tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60505140141711786772024-03-05T07:14:52.939-08:00More Than a MarathonThere's a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you are committed to doing something, you accept no excuses, only results.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-79487954631963575792011-10-14T11:47:00.000-07:002011-10-14T11:47:42.988-07:00Heartland 100 VideoI'm not even close to having a race recap ready...but for good reason. I've been working on this video! I've never even attempted to make a video in my life. I think I can safely say that I am better at running 100 miles than I am at making a video. That said, here's my best attempt. The first half of the video is Heartland stuff, and the last half may bore you completely. (There are a few blog friend pictures, though!) I'll be back with an actual written recap one of these days. In short: I DID IT!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN1LjQ5_TO0&feature=channel_video_title">Heartland 100 Video</a>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-4038886286746391062011-09-30T07:37:00.000-07:002011-09-30T07:37:22.423-07:005 months of Updates in 5 minutes. (I ran a lot.)Greetings from the land of Ultra training!<br />
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I have a serious problem: I have way too much to say. Unfortunately, when I get that way, I opt to shut down and not say anything. This does not make for good blogging. Hence, the no-updates-in-many-months that has happened here. And then I got so far behind I dreaded sitting down to try. But...here goes!<br />
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I spent most of April recovering from my first Ultra. I was positive I was "broken" - but it turns out when you pound on your body for many miles, it just takes time to recover. Lesson learned.<br />
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May 1: BMO Vancouver Marathon. Less than a month after my Ultra, I ran a hilly course in Vancouver and set a PR, and finally accomplished my first Sub-4 hour marathon. (3:58:16! Yay!) Not bad for my 9th marathon (plus an Ultra) in 11 months. Vancouver started me on the "I have too much to say, and I'm too emotional to say it" train, as I ran the event after raising money with Team in Training. No matter what your cause happens to be, running for something beyond yourself is a life-changer. Every. Single. Time. I'm so thankful. And the bonus for Vancouver was that is where my husband grew up, and his sister still lives there. She's a fabulous sister-in-law, and it was awesome to get to spend time with her. I also had my 15 seconds of fame by making it onto one of the National Canadian news stations (you'd think I could remember the name!) when I was at a victory party for one of the politicians. Very interesting and fun to see how the Canadians do it. Vote, I mean. Also, being in the Lululemon mecca of the world was fantastic!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great idea. Hilarious that you can see through.<br />
No one was in there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>With May also came the last days of school for 2 of my 3 daughters. And then started a summer of fun and craziness with all three girls at home. I can't lie - I just enjoy them being with me. Sure, it makes me even more thankful for my breaks for sanity...but they're fabulous little girls and I am very blessed. Plus, they completed the Mother's Day 5k with me, my Mom, my sister, my sister-in-law, and her daughter. So much fun!<br />
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June 11/12: My first double-marathon weekend. My darling friend Lauren and I drove to Iowa, met up with a new friend from the KC area, and started off the weekend by running Marathon to Marathon (started in Storm Lake, IA - ended in Marathon, IA). It was such a nice event. Hot and sunny, but Iowa is gorgeous. Dairy farms, fields as far as you can see, blue skies. After we recovered with some McDonalds french fries and Coke (seriously...best recovery food ever) we drove around 3 hours to Viborg, South Dakota. We spent the night at the church camp where the race started from the next morning. There were probably 12 women in the bunkhouse, but most of us had already run a marathon that morning, so we were all early to bed. Woke up Sunday morning, ran Swan Lake Marathon. Yet another beautiful event.<br />
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July 15: Lunar Trek 40 mile Ultra in Scandia, KS. Coach Scott and I drove up to this one. The 100k started at 9pm, and all other distances started at 11pm. A bad storm came through, so the 100k got started around 10:20pm, and I took an early start with them so that I'd have company. I messed up a lot during this event. So much. I got caught up in the fact I was trying to get through shoe-sucking mud, standing water, and hills - and thus, paid less attention to nutrition, etc. I had been testing out my gel flask, as it is so much cheaper than buying the Hammer gels individually. This event proved to me that was not a smart idea, as I think in that 40 miles, I had the equivalent of 3 gels. Whoops. It was one of the best learning events I've ever had. I finished, but could have finished feeling much better.<br />
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August was a very fun month. On the 20th, I successfully completed my first Pikes Peak Ascent. 13.32 miles, with 7,815 feet of vertical gain. It was one of those events where you just can't believe the beauty that you're seeing. I got to see many Wichita friends, including Mr. 2slow4Boston and also got to meet Jill from Colorado. She's awesome. I had a killer headache when I was finished, but all things considered, it was an absolute blast. (Plus, the first time I ever head the term "marathon" was when my Dad took us up on Pike's Peak when I was young. He told us that people run up the mountain...I said that was crazy. Looks like I grew up to be crazy...)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Mountain High! </td></tr>
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August 27: North Face Endurance Challenge 50k, Kansas City, MO. Ohhhhh my goodness. I had a blast during my 3rd Ultra. I got to run with my friend Lyle, and my new friend Karrie, and we had a wonderful time. Lots of laughs and fun. However, holy hills! It was quite brutal in that regard, but it was perfect as it gave me more chances to practice walking hills, in preparation for the Heartland 100. Amazingly beautiful course. I have no clue where I was running, but I wish I could figure it out. They did a fabulous job for their first road race in the series.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing with my youngest daughters!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I <3 Dean!</td></tr>
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Last weekend I ran the Bob Ardrey Marathon in Salina, KS. It was the inaugural year, and there were some hiccups. (Of the first place males who ran it in 2:34, 2:36 and 2:36, only ONE of them intended to run the marathon. The other guys were running so fast they didn't have a volunteer on the course to tell them where to turn. Crazy.) The run was freaking fabulous. I don't know that it would have been possible for me to have had a happier run. I got to run the first 3.5 miles with my husband (he was running the half) and after we split off, I was solo to the end. I am a dummy and forgot my Garmin charger, so borrowed my Mom's stopwatch so I'd sort of have an idea where I was, pace-wise. I walked the hills (and there were lots of them!) and took it easy. Came in at 4:28, and it was the perfect end to a big running year.<br />
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Well...the end until next weekend. On October 8, I start running at 6am...and I won't be stopping until I hit 100 miles. The Heartland 100 is already so close, and I'm in shock. And terrified. And excited. And so very thankful. My body has handled all of the miles so well. I get some aches and pains, but nothing that a little voodoo medicine can't help. I've relied on Epsom salt baths, on using arnica gel when I get an area of acute pain, and recovering smart. I found a perfect balance for me. All while being vegetarian and not keeling over from lack of meat.<br />
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Looking back on this year, I'm just so thankful for everyone who has helped me log miles, kept me company, and have been so supportive. And yes, the year isn't almost over. But this 100 miler has been in the works for seemigly forever. I'm honestly a little sad it is here, as I've enjoyed the journey so much. I'm blessed, I'm thankful, I'm healthy. My husband and daughters are supportive and amazing (and I adore that my husband has been hammering out 1/2 marathon like they're 2nd nature!). I have the best running friends a girl could ask for. The support system we have between all of us is truly incredible. It is loving and kind and without competition or drama. Not sure how I got this lucky in all arenas, but it is humbling. I will complete this 100 miler thankful every step of the way. And, I'm forever indebted to each person involved in getting me across the finish line. The support necessary is huge.<br />
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I'll see you on the other side of 100 miles! Happy running!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-27360000989178194902011-04-06T07:45:00.000-07:002011-04-06T07:49:38.927-07:00Brew to Brew 2011 (My First Ultra)I am "officially" an UltraRunner!<br />
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I apologize for the delay of a few days in between Sunday's running and actually sitting down to blog about my experience at Brew to Brew. Sunday was a travel day home (ok, technically a running day with a relatively small amount of travel), Monday was sort of a daze, and yesterday it hit me that I finished my first Ultra, so I was too giddy about the experience to sit down and write a blog.<br />
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Brew to Brew 2011. A 44 mile (technically 43.5 this year) Solo or Relay run from Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City to the Free State Brewery in Lawrence, KS.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brew to Brew. Get it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As some mental preparation Friday night, I enjoyed both a beer from Boulevard, followed by a beer from Free State. <i>Ok, who am I kidding? I signed up for this event many months ago, and ever since then I have been unable to have a Boulevard Beer without a Free State Beer. And they had to be in that order. And finished in the same day. It seemed to be bad juju to either split them up or drink them backwards. </i><br />
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Saturday morning my husband ("my Scott") and I took our three little girls and dropped them off at Grandma and Grandpa's house, then we made the trek to KC with Coach Scott and Jenn. Picked up race packets, got really excited. (And nervous.) Went to dinner where I was silent and nervous and freaking out a little until Jenn gave me the green light to drink a glass of wine. Ahhhhhh. Much better. Two glasses later, I was really excited for what was to come on Sunday. Went to hotel, laid everything out for the event, had a terrible night of sleep. <i>There are really cute pictures of our group from Saturday, but none on my camera (that is how abnormal I was based on nerves) and I got tired of waiting to get the pictures so I could put them in the recap. Hopefully I'll receive some of the pictures someday so I can add them to this post. <b>Hint, Hint</b>.</i><br />
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Nerves were back Sunday morning. Anxious about the distance. Anxious about the weather conditions. (High of 85 degrees with 35mph winds. With gusts much higher. Turns out, they weren't kidding.) Anxious, honestly, that I would hate Ultras. This potential disaster would royally suck since I signed up for my first 100 miler before ever having completed an Ultra of any distance.<br />
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Despite the nerves, there were jumping pictures to be had. Coach Scott and I had our "Team" picture together, despite us not being part of a Team. I'll add those pictures in, also, once I purchase from the photographer. (Can't buy digital photos online...have to send a check. Odd.) Coach Scott also joked that the reason I had to do the event solo was because no one wanted me on their team. Or maybe he was being serious...<br />
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We started off at 6am on the dot. The first several miles were weird. A set of stairs to go down. Rocks to climb. A rock wall that probably wasn't high for taller people, but that I thought would take me out. And then random hills with rocks. I guess were climbing up and down a Levee? All of that was much better when the sun was up. They weren't bad miles...just different. My plan to be very conservative and to take walk breaks every 2 miles was going beautifully. The wind was very strong, but the temps were decent.<br />
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Met Jenn at Station 2 (9 miles). She gave me a bottle of Accelerade which hadn't exactly been my plan, but the water was tasting nasty and I had already missed the first aid station on account of not understanding that it was an aid station. Next time I do this event, it will be really nice to "know" what I'm doing. Regardless, the Accelerade was a great change, and I also consumed a few crackers.<br />
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I think it was when I was near the half marathon mark where I felt really really not good about things. I let the distance get into my head. I had a random pain in my shin and I let that get to me. (It was gone 1/2 mile later and never came back....but it still messed with my head.) I realized I wasn't even 1/3 of the way done at 13.1 miles. Seriously got concerned about my ability to do an Ultra. Really, I think I just needed to have a moment, and to press through and keep going. I struggled with these thoughts for several miles.<br />
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I can't remember what happened when I saw Jenn at Station 4. Other than she said she'd see me at Station 6, I believe I put sunscreen on my face, and I think I had a PB&J at that point.<br />
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Coming up on Station 5, I saw my new friend Amanda. I met her the weekend before at the Dallas 1/2, and seeing her and getting a hug from her was a very welcome moment. I continued into the aid station, thinking it was actually station 6 and that I would be seeing Jenn again...sadly, no Jenn, and sadly was quite bummed to learn I was still miles away from station 6. Enjoyed my first boiled potato with salt, though, and it was truly as amazing as I had imagined it would be. Between seeing Amanda and eating that potato, I think that's all that got me through.<br />
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Finally saw Jenn at the <i>real</i> Station 6. I think this was the station where I was really irritated by the long port-a-potty lines, as no one using them was even running. I am typically so happy-go-lucky and sunshine and roses, so this crabbiness was making me more crabby. Had some Pringles, applied sunscreen, had a few big pretzels. Switched out bottles, etc. All the good stuff. And came to terms with the fact that I was doing ok. I stopped at Station 6b (literally 1/2 mile down the road) and my post-baby bladder needed to be emptied a little more. And after those stations, I started singing to myself until I realized it was jacking with my heart rate. It can get pretty lonely out there.<br />
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There are so many things I remember, but can't remember exactly where/when they happened. For instance, there were beautiful old cemeteries that I didn't have the will to take pictures of, though I'll remember them in my mind forever. And a big, beautiful limestone house that was up on a hill and overlooked the river beyond the other side of the road. It was just gorgeous. There was also a river crossing, by boat. That was interesting. Here's a picture of me hiking up the hill on the other side of the river.<br />
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At Station 8, I got to see both Coach Scott and Jenn. This was the best thing ever because it mean Coach Scott was finished already - and took 4th place over all. Love it! Huge congrats to him. Reapplied the sunscreen. I'm sure I ate something. At this point, Jenn decided to jump in and run with me, since Coach Scott was available to crew. It was nice to have company. I believe I was around 9 miles from the end at this point. It was so so so hot.<br />
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It was during this leg that our friend Aaron caught up to us. He was running on one of the Joggers and Lagers (local running club) teams, and his humor was very welcome. There are many people who I will not forget from this first event, and he's one of them. I feel bad, though. It was slow going. Hilly, so lots of walking.<br />
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Made it to Station 9 and was greeted by Coach Scott carrying his Ultra Kit, my Ultra Kit (aka: a darling Lululemon Bag) and I realized then I still had a while to go before hitting the actual aid station. Got there, briefly saw my friend Candace who was the final leg for a J&L team, and changed into shorts. I never ever (ok, very rarely) run in shorts. But it was so hot, I was desperate. Was a good call. Temp was 92 degrees (gotta love record highs!) and the last leg took me a billion years to finish. Terrible wind, full sun, and between Jenn and I we went through three bottles of fluid...with more than a mile left before the finish. Definitely could have used another aid station during that time. But really, it was the fault of the heat, not the fault of the Brew to Brew people.<br />
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I struggled with an urge to throw up the last several miles. I was just hot. We got in a short rhythm of walking one pole, jogging three poles, walking again. But by the end, there just wasn't much of anything besides moving forward. I never felt like stopping, but I did feel like not wanting to run anymore. When we finally reached the bridge, I started jogging again, as the finish was pretty close. When I saw the place where I was to turn into the finish, I will admit, I did tear up. Didn't cry, though...didn't have enough fluid in my body to make any tears...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7FdfHKmM8DbXipZAcUmKz0bl818WlbF6vesS4YRCO3I6E10HRo9zwaBhs-pc2erABoGzm5rMsVKw2NNMzaUktuNiwD2za3zJkXf5zdFDa5ogPwdxHJ23eQPjWug6W4LAumDS3Z8eDhu0/s1600/Brew+to+Brew+Finish+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7FdfHKmM8DbXipZAcUmKz0bl818WlbF6vesS4YRCO3I6E10HRo9zwaBhs-pc2erABoGzm5rMsVKw2NNMzaUktuNiwD2za3zJkXf5zdFDa5ogPwdxHJ23eQPjWug6W4LAumDS3Z8eDhu0/s320/Brew+to+Brew+Finish+1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dying.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I love this picture, as it captured Coach Scott (in the yellow) and one of my most dear friends, Michele, cheering me in.<br />
<br />
Felt rotten after, got my medal and a banana. Banana went down ok, PB&J that I attemped - yuck. Got to see my Scott finish his leg for the other J&L team. He was looking pretty rough. Everyone was looking pretty rough. It was just way too hot. One of my favorite memories from this event was having so many friends around me. I was sitting on the ground, they were all standing around me. It is forever etched in my mind, and it was so special to have each of them there for me at the finish.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQlpw0pSyHPuwF3FGq62Amc380-gUlhsBM6h5SLJIt1xYJnWjk_7Hw9loKvebIHVdb_Qj4LeP94lk_0FoIqqZAHu7U2gtZtr4dKauRfn_2XEztvp5RTEiGFDcJBcM4ZK9Vctg-o3vgjdP/s1600/Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQlpw0pSyHPuwF3FGq62Amc380-gUlhsBM6h5SLJIt1xYJnWjk_7Hw9loKvebIHVdb_Qj4LeP94lk_0FoIqqZAHu7U2gtZtr4dKauRfn_2XEztvp5RTEiGFDcJBcM4ZK9Vctg-o3vgjdP/s320/Medal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute medals for Solo finishers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All in all, I loved it. I'm so happy that I finished and finished still wanting to do my 100 miler in October. My soreness is mostly gone, but my left ankle is sore, like it was when I started running. It went away on its own last year, just a little tenderness and is a tendonitis, not a broken anything. I'm very pleased with how I recovered from the Ultra, as it really could have been much worse based on the conditions.<br />
<br />
On our way home (after a quick shower and some Mexican food) I got this picture text from my friends and their new baby - it made my day:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcWBmk4jaLCxpXXdb6iE_uStXorsf8KE_5cnPzb5UgK41oi5glFlRR4vgTCtcDw0uAgMBPfqsWASlipbxhAVokjqkaKSLqn7giB0K-mj1DHwwHN-S1RFqi5VS8G4fv1BqdirlHD9y30s9/s1600/David.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcWBmk4jaLCxpXXdb6iE_uStXorsf8KE_5cnPzb5UgK41oi5glFlRR4vgTCtcDw0uAgMBPfqsWASlipbxhAVokjqkaKSLqn7giB0K-mj1DHwwHN-S1RFqi5VS8G4fv1BqdirlHD9y30s9/s1600/David.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David was cheering us on from afar!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The official results aren't posted, but my watch said 9:27:21. Brew to Brew is odd in that you can deduct time for waiting for the boat, waiting for trains, and I also get a 2min/leg handicap...but really, I was out there for almost 9.5 hours, so it is what it is. I've got nothing to compare it to, and I freaking finished! Yahoooooooo!<br />
<br />
Giant thanks to Jenn for being the best crew chief ever. I know I will be very well taken care of at Heartland. Plus, she jumped in and ran at the end, so she's obviously also a great pacer! And to Coach Scott, who is now officially just my training partner, and not my "Coach". (Coach is now merely a formal term to differentiate him from my Scott.) And to my Scott, who is the most supportive husband in the universe. And to my parents and my sister for taking care of the girls so we could be gone. To every friend who logged miles with me and/or supported me and believed in me - you are all awesome - and you know who you are.<br />
<br />
Great memories. Excited to continue on as an UltraRunner.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-16753333081285779002011-03-30T06:25:00.000-07:002011-03-30T06:25:24.662-07:00A2A Race For Mercy MarathonIn shocking news, I'm behind in blogging.<br />
<br />
My 30th birthday was fantastic. I didn't freak out as I was anticipating. I did, however, enjoy a trip to Texas to visit family and so I could get up and run the <a href="http://www.a2amarathon.com/">A2A Race For Mercy Marathon</a> in Oklahoma the next day.<br />
<br />
<u>Things that were awesome</u>:<br />
- Celebrating my birthday with Champagne<br />
- Celebrating my birthday with my family<br />
- Triple Garlic Fettucini (Yum.)<br />
- My first marathon as a 30-year-old<br />
- Meeting several fellow Marathon Maniacs<br />
- Seeing my new friend, David, who I met at Post Oak<br />
- Successfully using a marathon as a training run.<br />
<br />
<u>Things that were not awesome</u>:<br />
- Marathon morning hangover (stupid, stupid, stupid)<br />
<br />
<u>Things beyond my control</u>:<br />
- My sweet daughters being unable to sleep well when we're not at home (I was up no less than 10 times the night before)<br />
- 25 mph headwind on a point-to-point course (Wow.)<br />
- 65 degree, overcast start...80 degrees and sunny by the end (Holy sunburn.)<br />
- Hills<br />
<br />
<u>Lessons Learned</u>:<br />
- Wind is fantastic mental training.<br />
- Wear sunscreen.<br />
- Do not drink a bottle of champagne the night before a marathon.<br />
- Being 30 isn't all that bad.<br />
<br />
The run, overall, went very well. I took walk breaks and walked uphills after a certain point, in preparation for the Brew to Brew Ultra this weekend. Honestly, the wind and heat just sucked the life out of me, so I couldn't have done anything stupid even if I desired. I finished in 4:38:02 - right where I wanted to be for my training run.<br />
<br />
I highly recommend this event. Everything was very well run, and it was a blast to finish a marathon on a track. The heat and wind were beyond the control of anyone. The volunteers were very nice and I felt especially sorry for them being out in the wind! It was a beautiful way to see parts of Oklahoma, including the Arbuckle Mountains. I would definitely do it again, if it works out with my schedule.<br />
<br />
Countdown to my first Ultra: 4 days!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-28400071195502771942011-03-15T06:26:00.000-07:002011-03-15T06:26:39.513-07:0030 Miles Before Age 30My goal, when I started running in preparation for Rock 'n Roll Seattle with Team in Training last year, was to finish just one marathon before my 30th birthday. I had no intention on doing any other marathons. I just wanted to raise money for a good cause, and to hit a goal I thought was just a pipe dream. I had 3 kids in less than 5 years, and had stopped any sort of working out. (Despite being a personal trainer. Whoops.) And I wasn't getting any younger.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to now, and I've actually completed 7 marathons and my 30th birthday isn't until Saturday! Pretty wild the changes that went on for me mentally and physically in the last year. I'm so pleased. Marathon training isn't for the faint of heart. It takes lots of time. I'm just so thankful to have a supportive husband, and three little girls who love their time with Daddy for a few hours on Saturday/Sunday mornings. I am also thrilled to have a training partner who has a family and multiple other obligations, so he "gets" that we need to start early - really early - and be done early.<br />
<br />
When I posted last time about an upcoming marathon in Oklahoma, I neglected to remember I had my first "more than a marathon" distance scheduled just a week before the marathon. Nice taper, right? It is funny how different it is to use marathons as training runs, and in preparing for Ultras.<br />
<br />
Coach Scott and I started off at 3am Saturday morning (told you he's willing to start early!) for our 30 mile run. The weather was just about perfect. In the 40's, very little wind. There's not too much exciting to report during, but overall, it was fantastic. I don't think it could have gone more perfectly. (Other than me forgetting my gels for our first 10 mile loop.) I ate half of a PB&J at every 10 miles. Took gels at 5 mile marks. Felt great the entire time.<br />
<br />
We joined up with the Team in Training group for the last 10/11 miles. It was nice to have their support, and they were very sweet and excited for me. I hit 26.2 with little fanfare, but that was ok. Every step beyond that point was thrilling and exciting, as it was a distance PR. <i>That hadn't happened in about 9 months</i>. I was taken back to those moments of training for my first marathon, where I was amazed each week with the fact I was running 8 miles, 10 miles, etc. It felt awesome to do a distance that I had not yet accomplished. Relish those moments if you're in training for your first run of any distance. It is such an awesome thing you are doing, whether you're up to 2 miles, or 12 miles, or 22 miles. Be thankful that your body can do such an awesome thing.<br />
<br />
Hip flexors were a little tight after, and my quads were more sore than I anticipated, but I did a recovery run of 10 miles Sunday morning. No joint pain, nothing odd. I'm just so happy and pleased with the run. Very fun that I got a 30 mile training run in exactly one week before my 30th birthday. Love it.<br />
<br />
So now I look ahead to turning 30 on Saturday. And Sunday trying out my new age group at the A2A Marathon in Oklahoma. It will be a training run, mimicking how I will be running my first Ultra (eating, walk breaks, etc.) with a medal at the end. Staring this weekend everything gets pretty wild. The marathon Sunday, then a week later the Rock 'n Roll Dallas 1/2, and then a week after that is Brew to Brew, my 43 mile Ultra. Here's to lots of rest and lots of fun (and no sick kids) between now and then.<br />
<br />
Have a great week!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-20054017381728898732011-03-07T10:28:00.000-08:002011-03-07T11:31:30.331-08:00Post Oak Challenge: Part 2To recap: We finished our trail run. Yay!<br />
<br />
After cleaning up, we enjoyed a few hours in Tulsa for Abuelos and a visit to the local running store. We made it back in time to rest a bit before heading to night two of pasta dinners at the Lodge. Had some time to visit with our neighbors, as well. Such nice guys. Again, I love runners.<br />
<br />
Pasta dinner did not disappoint the second time around. Lasagna was on the menu, including a very delicious vegetarian version. I was very well fed. Dessert was awesome. Randy Ellis spoke the second night as well, and this time talked about many of the runners who were there that weekend. (Including a woman who had brain cancer, previously. And a woman who was a breast cancer survivor. Think you can't do certain things? Well, you can. True story. So inspiring, what people overcome.)<br />
<br />
After the dinner, we sat around and talked with many of the runners we had met previously. I cannot hit on the fact, again, that this weekend was set up so wonderfully. Especially if you were staying on property. It was awesome to spend an entire weekend seeing the same people, hearing their plans for their runs, and also getting to talk to them about everything afterward. Did I mention I love runners?<br />
<br />
I was finally able to visit with Johnny Spriggs, the race director. He was so kind. As I mentioned in Part 1, I had been in contact with him via email several times pre-Post Oak Challenge weekend. We really connected when he told me he has done Heartland before, and he had some really wonderful things to say about the event. Michele was able to talk to him some about pacing me during my last 17 miles of the 100 at Heartland, and he was just an all-around nice guy. His wife was very nice, as well.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yoXMhNefXk9DDzFrA_iek24oW3ABKel0V0TMGm6x7HwLiwh5bVuLknz6z6AfluZVh8X4oanH4t8a2qFAtnxuFzIFQ0W5i3-nqs_72bA6dMuChH_8WHs5dEBwkDgf7kSim9da0zUFMlrb/s1600/Post+Oak+with+Johnny+Spriggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yoXMhNefXk9DDzFrA_iek24oW3ABKel0V0TMGm6x7HwLiwh5bVuLknz6z6AfluZVh8X4oanH4t8a2qFAtnxuFzIFQ0W5i3-nqs_72bA6dMuChH_8WHs5dEBwkDgf7kSim9da0zUFMlrb/s320/Post+Oak+with+Johnny+Spriggs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nickki, Michele, Myself, Johnny Spriggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We also stopped to look at the race maps. All races for Sunday were out and back, so really the marathoners had it easiest, as we at least had mostly-flat to "rest" for many miles. The half marathoners (including Nickki and Michele) had a little less flat, and the quarter marathoners really got spanked by literally going down the hills, and then turning around and going right back up. Ouch.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiXX_Lo4Zfp1zvSaygLos3fYzoeffiJ0IbNNqD5nfh8wYbGgbMsMfo1HvWQsw1f-wKn8iA4Dn4m4HXxxFV1OvdC6NcKygpxqyxQo2cspXTlSma7bP85iAv6Azpk5LAqkNQN2Q8su-EVZC/s1600/Post+Oak+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiXX_Lo4Zfp1zvSaygLos3fYzoeffiJ0IbNNqD5nfh8wYbGgbMsMfo1HvWQsw1f-wKn8iA4Dn4m4HXxxFV1OvdC6NcKygpxqyxQo2cspXTlSma7bP85iAv6Azpk5LAqkNQN2Q8su-EVZC/s320/Post+Oak+Map.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday Trail Map/Sunday "Troad" Map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We went back to our room and started getting settled in. I heard Nickki and Michele talking about something, and then Nickki said, "Hannah? Are you afraid of bugs?" I walked into the room, and I saw my newest roommate, a scorpion. Gross. Out. At this point, we turned back into the non-trail running wimps that we are, and Guy and Rick came to save the day. Gross. Gross. Gross.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZCXD15_fmdUatsRGq34hqN5oeJ6qpChpYsPpiKzHKvnERMvqEFxhvoDkr7P6PUJzsmK96iYSThsnsa9cxhnoRDN_djQKPD-nQgBVv2oa21gXT1FYpUHKyaZjOGtCZfuk-7VYg_7A2CaN/s1600/Scorpion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZCXD15_fmdUatsRGq34hqN5oeJ6qpChpYsPpiKzHKvnERMvqEFxhvoDkr7P6PUJzsmK96iYSThsnsa9cxhnoRDN_djQKPD-nQgBVv2oa21gXT1FYpUHKyaZjOGtCZfuk-7VYg_7A2CaN/s320/Scorpion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Roommate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Despite the scorpion incident, I actually slept very well Saturday night. I woke up every 2 hours on the dot, but was able to get right back to sleep. I hadn't noticed too much soreness after the trail run, until I got up to the bathroom. I took a step and thought, "Oh crap. This marathon is going to hurt."<br />
<br />
We got up and got ourselves ready for Day #2 of the Post Oak Challenge. We again debated based on the weather, as it was currently 56 degrees at 7am. What the heck? And 86% humidity. Ouch. I kept thinking I wanted a short-sleeved shirt under my outer layer, but they assured me a tank-top was the better choice. They were so right.<br />
<br />
Nickki and Michele joined me at the main Lodge to bid me farewell, despite their run starting later than mine. Such sweet friends I have.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKLtgctovw7VNpFrslAafykVj5F4yvm0AS9v1h2OyQxtHTIBR8tCVu1lScsU5M534WnKyuOXtdmf_vLEjFc6haV1T-3kfdhAyUgjMG91tp7umqQgv6K6_zRYqeUtm6kuT0eiuufgKCm90/s1600/Post+Oak+Pre-Marathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKLtgctovw7VNpFrslAafykVj5F4yvm0AS9v1h2OyQxtHTIBR8tCVu1lScsU5M534WnKyuOXtdmf_vLEjFc6haV1T-3kfdhAyUgjMG91tp7umqQgv6K6_zRYqeUtm6kuT0eiuufgKCm90/s320/Post+Oak+Pre-Marathon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nickki, Myself, Michele. Matchy-matchy-matchy, all unintentional.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I told my friends Jenn and Scott that I planned to either PR or run myself so hard into "the wall" that I was reduced to walking the last 8 miles of the marathon. Obviously door #2 was the likelier event, given my current level of soreness.<br />
<br />
We started off fast, as it was downhill. But, it was steep downhill. Very steep. Steep enough I was pretty sure I was going to fall. I talked with a woman from Iowa who had done the 25k the day before, and kept in pace with her for a while. She was feeling way stronger than I was, so I fell in pace with a woman named Laurie from Colorado. It is easy to make friends while running. We talked about marathons, about 100 milers (Laurie has paced several people through the Leadville Trail 100), and anytime anyone mentions any 100 miler, it causes me to geek out. I was giddy, and she was a fabulous person to keep my mind occupied.<br />
<br />
The miles were clicking by, quickly. I think some of our miles were fast because there were so many big dogs roaming the route. They were unchained and not fenced in. What the heck, Oklahoma? Scary stuff. (Actually, the guy Nickki and Michele ran with was attacked by one of the dogs. Not terribly, but nonetheless, a dog got up on him. Scary.) I would occasionally look down at my Garmin, call myself a total dumbass for running the pace I was running, but ignored it and kept going. We hit our first half in 2:02:something. Wow. I was pleased with that (and scared for my life). Our previous few miles had slowed some (9:30-9:40) and I was questioning my sanity, but was positive about my stupidity. It was very very very muggy, very hot, very windy, but overall still enjoying the pain.<br />
<br />
At mile 17 I stopped to use the bathroom. It cost me a lot of time, though I am not sure why. Maybe I just needed the break. I sent Laurie on, and told her I'd catch up. That didn't really happen for a while. I was still sub-10, until I caught Laurie at mile 19+, and that's when it all started to go downhill.<br />
<br />
Mile 20 was my first mile over a 10/min mile. We came to a water stop at mile 22(ish?). I was not feeling good at all. They had pretzels, and I took a handful, and sent Laurie on. I told her I would be walking the rest of the way, and if not walking, I would be dying. She hesitated going ahead, but ultimately the walking was just to rough on her body. She told me to try to alternate walking and jogging, just to try to get there faster and off my feet. The world was spinning around me. I was at the worst possible place on the course to be weaving and not with it, as there was absolutely no shoulder on the road. I was walking on the white line at the side, cars whizzing by, and I really couldn't do anything about it other than to not close my eyes and lay down like I felt like doing.<br />
<br />
The pretzels (and another gel) helped. So did chugging water. I wanted to keep walking, but I came up on a volunteer who had stopped traffic for me, and I felt like I could at least attempt to speed up, just for their sakes. So, I jogged, just to get through the intersection. Then I walked. A while later, I saw another volunteer who asked me if I was ok. I was around mile 22.5 or something, so I was pretty sure I was going to finish, even if it meant walking the rest of the way. I could see Laurie way ahead, and just kept her in my sights. Before we turned the corner to head toward the Lodge (mile 23?) we had yet another dog run in. I could see the guy ahead of Laurie about to get eaten by the giant beast, I saw him pass and he kept a lookout as Laurie passed the rabid mongrel, and then I realized there was no one watching to see if I got eaten. I decided to cross the road, pray that cars would drive by, and attempted a slow run. It was very helpful, and felt pretty good. Plus, it got me away from the dog a teeny tiny bit faster. (Seriously, Oklahoma. What is up with there being large dogs roaming around and freaking people out. Not ok.)<br />
<br />
As soon as I turned the corner to head toward the Lodge, I knew it was uphill from there. Rather, rolling hills and then an enormous uphill. At this point, I knew that it was the perfect time to practice for my ultras. I walked every uphill and jogged the flats and downhills. It was fabulous mental training, and for that I am very thankful. I was even bargaining with myself and picking spots on the road, knowing I could stop running at those spots. Notice how there are no cute pictures in Part 2? That is because I couldn't take any. I was running too hard before I got bonkalicious, and at this point, I was way too woozy. I did text Nickki to tell her where I was, and that I'd be walking. I misspelled every word, but I think she got the point...that I wasn't doing well. My face was caked with salt.<br />
<br />
I was still thanking every single volunteer I came upon the entire time, even when I was walking all crazy and seeing stars. Seeing them was amazing, as I don't think there was one spectator on the course. It wasn't bad at all, but it did make me even more thankful for those who had given their time to be out there for us. <i>Dogs do not count as spectators, even if they do weigh more than me. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
By some act of God, I did end up catching up to Laurie after we turned onto the road at the Post Oak Lodge. This was where the hills went from rolling to just plain mean. There was even a sign that said, "The Hill from Hell". Laurie and I hiked up it, which was a welcome change for my quads, as I thought they would explode at any moment. They were not ok. But my glutes were ready for some action, and that is the only reason I made it up that bad boy. We finished all smiles, and with hand-holding. Yay!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WzHRCBWJwIVuRj0TwA6TUk8grFfIXjW07wvYcHI45Vxrlyb1dnx0oqslvGo6Xuz3-tqwuQroWYI2trFgHHIg6Rgo7sjTQlWIuG0OQGeIFhQBkEGB7V2C9yjZyRKOi7wXz6Ct-l-zvl9R/s1600/Marathon+Finish+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WzHRCBWJwIVuRj0TwA6TUk8grFfIXjW07wvYcHI45Vxrlyb1dnx0oqslvGo6Xuz3-tqwuQroWYI2trFgHHIg6Rgo7sjTQlWIuG0OQGeIFhQBkEGB7V2C9yjZyRKOi7wXz6Ct-l-zvl9R/s320/Marathon+Finish+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiling!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOsbG3Mt0Z0qhWV8yexbgIDUBdWv2eQvn9PmlNU7Xs2eRZl_HtTEwEmE4Heo8f6C8V0ZcC2CD4zwk4Gdjf4_p8-dJoQMeLQS662EPbL9QmYrF86znCrb-IBj9Vbn-cAvaLXTX0qkDtpMn/s1600/Marathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOsbG3Mt0Z0qhWV8yexbgIDUBdWv2eQvn9PmlNU7Xs2eRZl_HtTEwEmE4Heo8f6C8V0ZcC2CD4zwk4Gdjf4_p8-dJoQMeLQS662EPbL9QmYrF86znCrb-IBj9Vbn-cAvaLXTX0qkDtpMn/s320/Marathon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Barely) Survived the Post Oak Challenge. Happy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I finished in 4:27:57. I was very pleased with the time, given the effort the day before, and the giant wall that spanked me into submission. I loved it. I went out too fast, I hurt, I came back and was able to finish. Though I knew there was no way I could drive home.<br />
<br />
I am now a huge believer in recovery being an important aspect of any distance event. I was able to eat within 10 minutes of finishing (bring on that vegetarian chili again, yum!) and went from feeling like I couldn't drive, to feeling better and able to drive, to feeling really really awesome. I also discovered that I was first place in my age group. Even more fitting, though, was that I don't like the idea of "beating" people...so I was really really happy when I realized I was also the <b>only</b> person in my age group. Love it.<br />
<br />
All in all, the weekend was perfect (my only complaint would be the dogs). Perfect location, beautiful property, great place to stay, food was amazing, events were all well-run. I am very thankful to Johnny Spriggs and all of the people who were volunteers, who helped plan, who were involved in any aspect of the weekend, including all of the runners. We will be back, year after year. It was one of the most fun and enjoyable running weekends I've ever had. It is a fact, I haven't had that many...but this one was truly awesome.<br />
<br />
And now, time to get mentally prepared for running another marathon in Oklahoma in less than 2 weeks! Fun, though - I know at least one of the guys running, because I met him at Post Oak. The running world is getting very very small. I think it is awesome.<br />
<br />
Have a great week!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-4089341996667898872011-03-04T07:15:00.000-08:002011-03-04T13:32:13.908-08:00Post Oak Challenge: Part 1What an incredible weekend. Before I even start, I have to wholeheartedly recommend the Post Oak Challenge. February 25/26 next year. <i><b>See you there</b></i>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqORHr_HhyEAa8xxnoRY9bToaVqN6QFqZb-NLsUE_PJE524PEfWU9mPBktg_-BQFMgghB7KrXkUyxuq1r8S0uiuJdz6Ln61kRoCmW3Cxr22XIOVYHuK1BlTOxADSJpEw912lZWqG1lLPtN/s1600/Post+Oak+with+Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqORHr_HhyEAa8xxnoRY9bToaVqN6QFqZb-NLsUE_PJE524PEfWU9mPBktg_-BQFMgghB7KrXkUyxuq1r8S0uiuJdz6Ln61kRoCmW3Cxr22XIOVYHuK1BlTOxADSJpEw912lZWqG1lLPtN/s320/Post+Oak+with+Sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michele, Hannah (me!), Nickki</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We arrived at the Post Oak Lodge Friday late afternoon, and checked in. We were in Lodge 5 - it had a common living space, and 4 (locking) bedrooms, each with private bathrooms. We were greeted by two of our Cabin-mates, Rick and Guy, from Minnesota. <i>They were awesome and doing the 50k trail run and the Marathon.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
The pasta dinner was held at the main Lodge. It was such a beautiful building. The food was delicious! As a vegetarian, I typically expect that my "pasta dinner" will consist of dry pasta (with olive oil if I'm lucky) and vegetables. I was amazed that not only was there a vegetarian sauce option, but that it was quite tasty. It had mushrooms and eggplant and was so delicious! Two thumbs up. And the dessert was really good, too. We sat with three runners from St. Louis (all doing their first 50k) and one runner from Oklahoma City (also doing his first 50k). Great people.<br />
<br />
Our speaker was Randy Ellis, author of the book "Running With Payne". Randy did a transcontinental run from California to New York in 1998. Beyond the book and beyond the awesome thing that Randy accomplished, he was hands-down one of the nicest men I've ever met. Genuinely and shockingly down to earth and kind and it was so obvious that he truly cared when he talked to each person. We enjoyed hearing about his journey, and talking with him after. (I geeked out big-time, and got on the topic of Ultramarathons with Randy - specifically my upcoming 100 miler in October. It was awesome, as he's done the 50 mile at Heartland, so is familiar with the course, and is also a 100-miler himself. I love runners.)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3n816t4NYAxYw8IQKbaOj1R9WmQPvzMMpMXFnshPA55BYOgag2DX5-HgCy-Z4OMfQm0vBxXmLBjsO3QpoqUeJ-afcqhlSylL4gRYxuc8Nyzl43kCAFTpVZRtjoLIy5qun2YF9Iby2F3x/s1600/Post+Oak+with+Randy+Ellis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3n816t4NYAxYw8IQKbaOj1R9WmQPvzMMpMXFnshPA55BYOgag2DX5-HgCy-Z4OMfQm0vBxXmLBjsO3QpoqUeJ-afcqhlSylL4gRYxuc8Nyzl43kCAFTpVZRtjoLIy5qun2YF9Iby2F3x/s320/Post+Oak+with+Randy+Ellis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michele, Myself, Randy Ellis, Nickki.<br />
He's tall. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>My friends and I headed back to our Lodge after dinner, and drifted off to a restless sleep.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning we had a 6:15 wakeup - for an 8am race. Our wakeup time even provided us with extra time! Every other race I've done has required being up at least 4 hours prior to the run. It was heaven to know that we had to walk 30 seconds and we were at the start line.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w6omdTKlakuZ2no2u2aA0nAi9MpATkdLrQVcvK3scTTUGWIJP30e30iL00-ZWa9RcOqBl-x3ZNqTu6p1-Gcn8tD0HDvrZ-4hAotcaK25e-J9dy5te4aQU3KXl5BHGfbvXrbYkBvSN87m/s1600/Post+Oak+Finish+Line+Saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w6omdTKlakuZ2no2u2aA0nAi9MpATkdLrQVcvK3scTTUGWIJP30e30iL00-ZWa9RcOqBl-x3ZNqTu6p1-Gcn8tD0HDvrZ-4hAotcaK25e-J9dy5te4aQU3KXl5BHGfbvXrbYkBvSN87m/s320/Post+Oak+Finish+Line+Saturday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us at the start line...that wasn't really the start line.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We were all a little unsure of what we were getting ourselves into, as none of us have ever set foot on a trail in our lives. Especially not a trail with the intent of running! (Or, as we would find out...merely attempting to run.) The great part was to be there with friends, and knowing we were all getting a new experience out of the deal, in addition to having a wonderful weekend away from our day-to-day lives. Nickki and I said goodbye to Michele, as she was doing the 10k and it had a start time 30 minutes after ours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJOFWdKa3T5O-cjdT7xVT6ykANdtQql2r9WiogXT6BbXSXz2DMcVsE71tqTVBsl3igngomgVIWR8E7saQ2hY3XRRWo7bCOyPOgbVBc2CA5fNVzqIPXcfPyVZjxcsxQsGoxp4nbe6sWOHc/s1600/Post+Oak+Sign+with+Hannah+and+Nickki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJOFWdKa3T5O-cjdT7xVT6ykANdtQql2r9WiogXT6BbXSXz2DMcVsE71tqTVBsl3igngomgVIWR8E7saQ2hY3XRRWo7bCOyPOgbVBc2CA5fNVzqIPXcfPyVZjxcsxQsGoxp4nbe6sWOHc/s320/Post+Oak+Sign+with+Hannah+and+Nickki.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself and Nickki - anxiously excited!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The gun went off and the 25k and 50k race started. I say "race" very loosely, as Nickki and I started near the back, and enjoyed the first part of our run across a giant field. The trail switched quickly to mud, hills, trees, branches, hills, rocks, roots, mud, rocks, mud and single-lane trail. (I don't know my trail lingo. But, hello bottleneck!) It was probably very good we couldn't go any faster or slower. Looking at our pace was pointless, both because we didn't really care what our pace was, with nothing to compare it to, and also because we knew we had a long road ahead of us for Sunday's events.<br />
<br />
The trail switched between being in woods, to big fields. Though the real kicker was that we would hit an area and be thrilled to see wide trails, only to realize there were still 3,253 rocks to contend with, along with mud that I feared would suck my shoes off. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP88OnD2wucO5RVedJTIClcAW5RRKLFZya8sbVLHs86TWKnC9sidGl2bUbbBCJLqSlu764yjr6BQDCf28r8d_QBJVTJS0RMCLo855InILh7Xs04jEY1nwWe7x473RQ6O42xh_8OedJsuij/s1600/Post+Oak+Holmes+Peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP88OnD2wucO5RVedJTIClcAW5RRKLFZya8sbVLHs86TWKnC9sidGl2bUbbBCJLqSlu764yjr6BQDCf28r8d_QBJVTJS0RMCLo855InILh7Xs04jEY1nwWe7x473RQ6O42xh_8OedJsuij/s320/Post+Oak+Holmes+Peak.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking up Holmes Peak.<br />
This picture makes us look like wimps.<br />
I swear it was bigger than it looked...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our friend Coach Scott had warned us that we would have fun, but at some point would say, "Are you freaking kidding me? I am only 3 miles in?!" And that we'd get to a hill and look up at it and just not want to take another step. He was dead on. I think that was the best way to describe it. He also told me that I would use more profanity during the trail run than I will in October when I do my 100 miler. Talk about a pep talk! (In all seriousness, his wisdom and honesty helped us so much, as we knew any defeat we felt was just part of trail running fun. And we really were having fun!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpm3lnyybvyOcO_9se1gWV18MSo23UxnEloUvfeTqCY8hOkz6wy5ASPtF-ZpwjnNo96Kkpsxwg8MhzLHXtT3ZJJ31hcS3Wue5OQ2vKvBgQNOBrszrwreSNGeZovsTyYL-RrinvhoPIuE8/s1600/Post+Oak+Fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpm3lnyybvyOcO_9se1gWV18MSo23UxnEloUvfeTqCY8hOkz6wy5ASPtF-ZpwjnNo96Kkpsxwg8MhzLHXtT3ZJJ31hcS3Wue5OQ2vKvBgQNOBrszrwreSNGeZovsTyYL-RrinvhoPIuE8/s320/Post+Oak+Fog.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The views are apparently quite amazing with clear skies!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had been in contact with the race director, Johnny Spriggs, several times via email. His biggest suggestion was to get gaiters. I am so beyond thankful that we listened. They were awesome, and I cannot imagine if we didn't have them.<br />
<br />
We met great people on the trail. Everyone was so nice. Because Nickki and I weren't concerned on time, we would walk, stop, move off the trail to let people by, etc. It was just an adventure. However, we did feel sort of lame when these two little boys passed us looking about 95% more energetic than we did!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9IqVLhelsI-xfcQbrRlC94zMiek9cnLWQpp6EVi0JGKdN2tMvsRGHRPgx82Tfi1uXW9pyMxp7XpvF9VRo9-ZNK_iyfLea_eFMpr_VFHMo2cz1NuZZrMjaFKKULLlPmssKIh0PeqClaF-/s1600/Post+Oak+Little+Boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9IqVLhelsI-xfcQbrRlC94zMiek9cnLWQpp6EVi0JGKdN2tMvsRGHRPgx82Tfi1uXW9pyMxp7XpvF9VRo9-ZNK_iyfLea_eFMpr_VFHMo2cz1NuZZrMjaFKKULLlPmssKIh0PeqClaF-/s320/Post+Oak+Little+Boys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little boys. Seriously.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I did fall at one point. So thankful I didn't bust my face open, but I did slam my knee into a rock, and banged up my hands a tiny bit. It didn't affect me much, except when it continued to get colder out. <i>Though I won't deny that I did feel 74% more badass after taking my first fall on a trail</i>. We debated that morning whether or not to take gloves, etc. Because of the forecast, we decided against gloves. Bad choice, as the forecast changed and ended up colder. I think that was the one time I really really started feeling my knee aching - when I got pretty cold. Felt much better when we kept moving at a quicker (but still slow) pace.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3qGitqn5hphpB1uscTvFE9s4MC0no3yyFv1yusCGm26MkyD_oAktAkyRX9NDu2xOQFp7ODV-r4Rs_MwKZJVz7lncPXk10qFDxp_vXYtA-1JODCZ6Qky4B2A302dESqKsEt68jse7n1If/s1600/Post++Oak+Stream+Crossing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3qGitqn5hphpB1uscTvFE9s4MC0no3yyFv1yusCGm26MkyD_oAktAkyRX9NDu2xOQFp7ODV-r4Rs_MwKZJVz7lncPXk10qFDxp_vXYtA-1JODCZ6Qky4B2A302dESqKsEt68jse7n1If/s320/Post++Oak+Stream+Crossing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing a creek behind Lyle, a fellow Marathon Maniac.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Per usual, I had to have fun, especially since I wasn't racing and I was feeling good. Therefore, I give you my jumping picture. (Obviously had a difficult time getting off the ground...)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwaVLB5RXPswm8_HXohL0ZW2CeN64EaCX2zdcUyBdDqqQ6ZeW2uR0sx8PpEBh3RRIjslTlyYLL69QPAfcOk3Du8yj8A2fG6EM1Wj4XUcZhRCxrpT0FUq0_VBnYbYV7EOIZarNPiG7mhfT/s1600/Post+Oak+Jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwaVLB5RXPswm8_HXohL0ZW2CeN64EaCX2zdcUyBdDqqQ6ZeW2uR0sx8PpEBh3RRIjslTlyYLL69QPAfcOk3Du8yj8A2fG6EM1Wj4XUcZhRCxrpT0FUq0_VBnYbYV7EOIZarNPiG7mhfT/s320/Post+Oak+Jump.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumping is fun.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The race photographer was in the middle of the woods, and got a great picture of Nickki and I. Honestly, I think she and I both got to a point where if we weren't laughing, we would have been crying. It was very cold, and we were slow, and the course was marked in kilometers, which jacks with your brain. Or it jacks with my brain, anyway. I swear I spent 25 minutes while on the trail trying to figure out the equivalent of 2k in miles.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SWXCl1wdUsfuz5awUtX1dW8k6woJxP8ctR6dcdc0AVUIju3Fgjdq-_Zs9kAoh126n3ylnH1M0Ecy4QwYg6eNgfx6F-IBEkDqoM0U9fF0IpomszpGjVsMbOohZvNMUL1LVf1qeevuY5qq/s1600/Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SWXCl1wdUsfuz5awUtX1dW8k6woJxP8ctR6dcdc0AVUIju3Fgjdq-_Zs9kAoh126n3ylnH1M0Ecy4QwYg6eNgfx6F-IBEkDqoM0U9fF0IpomszpGjVsMbOohZvNMUL1LVf1qeevuY5qq/s320/Trail.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy and thankful that we can go out and do this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had a wardrobe malfunction that become an issue the last half of the trail run. I wore the wrong socks. Yes, I had the correct socks with me (unlike Nickki who completely forgot her pants...she's wearing my extra pair because I am crazy and take extra of everything...) but for whatever reason, I just didn't put them on. Finally, I gave up and took my gaiter off, took my shoe off, and pulled my sock up once and for all. It was a big mental boost to not be annoyed by my lame sock and my apparent lack of smartness to put on the correct socks. Oy vey.<br />
<br />
We eventually made our way to the finish. Ahhhhhh. Nothing like running a marathon finishing time, only 10+ miles shorter distance! Though not my marathon time, thank goodness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCU78D_Pq2oI41nCLvgEH6uYy7or_d2H0ZTXRWoXQCbr5xBNUf0VcDO9k8Nn6FODfFRYGcgddqfW7e4ykPJL6oxV7byXFCsK-c1AejjiA2WhvQs9QLYXuWX7kmJMy-Yh_w7CDPaRIpjll/s1600/Post+Oak+Post-Saturday+Race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCU78D_Pq2oI41nCLvgEH6uYy7or_d2H0ZTXRWoXQCbr5xBNUf0VcDO9k8Nn6FODfFRYGcgddqfW7e4ykPJL6oxV7byXFCsK-c1AejjiA2WhvQs9QLYXuWX7kmJMy-Yh_w7CDPaRIpjll/s320/Post+Oak+Post-Saturday+Race.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nickki, Myself, Michele - Done!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Michele had a gerat time on the trail, and very much enjoyed her 10k. I am so proud of both she and Nickki, as they hadn't really been running much at all. Trails are so odd, as it was like many many miles running benches at a stadium, combined with lunges, combined with lateral jumping, with small bursts of running. It was fun, and I did succeed in my goal of wanting to walk away understanding why people love trails so much. Nickki and I agreed that we would absolutely do more trail runs, even without having a place to train for trail runs. It was just fun, and mentally challenging, and physically challenging, and awesome. And muddy and wet. Because I'm sure you want to know, we didn't take dead last, but not far from it...our time was 3:36:31.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzk3IbDStVxjWzbnxV6LYDdconrZNY1BcKNk7CkGblPLNSFRgoDmdjKuz15V7Jan5Mk2TzfUQbuakmywcUX94veJUbcNUhkvrKqTq07Yy-oWdkEAopUPDbsf6nXh0y72jUTGAXd8u3FSh/s1600/Post+Oak+Muddy+Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzk3IbDStVxjWzbnxV6LYDdconrZNY1BcKNk7CkGblPLNSFRgoDmdjKuz15V7Jan5Mk2TzfUQbuakmywcUX94veJUbcNUhkvrKqTq07Yy-oWdkEAopUPDbsf6nXh0y72jUTGAXd8u3FSh/s320/Post+Oak+Muddy+Shoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail runners!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'll be back soon to recap the rest of the weekend, including my 26.2 miles the next day. Good times!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-33654062637045368742011-02-24T06:45:00.000-08:002011-02-24T06:45:36.002-08:00The Two Week Unplanned Running VacationSo happy to be back to the land of the living!<br />
<br />
At the time of my last post, I thought I was getting better. I thought wrong. My fever came back and stayed through Wednesday of last week. No bueno.<br />
<br />
I had my first run in almost two weeks on Saturday. It was painful. Heart rate was out of control. (176 average...and that includes me walking the last 2 miles, and taking walk breaks during. Ouch.) I was so disappointed with the run, but at the same time, I got 14 miles in - so not all was lost. It just hurt. Coughing and gagging every few minutes didn't help. Ewww.<br />
<br />
I was pretty sore. Probably from the high heart rate. Probably from not running for almost two weeks. Probably because the universe wanted to make fun of me for being so happy that I wasn't sore after my 45-mile weekend a few weeks ago...<br />
<br />
I decided that it would be fun to take the entire family (Husband and three daughters ages 6, 4 and 2) to the track so I could attempt a recovery run on Sunday. It was awesome. The run was very short at two miles, but having them there with me was so much fun. There were some tears by my very dramatic middle daughter, who was upset that she wasn't "winning" against her big sister. Eventually, they all stopped and played soccer with Daddy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20K_KqUad1n46-diZZYgebf7MVgqiJHlGTSZQv5bLQM0m4jEvKlPz2ivMRPxnkCfGfz4gB4hgAEfzX7RH0ito7zsTNBNe9ho7apdGlXMCOAXW2ACmRFuTnWdn2uNdzQjSYr5xZoxIkrjM/s1600/Track+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20K_KqUad1n46-diZZYgebf7MVgqiJHlGTSZQv5bLQM0m4jEvKlPz2ivMRPxnkCfGfz4gB4hgAEfzX7RH0ito7zsTNBNe9ho7apdGlXMCOAXW2ACmRFuTnWdn2uNdzQjSYr5xZoxIkrjM/s320/Track+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the skirts...heaven forbid we leave home without.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LKklrgEidFXjP3ZcJ1J83r4LzEXAfplFWzVBxu_9nO_KsCBEqr6jhoHoBGNp5jmS6G58Prxt0hV6rdFP_5YieCGkhv9bVUVYqlomsWzt6pYXMs3iwXM-A-9JKfxJryrJhI_PglXxhGuv/s1600/Track+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LKklrgEidFXjP3ZcJ1J83r4LzEXAfplFWzVBxu_9nO_KsCBEqr6jhoHoBGNp5jmS6G58Prxt0hV6rdFP_5YieCGkhv9bVUVYqlomsWzt6pYXMs3iwXM-A-9JKfxJryrJhI_PglXxhGuv/s320/Track+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm fuzzies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEg-TXEfPIgD_Lu7tvFjnwkRDLASnOl6IghaTuk8DOq5Gz6vRCQZ5MdSdYEzGB16z0_e0XOFax-XNNfLt0W6Zz1sBOvT4rEw9NbnKSqOQDwkq5GSZJ5WlynYtTG2SZBURfuKBBgequMk6/s1600/Track+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEg-TXEfPIgD_Lu7tvFjnwkRDLASnOl6IghaTuk8DOq5Gz6vRCQZ5MdSdYEzGB16z0_e0XOFax-XNNfLt0W6Zz1sBOvT4rEw9NbnKSqOQDwkq5GSZJ5WlynYtTG2SZBURfuKBBgequMk6/s320/Track+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She said over and over, "This is so fun, Mommy!" </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Sunday turned out to not only be a good call for fun family time, but it also allowed me to work the soreness out, and I felt much better after.<br />
<br />
My runs this week have been back to normal. I'm still pretty tired, but I suppose that can be expected post-plague. And now, I just coast into the <a href="http://postoakrun.com/">Post Oak Challenge</a> for this weekend...<br />
<br />
And speaking of the Post Oak Challenge, I am so excited. I am heading to Tulsa with two of my most cherished girlfriends, and I am so happy to have some time to enjoy their company. The entire setup of the Post Oak Challenge is awesome. All runs both Saturday and Sunday start from the Post Oak Lodge. We're staying on property, so we'll literally be right by the start (and finish). This will be a very welcome change most of my previous marathons, where I've had to arrive 2 hours early. It will be a weekend full of friends and a bunch of people who love running just as much as we do. I love the concept.<br />
<br />
The Saturday runs are all on technical trails. As in...something I've never even stepped foot on. The race director promises single track trail, rocks, roots, hills, and creek crossings. (Oh snap. And I'm signed up for the 25k.) While I have never done this before, I am going to channel my inner <a href="http://indisjournal.blogspot.com/">Indi</a>, who sneaks onto trails when they are closed because she can't stand road running anymore. I hope to come away after appreciating the love of trail running that so many people possess.<br />
<br />
Sunday I am signed up for the full marathon. They are calling it a "Troad" marathon. (Paved trail and road the entire way.) I don't expect anything other than a finish, which is perfect. It occurred me to me last night that as of this Sunday when I'm running I have another marathon 3 weeks later, a half marathon 4 weeks later, and my first Ultra 5 weeks later. So really, this is just a training run on tired legs which is ideal. And I get a medal at the end.<br />
<br />
I hope everyone has a great finish to the week, and an awesome weekend. I'm sure I'll be back next week with sore legs and some stories of our weekend adventures. There are always adventures when girlfriends take road trips...Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-85734987584699246532011-02-10T14:44:00.000-08:002011-02-10T14:44:53.563-08:00Last Week = Awesome. This week = Notsomuch.I had such a great training week last week! 66 miles total. Due to weather, I ended up on the treadmill for 6 miles Tuesday, 10 miles Wednesday, and 5 miles Thursday. Nothing too crazy - but great, solid runs.<br />
<br />
Saturday was my 20 miler. Fabulous. Great company. Great run.<br />
<br />
Sunday was my 25 miler. Fabulous. Great company. (Minus running buddy aka: Coach Scott being sick and bailing partway through...though he still drove his car around and checked in on me. So kind.) Also had my first practice eating real food (pb&j) during a run. It was awesome. I think the best part of ultra training is: solid food on the run. Love it!<br />
<br />
No soreness whatsoever, despite my 45 mile weekend! Score! I was anticipating joint pain, etc. But, nada. Giant confidence boost! Legs were tired, but I truly felt fantastic.<br />
<br />
I started feeling a little feverish, though. Monday I was sort of blah, then Tuesday I was down for the count. Realized I would not be running. Wednesday, same thing. No run, and was so sick I didn't even care. Fever, cough, headache, chills, body aches, you name it. No bueno. It was around this time I also realized that my 30 miles that is upcoming on Saturday (and 15 Sunday) is probably not happening. The really great part? I'm totally fine with that. I'm at a place in my training where I really truly get that these rest days that I wasn't anticipating aren't a bad thing. And that running merely to get my runs in, despite feeling completely awful, would do more harm than good. (Those were Coach Scott's words.) I've run before when "sick" - but this was the type of sick where even being upright wasn't happening. I mothered from the couch like a champ.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to report that today I am beginning to feel better. Fever is mostly gone, I was actually able to be upright long enough to take a shower, do some stuff around the house, and to sit at the computer and write this. (I really did plan to update my blog earlier this week because I was so excited from my fantastic weekend of running! Darn sickness.) I'm still not sure how I feel about this weekend. I plan to pow-wow with Coach Scott tomorrow to decide what to do. I'm thinking with the way I feel today, by Saturday I should feel pretty great. I may not make it 30 miles (and, keep in mind, this would be my first time beyond 26.2, and I really want to give myself a fighting chance to finish feeling good) - but I'm ok with that.<br />
<br />
It feels really awesome to be at a healthy place, mentally. Despite being a psycho planner, I'm very much at peace with the fact my training is getting turned upside down this week, and perhaps even into this weekend. There's no sense of doom or panic or anything else negative. I am very calm and happy about where I am. <i>Cannot beat that feeling. </i><br />
<br />
I hope everyone is having a great week and that the sickness I had stays far far away from you.<br />
<br />
<i><b>As a side note, I have started fundraising again with Team in Training. This time around, I'm raffling an Apple iPad (yes, iPad, not iPod)! If you're interested in purchasing a raffle ticket, please click the logo on the right. Thank you!</b></i>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-48119559052727277162011-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:002011-02-01T07:27:51.040-08:00The rest of January.I left you hanging. I apologize. My husband went to Canada for a ski trip for TEN days, leaving me to solo parent our three girls. It went well, though. I got all of my runs in despite his absence. We welcomed him home with our two-year-old puking all night the first night, our 4-year-old the second night, and the 6-year-old for the next 4 days. Good times.<br />
<br />
I did, in fact, end up doing my long run on January 12. (2 degrees with a -14 windchill. Wow.) I used Yaktrax for the first time, and they were wonderful. My calves burned like crazy on that run! We cut it back to 13.1 miles - I just didn't have the full 15 miles in me. My eyelashes were frozen and very beautiful. So proud that I got the run in outdoors - it gave me the appreciation of 20 degree weather that I didn't possess before. Special thanks to Coach Scott for not wimping out on me that morning.<br />
<br />
Because I cut that run short, I accomplished my 2nd long run the next morning (equally cold) at the gym. 17 miles on the indoor track. 170 laps. Not bad at all, and I actually had quite a bit of fun doing it. (Surprise, surprise. Me, having fun?)<br />
<br />
I had four runs on the treadmill while my husband was gone. I like to avoid the treadmill. It couldn't be avoided, and I learned to love it. It was a great tool to have and it allowed me to get done what I needed to get done while also not leaving my children at home by themselves. <i>I'm such a good Mommy...</i><br />
<br />
25 miles were on schedule for Saturday, January 22. Coach Scott and his wife (Jenn, who is also a dear friend of mine) stayed at my house on Friday night, along with their son. Jenn was on kid duty Saturday morning starting at 5am, and Coach Scott and I accomplished our 25 miles. (My 2nd long run on Sunday was very short, and only called for 5 miles. Yahoo!) Thank you, Jenn and Scott!<br />
<br />
Normal miles this week, though I did run on Friday (my usual rest day). It was 70 degrees in Kansas! Saturday called for 10 miles. It was hot and I had no water. I had good company in the Fair Weather Runner, The Running Lawyer, Shelley, and Aaron. Sunday's run was back to being freaking cold, and Jenn and I got our 20 miles in (fine. Technically 20.5 - I never round up). Our friend Lauren joined us for 10 miles, and it was her first double-digit day! So fun!<br />
<br />
Very exciting tidbit: January was my very first 200 mile month. And it has been a year since I started running! I'm so happy and thankful. Such an awesome thing we're all able to do. I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my husband, my three little girls, Coach Scott, and each and every one of my running buddies. I'm thankful for their support and love!<br />
<br />
February is starting off cold. And windy. And snowy. Today I'll be on the treadmill, probably tomorrow and Thursday on the treadmill as well. This weekend I've got 25 Saturday and 20 Sunday...no way am I staying on the treadmill for those runs!<br />
<br />
Have a fantastic week.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-82877873733657135442011-01-10T07:36:00.000-08:002011-01-10T07:36:52.962-08:00Ultra Training, so far.I am a psycho planner. I asked Coach Scott to plan out all of my weekend runs from now through the Heartland 100...in October. He reluctantly agreed, but made me promise to adjust as necessary, and to take it one month at a time. Since some of you asked about my training, here's a look.<br />
<br />
So far, so good in January:<br />
<br />
1st/2nd - 15/10<br />
8th/9th - 20/10<br />
<br />
During the week, I runTuesday (4-5 miles), Wednesday (in January 6 miles, building back to 10 miles starting in February), and Thursday (4-6 miles).<br />
<br />
The plan includes strength training on Monday and Wednesday.<br />
<br />
I'm really feeling pretty great. The 20 miles on Saturday went well, minus me keeping hydrated. The 10 miles yesterday was done in the hills of the Heartland 100 course. (It is really nice to have the course relatively close - about an hour away.) I took my new <a href="http://www.zappos.com/saucony-grid-excursion-tr-5-silver-grey-green">Saucony trail shoes</a> for a spin at the Heartland course, and really liked them. Bonus: the price was quite awesome as far as running shoes go.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJ8QQ7aVlxk6trfiUrcWhGZnYjYn197ejjP4LRaanWN71bpsv6BF6wPGAPiLKN-mYnv-Rda3opZ6fadSXjtXDIkvHNx60VFkVOfNseNQ32B0cOJUeV-FdMih_wAGpPuG23Z2jEQJE0MEF/s1600/Cows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJ8QQ7aVlxk6trfiUrcWhGZnYjYn197ejjP4LRaanWN71bpsv6BF6wPGAPiLKN-mYnv-Rda3opZ6fadSXjtXDIkvHNx60VFkVOfNseNQ32B0cOJUeV-FdMih_wAGpPuG23Z2jEQJE0MEF/s320/Cows.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving home from Heartland. Cows blocked the course.<br />
Notice the look of terror in my Coach's eyes in the rearview mirror.<br />
The cows know he eats their kind...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I was sore yesterday, but I am feeling great today. This week my schedule is a little off, as I'm moving my Saturday/Sunday runs to Wednesday (15) and Thursday (15). Wednesday's low is -3 degrees. <i>Without windchill.</i> Brrrr.<br />
<br />
All in all, everything is going really, really well. Hope you enjoy a wonderful (and warm) week!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-23294532003642845932011-01-05T18:36:00.000-08:002011-01-05T18:38:44.257-08:002011: Here I come!I started this blog on January 22, 2010. I was training for my very first (and only) marathon and raising money for Team in Training. I had never run more than 7 miles...and that was 10 years prior. I named the blog "More than a Marathon" to honor the fact that my first marathon meant more to me than running it as a goal for myself (marathon before age 30). I had other goals happening with Team in Training at the same time. And that I was doing it in Clayton's honor.<br />
<br />
I started reading blogs. I noticed all of these 'Tall Mom 1000+' logos. "<i>Wow. There are a lot of tall runners who blog</i>!" I finally figured out that Tall Mom is a person, not a description of the stature of the runners in the club. And that the 1000+ is the number of miles they planned for 2010. "<i>Crazy. All crazy. That is a ton of miles</i>" I thought.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to May 2010, where I had already planned 5 marathons before the end of the year...without having ever run my first. I finished off the year doing 6 marathons...in just under 6 months. And, without even meaning to, making it into Tall Mom's 1000+ club. So wild where I've gone in just a year! <b>And the most exciting part of 2010...Clayton officially being cancer-free! </b>It truly was a life changing year, in more ways than I ever thought possible.<br />
<br />
That said, the fact that I'm a planner has not changed. I can't help it. I just am. <i>Maybe I should consider "planning" to update my blog layout. I am pretty sure San Diego and Seattle are finished...</i><br />
<br />
2011 has been planned:<br />
<br />
February 26: <a href="http://postoakrun.com/">Post Oak Challenge</a> 25k Trail Run (Tulsa, OK)<br />
February 27: <a href="http://postoakrun.com/">Post Oak Challenge</a> Full Marathon (Tulsa, OK)<br />
<br />
March 20: <a href="http://a2amarathon.com/">A2A Marathon</a> Full (Ardmore, OK)<br />
March 27: <a href="http://dallas.competitor.com/">Rock 'n Roll Dallas</a> 1/2 Marathon (Dallas, TX)<br />
<br />
April 3: <a href="http://brewtobrew.com/">Brew to Brew</a> 44 Mile Ultra (Kansas City to Lawrence, KS)<br />
<br />
May 1: <a href="http://bmovanmarathon.ca/">BMO Vancouver</a> Full (Vancouver, BC) <i>With Team in Training! Yay!</i><br />
<br />
June 4: <a href="http://hospitalhillrun.com/">Hospital Hill</a> 1/2 Marathon (Kansas City, KS)<br />
June 11: <a href="http://marathon2marathon.com/">Marathon to Marathon</a> Full (Storm Lake to Marathon, IA)<br />
June 12: <a href="http://myslcc.com/swan_lake_marathon.php">Swan Lake Marathon</a> Full (Viborg, SD)<br />
<br />
July 15: <a href="http://lunartrekrun.com/">Lunar Trek</a> 40 Mile Ultra (Scandia, KS)<br />
<br />
August 20:<a href="http://pikespeakmarathon.org/"> Pike's Peak Ascent</a> 1/2 Marathon (Colorado Springs, CO)<br />
<br />
October: <a href="http://ksultrarunners.org/">Heartland Spirit of the Prairie</a> 100 Mile Ultra (Cassoday, KS)<br />
<br />
That's right...2011 is the year of the Ultra. I am beyond excited. My training schedule is intimidating. I'll have multiple training runs where I run more than a marathon (<i><b>foreshadowing, anyone, with the name of my blog? Who knew?!</b></i>). With no medal at the end. I'll be back to the land of the mileage PR. I'm pumped. I miss those days of running where each step you take is another step into the unknown, and further than you've ever been. This will be fun. It's like an anniversary!<br />
<br />
The training so far is a-ok. I'm getting comfortable logging miles on my own. I mostly don't want to run on my own for safety, but I'm realizing that I am capable of it. I did a solo 15 miles (slightly hungover) on New Year's Day...and realized that I am boring. I am so thankful to have a large group of people to run with most of the time. They're amazing. Given the number of miles I'll be logging the next 10 months, I am even more grateful for the fact that I have so much support from so many people. It is a very cool feeling. <i>Warm fuzzies. </i>Add to that the support I have from my husband (totally amazing) and my family and my non-running friends, and my Coach, and fellow bloggers...and I feel like the luckiest woman alive.<br />
<br />
Here's to 2011!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-65194119562229629412010-12-27T08:54:00.000-08:002010-12-27T08:54:45.134-08:00Fun with Meb in Vegas.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3UQ9AnnMZIvYkutfBsHq-2hgNMaFUKdeE5XUKCO0-SlhqH0TsIWstDx4Us2GA9k1-PxdWwji2sHtbVuzsoJwDOCYpowsWHDykd8JI6lsKMOSmviVTHvXnrlXcUXQPQMJj8hHg0HQt0Co/s1600/Completing+the+Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3UQ9AnnMZIvYkutfBsHq-2hgNMaFUKdeE5XUKCO0-SlhqH0TsIWstDx4Us2GA9k1-PxdWwji2sHtbVuzsoJwDOCYpowsWHDykd8JI6lsKMOSmviVTHvXnrlXcUXQPQMJj8hHg0HQt0Co/s400/Completing+the+Heart.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meb and I "completed the heart" together. Awwwww. He's a good sport. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-41897716354684442162010-12-16T07:09:00.000-08:002010-12-16T07:09:58.299-08:00Vegas, Baby. (Race Report)Oh, Vegas. I had been planning months in advance for this day. Not only was it the final event in meeting my goal of running my <i>first</i> 6 marathons in 6 months (and earning a second star in the Marathon Maniacs), I was also aiming to crush my previous PR of 4:36:something. Forget a little PR, I wanted a 4:15.<br />
<br />
The week leading up to Vegas, I panicked about having to use a port-a-potty during the run. I decided that <a href="http://runscottierun.blogspot.com/">Coach Scott</a> (my pacer) needed to know I couldn't run a 4:15 pace. I needed some padding. He suggested 4:10 pace. Then I was silly and decided that I wanted in the single-digits, and that I wouldn't be happy with a PR unless it was below 4:10. I plugged in a 4:07:30 on the McMillan Running Calculator, and it showed a 9:27 pace. I knew it was a sign, as Coach Scott had just killed his 100 miler at a 9:27 pace. He disagreed, and told me I was stupid. (This is normal behavior. No harm done.)<br />
<br />
The morning was beautiful. We stayed at Mandalay Bay, which was totally awesome. So nice to be right where the race started and finished. Good call on our part.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zGfYBMNTd3K0-oNWu6AtIA4CNhZBu_l1xD0DxuS1jlN8xwSD0ztSDW8jtYzmETxdcv0wyk4A2s9LS_Xe9FVTJYeIHzO1CU4vV6pE9HHwTCh1p3TH7bFqdf1K-40dDt2F9zOJLekx70xE/s1600/Little+Group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zGfYBMNTd3K0-oNWu6AtIA4CNhZBu_l1xD0DxuS1jlN8xwSD0ztSDW8jtYzmETxdcv0wyk4A2s9LS_Xe9FVTJYeIHzO1CU4vV6pE9HHwTCh1p3TH7bFqdf1K-40dDt2F9zOJLekx70xE/s320/Little+Group.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Scott, myself, Coach Scott, and Jenn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Because I was actually trying to run at a faster pace than normal, I was not allowed to take pictures during the race. So sad. However, my friend Nickki was along and running the 1/2 with My Scott, and she was able to get some good pictures.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-6HvzH_LJl-iQWFkQpmMF7fsDm0CxVGNeBlbNVYo5DVq5Mg7ie5r6GsfVnJoUDI6AzQ_Eg1r720H5_ENSvRrydsVNaP7jGlHUsjyCPdyiKkDhvFAkg4TI_hTz99Wt4rQuVCJHH8qNv2J/s1600/Happy+Running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-6HvzH_LJl-iQWFkQpmMF7fsDm0CxVGNeBlbNVYo5DVq5Mg7ie5r6GsfVnJoUDI6AzQ_Eg1r720H5_ENSvRrydsVNaP7jGlHUsjyCPdyiKkDhvFAkg4TI_hTz99Wt4rQuVCJHH8qNv2J/s320/Happy+Running.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having fun! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42xYHoJxpTGkuO5Ri9gG3oDJXYblMpEwEKQHtI27q3lm8oIuyP5CvMWD1NJ4549nmich0Zfi2Iu0lvoX3uLH4BYX0nCfw620FiML9itajJc8vK0AdaUbIHZiD4_PM0fbNF_wFVY1jManH/s1600/Hand+Holding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42xYHoJxpTGkuO5Ri9gG3oDJXYblMpEwEKQHtI27q3lm8oIuyP5CvMWD1NJ4549nmich0Zfi2Iu0lvoX3uLH4BYX0nCfw620FiML9itajJc8vK0AdaUbIHZiD4_PM0fbNF_wFVY1jManH/s320/Hand+Holding.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got in trouble for running and holding hands.<br />
Apparently our pacer doesn't find that behavior<br />
to be conducive to running a PR.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Everything was great the first 1/2. Running in Vegas is very fun! I couldn't believe how quickly you can get down the strip when you're not in a cab and/or walking on a sidewalk full of people. There was, however, a lot of dodging in and out of people. We definitely needed to be in a different corral. It was exhausting.<br />
<br />
The 1/2 marathon spilt at around 12 miles, and Coach Scott, Jenn and I continued on in our journey. Coach Scott was happy to hear that I wasn't as thrilled with marathoning as usual given my quicker pace. I stuck with Coach Scott and Jenn until around mile 14. I was having a hard time keeping pace, and I was getting concerned about needing to pee, so I went ahead. It was depressing. After I left them, I regretted it. I was lonely! Also, Coach Scott was less like a pacer and more like a butler. He was so nice (for once) and told us he'd get whatever we needed at water stops*, etc. It was very nice. I was missing that service he provided, too. He was totally awesome.<br />
<br />
<i>*Side note - I did not have my water bottle. I always carry my water bottle. I made a last minute decision that I did not need the bottle, given the number of water stops along the way. Stupid. At three water stops in a row, I did not get nearly enough fluid. Not good. Another difference this time around was not having my electrolyte tabs taped onto my gels. In fact, I didn't even plan to take any. I think I got two down, and gave up because it was too much of a pain to take them. Also not good. </i><br />
<br />
My spirits lifted when I saw <a href="http://tallmomontherun.com/">Tall Mom</a> and <a href="http://5mls2mt.blogspot.com/">Amanda</a> on one of the out-and-back sections. (The entire second half of the race was pretty much nothing but a series of out-and-back sections. It felt like it, anyway.) Just seeing familiar faces was just what I needed. So happy! Then I got sad again because I knew I'd never catch up with them. So lonely. I never ever thought I'd feel lonely in a marathon. Ever. For some reason, I really did in Vegas.<br />
<br />
I can't remember what mile it was, but an angel came into my life in the form of a runner. She was keeping right with me, so I decided I'd make a new friend. Her name was Ann, from Portland. She was in town doing her very first marathon with several friends. She was coming back from an injury - she broke her back! She told me it was nearly the 1 year anniversary. We connected over how cool this marathon was for both of us - big goals on both ends. And, I looooooove first time marathoners. Love. It takes me back to my first, and that was such a special day.<br />
<br />
At one point, I have no idea where, we did end up catching up to Tall Mom and Amanda. Seeing them again was fabulous. I remember Tall Mom saying "Nice ass!" to me. In response, I spanked myself for her. As if I could go an entire marathon without doing something silly.<br />
<br />
We were keeping a pretty good clip. Around mile 22, I remember looking down at my legs...thought it through, and didn't know how on earth I could keep running for another 40 minutes. Or 45 if the wheels really started falling off the bus. Then I looked at Ann, and got myself together, and just kept going. I wasn't happy about it. My legs were tired. The out-and-back sections were getting to me, as everyone I saw were miles ahead. I believe it was my first time "hitting the wall" - sort of awesome experience, as I thought it was a big fallacy that people were over-dramatic about. Now I know it exists, and I get it, and can appreciate it.<br />
<br />
I made a decision to take another gel at mile 24 (I had been taking them every 5 miles). Best idea ever. 20 minutes of running didn't seem so bad. My spirits lifted. I knew I was going to finish this bad boy, and meet all of my goals. The rest of the run was great! Finishing felt amazing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHbtvVJahcT7oBJdu1CxP2mySDcWUn32zRUB7843DhoB4dKcZPdTOPqVMj3u7I_nEnQIBA5MrK3ZRh4dTtC0zNovU_F4UllKwBJu1JMXKLT3_1FJ3SI8dlrzwPEpflcLerfjeks0t8ahb/s1600/New+Friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHbtvVJahcT7oBJdu1CxP2mySDcWUn32zRUB7843DhoB4dKcZPdTOPqVMj3u7I_nEnQIBA5MrK3ZRh4dTtC0zNovU_F4UllKwBJu1JMXKLT3_1FJ3SI8dlrzwPEpflcLerfjeks0t8ahb/s320/New+Friends.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself, and my Angel. Finished! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>And, I made that PR goal. My finishing time was <b>4:07:13</b>. Sweet!<br />
<br />
Coach Scott and Jenn were not far behind, and I met up with them for our official finishing picture. Jenn also crushed her previous PR. Way to go, Jenn!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaJx8ZwLIhgOVaYZizEPOlJIT6YCuvK1E9HgG6qJ8vOCYfZsljKe1EKpy83GuRDP_Yo8eZcsCJmSs3mBwbzff14L0qeMcEwYyIBa294mc12ms11tudqqs8gUpuFDgVJkUrFpxmPc47T6q/s1600/Finishers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaJx8ZwLIhgOVaYZizEPOlJIT6YCuvK1E9HgG6qJ8vOCYfZsljKe1EKpy83GuRDP_Yo8eZcsCJmSs3mBwbzff14L0qeMcEwYyIBa294mc12ms11tudqqs8gUpuFDgVJkUrFpxmPc47T6q/s320/Finishers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love running buddies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My husband finished his first 1/2 Marathon - and is already signed up for another in March! I'm so glad he had Nickki to run with.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzcEMm-A5CVoIhtG2YWoOQGhORxrCdjHSZOiTuFltG6ZsiPUTE6IuBpp1iuL354zoWwL5duwqrjVp8cWQnDV_WddT4CiEJGBPUIkqnJdipv0n4e91uuHIuRGAzXxmv4aMiGA77ddTdchM/s1600/1%253A2+marathoners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzcEMm-A5CVoIhtG2YWoOQGhORxrCdjHSZOiTuFltG6ZsiPUTE6IuBpp1iuL354zoWwL5duwqrjVp8cWQnDV_WddT4CiEJGBPUIkqnJdipv0n4e91uuHIuRGAzXxmv4aMiGA77ddTdchM/s320/1%253A2+marathoners.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way to go, My Scott and Nickki! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>All in all, it was a very fun day. Sadly, things went downhill afterward, and I started throwing up. So sick. Not fun. I felt bad enough that I wasn't sure how I'd ever do another marathon, as the thought of sucking down a gel ever again in my life wasn't anything I wanted to do. I'll spare you all the details, but I was hurting. Might have had something to do with my heart rate average for the marathon being 190. Or that I caught something. Or that I wasn't hydrated. Or not enough salt. Regardless, it wasn't fun. It took several days for me to feel better.<br />
<br />
I am, however, better! And I have my entire next year + planned out. I'll spare you having to read any more...and I'll actually post a non-race report very soon. Thank you all for your support and kindness and love and encouragement. <b>I DID IT!</b>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-47140818306450747282010-11-30T11:37:00.000-08:002010-11-30T11:38:52.294-08:00RNR Denver Marathon (Recap)Yes...Rock 'n Roll Denver was forever ago.<br />
<br />
I've had a difficult time figuring out what exactly to say about Denver. My friends Michele, Eric #2 and I left late Friday night and drove overnight to get to Denver. Eric #2 needed to puke in Denver. Not cool.<br />
<br />
We finally made it out of Denver once Eric #2 was feeling better. Our hotel was generously given to us, compliments of my awesome friends Desi and Ross - on account of Ross being a frequent gambler. The drive was an hour out of Denver, in Blackhawk, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Once we made it there, Michele and I showered (we arrived around 6am) and got ready for the day (note: no sleep whatsoever). Eric #2 opted to stay and sleep at the hotel, while Michele and I were determined to make the most of our time in Denver.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ifB3iObx_bfhGVUtun4S-BCaBa8v9AEHVdgl4GGMLynP0V5bR2n31-SZF4GOtz0oV9TNMNa0-3_UsMo0Onq16JxK7BH-u6zR5Uca0H_XN-bDm1c12_GosZbWzNdmdzlo8iFEkAcKw-mu/s1600/Hannah+and+Michele.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ifB3iObx_bfhGVUtun4S-BCaBa8v9AEHVdgl4GGMLynP0V5bR2n31-SZF4GOtz0oV9TNMNa0-3_UsMo0Onq16JxK7BH-u6zR5Uca0H_XN-bDm1c12_GosZbWzNdmdzlo8iFEkAcKw-mu/s320/Hannah+and+Michele.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing says "road trip" like a side of the road self-portrait!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We met up with a college buddy of mine for breakfast at a really awesome breakfast place. I cannot, for the life of me, remember the name...but I highly recommend whatever it was.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79UJpovos7Zw69UBEaKCSd2z5Rc1Nfo9UePd2nn21_I3xmlcwZQ5saB3rIOcBRJm8GLIWcDvrI28HoSZnMWnAjRFxRPzd06zQkUfsITBIDMXo6gqZf8OdldeAQHXpw6P6yJ665e2Zypn1/s1600/Breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79UJpovos7Zw69UBEaKCSd2z5Rc1Nfo9UePd2nn21_I3xmlcwZQ5saB3rIOcBRJm8GLIWcDvrI28HoSZnMWnAjRFxRPzd06zQkUfsITBIDMXo6gqZf8OdldeAQHXpw6P6yJ665e2Zypn1/s320/Breakfast.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double latte to make up for no sleep? Yes, please!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We made our way to the expo and fell in love with the area. We picked up our packets, checked out the gear, and walked around like zombies. The lack of sleep was starting to set in. However, we had a famous blogger sighting that perked us up for a bit! I believe her husband was tipsy while taking our photo...<br />
<div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNLcxOpP1rmgHe-RPeffIVbkQT2brF3-gL5UEHBrapAC0qNkFavac3JcrFbwlyv8lyV4oTqziD8rlMBcJ4kwE-_RZGbyOtfvzdUusGGJ4hQ67byPY82upthIYlycYk-HR1HTvUcMYEeXq/s1600/Famous+Blogger+Sighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNLcxOpP1rmgHe-RPeffIVbkQT2brF3-gL5UEHBrapAC0qNkFavac3JcrFbwlyv8lyV4oTqziD8rlMBcJ4kwE-_RZGbyOtfvzdUusGGJ4hQ67byPY82upthIYlycYk-HR1HTvUcMYEeXq/s320/Famous+Blogger+Sighting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Mrs. Shut Up and Run, and Michele<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><div>I don't really remember the rest of the afternoon. Eventually, we made our way back to Blackhawk, where we met up with Ross, Desi, Nickki, and Eric #2. Thankfully, Ross was afraid of me driving anymore (yay!) so we were able to ride back into Denver for dinner with everyone else. Of course finding a restaurant was chaos, but we eventually enjoyed our pre-marathon dinner. </div></div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8kJVvSvL9UgXOzMyGWwvKv6Cq6WOBAzE15hxK67CbqybfCFlhxBmevaOiRUQHa7GMDEp3goGW_alMJ4pQkeA1e8HmGhaIK45oZ1GwrHwl9d6Jsf8xaoqbKyyXnUimbyyhQFqTMivhK53/s1600/Group+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8kJVvSvL9UgXOzMyGWwvKv6Cq6WOBAzE15hxK67CbqybfCFlhxBmevaOiRUQHa7GMDEp3goGW_alMJ4pQkeA1e8HmGhaIK45oZ1GwrHwl9d6Jsf8xaoqbKyyXnUimbyyhQFqTMivhK53/s320/Group+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric #2, Me, Michele, Nickki, Desi<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Race morning was so fun and exciting. Denver was marathon #5 for me, #2 for Michele, and Nickki, Desi, and Eric #2 were all first-timers. I had butterflies for them! That first one is just...so special.<br />
<br />
</div><div>Nickki's sister lived 3 blocks from the start (score!) so we had awesome parking, and a nice warm place to hang out before making our way to the start. And a clean bathroom! </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsR-OvGqgc9m1seUrZnWU7iVYliVQ-JqRHWbBzYjoJm3E4Wrmn5nHqBoaP9U-GGNn4bUp_3M02Gp8HkIY-ZUj-v8y3E_RF47-wwv4uwqqq1zXRUPUDKEYxP2eq9I3pAhsvbZtdPjgHuJI/s1600/Group+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsR-OvGqgc9m1seUrZnWU7iVYliVQ-JqRHWbBzYjoJm3E4Wrmn5nHqBoaP9U-GGNn4bUp_3M02Gp8HkIY-ZUj-v8y3E_RF47-wwv4uwqqq1zXRUPUDKEYxP2eq9I3pAhsvbZtdPjgHuJI/s320/Group+Shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdb7PqP5JiakeNxJJI5vgSh6QH3Wkf4F31cbZL3DLPcd1pmagqEr47bXjKmGAbazmew9REUSkkltguYgltP18wzE4WQliU3I-etxiVqmX4mKrHoamqL6NJChuFDWaEoPrSeB9a9cAAXh8/s1600/Group+Shot+%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdb7PqP5JiakeNxJJI5vgSh6QH3Wkf4F31cbZL3DLPcd1pmagqEr47bXjKmGAbazmew9REUSkkltguYgltP18wzE4WQliU3I-etxiVqmX4mKrHoamqL6NJChuFDWaEoPrSeB9a9cAAXh8/s320/Group+Shot+%25232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>We had a billion "Go Green Team" and heard "Go Kansas!" over and over. The spectators in Denver were incredible. The course was very beautiful. I loved it. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Here's where things get difficult to recap. Michele went from ok, to not ok at all. It ended with her in an ambulance around mile 15. We were all so worried, and it absolutely broke my heart to see my best running buddy not ok. Just awful. Still tough to think about. </div><div><br />
</div><div>We were stopped around 20 minutes, and once we knew she was in good hands, we continued on our journey. The rest of the race was bittersweet, truly. There were good and wonderful moments. Absolutely. The first timers held it together so well. Desi and Nickki were both in pain, but carrying on. Eric #2 was doing great until about mile 21, where he started to get dehydrated, and to not look good. At once point we all agreed he would finish the marathon, but would go to the medic tent immediately afterward. </div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running, Running, Running</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErZIyGsUyovsrAetWnBwruyxpd2g5CZhR3oG_gd2FcItjqIozcjZ8yMWIXFv_Ys9VAzJJfsKPcegoRZwotKOAWF9ckuh9UvWyT-KyCwTgiMasey8ubrum8LtcXPa6fvP0DhP_fYcXAeWg/s1600/Jumping+in+Denver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErZIyGsUyovsrAetWnBwruyxpd2g5CZhR3oG_gd2FcItjqIozcjZ8yMWIXFv_Ys9VAzJJfsKPcegoRZwotKOAWF9ckuh9UvWyT-KyCwTgiMasey8ubrum8LtcXPa6fvP0DhP_fYcXAeWg/s320/Jumping+in+Denver.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, when you're running...you have to jump.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeC2C2NTiHngY5Kv4O0dyF83VZIUuiWCvj2tui3hhOyON952U3amr0bf4HvhuVefF5bPS25ovw9b3CeymEoAw6SSlXjnFctWSbbGDoxYKDh7KybKZiCkuq8YbC2L9_05YYULTRTFXjq9Oy/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeC2C2NTiHngY5Kv4O0dyF83VZIUuiWCvj2tui3hhOyON952U3amr0bf4HvhuVefF5bPS25ovw9b3CeymEoAw6SSlXjnFctWSbbGDoxYKDh7KybKZiCkuq8YbC2L9_05YYULTRTFXjq9Oy/s320/11.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to be near the end!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2HhF1VvP30SFhyphenhyphenjGzcFT7saG1aPlv6sm_ExD-G6FbmIZDcETIX0osWH562TdgOz1N6fDjCwkgBzs9GRoVEe1YJoeXp14MEEl0_pSaJucoTYuL_xofTocnV0mPaLmbwrHvfO4HEJM8Fgi/s1600/Group+Hug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2HhF1VvP30SFhyphenhyphenjGzcFT7saG1aPlv6sm_ExD-G6FbmIZDcETIX0osWH562TdgOz1N6fDjCwkgBzs9GRoVEe1YJoeXp14MEEl0_pSaJucoTYuL_xofTocnV0mPaLmbwrHvfO4HEJM8Fgi/s320/Group+Hug.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group hug.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJpVWNEUL8wcSKTM-7c03yKtQf0HIN18WwG4ZtEQwD9HhKnKvoNQD83bL9sCd2Lqdyw7OPh8HA2lf6B6E0wjAIdHW-Ty-dH6vU9t5obJDtUqoPObhxqsshfRynmC6pBvpQ3730td74N3X/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJpVWNEUL8wcSKTM-7c03yKtQf0HIN18WwG4ZtEQwD9HhKnKvoNQD83bL9sCd2Lqdyw7OPh8HA2lf6B6E0wjAIdHW-Ty-dH6vU9t5obJDtUqoPObhxqsshfRynmC6pBvpQ3730td74N3X/s320/10.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course we held hands. Why wouldn't we? </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>We wondered what happened with mile 23...it took forever. Turns out it was actually long, and everyone had their times adjusted a few days later. Official finishing time: 5:15:54</div><div><br />
</div><div>Such a bittersweet day. Still tough to think about. Awesome and awful, is all I can come up with. </div><div><br />
</div><div><i>As an update, Michele met us at the end - and it was a huge relief to see her. Eric #2 wasn't ok at all, but he has since recovered. Nickki and Desi are both doing well, and while they have some lingering pain, they're happy to be in the "marathon" club. </i></div><div><br />
</div><div>Marathon #6 for me is in Las Vegas on Sunday. I'm <b>very</b> excited, and admittedly nervous, as well. I plan to get a big PR, and to enjoy the final race in my big goal of doing my first six marathons within six months. There's a blogger meet-up in the works, and I guarantee there will be pictures. <a href="http://runscottierun.blogspot.com/">Coach Scott</a> will hopefully be up for pacing me, but something about running 100 miles in 15:46 a few weeks prior might cause an issue. My awesome friend Jennifer will be along as well, and she's aiming for a PR as well. My husband is running his first half-marathon, just a few months after his back surgery. Should be a fun weekend!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Have a great week! </div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-8574908377321556992010-10-15T12:23:00.000-07:002010-10-15T12:23:41.855-07:00Prairie Fire Marathon (Race Report)What a fun weekend! The <a href="http://prairiefiremarathon.com/">Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon</a> was a definite success, and I highly recommend it. Not terrible at all for its inaugural year - they did a great job. Even more fun was running it on 10/10/10.<br />
<br />
The most important thing, first. How cute is this picture? I was so thrilled to give Clayton my medal post-marathon. He deserved it!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnKUVzlY98n5dEckfjBUiUWjiAG39jKBOcNJL5gZedjPizsKqSvy4HkTt8TNjVGynxd5CD9llAjS-2SGeTzAvRdpItJ7j3Xrd5Bok6RScCiD4Ni8SGYhizndAXF8YiOkgeTmqe0Is7egr/s1600/IMG_4816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnKUVzlY98n5dEckfjBUiUWjiAG39jKBOcNJL5gZedjPizsKqSvy4HkTt8TNjVGynxd5CD9llAjS-2SGeTzAvRdpItJ7j3Xrd5Bok6RScCiD4Ni8SGYhizndAXF8YiOkgeTmqe0Is7egr/s320/IMG_4816.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clayton and I. <br />
He's done with treatment and Cancer-free! Awesome!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Saturday evening was the Team in Training Inspiration Dinner. It was a very fun evening, and nice time to bond with my fellow teammates.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrYPGojp-aYvKszpoXzN5LgGxeZ2Q2r1hEBF1j6uPiq035dtgxUK7BSw6K1HSDQ7rFmVAyHWWP0blnqypnLENra3CfB7L7kCElyL_khZ3s_-wJ7kSjZQrwa9sn6dhPRKhboA8EztI5YBd/s1600/IMG_4799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrYPGojp-aYvKszpoXzN5LgGxeZ2Q2r1hEBF1j6uPiq035dtgxUK7BSw6K1HSDQ7rFmVAyHWWP0blnqypnLENra3CfB7L7kCElyL_khZ3s_-wJ7kSjZQrwa9sn6dhPRKhboA8EztI5YBd/s320/IMG_4799.JPG" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband and I pre-Inspiration Dinner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Sunday morning I met up with my friends. Most of them were doing the 1/2 marathon, in preparation for our full marathon in Denver. We chatted, took pictures, and generally enjoyed the excitement of the event. We were all able to run together for the first 5 miles, before the 1/2 marathoners split. They continued on and kicked butt on their training run (with a medal at the end).<br />
<br />
Here is where the race recaps get difficult for me. So many fun things happened.<br />
<br />
* I received a phone call at mile 5 from my awesome friend, the <a href="http://fairweatherrunner.blogspot.com/">Fair Weather Runner</a>. She was busting a move in Chicago, and we enjoyed running "together" for a little bit. (Congrats on your run, my darling!)<br />
<br />
* A little boy rode up to us on his bike, stared us down, and said, "I could beat you like this." We all agreed that yes, he could beat us.<br />
<br />
* <a href="http://blog.lacyjhansen.com/">Lacy</a> said hello to me, even though she was booking it on for a sub-3:20 marathon! She's awesome.<br />
<br />
* I got to see my husband and our three daughters three times during the race. He is super-Dad!<br />
<br />
* My friend Jennifer almost ran through the biggest road kill I've ever seen. Nasty.<br />
<br />
* Running through <a href="http://www.oldcowtown.org/">Cowtown</a>. What an awesome place!<br />
<br />
* "Officially" meeting a Facebook friend/local runner. During the race. It was awesome and hilarious - I'm so happy she had people cheering with a sign that had her name on it, or I totally would have missed out on making the connection.<br />
<br />
* "The Guy With the Cowbell" He was everywhere. We saw him no less than 8 times, and he was so encouraging and great every time. Even more awesome, I found out that he is the husband of my Facebook friend that I met on the course. Love it!<br />
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* Jumping. Lots and lots of jumping.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLXePKEOl2dzmDxTi4o203mrzLOUEoIp6Qg1zgvUm6E1An-qxyh3vjyO9adqRXuvZqE-EngZVTO647XJNs7tJO6mVBI0UOrmN2EMuqLKuv2g-sIDhemZQo4U_mg-ivVwiVjETWlmPNQ6z/s1600/33485_166182996727407_100000071243413_546528_392683_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLXePKEOl2dzmDxTi4o203mrzLOUEoIp6Qg1zgvUm6E1An-qxyh3vjyO9adqRXuvZqE-EngZVTO647XJNs7tJO6mVBI0UOrmN2EMuqLKuv2g-sIDhemZQo4U_mg-ivVwiVjETWlmPNQ6z/s320/33485_166182996727407_100000071243413_546528_392683_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why? I don't know. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3d3qm2Je6Ny0BPbMuzbhkkdsJqkwyLMx3OkV5emYUYlJx98fao83dQOSG858ymuJsIhfIBEAOT1FcgqleQB2Sr-mBBi0E22mAktFE-FiYCDG6s11axRhLyEpI3qP2ePb8OeK4jCHlXSt/s1600/72458_1486111477354_1370917631_3155776_4921217_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3d3qm2Je6Ny0BPbMuzbhkkdsJqkwyLMx3OkV5emYUYlJx98fao83dQOSG858ymuJsIhfIBEAOT1FcgqleQB2Sr-mBBi0E22mAktFE-FiYCDG6s11axRhLyEpI3qP2ePb8OeK4jCHlXSt/s320/72458_1486111477354_1370917631_3155776_4921217_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What can I say? Running gives me wings...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The course was awesome. The spectators were awesome. I genuinely felt great the entire time. I felt like I completed the marathon wisely, given that Denver was on the horizon one week later. Official time was 4:36:32 - a PR by over 11 minutes. Not terrible. Average heart rate was still high (179 - down from 184 in Colorado Springs), but I'm just accepting that as part of my fate.<br />
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Post-race was a blast.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zlJOOm1MMsNx60NkrgpGccaHNdzeKnl5lC0-8LaL3lLrjgEkfQTZEsQYDytIuS6CxYzuA3V4gSyoIvwovCEb733lazn_ns1Su9bttfX7ftFEeRc1RQOg-vvxRQv7rT49bRZ-eSXr1MtQ/s1600/IMG_4336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zlJOOm1MMsNx60NkrgpGccaHNdzeKnl5lC0-8LaL3lLrjgEkfQTZEsQYDytIuS6CxYzuA3V4gSyoIvwovCEb733lazn_ns1Su9bttfX7ftFEeRc1RQOg-vvxRQv7rT49bRZ-eSXr1MtQ/s320/IMG_4336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So thankful for Michele.<br />
Best running buddy in the universe!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyG-NnIUlWx8W_DTZw5P2FpQLj15GEz1dvvCl_Q4e4jZIwkHYr5ME6nMpobCukkEyNyJCEV9MUJ9z62FfTtfcVT77HCP4D-9S42mboCZdILucAD53hFYsUktP8k0BdQRm3XyDibIknn-YE/s1600/67623_1545515331431_1641457729_1323874_8280752_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyG-NnIUlWx8W_DTZw5P2FpQLj15GEz1dvvCl_Q4e4jZIwkHYr5ME6nMpobCukkEyNyJCEV9MUJ9z62FfTtfcVT77HCP4D-9S42mboCZdILucAD53hFYsUktP8k0BdQRm3XyDibIknn-YE/s320/67623_1545515331431_1641457729_1323874_8280752_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nickki, <a href="http://danerunsalot.blogspot.com/">Dane Rauschenberg</a> and I.<br />
We all enjoyed getting to know him - great guy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfY50EKV1DZ94e0n5xovuVD3lWCRdaEKh8pmwj04hHvCYWKjwP2uWp3qRezbbkHIxd8MdYTRs_C6K50BwqhCkSvq0n-2_hZLgvxj5d6x8o8AuSJ9NbFcs_0AsIVAQvadTsGTuDAUs8qEv8/s1600/IMG_4337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfY50EKV1DZ94e0n5xovuVD3lWCRdaEKh8pmwj04hHvCYWKjwP2uWp3qRezbbkHIxd8MdYTRs_C6K50BwqhCkSvq0n-2_hZLgvxj5d6x8o8AuSJ9NbFcs_0AsIVAQvadTsGTuDAUs8qEv8/s320/IMG_4337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group shot.<br />
(And, I am extremely short.)<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The victory celebration with Team in Training was a good time, too. It was such a fun ending to a fun weekend. Even better, with all of the Facebook pictures floating around the celebration continued all week long. Just in time to get me ready to leave for Denver tonight for marathon #5!<br />
<br />
About that race in Denver...I'm dedicating it to <a href="http://marathonman101108.blogspot.com/">Rick</a>. I was so saddened to hear of his death. He had been such a wonderful running blogger buddy, a constant source of support, and he was so excited for me and the training for my first marathons. I'm thankful to have connected with him, and I am wishing his family peace. He was such a great guy and friend to many.<br />
<br />
Looking forward to bringing back lots of pictures and a great race report from Denver. Michele is running her second marathon, and my friends Eric, Desi, and Nickki are all on their very first. I have no doubts this weekend will be amazing.<br />
<br />
Have a great weekend! Make sure to smile and be thankful for life.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-63705324705989907852010-09-26T15:26:00.000-07:002010-09-26T15:33:31.191-07:00Running Firsts (and Elite Runners)What a weekend of multiple running firsts for me!<br />
<br />
#1 - First Toenail Loss. Buh-bye sweet little baby toenail, left foot. I thought you'd get beat to the punch by your buddies that are chunking off next to the big toe, on both feet. But, alas, you are the big winner. <i>Bonus: I did not pass out!</i><br />
<br />
#2 - First Blisters. Yes, it has been a very lucky many months of running (since February!) for me without blisters. However, this was my weekend to acquire a few. Not bad ones, because I didn't pass out from those, either. <i>Bonus: I'm feeling pretty badass.</i><br />
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#3 - First 50+ mile week, thanks to the mileage PR this weekend! I finished 20 miles on Saturday, and another 15 miles today, which is 3 miles further than I've gone on a previous back-to-back long run weekend. I'm so pumped! Even better, I'm feeling pretty awesome, physically. <i>Bonus: My heart rate wasn't sky high, for once. Thank you, 50-degree temps this morning! </i><br />
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#4 - I never shared this picture before (I am a total slacker), but it is from 2 nights before the Rock 'n Roll San Diego Marathon. I was invited to a Team in Training Top Fundraiser Reception at SeaWorld. Afterward, SeaWorld was closed for a private party for Rock 'n Rollers...and look who I happened to run into...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_5elL7K_BfaZ920n9XN2ZY6Xqe-UFenScjvPRIXybAp9dyGp5Ft1zJoMlgu5lQ59dYVWH_ZCMfyTKGm1GNEVzsVW5pdQyh9kBTTWR4hqy_t9CTN2ix5vYSD7K6RUyQiLClhPUPfJbr-k/s1600/IMG_4046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_5elL7K_BfaZ920n9XN2ZY6Xqe-UFenScjvPRIXybAp9dyGp5Ft1zJoMlgu5lQ59dYVWH_ZCMfyTKGm1GNEVzsVW5pdQyh9kBTTWR4hqy_t9CTN2ix5vYSD7K6RUyQiLClhPUPfJbr-k/s320/IMG_4046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh Snap.</td></tr>
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Happy Sunday! <b>Wishing you a wonderful week of running</b>.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-18030634137526656552010-09-10T11:47:00.000-07:002010-09-10T11:47:06.618-07:00Oops! I did it again. (Marathon #3)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I traveled to Colorado Springs last weekend with some fantastic friends, and their families, for the </span><a href="http://www.adtmarathon.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">American Discovery Trail Marathon</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I hadn't planned to run it until a few months ago, when I got that brilliant idea to do my first 6 marathons in 6 months. I invited myself along on their trip, and ended up having a great time as an adopted member of the family.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Many people told me the altitude would be awful, and that I'd die a terrible, lung-bursting death. Thankfully, that didn't happen. After lots of discussion with <a href="http://runscottierun.blogspot.com/">Coach Scott</a>, we agreed that any running difficulty on marathon day were due to the sun, more so than the altitude. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The race was set to start at 6:30am. And, it did. However, there was a porta-potty issue, and there were still people in line to go after the gun went off. Coach Scott made the start by 30 seconds. I ran with my friends Jenn and Amanda, and we think we probably started 4-5 minutes late. Not chipped timed, but we weren't concerned. Just out to enjoy a run in the mountains. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda and Jenn, all smiles early on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We chatted away and enjoyed the gorgeous sunrise. Jenn yelled at Amanda and I about 27 times to slow down. I'm so glad she did. I typically don't have any issues at all slowing down. For some reason Colorado made me more zippy than normal. At the half-marathon mark, I knew that setting a PR wasn't going to happen that day. It wasn't a big deal to me, as I went ahead and planned on finishing in around 5 hours.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We went back and forth with the 5 hour pacer for most of the run. He'd pass us uphill and during water stops. We'd pass him not long after. He was fabulous. He'd yell and encourage and was generally a great guy. And, he had no one running with him. Jenn said she doesn't like pacers who talk. However, this guy changed her mind. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah (me!) and Jenn at mile 11+ <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Despite losing over 1,200 feet during the race, there were hills on the trail. I walked some that were too steep for my wimpy self. The hills were an interesting thing - I am just not used to them, at all. Going down was brutal on the knees, so I finally gave up trying to take them slowly. It felt much better to let my body go.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Around mile 18, Jenn said "Peace Out" to Amanda and I. She was dehydrated and knew she wasn't going to keep our pace. Despite how craptastic she was feeling, she really had a fantastic run. Congrats to her on her first (and only, she says) trail marathon! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Amanda and I hung together the next 4 miles or so. We had picked up our pace a bit. I suddenly started calculating and thought about that PR. We kept pulling away from the 5 hour pacer. I wasn't at all confident that it would happen, but at the same time, I felt like if I was going to abandon one of my lovely ladies (Jenn) then I better make it count. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Around mile 22, Amanda sent me on. She told me I looked good, and to go get that PR. Still wasn't sure it would happen. I figured I'd miss it by at least 5 minutes. That, and with our start being late, I knew I had even less time to work with. Again, I knew if I was abandoning a friend (a second friend. I feel like a total jerk, for the record) then I better make it count. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely moutains.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The last 4.2 miles went by quickly. I knew my heartrate was sky high (the one time I checked it during the run, my heart rate monitor showed me a sucktastic 184. Ouch.) and I'm still not confident enough in "how" to run a race, that I was conservative. Still felt great, and very excited to finish. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WpuooJCcXg3MFDPVHxU9GVDsmFf6O0GHSfLbMOSYemguTk28a49LI7qRv7v1MoeBx2DIfARGml4yszpcqI18DoRBuj2w5IEhAUKbp5qrk0jNZJ7hXrXNBqUiB9jzfnbCG9d4IYVMSxRz/s1600/ADT+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WpuooJCcXg3MFDPVHxU9GVDsmFf6O0GHSfLbMOSYemguTk28a49LI7qRv7v1MoeBx2DIfARGml4yszpcqI18DoRBuj2w5IEhAUKbp5qrk0jNZJ7hXrXNBqUiB9jzfnbCG9d4IYVMSxRz/s320/ADT+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 24+ Almost there. Whoohoo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With a mile or so left, I caught up to Amanda's husband, Steve. Poor guy. I didn't realize how upset he'd be by me catching him, so I say, "Steve! How fun! We can totally cross the finish line holding hands!" Ha. He was feeling terrible. Poor guy. At one point he said, "I feel like I'm going to $#!@ myself and throw up at the same time." Ouch. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3wE4_yOhW17lelu8CyHDS-kbmQuOF9HXvVACh_-wt0HJvxPtgOw97W9tGtEEDuPe4P3R_cFTBdQ7B7oIDOH3GjxtnIuB7mtUobdCfOMwDklvfVuYpl6c5sI1De-3otLvH2sB_JT3DSef/s320/ADT+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing strong.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He and I kicked it in as best we could (with me feeling about 110% better than he did), and I finished with a PR by 59 seconds. Whoooot! (4:47:48) Sure, it was probably 4 minutes faster based on our late start, but I'm going by "official" time. I'm such a rule follower...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my best friends from high school lives in CO Springs.<br />
Here we are after the Finish! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My heart rate average was 181 for the run. Not awesome. But, I had a truly fantastic time running. And, how awesome that my PR is so slow, I can walk multiple times and still beat it. Bam! (Coach Scott did say his Grandma could have beat my PR that day. Sadly, I cannot refute that fact. Slow is sexy. Right?!) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next up: Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon on 10/10/10, Rock 'n Roll Denver Marathon 10/17/10, and Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Marathon 12/5/10. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The weekend was incredible. Especially when we (Jenn, myself, and Scott and Jenn's nephews) convinced Coach Scott to stop on the way down Pike's Peak for a little photo shoot. Why? I don't know. But I think the pictures were amazing. Bam.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGujSX7PnmS3OMm65zOuiGzKPeEjTyfCQn4tqWC7FwANYuNjS35pw2EJmc-tIpsIRjciARN9ecYKmiBZHUEJr2jziYZUX_jrZo3wB46KbkRdO2k8HYYuzXdRhHza6Wzd4XYcvXOAV0ZALF/s1600/58707_1601463520733_1360427298_1653404_3779179_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGujSX7PnmS3OMm65zOuiGzKPeEjTyfCQn4tqWC7FwANYuNjS35pw2EJmc-tIpsIRjciARN9ecYKmiBZHUEJr2jziYZUX_jrZo3wB46KbkRdO2k8HYYuzXdRhHza6Wzd4XYcvXOAV0ZALF/s320/58707_1601463520733_1360427298_1653404_3779179_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach Scott. <br />
For more shirtless pics of this beast, <a href="http://runscottierun.blogspot.com/">visit his blog</a>.<br />
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</span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-1136277124939701712010-07-19T07:03:00.000-07:002010-07-19T07:03:29.777-07:00I am alive (and well)!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What a blur the last 2 months has been! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First and foremost, I want to share that Clayton is so close to being done with Chemo! My cousin, Michelle, shared this on Clayton's Caring Bridge website: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Four weeks. Four weeks of chemo is all that is left! Four more shots to give. 20 more pills at bedtime. That's it! In four weeks I'll give Clayton his last shot of chemo. Then he will take his bedtime pills for one more week. After that, he is off everything and we give his bone marrow about 3 weeks to get back to normal. At that point we go to Wichita for a bone marrow biopsy for a final check to see if the leukemia cells have stayed gone. If all is well for the next 2-3 months he'll have surgery to get his port removed.</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">Awesome! I also hear there is a big party in the works to celebrate that this nearly three year journey is FINISHED. Yes! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The best running news is that I completed (and loved) my first two marathons. San Diego (June 6) was awesome. The entire weekend was awesome. The Team in Training experience was incredible. 20 days later, I ran my second marathon (also with Team in Training, June 26) in Seattle. It was incredible, too! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wish I could put into words what it all meant to me. Obviously I'm having a tough time with that, hence the lack of race reports. The cool part was that I knew that I'd have a PR and a PW no matter what. So, no pressure. (I know you are curious, so here's the stats: San Diego - 4:48:44 and Seattle - 5:08:something) I ran both very smart, and I even smiled 98% of the time. I just loved it. And in Seattle I ran with my best running buddies, so of course that was awesome. No Ipod either race, just truly connecting with how awesome the entire experience is. I'm hooked. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pictures aren't uploading today so I will come back (soon, I swear!) with another post full of awesomeness. I met several blogger friends, met some incredible people (Kara Goucher? Dena Kastor? At the same time?!) and loved it. Just loved it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here's where I'm at now, and what I have planned....and all Full Marathons: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sept. 6: American Discovery Trail Marathon (Colorado Springs, CO)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oct. 10: Prairie Fire Marathon (Wichita, KS - and with Team in Training!) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oct. 17: Rock 'n Roll Denver (Duh.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dec. 5: Rock 'n Roll Vegas (Duh, again.) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After loving those first two, and already knowing I was doing Denver and Vegas, I decided to go big and set a plan of "First 6 Marathons in 6 months". Whoot!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks for hanging in there with me the past several months. I'm happy to be back to the world of blogging, and thrilled to have been bitten (and bitten hard!) by the Marathon Bug. I missed you all very much, and I am so thankful for your help and support and love. Runners Rock...especially Running Bloggers. </span><br />
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</div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-371607914228136052010-06-02T09:50:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:50:41.998-07:00The Final Countdown! (Rock 'n Roll San Diego this weekend!)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wow. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I cannot believe how close I am to the big day! My team and I fly out on Friday morning, and I'll be in California by noon. I think I'm in shock that it is </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">actually</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> time. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here's a picture of the back of my race jersey. So far. I think it turned out so perfect!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRpSK4O-FwEW8PhzaeTKGidPeqKXSKqnqO6_8ACbB9_4M1bPyfKHrK1-9ZLfxoE4tHok1Tm5CeIqh_XVM9O8UA0JoTM0nkoIXg-Lb86KSYyNPFWtAW2nAzfSILCY2Nyi3Genv2LBEU2uL/s1600/Race+Jersey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRpSK4O-FwEW8PhzaeTKGidPeqKXSKqnqO6_8ACbB9_4M1bPyfKHrK1-9ZLfxoE4tHok1Tm5CeIqh_XVM9O8UA0JoTM0nkoIXg-Lb86KSYyNPFWtAW2nAzfSILCY2Nyi3Genv2LBEU2uL/s320/Race+Jersey.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My very special friends that I've run with every single day from the get-go will not be in San Diego, and this is making me so sad. They'll be in Seattle with me in a few weeks...but my goodness. I feel a little empty going into this without them. A lot empty. I have to channel my inner Miley Cyrus in the song "Party in the USA". </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Don't pretend that you don't love that song</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I know they're with me in spirit. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In totally awesome marathon news, </span><a href="http://longlegsontheloose.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Katye</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and I are in the same corral, and get to run together for as long as we can! I am so excited to meet her, and to run with her. She is an awesome woman, and has been so sweet and supportive all along. I'm also excited to meet </span><a href="http://rachelmakesarunforit.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rachel</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> - another fabulous woman. How awesome that both of these lovely ladies are fellow Team in Training teammates? I love that we're everywhere! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All is going well. I'm feeling great, mentally. Trying to keep my brain on other things, because I'm such an intense feeler, if I did nothing but think about how incredible this is, I'd cry all day long. (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Case in point, one of my clients told me on Tuesday how excited he is for the runner tracking, and that he can't wait to get the updates on where I'm at in the marathon. That he's so proud of me, and of how much effort I've put into this. I cried</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.) Needless to say, this experience has already been perfect. I can't believe I to get to experience it twice within 3 weeks! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While in San Diego, I'll also be meeting up with my awesome friend, </span><a href="http://jenmitch.posterous.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jen</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, and her daughter. She alleges that she's taking me to the beach, and to show me why it is she chooses to spend an outrageous amount on rent to live in San Diego. I'm very excited to see and experience why she loves it so much. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last but not least I get to see my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. I am beyond thrilled! They came home for my Mom's surprise birthday party in March, but that has been much too long. I'm so thankful they're moving back to Kansas in a few months. </span><br />
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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wish I could put into words what I'm feeling! I am a changed woman. Thankfully, since almost everyone reading this has experienced these feelings, I don't have to. </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You just know</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. And, at the time of my next blog entry, I will be a </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">MARATHONER</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I can't wait to join the club! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you all so much for your kind comments and support during this training cycle. You helped me to embrace the experience and to enjoy it even more than I would have otherwise. Love it! </span></div><div><br />
</div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-19504272826809225322010-05-24T02:16:00.000-07:002010-05-24T02:16:27.250-07:00Update (the "Upbeats and Beatdowns" Edition)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beatdown: My wisdom tooth is shifting, and causing some issues. Mostly affecting my sleep/eating habits.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: With all of this extra time on my hands not sleeping, I will have extra time to blog.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">***</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beatdown: Our 20-miler Saturday was sunny and 80+ degrees. And humid.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: While I am typically a back of the packer, I became a front of the packer. It was harder than 60's, yes. But now I'm mentally prepared for heat/humidity. Just in case.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beatdown: I had my final fundraiser. (Signaling that the Team in Training experience is nearing the end.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: The $10,000 goal I had in mind was officially met (and exceeded). Whooohoo!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">***</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beatdown: I bet the original goal of $4,000 feels awfully lonely right now.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: I can't think of one. Sorry, original goal. You were great while you lasted, and you were a terrific starting goal.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beatdown: My friend and running buddy, Yvette, had some knee issues happening Saturday, and had to cut her run short.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: I am so very proud of her for facing that big mental hurdle and calling it quits. I know she was so disappointed, but she tackled the situation with wisdom and it will pay off. I just know it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">***</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beatdown: It is 3:30am and I am blogging, thanks to that darn tooth.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: Tylenol is kicking in, and sleep just might be in my future.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: Less than 2 weeks before marathon day #1!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: Taper, schmaper. I'm not as psycho as I had planned for. So far...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: Drugs are kicking in, so sleep may be in my future. Whooohoo!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Upbeat: The pain in my tooth makes the soreness in my legs seem like nothing. (Three yoga classes for my fundraiser on my rest day before the 20-miler. Tired legs.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">***</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All things running-related have me so excited! I cannot believe how quickly the big days are approaching. Pretty awesome to look back on all that I've accomplished. I remember the first mileage PR of 8 miles. And 10. And the ankle injury (or whatever that was). And that I have met my goal of finishing long runs feeling great, happy, and smiling.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And after all of this, when people ask if I'm a runner...I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons that I'm not a runner. I love it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Monday! Have a great week.</span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-21959059315317154002010-05-17T11:52:00.001-07:002010-05-17T18:02:56.405-07:00Mentally Prepared for Rain.<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">15 miles on schedule for Saturday - and 15 miles done. It rained. And rained. And rained. Bonus, I'm going to be fine if it rains in San Diego and/or Seattle. It kept us cool, and wasn't too much of a pain beyond my hair being one giant knot afterward and random droplets falling from the trees and hitting me in the face. Ouch! </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes, I'm sensitive, as </span><a href="http://journeyto262.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Michele</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> would say.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I cannot believe how close I am. I don't even know what to say! Just one 20-miler, and one 13-miler (with my regular runs in between) and I'll be heading to San Diego. Sweet! </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My dear running buddy and friend, Yvette, purchased a copy of </span><a href="http://runlikeamotherbook.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Run Like a Mother</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> for me. It was such a kind gesture, and she wrote the sweetest note on the cover. I didn't even know Yvette (or </span><a href="http://journeyto262.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Michele</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, or </span><a href="http://madison-raceagainstleukemia.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Madison</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">) before our running journey started. And now, they're my friends for life. Warm fuzzies. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now I know why everyone loves that book so much! It really is awesome. I'm not too far in, though have throughly enjoyed it. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yvette and I are heading out for 6-miles on the "hills" this evening. "Hills". All of the locals know why I use quotes. Pretty flat, here. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In fundraising news, I am now less than $500 away from the </span><a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/ks/rnrseatl10/hmacbeth"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">$10,000</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> mark this season. Yay! (If you click the link, it isn't all showing up yet. But most of it should sometime this week. Score!) Thank you to all of my blogging buddies who have donated. You are all awesome. And so are all of my blogging buddies who haven't donated. Just showing your support has meant the world to me. Tight-knit group, these runners are! </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh, and side note. I'm running </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rock 'n Roll Denver on October 17</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. And </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rock 'n Roll Vegas on December 5</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. My switch has officially been flipped. I'll officially add them to my "list" as soon as register. Whoohoo!</span></i></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-9101563407244775162010-05-10T14:03:00.000-07:002010-05-10T14:04:46.158-07:00Two-Two-Point-Two<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Saturday was awesome. Just awesome! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I ended up with 22.2 miles. I never questioned whether or not I would survive it. I knew I would. </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And I did</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. My first 10.2 miles started at 5am with Yvette, Michele, and Madison. I love these women. They keep me going, and I completely spoiled by them. I'm so thankful for their friendship, and their company while we run. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We were running late, so picked up our pace and juuuuuuust made it to the Team Run at 7am. Michele and Madison left to finish up their final 10k at the River Run (way to get a medal at the end of your training run, ladies!). Yvette finished her long run with 3 miles out, 3 miles back, and I logged my final 12 miles as well. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I smiled almost nonstop. Time was flying by. I felt mentally strong. I didn't drink much at all my first 10 miles, and I that mistake showed itself in the form of a major calf cramp around 14 miles in. Ouch! It wasn't bad enough that I couldn't run, and it didn't jack with my mental state of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">awesome</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. It did, however, show me just how much a little mistake early on can affect me so greatly. Lesson learned. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I thought I was excited before. Now, that excitement has bubbled up and oozed over. (That sounds really nasty. But, I mean it in a good way...) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Less than four weeks before the first day comes along that I've been looking forward to for so many weeks. Less than four weeks before I reach a huge goal. Less than four weeks before I represent a little boy who has been fighting much longer than I have been training. Less than four weeks before I run just four miles more than I did on Saturday. Less than four weeks before I experience a marathon weekend with Team in Training. </span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fundraising update: I'm currently at over $9,300 raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. </span></b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And I have three weeks of Sunday Shout Outs to catch up on. </span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It moves me. It really does. This process has changed me, forever. A wise woman told me to savor every minute of the first marathon. That it would change me. And that those moments can't be relived as a first-timer ever again. I'm all over it - thank you, Jennifer! I'm so thankful. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is a random tidbit - but I haven't used an Ipod at all! Ok, not entirely true - when I did my 13.1 on the treadmill I did...but outside, nope. I've always </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">needed</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> music. And now, who needs it? Not me! Believe me, I'm as shocked as all of you music-lovers are. Hey, at least I won't have to worry about battery-life on Marathon Day. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm excited. Did I mention that? </span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-32731165154233241012010-05-03T11:02:00.000-07:002010-05-03T11:02:54.257-07:00Alive and Well!I'm here! I'm here!<br />
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Behind on blogging, but only because I am trying to keep up with life in general. All is well, though. <br />
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April 25 was our 20-miler. We woke up for 7 miles and then ran the Wichita Half-Marathon to finish up. Nothing like receiving a medal for a long training run. Whoohoo! Our time was 2:18:something. Not too shabby for the tail end of 20.15 miles. <br />
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Had a fundraiser afterward that was...well...it was. Can't win 'em all. At least I got to enjoy an adult beverage as it was at a bar. Yay!<br />
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Last weekend we had an 18-miler. All was well. Not sore at all, so that is nice. I was quite sore after my first time at that distance. Had some ankle pain (not the same spot that caused my time off before) that disappeared within a day. <br />
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Gearing up for another fundraiser - "Get Bendy for a Cure" on May 21. It is a day of Yoga to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We have a Yoga studio that has been donated to us for a day, and my darling friend Nickki volunteered her time to teach the classes. There will be a sunrise class at 6am, nooner at 12pm, Evening at 6:30pm, and Candlelight at 8:30pm. I have a great feeling. Who doesn't love Yoga? (Ok, lots of people. But Yoga is awesome. Don't be a hater.) <br />
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That is what is going on with me! I feel terribly far behind. Less than 5 weeks until Marathon #1! So excited! <br />
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Upcoming weekend mileage:<br />
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May 8 - 22miles<br />
May 15 - 15 miles<br />
May 22 - 20 miles<br />
May 29 - 13 miles<br />
June 6 - Marathon #1<br />
June 12 - 10 miles<br />
June 19 - 15 miles<br />
June 26 - Marathon #2<br />
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Is it sick and wrong that I am looking forward to all of it? A big thanks to Team in Training for "flipping my switch". What a fabulous experience! <br />
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Have a great week!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6050514014171178677.post-69438846764552961722010-04-20T18:22:00.000-07:002010-04-20T18:29:14.759-07:00Less is More (and Boston News!)<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I wasn't entirely truthful when I came back from my ankle injury and said it felt great. It <em>did </em>feel awesome for the first week or two. Then it came back with a vengence. Hobbling around the gym while I worked, limping all over at home. Not a pretty sight. It always felt pretty great while running, thankfully. I didn't want to mention it on here because, frankly, I just wanted to not think about it any more than I was already. <em>Which happened to be every single step I would take</em>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fast forward to the past two or three weeks of going from running five days a week to three days a week. Ankle pain - gone. Vanished. Buh-bye.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It wasn't an intentional switch-up to my schedule. Life just got in the way. Thank goodness! For me, less is more. Running 6 miles Monday, 8 miles Wednesday and my long run on Saturday has allowed me to run and walk and live pain free. Pretty awesome. I'm thrilled beyond belief! Because, as you know, I don't "do" pain. I was doing it, but I wasn't a fan of it. This is much better. Booyah! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Post-18 mile News</strong>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wow. I sucked air for the first 2.5 miles of my run last night. I mean, I love Yvette and enjoy her so much that every run is fun and filled with talking and laughing and fun. I couldn't talk. I could barely breathe. Instead of laughter, I was closer to tears. Or walking. Legs were tired. I'm thrilled to report that after mile 2.5 of the 6 miles, we were back to our old selves. And I'm so thankful it wasn't just me! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Boston News</strong>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Not only is </span><a href="http://runscottierun.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My Coach</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> superhuman and amazing, he's also freaking fast. This is the guy who runs his long runs <em><strong>four minutes slower per mile</strong></em> than his marathon pace. The guy who tells us our long runs cannot be too slow. Ever. (And I love him for that.) My incredible Coach kicked butt and ran the Boston marathon in <strong>2:59:22</strong>. It was his 50th "official" marathon - so a very special day all around. I am so proud of him, and so proud to learn from him. He's a great guy with a great wife and precious son and a marathoning dog...and while he sucks at softball, he obviously makes up for it with his running talent. Amazing. And inspiring. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Way to go, Coach Scott! (And all other Boston runners!)</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>In other News</strong>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Oooooh! Getting excited for Sunday! I cannot wait to get a 7-miler in with my Team, followed by our first "official" Half Marathon together. Yay! Oh, and someone asked why we couldn't do the 7 miles after the Half rather than before. There are a few things stopping me:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. This Half-Marathon is being used a training run. For the experience of a long race, and to get my 20 miles in for that day. As my coach reminded me, this is not the race I am training for. The ones that are incredibly important to me are the marathons June 6 and June 26. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. One of our major fundraisers as a Team starts at 12:30pm. No way will I have time to run afterward. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. Running the 7 miles ahead of time will allow me to be a bit worn out so that I won't get over-excited and run too fast during the race. Which is really funny, considering I don't run fast even when I do run fast. Did you catch all of that? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm off to enjoy a quiet Tuesday evening. We close on our old house on Friday (a week early - whoohoo!) and the husband is away taking down the playset in the backyard. Time to catch up on DVR'd show that he dislikes! Yay! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy Mid-Week!</span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14695870868208192328noreply@blogger.com