Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I feel... Funk...ie!

I dont know what's up with me lately... but I think I have hit my first running funk...  I don't look forward to my runs, they drag on FOREVER, I cannot even think about busting out anything over 8 miles, I am actually dreading my next race... My poopy attititude about running is showing up in other areas too...  Poor kids are getting blasted with my short fuse (1 more week till school starts), Poor Hubby thinks i'm PMS'ing, I find myself eating crap (proof is in the waistline) and drinking more often than I should (as I sit here with a glass of Chardonnay) and just overall feeling funky!

I used to look forward to getting up and busting out 6+ miles... not lately... anything over that is just not happening!  But I have had some soreness (in my left side a$$ and hip) and after doing a little research found it's pretty common from carrying my offspring on my left hip... but it has been making running any distance pretty uncomfrotable the last few weeks.

Runs are usually God and me, pump up some good Misty Edwards to get the worship flowing and God and I can spend some good quality time together... but lately, Misty aint doin it for me! Actually  the ONLY run I enjoyed this week was 5ish miles with my new (kinda) friend (through running) Krisi.  Poor thing had her ear blabbed off the whole run, but it was actually enjoyable having someone to talk to!

I am DREADING my 13 mile training run this weekend, and I probably will find a way to flake out on it!  I dunno WHY do I need to run 13 miles... only cuz my stoopid training thing says to... ya, ya... blah, whatev!

But I WANT my passion and love for running back, I want to have that connection with my Father, where I can chat away and he just listens...  I want to have that joyful glow about me that inspires others...  UGH! What do I do?!?!?!

1. I have been reading the Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother books.  They are HILARIOUS but have some good tips and info! (lemme know if you wanna borrow them ;)

2. I am gonna attend a "Run the Edge" seminar with Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher (if Kara is there I am TOTALLY gonna pee myself) on Saturday with Devon (who inspires me... so maybe she will help de-funkify me ;)

3. I am losing sleep and obsessing over starting a "running group" in the Tanasbourne area... I am hoping there are some other peeps out there that could use a running buddy, some motivation and a swift kick in the pants... like I think I do!

4. Praying for patience and wisdom...  I feel like I am in the desert lately... but I know that it's for something good... but... UGH... This sucks!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Every Girls Half Marathon

To "bed" at 10:00, actually "fall asleep" around 12:30, little person in my bed around 2:00, moving little wiggly person to her own bed around 3:00, "try" to go back to sleep until 4:00, until I give up and roll out of bed...  At least I have time to eat something and take a shower before I need to leave for the race at 5:15.  I get to run a half today... on MAYBE 2 hours sleep, yippee!

My Running Buddy, Alix comes to get me around 5:15, and we drive to the Sleep Country Ampitheatre in Ridgefield, Washington for my 3rd and her 1st Half-Marathon.  I am tired but EXCITED!!

We get there, like an hour early, they are still blowing up the start/finish line arch, setting up the booths and stuff so we hit the potties and try to get anything that needs to get out before the race out! ;) 


Finally some women start showing up and we talk to the race director a little bit and chat with a few volunteers and pose for some self-shot nerdy pictures of ourselves, hit the "real" potties 2 more times, check our bags and start to head to the start line.  We shoot some more nerdy pics, stretch a little and then we're off.

Mile 1: I had decided earlier this week that I was going to run this race with NO expectations and absolutley NO Garmin. At Lacamas, I obsessed on that stupid watch and got so mad at myself when my pace dropped below 10 minute miles, so I had to get that pressure and distraction off my wrist for this one. I would still use Log My Run for iPhone app, just so I knew my pace later, but I was gonna keep that bad boy shoved in my pack the whole time!  Alix and I and all the 5k'ers and Half-Marathoners are together until right after mile 1 and we split... I keep telling myself... go LEFT!  Starting out slow, easy pace... get the legs moving and not overdo my friend, who hasnt ran in over a month! HA!

Mile 2: We split at the 1 mile mark and there is not a whole lot of Half-marathoners left... couple hundred, maybe!  It was weird to me so see such a small race, but it was nice to see all women.  End of mile 2, Alix decides to walk and I plug in the pod and start off on my own.  Little rolling hills in the countryside are so nice to look at along with all the cows and horses.  It was beautiful and the weather is PERFECT! 

Miles 3-5: Pretty much the same, kept an easy pace, had some good Jesus time, little rolling hills made this run one of my favorites.  It was only a semi-closed course so we were pretty much single file on the side of the road for many of the miles but it was OK.

Miles 6 - 7: Up a pretty good hill, water stop and then down onto a tree lined paved trail with a lake.  This was my favortite part of the race, a nice easy flat trail, there were other people not in the race, walking or running by nodding hello. 

Text to Hub and Kids around mile 9ish.. LOVE YOU! 

Miles 7 - 9: This was an out and back-ish race so we turned around at mile 7 so I could see others behind us.  I took out my ear-buds and cheered on all the ladies coming the other way... "you're almost halfway", "Keep it up", "You look great" and many did the same back.  Women seem to do that for eachother, I think we kinda need a little encouragment and some random chick in the same boat as you telling you "Lookin' good" somehow helps!  Around my mile 9, I see Alix, she is running and she looks good!  I yell and high five her and tell her "see ya soon"

Miles 9 - 10: Up a pretty good hill then again back to the single file line on the roads, at this point me and another lady (I think her name was Angela) had been pretty much been back and forth keeping pace with eachother since about mile 9ish and we kinda chatted off and on.  Nothing special happened here... Just plugging away, feeling really good at this point in the race which I NEVER have felt this good at mile 10... So I decide to kick it up a little.

Mile 11: Up another decent hill and Angela and are are still pretty much together.  We pass a little girl who was maybe 8 years old running with her Mom.  So cute, I of course have to tell her she is...  i think that's pretty awesome and it also stung a little... an 8 year old has been Waay faster than me for almost 11 miles!

Mile 12: Turn the corner and UP the hill... This one is a good one... Gets the legs and chest burning.  Angela says to me "you are the BEST hill runner I have ever seen, if I could only keep up with you"  WOW, that's a shock, cuz I feel like my legs are not even moving, but they are and she quickly ends up behind me! I tell her "go girl, we're almost done! See you at the end" and I keep going.  My legs hurt, I can barely breathe but I am feeling good and still going.  1 more mile, so i'm gonna make it count.  Hit the top of the hill onto another trail and a cute teenager points to the right, to the trees... I am confused... The trail continues on going straight and she is pointing me into the trees?!  Ok!  I hit the little tiny trail, covered in pink tape to highlight the braches and roots sticking out.  Then all the sudden, its' over!

Mile 13: Come out of the woods and back on the road, volunteers are yelling and telling me "less than a mile"  WHOOOOOOP!  I kick it in gear...  weeeeee! Go through the frnt entrance to the ampitheatre and down to the start/finish line.  The whole way down, people are cheering, ringing cowbells and the announcer is yelling "here comes Erica Endicott, looking good with a big smile"  I finished at 2:08:42. 

I was hoping for a 2:05 and I know I could have pushed harder and maybe got there, but no regrets, I felt good the whole race, finished strong and had a blast!

So I knew I had some time to kill before Alix finished, so I hit up the best part of this race... ICE CREAM and Chocolate milk at the finish! AWESOME!


Next, I started shopping to kill the time...(I, er Hubby has decided that I will no longer be allowed to bring my Debit card to races) Sarah Bowen Shea from Another Mother Runner was there too, signing books and selling stuff, so I chatted with her for a few, bought both books and an "I Run Things" shirt.  Went to go pick up my bag from bag check and got stopped by the pretty awesome saleslady from Sweet Spot Skirts who wrapped a SUPER cute skirt (Diamond are a Girls Best Friend) around my waist and had me sold before I could ask the price (which I should have first, OUCH)

Got a text from Alix, she was on the trail... So she was at the home stretch so I head to the finish line to cheer her in.  A few minutes later, she turns the corner with the BIGGEST smile I have ever seen on her!  I start yelling "You're number 1" (She really was bib #1) and watched her cross the finish line and then, of couse, started bawling.   


She's comin round the bend, in the orange shorts... I made a movie after this pic instead!
 
This was one of my favorite races to date, (mainly because of the lack of hills ;), but it was a small race, and it being only women was super cool. I would totally do it again (even without a Groupon but of course with my Garmin, and NOT my credit card) 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Frugal Junkie

So I have recently discovered 2 things about myself...

1. I am a junkie when it comes to races and running...
2. I CANNOT pass up a dicount, groupon or a good deal when it comes to races...

UH-OH!

It started when there was a Zozi coupon for a color run for $22... It was only a 5k, but I really wanted to do a color run and I knew I could talk a few friends into doing it with me.  It was kinda lame, more of a hike, $10 to park and had to dodge horse poop occasionally on the trail, but overall it was really fun... mainly cuz I got to hang with 2 really good friends and get covered in colored corn starch. 

So Much Fun! CMY5K

I get daily emails from Sharing Spree, Living Social and I just cancelled Groupon emails (I dont believe in what they support) but randomly an email got through to me for Every Girls Half-Marathon for only $35.. OMG, WHAT?!  So I called my running (not so much anymore) buddy and told her I was "DYING" and "Hubby is gonna KILL ME" and she said "I'm TOTALLY gonna do it" OK...and that was it... done deal! I supported Groupon one last time and I will be running Half-Marathon #3 in 72 days on Sunday!


And with the 3 half-marathons in 72 days... I will be qualified at the Neptune level for the Half Fanatics...  A nerd club that supports being a half-marathon junkie! AWESOME!




Friday, August 3, 2012

"You're a Runner, right?"

I guess I must have made "real runner status" since it seems like everyone is coming out of the woodwork asking me for advice (HA), training info and of course... sharing some good races I need to do!

I have been going to LA Fitness almost every weekday for the last 8 months or more. One of the sitters in the kids club, Sandra, is the sweetest lady and has named herself "grandma" to the kids in the kids club.  Whenever I come in to drop-off or pick up, she is always reading a story with kids all over her lap or snuggling a fussy baby... she is just one of those ladies that the kids just love!  We have talked, but mostly about the kids, but she has randomly mentioned to me a few times "You have really muscular legs..." and I'm like "umm... Thanks... guess all that running is finally paying off"  Well just yesterday, she starts talking about the Race for the Cure and how she is thinking about doing it and if I am going to do it and I was caught off guard.  I was like "cool, you should... that's awesome" (thinking it was a walk thing).  She caught that I was puzzled and was like "you're a runner, and you do races, right?" "Oh YES, I do..." (DUH)!  We continued to talk about the race for the cure and she asked me about my running and I told her I am mostly just doing half-marathons and she told me about her races that she has done in the past. The next morning, she welcomes me by telling me she was thinking about me this morning on her run...  and then how she wants advice on how to train for a half.  AWESOME... and kinda crazy!

A friend/neighbor that I havent talked to much since they moved sent me a message on Facebook titled "You're a runner, right? Can you help me breathe and run at the same time and not die after 10 minutes cuz I really want to learn how to run distance." FUNNY!  So we are going to meet up next week and do some running together and then I will probably help her make a training schedule and all that...

Hopefully I have some good wisdom to share... even if most of it is from picking other "runners" brains and of course, learning from my mistakes.  It's fun to "be a runner" I always wanted to a runner and now I feel like I actually am one. 

I totally want this (even though I would never wear it!)