The 2012 Running Report....A Look Back At The Miles That Were

I am so excited about 2013 and I am so ready to share some of my new goals for you, but it is a tradition that I take a look back at 2012--evaluate where I have been, how far I came, and where I want to go next. I kept the goals fairly simple in 2012, with the focus on consistency and good running health-both mentally and physically.  Running and being active is something that I love deeply and I never want it to become like another chore to me.  This is a lifestyle, not just a temporary habit.  So without further delay....a look back at the goals that drove me in 2012.

1. Run 1,000 miles in 2012.  I ran over 1,000 miles in 2010 and 2011and I wanted to add to add another 1,000 mile year to that streak. I ended the year with 1179.47 miles run, which brings my 1,000+ miles a year streak to 3 years and my 1100+ miles a year streak to 2 years.  I ended up with about 13 miles less than 2011, but much of that can be attributed to my marathon training plan "Run Less, Run Faster." I am very pleased with the quality of miles this year, for the first time consistently adding track intervals and tempo runs.  I have noticed a big difference in myself as a runner and I look forward to continuing this progress in the new year.
Grade: A

2. Run at least one race out of state in 2012.  When I started running I made the half marathon distance a goal because I figured that it would provide a great opportunity to travel and see other cities. Team K went above in this goal with races in Oklahoma City, OK; Prescott, AZ; and Chicago, IL.  It really was terrific to get a feel for the running communities in such varied locales.  I look forward to exploring more areas via destination racing in 2013.
Grade: A+

3. Run my 2nd marathon in 2012.  I ran my first marathon in 2011 and had a great time despite the rainy and cold weather.  I have since settled on a "one marathon a year" limit as I think that will allow me to fully enjoy the training without it becoming a grind.  February 1st was a very exciting day around here because it is the day that registration opened for the Chicago Marathon.  I was determined to really "race" this one to the best of my ability and I embarked upon an aggressive training plan.  I was handsomely rewarded with a 4:10 finishing time in Chicago--a 32 minute PR!  I could hardly believe that had happened to me and it opened my eyes to some exciting possibilities in the future!
Grade: A+

4. Listen to more classical music. Yes, this is not technically a running goal--rather something that I wanted to work on this year. This odd phenomenon happens to music majors sometimes--the very thing that we love can evolve into something that we avoid because we feel burned out and beaten down by it. Couple that with a career in music and a bad experience last fall and I found that I have completely turned my back on classical music. It is kind of like vegetables to me--I don't seek them out, but once I have them in front of me I really enjoy them. The plan was to listen to the local classical music station any week day that I am in my car between 10:00-12:00. It sounds very specific and it is for a reason--I am a traveling music therapist so I am in my car frequently during those times and also it does not conflict with my favorite sports talk shows on The Ticket. Music may be my first love, but Dallas sports is my second and I have to keep up with my teams.   I started out strong with this goal and found myself really enjoying classical music again....but then the school year ended and my routine was interrupted and I never really got back into it.  While I will not make such a specific goal for myself this year, I would like to continue to seek out quality music and perhaps dust off my clarinet and join a group again.
Grade: D

I ran a total of 17 races this year, down from 2011's count of 23--but with good reason since I was focused on following my marathon training plan to the letter for 16 weeks of the year.  Race distances include 1 marathon, 1 25K, 8 half marathons (bringing my life total to 38!), 3 15K, 1 10K, and 3 5K.  I was even lucky enough to snag 1st in my age group at a 5K and a 15K and I managed a new 5K, 10K, 25K, and marathon PRs.  The most exciting thing about those 5K and 10K PRs is that they occurred before I added in all the speed work.  I am really looking forward to trying those distances again now that I am trained a little bit more specifically.

I still work hard in the gym every week and clocked in 146 hours in the gym in 2012.  The biggest addition to my training came in June when I became the owner of a shiny, new-to-me Specialized road bike.  I rode 870.83 miles on the open roads this summer and sure had some great fun with my frunners-on-wheels.  I am looking forward to many more adventures on my trusty steed in 2013.

I would be remiss if this blog entry was only about numbers.  I could not do it alone and have run many of these miles with my best friend, husband, and training partner Erik. We constantly push and pull each other and I could not imagine doing it without him by my side (or lately just in front of me--he is getting wicked fast!). I know that I would not have made some of those early morning runs without him. I am very lucky to have a spouse that shares my same excitement for running. I have also been blessed beyond my wildest dreams with a supportive group of friends (the frunners and/or Team FIGJAM).  It has been an honor to cheer them on, both in person and online, as they accomplished nothing short of the incredible this year--a 100 mile trail run, numerous triathlons including an IronMan, century rides, and a double century (yep, that is 200 miles all in the same day), and the Texas Time Trials--12 hours of bike racing.  I have watched these people set the bar high and, on many occasions, surpass their goals. 

So there it is....2012 all wrapped up in a tidy little package.  It is going to be hard to top, but I can't wait to try!  My next task is to sort through the hundreds of pictures taken this year and select my very favorite to share with you in my annual Year In Pictures entry. Not an easy feat!

Happy New Year!

The Great North Texas Santa Run: 2012 Edition

The Great North Texas Santa Run has quickly become one of my favorite holiday running traditions.  This was the 2nd annual run to support My Possibilities, a continuing education center for adults with cognitive disabilities in North Texas.  The goal last year was to set a world record for number of Santas running in a race at once.  I am pretty sure that they were far from the record, but we had a blast and were sold on the whole idea. Race registration included a Santa suit complete with hat, beard, and belt. We all wore race bibs, but they were just for show as we were not chipped timed nor were we racing for PRs.  The word is out about this race too with approximately 2,700 Santa runners in attendance this year--about 1,000 more than last year!

We had a great group of frunners in attendance and were lucky enough to run with Mark and his son Cairo again just as we did last year.  Mark had created the most subdued Christmas playlist ever to and was playing it over his speakers.  I laughed every time a new song came on and he would ask "is this a good one?" This year's race was warmer than last year and it turned into a 3.1 mile Santa strip tease--what a sight seeing various Santas in different stages of undress.  I have to admit that the material (made of the finest synthetic felt in China) had no wicking properties nor did it breathe well.  Chafing was most certainly a concern!

Santa Frunners: Cairo, Mark, Rick, Cherry, Me, Mr K, Briana, Elaine, and Peanut

After the race we enjoyed more laughs, pictures, and a delicious breakfast. I am already looking forward to next year and I hope that you will join us.

We found Erin!

I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday surrounded by all of those who you love most in the world! 

Dallas Marathon Half: Where Is The Magic, Baby?

There are a few races on my calendar that stand out every year because they are special to me. The Dallas Marathon and Half (formerly White Rock Marathon and Half) is always a highlight on the calendar.  Mr K and I were involved with the White Rock Marathon way before we ever even imagined that we would run it one day.  He has been "manning" the very infamous water stop at the Dolly Pardon Hills for about 10 years now, as best we can figure.  The White Rock was Erik's first marathon back in 2008 and my first marathon in 2011.  I have run the half every year since 2008 (excluding 2011 when I went all the way) and I have hit some big milestones at that race when the odds were stacked against me either due to a intense concert performance schedule or a wonky hip issue.  I always call it White Rock Magic because that is what it seemed to be, no other explanation.  They changed the race name and venue this year and I was hoping that the magic would follow suit, but it worked out to be quite the opposite for me. 

I picked up a new shirt at the expo....hehe.

I love Marathon Week in Dallas.  My Twitter timeline and Facebook feed are full of positive energy and excitement since I know so many people who are involved with the race--running the marathon, half, on a relay team, or volunteering in some fashion.  I love the race expo too, it always takes us forever to get in and out of there because we see so many frunners.  It is a great vibe!  This year the race took the opportunity to honor its history and had a display for each year of the marathon--including race date, weather, winners, a picture of the race shirt, and some candid shots from the course.  Mr K was THRILLED to find himself highlighted on the 2006 display--in full Dolly attire!  Clearly this was before he started running because the Dolly featured there was much heavier than the current Dolly.  I like to joke that it is like the Fat Elvis.  I  had to stop for a quick picture by the display for my 1st marathon--there seemed to be a bit of shared trauma around this one as we all talked about just how cold and rainy it was that day.



 

 

The alarm sounded earlier than usual on race morning as the directions were to arrive in downtown by 6:00 am. Everything was going smoothly until this happened:

 



 

I sat in traffic for a solid hour and a half before making it off of the highway, nope I was not freaking out...not one bit....Then there was the little issue of where to leave my car.  Downtown Dallas does not make this easy and I became increasingly frantic as I searched for an open parking lot only to find none.  Near tears, I finally found a spot at a parking meter--with a 2 hour limit (huh?) and I had no change.  A call to Mr K to let him know I might need a ride later if my car was towed and I hastily grabbed my gear and rushed off to find a porta potty and my corral.  By some miracle I ran into Felix and we made it into the corrals before they were closed.  I had already realized that in my panic I had left my sunglasses and iPod (with a carefully selected new playlist) in the car.  Talking with Felix in the corral helped to calm me down and soon the anthem was sung and the starting gun had sounded.  The energy of a huge race is always fantastic -- and I LOVE that the confetti was Texas shaped!

I started further back in my corral than ideal and I spent a lot of the early miles working to get around people who were moving slower than me.  It was very crowded in the beginning (and for much of the race) and I wondered how some of these people ended up so far up in the corral.  The weather was less than ideal--70 degrees and 90% humidity.  The streets were wet and it hasn't rained a drop in Dallas in a month or more, if that gives you an idea how bad it was.  Quite often I had the feeling that I was slipping and I had some unusual aches by the end--slippery streets! I was soon soaked with sweat, but was still determined to try to stick as close to my goal pace as I could.  This would prove to be a downfall in the later miles, I have made this mistake time and time again--I'm just too stubborn to adjust my plan sometimes.  Maybe I have finally learned my lesson.



All Smiles at Mile 4--check out the redneck dude!

The crowds in the West Dallas loop of the race were awesome--so much spirit as the marathon crossed into their side of the city for the first time ever.  Running the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (Large Marge) is always a treat and I count myself lucky to have done it twice this year.  The views of the skyline are pretty impressive from this vantage point.  I knew that a band of my friends would be "spectathletes" at the race--riding from point to point on their bikes, but I was unsure of their plan and knew that there focus would be on the marathoners as they would need the most support.  It was great to hear my name around mile 4 and see Mama C, Fiona, Dat, and Brian. 



At the Dollies with my Spectathletes Mama C & Fiona

Passing the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, the race beneficiary, was a new addition this year and one of my favorite.  It was great to see staff and families from the hospital out cheering--reminding me that the challenges I was facing were nothing compared to theirs.  I heard a familiar voice as we neared Turtle Creek and I was thrilled to see Felix.  I was already starting to feel the fatigue and was happy to have his energy for a couple of miles before the half and full split.  After the turn around I was starting to feel the full effect of my efforts and decided to throw any goals out the window and just get this race finished.  I channeled my inner Drum and smiled a huge smile when I really wanted to cuss and stomp my feet.  I don't know if it helped, but it couldn't hurt!

Post Race with Beth & Teal (Life Is A Run)

After the turn around my next goal was getting to the RAW aide station somewhere between 10 and 11.  I knew that the friendly faces there would give me a boost and indeed they did!  Thanks Cherry, Lulu, Rick, and Tini for your smiles and energy--I hope to repay the favor someday.  I missed seeing a favorite face, Byron--vanmate from IMAZ, his energy is amazing and he always has solid advice for me.  Feeling somewhat sad, I ran on for a block or so only to notice a figure next to me--Byron!!  He did, indeed, offer me some sound advice and good energy and sent me on my way.  Thanks Byron!

Mr K and Carolyn strike a pose at the Dollies

I ran back up the infamous Grassy Knoll and back into downtown thinking that this race was just about done....WRONG!  We ran past the finish line on a lengthy out-and-back that was uphill (what the what?!).  I was feeling pretty mentally defeated at this point but kept on moving forward.  The finishers chute was pretty incredible, lots of cheers as I managed to find an extra kick for the finish.  I made it in 2:01:17, looking back at past races this is a consistent time for these conditions.  My mile splits are all over the place and my shoulders were crazy sore, which tells me that I spent much of the race struggling.  A fellow half runner, Marcie, tweeted: "There are days when you feel like running forever and days when you swear you will never run again.  Both make you a stronger runner." I think that this sums things up perfectly.

A Traditional Celebratory Beer with Gretchen
Now and Then

I had a good time hanging out post race with a great group of frunners before finding a special treat from the City of Dallas on my car.  Grr...after a tour of South Dallas I made my way out to the Dollies in time to see DK come through on her way to finishing her 1st marathon.  It was a huge thrill to cheer her on!  Marathoner friends Mark, Robert, and Felix went on to run phenomenal races given the horrid conditions.  I am so proud of everyone who laced up their running shoes and gave it a shot.  Did I mention that the cold front was here by mid-afternoon?  Oh Texas....

While it appeared that much of  my White Rock Magic seemed to disappear along with the race's name change, I was still reminded of how lucky I be a part of race day in Big D.  I will be a part of this race as long as I am able, despite any frustrations that it may bring me.  Looks like I will just have to find a way to create some Dallas Marathon Magic, right?

(Thanks to Mama C, Beth and Teal, and Carolyn for the pictures that help to tell the story!)

My Happy Place

I was home from Arizona for exactly one minute 18 hours before I headed east to Nashville for our traditional Thanksgiving visit with Mr K's family.  Nashville is a beautiful city any time of the year, but I especially like visiting in the fall.  While we are usually too late for the peak of their fall colors, we catch the end of them and they are far more spectacular than the colors that we have here in North Texas.  Nashville is also home to one of my favorite places on earth, Percy Warner Park.  Mr K and I discovered the park a year ago and were instantly smitten with it.  The 11.2 mile Main Drive is quite a challenge for us flatlanders, it provides 1,500 feet of elevation gain and grades of 10-12%.  The Main Drive is know to locals at "the 11.2" and has been featured in Runner's World as a "runner's paradise."  Each mile is marked with a wooden post and color coded stripes (there are shortcuts off the 11.2 loop) courtesy of the Nashville Striders.  There are also some trails at the park, but we have not had the chance to explore them yet.  The Harpeth Hills website provides a narrative guide of the run and the famous Flying Monkey Marathon is held here the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  The marathon covers the 11.2 loop twice and then some--I am in awe of these brave runners.  What beasts!


The Stone Gate Entrance at Percy Warner Park

We were able to run together at Percy Warner twice during our trip--taking the short loop for a 5.3 mile Team K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning and then back again for the full 11.2 on Friday morning.  The weather was beautiful and cool both days and it felt like we had the park to ourselves at times.  Running those hills is quite humbling and I can't imagine how strong of a runner I could be if I lived there. Just when you think that you have made it to the top of a hill you turn the corner and it keeps on going!  The screaming downhills are fun, but must be handled with care. 

Mr K's face upon seeing the next hill

View from Mile 5--Iroquois Steeple Chase

I find that I have mixed feelings as I near the end of my 11-mile journey.  I am always a bit relieved as it is one of the toughest runs I will do all year, but I am also a little sad as Percy Warner Park is such a gem and my time there is always way too short.



Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2012

(As I was looking back at last year's pictures, I found that I had two nearly identical pictures taken a year apart.  Perhaps this is a new tradition too!)



Adventures in the Desert: Ironman AZ

There are times in my life where I have found myself surrounded by utter greatness.  It is in these moments that I pause, look around, and wonder just how I managed to find myself here.   This was the case in the early hours of November 16 when I found myself in a van surrounded by 5 very special frunners as we headed west towards Tempe, AZ to watch our very own Drum become an IronMan.

Our 90210 Shot Taken Somewhere Near Nowhere, Texas

Erin found wonderful accommodations for us in the desert outside of Tempe—a sweet five bedroom house complete with a big kitchen, hot tub, and sweeping desert views. Yes, we had finally had our long dreamed of “Frunner Compound”. 


Byron, Ninja, and Mama C--no shortage of hi jinks

Frunner Compound Housemates

If you are living in the Frunner Compound then you know that you are going to be expected to hit the ground running early every morning.  We started Saturday off with by exploring the neighborhood on foot.  Some of the views were spectacular and we great time running up hills and surveying the land.  After devouring delicious breakfast tacos we took off for Ironman Central to meet up with Drum at the practice swim.  There definitely was an air of excitement at the race site and I could only imagine what tomorrow might bring.

 

I will never forget the many sights that I saw on Ironman Day.  I don’t have the words to properly convey it to you in a simple narrative, so instead I am choosing some of my favorite pictures.  We are lucky to have a heck-of-a photographer in our circle—Mama C was EVERYWHERE with that camera during our trip and took pictures that would make the official race photographer green with envy.

The 1st Of Many Smiles

We Brought The Noise

The Iron Process Begins...

Ninja and I Make a Spectating Plan

Living Her Ironman Dream

The Drum Squad



This Ironman Needs More Cowbell

Happy Runner Girl!

Troy had an important stop before finishing!

So proud of my #kindredspirit



Texas Iron



Parting Shot

I have said this a hundred times and I am sure that I will say it a hundred more, I am not sure how I found myself amongst such a group of people….but I am glad I am here and I will hang around as long as they let me.

(Thanks to Mama C, as always, for allowing me to use her pictures--this blog would be lifeless without her images.)

DRC Half: Happy Half-A-Versary To Me!

Early November is a special time as it holds two very special anniversaries for me.  On November 8, 2003 I married Mr K and on November 2, 2008 I ran my first half marathon--the DRC Half.  This is likely the leading reason that it is a favorite race of mine and a highlight on my fall running calendar.  I will never forget that first half marathon four years ago, I was such a rookie runner and would learn so much in the following years.

PreRace with Mr K, Mark O, and Felix (thanks Mark L!)

I had spent a large part of October recovering from the Chicago Marathon, and I had no structured training coming into this race.  I had declared October "MK runs because it is fun" month and had enjoyed my recovery.  I had only reintroduced speedwork into my training the week before.  Since I was coming into this race "playing with house money" I allowed myself to follow an unorthodox race plan--that being "haul ass until the wheels fall off".  I promise you no running magazine or training plan would ever recommend this approach, but like I said, I had nothing to lose.

PreRace with EW and Mr K (thanks EW!)

The DRC Half is a good sized race and Mr K and I enjoyed visiting with many frunners while we waited for the race to start.  The weather was nice enough, a little cool, and certainly better than the heat and humidity we had last year. We lined up near the 1:50 pace group, which filled me with dread because I knew that my race plan would likely include some pain (you KNOW those wheels are going to come off sometime).  I started with Mr K but he soon slipped from my sight as he went on to kill the race and score a big PR for himself (1:46:54).  My splits show that I was indeed "hauling ass" in the first 5 miles (8:10, 8:10, 8:20, 8:31, 8:14).  The middle section of this race goes away from White Rock Lake and is fairly hilly--for Dallas standards, anyway.  I think that this is reflected over the next few miles, along with the fatigue that comes from my fast start (8:36, 8:37, 8:56).  Around mile 8 I had started to realize that things were about to get really difficult and I ducked into a porta potty for a quick break before carrying on my journey.

Wheels Off! (Thanks Mama C!)

After ascending the worst hill ever last hill before mile 9 we are back around the lake for the conclusion of the race.  This is both a good and bad thing, as I do the bulk of my long runs here and have fought many battles along these shores.  The good thing is that I know every turn and just how far it is from point to point.  The bad thing is that I know every turn and just how far it is from point to point.  I got a huge boost from our bike cheer squad (TPG, Ninja, Heidi, and Brian) as they seemed to pop up just when I was looking for a friendly face.  It was also great to see Mama C hanging out somewhere around mile 11.  This is where I shouted to her "My wheels have come off!" and it was true, as my splits illustrate (9:09, 8:47, 9:12).  After passing Mama C I started to realize that I was closer to the end than I realized and that I still had a chance at a time I could be very proud of.  I passed Rick in the last bit of the race and took comfort when he said I was "looking strong" and only a kilometer to go. These cheers helped me to the end and I finished up with a slight improvement (8:59, 8:57, 7.28 for last .1ish). I ended up with a respectable 1:55:28--my second fastest half marathon time this year. I was so happy to see Elaine who was handing out finisher medals. 

Green Sparkle Bling!

I would never recommend this approach to anyone because the wheels are going to come flying off at some point and when they do it is pretty miserable.  I am, however, glad that I tried it and would not change my experience on this race day.  I wanted to see just how far I could "haul ass", it gives me some direction for future training and helps me see my big goals a little more clearly.

Postrace with Cherry and Elaine (thanks EW!)

The finish line at DRC Half is a great scene and Mr K and I enjoyed sunshine, frunners, free pizza, and free beer.  I am surrounded by some pretty talented runners and several in our group scored some impressive PRs at the race.  When I ran my first half in 2008, I had no idea where this running thing would take me or the friends that I would make.  That day was the first of many events that would change my life in such a positive way.  Days like this one remind me of just how lucky I am.

Friday Scatter Shooting

I have been having so much fun this fall and I often think "I should put this in my blog" but then I get busy having more fun...and I never get back to the blogging.  It is a terrible problem to have, isn't it?  So I thought that I would take a moment to tell you about this high spots....because there is more fun stuff coming!

Fall in Chicago--beautiful!

I ever got around to telling you about the vacation part of the Chicago trip.  I have always wanted to visit the city and certainly made the most of the experience.  We took pictures at the famous "Bean" in Millennium Park, pigged out sampled some delicious Chicago style pizza at Giordano's, and I took a tour of Wrigley Field.  Talk about the "Sports Bucket List" -- I got to see all of Wrigley, from the famous bleachers, to the clubhouses, the laundry rooms, pressbox, dugout, and stand on the ACTUAL FIELD!!  It was most definitely a highlight of my trip!

 

We enjoyed a  boat tour of Chicago architecture at night and then spent the evening at the very famous Billy Goat Tavern.  What a fantastic, bustling city! 

Wrigley Field--squee!!

One of my very favorite fall traditions is a visit to the State Fair of Texas.  Unfortunately Big Tex met a very sudden and tragic demise the day before our visit.  I was surprised at just how sad I was when I heard this news.  Big Tex was kinda like our Texas Santa....a visit with him was something we looked forward to each fall.  We had a great day at the fair and I made sure to pig out on sample some of the fine fried desserts.  I tried fried red velvet....delicious...but my favorite was fried tres leche!  Of course, a trip to the fair is not complete without a Fletcher's corn dog (fact: corn dogs were invented here at the State Fair of Texas).


Memories of Big Tex Circa 2011
 



Fried Tres Leche--yum!

My next car?

 

 

Team K celebrated a special anniversary on Thursday, November 8 -- 9 years of wedded bliss!  I can hardly believe that the time has passed so quickly.  We were married at the Little Chapel in the Woods at Texas Woman's University and I just happened to be at the university last Saturday for a music therapy event.  It was a beautiful day so I walked over to the Chapel and took a peek inside.  It was the first time I had been there in nearly 9 years and it was just as beautiful and as peaceful as I remembered it.

Who are these kids!?

Little Chapel In The Woods

 

I recently celebrated another anniversary, my Half-A-Versary and I am looking forward to telling you all about it.  Fall is racing season here in Texas and things are starting to pick up speed!