Post Race Blues

I have the post race blues.

The half was 2 weeks ago.

I have not run since then (well, I ran a mile with my workout group, but that doesn't count).

I complained all through my training about how I just don't have time to train for a race - the only runs I got in were my long runs with Kelly on the weekends.

So I should be glad that the race is over and I "don't have to run" anymore. Because I "don't have time".

They are all excuses!

My problem is that I don't take the time. It's there, I just have to be creative about how to make it happen.

If my amazing friend Meredith (who's blog I would love to link you to, but she is now private) can train for a marathon when she has 5 kids, then I have no excuses.

I do like to run. I like how I feel during a run and especially after. I feel so strong and accomplished. Why am I not more passionate about it?

I'm just rambling. Perhaps it is because it is midnight and I drank about 3 glasses of iced tea so now I can't turn my brain off. Perhaps it is just a case of the post race blues...

Man, I need to go for a run

Half Marathon #2, check!

This is taken near the start/finish line and it's what the course looked like. Not the prettiest course...

Kelly and I after the race

With all our kids

Feels good to finish another half! I feel strong and accomplished! I did not train for it like I had hoped to, but that just leaves room for improvement for the next time! I really enjoyed running it with a friend. We started out a little slow, it seemed like the first half was a slow gradual uphill. Then once we turned around it was mostly downhill which improved our time! At the start of the race there were not enough port-a-potties. Just about 250 people ran this race but 5 port-a-potties was not enough for all of us. I was able to use one just before the start, but by mile 3 I had to go again. I tried to not think about it because I really had no options! We were running along side a road with desert beside us, not a lot of bushes to hide behind! I was SO THANKFUL to spot a potty at mile 5! I ran up ahead only to wait for a woman to be done. And she was in no hurry to be done. I stood there for a couple minutes, anxious because I really had to go and also because the clock was running! Finally she came out. I was in and out in about 30 seconds and ran at full speed trying to catch Kelly. But that didn't last long, I winded myself and decided if I just pushed it a little I would eventually catch her. Which I did, just before the halfway/turnaround point. We had decided to listen to our tunes at this point and I remember not being able to wipe the smile off my face, I felt giddy! We were half way done and feeling great! Around mile 11, just when it was starting to feel like I wanted to slow down, I glanced up just in time to see Tripp drive by in our van with the kids all waving! It was just the boost I needed to press on and keep going! Just before the finish line, Kelly's mom and her 4 girls were there and ran the rest of the way with her. And just beyond them was Tripp and the kids, with a bouquet of roses for Kelly and I. He's so sweet. The kids ran the rest of the race with me. I love that they were there cheering for me! When I ran the Girlfriends' Half, I did not have family at the finish line (but I had my surrogate mom, Cathy cheering for me on the sidelines!). It feels so good to have that support. Go here to see my pics :-)

Here is what our miles looked like according to my Garmin:

10:18

10:27

10:13

10:09

10:20

8:33 (trying to catch up to Kelly after my potty break!)

10:18

9:25

9:16

9:39

9:42

9:50

9:32

9:21

with an average pace of 9:49 (2:08:57 total time, but didn't stop my watch immediately)

Official race results:

84/131 women

21/27 in my division

2:10:45 total time

9:59 avg pace

An Adventurous 10 Miles

Yesterday Kelly and I ran 10 miles for the 2nd time. Our half is this Saturday! Last weekend we ran on a nice paved trail but it ended before we were ready to turn around. It was SO hard to run back and have to pass her van, knowing we still had another mile to go! So this time we found a different paved trail (Skunk Creek) but guess what? It ended too. Dang it! Thankfully we were close to the trail we'd run the previous weekend so we caught that but ran it on the opposite side of the creek that runs thru. Wouldn't you know it, that path ended as well! Kelly said, "let's just turn around and cross back there." That was only about a couple hundred yards back but I said, "nah, lets just shimmy down this rock wall and cross the creek." What was I thinking?? I should've listened to Kelly. We made it to the bottom and were then faced with a creek that was too wide to jump across and no bridge in sight. What to do? There were a couple of large rocks in the creek already (it was only about ankle deep) so we decided to chuck some more large rocks in to try to make a way to cross. As I was lifting up rocks, I was hoping I would not discover a scorpion nest or something! We kept chucking rocks but still didn't have enough to cross. Maybe just a few more. I lifted up one last rock and squealed like a little girl when I had discovered a nest of creepy crawly crickets (or at least I think they were crickets, I didn't hang out long enough to inspect them!)!! Kelly is laughing hysterically at me while I prance around trying to shake off the heebie-jeebies! Okay, enough rock chucking, what are we going to do? Kelly, in her brilliance, suggested we just take off our shoes and socks and walk thru it. So that is what we did. Then we had another rock hill to scale up. Finally, at the top and we were on way!

I chuckle every time I imagine how we must've looked down by that creek, chucking rocks, freaking out over bugs and finally wading thru the dang thing!

The rest of our run was uneventful, thankfully! We ate our Shot Blocks (I have discovered that I really like the strawberry ones!) and trotted along. This 10 miler was a tad easier than last weekend's 10 miler but still tough. I was super irritated with myself when I realized that I had forgotten to push start on my Garmin again. We'd been running for about .6 miles before I discovered that. Thankfully, Kelly had her new Garmin on (a Christmas gift from her hubs!) so at least we still knew how much farther we had to go. I was just annoyed that my Garmin would not have my full 10 miles to record my data.

One hour and 47 minutes later we were done. Best part, Kelly treated us to Starbucks at the end. We totally deserved it!

5 more days to race day!

Two more long runs until the race...

I'm disappointed with myself that my training for this upcoming half has been so lacking. When I first decided to run the Dessert Classic Half Marathon with my friend, Kelly, I was excited to train for another half using my Garmin. I didn't have it for my first half. So I thought this time I will do some serious tempo runs and get in some speed work. But, alas, Life happens. I've been getting in my long runs with Kelly on the weekends but my mid-week runs have been non-existent.

The race is in 3 weeks. I haven't even registered yet. I'm tempted to not. But I'm still gonna do it! It may not be my fastest half marathon but I have more in me and soon, this season of life will be different. Soon all the kids will be in school or they'll be old enough to stay home alone while I go for a run.

So, on to my latest long run which happened yesterday. It was a wonderful run! I SO enjoy my long runs with Kelly. She makes the time pass so quickly! I made her try out a couple different mid-run energy boosters. We had Power Bar Energy Blasts and Clif Bar Shot Blocks. I liked the Power Bar ones, she liked the Shot Blocks better.

Our goal was 9 miles but I was pressed for time and stopped at 8.2 but definitely had 9 miles in me. Next weekend is 10 miles! I'm kind of excited about it! Praying that my mid-week runs will happen this week! They will include a 3 mile easy run, a 4 mile speed work run and a 3 mile easy run.

Here is what miles looked like:

9:30

10:01

10:13

10:36

10:33

10:29

10:21

10:12

9:48