I think I've mentioned in the past that if I run for a while my right foot hurts. I thought this was just a problem from over training with all the downhill running I did when I ran Robie Creek. Well it hasn't gone away and while it hasn't been horrible it's annoying.
I went into one of my favorite running stores yesterday while I was out running some errands. I explained the problem to one of the sales people and we had this conversation.
Me: "When I run my right foot hurts here at the base of my big toe. What am I doing wrong? Is it my shoe? Is it my stride? What do I need to do to fix this?"
Salesgirl: "Well with that bunion there when you do longer runs you're putting more pressure on it and it's going to hurt."
Me: "Wait a minute...WHAT BUNION?!?!"
Salesgirl: "See how your foot has this bone bump out on the side? That's a bunion."
Me: "Isn't that just how my foot is shaped?"
Salesgirl: "Nope. That's a bunion."
Me: "I thought only grandma's get bunions?"
Salesgirl: "Nope. You've got one too."
So as I stare at my foot with a confused look on my face as I try to wrap my brain around the remote possibility that this could actually BE a bunion I was given some suggestions. Apparently inserts can give you some extra cushioning and help with the bunion pain.
We stuck an insert in my shoe and I ran around the block. Fortunately I didn't wear a skirt for errand running day. That would have been quite a sight. Everything felt okay so I took my new inserts, my lighter wallet and my new found bunion home.
I went for a run last night and the first mile felt pretty good. Nice cushioning on these insert things. But after a while things didn't feel so good. My lovely bunion felt fine but the arch of my right foot felt like someone was driving a stake into it with each passing step. By 4 miles I had had enough!
I took the insert BACK to the running store. Apparently THAT insert is great for people who need lots of stability while they run and have a pretty high arch. I have almost NO arch so no wonder that didn't feel great. I now have a new insert and hopefully a new way to run...even with a bunion!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Jello Queen
Last Friday I was busy doing lots of preparation for the kids big birthday bash. The party was a Mickey Mouse themed party. I had ordered a cookie cutter shaped like Mickey Mouse. My goal: Jello Jigglers in the shape of Mickey Mouse. Lots of fun colors. Lots of fun to eat. I was quite pleased with my plan. How hard could that be? Jello is easy. There are only 2 ingredients. Water and the lovely powdered package of artificial flavorings and colorings. You can't screw up Jello.
So I bought many boxes of Jello. I made 5 pans to start with. I put them in the fridge. 4 hours later I took them out. Sure enough they were Jello. But something wasn't right. When I put my cookie cutter in the middle the Mickey Mouse shape didn't hold. There was no jiggle in my jello.
I dug through the recycling bin and pulled out the Jello boxes to read the instructions again. I had put a 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of boiling water. The directions said to use 4 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of water. They need to make it say "Use FOUR 4 oz serving boxes for each 2.25 cups of water. YES FOUR BOXES OF JELLO!!!". If it would have said this on the box I would have been fine.
At 10 PM I headed to the grocery store to get MORE Jello since I sure didn't have FOUR 4 oz boxes (YES FOUR!). The lady at the checkout gave me a funny look as I bought 20 odd boxes of Jello. I'm not sure if she believed me when I said it was for a kids birthday party.
Before bed I made a few batches of Jello. It was late. I was tired. But I used my FOUR boxes. Douglas was in the kitchen as I slowly poured one of the Jello packets into the boiling water. As I poured the mixture bubbled up and almost spilled over. He got all excited and started giving me a lecture on boiling points, salt content and sugar levels. I gave him a look and told him only really geeky nerdy engineer types payed any attention to that crap in Chemistry class.
I was getting so tired and my last batch before bed I forgot to pour slowly. The bowl was near the edge of the counter and Jello bubbled up, out and over. On the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Jello is sticky. Hot, sticky, orange Jello all over the kitchen I had just spent a good hour cleaning. Nice.
On Saturday morning I decided I finished making the last few batches of Jello. In my haste to get 2,743 done that morning...I quickly poured the Jello packet into the boiling water. Once again Jello went cascading onto the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Didn't I JUST do that the night before?!?!?! Isn't the definition of insanity something like "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."? Apparently Jello will make anyone Crazy.
But the Jello turned out great. They were jiggly. They looked like Mickey Mouse. The kids loved it. There was enough Jello to feed an elementary school and I guess if I ever HAVE to get a job I could be a cafeteria lunch lady. I better get back to working on those Sloppy Joe's.
So I bought many boxes of Jello. I made 5 pans to start with. I put them in the fridge. 4 hours later I took them out. Sure enough they were Jello. But something wasn't right. When I put my cookie cutter in the middle the Mickey Mouse shape didn't hold. There was no jiggle in my jello.
I dug through the recycling bin and pulled out the Jello boxes to read the instructions again. I had put a 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of boiling water. The directions said to use 4 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of water. They need to make it say "Use FOUR 4 oz serving boxes for each 2.25 cups of water. YES FOUR BOXES OF JELLO!!!". If it would have said this on the box I would have been fine.
At 10 PM I headed to the grocery store to get MORE Jello since I sure didn't have FOUR 4 oz boxes (YES FOUR!). The lady at the checkout gave me a funny look as I bought 20 odd boxes of Jello. I'm not sure if she believed me when I said it was for a kids birthday party.
Before bed I made a few batches of Jello. It was late. I was tired. But I used my FOUR boxes. Douglas was in the kitchen as I slowly poured one of the Jello packets into the boiling water. As I poured the mixture bubbled up and almost spilled over. He got all excited and started giving me a lecture on boiling points, salt content and sugar levels. I gave him a look and told him only really geeky nerdy engineer types payed any attention to that crap in Chemistry class.
I was getting so tired and my last batch before bed I forgot to pour slowly. The bowl was near the edge of the counter and Jello bubbled up, out and over. On the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Jello is sticky. Hot, sticky, orange Jello all over the kitchen I had just spent a good hour cleaning. Nice.
On Saturday morning I decided I finished making the last few batches of Jello. In my haste to get 2,743 done that morning...I quickly poured the Jello packet into the boiling water. Once again Jello went cascading onto the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Didn't I JUST do that the night before?!?!?! Isn't the definition of insanity something like "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."? Apparently Jello will make anyone Crazy.
But the Jello turned out great. They were jiggly. They looked like Mickey Mouse. The kids loved it. There was enough Jello to feed an elementary school and I guess if I ever HAVE to get a job I could be a cafeteria lunch lady. I better get back to working on those Sloppy Joe's.
Eight is Enough
I've been bad about running lately. I'll have a good week and then get busy and miss several days in a row. Normally if I'm NOT running every other day I'm pretty cranky. So yesterday when it was suggested by my wonderful husband that I go for a run...I went.
It had been a while since I had gone for a long run. I did 7 miles a few weeks ago but otherwise I've been hovering around 5 miles as a general run. It's a great distance for me. But then I feel like I'm not doing enough and I should challenge myself more. So I either run up the big stupid hill behind our house or I put in a longer run.
It was a very nice cool overcast day yesterday. Nice light breeze. Perfect for summer running so at naptime I headed out for a long run. I have lots of routes I like to take and I hadn't run this particular one in a while because there isn't a lot of shade on the route. No problem since it was cloudy.
Well a few miles into my run the clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Around the same time the wind died down. Not great but things were going well. I was carrying water and feeling pretty good. I had a nice pace going. Not too fast, not too slow.
Before I left I had decided that I would do a 8 mile run. I have to kind of decided that mentally in my head. Well I had been feeling pretty good so I did an extra half mile before turning around which would make this a 9 mile run. Around mile 7 I started struggling. Really struggling. I was stopping every quarter mile to take a drink of water and take a quick break.
At mile 8 my body gave up. I puked. I'm not a puker. I hate to puke. It wasn't pleasant. I've never done it before while running. I really hope not to do it again.
I was still a long hot mile from home. I walked for a bit and then brilliantly thought I should run again. It would get me home more quickly, right? Well I did about a quarter of a mile and almost puked again. So I walked home. I don't walk. It has to be bad for me to walk. It was pretty bad.
I felt fine by the time I got home. I changed into my swimsuit and took a very refreshing dip in the pool which felt fantastic. And drank a lot of water!!! That's a performance I'd really like NOT to repeat.
It had been a while since I had gone for a long run. I did 7 miles a few weeks ago but otherwise I've been hovering around 5 miles as a general run. It's a great distance for me. But then I feel like I'm not doing enough and I should challenge myself more. So I either run up the big stupid hill behind our house or I put in a longer run.
It was a very nice cool overcast day yesterday. Nice light breeze. Perfect for summer running so at naptime I headed out for a long run. I have lots of routes I like to take and I hadn't run this particular one in a while because there isn't a lot of shade on the route. No problem since it was cloudy.
Well a few miles into my run the clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Around the same time the wind died down. Not great but things were going well. I was carrying water and feeling pretty good. I had a nice pace going. Not too fast, not too slow.
Before I left I had decided that I would do a 8 mile run. I have to kind of decided that mentally in my head. Well I had been feeling pretty good so I did an extra half mile before turning around which would make this a 9 mile run. Around mile 7 I started struggling. Really struggling. I was stopping every quarter mile to take a drink of water and take a quick break.
At mile 8 my body gave up. I puked. I'm not a puker. I hate to puke. It wasn't pleasant. I've never done it before while running. I really hope not to do it again.
I was still a long hot mile from home. I walked for a bit and then brilliantly thought I should run again. It would get me home more quickly, right? Well I did about a quarter of a mile and almost puked again. So I walked home. I don't walk. It has to be bad for me to walk. It was pretty bad.
I felt fine by the time I got home. I changed into my swimsuit and took a very refreshing dip in the pool which felt fantastic. And drank a lot of water!!! That's a performance I'd really like NOT to repeat.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sunset, Moonrise
I just came back from a late evening run. As I've said before I'm NOT a morning person. And it's HOT in the afternoon. I went for a run yesterday at noon. It was 88 degrees and I could barely do 4 miles. Not because I couldn't run any more but because I hadn't charged my iPod and it died part way through my run. So I couldn't run anymore. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.
But the evenings are beautiful here in the summer. I ran about 7 miles tonight and it was a lot easier than my 4 mile run yesterday. Part of my route was along the canal (we have irrigation canals that are as big as many rivers in some cities) and chased the sunset. Amazing pink and orange colors filled the sky. When I hit the turn around point I could not help but gasp. The moon was just rising and I don't know if I've ever seen a moon so low, so big and so beautiful. I really wish I would have had my camera with me tonight.
I had another critter sighting this evening and fortunately it wasn't the creepy, slithery kind! I had a fun game of chase with a raccoon on my path. He would stop and look at me and as I would approach he would run ahead. We did this 4 or 5 times before he scampered off into the trees. I also saw a family walking the most adorable Siberian Husky puppy. Oh my goodness was he adorable!!! I don't mind sharing the path with those kind of critters! Anytime you can chase a sunset and catch a moonrise it's a pretty good night!
But the evenings are beautiful here in the summer. I ran about 7 miles tonight and it was a lot easier than my 4 mile run yesterday. Part of my route was along the canal (we have irrigation canals that are as big as many rivers in some cities) and chased the sunset. Amazing pink and orange colors filled the sky. When I hit the turn around point I could not help but gasp. The moon was just rising and I don't know if I've ever seen a moon so low, so big and so beautiful. I really wish I would have had my camera with me tonight.
I had another critter sighting this evening and fortunately it wasn't the creepy, slithery kind! I had a fun game of chase with a raccoon on my path. He would stop and look at me and as I would approach he would run ahead. We did this 4 or 5 times before he scampered off into the trees. I also saw a family walking the most adorable Siberian Husky puppy. Oh my goodness was he adorable!!! I don't mind sharing the path with those kind of critters! Anytime you can chase a sunset and catch a moonrise it's a pretty good night!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Moving to Ireland
I finally went for a run on Saturday. It had been TWO weeks since I had been able to get out for a run. That's just WAY to long for me. The first week we were gone on vacation. I had really hoped that I would be able to get a beautiful run on the beach when we were in California but there just never seemed to be any extra time. I did manage to get a wonderful bike ride in with my handsome hubby along the beach. I also was a pack mule down to the beach with the kids and there were of course the very LONG days wandering around Disney.
One of the reasons I didn't get a run in this last week was the lovely sunburn I had on my legs. I am quite obviously affected by a horrible summer condition. Sunscreen Amnesia. It's a horrible affliction that causes either the complete forgetfulness of sunscreen application or the inability to adequately apply sunscreen to ALL areas of the body. This results in beautiful bright red splotches in random locations throughout the body.
So I finally got back out there and did a nice 5 mile run...Well most of it was nice. The weather was nice. The route was nice. I did a pretty typical route through a local park. Part of the area that I ran through was technically closed because they are eventually going to build a big ole bridge near there. I don't know why but it always seems like my favorite routes are quite often closed. I didn't find any park rangers this time though!
The thing about running in summer weather is the fact that you don't really run alone. In winter everything is frozen. I might see some deer. That's pretty much it. In summer there are critters. And creepy crawly things. Slithery things.
I hate snakes. They make my skin crawl. They make me hyperventilate. I'm not kidding. Mice don't bother me. Rats aren't a huge deal. Spiders are no problem at all. But snakes. Eek. Just the sight of snakes makes me completely flip out. It's not pretty. Douglas and I were walking once in this same park having a lovely conversation as we strolled along. At one point he said "Don't step on that snake". I saw the snake pretty much at the same time he said that. He claims his ears are still ringing.
Growing up I rode horses pretty much my whole life. I remember distinctly one time when my horse got spooked by almost stepping on a snake. I got dumped off because I wasn't paying attention and almost landed ON the snake. Then MY screams spooked my horse and it took a while to catch him. I didn't share that story with my mom. She probably would have never let me ride again.
So on a few of my recent runs there have unfortunately been a few snake sightings. This is problematic when I'm running for a few reasons. I HATE being surprised like that. When I'm running I'm in my own little world with my own rhythm. Then I see a snake. The snake is intruding on MY tranquility.
Once I've seen a snake I'm freaked out for the rest of my run. Every shadow I see I think is ANOTHER snake. This park has trails through a pretty wooded area. So there are lots of sections that go in and out of sunshine with strange shadows that look like potential snakes.
When I'm running my heart rate and breathing levels are already elevated. Then I see a snake which causes me to hyperventilate. I'm already working hard enough. I don't need to add THAT too it.
So obviously these running paths are NOT big enough for both me AND the snakes. They had better leave...or I'm going to have to move to Ireland.
One of the reasons I didn't get a run in this last week was the lovely sunburn I had on my legs. I am quite obviously affected by a horrible summer condition. Sunscreen Amnesia. It's a horrible affliction that causes either the complete forgetfulness of sunscreen application or the inability to adequately apply sunscreen to ALL areas of the body. This results in beautiful bright red splotches in random locations throughout the body.
So I finally got back out there and did a nice 5 mile run...Well most of it was nice. The weather was nice. The route was nice. I did a pretty typical route through a local park. Part of the area that I ran through was technically closed because they are eventually going to build a big ole bridge near there. I don't know why but it always seems like my favorite routes are quite often closed. I didn't find any park rangers this time though!
The thing about running in summer weather is the fact that you don't really run alone. In winter everything is frozen. I might see some deer. That's pretty much it. In summer there are critters. And creepy crawly things. Slithery things.
I hate snakes. They make my skin crawl. They make me hyperventilate. I'm not kidding. Mice don't bother me. Rats aren't a huge deal. Spiders are no problem at all. But snakes. Eek. Just the sight of snakes makes me completely flip out. It's not pretty. Douglas and I were walking once in this same park having a lovely conversation as we strolled along. At one point he said "Don't step on that snake". I saw the snake pretty much at the same time he said that. He claims his ears are still ringing.
Growing up I rode horses pretty much my whole life. I remember distinctly one time when my horse got spooked by almost stepping on a snake. I got dumped off because I wasn't paying attention and almost landed ON the snake. Then MY screams spooked my horse and it took a while to catch him. I didn't share that story with my mom. She probably would have never let me ride again.
So on a few of my recent runs there have unfortunately been a few snake sightings. This is problematic when I'm running for a few reasons. I HATE being surprised like that. When I'm running I'm in my own little world with my own rhythm. Then I see a snake. The snake is intruding on MY tranquility.
Once I've seen a snake I'm freaked out for the rest of my run. Every shadow I see I think is ANOTHER snake. This park has trails through a pretty wooded area. So there are lots of sections that go in and out of sunshine with strange shadows that look like potential snakes.
When I'm running my heart rate and breathing levels are already elevated. Then I see a snake which causes me to hyperventilate. I'm already working hard enough. I don't need to add THAT too it.
So obviously these running paths are NOT big enough for both me AND the snakes. They had better leave...or I'm going to have to move to Ireland.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Longest Two Miles
I went for a run last night. I do this quite often lately now that the weather is warmer and it stays light longer. I put the kids to bed since Douglas has been working so hard each evening trying to get a whole bunch of work done before our trip. It was a bit late by the time I got the kids settled down and wandered in and out of their room a few times. It was about 10 minutes before 9 when I finally stepped out the door.
It stays light until at least 9:15 so I wasn't worried. Also I picked a route that runs parallel to a well traveled road so there would be plenty of cars passing to give me some extra light if I needed it. I had planned to do about 5 miles which is pretty common for me. When I left it was cloudy. There had been a storm around 6pm and was a little cool the rest of the evening. No big deal.
I did the first 3 miles pretty quickly. Around 9 minute miles. I was feeling good. Nice and loose. Comfortable. Easy. Then I came around the corner and my heart stopped. DARK clouds had popped up over the foothills. And there was lightning everywhere.
I was scared. I don't like storms. I never have. They make me very nervous. I've gotten a lot better at controlling those emotions now that I've had kids. Never let them see you scared, right?
This was a lot of lightning. Scary lightning. And I still had 2 miles to go. Through a pasture. With very few trees. Nice and flat and open. Just me and a few cows. And I was running right into this little storm. Visions of becoming a human lightning rod filtered through my thoughts. I prayed and ran. Prayed and ran. Prayed and ran faster. As fast as I could.
I felt scared and stupid. Idiotic. I'm usually SO responsible when it comes to this kind of thing. Last year there was a woman locally that was struck by lightning while hiking in the foothills with her mom and her 2 young children. Her Mom ran back down the hill and called 911 while her 2 small children stayed by her side while "Mommy was sleeping". Miraculously she lived but she had months of rehab to get her life back to normal. This was NOT something I wanted to experience.
The first rain drops started about a quarter of a mile from home. At the same time Rihanna's song "Umbrella" came on my iPod. Coincidence? Irony? An answer to prayer? Either way it was comforting and I picked up my pace even a little bit more. I ran harder with my heart in my throat as each stride brought me closer to home and closer to the storm.
I was so happy to make it into the neighborhood and back to our house. I was soaked when I walked in the door. Drenched with rain and sweat. I was panting and almost in tears. Douglas looked confused. "What's wrong?" I hugged him really hard. He thought I had just gone across the street to run on the treadmill.
I'm not sure what my time was because I didn't turn off the timer on my iPod when I got home. I'm pretty sure that was the fastest 5 miles I've ever run. The last 2 miles were really brutal...but at least they weren't a real killer.
It stays light until at least 9:15 so I wasn't worried. Also I picked a route that runs parallel to a well traveled road so there would be plenty of cars passing to give me some extra light if I needed it. I had planned to do about 5 miles which is pretty common for me. When I left it was cloudy. There had been a storm around 6pm and was a little cool the rest of the evening. No big deal.
I did the first 3 miles pretty quickly. Around 9 minute miles. I was feeling good. Nice and loose. Comfortable. Easy. Then I came around the corner and my heart stopped. DARK clouds had popped up over the foothills. And there was lightning everywhere.
I was scared. I don't like storms. I never have. They make me very nervous. I've gotten a lot better at controlling those emotions now that I've had kids. Never let them see you scared, right?
This was a lot of lightning. Scary lightning. And I still had 2 miles to go. Through a pasture. With very few trees. Nice and flat and open. Just me and a few cows. And I was running right into this little storm. Visions of becoming a human lightning rod filtered through my thoughts. I prayed and ran. Prayed and ran. Prayed and ran faster. As fast as I could.
I felt scared and stupid. Idiotic. I'm usually SO responsible when it comes to this kind of thing. Last year there was a woman locally that was struck by lightning while hiking in the foothills with her mom and her 2 young children. Her Mom ran back down the hill and called 911 while her 2 small children stayed by her side while "Mommy was sleeping". Miraculously she lived but she had months of rehab to get her life back to normal. This was NOT something I wanted to experience.
The first rain drops started about a quarter of a mile from home. At the same time Rihanna's song "Umbrella" came on my iPod. Coincidence? Irony? An answer to prayer? Either way it was comforting and I picked up my pace even a little bit more. I ran harder with my heart in my throat as each stride brought me closer to home and closer to the storm.
I was so happy to make it into the neighborhood and back to our house. I was soaked when I walked in the door. Drenched with rain and sweat. I was panting and almost in tears. Douglas looked confused. "What's wrong?" I hugged him really hard. He thought I had just gone across the street to run on the treadmill.
I'm not sure what my time was because I didn't turn off the timer on my iPod when I got home. I'm pretty sure that was the fastest 5 miles I've ever run. The last 2 miles were really brutal...but at least they weren't a real killer.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Random Running Thoughts
I ran the big mean hill today. I don't know why I feel the need to punish myself but occasionally I just feel that I need to get my butt up that hill. It was a good run although it was really busy up there with hikers, runners and other mountain bikers. I was a little slower then when I was training for Robie but it still felt good to conquer that mountain.
I had a good running week last week which was desperately needed. The previous week I had a couple runs where I really thought I was going to hang up my running shoes! They were AWFUL so it was nice to have some good running time in. I did 7 miles on Saturday and felt pretty good about that. I also did some speed work a few nights and did 2 consecutive 8 minute miles. Which is probably the fastest I've ever run (unless you count the last few downhill miles at Robie) but I was still pretty impressed with my time for that.
I go back and forth on what my next race will be. Right now I'm just enjoying getting out to run in the sunshine...and I'm REALLY looking forward to going for a run on the beach!!!
I don't know what this flowering bush is but it's in my yard. It only blooms for a few weeks each year and when it does there are the most beautiful orange blossoms!
I had a good running week last week which was desperately needed. The previous week I had a couple runs where I really thought I was going to hang up my running shoes! They were AWFUL so it was nice to have some good running time in. I did 7 miles on Saturday and felt pretty good about that. I also did some speed work a few nights and did 2 consecutive 8 minute miles. Which is probably the fastest I've ever run (unless you count the last few downhill miles at Robie) but I was still pretty impressed with my time for that.
I go back and forth on what my next race will be. Right now I'm just enjoying getting out to run in the sunshine...and I'm REALLY looking forward to going for a run on the beach!!!
I don't know what this flowering bush is but it's in my yard. It only blooms for a few weeks each year and when it does there are the most beautiful orange blossoms!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Race for the Cure Recap
Last Saturday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was a really nice morning for a run. Nice and cool. Somehow I talked Douglas into coming along with the kiddos. They had a nice time going for a mile walk in the wagon.
It was amazing to see all of the women and all of the PINK!!! Now I'm not normally a person who likes to wear pink. I'm not completely opposed to it (Leona wears TONS of pink!). It's just not a color I normally wear. I was certainly proud to wear pink on Saturday.
There was one sign I read while I was there stating:
"Your greatest risk of getting breast cancer are the following:
Being Female and Getting Older."
Wow. Those are hard things to think about. As a woman you know it's there. Always a shadow you hope never haunts your home. I've been very fortunate in my life so far but well...I'm not getting any younger and it's always one of the things in the back of your mind somewhere.
The day was an amazing celebration of women. Over 14,000 people were there for the event. There were tons of vendors with lots of goodies, prizes and FOOD!!! We wandered around for a while before the Race actually started. I knew my friend Michelle was there somewhere to run the race and sure enough we bumped into them. She has triplets too. 3 ADORABLE girls. It's even hard to get lost in a crowd if you have triplets.
With so many people and so much activity it was a little difficult to know what was going on. So the race started and we were quite a bit back in the pack. This really would not have been much of a problem...except most of the people where we were had strollers and we walking. I've got nothing against strollers. I LOVE strollers. Just not when I'm trying to run.
So we didn't really start out running until a bit into the run. And even then it was tough to get around those that were walking. But it was fun. It was neat to see the people and the teams. It was a great first race for Michelle. A lot better than MY first race. As long as you aren't running with pneumonia uphill slogging through the mud anything would have been better than my first run!
Here is Michelle, her girls and me and my crew hiding in the background.
Michelle and I after the race.
Along the Boise river
It was amazing to see all of the women and all of the PINK!!! Now I'm not normally a person who likes to wear pink. I'm not completely opposed to it (Leona wears TONS of pink!). It's just not a color I normally wear. I was certainly proud to wear pink on Saturday.
There was one sign I read while I was there stating:
"Your greatest risk of getting breast cancer are the following:
Being Female and Getting Older."
Wow. Those are hard things to think about. As a woman you know it's there. Always a shadow you hope never haunts your home. I've been very fortunate in my life so far but well...I'm not getting any younger and it's always one of the things in the back of your mind somewhere.
The day was an amazing celebration of women. Over 14,000 people were there for the event. There were tons of vendors with lots of goodies, prizes and FOOD!!! We wandered around for a while before the Race actually started. I knew my friend Michelle was there somewhere to run the race and sure enough we bumped into them. She has triplets too. 3 ADORABLE girls. It's even hard to get lost in a crowd if you have triplets.
With so many people and so much activity it was a little difficult to know what was going on. So the race started and we were quite a bit back in the pack. This really would not have been much of a problem...except most of the people where we were had strollers and we walking. I've got nothing against strollers. I LOVE strollers. Just not when I'm trying to run.
So we didn't really start out running until a bit into the run. And even then it was tough to get around those that were walking. But it was fun. It was neat to see the people and the teams. It was a great first race for Michelle. A lot better than MY first race. As long as you aren't running with pneumonia uphill slogging through the mud anything would have been better than my first run!
Sis really liked the bunny ears!
Here is Michelle, her girls and me and my crew hiding in the background.
Michelle and I after the race.
Along the Boise river
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Website Redo
I spent some time reworking the Prairie West LLC Website. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. I still have no desire to be a full time website designer but I thought this round went better than the last round!
All of the pictures are my own work and all of the farm ones are from my recent trip back to South Dakota. The construction ones are all ones I've taken within a 2 mile radius of our house. I love that when I look at our business website I can see things that are familiar and very close to my heart.
http://www.prairiewestllc.com/
All of the pictures are my own work and all of the farm ones are from my recent trip back to South Dakota. The construction ones are all ones I've taken within a 2 mile radius of our house. I love that when I look at our business website I can see things that are familiar and very close to my heart.
http://www.prairiewestllc.com/
Monday, May 5, 2008
Haunted
I have a ghost. I can't get rid of it. I was back at the dentist AGAIN today. I'm a pretty regular visitor at our dentist. They like me. I like them. I just wish I didn't have to visit quite so often.
I have a tooth that has been haunting me. For almost 3 years now. It's my pregnancy tooth. They've claimed an organ, a tooth and pretty much any shred of sanity I had. I'm not sure how much more I can physically give these kiddos.
For a while I had a great big whole in my head waiting for my mouth to heal. It took 3 months from the time they yanked the tooth out. Then they put a nice big titanium screw into my jaw bone (that was fun). Then THAT had to heal for 3 months.
Finally in April everything had healed well enough to put a crown onto the titanium screw completing the implant. I had an impression taken and they sent the tooth off to the lab while I waited for 3 weeks until it came back. I had the tooth put in just before Robie Creek.
On Sunday afternoon I had noticed that the tooth seemed a little loose. I was wiggling it a bit and CRACK a nice big chunk of it broke off. Ugh.
I called the dentist right away this morning and was able to get in this afternoon. According to my dentist he had never ever had this happen before. Figures, right? I'm not sure why but that kind of stuff seems to happen to me quite frequently in life. Keeps it pretty interesting I guess!
Since they needed to order a new crown they needed to do a new impression. Which meant the rest of the tooth had to come off. The rest of the tooth really would have been there until I died. Nothing like a little bit of ear piercing drilling to enhance your day. So I go back in 3 weeks to hopefully bury this tooth once and for all!
I have a tooth that has been haunting me. For almost 3 years now. It's my pregnancy tooth. They've claimed an organ, a tooth and pretty much any shred of sanity I had. I'm not sure how much more I can physically give these kiddos.
For a while I had a great big whole in my head waiting for my mouth to heal. It took 3 months from the time they yanked the tooth out. Then they put a nice big titanium screw into my jaw bone (that was fun). Then THAT had to heal for 3 months.
Finally in April everything had healed well enough to put a crown onto the titanium screw completing the implant. I had an impression taken and they sent the tooth off to the lab while I waited for 3 weeks until it came back. I had the tooth put in just before Robie Creek.
On Sunday afternoon I had noticed that the tooth seemed a little loose. I was wiggling it a bit and CRACK a nice big chunk of it broke off. Ugh.
I called the dentist right away this morning and was able to get in this afternoon. According to my dentist he had never ever had this happen before. Figures, right? I'm not sure why but that kind of stuff seems to happen to me quite frequently in life. Keeps it pretty interesting I guess!
Since they needed to order a new crown they needed to do a new impression. Which meant the rest of the tooth had to come off. The rest of the tooth really would have been there until I died. Nothing like a little bit of ear piercing drilling to enhance your day. So I go back in 3 weeks to hopefully bury this tooth once and for all!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Getting Back on the Horse
I finally was able to go for a run yesterday. I knew that I needed to take at least a week off. Maybe 10 days but 2 weeks was too long! I REALLY needed a run yesterday. It's amazing how much um, nicer, I am if I'm running! It's a such a stress and anxiety reliever for me and by yesterday I was in desperate need of a good run. Everything was driving me crazy. So I got out there and did 5 miles. That's a good distance. Not too long, but long enough for me to get a good work out.
I felt pretty good and I think I've healed from the race. My right ankle was a little tight and weak. But today it's felt just fine. The weather has been so fantastic right now so that makes it really fun too. The Race for the Cure is this Saturday and it will be a fun but very busy time I think.
I felt pretty good and I think I've healed from the race. My right ankle was a little tight and weak. But today it's felt just fine. The weather has been so fantastic right now so that makes it really fun too. The Race for the Cure is this Saturday and it will be a fun but very busy time I think.
Family Vacation!
For the last few months we've been planning a little vacation for our family and it's getting SO close now!!! And I'm SO SO SO excited!!!! In the 8 years that we have lived in Boise almost every vacation we've taken has been back to the midwest to visit family. I love those trips. They are fantastic.
But I'm SO excited for our California adventure trip!!! We get to take the kids to DISNEYLAND!!! I have never been to either Disneyland or Disney World. Neither has Douglas. And of course neither have the kids. They are gonna freak out. I can't wait. I can't WAIT to see their faces.
Douglas has a conference in Long Beach CA. We've rented an adorable tiny little house in Huntington Beach just a few blocks from the beach. I can't WAIT to go hang out on the beach. I'm so looking forward to this trip. Douglas has been working so very hard so hopefully this will be a nice break for him too. Auntie Erica is also joining us for the week and it will be fun to hang out with her and have some extra helping hands!
It should also be an interesting trip since we are DRIVING to California. This will be our first big driving trip with the kids. We've not driven more than 4 hours with them at one time (and that was when they were just past a year old and we drove from Sioux Falls to Minneapolis!). We RARELY drive longer than an hour. We've rented a minivan for the trip so we'll see how well that works. We needed to have some extra room and it gets better gas mileage than our jeep.
We will be driving to Stockton, CA where Doug's Aunt Debbie and Uncle Gary live. We'll stay there for a night and then head down to the beach. We'll also stay there on our return trip. It should be fun! Hopefully the drive will go okay. I'm not worried at all about the rest of the trip!!!
But I'm SO excited for our California adventure trip!!! We get to take the kids to DISNEYLAND!!! I have never been to either Disneyland or Disney World. Neither has Douglas. And of course neither have the kids. They are gonna freak out. I can't wait. I can't WAIT to see their faces.
Douglas has a conference in Long Beach CA. We've rented an adorable tiny little house in Huntington Beach just a few blocks from the beach. I can't WAIT to go hang out on the beach. I'm so looking forward to this trip. Douglas has been working so very hard so hopefully this will be a nice break for him too. Auntie Erica is also joining us for the week and it will be fun to hang out with her and have some extra helping hands!
It should also be an interesting trip since we are DRIVING to California. This will be our first big driving trip with the kids. We've not driven more than 4 hours with them at one time (and that was when they were just past a year old and we drove from Sioux Falls to Minneapolis!). We RARELY drive longer than an hour. We've rented a minivan for the trip so we'll see how well that works. We needed to have some extra room and it gets better gas mileage than our jeep.
We will be driving to Stockton, CA where Doug's Aunt Debbie and Uncle Gary live. We'll stay there for a night and then head down to the beach. We'll also stay there on our return trip. It should be fun! Hopefully the drive will go okay. I'm not worried at all about the rest of the trip!!!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
May Day! May Day!
I always struggle when I leave South Dakota. It's so hard to leave everyone there. I of course missed the boys like crazy but it's so easy to get involved with the farm and the lives of everyone there. With this lovely age of technology I really don't feel disconnected at all from my family but there is still something about being there. I'm definitely a city girl now but I sure like to go home to South Dakota and play farm girl a few times a year.
So coming back to Boise is always an adjustment. Any time I travel it's tough on me. I'm a home body for sure but I also love to get out and explore. So coming back is always a bit sad. I get so excited for a trip and then enjoy myself during the trip. But as happy as I am to be home I always feel like I leave a little piece of my heart where ever I've just traveled.
I do love coming back to Boise. This really does feel like home too. It's funny because I feel like I have two homes. My grown up home and my childhood home. It's nice that the two can blend. I just wish they weren't so far apart.
The other part about being in SD is all the help I had. Plus only having ONE kiddo. So now I'm back home, trying to accomplish things and wrangling three kiddos...without Aunties, without Grandma.
They are good kids but sometimes it's practically impossible to get anything accomplished during the day. Someone ALWAYS has an ouchie that needs kissing and someone is always stealing something from someone else. It's frustrating.
Sam has also been driving me a bit crazy lately too. He is SO SO SO smart. He knows ALL of his letters, colors and numbers. He LOVES to figure things out and will work on something until he gets it. He just loves learning. But he can be impossibly stubborn and lazy. He is my last holdout with potty training. He will go lots in the potty but he also still goes in his pants. Because he is lazy. He will fight kicking and screaming sometimes when we take him potty. He'll go but he's so stubborn. If he does wet himself, he doesn't care. He would stay in his wet yucky clothes all day. It doesn't bother him at all. He doesn't care if I get upset with him, if I get angry with him or anything. He just doesn't care.
He does the same thing for naps. He naps in the guest room because otherwise he and Gabe have a lovely party. But he doesn't sleep. He just lays there and thumps on the bed and dinks around. I've tried laying with him (a good way for me to get a nap!), getting angry with him, pleading with him, bribing him, ignoring him. He just doesn't care. He's just stubborn that way. He hates to pick up toys. He bothers Sissy by stealing things that he KNOWS are hers. Not only does he steal them he runs up the stairs and throws it over the gate so she can't get to it. And he has a mean smirk on his face the whole time. And then she just will scream and screech because she is so upset.
He can be incredibly loving and sweet but sheesh it's enough to drive me crazy sometimes. I didn't hear the horrible awful screeching at all this trip and I didn't miss it at all. It's enough to send out a distress call! May Day! May Day! Where IS Grandma when you need her?!?!?!
So coming back to Boise is always an adjustment. Any time I travel it's tough on me. I'm a home body for sure but I also love to get out and explore. So coming back is always a bit sad. I get so excited for a trip and then enjoy myself during the trip. But as happy as I am to be home I always feel like I leave a little piece of my heart where ever I've just traveled.
I do love coming back to Boise. This really does feel like home too. It's funny because I feel like I have two homes. My grown up home and my childhood home. It's nice that the two can blend. I just wish they weren't so far apart.
The other part about being in SD is all the help I had. Plus only having ONE kiddo. So now I'm back home, trying to accomplish things and wrangling three kiddos...without Aunties, without Grandma.
They are good kids but sometimes it's practically impossible to get anything accomplished during the day. Someone ALWAYS has an ouchie that needs kissing and someone is always stealing something from someone else. It's frustrating.
Sam has also been driving me a bit crazy lately too. He is SO SO SO smart. He knows ALL of his letters, colors and numbers. He LOVES to figure things out and will work on something until he gets it. He just loves learning. But he can be impossibly stubborn and lazy. He is my last holdout with potty training. He will go lots in the potty but he also still goes in his pants. Because he is lazy. He will fight kicking and screaming sometimes when we take him potty. He'll go but he's so stubborn. If he does wet himself, he doesn't care. He would stay in his wet yucky clothes all day. It doesn't bother him at all. He doesn't care if I get upset with him, if I get angry with him or anything. He just doesn't care.
He does the same thing for naps. He naps in the guest room because otherwise he and Gabe have a lovely party. But he doesn't sleep. He just lays there and thumps on the bed and dinks around. I've tried laying with him (a good way for me to get a nap!), getting angry with him, pleading with him, bribing him, ignoring him. He just doesn't care. He's just stubborn that way. He hates to pick up toys. He bothers Sissy by stealing things that he KNOWS are hers. Not only does he steal them he runs up the stairs and throws it over the gate so she can't get to it. And he has a mean smirk on his face the whole time. And then she just will scream and screech because she is so upset.
He can be incredibly loving and sweet but sheesh it's enough to drive me crazy sometimes. I didn't hear the horrible awful screeching at all this trip and I didn't miss it at all. It's enough to send out a distress call! May Day! May Day! Where IS Grandma when you need her?!?!?!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Resting
I've been just taking it easy the last few days. Well I did scrub all the bathrooms on Tuesday so I'm not sure how restful that really was but I haven't been for a run at all. Maybe by the weekend! I'm feeling pretty good though. My joints are still pretty stiff but not bad.
I've been reading more about the timing stuff and my time is probably wrong. It's probably at least 2:22 if not a bit under. The time recorded was recorded with a gun and not according to the chip. Since I started quite a bit back in the pack I would have made up some time at the start since the gun counted everyone starting at noon. But I still feel really, really good about my "official" time!
What's next? Everyone wants to know! I'm doing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on May 10th. It's a 5K (3 miles) so I really don't feel I need to train. Although it should be interesting since I usually don't hit my stride until 3 miles or so! And I'm not terribly fast but I'm a bit faster than I thought...at least uphill and down!!!
I've been reading more about the timing stuff and my time is probably wrong. It's probably at least 2:22 if not a bit under. The time recorded was recorded with a gun and not according to the chip. Since I started quite a bit back in the pack I would have made up some time at the start since the gun counted everyone starting at noon. But I still feel really, really good about my "official" time!
What's next? Everyone wants to know! I'm doing the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on May 10th. It's a 5K (3 miles) so I really don't feel I need to train. Although it should be interesting since I usually don't hit my stride until 3 miles or so! And I'm not terribly fast but I'm a bit faster than I thought...at least uphill and down!!!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Robie Creek Recap
I DID IT!!! I conquered the beast known as Robie Creek!!! Not only did I conquer it...I did it pretty darn well and I had a REALLY great time doing it.
I had 2 main personal goals for the race. The first was to finish the race in about 2.5 hours. My official time is listed as 2:23:17!!! There were some issues with the race and the timing chips so this might be a little bit off. Douglas was there at the finish line and he thought I crossed right around 2:22 something. But what's a few seconds, right! I was THRILLED to be 7-8 minutes UNDER my goal time.
My other goal was to run the entire thing and not walk. And I did that too. I did stop at the water tables because I'm not coordinated enough to drink water or to eat a banana and run! Other than those few stops I ran the entire thing which is a VERY difficult thing to do. When I was at the last mile uphill (mile 7-8) almost everyone was walking up. I wasn't running fast but I was still running. I'm REALLY proud of myself for that.
The day started out very cold with clouds and a rain and snow forecast. We took the kids with us to the start. They weren't very thrilled to be there. They were a little overwhelmed by all the people. Our neighbor Elaine was running the race too and I was happy to find her in the throngs of people.
This year was as Scottish theme and they had bagpipers at the start along with a horse with a Braveheart theme going on. So many people took the theme to heart and there was plenty of kilts and plaid everywhere. We all squished in like sardines at the starting line and then we were OFF! And the SUN was shining!!!
The beginning was pretty chaotic. They don't break people into subgroups at all and it would have been nice if they would have separated the runners from those who were planning to walk. But it was still fun to be sent off with the bagpipers playing.
The first 3 miles of the race winds up through Boise and some beautiful homes looking out over the city. There were so many people camped out on their yards, porches and balconies. They were cheering us on and many of them had loud music playing. I heard the "Rocky" theme a few times. At the top of those 3 miles one of the last houses even had a live band playing! This year iPods were banned (GASP!) so it was fun to have some music along the way. It was so festive and everyone was just having a lot fun!
I liked my pace a lot starting out. Not too fast and not too slow. There was a lot of running "traffic" so that was a bit challenging. Elaine and I ran together for the first few miles. The "traffic" would get a little worse at the water tables and somehow Elaine and I got separated. It was never an intentional thing were one of us said "See ya" we just somehow weren't together anymore. For a while I thought she was ahead of me but I could never spot her so I determined she must be behind me.
I had really struggled with what to wear for the race especially given the forecast. I ended up deciding on my running capris, a tank top and a half-zip pullover. By the 4th mile I had peeled off my pullover and tied it around my waist. Annoying but I was HOT! So much for the blizzard! The sun stayed out for rest of the race and the party afterwards.
Usually the first few miles can be pretty tough for me but with all the excitement it really went well. I hit my "zone" stride around mile 4.5 (which was also where I had my first packet of Gu). I found a great groove and my stride felt good. I didn't have much soreness or cramping so I was pleased with that.
At mile 7 I had a banana and a second packet of Gu to prepare myself for the last big push to conquer the Adalpe Summit. It's a really brutal climb especially when you are already tired. It was hard. It was really, really tough and there were a few points where I desperately wanted to walk. I just kept telling myself "just keep running" and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. It took a lot of focus and concentration.
The famed "Table of Temptation" is just before the very summit. That was one point where I wished I was walking just so I could take in all the sights. There were chocolate donuts, cigars and Bailey's Irish Creme to tempt everyone with lots of hecklers giving us a bad time. It was hysterical and if they would have had the chocolate bismark donuts with the custard filling I might have been tempted!
I hit the summit at exactly 1:40. I ate another banana and had some water for a second to catch my breath before heading downhill. The downhill is brutal. It's steep and winding. It's bone-jarring. It was really tough on my knees and ankles and I can tell today that my joints aren't thrilled with me! There were a few slick muddy spots but otherwise the road was in great condition. It just felt fast and there were times I had to work to slow myself down.
It's also beautiful. As soon as you go over the summit you find trees. Lots of trees. I started to get cold so I put my pullover back on. This was also a smart decision since I had planned on a blizzard and not a sunny day and had neglected to put sunscreen on. Will I EVER learn?!?!?! My face is pretty crispy today.
The last few miles seemed to go pretty quickly and I guess they were quite a bit faster than going up! In my ascent I averaged just under 12 minute miles and going down I averaged just under 9 minute miles! That's pretty fast for me! Also I had not run any of the downhill on the course so I was enjoying taking in the scenery a bit while trying to make it to the finish line.
The last mile or so to the finish isn't as much of a downhill decline. So it's a bit harder to run. Your legs feel a bit like the jello shots that were being offered at The Table of Temptation! I was so excited to see the finish line come around the corner and still had enough energy to step up my speed. My friend Brad found me at the end and came and gave me a big hug. He finished this crazy run in 1:45 or something! Insane! Then I saw Douglas and I was SO happy he was there at the finish! He was waiting with Elaine's hubby, Joey and their son Hudson.
I felt really pretty good at the end. I could have pushed myself a bit harder but I was also happy to not be in complete agony at the end. I feel really good about the amount of training I did. All of those hill runs certainly paid off. I heard lots of people complaining about how sore they were immediately afterwards and while I was sore I felt okay.
The volunteers at the water tables and the entire race were really amazing. They were all so encouraging. I remember one guy, a young teen, was trying to give away oranges and bananas like they were the last food on earth! He was just so enthusiastic and it was completely energizing. There were first aid stations too and everyone was just clapping and cheering you on. To do that for almost 5 hours is a half marathon in itself!
We waited a bit more for Elaine to come in and Hudson was really excited to see her! It made me miss the kids but there were way to many people for them to be there. It would have been a mess to take them!
After I soaked my feet in the ICE COLD creek for a bit we headed to get some carbs and re-energize. There were delicious baked potatoes, peanut butter cookies, brownies and bread. Apparently there was Barley Stew and Shepard's Pie but not by the time we got there. I'm glad I didn't finish any later!
The winner of the race had a time of 1:19! The women's winner had a time of 1:29! AMAZING!!!With my time of 2:23:17 I finished 83 out of 184 for my age group (30-34). I finished 382 out of 885 women and I finished 1225 out of 2092 runners. Better than average on almost all accounts! Not bad for my first time!
The excitement of the day was amazing. The excitement of the volunteers, the thrill of crossing the finish line and the over all sense of accomplishment is hard to explain. There is a huge sense of camaraderie among the runners, spectators and volunteers. The enthusiasm was catching. There was even a marriage proposal!
Robie is kind of a religion here in Boise. If you tell anyone that you are a runner the first question they ask is "Have you done Robie Creek?". The women's winner, a Mom of 3 kids and a 3 time winner, said whe she is asked that question she answers with "It's really fun to win it!". I'm just thrilled not to be a Robie Virgin and to be able answer "YES!" to that infamous question. You aren't a runner in Boise if you haven't done Robie!
One of the news sites has some video of the race. This video gives a view from the top and kind of an idea of what the day is like. This video shows a glimpse of me crossing the finish line. You can clearly hear my name but I'm kind of a blur behind a few people since several of us came in at once. I have a blue pullover and black pants on.
It was an amazing day. I have a HUGE sense of accomplishment. All of my hard work paid off. This is the hardest physical thing I've ever pushed myself to do. Carrying the kids is by far the hardest physical thing I've ever done but it's not something you have a choice in. And it's something that sneaks up on you. It's not something you force yourself to do like all those long training runs. It was a great experience. I had a ball. Will I do it again? You bet your kilt I will!!!
Elaine and I BEFORE the race!
After the race...still smiling!
Hudson giving his mom a big hug!
Heading to the creek!
People hanging out after the race. 
Soaking my tired toes in some FREEZING water! But it still somehow felt really great!
I had 2 main personal goals for the race. The first was to finish the race in about 2.5 hours. My official time is listed as 2:23:17!!! There were some issues with the race and the timing chips so this might be a little bit off. Douglas was there at the finish line and he thought I crossed right around 2:22 something. But what's a few seconds, right! I was THRILLED to be 7-8 minutes UNDER my goal time.
My other goal was to run the entire thing and not walk. And I did that too. I did stop at the water tables because I'm not coordinated enough to drink water or to eat a banana and run! Other than those few stops I ran the entire thing which is a VERY difficult thing to do. When I was at the last mile uphill (mile 7-8) almost everyone was walking up. I wasn't running fast but I was still running. I'm REALLY proud of myself for that.
The day started out very cold with clouds and a rain and snow forecast. We took the kids with us to the start. They weren't very thrilled to be there. They were a little overwhelmed by all the people. Our neighbor Elaine was running the race too and I was happy to find her in the throngs of people.
This year was as Scottish theme and they had bagpipers at the start along with a horse with a Braveheart theme going on. So many people took the theme to heart and there was plenty of kilts and plaid everywhere. We all squished in like sardines at the starting line and then we were OFF! And the SUN was shining!!!
The beginning was pretty chaotic. They don't break people into subgroups at all and it would have been nice if they would have separated the runners from those who were planning to walk. But it was still fun to be sent off with the bagpipers playing.
The first 3 miles of the race winds up through Boise and some beautiful homes looking out over the city. There were so many people camped out on their yards, porches and balconies. They were cheering us on and many of them had loud music playing. I heard the "Rocky" theme a few times. At the top of those 3 miles one of the last houses even had a live band playing! This year iPods were banned (GASP!) so it was fun to have some music along the way. It was so festive and everyone was just having a lot fun!
I liked my pace a lot starting out. Not too fast and not too slow. There was a lot of running "traffic" so that was a bit challenging. Elaine and I ran together for the first few miles. The "traffic" would get a little worse at the water tables and somehow Elaine and I got separated. It was never an intentional thing were one of us said "See ya" we just somehow weren't together anymore. For a while I thought she was ahead of me but I could never spot her so I determined she must be behind me.
I had really struggled with what to wear for the race especially given the forecast. I ended up deciding on my running capris, a tank top and a half-zip pullover. By the 4th mile I had peeled off my pullover and tied it around my waist. Annoying but I was HOT! So much for the blizzard! The sun stayed out for rest of the race and the party afterwards.
Usually the first few miles can be pretty tough for me but with all the excitement it really went well. I hit my "zone" stride around mile 4.5 (which was also where I had my first packet of Gu). I found a great groove and my stride felt good. I didn't have much soreness or cramping so I was pleased with that.
At mile 7 I had a banana and a second packet of Gu to prepare myself for the last big push to conquer the Adalpe Summit. It's a really brutal climb especially when you are already tired. It was hard. It was really, really tough and there were a few points where I desperately wanted to walk. I just kept telling myself "just keep running" and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. It took a lot of focus and concentration.
The famed "Table of Temptation" is just before the very summit. That was one point where I wished I was walking just so I could take in all the sights. There were chocolate donuts, cigars and Bailey's Irish Creme to tempt everyone with lots of hecklers giving us a bad time. It was hysterical and if they would have had the chocolate bismark donuts with the custard filling I might have been tempted!
I hit the summit at exactly 1:40. I ate another banana and had some water for a second to catch my breath before heading downhill. The downhill is brutal. It's steep and winding. It's bone-jarring. It was really tough on my knees and ankles and I can tell today that my joints aren't thrilled with me! There were a few slick muddy spots but otherwise the road was in great condition. It just felt fast and there were times I had to work to slow myself down.
It's also beautiful. As soon as you go over the summit you find trees. Lots of trees. I started to get cold so I put my pullover back on. This was also a smart decision since I had planned on a blizzard and not a sunny day and had neglected to put sunscreen on. Will I EVER learn?!?!?! My face is pretty crispy today.
The last few miles seemed to go pretty quickly and I guess they were quite a bit faster than going up! In my ascent I averaged just under 12 minute miles and going down I averaged just under 9 minute miles! That's pretty fast for me! Also I had not run any of the downhill on the course so I was enjoying taking in the scenery a bit while trying to make it to the finish line.
The last mile or so to the finish isn't as much of a downhill decline. So it's a bit harder to run. Your legs feel a bit like the jello shots that were being offered at The Table of Temptation! I was so excited to see the finish line come around the corner and still had enough energy to step up my speed. My friend Brad found me at the end and came and gave me a big hug. He finished this crazy run in 1:45 or something! Insane! Then I saw Douglas and I was SO happy he was there at the finish! He was waiting with Elaine's hubby, Joey and their son Hudson.
I felt really pretty good at the end. I could have pushed myself a bit harder but I was also happy to not be in complete agony at the end. I feel really good about the amount of training I did. All of those hill runs certainly paid off. I heard lots of people complaining about how sore they were immediately afterwards and while I was sore I felt okay.
The volunteers at the water tables and the entire race were really amazing. They were all so encouraging. I remember one guy, a young teen, was trying to give away oranges and bananas like they were the last food on earth! He was just so enthusiastic and it was completely energizing. There were first aid stations too and everyone was just clapping and cheering you on. To do that for almost 5 hours is a half marathon in itself!
We waited a bit more for Elaine to come in and Hudson was really excited to see her! It made me miss the kids but there were way to many people for them to be there. It would have been a mess to take them!
After I soaked my feet in the ICE COLD creek for a bit we headed to get some carbs and re-energize. There were delicious baked potatoes, peanut butter cookies, brownies and bread. Apparently there was Barley Stew and Shepard's Pie but not by the time we got there. I'm glad I didn't finish any later!
The winner of the race had a time of 1:19! The women's winner had a time of 1:29! AMAZING!!!With my time of 2:23:17 I finished 83 out of 184 for my age group (30-34). I finished 382 out of 885 women and I finished 1225 out of 2092 runners. Better than average on almost all accounts! Not bad for my first time!
The excitement of the day was amazing. The excitement of the volunteers, the thrill of crossing the finish line and the over all sense of accomplishment is hard to explain. There is a huge sense of camaraderie among the runners, spectators and volunteers. The enthusiasm was catching. There was even a marriage proposal!
Robie is kind of a religion here in Boise. If you tell anyone that you are a runner the first question they ask is "Have you done Robie Creek?". The women's winner, a Mom of 3 kids and a 3 time winner, said whe she is asked that question she answers with "It's really fun to win it!". I'm just thrilled not to be a Robie Virgin and to be able answer "YES!" to that infamous question. You aren't a runner in Boise if you haven't done Robie!
One of the news sites has some video of the race. This video gives a view from the top and kind of an idea of what the day is like. This video shows a glimpse of me crossing the finish line. You can clearly hear my name but I'm kind of a blur behind a few people since several of us came in at once. I have a blue pullover and black pants on.
It was an amazing day. I have a HUGE sense of accomplishment. All of my hard work paid off. This is the hardest physical thing I've ever pushed myself to do. Carrying the kids is by far the hardest physical thing I've ever done but it's not something you have a choice in. And it's something that sneaks up on you. It's not something you force yourself to do like all those long training runs. It was a great experience. I had a ball. Will I do it again? You bet your kilt I will!!!
The family on race day. Notice my enthusiastic cheerleaders...who are more excited about their cheese and crackers than Mommy!
Elaine and I BEFORE the race!
After the race...still smiling!
Hudson giving his mom a big hug!
Heading to the creek!
People hanging out after the race. Soaking my tired toes in some FREEZING water! But it still somehow felt really great! Saturday, April 19, 2008
Race Day!!!
It's Here!!! Today is the day!!! It's still trying to decide if it is going to rain out there. Yuck. Oh well. That's life and I'm still just excited.
I'm trying to get some water down and I've eaten some PB and Banana toast. Molly was pretty jealous of that!
If you are REALLY bored this afternoon a local news channel is doing live feed of the race. The race starts at noon and the first runners will cross the finish line around 1:30 PM. I won't get there until 2:30 around. You can check it out here.
I read somewhere that the training is the REAL test. Just putting in the training time has been work. The race is the celebration of all that hard work...and I'm ready to party today!!! If you can run a mile with enough hard work you can run a marathon...even if it's JUST a half one uphill!
I'm trying to get some water down and I've eaten some PB and Banana toast. Molly was pretty jealous of that!
If you are REALLY bored this afternoon a local news channel is doing live feed of the race. The race starts at noon and the first runners will cross the finish line around 1:30 PM. I won't get there until 2:30 around. You can check it out here.
I read somewhere that the training is the REAL test. Just putting in the training time has been work. The race is the celebration of all that hard work...and I'm ready to party today!!! If you can run a mile with enough hard work you can run a marathon...even if it's JUST a half one uphill!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Goals
My Goals for the Race to Robie Creek
1. Finish the race (hopefully under 3 hours, ideally under 2.5 hours).
2. Not hurt myself.
3. Have fun (and not just at the party AFTER the race!).
I'm excited. I'm ready. It's here. Thanks so much to everyone who has been SO excited for me and supportive of my crazy adventures!
1. Finish the race (hopefully under 3 hours, ideally under 2.5 hours).
2. Not hurt myself.
3. Have fun (and not just at the party AFTER the race!).
I'm excited. I'm ready. It's here. Thanks so much to everyone who has been SO excited for me and supportive of my crazy adventures!
Ten Years
Ten years ago tonight I was NOT sitting on the couch in my pajamas. Ten years ago today we were celebrating. It's hard to believe that we've really been married ten years. Ten. Double Digits. That's a pretty big deal.
We've been through a lot in ten years. We've had new cars and old cars, new jobs, new homes, and new friends in new states. We've graduated college and entered "the REAL world". By far our biggest joint effort has been our three children. We cried, laughed, fought, learned and loved for an amazing ten years.
When we got married I really didn't know what to expect. I don't think anyone does. You know you love each other and you feel invicible. Over time you realize that this thing called marriage is hard. That it takes work. And with hard work comes amazing reward. You realize that it may be hard but it so worth it. And just because things are hard sometimes doesn't mean that life still can't be fun!
I've grown and changed over the past ten years. Being a mother has changed me in ways I couldn't even imagine before and that are almost impossible to put into words. I never expected this was how my life would be but I never really knew how I wanted it to be. I just knew I wanted Douglas to be in it. That together, with God's help, we could do amazing things. I can't wait to see what adventures the next ten years will bring!
April 18th, 2008 - The dress still fits! And it's actually a bit big which was how it was the day we got married.
The back of the dress. It's SO heavy! I remember the day after our wedding my lower back was in so much pain. I finally figured out it was from the heavy train being bustled in the back! The picture on the wall is actually my wedding bouquet. After our wedding I had no idea what had happened to the bouquet. Several months later I learned that my Grandma (Leona) had taken it home and the flowers had dried beautifully.
When I was working for an art gallery in Fargo, my boss paid a visit to our home. She happened to see my bouquet sitting on a shelf and it gave her an idea. We brought the flowers into the gallery and framed them with an oval glass. We put a copy of the invitation and a picture of me with the bouquet inside. The result was beautiful and it hung in the gallery while we lived there. It's now a wonderful reminder not only of my wedding day but of the wonderful friends we made while living there.
We've been through a lot in ten years. We've had new cars and old cars, new jobs, new homes, and new friends in new states. We've graduated college and entered "the REAL world". By far our biggest joint effort has been our three children. We cried, laughed, fought, learned and loved for an amazing ten years.
When we got married I really didn't know what to expect. I don't think anyone does. You know you love each other and you feel invicible. Over time you realize that this thing called marriage is hard. That it takes work. And with hard work comes amazing reward. You realize that it may be hard but it so worth it. And just because things are hard sometimes doesn't mean that life still can't be fun!
I've grown and changed over the past ten years. Being a mother has changed me in ways I couldn't even imagine before and that are almost impossible to put into words. I never expected this was how my life would be but I never really knew how I wanted it to be. I just knew I wanted Douglas to be in it. That together, with God's help, we could do amazing things. I can't wait to see what adventures the next ten years will bring!
April 18, 1998
April 18th, 2008 - The dress still fits! And it's actually a bit big which was how it was the day we got married.
The back of the dress. It's SO heavy! I remember the day after our wedding my lower back was in so much pain. I finally figured out it was from the heavy train being bustled in the back! The picture on the wall is actually my wedding bouquet. After our wedding I had no idea what had happened to the bouquet. Several months later I learned that my Grandma (Leona) had taken it home and the flowers had dried beautifully. When I was working for an art gallery in Fargo, my boss paid a visit to our home. She happened to see my bouquet sitting on a shelf and it gave her an idea. We brought the flowers into the gallery and framed them with an oval glass. We put a copy of the invitation and a picture of me with the bouquet inside. The result was beautiful and it hung in the gallery while we lived there. It's now a wonderful reminder not only of my wedding day but of the wonderful friends we made while living there.
We actually celebrated our anniversary last weekend. It was right after Doug's big test so he really had a reason to celebrate. Also this weekend is my race so that wasn't really the best timing either.
I knew we were headed out for dinner somewhere but that was all I knew. Douglas headed downtown and suddenly pulled into a parking lot next to an old home. I looked at him confused, wondering if he had forgotten something at home. I was shocked to discover that he had made reservations a a neat old Bed and Breakfast downtown for us that evening! He had somehow persuaded Jana to stay with the kiddos for the evening and he had even packed a bag for me!
The home was lovely. I adore old homes and we stayed at several Bed and Breakfasts while on our honeymoon so this was pretty special. We had The Carriage Suite (kind of their honeymoon suite) and Douglas had some beautiful roses waiting for me. Our breakfast the next morning was delicious!
We headed downtown for dinner at one of our favorite restauraunts, The Cottonwood Grille. Our meal was delicious and the ambiance there is always fun and festive. One of the neat things about having our anniversary in April is that it is usually Prom for some school. So it seems wherever we end up for dinner there are high school kids all dressed up. It's fun to see. During dinner we were saying that for our 25th Anniversary...it will be OUR kids eating dinner all dressed up for Prom! That's just so hard to imagine!!! Happy Ten Years Douglas!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
Heading out for our Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, April 17, 2008
A Beautiful Run
I had an amazing run today. The last one before the race. The weather was wonderful. I ran up Lucky Peak. I'm SO tired of running up that big hill but it was so beautiful out today that I really didn't mind. I only did a 3 mile run today. It's odd after running so many miles to be running less. But I feel good. I feel rested. And hopefully ready to run on Saturday!
How to Get a Robie Number Next Year
So this year Robie Creek sold out in about 6 hours. It probably would have sold out more quickly but all of us crazy race hopefuls caused some major gridlock on registration day. I spent most of the morning trying to get my registration to go through. The kiddos had a great movie day while I kept trying to get a number. My bib number is 1853. There are 2431 entrants.
If you don't get a number on registration day there are certainly ways to find one. People get injured while training or their plans change so they sell their numbers on Craig's List, Ebay or The Robie Creek Forum. At the packet pick-up last night there were people trading numbers. There are also contests through radio stations or the newspaper.
The newspaper announced their essay contest winners today. To my surprise I know one of the "winners". Remember my first race? The 10K I ran with pneumonia and our friend Brad came back up to run with me? Well Brad had 13.1 entertaining reasons why he deserved a number.
13.1 Reasons I deserve a Robie Creek Number
1. Dial up connection just didn't cut it.
2. I take up little room on the bus.
3. I bring extra band-aids.
4. Last minute is fine with me, I mean really, training?
5. I will limit myself to one adult beverage at the Table of Temptation.
6. I will give the "fins to the left, fins to the right" sign when I pass the Jimmy Buffet aid station.
7. My feet have been bad, they deserve punishment.
8. I make people uncomfortable when I beg and plead at packet pick-up.
9. Leave only foot prints: I love to pick up discarded, empty, sticky Gu packets.
10. I really make it look like the toughest half marathon in the Northwest.
11. I make a mean dutch oven sailtoad soup.
12. I'm 35 but according to Dr. Oz my real age is 32 which, as we all know is the new 23, which is the length of time the Race to Robie Creek has been around.
13. 8.4 miles up hill sounds just right.
13.1 It's all about the .1.
If I decide to punish myself again next year I'm going to just skip registration day and put my writing skills to use. All this useless blogging has got to be good for something, right?!?! And Brad...I think I'll pass on the Sailtoad Soup but save one of those band-aids for me!
If you don't get a number on registration day there are certainly ways to find one. People get injured while training or their plans change so they sell their numbers on Craig's List, Ebay or The Robie Creek Forum. At the packet pick-up last night there were people trading numbers. There are also contests through radio stations or the newspaper.
The newspaper announced their essay contest winners today. To my surprise I know one of the "winners". Remember my first race? The 10K I ran with pneumonia and our friend Brad came back up to run with me? Well Brad had 13.1 entertaining reasons why he deserved a number.
13.1 Reasons I deserve a Robie Creek Number
1. Dial up connection just didn't cut it.
2. I take up little room on the bus.
3. I bring extra band-aids.
4. Last minute is fine with me, I mean really, training?
5. I will limit myself to one adult beverage at the Table of Temptation.
6. I will give the "fins to the left, fins to the right" sign when I pass the Jimmy Buffet aid station.
7. My feet have been bad, they deserve punishment.
8. I make people uncomfortable when I beg and plead at packet pick-up.
9. Leave only foot prints: I love to pick up discarded, empty, sticky Gu packets.
10. I really make it look like the toughest half marathon in the Northwest.
11. I make a mean dutch oven sailtoad soup.
12. I'm 35 but according to Dr. Oz my real age is 32 which, as we all know is the new 23, which is the length of time the Race to Robie Creek has been around.
13. 8.4 miles up hill sounds just right.
13.1 It's all about the .1.
If I decide to punish myself again next year I'm going to just skip registration day and put my writing skills to use. All this useless blogging has got to be good for something, right?!?! And Brad...I think I'll pass on the Sailtoad Soup but save one of those band-aids for me!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Race Week
I went for a 4 mile run yesterday morning. I got up at 7 AM. I am NOT a morning person. So it's surprising that I got up and went for a run. But I knew I wouldn't have time otherwise. And it was supposed to rain. I just did an easy greenbelt run. It's so strange not to run up a hill! I'll look forward to just running where I want and not according to a training plan. I'll do another run tomorrow and then rest on Friday.
The packet pick up was today so I got my number and Doug's bus pass. I'm really glad he will be there to see me finish. I know a few other people running but it will still be nice to have him there afterwards. There's a big party afterwards with baked potatoes, cookies and beer. All the obvious essential carbs!
The Race to Robie Creek is certainly one with a sense of humor. There's a theme each year and this year it is a Scottish theme. There were bag pipers playing tonight. The kids would have loved that but they were home with Daddy. We are encouraged to wear plaid with a small square handed out tonight. "Run Your Kilt Off" and "Let us Do or Die!" are the main war cries. There is always something intriguing planned for the start and it will be fun to see what they are doing this year.
The weather forecast for Saturday isn't great. Race details and information have been all over the news. I can't decide what will be best to wear for the race. Capris? Long pants? A running skirt? I probably won't decide until 9:39 AM Saturday morning.
I'm feeling excited, nervous, anxious and well excited...I think! My body seems to be preparing for the race too. All I've wanted to eat the last 2 days has been bread, bread and more bread. Tonight I stopped at the grocery store on my way home and just HAD to have donuts. I NEVER do that. And NOT at 10PM.
My Mom asked me the other day if I was eating okay. She's worried I'm too skinny and I'm going to waste away. I've actually gained a few pounds recently but I think most of it is muscle. I think most of it is in my calves. If you want to get some nice, shapely calves...go run up a few hills! I told her that there is NO WAY you can run these distances without eating well. And apparently not without eating a few donuts too!
The packet pick up was today so I got my number and Doug's bus pass. I'm really glad he will be there to see me finish. I know a few other people running but it will still be nice to have him there afterwards. There's a big party afterwards with baked potatoes, cookies and beer. All the obvious essential carbs!
The Race to Robie Creek is certainly one with a sense of humor. There's a theme each year and this year it is a Scottish theme. There were bag pipers playing tonight. The kids would have loved that but they were home with Daddy. We are encouraged to wear plaid with a small square handed out tonight. "Run Your Kilt Off" and "Let us Do or Die!" are the main war cries. There is always something intriguing planned for the start and it will be fun to see what they are doing this year.
The weather forecast for Saturday isn't great. Race details and information have been all over the news. I can't decide what will be best to wear for the race. Capris? Long pants? A running skirt? I probably won't decide until 9:39 AM Saturday morning.
I'm feeling excited, nervous, anxious and well excited...I think! My body seems to be preparing for the race too. All I've wanted to eat the last 2 days has been bread, bread and more bread. Tonight I stopped at the grocery store on my way home and just HAD to have donuts. I NEVER do that. And NOT at 10PM.
My Mom asked me the other day if I was eating okay. She's worried I'm too skinny and I'm going to waste away. I've actually gained a few pounds recently but I think most of it is muscle. I think most of it is in my calves. If you want to get some nice, shapely calves...go run up a few hills! I told her that there is NO WAY you can run these distances without eating well. And apparently not without eating a few donuts too!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Top of the World
Well at least the Top of the Robie World. I found the summit!!! But I kind of feel like I've cheated a little. I started at mile 4.5 (at the second cattle guard). The course was in better shape than I thought. There were some muddy spots but over all it wasn't nearly as bad as it was last week! I have heard that the back side is pretty slick and muddy and steep. Very steep. And Downhill.
It was a great 7 mile round trip run though. The weather was amazing. I was out there around noon and the temps were probably around 55 degrees with beautiful sunshine. Perfect running weather. The last mile uphill (mile 7 to 8 of the race) is going to suck. It's steep. Steeper than anything else on the course...except the downhill stretch I'm told. I don't honestly know if I'll be able to run that stretch. Especially after running 7 miles uphill. That last mile might kill me. But I'm pretty sure I can run the whole thing. I've done more than the length of the race and all of it on the course.
We took the kiddos to the park today. Fabulous weather. Amazing sunshine. 80 degrees. Perfection. Especially if you have sunscreen. What am I? 12? How could I forget to put sunscreen on? So my arms and my nose are a little crispy today. Nice.
I'm starting to get excited for Saturday. I'm starting to get nervous for Saturday. Either way it will be an adventure!
It was a great 7 mile round trip run though. The weather was amazing. I was out there around noon and the temps were probably around 55 degrees with beautiful sunshine. Perfect running weather. The last mile uphill (mile 7 to 8 of the race) is going to suck. It's steep. Steeper than anything else on the course...except the downhill stretch I'm told. I don't honestly know if I'll be able to run that stretch. Especially after running 7 miles uphill. That last mile might kill me. But I'm pretty sure I can run the whole thing. I've done more than the length of the race and all of it on the course.
We took the kiddos to the park today. Fabulous weather. Amazing sunshine. 80 degrees. Perfection. Especially if you have sunscreen. What am I? 12? How could I forget to put sunscreen on? So my arms and my nose are a little crispy today. Nice.
I'm starting to get excited for Saturday. I'm starting to get nervous for Saturday. Either way it will be an adventure!
Friday, April 11, 2008
An Easy Week
It seems strange to be taking it easy but I know that's what my body needs and what all the training info suggests. I had a much, much needed massage on Monday night. My neck and shoulders were a MESS. I had a tumble in the garage that didn't help the situation. Plus I think all of this running has been hard on them too. I've noticed it when I've been running uphill that I have some shoulder tightness and pain. I need to stretch that area more obviously.
So this week I've done my pilates a few times. I went to the gym the other night and did some cross training with some free weights and some time on the elliptical and the stationary bike. Last night I did the 2 mile run UP the hill behind the house. I really like running...but I am SICK to death of running up that freaking hill. It's steep, it's hard, it's tiring.
Otherwise my body seems to be holding up pretty well. I've got some pretty good calf muscles right now! I do have a bone in my foot that is bugging me a bit. I don't know if it's just the strain of all the training or if I stepped on it funny. I don't know if my stride is off or what the problem is. It's my right foot and it's kind of the big bone that leads to my big toe. It's more annoying than anything.
We've had some crappy weather this week but hopefully it is supposed to warm up this weekend and next week and hopefully dry out the road. As of right now the next week is supposed to be in the 60's and 70's and dry. Next Saturday is supposed to be partly cloudy and 58. It's hard to believe it would be that perfect! Either way I'm getting excited, I think!
Tomorrow I'll do a 7 mile run or so. Not too long, not too short. I'm amazed that anything under an hour I now think of as a short run!
So this week I've done my pilates a few times. I went to the gym the other night and did some cross training with some free weights and some time on the elliptical and the stationary bike. Last night I did the 2 mile run UP the hill behind the house. I really like running...but I am SICK to death of running up that freaking hill. It's steep, it's hard, it's tiring.
Otherwise my body seems to be holding up pretty well. I've got some pretty good calf muscles right now! I do have a bone in my foot that is bugging me a bit. I don't know if it's just the strain of all the training or if I stepped on it funny. I don't know if my stride is off or what the problem is. It's my right foot and it's kind of the big bone that leads to my big toe. It's more annoying than anything.
We've had some crappy weather this week but hopefully it is supposed to warm up this weekend and next week and hopefully dry out the road. As of right now the next week is supposed to be in the 60's and 70's and dry. Next Saturday is supposed to be partly cloudy and 58. It's hard to believe it would be that perfect! Either way I'm getting excited, I think!
Tomorrow I'll do a 7 mile run or so. Not too long, not too short. I'm amazed that anything under an hour I now think of as a short run!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Views of The Course
We took a nice little Sunday afternoon drive after church. We picked up some Sonic Breakfast Burritos and gave the kiddos some snacks in their traveling cups. Douglas had never been up Rocky Canyon Road which is the majority of the Race to Robie Creek course.
The course starts out in Boise. You go 3.5 miles up some pretty big hills and past some pretty cool houses. Then you head back into the foothills. Rocky Canyon Road is a dirt road that has, well, rocks and canyons. There is a really pretty mountain stream along most of the road. It's beautiful.
Rocky Canyon Road is the road that takes you to the Robie Creek area which is where the race ends. The end of the race actually isn't a very large area and it's one of the reasons the race has an entry cap. It's also a difficult to get a number for the race. It's one of the challenges of Robie Creek. There are only 800 or so spectators allowed at the Finish Line. Those people are brought in by bus. Douglas has a bus pass. If I'm going to do this crazy race, he's going to be there to rub my feet at the end!
We had fun driving up the course. We didn't make it all the way to the summit since it is pretty snowpacked up there and getting stuck wasn't really something we wanted to do with the kiddos. The kids were really funny though. As we were driving back down they started singing...
"Round da mowntan...YeeHAW!!!" Yes...Momma WILL be Coming Round the Mountain When She Comes! Yee Haw!!!
When I ran on Saturday I ran around this bend and up the hill. We stopped here because there wasn't a place to turn around. The kids really wanted to go make a snowman!
The course starts out in Boise. You go 3.5 miles up some pretty big hills and past some pretty cool houses. Then you head back into the foothills. Rocky Canyon Road is a dirt road that has, well, rocks and canyons. There is a really pretty mountain stream along most of the road. It's beautiful.
Rocky Canyon Road is the road that takes you to the Robie Creek area which is where the race ends. The end of the race actually isn't a very large area and it's one of the reasons the race has an entry cap. It's also a difficult to get a number for the race. It's one of the challenges of Robie Creek. There are only 800 or so spectators allowed at the Finish Line. Those people are brought in by bus. Douglas has a bus pass. If I'm going to do this crazy race, he's going to be there to rub my feet at the end!
We had fun driving up the course. We didn't make it all the way to the summit since it is pretty snowpacked up there and getting stuck wasn't really something we wanted to do with the kiddos. The kids were really funny though. As we were driving back down they started singing...
"Round da mowntan...YeeHAW!!!" Yes...Momma WILL be Coming Round the Mountain When She Comes! Yee Haw!!!
When I ran on Saturday I ran around this bend and up the hill. We stopped here because there wasn't a place to turn around. The kids really wanted to go make a snowman!
Feeling More Prepared
I'm feeling pretty good about the race. I know it will be really difficult. I know I'll hurt. I know that there will be times during the race that I'll wonder if I can make it or not. But I know I can go the distance. I did MORE than the distance on Saturday. I felt really good. Well not afterwards so much but better than I had the week before. A LOT better than the week before.
I felt stronger this time, more confidant and more prepared. I would have gone a little bit longer but I didn't want to hurt myself. Not because I was tired. Because I didn't want to break my leg on the ice pack. So I ran up 6.8 miles and ran back. 13.6 miles. Half a mile more than the distance of the race.
I'm still concerned because I have never made it to the summit. I haven't gotten any kind of glimpse as to what the backside holds. And I've heard it's steep. Very steep. One of our neighbors said the first year she ran she lost 4 toenails because of the pressure of her feet hitting her shoes. Ouch. I kind of like my toenails.
I only had one pack of Gu and I'll need more for the race. One was not enough. Fortunately on the run back down there was a station set up with Gatorade about 3.5 miles before the end of my run. I needed it too. There is a big mean hill on the run back (which won't actually be part of the race because you don't run back down the way you come up). By then I was just beat. But I kept running. And that's exactly what I'll do in 10 days. Keep running.
I felt stronger this time, more confidant and more prepared. I would have gone a little bit longer but I didn't want to hurt myself. Not because I was tired. Because I didn't want to break my leg on the ice pack. So I ran up 6.8 miles and ran back. 13.6 miles. Half a mile more than the distance of the race.
I'm still concerned because I have never made it to the summit. I haven't gotten any kind of glimpse as to what the backside holds. And I've heard it's steep. Very steep. One of our neighbors said the first year she ran she lost 4 toenails because of the pressure of her feet hitting her shoes. Ouch. I kind of like my toenails.
I only had one pack of Gu and I'll need more for the race. One was not enough. Fortunately on the run back down there was a station set up with Gatorade about 3.5 miles before the end of my run. I needed it too. There is a big mean hill on the run back (which won't actually be part of the race because you don't run back down the way you come up). By then I was just beat. But I kept running. And that's exactly what I'll do in 10 days. Keep running.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Besting the Beast
Well after my tirade on Wednesday when I was so cranky I kind of got it out of my system and have had a couple of better days.
On Thursday the weather was beautiful. I went for a nice long run after Douglas got home (he was working for a company at their site yesterday). I was determined to run up that hill faster than 2 miles in 45 minutes...and I did. It took me 31 minutes. It killed me. But I did it and I'm feeling MUCH better about that! I'm not sure what I did on Tuesday. It's not like I stopped for an ice cream sundae part of the way up there but I obviously was not working hard enough.
Well once I got up there I decided to run down across another trail. The scenery was beautiful. The weather was gorgeous. The trail was long and steep. It was a bit longer than I thought. And a bit more narrow! There were some spots that were little more than the width of a bike tire (these trails are often used for mountain biking). Others seemed like a cow path. Some parts were so steep and rocky that I had to walk DOWN them. But it was really amazing up in the Foothills.
There were some neat old foundations of houses where people had planted trees and cleared flat lands. I was trying to imagine how this area must have looked when settlers first arrived here. And how difficult their lives must have been. I can't imagine how hard it would have been to have had triplets in 1850!
On Thursday the weather was beautiful. I went for a nice long run after Douglas got home (he was working for a company at their site yesterday). I was determined to run up that hill faster than 2 miles in 45 minutes...and I did. It took me 31 minutes. It killed me. But I did it and I'm feeling MUCH better about that! I'm not sure what I did on Tuesday. It's not like I stopped for an ice cream sundae part of the way up there but I obviously was not working hard enough.
Well once I got up there I decided to run down across another trail. The scenery was beautiful. The weather was gorgeous. The trail was long and steep. It was a bit longer than I thought. And a bit more narrow! There were some spots that were little more than the width of a bike tire (these trails are often used for mountain biking). Others seemed like a cow path. Some parts were so steep and rocky that I had to walk DOWN them. But it was really amazing up in the Foothills.
There were some neat old foundations of houses where people had planted trees and cleared flat lands. I was trying to imagine how this area must have looked when settlers first arrived here. And how difficult their lives must have been. I can't imagine how hard it would have been to have had triplets in 1850!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
In a Mood
I'm still pissed that the stupid hill is only 2 miles up even though I ran so hard and it seemed a lot longer than that.
I'm sad for Erica, my sister-in-law, because she's going through a rough time right now and she shouldn't have too be going through this crap.
I'm sad because Jake the farm dog died.
I'm pissed that neither of my sisters could call and actually tell me this. I must be chopped liver this week.
I'm frustrated with myself because I get so annoyed with the kiddos. They are only 2 and it's hard to remember that sometimes. For all of us.
I'm lonely because my hubby is either working all the time or studying all the time.
Other than that it was an okay day. The sun was shining. I was happy about that today.
I'm sad for Erica, my sister-in-law, because she's going through a rough time right now and she shouldn't have too be going through this crap.
I'm sad because Jake the farm dog died.
I'm pissed that neither of my sisters could call and actually tell me this. I must be chopped liver this week.
I'm frustrated with myself because I get so annoyed with the kiddos. They are only 2 and it's hard to remember that sometimes. For all of us.
I'm lonely because my hubby is either working all the time or studying all the time.
Other than that it was an okay day. The sun was shining. I was happy about that today.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Joke's On Me
Well finally the weather feels like spring today!!! It must have been in the mid 50's and I wore my flip flops out this evening. It just makes me feel so excited about all of the things going on this month! And there is a LOT!!!
Douglas has his test next Friday, our anniversary is this month and Robie Creek! Lots of stuff going on this month! Plus warmer weather and the chance to use my flip flops!!!
Since it was so nice outside today I decided to go for a run. I had originally planned to go to the community center but it was just too nice out! So I headed up Lucky Peak. It's officially open now so I can just wave at the Game Warden instead of worrying about seeing him!
That is one steep hill. I can run a lot longer up there than I used to be able to but I still have to walk some of it. I always make myself run the steep parts though and walk the flat parts. But it's mostly uphill.
I ran/hiked (can't really call it walking!) for 45 minutes. I even found a THIRD gate! There is one gate at the beginning of the trail, another about a mile up and a third one a LONG ways up. It's a very winding trail up there. I just kept going and going trying to see what is around each bend.
I just checked out the website for the trail system in the foothills. Amazingly the trail I did today is only a little over TWO miles. TWO MILES?!?!?! It takes me FOREVER to get up those TWO MILES. There is a vertical climb of 1000 FEET over those TWO miles so that makes me feel a bit better. It is one of the more challenging trails in the Boise area according to the website. Either way it makes me legs sore!
So I feel like I'm NEVER going to make it to the top of Lucky Peak. It looks so close but as you get to the end of the next bend it seems like it is even further away. It's like a big mean April Fool's Prank. I keep running and running and I feel like I will NEVER make it to the top of that stupid mountain. But it was a good run even if I never make it more than two miles.
Douglas has his test next Friday, our anniversary is this month and Robie Creek! Lots of stuff going on this month! Plus warmer weather and the chance to use my flip flops!!!
Since it was so nice outside today I decided to go for a run. I had originally planned to go to the community center but it was just too nice out! So I headed up Lucky Peak. It's officially open now so I can just wave at the Game Warden instead of worrying about seeing him!
That is one steep hill. I can run a lot longer up there than I used to be able to but I still have to walk some of it. I always make myself run the steep parts though and walk the flat parts. But it's mostly uphill.
I ran/hiked (can't really call it walking!) for 45 minutes. I even found a THIRD gate! There is one gate at the beginning of the trail, another about a mile up and a third one a LONG ways up. It's a very winding trail up there. I just kept going and going trying to see what is around each bend.
I just checked out the website for the trail system in the foothills. Amazingly the trail I did today is only a little over TWO miles. TWO MILES?!?!?! It takes me FOREVER to get up those TWO MILES. There is a vertical climb of 1000 FEET over those TWO miles so that makes me feel a bit better. It is one of the more challenging trails in the Boise area according to the website. Either way it makes me legs sore!
So I feel like I'm NEVER going to make it to the top of Lucky Peak. It looks so close but as you get to the end of the next bend it seems like it is even further away. It's like a big mean April Fool's Prank. I keep running and running and I feel like I will NEVER make it to the top of that stupid mountain. But it was a good run even if I never make it more than two miles.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Out Foxed
So I've pretty much only talked about running on here lately. That's kind of because that's all I've been doing lately it seems! Well I've been trying to get some new pictures for the Prairie West website. I'd like to update it seasonally but well...it hasn't been very Spring like here lately.
Fortunately for me there has been a bunch of construction going on right in our backyard. Literally. Across the field in our backyard they are putting in a new road that for the development and there will eventually be some new houses. Also just across Warm Springs Ave. construction has started on what will eventually be East Junior High. This has given me plenty of material to photograph for the website. I'm just waiting for a bit more blue sky.
There was a little bit of blue sky on Sunday afternoon so after our delicious family ham dinner we walked across the field and I got busy taking some pictures. I ventured across Warm Springs and into the East construction site. There was no one there so I wandered around taking some pictures.
As I snapped a picture...something MOVED when I took it. Shocked, I looked up from my viewfinder and no less than 10 feet away was...
... a FOX! I've never been that close to a fox before. I did not have my zoom on at all. He was that close to me. He just stood there and looked at me for a while. Then he walked around to the other side. So did I. He stared at me a while longer.
I LOVE this shot. He just looks like he's enjoying the day and sunning himself.
Then he decided it was time to move on.
So off he went.
You never know what you are going to find when you do a photo shoot in Idaho. That was such an amazing experience and so rare to be so close and get so many shots. I was all smiles when I came back. And I even got some decent construction shots too!
Fortunately for me there has been a bunch of construction going on right in our backyard. Literally. Across the field in our backyard they are putting in a new road that for the development and there will eventually be some new houses. Also just across Warm Springs Ave. construction has started on what will eventually be East Junior High. This has given me plenty of material to photograph for the website. I'm just waiting for a bit more blue sky.
There was a little bit of blue sky on Sunday afternoon so after our delicious family ham dinner we walked across the field and I got busy taking some pictures. I ventured across Warm Springs and into the East construction site. There was no one there so I wandered around taking some pictures.
As I snapped a picture...something MOVED when I took it. Shocked, I looked up from my viewfinder and no less than 10 feet away was...
... a FOX! I've never been that close to a fox before. I did not have my zoom on at all. He was that close to me. He just stood there and looked at me for a while. Then he walked around to the other side. So did I. He stared at me a while longer.
Then he trotted across the site. Maybe another 50 yards away. I'm terrible at guessing distances. I followed him.
He walked underneath this grader and I continued to follow him.
He stopped over here and I walked closer.
And he sat down to do a little grooming.
I LOVE this shot. He just looks like he's enjoying the day and sunning himself.
Then he decided it was time to move on.
So off he went.
You never know what you are going to find when you do a photo shoot in Idaho. That was such an amazing experience and so rare to be so close and get so many shots. I was all smiles when I came back. And I even got some decent construction shots too!
Snow Again
There was SEVEN inches at Bogus Basin overnight last night. Which means there was at least 5 new inches on top of Robie. It's never going to melt up there. I might as well just pack a sled on my back and slide down the backside!!! I wonder what that will do to my time???
I'm tired a bit yet today and still sore in my joints some. I'm blaming that on all of the bone jarring downhill running. My muscles are the ones powering me uphill and those are all doing pretty well. I did my Pilates stretching this morning and that really helps me out.
I took the kids to our group therapy today. They had a great time playing and it gives me a chance to visit with the other moms. Well one of the other moms there runs Robie...but she doesn't just run it. She wins it. Has won it several times. She holds the women's record (something like 1 hour and 28 minutes). She can probably run it backwards faster than I can run it at all. She's really nice though and it was fun to talk with someone about the race.
I'm tired a bit yet today and still sore in my joints some. I'm blaming that on all of the bone jarring downhill running. My muscles are the ones powering me uphill and those are all doing pretty well. I did my Pilates stretching this morning and that really helps me out.
I took the kids to our group therapy today. They had a great time playing and it gives me a chance to visit with the other moms. Well one of the other moms there runs Robie...but she doesn't just run it. She wins it. Has won it several times. She holds the women's record (something like 1 hour and 28 minutes). She can probably run it backwards faster than I can run it at all. She's really nice though and it was fun to talk with someone about the race.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The View From the Top
Looks like fun at the Summit, doesn't it?!?!?! That's a lot of snow. Think it will melt in less than 3 weeks?!?!?! Looks fun up there. Will someone please remind me why this is fun?!?!?!
I slept pretty well last night. I did wake up at 3:30 AM. I never wake up at night. I woke up DRENCHED. I was freezing and all sweaty and soaked. I put on new pj's and my old ones were still wet this morning. I guess my body was just adjusting to all the water I drank on Saturday after my run.
I was tired today. I can't imagine why. I was pretty slow and felt like I'd had one too many drinks on a Saturday night. Which I had not. I also had a headache. I took a nice nap this afternoon. That really helped and tonight I feel so much better. Just not quite good enough to run 12 miles again yet!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Thank Goodness for Gu!
The weatherman LIED to me. They said today was supposed to be rainy and crappy. When I woke up this morning...
BLUE SKY AND SUNSHINE!!!
And of course they were saying that Sunday was supposed to be rainy and crappy. So I changed my plans. I decided to do my big run today. I built a lovely new playlist for my iPod, grabbed my water, Gatorade and stopped by a local running store to pick up a water bottle holder. While I was there I grabbed a couple packets of GU. I have read that this Gu stuff is great for long runs.
I started where I had run last Saturday beginning at Fort Boise Park and heading up the Robie Creek course. My goal was to do 12+ miles. I started out pretty good. It's pretty steep going. Lots and lots of uphill.
I really struggled around mile 3.5 - 4.5. I honestly didn't know how I was going to make it. I popped my first round of Gu around mile 4.5. It's not the best stuff. I don't know how to describe it besides saying it's, well, Gu. It's thicker than liquid jello, probably more like pudding. But it works. Within 5 minutes I could tell my energy level had definitely increased.
This was without a doubt the toughest run I've done. When I started the temp was probably around 40 degrees. I had several layers on which was good since I kept getting cold and hot, hot and cold.
The road goes through beautiful canyons. There is an amazing mountain stream along most of the route. The road winds and bends through the Canyons. Some stretches I was cooking and the next I was freezing. I kept taking my gloves, hat and jacket off then putting them back on.
You know you have made quite an elevation change when your ears pop. As I kept running up the temp kept going down. My first 2 miles I was angry with myself for bringing my jacket and now I was so grateful I had kept it with me. And yet there were people running in shorts and tank tops. I'm crazy. But I'm not THAT crazy.
As I kept running I reached the snow line. There wasn't actually snow on the road. It was actually pretty muddy and eventually a bit icy. I ran for 1 hour and 10 minutes which was a little over 6 miles before I turned around and headed BACK the way I had just come.
Going down is tough. It seems like it should be easy but it's really not. Your body is already tired and you are going faster than you go on the way up. Well at least I do! There is extra force on your joints with the increase in speed. Also you have to really watch your footing for ice, rocks and holes. It would be pretty easy to turn an ankle. But it does go more quickly than going up.
I had my second packet of Gu with about 3 miles to go. There is a big hill that I thought might break me but I made it. Thank goodness for that Gu! Then it was another couple miles down hill and the end came into view. My total time was 2 hours and 13 minutes. And I ran all but a few minutes of that. I'm not coordinated enough to have my Gu while I am running!
I stretched and then drove back home. I ate PB & Banana sandwich, stretched some more and took a much needed bath...and then a nap. I'm pretty stiff and sore tonight but that will pass. Now I know I can do this. It won't be easy. It won't be fast. But God willing I'll finish.
I plan to take it easier this week. I was really hating that I had done 5 miles on Friday (which was probably one of the main reasons why I had such a hard time with my run today). Last week I did weights, the stationary bike and the elliptical machine on Tues. and Thurs. pretty hard for about 45 minutes. Then on Wed. I did 7 miles, another 5 miles on Fri combined with 12 today. That's 24 miles without adding in the 9 miles I did LAST Saturday. They've all been hard miles too. Lots of uphill miles. I'll keeping working just not as hard this week.
BLUE SKY AND SUNSHINE!!!
And of course they were saying that Sunday was supposed to be rainy and crappy. So I changed my plans. I decided to do my big run today. I built a lovely new playlist for my iPod, grabbed my water, Gatorade and stopped by a local running store to pick up a water bottle holder. While I was there I grabbed a couple packets of GU. I have read that this Gu stuff is great for long runs.
I started where I had run last Saturday beginning at Fort Boise Park and heading up the Robie Creek course. My goal was to do 12+ miles. I started out pretty good. It's pretty steep going. Lots and lots of uphill.
I really struggled around mile 3.5 - 4.5. I honestly didn't know how I was going to make it. I popped my first round of Gu around mile 4.5. It's not the best stuff. I don't know how to describe it besides saying it's, well, Gu. It's thicker than liquid jello, probably more like pudding. But it works. Within 5 minutes I could tell my energy level had definitely increased.
This was without a doubt the toughest run I've done. When I started the temp was probably around 40 degrees. I had several layers on which was good since I kept getting cold and hot, hot and cold.
The road goes through beautiful canyons. There is an amazing mountain stream along most of the route. The road winds and bends through the Canyons. Some stretches I was cooking and the next I was freezing. I kept taking my gloves, hat and jacket off then putting them back on.
You know you have made quite an elevation change when your ears pop. As I kept running up the temp kept going down. My first 2 miles I was angry with myself for bringing my jacket and now I was so grateful I had kept it with me. And yet there were people running in shorts and tank tops. I'm crazy. But I'm not THAT crazy.
As I kept running I reached the snow line. There wasn't actually snow on the road. It was actually pretty muddy and eventually a bit icy. I ran for 1 hour and 10 minutes which was a little over 6 miles before I turned around and headed BACK the way I had just come.
Going down is tough. It seems like it should be easy but it's really not. Your body is already tired and you are going faster than you go on the way up. Well at least I do! There is extra force on your joints with the increase in speed. Also you have to really watch your footing for ice, rocks and holes. It would be pretty easy to turn an ankle. But it does go more quickly than going up.
I had my second packet of Gu with about 3 miles to go. There is a big hill that I thought might break me but I made it. Thank goodness for that Gu! Then it was another couple miles down hill and the end came into view. My total time was 2 hours and 13 minutes. And I ran all but a few minutes of that. I'm not coordinated enough to have my Gu while I am running!
I stretched and then drove back home. I ate PB & Banana sandwich, stretched some more and took a much needed bath...and then a nap. I'm pretty stiff and sore tonight but that will pass. Now I know I can do this. It won't be easy. It won't be fast. But God willing I'll finish.
I plan to take it easier this week. I was really hating that I had done 5 miles on Friday (which was probably one of the main reasons why I had such a hard time with my run today). Last week I did weights, the stationary bike and the elliptical machine on Tues. and Thurs. pretty hard for about 45 minutes. Then on Wed. I did 7 miles, another 5 miles on Fri combined with 12 today. That's 24 miles without adding in the 9 miles I did LAST Saturday. They've all been hard miles too. Lots of uphill miles. I'll keeping working just not as hard this week.
A Friday Recap
So Friday late afternoon I went for a 5 mile run. I started running up Lucky Peak but was stopped by the pesky Game Warden. Officially the trails don't open until April 1st. I've just been climbing over the gates and fences. They keep adding barbed wire but it hasn't kept me (or anyone else) out either.
So I turned around and ran back down to Warm Springs and turned right back around again. I headed back up Lucky Peak since my buddy the Game Warden had left. I figured he wasn't going to come back on Friday at 4:30...and I was right. I doubt he would have been too thrilled with kicking my butt off the trail a second time. But really for a short run there isn't a better place to train. I could see if I was driving a big ole mountain bike up there or an 4-wheeler. And I don't even like running up there when it's muddy so I'm not hurting anyone. I run right past the deer and they just lift their heads and watch me go by. Is that enough justification for breaking the rules?
Douglas and I also got a rare date night in last night. It was great to be out together. We grabbed a quick dinner and an early movie. It was nice to spend some time together. I'm so glad it was spring break this week. It really helped to have Sarah and Jana out to help out with the kiddos a little bit so I could get some extra things done around the house and get some quality time with my hubby. He deserved a break too. He's been studying so much. He studies, I run. We are a pretty boring pair. Good thing we like being boring together.
So I turned around and ran back down to Warm Springs and turned right back around again. I headed back up Lucky Peak since my buddy the Game Warden had left. I figured he wasn't going to come back on Friday at 4:30...and I was right. I doubt he would have been too thrilled with kicking my butt off the trail a second time. But really for a short run there isn't a better place to train. I could see if I was driving a big ole mountain bike up there or an 4-wheeler. And I don't even like running up there when it's muddy so I'm not hurting anyone. I run right past the deer and they just lift their heads and watch me go by. Is that enough justification for breaking the rules?
Douglas and I also got a rare date night in last night. It was great to be out together. We grabbed a quick dinner and an early movie. It was nice to spend some time together. I'm so glad it was spring break this week. It really helped to have Sarah and Jana out to help out with the kiddos a little bit so I could get some extra things done around the house and get some quality time with my hubby. He deserved a break too. He's been studying so much. He studies, I run. We are a pretty boring pair. Good thing we like being boring together.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Musical Motivation
My parents gave me a really cool iPod for Christmas. I've had so much fun playing with it. I love music and it's a great way for me to escape. Especially on long runs by myself. Songs can certainly motivate me to keep running or to pick up the pace.
I'm gearing up for my last long run before the race. Robie is 3 weeks from Saturday and I'm planning to do a 12-13 mile run on Sunday. I usually try to do my long runs on Saturday so I can take Sunday off from running but we have an 80% chance of rain for tomorrow. So Sunday it will be this week.
I have several playlists for running but lately it seems like they are all the same. For running I love listening to anything by The Killers, Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake. I also have Melissa Ethridge's "I Run for Life" on ALL of my playlists.
My friend Michelle, a local triplet mom and aspiring runner, was also talking about needing some good running music. I need to find some new music motivation. So what are your favorite running tunes? What should I be looking for on iTunes this week? What inspires you?
I'm gearing up for my last long run before the race. Robie is 3 weeks from Saturday and I'm planning to do a 12-13 mile run on Sunday. I usually try to do my long runs on Saturday so I can take Sunday off from running but we have an 80% chance of rain for tomorrow. So Sunday it will be this week.
I have several playlists for running but lately it seems like they are all the same. For running I love listening to anything by The Killers, Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake. I also have Melissa Ethridge's "I Run for Life" on ALL of my playlists.
My friend Michelle, a local triplet mom and aspiring runner, was also talking about needing some good running music. I need to find some new music motivation. So what are your favorite running tunes? What should I be looking for on iTunes this week? What inspires you?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Be Careful What You Wish For
Well...the rain went away. Technically. It turned into sleet and then ice pellets and then snow. So I guess it wasn't raining. But eventually it did go away and the sun came out for a while this evening.
I went for a nice little run although it was pretty cold out. Tonight I ran up towards the golf course until I hit the stop light at The Mesa (which is a neighborhood that sits up in the foothills). It's a pretty good climb up into the housing area and pretty steep too. Then I ran up and down through the houses and came back down the hill on the other side and then back home. It was probably about a 7 mile run.
I'm pretty impressed with myself at this point that anywhere from a 5 to a 7 mile run is a pretty normal run. Anything under 5 miles now seems short. I would have never thought I could do this. Now I just have to go soak in my fabulous tub and warm up! It was a bit cold on the way back!
I went for a nice little run although it was pretty cold out. Tonight I ran up towards the golf course until I hit the stop light at The Mesa (which is a neighborhood that sits up in the foothills). It's a pretty good climb up into the housing area and pretty steep too. Then I ran up and down through the houses and came back down the hill on the other side and then back home. It was probably about a 7 mile run.
I'm pretty impressed with myself at this point that anywhere from a 5 to a 7 mile run is a pretty normal run. Anything under 5 miles now seems short. I would have never thought I could do this. Now I just have to go soak in my fabulous tub and warm up! It was a bit cold on the way back!
Rain, Rain Go Away
And don't come back another day! I'm tired of the rain. It makes it so hard to get motivated to train. I need to keep training. This is coming fast. I'm not feeling prepared. I go from one day feeling like I can do this to another day feeling like no way am I going to make it past the first 5 miles.
It's been raining and yucky the last few days. And yes. I could go over and run on the dreaded treadmill but that's no fun. I like to run outside. It's so much more fun to run outside. There was a great little bit of sunshine last night. Of course last night was Doug's class.
I'll be SO happy when his Professional Engineering test is over. HE will be even happier. He has been studying so hard and I'm so proud of him. It's been a lot of work on top of trying to start a new business and have 3 very active toddlers. Plus we both feel like we are trying to schedule around each other to get anything done.
Yesterday we had a nice time together meeting with the accountant and heading to the office supply store. Fun stuff but it was really nice to do these things together. And NOT have to be battling the trio while you determine the finer points of which sticky notes to purchase. Important details. We also had a fantastic lunch together at P.F. Changs. It was also great to eat together, have a conversation and not referee crayons or crackers.
So the only thing that feels very springy about Spring Break is the extra help I've been getting!!!
It's been raining and yucky the last few days. And yes. I could go over and run on the dreaded treadmill but that's no fun. I like to run outside. It's so much more fun to run outside. There was a great little bit of sunshine last night. Of course last night was Doug's class.
I'll be SO happy when his Professional Engineering test is over. HE will be even happier. He has been studying so hard and I'm so proud of him. It's been a lot of work on top of trying to start a new business and have 3 very active toddlers. Plus we both feel like we are trying to schedule around each other to get anything done.
Yesterday we had a nice time together meeting with the accountant and heading to the office supply store. Fun stuff but it was really nice to do these things together. And NOT have to be battling the trio while you determine the finer points of which sticky notes to purchase. Important details. We also had a fantastic lunch together at P.F. Changs. It was also great to eat together, have a conversation and not referee crayons or crackers.
So the only thing that feels very springy about Spring Break is the extra help I've been getting!!!
Monday, March 24, 2008
First Trip Up
When I ran the 10K a few weeks ago I visited with several other people before and after the race. I was talking to a group of ladies and asked them what their best advice was for running Robie Creek. The main things I learned was...
*Wear Layers during the Race
*Run Hills for Training
*Run the Course
Run The Course. Why hadn't I thought of that?!?!?! Running the course would give me a really good idea of what to expect. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.
So Saturday I parked at the beginning and ran the first 4.5 miles of the course. It went really well. I hit a great groove about mile 2.5 and while this was an uphill climb I was pleased with how it went. Then I turned around and ran back down the course so the whole thing was about 9 miles. I was very pleased with how I felt during my run and afterwards.
Now I just need to park part of the way in and try to hit the summit. That could prove to be a little bit difficult considering it's covered in snow. They are actually plowing the trail up there. I don't know why I'm surprised that the summit is covered with snow. It's close to the same elevation as Bogus Basin (our local ski hill) and there are plenty of people still skiing up there. Hopefully the snow is gone in 26 days. Maybe I can just bring a sled along and slide down the hill for the last 4 miles of the race!
*Wear Layers during the Race
*Run Hills for Training
*Run the Course
Run The Course. Why hadn't I thought of that?!?!?! Running the course would give me a really good idea of what to expect. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.
So Saturday I parked at the beginning and ran the first 4.5 miles of the course. It went really well. I hit a great groove about mile 2.5 and while this was an uphill climb I was pleased with how it went. Then I turned around and ran back down the course so the whole thing was about 9 miles. I was very pleased with how I felt during my run and afterwards.
Now I just need to park part of the way in and try to hit the summit. That could prove to be a little bit difficult considering it's covered in snow. They are actually plowing the trail up there. I don't know why I'm surprised that the summit is covered with snow. It's close to the same elevation as Bogus Basin (our local ski hill) and there are plenty of people still skiing up there. Hopefully the snow is gone in 26 days. Maybe I can just bring a sled along and slide down the hill for the last 4 miles of the race!
Easter Shoes
As a kid we often got a new dress and new shoes for Easter. It's kind of a Spring thing. I went out this weekend looking for an Easter dress. It's been a while since I've gotten a new one and most of my old ones don't fit me anymore. I tried on lots and lots of dresses. I found one I REALLY liked at Macy's. Naturally it was about 3 times what I wanted to spend. It was so cute though and fit me perfectly.
Feeling frustrated I stopped into a running store downtown to get a new water holder thing for my long runs. As I was wandering around the store I started looking at the shoes. Lovely, beautiful new shoes. I've had my current shoes for almost a year and they have quite a few miles on them now.
The sales lady told me they had a new fun toy and asked if I would like to be the guinea pig. So they put me on the treadmill and started recording my stride with a video camera. Afterwards they did an analysis of my stride and gave me some pointers. It was pretty neat stuff.
Afterwards I tried on about 20 pairs of shoes. I jumped back on the treadmill with probably 5 different pair. Some didn't have a high enough arch for my foot. Others were too narrow in the toe box. One pair hit the back of my heal and had too much slippage (I have really narrow heals, thin bony feet but they are wider across the front).
My current pair of shoes has been bugging me on my front left foot and my pinkie toe has been feeling a bit pinched. Not fun. We tried on several pair and I finally settled on a Saucony pair that is a half size larger than my current shoe. My current shoe is a Saucony and when I tried on the IDENTICAL shoe in a half size larger it was SO much bigger but somehow this other shoe in the half size larger worked just fine.
So I did get some new Easter shoes. Just not the kind I will wear from church. I dug out an outfit from the back of the closet and it was just fine. I'll get a lot more use out of these Easter shoes than I would have gotten out of a new dress anyway.
Feeling frustrated I stopped into a running store downtown to get a new water holder thing for my long runs. As I was wandering around the store I started looking at the shoes. Lovely, beautiful new shoes. I've had my current shoes for almost a year and they have quite a few miles on them now.
The sales lady told me they had a new fun toy and asked if I would like to be the guinea pig. So they put me on the treadmill and started recording my stride with a video camera. Afterwards they did an analysis of my stride and gave me some pointers. It was pretty neat stuff.
Afterwards I tried on about 20 pairs of shoes. I jumped back on the treadmill with probably 5 different pair. Some didn't have a high enough arch for my foot. Others were too narrow in the toe box. One pair hit the back of my heal and had too much slippage (I have really narrow heals, thin bony feet but they are wider across the front).
My current pair of shoes has been bugging me on my front left foot and my pinkie toe has been feeling a bit pinched. Not fun. We tried on several pair and I finally settled on a Saucony pair that is a half size larger than my current shoe. My current shoe is a Saucony and when I tried on the IDENTICAL shoe in a half size larger it was SO much bigger but somehow this other shoe in the half size larger worked just fine.
So I did get some new Easter shoes. Just not the kind I will wear from church. I dug out an outfit from the back of the closet and it was just fine. I'll get a lot more use out of these Easter shoes than I would have gotten out of a new dress anyway.
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