First run since July 4th

Long time no blogging about running!  I took a little break.  My legs were tired.  My brain was tired.  I was tired.  We have a lot going on at home, and I chose to rest my running legs.  However, I did ramp up my cross training sessions.  I chose to back out of a few summer races.  Some small.  Some big.  It was a little depressing to do so, but my family, mind, and body all appreciated the break.  That's all that matters.  :)

This 6 mile run, my attempt to get back into the swing of things with running, was brutal.  Period.  Multiple times, I thought I was going to vomit.  That feeling is not at all cool with me.  The temperature was a little higher than it was in the spring, but not unbearable.  I think the feeling of ookiness is a result of very well rested legs going a little too fast.

Anyway, this run took place (mostly) on the WSU bark mulch trails.  Up and down.  Up and down.  One hill...after another.  Way to bounce back into running, eh?  Kent agreed to run with me, but we needed to swing by Albertson's to return a Red Box movie.  There's mile 1.  He wanted to show me some "new-to-him" trails over on campus.  Getting to campus is another mile.  Running through the hilly trails made miles 3 through 5.  The last mile was to get back home....which is all uphill.  Steep, steep, steep uphill.  So much for my plan of "an easy 3 miler". 

I haven't done a lot of trail running since last summer.  I had forgotten how ankle intense it can be. You really have to stabilize a lot during  a trail run.  Small snippets of the trails out there are on wooden foot bridges that shake uncontrollably as you run across them.

This is an image from early in the spring, but I wanted to show you the foot bridges I keep blabbing about.

At one point, Kent almost squished a snake out sunning himself on the bridge.  It startled Kent, and he and the snake both nearly plummeted into the marsh. Lucky for me, I was behind him on the bridge.  Didn't see anything but Kent jumping two feet in the air.  :)

Other than the run being difficult for me and LONG (seemed like forever), it felt mentally good to hit the road again.  Even though the road was a trail.  To sum it up....

1. My shins have been a tad achy ever since the run.  Hills and speed do that to me.  I need to remember to stretch them often these next few weeks so they get into the game with the rest of me.  
2. My knees were very, very tender throughout this run & after.  However, they aren't killing me.  Backing off from some of the summer races I planned on running was a smart move for my knees.  

For now, my focus will be shorter faster distances.  Looks like I accomplished that with my first run since the 4th of July.  :)

6 miles
9:36 pace

Will *cycle* for coffee

All through college, Kent worked part time in a bike shop.  After we married, he took on a full time position until it was time to put his degree to good use.  With an enthusiast of a husband who knows bike maintenance better than anyone in all of Vancouver, Washington, I have no excuse to NOT ride a bike.  Except for the accident factor.  Kent has been in a couple of gnarly accidents in the past 18 years.  One of them was just a few weeks before our wedding.  He landed the gravel road face first.  The other was just a few years ago.  He was hit by a pickup truck, and that accident left his (right) upper body paralyzed.  Ever since the last accident, I can't stand looking at all of his bazillion bikes hanging from the garage ceiling.  I was really hoping he'd sell them....or burn them.  That accident nearly took his life, and none of us have been the same since it happened.

I've been mentioning how I'd like to start taking more spin classes at the gym for cross training. He asked if I'd be interested in a road bike.  As soon as he asked, I could tell he was considering cycling.  Since I can't forbid him from riding ever again...I might as well join him.  Just like running, I'm a slow cyclist.  Perhaps that will knock down his accident factor a few notches. {I can hope, right?}


After a weekend full of stress, Kent surprised me with my new (to me) road bike!  We ended up going 17.5 miles our first time out, and it was actually a lot of fun.  We had three hills that made me work a lot harder than I expected.  The worst was that last one over on 11th street.  I had to stop twice on that one.  My quads were burning SO BAD.  Even with my very practiced, deliberate endurance breathing, I had a hard time catching my breath.  The breaks were only a few seconds each.  Before I knew it, I was at the top of the hill!  Kent went ahead on up the hill without me, and was shocked to see me not too far behind once he looked back.   

Three big hills...but I made it!

Proudly showing off my new ride.

Great view at the top.  We could see the top of St. Helens.  Look just above the tree line {middle of picture}.

A look DOWN the hill.

This road bike is so different than my old ten speed from late elementary school.  It's also drastically different compared to the mountain bike I used when my kids first learned to ride bikes.  (We went on a few little bike rides as a family, and that was about it.)  It's super light weight, which is great.  However, I can't seem to get used to my butt being higher in the air than my hand placement.  It might not really be that way, but that's certainly the way it feels.  Even with the padded gloves, my hands were KILLING ME by the end of this 17.5 mile trip.  Those first 4 miles of downhill really did a number on my hands & lower arms.  By the end of the ride, I figured out how to stabilize with my core instead of putting all my body weight on my hands.  Kent really, really wanted me to use my new cycling shoes with toe clips for this ride, but I insisted on getting used to the feel of this bike first.  I'm glad I made that choice. There was a point when rounding a corner...on big hill #2....with a car whizzing just a foot or so from my left side...that I almost fell off the bike.  I can't imagine having to deal with clip shoes in that circumstance. It was all I could do to get the bike moving up that hill again.  I did it, though.  

I can't say biking is going to be my new thing, but 17.5 miles of cycling sure goes way faster than 17.5 miles of running.  Plus, my knees didn't hurt.  Yes, we stopped for iced soy lattes at the end of our ride.  :)

I'm officially a Half Fanatic! (Foot Traffic Flat 2012 recap)

The Foot Traffic Flat was a fabulous, gorgeous local race.  Period.  This was my first "long run" since the marathon a couple of weeks ago.  I wasn't sure what my legs were going to do (or not do).  The day was a wild card, to say the least.  However, it ended up being such a great race, I don't even know where to begin telling you about it.  From start to finish, it was perfect.  Even with ten completely numb toes those first two miles.  We stopped to use the port-a-potty around mile 4 or so.  Upon seeing an injured runner with her shoes off, I stopped to provide much needed Vaseline for her blistered feet.  (I hope someone does the same for me one of these days.)  We ran with 3:1 intervals (3 minutes running, 1 minute walking) from mile 2 through 12.5.  I had forgotten how much I looooooove intervals.  This race was a reminder that I need to get back into using them regularly again.

Anyway, let me give you a brief rundown as to what I liked most about the Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon before I start in with my photo recap - in the form of a top 10 list.

1. It was great seeing my friend, Shelly, set a new PR. (She smoked her previous PR by 3 minutes!)  I knew she could do it.  Actually, all of us knew she had it in her.  I think she now knows it, too!
2. Event organizers provided bus transportation from a designated spot in Portland for an extra few dollars.  This was a blessing! We had been warned about the crowd at this event ahead of time, and that traffic could get wonky.  Sure enough, it did.  
3. The crowd was small enough I didn't feel bombarded with people.   There were 2,569 runners in all.  398 for the full marathon, 1,874 for the half marathon, and 297 for the 5k.
4. The weather was perfect.  Not too hot.  A nice breeze.  What is it about Oregon/Washington.  Summer starts at dawn on the 4th of July?  Like clockwork.  {tick*tock}
5. We earned a kick ass GIANT medal in the shape of a strawberry.  It's bigger than the palm of my hand. 
6. We got to eat strawberry shortcake after the race.  Yum!
7. The lines for the port-a-potties went super fast.  Probably because there were actually enough of them compared to the number of runners.
8. It was an early enough start, 6:45 for the half marathon crowd, that the heat wasn't horrible once we finished.  Totally worth getting up extra early for this race.  Which was 3AM, by the way.  I had to meet Shelly, Cheryl and Lisa at 4:14 so we could make it to our bus by 5AM.  Early, but worth it. To top it off, we witnessed an amazing sunrise.  (Pictures of it below.)
9. It was, for the most part, FLAT!  Gotta love that.
10. After two long years of running my ass off at half marathons, I finally made it into the Half Fanatics!  I've missed the cut off twice.  The first time by 2 days...and the second by 1 day.  Third times a charm, I suppose?

I could go on and on, but my story can best be told via photos I took along the way.  Let the photo montage begin!

We ran on Sauvie Island in Oregon.  Not too far from home.  X marks my neighborhood.

I think we had a 35 foot elevation gain the entire race.  Compared to my neighborhood....this was a sweet run!

My view from the bus....Mt. Hood illuminated by the sunrise. 

Shelly & Cheryl

Heather & Lisa (This was Lisa's 1st half marathon!  Go, Lisa!)

It was so early, we could still the full moon from the night before.

Runners are starting to gather.

Concessions were being sold.  (I should have bought a cup of coffee!  I was freezing.)

I bet this gift shop made a killin' off the hungry runners after the race! 

After 45 minutes or so, I realized I was being blinded by a giant orange orb in the sky.

We decided to go warm up in the animal barn....but it was stinky so we left.

The scenery was absolutely amazing throughout the race.  The "parking lot" is beginning to fill.

I saw the most beautiful produce coming out of this market after the race!

The sun was getting brighter and higher in the sky, but we were still freezing.

Three of the Portland Running Chicks representing! *peep, peep, peep*

And we were off!  This line of traffic lasted 2 solid miles.  Some runners never started the race.

Everyone was still cold (notice the gloved runners).  My toes were numb the first 2 miles.

This gal reminded me of Mom & Dad.  The 4th is BOTH of their birthdays.   PS... I passed her, anyway.

After mile 2, when the line of cars trying to reach the start line diminished, we began to see the most beautiful views.

Lucky for us, this race provided plenty of shady spots along the way. (Unlike the marathon a couple of weeks ago.) 

Perfectly clear skies.

Breezy, sunny, beautiful, and starting to warm up.

The crops changed mile by mile.  This was a raspberry field.  

Before I knew it, Shelly pointed out that the red barn way ahead was the finish line.

Knee high by the 4th of July. 

It was nice to look back & not feel alone in this race.  There was always someone to chat with the entire way.

I had to stop long enough to show you a blissful sight....THE FINISH LINE!

Cheryl made it even with an injury popping up along the way.

Shelly made it, too.  As a matter of fact, she set a new record for herself!

Strawberry shortcake (minus the gluten filled cake part) was served.

I so badly wanted to hitch a ride, but the train was full.  :)

My goal for the day?  To finish the race so I could finally qualify for Half Fanatics! 

Will run for coffee!   We hit Tully's on 78th St in Vancouver  after the race.  

Official Race Stats

2:40 Time

12:14 Pace

Half Fanatic #2685

Two forgotten marathon photos

While with Shelly during last night's run, she reminded me of a couple of pictures I had taken with my phone after the marathon.  I forgot to add them into the blog post about the marathon (until today).

One was of my FILTHY blistered foot & leg.  Everyone thought I was showing off my tan line in this shot.  I do have a slight tan line starting, but that's pretty much all dirt you see there at the sock line.  Who knew running a marathon was so....dirty?

If you click to enlarge the image, you can see the gnarly blister on the inside of my big toe.  *pop*

The other image was of me in the bathtub.  No worries, though.  I'm fully clothed because I can't tolerate getting into icy water naked.  During that bath, I went from bored to happy to crying.  My emotions were all over the place.  I looked up during one of my cry baby spells, and realized I could see myself in the little overflow drain cap thingy.  When I realized how ridiculous I looked sitting in the tub fully clothed, I cracked up laughing & had to capture a picture of myself.  (It seemed like a good idea at the time.)  If you look closely, you can see hair, dirty, grass, all kinds of stuff floating around in the water.  None of that stuff was in the tub before I stepped into it.  Again, who knew running a marathon was such a dirty task?

If you click the image it will enlarge & you can see all the gunk floating in the water. 

After a long race, I always do an ice bath.   What works best for me is cold tap water & an entire bag of Epsom salt.  I stay in for at least 20 minutes.  That day, I stayed in for a solid 30.  I started to worry I wouldn't get back OUT of the tub, but I managed somehow.  My daughter walked into the bathroom as I was getting out.  She looked at me like I was nuts, and asked why I was bathing while wearing running clothes.  Bless her heart.  She thought I had finally lost my mind.  She may be right.


{Side Note: The salt doesn't melt all the way since I'm using cold water.  I leave the rest in the tub so I can use do it all over again later or the next day.  Luckily, my tub and shower are separate, so I can get away with doing so.}


Anyway, just wanted to share those two images before they're lost forever in my phone.  :)