Run, Pebbles, Run!

Start Slowly. Then ease off. 
My new, new mantra. I saw it on a bumper sticker of a car last time I went to do a hill workout! Luv it!
I'm not super-fast these days, but I'm hoping my endurance training pays off! I have placed in a 5K or two in my 30's...and proud of it! I mean, how else would I win a bobble-ass? No, really, here it is:

Yup. Won that, I think 2 years ago! Only award I've ever kept actually. And, why wouldn't you keep such a lovely treasure? (and conversation piece!). I believe Craig and Katherine have the same one for their respective age groups. I know Craig kept his...Katherine?  Anyway, we rock.  :)

So, I ran the Media 5 Miler last night. (Isn't this how everyone enjoys spending a Friday night? Especially after the LAST day of school?)  The race is A VERY hilly 5 miles (all in the name of training, right?). I was hoping to PR (get a personal record) and was relatively pleased with my time. I only felt like puking on one hill....guess I had too many Pretzel Factory pretzels dipped in cinnamon sugar at our End of Year Potluck for work (Thanks, Carolyn!). So, I eased up my pace even though my legs felt great...not worth puking, especially since this run was out by work! I can hear it now "Did you see Dr. Terri throw up in that race...? Ewwww!"

Media gets very into this race and line the entire course! My favorite sign on the big hill read "Hills make your butt look good!" Now, is that motivation or what? Since the course is 2 loops, they added the word STILL for the second lap. Couldn't help but laugh and well, it got me up the dang hill! Checked my previous times this morning, and well, no PR, but was top 20% for my (old) age group. I'm okay with that!  Had a street party afterward and hung out with work gals; MaryBeth, Karen, Dee, Gloria and Harriet. Enjoyed a beer or two, had a great time, and slept like a baby last night. Julie is injured, so I'm debating whether to get my run in today...or read my book club book before heading out to see dueling piano players? Hmmmm.....I wonder if other book club peeps have finished it....Sue, Bob, Jeanine, Evan, Tifanee, Marcus, et al.?

Oh, and Pebbles seems to be sticking as a new TRAIL NAME from our Warrior Dash (see last blog post). I will wear my hear in a pony tail on top of my head for the ULTRA if the name sticks....

Someone asked if I was enjoying my training. Egads! I AM!!! I had a great solo hill workout on Wednesday and was proud I didn't walk the hill without Marty, my slave-driver, there! And, I actually look forward to our long runs! (2 hours, 40 minutes, this Monday!) I enjoy the serenity of the woods and the power of my body driving forward. I like the way my muscles feel afterward and enjoy pushing myself when I start to feel the drain. It is amazing what our bodies can do. I love mine and look forward to continuing to see all it is made of.

Live well. Laugh often. Love much.

Mud. Sweat. Beer.

Mud. Sweat. Beer.
My new mantra! Matt, Julie, and I ran the Warrior Dash this past weekend and appropriately, got dirty! And, I do like to sweat (!) and in my felt dress, I certainly got to do so! (yes, I ran in a dress!) But first....Believe it or not, I am a procrastinator; a trait I got from my father (he used to say he was going to join the Procrastinator's Club of America....but never got around to it!  hee hee...get it?). Anyway, it took me until a few days before the race to finally read up on it. Yes, we signed up back in like MARCH, but whatever. I then realized that COSTUMES were encouraged for this race. Anyone who has run the St. Patty's Day GREEN DRESS run with me knows that I LOVE a good costume (and while I may never WIN races, I can win costume contests - Including this year's GREEN DRESS!). Being that we only had a few days, Julie (who also loves costumes) and I came up with a few options and then had to figure out how to convince Matt that he had to wear one! Now, the theme is WARRIOR, so we came up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Caveman Warriors, or Devils (as we do jump through fire. Weak idea, I know).  We were afraid our turtle shells would get caught on the barbed wire (really!) or would disintegrate in the water crossing, so we opted for Cavemen! (would Cavepeople be more politically correct?). Surprisingly, Matt took NO convincing. Here is a pic PRE-race:

People apparently thought I was going for the Flinstone 'Bam Bam' look as I did get a few "Yabba Dabba Doo's" along the race! In case you are wondering, Julie wore a real dress and I made my and Matt's costumes from a body-pillow cover found at Target! A few of you on FB said you thought I was more of a leopard print kind-of-girl. You are indeed CORRECT and if they had LEOPARD, I'd have gottten that one! I'll be sure to dress in THIS next time!  :)

There was mud. There was fire jumping. There was creek crossing. There was rope climbing. There was wall scaling. There was plank walking. The three of us stayed together and Matt grabbed our pony tails and tried to drag us like the subservient women we are.

That's the AFTER shot! The race was held in a Paintball park, which added many interesting features and obstacles! Great place to have the race! We enjoyed some food, beer and good friends after; also bumping into Rachel, Jose, and Sam!

I hadn't planned on running Monday. But, the weather has been so perfect that I went for a short ZEN run in Wissahickon yesterday! Before beginning my training for this ULTRA, I always considered myself a Zen runner. I just ran through the woods. No care about timing. No care about pace. Enjoy the scenery. Enjoy the forward movement of my body. Enjoy the runner's high afterward. While I am now 'training' for my first race, I don't want to lose that Zen. Yesterday was perfect for that. Ended with a perfect night grilling on the roof deck!

To Come:
Hill Training tomorrow (kayaking today!) 
Media 5 Miler race on Friday
Running with Julie Saturday (she banged up her knee on a creek crossing Sunday, so IF she's up for it!)
Long run with Marty MONDAY! Whew!

Longest. Run. Ever.

I saw this on a Facebook page today and it made me laugh! What am I thinking doing 32 miles? Marty and I ran 2 hours, 24 minutes last night. (4 minutes longer than we had to and those were the hardest 4 minutes ever!) We went back to White Clay Park in Delaware, where the hills are rolling like an Irish Fairytale. And, surprisingly, I felt GOOD! So, many questions went through my head (there was plenty of time to think!). Am I running better because it's evening and I've had all day to stretch out as opposed to those early AM runs? Or, is Marty just going slower today? (He says NO to that one). Am I getting stronger (in just TWO weeks? Unlikely.). Well, I guess only time will tell the answer to these! I do have to say that I am learning a lot about myself through this journey....such as how to keep pushing when I'm beat. I've also never blogged before so that reflection has gotten me to think about things differently. Okay, enough getting deep! Here's how the night went:

We got a late start. Why? Well, because of Miss Mini (the GPS's name in my car). My car (yes, a tiny Red Mini) is aptly named 'Big Red' after the BIG horse with strong HORSEPOWER. You get the idea. So Miss Mini was not turned on and here's where things went all wrong. Marty gave me directions. Well, it's been a long time since I've had to follow those. He said to get off at Exit 3. He even said it comes after exit 5 and 4 (duh!). Well, I did that. Except it was the WRONG exit 3! Miss Mini would've known better. (In case you are interested, turns out I got off of exit 3 on 495 INSTEAD of 95. It DID come after exit 5 and 4, though!).

The run was far less eventful than the car-ride. Marty did wait for me and we were both surprised at how well we each did. The time flew by, I was able to get down my Gu's for nutrition, and we didn't stop once! (Oh, wait, yes, once to cross a road and stretch very briefly). This is the longest run either of us has ever done and we will be saying that MANY more times this summer as our runs continually increase! The temperature was perfect this evening and as the sun started to set, it cooled off even more. We finished the run in the dark and will have to bring headlamps for next time! I have to say I'm a fan of the evening run and I think we'll keep doing them until they are just too long. We finished at about 9PM (nearly my bedtime!) and hit construction on the way home. :(
Got home at 10:30, took a hot Jacuzzi bath and crawled (literally!) into bed. Slept like a baby except my darn cat has been waking me up at 5:30 EVERY morning the last 5 days! Anyone want a cat named Mo?  :)
Okay, just kidding. I love him!

GEAR! GEAR! and MORE GEAR!
But the true highlight of the night is my new running pack! During the first long run with Marty, I ran with a camelback, because that's all I had! I ran TWO hours that day and the ONLY thing that hurt the next day were my shoulders! So, I immediately consulted my Ultra running partner, Julie, who recommended two packs. Well, REI carried ONE of them and I had a 20% off coupon. The decision was made! I ordered THIS Nathan pack the very next day and just picked it up!

Here's what NATHAN says: Long periods of exertion demand hydration, and comfortable ways of carrying it. The Intensity (love the name of this pack!) meets the challenges encountered specifically by women distance runners – uncomfortable shoulder straps, too-short vest length – and offers a vest that is so comfortable you’ll swear it’s an extension of your shirt. Nathan Hydration Vests utilize a system of balanced weight distribution which eliminates pressure points at shoulders. Meant to be worn a little loose, it feels more like a hug than a weight on your back.

And, a hug it was! No shoulder pain today and I could barely tell I was wearing it! So cumfy! The vest really takes the pressure off the shoulders and there's no waist harness which can = belly ache!
New. Fave. Piece. Of. Gear!

For GEAR Dorks, HERE is the pack Julie has. I'm sure we will try out each other's, so I will be sure to report back!

Wissahickon 10K Trail Race!

So, I had to lie about my whereabouts this weekend. (Are you curious yet?) See, a close girlfriend from college, Kelly, was supposed to come hang out Saturday night with me and good friend, Paul. However, Kelly is getting married in August and I received an invitation to her Bridal Shower for Sunday morning from her sister. Her sister and I both agreed I'd have to cancel on Kelly and so, suddenly I was going to be in Chicago (lame excuse or what?). I've never been a good liar. So, I couldn't post about doing a PHILLY race over the weekend until now. And, I didn't ruin the surprise!

My running partner, Julie, and I decided to do this race and I almost kept up with her! Okay, almost through the first half. Of the first hill. :(

Yikes. I told her to go ahead (she's from the Pacific Northwest and very used to elevation gain!) and so I ran the race solo (as was expected!). I was lazy on the hills and figured I'd 'save' my energy by walking them (for what, I have yet to figure out!). I finished with a time of 1.03.05. Julie thought this may have been a PR (Personal Record) for me, but I ran this race once before. So, I of course just went online to see my 2009 time. 1:01. Not a PR. There's always next year! I'll have to be faster after running a 50K, right?

Why is it that I run SO much faster on roads? Looks like I've got a lot of work to do! Though I've learned I'm not afraid of going very fast on the downhill...I think I'm secure in my footing because of all the backpacking. The race was super fun though with perfect weather, great trails, free stuff (Julz was impressed at how much of this I managed to grab, but hey, the food for this Ultra training is expensive!), and bumping into running friends, including Hashers, Rob, Shelley and Bill and Manayunk runners, K and Todd, amongst others! (And WHERE were the rest of ya'll? Hmmm?)

Long run tonight with Marty (a.k.a. Slave-Driver). We have to do 2 hours, 20 minutes according to the training plan! My muscles are still sore from Saturday, so this should be interesting!

And, stay tuned. Next weekend's race is the Warrior Dash - where apparently I will have to burrow through black tunnels, hurdle over barricades, crawl under barbed wire, dive into darkness (NO idea what THAT means!), leap over fire (cool!), scale walls, and trudge through slivering swamps - all while running 3.5 hellish miles (their terminology, not mine!). Interested in this craziness. Check out the Warrior Dash here!

Stay Tuned!

So much happens in a week!

So...as I'm in the last few weeks of work, I haven't had time to write! Running, retirement parties, BBQ's, Phillies Games, West Virginia....I know, life is tough!

Here are a few updates!
Last Thursday-Remember we were running hills?
I show up and Marty says he wants to run this long hill 10 times. In one hour. Plus do a short loop each time to cool down between. (Have I mentioned he is either crazy or a slave-driver? Perhaps a tad of both?) I vote we'll do 5 in an hour's time (my car is parked right there, so he can stay all night...!). I, on the other hand, have to go home and pack for West Virginia! We get ready to run up the first time and Marty breaks out to a full sprint. My run looks more like "The Little Engine that Could" and he waits for me at the top. Or, the middle. I don't think we quite got all the way UP the hill. But, who's counting? We  tredged up there 5 times in over an hour. There's always next time!

Backpacking AND Running? Hmph
I am packed for West Virginia to go backpacking with a crew of 12!! Such fun! I'm following Marty's training plan, which meant that I had to fit in a 1.5 mile run this weekend. I was perplexed that after hiking with a 40'ish pound pack, I'd have to run. Hmph. So, I decided I'd leave the wine at home to make my pack lighter. Didn't make a difference as I carried Jose's big bottle of wine instead! But, I am NOT complaining, because once at camp, I was a happy camper to have it! (Did I really just write that?)

Our first day backpacking was supposed to be under 10 miles (I don't pay attention, it was 8 or 9), but we decided to break camp early to get a better spot for a larger group. While I wanted to put off my run another day (I'm lazy!), finding camp early meant the second day would be a longer hike, so I decided I'd get it over with! While my co-packers were supportive, no one wanted to run with me? So,  I snap on my running shoes (yup, carried them in my pack!) and off I go! The scenery is amazing. The solitude is nice (briefly, anyway as ya'll know I don't need all too much of THAT!). I cross a few creeks and feel great running! I decide to turn around at 40 minutes as there is a big hill at the end that will account for more time. Once I'm on my way back, I no longer feel the runner's high as I realize I had felt SO good because I had been running down a slight decline the entire way! Which, now of course, means I'm slightly uphill the ENTIRE way back. Needless to say, I was quite happy we had that wine now! And, wasn't it well deserved?  :)

Thanks to Christine, Ed, Charles, Colleen, Mindy, Andrew, Amy, Rachel, Jose Angela, Tom and Sammy (the dog) for not thinking I'm crazy! Backpacking (just like kayaking has been) will probably be on hiatus for some time as I gotta RUNNNNNNNNN!

THIS was my trail run in W. Virgnina. How can you not LOVE that? Beautiful with tall trees and rhododendron everywhere! (Yup....had to look up how to spell that one!)

More to come.......!