Robie Recap





Let me just start by saying, I didn't exactly meet my goal again this year ... I REALLY, REALLY want to run this "hill-acious" half marathon in under 2 hours.  But, I suppose this year was not the year to do it.  On a sweltering day when many runners saw their times increase by 10 minutes, I guess I will just be happy that my race time went down by about 8 minutes.

I AM HAPPY!!!  I think if it would have been cooler, that last mile to the summit *might* have been a little faster ... but I can't really complain about my time.  I wanted to improve and I did.  I know I can do better and I'm hoping that another year of trails next year will put me where I want to be in 2013.

Things I did this year that seemed to help:

• I ran trails.  A lot.  (I probably should have thrown in a few treadmill runs to work on speed, but I never did.)  It has been so fun getting to know some of the trails in my area.  It's amazing how addicting running outside can be.  The only problem was I ran outside in the cold and wind most of my training months ... I wasn't prepared to run in blazing, sunny 80 degree heat!!  
• I rested the week before the race.  A lot.  I did one trail run/hike with my kids about 4 days before the race, but other than that I took the whole week off and let my body build up energy.
• I ate carbs.  A lot.  I read this article and even though "carbing up" a whole 3 days prior to the race seemed a little overkill, I can honestly say I felt like I had plenty of fuel in the tank on my run.  That was definitely a nice feeling.
• I ate bananas.  A lot.  A TON, actually.  I was so nervous about having another bad year in the leg cramp department, I started eating at least one banana a day months out and in the weeks before the race I was sure to have two.  Last year my downhill suffered so bad (and that's usually the fastest part of the race -- the area to make up time) as I had to stop every five minutes and massage my calves as they were in a near-constant cramp state.  Not fun. 
• I was a good girl and took my vitamins.  I'm usually pretty spacey about taking regular vitamins/supplements but I tried really hard to stay on track.  I took a multi vitamin, Fish Oil, glucosamine and biotin every day!
• I kept a positive attitude.  The whole race I kept telling myself "You get one chance a YEAR to do this Yvonne ... you can do it, you can give it your all!"
  

Last year was so disappointing -- I got sick and wasn't able to train like I needed to.  I wasn't mentally or physically prepared.  This year, I felt so much more in control.  I would have liked to see even more minutes shaved off my time, but I have been celebrating anyway.  I am happy with my results.  Happy that I was able to finish strong, with a smile on my face! 

In 2010 and 2011 I ran it in 2:18 -- that's gun time, not chip time so it doesn't account for the time it took me to actually cross the START line.  This year my gun time was 2:10:18 and my chip time (or what I like to call my REAL time!) was 2:08:32.  I finished 457th overall (out of 2,466 runners), 102nd among the women, and 24th in my age division! Yay!  Definitely room for improvement, but that's what next year is for! :)  
Here are some fun race-weekend pics ...




My awesome family!



Ready to Run!

Do we look anxious?!?

The best cheering section ever!

Finishing!

Finish line

 

Cards from my kiddos!  So cute ... love that they had me running the race in an hour and coming in first!!!

HEAVEN!!!

Sorry kiddos, no sleeping in today! :)

My oldest two were out of school today for teacher inservice ... so they got to run trails with Mom and the puppy instead!  After a hard rain last night, I was doubtful we'd even make it out today but the weather was perfect this morning -- cool, calm, refreshing and even the sun made an appearance from time to time.  My kiddos were real troopers.  I was so impressed and proud at both their skill and determination.  I didn't grow up running, but I truly hope it's something all of my children will embrace and enjoy.  I certainly saw some smiles today! 

3 days till race day ... I've been taking most of this week off and freaking out a little (OK a lot) about doing so.  Today's time on the trails felt nice -- nothing too crazy, just a little practice of both the physical and mental variety.  And it's looking like Mother Nature is going to throw in a nice little twist for us with an unseasonably *hot* race day.  Should be interesting!

The Power of Positive Thinking!

I have not been the most positive person lately ... even my husband was saying just the other day we both have gotten in a "Negative Nellie" rut and it's time to be a little more positive and optimistic.  Pretty sure I rolled my eyes when he said this and started to list off all the stuff going "wrong" for me right now.

I was at my negative best again this morning.  I whined and complained and bitched the whole way out to the trail head. 

"I don't want to do Robie. Not even looking forward to it."
"I can't run hills.  I hate hills."
"My running just sucks lately."  ... and on and on and on.

Then I got out of the car and decided to put all of that aside for just this run.  What a novel idea!  Instead of heading out with all kinds of crappy, self-destructive thoughts in my head, I decided I would focus on only good things. Usually I am so focused on how weak my legs are, how quickly I seem to get out of breath, how I can't go as fast as I want ... it's no wonder my runs SUCK ... they are doomed before I even start.  Today, however, I promised myself I would only focus on what my body CAN do.  To be thankful for the health I do have ... to not give up, to enjoy the fact that I am able-bodied and strong.  Yes, I am strong.  Maybe not as strong as some people, but strong in my own ways. I have put a lot of time into training ... I have run a lot of hills.  I can do hard things.

And guess what?

I had the best run I've had in "forever" as I told my husband.  The beautiful blue skies surely helped ... but aside from that I ran STRONG.  I ran trails I haven't run in weeks and I was able to run all the hills I usually walk.  I kept my head down and reminded myself to focus on what was right in front of me ... to not look too far ahead and get discouraged.  It worked.  I tackled some nice climbs ... and my speed was better than it's been in months.  I believe I actually did a fist pump at the top of the highest hill ... ok, now I'm just admitting my total nerdiness.  But dammit, for the first time in A LONG TIME, I am proud of what I did today.

 

The power of positive thinking ... it really is something to practice.  I will quite rolling my eyes at my dear husband when he tries to persuade me of it's usefulness.  I'm a believer!! 

  

Make it so!

NINE more days till Robie ... I may not be as fast as some, hell, I may not even be as fast as myself in past years ... but I will keep a smile on my face and focus on all that I CAN do.   


 

~ Fluffy ~ Music ~ Friday ~

Gotta love these fluffy songs ... they feel "Spring-ish" and help me keep a "spring" in my step when I run! 

Tick, tock ... tick, tock ...

The Race to Robie is inching closer and closer each day ... I wish I could say it was motivating me to run as much as possible.  In fact, the opposite seems to be true.  As the race gets closer I seem to be finding every excuse in the book NOT to run.  I have been doing longer runs ... but definitely taking more days off in between.  I've resigned myself to the fact that my finish time will not be what I want it to be AGAIN this year.  Bummer.   

View from Saturday's run - in the 70's - AMAZING day!

I have really been enjoying my time on the trails though.  I look forward to going out in a few weeks and just running for the fun of it ... no tracking, timing, or STRESSING.  I'm also looking forward to more Spring weather.  The last few months have been a bit brutal out there, cold temps and biting winds -- but I have covered a lot of ground and gotten to know numerous trails in our foothills that I never new existed a few short months ago.  I'm eagerly anticipating hiking with the kiddos and our lil' doggy in the summer ... I envision picnics creek-side and warm sunshine on my shoulders (I refuse to acknowledge the reality that our little outings will most likely also involve a lot of whining, complaining, and bickering!)

View from Tuesday's run - Explored new trails!

I am proud of my youngest little guy though ... he was  real trooper yesterday and joined Zoe and I on a hike in the whipping wind.  Even a little rain didn't scare him away -- we made up games along the way about having to jump over sticks crossing the paths and took turns calling the puppy back when her hound nose lead her on a bird chase!  We even managed to snap a few pics!  Like the puppy, my baby is growing way too fast ... soon his afternoons home with me will be a thing of the past.  I am glad we will have these memories.

        

         

 

         

Slow and steady ... but mostly just SLOW!

I haven't found much time to blog lately ... well, at least about running.  Quite honestly, I have been pretty lacking in motivation for the last couple of weeks.  Then I caught a glimpse of the calendar the other day and realized my big race is only a month away.  No time for putting off running and diving back into the Reese's peanut butter eggs -- there are hills to conquer!



This means ATTACK more hills Yvonne...
 not see if you can stuff one more peanut butter egg in your over-full belly!!

I have been doing all the usual stuff ... at least one long run a week, hill programs on my elliptical, hiking and running trails.  But I would be lying if I didn't say I've felt a little burned out.  For one thing, I think I might have adult ADHD, hehe.  And for another, I have been annoyed with my lack of speed.  Despite working pretty consistently for a couple of months, my speed is still not where it used to be.  But, I think I might have figured out why!

I have been so proud of myself for doing all my running outside -- haven't been on a treadmill in maybe a year!  As I was discussing this with another runner the other day, it dawned on me ... I think the regular treadmill training I used to do really helped me build up my speed.  Out on my own, it's way to easy to slow my pace when I get tired, whereas on the treadmill, I program in my speed and just fight through it.  I'm excited about this "a-ha" moment.  Of course now the weather has taken a recent turn for the better and I want to be outside as much as possible, but I am going to do my best to work in at least one treadmill run a week.  In the spirit of working on my "fastness" I also did a little speed training today ... sprinting and timing myself on a straight-stretch in the neighborhood over and over and over.  I can't believe how sore my legs already feel.  I'm excited about adding something "newish" to my routine. 

Going to keep plugging along, praying for the snow to melt up on those hills, and looking for more signs of spring!  This sign pretty much sums it up ... I'm excited too!!!

How 'bout a few more hours in the day ...

I keep thinking I need a 36-hour day just so I'll be able to *possibly* accomplish 1/8 of my daily "to-do" list.  Granted, most of the items on my list are recurring tasks that are not pressing, but nagging -- things like cleaning out junk drawers, fixing the ding in the wall, going through all my kids outgrown clothes, printing thousands of pictures that are doomed to be forever stuck on my computer till a terrible crash forces me to lose them all and re-think my serious lack of organization.  That's pretty much what it boils down to ... try as I might, my severe lack of organization drives me NUTS on a daily basis.  I make attempts, one closet or drawer or file folder at a time.  But what I really want is the magic organization fairy to come in and get it all done at once!!! (Or at least arrange for sweet children to be cared for and entertained somewhere far, far away on a long weekend so I can tear into everything without interruption or protest.)   I like to imagine my content self, reclining in my favorite chair, book in hand, smile on my face knowing that each and every nook and cranny in my humble home is purged, minimized, clean, labeled, organized, sparkly and efficient.  Yah, right ... maybe someday!

Until that lil' fairy appears I'll just keep tackling this stuff as best I can and try not to let it overwhelm me.  I always go back to this lovely little saying often seen flying around Facebook and Pinterest ...

My children are young, our lives are busy, we own a dog and a cat ... my house is just not destined to be glistening each day!  And I'm ok with that ... well at least for a few minutes! :)

My little piece of heaven.

I had the great fortune of spending a beautiful Sunday with my family doing all of our favorite things, but most of all just enjoying each other.

When I was a young girl (not that I'm all that old now) I used to dream of what it would be like to have a family.  I would think about how fun it would be to spend time with them, laugh, and be silly together.  This past Sunday felt like that dream come to life.

We didn't do anything extraordinary.  In fact it was a rather ordinary day.  But therein, I believe, lies the magic.  We were blessed with a gorgeous day weatherwise, so I think everyone woke up in a extra cheerful mood.  Sizing up the fridge and pantry, my chef hubby decided we had all the necessary fixin's for homemade bagel breakfast sandwiches (similar to what we get at one of our favorite local bagel shops.)  His conconction of lightly-toasted bagels, creamy cheese, fried-just-right eggs, gooey cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, tomato with salt and pepper and smashed avocado was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!  But he didn't just stop there ... his masterpiece of the morning was a double decker breakfast delight with two fried eggs, and double layers and bacon.  We throughoughly enjoyed our breakfast while we talked about an upcoming family vacation this summer and how these new breakfast creations MUST be on the menu! (They were consumed too fast to snap a pic, but I will get one next time!)

With full bellies we decided it was time for some fresh air and we headed to my new favorite trails to stretch our legs, exercise the puppy and drink in the sunshine.  It is so fun to watch Zoe run back and forth from the kids to us ... always making sure everyone's ok ... she gets so giddy on hikes and loves to chase the kids (although we could all do without some of her jumping energy at times!)  The view was beautiful.  The hubby and I were able to relax and watch the kids make up games, catch up on a few things and feel less rushed than we've felt in weeks.

Kids + An Early Spring Day = Lots o' smiles!

Because eating is our favorite past time and at this point it was WELL past lunch, we decided to head to Sonic for a good ol' fashioned drive-in food fest.  Corn dogs, coney dogs, popcorn chicken, chili-cheese tots and ICE-COLD soda ... can you say Heaven?

We couldn't bear the thought of going back indoors so we headed back out to yet another park with basketballs and rollerskates!  The boys practiced basketball while my daughter perfected her rollerskating.  I sat in the grass with the worn out dog and smiled at the beautiful normalcy before me. 

Two matters of note:

1) My kindergartener has some mad dribbling skills ... he can't wait to play basketball next year and I can't wait to watch the little man out on the court! 

2) My daughter is a machine ... she took some seriously hard falls on those rollerskates but refused to give up ... even insisted on skating all the way home.  I love her determination.

I might sound corny,  but that's ok.  I'm not above being a sentimental sap.  This day was a snapshot of "perfect" ... something I will store in my heart forever. 

Training update

Just another rather boring training update ... but I have to say this blog is helping me stay on track!

Sunday: I wanted to do a hill run over the weekend, but ended up wimping out!  I had a hard time dragging myself out of the house ... just wanted to sit on the couch and DO NOTHING.  My hubby suggested instead of getting in the car and driving all the way to the hills that I just run around the 'hood.  So, that's what I did.  I ran over 10 flat miles and it felt pretty awesome.  So I didn't do a hill run ... oh well ... at least I worked on my distance!

Monday:  Mom boot camp (my kids wanted to workout with me so we did a bunch of random things ... squats, oblique crunches, jumping jacks, lunges, etc. ... fun times!)  Then I hopped on the elliptical for a 30 minute glute program.  My glutes need some serious work. :)

Tuesday:  IT COULD NOT BE MORE BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE!!!  I took Zoe for a 2.5 mile hike in the foothills, then went for a short trail run.  I felt so fortunate to be outside running in the sunshine.  I only ran a little over 4 miles ... but they were hilly miles and it was a fun change of pace.  

Felt very lucky to call this my "gym" today!

** Friday Fun **

Strawberry Mice ... chocolate chip eyes & nose, banana chip ears, licorice tails ... and CHEESE of course!

Someone was "Star Student" in class this week ... which meant a photo-filled poster all about her and fun treats for her classmates on Friday.  These little mice are a family favorite, they seem to show up in our house at least once a year for classroom treats.