Lacamas Lake Half Marathon

I thought I was ready! But once I parked the car, peed and stepped on the field (with only 10 minuted to spare, eek) the nerves creeped in and I wanted to go home... I was tired, my legs were sore (stupid stairmaster) and I did NOT want to run 13.1 today.  Thanksfully, I didn't have time to let the nerves get the best of me... It was time to line up in the corrals.  I was so distracted, that I ended up in the 2:15 group... NO WAY! 

Ready to head to the start...

 See ya in a few hours!

Mile 1: Once I hit the 1 mile sign, I saw a potty... so I hit it to be proactive (since the line was like 13 miles long at the field)

Mile 2: This lake is PRETTY, so nice houses that I want to live in... wait... RUN! Water stop and Gel, what?! already?

Mile 3, I got this... I feel good, my legs are loose and God's with me... oh wait, heres a hill... But I got this, its not that bad...

Mile 4: Going downhill, feeling GREAT... Easy pace 9:15ish

Mile 5: Beautiful and totally flat... just us runners and the cows... MOOOO! .

Mile 6: I see the leader heading back and cheer the leaders on as I go.  6.25, another STOOPID hill and this one HURT, I broke down and walked (mainly cuz a truck was on the road and I didn't wanna get squished by passing him).  Took a Hammer Gel at the top turnaround and headed down the hill, aaah, that's NICE!  Cheering on the others going up the hill on the way down... cuz I know what they were feeling... BLAH!  I know Hubby and Evie are heading out for their 4-miler in a few so I text and wish them luck! (Wish I could have seen them start)

Ready to Roll! (Dang, she's cute!!!)

Mile 7: Down by the golf course, really pretty views of hills and trees, God's creation and said a prayer cuz my legs were starting to hurt a little. 

Mile 8: Water and Gel station before the TRAIL... 6 miles of trail, uneven gravel and mud... YUK, NOT a fan!  My legs are starting to hurt bad...  I should have slowed down at the beginning... I KNEW I was going too fast and I still have 5 to go! UGH!

Mile 9: Thank God the trails were pretty scenery, cuz I dont like running on gravel.  The group really opened up and I was running pretty much alone. 

Mile 10: Time to Hammer again, nursed this one for almost this whole mile until the water stop!  My legs are SHOT.  3 to go.

Mile 11: Hammer helped, felt OK kept my slow pace, 10:10ish. As long as I finish

Mile 12: I took a picture of the mile marker, cuz I was sooooooooooooo excited!  Little did I know, the last mile would be the worst! Turned the corner and saw it... the LEG KILLER HILL... I rolled my eyes and started walking, forget it... not EVEN gonna try...  horrible!

Mile 13: Finished the dang hill and saw the field again... what a lovely sight! got on the track and saw everyone, Isaac, Tyson, Nathan and Evelyn, My Mom and Dad and Grandma Katie.  They were ringing bells and yelling "GO MOMMY".  I started crying and couldnt WAIT to get around that turn to cross the finish line and hug my family.  AMAZING. 

Finished at 2:09:40 - NOT my goal at ALL, but I will take it!

So I chugged some Nuun, layed on the field for a few then we hung out, watched some more people finish, bounced in the bouncy house, spinny-win-win (spun the wheel for prizes) and waited for the kids race at 10:30.

The 1k kids race was sooooooo much fun! All the kids got medals at the end.  Totally worth the crappy hills to see the joy on my kids faces when they got medals put on their necks! PRICELESS!

Nater ran "too fast" and fell.. :(

So we all ran together... and held mr. uncoordinated's (Nater's) hands

Then TyTy zoomed past us...  I LOVE this pic!!! 

And they all got bling!

One of my FAVORITE family days ever...  would have been perfect without those hills... oh well!

We WILL be back next year!!! LOVED this race!



So INCREDIBLY thankful, joyful and happy that so many important people were there for support during the race.  We recruited Grandma Katie to watch the kiddos while Isaac and I ran, but the best thing was having my Mom and Dad there.  It felt so good to have a support crew and people I loved there to share this experience with.

Happy Mommy...

It cracks me up that almost a year ago, going to the gym or working out would piss me off and would be something I dreaded...

Summer is ROUGH for me with ALL 3 kids ALL the time... not to mention playdates, trips to the park and summer-y fun stuff to get in the way of "my schedule" and make it hard for me to get to the gym or to hit the pavement everyday.  But I learn more and more that by taking that time to myself to run or hit the gym is not just helping me keep most of the fat off (I eat like CRAP) it helps me stay happy and SANE and that ultimately leads me to be a better wife, mommy, child of God and person overall!

Keeping a happy, sane, less grumpy Mommy and Wifey is good for all!  "Hey babe... Mind if I go for a run now?" Hubby, "OF COURSE, take your time!"

Welcome to the team

Confession... I get kinda nerdy excited when I hear that someone has started running, has a plan to start running, or is just thinking about starting running... it get all excited for them and just start blabbing about how awesome it is, and how you will love it, and you will get addicted... I probably freak them out! ;)
Recently, my Sister sent me the sweetest text "Ok, you have motivated me... lets run something together in September" I motivated someone? OMG, WOW!  She was thinking 5k, but I talked her into a half-marathon (told her she can walk) So I got to take her to Fit Right and PRC to get some new running shoes and socks, create a training schedule for her and share all my "wisdom" that I have learned over the last year.  It was so fun and I cannot WAIT to run the Rogue Run with my Seester! :)

Super Stoked cuz my hubby has been a little envious of my medals hanging on my saide of the bed and none on his that he decided to run Lacamas Lake with me!  The WHOLE family is gonna run in this race...  Isaac and Evie are doing the 4 miler, I am doing the half and Tyson and Nathan are gonna do the 1k kids dash!  I am so excited that we are going to do this as a family and I can't wait for more races in the futire with my family and hopefully eventually seeing my kids running!
And then on Sunday, I was at a BBQ and was talking with a friend and she told me she started the couch to 5k a few weeks back and just recently signed up for a 5k race in September.  So excited for her!  I blabbed and blabbed and we decided next summer we're gonna do a race together... Wee-haw!
My hope and prayer for every person that I have inspired, someone else has inspired or who has made a decision on their own to start running that they feel like they are joining a team.  It's kinda funny how a common passion for running can bring people into your life that you may have never known otherwise and create an instant friendship.  :)

Its all meaningless...

The past few weeks my long runs kept getting crappier and harder and I havent had the passion and desire to run like... Last week, 13 miles on the schedule turned into 11.5, this week, 13 turned into 11 and the SLOWEST pace EVER for me!  I walked at least 2 of those miles (which I rarely do).  I remember praying, "God, please just get me home... running." Selfish, much?
 
I got home, chugged some Nuun, took a shower and layed down feeling defeated... God didn't help me, I had to walk and I asked him to get me home... Why doesn't he listen when I need him? Then came all the questions and self-doubt.  Why do I run anyway... I SUCK... I'm never gonna be any good at it... some people were just born to run and I am not one of them... yadda-yadda-yadda! I remember a sermon not too long ago that the devil comes in when you say I can't... takes that to the Father and says "SEE, she said she can't do it!" She doesn't have faith... Nothing hurts the Father more than saying "I can't"

I CAN...  Through Christ, who strengthens me.  He certianly got me home, maybe just not the way I wanted him to... but how HE wanted me to!  Humbling me...  Its OK to walk sometimes, it's OK if your not the best, it's OK if you do worse at your next race than you did the last, its OK!  He has me right where he wants me... and HE will be the one to take me where he wants me with my running.

Then it came to me, Its all meaningless... Medals, PR's, My desires... (I just finished reading Ecclesaites ;) if I am not doing it to glorify my God...  I had become so worried about shaving minutes off my time, logging more miles each week, and training for the next race that I have forgotten WHY I run, to pray, worship and seek Jesus!  DUH!  Thankful for the fresh revelation... can't wait to run on Monday, with a fresh perspective and renewed love for running!  God's Good!