PEAR BLOSSOM 2011!!!

This was it! An exact year of racing marked by the Pear Blossom 10-mile race today! So I may not be the fastest runner in this race, but I'll be honest! I kicked ass today! lol! All those early mornings and crappy weather made me tougher and I took on the Pear with a vengence! I was secretly hoping for 1:30 which is 9min/mile pace over 10miles. I hadn't sustained that pace that far yet. Well I came in at 1:30:29!!! 9:03min/mile pace!!! My half marathon pace in October was 9:26min/mile so for me this is a huge leap!!! The beginning was tough because so many people passed me! I had to keep telling myself that it would pay off later to pace myself and that a lot of these people would hit a wall for starting too fast!

I wouldn't have changed a thing I did in this race because I felt amazing! I tried to keep the 9:20 pace and went a lil faster due to adrenaline. I attacked the hills with a lil T-Pain blasting in my earbuds and took advantage of the declines. And raced a chick like hell at the end cuz there was no way I was going to let her beat me! hahaha! I think I figured out how to "reel in" a runner! I sped up, then she sped up and somewhere from deep within, my competitive spirit burst wide open! My sprint at the end was at a 5:47min/mile pace! Think I beat her by one shoe length!!! Can't wait to see what is next! Once I realized a 1:30 time was in sight, I gave everything, and I do mean everything!!! Cuz I feel it today!

Celebrated with a bacon cheeseburger at Red Robin!!!! I burned 1200 calories during the race and have every intention of getting those back! Saw a shirt during the race that said, "I run because I love to eat!" Enough said!

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about." - PattiSue Plummer, U.S. Olympian

DAY 9

Last "easy run" before race day!!! 4 miles below freezing, sucking in the thick fog. My run was slow but I pushed hard. Hoping this pace isn't what I will be running on Saturday! There has to be a reward for the diehards who get up at this hour, right? Not sure why this week is so up and down, other than the weather has changed every single morning so far! Regardless, if it all helps me to attack Pear Blossom with 100% effort, it will all be worth it!!! Praying for sunshine on Saturday!

DAY 8

SoI did my tempo run for 3miles in 27:28! =) 9:09/mile pace! I slowed down for a car and to navigate around a pothole but worked really hard this morning and was in much better spirits for a run than yesterday! It's amazing how one day changes so much from the day before! And how much easier it is to get on the road when it's NOT raining! Still freezing, but no rain! Just felt better today!!! Update is short cuz I have munchkins to chase!

 

Ability is what you are capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.
--Lou Holtz

DAY 7

My workout sucked this morning! I don't have proper rain running gear for colder weather (of course the sun started shining later)! I had shorts on, got out of my car and decided to run on the treadmill ( I know I know) and that lasted maybe a mile and a half! I get ADD bad on that stupid machine! lol! So I lifted lower body and decided to go home and try again this eve! =)

Went out this eve for attempt #2 at an "easy run" and booked it again (on the road, across bridges, through puddles, etc)! =) Kept my pace. The air is different in the eve so warmup breathing is different. My attitude was much better on round two and I got to witness an amazing sunset! I felt refreshed at the end and in much better spirits! Ready to tackle a tempo run in the morning!!! Runs will have there ups and downs, but it's how you tackle it that makes all the difference!

"Tough times don't last but tough people do."   - A.C. Green

WEEK 2 DAY 6

I went out to HVHS track and booked it at 430am this morning! I admit I went a little faster than I should have on my 800s (Not on purpose, just was thinking fast)! lol! The only time I got anywhere above 4:15 pace was in the last fast 400 I looked and saw 8:58/mile and picked it up to finish the entire lap at 7:10/mile pace. I felt good this morning, but will do better about sticking with the correct pace! Different parts of my muscles are more sore now which is awesome! It's also becoming much easier to keep my pelvis in proper position! I will get there! =) Just learning what the different paces feel like!

First time was 4:15 exactly. Second time 4:07. Third time 4:08. Fourth time 3:56. These speed drills are tough to execute in the wee hours of the morning in the freezing cold, but they will help me achieve my goals for Portland and hopefully help me kick some butt at a couple 5k's this year!!! Great start to week #2!!!

Day 5

Not gonna lie! I thoroughly enjoyed my off day yesterday after four days of pushing my body so hard! But those rest day are necessary: for the the body & the soul! Because the next morning, you can go out strong again! Ran a total of 9 miles (including warmup run to the park starting spot) in mostly sunshine with 5 other people! One of them being my amazing coach and he is TOUGH! I ran a clocked 8.79 at an average 9:21 pace! That is faster than my half marathon pace so I am elated to see that! I know the strenuous training schedule will pay off in the end! I usually run so early in the morning that I rarely have the opportunity to run with other people. It's amazing how much peer pressure can push you so much further!!! I loved it! I would clock this run as a success! One week til  Pear Blossom 10-miler!!! I'm gonna fly!!!! Thank you Stan for an awesome run this morning!!!!

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.
Try to be better than yourself.
--William Faulkner

Day 4

This morning was amazing!!! Foggy, but amazing! And MUCH warmer at 4:45am this morning! Ran 5 "easy miles" (actually 5.17 lol!) and kept my target pace almost the entire time! This morning I felt like I owned the world! So refreshing after yesterday's experience! My legs are sore but strong! My will and my heart are stronger! My eyelashes were wet from the fog and I felt the past three days of hard training on my body, but I didn't care! The road was MINE!!! These are the days that keep you going after the days you wish you'd stayed in bed!!! Now on to the rest of life!

“Life’s battles don't always go to the strongest or fastest man,
But sooner or later the man who wins is the fellow who thinks he can.”

DAY 2 & 3

So being a full-time time mom, part-time medical massage therapist, runner AND fitting in the daily grind of life, can leave little time to blog! Yes I am behind! But here it is!

Day 2: Ran 5 "easy" miles in the pouring rain! I made a bad selection in clothing and I'm sure I weighed 5lbs more by the time I returned to my car! Pants and a fleece sweatshirt were just a bad idea!!! The truth is, I was prepared for cold, not rain. Nathan (my 2-yr-old) woke up from a nightmare so I tucked him in with my husband. He wanted me instead. So I had to run out the door and soon realized, it was going to be a WET one! Too late to go back inside because then I'd NEVER get it done! I felt good despite the rain and sopping wet shoes. But as I glanced at my GPS throughout the run, I realized my pacing was all over the place. I was supposed to keep myself between 9:45-10:15 minute miles. I dipped way lower in time when a good song came on and jumped a little above the 10:15 a couple times. What I learned was what that pace felt like so I would know without looking in the future.

I suppose life is like that too! Sometimes you are full of energy, ready to tackle any obstacle! And other times, the only thing getting you to roll out of bed is the thought that the coffee pot is 20 steps away! I'm a spontaneous person by nature so I never really roll through life at an even pace.

I was freezing at the end! Not an inch of me was dry, but the run was complete! Thank the Lord for hot showers!

It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
--Seneca

Day 3: I was supposed to do a tempo run, ya know, trying to maintain a faster pace over distance. Yesterday was an off day for me for sure! Though I did run later in the sunshine (which was amazing), I just didn't have the head & heart for it. I started out too fast which lead to a quick burnout and WAY slower pace! Not every day is perfect or golden, but tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start!

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
-- Confucius

DAY 1

This morning began Day 1 of my long haul goal toward the Portland Marathon. I recently acquired an amazing coach who is helping me through this process. I trained myself through the Half Marathon last year. But I'm aware that 26.2 miles is a whole different animal & that I need help to get there. Right now I'm learning what it means to pace myself, which isn't just a running lesson. It's a life lesson! I tend to jump wholeheartedly into something and work through it til it fades or ends. I'm learning life and all its struggles, triumphs and issues takes time. This marathon is for Matthew, and I want to make my little angel proud of me! I am so thankful for the amazing people in my life, and for the people who support me every step of the way. With people to encourage & push me, I will be unstoppable!

“Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”

A Painful Thought & a Dash

The Dash Poem

by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;

The cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left,

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,

And more often wear a smile

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read

With your life’s actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Thank you, Oz, for this poem. This one made me think last night. And had me in tears! Not because of all the people I've lost in my life. Just one. Matthew's dash is only 36 hours long. To many, that's just a couple of dreaded workdays, a quick overnight getaway, final prep time before a wedding. To me, it's an eternity. In those 36 hours I was blessed to hold my son, I went through a lifetime of emotion. He fought so hard for me. He taught me more about courage, strength and the power of human touch than anyone ever could. His heartrate was 199 on the monitor, which is dangerously high. But whenever I laid a hand on him or gave him baby massage & sang lullabies, his heart rate dropped to the 120s/130s. Whenever I held him, his vitals seemed to improve. And every time I took a break, he regressed. In that time, he smiled at me and squeezed my finger so hard, just letting me know it would all be okay. And he always looked right in my eyes when I talked to him. These are moments I will never get back, but they are the most powerful moments in my whole life. I challenge each person to think about the dashes in your own lives, cherish the lessons they've taught you & hug your kids.

Running my first marathon in October 2011 in honor of my son, Matthew Gabriel and his beautiful dash 7/6/05 - 7/8/05

Facing the Wind

When it comes to winter running, I hate it! I hate the biting cold that enters your lungs with every breath, the possible slip on unseen black ice, and the fact that no matter what time you get out to run, it's dark. That being said, I despise treadmills even more! So at 4:18am, with my Ironman reflective bands on and some high tempo techno blasting from my Ipod, I took off down the road. Not a single car on the road, I was just started to get into the groove, when I was smacked in the face by a high powered gust of wind! Five seconds later, a light freezing rain began to blow sideways on my cheeks. My car wasn't too far away . . . I could easily turn back! Then I thought, at this hour, I am the only person who will know I gave up this morning. And so I ran! 3.5miles of "resistance training" with the wind slapping me across the face and threatening to push me over. The stronger the wind, the harder I ran. Songs that had accompanied me in my Half Marathon kept my feet from slacking and reminded me of all I had overcome in a year. With my car in sight, I sprinted to the finish and laughed like I just won against my biggest competitor! I felt refreshed, like I finally broke through the rut the winter season had put me into! And I think now, I just might go for the 10-miler at Pear Blossom! 

"Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body."
-Lynn Jennings

Morning runs

Some people shudder at the thought of getting up in the early morning, let alone running at such an ungodly hour! I find it peaceful, reflective. Like the morning holds a secret. The hubby and kiddos are still asleep, most people haven't left for work yet and I feel like the world is all mine for an hour! Also, no one can see the dark circles under your eyes or the fact that you may have grabbed two different socks on accident in the dark! It's my "me" time! This morning, the snow made everything extra quiet! And really cold! And I admit, I opted to grab the camera at 5:30 this morning . . . instead of the running shoes. Because some days, you just have to enjoy the moment! And a cup of coffee! =)

8 1/2 weeks til Pear Blossom!!!

Just looked at the calender and realized this mommy better kick it into high gear!!! 8 1/2 weeks to be comfortable and fast with 10 miles!!! This race is important to me, because last year, it was my first race ever! The one that started my whole journey! Of course, that was the 5k! And I thought I was gonna die at the end! Now I'm ready for more!!! On the hunt for some awesome reflective running gear! Those goofy vests are a bit invasive for a runner and not well-made for all sizes! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Time to lace up and head out into the sunshine!!! Hope you all are having a wonderful day! ~ Karen =)