A Journey of 100 Miles

Who picks the hottest month of the year to log their highest mileage month to date? Yep, that would be this runner! Today marks the end of August and it also marks a bit of a running milestone for me. As I finished up my Tuesday 5 miler, I was also finishing up 100 miles for the month. I have been more aware of my monthly mileage over the last few months because I have set a goal to run 1,000 miles in 2010, and I have been monitoring my progress very carefully. Recently I have been looking ahead at the coming month and totaling the number of miles possible if I don't miss any runs or cut any short. When I was looking at August, I noticed that there was a possible 98-99 miles if I ran all of my planned runs. I made up my mind right then and there that I wanted to run 100 this month. It was the perfect opportunity because I had help from the calendar as August had 5 Sundays and 5 Tuesdays. I typically only run on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday--as you can see the "extra" days really helped bump up my total. I have found that these mileage goals really push me to keep my planned distances or to go a little bit further. It is a good thing and something I intend to keep up in the future. I do best when I have a fixed or concrete goal on my horizon. This morning was pretty brutal too--I was so tired and it was 80 degrees with 90% humidity. On any other day I might have cut this run short--it was just so hard (insert whine here!). However, I could see that big goal in my mind and I couldn't let myself down. I had some peer pressure too because I had been talking about this goal on Facebook and Daily Mile. I am glad that I did it and am pleased with my accomplishment. Those 100 miles were some of the ugliest running that I have ever done. This August was so hot and humid, with the nightly low rarely dropping below 80. I can't wait for cooler weather!

I am happy to see September come because the fall racing season is my favorite time of the year. Coming up on the calendar we have the Tour des Fleur 10K and the Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon. Two of my favorite races, stay tuned for more stories!

The Hottest Half: Sometimes You Have It....And Sometimes It Is 85 Degrees At Race Time.

The Hottest Half Marathon was very accurately named, however, I have renamed it The Hottest...Race...Ever. I have run this half before and did the 10K one year, but I know that it wasn't this hot on those days. The forecast was calling for the hottest day of the summer and the 16th consecutive day of 100+ degree weather. Perfect! Let's go run a half marathon!

Erik and I arrived early and milled about the start area. We quickly found several of our runner friends: Che, Ben, Liza, DeAfton, Warren, and Rustin. The topic of conversation was, of course, the heat. It was already 85 degrees at 7:00 AM and only promised to heat up from there. Daunting conditions for any run, but especially when you have 13.1 miles staring at you. I was quite happy to see Paula and the Heels and Hills tent and I knew that she would have cold towels and other treats for us at the end.


At The Start Line

The starting horn blew very quickly and we were off! I tried to focus on settling into a comfortable pace, but it was hard from the start. Erik had been sick with a sinus and upper respiratory infection and I was worried about him and could hear him coughing as we started. The first bridge we crossed was so tricky--imagine hundreds of runners passing over a bridge at the same time. It was very bouncy and sometimes it would steal my momentum out from under my feet.


Big Smiles At The Start

I felt okay once we got past the bridges and again tried to focus on a steady pace. It was great to see Libby just before mile 2. I had my eye out for her and the other folks who would be out for the Heels and Hills cheering party. I was moving along at a decent pace, but knew that it was going to be a long race when I saw the mile 4 mark and thought "dang, we are only at mile 4".

Somewhere around the turn around for the 10K race (which was really sounding like a good idea at that time) I heard my name being shouted by two cyclists. Imagine my surprise when I saw Mary and Jan on their bikes with pretty pink pom-poms! I must admit, they kept me on my pace for a while because I wanted to appear strong whenever I saw them.


My Cheerleaders

I saw Mary and Jan again a half mile or a little more before the half way turn around point. This was when I stopped and took their picture--which they found funny, but I was beginning to realize that I was looking for any reason to stop for a minute! I still felt pretty strong at the turn around and took comfort in knowing that I was now headed in the direction of the finish line. It was at the turn around point that I realized that Erik wasn't be behind me. I really began to worry when Mary and Jan said that they hadn't seen him. Erik has had a rough summer with appendicitis and then the sinus infection. I was hoping that had decided to turn around at the 10K point, but I did have that worry that he had fallen out somewhere on the course.

After the turn around I really began to slow down. I took some walk breaks (something I typically do not do) and hoped that my heart rate would come down a little bit. The end seemed impossibly far away and the sun was beating down on me. I knew that we would be running on the sunny side of the lake and that sun was shining so fiercely down on us. I realized that I might be able to get a PW (personal worst) and thought that might be a good goal for the day...haha. I did lots of running/walking intervals until I ran into Erik around mile 11. He was helping a girl who had passed out during the run. I stopped to make sure that Erik was okay and to see if I could help the runner. She looked pretty bad and tried to stand up on wobbly legs. Erik had turned around at the 10K mark and was helping Libby and the Heels and Hills cheer team. I can't tell you how relieved I was to see him! I also stopped to talk with Libby for a bit and enjoy some yummy, sugary gummy bears. Her presence was a huge pick-me-up and I am glad that she braved the heat to cheer for everyone.

More running/walking (ok, maybe more walking than running at this point) until after mile 12, when I ran into Mark O. who was looking for someone to run in. I am glad that Mark was there because who knows how long that last mile would have taken me otherwise! It is amazing how I was suddenly able to run when I had a little bit of support/peer pressure. We heard a couple of sets of sirens as we headed toward the finish line and there was an ambulance less than a half mile from the finish. Mary and Jan were waiting for me at the finish and I managed to find a little bit of a kick for the finish line. I have to finish in style, right? I got some water and some of those wonderful cold towels from Paula and posed for a few pics with Mark. I began to feel a little shaky and really needed to sit down in the shade. I usually don't feel that wobbly after a race, but it usually isn't near 100 degrees at the finish either.


Mark O. Helped Me Finish

My official time was 2:20:28. Was it a new PW? Well, almost, only my 1st half marathon in November 2008 was slower. And today was a full 30 minutes slower than my personal record set back in May. However this was a whole 'nother kind of race. I started to think of it as my "social race" and had fun telling friends about my journey--taking pictures, talking to friends, walking, etc. All things that I would never do during the typical half marathon. I suppose that I should consider myself lucky that I was able to run across the finish line and was still able to smile after the whole ordeal. I can't wait for a fall half marathon--in fact, I am almost giddy thinking about that first crisp fall run. It has to happen soon, right?


Happy that I'm not running anymore!

Thirteen...My New Lucky Number?

The musician in me is constantly searching for patterns in the world around me and I have recently stumbled onto another pattern...of sorts.

First the big news that lead me to this discovery. Last week I was chosen as a member of 2011 Heels and Hills "Lucky 13" Run Team. I accidentally stumbled onto the Heels and Hills group in May 2009 when I was looking for a spring half marathon. I found a wonderfully supportive group of runners and walkers lead by Paula Robertson and Libby Jones. The more I learned about this group, the more I fell in love with their mission--to get people active in a fun and non intimidating environment. I participated in two of their half marathons and found my half marathon personal record during the May event. So naturally I was interested when they announced that they were taking applications for the Lucky 13 Run Team. As you know, I made a commitment to fitness several years ago and it has changed my life. I believe that everyone can enjoy the same benefits if they find an activity that they enjoy and get moving. Running and endurance sports have become a passion of mine and I love to help others get started and find some of the same rewards that I have. The Lucky 13 would provide me with a perfect opportunity to reach out to others. So I submitted my application and waited to hear the results. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I received word early last week that I was chosen. Now I can't wait to get started--let's get out there and get people moving! Stay tuned for more details about the Lucky 13.

After the Lucky 13 brought the number to mind, I started to notice a common theme. My favorite racing distance is the half marathon (13.1 miles), I have run 13 half marathons, I am a member of the Lucky 13, and I am beginning the 13th year of my music therapy practice. Crazy, huh? I think that I have discovered my new lucky number.

I will be embarking on my 14th half marathon this weekend. The Hottest Half is coming up on Sunday and I am certain that it will live up to its name. The daily highs have hovered in the low 100s over the last few weeks around here, typical of early August. The Hottest Half is one of the hardest races of the year, but I always welcome it because it is usually the last of the hot weather races. I am not a graceful summer runner and I am looking forward to having these days behind us. That first cool morning is going to be amazing...and it isn't too far away!