Some random ramblings...and a fun little survey

I haven't always been a runner.  I ran cross country in high school and to be honest, I didn't love running back then.  I ran a handful of times after that, very sporadically, but I still didn't develop a love for it.

Then I became a mom.  After having kids, I started running again.  This time I was hooked. Now it was something in my life that I craved.  It was something that I needed.  I think I put so much into being a mom and a wife that I needed something for myself also.  Running became my outlet.  I didn't feel like myself unless I got my daily run in.

I'll be the first to tell you I'm a busy person.  I work full time (except in the summers - yay for teachers!) and part time, I am a graduate student, I have four kids and a husband, plus a handful of pets (they don't really keep me that busy, but I love them and wanted to give them a shoutout), and I'm training for another marathon.  People ask me quite often how I have time to train for marathons. My answer is simple.  I have four kids.  The longer I run, the longer I have peace and quiet!

(See?  Walter is cute...she totally deserved that shoutout)

The truth is, my run is my 'me' time.  It's my time to be alone and think.  Or not think.  Or to turn up the music and get lost in it.  Or to listen to a great podcast and learn something.  Or to run with a great friend and catch up and chat.  It's my time to make me feel good about myself.  It's my time to make my body strong.  It's my time that boosts my confidence.  It's my time to work toward a goal.  It's my time to prove to myself what I'm made of.  I know that all sounds so cheesy and cliche, but it's so true.  With such a busy life, running is what keeps me grounded.  Even on rest days, although I know my body needs some days off, I feel like something is missing.  I feel like I'm missing an important part of my day.

Running is also something that connects me to people.  About a year ago, I was running on a local trail when I was approached by another person running the same trail.  She asked me a simple question - "does this trail make a loop?"  We got to chatting, and after finding out she was an avid runner (she had just run Boston the previous spring), she became my running buddy.  We are now training for the Portland Marathon together and I am so grateful to have found such a great friend through running.

My dad is also an avid runner (I'll have to do a whole post on him soon, he's pretty amazing).  He ran my first half marathon with me.  We have run a handful of races together since then and I always look forward to the chance to run with him.  No weekend is complete without us calling each other to chat about our latest running endeavors and compare mileage.  I love that we have something like this that we can share.  It brings us together (plus I don't have to run alone when I go 'home' for a visit!).

(no judgment please - nobody looks good after getting up at 4:30 am)

There are so many great reasons to run...this is just the tip of the iceberg for me.  What are some of the reasons you love to get out and run?

And now it's survey time!

And also...this has been in the works for a few days but I finally just now got around to finishing it.  I found this very important survey over at Hungry Runner Girl (although Nat Runs Far and Fit Wanderlust Runner also posted it so check them out too, they are all awesome running blogs).

1.  Would you rather run along a beach path or on a mountain trail?  Mountain trail any day.  I miss my days of running along the beaches in Georgia, but the mountains will always be home.

2.  If you could choose the flavor of gatorade at your next race’s aid stations, what would it be?  I would choose something other than Gatorade.  I use acclimate here at home training in high altitude and I love their grape flavor.  Buuuuuut if I had to choose, it would probably be green.  Yes I realize that's a color, not a flavor.

3.  If I gave you a $100 gift card to a running store, what would be the first thing that you would purchase with it?  Things I want but can never justify spending money on.  Like another running jacket.  I love my running jackets.

4.  Do you prefer to follow a training plan or wake up and decide then how far and how fast you want to run?  A plan for sure.  After my last marathon I had a few weeks before starting my next training plan and I felt so lost without that little piece of paper telling me how far to run.

5.  Would you rather start your run with the uphill and end on the downhill or start your run with the downhill and end with the uphill?  Start uphill and end downhill.  

6.  When you can’t run, what type of cross-training do you choose to do?  Hiking.  I think that counts.  Maybe if it's hiking up a mountain with a kid on my back.

7.  What is your preference—>  Out and back, point to point or loop runs?  Probably loops.  They are more scenic but I don't have to worry about getting dropped off at the beginning or picked up at the end.

8.  If you could recommend ANY running related item to a new runner, it would be a—> good pair of shoes!

9.  Do you ever see any wild animals while out on your runs?  Yep!  One day last spring on the trail I saw NINE (!) foxes!  I've also seen bald eagles, marmots, elk, deer (tons), and dolphins (obviously not while I was living in CO).  I have yet to see a bear or mountain lion and I'm grateful for that.

10.  Ever gotten lost while out on a run?  Last November my dad and I ran a 5 mile long 5K during the Turkey Trot because we lost the trail.  We earned that extra slice of pie.  Or two.

11.  If you could have one meal waiting and ready for you each time you got home from a run for the next 30 days… what would that meal be?  A big fat breakfast burrito.

12.  Capris or shorts… what do you run in most often?  Pants!  I love running in shorts but our shorts season is so short here.  I used the word short a lot in that sentence.  But from September-May it's pants almost daily!

13.  At what mile (or how many minutes) into your run does your body start to feel like it is warming up and ready to go?  A little over a mile in.

14.  What do you do with your key when you run?  I leave it at home in my purse where it belongs.

15.  If you could relive any race that you have done in the past, which one what it be?  Either the Colfax Marathon last May or my very first half marathon (The New Mexico Half Marathon) which I ran with my dad.  It was awesome sharing that experience with him.

16.  What type of run is your least favorite type of run?  Tempo runs for sure.  Long run days are my favorite!

17.  What has been your biggest motivation lately to get out the door to get your run on?  Knowing I need to take one minute and four seconds off my last marathon time (preferably more) to qualify for Boston.

18.  When you go for a run, do you leave right from your front door or do you drive somewhere to start?  From my front door.  My town is 3 square miles so if I drove anywhere I would be in the middle of nowhere!

19.  When running in daylight—>  are sunglasses a must or an annoyance?  A must.

20.  When you get tired, what keeps you from quitting?  It's quicker to run home than to walk home...so running home will get it over with quicker!

I'd love to see your answers to this!!  

Running mom...through the eyes of a child

I found this survey over at Shut Up and Run and thought it might be fun to snag and try out.  I asked Jude, my 9 year old, these questions.  I put my input in parentheses after.  I spend so much time thinking about running and other than worrying about it taking time away from the kids, I haven't given much thought to their perspective on it.  This was fun!

(This is Jude.  And his personality)

1. What does your mom eat before a run?  Eggs? (Nope, never.  I eat them after but can't stand burping up eggs when I run!)

2. How far does your mom run every day? 8 miles (good guess!  Not quite every day, but close)

3. What was your mom's favorite race? Colfax (Bingo)

4. Why do you think your mom runs? Because it's active and she likes it.

5. What injuries has your mom had from running? Blood blisters.

6.  Do you like going to your mom's races? Yes.

7. Does having a mom who runs make you want to run? Yes because it seems fun.

8. What have you learned from having a mom who runs? That you can do lots of stuff that you're good at.  And that girls can run marathons. (This one cracked me up)

9. What is your least favorite thing about having a mom who runs? She smells bad. (I'm going to pretend he means this as after I run and not in general)

10.  Do you think you'll run when you're mom's age? Yep.

This was fun.  I hope that through running I can set some good examples for my kids - that a healthy active lifestyle is a good one to have, that you can achieve anything you put your mind to, and that it's good to have a hobby you enjoy.  Aw, sappy moment.

Gothic to Crested Butte 1/3 Marathon

One of the Independence Day traditions here is the Gothic to Crested Butte 1/3 Marathon (a little over 8 and a half miles).  As the name implies, it begins in the town of Gothic, home of the Rocky Mountian Biological Lab, and ends in downtown Crested Butte.  This was my first time running it (yay, automatic PR!) and I was thrilled to share the experience wit Melanie.

Gothic is stunning right now with the wildflowers.  The photographer in me wanted to stop and take pictures all along the way, but I didn't want to be that runner so I just settled for this picture near the start (and away from the wildflowers) instead.

The race begins at around 9,400 feet elevation before climbing to about 9,650 feet.  These hills in the first few miles were definitely hard.  Add in the fact that I have a cold, and it was downright brutal.  This part of the race was on a dirt road lined with aspens and had the most spectacular mountain views, which helped a lot.  I still managed to keep a good pace that I was happy with. 

Fortunately, the course then winds down through Mt. Crested Butte into town and ends just below 9,000 feet.  It was a nice downhill course, but definitely a steep (read: not easy) downhill.  It was strange running downhill for so long, but it made the flat last mile and a half or so seem much harder than they would have ordinarily.  I loved the view of town as we came in, and of course the mountain backdrop.  With scenery like this, the race passed by very quickly and it was very enjoyable.

I ended up finishing in 1:08:36, which was a 7:52 pace (yay!!).  Melanie and I ended up getting separated at one point, and she finished only about a minute behind me, which was awesome.  Also my time was good enough to be the 16th female overall (I'm not sure how many there were, but usually around 500 people do this race) and the 2nd in my age group.  I was thrilled with that!

This is most definitely a race I would like to do in the future...although next time I'll be better prepared for all the hills - both up and down!

Happy 4th of July!!

Colfax Marathon recap

Back in May I ran my first marathon since before Kelsy and Asher were born, the Colfax Marathon in Denver.  It had been five years and I was definitely nervous about the whole thing, but very excited.

The expo was held at the Wings over the Rockies museum so on Friday, I headed over to pick up my bib and goodies.  

The race was held on Sunday and had a super early 6 am start, so after getting up at 4:00 to eat, I caught my cab at 4:45 and headed to the start.

The race started just as the sun was coming up.  The start was very well organized with the race announcer counting down the start for each individual corral.  My corral was definitely crowded, but not horribly so.  Once we crossed the start like (yay!) it thinned out rather quickly.  The race starts in City Park and the first mile winds around the path within the park before heading out toward downtown.  

My favorite part of the race was right at the beginning after passing through the fire station (which I was a little disappointed with - I was promised firemen cheering the runners on but there were about two firemen calmly waving instead). We headed down to the path that runs along Cherry Creek.  I loved this part of the run - the energy was great as other runners whooped and hollered to make their voices echo off the retaining walls, and of course the river is pretty.  

Next up was running past Elitch Gardens toward the stadium.  We got to run around the dirt perimeter of Sports Authority Field which was a really fun experience.  There is a short hill coming out of the stadium
which leads you to the first relay exchange point.  This was very well marked and the race organizers did a great job of keeping the relay zone to a spot where it wouldn't interfere with those not stopping.

We headed into Colfax for a bit which was a slight uphill, but not so much that I really felt it. We headed around Sloan's lake when the sun really came out and it started getting a bit hot.  

After we went around the lake, we headed up Colfax a little further and then through some neighborhoods in Lakewood.  The Lakewood area was a pretty part of the course and there were a lot of residents who came out to support the runners.  

After that, we headed back on Colfax for the four mile trek back to the stadium.  I thought this part would bore the heck out of me, but remember that uphill on Colfax that I didn't really feel?  Well, I definitely felt the downhill in the way back and it was magnificent!  We went back through the stadium, along Cherry Creek, and into downtown.  

I had race reviews that had mentioned the big hill at mile 23.  I knew to expect a hill after turning a left corner so I was mentally prepared.  I thought.  I turned up the corner, saw the hill, decided to kick its ass, and headed up it.  It really wasn't that bad at all.  It was a decent hill, but I suppose after 23 miles, any hill feels pretty significant.  I was feeling pretty good about myself when I turned another corner and saw it.  Ohhhhhh...thaaaat hill.  Crap.  That's the one they meant.  Ya, that's a big, steep hill.  It probably wasn't really that bad, but after I thought I had conquered the hill, and considering I was at mile 23, it felt like the hill of death.  It got a bit tougher after the hill, and that was my slowest mile at 8:51, but I got past it, picked my pace back a little, and still finished strong with my cute little family watching.

I finished in 3:41:04 (an 8:26 pace) which put me one minute and four seconds away from qualifying for Boston.  I wasn't even the slightest bit disappointed, though, because my goal was to finish in under four hours.  

The finish area was PACKED!  The half marathon, marathon, relay, and ten miler all finished together so it got crowded.  I got my medal, a banana which I was too tired to chew, and hobbled to find my family.  

Overall it was a great race.  They offered gu at miles 6 and 20 which seemed like strange intervals to me, so I carried my own which I took at miles 5, 13, and 18.  The aid atations were every two miles (and these went smoothly, contrary to some reviews I had read) so I alternated water and Gatorade Endurance.  I had trained with regular Gatorade (yuk!) but the Endurance turned out to be just fine.  There were plenty of portapotties at the start and even free coffee so I started the race happy.  I hear there was free beer after by I'm not one of those people who thinks beer sounds good immediately after running that far.  

The only thing I found to be a little odd was the variety of runners in the race.  There would be relay runners flying by me and then ten milers who started at our mile 16 and then ran the way in to the finish with us.  They didn't start much after we did, so I was flying by the ten mile runners who were still on the course.  It made it a bit difficult to maintain my pace because I felt discombobulated by all the different speeds around me.  It kept it interesting though!

As a little bonus for this year being the tenth anniversary of the race, we were told we would get one of our race photos for free.  After the race though, were surprised by being given all of our photos for free.  Way to go, Colfax Marathon.  That was an awesome surprise.  It was a great race, a great experience, and best of all, it was fabulous having my family there to support me.

My sun protection lecture

Disclaimer:  I'm not a doctor nor am I an expert on the subject.  I'm just sharing my own personal thoughts here.

Runners spend a lot of time outdoors.  That's a good thing - I like to think we get plenty of Vitamin D.  Plus, whose mood doesn't improve after some time in the sunshine?  Unfortunately, according to skincancer.org, marathoners also have a higher risk of developing melanoma.  

Melanoma - and cancer in general - is something that scares the bejesus out of me.  

Here in Colorado, the UV rays are very intense due to our high altitude and sunny skies.  I'm pretty sure that warrants us being even more particular about sun safety.  I spend several hours a week outside running, and even though I try to go early in the morning when the sun is low in the sky, I'm still exposing myself to those UV rays.  Don't get me wrong, some of that exposure is good and I want to get my daily dose of vitamin D, but I also want to be sure I'm taking care of myself and my skin.

When I run, I am sure to wear sunscreen wherever my skin is exposed, especially if my runs are close to midday.

I have been very happy with the Alba Botanicals sunscreens.  Their ingredient list is pretty good as far as sunscreens go, and they work well. 

I also wear a hat (or visor if it's really hot) most of the time when I run, even with sunscreen already on my face.  I figure the more protection, the better.  Plus it's an awesome hat. 

 

(This obviously isn't a running picture, but it shows off my rad swinging friar hat and my cute kids).

Many lines of athletic clothing also produce clothing that has built in SPF, like this shirt from asics that I love.  Plus it's yellow and yellow makes me happy.

Here are my tips for sun safety for runners:

- wear sunscreen, a hat, and clothing with UV protection

- avoid running at midday

- wear sunglasses (this isn't a melanoma thing as much as a squinting gives you more wrinkles thing)

- find places to run that offer shade

- run indoors (bleh - but the sun probably won't get you if you're on the treadmill!)

- if it's cool enough, consider wearing long sleeves or pants

- keep an eye on your skin - have it looked over annually by a dermatologist and check your own moles regularly. Particularly be on the lookout for any moles that change over time.

- keep in mind that good sun protection also prevents your body from producing as much Vitamin D so you'll either want to find a good balance or consider supplementing 

- if all else fails, enjoy getting a little Vitamin D and smile because it's a beautiful day out!

This morning Melanie and I beat the sun by heading out at 5:30. We had a beautiful sky to watch as the sun slowly crept up over the mountain.

June recap

I feel a little funny recapping a month that I didn't blog about at all, but if I'm going to document this journey, I should start at the beginning (at least the beginning of this training cycle).

On June 10 Melanie and I booked our flights and registered for the Portland Marathon.  And then the training began.  I ran the Colfax Marathon on May 17, so I took the end of May and beginning of June as recovery time.  Then I hit the road again.  

In June my mileage total was 132.34 (bringing my 2015 total to 808.98 miles) which I was pretty happy with.  After starting to build back up, my longest run was 12.11 miles.  I also did my first three (ever!) speed work sessions.  Those were super hard for me, but I felt amazing after I finished them.  When I trained for Colfax, I didn't do any specific speed work other than tempo runs, but I decided (with plenty of encouragement from Melanie) that if I am going to qualify for Boston, I better toughen up and do it. 

In June, Melanie and I also developed our training plan.  We are using a hybrid of running plans loosely bars on Hal Higson's intermediate I.  We are making one of the midweek long runs a tempo run and are replacing the other midweek long run with Hanson's speed work/strength workouts.  I think.  We are keeping the long runs mostly the same but are definitely making some adjustments (like this weekend I think we are supposed to run 12 miles but we are running a 1/3 marathon race instead - shorter run but harder effort).

My June highlights were:

- plenty of chances to run in the rain.

- running with Derek (the hubs) in Fort Collins.  I love checking out new neighborhoods and I love when he joins me for runs.

- surviving my first track workouts

- breaking in a new pair of running shoes. They are white and boring, but feel like clouds on my feet.

- the weather finally warming enough to run in shorts

- getting to go play in the Boulder Running Company store.  While we were there, Kelsy chose a Power Bar that she said she was going to save for when she runs her first marathon.

My four-legged running buddy

A friend asked me yesterday if I run with my dogs. The answer is yes!

I don't run with my St. Bernard because Saints don't have good endurance and it's not great for their joints and bones, both of which can be problematic for the breed.  Plus he outweighs me and that scares me quite a bit.

I do run with Axe, our Border Sammy (border collie/samoyed) though.  Border collies have a lot of energy and Samoyeds are sled dogs, so this combination makes for a great running partner.  I started running with Axe just before his first birthday and he has taken to it well.  

I try to keep a few things in mind when Axe joins me for a run to keep him safe.  We always try to run where there is water for him to drink.  We are lucky to have plenty of parks with water faucets nearby as well as the river and town irrigation ditches.  Our favorite place to run is a little trail just outside of town where he has plenty of spots to not only drink a bit of water, but also hop in a bit to cool down.

I also try not to take Axe too far.  He has great endurance, but I don't want to overdo it.  The longest run we have done together is 14 miles, though I try to keep him under 10, and even less than that in the summer when it's warmer.  He definitely prefers to run when it's cold and snowy out.  He doesn't join me for tempo runs or speed work (I tried that once and thought I was going to have to carry him home).  I think a nice, relaxing pace is better for him.  

Here are a few other tips I keep in mind when running with Axe:

- carry poop bags - and use them

- in the summer, go during the coolest part of the day so he doesn't overheat or burn his foot pads

- always use a leash

- if I won't be passing a park or the river, bring water

- let him recover before feeding him

- enjoy!  Axe loves this time together, and so do I 

Today Axe and I did a nice, easy run after yesterday's speed session.