Running Around -- and Portland Running

Last week was a WEEK!  Holy smokes!   Our household goods are all packed out and we are out of the blue house.  It's strange writing that; we're hobos until we find our Alaska home.  But that's not what this post is about.  This post is about the half marathon I ran this weekend.  Because, why not go ahead and run a half marathon when you're in the middle of PCSing.  Right?

Like last year, some friends and I tried to get in the San Francisco Women's Half Marathon.  After a massive email debacle got cleared up, we weren't in.  It wound up being a blessing, as we are
getting on a ferry bound for Alaska next weekend, the same weekend the half marathon is.  But I wanted to keep my training up.  I have back to back half marathons in January and February and wanted to run a good half marathon before I left Washington.  Enter a conversation with one of my mom friends, who suggested I look at the Girlfriend's Half Marathon in Vancouver, WA.  I did and I went for it.  Besides, one more trip to Portland is always a good thing!

So after we got everything packed up (and got my hair done one more time by my lovely friend, and got family photos taken, and.. and.. and), we headed south for the weekend.  Two hours later, we got to town, picked up our race bibs, and settled into our hotel.  Soon, we headed out the door for some REI shopping and supper with Emily!  Gotta love that my cousin was right here and we got to see her just ONE more time!  But it was a quick visit -- the race was early the next morning.

My plan for the race was to beat my Seattle PR.  Simple enough goal, but it's one you still have to work towards. I had a hamstring issue after the Princess Half.  Naggy but enough to keep me not running long distances over the summer.  But I got a plan together, worked with a trainer to get my hamstring back in order, and got my butt on the road.

On Sunday, I lined up feeling very prepared.  The gun went off and down the road we went.  A lot of the front end of the run was along the Columbia River.  It was so pretty!

At mile 2.5, we tucked in through our hotel parking lot where I got to hug the girls and say hi.  Picked the right hotel, Ronnie and the girls just had to walk out our room door to be right there on the course.

We continued down the road, and along the river front park.   The route eventually turned around and came back through the hotel parking lot for mile 7.  It was nice having my girls out there cheering.

The course then took us away from the river and through Fort Vancouver.  Which also meant we started running up hill.  Mile 10 held a massive hill (seriously, what is up with the race directors putting hills at the END of a race?!?!).  But the scenery was gorgeous.   

I knew I had the PR in the bag but wasn't sure how the hills were going to affect me.  We ran through some neighborhoods and before I knew it, I was at mile 13. And cruising well ahead of my goal.  I crossed the finish at 2:46, and shaved a full 28 minutes off of my previous best.

I was so happy to have made it... and made it in time to watch the girls in their race.  They have been working on doing a Kid's Half Marathon, a mile at a time.   They did great!  So proud of them for earning their first "half" marathon.

 

BOOM

There goes another weekend!!!  

So, I felt that wet blanket sinking on me this week. 

It's been 8 months, or 243 days, since he left.  I'm working on keeping on my big girl panties and holding them up for dear life.  You see, the Fourth is "Our" holiday.  And I had a few moments of I don't wanna this week. 

But yet again, my friends came to the rescue.  You know... the ones who all I have to say is the Fourth is "our holiday" and they respond with a hug and words of encouragement.  You ladies really don't know how much I appreciate you for holding me up this week when all I wanted to do was fall.   
And we got through it! 

First up, we celebrated with the town of Lacey, who sets off their fireworks on the Third.  Facebook would lead me to believe this was wrong, but it was awesome because it deconflicted with the HUGE displays Olympia and Fort Lewis put on.  It's smart in my book! 

We packed up our blankets, chairs, and big pillows and headed for the area where the fireworks were going to go off.  After picking our perfect spot, the girls and I got some supper at our local favorite Mexican restaurant (and momma got the BIG beer).   Yep, just so happens to be in the same area, so it's walking distance (SCORE!).  We did some window shopping in the plaza, got some ice cream, and then headed back to the car to watch a movie.  Our perfectly timed movie was over about 5 minutes before the fireworks started -- seriously, I couldn't believe my luck on that one.  I also couldn't believe how awesome our spot was -- we had a clear view of the fireworks.  It was an awesome night!

On the Fourth, our squadron had a picnic.  I wrestled with if I would go or not.  Eventually, I remembered that I had stapled my BGPs to my ass and knew the kids would enjoy it.  Of course, we had a great time; the kids played 'til the sun went down. 

I had the day off on the Friday, so we packed up the car and headed north for Stanwood for that do-over date with Grandma Audrey.  We picked her up and took her out to lunch.  There is a great little town even more north of her, La Conner, and it's where her favorite fish and chips place is!  Unfortunately, the only picture I took was of the fish and chips to send to my mom (funny story there, but that's another post.)  We spent the day visiting with her and just having a good time.  I also had the unfortunate job of telling her we were moving to Alaska.  But I am so grateful for the time we've had in Washington. My girls know and love their great-grandmother!!!  They know and love their aunties and uncles and cousins.  It's a precious thing to have when you live this military life we live. 

On Saturday, I had a 4K to run; I even convinced Britney to run it with me.  It was an evening run and all about the ladies!  We had such a great time, but boy was it HOT!  There was a half marathon going on too -- I can't even imagine running one in that heat.  But we got it done and even got a great little necklace as a keepsake. 

All in all, it was a great weekend.  Yes, we missed Ronnie, but we're now another weekend closer to him coming home. 

Run-run Zoo fun!

We have two months left....   Two months left.  I keep repeating this to myself as I ramp up for yet another weekend of entertaining the kids sans-Ronnie. 

The weekdays are easy:  during the day I go to work and the kids have been at school (now that school is out they'll be at summer camp).  We get home, fix dinner, watch a little tv, and go to bed.  The next day it's pretty much rinse and repeat.  But the weekends are tough!  I've done my level best to keep us busy.  And this weekend's events were courtesy of a friend and McChord.

McChord held their inaugural Salmon Run 12K.  It pained me not to run it...  but I didn't.  However, they did have a free kid's run.  It was a 1/4 mile around the track and they got a fun prize at the end.  The girls did well for their first "official" race. 

After that, we headed for the zoo!  Britney and her son accompanied us -- it was nice to have some tagalongs with us for a change.  And, it was such a beautiful day! 

We checked in on Kali -- she's getting SO big!!!

 

Then we went over and checked in on her family.  Her brothers were wrestling as her mom lounged in the shade.

We even got to meet Sheldon, the new serval cub.  Boy is he a cutie patootie!  And a handful.  The trainer had him out getting him used to being around people, as they want to incorporate him into their animal show.

Speaking of, after watching Sheldon, we then took in the Animal Wonders show.  The zoo does a great hands on show with different animals.  It's kid-oriented and a lot of fun to watch/interact.  This year's show talks about all the different things you might need if you wanted to go outside and explore different animal habitats.  It was a lot of fun. 

After a few hours, it was time for little B to get on -- boy did we wear him out!!!  We hugged Britney good bye and the girls and I headed for a treat and the Redbox. 

So one more weekend checked off...  And getting closer to August 

Capital City Five Miler

Another one in the books!  This time, it was the Capital City 5-Miler.  Again, Em was a lifesaver and came up to watch the girls for me while I went off and did my thing. 

Seriously, I may have a problem.  It took everything I had to not sign up for the Half Marathon -- especially when I realized I wasn't going to get a medal for this one.  Just call me "Will run for medals."

Ronnie ran the half last year and I've enjoyed a few runs around downtown Olympia, so I already knew what to expect: a HUGE hill or two, but mostly flat in between.  What I didn't bet on was how pretty the run would be.  Spring is definitely here!  Flowers are blooming; trees are budding a beautiful spring green; and the birds are chirping. 

After they let the marathoners and half marathoners start, it was time for us five milers to run!  Of course, the first mile was all uphill.  If you've ever driven around downtown Olympia, we ran up the hill on Capital Way.  OUCH!  I had already decided to walk up that bad boy -- no need in fighting and my "run" wouldn't be more than a walk anyhow.  Before I knew it, I was passing mile 1 and the course had leveled out and it was time to run!  

Most of the course was through the historic district and neighborhoods around the capital.  It reminded me of running the River Run in Jacksonville -- there were so many people out and cheering. 

As I neared the mile 3 marker, I looked up and saw this...  Galloway street. I ♥ Jeff Galloway!  I only hope the man know how much of an inspiration he is to so many. 

 





At mile four, I saw these ladies standing on the corner.  They were cheering and saying, only a mile left and it's all downhill from here!  I laughed and laughed -- unfortunately my picture with them didn't turn out.  But the camera guy on the course caught one of me and the capital building. 

After the capital building I faced that hill again...  this time I ran down the thing.  Running downhill definitely hurts and jars the joints a little more, but the finish line was so close so I did it anyway.  And cruised to a 1:02:31 finish!

And This Time With a Crown

So back in November, I ran my first half marathon.  With Ronnie being gone, I've been trying to find new and creative ways to keep us busy.  Enter another half with my name written all over it - Disney's Princess Half Marathon.  Because really, who doesn't want an opportunity to run around the park and get cheered on to do it?  Of course, it also doesn't hurt that it's in Florida and near family and gives the girls and I a little break from Washington. 

Sunday was the big race (there will be another post on our visit to Florida :) ).  Again, I was up at the asscrack of dawn to get ready and head to the start line.  While I was getting ready, Ronnie texted me good luck.  You know, he just melts my heart sometimes. 

Now Disney has one helluva transportation system -- caught the bus in front of the hotel and was at the start line area about 20 mins later.  Not too shabby, Mr. Mouse.  Soon after arriving, my friend Liz (who I also ran the Seattle Half with) texted to say she had arrived.  Yay, a friend!!!!

 

We walked to the corrals together to keep each other awake.  After all, it was 1 am in our West Coast brains.  I started in a later corral than she did, so we said our goodbyes and parted ways.  Before I knew it, the anthem had being sung, the fireworks had gone off, and it was time to get a move on. 



So, my only complaint to this race was that it was CROWDED!  There were people in my corral that didn't run my pace. I felt like I was either running over people or getting ran over myself.  Not good when you're on a one lane road.  I saw too many people running in the grass and on medians.  I also saw people who didn't observe good race etiquette.  Like don't walk 5 wide. And if it's time for a walk break, get to the side.  Who knew, I was one of those sticklers.....  but it was highly irritating.  Or maybe it was because of the time of morning. 

Of course, running at Disney has it's perks. Disney does a great job putting entertainment out on the course.  Kites and pirate ships and heroes and villains.  All sorts of characters were out and the music was thumping.  The sights were awesome too! 

 

When we were running through the castle, there were Heralds trumpeting our arrival! 

 

And like that our run through Magic Kingdom was done, but it was time for another great sight: my girls and my mom (my in-laws were somewhere around there too)  were waiting for me at mile 8.  Quick hugs and kisses and I was on my way to Epcot and the finish line (so were they).

 

 

Mile 10 is always a great sight for me to see, but this time not so much....   I strained my hamstring pushing up the hill.  Not good when there are a series of overpasses you need to run over.  I walked up the rest of the hills and when I crested near mile 11, I spotted it - a medical tent.  A big handful of BioFreeze later, my hamstring was feeling a little better and it was time to get a move on.  I could see the Epcot ball in the distance and knew I still had a few more miles to go before this race was done. 

 

I pushed through the last few miles, enjoyed my jog around the Epcot ball and then turned for the finish.  Finally, I crossed the line.  And at 3:14, it was another PR.  Not too bad for a 13.1 mile fun run.  I collected my pretty blingy medal and headed to find my babies and family. 

 

 

So all in all, it was a good run, albeit crowded.  Now, I'm focusing on getting into the Disneyland Half in September so I can earn my Disney Coast-to-Coast medal.  Registration for that opens in a few weeks! 

 

NOTE:  I now realize that I am a runner....  I'm already planning more runs before I even start to recover from the one I just finished.

Finished

And just like that, the half marathon distance is checked off the bucket list.  Hallelujah!  I've had this distance on and off my radar for a few years now.  And finally -- FINALLY -- it is done!

First and foremost, running half's are not for the faint of heart.  It has taken discipline, organization, and plain old fashioned pig-headedness to get through the training plan.  I can't tell you how many times I just wanted to say screw it and flush the plan.  Luckily, Ronnie was here to encourage me.  Even after he left, we would chat about how my running was going.  Which leads me to point two, it does take a team.  I had questions, hiccups, and frustrations.  It was nice to have another runner in the house and among my friends helping me along the way.  My wonderful cousin, Emily, met us in Seattle to watch the girls for me while I ran the race.

Now to answer the why...  At Thanksgiving, people asked me Why? when I mentioned to a few people that I was running this race.  Well, besides the whole I'm a runner thing...  Running is the cheapest form of therapy.  I can't tell you how many runs I was on when my brain was processing things...  husband deploying sorts of things... and I would choke back tears.  Sometimes, I would have to stop and sob.  But eventually, I would chose to start running again. 

Now, isn't that a life lesson?  The choice to stop, deal with the emotion, and then continue on is something we all contend with from time to time.  Here it was, smacking me in the face.  I found that I could finish a 10 mile long run and work through my emotions during it and be a better, if not more tired, mommy on the other side. 

So, last weekend was my BIG race.  It started at the crack of dawn (UGH!) but the forecast looked promising: the high was in the mid-40s and no rain (YAY!) 

On Sunday, the alarm went off at o'dark thirty and, after breakfast, I met up with my friend Liz and headed for the start line. 

The start line was all abuzz with excitement and energy.  Before I knew it, it was time for us to start running!  Liz is a faster runner than I am but we wanted to start the race together.  Eventually, I called mercy and a walk break and she went on. 

It was a really lovely day for a run.  The fog was hanging in the air, but it kept the humidity in and warmed me a bit.  We ran by the Smith Tower, down I-90, and along Lake Washington. 

When we got to Madrona, the crowds had come out to start cheering.  And just in time too -- it was the half-way point.  And all uphill from there (YIKES)

We climbed and climbed.  We went through the Washington Arboretum into Interlaken Park.  The climb was brutal but boy was it a pretty view!  Finally, I reached the 10 mile point.

The route wound back around Capital Hill and finally I got a view of Lake Union and the Space Needle.  I kept on trucking...  A little past mile 12, the first marathoner lapped me.  Right before mile 13, the second marathoner lapped me.  But the best was finding my cheering crew at mile 13 -- Emily brought the girls out for a "Go Mommy" and sweaty hugs and kisses.

I crossed the finish line with an official time of 3:14:13 - definitely slower than what I was wanting.  But here's the great thing, it's my Personal Best :)   That's winning right there!!!

Now, I'm looking forward to Half #2 - Disney is calling my name. 
 

"A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step"

The first step I took feels like so long ago....  and tomorrow I'm participating in my first Half Marathon.
It all started in April, when my friend asked me if I wanted to do the Nike Women's Marathon with her (You can read that first post here).  We wound up not getting in, but by the time we knew that, the goal of 13.1 was already in my head.  I thought about doing one sooner than the October race and looked at some other races around the area.  Eventually, I set my sights on the Seattle Marathon:  It will be a very hilly 13.1 through downtown Seattle. If you've ever been here, the course starts at Seattle Center, heads down 5th, along Lake Washington, and through Madrona and Capital Hill.

And here I am...  I've logged 145 miles to be ready-ish.  There have been a lot of hiccups along the way from old injuries -- I've had a twisted knee (not from running) and some hip tenderness (definitely from pushing up hills).  That twisted knee was just a few weeks ago and has set me back; now, I'll be walking most of the half tomorrow rather than running.  But the point is that it will get done: it won't be pretty and it certainly won't be fast, but I am going to get that finisher's medal.  

Gettin' Dirty

Down and dirty that is. 

A few months ago a Living Social deal came out for the Dirty Dash, a 5K mud run.  How could I refuse?  It just sounds like some good clean family fun.  For this post, I'm just gonna let the pictures do the talking.  Sometimes they are worth a thousand words you know...

 

Here I Go Again

Today is Day 1.  Today, I start my journey on my way to 13.1.....  And today I will not fail.  I have my shoes laced up, my iPod charged, and my body fueled.  All that's left is to get my butt out of this chair and out the door.  And it couldn't be a more beautiful day: it's 50 degrees and sunny, a rare treat for spring in the PNW. 

One of my best girlfriends asked me to join her in running the half in the Nike Women's Marathon.  San Fran in October with a woman I treasure - hell to the yeah!  I even recruited another friend to join us.   We entered the lottery and will find out in a few weeks if we are in.  If we don't get in, there is a race up this way that I'm interested in as well. 

But, today:  This is for me...  today I am working on building my mileage in my new shoes.  I'm running in minimal shoes now, so it's slow and steady for the first steps as I build up my muscles and get used to running with no cushioning.   

TEAM WHATS-HIS FACE

I would say that this battle has been reduced to name calling, but since other unnamed individual isn't even uttering a sound, it's gone beyond that.  Fight's on.  I enjoy beating my wife, even better if it's for a good cause. 

As I'm sure you already know from her post, we're running the Seoul Marathon in March as a fund raiser for Knights of Heroes.  Throughout my career, I've had several friends leave wives and children behind. This is just one of many organizations that can make a difference for them.  So even if you choose to support the thorn in my side, I can live with that.  However, if you'd like to sponsor TEAM RALLY you can click the link here. -------------------------> KoH Fundraiser 

I put $750 as a goal before I knew Songtan Sally was going to turn this into a grudge match.  So my actual goal is what ever she raises plus $.01.  I'm fairly certain she'll win this one, as she is fairly certain that I'll beat her 1/2 marathon time in the full.  I guess each of us can use the other for motivation in their weaker area.  Sometimes it works out when you marry your opposite.

It's going to be a busy 17 weeks until the race as we are both begining our training programs.  Stay tuned for updates.

Starting Back at Day One....

Today is day one of my running plan.  I have lost a lot of my conditioning due to a lackadaisical approach to running the last few months.   So today is day one on a semi-conditioned 5K plan. 

What am I training for you ask...  The Seoul Marathon.  

I'm running the half marathon while Ronnie is training for the full.  And we're running for a good cause, The Knights of Heroes http://www.knightsofheroes.org/. This is a fantastic charity and one that hits close to home.  

Be looking for updates from the both of us over the next few months as we fundraise, replace shoes, and push me beyond my current mileage.

All That and a Bag of Rice

A few months ago, an email was sent out to the base about a race in Pyeongtaek, our big city to the south.  My thought process went something like this:  Hmmm.....  International race, distances I like, nice shirt, and it's free.  Sign me up!  

I was shooting to run a 10K, but it wasn't to be.  With Ronnie training for his marathon, school starting, Ronnie semi-injured/semi-sick, and crud (that will come in a sec) it was too much to aim for.  I backed myself down to a 5K about a week left to go, and knew even that would be a stretch based on the lack of training I have done. 

Lucky for me, the race info went out to a great group of ladies at Osan who all signed up for varying distances.  I was doubly lucky that several of the Draggin Ladies were running the 5K as well.  

You couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather and before we knew it, we were off and running.  Ronnie was well enough to participate in the 5K while pushing the girls in our jogging trailer.  I planned to run/walk my 13 minute/mile pace, which is about what I average with no training.  After the first mile, I fell back in the pack behind the other ladies.  The lack of training reared it's ugly head a few times when my heartrate skyrocketed, but Ronnie and the girls stuck by me.  I figured I may as well enjoy the race if I couldn't actually "race" in it. 

We had a grand time watching the dancers, cheerleaders, and everything else that Korea offers to cheer you on.  As one of my friends noted, Koreans tend to run like they drive: running really fast, then just stopping in front of you for no reason, randomly darting in and out right in front of you, with no care of where you may be.  I felt bad too, I think I tripped a few people by accident when they darted in front of me while I was mid stride. 

About the last mile, I knew I was a little behind my target time and needed to make up some ground.  Ronnie ran up ahead so he could take some pictures at the end and have the girls ready to run me in.  I had just began my run when I noticed a young lady who I had been running alongside.  She and her family were running the 5K as well, and she had fallen behind.  Her dad was doing his level best to run with her and her sister who was stopping and waiting up ahead.  Being that I wasn't going to get there any faster, I offered to run with her to the finish so her dad could catch up to her sister. 

That last mile was brutal, but with Catherine by my side, it went by quick.  Before we knew it, we had caught up to Ronnie and the girls.  As is tradition and where we can, the girls ran with Catherine and I to the finish line, into the cheers of my fellow Lady Draggins, and Catherine with a big smile on her face.  It was a fabulous run and I even got my pace goal - 12:55 was my average.  Not bad for being out of shape. 

We knew we had some goodies waiting for us back at the festival area.  Since Ronnie and I were registered for the 10K, we got a bonus in our bag... a 1 kg bag of rice!   After the race, we hung out for a while and waited for some of the other Osan ladies to cross the finish line.  We meandered about, finding some wonderful oxtail soup, rice, and bean sprouts to munch on from some friendly ladies. 

We found the USFK tent and were chit chatting in there when, in true "we brought a bunch of Americans to the race" style, they brought in some Whoppers and Cokes.  I was too busy enjoying my soup, rice and bean sprouts to eat a Whopper, so I shared mine with the nice woman who gave me the Korean food.  She giggled and went about splitting the burger between herself and her coworkers. 

All in all, it was a fabulous event.  Several of our friends placed and got even bigger bags of rice than we did.  Definitely going to make this international running a "thing" to do...  we had way too much fun.