2 Amazing Long Runs!

It has been some time since I have written and my last run that I wrote about was so tough for me, but I have learned so much from it.  Two weeks ago I wrote about what I learned and now I have proven mentally and physically that I have learned so much from my last race.

Last weekend I did my long run (14 miles) on September 11.  The 10 year anniversary of the day our world changed.  Although I did not know anyone directly that was effected by those terrorist attacks, it is still a very emotionally day for me.  Because of this, I wanted to watch the ceremonies on TV, which meant I ran 14 miles on a treadmill.  Two hours and twenty minutes on a treadmill.  It may seem like a long time, but with every step I took I thought about all the people that risked their lives for other people that they did not even know.  It was about two hours and twenty minutes from when first plane hit to when the second tower fell.  In the time it took me to run 14 miles, almost 3,000 innocent people died.  It really made me think how the lives of all their loved ones changed.  No matter how much pain I endured in that run, it was nothing compared to all of those amazing people.

As I ran, I listened to the stories, especially those of the children.  One young man, now 21, explained that the day his father died his brother had just turned 2.  He made a promise to himself that day that he would teach his brother everything his dad had taught him.  He taught him to throw a baseball, to read a book, to excel in school, basically everything a parent does.  He still felt sadness though because he still wanted and needed his dad.  He wanted his dad to teach him to drive a car, to congratulate him when he made it in to college, and even teach him how to ask out a girl.  As I heard this I felt tears rolling down my cheeks because I related to him.  It was a surreal feeling.

I had no idea who this man was, but I could relate because I felt like my mom left me too soon as well.  There are things I still want and need from her everyday.  I hope I make her proud, I ask myself if my life has turned out the way she would have wanted for me, I wish she was there to watch me graduate, would she have helped me each time I need a shoulder to cry on, or even just a friendly phone conversation every once in a while.  I realized that's why September 11 is emotional for me.  It brings back feelings and thoughts that are hard to cope with, just as it does for those who were effected.  It's so hard to put into words what that run meant, but I know that two hours and twenty minutes of what some would call self-induced pain, is nothing compared to the feelings that are brought up each year when a new anniversary rolls around.

My mom and I, 1982

As emotional as last week's run was, today's run was similar, but in a more upbeat way.  I ran the longest I have ever run, I was stronger than ever, and with each step I took I knew I had it in me to run farther.  Today I wore this shirt:

I really thought about this as I ran because it is true...slow and steady does win the race.  It was perfect!  I ran a very consistent 20 miles and feel so good about each mile.  I had Jodi, Amy, Melissa, and Tammy along with me to make my longest and most favorite run, a fantastic memory!

Here's the break down:

Mile 1 - 10:22

Mile 2 - 12:20

Mile 3 - 10:01

Mile 4 - 10:02

Mile 5 - 10:25

Mile 6 - 10:21

Mile 7 - 10:24

Mile 8 - 10:28

Mile 9 - 10:20

Mile 10 - 10:16

Mile 11 - 10:20

Mile 12 - 10:07

Mile 13 - 10:01

Mile 14 - 10:14

Mile 15 - 10:52

Mile 16 - 10:51

Mile 17 - 10:36

Mile 18 - 10:42

Mile 19 - 10:24

Mile 20 - 10:56

Total Time - 3:28:12

Average Pace - 10:24

I am so proud of all 5 of us.  We all ran great, felt great, and did an amazing job of supporting each other!  I am so proud to call these women my friends and sister!

Melissa, Jodi, Amy and I after our fantastic run!

You never know what happens at race time...

As some of you know, yesterday I ran the VA Beach Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon.  I knew I was ready for this, I had trained, had a goal, and I knew that I could beat my last 1/2 time of 2:07:03.  My goal was to run it in 2 hours, but I would have been happy if I beat 2:07:00.  Sometimes things don't work out the way we have planned, but I think this will make me stronger.

Saturday morning my boyfriend, Jay, and my two friends Anne Marie and Amy packed up my car and headed down to VA Beach for a fun filled two days.  Anne Marie, Amy and I were running, while Jay cheered from the sidelines.  The plan was to meet my sister Jessica as well and the four of us would have a fantastic race.  So Sunday morning we all crawled out of bed and headed to the start line at 6:15, water bottles filled, shot blocks packed, watches charged, and ready to run!  Our goals were as follows, Anne Marie wanted to run a string race because she had surgery a few months ago, Amy and I wanted to run it in 2 hours and Jessica had an amazing goal of 1:44:00!  We knew what we wanted and we all had the finish line in mind.

Jessica and I before the race

When they race started we all went to our own corrals to run our own races, Anne Marie joined me because neither of us normally run with anyone so we thought it would be nice to have a running buddy.  As the corral in front of us took off, I looked down to get my watch ready only to see that it had 0% battery left.  I was ripping up inside, I knew it had said 100% only 45 minutes early when we left the hotel.  My watch is my life line when I run, I know it shouldn't be, but I'm not a place in my running where I can feel my pace.  I look down every mile to check my pace and then adjust it accordingly.  I had no idea what to do...in my head I needed my watch.  I proceed to tell Anne Marie to switch watches with me, she only had a timer, but at least I could kind of figure out calculations in my head.

As the race started, this was all I could think about.  I just wanted MY watch, I wanted to know my pace every time I looked at my watch, I didn't want to have to do the calculations in my head...I was angry and it effected me starting from the first step I took.  I couldn't let it go.  By the time I hit the 10K mark, in my head I knew I wasn't going to make my goal of 2:00:00 and then it made me sad.  I had worked so had worked so hard for this and now I didn't even care...I gave up.  If you know me, you know that isn't me.  I am competitive, self-driven person who would push themselves to get what they want, but not yesterday.  Yesterday I let the mental game win.  I won't let it happen again.

I finally crossed the finish line in 2:24:03.  I was broken...it was the worst I have run in 2 years.  It was especially hard because around me people were making their goals, but I didn't.  Jessica ran her race in 1:43:02, Amy ran in 1:57:53 and Anne Marie ran in 2:10:49.  I am so proud of all of them, but I wanted to be with them making my own goal.

Anne Marie, Jess, and I after the race

I am going to take this race and grow from it.  In the last 24 hours I have really thought about a few things that I learned.  I learned...

1. That I need to beat the mental race: This may be harder than the run itself.  If you beat yourself up for 13.1 miles because of something you can't control, I'll never make it for 26.2 miles.  I need to think back to what my sister Jodi says and thinks about while she runs, "Breath, Believe."  If you do those two things, you can do it.  One step at a time, one mile at a time.  Remember, "The Turtle Won the Race!"  That may be my saying each step or each mile, whatever it takes to break through the mental game.

2. I ran 13.1 miles yesterday and today my knee feels great: One month ago, it hurt to ran sometimes even 1 mile, now with all the cross training, stretching, and icing, my knee is feeling fantastic.  I overcame that so I know I can overcome this.  My body is stronger than it was and my mind needs to get there.

3. Sometimes you have a bad day: As simple as it is, sometimes, as a runner, you have an off day and you need to be ok about that.  You can't PR every time, but you do need to be proud of yourself everyday.

4. Jay was proud of me, no matter how I ran: This was the first race Jay ever saw so of course I wanted to do well and have him be proud me.  After the race, with tears in my eyes, I said to him, "I'm sorry, I just wanted you to be proud me."  His response, "I am proud of you no matter what, you just ran something I would never even think of doing, I'm so proud."  It made my heart grow a million times even though I was beating myself up about my results.  I couldn't have asked for a better supporter.

My biggest supporter, Jay :)

5. And finally...I need to call Garmin ASAP:  Let's be honest, why was a watch that was fully charged 45 mins earlier now reading 0% battery life????  I will be having a nice conversation with them and by nice I mean I better be getting a new watch because this is NOT the first time this has happened, just the first time it has happened during an important event.

I will beat the mental game and come out stronger...I will make myself proud!

I have 54 more days to prepare for 26.2 miles, I'll be ready...BRING IT!

Awesome week...ending with 18 miles!

So this week has been very busy...I GOT A NEW JOB!!!  Of course, I am very excited about this opportunity, but it does change how I do my workouts, especially in the upcoming weeks with school beginning.  My last day of summer, Wednesday, began with an AMAZING track workout.  It was last morning track workout (due to the new job) and I went out with a bang!  We did 4 1600s and let me tell you, not to brag, but I rocked them!  For fast runners they may not think anything of this, but I was really proud!

Mile 1 - Warm-up 10:18
Mile 2 - 8:45
Mile 3 - 8:45
Mile 4 - 8:56
Mile 5 - 8:42
Mile 6 - Cool down 10:26

I felt so good afterward, I felt like I could have kept running, which is a great feeling because this is just a little faster than I want to run my upcoming half in.  Now I just need to push myself to run 13.1 miles in 7 days in that speed...I can do it :)

My long run today was slow but I finished all 18 miles and my last mile was just as fast as my first nine miles which made me feel really good.  I began my run with my friend Amy, who was running 20 today and did an awesome job!  We always begin our runs in Reston on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, today we ran east towards Vienna.  As we were running Amy told me it was her dream to run to the caboose in Vienna, she had never run that far east so when we got there, we took pictures and then turned around to head back.

At the Vienna Caboose, mile 6.5

We were only at 6.5 miles and it was HUMID!!!  I told her to go ahead of me because about half way through my run, the humidity really started to hit me so I decided to slow down, walk a little, and get extra hydration.  I filled up my water bottle 5 times?!?!?!  Even though I was walking I had to think about a few things...1-I have a race next weekend, it's ok if I take it easy this weekend, 2-this is the first time I have run 18 miles, it's ok if I take a few breaks, and 3-A MILE IS A MILE NO MATTER HOW FAST IT IS!!!!  Although it wasn't the best time I finished 18 miles in 3:26:00, an average of 11:26 a mile.  My first half was faster than my last, but that's ok...I finished and I'm proud of myself!  I am going to work toward my goal of a 2:00:00 half marathon next weekend...I KNOW I CAN DO IT!

Jodi, Jessica, Amy, and Myself after their 20 miles and my 18 miles

WE ROCK!!!  So proud of you amazing ladies!!!

15 Miles...Longest Run I've Ever Had!

Waking up every Saturday morning to do a long run can be rough sometimes.  I am a morning person so that makes it easier, but when the alarm goes off at 4:45am to run, the first thought is always...do I have to?  The answer, of course, is NO, I don't HAVE to run, but I WANT TO run.  There is a big difference.  When you want to do something it makes it enjoyable, especially when you see results.  Today I saw results and lots of them!

My plan was to go out and enjoy a 15 mile run.  This, I thought, was going to be hard because the longest I have run since March has been 12 miles, mostly because of my knee, but also because this was the longest run of my life...so far!  The idea behind a long, easy run is to run about 1:30 min slower than your race pace and I feel like I was pretty successful with it.  My last 5 miles were a little slower than my first 10, but I'm ok with that.  Here's the breakdown:

Mile 1 - 10:27
Mile 2 - 10:27
Mile 3 - 10:44
Mile 4 - 10:33
Mile 5 - 10:34
Mile 6 - 10:22
Mile 7 - 10:26
Mile 8 - 10:46
Mile 9 - 10:37
Mile 10 - 10:52
Mile 11 - 11:02
Mile 12 - 11:24
Mile 13 - 11:43
Mile 14 - 10:45
Mile 15 - 11:05
Total Run - 2:41:56

I began my run with great running buddies, Jessica, Amy, and Melissa, they kept me motivated by continuing to talk the whole time.  The great thing about having running buddies is learning so much about them and they about you.  It's great to have someone next to you when it seems like it is taking forever to finish a run.  Jessica runs faster so she ran her 18 miles without us.  Amy and Melissa were also running 18 miles today, but planning on running with me for my 15.  We ran together until about mile 11, where I told them to keep going and I would finish up on my own.  I felt myself hitting a block and as you can see, mile 12 and 13 were tough.  I needed to take a little mental break, have a Shot Blok to reenergize, turn on my iPod and refocus.  I did it and finished strong and proud!  I felt like I could have even ran a few more miles by the end of it.  The best part was that my knee even felt AMAZING!!!  I am so happy with how everything went.

Melissa, Myself, and Amy after our awesome run today!

As I waited for Jessica, Amy, and Melissa finish their 18 miles, I stretched and thought about what I have done in the past two weeks.  I went from running a hard 12 miles with a knee that was sore to running 15 miles feeling great and wanting to do more.  With the right training, support, and taking care of yourself, you can leap over hurtles that seemed impossible a mere 14 days ago!  I'm looking forward to my goal next week of finishing a strong 18 miles and then in 2 weeks running an amazing 1/2 marathon in VA Beach.  Anything is possible...mind over matter :)

My amazing sister, Jessica and I, after our run!

See her blog: Pace of Me

What Is A Runner?

As I was at the gym this morning I really thought about that question.  What is a runner?  Is it the Olympic athlete, is it the marathon runner that lives down the street, is it person on the cover of Runners World?  Or is it the person who is running down the street, the one who is pushing themselves to run one mile, the person at the gym who is sweating up a storm?  Now, I believe that all of these people are runners.  But even at the beginning of the summer I didn't even think I was a runner.  I looked in the mirror and would think, "I am not what a runner looks like." When I was told I was a runner, I replied with, "I run, but I'm not a runner."  Now it's different...

Are we runners?

After our first track workout, June 2011

After really thinking about it, a runner doesn't have to look a certain way, or run at a certain pace or length.  A runner is a person with a goal that involves running.  To some people that goal may be to run through one song on their iPod to others it may be to finish a marathon in under four hours.  Either way, a goal is a goal.  No one can have the same goal because no one is training with the same internal and external factors.  Everyone is different, but everyone is a runner.  A mile is mile whether you run it in 6:00 minutes or 15:00 minutes, we all went the same distance.

So what is my goal right now?  Well, I have a few goals.  My long term goal is to be able to run years from now, so I have to take care of myself properly before and after each run.  My goal for Marine Corps Marathon is to run it under 4:30:00, a huge goal, but a goal non-the-less.  I'd like to run VA Beach Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon on September 3rd in 2:00:00.  By the end of the summer, I'd like to have run a timed mile in under 8:00 minutes.  Goals come in different shapes and sizes, just like runners.  Make a goal and GO FOR IT!  It's ok if it changes along the way, remember, you're out there running the same mile at the person before you and the person after you, but it's YOUR mile...focus on YOU!

My two sisters and I after the GW Parkway 10 miler, April 2011

Our goal: To run with Jessica (middle) as she finished 10 miles on her birthday, 2 months after she had her 3rd baby...AMAZING!

My most important goal is to get my right knee healthy again so it isn't hurting during runs.  On and off since March my knee has been bothering during, but mostly after runs.  To the point where I can't bend it or straighten it without pain.  I began seeing a doctor in May and just in the last two weeks have we really figured out the solution.  I'm only running 3 days a week, one day on my own, one day a track workout, and the last day is a long run.  My other 3 workout during the week involve cross training (biking, elliptical, stair stepper, etc.)  I have to stretch and ice EVERY TIME I workout, and yes, that may be annoying, but it is saving my knee.  Before I would really only ice after my runs, which helps, but isn't enough.  Although my goal with my knee has taken time, I am finally seeing results and THAT puts a smile on my face!

Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot with my cousin Paige, Thanksgiving 2010

So with all these goals and a different state of mind...

I AM A RUNNER AND SO ARE YOU!

My Story...

I'm new to this and not really sure how this is going to go, but if you're reading this, you probably want to know a little about me and why I am beginning a blog.  So here's my story...

When I was 5, my parents allowed me to begin riding horses after our second trip out west to a "Dude Ranch."  My sister had began riding 2 years earlier and of course, I wanted to follow in her foot steps.  At that point in my life that was all I was going to do, I mean seriously, what 5 year old girl doesn't want to ride a pony, let alone eventually have one of her own.

The only picture I have of me on one of the horses from the ranch, 1987

About a year later, my sister got her first pony, Mr. D.  Of course, I had to get one too, but mine was one my mom picked out, she told me that he looked "just like a little teddy bear."  I think she may have gotten teddy bear confused with devil because that was just what Midnight was, before he was trained.  I fell off that pony so many times, I told my parents when I was only 7 or 8 years old, that I was "giving up my riding career."  What kid at that age even knows what that means?  Eventually, I learned to dust off my britches after each buck, rear, run-a-way, or anything in-between and move forward as Midnight and I learned things together.

Midnight looked so innocent when you weren't riding him, 1989

Before I knew it, I had grown out of Midnight and had inherited Mr. D, who has been ridden by everyone in northern Virginia at sometime.  I felt pretty special because I knew that I could go somewhere with this pony.  He took me from being an average rider to competing at the national level, not just once, but five times.  We even took home gold medals twice!  He was an amazing pony who is still jumping from field to field at 35 years old.  

Mr. D and I at Show Jumping Nationals, 1995

Over the years, I went through many ponies and horses that I competed at the local and national level, until I met Simon, the horse that changed my life.  He is amazing horse with a huge heart, he took me places I never imagined I would go.  He was my one and only 3-day eventing horse.  He took me to my first international competition.  He was everything I ever dreamed of and we were a great pair.  We even qualified for the USEA Area II North American Young Riders Team, but we never got there.

Simon and I competing prelim, Fall 1999

During the summer of 2000, my mom died suddenly and my world was turned up-side-down.  It was also the summer I started college.  When the summer began I had thought I was eventually going to soar to the highest of heights with my riding, but as the summer ended and school began I knew I had to put riding on hold.  For the next four years I focused on school and having fun, not continuing with the one thing I had always known as a constant, the horses.  I would ride here and there, competing in a few International Student Rider Competitions, but never owning my own horses.  After graduating in 2004, I began to ride consistently for the next few years until 2008.  I finally realized that I needed come to terms with the fact that I lived in Fairfax County, was a teacher, and could not afford the horses.  I had to find something less expensive...running?

I saying running with a question mark, because let's be honest, I'm not built to be a runner, I know that.  I first began to walk with a little bit of running every few minutes in 2008 when I was introduced to the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program at my school.  I remember telling my fellow teacher and GOTR coach that I would do the race in May 2008 with someone who would walk, but maybe run a little.  Well, I'm not sure she heard me right because that girl RAN...A LOT!  At least I thought she did, now looking back, I should have given myself more credit, I could do more than I ever thought. 

Girls on the Run of NOVA 

I continued running with the program at school the following fall, this time I was going to run...or so I thought.  I was ready to run, slow, but ready to run, in the December 2008 race, but my buddy runner was a talkative 3rd grader who wanted to just take a stroll and have a great conversation.  This was great, but what about MY goal?  It was then that I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I needed to race for myself.  At this point, I resorted to the running experts I knew, my two stepsisters and two good friends, all marathon runners.  They convinced me to sign up for the VA Beach Rock 'n Roll 1/2 Marathon over Labor Day of 2009...13.1 miles and only 6 months to train, I wasn't sure I could do it.  Low and behold with a lot of motivation from the 4 of them and a lot of determination from myself, I finished in 2:31:40.

After finishing my first 1/2 marathon

VA Beach Rock 'n Roll 1/2 Marathon, September 2009

Between September 2009 and September 2010 I continued to run a number of 5 and 10ks, trying to improve each time, but it wasn't until October 2010 that I really got focused.  After my time got messed up during the Marine Corps 10k because I went through the finish line twice I realized I didn't want any slower times connected to my name.  Basically, my competitive side kicked in.  I continued to race and decided that I would sign up for another 1/2 marathon, Shamrock, March 2011.  I finished that half in 2:07:03 and felt great afterward.

  After the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon, March 2011

It was after that race that I decided I was going to sign up for a full marathon.  Yes, I am going to run 26.2 miles on October 30, 2011 at the Marine Corps Marathon.  Although, I have been my training since June, I am going to begin to post about it on here.  I thought I was making a long story short, but clearly that's not the case.  All-in-all, I know how to focus all my time and energy into one sport for many, many years, so now here is my chance to do it with another...let's see how it goes!