My Sisyphus Goals...

...Or Really I've Been Under the Boulder, Instead of Pushing It...

I realize that I've abandoned this blog for nearly SIX (6!) months and many of you probably thought it was defunct, or I had given up my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Well, basically I had. I became completely discouraged after breaking my toe in December. I've been running, but I've been remiss about blogging about it and painfully remiss in participating in any kind of real training program. So far, this is what I've been doing since the beginning of the year:

Anderson Creek 5K, February 4: My first race after the toe break. It went surprisingly well despite the fact that I did ZERO cross-training while I was injured. I actually won my age group. Total surprise.

Pittsburgh Half Marathon, May 5: I didn't really train very hard for this race. I logged mileage, but did minimal (read: zero) speedwork. I ran a 1:56, which isn't a PR, but not horrible given the circumstances.

Fort Bragg Army Birthday 10-Miler: I did not train for this race. I basically just ran it based on what little training I did for the half in May. I ran 85 minutes. Not even close to a PR, but commendable.

And then there was nothing, with no race on the horizon and an uptick in the pace of my personal and professional life I let my running routine basically vanish. Also, I found myself again dealing with transition on all fronts and I let running fall off the plate.

I just became so disgusted with my performances and repeated failures that I took an unplanned sabbatical from running. I did enjoy having a lot of extra time on my hands. I chose to fill it by eating and watching television. Did I miss running?  Not exactly.  Did I miss feeling fit? Absolutely. I also missed fresh air, the time to myself and feeling strong. I also missed pushing myself toward something and my existence started to feel...numb.

So, I decided to hit the pavement again. It tried just running a bit to rebuild my base mileage.  This was only mildly successful and I really didn't get into any sort of running routine until my annual vacation in Italy. I slowly I logged some miles despite copious amounts of wine and jet-lag. I felt slightly better reintroducing the routine, but struggled upon my return to North Carolina. Between my jet-lag, work and oppressive NC humidity it was really difficult to find the motivation to get out there. I had only casually looked into some marathons. I began to realize without a goal, I just wasn't going to push myself back into a running routine. So I reignited my goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I after some research I decided it would be best stick closer to home.

So I've officially registered and have begun training for The City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh, NC. November 4.

I'm working hard to not get discouraged as I've lost a great deal of speed and I'm a little intimidated by some of the mileage that is on the horizon. I am terrified of an over use injury. I figured that I have to look at City of Oaks as a spring board and work from there. I may not BQ but I hope to at least set a personal best.

I also hope to maintain this blog again. I'd like to get back into a weekly blog routine to help chart my progress, and hopefully get some tips and motivation from my fellow runners. So we will see!

In Summation: Running Sabbatical=Makes You Unfit; NC Humidity=Oppressive; Lack of Goals=No Essence of Life; Running=A Bit of a Struggle at the Moment; Faith in Mankind=Maybe at the End of the Tunnel

Back in the Saddle...

(Editors Note: This blog is published late because not only does the writer procrastinate running, she also procrastinates writing about running) 


Or... The Good News and the Bad News......

First, the good news... I can run again!

My quacky doctor ordered another X-ray and has said my toe is healed. He also said that I can go back to my normal activities, including running, but starting off easy.
I know it's not my doctor's fault that I broke my toe. But he certainly made me run the wickets of Army bureaucracy before letting me know that I was cleared to run. I will spare you the rants on the Army medical system and all of it's woes. The good news is that I can get back to running

Now, the bad news....I am so out of shape!

Despite my best intentions, I really fell off the fitness wagon. I gave up any extra exercise just before Christmas and haven't really regained any schedule. So, once again I find myself just beginning to be a resolutionary deep into February. I'm really frustrated, because my 2012 racing season seemed so promising and now I feel like I'm starting right back at square one. It seems like my goals for 2012 look mysteriously like my goals at the beginning of 2011.

• Drop 10 pounds
• Qualify for Boston
• Run 1200 miles for the year
• Eat like an athlete
• Keep weekly mileage at least 20 miles per week
• Take speed work seriously
• Keep better records
• Become more flexible
• Practice Yoga
• Become more athletically diverse
• Blog weekly 

 Even though I cracked last year's 1,000 mile goal  early, it still seems like a repeat of the last two years.

I'm trying not to become discouraged, but admittedly it's hard. So this weeks small goal is to rededicate myself to my fitness goals. I hope that by the end of the month fitness is a solid part of my life again.

In Summation: Goals=Unrealized; Blog=Dusty; Eating Habits=Grotesque; Yoga Practice=Non-Existent; Faith in Mankind=Hanging out on Heartbreak Hill

This One Cried Wee Wee Wee...Crunch!...

...Or Perhaps I'm Not Bionic After-All....

Cue the sad trombones because I've managed to break my left pinky-toe. I was in the gym, trying to get 'my swell on' and accidentally dropped a 35-pound plate on my foot, while trying to set up the Smith Machine for squats.

I knew that the maneuver was going to go wrong, but I couldn't move my foot from the way quickly enough and I crunched my toe. I was able to continue my work out, but by the time I got to work it was massively swollen and I could barely walk.

After hobbling around my office for most of the day, I was basically instructed to go and have an X-ray. The next at the doctors office it was revealed that had indeed 'fractured my fifth toe.' I was absolutely gutted. The Doc informed me that I would have to wear a 'post-surgery shoe' AKA Chinese Jump Boot and I would have to 'buddy-tape the toes.' This means taping the little pig that cried wee to the little pig that had none. As if things weren't bad enough, the Doc continued to inform me that I would have to wear the CJB for two weeks and I shouldn't run for 4-6 weeks! What a smack in the face after my recent victory. I was massively disappointed. No running for 4-6 weeks, this can't be possible!

Well... guess what? It is friggin' possible. I broke the toe on December 6, and much to most of my friend's surprise, I actually wore the CBJ the full two weeks, save one day. I have been a little flaky about taping the toes.

I did my first run on 22 December, four miles and everything seemed okay. So, I ran four miles again on the 23rd and 24th. Again, so far so good. I decided to increase the mileage on the 25th to 6 Miles and things didn't go so well. I felt kind of stiff through the run and around mile 3 my right knee started making a strange clicking sound and I could feel something wasn't quite right. When I got home I tried to stretch out and use my foam roller to take some tension out of my IT band. Nothing seemed to do the trick and the knee began to swell.

I suspect the knee is a reaction to the change in my gait because of the toe. I've also had some minor set-backs with the toe and had to go back to taping it up.

I have another appointment to see the doctor, but I have not been running and don't know if running is in my foreseeable future. This is making a drastic negative impact on my running goals for 2012. At this point, I can't even make any goals.

In Summation: Broken Pigs=Totally Suck; Wonky Knees=Also Suck; CJBs=Annoying; Faith in Mankind=Wasting Away Unfound on My Running Trail

A Bridesmaid No More....

....Or Double-Header 10k Weekend Part Two ... The Green Beret Jingle Jog...

Needless to say I was a little unimpressed that I had to get up early again on Sunday morning for another race. However, I promised Those Crazy Runners of Fayetteville (TCRF) and so I got myself out of bed and on my way.

This race was local, so I registered at the packet pick-up the day before. I double checked that I received a race number with a timing chip and the very ugly race t-shirt.

After the race the day before TCRF and I were having breakfast and there was a lot of discussion of how to improve your times and I revealed one of my biggest running flaws. I hate getting out of breath. Yeah...you read it right...I don't like to get out of my comfort zone and if I feel like I'm working to hard, my body will have a tendency to just naturally back off. Well the New Yorker in the group basically told me that this was stupid and that I need to get out of my comfort zone if I'm ever going to really improve and get myself a Boston Qualifier.

With his words in mind, I decided to really try to push it out for this race and see if I couldn't pull off another PR.

Race day was significantly warmer and I decided not to bundle up and overheat myself as I did the past two races. I decided on a blue running skirt (!) and a t-shirt. It was chilly at the start but I stuck it out. One of my girls in the TCRF let me use her tin-foil blanket and it was amazing!

I wiggled my way closer to the start and waited for the gun. Again, no gun, so I just started with everyone else.

With the New Yorkers advice in my head I decided to start off a little fast and maintain the pace. I must say that this was the polite-est race I've run in a while. I didn't get shoved, elbowed or kicked and I just kept running forward.
The good news is that the course was relatively flat. I really concentrated on the pace and was surprised at how hard it was mentally for me not to just let my mind wander and settle into a comfortable pace.
In mile two I was feeling the effects of the race the day before. My legs felt heavy and my lower back was a little stiff, but I was convinced to keep pressing forward.
I buzzed through the water stations and I was burning up at mile three and I stripped down to my tank top.
At mile four I was tired and annoyed. I wanted the race to be over and I was tired of concentrating on the pace, my body was tired and I was a little ticked that I still had two miles left.
I pushed through and tried not to lose the pace at the end.
My iPod battery died as I entered into mile 5 and I had to listen to myself breath through the finish. I came across the finish line at 47:58! This busted yesterdays PR by a few seconds! It was an average of 7:45 per mile. I was pretty happy!

The New Yorker was of course already at the finish and we waited for the rest of our crazy runners to come across the line. It was a great race day for the group because we had three people earn hardware. Especially our girl Teri who ran her first 10k and finished third in her age group!!!

I was pretty excited to get my age group medal, so I could mark something else off of my goal list. What was not exciting was the medal. In fact, it's disappointment rivaled that of the New River Marathon Woodle. It was a green dog tag, that said "Green Beret Jingle Jog 10k Winner." Talk about adding a little anti-climax to my success.
But, nonetheless, TCRF headed to Primos pizza for a post race lunch, which was half-price with your race number, and we all celebrated with a well-earned beer!

I was pretty excited with the results of this race and even happier that I set my mind to something and made it happen. I hope for similar successes in the future!

In Summation: Age Group Win=AWESOME; Age Group Win Medal=LAME; TCRF=Awesome!; Concentrating on Running While Running=More Challenging than Expected; Back to Back PR=Awesome; Running Skirts=Awesome; Faith in Mankind=On the shelf collecting dust next to the cool medals at the medal store.

10k Double Header Weekend....Part One 5th Annual Reindeer Run!...

...Or Cheated Out of a PR...

I joined a running group, called Those Crazy Runner's of Fayetteville. I read on their FaceBook page that quite a few people were going to two local 10ks back to back. While this sounded like fun, the idea of waking up early both days of the weekend did not sound appetizing to me at all. But, on a whim I decided to go for it. Mighty Mouse wouldn't be joining me, as he had to pull 24-hour duty. He's a good motivator and his extreme punctuality normally keeps me on my toes.
I decided to get on it with it and drug myself out of bed and made the effort to get myself to Aberdeen by 730 in time for registration. However, effort is the key word in that statement, because I really, really cut it close. I arrived 10 minutes before registration closed. I encountered a very, cranky race volunteer who took my registration form, shoved a t-shirt and a race number toward me and sent me on my way. I met up with four folks from the running group and we danced around trying to stay warm.

Again, I chose to wear capri pants and long-sleeved shirt. I was absolutely freezing at the start. I couldn't wait to start running.

I headed toward the starting point and wiggled my way into the crowd. I was a little confused as to whether or not I was at the start for the 10k or the 5k so I had to ask someone next to me. Even though two other runners assured me I was in the right place, I wasn't completely convinced. Either way, I took off whenever everyone else started moving.

There is a growing trend where I don't know really when the actual race starts and I'm considering trying to start closer to the front. This is a bit of a sticky wicket, because I also dislike getting passed and I figure quite a few people starting further back will actually end up wiping me out. I'm not sure if I want to make this change.

So, I ran past the Santa that started the race still not confident that I took off with the 10k crowd. I pushed forward anyway and hoped for the best.

I stayed frozen for the first two miles and was feeling slightly better when I noticed the pack I was running in hooked it right following the 10k path. I got caught up in my music on my iPod and plugged forward, it became slightly hilly around mile four and I hoped this wasn't a repeat performance of last week's hilly half.

I discovered that I really, really enjoy the little village of Aberdeen, NC. It's a little more country than it's neighbors Southern Pines and Pinehurst, but has a really quaint feel about it. Plus, it has a caboose in it's town center.

The run started to snake through an old cemetery and the sun really started to beam down. I was now way, way too hot. In fact I was uncomfortably hot and I couldn't wait for the race to be over.

I pushed through the last mile and found myself on the street that led me into town. I was excited to be nearly done and I tried to pick up the pace, thinking that maybe I would medal in such a small race.

It was a downhill finish and when I came across the finish line I inhaled some fake snow that they had blowing around, it was pretty disgusting. Also, the finish line clock seemed to be displaying the 5k finish times, which renewed my wrong start-point fears.

According to my GPS I ran a 48:34 averaging a 7:44 minute mile. This isn't too shabby for me, and it was closer to my goal time of 48 minutes so I was pretty pleased. I collected my water bottle and a bottle of water and headed toward the finish line hoping to find some others from the group.

Finally I caught up with some others near the race results postings and discovered that my official time was not recorded, because I didn't receive the right race number, the one I was given did not have a timing chip in it. WTF?! I also discovered I was not given a schwag bag at registration. Double WTF!?  I officially hate this race! Especially since according to my records, 48:34 would be a PR for me and now it hasn't even been officially recorded! Triple WTF?! I found this whole race to be completely annoying.

What was great is that my running group friends were completely supportive and commiserated with me. The other good news was that one of our members earned a medal so we stuck around for the ceremony. Here I discovered that even if my time was recorded it wasn't fast enough to earn me an age-group medal. So the only thing I really missed out on was having the race 'count.' I figured at least I had witnesses.

If it wasn't for the logistical errors that this race offered, I would have really enjoyed it. So, I guess the lesson learned here, is not to leave registration for the last minute. I will no longer do race site registration. The best thing was that this was my first race with 'Those Crazy Runners of Fayetteville" and it was a great experience! It was awesome to have others to commiserate with with at the end of a race and share the successes and the gripes. We all headed to The Cracker Barrel afterward for a fat girl's breakfast!

In Summation: The Town of Aberdeen=Quaint; Reindeer Run= Could Have Been Awesome; Frazzled Race Volunteers Who Make Mistakes=Annoying as Hell PR=Awesome; PRs that Aren't Officially Recorded=UNAwesome; Those Crazy Runners of Fayetteville=AWESOME; Faith in Mankind=Hanging Out with Unused Race Day Materials, Like My Chip-Timed Race Number

A Prelude to a Holiday....T-Day

...Or Pinehurst Turkey Trot...

I know, I know...It's a day before Christmas and I'm just now writing about my Turkey Trot race that happened a week before Thanksgiving! But I guess as the old saying goes 'better late than never!' On with the race.

Mighty Mouse (MM) and I had been planning to run this race for a couple of weeks. Apparently, he's been talking about it at work and some of his friends decided to run it too. Now because there are more of us, we decided to all meet up together on post and head to Pinehurst together. This really backed up the travel timeline and it meant another early morning wake up on Saturday, early as in 5 am.  After a quick breakfast I drove onto post to meet up with MM and his Merry Men. We were a total of six runners from Fort Bragg.

Again, it was freezing. I chose a long-sleeve top and a capri pants and I was a freezing in the beginning. After a long wait we had about a block walk to the start line, where the race directors informed us there would be an additional 10-minute delay to the start of the race. This was particularly annoying because despite the fact that it was a sunny day, I was absolutely freezing and we were all ready to start the race.

Finally, the race started and we all took off together. I was so cold, I couldn't wait to get warm. MM and I tried to take off at an 8-minute pace, but the start of the race was so crowded this was really difficult. MM and I picked our way through the crowd trying hard not to throw any elbows. Two of MM's co-workers fell behind and the rest of fought the crowd hoping it would thin out.

Our goal at the outset of the race was to run a 1:45 or better. I didn't accomplish our goal during the previous week's race, so I really wanted this one.
Around mile three things started to get a little better I was finally warm and and we started to get a good pace going. The other two of MM's friends drifted ahead, and we didn't see them again until the finish.

Things seemed to be on track as we rounded the 6 mile mark, I was tired, but MM was plugging along, not even out of breath. In fact, his effortlessness and bouncy little stride started to annoy those that we passed. MM was happy as he noted that our 10k time was faster than last week's race pace.

This news pushed me through miles 7 and 8 and I worked hard as some hills presented themselves starting at mile 9.  The uphill climbs slowed me down, but MM was able to push through with little to no problem. It was around this point I felt like I was starting to get too warm.

The hills continued through miles 10 and 11 and became increasingly annoying. MM was plugging through and we linked up with 'Pony-Tail Girl' who was struggling to keep up with us.
MM peeled off to use the bathroom and promised to keep catch up with us. Pony-Tail Girl and I  seized this opportunity to try to go a little faster so that MM would have to work extra-hard to catch us. Diabolical I know, but his effortless running was annoying us.

MM showed back up and the little bit of speed I put forth started to take it's toll. MM announced that we would have to go a little faster if we intended to make our 1:45 goal. Pony-Tail Girl took this seriously and pulled ahead. MM, ever loyal, stayed back to motivate me to the finish.

The hills continued and we pushed through, but the last mile had a at least a quarter-mile hill and pushing to the top we still had to round a long corner until we got to the end.

MM, still full of fire and vinegar performed some finish line dance moves for the crowd, while I just tried not to die.

I came in at 1:45:49 to which I announced goal accomplished, as it's 1:45 until it's 1:46! We averaged around an 8:04 minute-per-mile pace. I am pretty pleased with this time, but really, expected to go a bit faster. Also, I felt ok after the race, but I'm not sure if I could have done another 13 miles at that pace. I definitely need to choose a race and get a training program underway.

In Summation: Barely Accomplishing Goal Time=Better Than Just Missing Goal Time; MM=Really Good Runner; Hilly Race-Courses=Unpleasant; Wardrobe Choice=Poor; Faith in Mankind=Must Have Been Being Passed Out at the Water Station She Didn't Stop At

Sandhills...Sand Trap...

...Or...the First Loser Again...

The 15th Annual Joint Special Operations 10k Run
This race was held on Fortress Bragg. Because of my aversion to going on to post during the weekend and other things I was avoiding this race. But, at the last minute I decided to sign up.
I also convinced my anti-social running partner Mighty Mouse, to come along. We have already planned to run a 1/2 Marathon next weekend, so this was going to be our first racing experience together.

The race started at 8 am and we came up with a solid meeting plan and showed up out at McKellar's Lodge at 730 am. There were many more people there than we anticipated and we had a long walk to pick up our race packets and t-shirts. I was slightly concerned that we wouldn't have time to make it back to the start in time for the gun. So lesson learned, no matter how arbitrary it may seem to me, I have to show up to a race at least an hour early to feel comfortable.

Also, unless it's summer, I never feel like I'm dressed appropriately. Mostly, I'm too cold in the beginning and too hot mid-race. I have yet to find a happy medium. It's also confusing to me that sweating like a pig is okay in the summer, but in the other seasons I can't tolerate it. I settled on capri tights and a light-weight, long-sleeved top

On with the race!
From my previous time on Fortress Bragg, I vaguely remembered where the trail for this run was located, and remembered that the majority of it would be on a sandy path. I didn't really think too much about it as MM and I made our way toward the the front of the pack at the starting line. When it was time we set off at a pace which felt a little fast for me, but I decided to try to stick with it thinking I was just cold.

MM got out in front of me right away, claiming he was running our normal 8-minute pace. Although the beginning of the trail was packed sand, I had trouble keeping up, and was chasing the soles of MM shoes in the first mile.

MM stayed about 50 meters in front of me and I continued to try to close the gap, until we rounded the corner around mile two and I huge sandy hill loomed in front of us. The sand was really thick and loose and was bogging down my stride. MM was un-phased and powered up the hill. When I reached the top of the hill, MM was nearly 100 meters in front, and he turned around to retrieve me....
Not only was this unbelievable, it was mortifying to me.
MM, of course just thought he was being supportive and decided that it would be a bad idea to employ this tactic again.
I just could not keep up with him. No matter how hard I tried I just felt overly exhausted and the sand just kept bogging me down and making my legs heavy. The deep sand was killing me and I was struggling. I was passing some people who attempted to bring strollers on the course and I was really feeling sorry for them!
The original goal was to run an even 48 minutes, however, that is not what happened. I was lucky to push out an 8:07 pace and ended up running a 50:30. Not too bad, but still not the goal.
MM finished just ahead of me and we collected our finishers coin. We were both still freezing, so MM ushered me past the food and water and we headed straight for our vehicles.
Even though it was just a 10k, I felt pretty terrible after my shower and a massive headache had set in. All means of water, caffeine and even aspirin, didn't kick it and I ended up sleeping most of the day.

It wasn't even until later that evening when I logged onto my computer did I find out I won second place in my age category by reading my running group's facebook page. Thanks Brian Dolan!
I was pretty surprised because 50:30 wasn't even a PR for me!

The next day at work, I contacted the race director and he agreed to meet me to pass of my medal.

In Summation: Race wear=a Science; Racing with MM=a Little Strange; Sandy Trails=Unfavorable; Oddly Tired=Unpleasant; Winning Second Place=Nice!; Missing Medal Ceremony=No Fun; Headaches=No Fun; Running Group=Awesome! Faith in Mankind=Buried Under Some Fort Bragg Pine Straw

A Run for Kathleen...

...Or Warrior Angels Battle Buddy Boogie 5k ....

One of my goals for this month was to run a race in honor of Kathleen Kerrigan, my friend who bravely fought breast cancer.

It's relatively easy to find a run in support of ending breast cancer in October, since it's breast cancer awareness month.

I decided to run the Warrior Angels Battle Buddy Boogie mostly because it's a local charity to Fort Bragg.  It is a charity run by a breast cancer survivor in the Fayetteville area and directly supports women affected by breast cancer on Fort Bragg. I chose this charity because I really liked the idea of supporting a cause that directly affects my sisters in arms. You can read more about the charity at the link below!

http://www.warriorangels.org/

On with the race...

I pre-registered for the race, which guaranteed me a t-shirt. I picked up the shirt, which is actually really cute, there were no race numbers or chips as this was a fun run.  What was available was blank race bibs and pink sharpies, where you could write a message about your run. I wrote "Running in Honor of Kathleen Kerrigan" and pinned it to the front of my shirt.

Also, it was a relatively small race, so arriving an hour early was a little unnecessary. After stashing everything in my car, I just hung out waiting to race and keeping warm. It wasn't actually that cold, but I was in minimalist mode, and didn't bring a sweat shirt or anything and it was just around 45 degrees at the start.

The race organizer said a few words and recognized a few of her fellow survivors and we all headed to the start line.

I picked out a spot about a quarter of the way from the front, powered on my iPod (Kathleen's Playlist!) and waited for the race director to say "Go!"
It's been ages since I've run a 5k and admittedly I've forgotten how to pace such a short race. My "strategy" was just to run as fast as I could for 3.2 miles and see what happened.
As soon as the I heard the word Go, I set of at what I thought was a moderate pace and was surprised to find myself picking my way to the head of the pack in the first 50 meters or so.
Technically, I know this wasn't a race, it was a fun run, but I just thought it would be so cool to come in first for Kathleen.
I inched my way up until the only people in front of me was a pack of very fit looking men and no women. I thought surely this can't be it? But I just kept running.
Just as I hit the first mile, a young, fit-looking blonde girl passed me. I considered trying to keep up with her, thinking maybe she would burn out. Instead, I decided to just keep her close and hope to catch her at the end.
Keeping with that strategy I logged mile one and still felt strong heading into mile two. And focused on thinking about all the fun times I had with Kathleen.
The course turned slightly hilly at the halfway point and one of the fit-looking guys bonked on the hill and the girl and I both sailed past him while on the uphill climb.
I when I saw that I hit the 2.5 mile mark I decided to turn up the speed and I really concentrated on running faster to try to catch the girl in front of me.
I was really working on speed, when I saw the finish line ahead of me. What? I sailed through and the race director handed me a pink carnation and said "Congratulations!" I replied with "Is that the end?"
She looked really proud and said "Yup!" I didn't have the heart to tell her that according to the GPS the course was only 2.58 miles long. I figured, well, it's for fun and headed off to get some water and eat some yummy fruit salad.
So I ran 19:14 and finished as the second female. Not too shabby I suppose, but I really would have liked to finish first.
The good news, is that I finished a goal for October. Now on to goal-making for November!

In Summation: Cancer=A Theif; Kathleen Kerrigan=Awesome Friend; Short Race Courses=Confusing; 5ks in General=Seem Short; Faith in Mankind=Somewhere on the remaining .62 miles of the Angel Warrior Battle Buddy Boogie...a shame, perhaps I could have found it.

Achievement Is It's Own Anticlimax...

...Or....I'll Take Goal Accomplishment for 1000, Please...

One of my goals for 2011 was to run 1000 miles. This was my third year running to make this goal and I've finally accomplished it.

Goal accomplishment...it's a little strange. Like Maya Angelou says in the quote in my headline Achievement is it's own anticlimax. I accomplished this goal, at least through my perception, very little effort or even focus. It's so weird. Basically, I just kept running, because everyday, I set a distance to run, and then I just did it.

Recently I was sharing my run-log with a fellow amateur athlete (AW) and she asked me, "how do you punish yourself in this log when you get lazy and skip runs? What you write in your journal?"

Now, admittedly, I skip runs. Mostly due to travel or some work nonsense. But as I flipped through those journal entries, indeed those types of days happened, but I only had one day marked 'lazy, no running.' One day out of more than 200.  I know all the days I squeeze out a run, I don't really want to do it, but I somehow make it happen. I know that when someone asks me, "how was your run?" I often utter the words "well, it's done now." There are many, many times I simply do not feel like running and seriously do not want to put one foot in front of the other. But I reckon that the fact is that some how running cleanses me and offers some sort of cure for what ails. I have a keychain which reads, "running is cheaper than therapy." I'm not sure if this is true, but it's certainly reliable, if you can make yourself get out there. As I said before, running is my friend and believe that I'm not a 'good runner' because I'm  'me,'  but I am a 'good me' because I'm a runner. 

It seems so weird, to me, that I crossed the 1000 mile mark, actually, the 1003.96 mark on a very non-special run, on a non-special day. It was a typical Friday four-miler and it wasn't until I logged them into my running journal did I realize I had even accomplished the goal. I fully expected to have to come up with some kind of ridiculous running schedule in December to make it across the 1000-mile finish line. I didn't expect for it to happen while I wasn't paying attention. I guess that's what makes it seem anti-climatic, but I am quite happy none-the-less. I even bought myself some fancy spa treatments to celebrate!

I would be remiss to leave out my running partners have really helped me, so a special thanks to Mighty Mouse and the K-Turn-Kid. I know each of you had your own goals, but unwittingly you helped me accomplish mine and almost more than two months early! Thanks guys!

Next up on the goal list is a Run for Kathleen. This is going to happen on Saturday, so look forward to that race report, it's a 5k. I can't even remember what a respectable time is for that short of a distance.
I still haven't made a decision about a Springtime marathon. I'm not even sure if I'm going to run one, I may just hang up my marathon shoes. We will see.

In Summation: Goal Accomplishment=A Little Surreal; Celebratory Spa Treatments=Fantastic; Running Partners=Ace; 1000 Miles in 2011=First Good Thing So Far for the Year; Faith in Mankind=At the Bottom of Charity Bin with a Pair of Old Running Shoes

Failure and Frustration, Future and Friends?...

…Or Color Me Sisyphus…

I wish my absence from the blogosphere was because I've been running and having so much fun that I simply didn't have time to write. Regrettably, this is not the case. Basically, work, health, moving and if that wasn't fun enough, we moved my work too. Hopefully, this is the last blog where I have to mention moving. Anyway, on with the running...

Failure....
It seems my utter lack of initiative has invited failure into my life...again. I failed to choose an Autumn race, and because of this I failed to focus on a training program. I thought I could train and then just add the race later, but with out that finish line (literally) the training is just too hard to maintain without an intended purpose. So, lesson learned there...

Summer this year in North Carolina came with oppressive heat. Some days it was just impossible to log any extra miles. I reckon I could have went to the gym and ran in the air-conditioning, but this type of discipline apparently is only present when I have a race planned.

This summer has been a DNF and a Boston Qualifier in 2011 is over for me.

Frustration...
I'm so disappointed in myself because I let the speed I gained during my New River train-up slip away. So, not only did I miss an Autumn qualification attempt, but now I have to start from square-one

Future...
I've been contemplating the above frustrations and failures and I've come to the same conclusion as Albert Einstein, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." I think I need to make some changes. So far, this is what I've come up with:

1. I've decided to concentrate on speed, to do this, I plan to run some shorter races (1/2 marathons; 10ks and maybe some 5ks and any 10-milers I come across). I figure if I use this time to get a little quicker at shorter distances this should still help me when I start my training for the next 26.2. If I even try another 26.2.

2. I've been considering a running partner. I think that running consistently with someone who's a little faster than me could help me tremendously! I've experienced this before when I had a running partner in Belgium (I miss you Michelle Whetzel!)

3. I still need some goals. I've not looked seriously into an marathons, but I know that if it's going to happen in the Spring, I will have to start training in December. I still have time. I've researched a couple of 10ks, 1/2 Marathons and even a 10-miler. But I haven't committed to any of these races.

4. My one solid goal so far is this: I will run a race in October. Most likely a 5k or a 10k, maybe longer. Recently, I lost a dear friend to Breast Cancer. I will run a race in her memory.

Friends...
So, I've been trying out running partners.

I've been running relatively consistently with my work colleague, The K-Turn Kid. Earlier in the year, I was consistently running faster than him, however, he's recently surpassed me. Running with him offers a challenge and is hopefully helping me out a bit. At the very least it's getting me out on the lunch hour for a run as opposed to working through lunch.

I've also been trying out a running partner on the weekend for my longer runs. This running partner, Mighty Mouse, brings not only knowledge but talent to the table. He went to Clemson University on  Cross Country and Track scholarship. He also has loads of race experience and little patience for any belly-achin'. He pushes me not only with speed, but with distance.  So far he's been a great running partner, but we often have scheduling conflicts. So the hunt is still on...

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is becoming quite the Sisyphean task for me. I just feel like I keep trying over and over, and failing...over and over....

In Summation: Failure = Continues to haunt me; Frustration= Rooted in disappointment; Future = Still so very uncertain; Goals = Hazy; Cancer = A thief; Friends = Good if it pans out; Faith in Mankind = Buried in a box I dropped off at the Goodwill.

Quo Vadis...Part Two and 10 Miles Wiser

....Or What Was I Supposed to Be Doing Again?

It's more than one day later and I haven't even thought about which marathon to run, pretty much I've just been eating fine, healthy food, drinking fizzy white wine, sleeping and getting very, very brown.
What I also did do, was run 10 miles today. I didn't know if I was up for it really, but  as usual, I woke up early.
My choices were to finish reading Andre Agassi's Autobiography or create my own atheletic endeavor. I decided to create my own. I have a new philosophy, if I dont feel good, I can always quit. I figured I am well-fed, in good company I feel healthy and I feel hydrated enough...so why not give it go?
The first few miles were a bit of a struggle and then I hit a pretty good rhythym. It was nice to venture into Rimini proper and into the local neighborhoods. I turned around at the five'mile mark still feeling pretty fresh, once I hit 6 miles, things were not so easy. I was a little tired, and it was starting to get hot. At this point, you can't quit so I started to break the run up into chunks. I was at beach Number 1 and I needed to get to 147. Every 10 beaches, was considered a landmark, and I ticked off the remainder of the run that way.


I still havent decided which marathon to run, or whether I should run one at all. I was reading in my running journal today and some of the entries are truly awful! However, some of the running goals that I wrote down for the beginning of the year. They were as follows:
 Qualify for Boston
Drop 15 lbs
Run at least 1000 miles
Run at least 20 miles for the week (unless training dictates otherwise).
Keep better records.

So far I only accomplished one of those goals, I managed to drop a whopping 27 lbs at the height of training. However, Im headed in the right direction for running 1000 miles for the year, as of today, I rest at 759.48. This is the 3rd year in the row I've made this goal. With this much mileage in the bank, I hope to replace it on the list with something else in 2012. Im only so-so for keeping better records, my garmin has helped with this, but still prefer the old pen and paper, where I can record not only my statistics, but also my feelings about the training.

So....Qualifying for Boston is the only thing left....Im still undecided what to do? Do I push this off another year or what? Quo Vadis?

On vacation, Ive been tapping into my academic side and have been reading tons. Ive read four books, just this week. I read "Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin, "Tinkers" by Steve Harding (I think), "Breakfast of Champions," Vonnegut and am currently reading "Open" by Andre Agassi. So far, outside of Vonnegut, Agassi's bio is my favorite.
It's totally bizarre. After years of totally disliking Andre Agassi, just like that, I love him. I love him and his hairpiece, his basic lack of manners which is derived from naivety rather than impertinence and most of all I love his passion. Just like that I love him, just like that he won Wimbeldon in 1992 and went on to be one the few tennis players to win all four Grand Slams. I find his biography to be athletically insipiring. I love hearing his tribulations of being a reluctant athlete, how he struggles against what is best for him. And I love hearing how he built a winning support system not so much of people he pays, but of deep friendship and how he understands its value is far more valuable than money. I love that he overcame drugs and found the strength within to be  honest, not just with himself, but with the public, despite the fickle nature of the Agassi fan. I hope, to one day, qualify for Boston, just like that (minus the drugs of course).

FYI..."Tinkers" won the Pulitzer....and Im not a fan.

In Summation: Future Marathons=Still Undecided; My Future in Running=Still Undecided; Reading for Pleasure=Awesome; 10-Mile Run=Better than Anticipated; Five More Days of Vacation Ahead=Awesome; Faith in Mankind=Somewhere at the Bottom of the Adriatic...Rusting....

Quo Vadis....

Quo Vadis....
....or Where Are You Going? 

PART 1
...Or Public Computers...SUCK!

Quo Vadis, in Latin, means, literally, 'where are you going?' But also happens to be the name of one of my favorite resaurants in Miramare, Italy

It goes with out saying that  I am eating and drinking well. The Italian air, food and drink highly agree with my European roots and I feel so healthy here amongst the acrobatic speech, humidity and mentality where food equals love.

I reckon there is no better platform to sort out the next 5 years or so of my life and figure out what to do with myself, and the answer to Quo Vadis... lies within.

First, comes the trouble of the marathon. Boston is still on my to do list. I have a couple of different options, they are as follows:

The Outerbanks Marathon, NC - Nov 12
The Soldiers Marathon, Fort Benning, GA-Nov 12
The Richmond Marathon, VA Nov 13

Any of these are viable options...in fact they all have a favorable course and the deciding factors will become which are the easiest to travel to, and where can I get the best Scwhag? FYI training started Monday, with an uneventful 3-mile run and other small distances leading up to my first 10-mile run on Sunday. Am I ready to run 10 miles on Sunday? Im not so sure...Quo Vadis?

The real question is should I run an Autumn Marathon at all?  Currently, Im not so sure. Recent health concerns do make it seem like a bad idea. Additionally, my life still seems to be in transition mode as I have embarked on the move which refuses to end and has become emotionally taxing. Chantal, who has proven to rarely be wrong, seems to believe an Autumn marathon is a bad idea at this juncture and advises to wait until the Spring.

Im not quite sure what to do...but will surely come to a solution in the coming days.

More Tomorrow... When I can allot the time to finish Part 2 .

In Summation:
Italy=Fantastic; Food=Wonderful; Friends=The Best Ever; Faith in Mankind=Non-Existant.

The Fort Bragg Army 10-Miler...My Rebound Race…

…Or the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

(Yeah this Blog is really late...)

As I mentioned in my previous Blog I signed up for the Fort Bragg Army Birthday 10-Miler before I even ran the New River Marathon. I knew I would need some kind of goal to keep me running whether my Boston Qualification attempt was successful or not.

I had good intentions to train for this race so I could PR and also in hopes of making the Fort Bragg women’s team. However, it’s not clear that this is how they select their team. But I’ve completely lost interest anyway.

I really did have good intentions to train for this race. In fact, I even made a training program, and set a lofty goal.

In 2008 I ran the Army 10-miler in DC in 79 minutes. I thought since I was coming off the marathon, and if I implemented a program that included the right kind of speed work, I could knock out 75 minutes with moderate effort.

But as I say in the heading, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry and in short, I didn’t train for this race at all. And I totally didn’t want to run it. The ONLY reason I ran this race was because I registered. A few months ago, I skipped a race I registered for and it really bothered me. Especially, since the reasons not to run my race really weren’t mine. So, I promised myself barring illness or injury I wouldn’t DNF another race. Even though I didn’t train at all I was going through another massive transition in my life, I showed up at the start line anyway.

The Race Itself…

…Or Whatever….

Even in the midst of all the runners, I was completely disinterested. Several people from work were also running this race, but I had trouble catching their motivation, or even their jitters.

“Whatever,” I thought as I walked to the start line, completely out of habit I wiggled my way up to the 8 minute per mile pace line, figuring there would be no way I could possibly run that fast. I didn’t even care.

I think Bragg fired a cannon or something to start the race, I don’t remember, I just started running when everyone else did.

This was a no headphones race, and because I was near to the front of the pack, it was crowded, and I was having trouble focusing. One of the things I enjoy most about running is the solitude, and this congested start was annoying me a little. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for it to thin out and had some space for myself to run. I guess deployments took a toll on this race, because it was not as crowded as when I ran it in the past.
Fort Bragg hosts a pretty good race. Everything is so organized! Water stations were great, and there were plenty of volunteers.

I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and tried to stay on the 75-minute goal pace. I was really suprised to see so many female runners in race-mode! It was fantastic actually to be around so many other women who had goals! What was unfortunate was the stupid guys that were hitting on us, mid-race! Seriously, men, I'm running 7:30 minutes per mile...I do not have time to chat to you or listen to your comments about my body...and now, I think you are a loser for bothering me while I'm running.

Like most Army installations, Fort Bragg names it's housing areas and streets after famous battlefields and and military heros. It was weird to run past signs like Normandy, Cherbourg, St. Mere Eglise and Bastogne, knowing that I've actually run in those places in Europe. It was amazing to think that I have this in common with veteran Soldiers, although the circumstances are profoundly different. In many areas of post running cadences are piped over the loud speaker. This made the run kind of fun, especially since I didn't have my own music.

I was happy to hit the half-way point in good time and was ready to be done running around mile 7. I still didn't feel very interested in the race, and was trying to maintain focus on my pace. Runners, especially males,  started getting competitive around Mile 8 and they began to pass me. I decided to up the ante a bit. I implemented some pace surge techniques I read about in Runner's World magazine and surged out of some corners and randomly increased my pace, to my surprise, these methods actually worked and I picked off a few runners ahead of me.

With a few small successes in my pocket around mile 9 I started to feel slightly interested in the race. I linked up with another and I cruised across the finish line in 78:09. This is a PR for me!

What was a little sad, was that I know my marathon split at 10 miles was faster than that, and I totally felt like I could pushed it out faster.

I guess the real victory in this situation is that I got back on the running horse. I seriously did not want to run this race, so much was going on in my life, and I almost sacked it. But, I tried to remember that running is apart of me and that through everything it's the constant in my life. No matter where I am or what I am doing, running is the same. It's my own space, my own time, when I'm just out there letting my thoughts go. It's a part of my day like eating, and it's where I do my best thinking and get in touch with the my strengths that are not so readily available. Running always helps me to discover that I am so much more than what is usually apparent. The PR is pretty great too!

My Future in Running...

...Or I need a friggin' plan....

I need to get some focus. I've not been running consistently at all and have been relying on Army PT for my general fitness. Any of my Army friends reading this, must know that this is not a good plan. I've not been inside a gym since moving back to the U.S. and I've got no focus, other than the upcoming 10k, for my running. I need to find a routine and get back into the swing of things soon, or just give it up altogether. Either way, I'm at a cross roads, and I need to sort it out soon.

In Summation: Recovering from Failure on Several Fronts=Sucks; PRs Without Trying Very Hard=Rock! What's Next?=Not Sure Yet; Boston Marathon=In my future?; NC Heat=Oppressive; My Friends=The Best Ever!; Faith in Mankind=A Raisin in the Sun
Upcoming Races...
July Races:
Ellwood City Ledger 10k...A Virtual Sprint!!

Fear Is s Poor Chisel to Carve Out Your Tomorrow...

Or...The Marathon is tomorrow and I'm crapping my pants


Well, I skipped too blogs...frankly there wasn't much to say. I ran my last 12-miler in the rain and ended up with soggy shoes.

My last long run of the program was last Saturday, it was an uneventful 8 miles that didn't even include a barking dog.

My race is tomorrow! So far, I've been feeling good, and I've only missed 3 runs out of the 16-week program and these were typically due to travel. I'm feeling pretty accomplished already that  I've managed to stick with the program during some massive transitions in my life.

Right now,  I am just trying to keep a positive attitude and picture myself successful. My biggest problem is feeling sorry for myself. Once I start to feel bad, or if something goes a little wrong during the race, I lurch into a depression. So I need to try to avoid this and work to recover quickly from any setbacks. I've done a little reading on how elite athletes deal with these sorts of things during their races and apparently they use motivational key phrases to help keep them mentally focused. According to what I've read, it's wise to pick more than one to help through various situations. I have three...suddenly I'm shy about sharing them, so I guess I will keep them to my self.

Although I am nervous, I am looking forward to the race. It seems hard to believe that I'm racing tomorrow. I am excited to see about the outcome and what I can make happen and what I can make my body accomplish. Also, I am excited to see how I will feel regardless of the outcome. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I believe running more than twenty miles totally changes your life. I've gotten so many positive comments from my friends and people I meet about my training program. While I really appreciate this admiration, I don't think running makes me a better or more interesting person. Running has enriched my life in so many ways...it's challenged me, comforted me and healed me in so many ways. I don't think that I am  a good runner because a me...I think I've become a better me because I am a runner. Running has allowed me so much self-discovery and even I've been surprised of how much more of me that exists than is readily available.  Bowerman was correct when he said that finding inspiration that to become good at the observed past time of running will reflect in the other observed past time...life!

So wish me luck...and look forward to my race report! I hope to finish it in a timely manner!

In Summation: Race=TOMORROW!; Nerves=OK; Running=Apart of me.

If You Can Run a Mile, You Can Run a Marathon ....

...But you have to choose one first! 

So, before I made my list of New Year's Resolutions, I also procrastinated picking out a race. There were just so many factors to consider. Number one at the top of the list was my impending move back stateside. Especially as I was awaiting orders with a definite report date. I couldn't choose a race without knowing where I was going to live! 

Now that I know I'm headed to Fortress Bragg, I have chosen the New River Marathon. You can check it out here! 

http://www.newrivermarathon.com/

This marathon takes place 7 May. I wanted to do one toward mid-to end of May, but unfortunately couldn't find a race in that time frame. Also, this race is on a Saturday, this is completely not preferable to me. I much prefer a Sunday race. Mostly because I prefer to do my long runs on Sundays, now, because I have to train as I race...Saturdays mornings are now made for running. 

I started last Saturday with a 10-mile run. It was daunting at first, because the furthest I had run in a long while was 7 miles, but so far so good! I would go into more detail about the run itself, but now it's almost time for my next run, so I will wait until then! I can't wait to write about the nitty-gritty of running and the parts I enjoy and venting about the parts I don't!

This week's training includes Mon-3 miles; Tues-6 miles; Wed-3 miles (with 4 uphill sprints); Thurs-3 miles; Friday 6-miles (at m-thon pace) and Saturday...13 Miles!

In Summation: Choosing a marathon=A solid goal; Saturday marathons=mildly irritating; Administrative-tedious; Thirteen miles on the horizon=still sounds doable.