Alright - so it's been a minute . . . Yeah, I did the Tough Mudder and Survived!

Yeah, it's been awhile since I blogged.  Been kind of bummed since getting injured - more on that later.  But I am getting back to it so here we go!!!!!

So I think my last post was about the Mercedes 1/2 I did in February. 

So then did a Tough Mudder.  This is our team before - "Mud Up or Shut Up". 

Got hurt - in the first freaking mile!!!!  I slid in some mud - oh the irony - and fell, twisting my ankle in the process.  So cheering and playing sports as I have most of my life, twisted ankles were no big deal.  You twist it, sit for 10 minutes, get back up and ignore it and get on with life.  This one, however, twisted outward (instead of the typical inward) and I felt it pop.   Well, I was the one that talked us all into going to do this dang event so there was no way I was quitting.  So I waived off my teammates and told them I was fine.  Ran another 11 miles and did all the obstacles.  Awesome!  So two weeks later, it is still swelling up to the size of a softball after I am on it for a couple hours so off to the doc I go.

Ended up in a boot for 4 weeks with physical therapy for 3 weeks.  My doc said my ligaments in my foot were not rubber bands anymore (like they are supposed to be), but more like spaghetti.  Kind of cool to look at the x-rays and ultrasound though, especially when the doc was injecting my ankle with cortisone.  So after the shot I felt like I could run for miles!  Yeah, that feeling lasted 45 minutes.  After that it was complete pain!  I did not think I was going to get to sleep that night.  I was relegated to flats for months - uh, I am 5 foot 2 inches tall.  Seriously???  Flats????  I wear heals just so I can reach the buttons on the dang copier!  But now I have grown to love them.  Still love my heals (and now can wear them) but flats are nice too.

So anyway, enough about injuries.  If you ever get the chance to do a Tough Mudder, do it!  I would (and probably will) do another one.  I had a blast. 


I mean, where else do you get to wallow in a muddy water pit, climbing mud hills with friends??  Where else do you get the crap shocked out of you voluntarily multiple times (okay, that was relaly not that much fun)??  Where else do you dive into water that is soooooo called it literally makes you lose your breath??  Where else do you get to slam your face into a half-pipe as you try to run up it and fail, all while your friends and family cheer you on and laugh at the same time?  Seriously, there is nothing like it in the world.  The commradery, the obstacles, the entertainment, the adrenaline.  Love it!!!!  There are just so few people I know that would actually do one.  To me, it's an amazing experience like no other - even though I got injured - and to be able to say I did it is so freaking cool to me.

So now I have added my bib and headband to my office wall.  People come in my office all the time and ask what a "Tough Mudder" is.  I just smile and say "A really fun muddy obstacle course.  You should do it!"

Mercedes 1/2 and a Potential Full

So I ran the Mercedes 1/2 Marathon here in Birmingham back in February.  What an experience!  I still cannot believe I did it.  This was only my second half but what a challenge. 

So, training was cold.  Very cold.  I mean, my only other half was Talladega and training for that was hot, very hot and humid.  The morning of the race, it was 19 degrees when I got up!  By the time we parked the car, it was only 24 degrees.  I kept thinking how nice and warm my bed would be if I would just crawl back into it.  But, alas, no.  I could not let my buddy run alone.  :o)

So I donned my gloves, my long compression socks, my long pants, my headband (that I actually used more like an ear cover) and my longsleeve shirt and we set out for the starting gate.  I could not believe how many people were there!  It was a Boston qualifier but wow! I don't think the crowd ever thinned out so much that I wasn't weaving or dodging people.  We decided to get in the 9 minute per mile group at the starting line.  Geez!  That was optimistic!  But, heck, why not?!  I was trying to beat my husband's time of 2 hours 6 minutes and a few seconds.  Well, **spoiler alert*** that record is safe. I couldn't decide if I should start fast and slow down later, start slow and speed up or keep a steady pace the entire time.  I ended up starting faster than normal but keeping a steady pace the entire time.  I apparently do not give myself enough credit and can actual run faster for a longer distance than I thought.  Thanks running buddy (he set our initial pace)!  I eventually told him to go on without me because I couldn't sustain the initial pace for the entire run.  I eventually caught up with him around mile 11 or 12.  It was actually fun running with him - everyone kept hollering at him "Looking good tuxedo man" and "way to go tuxedo man" - he was wearing a top hat and one of those tuxedo shirts. I need to work on a fun/unique outfit for next race!  My "fun" things this race were my argyle compression socks (that I LOVE) and my headband that said "Run now, wine later."  Clever.

I started too fast, slowed down a little (but not much!) and kept a good pace throughout the race but the terrain was much hillier than I expected.  I actually run part of that course occasionally at lunch during the week since it is near my office so I thought it would be no big deal.  WRONG!  Hills, hills everywhere!  I kept seeing the marathon marker holding the sign for a finish time of 4:15 and I thought if I could keep in front of her, I would be happy.  Well, I kept catching her and then she kept passing me.  I also kept trying to drink water while running and not spill it on myself because it was so cold (at Talladega, I was pouring the stuff on my head!).   Well, my arm and shirt sleeve were soaking wet, of course!  I also took one glove off at some point (I think around mile 8) and immediately regretted it.  My hands were sweating but the moment I took that glove off, my hand was freezing (that is why in the pic above and to the right I look like I have no right hand - I hid it in my sleeve).  Should have left it on!!!!  I sprinted the last quarter mile or so.  Funny how you can find that last little bit of energy to push you through to the finish line. 

Well, I finished in 2:08:21.  PR for me (Talladega was 2:12:59).  I was happy, especially considering the tough/hilly terrain.  No complaints here.  Now, my running buddy is attempting to talk me into a full - Rock n Roll, Savannah GA, November 9, 2013.  PLENTY of time to train so I am considering it.  Plus I said I wanted to 1/2s accomplished first.  Check the box for that! 
But next on the list is the Tough Mudder in Washington, Georgia on April 6, 2013.  Let's pray we survive!  There are 5 of us doing it together, and, yes, I am the only girl on a team full of wonderfully fit guys.  Girls, I seriously need a female running buddy!  I just hope that I don't hold the guys back and I don't see them rolling their eyes as they wait for me to catch up.  Yep, this one is all about team, not time, right??  :o)

1/2 Marathon in Review (Talladega 21000)

 

So on September 16, 2012, I finished my first 1/2 marathon.  I mean, if  you had asked me in March, 2012, if I would run a half marathon ever in my life, let alone this year, I would have said "Heck NO!"  Seriously, I just wasn't that into running.  But, I completed an obstacle course in April and was so pumped about the challenge that when a runner friend said, "Hey, let's do this (this being the Talladega 21000)" I said, eh, why not?  So I commenced training, I guess around late May or early July.  I was very fortunate to have a friend who had done 1/2 marathons before and triathalons and marathons to push me along the way. 

Training wasn't too rough, if you don't mind getting up at 4:15 a.m. and running in the dark during the hottest part of the year!!!!  I mean, really, could I have picked a worse time to start training?  I don't mind the getting up at 4:15 a.m. part.  I do that anyway.  I have two small kids and a more than full time job so the only time I usually get to work out during the week is at 4:15 a.m.  I was also very fortunate to have a husband who understood the challenge and my commitment to it and encouraged me along the way.  And of course, as soon as I mentioned it to our crazy running friend, he was all in (that's us next to a car at 'Dega)!

Anyway, when race day came, I was a bundle of nerves.  During training, my last few runs of 10 miles were good but the last long run I had before race day was 11 miles and it was horrible (no, I never ran a full 13.1 during training).  During that horrilbe 11, I had cramps in both sides and my legs just wouldn't loosen up - I thought I would never be able to run 13.1 if 11 was like that.  Then the Tuesday before race day (a Sunday), I ran 5 miles on seriously hilly terrain without socks (because I had left them at home), and had ginormous blisters on the arches of my feet.  Brilliant!!!!  So I was unsure if I was actually going to make it to the finish, both mentally and physically.

Well, the planets must have been in alignment and God must have heard my prayers because I did make it and I finished in 2 hours and 13 minutes (10:10 per mile pace). 

When we first started, I struggled to keep a slower, steady pace as people raced past me.  I am seriously competitive (bet you could not have guessed that!) so it was all I could do to hold myself back.  But I just reminded myself that they would be walking later and I could make up time later once I found my rhythm.  Well, the first 3.5 to 4 miles were tough.  My legs just would not loosen up.  It usually takes about 2 miles for my legs to warm up but this was different, this was just plain pain.  Finally, though, the legs felt fine and then I was cruising.  The scenery was great too, always changing so you didn't get bored running a loop, and they had quotes from the movie Talladega Nights posted along the way which gave us all a good laugh.  I found my rhythm about mile 6.  I wish I had started out a touch faster but with my legs behaving the way they were, I think I was lucky not to be walking!  Well, as time went on, I did start passing all those people that had sprinted out of the starting gate.  It felt great!  When I came out of one of the tunnels from the pits, my husband and son were standing there.  I think that was probably between mile 10 and 11.  It was so encouraging to see them there cheering me on that I think I even picked up my pace some.  I cannot describe the feeling when I finished.  I was just so thrilled and excited.  I felt a little worn out but I didn't feel overly exhausted or like I was going to hurl.  It was totally awesome!  I mean, the boys beat me but, who cares!  I finished!

 

Some things I found helpful -
(i) good music - I listened to K-Love on iheart radio on my phone during the race, I varied my music during training;
(ii) cardio tracker/trainer - I used it during training to know my pace and used it at the race to know my distance - there are tons of free ones out there;
(iii) eating right the entire week to two weeks before race day - I did tons of research and got out of the "I gotta lose weight right now" mindset and into the "I need to fuel my body correctly for this race" mindset - I also experimented with meals and what worked for me during my long runs during training - food can really mess you up on race day;
(iv) hydrating myself for 3 to 4 days before race day;
(v) supportive family and friends;
(vi) a good training plan (you can find free ones all over the net);
(vii) a running buddy that will keep you accountable when you don't want to train.

I would highly recommend the Talladega 1/2 marathon for anyone wanting to run one and I will probably do it again next year.  It's not a boring loop and they actually make it a lot of fun!  My husband has his first 1/2 marathon in a little over a week.  Seriously, when the heck did we become runners????

1/2 marathon around the corner!

I am so incredibly nervous.  In 4 days, I am running my first 1/2 marathon.  I have never run 13.1 miles and will not until the day of my race.  The longest distance I have run is 11 miles and it was not pretty.  I had run two ten milers before my 11 miler and felt pretty good about both of those.  11 . . . not so much.
Anyway, everyone has been so encouraging and I am so very afraid I am going to disappoint them!  Everyone thinks I am going to finish way under the time that I set for myself (granted, it's ridiculously slow for me) but I just don't see it.
One of the sponsors sent out an email today about picking up our race packets and I immediately wanted to go in the bathroom and hurl.  Yes, I know that all I have to do is finish and my finishing time will be my best 1/2 marathon time ever!  Yes, I know that it's all in my head and as long as I finish that's all that matters.  Yes, I realize this is my first 1/2 marathon and so I shouldn't put so much pressure on myself.  My problem is I run with guys that have run 1/2 marathons already.  They are a full foot taller than me and have bigger strides and I always feel like I am slowing them down or not running to their standards.  They are so nice about it - saying it doesn't matter, that they enjoy the company, that their legs are tired anyway so they need a not so aggressive pace today.  I appreciate them saying those things, but I feel that deep down, they really wish I would pick up the pace.  So, I  am ALWAYS putting pressure on myself about running.  I know no females who like to work out like I do so I always end up working out with dudes.  I don't mind, but it would be nice to have a female work out buddy every now and then.  But then again, I find girls to be irritating and overly silly sometimes too. Oh and I can say that because I am a girl!  But I guess if another female enjoyed working out as much as I do, then she probably wouldn't be so silly.
We have this hill near my office.  We call it the hill from hell.  We run it on occasion.  It starts out so gradually that you almost don't know that you are running up hill.  Then you turn the corner and there it is, the uphill climb that keeps going and going and you turn a corner and you are still going up and up.  And the worst part?  Our trek doesn't include a turn around so that we get the benefit of running down it!  Granted, there are some down hill parts but we don't run down the hill from hell.  I would probably fall on my face anyway.
Anyway, I digress.  I think I am going to be a hot mess Sunday morning, eating my bagel and banana, while chugging water.  My husband was going to run the 1/2 too but bailed because he didn't think he could be ready in time.  He is right - I have been running for years, even if only short distances and he has just recently gotten serious.  Smart of him to realize it and change his plan.  He picked a 1/2 in November and is training for it.  I cannot believe either one of us is running a 1/2 this year.  It's incredible and scary all at the same time.  Wish me luck!

I remember . . .

I remember where I was on this day 11 years ago.  I was in law school getting ready to go to class.  We were all gathered in the student lounge talking, sipping our morning caffeine of choice, the news playing in the background - a typical morning before classes.  Then the news abruptly switched and we learned of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center.  I remember the disbelief.  I remember thinking "This can't really be what they are saying happened."  And I remember on the live feed watching the second plane hit and the entire room gasping. I remember the silence as we watched in disbelief.  I remember thinking I was not going to make my class.  I remember classes canceled and other professors that insisted that classes continue.   I remember the somber mood around the common areas of the law school that day.  I remember panicked calls to my parents trying to see if my brothers (both living and working in NY at the time) were okay.  I remember not being able to get through to my parents for what seemed like hours as the phone lines were crazy with frantic callers all across the country.  I remember trying to call my brothers direct knowing it would be impossible to get through.  I remember seeing professors that so intimidated me in classes, unbelievably distraught and their faces drawn with grief.

After the initial shock, I remember the anger.  I remember being ready to go enlist and ready to kick some terrorist you-know-what.  I remember talks of next targets and pre-emptive strikes and whether there would be another draft.  I remember crying a lot, empathy for all those who lost loved ones that day and for those courageous and brave people on United Airlines Flight 93 who sacrificed themselves to save others.  I cannot to this day fathom the courage it must have taken those people on that flight to do what they did. I also remember the insecurity after the attacks wondering if there were other plots already in motion of which we had yet heard or learned.  I also remember the families.  I remember children that have grown up without fathers and mothers, brothers that lost sisters and sisters that lost brothers, parents that lost children, wives that lost husbands and husbands that lost wives.


I remember all those things and on days like today I also remember how I am blessed.  I am blessed to live in this country where I can worship whom I choose, and where others sacrifice their lives to keep me and my family safe. Where I, a woman, am free to work, free to speak my mind and free to become whatever I want to become; where my children will grow up with boundless opportunities if they put in the effort.  I am blessed to have a wonderful, loving family, even if I might complain sometimes.  I am blessed to have children that drive me crazy at moments, to have a husband that can annoy me with his dedication to watching his teams play rather than helping with housework, to have a job that is so demanding, to have so many constraints on my time and so many obligations, responsibilities and commitments that sometime seem so burdensome.  I am blessed because I am alive to experience these things.  And though I may take things in my life for granted from time to time, I will never forget . . .

Running Gels

So I am a little over half way through my training program for the half marathon.  Yesterday was my longest run to date - 8 miles.  In anticipation of the 8 miles and to get kind of used to the idea of taking gels during a run, I bought some gels on Friday at a local shoe shop.  I have never used gels before - I've never had the need.  One of the employees at the shop gave me some tips about using the gels and my running buddy did too so I felt pretty good about the idea.
I got up Saturday at 4:15 a.m. (yes, even on a Saturday!), chugged some water, stuffed the gel in my sports  bra (a Vanilla Hammer Gel - see pic at left), put on my headphones and headed out the door.  Putting the gel in my sports bra was my first mistake.  I ended up with little cuts all over my chest from the packaging!  So about mile 5 I decided to try the gel.
The guy at the shoe shop warned me that the gel was really thick and that I should probably cut it with water, but I don't run with water (my second mistake).  The gel was so thick that I gagged the first time I shot any of it into my mouth.  I had to convince myself to swallow and not think about it.  I am very sensitive to the texture of food and it keeps me from eating some foods that are probably really, really good.  Anyway, I got the gel down.  It didn't taste bad at all, it was just the texture that got me.  I actually highly recommend this one.  At the time I took the gel, I happen to be running by a yard that had its sprinklers running and I seriously considered and actually pictured myself running over, sticking my mouth over the stream of water and chugging out of the sprinkler.  I didn't, but I came really, really close.  
The gel really helped too.  It wasn't some instant rush that I got but I could tell that it gave me some more "oomph" to keep going the next three miles.  I am excited to try the other flavors and brands we bought.  My next investment will be some kind of water carrying device - either a water bottle that has a "strap" of sorts that goes over your hand with pockets for gels or a belt with bottles for water.  I have heard the belts are difficult because they slide and slip and generally don't stay in place but the hand held water bottles have their issues too, like not being able to carry as much water as a belt.  Maybe I'll try both.

Barbarian Challenge 2012

So we did it.  We actually finished the Barbarian Challenge in Gadsden on June 23, 2012.  I was a little nervous but confident I could handle it - yeah, that was BEFORE I actually got there and BEFORE I started running the course.  During the race, there were times I just wanted to survive.  Yes, it was that hard. 

We didn't run in the first heat as that was supposed to be for those people who wanted to win it all.  Well, I wanted to win it all but, come on, this was my first one.  So we ran in the second heat at 9 a.m.  While we were waiting to be let loose, the first guy from the first heat came across the finish line.  We all cheered and pumped our fists encouraging him to cross.  He did - in 48 minutes.  I thought, "Yeah, I can do this.  He is not even muddy and he finished at a decent time." 

So with all the confidence in the world, they let us go.  First obstacle - climbing over two lines of rusted cars.  Easy.  Second obstacle - military crawl through a mud pit with electrified wires at your back.  Yep, I got shocked at the very end - I was not at all thrilled about that.  After that, it becomes a blur.  There was a creek we had to go through but they didn't have the end of that stretch marked clearly so about 50 of us (in the front) kept going down the creek.  Well, finally someone yells for us to come back because we went to far.  Cost us probably 6 minutes (there and back) and then we were in the middle to end of the pack. Then came the hills.  There were some water obstacles - I think one of them was a giant dumpster filled with water you had to jump in, go under some buoys and jump out - there were some rocks we had to scale down and a giant slip-n-slide down a giant hill.  I have a nice bruise on my left upper thigh from a nice rock under the tarp they put down.  So at some point there was a rope climb - hand over hand.  I was impressed that I actually got up the rope and rang the bell.  The problem was, I had to wait about 5 minutes for my turn - Hello people, two ropes are not enough for heats of 200 people.  Seriously, think about it.  So that waiting allowed one of my teammates to catch up (seriously, I was about 4 minutes ahead).  Ugh!  The only thing I have on these guys is endurance!  They are way stronger and way taller (i.e. longer strides) than me.  And he didn't complete the rope climb - he tried and slid down and decided to move on.  Oh and the slide down - let's just say I had rope burns in unmentionable places that required me to wear spandex under everything for two days. Yikes!

And then there were the hills.  This is the part I thought I would not survive.  Seriously, "hills" is not a realistic description of these things.  I literally was bear crawling up some of them.  And they just went on and on and on.  I don't know how many of them there were but it seemed like a million. 
I found a running buddy at one point - we kept encouraging each other to just pick 'em up and put 'em down.  It's all you could do at points.  But I finished, and that is what matters.
And I finsihed nicely too (if I do say so myself)!  14 out of 133 for my age group, 192 out of 869 overall.  Our clan came in 7th out of 35 clans (Yay Coach Crystal Fitness Clan)!  Oh and I beat two male members of our clan by a good 8 minutes (yeah, I am the only female in our obstacle course group).  The other male member beat me by 1 second.  He actually waited for me at the finish line before crossing - he said he felt it wasn't fair to beat me since he didn't really do the rope climb.  Eh, I'll take it.



So here are my lessons learned:

1.  Wear spandex under your running shorts or wear running pants (avoid rope burn at all costs!).
2.  I am not as fit as I thought I was.
3.  There is a secret (unknown to me) to finishing this thing or the guy that finished in 48 minutes cheated. 
4.  The human race is naturally encouraging and helpful when thrown into a challenging situation (we all encouraged each other along the way).
5.  I need to challenge myself more with my workouts if I ever hope to finish faster.
6.  Lock the port-o-potty door when you are changing (I forgot and the poor guy that opened the door got a nice view of my very large white behind).
7.  Looks can be decieving - I was very unimpressed with the set up when we first arrived but would definitely do this again and recommend it to others!
8.  Running is better with friends.
9.  Do not eat an "everything" bagel before racing.  The onion flavor does not taste good as you burp it up along the race course.
10. Sometimes the people in front don't know where the hell they are going.  :o)