Disneyland Half Marathon, Coast to Coast Challenge, Extra Unexpected Magic!! °o°

On Sunday, I ran my second Disney Half Marathon, this one in Disneyland to complete the second part of the Disney Coast to Coast Challenge.  It was another fun Disney experience, with a lot of extra unexpected magic!

I say unexpected because this race, as is becoming the “norm” for me, was not lining up to be my best.  I have been running consistently, and in July started following the training plan for the Dopey Challenge I’ll be running in January 2014 in Disney World.  Like all of Jeff Galloway’s RunDisney plans, it’s 3 alternating days of running, beginning with fairly short distances that gradually increase on the weekends.  July was going to be an “easy” month for me, distancewise, so I decided to focus on core strength, something I always say I want to do, and then never seem to follow through.  This time, because my summer was relatively calm, I was actually in a great groove, going to yoga and Pilates classes almost daily, and core strength classes twice a week.  I was really feeling the difference in my running and loving the noticeable improvements.  At the end of the month, I did my first 20-mile training run and finished feeling pretty good, even the next day.

 

Then August happened.  My kids younger three were in a show, my oldest flew home to see the show and celebrate her 20^th birthday, and we were hosting the cast party at the end of the run.  A few days later, I moved my 2^nd oldest into her dorm in DC, then drove up to NY to help my oldest get settled into a new apartment (and transport home almost as much stuff as I dropped off at the dorm in DC…).  A few days at home and we were off to LA.  I’m pretty certain I didn’t make it to a single yoga class, or even to the gym.  The only thing I know for sure is that I did run three days a week, but I think my longest was 5 miles.  I really would have liked to have gotten one more 10 miler in there, but by the time I had a window of opportunity, it was too close to race day.  I was tempted, but I resisted.

My youngest daughter was traveling to Disney with me, as the race was close to her 16^th birthday.  I warned her, I didn’t know if I’d be up for doing anything other than just hanging out and resting.  When I ran the Princess Half Marathon in Orlando in February I was by myself, it was my first half, and I really had no interest in walking around the parks before the race.  I figured this might be the same kind of deal.  Plus, I’ll be honest, the whole idea of LA and an unfamiliar Disney park on Labor Day weekend was a bit overwhelming.  I’ve been to Disney World many times, and it’s always a tactical mission to see and do as much as possible without getting stuck in long lines.  We’re good at it, but it can be exhausting!

 

As luck would have it, a couple of days before the race I was meeting with my friend, Curtis, who is from CA.  Key pieces of advice: get a rental car; if you only go to one park, go to the flagship, Disneyland; and be sure to ride the Indiana Jones Adventure.  That right there was a game-changer—three key decisions made for me by someone with experience!  

We got a rental car for 4 days that was less expensive than one cab fare from the airport, and the drive to Anaheim was really easy and quick (I was expecting bumper-to-bumper).  We got a fantastic deal on park tickets, and decided to go the day before the race and wing it.  If we went to the park, walked around and enjoyed the sights, and at least did the Indiana Jones ride, we’d call it a win.

 

We drove to the Disneyland Hotel to pick up my race bib and t-shirt, only to find no available parking.  Cast members were directing us to different parking structures, but we decided to try the Downtown Disney lot right next door.  

TIP: Three hours of free parking, plus 2 more hours if you have your ticket validated.  We were starved, so we headed over to House of Blues, enjoyed a delicious lunch, and scored 5 hours of free parking just a few steps from the race check-in and expo.  Win! 

Some lines at the check-in were crazy, but I got lucky—no one in my line!  Got my race number, had to stop at the computers to print out a proof of time (forgot that I registered in January, before the Princess, so they had me in the wrong starting corral).  

Got that straightened out, then got my HUGE t-shirt.  TIP: While the t-shirts for the Princess half ran small (women’s race… I had to trade my S for a M), this is a co-ed race with men’s shirts.  HUGE.  I was lucky that one of the volunteers quietly swapped my S for an XS (they were all out of XS at the swap table!)  We walked around the expo a little, but the lines were super long, which probably saved us a lot of money!

   

We spent the rest of the day walking around Downtown Disney, went for dinner at a sushi bar, and it was FINALLY getting dark out so we could go back to the hotel and collapse!  We were up early the next day and at the Disneyland gates by 8 (still feeling like East Coast time).  

We found it a very quick easy walk from the hotel—no need to deal with driving, parking or even the shuttles.  Our hotel was just a block from the parks—another win!  I booked very last minute because—my life—and we got so lucky!  TIP: For hotel accommodations, always check the links on the RunDisney site.  I booked very last minute for both Disney races and got really nice rooms very convenient to the race venues for a bargain rate!

 

I was worried a day in the park might not be “a day in the park,” but it turned out to be a lot of fun!  It wasn’t really crowded, there were no lines for rides, so we rode ALL of them, and I probably drank at least six 20 oz. water bottles!  I tried to choose wisely for meals – scrambled eggs for breakfast, a chopped salad for lunch, but I think I had ice cream for dinner.  It felt really good to be walking all day, and we left the park before 8, so I was in my bed by 9! 

Just not asleep. 

In fact, far from it.  I don’t know why—I didn’t have any coffee all day, we did a lot of walking, but at an easy pace, so I wasn’t sore or anything, and I felt sleepy around 9:30, but just could not fall asleep.  Too many thoughts running through my head.  I know I was awake at least until 11, and my plan was to be up between 2:30 and 3.  Not good.  

Alarm went off at 2:30, my brain was not having it.  At 3 I still couldn’t wake up.  At 3:15 I realised that for the Princess Half, I was ON A BUS at 3am (granted, I had a longer trip to the park, but still…)  I dragged myself out of bed, had to improvise something to wear because my costume plans had fallen apart last minute.  TIP:  No matter what you think you’re going to wear, always bring an extra set of running clothes, just in case.  I didn’t do any yoga or eat a great breakfast – just stretched a little and ate an apple.  This was a far cry from the calm and careful preparations on race day for the Princess Half, but I kept reminding myself of the other time I ran a half marathon on little sleep after eating lots of birthday cake frosting the day before.  How bad could this be?  I just wanted to finish. 

I walked over to the park (SO thankful for that short, easy walk!!) and after a little confusion, found the corrals.  What a zoo!  After all the fuss about changing corrals at check in, it looked like they were pretty much directing everyone to the same corral. 

The cool thing was, Jeff Galloway was headed for the same corral!  Once I knew I was in the right place and everything felt familiar (in the dark, this corral looked just like the one at the Princess Half) I was beginning to relax.  I was running with a small group, all a lot younger than I am, and there was some talk of keeping our pace up, and time goals.  Had to shut all of that completely out.  I just wanted to finish.  Lots of deep breaths, lots of reminding myself of my favorite running mantra, “You have nothing to prove.  You’re out here.” 

After two very hot days in the California sun, the predawn air felt cool and mild.  We had to wait a little over 30 minutes after the Corral A start and finally we slowly started moving towards the starting line and we were off!  And somehow, against all logic, I was feeling really good! 

I had run all my past long races in Brooks Pure Flows, but for this race a Brooks rep convinced me to try their Ghost 6.  Just as light and comfy as the Pure Flows, but I swear, they bounce!  And on this particular morning, I really felt that extra spring in my step.  I figured it was probably because I still wasn’t fully awake. 

We started off doing 2:1 (run:walk) intervals and after a few miles, dropped it back to 1:30:1:00 (I think.  To be honest, I wasn’t watching the time.  Someone else was doing that and I just ran when they said run.)  The only problem was, typical of Disney races, the crowds.  I can’t stand to run close to anyone else.  I’m so paranoid that someone’s going to trip in front of me (me, the queen of tripping!), or accidentally throw an elbow or some crazy thing that will cause a freak pile up and I’ll be in the middle of it.  So every time we ran, my goal was to find an open space.  As soon as I was out of arm’s reach of everyone around me, I could relax and just run.

One of the many great things about this course was ALL the high school bands and cheerleading squads all along the race route!  I lost count of how many groups lined the roads, cheering and giving us all high fives!  What an energy boost! 

Another cool thing was discovering Jelly Belly Sports Beans!  The Brooks rep who helped me find my super bouncy shoes bought me a pack to try.  I don’t mean gave me a free sample.  I mean, he was telling me how great they are, and he went up to the register at the running store and pulled out his wallet and bought a pack and gave them to me.  That was back in July, the day after my 20-miler, and I had kind of forgotten about trying them (I only take something to eat on my longer runs). But when I was packing for the race, I realised I didn’t have any regular gummies on hand, so I threw them in my bag.  I figured, they’re jelly beans.  How much upset could they cause?

So I ate one about 30 minutes before the race start, and then I had one or two at each water station (they say to eat them with plenty of water).  First of all, they’re delicious!  They taste like a margarita with salt, so that’s awesome!  They have the texture of a regular jelly bean—not gummy or gooey, and the only thing different is the saltiness, but like I said, if you like margaritas with salt, you’ll love these! 

Somewhere around mile 7 or 8, I got separated from my group.  I thought they were just a couple of steps behind me, but at some point I didn’t notice that the crowd closed in and I lost them.  And turning looking over my shoulder was proving hazardous in that narrowing stretch, so I just had to keep moving.  I felt fine just running, but I knew I needed to stick with intervals if I wanted to feel fine at mile 13.  I didn’t have an interval timer, so I just went back to the way I kept track when I first started running—music.  For each new song, I’d walk the first verse and chorus, then run the rest of the song.  It’s not a perfect system, and there are always times I forget to walk, or it feels better to keep moving but just at a much slower run, but it gave me some kind of framework. 

I have learned running has no need for perfect. 

As we approached mile 10, I saw we were headed into the LA Angels Stadium.  The parking lot was full of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, again, all along the way cheering and offering high fives, which was so much fun.  And then the stadium entrance.  Now, I’ve run through a stadium before when there was no game happening.  It’s a big empty place, and it’s kind of neat to be there when the it isn’t packed, so that’s what I was expecting around about 8am this Sunday morning, right?  Guess again!  The place was packed with more kids, bands, cheerleaders, families, and school groups.  The stadium was roaring with cheers and applause!  There was even a legit announcer! 

Such an incredible amount of energy and at such a great point in the race! That was one slow mile, because getting thru the stadium meant the course narrowed almost to single file.  But it was totally worth it for all that amazing support from a bunch of people I’d never really get a chance to properly thank.  Really an overwhelmingly exciting experience for this mom.  

And as we exited the stadium, we passed the 10 mile marker!

 

At this point, I knew finishing was not going to be a problem.  Heck, I didn’t feel the least bit tired or sore or anything.  I definitely didn’t feel like I had just run 10 miles!  I still had plenty of energy to run around people in search of my clear space.  And now, because we had driven and walked around the area some, it was starting to look familiar again—I knew where I was and I knew we were close to the finish! 

Much of the next two miles were out in bright sunshine.  I don’t mind running in all kinds of heat and even humidity, but the bright sunshine drives me crazy.  I can’t keep my eyes open!  My goal at this point was the quest for shade!  Walk breaks were much less frequent.  And then I passed mile marker 12, and remembered my daughter would be waiting for me at the finish.  I took off!  I could not wait to get there and see her smiling face!

 

I was drinking plenty of water, enjoying my magic beans, and flying!  I cannot tell you how GREAT I felt the whole race.  I mean, not just “I felt pretty good considering I had less than 4 hours of sleep.  I mean, I felt GREAT.  I figured I’d have that spring in my step for a while, then start to tire.  Nope.  In fact, my last mile was my fastest of the whole race!  I crossed that finish line and could have kept running!

     

Looking back at it, I really think the new shoes made a difference.  Still very much a “minimal” or “neutral” shoe, but with more structure, support and cushion.  I think the Sport Beans were key, eating them before the race, and continuing to eat them throughout.  I felt very comfortable doing that, because they’re so small, not hard to chew or swallow, and you don’t get a full feeling from them at all. 

I also think a big part of why I felt so good during that race was what I did before the race: REST.  I was kind of beating myself up about being off my full workout schedule for a few weeks and “only” running, and running shorter distances at that.  In retrospect, I think that probably put me in the best position to run this race well, strong and comfortably.  In fact, the week before the race I did over stretch my hamstrings in dance class and really felt it for a couple of days. 

I debated whether to try and run in CA before the race and decided against it.  It was so hot there during the day—much hotter than the 5am start or even the 9am finish, so it wouldn’t even be a good preparation for race day conditions.  Instead, I did a lot of walking, drank a TON of water, and had two full days of rest before the race.  I definitely felt like I was running on fresh legs that day, right up until the last step.  I can’t really say that was my plan.  That was more like what life was dealing me at the time, but I’m glad I just took it and didn’t try and squeeze in my own plans!  Sometimes my crazy life is more sensible than any plan I could dream up.  

One last thing—if you’re doing a “destination” race, choose your travel companion carefully.  For me, that means someone who understands I might get uncharacteristically quiet, and while I might not say, “I don’t know if we should… I’m running tomorrow,”  or “I have to get up really early tomorrow,” that’s what’s going thru my head at every turn.  When I did the Princess Half, I went by myself and that was kind of a neat experience, just being alone with my thoughts for a couple of days, race or no race!  But I found it was so great this time to be with someone who will suggest doing something fun to get me OUT of my own head, so that I am able to relax and more fully enjoy the time leading up the race.  While I was double checking race details, trying to figure out what I might wear, and what time I needed to get up, she was checking the Disneyland website, figuring out how early we needed to be at the gate, which rides we should look for, and getting familiar with the layout of the park.  She was easy and flexible, and really fun to hang out with. She had no agenda, nothing she insisted on doing.  She was happy to walk in circles with me as we criss-crossed Downtown Disney and then Disneyland.  In fact, the only thing she seemed to have on her mental checklist was a souvenir for her brother and sisters.  And as I was zipping through that 13^th mile, all of this dawned on me, that she had been there to support me, completely and unselfishly, just being open and easy about everything, and sharing in the fun.  And I could not wait to get to that finish line and give her a great big hug!!

Next stop: Disney World Tower of Terror 10 Miler!  We’re running it together and we’re already getting our costumes together!  Stay tuned…  

Real Mom on the Run: Debbie - Enjoying all life has to offer!

I am working on my race recap for the Disneyland Half Marathon, but in the meantime, I wanted to share another Real Mom story with you all.  This one’s about my friend Debbie.  I’ve known her for 15 years, which is almost the entire time I’ve lived in this city.  We met when our daughters, my oldest and her youngest, were in kindergarten.  My first impression of her was that she was crazy—which is exactly why I fell in love with her!  She has an awesome sense of humor, she’s a fantastic mom, works incredibly hard at anything she does, and is just very, very REAL.  She’s never been one to try and impress anyone or keep up with a trend or be in the “in” crowd.  Don’t get me wrong—she’s very hip!  But I think I was lucky to meet her at a point in life where she had a lot of things figured out—she knows what matters and what doesn’t.  (And she assured me that she was once just as neurotic as I was when we met, when HER oldest was starting kindergarten, so that made me feel better about my crazy self!) 

We were both very active in school activities and were Girl Scout leaders, so we enjoyed a lot of hours volunteering together.  Then in 4^th grade her daughter switched schools, and we saw a lot less of each other.  For a while, we’d get together once a year around Christmas time to have dinner with the girls.  It was lovely.  Then the girls got older and busier and by the time they were in high school, just she and I were getting together for dinners.   Occasionally too much time would pass between dinners, but we were always able to pick up right where we left off.  We had a couple of favorite restaurants where we’d meet, look at the menu for a good hour, wave off the waiter at least a few times, “sorry, we’re still looking at the menu…” and then we’d finally order the same thing we ALWAYS ordered there.  I could tell you, for example, if we went to Winston’s tonight, we’d spend an hour “deciding” and then she’d get the Homemade Chicken Salad and I’d have the Sesame Seared Tuna Salad.  We may or may not have dessert, and definitely wine, probably two glasses each, which would have totally worn off before we had to drive home, because after we stayed till the restaurant closed, we’d stand in the parking lot continuing our conversation for an hour or more.  Happens.  Every.  Time. 

Back in March, I had just finished the Disney Princess Half Marathon and had no other races lined up.  I was coming off an inury and was just happy to finish that race.  I didn’t expect how “lost” I’d feel without some other goal out on my horizon.  I also had a few friends who had expressed interest in training to  run their first 5K, so I posted about a local race, Run Like a Mother, hoping someone might be interested in running it with me.  Debbie was one of the first to respond, with a simple, “I’m in.”  I was beyond excited!!   

But before I get to that race, let me share Debbie’s story.  Or rather, let her share it.  I sent her some questions when I first had the idea to share some Real Mom stories.  She sent me this quite a while ago, and it brought me to tears.  I’ve struggled with editing it, which you’ll understand more once you get to the end… [I did add a a couple of my own thoughts in brackets.]

How old are your kids? 

I have 3 children, Amanda soon to be 30, living in Berlin, Germany ,  Nick a Junior at App state is 26 (trying again for college, and I feel he’ll succeed this time!) and Kate also a rising Junior, 20 years old at UNC Asheville.

When you’re not running, what takes up most of your time? 

Planning vacations, traveling,  love trying new recipes,  housework, helping aging parents with various things, volunteer work, organizing family issues (dealing with kids and all the problems that come with that, cause it never ends) 

[Debbie is not kidding here.  If you’re thinking, “oh, she has time to run now that her kids are out of the house,” think again!  She is such a busy mom, even now!  And if she’s not doing something for her kids, she’s doing something for someone else!]

Where’s your favorite place to run?

It changes. At first I was only comfortable running the same place in my neighborhood cause I knew what was in store, how far I could go based on where I was, but lately it's been fun to explore the greenways of Raleigh , actually running on a new trail has been fun and interesting.

Describe a typical non-running day at your house?  

I wake up around 9:00, eat breakfast, work on reports for the Doug's car club, probably waste an hour or so on the computer, do laundry, shop for food, cook dinner, in between do some exercises, sit ups, yoga, foam rolling.  Before beginning running I would go to the gym everyday and spend at least an hour or an hour and a half and yet I now feel like I am getting more exercise in less time!

And what’s it like on running days? How do you train?  

The first thing I realized was that I needed to plan my runs.  If I was going to run the following day, then the night before couldn't be one where I met up with friends and had a drink or two or four, as happens on occasion when all your kids are gone, or you just decided to read till 3:00 in the morning and have appointments to go to or the weather was going to be bad as in thunder storms.     

So, by training maybe you mean what do I do?  Well, hmmm… as I said I've tried to think about more what I was doing and either change it, expand it or revise it.  I am not going to the gym  (for now) only because I think I needed to expand my horizons.  I went to the YMCA every weekday, did the exact same exercises every day pretty much for 10 years!  So I thought I was so in shape, but over the last 5 years or so I gained weight and was about to just give up....and  lo and behold a friend suggested I try a 5K!

Here is the story of how this all started, sorta…

I had a friend start running cause she was worried about gaining weight, then another friend told me she was running to feel better, then my own daughter said she was running and I should, I thought, “Traitor! Just accept that I will be a chubby old person.”   Then I said to myself, “OK, maybe I should at least try this running thing.” Went to the gym and tried to run, but lasted 10 seconds, then the next time tried 15 seconds. A person at the gym came up to me and said, “I noticed you are trying to run. You should do a. 1 -2 - 3 run.  Run one minute walk one minute run 2 minutes walk two minutes etc. So I tried that. Disaster.  I thought, “oh my I can't do this.”  I had my neighbor asking me to run with her and another neighbor, as she was just starting out doing intervals, etc. Sounded good but they were going at 6:30 am!  Did I mention I get up at 9?  So I just thought I'd never be a runner.  Couldn't do early, couldn't run 2 minutes, etc...

What do you “give up” in order to be able to run? 

For me it seems right now the only thing I have given up is going to the gym.  It is way more difficult to run outside.  When I first started this whole adventure, and was running on the treadmill, one of the girls at the gym asked me if I was training for something as she had never seen me run.  When I told her about the Run Like A Mother, she was so nice and excited for me.  After a few days, she said, “You do know the race will be outside?  Have you ever considered running outside?”  A whole new world was opening up for me and all I could think was, “Oh My!  Really? I have to run outside?” 

What was your first race?

Run Like A Mother 5K  [Since sending this to me, she has also completed the Color Vibe 5K and we’re always looking for more races—preferably some that do not start at the crack of dawn… not morning people!]

What were you most worried about? (you can include more than one thing)

Oh my gosh, worried about just finishing before it was over, worried I'd be last, having to pee during the race, making a complete fool of myself and having people say, “Well what did you expect? You are old!”  

You would have thought I was running a marathon. [This is EXACTLY how I was before my first 5K!!!] 

What surprised you most about race day?  

Biggest surprise was having a great friend, Lauren, say she wanted to run with me and she would just do whatever I did. Wow you cannot believe how great that felt, even now it makes me feel all teary eyed.  I really thought she would run with me awhile and then just take off, but no, I had someone with me the entire way, and it didn’t even seem like a race.  Just two friends chatting and enjoying a fast walk....I actually ran faster than I ever had and felt so relaxed it was awesome all the way around!

[I need to add here… yes, it was just so much fun, and yes, of course!, I was going to run the whole thing with her.  She was awesome.  We kept an easy pace, took our walk breaks.  Then she sees the finish chute up ahead and yells, “Sprint to the Finish!”  Um, I do not, generally, sprint!  But I did my best to keep up and it was one of the most exciting finishes ever!!  Yes, a FUN morning all around! ]

Are you looking forward to another race?

Oh yes I think having a goal was probably the best thing.  Once I got that Facebook, message just do it!  The competitive part of me kicked it, but as there was serious wine involved at that point, I did over think it the next few days (we were on vacation) but the next week I decided,  “well I think I can do this even if I walk, so, lets try.”

It was great having someone who had been there before to encourage me. I now run with hubby who is getting back into running and that is great.  We have a few plus/minuses.  On the Plus side, it's great to have someone to run with and it does make you plan those runs.  As they start to take longer something has to give ,  If you have a partner or someone vested in it, it makes life easier, as in, “oh dinner, hmmm. A sandwich? Leftovers?”

Minuses. Well sometimes it is discouraging to hear, “Hey don't you think you can run further?  Hey let's run the last three minutes. You can do it!” (after you said you are so done and tired!)  I have had friends ask if I want to run with them as in a running buddy, but really there are some days we actually go in the hottest part of the day, and others we are watching our schedules and the only time we can do it is the last minute.  So far it is working great having Doug as my running buddy, as he knows the schedule and we are in the same boat so to speak.  [I have been so impressed at how Debbie and Doug have managed running together.  He was just getting back into it, and they have had to do some negotiating, but they are such an awesome team!]

Anything else you want to add? I’m hoping to inspire other Real Moms and dispel the myth that running is only for Olympic athletes and people who have limitless time for “perfect” training plans! 

Ok my little spiel: I never thought I could run.  Tried it years ago hated it cause I had no idea what I was doing, which you think wasn't a big deal, but I've since learned that some people are natural runners.  They know how to breathe and pace themselves.  Others, like me , need help.  I read so many websites that talked about interval training, running one minute, walking two minutes, then the next week running two minutes walking one!   Well, for some people, not possible!   But seriously, it took my friend, Lauren, to say “That's ok, do what your body says.  Listen to what you can do.”  It made all the difference hearing someone say, “It’s ok, do what you can, that's what counts.”  I know it's not rocket science, but as a newbie I doubted everything, wondered if I'd ever get beyond running one minute, walking two, but I have to say after ONLY 12 weeks I am running two minutes walking one, most of the time and surprisingly liking it.  I feel so much better the days I run that I am now wondering why I waited so long.  Ok I am a long way from running an entire 5K, but I am loving it and the journey.  Thank you Lauren Richardson!  Oh and put in a plug for foam rolling, it is a must!  

So just to say, I am 58 years old. Just started running 12 weeks ago.  I haven't really lost pounds, maybe 5 lbs or so, but all my clothes are getting loose and I have never felt better!  Seriously, I am sleeping better. And I know I'd probably have lost weight if I'd eat better or stop, drinking my wine, but you know. I want to be healthy and still enjoy all life has to, offer!

~~~~~~~

OK, so I really could end it right there.  It makes me cry every time I read it, because I am so grateful for her friendship, and all the advice she has given me over the years.  Makes me really happy to share running with her. 

And here’s just a little bit more about Debbie.  First of all, she not only ran the Run Like a Mother 5K, she encouraged several of her friends to run it as well!  Already reaching out, even before her first race!  It was funny that morning, she was introducing me to people, “This is my friend, Lauren.  I’m here because of her.  She’s Real Mom on the Run.”  And then they’d say, “Oh, well then I’m here because of you, too!”  

Such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, to be able to have helped someone else (even indirectly) run their first race!  Also, one woman was supposed to run but was sidelined with a running injury – she tripped and broke her ankle!  “I’m here because of you, too!”  We laughed—she was reading too many of my accident-prone posts!!   

After that race, we did a color run with a huge group of friends.  It was mostly a messy, color-coated walk, because the course was on a farm, and, you know, me… prone to tripping.  But it was so much fun! 

And this summer, Debbie and her husband, Doug, have been doing a Wednesday Margarita Run with me.  Here’s the thing:  I’ve known about this weekly social run since last fall, but it took me till spring time to get up my courage to go.  I was pretty rigid about running on Tuesdays and Thursdays, taking Wednesdays off.  I was nervous about the distance (at the time, I was not quite running 3 miles and afraid of pushing myself to keep up with the crowd and ending up injured—silly!  Now that I know what an easy-going bunch they are.)  I was just stuck in my own head about it.  Not Debbie!  I invited her and she, again, said, “I’m in!”  We’ve had so much fun running our 3 miles, chatting about life, enjoying margaritas and great food every week.  It’s never been about the pace or the mileage, but in the process, she’s been running faster and longer every time!  I give her so much credit for just coming out and doing her own thing.  But like I said at the beginning, one of the things I loved about Debbie from the moment I met her is that she is so REAL.  Never out to impress anyone, just always looking for ways to help.  And impressing EVERYONE in the process!    

And, as she puts it, “Enjoying all life has to offer.” 

OK, I’m in tears again.  I love you, my friend, and I’m so glad our girls brought us together in the first place, and really grateful you’ve shared this journey with me.  xo

talking to myself... and listening carefully.

I talk to myself constantly. 

It’s a good thing—it gives everyone around me a break from hearing my voice. 

When I run, myself and I have some pretty lively conversations… complete with hand gestures.  I wasn’t even aware of that part until one day, running with my daughter, she says, “what are you DOING?”   I realised I was thinking about which route we’d take, and I was mapping out the alternatives with my hands.  (If I’ve ever given you driving directions, you know exactly how this looks.  My friend Megan used to ask me how to get to places just to watch me do it.  She’d laugh, “…and then two hands converge on the road…” )

This week I realised just how powerful those conversations in my head can be. 

I also became aware that the voice I’m listening to isn’t always necessarily my own. 

[This is gonna be long… trust me, when you’re done reading, you can log it in MyFitnessPal and count the calories as if you ran it yourself!]

I hadn’t done a long run in almost 2 months, and I have been struggling with the thought of it for a number of different reasons.  The biggie lately:  I’ve been running my longer distances on some gorgeous greenway trails around here, but I’ve also been hearing about some safety concerns, particularly for women running alone. 

That would be me. 

Everyone will tell you “find a running buddy” but for a long run, that’s easier said than done.  Who else runs at a 13:30 pace and has the same 4 hours free that I do? 

I had a long drive home from the lake on Saturday night, and really had myself psyched up for the run on Sunday.  A long drive is so much like a long run, where you have the chance and the time and the quiet to think, and you really need to keep your mind occupied while you’re covering the distance.  As I drove, I got my brain wrapped around the distance, the time it would take, where I'd run, what I'd wear, water, snacks, the whole deal.  I was completely psyched up to run on Sunday, looking forward to hitting a new distance.

Then Sunday morning the forecast was thunderstorms all day long.  

For a short run, the forecast rarely deters me, but looking at being as much as 2 hours out in an electrical storm is just silly.  Plus, my kids were home all day Sunday.  They’ve been in rehearsals for a show and we don’t have many days that are totally unscheduled.  And there was still the issue of running alone. 

I decided to take another rest day, delay my long run till Monday when the kids would be gone all day anyway, and posted on Facebook to see if, by some stroke of luck, someone else I know was looking for a long run on Monday, too. 

I got so much great feedback from friends.  No offers to run with me for 4+ hours :) but lots of great thoughts.  A couple of friends confirmed my reservations—“No woman should be running on those trails alone.  Some parts are just too isolated.”   I hate that, but I also know it’s the truth.  And as much as I enjoy talking to myself (I mean, I must, I do it so much…) when I’m stuck on something, it’s often much more helpful to have input from others. 

The one comment that really struck me was from my friend, Maggie.  She said, “Oh, you’re too organized.  I usually just wing it.” 

I had been on Nike+ mapping out possible routes through the neighborhoods right around here, where I could run out in the open instead of on the trails.  I was actually getting pretty excited looking at the maps and finding roads and connections I hadn’t noticed before.  I did my first 8 mile run that way.  I had to take an index card with me to keep track of the directions and all the turns, but I had no problem mapping the distance.  It was only when I got to 10 miles that I started running the trails, and I’m not even sure why I felt like that was necessary.  I had gotten it in my head that I needed one long trail of 10+ miles so that I could just run straight out and back, without thinking about turns or directions. 

When Maggie said, “wing it” something clicked.  Of course!  Just go out and start running and keep going until you’ve gone as far as you want to go! 

And that’s exactly what I did on Monday morning.

Well, first I went to the gym with my crazy daughter at 5am, because she had a bug to work out and that was her only available time.  If you ever want a gym partner, I’m your girl, because if there’s any way I can go and help you get yourself there, I’m in.  And there was no way I was telling my girl no, because she’s the one who encouraged me in the first place, and she’s always one of my biggest cheerleaders.  So, 5am, only half awake, we went.  No cardio with that long run looming.  I just did some weights, because I figured it would be poor form to take a nap right there in the gym… 

When we got home, I checked to make sure everyone had their stuff for rehearsal: lunches, costume stuff, water bottles… I hate to leave before they do, but they were all like, “we’re fine, just go ahead!”  I love my kids!

With that send off, and Maggie’s encouragement to “just wing it” I was out the door and off on an adventure.  It was magic, right from the start!  The simple excitement of making turns in opposite directions, away from where I normally run.  I found an awesome asphalt sidewalk that runs along a service road behind a string of car dealerships—just as broad and open as my running trail, but safe and out in the open!  I could see the busy highway at a distance, which was pretty cool.  I drive out that way all the time, and here I was RUNNING it! 

With four miles already behind me, I was heading back toward my neighborhood when I passed the kids driving to rehearsal, all smiles and waving!  Such an overwhelming feeling there—they encouraged me to go run, and helped each other get all their stuff together for the day.  I love the thought of us working as a team like that!  (Real life: when I got home, I saw my daughter left her lunch on the kitchen table, but when I texted them, they said my son had packed two sandwiches and was happy to share…nothing’s ever perfect here, but still and always, working as a team!) 

My next turn took me onto a familiar street, but I was headed to a newer neighborhood that connected behind the one I knew.   My goal was to hit 10 miles before turning around.  The crazy thing was realising that this neighborhood is just across the road from mine, and I’d never been back there before.  It was beautiful!  The sidewalks were pretty level, and shaded all along by trees.  There was a sweet little courtyard of shops (I took the kids back later for gelato!) and even a huge clock tower!  I was enjoying all of this loveliness when I noticed I had hit 10 miles!  WOW!

 

I felt great! I had eaten only 3 of the 12 or so gummies I had brought along with me, and felt like I had plenty of water.  I brought a bottle of SmartWater water plus my camelbak—24 extra ounces of water + electrolytes in late July is always a good idea.  And once it was down to less than half full, I mixed in a packet of EmergenC for an added boost!  (It was great!  I usually prefer plain water, but I had heard good things about EmergenC for recovery, and I take it all the time anyway, so I thought I'd give it a try on my run.  Next time, I plan to try 2 packets mixed in more water.) 

Everything was looking good at the turnaround, until I glanced at my phone.  My battery was at 60%!  My math-geek brain suddenly kicked into overdrive!

See, I carry my phone for music, and the security of being able to call 911 if I need it.  Or for a pick up, or to tell my kids to meet me at the ER (that actually happened once…)  I’d hate to lose my music or that safety net, but I’m not gonna lie—what was freaking me out at that moment was the thought of “losing” this run from my Nike+ data! 

I know that sounds crazy, but if a girl runs 20 miles and every detail is not captured on Nike+, did it really happen???  I was not in any mood to find out. 

My math brain reassured me that I had more than half of my battery life, and had covered more than half of my goal distance.   But my math brain also knew this was a longer run, and the second half would likely take longer than the first.  I tried not to think about it.  I really did. 

Running back to the front of the neighborhood got me to 15 miles and I was seeing my goal within reach.  I also saw a big truck outside the nursing home and a few guys unloading something… boxes?  furniture?  I don’t even remember, but the next thing I knew, CRASH! 

Yep, I wiped out on the sidewalk.  Again.  Happy to report this was not one of my more spectacular falls, although there were five witnesses, just for the sake of embarrassment.  I didn’t hit my head, scrape up my face or bust my nose on the pavement.  My hands were pretty red and sore, and my knees were torn up.  Again.  But this time in a different spot!  Still pretty bloody, but not near as bad as it usually is, and it looks like these scrapes might not scar.  Win!

I dusted myself off, checked my phone battery (more annoying than the fall, truly) and got moving.  I was headed back to a more familiar route—just 5 miles and home.  Other than my palms and knees being ON FIRE, I was feeling fine and totally ready to finish this run. 

The next couple of miles were OK.  I was still obsessing over the battery, but appeased myself by taking a screen shot of my progress on Nike+ after each mile.  If the battery died before I got a chance to sync, at least I’d have the data on my time and pace up to the nearest mile.  That kept me going thru mile 18. 

At that point, I was tired. I had been running for over 4 hours, and my legs actually felt pretty good.  It was my BRAIN that was tired!  My phone battery was now at 17%, I had covered my familiar route in this part of the neighborhood, and I knew I was less than a mile from home.  So I was trying to figure out how to stretch that one mile out to two and do it before my phone died.  I was about a mile from my favorite Starbucks, and my tired brain was actually contemplating going in there and somehow getting my phone charged.  (Delusional at this point.) 

The prospect of my phone dying before I reached mile 20 was such a distraction, I was having a terrible time focusing on the distance, even though I know the mileage of almost every stretch of road in that part of the neighborhood.

And even though all of this was just going on in my head, it was also affecting me physically.  I felt tense, my form was a mess, and it was literally making me feel tired. 

Fortunately, another thought was racing around my tired brain:  you have a choice here.  You can either suffer thru these last two miles, or not. 

OK, not. 

Brain: just need to come to grips with the “worst case.”  Phone dies, Nike+ data is lost.  Solution: continue to screen shot each mile.  It may or may not post to Nike+, but I’d have the numbers for my training log.  Done.

Body: back to basics.  Head up, shoulders back, Iron Man posture, GO! 

I ate quite a few of my remaining gummies, ran those last two miles, and finished with 5% left to spare on my phone battery!  WHEW!

Me, obsessing over every mile.  Finished with 7% to spare!

20 miles, done!  Marathon in 6 months, totally within reach.

Happy.  Relieved.  Enlightened. 

Tough run.  Excellent lessons:

1) Remember where you started.  Every detail! 

As much as I enjoyed running the greenway trails, I had missed running the neighborhoods.  I missed seeing so many people and houses and fun surprises along the way.  And all the different roads and turns were a much more interesting distraction than a 10 mile “out and back” stretch of greenway.  Added bonus: no bikes zipping up behind me from out of nowhere!  I was so focused on not being able to run alone on the trails, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed running along the roads. 

2) Always be flexible!

I really have a hard time changing my running plan.  Once I’ve said I’m going to go (even if it’s just to myself), I am super reluctant to back away from that commitment.  I’m sure a part of me is afraid that if I allow myself to start putting off a workout, that will become my new normal.  But on Sunday, as much as I had mentally prepared for that long run, it just didn’t make sense to stick with that plan on that day.  Despite the stormy forecast, it was such gorgeous weather for a run, but everything else was wrong.  So, as much as it made me squirm, I chose to wait.  Instead, I spent the day just hanging out with my kids, enjoying the beautiful weather together, and mostly just relaxing and getting our ducks lined up for a busy week ahead.

And the world did not come to a screeching halt!

On the contrary, we were all well rested and better prepared for the week ahead, and my run on Monday was better than it ever could have been if I had followed my plan and done it on Sunday. 

Changing the day and changing my route—winging it—made all the difference!

3) Be aware of your influences, and listen wisely.

There are so many influences out there, some of which I may not even consciously identify.  If I’m going to be listening to someone else’s voice anyway, I’m going to choose wisely.  I didn’t need to run on the greenway trail, I just needed to run.  Maggie’s advice to “wing it” put me back on streets that I loved running when I first started out.  The greenways are an amazing resource, and I’ll happily run them whenever I have the chance and a running partner.  But I’ll also remember that there are still endless routes to explore where I can safely enjoy the solitude and freedom of running by myself. 

More and more, I find it’s so important to find voices that encourage me in what I’m trying to do.  It’s always easy to find those that will tell me not to bother, give myself a break, or help me find excuses to do less.  But there are also many that will help me find sensible options and inspire me to go beyond what I could imagine on my own! 

4) You always have a choice.

The biggest lesson of those last 2 miles was realising that I had to decide how it was gonna go.  No, I couldn’t just say, “OK, I’m feel awesome!” and then magically zip home at a PR pace.  But I could make a choice about all the things going on in my head.  Rather than giving in to, “I’m tired and not feeling great, maybe I should cut this short and get home before my phone dies,”  I could bring my awareness around to how my thoughts were affecting me physically.  As soon as I took a deep breath and adjusted my posture and form, I felt exponentially better!  And if I had done those things and still felt bad, I might have decided something else was going on—maybe I had pushed myself too far and it was time to head home.  The point is, I had to separate what was going on in my head from what was actually physically happening. 

I know this is something I do in my day-to-day, not just running.  I’ll find myself feeling “off” and then realise I’ve got something rattling around in my head that needs to be addressed (or dismissed) so that I can go on about enjoying my life! 

One of the things I love most about running is how it teaches me things that apply to life on a much more broad scale.  Thoughts have tremendous power.  

I plan to do my best to use mine only for good!

Happy running, friends!