On Saturday, January 25th I ran the Securian Winter Run 10K. The race is part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival and is sponsored by my employer. This was the 7th time I've run the race and the 8th time I've volunteered before the race. There is a 5K and a Half Marathon in addition to the 10K.
The race started at 9:00 AM. It was a sunny day but really cold - the air temp was 3 degrees, -15 with wind chill (that's 15 degrees below 0). I wore an ear warmer, fleece scarf, mittens, two shirts, winter running pants compression socks and my normal running shoes. I managed to stay pretty warm with the exception of my hands which got hot & sweaty and my chin which was totally numb for most of the race (resulting in an entertaining bout of temporary facial paralysis after the race).
I really like this course. It starts and ends at the Securian Center but it isn't a typical out-and-back course. You get to run a loop through downtown St. Paul, around Rice Park, past the Science Museum and then out and back along the river. There are a few hills but none of them are very long and the majority of the course is pretty flat. The portion of the course along the river can get slippery which, given the weather conditions, isn't surprising. This year there weren't a lot of spectators along the course or at the finish (did I mention it was 15 degrees below 0) but the volunteers are always really great.
There are a lot of great perks at this race - the entire "race village" is inside (did I mention it was 15 degrees below 0), there is race-day packet pick-up, a crazy-efficient bag drop and plenty of water and goodies post-race. You don't get a medal when you cross the finish line but you do get a mug. I've accumulated quite the mug collection with 2 of mugs from each year - one for running and one for volunteering. My husband LOVES them... or they are the bane of his existence - I can't remember.
I had a great race - I braved the elements and felt strong from start to finish.
I kind of abandoned my blog in 2013. During the year I came to appreciate other bloggers' reviews of races and missed having a written account of my own race experiences. With a new year, new goals and a new race schedule upon me I couldn't resist the opportunity to start up again and share.
I wrote the following post a year ago - before I abandoned the blog. When I read it a year later I was struck by how much of it was relevant to my experience in 2013 when I attempted to run 1000 miles. So rather than write a whole new post on that I'm just going to publish this one and add "ditto for 1000 miles".
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Once upon a time about a year ago...
One of my big goals in 2012 was to run 800 miles. I'm honestly not sure how I came up with this goal as I had never really tracked my yearly milage prior to 2012. I suppose I just picked a nice round number that seemed doable when broken down into 52 weeks.
I grossly over-estimated how much I ran before I started tracking my mileage.800 miles in a year breaks down to 15.38 miles/week or 66.66 miles/month. This sounds like a pretty reasonable number for someone who runs pretty regularly but the fact is I only hit this goal once in the first 7 months of the year. Halfway through the year I had only run 300 miles - 100 miles short of half my mileage goal. For the last 4 months of the year I needed to run 25 miles a week to ensure I'd hit my goal by December 31st.
Double-knot your shoe laces.
If your laces are long enough - double-knot them. Just trust me on this one.
Having a mileage based goal is very motivating.
I sometimes struggle to remain motivated. Part of the problem is that I'm not good at denying myself. I tend to do what I want, when I want to do it and buy what I want, when I want to buy it. This makes it difficult to create a reward based motivation system. I'm also generally healthy which makes a health based motivation system (lose weight, lower blood pressure, etc.) ineffective. Knowing I needed to run 25 miles each week definately made me run more frequently than I would have without a goal. Achieving the goal was in-and-of-itself rewarding. And along the way I lost some weight, toned up my core and probably improved my general health to boot.
If you're going to run 800 miles you should probably work on some injury prevention.
For me, this meant taking a Pilates class twice a week to strengthen my core. The bottom line is that you can't afford to be sitting on the sidelines for an extended period of time while you nurse an injury. In April I was sidelined for a week with a failry odd injury that ended up being related to weak core muscles. In reality it was a blessing because it got me started with Pilates (at the recommendation of a physical therapist) and I am certain that this was key to keeping me injury free and in turn to reaching my goal.
Running 800 miles really helps you understand your body.
"Listen to your body". I have heard this advice hundreds of times throughout my life but until last year, I could never really rely on what I was "hearing". Now, I know the differnece between discomfort and pain, I know when I can push it and when I need to back off. I know how to diagnose and treat folicitis and I have a new found love of stretching and sitting with my legs up the wall.
I LOVE to run!
When I started running in 2012 I liked running but it still felt like something I had to do. I often dreaded putting on my running shoes and I had to work hard to talk myself into running after a long day at work. After running consistently throughout 2012 - and especially during the last 4 months of 2012 - I can honestly say I LOVE to run! When I get home from a long day at work there is nothing I would rather do than run. I look forward to running and love the way I feel when I finish a run - heck, I even feel pretty good during most of my runs.
I had an unexpected change of plans this evening. A perfect opportunity to catch up a bit on the things that have already fallen behind - decorating, laundry, cleaning, maybe a little yoga. Instead, I talked my husband into taking me out for dinner after work and when we got home I put on my jammies, grabbed the Swedish fish and my laptop and snuggled up on the couch ready to blog my heart out because really, what would you do without my witty prose to delight and entertain you? What can I say, I'm procrastinating a giver.
I have often wondered what a reality show about my life would be like. I'm pretty sure it would be summed up in one word - boring. People would be turning the channel before the first commercial break. Before you start protesting and trying to tell me I'm not boring let me say that I think the world would be a better place if we all strived to live our lives in a manner that would make for boring reality television. While I sometimes find it difficult to turn away from the drama of other people's lives I am relieved that drama is not my reality.
At the same time, I think there is some curiosity surrounding my life. While it wouldn't make for great reality TV the fact that I am married - without children - seems to be a point of interest. I've actually been asked what it's like to not have children on more than one occasion. So for you voyeurs out there here it is - a day in my life!
5:00 - My alarm goes off and with any luck at all I actually get up and head to the treadmill. More often than not I hit snooze a couple of times and then turn the alarm off completely.
5:15 - Let's assume I've managed to get myself out of bed and into my workout clothes. It's time to run! I'm currently watching Friday Night Lights while I run on the treadmill. I can usually get about 5 miles in before it's time to stop - this is a HUGE win for my day when I make it happen.
6:15 - Time to stop running and hop in the shower. I walk into the bedroom and say "time to get up buttercup" to my dear husband and then start getting ready for the day. I know, my sweetness kind of makes you want to gag - but the endorphins are running high at this point and it's one of the rare times I'm actually tolerable in the morning.
7:00 - Chris packed my lunch while I was getting ready (he's a keeper) so all I need to do is make my coffee and head out the door. Chris will drive to work so I get to relax a bit before the work day begins.
8:00 - The work day begins - if we left around 7:00 and there wasn't any weather we'll actually get to work pretty early but things don't always run smoothly and sometimes we don't get to work until after 8:00. It all evens out in the end but on a good day we'll make it to work right around 8:00.
12:00 - On Wednesdays and Fridays it's time for Pilates! I'll eat my lunch at my desk when I get back but the next 45 minutes are all mine.
4:45 - The work day is over. This is were variety enters my day. I'll give you the run down for a typical evening for each day of the week
Monday - Bible study at church. When we get home from work I grab a quick bite to eat and then head to church.
Tuesday - Volunteer at the food shelf. The shift starts at 6:00 so we go to Chris' parent's house after work (they live about 5 minutes from the food shelf), I grab a quick bite to eat and then head off to volunteer. When I'm done I pick up Chris and we head home.
Wednesday - Bible study with friends. I'm a bit of a Bible study junkie : )
Thursday - I try to keep Thursdays free - a little down time. I often run on Thursday nights if I need to catch up on miles or just cross a few errands of my list.
Friday - Free Pizza Friday! This could be a whole post of its own but basically, Friday's are Family night - my designated time to get my niece and nephew fix and connect with my sister and parents.
8:30 - Most nights my evening activities are over and I'm home by 8:30. From here it's all about preparing for the next day. I make my lunch (which Chris will pack in the morning), choose my clothes for the following day, pack my gym bag and get the treadmill ready for my run the next morning. Now would be the time to respond to emails and waste a little time on the Internet. This is also when I'll work on my Bible study "homework".
9:30 - I try to be in bed by about 9:30 (I don't always succeed) - a little WWF and a few chapters of my current read typically end the day.
10:30 - Lights out! Ideally, lights are out before 10:30 (if I'm planning to get up and run at 5:00) but a busy day or a good book doesn't always allow for this.
There you have it! Obviously, each day is its own but this is a pretty accurate picture of the general rhythm of my life. I think it's pretty normal and balanced - and maybe in that sense it's not normal at all!
On Wednesday my new cell phone arrived. It's a fun little gadget that's hard not to enjoy but I have mixed feelings about it. I'm sure I'll warm up to it over time.
I miss my dog. He's been gone for three months. It's as bad as I thought it would be.
I'm still on track to achieve my running goal of 800 miles this year. My goal is 25 miles a week and I've been pretty consistently meeting (or beating) that.
I recently started volunteering at a local food shelf. I've been working with new clients - getting them set up to use the food shelf. It's very humbling to sit across the table from someone who is in a situation that requires them to seek our support. I go home very grateful for my what I have and very aware of how fleeting it can be.
I named my treadmill Lulu. Now I can say thinks like "I'm going running with Lulu!" or "Lulu and I kicked out 5 miles this morning!".
I'm in a really good place with my fitness right now. I run about 25 miles a week and take a Pilates class twice a week. Finding time to workout can be challenging but when I have time I'm ready to go.
I'm still trying to run in the morning before work. I'm successful about 20% of the time (one day a week). Increasing my success rate here would really go a long way toward balancing out my days but 5:00 AM is soooooooo early.
I'm really looking forward to the holidays. I know a lot of people dread the holidays but I'm not one of them. One of my favorite traditions is getting Chinese takeout for dinner on Christmas Day and eating it while we watch "A Christmas Story".
I got a new Le Creuset baking dish (In September I got a French Oven). It's basically a 2.5 Qt casserole dish but it has a much fancier name. I'm going to make a sweet potato casserole in it on Thanksgiving. We made a special trip to the outlet mall to get it and ended up saving $80 over retail - totally worth the drive.
Chris and I are taking Mondays off in December. It will be nice to have a an extra day each week to prepare for (or catch up from) the holiday festivities. It will be hard to go back to working 5 days a week in January.
The TC 10 Mile absolutely lives up to its reputation. Before I ran this race I read several reviews by people who had run the race in previous years. Every reviewer commented on how well run the race was, how beautiful the course was and how awesome the crowd support was. I wish that I has a fresh word for you but I'm basically just going to echo those thoughts throughout the rest of this post.
On Sunday, October 7th I ran the 2012 TC 10 Mile race. This race is part of
"Marathon Weekend" in the Twin Cities and while the marathon and marathon
runners obviously get top billing the 10 Mile race and runners definitely get
some time in the spotlight. The race course starts near the Metrodome and
heads over to the Franklin Avenue Bridge where it follows the last 7 miles of
the marathon course. The course is nothing short of breathtaking and the
crowd support is unparalleled for a Minnesota race. Throw in cool temps and a
little sunshine and you have the makings of a great race.
The race
started just after 7:00 AM. Chris and I took the light rail to the Metrodome
and found our way to the sweat drop and starting corrals. Chris came to keep
me company and watch me start the race (he's pretty much the best husband in
the world) and then rode the train back to the car and headed to St. Paul to
meet up with my parents and watch me cross the finish line. Did I mention it was about 30 degrees at this point? Gotta love Fall running in Minnesota.
It was still
quite dark as I crossed the starting line but that just meant I got to watch
the sun rise as I ran through the streets of Minneapolis - not a bad way to
start your morning. Shortly after the start we hit a big downhill that
leveled out before returning as a big uphill around mile 3. The terrain
evened out as we crossed the bridge and made our way down East River Road.
Before I knew it we were turning onto Summit Avenue. I was particularly
excited for this part of the course for several reasons.
While there
is crowd support along most of the course, the crowd is noticeably larger all
the way down Summit Avenue to the finish.
I've never run down Summit
Avenue before - I'm pretty sure this qualifies as a sin for a Minnesota
runner but it's the cold, hard truth.
Summit Avenue is home to the
dreaded hill - a long, slow climb that is infamous in running circles for the
excruciating pain it causes in the last crucial miles of the race.
I'll be
honest, I didn't really realize we were going uphill. I'm sure if I had been on
mile 21 instead of mile 5 it would have been different but I kept waiting for
the hill to start and then I started hearing people in the crowd yelling "You
made it up the hill - way to go!". Really? Don't get me wrong - I'll take
it - I am not fond of hills - I prefer flat terrain or a a slight down hill
to any kind of incline but I was a bit disappointed by this notorious hill
that didn't even register on my internal altimeter.
Back to the race - it seems mile 6 is turning into a bit of a curse for me. You may remember that my ipod died on me at mile 6 of the WRTC race. Well, my shoelace came untied at mile 6 of this race. It had been loose since about mile 3 and I kept hoping it would just hang in there. But 3 miles later it was completely untied and with 4 miles left in the race I had no option but to stop and tie my shoe. Bah! Anyway, after the "big hill" the course is basically flat until you hit the last mile
which is basically ALL DOWN HILL! This is race course design at its best.
As you near the finish line the crowd thickens and you begin to hear the
announcer reading off the names of those crossing before you. You're legs
are tired and your breathing is labored but you are going fast and finishing
strong. The sun is shining bright, the state capital looms in the distance
and you know there are people who woke up early, bundled up and are now waiting, watching
just for you to cross that line. It's awesome - almost surreal really, a
bit out-of-body. It makes me tear up just thinking about it. This is
where you smile - BIG - with your entire being.
I finished the race in 1:32:03 - a full 1:40 FASTER than two weeks earlier at the WRTC race despite the fact that I ran an extra .14 miles and had to stop to tie my shoe!
1 - 9:29 (nice, easy, crowded start)
2 - 9:22 (still pretty crowded)
3 - 9:31 (big hill)
4 - 8:53 (crossed the river - feeling good!)
5 - 9:02 (Half way mark, approaching the notorious hill)
6 - 9:21(stopped to tie my shoe - bah!)
7 - 9:03 (wait, where was the hill?)
8 - 8:51 (legs are feeling good)
9 - 8:49 (almost there)
10 - 8:42 (fast downhill finish - BIG smile)
.14 - 1:06 (this is what we call not running the tangents very well - though not horribly either)
If you ever have the opportunity to run the TC 10 Mileyou really should take it. It's an awesome race - all of the amenities of the marathon with less than half the miles! It's definitely the best race I have every participated in and one I hope to run many times in the future.
Special thanks to my number one fan - my sweet husband - who once again sacrificed sleep, endured the chilly temps and was there to encourage me before and after the race and to my mom and dad who drove down from the country to watch me cross the finish line. I'm very blessed to call them all mine.
On Saturday, September 23 I
ran the 2012 Women Run the Cities 10 Mile race. I ran this race in 2010 and at
that time it was the first 10 Mile race I had ever run. It's fair to say
that this race started my love affair with the 10 Mile distance and for that
reason, this particular race holds a special place in my heart.
The
race started at 8:00 am which was nice in that I didn't have to get up at a
cra-cra early time. Chris joined me for this race so I had a
travel buddy and someone to keep me company until the race started. He also
came in handy as a personal heater to keep me warm until it was time to head
to the start. By 8:00 am when the race started it was still quite chilly
but the sky was clear, the sun was shining and the air was calm - Fall running in Minnesota at its finest. The race course basically follows the
Mississippi River along West and East River Parkway. It's a relatively flat
course overall but has some pretty good size hills scattered throughout to
keep things interesting. My primary goal for this race was to enjoy the run and feel good at the finish.
The race started out like most - crowded and slow.
Since I wasn't really concerned about my time I didn't bother weaving through
the crowd too much. My first mile came in at just over 10 minutes which is
actually right around normal for my first mile. By mile 2 my hands had
warmed up enough to let them peek out of my sleeves for the rest of the run.
The next 4 miles flew by in a relatively uneventful manner. And then, just
as I passed mile 6, my ipod konked out on me - it just stopped playing. I
could have stopped or tried to fiddle around with it on the run but I chose
to just stash my headphones in my shirt and finish the race without music.
Luckily, I've been running without my headphones more frequently so this
wasn't a big deal. In fact, I actually run faster without my headphones as
my split times below show.
Split times:
Mile Time
1
10:09
2
9:29
3
9:27
4
9:12
5
9:22
6
8:47
7
9:06
8
9:05
9
9:07
10
9:02
I had a really good race. I felt strong the whole time, I managed the hills well and I passed more people than I was passed by. I crossed the finish line with my best 10 Mile time this year. My official time was 1:33:43 (9:23 pace) - 460 out of 1129 runners (all women).
I have two more 10 Mile races on my plans
this fall. Next up is the TC 10 Mile. It will be my first time running this
race and I am really looking forward to it. Based on the reviews I've read
from previous runners and my personal experience with the Women Run the
Cities race I'm leaning toward not wearing headphones. I'd like to shave
some time off my finish but my primary goal will be to enjoy the race and
finish strong. In addition to running the TC 10 Mile I'm looking forward to watching the first finishers of the Twin Cities Marathon finish the race -
should be a REALLY good time.
Special thanks to my number one fan - my
sweet husband who sacrificed sleep, endured the chilly temps and was there to
encourage me before and after the race. I'm am blessed to share my life with
him and call him mine.
It's going to be a chilly start for my 10 Mile race tomorrow - like temps in the 30s chilly. Here in Minnesota we call that "brisk". I'm actually looking forward to digging out some of my cool weather running gear!
Since I'll be running tomorrow morningwe're going to check out the Saturday evening service at our church tonight. I'm interested to see how this service compares to the two Sunday morning services. Should be fun!
I really miss my dog. A lot.
I started getting up before work to run. I'm running on the treadmill because it's still very dark outside at 5:00 in the morning. Yes - you read correctly - I am getting up at 5:00 in the morning to run on the treadmill. No - I don't know what they've done with the real Jessy.
I bought a pair of cowboy boots at Kohl's last night. They are probably technically fashion boots but they look like cowboy boots to this city girl. I felt very "country" when I wore them today.
By some miracle of God it is still feasible that I will hit my goal of running 800 miles this year. I'm nearing the 500 mile mark and if I can average 25 miles a week for the rest of the year I'll be golden. Don't ask how many miles a week I have averaged up to this point.
I bought an FM transmitter for my laptop so I can watch shows on Netflix while I run and listen to the audio through my headphones. The transmitter actually serves two purposes - 1) I can actually hear the audio over the sound of the treadmill and 2) Chris can't hear the audio over the sound of the treadmill.
We're going to drop our land line and I'm going to break down and get a cell phone. At first I was torn between keeping our current number and getting a new number. Then I looked at the calls we've received in the last two weeks - yeah, I'll be getting a new number.
I bought a 5.5 QT French Oven at the Le Creuset outlet. I made pot roast in it last weekend and it is now officially my favorite piece of cookware ever. Let me know if you have any great French/Dutch oven recipes I should try out.
I discovered Cherry Berry a couple of weeks ago and have turned into a bit of an addict. I'm pretty much in love with banana yogurt and firmly believe that everything tastes better with sprinkles on top.
