Christmas Eve!!!

WOW!! This year just FLEW by!! I can only wish I could run that fast! Ha!! The new year is just around the corner and I am SO ready! I have a renewed confidence in myself for meeting a few specific goals. #1 is qualifying for Boston, of course, but I plan on having fun along the way. Kristi and I are doing the Warrior Dash in January for starters. It's 3.25 mile obstacle course through mud puddles, tunnels and who knows what else!!! You get a hat with horns at the end!! Then it's back to serious distance training.

I've had a couple pain free runs and it feels great! Finally finding out what the problem has been is a relief. Finding foods I can eat to sustain long runs is the new battle. I am trying out a protein shake mix today to see how that goes. It's a whey powder...should be fine. One thing I can't do is the GU Chomps. BUMMER! I love those things! I don't know if it's the sugar or the caffeine (seriously???) I can drink coffee but chocolate hurts within 10 minutes. I can eat turkey just fine...too bad tryptofan makes you sleep!! (actually, it aids your body in making vit B...which is good for muscles!!!) Trial and error I guess! Maybe shedding a few lbs will add speed...I'm so lazy when it comes to speed work! UGH!

Gotta run (haha!) I have a few last minute Christmas things to do...I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family and friends this weekend!!! Here's to a new year, new goals, new joys!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

Running In SW Florida In December

It's freezing. Seriously. It's 32 degrees here this morning! There was a reason I never did any running when I lived in Massachusetts, and this temp is it. Luckily I can wait until this afternoon when it'll get to about 55 for my run, but I feel bad for my northern runner friends.

I have been running very regularly the last couple months. Had a few bad days but I found the PERFECT running partner and she's been so supportive on the tough days. I told her I was her box of chocolates since she never knows what she's gonna get with me...lol. Kristi and I trained together for a half mary in St Pete Nov 21st. We had a realistic goal for 2:09 but a hopeful goal closer to 2. Our long runs were strong and we were ready for this race!

1 week before the race, I had a doc appointment. He's a GI (gastro) specialist who does a test for stones in the bile ducts. When I got there he said it was not stones, he felt that I had a spastic colon. SEXY! Ugh...so he put me on a pro biotic and Librax to calm things down. For those of you who don't know what Librax is (and I didn't bother to question) it's a muscle relaxer and has some sedative qualities to it. You see where this is going, dontcha??? Within 3 hours the pain I've lived with for 5-6 years subsided. I was sooo happy!! It was a miracle!!! So I FAITHFULLY took it 3X a day right up to race day.

At mile 8 I felt sluggish and "weird". I had my fuel belt and was drinking Title Run (awesome stuff) so I was confused about why I seemed dehydrated. I kinda mentioned it to Kristi. By mile 10 I was hitting the wall. I was so shocked, I couldn't believe it. I told Kristi I needed to walk a minute. She refused to leave me (makes me cry). I knew I had to ditch her or I was going to screw up the race for both of us. As we came up on a crowd I ducked behind them. I saw Kristi trying to find me but I hid until she finally ran on. Then I could walk.

My legs were like lead jelly. It felt like I did when I hit the wall at mile 23 in that marathon a couple years ago! I walked and drank the rest of my bottles, I even stopped for water and Gatorade. I was able to start running again by 11.5...then I heard the crowd screaming around 12 miles. I took off, not fast but I was running. That finish line was so beautiful!! I heard Kristi screaming for me and I ran to find out her time. She did it in 2:09:22! I was soooo proud of her! We would have loved to finish it together but I can live off the joy of her finishing in our goal time very happily! WooHoo!

Fast forward to 2 days later with me at the doc for a recheck. I'd had a couple things happen I don't want to advertise here in blogland, but it prompted a colonoscopy. I know, it just gets sexier by the paragraph! But when I told the doc I'd just run a half mary...he's a runner too...he looked at me funny and said I basically ran that race on valuim. He would have told me not to take it a full 24 hours before a race of any kind, never mind a half mary. He couldn't believe I finished it. So now my 2:19 seems pretty flippin fabulous!!! LOL...it's a PR too, might I add. YAY!!

Ok, so colonoscopy was done last Thursday. We have a diagnosis after 6 years of BS. I have colitis and a spastic colon. No wonder I was dehydrated. And my weight goes up and down by 10 lbs constantly. Not to mention all the nutrients that weren't being absorbed. Sheesh. My guess at food allergies was pretty close, but by avoiding certain foods I never would have fixed it myself. The avoid list is a long one and it differs for everyone. Beer is out but it's worth feeling sooooo awesome! Chips (sigh), fried foods, salad, seeds and nuts are common trigger foods so I've been starting with those until I see my regular GI doc today.

I am so relieved to finally know what's going on. Running with colitis can be a challenge but HEY...I L-O-V-E a challenge. That's why I run.

Kim's Running!

I've been busy the last 2 months with getting my hydration and nutrition in order. It's a fine line keeping it balanced!! If it's too hot I don't run. If I feel "off" at all I stay in. I've been slowly gathering momentum...I feel FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

When I'm not running I drink Power Zero and lots of water. I drink full strength sports drinks and 100% juice on days I do run. I'm taking a multi vitamin 2x a day, potassium once daily and I did buy some sodium pills but I'm hesitating with those until I see my doc. Not sure how to take those. My nutrition has improved some but my chip addiction is a hard thing to give up. Ok, beer is still a fave too...lol! But my muscle strength is improving dramatically and the leg pain/cramping is GONE! I hardly ever get headaches anymore but if I do feel one coming on I pump up the hydration.

I've run a few 5K races and have been improving my times each race. The last one was MDA 5K...I ran that one in my Vibrams and it was the best race this year!!!! 27:44...not a PR but what a strong run that was. Best I've felt in, well...years actually. 1st race in my Vibrams. I plan on wearing them again at the Gasparilla 5K next weekend (Oct3rd). My PR was accomplished at that race...curious to see what I do this year. A few of us meet on Mondays for speed work. I hate it, I'll admit it. I think it's the track. BORING. But I love seeing my friends and talking the talk...lol

I have a half marathon relay planned in March with my friend Kristi. We're so excited!!! We named our team "Sole Sisters"...isn't that cute?? We're a perfect match. We run the same pace, have the same goals and we seem to really motivate each other. We've been doing our Saturday long runs together and it's been a huge help getting me back into some decent distance. Last Saturday we did 7 miles in 72 minutes. Felt great except for when Kristi almost stepped on a black snake. She screamed and scared the life outa me!! My legs froze up for a quarter mile and I really wanted to walk it off but Kristi said NO!! And I was not about to let her pass me so we kept going. Do you know how hard it is to run while you're laughing, knees weak from snake fear??? It was hard...lol...but we did the entire 7 miler no stops. We even got a good tempo/sprint the last quarter mile. I love ending runs like that. I am really enjoying running again!! So happy!!

So I plan on slowly adding the mileage, stepping up my speed work and concentrating on nutrition. I am on week 2 of eating better and I've lost 4 of the 10 lbs I found while on the mend. I'd love to get back into yoga...might even start that P90X I bought last December...haha! Maybe.....

LIFE IS GOOD!!!! I AM HAPPY!!!!

I'm Still Standing!

And sometimes that's all I'm doing. I run when I can and I mope around when I can't. This chronic dehydration issue is a pain in my running shoe. I honestly thought finding out the problem would make everything fine but I'm learning that chronic dehydration is just that: chronic. Florida summers are not helping matters. For the first time in my life (yes, life!) I am looking forward to the winter. (I bet Sherry just fell off her chair...lol)

I feel SO MUCH better on a daily basis, that it frustrates me to not be where I'd like to be at with my endurance and speed. I couldn't understand why I was still having issues until I researched CD and found out something veryyyyy interesting. First, my doc figures I arrived in Florida 7 years ago probably already dehydrated. When I started running 2.5 years ago, it made it worse. Obviously. So for all that time, my body went into survival mode and started hoarding the "good" stuff. Like cholesterol, red blood cells...FAT. My cholesterol is so high that I'm embarrassed to post it, but it's around 300. We're attempting diet changes before meds and hydrating may bring it down. Anyway...when your cholesterol is high, a shell forms on the cells in your body making it difficult to absorb h2o, vitamins and minerals. I'm not sure if this shell is reversible...I need to call my doc about that. This means the well runs dry quicker than normal and exercise depletes it even faster. Fatigue sets in and misery soon follows...lol.

This info is very valuable for me. I have learned to pay serious attention to my body and stop ignoring the signals of dehydration. Unfortunately, it has cut my running down A LOT. I haven't run more than 3 miles at a time since January. For a distance runner, that is heartbreaking. For someone who thought running was not going to be an option anymore...it's a step in the right direction. That's what I need to focus on. It's so hard to stop planning for a weekend long run. People keep asking me when my next marathon or half is and I feel that pang in my heart when I say I'm concentrating on the 5K these days. So I know I'll get back to distance eventually. In the mean time I'm attempting to put together my own training program. It's looking like I need to do slower, shorter training runs with a speed play once a week. I plan on slowly adding on to that.

Yesterday I ran 2 miles in 22 minutes...ugh. I had a nice little conversation with myself on the cool down walk home. Went something like this:

ME: Man, you suck.
SELF: Hey, you did 2 miles.
ME: You still suck.
SELF: You're forgetting how you felt just 2 months ago.
ME: Stop reminding me.
SELF: You're being stupid. Need another spinal tap for ole times sake???
ME: No. Those are burned into my memory.
SELF: Remember when it hurt to roll out of bed?
ME: I remember.
SELF: Hey, you just did 2 miles!
ME: Yes I did. Thank you God.

I love my life. I really am a very lucky woman.

On The Road Again (and some 'mill too!!)

I'm happy to say I feel fabulous! I am running again, but this time I'm really starting over. I'm pretending to be a brand new runner and I'm easing into it gently. I haven't done more than 3 miles yet and no speedwork. Not that I ever got into the speedwork anyway, but I'm taking it easy. Smelling the flowers (and some roadkill) along the way, I stop and talk to people just like the old days! I walk if I feel like it and I don't feel guilty! Which leads me to my ponderings.....

Seems to me, that when I was having health problems I was pushing myself, running like a madwoman with something to prove. I was in so much pain...I can't believe I ran like that. Now that I feel so great I don't seem to have the drive. I am happy to run 3 miles or just 2. I'm not feeling the marathon pull AT ALL. It's soooo weird! I do plan to run 4 miles tomorrow...early to miss this heat. I'm curious to see if that clicks the distance desire back on.

The weather here in SW Florida is BRUTAL right now. The humidity is so heavy you can almost swim instead of run. I am so afraid of dehydration that I've actually hopped on the mill a couple times. Someone told me to incline it a little and I haven't had any shin splints. Running on the mill at the gym is hard too because people stop to talk and I cannot run 6.5 mph and chat. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to my gym friends for trying to hold a conversation with them while THEY were on the mill. Sorry. I'll never do that again. And please don't try to give me "payback" and stop to talk to ME....haha!!!! I'm just kidding. Everyone who knows me, knows I'm happy to talk anywhere, anytime....TALK ON!!! Great excuse to slow it down...;)

Another gym friend, Lee is his name, walks the treadmill at a full incline doing 2.5 mph. He hikes the Colorado mountains with his search/rescue dog Rusty. (Lee is someone I ALWAYS stop to talk to...he has some very cool rescue stories) But he told me he works his quads that way. Like hillwork. So I've done that a few times. Killer work out. My quads were screaming after those work outs!! Florida is so flat that running over the swells at the end of driveways feels like mountains. I'd probably have to walk the hills if I ran back home (Cape Cod, Ma) I've seen the route for the Falmouth Road race (which is exactly where I used to live) and my quads and hams ache at the thought. Some friends back home talk about running the canal at the Bourne Bridge and I wish I was there.

I biked 10 miles with my husband last week and really loved that. We did it in 50 minutes and my behind is just now feeling better. I need bike shorts before I do that again. We're talking about finding a bike/run race together. I'd L-O-V-E that!!! So I have new goals, new views on my running and I feel relaxed about the whole thing. Summer is here and I'm going to enjoy my family! We're going to Universal soon and we're all looking forward to spending some time together. Even our 2 older girls are coming. This will be my grandson's very first vacation!!

I'm back to loving life.

Starting All Over...

Now that I'm drinking water, gatorade and juice instead of coffee and beer, I really do feel better!!!! I'm so amazed! And the funny thing is that it's the coffee I cannot cut out. The beer is forgotten. Can you say "self medicating????????" Wow....

As soon as I was feeling better I jumped right back in as if I didn't just take 4 months off of running/excercising. I even ran 2.5 miles in my Vibrams 2 days before my first 5k. DUMMY!!!! Then I ran the first 2 miles of that 5K in 17 minutes, calves screaming before I had to stop and walk. Finished in 27:32 hurting. Came in 7th in my age division, 70th out of about 300 runners. Not bad, not bad at all...Took me a good week to recover, no kidding. But what a fantastic feeling to be back among my fellow runners. I wanted to kiss the orange cones.

I was very upset that my recovery time was so drawn out. I posted my disappointment on my FaceBook page (I'm a crazy FaceBooker) and thankfully my IronMaiden girlie Sherry saw it. She reminded me that I need to recondition. That I can't just think I'm going to pick up right where I left off. Why do I do that????? Sherry is at her 70.3 RIGHT NOW!!!! GO GIRLLLLL...xoxo

I have decided to not run over 5 miles until I shave my 5K PR. I need to concentrate on reconditioning and do some speed work more faithfully. I enjoy the steady mileage of marathon training because I love to crank my music and get lost in my thoughts on the routes. If I run less than 5 miles it feels more like a work out than an enjoyment so I tend to try to bang it out as quickly as possible. I have to try to change my way of thinking! Marathon training is burned into my brain. Neg splits, don't go out too fast, nice and steady....I have to put new thoughts in there. As crazy as it sounds, I don't even know what those words can be....

On a fun note...my 12 year old daughter Emily has decided to go out for track next year!! She'll be in 7th grade and I am ALL OVER THAT! She isn't real active normally so I didn't take it too seriously at first, but yesterday I was headed out for a shorty when she spotted me. She asked if she could come and I said OF COURSE! I suited her up, popped a hat on her head and handed her a bottle of WATER. I'm teaching her the importance of hydration above all things.

Twice around the block is a mile, so we did a power walk to warm up then ran for as long as she could. Which was a quarter mile! Not bad!!! We walked one minute, ran another quarter. Emily held that 10:30 pace the first half mile!!!!!! The second half mile was a little slower with more frequent walks so I will have her slow down a little today. We'll stick with the 1 milers until she can do the whole thing without stopping. She is very excited and so am I...I love this!!! She was talking non-stop the whole time (just like her mom...lol) which is good. That'll keep her from going too fast at first. =)

Very exciting stuff...it's so good to be back!!!

I Have Discovered...SWEAT!

First...thank you for all the support and emails, it means the world to me!! xoxo

I've been running (or attempting to) for 2.5 years now. Seems like it's more off than on but I am definately feeling soooo much better! My GI doctor said I have gastritis (too much acid) and I have meds for that. What a great feeling not to have stomach pain. It's almost gone! Totally ignorable...LOL. Doc told me he sees chronic dehydration EVERYDAY. He said it's a huge problem here in Florida, even in the winter because we still have the heat. A lot of people move here and never consider how much fluid they're losing. That's me. Moved here 7 years ago and I've loved every minute of it. I was not too active in Massachusetts. Ok, I was sedentary to be honest. So to move here and start running long distance spelled disaster for me.

It has taken me almost 4 weeks to get used to drinking fluids. I didn't realize how little I was taking in. Now I have a beverage in my hand ALL the time. I cut coffee back, barely drink beer anymore and now I go from water to gatorade to juice. At first I was running to the ladies room every 5 minutes but now I seem to have gotten used to it. And guess what?? I really do feel better! I was a little insulted at first that the doc didn't think I knew how to hydrate (HA) but I started thinking about it and realized I didn't drink before a run because of issues I was having. (bladder) and that I hate carrying a bottle or wearing a hydration belt. I love to feel free when I run and it's pretty tough to feel free with a few sloshing bottles strapped to my mid section. HATED THAT! Speaking of sloshing...I didn't like the feel of my stomach with water in it either. So I figured what's a few miles...I'll drink when I get back. WRONG.

Once you become dehydrated you can't just suck down a bottle of water or gatorade and think all is well. It's not. I learned I need to hydrate with about 21 oz THE DAY BEFORE, not just the morning of a run. Then after the run, you need gatorade AND water to BEGIN to replace what I've lost. Doesn't stop there. I need to continue to hydrate for the rest of the day. I NOWHERE NEAR was hydrating. Ever. No wonder I was sick. Sheesh.

For the last week I've been very slowly hitting the road. I started with 2 miles, stopping every quarter mile to drink (30 seconds) and stayed with that until I was getting 2 miles done in about 19 minutes. I also wanted to get used to drinking while running. Yesterday I ran 2 miles in 19:08 (?) about...so this morning I felt ready for 3 miles. It was 90 degrees and 87% humidity. Nothing I haven't run in before. But this time I was determined to incorporate the drinking. I still had to walk to drink but not for as long. I noticed the other day I was sweating unbelievably. I had never really sweated before. (good sign of dehydration right there) When I got home, sweat was just pouring off me. While I waited for the cool down before I showered, I couldn't believe how much sweat there was!!!!! I am thrilled to know I am hydrating properly now.

My legs feel great, barely even a cramp and that's probably just normal from running. No headache either. I think I'm ready for the County Line 5K this weekend. I'll probably be nowhere near my PR but that's ok. I'm back!!!

Long Overdue Update!

I can't believe I haven't been in here in 2 months! I think I may have run a total of 6 miles between then and now. But I'm hoping that is about to change!!!!!

I decided to call the GI doc I saw 5 years ago for stomach pain at the time. I had burned my entire GI tract from too much Excederine back then. I was taking that for pain...(had a hysterectomy 5 years October) and the doc said it would take years for the tract to heal. I have been having pain ever since, but chalked it up to that. I'm a PRO at ignoring stuff.

When I told him my symptoms he immediately said my leg problems are from being dehydrated!!! I thought " WHAT"????? How can that be???????? It's been 2 years since these problems started. Can you be dehydrated for 2 years and not catch it in the labwork??? So I have cut out beer (one week today) and trying to cut back on coffee. I've upped my fluid intake and am drinking more water.

Anyway...I saw this doc last week and he did an upper endoscopy last Monday. He said I have gastritis and a possible infection. He took a biopsy to identify the infection and I see him Tuesday afternoon to find out how he's going to treat it. I am soooo hopeful this is the answer! I do notice my headaches have stopped. I love that!

My fingers are crossed...my toes too!!

Hmmmmm

Well, I know right where my running shoes are. All of my sports bras are clean. I have a drawer full of socks. My fave running outfit is washed, dried and waiting. I have 2 fuel belts and plenty of GU packs/chomps. I noticed today, that my ears are not sore from my headphones rubbing them. I even cut all my hair off and was looking forward to running without a hat on.

I noticed this the other day when I was wondering when I'd be back out on the road. Wednesday seemed like just another day where I wasn't feeling well. Had a headache as usual and my legs were really cramping and painful. Especially my right leg/foot. I was nauseous and just feeling crummy. My daughter, Kirstin, offered to work for me (just one plus of us working together) and I felt relieved to be able to lay down.

At about 6pm, I felt a sharp pain in the center of my chest. I stood up and it got worse. It was hard to breathe and I felt dizzy and more nauseous. After 10 minutes it relaxed, I was soaked from sweat so I jumped in the shower. It happened again while I was in there so I got right out and called to my other daughter, Kerri. She called 911 and Bobby. By the time the EMTs came I felt fine again and felt stupid. But then it happened again while they were here so off we went. Happened again in the ambulance so he gave me a spray of nitroglycerin.

Long story short...it happened off and on for about 5 hours. CAT scan looked fine, blood pressure came back down and the cardiac enzymes were fine. Doc said he couldn't be sure it was not my heart so I spent the night. It did not happen again, just little twinges now and then. I went home the next day, have to take aspirin daily and follow up with my doc. A nurse suggested seeing my GYN in case it was ovarian cysts bursting. As much as I'd love to chalk it up to cysts, I've had them burst before and it never hurt my chest, just very low in the abdomen. But we'll see...I'll see my GYN. I don't have an appendix, gallbladder or uterus so it was narrowed down pretty quickly. It did remind me of gallbladder pain but more intense, like labor contractions.

I feel fine today, just headache and light headed. My legs still hurt. I haven't been out running for 3 weeks. I haven't been to the gym either because I was hoping if I took it easy I'd be out and running since the marathon is in 2 weeks. nope.

So I will miss another marathon. No sugar coating this one. I am extremely unhappy. I'm angry and disappointed. And that's all I have to say I guess.

3 Weeks To Gasparilla Marathon!

Wow, did that come up quick!! I'm very excited! The last 2 weeks have been tough training. I haven't been able to get through 7 miles without a lot of walking. My old problems have returned at a very bad time. I started to FREAK OUT, but decided that wouldn't get me anywhere but in a worse slump. Instead I've re-evaluated my goal for this marathon. Like I had a choice...LOL...

I am going to run an easy 5-6 miles today to see if I can get that groovy-groove back and if so (fingers crossed!) I plan on running for about 3 hours on Saturday. Distance will not be determined before hand...I'm just running to make sure I have the endurance. Time VS distance!

The Boston Qualifying attempt is shelved for this race. Yes, I was very disappointed. I figured I would miss it by about 20 minutes anyway, but I was going to start off with the 4 hour pace team and take it from there. Now I will start the race with about a 10:20 pace for a couple miles and slowly speed it up. If it's feeling good, I should get to a 9:15 pace by about 5-6 miles and I'm hoping to hold that for a while. I feel that by starting out slower than need be will be the key to a successful marathon.

Taking the pressure of a huge shave for this race has made me remember something really, really important. I LOVE TO RUN. I also love to set and attain goals, but the most important thing I so need to remember is I LOVE TO RUN. The one thing I will be doing on Feb 28, 2010 is running. I win!! So whether I get to the finish line in 4:00:59 or 5:00:59 should be irrelevant. But it's NOT!! Hahaha!! I still want a sub 4:30 finish, don't let me fool ya, but my attitude is morphing toward a "take it easier" approach, that's all. It is what it is.

I'll set a new goal for the finish time after Saturday's longy-long run. I'm looking at it as a "see-where-I'm-at" training run. With just 3 weeks to go I should pretty much be able to predict my race finish time.

Happy running everyone!!!!

Lamarque 5K Jan 16, 2010

This was the 2nd time I've run Lamarque 5K. I love that it's only 5 miles from home because I know all my runner friends will be there. The first time I ran this race, I had only been running for about 8 weeks. I was still very new and didn't know a whole lot of people. I knew The Morgan's, the Geyer's and a few others. At this race, I met 3 people who have always stood out in my mind for their friendliness and advice. They seemed to know I didn't know many people and made a point to welcome me.

First was Josephine. I used to call her "blue shoes" before I finally learned her name. She's in her sixties (which you'd NEVER believe) and had won Grand Masters. As she stood on the stage in front of my husband and I, Bobby leaned over to me and whispered "Look at her legs!! Fantastic"!!!! LOL...I agreed. Josephine is a beautiful woman, inside and out and I am so proud to be her friend. We joked yesterday about it being our anniversary, but in my heart I know we were meant to be friends. Love her!

Second person I met was Chuck. He's a JOKERRRR!!! LOL...we talked for awhile while waiting for awards to start. He told us a few stories about his running days. In fact, I talked him into telling me his most favorite running story EVER because I wanted to compile stories for a journal. Chuck is a fun runner. I always look forward to seeing him at the races. He is another favorite of mine.

Third person I met that day was Dick Shank. As I was remembering him last week, I realized I had not seen or talked with him in quite a while. I figured it was because I'd been sick last year and somehow missed him at the few races I did make it to. Luckily, we were connected through the yahoo Zoomers page and I had his email. I shot an email to him last week asking if he'd be at the Lamarque run. A few days later I was happy to see he'd responded to my email!! I happily opened the reply and instantly felt the tears come. The response was from Dick's wife Eileen. She said she was sorry to have to tell me that Dick had died of cancer last September. No. I am so sorry I didn't try to contact him sooner. I wish I had been able to tell him what a wonderful person he was and even though we didn't know each other really well, he made a lasting impression on me. Dick was in his 80's, very tall and a great runner. He told me he saw potential in me, that he thought I was a natural. He told me to stick with it. He said I'd get faster before I knew it. I can picture Dick and Eileen with their friendly smiles and welcoming words like it was yesterday. I feel sad, but glad I had the chance to meet Dick.

The running world, the whole world, has lost a special man to cancer once again. Dick, you may be gone but you'll never be forgotten. May you rest in peace, no more pain or sickness. Lamarque 5K was not the same without you.

River, Roots and Ruts Race Report (LATE)

For some reason the pics won't let me edit....so they're backward (time-wise...end first) !!!!!!

Frank, Kim and Ed

Kim

In case you missed the last pic....Kim again

Scott crossing finish line!!! YAY!!!!!!! 2:09 finish!!!

Scott ans Kim crossing finish line!!!

And he's OFF!!!!! GO SCOTT!!!!!

Frozen fingers chip exchange!!! BRRRRR!!!

I couldn't undo the velcro...haha!!!

Scott waiting patiently and freezing.

Scott at a NOT FUNNY sign..ha!

And we're off and running!!!!

Crazy half naked kids. Where are their mothers????

Scott and Kim at the finish! Did I mention 2:09???

Brrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Getting ready...do I look happy or what?????

Jan 3rd I got an email from Sherry that she was injured and unable to run this relay with her husband. She was looking for a replacement partner for Scott and was anyone interested? !!!!!!! I immediatley wanted to do it, but I saw that this message had gone out to a few people and I was just reading it about 10 hours late. Feeling bummed, I logged off. Thought about it and logged back in. I figured the spot would be covered, but just in case I shot a reply saying I'd love to do it if they still needed a partner. Unbelievably, I got a message from Sherry that the spot was still open and I had it if I wanted it!!!! YAY!!!!

This race is very, very popular and had filled up a while ago. It's a major trail run that I honestly would never have signed up for because of my balance issues and numb feet. Those two troubles equal BADNESS on a trail...LOL...but I've been feeling FABULOUS the last 2 months, balance and leg/feet pain have been much improved so I WAS IN! Sherry and Scott know I've just returned to training and they understood my times might be blah considering I never trail run, but their optamism inspired me. Gave me mucho confidence. Sherry repeatedly told me to run it as a "fun run" and not worry about times. Yeah right...lol...I reminded her we were both cut from the same cloth and I was planning to run my ass off. Especially since I'd be wearing HER NAME!! Extra pressure!!!

We drove together and arrived at the park at about 35 degrees. Yes. 35 freezing degrees. Oh, and it was about 6:30am. Sherry and Scott gave me the first leg which was 6 miles and flatter. (thank you guys again). The track kids were in shirts only and as a mother, I wanted to cover them with blankets. Crazy kids. I saw 2 of my favorite friends!!! Ed and frank were there for the relay too...I was thrilled to see them. We saw a few others that we know, and I met Sondra's brother too.

We all lined up at the start, not minding for once that we were crunched together. Did I mention it was freezing??? I opted to keep my long sleeved t-shirt on over my running top and I'm glad I did. The first 3/4 mile was pretty flat but winding, pace was about 8:30. Then I hit a mountain. I went easy for the first 2 because I have a full mary in 7 weeks (didn't want an injury) but the third mountain looked like I'd need some momentum. I flew up to the top so fast that I found myself in the air looking down the steep decline! It was exhilerating!!!! I almost fell running down that, but I managed to stay on my feet.

The path got very narrow and I found myself stuck behind a woman for awhile. Finally the path widened and I kinda yelled out "passing on your left!" and heard an echo of that about 6 times behind me...lol. She let us go and I let the people behind me pass. I had enough pressure running for Sherry, I didn't need the 6 pairs of feet stomping behind me...lol

I was averaging about a 9 minute pace, but I really started bowing to the steep hills by mile 3 or so. It wouldn't be worth missing my full mary. There were a few very cool turns that actually went around the base of a hill...like running on the inside of a bowl! The woods and path made for a relaxing atmosphere but the cold was, well...cold. At one point I tried to blow on my frozen fingers but the air turned cold before it hit my hands. My right foot was numb and the big toe was KILLING me. I knew it was the cold.

A couple times I could have gone off track but thankfully a man in a bright orange t-shirt was ahead of me and I could catch glimpses of him enough to follow. By 5.5 miles in, I could hear people cheering so I knew I was close. I stayed steady watching for a clearing for the chip exchange. As I shot down a hill, I heard my name and was shocked to see Sherry and Scott IN THE WOODS! No clearing...just a wider path for the trade...I almost ran past them but Scott reached out and literally pulled me off the trail....Hhahaha! My hands were so frozen I couldn't undo the velcro fastening for the chip...brrrrrr!!! I made that in about 61 minutes. Not bad!

Scott took off, glad to be running instead of standing in the cold. Sherry had my sweatshirt with her and I happily put that back on! Then we walked to the fnish line to wait for Scott.

Scott had the last leg, which was 7.1 miles and much harder. After about an hour, I left Sherry at the finish line and walked to the 13 mile post so I could run in with Scott. He came flying around the corner and I yelled "How'd it go???" I'm laughing NOW, but he yelled right back..."That SUCKED!!!!""" In that split second I thought 2 things at the same time....1) Poor Scott and 2) Thank God I had the first leg!! Isn't that awful???? But he's a way better athlete so it was kind of even LMAO!!! Just kidding Scottt....heehee!!! (about the fair part, cuz he is a better athlete)

Scott came in at 68 minutes, giving us a 2:09 finish time!!! AWESOME!!! We came in 4th for mixed relay too!! We were very pleased!! I just had the best time running that relay. Great friends, wonderful opportunity and what a cool trail that was. I am now a trail lover! Sherry assures me I did her name proud and for that I'm so happy. I got to keep the finishers medal, it's made from recycled glass! I'll get a pic of it... We hit a stop for hot coffee for the ride home. We sooo needed to defrost! I was sick for 3-4 days with a bad cold after that, but it was worth it.

Thank you Sherry and Scott, for the great time, the opportunity to run a race I never would have signed up for and for our friendship. And guess what? I'm STILL smiling!!