Personalized BIB

Forgot to add this to the Canyonlands Half Marathon Post.  Personalized BIB's!  NICE. After I sent in my name of "Lori BS," I got to thinking of all the other things I could have said: Baby LD, Race Junkie, Slow but Steady, Girly Whirly, Runner Chick, Got GU?.....What would you have put on your bib?

It's just a feeling............

Fear is just a feeling.......and I'm going to get over it. (I heard this tonight, and it really sunk in.)

The last couple of weeks I have been doubting myself. I have been questioning if I am as fast as I think I am or if I can be as fast as I want to be. I am not sure why. Self-doubt and insecurity seem to find a way through my "cracks." Still working on the "self analysis."

In my thoughts, I have been trying to figure out just why I run. I run because it's fun. I run to build friendships. I run for a healthy body. I run because it makes me feel like I have accomplished something. I run to escape. I run for strength. Recently I have found out that I want to be competitive. I like racing and I enjoy pushing myself.  I want to be fast and to get faster. I want to do well. I want to better my times. I would love some age group placings and wins. (Wow, this got me thinking, I do have two age group ribbons!) 

Today I did a lot of talking to myself (in my head). I reminded myself of how far I have come...  in 2010 I was sitting on the couch thinking exercise was a FOUR letter word. My resting heart rate was too high. I couldn't run a mile. And somehow I reached deep within and found that I had the courage to try something new.  In August of 2011, I was gearing up for my first half-marathon. I thought about my recent races and the successes I have had. I told myself not to compare myself to other runners. (This is something I really struggle with, as I do compare myself with other runners.)   Maybe most importantly, I reminded myself that I run because I love it. I run because it's fun. I run because I am strong and committed and determined. I run because it makes me feel amazingly good, physically and emotionally.

I need to remember -

Patience. Trust in the training. Listen to my body, and train according to MY needs. There are many training programs out there, and I need to stick with what works for me, not my neighbor.  Have faith in the process. Believe in myself. Don't be afraid of big goals. I am putting the work in, and I have to believe in myself. I have to find satisfaction in achieving my best, whatever that is. And according to my daughter's swim coach, I need to have fun. 

Courage. Faith. Strength. Determination.

I am on my own running journey. I don't know where it will take me, but I am going to enjoy the journey.

Now I just need to believe in the words that I type.

Canyonlands Half Marathon

March 17th.

Canyonlands Half Marathon in Moab. What a perfect day it turned out to be.......well, almost perfect. The sun was shining, the clouds were smiling, and the wind......well, the wind....it was like, Fūjin was toying with the canyon! (Japanese Wind God)

We pasta loaded at the Moab Brewery the night before, then tried to get a good nights sleep.  This would be challenging, as we were Super 8'n it, and the beds...lets just say were not so restful. I don't think I realy got any sleep, I did manage rest my body, but my mind was way too active.

Let me take you back a week before this half marathon, (March 7 - 11).  I was in Federal Way, Washington, with my oldest daughter for Speedo Sectionals Swimming. I was hoping for a 9 mile run out there, but this did not happen. Only a 3-ish mile was in the cards.  Then on Monday the 12th, I had the day off and was hoping for that 9 mile run, only to end up  praying to the porcelain Gods!  I'm thinking it was the lettuce from the sandwich I got at the Seattle Airport.  It hit me so fast and hard, my head was actually spinning. I was sick Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.    Then on Thursday, my youngest daughter was swimming at BYU for State JO's!  So I HAD to get better! 

We headed to BYU, stopping at Maddox for lunch. When I went to start my car it was deader than a door nail!  AAUUGGH! Called hubby, he called me a tow truck......one hour later, we are on our way to Provo in my father-in-law's car.

Jacque's swims were AWESOME! So fun to watch. Friday, I stayed with Jacque until about 3:30, then her dad got there, so I headed to Moab to meet my running peeps, Mindy, JoAnna, and Rose. This brings us to pasta loading at the Brewery.  After packet pickup, we headed to find something to eat. Moab was super busy.  All restaurants were packed. At  Pasta Jays, too many  people were waiting outside, and the other restaurant we pulled into was closed. We pulled up to the Moab Brewery and I jumped out to get our name on a waiting list, and to see just how long the wait was going to be.  The wait...20 minutes or so. I told her that we would sit either in the dining room, or the bar, and to my surprise, she said if there was an open table in the bar to take it because there was no waiting.  So I went in, and grabbed us a table.  Was so glad, as we were all hungry and tired.  The only difference from the bar and the dinning area..... the bar had live music, and we sat at taller tables.  Other than that, not much.

Mindy, Me, Brenda

Saturday morning we headed to Swanny Park to load the buses.  We arrived about 7:30 am.  We were transported to the starting line via school buses. At the area where we were dropped off, there was hot chocolate, coffee, water, and gatorade available.  I went to stand in line for the bathroom, and one of my running friends, Brenda, found me. I haven't seen her since I met her at the Halloween Half in October 2011!  I was amazed that she even found me in a crowd of 3-4000 people.







Rose, JoAnna, Mindy, &  Me near
the starting area.

As I said, the weather was so nice, except for the wind!  Man, it was like Fūjin did not want anyone to get to the finish line!  My plan was to run for 4 minutes and walk 1 minute.  Once I crossed the start line I didn't really follow through with my plan.  I did the run/walk schedule a few times, but just kind of winged it.  Which may or may not have been a good thing.  At mile 5 I saw one lady sitting w/the EMT's and her shoe was off. Blister control.  Then this other gal ran over to them, and they immediately put a towel and a blanket around her.  She sat down.  A few minutes later, the EMT truck came down the hill. I wonder what was wrong with her?  I saw another lady running with an EXTREME limp.  I heard someone ask her what was going on, and she said plantar faciatis.  Wow, I thought!  I guess we all have something going on.

The volunteers were great. At one of the volunteer spots, this guy had jimmy-rigged his electric key board and was playing the piano for us.  The reps from Cliff were at mile 6 with cliff shots for whoever wanted them.  Around mile 7 there were these college guys who had set up a table with Hostess powdered donuts, ding-dongs, twinkies, ho-hos, and beer! Beer??? Really?? They were a riot!  But what was really interesting is that some people were actually taking cans of beer?!  Evidence of the empty beer cans that were being tossed to the side of the road.  I wonder what the reasoning is for this.  Carbs? Calming nerves?  mmmm, I'll have to check into that one. Just curious. 



Around mile 9-ish I could hear the beat of drums.  I had heard that the Taiko Japenese Drummers would be somewhere along the route.  Last time I heard one of these drums was in Las Vegas at a Cirque de Soli show.  I remember feeling the vibrations in my body at the performance.  Did not feel the vibrations while running, but it was really neat to hear these drums in the canyon. There were 8 trucks parked behind these men and women. 1 drum per vehicle!  Perfect setting for a drum show! The really big drum is behind these guys, with the red dot on it.




Oh, this is a good one. I have been fortunate to never have had to stop at a porta potty.  But Canyonlands... I had to use the bathroom during this race.  The week before I had been so dehydrated that I had been drinking fluids up the ying yang to try to get my body ready for this run. Anyway, I passed a few porta potties along the route, but there was always a line at them.  So at one little campground just off the road, I saw a guy run over to the bathroom, so I followed. As I got closer, I hear him say,  "I'm in here." That's weird I thought. Why is he telling me that. Anyway, I say, "Ya, I saw you run in." When he came out and I went in......there was NO door!  Yes, you heard me. NO DOOR! Just a 3 sided, wooden fence, around a toilet!  So that was a first!  Anticipating someone litterally running in on me.  But St. Patrick's luck was with me, as no one came in.  Mmmm, maybe I can pee as fast as Doyle Webb!!  haa haa (inside joke)
My official time was not what I wanted.  I was hoping for 2.20.  came in at 2.26.50.  I am not really ok with that time. But I guess I have to be.  Pretty disappointed in my effort.  Going over the race in my head and realizing that I could have pushed it a little more at this mile, or at that mile.  I knew that I had not trained like I wanted to for this race, and I'm sure that ralphing Monday didn't help matters.  No PR's for any of us, but I had a blast with these ladies!  Thanks my running peeps for making a crappy run a good thang. 



We did it!

Epiphany

Things I learned today:
When I am physically able to run, I procrastinate, and sometimes just don't do it.
Running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute is nothing to be ashamed of.
Semi trucks pulling 2 trailers going the opposite my direction are very WINDY.
Being sick SUCKS.
... ... No, I am NOT PREGNANT! Hardy har har! Someone from work thought I was, because 2 or  3 years ago when she was 40 something, and super sick, she had a SURPRISE!! 
CWX Compression tights are a GOOD thing.
6 miles without throwing up is a good day.
It's frustrating when you need to be in two places at one time! Thursday, Friday, and Saturday my daughter has a State Swim Meet.  Still working on the logistics on that one.

But the biggy thing that came into my brain today is this.......Yes, I CAN finish a Half Marathon on Saturday! May not be the time I want, but we all have our Goliath's to conquer. Being so ill these past couple of days has made me angry, yet grateful for the health that I have been blessed with.  Canyonland's Half  will be my Goliath this week.

And I WILL CONQUER IT!

Federal Way

Today I ran on this little trail/path that is behind the Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center.  The weather was great for running. Probably about 48-ish degrees, sunny, and just a few rain sprinkles here and there.  I only had a window of 30 minutes before Ashlee's first event, so I figured I would go 11 minutes out and then turn around and head back.

This was a funny sign! As if I would be going over 20 mph!  HA HA!

I met a new friend on the trail! He was actually ON the trail, to the right, and startled me! Then he scampered across the path and up the tree.

This was a fun little dirt trail, got really steep going downhill.  Wish I would have had more time to continue on this path.  I welcomed the smells along this route. Fresh. Green. That distinctive smell of the air after it rains. MMM. If I could only bottle this scent and take it home with me!

Speedo Sectionals

In Federal Way, Washington, with the BESTEST SWIMMER EVER!!  (my daughter, of course!)

Was inspirational to see this gal swim!

Got the running BLUES

Got off work today, and it was so SUNNY!  What a wonderful day to get out and move.  Sadly, indoor tasks trumped outdoor fun.

When I checked the mail, my heart did a little "jump."

Do you think that Runner's World knew that my running was "in the dumps?"  I love reading Runner's World.

Yes, I'm in it for the Long Run.

Good Deed gone BAD

Saturday morning I was just not feeling "it." Wanted to stay home. Be lazy. Decided I had better get out and get some mileage in, as Canyonlands Half Marathon was sneaking up on me faster than I anticipated. (March 17th) It has been really hard training for this half.  I have narrowed it down to a few things.

1. The weather....do not like running in the cold; it was too dark for early morning runs, and got dark too soon for evening runs.
2. The Race RX  Cardio training program.  I got so focused on getting my heart rate up to zone 4 (177 bpm) that I lost sight of why I decided to run in the first place. Don't get me wrong, the Cardio is an awesome program. I can definitely see my endurance has improved. I just became to anal about the heart rate thing.
3. Mind GAMES. Yes, my mind has really been playing a tricks on my running.  Telling me that I am not strong enough, that's too far of a distance, you are slow, your form is not correct, you are not going long enough, drink more water, your eating WHAT??, etc.....

These are even brighter in person!

So with all this going on, I DID put on my running gear and headed out the door to meet with the Runners North Running Club. Wore my new shoes today! We met at the store at 9:00 am.  There were two groups that would be running today. Six miles with Don. Four miles with JoAnna.  I chose the 6 mile route.  The 6 mile people took off running immediately. I decided to walk for 5 minutes with JoAnna's group to get warmed up.  I also chose to run 4 minutes and walk 1 minute. I knew I was the caboose of the pack, and I was OK with that. Just doing my own thing, thinking my own thoughts. To my surprise, I caught up with the group, and even passed 2 people.  When I caught Lisa, I chose to run with her, so my 4/1 ratio did not go as planned for the last 4 miles.

After running with this group, I headed over to Lisa and Chris's  house to run with our Northern Exposure Running Group.  Lisa had made these really yummy protein ball treats! You would never know that they were healthy. She also made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, bananas, little cuties, and chocolate milk.  She had put alot of effort into being the hostess of this group run, but sadly only Jill and I showed up.

I felt kind of bad that most of our group was a no show.   

After our run, Lisa  gave Jill and I the cutest blinking heart bracelets as our "award."  We ran 3 miles. I did the 4/1 ratio for these 3 miles.

Jill brought her dog, Daisy. Daisy is so CUTE!!!  I just wanted to squeeze her!  She is a basset hound.  Funny story... Daisy and her other dog had somehow managed to open their freezer and helped themselves to some raw frozen chicken.  About 5 POUNDS! Daisy was not smelling like a daisy, but the complete opposite!

 Jennilynn came at noon and ran with Chris.  They did a 6 miler.

So after my 9 miles, I came home and decided that I needed to clear the snow from the shop driveway. My good deed went bad. I ran over an extension cord, and it got tangled up in the snow blower. AARRGGH. I used the safety stick to get this untangled. OK, regroup. Started it right back up again, everything looked OK, went to engage the snow blower turny part and it dies! What the CRAP? I look at the snow blower, and the center bar is not where it should be. I tried using the safety stick to shove it back in the hole with no luck. I put the snow blower back in the shop. My only other choice, pure Lori power! No need for Race RX Strength training today.

Between the 9 miles and 1 hour plus of snow shoveling I was exhausted, and my legs hurt. I had a swimming banquet that started at 5. I look at the time, and it is 4:00! I had been shoveling for about 1 hour 40 minutes. Yes, we have a stinking long driveway.  After getting cleaned up, I opted to wear my purple compression socks. GOOD CHOICE. My legs felt better by about 8:00.

Still feeling discouraged about my running. When I got home from the dinner, looked at my GARMIN and did some calculating. 6  miles this morning at 1.03; 3 miles at 33 min. So if this would have been a continuous run, it probably would have been something like 9 miles in 1 hour 36-38 minutes. Feeling that I will be OK for Canyonlands. May not be my best time, but I will finish within a time frame that I can be OK with.

Got Sidetracked

Wow. What a snow storm we had yesterday!!  Wondered if the roads would be clear enough to run on today. Yes, they were. The sun was shining when I got home from work, but staring me in the face was my weakness, apple pie. I pushed it aside and got my running clothes on and headed to Providence. Nibley just didn't sound fun today, too flat.

This is what it looked like when I started my run.

This is what it looked like when I finished!

I ran inclines and declines today, just mixing it up when I felt like it. No route planned. Just kind of went with the flow. Ran about 4 miles today.

My Cryptonite!

Could my little dog sleep through one night? Just one is all I ask. Little Chloe woke me up at 12:15 to go do "a bark at the park." Yes, when I open the door to let her out, she starts wagging her tail and running towards the park, barking, mind you.  I am sure that my neighbors loved that midnight wake up call.

As for me, I am waiting in the kitchen by the heater, and I see it. The last piece of apple pie.  Needless to say, this was literally my midnight snack!

Oh, and just so you know. I cut the pie into eighths, and I am afraid or happy to say that I ate 7/8 of the pie!!!  Not all in one night, but over the course of a few days.  It's my weakness. My CRYPTONITE!  What's your weakness?

Tandem Bikes?

When we were in Zions last week, I saw a couple on one of those Tandem Bicycles. I said to Jim, "Is that going to be us in a few years?" His comment was, "NO! I hate those. Whenever I see a couple on those bikes I feel sorry for the  poor women who has to pedal in the back. She always has to go wherever he goes. She only gets to see the back of his head. It's like she is a second class citizen.  If she wants to go right, she can't. If she wants to go left, she can't. The wife should be able to go where she wants!  If we are going to ride bikes we are each going to have our OWN bike!"

WOW.  Interesting perspective!  It was kind of funny listening to him ramble on and use hand gestures while talking about this couple on their bike.  I had never even thought of it that way. When I see couples on these bikes,  I always think, "What a fun couple thing to do." Guess I was wrong about that one.  Nice to know that my husband will let me do what I want!