Start Me Up - January 2022

Somehow more than six months have passed since I last sat down to write in this space. Some pretty great things happened in that time too: Kerrville Triathlon, DRC Half Marathon, Rockledge Rumble, the North Texas Turkey Trot, and Dallas Marathon Half. Maybe I will circle back and catch these sometime, but for now I am going to focus on more current times. I have missed blogging and I have decided to try to do monthly recaps in 2022 instead of individual race recaps. We'll see how this goes!

New Year's Day 

When you wake up to spring weather and January 1st is on a Saturday, you go and ride your bike! I hadn't been outside on my bike since late October so it sure felt great to hit the open roads with Mr K and Colleen. We had to take advantage of the mild morning because by nightfall temperatures had plunged to below freezing with a strong north wind. Insert cliche about Texas weather here....

Hotcake Hustle 10K

I had gotten away from running races even before everything was cancelled in 2020. I found myself in a pattern of racing one or two really BIG races each year and let many of the shorter, smaller races go by the wayside. Now that races are back, I realize how much I've missed them and I made it a goal to race at least once each month. January 8 brought the first race of the year: the Hotcake Hustle 10K. This is a longstanding local race, but I'd never run it before. The NTX Turkey Trot was the first 10K I'd run in years and my goal was to run it just a little bit faster than I'd run that race. 

I haven't done much speedwork, but I have been working on running steady, focused, and patient. The weather was in the upper 40s with a light rain - pretty good for running but pretty miserable for standing around before and after the race. I really enjoyed this course through Oak Point Park, especially after the turnaround in mile 4 because I knew that the there wouldn't be any more hills and that we would get a gentle downhill. This worked perfectly with my plan to keep things steady and controlled until mile 4 when I planned to let her rip. I got it done 5 seconds faster than the Turkey Trot so I took that as a win for the day. The biggest win, however, were the post race pancakes that I enjoyed with Mr K and Colleen.

Too Cold To Hold 13.1

On January 29 I ran the Too Cold To Hold half marathon at White Rock Lake. This was one of my favorite races back in the day and it felt great to get back to it after 7 years away. Where does the time go? Race morning was bustling as there was also a 5K and a 10K in addition to the half marathon and we saw many familiar faces. The weather was a perfect 35 degrees with big sunshine and very little wind. 

My plan was similar to the Hotcake Hustle - run steady through the first half and then gradually pick up the speed until mile 10 then let her rip. My goal was also similar: run just a little bit faster than the Dallas Marathon Half in December. This would be another step in regaining my running mojo, a process that I started back in November. I got off to a great start and ran smoothly and conservatively until the turn around just after mile 7. White Rock lake was simply gorgeous and it was easy to focus on the beautiful surroundings and just cruise. Once I got past the turnaround, I was able to focus on runners ahead of me to pick off while steadily dropping the pace. I was in such a good space mentally, it feels so good to break out of that negative headspace I had been racing in during the last couple of years. 

I executed this race exactly as I planned and crossed the finish line 2 minutes and 15 seconds faster than my run at Dallas Marathon half and over 6 minutes faster than the DRC Half in November. My comeback is well underway!  I also got to race in my Coeur Sports 2022 Ambassador Team kit for the first time. I feel fortunate for another year of racing on this team and I try my best to be a positive force on the race course. 

2022 Plans

What is coming up in 2022? I plan to run Cowtown Half in February and Grasslands Trail Half in March. That will take me into my favorite season - triathlon season - where I have some big plans. I'm super excited to be racing Musselman 70.3 in Geneva, NY this July! 

Several of my Coeur Sports teammates will be racing as well and I'm so excited to meet many of them in person for the first time. I will also be racing Kerrville Triathlon Festival 70.3 in September. 

I have been selected as a race ambassador for Kerrville Triathlon and I'm really excited to return to the Kerrvillle and "the most scenic triathlon in Texas"  You can join the fun - use discount code KennemerKerrTri2022 for $10 off your race registration. 

I couldn't ask for a better start to 2022! I'm looking forward to great year of training hard and racing happy. 

The Space Between: Summer 2017

Hello, first sunrise of summer...we are going to be seeing a lot of each other over the next
few months. There will be smiles and laughter and frustration and exhaustion
and everything in between...and I can't wait.

I snapped this picture and wrote the caption on the first day of summer break, a beautiful Friday morning at Lake Grapevine.  I watched the sunrise every single Friday in this spot and summer saved her most glorious sunrise for the last Friday of my break.  I snapped a picture of that one too because it was just so quietly stunning in its beauty.  Swimming in the calm waters while the sun gently slipped up into an orange sky filled my soul with so much peace.  For a moment I knew that everything in this scary world was going to be okay. Looking through my Instagram feed, I noticed that I had a picture of both the first and last day of summer...but what really caught my attention was all the pictures in the space between those two.  I couldn't stop looking at all of the pictures and thinking of the memories that are attached to each. It is moments like this when I realize just how much my cup overfloweth with people and experiences and love. I am the luckiest. 

I have spent the bulk of my time this summer training for Ironman Maryland, my first.  It has been a real labor of love. I had no idea what to expect when I began this journey, I knew that I was about to put in some of the hardest work that I'd ever done.  I knew that the hours would be long, it would be hot and gritty, and that at times I would be weary.  I expected to be tested and I expected to be pushed beyond what I thought I was capable of.  I didn't expect to have so much fun, to smile so much, and to learn so much about myself. The first week of training was so darned hard, I seriously wondered how I would survive the coming weeks.  But then I found my groove, calmed my perfectionist mind, got to work, and I've never looked back.  There have been times where I read the training plan and wondered how I would pull it off, but then I put my head down and I ended up surprising myself.  Just a few more weeks of hard work remain before the race day in October. You only get one "first" shot at a race and I'm soaking up all of the new experiences, I don't want to forget a thing.

So now it is time for me to head back to work.  I'm thankful for a job that I love and coworkers who are like family to me.  I've missed the kiddos that I work with and I can't wait to see how they have grown and changed over the summer.  I'm also thankful for a job that lets me recharge and enjoy life at an easier pace a couple of months out of the year.  I am a better therapist, a better colleague, and a better version of myself because of the time that I am given.

The space between the tears we cry is the laughter keeps us coming back for more.

El Scorcho: My Mid-Summer Classic

Mid-July means that it is time for the Mid-Summer Classic.  For many of you this brings to mind the MLB All Star Game, that comes to my mind too, but it also brings El Scorcho - my own Mid-Summer Classic.  El Scorcho offers 50K and 25K options and is run at midnight each July at Trinity Park in Fort Worth.  The race is broken down into 5K loops - 5 for the 25K and 10 for the 50K.  This year marked the ninth running, a race that started when a local runner wanted to run 30 miles to mark his 30th birthday.  Registration traditionally opens the day after Cowtown in late February and it typically sells out in a few days.  This race has a quirky, cult like following - part of the added charm!  Not to mention that it benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - a very worthy cause.

This was my fifth time to run El Scorcho and I decided to add to the challenge of the event by starting the day off with open water swimming.  The race's midnight start time is a little easier to handle with an afternoon nap and what makes one more sleepy than a good swim?  I am not sure how I developed a lifestyle that involves waking up before the sun to swim in a lake and then running 25K at midnight...but I wouldn't trade a bit of it. 

Starting the day with open water swim (Pic: Tri-Now Endurance)

We arrived at the park sometime after 10:00 and set up camp in our usual spot.  Another key to El Scorcho success is arriving "early" in order to let your eyes adjust to the dark.  It also helps to be out of the air conditioning for a little bit so that it is not such a shock to the system.  Earlier, while Mr K and I were at dinner, the news reporters kept talking about how hot it was out there.  I tried to tune it out and remembered the first year I ran El Scorcho.  It was one of the hottest summers on record and the temperatures were still around 95 when we started at midnight.  I ran a little bit scared that night, taking special care to stay on top of hydration and electrolytes.  The 50K race started at 11:00 this year, a change from past years as I think that they are still trying to find a way to efficiently manage that distance. We didn't know anyone running the 50K this year, but we gave them a big cheer as they started their loops.  How anyone runs 10 loops in that park I'll never know.

Pre-race with Bal (Pic: Bal and Michelle)

In the past, I have come into this race in various states of training.  My first year it was my longest race ever, the next two years El Scorcho fell in the middle of marathon training and I even ran an "extra credit" loop to end my night with 18 miles (nuts, I know), last year I was trained for the distance but had little speedwork under my belt at that point, and this year I am in the middle of training for a half Ironman.  Much like last year, I felt confident in the distance but have been running by heart rate based training which is slower than my usual pace.  I usually come into the race with fairly rested legs; however, this time my training is so different and I came in with 56 bike miles on my legs from the day before.  I decided to run the race solely by feel and not constantly check my watch for pace or heart rate.

Lap 1

32:20

Average pace 10:24/mile

5K Rank: 153
I like to think of El Scorcho as five individual loops.  It just works better for my brain that way and feels way more attainable.  I took the beginning mile super easy, noting the changes in surfaces and letting my eyes adjust to the dark.  The race always consists of various surfaces including crushed limestone, grass, asphalt, sidewalk, and even a basketball court.  I hoped that I could maintain a consistent pace over the loops and used this loop to familiarize myself with the aide stations and landmarks along the way.  That is another secret to surviving El Scorcho - learn the lay of the land and use that to your advantage.

Beginning of lap 2 or maybe 3 (Pic: Michelle)

Lap 2 
1:05:13
Average pace 10:30/mile
10K Rank: 143
I came off the first loop feeling strong and didn't need to stop at our home base for any thing.  I simply filled up my handheld at the aide station and set out on the second loop.  The moon was merely a sliver in the sky so parts of the park were dark.  I can't say enough about the volunteers and the spectators at El Scorcho.  They are pretty amazing to give up a night of sleep to come and sit in a hot park and cheer for us.  And have I mentioned the cold and wet paper towels?  Hard to believe that such a small thing could be such a game changer!  I looked forward to grabbing one of those about half way through each loop.  I marveled at the faster runners as they would come flying by me - how could they see well enough to run that fast?  And how do they run that fast in the heat?  Amazing.  Somewhere near the start/finish line I heard a familiar Cajun voice - Byron!  That guy brings the energy, even in the middle of the night.  It is always so much fun to see him!

Special appearance by Byron!

Lap 3 
1:38:56
Average pace 10:37/mile
15K Rank: 126
I made a quick stop at our home base after finishing the second loop for a swig or two of pickle juice and a bit of a breather.  I knew that I was getting a bit slower with each loop, but I was still feeling strong so I was not too concerned about it.  It is somewhere around 1:30 in the morning by this point - one of the most bizarre feelings ever.  I was dialed into my loop routine by now: run out to "Siberia" where the friendly course guides were (the poor guy was all alone in the dark last year - this year he had lights and a fan and people - a nice upgrade for him!), then the cold paper towel people, up a small hill, aide station with the electrolytes, into the dark frog park (the frogs were so loud!), and across the start/finish line.  My friend Stude passed me near the end of this loop - calling out "one more loop!" So speedy, that guy. It is always a boost to see a familiar face in the dark.

Lap 4 
2:12:48
Average pace 10:40/mile
20K Rank: 119
It is a great feeling to realize that I have already run 9.3 miles, but I also knew that the final two loops of the race can be tough mentally.  I still felt great physically, but the loops start to wear on me by this point and I am starting to thing about being done.  I break up my landmarks into even smaller sections and I try to let my mind wander a bit just to pass the time.  It was probably somewhere in this point that I realized that this is some of the best mental training that I can do for the run part of my upcoming half Ironman.  Nothing builds mental toughness like running alone in a park in the dark!  I know that I will feel much like this by the end of my triathlon and I try to soak that in.

Post-race with Stude (Pic: Andy)

Lap 5
2:47:01
Average pace 10:45/mile
25K Rank: 113
Last loop, y'all!  I decided to make a quick porta potty break at the beginning of the last loop, the body can get a little bit confused about running at that hour of the night.  The last loop is tough, but it is also like a victory lap.  I look forward to telling all of the volunteers at the aide stations that this is my last loop and to thanking them for giving up sleep to help all of us weirdos.  One last time through all of my landmarks and one last time to think about how El Scorcho never gets any easier.  I am a true half marathoner at heart, and the miles between 13 and 15 seemed to take forever.  Finally I could see the red glow of the clock at the finish line and I tried to pick it up for a strong finish.  El Scorcho is never easy and I'm grateful to have another finish under my belt.

Time: 2:47:01
Average pace: 10:45/mile
43rd out of 160 female finishers
113 out of 303 finishers
Not my fastest, but far from my slowest - I was very pleased with the effort considering my current training.  As I stood there at the finish line, catching my breath, I was reminded just what a challenge running can be.  Any day night that I can run 15.5 miles is a good day night in my book!  Of course, there are always a few things that I wish I could have done better, but all in all I am pleased.  It was a bit of a shock to look at my watch and realize that it is around 3:00 in the morning.  Mr K and I visited with friends for around a little bit, took a few more pictures, and enjoyed breakfast tacos before we packed up and hit the road.  Last year we discovered another El Scorcho survival tip - if we can get to sleep before the sun comes up then we can keep the sleep cycle somewhat intact and avoid the "El Scorcho Curse" during the following week.  We were like vampires racing the sun back to our hotel!

So there you have it, another El Scorcho in the books.  I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night smack in the middle of the summer.  This race is so unique and challenging - I hope that I am able to be back again for many years to come!

Quick Hits: Summer Funnin' Edition

The typically busy end-of-school-year and laid back beginning of summer means that I have not checked in here in quite a while!  I think about it often, just never seem to find the time to sit down and crank out a blog post.  So how about some quick hits, summer funnin' style?

Life on the patio

Back In The Saddle

School was out on a Friday afternoon and I was at the Mesquite Rodeo Ride bright and early on Saturday morning.  It felt great to hit the open road again and I was missing my bike, Johann, as I had not been on it much at all this spring.  The folks in Mesquite always put on a nice rally with a well marked route, officers at the intersections, precious little chip seal, and delicious food at the end.  I was ready to be done by the end of the 40 mile route and very thankful that I was not riding the 60 mile route that day.

The next Saturday brought another favorite, the Collin Classic.  I had memories of last year being hot, windy, and miserable at the end and I looked forward to getting that monkey off of my back.  It turned out to be a great day with lots of cloud cover and the occasional rain shower.  Hard to top that in June!  Once again we were treated to a great rally with a nice route and terrific food at the end.  This time it was 45 miles and I was ready to be finished and grateful that I was not riding the longer course.  I think I am finally starting to realize that I don't have to chose the longest route every single time.

Leaving My Comfort Zone

I got up super early on the second day of summer and headed towards Mesquite again, this time for an open water swim clinic put on by Tri-Now Endurance.  I was so nervous and excited and I knew that I was taking a big step out of my comfort zone - which is exactly why I should be doing it.  I have taken to swimming fairly easily in the pool and I spent countless hours in Lake Texoma growing up, but it had been many years since I had set foot in a lake.  I took a moment to collect myself upon entering the lake, and then I was off.  I did not swim too far away from the shore as I had trouble seeing with my non-smoked goggles and I had not taken the clinic yet.  I swam around for a while, getting a little farther out each time, before the clinic began.  Coach Frank taught us some of the finer points of open water swimming and gave us a chance to practice these things in the water.  I was having so much fun, I didn't want it to end.  I can't wait to get back in the open water again; however, the lakes nearest to me are still extremely high due to the record rains this spring.  I am looking forward to getting back out to an open water swim with Tri-Now very soon!

Open Water Swim Clinic - I'm one of those bodies in the water! (Pic: Tri-Now)

Half Ironman Training....and go!

Soon after my hugely successful second triathlon in April, I decided to take a leap and sign up for Redman 70.3 in late September.  You can only imagine how sweaty my palms were as I hit the "enter" key on my registration.  Training started on the first Monday of summer vacation and I have really been enjoying it.  I really am a geek for training, I love the process, the hard work, and the nitty gritty of it all.  I was able to focus just on training during the first two weeks as there was a break between regular school and summer school.  I am excited that most of the training will fall during the summer months so that I can treat training like a part time job.  I've been swimming twice a week, riding my bike 3 times a week, running 3-4 times a week, and hitting the weights a couple of times each week.  The workouts will increase in time and intensity over the coming weeks and I'm very much looking forward to it.

No swimming...or running...here for a while!

Frundraising

If you have followed me for a while, then you know that I like to chose one big race each year to "give" to the American Music Therapy Association.  I am happy to announce that I will be tri-ing for music therapy this year at the Redman 70.3 Triathlon.  My fundraising is already off to a strong start and I look forward to reaching my goal in the coming months.  I would love it if you would check out my page here and pass it along to those who may be interested.

Of course...Rangers baseball

I can't leave out baseball!  I was lucky enough to catch a Rangers game last Thursday and I hope to get to some more games soon.  I love a summer weekday game, it is so worth the sweating just to feel like you are "getting away with something" while everyone else is working.  

I can hardly believe that June is already behind us and I am hoping that July passes by a little more slowly!  I am already looking forward to Liberty by the Lake 5K and El Scorcho 25K and many more adventures on the bike and in the water.