Sunday, March 25, 2018

Eugene Half Training: Week 1

I only did 50% of my runs this week. Not gonna lie. And I'll give the flat out honest truth as to why!

First off, I am now just over a month away from the Eugene Half Marathon, which I have already run 3 or 4 times. So I know what I'm getting into. I know at mile 9 I'm going to be whining to myself about having to be so close that I can see and hear the finish line, yet still have 4.1 more to go. I know my leg is going to hurt on Amazon Parkway when the road is at a terrible slant and my IT band is killing me. I know I'll have the crowd cheer me on as I approach Hayward Field. I know I'll feel that track under my feet, Steve Prefontaine's track!!, and I will fly through the finish line! 

And until all of that happens, I know I have to keep training. But sometimes I just don't freaking feel like it!

Last Sunday I ran 9.3 insane miles of hills, on nearly an empty stomach and dehydrated. But I did it and I loved it!! And it wore me out. That race always does. So was I ready to jump into 4 days of running a week right after that? Eh, not really.

My first run was non-existent. I had it on my radar, but my baby getting the Croup was not part of my plan. Her health, getting her to the doctor and just being home holding her like she wanted was my top priority. Running is not THAT important to just have her needs ignored. So I skipped it. I didn't mind giving my legs a couple days off anyway.

I did get back at it for what would have been the second training run on my schedule. I was so excited to test out my new Adidas. At the Shamrock expo I found the coveted Adidas employee store pass, that gets you into the store and 50% off your purchases. Seriously, you can't just go in. You have to fill out the pass, show your ID to show that they match, and then hand over the pass when you pay. That one pass is the biggest motivator for me to do the Shamrock. I hate paying a ton of money for my running shoes, so if I can get 50% off of my brand, then heck yeah I want that!! 

I tossed on my alternate clothes from race day in case of a cold race, and I was happily out the door for a short run. Well I was soooo wrong about the weather. It ended up much warmer than it felt when I left work. By the time I got home sweat was absolutely dripping all over me. I was gross!! The run itself was already. I just eased into it and enjoyed the weather. But then an all too familiar thing happened. Why are pre-pubescent little boys total assholes? I remember doing a 10 mile run before my first half marathon and this little pipsqueak was using his phone to record me running and laughing at me and just being a dick. What the f did I ever do to him? Oh, I DID flip him off as passing - and I'm sure appropriate words went along with it. On this run I was approaching the house I dread near my turn around. Their annoying, yippy dog always comes running down and chasing me. I almost fell once as it was nipping at my feet. This time instead of the dog I got the girly boys. I legit thought one was a girl in skinny jean capris and a hoodie. But no, that was a boy. With another one. They got off their school bus and apparently I became their joke. While walking up their hill one even turned and came back to the road just to look at me running and laugh again. They kept it up until I was out of sight. WHY?? That ruined my spirits and I just wanted to be done. And I probably will avoid bus time in the future because I'm just not in the mood to have kids make me feel like a lumbering old fat lady that shouldn't be out trying to be healthy.

What would have been the 3rd run on the training plan also didn't happen. Why? I freaking didn't feel like it. I didn't want to be made fun of two days in a row. And it was snowing! Rain was mixed in and coming down ridiculously hard. I just didn't feel like dealing with that. Plus staying in let me relieve Shawn from dad duties so he could get busy in the Man Cave for a little bit. No regrets.

And finally, the 4th scheduled run, and only the 2nd that I actually did.... the long run. As opposed to Shamrock, I actually made sure I had breakfast before running and I left equipped with two bottles of water. I learn from my mistakes! The plan was to leave and go park at one of my go-to start spots, then run 2 laps through this rural area. One bottle of water came with me, the other stayed behind, so I could swap at the half way point. This worked out great! The first lap was full of so many animals. Before I started I was talking to a donkey (shown here)  and a couple horses. I was running in the reverse direction I would normally go, so everything had a new look to me. I loved seeing the cute barn (pictured here) and then deliberately ran down someone's gravel driveway to this massive farm land. Greenery, yellow flowers, purple flowers, and then the mountains dusted in snow. It was so pretty! You can also see that in this collage. Katura and I have our horses we like to look at when we do this area together, but today 2 of them were so close to the road. I actually paused the run, walked over to the fencing and had a chat. It was so quiet out there, all I could hear was the sound of them nibbling on the grass. They were nearly close enough for me to pet them. That would have been awesome. 

On the second lap I was able to finally get mentally in the zone and I was running pretty alright! And then the rain came. Seriously? By the time I finished and was back at my vehicle I was so soaked. Did I have a towel? No. Just a tiny one that I keep for emergencies that is smaller than a dish towel. --  It was a freebie at a race expo years ago, hence the small size and thinness. Lucky for me, I did this run Meniere's free. Not lucky for me was the fact that it hit hard in the car. I shouldn't have driven home, but I didn't really have options. At least it waited for my run to be done???

So that was week 1 of this very short round of race training. I think I get a day off before I am back and starting week 2. I did have a realization today about my running this year... I NEVER know how long these runs take me. I look at my Garmin while running just to know my distance so I can spend too much time doing math in my head for no reason, but when I am done I never actually pay attention. I hit stop and save and call it good. Not knowing overall paces is so freeing! I don't care about pace, so to not even care enough to look just feels awesome. Heck, after Shamrock I realized I had no idea how long it took me to run, and it didn't phase me at all. I love this!!


Race countdown: 1 month 3 days 14 hours 7 minutes


Wednesday, March 21, 2018

A Running Post for Non-Runners. That's You!

I've babbled on for a few months now about my training runs, and then my race, and some of you are probably OVER IT! Where are posts about that cute baby? That's why I started reading her blog, and now it's all about running?? Well... this one is about running, too, BUT I thought maybe I'd cover some of the NON-running aspects of my hobby that maybe you didn't even know exist! And for the sake of the baby fans, here is a photo of her on our first walk together with the jogging stroller. She was 1 week and 1 day old. Needless to say, now that she is a young lady over 2 years old, she is a pro at stroller runs!

So, running. I basically only run as prep for races. I LOVE racing - although I never actually RACE. But anyway. Having a training plan written down forces me to follow it and stay on track. And my photos on every run? It is my way of holding myself accountable. I have this fantasy that if I didn't share my running photo that one of you might wonder what's up and ask if I stopped running. So I follow my scheduled plan and take a photo every time to remember how that run went and keep myself from slacking and skipping runs. But this is about the racing. 

I like to always have one on the calendar as motivation to train. Once I pick one out I work backwards from race day to plot out my training. And I run. But there is also the pre-race fun stuff. Perhaps the thing I dote on the most.... my playlist. Every race has its own. On my phone right now is a playlist for Ragnar and one for Shamrock. Each playlist is different. Staple songs/artist.... like Flo Rida, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. Songs that are fun, yet maybe random... like King of New York from Newsies. And then there is one song that I ALWAYS have. My go-to song. I can be spotted doing some of my moves while running because that is how great this song is. What is it? All That Jazz. Oh man, I want to shake my shoulders and do some jazz hands just typing about it! This is where most of my pre-race time is spent, crafting the playlist. For example, for Shamrock last weekend I made a list that was the length of time of my slowest Shamrock race. The thought was if I am running and the music runs out then I know I suck and I need to get my ass in gear. *I never ran out of music this week. Unrelated to music but for those of you familiar with Portland, I have inserted the course from my Garmin right here. 

And here is the elevation chart from Shamrock. I swear this actually looks nicer than that incline felt!







When music is set, I brainstorm about attire. For Disney you know I go all out and we create full blown costumes made from running clothes. Running clothes = tech material and NOT cotton... except for that marathon where cotton was all we could find for our look and I thought I was going to melt and die. I probably put way too much thought into my attire, but I always say if I'm not going to win I may as well look cute! For Shamrock I got a green sparkle skirt, my Love to Run Prefontaine shirt for motivation, a thin shamrock scarf braided into my hair and rainbow compression socks - with the thought of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. See? Way too much thought for only me to notice! Honestly, I don't incorporate my shoes into it that much. That's my one area where I make sure I use what is best for my feet and my legs that day! 

So things are set. We have a race, we have trained, we have music and clothes. And this is when I get nervous. It is time to be in race mode. If you have been near me on a race morning you KNOW what I am talking about. Many a time I have nearly thrown up on the way to a race. I remember pulling over THREE times on the way to Eugene for a race. That's only 70 miles and I had to stop 3 times because I was feeling so sick to my stomach. I TRY to eat breakfast. What is my race day breakfast? I grab a bagel, and the proceed to eat half, if even that. At Shamrock I could have had the full thing, except I dropped half of it and stepped on it. Yeah, that happened. And I try to have a banana. I have to force myself to drink water, but basically I get so nervous that I can hardly put anything in my body.

What do I put ON my body? Aside from deodorant because I'm not gross, I use some anti-chafing lube... on my toes! I never get blisters when I lightly lube my toes! Depending on race length and attire, I might also use that same stuff on my legs where my shirts hit my legs on my inner thigh. This prep is especially crucial when it is a wet race. Oh, it is also important to trim your toenails before you race. One tiny cut on a toe from toes rubbing together can result in a lot of blood soaking through your shoe. Been there, done that, got the photos. And still sticking with body prep - for long runs you will always see me in compression socks, or compression sleeves. They feel like a nice, tight hug on my legs and always keep me happy before, during and after the run. Fashion AND function!

Trying to fix my hair before I met
Jack Sparrow. This is why you braid!!!
By the time I make it to the race I am all twitchy, can't hold still and need to keep moving to the start area. I fuss over my bib, trying to get it straight and not poke myself too many times in the process. My hair has to be braided. I learned that the hard way during my first half marathon where it took close to an hour to brush and two people to out the knots afterward! Also I like to make sure I have fresh lipstick on. It just helps. Heck, I fully admit I run with my normal every day make-up in each race. No shame in my game. Like I said, I won't win, so I may as well feel like I'm not an ugly troll. 

There was a race where I DID get first place in my age group, FYI. I worked hard for that!

Many of us have to wait in line for the porta-potties before a race. This part sucks. We are all doing the pee pee dance and trying to stay warm. Then you have stuff to deal with and hope you don't drop it when you're in there. I usually just leave my water outside in the grass. And I shove stuff in my sports bra for safety. It's like we ALL get that urge right before the run and those lines get pretty dang long!

Those people behind us? Lined up to potty!
At the start line, if I'm alone, I have my own traditions. For a long race I try to have 3 Clif chews and water before we get running. I generally do not run with water, so I get this all taken care of and hand my bottle off to someone before I go. I'll moderately stretch while waiting as well, mostly my calves. I get my Garmin ready with a GPS signal, and then keep checking it obsessively to make sure it is all still going by the time we start. Of course there is the start line selfie, and then a photo looking forward to the start line and behind me at the sea of people about to pass me. Then I tune everyone out, fiddling with my Prefontaine necklace, and visualize my run. By then, it is time to go. 

I will NOT run until I am at the start. You might line up way behind it, but for a chip timed race you aren't timed until you cross the line. Why on earth waste my energy running if I'm not even racing yet? So I will use the approach as a warm up walk. Once I am at the line I am running and starting my Garmin!

And now we are at the running section ... which this isn't about.  

Portland Marathon - my Adidas at Adidas!
While racing I try to just zone out. I'm always paying attention to my surroundings so I don't cut anyone off or transition to walking right in front of someone that is running. It is during my walk breaks I might whip out my phone to get a photo of the course if I feel like it. I usually end up bonding with someone while I'm running, so that's always fun to have camaraderie with a total stranger who knows what you're going through!

As I near the end I find myself doing extra math, computing paces, distances, how fast can I go and not die, when can I turn on my finishing kick, who am I determined to pass before we cross? And this is when my race nerves get going and I fight the urge to throw up. Yeah, I'm a puker, I can't help it!

I try to keep smiling in the finisher's chute, knowing cameras are getting you from every angle and race photos in general are NOT flattering! After I cross I hot stop on my Garmin. And I don't stop running until I am well across. I'm not going to lose speed and walk the second I am done. I keep that momentum going!

Then we runners scan the area. Where is the water? Where is my damn medal? Do I get a space blanket? I'm so hungry. Where are my friends? Where the heck do I go? Do I seriously have to walk all the way back to the car? Where is my food? Am I covered in salt? Are my toes still there? 

The mud hides the blood!
Your body goes through many strange feelings after a run. Heck, after the Portland Marathon I could barely get up stairs after. It was the most awkward feeling! After the Disney marathon I was certain all of my toenails were falling off as I was sprawled out on a bed. 

And the runger. Oh boy the runger. I remember Jenn and I going for breakfast after a half marathon - and we got mozzarella sticks as our breakfast appetizer! They were so good!

And eventually you take off your race clothes. You stink. Things feel all sticky and tight. You just want it off. But sometimes that isn't easy.... but you deal with it. And did I mention you stink?

THEN when it is ALL done, you check results, you feel mortified when you see your race photos (WHY do they have to sit on the ground and get action shots of you look up???) ... and then you start finding another race so you can do it all again!


Monday, March 19, 2018

Shamrock 15K aka My Return To Racing

All that training finally came to an end and paid off, and I had a really good time running the 40th anniversary of the Shamrock 15K in Portland this weekend. But like any true race recap blog, we first have to back up ... to the expo!

Saturday morning started early as my mom, daughter and I loaded up the mom Jeep and went north to Portland. We did have a stop in Woodburn to hit the Disney store, because why not? The baby made out like a bandit! Soon we were arriving at the expo area to find the parking was closed off and full. That was the first driving challenge for me... trying to find the overflow lot with no sort of idea where that was. We did park and happily set off on our feet to the expo. Right way I spotted my friends, and it was so rad to reunite, especially in the element that caused us to be friends. It was this race in 2011 that we all first met in person! Wow, 2011, that is so long ago. For the record, this would be my 4th running of this race... and every time I do it I say "Never again." I held to that for a few years, but Jenn easily swayed me to do it again this year! So the expo had a new thing to it that I haven't experienced. I had to show them a confirmation email, they scanned the little code in it, and then that created my bib number. Usually they are already assigned, so to get it assigned when I grab it was certainly different, although quite easy! There was no form of swag bag. Just my bib. We also had a shirt, which apparently is running large this year... normally they are super tiny, so I ordered bigger than I needed to compensate, and now I'm swimming in it. Que sera sera. We did a zig zag through the expo, scoring some free swag along the way, and some snacks! 

The next pre-race requirement... FOOD!!! I live with a toddler. I eat most meals standing up, or busy trying to get her to cooperate and have her food. So to go out to a restaurant is rare, challenging, but enjoyable. And so to get to go to Old Spaghetti Factory for my favorite spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese was a real treat! Clearly my child is my clone, as she had the same thing and really only wanted to color and have ice cream. Meanwhile my mom had an adult beverage. Not fair! It was delicious, as always, but I was ready to be done and go crash. We checked into our hotel and before 9pm I was the only one in the room NOT snoring. But I did actually get to sleep, and was up way before my alarm... thank you to pre-race nightmares of missing my start time!

The 5K was already going on, with 8,000 runners, which made for a couple games of Frogger to get to my friends and start line. But it was pretty easy to find each other, which is impressive because this race is enormous... 25,000 runners type of enormous! Before we could get in the corral, we naturally had to do some photos (and good bye kisses with my baby).


Jenn and I were both doing the 15K, and for the first time ever we lined up together!! So awesome, and a great excuse to force her to get a start line selfie with me. Say Cheese!! *Those of you that watched my wedding on YouTube or in person, you'll remember Jenn as the rad bridesmaid that pulled money out of her bra while dancing down the isle. Yeah, baby!!



It seemed like we were hardly in the corral at all and it was time to start. I had my playlist ready to go - Britney was starting me off. She is great to run to, FYI! I told Jenn I'd do my best to stay with her as long as I could, and I think I've even joked about lasting a mile.... Well... We started running and I realized I forgot to have my yummy Clif chew blocks. And then I realized I had basically NO water yet that morning, and I didn't have my bottle with me. It was in the stroller! Uh oh.

But off we were, starting out on 9.3 difficult miles. Anyone that says this race isn't hard is flat out lying to you! Of course I was dying of thirst because I realized I hadn't had any yet. Dang it. I did get lucky in that the first water stop was about 1.2 miles in ... so I told Jenn to keep going, I was going to grab some and maybe I'd see her again, maybe I wouldn't. So look at that, I lasted with her for 1.2 miles. .2 more than predicted! Go me! I got extra lucky because they had mini Power Crunch bars at the water stations. I had meant to have mine with breakfast but also forgot those. So I was saved on both accounts, and never needed to grab the gels from my belt! Clearly I'm out of race practice if I'm forgetting all these things. Hey, I did remember to charge and wear my Garmin! And yes, I've been racing, but to me 10K and shorter are just kind of a fun-run and I don't really do the same prep work. So let's get to the race itself!

One word is needed to describe this course.  

HILLS.

Scared yet? Rightfully so! The incline begins in that first mile, and it only gets worse. If you look at the photo above I tried to show where I was heading and then immediately behind me, where I had come from. There was a part with kind of a switchback and as you climb that steepest part of the hill you can see the runners going up yet another one and realizing that's about to me you doing the same thing, whether you want to or not. I used my typical Shamrock strategy where I run until it gets a little too steep, then save my legs and quickly walk up the hill. I can pass runners with my walking pace, so I don't feel bad at all about giving my legs and mind a break. It keeps them going to the end. It has worked every time, so I keep sticking with it!

When we hit mile 4 we were nearing the peak of our hills, and at an elevation of 500 feet. We did have to keep going before we went down. At the very top is the sweet relieve of bagpipes! Oh how I love that sound, especially during this race. It always signals that you have finished the hardest part and the fun will begin when you go down, down, down...

My legs were loving it. I was pretty much hauling ass and having a total blast. It felt great to just relax and run! But it was around mile 6.5 that Meniere's Disease was having its way with me and trying to make me dizzy. I used a walk break to text my mom so I could distract myself. My brain was starting to check out and I was done. It felt like 6.5 to 8 was longer than the whole race itself. I mean we were heading the opposite way from the finish line at that point!! My mom replied to turn around and come back, which was a perfect thing to say because when I got it I had just done the final turn around and was on my way back. And so there I went. I kicked it into gear and run my ass off to the end! I saw my mom and baby as I was starting my finishing sprint. I was able to get in a wave and then fly through the finish line.  And I didn't even throw up!!! 


Afterward we got to enjoy the fact that for the first time it wasn't raining during this race! There was an Irish band playing near the beer garden, and some shopping to be done. I'm sure Jenn and I will always hang out together in our new matching sweatshirts?? As we were trying to find Julie's finish line for the 8K I heard someone excitedly say my name... it was Emily! We always bump into each other in different states and different races without even trying, and it happened yet again. Too cool!


Post-post race I went to the Adidas campus to do some shopping with the employee store discount pass I managed to snag at the expo. I LOVE being able to buy my favorite running shoes 50% off!!

Overall I think I probably hated it the least this year. I never did say I won't do again this time, so that's a first! This certainly wasn't my fasted time, but also not my slowest. But I don't care. I did it. I had fun!



Thursday, March 15, 2018

Shamrock Training: Week 10

This is it! The LAST week of prep for the Shamrock 15K is officially done!

Since this is the taper week it was nice and easy... for the most part anyway. The first run was just three miles. No problem, or so I thought. I started this run at my mom's house and it was dry. How many run photos have you seen me in wearing a hat? A ton! Because I like a hat when it rains. This time it was appearing to be dry and I knew I wouldn't be gone long, so I left with the freedom of no hat on. I guess I'm always learning...

The first mile was awesome! And it was half way through that mile that it started raining. Fine. No big deal. During the second mile it started coming down more and more, and my glasses were in need of windshield wipers. I had no idea that all of this was going to trigger a Meniere's attack. I've had Meniere's Disease since 2003. I've been running since 2009. And yet I'm still learning new things with how these two things merge together. I was just finishing the second mile and my legs went mushy. I couldn't see. I was struggling hard. I should note that not being able to see wasn't because of the wet glasses, it was because the vertigo came so fast and hard that I just couldn't actually see straight. In the photo below I tried to show how things look to me, versus how they are in reality. 

It was during that final mile that I realized I could call my step-dad and have him come get me. But I also told myself if this happens during the race (which it has before) I can't call anyone for help. So I cancelled that idea. I had to laugh when a ways down the road I saw my step-dad driving toward me.... to see if I wanted a ride! Did I take it? Nope! I was determined to finish, and I did!


As I sit here writing this I am still not completely back to my "normal" since that run. My "normal" IS dizzy, by the way. But even with the extra dizzy status I was determined to finish out my training plan with today's run. Happily this was just a 2 miler. Out and back, also at my mom's house. And this time it was raining from the start, so I tossed on a hat and went for it. That one simple thing kept my glasses dry and I didn't have to deal with any vertigo beyond my norm. This was what felt like a simple fun run. No stress, just something to let me keep my legs moving and get me thinking about the race!


And what are my thoughts on the race? I'm cautiously optimistic. I haven't followed a training plan in so long, and I've been loving it, feeling more and more confident with each week. I'm also cautiously scared. Oregonians familiar with Portland know Terwilliger and OHSU. We freaking run up that insane, curvy hill to the top and back down. I'm also kind of excited to be near OHSU again since that is where we created my adorable little baby. I'm super excited to get to run with my friend for the first time. I just hope I can keep up! The expo looks like it is getting bigger every year, so I'm looking forward to checking that out on Saturday. Weather wise, I'm curious to see what we get. The first year I ran it I was at the top of the hill, using my hat to block the rain, sleet and snow that was coming sideways at me and stinging when it hit my skin. That's pretty much normal. If it doesn't rain I'm gonna be shocked!

So that's it! Training is over... but next week I will start half marathon training, which will have me running 4 days a week instead of 3. This was kind of the practice training. Next time we meet on this blog I'll be sharing all the good, bad and ugly of the race... but let's try to keep it more good and pretty, less bad and ugly!

Race countdown: 2 days 17 hours 26 minutes


Saturday, March 10, 2018

Shamrock Training: Week 9

Wow! Oh what a week this was! Odds are you have seen hints of the first run on Facebook and/or Instagram. It was certainly a memorable one. So let's get to it!


It all happened on a whim I suppose. I enjoyed last week's long run where I didn't have a set route, so for this 5 miler I thought I'd stick with that plan. I had taken some clothes and a high chair to turn in for trade at a store, and one of our parks is just beyond that parking lot. So why not start at the park and save myself some driving? Besides, I had to go pick up my baby after the run, so I figured the faster I just get to running, the faster I can save my mom from a busy little girl. And so I parked my car, did some stretching and began my run. At the very beginning a man was kind of lingering with his dog, and I almost aborted this plan and went the other way. But then he sat at a bench and I convinced myself I could continue on this path I never run. I wasn't even .3 miles in when I thought it looked like the setting of a scary serial killer movie. But this is the Pacific Northwest. We ARE the setting of real life serial killers. Was I making the best move here? I, of course, pulled off the path to snap a quick photo of the river and how creepy it looked. My friend totally saw what I saw when taking it -- this looks like where they fished Frederica Bimmel's body out of the river in Silence of the Lambs. I continue on my way and realize I'm running right by creepy train tracks ... um, is Buffalo Bill's house going to appear next?? Am I IN my favorite movie? I'm not a size 14, so maybe I'm safe? (If you don't understand these references that get busy and watch that movie. It is the BEST!) I was on edge. People that live here know that this area is a major setting for many police reports. Why did I choose this?? Why? Because I was guessing how long this would be distance wise, and sort of plotting out where all I could go in the allotted distance I had to run that day. Ugh. So I continue on, trying to calm my nerves but then it got even more unnerving. It wasn't as creepy feeling, but it started to feel more like I didn't belong. I came upon a group of 12 people hanging out in an open grass area, apparently living there. And here I am, this solo female... so they all had to pause what they were doing to watch me run. My legs instinctively started going even faster. I kept coming up individuals that didn't look to nice. I could see our Public Safety Center in the distance and I kept it in my eye-sight and made sure I would always have enough energy to get there ASAP if needed. Heck, I have plans for if I do get attacked but I don't really want to have to put those plans in motion! When I finally get I was back to safety I paused at my old high school to get my head straight and catch my breath. One of my favorite people was busy at work in the police station and I knew he'd have an answer for me, so I sent my question: I just ran through Gaddis Park toward downtown. How close was I to being a mission person and then found dead along the river? The answer I got back did confirm my suspicions... You were close. Please don't repeat that mistake and run in that section again. Later that night I would tell another person what I did and got a similar reply to NOT do that again, that it is definitely not safe for a woman to run alone. Happily I avoided becoming a woman in a well being forced to run lotion on my skin - or else I'd get the hose again. 

The rest of the run was downright uneventful, and I am happy about that. Performance wise - it was a great run! I've decided that being scared for your own safety causes me to run even better! My run finished only a few steps away from my car, which was perfect because I wanted the heck out of that park. I didn't dilly dally at all!! I took my post-run photo and got out of there!

The rest of this will be boring compared to that long entry!

Run #2 was one of nostalgia. I parked across the street from the house I grew up in and lived in until just a few years ago. I thought it would be nice to do one of my old runs from back in the day. My first fun place to see was my old grade school. It looks the same, yet a little different. I turned and went down Grandpa's street and paused for this run's photo - which is under "Ronda's Tree When She Was Three." I hope the new owner of my tree takes good care of it! Another nice thing about this run was that I encountered 5 other runners. I haven't been seeing any other people during my runs, so it was just a pleasant change. Happily this was another run where I finished with a huge smile on my face. It is like I am back in my groove, hip-hip-hooray!



And finally, here we are, the long run! Last Saturday's run was so great that I carried the high from it all the way until this run... so I thought to sort of repeat my plan, which was NO PLAN!! I started again across the street from my old house, repeating the warm up run by the school and Grandpa's house. From there I was just going! I had my first weird realization during the first mile. Earbuds. They are so small and if you don't have them in your ear you hear nothing. But put them in and it's like this crazy sound happening right in the center of your head. How do they send the sound right to the middle?? Why am I fascinated at this thought for an entire mile? I ended up heading to the park and then dipping under the freeway, heading to my old high school. Those of you not from here, that upper right photo in the collage is the creepy-ish path under the freeway. I should feel unsafe there, but I don't - but I DO make sure I run fast, so maybe I do feel a sense of unease sometimes in there. Anyway, I couldn't go through RHS without saying Hello to OUR Main building. I believe it is named something else now, but it will always be the Main building to me! From there I ran out to our fairgrounds where a custom classic car show was going on. I didn't go into the show but I saw the cars on their way in, so that was good enough for me! And then I pulled a Forrest Gump and decided I'd turn around and run back home. It was on the way back I had my out of body experience. I then realized I was not telling my legs to run. They were just doing it. It's like my body was just doing all of this stuff on autopilot and I was along for the ride listening to some good music. It was so odd. The whole way home I kept having these moments where I was fascinated at the face that I was just going without telling myself to do it. Maybe you had to be there...

This week was an absolute success!! And now that it is done, the hard work is over. Next week is the taper week, and on Sunday I will be racing up and down crazy hills. Will it be rainy like usual? Will I encounter snow like I have in prior years? Will we have sun? Will Jenn and I run fast on the search for men in kilts?? Stay tuned to find out!

Countdown to Race Day: 7 days 11 hours 26 minutes



Saturday, March 3, 2018

Shamrock Training: Week 8

Who ran some great runs this week?? That would be ME!!

Last week I was running in snow, so when my first run happened and I didn't even wear a hat I was pretty darn happy! I pretty much just wear a hat to keep rain off my face, not for fashion or any other purpose. So I wanted a break from that - and I had it one time. This first run wasn't so bad. I did a couple out and backs from my house, but this time mixed up the distances so it was just a 50/50 split. I had to do something to keep it slightly interesting? At this point I could run these routes without even thinking. I've done this road too much! But it was a nice, sunny and dry run. As usual, the first mile was nice, the second was hard, and then the miles after that just got easier as I was finally in my zone. It is almost always this way on any run!

For the second run of the week I did it at my mom's house... in the rain. The whole time. The rain, rain, rain came down, down, down.... This was the mid-week easy run of just 3 miles, so really the rain wasn't awful since it was short. However, as usual, nice first mile, hard second, easy third. I have no idea why I am this way, but at least this means that when I do have the long runs I know they do get easier as I go! Nothing to report on this one really. I can report it was nice to finish a run and have a view of the river and baby swings!


And then came the long run! After this I pretty much feel like the greatest runner in the history of the world! Is that factual? Well, obviously no, but I did feel damn awesome!  I parked at an elementary school that I often will use as my base point, but this time I didn't have a stroller. It was just me and my music! I began this run as I always do when I'm in this neighborhood, and immediately hit the hills. This time I made it well over half way up the ridiculously steep hill before I walked the rest. No shame in my game, I totally let myself have a walk break if I feel like it. Why not? After I finished that monster hill I was floating down the next street and then realizing I have NO set plan of where to go next, and I loved it! I had seven miles to play around with. I ended up leaving the neighborhood and hitting our local park area. Some even seemed to have been going on, and groups of people were clustered, walking on the path. It was one of those situations where a group of 4 could take up the space of 10 people. So I diverted around a few times, hitting areas I haven't covered in years!

Wait, a small town like this and it has been YEARS since I've been in some of these places? Yes. Three years ago today my dear Grandpa left me. My running came to a halt because of that and the addition of IVF. I would try to run but I would just cry and go back home. Once I was able to run again I had a stroller and my options had to be adjusted. So now it was all free territory. I ran thinking about Grandpa the entire time, and I guess that is how I ended up taking a very sharp right, going down the steep hill, under the freeway, and then heading to the cemetery. It was nice to have a mid-run visit with my grandparents, although I was frustrated I had nothing with me to clean up the messy mole hill that is causing dirt to take over their stone. I'll go fix that soon!

I was well over half way done by the time I finished that detour, so it was time to make my way back to the original neighborhood I started at. I actually got to run on a lot of sidewalk I have never once run on. It was awesome! And my legs felt weightless. I was in the zone and flying along. Seeing as it was one of the major roads in town and tons of traffic, well that probably helped me keep going and not even think of slowing down or walking. Thanks, traffic! In no time at all I was back and passing my car. That did suck, I fully admit. I had .3 left to go when I was seeing my car and running right on by. It's like the Eugene Half Marathon where you pass the finish line at mile 9 and have to continue to go another 4.1 miles until you cross it!

Anyway, that was a lot about a long run, but it was just the best run I have had in a long time. My body is so happy to be back up at those longer distances. My mind is happy too, and super excited for race day to finally get here!

Countdown to Race Day: 14 days, 12 hours, 33 minutes