Madly Dashing

This past weekend a group of energetic and lovely people ran a race in North Park...

Every month we have the habit of meeting in early morning to run our butts off then eat pancakes. This month's venture was the "March Mad Dash" a 5k, 5 Mile, and 10 Mile race.

Last year I ran the 5 mile in 48:47 (and Neil placed). This year, I went with the 5K seeing as it was my first time racing since the surgery.

I had no idea what my speed would be. Every single run I take is with the dog, and stopping to sniff every tree really messes with one's sense of timing. I told Neil that I would aim for a 10 minute mile, but I felt nervous to meet even that goal. I felt especially nervous about how I would feel.

I set out and things were good. I slipped past person after person. I climbed hills and my head felt fine. In the absence of pain, I noticed my breathing and the course and the people around me. I didn't have to walk to bring my heart rate down and relieve pressure and I didn't have to spike with pain after a mile.

I would check my time and think "wow this is fast. I should slow down so I don't start to hurt," but the hurt never came. And friends, get this, I finished under my goal of 31 minutes. In fact, after well over a year of trying to break that 9 minute mile mark, I sailed across that too. 

My final time was 27:02! (which calculates to an 8:42 min/mile)

I dashed across the finish and lept and hooted and hollered and even then I felt no pain. I wanted to kiss everyone on the face. So often I've heard of a 'runner's high', and now that's finally making sense. It must sound like I'm going on and on about this but I just can't express in enough ways how amazing it is to put in training miles and get subsequent results. Its so incredible for a race to feel fun and easy and not crippling. It's beyond my wildest dreams to end a race without the things going dark in my peripheral and my temples stabbing. After what felt like such an uphill struggle with everything running, on Saturday, I coasted down hill.

I even finished fast enough to watch Neil cross the finish line of his 5 mile at 35:05 (that's like a 7 minute mile folks!)

Despite his great time, he was even more happy for me. This joy might be rooted in the fact that I didn't snap at him during the early morning car ride, and I didn't cry at the finish, and I didn't make him escort me out of the noise and chaos to a place where I'd likely snap at him again. Nope, we both were happy and fine!

Is this how other people feel when they run? Is this what we have to look forward to? I could have never envisioned how madly great this would all be! 

Racing Forward

Yesterday I signed up for my 4th (FOURTH!) official race. That's four times I'll wake up on a weekend before its socially acceptable. That's four times I'll look over a course map and plan out my post run meal. That's four times I'll feel the thrill of meeting my goals despite all the difficult days to get there. That's four times I'll finish my distance without crying in pain. I'm ready to go!

Just in case you want to huff and puff along with us, here's the breakdown. (I mean it, join us and register! its such a thrill when you click "confirm")

March 9th in Pittsburgh, PA (North Park Boat House): "March Mad Dash 10M, 5M, and 5K" I'm running the 5K and Neil is doing the 5M. We ran this last year so I look forward to meeting up with friends and facing it again!

March 23rd in Louisville, KY: "Rodes City Run 10K" This little leg stretcher will be the perfect addition to a basketball watching marathon

May 5th in Pittsburgh, PA: "Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon" I get to be a part of the Marathon Relay with my wonderful group of book club girls. My leg of the race (6.1 miles) even ends at the bottom of my street! If Neil weren't running with me for moral support, I'd have him waiting for me with a coffee.

May 25th in Chicago, IL: "Soldier Field 10 Mile" We get to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our friend's restaurant openings on the same weekend we run along lake shore drive and finish on Soldier Field's 50 yard line (oh and we get to see little Theo, the coolest newborn in Chi City)!

We also have an exciting trip planned to Colorado in August for a wedding and we are scheming on ways to sneak over to West Virginia at some point. That would bump our 50 in 50 by 50 goal from 9 states to 13 states!

Its been so wonderful to lace up my sneakers and run these last two months... and that's just doing my little jaunts with the dog and training miles, imagine when I do a race again! I think I may be watering the seeds of an addiction here.

That confession aside, any one have any race suggestions? Are you running anything fun this year? What's your favorite Pittsburgh race? And seriously, I can't be the only one out there with open window browsers of 'running in the usa', 'google maps', 'ical' calender, and 'great US breweries' - while obsessively planning out trips. right? someone? anyone?

the stuff of which life is made

I know I must be getting better and better because the urge to run has turned into an alarm that I just can't turn off. Deep down, I know its a true joy and luxury to complain about a lack of running and to ache to move faster. For the record, I am happy to be at this new stage. (now let's continue, what was I saying about discontentment?...)

When I get my "Running Time's" magazine in the mail, I have to immediately hide its mocking cover away until I can read it "some day in the future."
When I see runners relishing in the cool fall weather as they stride past me, it takes all I can muster not to say "quit bragging!"
When Neil innocently tells me about knocking out 7 miles on the treadmill - I swallow the mean response of "how fun for half  the people in this house" and force a smile to simply say "how fun"
(admittedly, this is not my best self)

Stupidly, I've chosen right now to finish the borrowed book "Running the Spiritual Path" by Roger Joslin, so i can return it to my friend Caitlin. Its a great book, and its not helping matters. On this perfect autumn running day, I will share a (rather long but beautiful) excerpt from the book. It expresses the love/hate/love relationship I have with running and it gives insight into why I miss it so much.

source

Joslin wrote this excerpt after completing a 22 mile run through the deserts of the Rio Grande...
[emphasis and spacing mine]

"When I returned from the trip to Big Bend and was asked about the run, I was uncertain how to reply. To those who wouldn't understand, I was likely to offer a flippant answer. I would say that the run was "great" or "hard" or "beautiful." These replies were, at least on a superficial level, perfectly true.

The twenty-two mile run down the Old Ore Road in Big Bend was like life itself. The same can be said for almost every run I take. Every run contains elements of the "stuff of which life is made." All the worries, fears, distractions, hopes, regrets, pain, and joy that fill life are often played out over the course an hour-long run.

Running in Big Bend, a place where God's spirit abounds, the examples of God's handiwork are evident as both challenging obstacles and lofty displays of inspiration. I felt as if years of experience in dwelling in the Divine Presence were compressed into only a few hours.

At times it was easy, exhilarating, joyous, and awe inspiring. Then I would emerge from a dry creek bed to find that the trail had become dangerous, worrisome, difficult, painful, and exhausting...

I tend to saddle each run with the complexities of my personal experience. And over the course of the run, these complexities are reduced to the simple matter of moving and breathing in God's presence."

Running for my Life

It more like walking for my life.

I've officially signed up for my first race since the surgery!

Its the Freaky 5K run/walk on October 27th (and all the shirts say "Run for Your Life" so I went with it in the post title)

So far I can walk 3 miles. This leaves me with a whole month to add one more tenth of a mile. I figured I can most likely make up the difference. I even checked with my Neurosurgeon at my last appointment and got the go-ahead to participate.

I have 12 other friends (maybe more) doing the race too and we're all dressing up!

I wanted a costume that allows me to carry a drink. Recently, I haven't needed to take as many sips of water on my walks, but I feel more comfortable knowing I would have something by my side. Last year for Halloween I was dressed as the Statue of Liberty and my torch was a flashlight taped to a bottle of, um, libations.

I swear that mixture is more iced tea than whiskey.

I have Jack Bauer there to keep me honest. 

This year I plan to recycle much of the costume and fill that bottle with flame colored gatorade so I can hydrate as I stroll through North Park as Lady Liberty.

If there's anything to look forward to - its combining my walking with seeing people I love - AND it feels oh so good to have a race on the calender again!

thoughts and street art

some randomized thoughts this monday afternoon....

I just finally watched exit through the gift shop, a documentary on street art that won an oscar a few years back. It was excellent and has me thinking a lot about what makes art "art" and what qualifies someone as an artist.  It also makes me LOVE these creative pictures of street art!  especially this one:

source

I had my first ever huevos rancheros yesterday. Huevos Rancheros: mexican food for breakfast (awesome idea); mexican food for breakfast (terrible idea)

We were lucky enough to dog sit for an entire week and now that Snoop is gone I miss him so much! However there was that moment when I forgot he was here. There's nothing like thinking you're alone in the house, having stepped fresh out of the shower, and feeling a nose on your bare butt, to scare you right into next year.

Is there a worse place for a bug bite then your knuckle? Cause than its more than itch, its hurt-itch.

I'm having a harder time than ever getting myself to run these days. Maybe its the heat. Maybe its that my pep talks are no longer working to get me though the pain. Maybe its that there's so many fun activities, I have no reserve tank for exercise... here's the catch with it all: I feel worse when I can't fit running into my schedule, and I can't fit it in because I feel like junk. (does that ever happen to you? for example: you're more rested/refreshed when you work out, but you can't get to the gym - you're too tired)  Help me break the cycle friends, if you live around here, lets go for a jog!

I usually tire of long articles that have no pictures but this interview with Michael Keaton was good the whole way through.

My cousin has been joking about wanting a pair of crochet pants, but I saw this pair on etsy and with the right kind of underwear, you could really party!

source

...now I can't think of anything else but crochet pants. I hope you're in the same boat. (you can thank me for that in the comments section)

50 in 50 by 50: #9 MICHIGAN

I'll remember this as the one where I fell in love with trail running...
also the one where I tripped and fell.

We had been staying a few days with family in the lovely town of Saugatuck, Michigan. This was my first introduction to the state that looks like an oven-mitt (or a big toe, depending) and I must say - I was bowled over!

Saugatuck dock

We decided on our drive home we would squeeze in a race. It was July 4th but we didn't want the typical parade and 5K (sorry Ann Arbor, I'm sure you would have been quaint and patriotic). What we found was anything but typical...

The T-Rex 10 Miler Trail Run and Wimpy 8K in Lowell. It was put on by the Old Farts Running Club so when we arrived to find most of the people looking to be over 70 we were impressed. When we heard a group of them playfully gang up on one guy for running the Wimpy ("hey lay off" he defended "I'm nursing this hamstring and I'm running with my grand daughter"), we were in awe... we had found our future.

The race was held in a beautiful park. I wish I had taken pictures along the trail because it was gorgeous. Here is as best as I can give you - a picture of our course map:

very technical, as you can see.

The few times we weren't in true wooded areas, we were on dirt paths that wrapped around a lake or we were crossing a field. It was decidedly not the Michigan described by eminem. It was breath taking. (mostly for the fact that I was winded).

I paced myself much better on this 8K than my last race and I fought back every urge to prove something and just enjoyed the run. I think that's what makes trail running something so easy to love - it's very liberating. I couldn't directly compare it to my road race times so I didn't think about time. And I had to stumble down the rocky hills and make sharp turns to head back up in horribly ungraceful ways. I had to run like a little kid. (or like Phoebe in friends). Its liberating to know you'll probably get dirty and you'll probably get scratchy shins from the overgrowth on the path. Running has always been messy for me, so with trail running it was easy to fall in love.

Coming to the end, my headaches had spiked (no surprise) and the weather was hot (low 90s and humid). When my brain is all about hurting, its not in the mood for thinking. This turns dodging tree roots and jumping stones into the sort of 'high level' thinking I can't deal with, so my head checks out of the equation and I bite it. Nothing major, just a lot of dirt and a few scrapes. It would be much worse if I didn't have Neil to dust me off and help me get going again.

We finished the race, only to find that Neil's parent's drove to Lowell to cheer us on (which was not exactly on the direct route home). It was a great encouragement and a lot of fun because when we're in other states we rarely have finish line paparazzi and warm hugs.

yikes maybe with that back sweat, we skip the warm hugs and just give thanks for great parents... also for running partners and wooded trails and old farts galore

Oh and I need to mention we got our first finisher's medal - sort of. The entire race we were mocked for running the wimpy 8K (4.97 miles). Our shirts were separate from the T-Rex 10M and they said wimp all over them, on the trail there were arrows and signs everywhere that said "wimps this way" and "repeat after me 'I'm a wimp'", and the 8K finishers got "metals" not medals. So here are our wimpy tire irons:

I'm also awkwardly displaying my extra dirty hands from falling,

because who doesn't trip and land palms first? who?

So that's Michigan! We both said we want to go back and do this one again. I want to run all 10 miles and say defiantly "no one calls ME a wimp and gets away with it!" and Neil wants to take his bike and ride the trails instead of running them. Until next time MI, sleep with one eye open my friend.

The Breakdown

date: 7/4/12

race: T-Rex 10 Miler and Wimpy 8K

location: Lowell, MI

charity: supporting the Old Farts Running Club

time: 55:47

50 in 50 by 50: #8 DELAWARE

We chose Wilmington because of its convenient location of 'on the way to our beach vacation', but this little stop over ended up being a full on vacation for us all on its own. We arrived friday around 7 pm, just in time to check into our huge suite at the Sheraton Suites Downtown (living room, king bed, kitchenette - pretty baller and would have cost much more in a bigger city)

Then we were off to explore downtown. Wilmington has beautiful architecture and wonderful restaurants. We got to spend time in a little park making wishes by a fountain, and we even happened upon this message written on a car...

We ate our dinner at a place called Chelsea's Tavern. The small outdoor tables sat just across from the Opera House, for a breezy and beautiful evening. (and the food was amazing - lemon tabasco toasted quinoa for me, free range chicken for the boy)

And of course we had a pre-race ritual of a good local brew. We stopped at the highly reviewed Washington Street Ale House. It was another lovely establishment. Below are two local ales, one full of hops and heavy and the other light and citrusy. I forget their names but we quickly began sipping from one than the other calling it the jump from a hot tub to a swimming pool

[hot tub]           [swimming pool]

**can I pause a minute to compliment Delaware - every place we visited, even the friday night bars, were NOT loud!! I could have a conversation! A concussed brain could breathe! I tip my hat to you!

Saturday morning we walked/jogged through neighborhood streets the mile or so from our hotel to the race start, which was located at the absolutely beautiful waterfront. We had plenty to time there sip water begin sweating because it was going to be a scorcher.

The race was the Arthur J Turner Jr Scholarship 5K. It was started twenty years ago to commemorate the life of 15 year old Arthur J Turner, who died from a rare cancer. Since his passing, the Turner family has gathered to raise money for scholarships for many many children who could not afford school otherwise. They chose a race because Arthur Jr was a dedicated runner and athlete. (note: you don't need to run the race to donate, you can also support online if you're interested. Its a great cause!)

The remarkable thing about this race is the atmosphere this family provides. Something tragic happened to them and for the last twenty years they have gathered to remember and honor a life. They do this in a way that truly celebrates what was great about this boy, we could see that and we didn't even know him. The relatives cook a pancake breakfast for all the finishers and then they sit down with us. It feels like a picnic more than a race.

the Turners, setting up the grill.

here's everyone post-race pancaking

While the course was flat and the race was small (about 150 people) the sun was pulsing and it was a really tough race for me. Heat and head injuries are a bad combination. I started strong because I had no idea how fast I was going. I hit the first mile marker and my watch said 8:30. Soooo you can bet I dialed that back as we rounded the bend and reached the boardwalk with no shade.

Mile two came and I ran that in about 9:15 - which is precisely when I hit my wall. I took a brief walking break to get water and realized I'd so much rather stop and hang out with the friendly Turner volunteers than keep going. My entire body flushed with sweat and I really felt faint. I dragged on for the final mile but I was smart enough to walk most of it. 

If I didn't feel so terrible, I would have taken in the beauty of the course. Or at least I would have not snapped at Neil when he pointed out some of its finer sights. There were tree lined streets and even a minor league ball park. "I need no talking right now! I'll appreciate it later when I'm not dying!" (and I did... later)

I walked and stumbled and finished mile three in over 12 minutes to cross the finish line at 30:31.  And I don't mean to be insensitive by drawing a parallel between the tragedy in the Turner family and my experience but I will say there was something about seeing them that truly inspired me.... because it was really encouraging to finish feeling awful but knowing that someday the pain will be behind me and I will be able to pull what is good from all of this. I don't ever want to forget what I've been through but I don't want to be someone who wallows either. I'd like my future to be like a picnic. 

just for fun: here is us before the race

and here's my stunning self after

We took a long walk, cleaned ourselves up a bit, hydrated a bunch, got some coffee, and a few short hours later I looked like a human again!

We settled on lunch at the Iron Hill Brewery. With no one else on the upper balcony but us, we were able to pretend that it was rented out exclusively for our expensive and romantic whims.

champagne wishes and caviar dreams

craft beer wishes and hummus platter dreams

The Breakdown

date: 6/8/12

race: Arthur J Turner Jr Scholarship 5K

location: Wilmington, DE

charity: Arthur J Turner Jr Scholarship Foundation 

time: 30:31

Hot Running Tips

As the days hit 90 degrees and humid, its time to consider how to run safely in this heat.

via

There are the standard tips from Runners World and Active.com. Its all their boring, typical, obvious advice like:

- Run early or late (not in the direct sun)
- Wear loose, light clothes
- Hydrate
- Don't put sunscreen in your eyes
- Run in the shade

Then I came across the awesome expert tip:

 - Lower The Bar

*thats more like it

A less scientific chat I found said things like:

- Brace yourself for suffering
- Run as naked as possible
- Rig up a system of ice under a hat, a slow trickle mechanism

*now we're getting closer...

From personal experience, I would like to add:

- Thank the coffee shop employee when you steal water from their pitchers
- Apologize to them for the swampy dollar you've placed in their tip jar
- See a sprinkler, make friends with it. (and the Neighbors that own it)
- Call it a day when you don't know if you're peeing or sweating
- Invest in fabreeze

via

Any other warm weather running advice you'd like to add? Its that time of year and I love a little help!

"Being a Loose Cannon"

For a little cheer today - here is a customer product review of "Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme" on Amazon that made me laugh so hard I cried.... I cried (that means take the time to click the link.... trust me, almost 19,000 people have found it helpful)

Its a gold mine if you keep digging.

There's another funny one here, and even a poem here.

But that first review is my favorite, something about his British pluck and positive spin at the end.

(thank you KMc for showing me this gem!)

p.s. also for some laughs - here's a poor quality photo from the race we ran (related to this post)

check out Neil, cool as a cucumber, taking in the scenes... 

while I'm all pale and focused - working my jedi mind tricks against puking

hahaha

And two of these three people below look like they're going for a stroll,

while one of them looks like they were just told their puppy died in a knife fight.

I'll let you figure it out...

50 in 50 by 50: #7 RHODE ISLAND

 When we booked this getaway we were torn between the Sunday morning half-marathon through downtown Providence and the Saturday 5K race in Roger Williams Park. We realized that a huge part of our goal of 50 in 50 by 50 is about discovering the area in which we run. Its about the travel - the locals - the 'fabric of our nation' if you will. We knew having 48 hours wasn't much time and a 5K would leave us with much more energy to really know Rhode Island. I have to say, we made the right choice.

SUCCESS!

The little 3.1 left us with tons of time for these fun Providence treats....

Staying at the Hampton Inn downtown was great! (highly recommended)

from there it was an easy walk to both the east and west sides of town

*also we could wake up early saturday and watch marathoners from our window, still in our pjs

Then actually getting out of our king sized bed and our pajamajams and heading to the waterfront to cheer on the runners was also fun. This is at the 26 mile marker.

I loved seeing really really really old grave sites. And seeing many other historical sites.

Practically every building was a landmark. And don't even get me started on all the Statues and all the Memorials in all the Parks! I was a plaque reading maniac!

                           

            

There were two different local breweries we got to sample and they were both quite nice. (I'm partial to Trinity Brew House because we only made a brief stop in Union Station Brewery in which I had to endure watching a painful 4th quarter loss from my Bulls)

After a brief walk through RISD (the art museum does a 'pay what you want' on sundays),

we attended a service at the first ever Baptist Church in America. est in 1638

*the pews have DOORS, they close and latch. yep, that's right, they do church in a 'penalty box'.

We had our traditional 'lazy bloody mary' time at a place called Kartabar

They made this one with brown sugar, mint leaves, and cucumber vodka!

THIS is why they say travel can be educational.

And all the walking! If you are walkers like us this is your city! We covered an estimated 10 miles the first day and we quit counting the second day. It was the best. From Brown's Campus (pictured above), through residential streets, the whole of Thayer, along the waterfront, through Downtown and Federal Hill and beyond. 

Put a coffee in our hand and we could stroll all day.

What New England weekend wouldn't be complete without a seafood dinner?

Hemenway's was nice and affordable and delicious

(hang out with their lobster crab cakes, you won't regret it)

Then we capped it all off by watching the end of a Celtics game in a local bar, Blake's Tavern, where everyone was in kelly green and everyone spoke with a Boston accent and everyone knew each other's names.

They befriended us immediately, making us feel like one of them by making fun of us (namely our Pittsburgh sports affiliation), then playing songs for us on their juke box. 

Needless to say - the nation's tiniest state has made a huge impression on us.

With all that goodness, the highlight was still our 5K race. Cox Providence Rhode Race was located in the beautiful Roger Williams Park

 The park has a Zoo and a lake with Swan paddle boats and many small wooded paths. We leisurely explored all of those because we got there at 3:30 and the race began at a non-offensive time of 5pm!

The crowd of 460(ish) was managed well. We started and ended near the carousel - which is near a beautiful veranda in a picturesque garden. Its also near a pizza vending machine.

{I'll pause a minute so you can let all that sink in}

The course through the park was breathtaking. I started out fast, for me, the first mile being being just under nine minutes. Then I got a crazy idea that I could complete my goal of an under 28 min 5K.

Then the hills came.

I kept going but there were more rolling hills than expected and I was feeling worse and worse. The breezy late day weather in the high 50s didn't help much, I was burning up. I kept handing Neil layers.

my long sleeve, my camera, race shirt, etc. (and he had his own stuff)

I knew it would be cutting it close (because the race was great and had clock timers at each mile marker) so I had to dig deep and push really hard at the end. I managed to finish but my rib cage felt clamped down and my lunch felt dangerously close to surfacing. It. was. ugly.

I didn't crack 28 (my final time was 28:06), but I did get a PR (by 14 seconds, I'll take it)

I wish so badly I had the final race picture: Neil carrying all our stuff. Me almost losing it.

Could there be a better metaphor for us?

I to had briskly escape as soon as it was over - I don't get along well with crowds when I'm in that condition. But in getting away, we found this little alcove. 

It was Cherry Blossom season and the whole area was blanketed in petals.

For many people romance is this moment in a secret garden - all alone, quiet, pink flowers, etc, etc.

For me romance is when I start to break at the end of the race. I gasp and I ache and I cry because I hurt so much and yet for some stupid reason I need finish knowing I've given everything... 

and instead of him getting exasperated and saying "just take it easy. its our vacation. don't do this to you - and us" (or whatever else he would be fully entitled to say)

and he says this:

  

"Look at me.... You can do this- I know you can."

And somehow we cross the finish - him carrying it all, me trying not to fall apart. 

The Breakdown

date: 5/5/12

race: Cox Rhode Race 5K

location: Providence, RI

charity: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 

time: 28:06

*11th in my age group