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Running For Two

7 Feb

At 39 weeks pregnant, with a week to go (more or less…), I thought it’d be fun (for me) to recap my experience as a pregnant runner!  If anything, it’ll be a good break from the obsessive house cleaning and organization (nesting?) I’ve been doing since I started maternity leave on Monday.

Nine months ago, three days before I was scheduled to run a half-marathon, I found out I was pregnant.  While I didn’t go after the PR (personal record) I had been training for, I enjoyed every step of that race, knowing I was running for two, with Baby-On-Board (and so Bob’s nickname was born)!

#1)  06/03/2012: Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon
1:53:04 (8:38/mile) @ 4 weeks pregnant

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half-Marathon @ 4 weeks pregnant

After that first pregnant race, I was naive enough to think that continuing to run with a baby-on-board would be as easy as putting my mind to it.  I set my sights on running nine races during the nine months of pregnancy.  For a few months, it was pretty easy — as in, it felt mostly normal — but all of that changed somewhere around the halfway point at 20 weeks pregnant.

#2)  07/04/2012: Coronado Independence Day 15K
1:26:39 (9:18/mile) @ 9 weeks pregnant

Coronado Independence Day 15K @ 9 weeks pregnant

#3)  07/21/2012: PRIDE 5K
27:36 (8:54/mile) @ 11 weeks pregnant

PRIDE 5K @ 11 weeks pregnant

#4)  08/19/2012: America’s Finest City Half Marathon
2:20:51 (10:45/mile) @ 15 weeks pregnant

AFC Half Marathon @ 15 weeks pregnant

#5)  08/26/2012: Fire Run 4 Mile
37:20 (9:20/mile) @ 16 weeks pregnant

Fire Run 4 Mile @ 16 weeks pregnant

At 15 and 16 weeks pregnant, I was still running every mile.  I’d slowed down a bit, but I felt awesome being in the second trimester.  And I felt like a badass because I was starting to rock a baby bump (and my Running for Two shirts).  A month later, my running became a walk/jog — AND a perpetual hunt for a public bathroom because I had to pee every mile.

#6)  09/30/2012: AIDS Run 10K
1:08:12 (11:00/mile) @ 21 weeks pregnant

AIDS Run 10K @ 21 weeks pregnant

#7)  11/11/2012: Silver Strand Half Marathon, (*10.1 miles)
2:17:15 (13:35/mile) @ 27 weeks pregnant

Silver Strand 10.1 miles @ 27 weeks pregnant

After having to cut the course short at the Silver Strand Half, I wondered if I was done with running and racing — I absolutely hated not being able to finish the full distance.  The fatigue and low belly pain I felt after those 10.1 miles was enough to motivate me into taking it even easier.

#8)  11/22/2012: Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K
37:37 (12:08/mile) @ 28.5 weeks pregnant

Thanksgiving Day 5K @ 28.5 weeks pregnant

After race #8, I thought I was done.  I had fun, but the 5K was far more challenging than expected and I was sad that my prego-runner resume would only have eight races on it.  BUT!  In December, the universe threw me a (free!) race opportunity and I went for it, running a last minute 10K with a friend’s bib.  Go figure, I felt better running at 32 weeks pregnant than I had at 21 weeks!  It was my own little Christmas miracle!

#9)  12/16/2012: Hot Buttered Run 10K
1:05:18 (10:53/mile) @ 32 weeks pregnant

Hot Buttered Run 10K @ 32 weeks, 12/16/2012

Hot Buttered Run 10K @ 32 weeks pregnant

Nine months ago, I was logging 140 miles per month at an average pace of 8:30 minutes/mile.  In this last month of pregnancy, I’ve squeaked out 40 miles for the month, averaging over 13:00 minutes/mile.  Despite the “Great Slow Down,” Bob and I have logged over 800 miles together!

Pregnant running has been far different — more difficult, challenging, and rewarding! — than I ever imagined.  But one thing hasn’t changed, I still love running.  And I’m so looking forward to continuing my running journey as a mother!

WifeMotherRunner

Week 28.5: Thanksgiving 5K

24 Nov

After a late night of gluten-free baking (cornbread muffins, pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies, and crustless pumpkin pie… mmm…), we were up before dawn for the Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K.  For some reason, I was under the impression that it was a small event.  We had parked and were walking towards the start as I realized we were surrounded by thousands of people.  As we rushed to get our bibs, we heard the race announcer say there were 15,000 participants running and walking that day.  Dang!

Making our way to the start, 11/22/2012

Thanksgiving Day 5K with 15,000 people! 11/22/2012

The gun went off at 7:45am, but it took us more than 10 minutes to cross the Start Line as we inched along with the crowd.  Our friends, Suzie and James, had driven separately and made it across the start long before us.  Our other friends, Julie and Andrew, ran ahead right from the beginning.  I’m not used to being left in the dust, but I was happy to be off to a slow start because Bob and I do best with a long, slow warm-up.  I was also incredibly grateful that Jared stuck with me and we walked/jogged as the crowd spaced out.

Hubby and I @ 28.5 weeks pregnant, 11/22/2012

We made it to Mile 1 in 12:35, Mile 2 in 12:04, and Mile 3 in 11:27.  I may have slowed down a ton, but I can still run negative splits!  Jared carried a bottle of Gatorade that I kept drinking throughout the race (even though it tasted horribly similar to the drink I had to choke down for the glucose screening last week…) and I felt so good at the end that we picked up the pace for the final stretch across the Finish Line, holding hands.  Our official finish time was 37:37, with an average pace of 12:08/mile.

Jared and I have run dozens of races together, but I can probably count on one hand the races that we’ve actually stuck together every step of the way.  Scaling back and slowing down has been anything but easy for me, but Jared’s been so amazing, understanding, and supportive through it all.

Pregnant race #8 was a success and I’m really proud of our friends, too.  We all accomplished our goals and made a little room for our Thanksgiving feast… I had 3 pieces of pumpkin pie.  Pretty much the best day ever.

We did it! Andrew, Julie, James, Suzie, me+Bob, and Jared, 11/22/2012

Week 27: Silver Strand 10.1

15 Nov

I ran the AFC Half Marathon at 15 weeks pregnant and although I was definitely slowing down, I felt so great that I excitedly registered to run the Silver Strand Half Marathon on 11/11/2012—at 27 weeks pregnant.

Well friends, A LOT changes in 12 weeks of pregnancy.  My running has been slowing down since the very beginning, but it really started to change at 20 weeks.  Not only was I dealing with the constant urge to pee, but the belly started feeling awkward and heavier the further I ran.  My pace slowed from 10:00 minutes/mile to 12:00 minutes/mile.  Recently, I’ve been averaging 13:00+ minutes/mile as I’ve had to break up the short, slow running intervals with more and more walk breaks.  Running has become such a mental exercise for me because cardio-wise, I crave—and want to do—so much more.  I barely break a sweat during these “runs,” and yet physically carrying this sweet little Baby-on-board has been so surprisingly strenuous.  In simple terms: My heart wants to do more.  My brain thinks and feels like it can do more.  But my uterus is saying: “Girl, you are crazy!”  So yeah, it’s a mental exercise to, um, listen to my uterus, I guess.  Then again, it’s pretty impossible NOT to listen to it…

So on Sunday, I set out to run/jog/walk/waddle my way through my third and final pregnant half-marathon.  I tried to be a smart, responsible mom about it:

  • I dressed warmer than usual—prepared to do as much walking as we needed.
  • I carried my handheld water bottle with electrolytes.
  • I wore my Spibelt with ID, snacks, and my cell phone, so I could stay in touch with hubby and if necessary, have him pick me up along the course.
  • And I promised myself I’d listen to my body.

I lined up in the back of the pack with the walkers, but I started out with a nice, easy jog.  I took my first walk break as soon as I hit Mile 1.  I stayed to the side, doing my walking thing as other runners passed.  One runner patted me on the shoulder as he ran by—a gentle, supportive, you-can-do-it-sorta pat, then he looped back and said, somewhat surprised: “You’ve got a bun in the oven, don’t ya!?”  I smiled and told him I’m just starting my third trimester.  He stuck with me, saying his wife was a dancer and danced all the way through her third trimester before she had their son 26 years ago.  I started jogging again and we ended up chatting for four miles.  At that point, I told him I needed to start walking and sent him ahead to finish strong.

This course isn’t the most spectator-friendly, since the majority of the route runs along Highway 75 with very few opportunities for spectators to park their cars and cheer.  I was prepared to run without seeing Jared until the finish; however, my #1 Fan and Baby Daddy did his Mr. Amazing-thing and managed to see me (and run with me!) three times before Mile 8!

I spotted him just shy of Mile 4, where he let everyone know within earshot that I’m his pregnant wife.  We saw him again after Mile 5 and I let him know I was slowing down—the belly was feeling very, very heavy.  And by Mile 8, I told him I knew I was going to have cut it short.  He refilled my water bottles, walked and jogged with me, and repeatedly told me how proud he is.  I believe him, he’s definitely proud of me, but I think he also knew how hard it was for me to not finish the race.

Mile 8, Silver Strand Half Marathon, 11/11/2012

Mile 8, Silver Strand Half Marathon, 11/11/2012

From previous years, I knew of the upcoming out-and-back stretch at the end (Miles 9.5-12.5) and when I had the choice to turn right and commit to the final three miles or go straight towards the Finish Line at the pier, I went straight.  I jumped in with the other runners and ran through the Finish Line with 10.1 miles on my Garmin.  A small piece of me felt like a failure—disappointed that I didn’t complete the full 13.1 miles, but the other 99% of me knew I made the right decision.

I’ve never needed to lay down and take a nap so badly in my life!  Bob and I were donezo.

10.1 miles @ 27 weeks pregnant, 11/11/2012

My #1 Fan & Baby Daddy, 11/11/2012

I had some pretty immediate soreness in my lower abdomen—like overworked muscles screaming: “We’re tired of carrying this heavy bump!”  So I spent the afternoon waddling around the house with my hand under my belly, trying to offer Bob some support.  I laid on the couch and in bed, napping on-and-off for several hours (yes, HOURS), and eating everything in the house.  After a shower, I felt (practically) good as new, just tired.

Several days later and I’m still reminding myself that I didn’t fail and I’m not a quitter.  I’m still reassuring myself that I did the right thing by bailing at 10.1 miles, and that I earned that race medal as much as I earned every other race medal I’ve ever gotten.

Best of all, I’ve been daydreaming about telling Baby Chuck the story of our seventh race together.  I sure hope he or she likes the race medals we’ve earned, because I think they’ll look good in the nursery.

Bob @ 27 weeks, 11/11/2012

Fast forward to today: I was doing my usual walk/jog on the treadmill during lunch when the security guard came through on his rounds.  We see each other almost every day—often while I’m in the gym, but rarely say more than a few words to each other.  He’s complimented my haircuts in the past, when no one else has noticed, but he’s never said anything about my bump.

Today, he caught my eye and said: “That kid’s gonna come out running.” 

I smiled and said, “I hope so!”

Week 21: AIDS Run 10K

4 Oct

Sunday morning, Jared and I ran the AIDS Run San Diego 10K for the third year.  We run a lot of different events, but this one’s our favorite charity race.  Two years ago, I ran this 10K at a slow-for-me pace because I had just run a 20 mile training run the day before…

AIDS Run 10K, 9/26/2010

And this past Sunday, I ran an even slower pace, because I’m 5 months pregnant.  (So, in case you’re wondering, being 21 weeks pregnant is more exhausting than recovering from a 20-miler.  Go figure.)

AIDS Run 10K, 9/30/2012

I rocked my “Running For Two” tank, which was fun because (I think) I’m looking unquestionably pregnant at this point.  I got a lot more comments and encouragement from other runners and spectators than I did at the AFC Half Marathon last month.

21 weeks pregnant @ the AIDS 10K, 9/30/2012

Bump! 21 weeks pregnant, 9/30/2012

We lined up in the back of the pack and overall, the event was as awesome as ever.  Even though I still have mixed emotions about my continually slowing pace, I did better than I expected, averaging less than 11:00 minutes/mile.  It was hotter than normal (temps got up to the low 90s later in the day) and the course is deceptively hilly, so we hit every water stop, but I ran almost every step of the way.  And I only stopped to pee once mid-race (plus two more times right before and after, ha)!

Dad-to-be at Mile 2, 9/30/2012

Running for Two!  9/30/2012

My official finish time was 1:08:12 (exactly 11:00 minutes/mile).  My 6th race with baby-on-board was a success and with another 19(ish) weeks to go, I’m hoping it won’t be my our last!

Happy Bump Day!

Week 15: AFC Half Marathon

24 Aug

This past Sunday, I ran the AFC half marathon for the third time, but this time, at 15 weeks pregnant!  The past couple years, we were blessed with cloudy mornings and mild temps.  This year, though, our luck ran out.  It was set to be hot-hot-hot and muggy.  For several days before the race, I worried about my lack of training and the heat.  Would I peter out early?  Would the heat be too much?  Although I’ve run 19 half marathons and over 60 races, pregnancy is uncharted territory for me.  I didn’t know what to expect…

I tossed and turned Saturday night, continuously weighing whether or not to run Sunday morning, but when my alarm went off at 4:30am, I got up and got ready.  Of course, I was going to run.  That’s just what I do.

My rockstar hubby, drove me to the busses at 5:00am, where I waited in line to be shuttled to the start.  I wore my purple “Running for Two” tank, thinking I would get some positive feedback from spectators and runners—you know, a little pat on the back or a “You can do it!”  Surprisingly, I got whispers and weird stares.  Standing in line for the bus, a couple girls behind me whispered to each other: “Oh my gawd, did you see her shirt?!?!  She’s running PREGNANT.”  It wasn’t necessarily judgmental or negative, but it was awkward to know I was being talked about.

Waiting around at the start, I noticed more whispers and pointing.  I heard someone say: “I like her shirt.  That’s awesome,” and another: “She’s running pregnant, wow!”  But no one said anything directly to me.  It was so strange.

At 7:00am, the race started.  I settled in with the back of the pack, wanting to make sure I took it easy and didn’t go out too fast.  I found a groove, running 10:00 minute miles (almost 2:00 minutes per mile slower than the half marathon I ran six months ago).  It felt amazing to be out there, doing what I love so much, with a little person, who I haven’t even met yet, but love so much, too…

The race was mostly sunshine and rainbows, but it wouldn’t be a good race if it didn’t have some gnarly twists to it (right…?).  With this one, it was all about the heat.  Weather.com promised a cloud-covered morning, but those clouds were nowhere to be seen and at 7:00am the sun was HOT.  I was dripping sweat by Mile 1 and continuously sipped from my hand-held water bottle, refilling it at water stations along the course.

At Mile 3, I spotted Jared and waved as he cheered: “THAT’S MY PREGNANT WIFE!” which made spectators and runners around us cheer too.  I ran on, on cloud nine, drenched in sweat, but so happy.  I was surprised to spot hubby again, at Mile 5, this time holding a neon green poster board: Go Chuck and Bob: Running for 2.  I paused to refill my water bottle, gave him a sweaty kiss, and kept running as he hollered he’d see me again at the finish.

By now, I really had to pee.  Every port-o-potty station I came across was a zoo with dozens of runners stopped and waiting and even though I really had to go, I really didn’t want to stop… so I kept passing them up, thinking: I’ll stop at the next one… next one… next one… by Mile 8, it had to happen, so I stopped and waited.  I sucked down a Gu while waiting for the half dozen people in front of me and although I lost more than 5 minutes with that pit stop, I came out of the john ready to zoom to the finish.

Runners were dropping like flies around me—overheated, drenched in sweat, and out of gas.  I plodded along at my 10:00-11:00 minute per mile pace, weaving around one walker after another.  It was hot and I was so sweaty, but I still felt great, so I guzzled water and kept going.

At Mile 10, I was surprised and thrilled to see my professional race spectator hubby, again with his neon green poster board, giant grin, and tagline: “THAT’S MY PREGNANT WIFE!”  It was odd to be at mile 10 of a half marathon, feeling sad that it was almost over, but I was.  The course wove through downtown, where there were some blissful stretches of shade from the tall buildings, and then we started the two mile ascent up to the finish line.

Those last two uphill miles of the course are usually annoying, but I was ready for them and felt surprisingly good.  I wound my way into Balboa Park and crossed the finish line with an official time of 2:20:51—more than 10 minutes faster than I’d predicted.

It was my 20th half marathon, but in so many ways it felt like my first.  I wandered through the finish area overwhelmed with emotion—proud of myself, in love with Bob, and running with Bob… and so infinitely grateful to be a happy, healthy, pregnant runner!

After a shower, brunch with friends (a HUGE stack of gluten-free pancakes!), and a lazy evening with my pup, hubby, and growing baby bump, I really can’t think of anything that would’ve made for a more perfect day…

Santa Clarita Marathon Recap

8 Nov

When I woke up on marathon morning and it was already pouring rain, I lost every bit of confidence I’d built up the night before.  But there was no turning back.  We layered up and took off for the start.  We bypassed the long line of cars waiting to park in the covered garages at the mall and found an uncovered parking spot a few steps from the start line.  We waited in the car until the last minute, then braved the rain for the national anthem (during which, Sully let out an adorable howl, as though he was trying to sing along) and I was off, as Jared hollered: “Own every mile!”

Look, mom! I wore your gloves!

We tried to get a family shot at the start, but Sully was too freaked out by the crowds to stay still.

Honestly, I was pretty miserable running in the rain for the first several miles.  I’m not used to running in the cold and it took me several miles to warm up and get in somewhat of a rhythm, but I knew my pace was slower than 4-hour marathon pace and I let go of that goal by deciding not to even look at my Garmin for time or pace.

Just past Mile 4 was the first time I saw Jared & Sully, who let out a long howl as I ran by :)

At least my shoulders are dry, ha!

Despite the crummy weather, I really can’t say enough great things about this event.  I really loved the course, which basically consisted of four loops.  First, we did a loop to the southwest, headed north, then southeast, and finished with an out-and-back to the east (which wasn’t so awesome, but those final miles never are).  We mostly ran along wide sidewalks and trails–rarely on roads–and I savored every minute of running through the wooded areas, where pine needles blanketed the pathways and trees changing color created tunnels for us to run through.  There were sparse, sandy stretches, where we ran out into nothingness with breathtaking views of mountains in the background.  Although the rain let up in the first 10 miles, my shoes were waterlogged the entire way as I kept plowing straight into puddles because I had my eyes up the whole way.  Again, I loved the course.  And even when I got to the really tough, gritty, final miles, I found myself thinking I want to come back next year–AND I think my dad should run with me, because he’d love it too.

Another huge pro for the course–Jared & Sully were able to see me TEN separate times!!!!  We printed off some maps of Santa Clarita the night before, but it’s hard to predict what traffic will be like with road closures, so Jared didn’t have a plan and I had no clues as to where I would see him.  But because we were running on sidewalks and trails, there were few (if any) complete road closures, so Jared zipped all over Santa Clarita with no problem!

At mile 13, I handed off my long sleeved shirt to Jared and finally got to rock my Maniac tank!

The sun came out for a few miles!  Miles 13-18 were some of my favorites because we ran through the woodsiest areas AND because mile 16 in the marathon is a milestone for me.  At mile 16, there are only 10 miles to go–and 10 miles is nothing compared to 26.  10 miles, I can do before work.  Plus, there was the sunshine, which was a lifesaver!

See? Mile 18 and I'm still smiling in the sunshine!

I’m really proud of the slow-but-steady race I ran up until mile 19, where things started falling apart… big time.  Miles 19-23 included a lonely and boring out-and-back stretch.  Jared drove in this direction, looking for a place to spectate, but the path was off the main roads, so that’s why there were so few spectators along this stretch.  And like I said, it was just plain boring.  When I got to mile 20, I was so ready to be done.  I was teary and emotional and walked and ran a bit of mile 20 with Jared and Sully before Sully popped a squat in the dirt and I took that as my cue to run on.  I hung in there until mile 22, which is the long training run I would’ve done for Vegas in four weeks, so after I hit 22, mentally, I was really and truly done.

I kept telling myself: only four more miles, but those last four were some of the longest, hardest miles of my life.  My left calf was aching and painful.  I’d only had two gels all day and I couldn’t bear the thought of taking another one, so I kept choking down Gatorade at the aid stations (I really need to figure out what nutrition plan works for me).  I saw Jared for the last time at mile 23.  I stopped to give him a kiss and rub Sully’s head for good luck.  I ran off with tears in my eyes as Jared yelled, “Remember what you’re running for.”

At mile 24, I was so grateful to run into another Maniac and we ran a mile together, chatting about what marathons we’d run (Santa Clarita was his 51st!) and what was up next.  Neither of us had the day that we wanted, but with marathons, there are just so many volatile variables (like weather and emotions and glycogen uptake).  With less than a mile to go, he told me to run ahead and I kept going, vowing that I would run the entire last mile with absolutely no walking.

The last mile included two paseo bridges over main roads and boy-oh-boy those inclines onto the bridges were BRUTAL.  My calf was feeling worse, but the promise of a finish line around the corner propelled me forward.  A kids’ fun run was taking place in that final stretch, so three-and-half foot bundles of energy were zipping by me left and right, running their adorable little hearts out, and while I was running on fumes, it gave me such a boost.

And then I saw the clown (or jester?) and then there was Jared and Sully, who stepped out onto the course with me and said, “We’re running with you!”  Jared handed me Sully’s leash and although he was freaked out by the cheers and screams of spectators, he ran with me, and Jared fell back, taking a video of the finish.  I crossed the finish line and did what I absolutely hate that other runners do: I stopped immediately.

Official splits:

  • 5.5 Mile: 52:08 (9:29/mile)
  • 15.3 Mile: 2:26:48 (9:36/mile)
  • 21.5 Mile: 3:31:00 (9:49/mile)
  • Finish: 4:28:14 (10:14/mile)

With my eleventh marathon medal dangling around my very tired neck, Jared guided me to the finisher’s area where they had Clif bars, Larabars, bananas, water, and some other drinks.  I hoarded Larabars as we chatted with my Maniac running buddy.  A band was playing and families buzzed around, celebrating their finishes, whether it was the kids’ fun run, the 5K (where there were 1193 finishers), the half marathon (1306 finishers) or the full daddy (390 finishers).  The sun was gone and although it wasn’t raining, it was windy, and I got really chilly, really fast, so we didn’t linger.

I stretched out at the car with Sully, while Jared ran over to Chipotle to get us lunch and we headed back to the hotel to shower, eat and chill before the two-and-a-half hour drive back to San Diego.

It wasn’t my best performance, but it was a perfect long training run for Vegas.  And it was an absolutely perfect day, where I owned every mile–even the really grisly ones… not to mention the fact that I have The Best Hubby in the World!

Marathon #11 = check!

We put the PR in Pride 5K

17 Jul
Hubby and I decided to run the Run and Stride with Pride 5K late yesterday, so we could stick around for San Diego’s Pride Parade.  Since it was a last minute decision AND because I ran a hard 5 mile tempo run yesterday morning, I really wasn’t expecting much from this race…

 

BUT I smoked my 5K PR by more than a minute and placed 1st in my division (once again proving I race best when I have low expectations)!!!!
 

Mile 1:  7:50
Mile 2:  7:48
Mile 3:  7:43
Last 0.1 mile:  0:47 (7:28/mile)
Garmin Results:  3.11 miles, 24:09 (7:46/mile)
 
Official Finish:  3.1 miles, 24:10 (7:47/mile)!!!!
Overall:  80 out of 327
Women:  13 out of 173
F 25-29:  1 out of 38 — 1st time I’ve ever placed!!!!
The post-race awards ceremony when Jared realized I placed!
About to start jumping up & down…
Please excuse my boob sweat…

Hubby also busted out a PR despite: 1) having a pulled groin (he calls it a “hurtie”) from playing indoor volleyball, 2) racing with the camera, and 3) pausing to take 846 billion pictures along the way.

We scooped up our race goodies, then found a place to watch the Pride Parade, which rocked and was (obviously) full of rainbows:
We saw a bunch of these signs & one that said: “I heart my straight mom.” :)

What a day!  And since it’s almost 7:00pm… I guess I should finally shower and ice that nagging shin splint before tomorrow’s nice and easy, long, slow run! 

 
Peace!
 

Middle of July? How did that happen?

14 Jul

Where-oh-where have I been?

Fourth of July weekend was a gloriously long weekend full of friend-time, brunching, running, and lotsa quality time with our couches (wouldn’t want them to feel neglected).  We also hosted a nice little barbecue with some rad peeps.  I had such a great time, I didn’t take a single picture.

We did, however, have a very special visitor staying with us, who demanded the photo shoots:

Anyone who can embrace our piles & piles of dirty laundry is welcome in our house!
Our future kids are going to be so good at “sit” & “stay”
This look would be the: “Hurry Up & Get Our Food, Woman!!!!”

On the 4th, we ran the Coronado Independence Day 15K for the second year and I finished 13 seconds slower than last year, which I’m still burned about even though it was about 13 degrees hotter this year… Oh well.

Work has been… blah… and by “blah,” I mean abnormally stressful, exhausting and all-consuming.  A lot of days, I come home and feel totally zapped of energy, but last week, I came home to this:

Hubby hit the grocery, stocked the fridge and pantry AND bought flowers, GLUTEN FREE Rice Krispies!!!!, and a handheld water bottle… not to mention, wrote me a sweet lil love note.  Aww…  Can we all say Hubby-Of-The-Year?

The water bottle was a special request I made for the Stonewall Peak Half Marathon 14-miler trail run I was gearing up for on Saturday, 7/9.  The race was out at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which is an hour away and I was a ball of nerves because it’s the longest, most strenuous trail run I’ve ever signed up for, so I was super grateful when hubby offered to come along and even said: “Duh, of course I’ll be there!“

We arrived at 6:40am and by 7:00, someone yelled: “GO!“  And all 30 of us took off!

Jared had the camera and went for a ~5 mile hike, while I was off in the wilderness pretending to be Bear Grylls.  Here’s some of what he found:

14 miles, 3 hours and 7 minutes later…

Best water I ever drank.
Best watermelon I ever ate.

Holy cats!  This race was no joke.  The course was mostly single track and several parts were overgrown and blocked by fallen trees.  Covered in rocks, roots, and mud, the trails were practically un-runnable for miles due to the extremely steep inclines and declines.  My shins, ankles and feet are covered in scratches, bruises and gnarly blisters and I’ve been SO SORE since Saturday!

And you know what?  I’m already on the lookout for another one, because, well, trail runners are cool:

We finished off the weekend with dinner and drinks with friends, an ultra-relaxing couples massage, brunch (oh how I love brunch!), and an afternoon showing of Horrible Bosses, which bestowed me with some some pretty wise words about life, work, and obviously, running:
“You can’t win a marathon without putting some band-aids on your nipples.”

OC (sub-4:00!) Marathon Race Report

14 May
“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”
Awake at 4:50am! Waiting for the hotel shuttle to the Start Line.

4:50am! Waiting for the hotel shuttle to the Start Line.

On May 1st, I accomplished one of my biggest goals for the year when I completed the OC Marathon in under four hours, which I think has made it nearly impossible to recap…  I was doubtful that I would really accomplish it until the moment I crossed the finish line and stopped my Garmin.  And then I cried and held onto my knees and cried some more.  It’s been nearly two weeks and I still find myself repeatedly thinking and saying out loud: I did it!

And in true maniac fashion, I’m already dreaming up new, crazy, maniacal goals (um, hi, I’m running another marathon tomorrow), but before we get to that, here’s my OC story:

Getting updates from mom, spectating dad's race at the Flying Pig Marathon

Getting updates from mom, who was spectating dad’s race at the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

Almost go time!

Almost go time!

We dropped off our warm-ups at bag check, lined up with Corral #2 and shortly after the gun went off, we were making our way across the start line.  We split up very early on and I took advantage of the downhill stretches to pick up my pace.

Mile 1:  9:16
Mile 2:  8:22
Mile 3:  8:20
Mile 4:  8:27
Mile 5:  8:39
Mile 6:  8:44
Mile 7:  8:36
Mile 8:  8:40
Mile 9:  8:40
Mile 10:  9:07
Mile 11:  8:44
Mile 12:  8:51

Somewhere around Mile 12...

Somewhere around Mile 12…

At Mile 12, the half and full marathoners split, so I had a vivid this is it moment as I ran on with the much smaller pack of marathoners.  I didn’t mind that the crowd thinned out, nor the fact that there were very few spectators, but I realized I was going to have to make a pit stop.  Without any porta-potties in sight, I started looking for bushes, but thankfully, after a couple miles of debating my options, I spotted a porta-potty just past the Mile 14 water station.  Godsend!

Mile 13:  8:50
Mile 14:  9:02
Mile 15:  10:25 + porta-potty detour

I felt better, but also tired.  I knew I couldn’t maintain the sub-9:00 minute/mile pace that I’d somewhat miraculously managed in the first half, but I focused on maintaining the 9:09 minute/mile pace that it’d take to finish in under four hours.

Mile 16 is always a target for me, because from there it’s only single digits to go: 9 miles to go, 8 miles to go, 7 miles to go, and so on…

Mile 16:  9:14
Mile 17:  9:04
Mile 18:  9:20
Mile 19:  9:19
Mile 20:  9:29
Mile 21:  9:01

Windy!

Windy!

The last 4-5 miles were, by far, the hardest.  Um, duh.  No really, this course had us running across main roads that weren’t shut down for the race, so at one point a cop actually stopped me so he could clear traffic before letting me continue running.  Man, it is so rough to stop and re-start running that late in the game.

The course continued along a stretch of dusty/sandy dirt trail that was brutal on my tired ankles and the wind was picking up, so I kept getting dirt and sand in my eyes and mouth.  Again, brutal.

I was beyond exhausted.  The wind was ruthless, but I was giving it all I had because I knew the sub-four was still within reach.  I just had to hang on.

Mile 22:  9:36
Mile 23:  9:06

And then there were hills.  As much as I wanted to hang on, I was totally whooped and discouraged.  I started walking, as I gave myself ultimatums: Run to the next water stop, then you can walk for a bit.  Finish under four and you can have creme brulee as an appetizer at Maggiano’s.

With all the walking that I did during those last hilly, windy, brutal miles, I have no idea how I managed the 10:00 minute/miles that I did, and as my Garmin chirped at Mile 26, I realized, I was cutting that sub-four EXTREMELY close.

Mile 24:  10:01
Mile 25:  9:52
Mile 26:  10:17
Last 0.33 miles:  2:38 (8:14/mile)

I gave it everything I had, sprinting toward the finish line, as I heard Jared screaming my name: “MEGAN LURIE!  MEGAN LURIE!”  The finish line clock read 4:01, but by then, I didn’t care.  I had run the best marathon–perhaps, the best race of my life, so far, and I floated across the finish line with a smile that took over my whole face.  I stopped my Garmin and immediately, broke into tears.

Garmin Time: 26.33 miles, 3:59:53 (9:06/mile)
Official Time: 26.2 miles, 3:59:51 (9:09/mile)

Stopping my Garmin & realizing I broke 4 hours!

Stopping my Garmin & realizing I broke 4 hours!

Hubby was right there at the Finish Line. I couldn't believe I did it!

Hubby was right there at the Finish. I couldn’t believe I did it!

Cried a little...

Cried a little…

Then I was all smiles...

Then I was all smiles…

Jared (a.k.a. hubby of the year) helped me get my shoes off and my flip-flops on, while I continued my incoherent blubbering, crying, squealy nonsense.

We boarded the shuttle back to our hotel and sat in the back, where I proceeded to get bus sick (post-marathon euphoria made me forget I get bus sick when I sit in the back…).  I was sweating, nauseous and green by the time we made it back to the Hyatt.  We headed straight to our room, where I rolled around on the bed in misery, then managed a shower before crashing back in bed, where I slept for an hour.

Mistake #1: Not bringing any post-race fuel for myself (everything offered was glutenous).
Mistake #2: Riding in the back of that darn bus…
Mistake #3: Napping before getting some food in my belly!

I was feeling even worse as we packed up to leave and was afraid I wouldn’t make it out of the hotel without getting sick.  I practically held my breath the entire walk from our room, through the lobby and out the door, where I immediately barfed in a trash can.  I felt a lot better after that and we headed for Maggiano’s to finally get some food.

Post-race lunch at Maggiano's

Post-race lunch at Maggiano’s

Yep, I had creme brulee as an appetizer. And don't be confused by the two spoons. I ate every last bite on my own..

Yep, I had creme brulee as an appetizer. And don’t be confused by the 2 spoons. I ate every bite myself…

And then our dinners arrived, but we were too busy shoveling food into our mouths to bother with pictures.  My tummy was still a little “off,” but it was still one of the best meals of my life!

Sub-four, fully belly, and ready for a nap!

Sub-four, fully belly, and ready for a nap!

I did it!

OC Marathon, 5/1/2011 – 1st sub-4:00!

La Jolla Half Marathon: Take 2

19 Apr
Yesterday, I ran my eleventh half marathon.  It was my second time running La Jolla and although I was really pushing for a PR, I’m satisfied with a PR for this course.  I was about four minutes off of my personal best for the half marathon (1:53:15), but I ran 18 minutes and 34 seconds faster than I did last year at La Jolla (2010 = 2:15:33 and 2011 = 1:56:59)!  It’s hard not to be happy about that! 
Saying this course is “tough,” feels like an understatement.  I tried to downplay the hills in my mind: “Yeah, they’re steep, but they’re short.“  The truth is, those suckers are killer!  My hammy’s were screaming climbing the hills and my quads were trashed by the steep descents.  Just like last year, the race announcer at the Start Line kept calling them: “Character-building hills,” which was almost as annoying as the half dozen spectators strategically placed along the course, shouting: “It’s all downhill from here!“ 
I wish I was stronger on hills and I really wish I could accomplish that without having to train on them… sigh…

Knowing the popularity of this race, we registered early and paid the minimum fee of $60, which isn’t too pricey for a race in Cali, but… not worth the money, if you ask me.  The expo was a super lame waste of time, the shirts we got are starchy, stiff, white, cotton tees (mine’s heading straight to Goodwill), and they didn’t have any fuel along the course, except for water and Vitalyte.  I found it pretty amusing that a boy at one of the water stations was shouting: “Vitalyte, here!  It’s just like Gatorade, just with a nasty aftertaste!“  I can’t handle electrolyte drinks during races, so all they had for me was water. 
Since it’s a point-to-point course, they provided shuttles and the option to be shuttled from the finish to the start or vice versa.  They had a 5:30am cut-off to catch a ride to the start, so Jared and I had a lovely 4:00am wake-up call on Sunday morning.  I barely slept due to race nerves, our neighbors’ Saturday night shenanigans and Jared’s and Sully’s incessant snoring (…those rascals).  I was a restless mess.
We left the house at 4:45am, parked near La Jolla Cove, then waited in line for a shuttle.  The shuttle system they had going on was absolutely stupid.  Coming from a race-aholic who genuinely couldn’t care less about blips in race organization because nothing trumps the high of racing, that is BAD.  They had a couple thousand runners waiting for shuttles to the start line, a dozen busses were lined up, ready to be loaded and sent to Del Mar, but the officials were only loading ONE bus at a time and they were doing this very, very SLOWLY.  Seriously, so stupid and I just don’t get it.  It seemed like they didn’t know what was going on.
The 13.1 mile bus ride to the Start Line took an unnervingly long time.  Jared dozed, while I tried not to pee myself.  And when we finally got off the bus, I was horrified to see the usual lonnng lines for port-a-potties.  I did the pee-pee dance while we waited for what felt like an eternity.  I kept looking at Jared and saying: “I am going to die before we even get to those hills!“  Fortunately, I made it.  We dropped off our warm-ups at the chaotic bag check as a duo sang the National Anthem and the race announcer said what he said last year: “That was the BEST National Anthem that we have ever heard at this race.”  The gun went off while I was stuffing a gel in my back pocket and ripping open a sample packet of Sport Beans and I started to relax as we made our way to the Start Line.
Between trying not to pee myself and getting ourselves to the Start Line, I hadn’t had a moment to stretch or warm-up, so I started off feeling sluggish.  My pace was well below target and I started to panic a bit inside.  It wasn’t an ideal start, but I wasn’t going to hand over my goal that easily.  I flashed Jared infinite love and gratitude and kicked it up a notch.
On the bus ride I’d taken one last look at the course map and elevation chart, noting hills at miles 1, 3, 4, 6 and 12.  Knowing that the big one was at mile 6, I set it in my mind to churn through the first half, survive mile 6, then cruise to the finish.  I clipped off one mile after another:
Mile 1: 9:12
Mile 2: 8:33
Mile 3: 8:36
Mile 4: 9:13
Mile 5: 8:14
At mile 5, I pulled out another sample packet of Sport Beans to fuel-up for the monster hill looming ahead, but as I ripped open the package, the jellybeans went flying everywhere.  Only two jellybeans made it in my mouth before we started to ascend into Torrey Pines.  Another runner yelled: “We’re coming for you, Torrey!“
I’d resolved to the run the whole hill, but it grew steeper and steeper and steeper as I realized it’d be faster to hike up the hill than to continue attempting to run it.  And so I started power walking up that monster of a hill, just like a majority of the runners around me.  My PR hopes deflated and I didn’t dare look at my Garmin as it chirped my mile time.  I knew it would be atrocious.
The cartoon elevation chart makes it look like you get to the top of the hill, then the course flattens out before descending, which isn’t accurate.  There were some rolling hills from that high point, which were tough because my hamstrings were worn out.  For the next couple miles, I struggled to pick up the pace again and reached for my Clif gel, praying it’d give me superpowers. 
Mile 6: 10:53
Mile 7: 9:27
Mile 8: 9:02
A little Clif gel magic plus a substantial descent, helped me pick up my pace.  I was happy to know there were only five miles to go and let my legs fly down the hills thinking: “Give it all now, recover later.”
Mile 9: 8:33
Mile 10: 8:44
Mile 11: 7:26
One of my goals for 2011 is to run a mile in under 7:30, which I’ve never done before.  Go figure I’d pull that off during the tenth mile of a half marathon…
Hang on, I told myself as I headed towards the last hill and another cluster of spectators shouting: “Last hill!“  A runner nearby said, “Why do they keep telling us that?!”  And I replied, “This time they’re right!  Hang on!”  As we crested the hill and descended on the Finish Line, I willed my legs to go faster and faster, but still, several runners blazed past me.
Mile 12: 8:07
Mile 13: 9:02
Last 0.28 mi: 1:50 (6:49/mile)
Garmin Results: 13.28 miles, 1:56:59 (8:48/mile)
Official Results: 13.1 miles, 1:56:59 (8:56/mile) 
The finish line party was the highlight of the race.  Without a doubt, La Jolla has one of the best beer gardens we’ve ever attended because they fence off a gorgeous grassy area right by the ocean AND the beer was unlimited.  Being a celiac (a.k.a. gluten-intolerant) girl, I can’t drink beer, so I got to stretch out in the grass and watch Jared coast his way to a “beer PR.”   

Five beers later… we wandered into La Jolla for brunch at the Coffee Cup.  It was a 30 minute wait, so we put our names on the list and wandered around the corner to Cups, where we had dessert first!  Life is short, afterall… AND we just ran 13.1 miles…
We each got two mini cupcakes, since the tiny ones are calorie-free.  Right?  I got the two gluten-free flavors of the day, which were limone ricotta and bunny love (carrot cake).  The carrot cake one was heaven!  Jarebear got a (vegan!) cookies n’ cream one and one called a brulee-J that had vanilla custard in the middle and a carmalized top… it looked amazeballs.

 
All sugared-up, we walked back to the Coffee Cup, where we finally got a table and filled our bellies with more delicious food before heading home to veg on the couch all day… at least until we were hungry enough to venture out for Chipotle and Yogurtland!
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