How is it 2013?

Where have I been?  Living life.  Trying to savor each day as its own.  I end up rarely sitting down at my home computer. (I've already been called away fifteen times just to write this post.) 2011 was the last time I posted and it is almost a distant memory.  2012 had its highlights with only a few lowlights, at least that I can remember, so I'll just go from there.  Then we'll see if I can keep posting on a more regular basis.

• Drove my mom up to MD to meet my sister's newest baby Sloane.  I can't remember the last time I shared a hotel room with one of my parents.
• Ran the Uwharrie Mountain 20 miler for the second time.  Took almost an hour off my finishing time in 2011.  Plus I ran the whole course solo.
• Adrian had back surgery to resolve a herniated disk and bone spurs in his lower back.
• Nick turned 7 and all he wanted was his two front teeth.  And a baseball theme birthday party.  He watched "Sandlot" and had pizza and ice cream cake.
• Attempted (and failed) to break 2 hours in the half marathon, twice.  Stupid heat and humidity in the South.
• Said good bye to the Age 30-34 age bracket by running around the hideous campus of UNC with some of my greatest running friends.  (Go Pack!)
• Went to Central NY to see Adrian's family.  Day trips to the Syracuse Zoo, lower Adirondacks, National Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Celebrated Adrian's 40th birthday.  My attempts to throw a huge celebration were completely shot down.  Instead we went to Adventure Landing as a family to play laser tag and miniature golf.  We let him win at everything.
• Ran the Blue Ridge Relay again.  With the hangover, sleep deprivation, and constantly biting my tongue, I don't think I'll run it again.  It's hard for this wallflower to be "on" for 4 days.
• Travis turned 5.  GranDebbie came to visit.  He scored some action figures, a new guitar with a case and picks.  It was his "best birthday ever".
• Ran the Triple Lakes 40 miler, my second ultramarathon.  It took forever.  And I would definitely run that course again.  It's a beautiful set of trails in Bur Mil Park outside Greensboro.
• Ran about half of the Shut In Ridge trail race.  I was not fully recovered from my ultra and didn't fuel adequately for the mountains.  It was still a great trip to Asheville and I will attempt it again.
• Went to Central NY for Thanksgiving.  We explored for a day in Ithaca, saw family, crashed the local run club's turkey trot.  Took an alternate way back to also visit W-S before returning home.
• Christmas Eve tradition is at home with a big dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, and crescent rolls.  Santa was good to everyone.
• Our friend Jared got married in Chapel Hill.  The boys had a blast dancing with the flower girls all night long.
• New Year's Eve was done at home.  Travis made it to 9 pm.  Nick had a bet that he could stay awake.  He was snoring at 11:30 so I let him sleep until 11:55 so he wouldn't miss the countdown.  Then we all slept until after 10 am on New Year's Day.

I think that comes as close as we can get to caught up.  If I get a chance (ha!) I will come back with more details and photos on some of the bullet points.

Running Boston

I am deep into marathon training for the Tobacco Roads Marathon on March 20.  I found out earlier this week that I will also be running the Boston Marathon on April 18.  I received this great opportunity through a charity that is very important to my family.  Please check out my new running blog to learn more about how you can support me and the Rett Syndrome Association of MA, and follow my training and fundraising updates.

A Test of Endurance

On November 1, 2010 I sat down at my computer at precisely 7:57 am to log on to Active.com.  And then I waited until 8 am on the nose.  The link to register was live.  I clicked it, my personal data and payment method pre-populated on the forms.  I selected my option and 'bing!' I was in. 
The Uwharrie Mountain Run has become extremely popular and sells out within minutes.  It's held in the Uwharrie National Forest which is somewhere in the middle of NC near Troy and Asheboro.  They must limit the amount of runners on the trail.  Some people call it a bucket list race.  There is an 8 mile, 20 mile, and 40 mile option.  8 miles just did not seem like enough for me.  With no intermediate option I had to select the 20 mile race.  This would take me from point to point on the course.  The 40 mile is out and back.  Here is the elevation profile.  It looks fun, doesn't it?  Up and down, up and down.  There couldn't be a better way to spend a day in February.

As follows are photos and excerpts from my official race report.  It rained for probably 36 hours leading up to the start of the race, literally. 

Loading up the car at 3:30 am for the trip.

Self portrait - waiting in the car before race check-in.

The lake waiting outside the car door.

I ran the race with Danny from my Y running group.  We've done a couple training runs and track workouts together.  Our paces are fairly well matched.

After a 30 minute delay due to shuttle bus issues, the 20 mile race started.  Danny and I had plans to conserve energy: walk hills, run the flats and downhills.  It was a smart plan to survive the expected terrain of lots of mud and swollen creeks.

We got to the 8 mile finish/aid station in very good spirits.  Our support team, my long run training partner Steve and friend and race volunteer Jessi, were there cheering and snapping pictures.  Smile for the paparazzi!  Note, in trail races pretty much everyone stops at aid stations.  It's the norm.

The next section had a fallen tree to play the role of a bridge.  With my fear of heights and serious lack of balance, I babystepped across it.  I strongly considered sitting down and scooting across.  We soldiered on to the next aid station.  There were always fabulous snacks, drinks, and people.  Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Heed, water, cookies, trail mix, fruit, you name it - they had it. 

One memorable stream (of the dozens) had to be more than 10 feet wide and 2 feet deep.  We savored it like a mid-race ice bath.  It felt great on my ankle and calves.  The next couple miles were straight up.  No switch backs.  Just a slow, slow climb up a rocky mountain. 

My lower back hurt A LOT.  I look so happy at mile 17.5.

We got to the last aid station of the race after mile 17.  My friend Steve joined to get us to the finish line.  He took more pictures while we struggled through the last miles.  The mud never stopped.  It sucks your foot in and the last reserves of energy with it.  So many of the trails had turned into streams too.  We pressed on eager to stop and rest.  My lower back would be so thankful.  All of the early mornings, long training runs, and nutrition strategy trials paid off.  I was in very good spirits and no signs of a bonk.

Unlike any race I've ever done, the final stretch is uphill.  Cruel, just cruel, but totally expected on this course.  You won't get that awesome sprint to the finish line out here.  You pretty much just want to lie down and take a nap.  Finally we were done!  We could stop.  How in the world could anyone turn around and go all the way back?  That takes a special kind of crazy. 

We got our finisher's pottery, cups of hot cocoa, PB&J sandwiches, banana chunks, etc.  Danny climbed in a shuttle van with the sign: "Dead Legs Express - You act up, you walk back".  I doubt he had the energy for any acting up.  I could barely change into dry clothes.  I have no idea how he was going to drive all the way back to Raleigh.

See, I made it out of there - with a smile on my face!

It was so hard to get this gear off. 

Today I am at home trying to remember when I injured my finger that has a cut and is all bruised and swollen, hobbling around on my ankle that I rolled multiple times during the race, walking down the stairs backwards, and wondering when my next epic trail run will be.

Me

I think I've mentioned before that I signed up for the endurance running program at the Y.  The coach set up a Yahoo group and we use it for email distribution purposes.  You can send out invitations for runs, pose questions to the masses, or make casual observations about our sanity or fashion choices.  There's also a shared calendar where you post your upcoming races.  This way we can all support each other with our goals.  I've joined a few group runs, and chatted with some of the runners by email.

Last night was the end of season social at a pizza/bar/grill place near the Y.  There were quite a few people whose names I had seen in emails but hadn't had the opportunity to hook up with for a run yet.  It was a lot of fun seeing people I had met before but this time we weren't all sweaty, stinky and unkempt.  And I got to meet people I only knew by name.  It was a lot of fun.

For the first time in a long time I felt like I was in a community.  I was myself.  Not someone's mother.  Not someone's wife.  Not someone's co-worker.  But just me.  I could be myself.  I'm slowly getting back some of my social skills and learning how to chat and make new friends.  It's not that I've been isolated.  Just going to work, shlepping kids to daycare and their friends' parties, doing family stuff.  I was neglecting to make my own connections outside of all that.  It feels really good to be able to step out on my own.  And with the added benefit of being around people who don't give a second thought to running at 5:30 am when it's 17 degrees out, or running long enough to burn 2300 calories - all for fun and the joy of being outside.  We know we are crazy and we happily accept others to join us.

Rumble Fish

I returned to the trails in late summer.  And immediately fell in love with it all over again.  My trail running friend, Steve, sent me a link to a local trail race, Raven Rock Rumble.  He and another friend were planning to do the 5 mile option.  Since I knew I would have a flat 10 miler and a hilly half marathon under my belt by race date, I selected the 10 mile option.  Silly, silly girl am I.
Leading up to the race I was very relaxed and excited about it.  Not nervous and feeling unsure of myself like I get with a road race.  I was looking forward to running with a crowd on new trails.  My biggest concern was getting lost or missing a trail marker.  Trail races seem to have more stories and a special camaraderie that is different from road races.  And there's less focus on records and speed.  It's more about finishing it in one piece and enjoying the scenery.
Race day came.  We carpooled down to Raven Rock State Park in Lillington.  The parking area was in a field 3/4 mile from the park so we had a chance to stretch our legs after the car ride.  We milled around - went to the bathroom, got our bibs and chips. 

Jessi and me zip tying our chips.

Then it was time to line up for the start.  The start lines were staggered and started 5 minutes apart.  The 10 mile course was a figure eight (the 5 mile course was the left hand loop of the eight) and we started with the right hand of the eight so theoretically when you came to the intersection of the loops most people were off the 5 mile course.
The first half was pretty amazing.  I paced behind a guy with neat red shoes for the first mile.  As soon as the single track opened up a little, I passed him and two ladies who were clearly planning to walk even the smallest of hills.  I paced behind another guy for the next couple miles.  The course was beautiful.  I kept thinking, "wow, I'm actually doing a trail race, finally!".  I had to keep reminding myself to pay attention.  Rocks and roots abound.  And the leaf cover made it tricky.  Mile four was ugly.  Big downhill made with stairs - you get no rhythm on these - and slick rocks.  The advantage here is that it's a turn around section so you can see the people ahead of you making their way back up.  At the bottom of this hill is a gorgeous overlook of the river, but you can't take too long.  That hill is waiting for you to ascend somehow, someway.  Steve was done with the five mile race which I had been hoping for.  I gave him my gloves and he snapped a picture at the midpoint. 

Pretty scenery.

He gave tips on the last half of my course - which was the course he just finished.  Super helpful advice!  I saw Jessi finishing up her race, she looked positive.  I told her Steve was waiting and kept on moving.  Because this race is at a state park it remains open to the public.  I did encounter people out on hikes with their dogs and such.  A group of teens was on a hike, moseying (spelling?) their way along the trail.  The guy in back would yell "runner!" and they'd scoot out of the way for you to pass.  They were not deterred from their mission by the 200 plus runners that would have to pass them that day.
I cruised along through my last few miles with no one around, I couldn't see anyone ahead of me or behind me.  The trail followed a creek.  I felt like I was exactly where I belonged.  That this was what I was meant to do.  At the same time I also felt like I missed a sign.  I was feeling uncertain in my solitude.  And then I recognized the hill I had come down for this loop.  Once out of the woods and into the open area I had a surge of energy.  The finish line!  And Steve yelling my name.  I'm sure Jessi was too but she doesn't have quite the same volume.  First trail race done.  And I felt fantastic.
I grabbed a PB&J and banana from the post race area.  We walked the 3/4 mile back to the car and cracked open some homebrew.  A very delicious way to toast our hard work.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience - good trails, beautiful weather, and friends to enjoy it too.

City of Hills, I mean Oaks

I signed up for City of Oaks Half Marathon back in the summer.  This was before one of my race buddies injured herself dancing at a wedding reception.  Then my local Y announced their fall season endurance running program.  This race was the goal race for the program.  Coincidence?  Maybe. 
I pursued the goal knowing I would be doing it alone.  A little awkward.  Hi!  I'm the loner girl wandering around pre-race with no friends.
Well technically I did know one person who would be there.  One of the girls I carpooled with in the 10 mile race.  She volunteered as a pace leader for the 2:20 group.  So the plan became: I should only see Amy before and after the race, but not during.
I arrived early to get a parking space.  I sat in my car to stay warm for as long as possible.  36 degrees is just a little chilly.  I made my way to the start line and chatted with Amy, as planned.  Then I made my way to the pace group I wanted to aim for.  For the first time ever I had my ipod for a race.  I only use one ear when I run just in case.  (I have only used an ipod for one training run - ever.)  And off we went.
Mile 1 - 10 seconds too fast
Mile 2 - 20 seconds too fast
Then my friend Steve is on a random street corner with his bike.  Yay!  A familiar face and a real spectator who shouts my name.
Things are moving along fine but there sure are a lot of hills. 
Halfway through the pace is averaging 15 seconds too slow.
By mile 8 I was not feeling great.  Muscles were good, no pain there.  I just wanted to puke, that's all.  I started taking short walk breaks, only about 50 - 100 feet.  And then I was off again at normal pace for another mile.  I tackled the remaining 5 miles like this.  It was manageable even though I was becoming really cranky with myself. 
I saw Steve again.  I told him I just wanted to finish and be done.  He assured me a PR was in the bag.  I was no longer checking my time.  I didn't care anymore.  The goal had passed long ago.  I told myself I was never doing another road race ever again.  The pressure to meet a time goal and set a PR was stupid.  I enjoy long training runs for the joy of running.  (I think is normal self-defeating thoughts processes that occur during long races.)
Going into Mile 12 passes the Y water stop.  Finally my people.  It was very uplifting to see people I knew.  I was much happier.   I wanted to tell the random lady next to me, "those are my people." 
Mile 13 - Yes!  The final mile.  Something took over.  Those walk breaks had allowed me to build up a reserve of unknown strength.  And I suddenly remembered - I get a medal!  I think this mile was my fastest of the whole race.  No one passed me.  I was picking off people left and right.  Rob Zombie is a good motivator.  Finally...done...thank god it was over.  Got my medal.  Got a bottle of water, banana, and bagel quarter.  I waited for Amy to come in with her pace group.  That part of the plan did work out.  And I did have a new PR on a much more difficult course too.  So it wasn't all bad.  I'm sure I could've done better if I hadn't let those evil self-defeating voices take over and allowed myself to be comfortable with nausea.  Maybe there will be another time.  Or maybe not.

Racing on the ATT

Like a smart racer (who maybe has learned from her own experience, and horror stories from others) I laid out everything the night before.  My entire outfit was in a pile on the bathroom floor.  Socks, shoes, and gels set out together.  Alarm set with plenty of time to eat breakfast and surf the web before I had to leave.  Well my body must have decided I needed a good sleep before the race.  I never heard the alarm.  Ever.  Not at all.  What I did hear was Grayson crying.  He does this really annoying meow cry when he thinks people should be up in the morning.  Luckily I did need to be up.  He was my savior, I did not curse him on this day.  My planned hour of prep was cut to less than 30 minutes.  Yikes.
I threw a couple of waffles in the toaster.  Normally I have oatmeal before a long run but there wasn't time for that.  Got dressed really quick.  And the world was going to see me without a lick of makeup, not even concealer.  Sorry, world.  I peanut buttered the waffles.  Threw all the essentials in a bag.  Checked three times that my race bib was in there.  Pulled up Google Maps to get the directions to my carpooler's house.  And out the door I went.
I made it to Amy's house five minutes ahead of schedule because there isn't much traffic that early, thank goodness.  As luck would have it she also missed her alarm.  Her phone died during the night and her older son woke her up with only minutes to get ready.
We picked up one more runner, Audrey, and went to the parking area for the race.  I quickly realized that it would have helped if I also checked the temperature.  It was a wee bit chilly.  I did have my gloves - I learned from a training run the week before that it was already glove season.  A kind spectator wearing a warm fleece jacket gave me a hug because I looked cold.  A little creepy but nice.  We took the shuttle over to the start area.  Visited the port a johns.  Found a sunny spot near the start line to get a little warmth.  The sun was just barely up over the trees.
A random lady next to me chatted a little.  She had two small children, 1 and 2 years old.  Pregnant forever.  Just getting back to running.  Had done some 5Ks.  Wasn't sure what her pace was.  Blah blah.  The director gave his shpeel and the ladies start horn went off.  (The men had a 10 minute delay to spread out the crowd)
It felt like a swarm went out around me.  I minded my own business.  Tried to pick some normal looking runners to follow.  I reminded myself to run my own race out here.  I usually set a super goal - one that requires a near miracle to attain.  And I set a good goal - one that I can hit and still be happy with.  I wanted something I could text to my running buddy and my sister to make them realize how awesome I am.
Mile 1 - time check 8:40.  Faster than I needed to be but felt fine.
Mile 2 - time check 17:47  Still faster than necessary.
Mile 3 - time check 26:48.  Closer to target.
Finally the first few men had made up the time delay and passed me.
Mile 4 and 5 - I had a 30 second cushion below my target time, still really good.
People making the return on the out and back course were approaching.  First place girl was pretty much who I pegged at the starting line.  The poor girl really needs to eat more.  Seriously.  And who was that in third?  The pregnant forever lady not knowing her pace.  Ergh.  Fake talking sandbagger.  A few more runners.  Then I saw Amy.  She was booking it.  Some more runners.  And there was Audrey.  Yep, they were going to be waiting a while for me to finish. 
Mile 6 took forever to pass.
This girl running on her tip toes, or so it seemed, got in front of me.  I decided she was annoying so I sped up and went in front of her.
Mile 7 - still doing ok.  The cushion I had was about gone.
Then I was doing crazy mind tricks with math.  Did I have 2 miles left or 3?  Were the mile markers at the end of the mile or at the beginning to mark it?  I was confused.
Mile 8 - The fast start was getting the better of me.
Mile 9 - Yep, it was slipping away and pretty much gone.  Bye super goal time.
Mile 10 - A lot of women were being chatty and noisy behind me.  I didn't want them any closer because that stuff is annoying.  I was contemplating if it was at all possible to hit my super goal time.  I decided the only way to find out was to at least try to get it.  Meaning that I couldn't give up.  I had to hit a time I could be proud of.
Finally I saw the big clock at the finish line.  I thought I was closer to my super goal than that.  But definitely faster than my good goal.  My finish time (based on when I looked at the clock) was 1:32:32.  Yup 92.5 minutes.  That's an average 9 min 15 seconds.  I had really wanted an even 90 minutes.  That was my super goal.  And 95 minutes I would have been happy with and would have been okay bragging about it.  These are good times for me.  I used to be a lot slower.  Like way slower.  More than a minute per mile slower.  Just a few months ago.  I attribute this improvement to the distance running program at the Y and the great training calendar that I follow about 80% of the time.  And I owe it to my return to trail running.  I am so happy to be back on the trails.  I love it.  I daydream about roots and rocks, and a little about the hills.  There's lots of encouraging people around me that give me confidence, helpful advice, and a few good laughs along the way.  I love running and I love runners.  We're all insane together.

July = Busy

So how long has it been since I posted?  Forever.  We've been crazy busy this month with school, travel, and general everyday routine redesign.
Friday, July 2 - Nicholas' last day at his pre-school.  He's been there for three years and has made a lot of good friends.  Instead of the usual cupcake deal, he chose to bring popsicles.  It was water park day and pretty hot so it was a good choice.  Travis is still at the school so it's not like Nicholas will never be back to visit.
Monday, July 4 - All of the holiday traditions were served up.  Hot dogs, chips, and firecrackers.  We shoot them off in the driveway in an effort to annoy our Canadian neighbor.  Not really, I'm just kidding.  She doesn't care.  Plus she is our cat-sitter.
Tuesday, July 5 - Work from home, pack up the car.  I logged off as soon as I could so we can hit the road.  We made it Frederick, MD.  We've stopped there before so we knew a nice clean hotel to stay in.  Hampton Inn has always been a thumbs up with comfy beds and killer breakfast buffets.
Wednesday, July 6 - We arrive in Rome, NY finally.  (Why does Pennsylvania have to be such a pain?  It's just really in the way of where we need to go.)  We were too late to make it to a training run on the Boilermaker course.  But in time for a good Italian dinner and then settle in our hotel.  We found a new place to stay, no more race track or casino hotels.  This is a Wingate on the old Air Force base turned office park.  There was a snack shop with sodas and water that charges to the room.  We stopped there every day and night for provisions.
Thursday, July 7 - We made it over to visit Grandma Do and Grandpa Paul at their house.  The boys love running around in the yard and sitting on the tractor.  Grandpa Paul always has snacks and kool aid for the boys.  Then it was dinner time.  Grandpa Paul was about to turn 80!  We planned a party with his friends and family at a local restaurant.  And a delicious chocolate-chocolate cake.  He was so happy to have everyone there.  Travis really wanted to sing Happy Birthday in a microphone, it's all he talked about.  Nicholas made his piece of cake disappear in seconds.  That boy loves some chocolate.

Grandpa Paul, Nicholas, and Travis posing with the cake

Nicholas and Grandma Do

Travis giving Grandma Do a kiss (the Hershey kind : )

Friday, July 8 - We went to the Boilermaker Expo as soon as it opened to pick up my race packet.  It was held as usual at the Masonic Retirement Center.  The grounds are beautiful.  Nicholas and Travis got to see a real race car and Nicholas sat in the driver's seat.  Here's a pretty lotus flower in the pond.

Then we drove up to Cooperstown.  It's a beautiful drive and such a neat town.  We decided the boys were old enough to go into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year.  They had a blast seeing the memorabilia and learning about former players and major events in baseball history.

We have a photo at this statue from our last trip.  Maybe a tradition?

Look how high his leg is?  Travis is giving perspective.

One wiped out little boy on the way back from Cooperstown.

Saturday, July 9 - We drove to Oswego.  It was kind of a long ride through the country but we marked off another Fort and a great lake from our list.

Lake Ontario from the Oswego, NY, USA coast

Canons are awesome!

Walking under the ramparts (A little eerie when you think about the men who walked under there centuries ago.)

Obligatory photo in front of the sign

Sunday, July 10 - Up bright and early for the race.  Adrian dropped me off at his cousin Leslie's house at 6 am.  We parked at the finish and took the shuttle to the start.  David Patterson, Governor of NY, was there to cheer on the runners crossing the start line.  I don't think he saw me or anyone else (it was quite the joke during the race, 'wave to the Governor, everyone', 'he's here to see the runners').  He seemed like a nice guy though.  I made it through the race.  I was doing pretty well up to about mile 7.5.  I had a goal set out.  Finishing mile 9 I realized I needed to speed up.  More like "Oh sh*t, I need to get moving."  So I passed the girls in pink sports bras and tu-tus and hauled it to the finish line.  I made my goal with two seconds to spare.  Phew.  Then I made it to the Saranac truck for two summer ales.  Grabbed a lunch bag.  And chilled by the Utica Roadrunners tent with Leslie.   The race was good.  It didn't have the same spark as my first year.  I sort of felt alone in a sea of thousands (almost 12,000) running by myself just chugging along. 
I called Adrian to pick me up a couple of blocks away.  After a much needed shower we went to another lake.  We went to nearby Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake.  His cousin Jamie and her husband Matt met us there for a late lunch, beach time, rides, and ice cream.

Travis loved playing in the water!

Nicholas decided getting water on his head wasn't all that bad.

Nicholas shooting Travis' tank

Nicholas shooting Travis' plane (are you sensing a theme?)

After we finished up, we met up with Grandma Do and Grandpa Paul for our last meal of the trip with them.  Somehow I was still awake after the race and trip to the lake.  We said our farewells and went back to our hotel.  We intended to drive the whole way back in one day the next day.

The boys passed out.  They were so tired from all the fun on our trip!

Stay tuned for the next installment where we will cover school and other events.

It's Fun to Stay at the YMCA

The elementary school that Nicholas will attend in the fall has after-school care on site provided by the YMCA.  We could pay the regular price and he would be the only getting love from the Y.  Or we could pay the reduced price plus membership fees and all get love from the Y.
Nicholas and I went to sign up for the after-school program (btw, it's crazy how all of this stuff has to take place months before school even starts) and join the Y.  We received the adult and kid-friendly tour.  One of the kinds that hypes it up so you're both excited.  We included the child care program with our membership since almost every visit I will have at least one child with me.  Nicholas saw the kids' clubhouse for the elementary age - it has foosball, ping pong, and board games.  Way cooler than the preschool room with train tables and shape sorter toys.
He's been a great motivator for me.  After work if I'm feeling a little sluggish, he begs to go to the Y.  And I can't turn him down on this one.  I drop them off and they don't even look back.  They love playing there.  I've been going to the spinning class.  It's definitely tough.  I have my running conditioning to thank because otherwise I'm not sure I could get through an hour of intervals, hill climbs, and continuous sprints.