wussie jogggers her folks! We're hard core runners! We're wild!! :)

It was a beautiful day. Sunny and crisp! A great way to ring in a new year!

 

Next was a trail race.

My first official trail race. Now this wasn't some ultra marathonish, up a major mountain, extreme hard-core trail race, but even in it's "novice" trail race-ism it still completely kicked my butt! A "hilly and challenging course" with both single and double tracks.  Heaven's to Betsy!  I thought I was going to have a heart-attack the entire race! Here's an image of one of the many short steep hills.

There were some long steep hills, and some of these short steep ones. No I did not walk. Not once. That is what I'm most proud of. The single track lasted a few miles and was challenging. There was virtually no passing unless someone in front of you was kind of enough to step aside for a moment. Around mile 2 a few people did just that. I'm sure they were a little less than please to see that I was a girl. The single track puts a lot of pressure on you not only keep up with the guy in front of you but more so not to hold up the guy behind. It really challenged and pushed my limits.

There were definitely more than a few curse words spewn from my mouth as I pushed my body beyond what I thought it was capable of.

"Runners are wild....running is anything but civilized. Just look at the faces of the first five guys [or girls] to cross the line at any 10k. Not exactly the kind of expression you can wear to a dinner party." -PearlIzumi

I rest my case.

Not the most attractive photo of me. The spit that I didn't have enough breath to launch further than the front of my shirt. The panting exhale of my breathing. The tension in my body. And the pain and exhaustion all over my face.

The look of a woman running the last .25 miles to her FIRST-place OVERALL women finish! 

Though I don't expect to keep this overall winning standard I seem to have set for myself, it was a fun and exhilarating - not to mention, agonizing and excruciating, start to the year!

 

I have to mention that Justin kept up amazingly well, and finished third in his age division - the best he's ever done - even despite the two dry-heaving spells he had along the way! So dignified!

Yep running is definitely ANYTHING but civilized! Part of the reason I love it so much!

This Just-in

A bit behind in posting. You know how the holidays suck you up and don't spit you out again until the New Year! It's a good thing right? So here we go with some catch up. December 17th was Justin's birthday. Having come out of a week or two of sickness in our household it was tough getting my act together. I was a bit disappointed in myself especially since his birthday was on a Saturday which meant we could have had all day to celebrate! It wasn't what I'd consider an extra ordinarily awesome birthday for him, but we still did some fun things.

Sage's present was learning to ride her bike without training wheels! Wahoo! Go Sage!

and we got to see Santa!

(I admittedly, and perhaps a bit sadistically, like these photos with babies crying on Santa's lap. I think they are hilarious! Thanks Nouvelle for not letting us down!)

 

The best was getting out on a date with just Justin and eating at one of our new favorite restaurants, 

and then hitting the Parker Omni House Hotel for supposedly the original Boston Cream Pie (Boston Cream being one of Justin's all time favorites!). This certainly was a decadent little dessert, but shhh don't tell, I think I'd take a Boston Cream Pie Donut from Dunkin' Donuts!

 

One thing for sure, we are glad to have Justin in our life. He is a calming force, a sound of reason, a source of support, and  an endless supply of love. He is an understanding man, who sees no discrepancy between women's role and man's - but that we all share in our family responsibilities. He is the person we miss most when he is away, and the person we all look forward to seeing when he returns. He is definitely everyone's favorite person in this house. Thank goodness we have him. Happy Birthday to the love of my life and the best dad in the whole entire world!

The Chilly Half

After our last half marathon Justin has been on a mission - Beat his last half marathon time (I teased him that really he just wanted to beat MY last half marathon time, but he adamantly denies that). 

He trained pretty hard for this and went out and did amazing! The weather was great for him and the girls and I had a crazy fun time chasing him from spot to spot to cheer him on!

 

Though a lot of the autumn leaves had fallen it was still a beautiful course through Newton, MA.

 

He was going so fast I nearly missed him at a few points. And unfortunetly my running gloves became a casualty of war in the hustle and bustle of getting three kids in and out of the van.

 

Apparently there was a stretch of some serious hills on this run (I should really just make Justin write about his experience himself - ah well). This is just after the last of it aorund mile 8 or 9. He's still looking good, though he said at this point he was starting to really fatigue.

 

And then he came SPRINTING into the finish line! He said he was bound and determined to pass some dude he'd been following the entire race!

And he did it! He beat his last half marathon time...and *gulp* mine as well.

I guess I have my work cut out for me.

Way to go  on a new PR Justin!!

 

On a side note: I was a bit worried that I would get out there watching him race and wish I were doing the race as well. But nah, I was good. I guess it was a true sign that the "break" I'm taking from serious running/training/racing is much needed (and now my family and close friends can start laughing as they know what milage a "break" looks like for me still! But hey it's still a mental break of sorts right?!)

Tis The Season

I've given you a break from my running ventures for long enough. And considering it's race season again it should only be expected that I'm going to just have to share a few more stories.

I like fall racing season. I think in general things during a fall race have a greater chance of going a bit better than spring races. After running in the freezing winter months, spring races have the potential to break you physically if the weather takes a sudden turn to a heat wave. On the contrary, after training in the melting, stifling heat of summer fall races are usually* a welcome respite.

We thought that we would go for a repeat race  to see if we could do better than our previous times. There's nothing like aiming for a PR on the exact same course. I think it's a truer measure of the progress you've made. The only variable is the weather; everything else is more or less the same. So what better way to compete with yourself?

So off we went to run the Salem Wicked Half Marathon again.

Last year I had only been back to running after Nouvelle's birth for about 4 months, amongst a slew of other struggles. I was still proud of my time then - but this year went remarkably better!

Once again though, I wasn't quite feeling ready for this race. After getting back from Utah it has been hard to feel back to myself completely. A lot of things haven't been as enjoyable as they normally are, and even running has been hard for me to do. For the past month I've had to really convince myself to get out the door to go running. Of course I am always glad I do, but...well it's been hard.

The night before the race I didn't even know what goals to set for myself. I admit I was kind of floundering. I thought maybe I would just run it along with whatever Justin was hoping to do (If I could keep up with that). Plus this was just a trial race to help me prepare for my bigger race coming up in a few weeks (which, by the way, I have also been feeling unsure about. What can I realistically expect from myself? Did I peak back in June and now I'm just coasting along or barely hanging in there? How hard can I push myself? etc etc etc). 

(Maybe I shouldn't point out, but I just can't help myself - doesn't Justin have the greatest legs? By the way he has a really nice butt too! I'm just sayin'.)

The day was WAY more humid than I'd like (96% humidity! Ug!). I was sweating so much that even wind resistance didn't keep the stinging sweat out of my eyes! At least it stayed mostly overcast though!

I was feeling really well (ok minus the vomit that for some reason decided to keep creeping up my throat into my mouth. I'll blame it on the illness that was making it's way through my family the week prior to this race). I enjoyed the magnificent scenery of the Salem coast and neighborhoods - with its sailboats floating in the harbor - under a slate gray sky, the French and Italian inspired mansions, the quaint historical buildings of American history. It is a pretty run.

I kept us slightly ahead of the pace goals that Justin had decided on, and things jut kept going along really well. I hit a slight wall around mile 9.5 but I think that is right when my Gu kicked in, so it didn't last too long. As soon as I made it to the top of the hill at mile 10 I was really hitting my stride. I really wanted to shift up to high gear. Maybe I just wanted to get the race over with! Unfortunately, Justin couldn't quite keep up the new pace with me (or as he likes to say he "couldn't accelorate." Really though what's the difference? :) haha ). I hope it's ok that I left him behind. Don't judge. I think it's a fair agreement - and yes, I would have been ok if he'd left me behind if the roles were reversed. But maybe he never would. Hmmm. Maybe I am a "terrible person" - I'll get over it.

The last few miles are always hard. I think no matter how fast or slow you are running they should always feel like hell. If you're running your race right, it should at least. I think races are the time to leave absolutely EVERYTHING on the course. Whatever that looks like for a person, it's the time to give it absolutely all you've got. That's one of the reasons I like races. It is the perfect situation to truly see how far you can go. For some reason just a training run on your own doesn't seem to create the same amped up experience as a race.

Side note: I don't think the last few miles should be so hard that you have to slow down your pace significantly or (heaven forbid) walk. If that's the case then you have probably not paced yourself correctly at the beginning of the race (but that is probably a subject for a running blog or something like that - which I don't have, so you're spared). It's only my opinion, but I just think you you should feel completely spent.

I was spent, sure enough. And coming around the last mile and that stupid little hill right towards the end about made me pass out! 

Minus the inch long blister I accrued during the run on my toe, I felt significantly better crossing the finish line this year than last.

 And thankfully Justin wasn't too far behind!

 

It was a fun race to do (mostly) together. 

We got to watch our friends cross the finish line together, and were so proud of Jeff who is working through his distaste of running. There's hope Jeff. And it all begins today!

Amy and I couldn't help busting a move to the soul pounding music. Something about 80's music just makes you want to do the running man, right?

Improving my last year's time by over 18 minutes and setting a new half marathon PR was magnificent!

Taking second place in my age division was above and beyond any expectations! I even got this cool glass to put my beer...I mean soda in! :)

But best of all is I feel way more prepared mentally and physically for my marathon in a few weeks. Now I know a bit better what to aim for during that race. And who knows? Maybe I'll just achieve it!

 

One more side note:

Regarding Running/Racing etiquette - When entering a water station take your water and keep moving. Don't come to a dead stop as soon as they hand you a cup. There are runners behind you! And by ALL MEANS, do NOT spit a mouthful of said water on the runner who just about plowed you over from behind and had to bust some crazy move to get around you! Your courtesy would be appreciated next time.

Yale To Harvard

and the quest of The Holy Hand Grenandes!

 

This past weekend was the New England Ragnar where my team The Holy Hand Grenades ran 194 miles from Yale to Harvard. Justin and I have really wanted to do a Ragnar together, so we've been planning on running this one since he did it last year (just a few weeks after Nouvelle was born).

I wasn't going to post all the greusom details 'cause I figure most people reading this blog don't care about those that much....but for my journaling sake I'm going to anyway. You can enjoy the pictures, skim the details or live vicariously through me as you pour over my personal moments from this race.

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to captain the team, and this proved to be almost more stressful than the race itself....well almost.

We were thinking of maybe leaving a couple of spots open on our team so that a few of us could run a little bit extra, but due to some other drop outs we ended up with three empty slots! Normally a runner does three separate legs throughout the two day race. This meant some of us would have to do 4 and others 5. Luckily a few of our team members are training for long distance races and felt they could take on more legs. Others of us were just crazy like that and wanted extra legs whether they were training for something or not!

Justin and I ended up in van 2 with two other team members. We met up with our team at the first major exchange. I was following the weather closely hoping that a heat wave wouldn't descend upon me after only training in cool weather. It looked promising...possible rain, overcast... but this was not my fate. Literally 10 minutes before my first leg was to get underway the sun came bursting through the clouds! High humidity is bad enough but add to it direct, hot sunshine and it just zaps ya!

But off I went on my first leg (this being my first of the two extra legs I would be running). This was supposed to be a 8.2 mile leg. From the very start I was extremely uncomfortable and sweating abnormal amounts. I had no idea how fast I should push myself, especially since I had 4 more legs after this and a night of no sleep ahead of me. But I just dug in and pushed for a 7:45 min/mile.

It ended up being about 7:15 instead. Crap. I don't know if I thought this through enough.....There was only one person running between my first leg and my next leg. I had about 40 minutes to recoup. I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand you have time to give your heart-rate a break, but then your legs start cramping. But not much choice, I hopped out and headed on my second leg of 3.6. Still hot and bizarrely foggy and muggy I pushed through my next leg. I wish I could have focused more on the beautiful Long Island Sound I was running by, and I honestly tried, but it was just too blasted hot and I was just focusing on keeping my pace which ended up being around 7:25.

This is the only photo I posed for. Normally I can successfully run a race and pose for great action shots at the same time. Not this race. It was all I could do to just run. This is me launching my hand grenade at the girl I was about to pass. I really didn't focus on passing people - but it just inevitably happened. At some points I was actually dreading passing people just in fear that it would make them want to run faster and then I would just HAVE to keep up. I tried very hard to just mentally run my race, my pace, in my way and if I ended up passing someone I did. Most people were really nice when I passed them. Almost all the girls said "good job," or "looking good." Most of the men didn't say a thing! It was about the last mile of this run where the horrid cramp, that would never go away, began to haunt my runs!

After my leg Justin was off into the heat as well and he seriously rocked his 4.8 miles at something like a 7:17 min/miles! 

We met up with van 1 at the second major exchange ate some food and then took off to the third major exchange where we were "supposed" to sleep. As tired as I was, sleeping before 10pm was just not going to happen. As each runner on our team finished their leg we got more and more ahead of our predicted schedule, so Justin started his first of his extra two legs at 11pm in the pitch dark. And thus began our van running straight through the middle of the night.

Once again he rocked his 3.3 miles with 6:45 min/miles! Geez Justin!

It was a weird misty humid night and by the time I got to my first leg this is what I saw with my headlamp on.  

It was almost worse with it on than off. Kind of like driving in a blizzard with your lights on. But at least the sun was gone! I had an 8.7 mile leg.  I thought it was going to have more down hills than up, but I'll tell ya, it didn't feel like that! The cramp came back with a vengeance especially on any down hills which meant just letting myself loose was a bit more out of the question. Man I gave that leg my all and tried to chase down a new running friend I'd made but he just wouldn't let me have it. It pushed me fast through those last few miles and I came in with a 7:25 min/mile. I had three miles on that run that were 7 min miles or faster!

Justin ran another 7 miles at a wicked good pace. Then one more teammate ran before I was up again for a 2.6 mile run, mostly downhill.

The cramp was so bad this run that I had to pinch my side most of the run to just deal with the pain. It was like daggers the entire run, but I dug in and forced myself to run through the pain. Just before my leg started I learned that van 1 was running behind. I worried the entire run about whether they were going to be at the exchange or not. I sprinted in to the exchange in excruciating pain, after giving it my all and was told the other van hadn't made it and there was no one to pass off too. Talk about ending a difficult run anticlimactically! Let's just say I was more than infuriated and leave it at that.

15 min later the other van finally made it and started their legs. We drove to our last major exchange. Too tired to do anything, we stayed in our stinky clothes, in our stinky van and laid there trying to sleep. I rested but did not sleep. At one point I tried to remember some of the details of my legs I'd ran thus far and couldn't recollect some things! What did the exchange of my third leg look like? How fast did I run my second leg? Maybe it was lack of sleep or just the fact that in a four person van where one is either running, driving, navigating or getting ready for your next run I had to hit reset before I was able to hit enter. Morning came and before I knew it our van was running again.

My fellow team member was more than exuberant about our team name and wore his hand made costume and ran carrying the holy hand grenade for the first two miles - you know just to get our last set of legs off with a bang! Crazy guy!

Thank goodness the sun was hidden behind clouds when we started but of course as luck would have it about 15 min before my run the clouds magically disappeared and I was left with that blasted humid sun again! By now my cramp was bothering me even when I wasn't running. Needless to say I was not ready for 5 more miles!

I gave myself permission to take it more easy this 5th leg but after two miles I said to heck with that and dug down deep for just one more leg. As you can see, this gal, who normally only "perspires" while running had a full on dripping sweat situation going on! I know it's only going to get hotter, but this was such an extreme shock to my system all at once I don't know if my body knew what to do with it! 

My overall pace on this leg slowed a bit but what can you expect after running 23 miles at race pace on no sleep!? My overall pace for this last run was 7:45 but what I'm most proud of is my last mile was 7:06 with a full sprint up the last hill to the exchange!

By the time Justin started his 4th of 5 legs the sun was full force. For 8.7 miles he pushed through it up some major hills.

I was so proud of him! I'd get out and spray him with water every couple miles but it only helped so much. I decided to give him some moral support his last mile and a half and paced him. At first he gave me the stink eye but I hope in the end it helped.

When he finished his 4th leg  he was seriously questioning if he could run his (and the races) final leg. He took his 30 min break while someone else ran and cooled off and regrouped. He was bound and determined to finish what he started!

And he hit those last 2 miles or so and brought us in! We pulled into the finish line only moments before he came running in, and our entire team made a half lap around Harvard's track for the finish in 27 hours and 34 minutes.

 

I LOVED running this race with Justin. It's such a unique kind of race. I love that there is always someone there to cheer you on. You get to hop out of your van and run your own race but also be a part of a team. It's fun camaraderie and bonding, and just a new way to challenge yourself. It breaks up the monotony of regular road races.

Next time I think I'll just go for the full ultra team instead of our 9 person, semi-ultra team. I think running back to back legs would actually be easier than the way we stitched things together. I'd like to do a double header (2 Ragnar's in one year). I don't know if this year will be the year, but I'm open to the posssibility! It's hard aranging to have someone take care of your kids while you and your spouse are gone for two days. But hey, you know me! I'm always up for a challenge!

Oh and what's even harder than running 28 miles over two days with no sleep?

Coming home and instead of taking the nap you both so desperately need, you get to take care of three kids (one of which was sick) for 4 more hours!

Oh but they're so cute, it was worth waiting a little bit longer for that much needed sleep.

The Art of Anguish

We got some pictures that the race photographers on our marathon took, and I couldn't help but put a few more up on this blog (sorry for the race information overload). These photos aren't the most flattering, but something about them just strikes me on a emotional level. Something about seeing the anguish and work on our faces as we cross the finish line is awe provoking. 

Jerome Drayton, Canadian marathon record holder, stated that 

“To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who’s never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind."

It IS hard to describe, but these photos in some way capture the physical and emotional battle every runner (no mater how fast or slow), passes through during their race, and especially within those last 6 miles.

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed." Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon Champ

 

"Running Through History"

18 weeks of training

3 months running on ice and snow

5:30 am runs in the dark

9:00 pm runs in the dark

2 pairs of shoes

0 injuries  (thank goodness)

482.3 miles of training runs

 

All leading to.....

a 26.2 mile race through Washington DC!

 

Finally the weekend came that we have been working, sacrificing, and yes literally at times throwing ourselves in front of insanity's doorstep for.

After arranging for our kids to be taken care of for three days and two nights.....the "stress" of a marathon actually seemed miniscule. I swear I was more nervous about how my kids and their care takers would do than anything regarding the impending 26.2 miles I was about to run.

I was excited to get away for the weekend and it was very fun to be in our Nations Capital (but I can catch you up on those touristy things later). I can honestly say I wasn't nervous about the race, just mostly nervous about if I was going to wear the right running clothes for the weather.

I did wonder if our time goal that we had set was either too high or too low. I just did't know how to be completely sure. We wanted to finish around 4 hours, averaging about 9:00 min miles; keeping them even splits throughout the entire race or negative splits for the second half. Even though this technically would be our second marathon....in all reality it was really my first, and I didn't know fully what to expect. I at least did feel physically and mentally prepared and really up for almost anything.

Here's how the day went:

5:40 am: we woke up and got ready.

Took our speedy taxi to the starting line and found our corral.

It wasn't too long a wait in the cold for the gun to go off, but did take more than 10 minutes to walk from our corral to the starting line!

The first half of the race was amazing. With over 17,000 runners you can imagine the enthusiasm of the runners and the crowd! It was invigorating. It took a lot of self control to not just run like a crazy person through it all! We kept it in check and our overall time was looking good and we were feeling great! In fact, I felt like it was almost just like another training run. High spirits throughout!

We finished the first half just shy of our last half marathon time (but feeling a gazillion million times better). And then we lost more than 12,000 of the runners who were "only" doing the first half. I felt the game change completely then. All too soon were gone the hundreds of cheering spectators, the wild distraction of mass running groups, even the beautiful and inspiring scenery. The second half of a marathon is not for the weak in heart. It becomes a new type of challenge that is really faced from within, as a lone individual.

We pushed through into the second half feeling just as great for quite awhile. Around mile 21 we passed the 4:00 hour pacers (woohoo! We knew we were sitting pretty to come in under 4 hours since they crossed the starting line at least 5 minutes before us) Hey what do you know they happened to capture it on camera!

It was around mile 22 or so that I realized the cramping that had developed in my legs wasn't going to go away. The last 4 miles weren't that fun. The last two were pretty disheartening. The last mile felt like the longest mile I've ever ran. The last .5 miles I thought would never end.

But I just kept telling myself that I could endure anything for 8 minutes or so. I pushed up the hill and around the corner and finished my race in under 4 hours at a 9 minute mile, with negative splits! How's that for attaining your goals!?

 

Of course there are always those questions of what if I'd done this or not done that? But really for the most part I really have no regrets and feel 100% satisfied with the entire experience - even with my choice of running attire!

We waited just a bit for my good friend and training buddy Rachel to finish (Way to go Rache!!). So grateful for a husband and friend who helped me through the LONG winter months of training. I think they all paid off!!

We basked in our sweet finishes

 

and headed to the hotel for a much needed shower and nap...and  some fattening, greasy food of course (much deserved)!

Of course you physically have to be prepared for 26.2 miles...but those last few miles, it definitely comes down to mental strength and endurance to be able to continue putting your body through that kind of pain, endurance, and strain. Any marathon finisher, no matter the time it takes them, is an inspiration of endurance and strength - both physically and mentally - if I do say so myself. It is actually quite "spiritual" and touching to watch individuals push themselves to their limit and beyond and cross the finish line in victory!

I'm proud to be able to say I've done it twice now. Here's to hoping for another someday!

Here's to 100% Success

Way back in the fall Justin had noticed a 20 mile race flyer that was handed out at our half marathon. He asked if I'd be interested in running it. I looked at him and said, "Why would I do 20 miles when I could just do 6 more and make it a marathon?"

Well, eating my words has never tasted so good. 

In planning out our training program for our marathon, we realized that our 20 mile training run would actually fall on the day of a 20 mile race! Hey! So why not!?

Martha's Vineyard 20 miler. What a treat.

We had a few definite goals:

1) Do NOT start out too fast. I really wanted to use this a a chance to train myself to start at a steady pace.

2) Finish without feeling like crap.

3) No pressure. Just enjoy the run...after-all, this was a training run for us not a race.

Some goals that we thought would be nice to achieve, but not necessary:

1) Negative splits

2) Average overall pace 10:00 min miles.

3) No potty breaks

 

Well we acheived them all! What a fabulous race!

 

A little something to make it "taste" extra sweet:

We only got passed by one person the entire run, and we ended up passing him again a few miles later.

We passed almost 50 people throughout the race (I admit it is a lot more invigorating passing others than being passed).

Beautiful East Coast sceanery! Yes even in the middle of winter.

Not having to worry about snow, traffic, route, etc.

A 27 mph back wind for most of the first 10 miles (not so fun the second half but not too horrible either)

Magnificent company and great conversation.

Enough energy left the last few miles to pick up the pace to about 9 min miles.

Full on sprinting the last 100 yards or so!

Great food at the finish line (New England Clam Chowder, Minestrone soup, cookies, toasted bagels, fruit - yum)

Amazing race organization.

 

So great! 

A training run has never been so fabulous. I'm almost worried the 21 mile run in 2 weeks will let me down!

 

Nah.....just more too look forward to!

Martha's Vineyard 20 miler, I'd love to eat my words with you again sometime.

Now THAT'S Christian ROCK!!

Justin's birthday is tomorrow and I was trying to think of the perfect gift for him. He is always doing such wonderful things for me....I had to somehow make this one pretty awesome. Justin and I love going to concerts and one that has been on his bucket list is the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Well, lucky for Justin (and me) they always are in concert around his birthday! So I planned a surprise evening (which his boss almost ruined by making him work late) and took him out for a night on the town! 

We started with dinner at a great pizza place, Regina Pizzeria - Best in Boston for quite a few years! Wow....I want that again! It was also great as the restaurant had great Boston atmosphere complete with employees who all had that crazy Boston accent. One or two times Justin and I looked at each other and asked, "What did he just say?" We just nod and pretend we understand!

The concert was A-MA-ZING!!! The Trans Siberian Orchestra is Justin wrapped up in a huge wonderful musical package! It takes his love for classical music and infuses it with his love for Rock to create quite a magnificent mix of music. I can see why he has wanted to see them for so long! Besides the great music, it was quite the show, with lasers, fire balls exploding on stage, fireworks, sparklers on steroids, and snow falling on the audience! Like I said, awesome!

A few random things I thought during the concert.

1) I know if Justin could, he would LOVE to play in this group....and though he has the talent, he does not have enough hair to pull of the rock persona and definitely isn't anorexic enough either.

2) The Asian guy playing the violin....little did his parents know when they were forcing him to practice the violin for hours on end that he would end up rocking out on the electric violin with the TSO! Oh the shame he has left on his family.

3) How did that stage not start on fire?

4) The singers were amazing but is that really how rock chicks dance? Like the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders? Could do without that.

5) We have to see them again, and we have to get better seats next time.

6) As they were singing about Jesus, I thought, "Now THAT is Christian rock!"

Recollections

The other night I was out in the crisp, warm fall air and the smells and feeling brought back memories of when I was dating Justin. I'm not exactly sure why the fall reminds me so much of when we were dating (since we dated during every season of the year - and then some - before we got married), but it just does. Maybe it's because that first fall was when dating each other was still pretty new and exciting but also by then we both knew* we wanted to be committed to each other, so it was also very deep and emotionally fulfilling. I just really enjoyed the nostalgia that overcame me and I had to put a post in as a little flash back with pics of us that first fall together.

This was a dinner at the Macaroni Grill with my sister (someone who believed in our relationships from the VERY start)

 

The boy I fell in love with. Ohh look at him he's just "too cool" (to speak French in public that is!)!

*This story does get a bit more complicated than stated, but for the sake of the general reader we'll just leave it at that.

What Can Happen in Half a Dozen Years?

6 years of marriage

3 children

4 States

7 moves

2 College degrees

1 house bought and sold

1 minivan

Many fun vacations

Countless wonderful adventures

Immeasurable love and happiness

 

Here's to my wonderful husband and my beautiful children and a life I could have never imagined or adequately wished for.

 

Happy Anniversary! These 6 years have gone way too fast! Thank goodness we have eternity! :)

The Wicked Half

"Uggg." I think that is the best word to describe how I felt before running, during running, and after running today's Wicked Half Marathon in Salem. 

 

Knees good. Ankles good. Feet good. Toes good. Arms good. Head good. Back good. Shoes good. Muscles good - for the entire race.

On the other hand.....Stomach - NOT good. Energy - NOT good. Humidity - NOT good. Did I mention stomach not good? UGGG.

As far as goals go for this race, those have changed over the course of post-partum training, husbands crazy work schedule, and emergency trips to Utah to see my dad in the ICU. By the beginning of this week I had almost given up on having any goals at all. Originally I really hoped to beat my first half marathon time. Nah...I soon realized that probably wasn't going to happen on our training schedule. At least finishing in under 2 hours would be nice. Then again finishing at all without dying is always admirable. Just convincing myself to run it at all these past few days was success all on it's own.

So miraculously, I, and I really don't know how, but I did manage to finish in just under 2 hours. So though, technically I should feel good about meeting what was a goal I'd all but dismissed, I don't. I think I'm mostly disappointed because this race was so hard for me and I felt more horrible during and after it than any other race I've ever done. Even now half a day after the race is over I still feel sick. Couldn't even finish my post-race slurpee, that's how bad I feel. UGGGG. What's even more discouraging is how great I think I did in the Provo half marathon little over a year ago. Maybe I'm just to that age where my times can only start getting worse. :( Maybe I didn't have enough training and conditioning. Maybe I'm just being too hard on myself. Ok enough with the discouragement. I know it was good considering....well so many things. But let's not talk about doing another race for a few days....or at least until I get my appetite back! 

Poor Justin, who really was held back by me this race. Well, at least I provided him a chance to "slog" and enjoy the run! You can tell from this picture crossing the finish line. I'm focused. He's smiling. That's to say, I'm focused on not throwing up and he's smiling 'cause he hardly had to push himself.

Also, great job to my friends who ran this race too! It was fun training with you, pushing each other and encouraging each other. That's what friends do right!?

Well, another race under the belt. I guess we do need to sign up for another or I don't know if I'll have much motivation to train through a Boston winter.

BNL

Well, thanks to a wonderful friend Justin and I were able to go on an amazing date with no worries about the safety of our children! This was the first time leaving Nouvelle and honestly I have to say I didn't think of her the entire time.....(translation: I didn't think of her the ENTIRE time, just a few times! :) ) But that tells you how much we trust this friend! It's great to have someone like that here since we're so far from family. (Poop on her for probably moving in the next month!)

We went to the Bare Naked Ladies Concert. This is my third time seeing them and they honestly never disappoint. They have to be one of the best bands to see live! We had a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable time! Thanks Rachel!

He's a What?

That's right ladies and gentlemen, he's a RUNNER! I know fathom the thought! I have turned Justin into a full fledge runner. It's now official as he has done two races without me....sniff sniff.... This past weekend Justin joined a group of people in our ward (for the most part) and ran the CT/MA RAGNAR. I was very jealous that he got to do this. I wish I could have done it with him. But I suppose we're even now, since I did last years Wasatch Back Ragnar without him.

He would tell you that he wasn't as happy with his overall personal time, but I do have to say he did pretty amazing for running 3 different legs in less than 24 hours (about 17 miles total) after not getting the training in that he needed (you know, newborn in the home and all). His team was called I-Be-Pro-Fun. Get it? Cute. He had a great time. Though we didn't get to cheer him on during any of his crazy legs, we did get to meet up with him at the finish line to show our love and support!

A beautiful run through Connecticut and Massachusetts.

His team finished more than an hour ahead of when they were projected to.

For a guy who "hates" running I am very proud of him! Gotta keep signing up for those races! 

Way to go Justin!!!

A Birthday Wish

Happy Birthday to the best friend I've ever had.

 

He puts up with a lot and loves me anyway. He supports me, takes care of me, is patient with me, and really is just my best friend ever. I wish I could be half the woman he deserves.

Happy Birthday, Justin!

5 Years

Every year a new adventure. Looking forward to all the more to come!

Happy Anniversary to my "as perfect as humanly possible" husband!!! :)

If you told me I was crazy, I.....

would DEFINITELY agree.

After 5 months of training the day finally arrived.

The Top Of Utah MARATHON.

Some of you might understand the amount of dedication and hard work it requires to prepare yourself for a marathon. At our last Half Marathon our finishing time was right on track for us making our marathon time goal (somewhere just under 4 hours), and even maybe put me close to qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

However, the day after our half marathon I found out I was PREGNANT, and everything changed.

My father, the OBGyn HIGHLY discouraged me from running it. My brother-in-law, the OBGyn, somewhat discouraged me from running it. My OBGyn in Boston definitely didn't encourage me to run it.

I went back and forth. Should I? Shouldn't I? I kept up with the training cutting WAY back on the intensity, and missed my 20 mile run. Training pregnant/tired, pushing two kids in a stroller by myself was quite a challenge......not to mention, feeling morning sickness 24 hours a day!

We decided to go for it, but to just take it WAY easy. Now my goal was just hopefully to finish, and hopefully before they stopped giving finishing medals away (7-8 hours). We thought it would be nice though to finish before the volunteers/aid stations left (6 hours).

 

The first 14 miles were down a beautiful canyon, where the fall colors were starting to change. We saw two Moose. Nice and cool with the wind at our back. It was very enjoyable. This is just after mile 14 when spectators could finally come and cheer for us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this was about mile 21. Still feeling pretty good, but it was getting mighty hot - somewhere in the mid 80's.

My OBGYN(s) said that staying hydrated was the most important. I'd have to say I succeeded at that since I had to stop for a pee break every 2 miles.....no exaggeration!!!

 

 

 

 

I know it looks like we are walking...but we actually are jogging. Let's not mention though, that we're jogging so slow that a speed walker passed us at mile 3, never to be seen again!

 

 

 

 

About 1 1/2 miles left. Still feeling ok.

 

 

We did it! Under 6 hours! Actually I think the hardest part was forcing myself to hold back the entire race. Especially those last few miles, I wanted to just bolt! I had quite a bit left in me! Being 11 weeks pregnant though, I wanted to keep my heart rate under 80% MHR.

 

Still laughing and smiling. That's a good sign. And see, we weren't even the last to finish! Good sport Justin, ran the entire thing with me (at like 60% of his MHR). He said this was "OUR race." I think he just wanted to make sure he was there to force me to not push it. Good man.

 

Let's not even get into our stats this time. They were horrible. Maybe next time I can do better! I think it's a pretty safe bet. Not running for two should hopefully make a difference! 

FYI: I went with my dad for an ultra sound after the race....and everything with the baby still looks good. PHEW!!