My Secret (Stupid) Plan

Last week, I got this idea. What if I ran 18 miles last Saturday and 21 miles this Saturday. Then I'd upgrade from the half marathon to the full marathon in Las Vegas in December. Neat!

Admittedly, last Saturday wasn't the ideal time for an extra long run. We had house guests for the weekend and Saturday afternoon we were hosting a barbecue at our place. I had all the major pre-party work completed and Steve stepped up to do all the day-of-party details. While I headed out for a run, Steve, his brother and his cousin spent the morning setting up tables and chairs on the patio and picking up food and ice.

Of course, I didn't mention the "Upgrade to Full Marathon" plan to Steve. We've both done the full marathon. He knows, and I know, that I wouldn't be well prepared with just one 18 mile and one 21 mile run. I'd be prepared, but not well prepared. With the consistency of my training base, I could probably do a (very ouchy) full marathon today.

During my run on Saturday at about mile 11, it finally hit me. This is not the way I want to run races. It's not enough for me to just finish; I want to run strong. Yes, I could do the full marathon. It would not be fun and I wouldn't run well, but I could do it.

And that was the end of the "Upgrade to Full Marathon" plan. I ran 16 miles and went home to a fabulous family and a yummy barbecue.

Colorado and Garden of the Gods

This weekend I headed up to Colorado for the Denver Half Marathon. (Up literally, to the Mile High City.) It's been a long time since I took a pleasure trip without Steve or a friend. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever traveled for pleasure by myself. I travel alone for business all the time so it's not like I'm an inexperienced traveler. However, when I travel for fun, I always have a companion.

Since it was just me, I didn't bother to plan anything. I was staying at a B&B.  Saturday morning at breakfast I asked the other guests what I should do. They suggested a visit to Garden of the Gods. I'd never been there, I always wanted to go. Years ago, I worked a corporate sales job. I had one client whose address was on "Garden of the Gods Road". I always thought that sounded so friggin' cool.

Saturday morning I picked up my race packet, then buzzed through the State Capitol, the Denver Art Museum and the King Tut exhibit.  That's one bonus of solo travel, you don't have to compromise on agenda.  Steve has a longer attention span than I do.

After my lightening speed tourism in Denver, I drove out to Garden of the Gods and just fell in love with it. My original plan was to just drive though, because I had a race in the morning.  I ended up staying until sunset and hiking some of the trails. It was simply irresistible to hike there.  Even though there were a lot of people there it was so lovely and peaceful.

Run Like A Child

On Saturday I "ran" the Southern California Half Marathon in Irvine. Actually, I only ran the first 3 miles, then I walked. I'm really focused on getting my butt to fit into my jeans which means I need to cut calories. By the end of the first mile, I knew the I didn't have enough gas in my tank to run for 13 miles. I ran to mile 3, then I decided to conserve energy and walk the race. Discretion is the better part of valor and all that.

It was really sweet race. Probably a quarter of the 6,000 participants were kids from Students Run L.A (SRLA).  The organization works with at-risk kids and helps them train to run the Los Angeles Marathon. Endurance sports teach personal discipline and mental toughness; both are skills that at-risk kids need in abundance.  I was a little worried because endurance running is hard on developing bodies and some of these kids were elementary school aged.  Most of the kids did fine. As in any group of first-time endurance athletes, there were certainly a few who needed to be better prepared but most of the kids completed the course.  (Also, my pet peeve - none of the kids had a water belt or hydration backpack.) 

It was incredibly sweet seeing the kids receive their finisher's medals. Most of the race  volunteers were students at a local high school from a fairly affluent neighborhood.  I hope they respected all those "at-risk" kids for completing the challenge.  In the last 3 years, I've seen thousands of people cross marathon and endurance ride finish lines.  Finisher's have a look of personal satisfaction that's hard beat.  Here's hoping the SRLA kids carry that sense of accomplishment with them for rest of their lives.

The Time Has Come Today

Well, the time will come in 31 days. I'm running a half marathon on November 15.

And now I panic, because I haven't been doing enough miles and I only have 3 weeks to rebuild my mileage. Truthfully, I could complete a half marathon today if I had to do it, but it wouldn't be pretty.

Ah, well. Three weeks of training opportunity left and one week of recovery. Off to do long miles tomorrow before work.

She Ran Calling Wildfire

Again with the equation of wildfire+race= problem. Not a problem that's nearly on the scale of losing your home to the fires, but still annoying.

This weekend, I'm supposed to run the Disneyland Half Marathon. With the wildfires burning, the air quality in Anaheim is veering toward sucky. Last year I was planning to run the Pasadena Marathon when wildfires forced it to be rescheduled.

Between my race calendar, Steve's calendar and work, there's not a free weekend for a Disney reschedule. Here's hoping for clean air on Sunday.

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

A list of things that will not negatively impact my half marathon tomorrow -

• Walking 7 miles today.
• Running around barefoot in the Crown Fountain.
• Having a medium rare Kobe beef burger with Gorgonzola cheese for dinner, instead of pasta or rice.
• That yummy red sangria.
  
• That yummier white sangria.
• Being up blogging instead of sleeping even though the race starts in 6 hours.

It's going to be a great race!

Christine Is Down For Scheduled Maintence

A few months ago I went to see Dr. Arnie Baker speak and he spoke about over-training. Basically, he said your family would know long before you did, because you'd be irritable, injury-prone and slow to recover.

Hmmm. Check, check and check.

In the 3 weeks between the San Diego race and the Seattle race it became undeniable that I needed some serious downtime. I've been running/hobbling in pain for months. When I went to the doctor he basically said that we'd already tried everything - anti-inflammatories, stretching, braces, PT. The only thing left to do is rest. I'd been endurance training for over 2 and half years without a recovery period. He was shocked that it took that long for it to catch up with me in the form of a chronic injury. I'd heard that you need take recovery time - and I've certainly preached it to others - I just never did it. After 28 races in 24 months, it was just too much.

Going into Seattle, I knew it should be my only run for the next month. (Still up in the air, if I could actually give up running for a month.) Surprisingly I didn't feel any need to push. I actually ran very little in the three weeks before the race and it paid off in a relatively pain free run. It was fun...I'd forgotten that I used to do marathons for fun and not for medals or other validation. That's what bums me the most. I hadn't noticed that I'd started to dread training/running and even races themselves.

It convinced me to take July off to recover mentally and physically. Overall, this month is about taking better care of me and of Steve, getting to bed earlier, cooking healthier dinners, basic stuff. I'm lifting weights to rebuild my upper body strength, doing some yoga, swimming. It's been weird, but good.

Of course, I can't wait for the Chicago race in early August. I won't be perfectly trained, but I'll run happy.

Whoops

I forgot to register for the America's Finest City Half Marathon. With all the hulabaloo for the San Diego and Seattle races, I totally forgot about registering for AFC. Just my luck, it sold out early this year and it's likely I'll be sitting this one out.

Bummer. AFC is definitely my favorite of the San Diego triple crown races. I'm looking for someone to sell me their bib. Who knows I might get lucky.

It's Still Rock N Roll To Me

San Diego Roll Marathon weekend...so much good. My #1 memory of this weekend will be seeing my mentees enter the Pasta Party (if you've done TNT you know what I'm talking about). A very close second will be seeing them cross the finish line and wearing their finishers' medals. This season has been tough since I've been hobbled by injuries, but was all so worth it to see my teammates reach their goal. I'm a little hoarse from cheering for people all day.

My personal race got ugly at mile 8ish. My calves were miserable, but Dr. Chad had warned me that it might be a particularly uncomfortable race for me. I'm lucky I got as far as I did before the pain forced me to walk to the finish. Ah well.

Cheers to Steve who was a rock star supporter all weekend. Steve, thanks for hauling us to the starting line at 5 a.m and for putting up with the driving/parking nightmare of reaching three locations on the course when every road in town seemed to be closed for the marathon. You're a rock star - for reals!

Race Notes: Country Music Half Marathon and Avenue of the Giants.

Two races, eight days.

Country Music Half Marathon - The race was hot and hilly. Not steep hills, but constant rolling hills. The entire race was going up or down; there were no flats. My nutrition was a mess. Sometimes the heat gives me nausea and I can't eat, then I bonk. Other times, the heat makes me ravenous. That's what happened here. I was through my entire stash of Gu's and trail mix by mile 7. Thankfully, Nashvillians were giving nibbles along the course (including a yummy, ice cold beer at mile 9).

Overall, this was a very sloppy race for me. I never really got tired, but I wasn't putting in much effort. It was great to go slowly through my old neighborhoods. No regrets.

Avenue of the Giants - I planned to walk this entire course since I was doing it with TNT walk alumni including Steve. My absolute favorite race ever - the California redwoods are magnificent and you have a few hours to simply enjoy the peace and beauty of the forest. Dear Heavens, I want to do this race every year.

Also, the Avenue is surely the recipient of the most improved finishers medal. Last years was sort of lame - that part in the center is a sticker. This years is lovely - also, great tee shirts.

Race Skirt, My (2) Race number(s) and my medal

As I was packing to go home, I spotted my race skirt. Since November, I had my original race number tucked into my suitcase. Race morning I decide to wear both. The new race bib mostly covering the old one, but other runners would see it and smile. Also included, obligatory medal shot.

Disney Princess Half Marathon - Finishers' Party and Hidden Mickeys

After the race, Disney hosted a finisher's party at Disney Hollywood Studios amusement park. The park was closed with the exception of finishers and their guests. The park probably had less than 4,000 people in it. Normally, it would have about 20,000 people. There were no lines at all. It was awesome, because it is my favorite of all the Disney parks.

I did end of waiting at my favorite ride, the Tower of Terror - not due to a line, but due to a miscommunication with Debbie. As I was waiting, I met one of the Disney cast members and asked about the hidden Mickey's in the ride. He was incredibly well informed. He told me about the history of the ride and all 14 hidden mickeys in the ride. I'd already found 2 of them, but the others were a surprise. I've probably been on that ride 100 times in both Florida and California - searching for the hidden Mickeys every time. Somehow I missed 12 of them.

Just for fun, I'll give you an easy one. Can you find the hidden mickey on the concierge desk at the Tower of Terror? I shot this photo to make the hidden mickey easy to find.

Disney Princess Race Report

Gee, my race notes are 10 days late. Perhaps because there isn't much notable about my performance. It was not my best race or my worst. I had a consistent run with no complaints. Most races I come home with a few things to improve and a few things that were perfect. This time, I have neither. I had a good day, but not a great one.

The Disney Princess Half Marathon was a well produced event - flat race course, well organized, nice weather. It was, unfortunately, a bit boring. The course went through Epcot and the Magic Kingdom which was cool, but took up less than 3 miles of the 13.1. Between the two parks, there was a lot of nothing.

Here is what gives me faith that this race, which is already very good, will only get better. We met two people from the Disney Endurance Sports group. Both asked what went wrong, how could they improve, how did Disney compare to the Rock N Roll Marathon series and the Nike Women's Marathon? They weren't looking for kudos; they were trying to learn how to run a world class event.

Same As It Ever Was

Tomorrow I'm headed to Orlando to run in the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Guess what the weather will be on Sunday. Did you pick hot and humid? Then you'd be right!

Because every race I do needs to be accomplished within 5 degrees of the record high for that day.

Sunny High 82°F Precip 0%

Wind: SSE 8 mph Max. Humidity: 66% UV Index: 8 Very High Sunrise: 7:44 AM ET Avg. High: 76°F Record High: 87°F (1974)

Report - Carlsbad AKA When Gravity Attacks

On mile two, I fell. Hard. (I won't go into the details, but I'm likely to kick the next person who stops dead in front of me in the race pack. Hello, go off to the side to tie your shoe. There are 8,000 people running this race.)

My knee got some road rash and my ankle was twisted. I sat on the curb for awhile and assessed the damage. A very kind woman from the Cure JM Foundation ran over to help. She was a total sweetheart. In fact the Cure JM Foundation had great volunteers all over the course.

Once I regathered myself, I took a few tentative steps and decided that I could keep going. In retrospect, I got very lucky. With 11 miles to go, I probably should have stopped. Honestly as long as I didn't run hard my ankle didn't hurt at all until the last quarter mile.

All in all, I had a really nice race. I saw a few of my mentees and a friend from work. I was strong all day and didn't ever really get tired. I could have gone another few miles if I'd have had to do it.

Now I've got a nicely swollen ankle, but I'm still planning to do the Surf City Half Marathon next weekend.

And now, the parade of injury photos.

All That and a Bag of (Tortilla) Chips

The tacos at Fuel City are as good as they're reputed to be. I recommend the barbacoa, the pastor (picante!) and picadillo. Oh, and the tomatillo sauce.

Fuel City tacos, chicken fried rib-eye from Breadwinners and beef ribs from Pappas. Who doesn't love beef ribs from a BBQ pit with a cow on the roof.

Dallas has good food. Souvenir eating at it's finest.

Short Race Report - White Rock Half Marathon

Roxie smoked it. She did awesome and I was incredibly happy and proud. Congratulate her! She earned it.

Starting Line: Fun, but there were no corrals and there were 17,000 runners. Officially, there were 3 groups, but there was no indication of where the 3 groups were supposed to queue. Also, there were a fair number of spectators in the runner's chute. It was just a huge mass of people going all different paces.
Miles 1-4: good.
Miles 5-7: my plantar fasciae started to be tender and then moved to full-on pain. I've struggled with plantar fasciitis for months, but never so badly during a workout.
Mile 8: I tried to lift my spirits by cheering for other people which sort of worked for awhile.
Miles 9 -13.1: I remember nothing but my heels hurting. Last night someone asked if we'd gone along McCommas Boulevard and I didn't know. It was all pain, all the time. I'd run a minute to relieve the pain, then that would hurt. Then I'd walk a minute for some relief, than that would hurt. Then I'd stop and stretch. Lather, Rinse, Repeat for 4 miles.

My slowest half marathon ever, but I had a great weekend in Dallas.

Calling doctor for a referral to physical therapy.

Back in Dallas

Friends, Tex-Mex and Chicken Fried Steak.

Welcome Back to the Big D.

It's Good to Read the Course Map

Just now, I looked at the course map for the White Rock Half Marathon that I'm doing in 3 days.

The course is different this year and the last 5K are on Katy Trail. Katy Trail, where Tina and I logged about a 500 miles one year. We meandered down the trail and discussed relationship angst, job angst and occasionally busy-bodied into the angst of our friends.

I can't believe how different it is now. Those troubling relationships and jobs are long gone. Luckily, we've got the same group of friends who've also dropped off some of their burdens.

Katy Trail, it will be good to see you again.

My Name Is Christine and I'm a Race-a-holic

I was posting over at RunnersWorld.com and realized I've signed up for half marathons for 3 straight weekends.

Sunday, January 18 - Rock 'n' Roll Arizona
Sunday, January 25 - Carlsbad Half-Marathon
Sunday, February 1 - Surf City

I need to get into some sort of 12-step program for half marathon addicts. Of course, if I ran 12 steps I'd want a finishers medal at the end.