The Obligatory 2012 in Review Post

2011 was a great year for me. There were a lot of ups, and very few downs. I guess I just expected 2012 to be the same way - full of lots of running cheer and PR's. I got greedy, I suppose.

Instead, 2012 was full of ups and downs. It started out with so many downs, in fact, that by the end of April I had deemed 2012 as just "not my year." To be honest, there were many times throughout the year where I was downright deflated. But, as always, tides turn and I ended up finishing the year on a positive note.

Here is my 2012 in review...

January:

We head to Phoenix to run the Rock & Roll Marathon. 

I wouldn't be smiling much on race day...

A few days prior to the race, however, I felt a slight pull in my glute/hamstring when I was doing some squats. I didn't think anything of it until I went for a shakeout run a few days prior to the marathon. I made this entry in my running log, never thinking that it might cost me a DNF in a race.

Cue, my first DNF. I swore I would never quit, never give up, never "did not finish" a race, but in Phoenix it happened. It was humbling and it was heartbreaking. I found solace in an Irish pub somewhere on Arizona State's campus.

To add salt to the wounds, I lost a bet to my Twitter buddy Jim and had to race Phoenix in a Univ of Kentucky shirt. Being a Louisville alumna, that sucked. The damn shirt was bad juju! :) 

Clearly hating life.

I come back from Phoenix, go to the doctor, am told I have pissed off my sciatic nerve and need to take 2 weeks off from running. This would be my longest break from running ever.

I don't run a step for two weeks then got back to training (albeit too aggressively). And I am super inspired to get back at it and decide to sign up for the Woodlands Marathon in early March to get redemption on that DNF!

February:

Running is going better at times, but I am still experiencing sharp leg pain in runs over 14 miles. This does not bode well for my March marathon. I decide to pull the plug on the race. 

March:

Things get better. I'm signed up to race Boston in April and I finally start to run double digits without pain. I even get back into racing, albeit I'm slower than I want to be and it's humbling.

This is the race where the girl in front of me literally shit herself. Suddenly things weren't so bad on my end.

April:

Things continue to go well until they don't. I pull a muscle mis-stepping in a hole doing a fartlek workout on the grass. Same sad story, same sad injury - that darn left leg again. I just keep irritating it. The Boston Marathon is just around the corner. I debate whether to even run or not, but I do.

To add more insult to injury, Boston experiences a heat wave on race morning. I limp through Boston in ridiculously warm temps and pretty much run a personal worst. I barely scrape in under 4 hours.

After Boston, I really struggle with my feeling about running. I feel lost and frustrated. I really struggle with comparing my current fitness level to where it was at the same time in 2011. 

I decide to shift focus for awhile and train for another Half-Ironman. I decide to train for Buffalo Springs Half-Ironman in June, hoping to get revenge on a killer course that brought me to my knees back in 2009.

I start biking again and am in the pool 5 days a week. I'm still running, but double digit runs over 10 miles are few and far between in order to keep my leg issue at bay.

Things are getting better. June approaches and I decide to make it a double race weekend in Lubbock and race the Sprint Triathlon the day before the Half-Ironman. 

I finish 4th female overall and win my age group in the Sprint triathlon.

Posting with my Yosemite Sam Award

The next day I successfully get revenge on the Buffalo Springs Course, besting my previous time by 25 minutes.

July:

I start training for the Baltimore Marathon. My goal is to go Sub-3:10 and best my current marathon PR of 3:10:25. I work hard and my running fitness starts to come back.

August:

I decide to race a local duathlon (5k run/18 mile bike/5k run) though I haven't been on my bike since June. My goal with racing this event is to try to go sub-21 on both 5ks. I do (19:44 and 20:20). I finish second female overall.

Receiving my award!

September:

I am feeling more and more confident. I win the Burning Pines 10k in Bastrop. 

Bastrop 10k

I PR in the 5k in 19:16.

Then things go awry again with my damn left leg. I over stride in a track workout, irritating my hamstring again. The pain radiates up and down my leg left and it's deja vu all over again. I sit out of a planned relay I am supposed to run that weekend and freak the hell out that a PR in Baltimore in a few shorts weeks is out of the question.

I enter taper for Baltimore and I am unsure of whether my left leg will hold up for 26.2, or is the same old issues will resurface.

October:

I run a local 10k the weekend before Baltimore and run horribly. I am highly doubtful at this point of being able to run anything faster than a 3:15 in Baltimore.

But, somehow, I manage to PR in Baltimore, running a 3:08:05 to finish 11th woman and 2nd in my age group. I am beyond thrilled.

After Baltimore, I give myself a week of celebration (basically gluttony) but then it's back to work because I have the Rock & Roll San Antonio Marathon a few weeks later, then the BCS Marathon a few weeks after that. I really struggle with how to recover from Baltimore and keep myself motivated for the next two marathons.

November:

The Rock & Roll San Antonio Marathon approaches, and in true San Antonio fashion, the weather looks miserable. I have nothing to lose with this race so decide just to roll with the punches and take what the day gives me.

What I thought was going to be a miserable day, turned into a magical day. I finish 2nd overall female in 3:15 and win $1,000 and a memory that will last a lifetime. I still tear up thinking about it. I am reminded that hard work and pure mental grit does in fact pay off.

Sheer excitement

December:

I have one more marathon on my schedule and I again struggle to stay motivated to run another marathon. Holiday mode takes over me, but I make it to the start line of the BCS Marathon. We're faced with another positively shitty weather day - no other way to put it - but I make it through in 3:19. I finish 3rd female and win another $200, which made it worth the suffering. 

What? You've seen this outfit before? Not sure why I have  drawers full of running clothes  yet wear the exact same thing for every marathon. Superstitious, I guess.

BCS Awards Ceremony

Since then? I've been enjoying (my own) version of the off-season until I start training for my Spring Marathon (TBD yet whether this will be Eugene or Louisville).

MIGAS. If you don't live in Texas, you probably don't know what this is, but it's Mexican breakfast, otherwise known as one of the best things on earth.

Tailgating Sampler from Buffalo Wild Wings

I've also been hanging out a lot with this guy.

2012, to me, was a reminder to me that in life there will always be difficulties, trials and adversities to overcome. Sometimes you have to fall down (several times) before you can get back up, and you only become stronger by doing so. 

Cheers to (an injury free) 2013!

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: Holiday Edition

If you've read my blog for awhile, you may remember when I asked my husband to put up Christmas lights last year and came home to this:

Yes, that is duct tape.

Welcome to Redneck Christmas

Even better was when it rained and the duct tape (and the lights) began to hang off the house. It was lovely, really.

I had one specific instruction for Dan when putting up the Christmas lights this year: No Duct Tape. Perhaps I should have been more specific in my instructions.

This year, I came home to this:

Did he raid his work office cabinet for those binder clips?

How about a close up?

Better than duct tape, I suppose. Le Sigh...

(love you though dear!)

BCS Marathon Race Report

To be completely honest, there were several times last week where I almost bailed on this race. I just wasn't really motivated to run another marathon, I was preparing for a big work event Saturday before the race, I ended up going home sick on Wednesday and blah blah blah. Laundry list of excuses I was feeding to myself. Dan kept telling me I didn't have to do this race, and had I not already bailed on several races this year due to injury that I paid good money for and already proclaimed to the internet that I was running, I probably would not have made it to the starting line. But I did, and as always, it was worth it.

I didn't really have a plan for this race. As I said on Facebook, I just wanted to finish the year off strong and run a race I was proud of. Dan couldn't make the trip with me, so I was traveling alone and on my own. As soon as I got done with work on Saturday, I packed up the car and made the 1 hr 45 min drive to College Station. Picked up my packet, went to the mall for some Christmas shopping, had an early dinner at Jason's Deli, watched the Heisman presentation then lights out around 8:30 PM. As usual, I slept pretty fitfully. Since Johnny Football won the Heisman the entire town was going bananas so I would hear random people hooting and hollering 'Gig Em' throughout the night.

Woke up at 4:45 and first thing I did was check the weather on my phone. I guess I was hoping the cold front would come through a day early (because today the high is in the 40's!!) but no such luck. The weather gods weren't going to play nice. No pain, no glory, right?

Made it to the race start around 5:45 and was able to park pretty close to the start/finish line. The race started and finished right next to a mall which was awesome because there was tons of close parking. I did my normal 2 mile warm-up and decided at the last minute to change my outfit. I ended up changing into the exact same outfit I've worn my past 2 marathons. Don't know what it is, but out of the 10 zillion pairs of running shorts/tops I own, I feel like this particular outfit is lucky. So I literally stripped in my car. My apologies to anyone who may have been walking by and got a show. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Race start was 7 AM. I decided I would run with the 3:15 pace group (fastest they had). I really wanted to make sure I ran even splits and felt like a 3:15 was an attainable goal. Obviously, I didn't make it (I ran a 3:19) but sadly no one from the 3:15 pack made the cut...not even the pacer who started to walk at Mile 18...yeah...

A note about the pace group. I've generally had really good experiences with pace groups, but occasionally you get some that aren't as experienced. Lucky for me, I wasn't dependent on this group. I really just wanted some company and someone to keep me in check from going out too fast. The pacer was super nice, said he ran a sub 3 marathon at the Chicago Marathon in October, but admitted he didn't have experience pacing. This became evident pretty quickly (and nothing against him, I know it's a hard job).

The first seven miles went by relatively quickly. We had a large pack of 3:15ers (me and a bunch of dudes) and it was really nice to have company to take my mind off of the conditions. It was just so damn humid that I was having trouble finding air if that makes sense. Miles 1-7 were 7:16, 7:21, 7:18, 7:19, 7:27, 7:25, 7:14. I was matching the pacer step for step and as you can see we were too fast for a 3:15 (7:27 avg pace) and pretty sporadic with the splits. I guess I could have slowed down and gone on my own, but I really wanted company because I knew later on the pack would fall apart, as it always tends to do, and I would be on my own.

Around Mile 7, I saw my friend Dorothy from my run group. I was so excited see her and her cheers throughout the day were a bright part in my day. She told me I was 5th woman, and at this point I could see #4 not that far ahead.

I kept on trucking with the 3:15 group. We were still in tact at this point. Miles 8-10 were 7:24, 7:18, 7:18. Still too fast. We caught the #4 woman around Mile 8.5, but she jumped into our group and ran a few steps behind me until Mile 13. The pace felt comfortable at this point, but my leg started bothering me. Much of the course was on a slanted road which my left leg (the bad one) did not appreciate. I got the "leg lock" feeling a few times over the next couple of miles and fell a few steps behind.

Miles 11-13, I struggled. 7:24, 7:20, 7:26. Mile 12 marked the casualties of much of our pace group as well.
Crossing the half-way split, it was just myself, the pacer and 2 other guys. The sun came out, and I am really having to dig deeper and deeper to stay on pace. The humidity is beating me down and my legs feel like dead weights. Around Mile 14.5, I fall back from the pacer and let him go.

Miles 15-17, I am HATING life. Like cursing Texas, its weather and myself for signing up for another marathon. I am running alone and just wanting to be done. I see the #3 woman ahead though, and will myself to try and keep her in sight. I wasn't sure that I could catch her, but it seemed like I was closing the gap. Those miles ticked by slowly at 7:31, 7:41 and 7:42.

Around Mile 17, I find myself side by side with another guy from the 3:15 pace group, and we start chatting. His name was Andy, he was from Austin as well, and he turned out to be a godsend. He kept me moving forward and took my mind off the pain. Plus, he went to A&M, so I had a personal tour guide for the miles I ran with him. Chances that he reads this is slim, but just in case, thank you Andy.

Just past Mile 17, we meet back up with our pacer who is at this point walking. Poor guy was very apologetic and tells us to keep going but he can't. At this point, I am not very far behind the third place woman. Andy and I make the pass around Mile 18, and I recognize her from San Antonio! She was the 2nd place woman that I passed around the exact same point in that race - talk about deja vu. She is super nice and gracious in the pass. We joked briefly about how the marathon gods must hate us with the crappy weather these last 2 marathons. I didn't see her afterwards, but I hope she ended up finishing strong.

I saw my friend Dorothy around Mile 19 and again her cheers kept me going. It’s pretty amazing how seeing a familiar face can revitalize you in a race. I told her I was struggling but just trying to stay strong.

I ran with Andy until around Mile 21, and I would definitely have slowed down had it not been for him. It was getting more and more lonely out there, and I was thankful for the company. Miles 18-21 were 7:36, 7:29, 7:29, 7:48. We were pretty much running alone at this point, and through campus where it wasn't always clear where to turn and at one point veered off course, but only for a few seconds thankfully.

I pulled ahead of Andy when we hit mile 21 and from there on out I was alone (until we merged with the half marathoners, then I was dodging them). Mile 22 is when things started to unravel. Each step harder than the last because at this point my body hates me, my legs feel like sand bags, and I cannot get enough water to quench an overwhelming thirst. I took water and gatorade at every single water stop, but still feel dehydrated and to be honest, just plain old fucking tired.

Mile 22 is when we merge with the half marathoners, and I am dodging them while trying just to keep moving forward. I keep telling myself only 4 more miles. That's nothing. Only 4 freaking miles.

I actually ended up passing several marathoners in the final four miles. Not because I was running fast, but because I was one of the few still running. A lot of people walked. I could feel their pain, but it still surprised me to see runners stopping on that final miles. At that point, it was easier to push ahead and finish strong. Besides, walking would just extend the hardship. But, that being said, I have walked before in marathons and sometimes you simply cannot run another step.

Miles 22-26 were somewhat of a death march for me: 7:49, 7:43, 7:42, 7:52, 7:44 and 7:04 pace for the last .6 (according to Garmin). They kept feeling longer and longer. To be honest, this is the part of the race where I am a little disappointed in myself. Instead of racing for the best time I could possibly run on that day, I just ran for third place. I knew there wasn't a woman close behind me, and woman #2 was nowhere in sight. Had she been, maybe I would have run stronger those final miles? I don't know. I just felt like I kind of gave up mentally and accepted whatever time the clock would read. But sometimes I also think you gotta know when to hold them and know when to fold them. Maybe I could have run a few minutes faster but would it have really mattered? Third place was third place.

My Garmin beeped 26 miles...then 26.2...then 26.4...then 26.5... and I am wondering WHERE THE HELL IS THE DAMN FINISH LINE??? Seriously, I was cooked - both mentally and physically. Finally saw the finish line and nearly trampled some half marathon walkers trying to get across it (sorry).

Crossed the line in 3:19:29, stumbled around aimlessly until I gathered myself and made the way to my car to change clothes before the awards ceremony. Realized I didn't bring a change of clothes for the car ride home, cursed myself for being an idiot then sat around until the Marathon Awards ceremony at 11:30.

The awards ceremony was nice. Pretty short and sweet. I didn't realize this at the time, but this was a money race so I ended up winning $200 cash. That was a nice surprise.

The car ride home was in many ways more painful than the actual marathon. I couldn’t find a comfortable position in my seat. My feet hurt and my ass hurt and by the time I got home my entire body radiated with pain.

Marathons always teach me something. This one, similar to San Antonio, taught me a thing or two in humility, perseverance, and outright pain & suffering. I learned that I can push through anything and still cross that finish line. I learned that despite what you think or what you predict, the situation you’re in at that moment can change in an instant, and how you adapt reflects on who you are.

Likes:
- Relatively low registration fee comparative to Rock & Roll, Austin & Dallas marathons.
-Great swag: received a long sleeve shirt upon check in and dri-fit finishers shirt at the finish line.
-Awesome post race spread, including 3 different types of beer and margaritas.
-Extremely well organized. Fantastic communication via participants on Facebook. Probably the best use of social media I seen from a race director.

Dislikes:
-Not much crowd support. Texas A&M students, where were you? Probably sleeping. Don't blame you.
-Camber on much of the route. Running on slanted roads is very painful for my hip/leg/hamstring.
-Course was kind of boring. I don't know what I was expecting, but it seemed a lot of it was running on highways.

I am hobbling around like a 90 yr old woman today. I think the culmination of 3 marathons in a row, combined with a big year of running in general, has left my tank on empty. I used to be able to run back to back marathons like it ain't no thing, but I guess it's time to face the fact that I am no longer a spring chicken and need to take time to recover and take a break from structured training. And, believe me, I am looking forward to it. I have some big goals and big plans for 2013, but for now I need to step back and take a breather before attacking those goals. I'll be spending a lot of time in the pool and getting back to core work and most importantly on things that don't involve sweating. I'll work out when I feel like, but on my own terms.

Thanks for reading my ramblings and for all of the encouragement along the way! I really do appreciate it. I started this blog as a journal for myself, never expecting that anyone would care to read it, but the support and encouragement I have received along the way has been overwhelming. Thank you.

Marathon #21

And that's a wrap, folks. I survived another Texas marathon, and I'd be lying if I said it was easy and effortless to knock out the 3:19:29 (official results) race that I ran today. It was fucking hard! I awoke at 4:45 AM to already 71 degree temps with 100% humidity in College Station, and I knew I'd be in for a long day. I'd also be lying if I said I had a ton of fun out there, but daggumit I got it done.

On a positive note, I was third women overall and won $200 cash! That was a nice surprise. I ran my way from 5th to 3rd around Mile 15, so somewhat of deja vu from last month in San Antonio (though sadly no bike escort this time).

Now if you excuse me, my entire body hurts - not helped by a 1 hr 45 min drive home - so it's time for me to lay in the couch in comatose position with my basset hounds and bon bons :)
Full race report to follow...

Obligatory pre race self portrait (fail). You're welcome.

Winnings!

Obviously I ran the tangents TERRIBLY. Also I missed a turn at one point. Would have been pissed had it cost me third.

Hope everyone had a good weekend, and those who raced, ran well!

It's Race Week (Again) & Pictures with Santa

First things first: Family Photos with Santa at Petsmart! Let me just say that I was very disappointed with Santa this year. He certainly wasn't very jolly (as you can see from his facial expressions he looks thrilled). I thought maybe it was because I freaking brought my entire extended family to get our picture taken (my parents were still in town from VA so they came along) as well as two hyper basset hounds...but he was really sullen with everyone. Didn't say a word or move an inch. I wanted to tug at his beard to see if he was even alive.

Anyhow, after about 100 attempts, we managed a few decent photos, though still dysfunctional looking. ;) They are scanned, so excuse the poor quality.

[I realize I probably lose major street cred by taking my dogs to have their photo taken with Santa and then posting them on the internet, but whatever, I am a 100% dog lover & enthusiast through and through]

The entire family. As you can see, both Santa and Dan are thrilled to be there.

The four of us with bad Santa

It's also race week! On Sunday, I will be running Marathon #21 in College Station, Texas. This is actually a race I have not run before, so I am excited. I love touring places I've never been on foot!

I really struggled with some runs last week (both with motivation to do them and the actual runs themselves being crappy), and I also had some good ones. At this point in the year, I've logged countless miles and raced more times than I can count, fell short on some goals and accomplished others, ran 4 marathons, did a half ironman and off season is just around the corner so I think it's normal to feel my flame burning low.

As is typical in December in Texas, you never know what you're going to get as far as weather. Sunday looks to be on the warm side and humid. Slightly better than what I ran in last month in San Antonio though (not as windy and maybe a degree or two cooler).

The weather doesn't concern me; I know I can take what the days gives me. I know I'm tough under less than ideal circumstances. And, I really don't have anything to lose on Sunday. There's not a number on the clock I am trying to hit. I simply want to finish the year strong and run a race that I am proud of. And that's what I'll set out to do.

I hope everyone has a good week! If you're running College Station this weekend and see me, say hello!