Nike Women's Marathon

                                                                   Race Day!
   
On October 12th, me and the Team in Training group I have been training with flew to San Francisco, and on October 14th, I participated in the Nike Women's Marathon.  Granted, I only did the half (13.1) miles, but if someone had told me a year ago that I would be doing this, I would have said they were crazy!  The race was awesome, and I am so happy I did this.  This was my first half marathon ever, and I am so looking forward to the next ones I am signed up for!  My time: 4:05.  I know, slow, slow, slow, but Johnson and I did this together and we took our time, stopped for pictures (and pee breaks) along the way, and had a good time.  The route was beautiful!

                                         The line of people in front of us at the start.
At O'dark:30 in the morning, me and about 25,000 other crazy runner types took to the streets of San Francisco to do this awesome event.  We started downtown, then wound our way over to the waterfront and over to Fisherman's Wharf, then stayed along the waterfront for a while, and then between miles 8 and 0 we wound up through a park and walked among trees and greenery.  The last few miles were in park areas and along a gold course, and the finish line was along the beachfront.  Such an awesome finish! All along the route there were pockets of people, groups, bands, entertainers and volunteers cheering us on, and cries of "Go team" through out the whole race.  Supporters of Team in Training were all over the place!  It was great!

Oh, and there were hills....boy were there hills, like the little one around mile 3.

Yep.  That's a little hill compared to what we were to encounter later.

Like this one!  Here's Johnson trudging up the big hill at mile 6:

Yeah, that hill really sucked!

     The weather was perfect for this race.  It was a little cool in certain places, and at times there was fog and  a little mist, but it wasn't a problem at all.  We ditched our jackets around 2.5 miles into the race because we got too warm.  Great thing about this race was, they had people who would come by afterward and pick up ditched clothing and donate it to charity.  

     Let me tell you, 13.1 miles is a long way to go on 2 feet.  I have to say, I enjoyed every mile.  We saw alot of interesting houses, scenery, and people, like the guy holding the sign saying he was single and listing his phone number, and these ladies at mile 4:

Good comedy relief!

     Along the way we passed groups of people shouting and yelling and encouraging us along, and there's nothing like people yelling out your name as you pass to make you feel like a rock star.  Just when you think you need to slow down and take a break, there would be someone yelling "Go Karen, go Karen!"  Wow, just so awesome!

     Johnson and I stuck together for the majority of the race, but when we passed mile 12, and only had 1.1 miles to go, I surged forward and couldn't stop. I left Johnson behind as I pressed forward and moved closer to the finish line, and people were cheering me on, calling my name, yelling "Go team", and one man even asked if this was my first half and told me congratulations when I nodded yes.  I got within a tenth of the finish line and knew I had to run it in...I was not going to walk across that finish line.  So, I did!  I took off, ran for it and crossed the finish line, arms in the air, screaming and whooping the whole time, and then I burst into tears!  I was so emotional because I was so proud of myself, proud of my accomplishments and all I had done.  This was not an easy journey, but it wasn't all that difficult either.  The hardest part was the fundraising, but doing 13.1 miles is nothing compared to what people with blood cancers are going through, and that was one thought that kept me going forward.

     After I crossed over the line, I waited for Johnson to come across, then we went to get our Tiffany necklaces from the tuxedo-clad fireman.  Johnson had been waiting for this moment and was so excited she had me take a picture with her and her fireman!  Here's a picture of the necklace:

I think that would make a great tattoo!

     I got brave (or stupid) and looked at the pictures and video of myself as I traversed the race course.  Good lord.  I really, really don't look like a runner, at all, with my big wobbly hips and big huge calfs, but the way I look at it, I'm out there, working it, running, walking, whatever it takes to get through the route.  I am doing something that only 7% of the population has accomplished.  I did a half marathon...me of all people!  I did...A HALF MARATHON!  2 days after this, I turned 42 years old.  The past year has been awesome, I wonder what the next year will bring...I can't wait to find out!

Ok, that's all for now, more to come as I continue my adventures!

As always, I am...
Karen, Determine Runner.

Marathon training, and other stuff

I was shocked to see that I hadn't posted anything since July 1st.  Since that last post, I had a little change and decided that I needed to run the Nike Half-Marathon in San Francisco.  As of this writing, that is only one week away.  I have been training with Team in Training and it has been awesome.  I have met some awesome people and gone further than I have ever thought I would.  I have been through parts of Brackenridge Park I never even knew existed, and been through neighborhoods and through some very beautiful parts of San Antonio.  I have logged quite a few miles on my favorite pair of running shoes and spent alot of time with my two favorite running friend, Johnson and Lali.  I have more running clothes than other clothes, and a ton of race t-shirts!

Lali, Johnson and I actually did 11 miles, but it was supposed to be 10 lol...still, it was a great trek through the Alamo Heights part of San Antonio.  Afterward, when I thought about it, I realized that this was the farthest I had ever gone, and also that we were only 2 miles shy of half marathon distance.  I knew that if I had gone that far and knew I only had 2 more miles to go,  I could have done it.  That 11 miles took 2 hours and 46 minutes.  Not bad at all...and having someone to talk to helped the miles go faster.

Since I started this venture, I have had to hold off on participating in the 5K events I had been partaking in.  I needed to log longer miles than 3, and training with the team has been fun!  Team in Training involves fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I had originally signed up for the San Antonio Rock and Roll (half) Marathon.  To do this, I had to raise $1500.00.  I was hanging out with Johnson one evening, and she asked me if I was doing "Nike", meaning the San Francisco event.  I told her I was doing the RnR in San Antonio, and she told me I needed to go to San Francisco with her because she didn't want to do it alone.  The fundraising for this is $3200!  That goal seemed more out of reach to me than 13.1 miles!  Then, I found out that the event takes place 2 days before my 42nd birthday, and I knew I had to do it.  I still plan to do the San Antonio Rock and Roll event, and now I have signed up for another half marathon in January (Hero-Thon) and am considering Zooma in March.  I am hooked!

Although I have been holding off on the 5K events, I did have to do the Pajama Pancake Run, which was the very first race I had participated in last year.  I have been dealing with leg and ankle pain issues this week.  I had hoped to log a better time this year, but I was only a minute or so less than last year's run.  Next year, I will do better.  Still, it was a beautiful run along the Riverwalk and near the Guenther House, which is where Mark and I got married.  I should have taken pictures along the way, but I was so focused on getting my time in faster, and also dealing with pain in my legs threw off my focus.  NEXT year will be better!

I have done a few other 5K races along the way, such as the Loteria 5K and the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition in Austin as well as a few others, but no where near the amount of races I had been doing.  I miss the race day energy, but am enjoying the Team in Training energy so much better.

Ok, signing off for now.  I will post again after the event!
Until then, I am...
The Determined Runner.

Catching up

     I realized it's been a while since I've posted anything, and I have been quite busy this past month!  I've done several 5K events, including two 5K events in one day.  I did the Mobile Loaves and Fishes run the morning on June 23rd, and in the evening I did the Keep Austin Weird 5K.  Boy was it hot!  Running on the streets of Austin, on the blacktop, when it was 100 degrees...but I had a blast, I got to dress weird, and I had a good time.

My sister-in-law did this run with me, and my daughter came down to see me off and see me cross the finish line.  It was so special for me, for her to be there.

     I consider each one of these races that I do an accomplishment.  A few of my friends don't get why I keep signing up for these events, they don't understand why I find it necessary to sign up for yet another 5K every weekend.  I do it because I enjoy it, and for someone who never in a million years thought that this would be possible, I amaze myself every time I cross the finish line.  It's not that I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, because I honestly don't think that "I can't" is in my vocabulary.  I'm just amazed because I didn't think I would ever be a "runner".

     I still struggle with calling myself a "runner".  I don't look like a runner.  I can't run a long distance without stopping to walk.  Some races I walk alot more than others, but I run when I can, and I always, always finish.  I think about running much of the time, and if I see a runner on the road, I think "I should be running right now."  I don't have a runner's body, but I have a runner's heart, and that's the most important thing.

     Yesterday, I did my first 10K race.  It was awesome!  My friend Michelle was with me, and we started at 6:00 in the morning and finished at 7:30.  It was a nice out-and-back run, we were at the turn-around before we knew it!

At the end, as I crossed the finish line, I wanted to burst into tears, but I managed to hold myself in check.  Even when the people at the finish line congratulated me, handed me a goodie bag, clapped me on the back, and told me what a good job I had just done, and even acknowledged that this is an emotional time, I still managed to not shed tears.  And the tears would have been strictly happy tears, tears of pride and accomplishment.

But I did it!  Me and my fat, mushy thighs and big jiggly butt, who, a year ago never even thought it was possible.  And I also have another 10K scheduled in 2 weeks, an evening race that promises to be hotter than hell, but I'm so looking forward to it, and I can't wait!

     So, my training for the half marathon continues.  I've missed out on several on the Team in Training meetings so far, but the meetings have been short runs, such as 1 or 2 miles and the races have been 5Ks at least.  I figure I'll do the races I've signed up for, but not sign up for any more at this time so I can do the Saturday morning Team in Training runs.  I need to break out of the 5K rut and do longer runs, like my weekday morning runs where I've been trying to do 4 miles.  I need to do the longer runs and not worry so much about time as opposed to distance.  My standard is 13-15 miles, and I'm totally fine with that, because hey, at least I'm out there moving and not sitting on the sofa.

Speaking of which, I think a run sounds good right now.
Gotta run!

Oh yes, I am awesome, oh yes

     Yep.  Fat Girl did 4.5 miles in 1:03.  It's 98 degrees outside, humid as hell, but the running trail in Tobin Park is beautiful and I really enjoyed this run.  I'm starting to use mantras and tools to help get my ass moving.  One mantra is "Keep going, don't stop", and the other thing I do is count my steps.  I'll start counting, and will try to get to 100, or some other round number, or hit 40 and say "10 more steps", then 10 more, then 10 more, until I need to stop running and start walking.  I'm lovin' this.  I'm enjoying seeing my progress, knowing that I'm doing just a tiny bit better now, because for so long it seemed like I was stagnating, like my 5K runs were getting taking longer and I was not going anywhere.  I think that meeting a few new people has helped get me moving a  little more, and especially signing up for a half marathon.  The really crazy thing is that I don't usually talk to people out of the blue and tend to keep to myself.  I'm usually the biggest person in the room, and at the races I participate in, I feel like the fattest person there, like the real runners are looking at me wondering what the hell I'm doing there.

     Still, I don't care what they think.  I'm there to do the race, improve my health, and have fun while doing it.  I often wonder if people recognize me from the runs that I've done, since I know some of these people have probably been at the same races I have before.  I don't usually look at people too much when I'm at a race, just bury my head and try to get through the next 3 miles, but I often wonder if people look at me and think "Oh, it's that girl with the big ass again.  I see nothing's changed."

     One of the things I think I love most about a run, whether it be a scheduled race, or just a run in the park, is the scenery and the sounds of the outside.  I recently quit listening to music when I run, oddly enough, since I remember when I first started running, I didn't think I would be able to make it through a run WITHOUT music.  I read an article in one of the running magazines I now subscribe to (imagine that) that many runners have stopped listening to music.  I don't remember what made me try it, but one day I just went without, and I think I enjoyed it much better.  I'll keep music available it I need it, and it's still great for hooping, but for now I think I enjoy the music that Mother Nature provides.

That's all for now.  Tomorrow is National Running Day, and I have a run scheduled in the evening, so bed time must come soon.  Gotta run!

Small strides

     Last weekend, I got to work out with my Team in Training group for the first time and had a great run.  We only ran 2.2 miles, and I'm noticing that I'm running a little further each time.  My B2B team leader was there and is now my TnT mentor.  It's nice having her there to push me along a little, good to have someone I trust who knows me to say "Come on, you can do it, just a little further."  I don't know what my time came in at, but I think I'm doing just a little better each day.
     The next day was the American Hero 5K at Brackenridge Park.  My friend Michelle was there, and we ran together.  I like having someone to do these events with.  It's nice having someone else around who is not a fast runner and will help push me along a little too.  It's inspiring that her first actual event was a half marathon.  Not even a 5K event first, just couch to half marathon.  Wow.
     In addition to running Saturday and Sunday, I was on call Sunday night and was out late doing an admission, then I was on call Sunday night and had to be out until after 2:00 a.m. with a patient, then had to work the holiday, and was out late again.  By Tuesday morning I was wiped out, and then was on call Tuesday night.  No calls, but still had to be alert.  I was in bed by 10:00.  The rest of the week sucked for working out, but I had a great run on Saturday morning at the Women's Lavender 5K.
     The Women's Lavender 5K was a beautiful run in the hill country, Johnson City.  2 of my friends did this run, too, and we decided we need to do this again next year.  Of course, next year I want to do the 10K.  I would have considered signing up for the 10K this year but was concerned about the course, don't want a repeat of the Sunset Wine Tour where we went uphill for most of the run!  The run was mostly on a country road, not very hilly, but very beautiful.  My time is getting a little better, 44:18 instead of the 46 and 47 minutes I have been pulling lately.  I like that feeling, the fact that my body seems to be able to push myself a little more, to run a little bit further, and even though my legs felt weak from the lack of working out, I pushed myself and ran the last 1/10th of a mile.  I'm looking forward tho the next run, which will take place on June 16th, the Watermelon Crawl in Stockdale.  In between then, I will be running as much as I possibly can, and also think I need to work on doing some muscle strengthening in my legs and arms.  Every little bit helps, and I will need the strength for the half marathon, now 5 months away.
     My plan is to run tomorrow before Tai Chi, and I will run again Wednesday night for National Running Day.  With any luck, I'll get a run in on Tuesday, or at least get in a good weight training workout.  But whatever I do, I will kick butt.  Because I am, after all, a Determined Runner.

That's it for now.  Gotta run!

Beach to Bay Relay Marathon

   This weekend I completed my very first relay race.  The race is 26.2 miles long, requires a team of 6 runners and takes place in Corpus Christi, Texas.  I had heard about this race before I became a runner, and after I started running a friend mentioned the race to me, and it was all I could think about.  I wanted to do this race, I knew it would be a test of my endurance and strength, and would test my will.  I managed to get myself and a friend onto a team, and kept running and working toward this day.  The day finally arrived.  I was excited and nervous, stomach tied in knots, knowing that this was something I had been so looking forward to and had a team counting on me, as well as counting on myself to do well.

    The day was hot, 90 degrees hot, and humid as the race took place on the coast.  My leg was 4.69 miles long and would go through the Naval base in Corpus.  This was the leg I had wanted to do because I wanted to honer my dad and my nephew.  I stood at the hand-off spot, waiting for Johnson to arrive with the baton, watching and listening and waiting, and finally heard our team number announced as Johnson had been spotted and was approaching.  I got up to the line, looking out for her and saw her purple singlet, matching mine, approaching down the road.  I ran out to meet her, took the baton from her and handed her a bottle of water I had for her, turned around and headed down the road on the first part of my leg.  I ran as far as I could, walked when I needed to, and decided I would do my absolute best in the heat with a distance I haven't done very often and wanted to do as quickly as I could.

     The Naval base was flat, unshaded, and hot as blazes, but I was filled with the knowledge that I was finally here and achieving a dream I didn't know I would have a year ago.  The servicemen lining the route and the volunteers at the water stops and the families who sat on the side of the road and the people who squirted us with water hoses to help us cool down went a long way in encouraging us along, giving us even more support as we traipsed down the road toward our goal, and eventually to our fellow team member who would take our baton and keep up the race.  I actually passed people up, people not as big as me, people who looked like they had more business being there than I did, and at one point a woman came up behind me, saying she couldn't do it, she couldn't finish, and we were only about halfway through.  I don't know what happened to her, but I hoped she recovered and finished her leg.

     I finished my leg in under an hour and fifteen minutes.  I saw the hand-off location ahead of me, saw my runner, and gauged how far I could run to make it to her.  I took off, ran to her and handed off the baton, then headed to the shuttle.  I was talking and laughing with the people in the seats around me, all of us happy to be done and heading to cars, a/c and the finish.  Part of me wanted to burst into tears with relief, joy, happiness, pride, whatever you want to call it because I was just so thrilled I accomplished this goal, but I don't think I had enough fluid in my body at that time!  I was also thrilled that we were not the last team.  I made it to the parking lot, and hubby drove us to the finish line to meet up with the team.  Hubby went back to the hotel while I joined up the rest of the team, and we waited for our last runner to arrive.  A couple of us went up the sidewalk to look for her, and we eventually saw her running toward us.  Johnson, one of the runners, took off to find something with electrolytes, and I joined Lali, the last runner, in bring home the baton.  I ran in behind her, just because I wanted to show her my support.  We came across the finish, got our finishers medals, took pictures, celebrated, and went to our respective hotels to nap, shower, cool down, etc.

     The next day, I was in the elevator with a woman who asked me if I had done Beach to Bay, and it really made me feel good that someone could look at me and NOT think that I could possibly be a runner.  And someone referred to me as an "athlete", something I never thought I would ever be called.

     This was an amazing experience, and I am already making plans for next year.  I so appreciate my husband for helping out with transportation, and his never ending support, and believing in me.  I also appreciate the team, and especially my friend Shanon who at first wasn't sure if she could do the race due to an injury, but managed to pull through and did great!

I will be training for the half marathon now, which will take place in November.  I know I can do the distance, because I am, after all, a determined runner.

That's all for now, gotta run!

  

Lesson learned

So, I did a run yesterday, and I didn't carb up the night before, and boy did I feel it.  I didn't have much energy, was only able to run so far, then I had to stop and walk it.  I walked more of that run than I had in recent months, I just couldn't get moving.  There was a tube chute right in the middle of the race, which was nice because it broke things up a little bit, but I felt like I moved slower on the way back because now I was wet and my clothes were carrying water.  I had fun doing that race, but I really need to take my carbing-up into consideration.  I won't make that mistake again! 

My friend was with me for this run, and she has been running with an injured ankle.  She started off ahead of me, I managed to get caught up, but in the end she stayed ahead of me and came in a few minutes before I did.  I'm very proud of her, and happy that she's doing so well, but just could not get my ass moving.  I have a couple of days this week to get my running in before Beach to Bay on Sunday, so I'll do the best I can and keep on running.  Soon after Beach to Bay, I start training for the Rock and Roll half marathon, and then I'll be doing longer runs and hopefully will get better at this.  On May 27th, I may do the American Hero's 5K, June 2nd I have the Women's Lavender Run, and not much scheduled after that, so it's time to search around and look for stuff to do.  I have to keep running, keep moving and not slow down.  I am determined to do this, and not stop!

That's all for now.  Until next time....gotta run!