Colfax Half Marathon

Over the past couple weeks, I've had some knee pain that has made me nervous about my running.  After last week's run, I was more nervous.  But after a week of stretching, strengthening, and taking care of my knees, I was hopeful that I would be ready for the last real test I had before my marathon.

Colfax Half Marathon.
The expo was located inside of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and it was great to go there a day before the race so I could get mentally prepared.  I debated switching to the 10 Miler, but after seeing the logistics that would be involved with that race, and having confidence in my knees, I decided to stick with the half.  Since this race ran through my neighborhood and right where I live twice, I had backup plans just in case I started hurting.

I woke up this morning tired and with a scratch in my throat - I think I might be getting sick.  But oh well.  I loaded up all of my stuff and headed over to the starting area, which was City Park - the park that's 2 miles away.  I made it to the starting area just after they started the first few waves, and I was getting excited about when it would get to my wave.  The feeling on race day just before you get started is indescribable.  Our wave was up!  READY...SET...GO!

I started running slowly through the park, being cautious about my knees.  Last week, I knew that within the first mile that it was going to be a rough run, and the pain started early and increased.  Today, I passed mile one without pain - and was hopeful about the rest of the run.

Miles 2-4 were great!  Not only were they pain-free, but they featured one of the biggest highlights of the race, and a new addition through the course this year: running through the Denver Zoo.  We ran through the main path and got to see great views of bighorn sheep, flamingos, elephants, gibbons, but the absolute best part was when we ran by the rhino pen.  We look over and the rhino is sprinting back and forth across his enclosure- so cool!  I was simultaneously excited that the rhino was getting into the running spirit and also that fences were invented.

 We left the zoo and headed down Montview Blvd, one of the roads that run right by our campus - a road that I've ran time after time.  By the time I reached campus, I was feeling tired - from the couple miles of slight uphill, from not feeling 100%, and the sun decided to come out.  Miles 4-7 were pretty smooth, and hitting the halfway point was exciting.

We did a couple zigzags around some streets in Aurora so we could take a quick run through Fire Station No. 1.  Miles 7-9 were filled with the excitement of that, and looping over to Colfax Ave, one of the main streets that runs through Denver, and this race's namesake.  We approached campus for the second time, and I was excited to get to the home stretch.

Miles 9-12 felt good!  I was finally confident that I would make it to the finish line without too much pain, and excited for what that means for my marathon in two weeks.  This section of the course ran down 17th Avenue, which is the other main road that runs by campus - and the road that I have done the majority of my running here in Colorado.  My neighborhood.  This was a much needed course because I knew exactly how long I had left - not necessarily in miles, but how they would feel.  I know that road so well, so I kept thinking I had the "home-field advantage."  I was excited to look over and see both of my TNT coaches at different points of this stretch, and they both had the same question: "how are your knees?"  I gave them the OK, and they were thrilled!  I saw a sign for a photo op with some of the firefighters from the Colorado firefighter calendar, and I decided not to take them up on the offer.  

I hit mile 12 - home stretch!  It ran alongside City Park and as I got closer and closer to the finish, I smiled more and more.  Fun fact:  I have discovered that my go-to song for when I need a burst is... albeit a little embarrassing to admit... Kelly Clarkson - Catch My Breath.  So I blasted it on repeat for the last mile, and rounded the final corner.  I picked up the speed a little bit at the end, but still couldn't go very fast because my knees had been tight all race.  Then, the moment that I'm sure all runners love - I saw the finish line.  I picked up the speed a little more, and inched my way closer... and closer...

Done!

My 4th Half Marathon
Official Time: 2:24:20

As I type this, my knees are starting to feel a little bit of the pain that I was worried about - but I am so glad that the entire race was relatively pain-free.  It felt great - with the worst part being the heat that I felt at the end.  I'll gladly take this race, and it gave me a lot of confidence about June 2nd.  I still can't comprehend running double what I just did, but today was the run I needed.  I know how to get myself ready and take care of my knees, so I should be good to go in two weeks.

I have finished the last hurdle of training - all that's left are a few 3-4 milers and a 6-8 miler next weekend.  I have reached the home stretch.  And even though I can't see it yet, I can't wait for that magical feeling in two weeks when I reach the finish line of this journey.

Live to Fight Another Day

Last Saturday, after my 18 miler, my left knee started to hurt.  I've never had this type of pain before, so I was unsure what it was.  Stairs hurt the next few days, but it got better and better.  Tuesday, we did 3 mile repeats, where you run a mile as fast as you can, jog to recover, and do that two more times.  The first lap felt fine, the second started to feel tight, and the third started throbbing.

Again, the first couple days after hurt, but as the week went on, it felt better and better.  By the time I woke up today, I couldn't feel any pain.

Mission Day

Today was the biggest day of training.  The date I had marked on the calendar.  The biggest test.  Today marked the longest run that we had to do for our entire training: 20 miles.  Before the run, once our whole team arrived, we snapped a quick picture knowing that would be the best we'd look all day.

Mission day features all of the runners/walkers from all of the local TNT chapters.  Some people read stories of cancer patients, facts and figures about LLS's contributions to cancer research, and how far medical technology has come, reinforcing the importance of what we're doing.  Then, one by one, we went around in the circle and shared who we are running for if anyone has a connection.  I got to take a moment to honor my grandpa Audley, and the dozens of names that people spoke.  It was asked that we run the first mile in silence to honor those names we read.

As a team, we started jogging down the path.  Before we even hit a quarter mile, I felt my knee tighten up.  Uh oh.  Spoiler alert: that was the best it felt all day.

By mile 3, it was hurting.  Not a lot, but enough for me to be worried.  When we came to the water stop at mile 6 and I refilled my water bottle, the stopping cause it to instantly start throbbing.  Whenever I stop and start when I run, usually that's when pain exposes itself.  I have to keep moving.  At around mile 8, it loosened up a little bit and felt a little better.  By mile 9, it was back to hurting, and mile by mile it started feeling worse.  I hit the turnaround at mile 10, and was just excited to be there.  Mile 11 was more of the same, and by mile 12 I noticed I was running with a little limp.  I tried to change up my form a little bit, because when I changed my stride it helped stretch the knee a little bit.  I hit the half marathon mark, and had a panicked thought about how I have to run two of those in three weeks. By 14, all I could think of was how I couldn't wait to be done.  I started to question whether I could make it the rest of the way.  Determined to make it the final 6, I kept trudging on.  At 15, I was done.  I slowed to a walk to give my knee a break, and my whole leg tensed up.  It was so tight that I could barely walk.  I tried to start running again, knowing that when I'm moving, my legs stay looser.  I made it 4 steps.  I couldn't do it.  I tried to start again.  I couldn't.  I tried a third time.  That's when the tears started.  Pain.  Disappointment.  Fear.  Worry.  Every bad thought crept into my head.  I reached a bench and stretched out my leg as much as I could, but I was still a ways from anything and anyone.  I had to walk another mile and a half until I reached the next water stop, and I just keeled over, leg shaking, not wanting to move any more.  Luckily, someone was there with a car, so I caught a ride back to the finish area.  15 mile run.  16.5 total.  Run over.

I made it back, got out of the car, and saw one of my coaches.  The tears came again.  After several words of encouragement, and a discussion about the pain, we figured out the culprit.  Runners will read the following and cringe: IT Band.  Fortunately, it's a common injury that runners often face.  Unfortunately, I've pushed it farther than imaginable over the past week.  We went over a number of stretches and ways to help the knee heal, and discussed strategy for the rest of my training the next three weeks, happy it's time to taper.

My team started coming back from their runs, and I was happy to be there to congratulate them and welcome them back.  I am so proud of their effort and how far they've come over the past few months.  And I was thrilled to share the day with them.

Although the run went about as horribly as I can imagine, and I didn't hit the 20 miles I was supposed to run, there are a few positives.  I am excited that despite the pain and circumstances, I still made it 15 miles running.  Every runner has days when their body just doesn't cooperate.  Today was mine - it just so happened that it was three weeks away from the big day and arguably my most important run.  Also, the fact that I have 3 weeks to try to remedy this makes me feel better about it.  I just have to be smart.  It may mean that the marathon doesn't go as well as hoped, but I should be able to get to a point where I can reasonably get through it.  And that's ok with me.  Because that's the day that matters - I kept thinking if I should keep running even after I stopped, but I knew it wouldn't be worth it.  Only bad things would happen at that point.  I chose to live to fight another day.  I have been told several times that it's better to have a bad training run than a bad race day, and I wholeheartedly agree.  Today wasn't the day that I've been training for.  Today's not the day that I will remember for the rest of my life.  Today isn't the culmination of this journey.  That day is getting closer and closer, and now I have no idea how it is going to go, but I can't wait for it.  I'm just going to have faith that my body will recover, I will take the steps necessary to make that happen, and race day will be incredible.

18

Surreal.

That's the word that comes to mind when I think of the following sentence:

I just ran 18 miles.

This morning marked the first of 2 what I deem "major" runs in my marathon training.  Everything up until this point, it has been fairly reasonable.  Today is the first run that makes me feel like I will be able to conquer the 26.2.

The run itself wasn't that eventful.  The first 3.5 I ran with the team, but when they stopped for water, I kept going.  I have trouble stopping and starting - it usually makes something tighten up or get tweaked.  Stopping exposes pain.  So I kept going on.  14 miles is a long time to run alone, so I got lost in the beauty of the run and in thought.  Miles 3.5-8 were uneventful.  Just one foot after another, trotting my way along the trail.  Mile 8-9 was tough, because it was all uphill to the top of a dam in the blaring sun. The temperature was perfect, but the sun started feeling hot.  But I made it to the top and hit the halfway point.  I turned around and started back down the hill.  After a little bit, I passed my team and said hi to them.  I knew all I did was get through the easy part.  Miles 9-12 were pretty solid, and I had some welcomed company keep me encouraged over the phone.  Then it got tough.  Miles 12-14 started to get a little hard.  At the 14.26 mark, I raised my fist in the air as I was passing the farthest I had ever ran.  My pace was slowing and legs started feeling heavier.  One foot in front of the other.  Mile 15.  I had the last bag of Sport Beans, popped my last salt tablet, and took a couple bites from my Clif Bar.  Mile 16.  I started breathing heavier.  Running became jogging long ago.  Jogging became trudging.  I just had to make it.  Mile 17.  I could see where I could run to.  I smiled.  But I was tired.  So I kept stomping along until I got closer and closer until... 18.  I did it!  I waited in the parking lot for the rest of my team and we stretched and shared in our accomplishment... exhausted.  We are one step closer.

When I started running 2 1/2 years ago, I would have called you crazy if you told me I was going to run 18 miles some day.  It was an incredible experience, and I am thrilled that it went as well as it did, but I know I still have a long way to go.  But for me, today was surreal for another reason.  As I was running, I was reflecting:

The route that we ran today was extremely familiar to me.  It was the area that I ran most weeks to train for my first half marathon.  A half marathon that happend exactly a year ago this weekend.  I was thinking about those runs and the last time that I was running on that trail.  The first time out, I struggled to hit 5 miles.  Then I hit 6.  Then I ran the farthest I ever had in my life - 7 miles.  Then I hit 8.  I remember the feeling that I had the first time I ran a double digit mile run - it was on this trail.  This trail has seen some of my biggest running milestones, and here I am with another one.  Before today, the farthest I had ever ran was 14.26 miles.  That was 2 weeks ago.  Today I crushed that.  As I looked around at the mountains, the river, the beauty of this place around me, all I could think about was where I was at a year ago.  And where I am at today.  When I think about that, my heart smiles.

I can't wait to take on the challenge of 20 miles next weekend.

And the thrill of 26.2 less than a month from now.

It's going to be incredible :)

April

April 30th...

Where did the month go??  Is anyone else having the feeling like we just rang in the new year, watched the Super Bowl, etc?  Now here we are, 1/3 of the way through the year.

Now I take a look at this past month, and see some of the things that have happened.

Running
This has been a big one.  I am now a few days away from the 1 month mark from my marathon.  It is getting real.  The negative aspect has been staying consistent with the short runs.  I'm getting to the point of training where some days running is the worst.  I have to grit my teeth and just power through it.  Also, April has thrown me lots of obstacles.  Knee pain kept me timid, but I got that mostly under control and figured out.  Several blizzards rocked us this month, canceling some runs and making others dreadful.  I was knocked out for about 2 weeks from being sick, and I rarely get THAT sick.  But here I am on the other side of all of those things, and now it's crunch time.  The surprising part is how successful the longs runs have been.  Even with knee pain I ran a pain-free half marathon.  I ran my first ever run farther than that.  But the big test awaits.  The next two weeks will be an 18 and 20 mile run.  When I get through those, I will be one step closer.  What a journey it's been.

Job
Some of you know, others don't, but this is the first time I've shared this information on here: I am officially leaving my job at the end of the school year.  This is the other big thing on my mind.  So I am in full swing trying to find the next opportunity for me here in Colorado.  It's scary, it's daunting, it's difficult knowing that I am leaving June 30th, and therefor have to move as well.  With noting lined up after at this point.  I am praying and hoping that the right opportunity will come along, I will find a job that I can be happy and grow in, and ultimately allow me to stay here.  I don't ask this much, but please pray for me!

Finances
One of my big goals for 2013 was to get my finances more under control.  Boost savings, decrease debt, and not feel like money is stressing me out.  For the past year, I have felt like things have been out of control.  April marked the first month where this wasn't the case.  The numbers are going in the right direction, and I have developed a system that will take longer, but will ultimately lead to more success.

Fitness
I had to refocus on my weight this month, because last month hit a plateau.  Running a lot helps, but I still have a long way to go as far as consistency and discipline.  But I'm happy with how this month went.

Dec 31: 236.8
Jan 31:  223.2
Feb 28:  216.6
Mar 31:  217.4
Apr 30:  213.0

On a Personal Note...
I have a couple big things happening in my life on a personal level.  When the time is right, I can't wait to share them with you. But for now, time to reflect, discover, and keep growing.

Cheap Plug
I am just a couple hundred dollars away from hitting my fundraising goal for my marathon.  Consider supporting my journey and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Click here for more details.

A Glimpse...

Thanks for being in my life!

Uncharted Waters

This morning I just ran farther than I have ever ran before.

I have been battling a cold the last week and a half, so I haven't been running.  The last run was Tuesday after the Platte River Half.  I've been wanting to just charge through it, suck it up, and keep going, but I knew I was going to have to take some time off.  No reason to risk anything.

So I woke up this morning, got all my stuff ready, and headed out the door to meet up with the team for our long run.  I had no idea how today was going to go.  I just had the feeling like I needed to get out and go, and not focus on the distance.  If I made it 7, great.  If I made it 13, awesome.  Double digits was the goal.  The team was going 16 miles, and I was hoping that I was going to be able to make it that far.  But if I was being honest, I was secretly hoping to just make it farther than I have ever ran, which to this point has been a half marathon - 13.1 miles.

I started running and I felt like crap.  My breathing was heavier, my body felt heavier, I just felt sluggish.  The first half of the run, my breathing was out of whack - I was coughing a little, and just generally feeling the cold.  The second half, my body felt out of whack.  A combination of not running for a week and a half, and the ache your body gets when you're sick, my body just wasn't too happy to be running.

I made it more than 7.  I made it more than 10.  I made it more than 13.1.  When I came to a stop, I had made it 14.26 miles.

This is a turning point in my training - I have now ran 3 half marathons, but this is the first run MORE than that. And over the next few weeks, this is going to be a common theme.  When I run 18.  When I run 20.  There's going to be a handful of Saturdays before the race where I will finish it and be able to say "that was the farthest I've ever ran."  And then comes the big day.

I'm super excited that I made it 14+, and that I am starting to hit distances that I have never gone before.  Each week becomes more and more crucial.

And I can't wait to conquer it run by run!

Platte River Half Marathon

This morning, I ran my 3rd half marathon.

I was scared going into it.

I shared a little bit about the knee pain I've been having the last few weeks since my last half marathon. It's been a combination of taking it easy to rest up, as well as trying to get the miles I need to in.  Because we had snow one of the weekends in between as well, the last 2 long runs were just over 4 and 7 miles.  I was hoping my body was going to be ready for 13 again.

If I'm being totally honest, I was dreading this run.

I signed up to do it with a couple people from my Team in Training team.  For two of them, it was their first half marathon.  Perfect weather greeted us this morning, and we all found each other at the start line.

My plan was to take it slowly.  After chatting with my coach, recommendations from the Physical Therapist I saw, and just listening to my body, I knew I wanted this to be slow.  I was thinking somewhere in the ballpark of 2:30 or slightly faster if my knees were feeling well.

The first couple miles were fun - a quick little loop through the historic part of downtown Littleton.  Lots of chatting, lots of excitement, lots of people.  By mile 2-3 we hit the trail along the river that we would be following the entire course.

At around mile 4 is when we started to split.  Rather, the others trotted ahead, and I lagged behind, not feeling up to keeping up with their pace.  On any other day, I'd be with them, but I couldn't let myself do it this time.  I had to run smart.

I had a first during this race:  The first time I ever had to stop in the middle of the race to pee.  At mile 3 I started to feel it.  By mile 5, it was getting uncomfortable.  I passed a porta potty that only had 3 people in line.  During races, that's basically winning the lottery.  BUUUTTTT, these people took forever... So I sat in line frustrated.  I didn't care about my time, but I was worried about my legs tightening up and losing my momentum.

There were two moments where I really struggled in the race - about mile 4 and 6 - I was just feeling sluggish, worn out, and exhausted.  But my legs were holding up, and the weather was perfect.  My breathing was great.

By mile 8, I was feeling great.  I had great rhythm, my knees/legs felt great, I stayed hydrated, and things were just clicking.  During this race, I also tried something new: salt tablets.  Because of how much I sweat, my body loses a lot more salt/electrolytes than the average person, so I need to make sure I get it back.

I passed mile 9.  Still in the zone.  Still feeling great.

I passed mile 10.  This is normally when I start dropping off.  Not today.  I was passing more people at this point because people were getting sluggish.

I passed mile 11.  I'm waiting for the crash.

I passed mile 12.  Still waiting.

It didn't come.  The coolest part about mile 12 was the TNT aid station.  This was an official TNT event, so throughout the whole race there were a lot of people cheering on and yelling the familiar "Go Team!"

The last mile was my favorite.  There was a giant uphill leading onto a bridge.  I stayed really strong up the hill, when everyone else was crashing.  I was passing people left and right up the incline, but I was getting worried about putting too much into it that early on in the last mile.  The incline flattened out, and I was still passing people.  Still strong.  Then, with about 1/3 of a mile left, the decline started.  I didn't want to go too fast, but I pushed it quite a bit.  I rounded the final corner and saw the finish line.  At this point 3 weeks ago, I was worried about even crossing the finish line, running out of gas, and hoping I didn't collapse.  This time, I was doubling, tripling my speed. Somehow, I still had enough to have a pretty good kick at the end.

Official Time:  2:20:57

I am EXTREMELY happy with this time for a big reason:

-My time at Canyonlands (and current PR) was just over 5 minutes faster.  This was a race where I wanted to take it easier and run at a pace that was comfortable.  But apparently that's the same pace.  Because I felt great today, and I know that if I wouldn't have stopped to go to the bathroom, I would have beaten that time.  I am ecstatic that I came out pain free (aches - yes, but pain - no).  I can see the progression.  And this was a big test for the knee - a test that I passed, and it gives me a lot of hope for the coming months.  Bring it on!

The Bee's Knees

Yesterday, we did our first hill running workout of the season at nearby City Park, where I do a lot of my running.  A gradual half mile hill that we spent some quality time with, running up and down a few times.  Nothing like a beautiful 4 mile run to brighten the mood.

Honesty time...

A few weeks ago, I ran the Canyonlands Half Marathon.  During the race, I felt my knee starting to hurt a little bit.  When I finished, it was throbbing.  Cue the "sexy limp" (read: awkward painful hideous limp) as I dubbed is back to my hotel I was staying at.  Over the next few days, it was getting progressively better.  Awesome!  I ran a couple times on it, and it loosened up great and wasn't a hinderance.  A week later, I could barely feel it.  Then, for one of our running workouts, we did mile repeats, which was HARD running.  It felt fine during.  I woke up the next day and the pain was back.  [The first thought that went through my head has been removed due to profanity].

Immediately, you mind starts playing tricks on you.

Oh, it's not a big deal... it's only a little pain, I can make it through the next few months no problem, I'm not too worried...

Your life is over.  There's no way you can make it to June.  You're going to start running longer and farther than you ever have before, and it's only going to get worse.  Stop running now!

Shut up brain.

Our running coach referred us all to a physical therapist who specializes in running who conducts a free 15 minute run screening, hoping anyone who needs it would take advantage.  Since my knee decided to go rogue, I knew I should go see someone.

The screen was great!  She had me run on the treadmill for about a minute, examining me from behind and the side, noticing my form and what my body is doing when I run.  She even took video so I could SEE those things as well.

Great news!

The issues I have are directly related to form and completely fixable.  She noted that I was "by the book" and that a first year med student could come in and have zero issues working with me.  I am easy.

Basically, what she noticed is that there is weakness in my hips/core, and that is affecting my knees and legs negatively.  Because of that weakness, my foot mechanics are inconsistent, my knee mechanics are uncontrolled, and that my pelvis/hip movements are asymmetric, leading to some essentially lopsided running.  This means LOTS of stretching and strengthening my hips, glutes, and thighs.

She also noticed that my knees converge awkwardly and I need to focus on having a "window" between my knees when I run, and that I tend to overstride a bit, so I should work on increasing the frequency of my steps.

I have a half marathon coming up this weekend, so I'm not supposed to do anything in the mean time.   But after, game on!  With a little work in these areas and focusing on these things, all of my pain issues I have been experiencing should be reversed!

Yesssss!!

Quarter

Tomorrow is April.  2013 is already a quarter of the way over.  Realizing that makes me cringe a little.  Time is flying, and it won't slow down for anything.  Here's a quick look at some of the things that happened in March:

Running/Marathon Training/Fundraising
I have ran more this past month than any in my life.  It has been exciting and exhausting to say the least.  Lots of great runs with my team (when we could get together).  It snowed a lot here in March.  A LOT. So that made some of the training difficult.  The highlight of running this past month was completing my second half marathon, and first of 2013, in Moab, Utah.  It is such a beautiful place and the race was phenomenal.

I have surpassed the amount I need to fundraise for my San Diego marathon, so my focus has shifted just to the running.  I can't wait for what April and May bring.

Plateau
I have reached a plateau, or more specifically, I didn't make weight loss a priority this month.  So I didn't lose any.  I lost a couple here and there and was on track in stretches, but also gained a few and was off track in others.  I am still super excited about how far I've come so far in 2013, but a little disappointed in the stagnant month.  I have to re-prioritize and make a shift.  Bring it on, April!

Dec 31: 236.8
Jan 31:  223.2
Feb 28:  216.6
Mar 31:  217.4

Share Your Story
I had the amazing opportunity to speak about some of my story about weight loss, running, and fitness with some of the students at the university I work at.  It was an incredibly moving and inspiring night, as we got to hear great stories from some students and staff.  I haven't watched it at all, but there was some video taken (That's a little weird for me).  Here's a chunk of it if you want to watch.

New Toy
In the hobby department, I bought a new toy.  I am now the owner of my first DSLR camera.  I can't wait to spend some time behind the lens and finding a way to add some more art to my life.

March had plenty of ups and downs, but it has been a monumental month for me.  But no matter what, I know that big things are happening in my life.  I am excited to share some of them with you, and to share some more in the coming months.  I said big things are coming in 2013, and it has been living up to that statement... and then some!

April, let's do this!

Careful

As I mentioned a little bit in my last post, my half marathon two weeks ago took a lot out of me.  After the race, my knee was giving me issues.  It hurt for a few days after.  Ice, rest, stretching, I worked really hard to make the feeling go away.  It did.

Then, this past Tuesday, we did some mile repeats for speedwork.  For those of you who don't know, mile repeats are intense!  After a quick warmup, run a mile as fast ast you can.   Slow to a jog to recover for a couple minutes.  Then do it again.  And again.  I actually really enjoyed doing it, even though after it I was spent.  But in the days that followed, the knee pain came back.

Today was a long run.  Most people running the marathon in June were on track to run about 10 miles. Because of my knee issues and the fact I'm doing another half marathon next weekend, they suggested I do about 6-8 easy miles.  I made it 7 1/3 without any pain.  It felt tight, but no real pain.

I'm mixed about my knee moving forward.  On the one hand, it hasn't hurt too badly... I can easily tolerate the amounts of pain that has been there.  And it hasn't been affecting my runs - it doesn't hurt while I run, usually just after.  On the other hand, we're hitting a crucial stretch of my training from here on out.  Every weekend I will be running at least 10 miles, including an 18 and 20 miler back to back weeks in May.  That makes me nervous about what will happen - yes, the pain isn't too bad now, but what's going to happen when I start putting that type of strain on my body.

I just have to take it slowly, take it easy, and listen to my body.  I can't stop and lose any of my training, but I can adjust a little bit and not let it get worse.  I am also seeing a physical therapist this week who specializes in running and is conducting a 15 minute free run screening, so she can take a look at how I run and hopefully provide some good tips for what I should be doing differently.

I just need to be careful and smart, and I'll be ok!

Canyonlands Half Marathon

For my second half marathon, I took a road trip west.  I headed back to Moab, UT to participate in the Canyonlands Half Marathon.  Last year, I ran the 5 Mile race, but this year, I decided it was time to do 13.1.

I took Friday off of work and made the 5 1/2 hour drive from Denver to Moab.  One of my friends recommended last year that I take one route in particular to get there (Highway 128 instead of the freeway), and so that will be the way I go to Moab every time.  Instead of barren east Utah, you get a route that gives you a sneak preview of the beauty that you are about to see in Moab.

Ahh, behold the beauty of the iPhone :)

I checked into the same motel I stayed in a year ago and made my way to grab some dinner.  Then I went to the expo to pick up my race bib, and looked at the cool merchandise that they had.  I didn't have a whole lot of time before the sun went down, so I ran a couple errands to prepare for the race: grocery store to get what I would eat for breakfast, and a dollar store to buy a sweatshirt for waiting a few hours in the cold before the race and ditch it when it started.  I settled into the hotel, laid out my race clothes, and turned on the TV, only to find the best pre-race movie on: Space Jam.

My alarm woke me up just after 6.  I slowly made my way out of bed, threw on the clothes I was going to race in, and was ready to roll.  Canyonlands is a point-to-point course, meaning that you start in one place and finish in another.  Shuttles take you to the race start, so in these races, you spend a lot of time waiting at the starting area.  I boarded the bus at about 7:30 to head up the canyon, they dropped us off at the starting area, and I looked at the time.  8:00.  The race starts at 10.  Good thing I bought the sweatshirt, because it was a little chilly... but I was thankful to have the overcast sky - I knew that would help stay cool enough that I wouldn't overheat.  I made my way down by the river and sat, taking in the incredible view, and waited for it to get closer to starting time.

At about 9:15, we walked up the hill to where the race actually started.  That's when everyone started warming up.  If you want to see one of the more interesting sides of runners, check out the pre-race warm ups and rituals.  Good stuff!

At about 9:55 everyone started swarming the starting line, ready to go.  Then... BANG!  The gun when off, everyone cheered, and the swarm started bolting down the hill.  I ditched my sweatshirt, feeling good knowing that everything they collect that gets left behind gets donated to charity.  After a few minutes, I started moving, crossed the starting line... here we go!

The first mile was quick.  The majority of the race is downhill, so I knew I would have to be careful to not run too fast.  I started looking around at the amazing scenery and just took it in for a moment.  I started breathing a little heavy and just felt out of it... great, it's going to be a long day...  One of my big fears was a repeat of my first half marathon, where I started cramping up at the end due to dehydration and struggled to make it to the finish.  But this time, I was going to make sure I stopped at every water stop, kept my water bottles full, and I had some Jelly Belly Sport Beans that I would be taking throughout the race.  The first four miles went by pretty easily and uneventfully, with the exception of a nagging hip flexor muscle, but that eventually went away.  I popped the first round of Sports Beans, and almost choked on the first one.  Graceful is my middle name.  Miles 4-8 started to feel a little off, but I still felt strong.  I would stop for a quick second at each water stop refilling my water bottle and drinking from the cups, and the stopping part is new for me - I normall try to drink the water as I continue running, which is difficult, but I worry about the stopping and restarting.  On every restart, I had something that was nagging me - hip flexor, knee, calf, ankle... nothing I had to worry about, just frustrating.  Miles 8-11 were fine, but I was starting to get a little tired.   I popped more Sports Beans at about 8.5.  I took in the last moments of amazing scenery as we left the canyon, and braced myself for the final stretch, knowing it was going to be tough.   The last few miles of the course are pretty flat.  But spend 11 miles running downhill and switch to flat, you might as well be running up a mountain.  For the first time the entire race, I could start feeling the heat.  Mile 12.  So close!  As this point, it became a test of will.  I was tired.  I was sore.  I was aching.  I was hot.  I spent the entire last mile fighting the urge to stop.  Every ounce of my body told me to take a break.  I wouldn't let myself.  I started slowing down.  I didnt' care.  I didn't care how slow I was going, I was not going to let myself stop.  I rounded the final corner and could see the finish line.  But it was still far away... I slowly made my way closer... and closer... and closer... until finally, I made it!

I got my hard-earned medal and placed it around my neck.  I started to get a little light headed.  I looked to my left and saw the medic tent.  Perfect.  I walked over.  "I'm just going to stand here for a second.  Nothing is going to happen, but in case it does, I'm already here!"  They let me sit in a chair, which I knew was all I needed.  I got some of my water and gatorade, and after a few minutes, felt fine again.  I got up and started walking.  That's when everything I couldn't feel during the race started coming full force - my knee started throbbing, my calf started tightening, I had a blister, and I had been chafing.  So I sexy-waddled (that's what I'm referring to it as because I don't want to think about what it really looked like...) my way the 6 blocks back to my hotel and crashed on my bed.  I felt tired, sore, in pain, and exhausted...

...but I made it!

Canyonlands Half Marathon

13.1 miles - Chip time: 2:15:26 - 10:20 pace

New Personal Record