Pictures from Race For the Cure

It's so awesome to see all these people out running in Lubbock, TX.

8 miles

I just ran 8 miles and man am I tired but boy do I feel good. Thank goodness for little sis, who called this evening to go running- it's awesome to have people to run with.

Race for The Cure

Yesterday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It's always inspiring to see women in pink shirts, the survivors, walking or running.

It was fun running streets in my hometown where I normally only drive- the feeling running by familiar places is so different from driving by them. Unfortunately, the loop was only 1.5 miles, and so we did the same loop twice, and because the 1 mile walkers started 15 minutes after we did, you can imagine the congestion that that poor planning created. Other than that, it was a great race, if a little hot. Whoever decided 8:45 was a good time to start a race in West Texas in September is either a) not a runner or b) just not from here.

I was surprised to see how many people came out to run or walk in Lubbock- and happy. Not so happy to see the mountains of food for people after their 1 to 3 mile bout of exercise. I'm betting that a lot of people ate 2-3 times the amount of calories they burned on the course by eating either the donuts, burritos, sausage on a stick, ubiquitous free candy, sugary drinks, yogurt, bagels, and cream cheese that were available after the race.

Seriously, after the Austin Marathon there wasn't any free food available, and that's after burning ~2600 calories! As one person I overheard put it, "This obviously isn't the Race for the Cure for Obesity." (as he was chowing down on a chocolate glazed donut).

I didn't get in the rest of my miles yesterday as I'd hoped, but I did bike 10 miles for the Tour de Tech Terrace, which our house was a stop on this year. We give cookies out every year and this year we ran out before I even got the chance to engage in counter-productive behavior, so that's good.

So I feel like that the biking somewhat compensates, though the pace of this particular pelaton didn't exactly get my heart rate up. More leisurely riding from house to house, have a beer, bike to the next house (I didn't drink though...someone's got to be the designated biker). Good Tour, though- the cops were actually cool this year, and we didn't have any problems, even with ~300 (or so I hear) crazy bicyclists roaming the streets of our neighborhood collectively for six hours.

Little Sister gets home today so I think this evening we'll go for a run. 8 miles, methinks.

I'm so glad for my sister, who called me at 6:30 yesterday morning to go run after I had fallen back to sleep after my 5 AM wake up call. We got a solid 3.5 miles in and I love running with my sister. She's funny, down to earth, and as previously mentioned gets me out of bed in the morning when I thought I was too tired.

No running today because tomorrow is the Susan G. Komen race for the cure (5K). I'm actually going to go put in some miles before the race so I will have a total of 8 for the day, but I dont' want to put extra miles on my legs the day before a race and long run. I know people that run every day, but I'm not quite there yet. I'm still kind of paranoid about re-injuring my knee.

September 19

4.3 miles- With a great girl who is actually a professor at our university. She's a little faster than I am, so it's a good challenge to keep up with her.

Coming off of a break from running due to my full participation in Austin City Limits. I don't think it's ever a good idea to take more than 2 days off of running. I took 3 days off and it made yesterday and today harder than it had to be; I should have gone to run before we went to the festival.
The reason I didn't is that I am very adverse to driving, and having driven to Austin at all was an ordeal for me. It's the whole growing up in a town where 40mph was booking it, there were no mountains or curves to impede the view (and therefore you always could actually SEE what was coming at you....curves and hills really freak me out). That coupled with my being hit by a car while riding my bicycle a few years ago makes driving a very traumatic experience for me. In the eight years I've had my car, I've put about 40,000 miles on it, most of which were put there from driving to Dallas to visit my sister, various road trips to national parks/backpacking trips, or music festivals in various locales.

Anyhow, I hate driving, but especially hate driving where there are lots of other cars. I.E. Austin. I therefore did not feel comfortable driving from our seedy interstate motel downtown and back. I suppose that is no excuse, as I could have taken advantage of Austin's excellent public bus system (which we used to get to the festival) ....but I didn't. I should have. I will move forward from here.


I am loving my research project. I love my life right now....I wake up and read about things I find fascinating...I feel like I'm in a different world. The folks at the coffee shop get my mug ready for me before I even get to the front of the line because they know what I'm going to order. I know I'm in the right place in my life, because even if I wasn't getting a degree, I would be doing the same thing. That's a good place to be, living as you would want to even if you weren't 'getting something' for your efforts. Of course, you are getting something for your efforts, but not something material.

Speaking of...I've got to get to work!



OH the TOUR, the race for the cure, and the lubbock music festival is all this weekend. So exciting!

Shallowater Stampede Pics

:)

Sept. 17th

So, good overall week last week. 21 miles. Not bad, still working on adding mileage. I unfortunately didn't get any running done this weekend because I was preoccupied with the Austin City Limits Music Festival which was AMAZING! But I'll be up early tomorrow for a run.

The Arcade Fire had a brilliant performance, as did Amos Lee. I also really liked seeing Andrew Bird. Those were probably my top 3 performances, although the whole thing was awesome.

I'm considering making this blog more all inclusive, still with a running emphasis but also perhaps including other issues. Because all of life is a marathon, anyway, and I don't want this to be just a training log. On the other hand I'm kind of hesitant to put really personal stuff up in a public space, which was why it was nice to just isolate it to running. I don't know for sure, I'm just thinking about it.

sept. 11th

Today I had a great run. It started solo for a mile, I walked with a friend for awhile, then ran 4 more with my sister. All before the sun was up! I've finally gotten over being sore from the race on Sunday, which happened because I pushed myself a little harder than I have been. Today was the first morning in the 50s, so it was nice and cool throughout. A nice change from summer running. Pretty soon I'll be wearing gloves and ear warmers..............

On Sunday I ran about 3.5 miles in the rain. It was the first time I had run in the rain and it was actually kind of nice, except for the squishy shoe factor. I wanted to run further, but I was pretty sore and tired from the previous day.

shallowater stampede

I had a great race today! Actually, I finished last in the 10K....but my time was 1hr 5 min, which is about a 10 min/mile pace, which is good for me. And I enjoyed the course- out and back and flat, with good support. They had cookies, bananas, and bagels for us afterwards and plenty of gatorade and water in between. It was a lot of fun to be in a race again. :)

Shallowater!

No run today, but I'm signed up for the Shallowater 10K tomorrow! So exciting.

Yay!

Getting pumped about White Rock. Here's a bit of nostalgia from last year's race:

Still no major knee issues! I'm beginning to think it really is better!

It's so exciting to finally be back to calling 3miles an easy run. I've been doing GREAT on my training schedule- 5:30 AM is a lot easier when you know there's NINE other people waiting for you, which is what happened today. We don't meet until 6, but the meeting spot's exactly 1mile from my house, so I get 2 extra miles in by waking up a bit early.

5:30 AM used to be obscene hour for me, one I was only conscious for if it had been a really amazing night. I certainly never began a day at that time. It's so worth it though, to start of the day in such a great way, with great people. It really helps me focus for the rest of the day, too.

I've noticed that on sleepy days, where nothing starts to get done until after 10, I'm much less productive and much more tired than on days I get my ass out of bed and begin the day with something productive and challenging. It's the law of inertia.

Today I went on about a 5mile route that I had never done before- I explored a park I didn't even know was there and ran through gardens just when the sun was high enough to sprinkle through the trees and turn the path and shadows a beautiful amber color.

Usually I don't run on Sundays, because Saturdays are my long run days (yesterday we ran 7 miles at the usual place). But, I love the new running group I've found and they go everyday, and I couldn't resist meeting up with them this morning. Their "easy" pace is equivalent to my moderate pace, so I think running with this group is a great challenge and opportunity to get faster and stronger. My knee feels healthy, too, so I don't feel too bad about it.
25 miles for my total this week. Not bad.

running buddies!

We finally linked up today with a group of runners that meet in our neighborhood every morning at 6 AM. Their "leader" (more of a self-assigned coach and great motivator) has a wonderfully cheery Irish accent, and has been incredibly friendly.

We ran a different route, which is always fun, and it's feeling nice to be a part of a little sub-community. Running makes me happy.

It lets me decompress before the sun's even up, which is probably one of the only things that keeps me sane these days :)

lovely run

Saturday was a glorious day for running. Perfect weather; just slightly cool. Gorgeous pink and purple sunrise over the lake. 6 miles...the longest I've run at one time in a while, and honestly I wasn't even that tired afterward. I'm finally getting back into shape. My knee didn't hurt all that badly, either.

Today I was just a tiny bit sore, just enough to know I did something yesterday, but not bad at all.

I'm really looking forward to this week- the second training week for the White Rock half marathon. I think once you get serious about training for two weeks, it really starts to be habit and not something new that you make yourself do each morning. It just starts to be a natural part of your day, like brushing your teeth.

This is the best time of the year to run...not incredibly hot, not at all cold........incredibly enjoyable time to spend out of doors and just.....think.

Gearing up for the next race!

The past couple of weeks I've had the joy of running barefoot along beaches in Costa Rica. Talk about realizing why you love running!

It got so light so early there that I had no problem getting up and out the door by 5AM everyday, which, as an added bonus, guaranteed that the beaches were deserted except for me, the waves, and the sand. nice.

Now I'm back in West Texas, and it's all I can do to drag my butt out of bed by 5:45AM, and of course it's still pitch dark for another half hour or so, but worth it because of the sunrise and perfect temperature.

I'm starting to train for the White Rock half marathon in December, and so far have gotten 2 other running buddies, one of which is my sister! The more the merrier, so if anybody thinks they might want to run a half marathon, you should let me know and come run with us!

So far the schedule is shaping up like this: Mon, Tues, Thursday mornings at my favorite running park (speed work on Tuesdays) and long run days are Saturday Morning at a great area for long runs (email me for details on location) All other days are rest days or cross training days.

so excited to be training again!

The Race is Over...

I have definitely been putting this post off for awhile now, I suppose because it means my first marathon is over :(

The Austin Marathon was completed successfully. I crossed the finish line and accomplished my goal, although with more than a small limp.

After all of the effort, cortizone injections, physical therapy, and copious amounts of aspirin, I completed a marathon. It was all worth it- the exhilaration, physical acheivment, and just the increased confidence in my ability to do something was well worth the effort. And it was all for a good cause- our chapter of TNT raised tens of thousands of dollars, and we were only a handful of people.

The last quarter mile Austin Marathon requires you to run past the state capital building where they have photographers and a huge crowd of people cheering you on. Then, as you're coming across the finish line an announcer reads your name, age, and time. It was very cool.

I teared up a little bit when I stopped running- it was a lot of emotion to finally achieve something that I'd been working hard towards for months, with a few obstacles in between. And now I can say I'm a marathoner (not a good one, but one nevertheless).

The day after the marathon I was incredible sore, a result of my incredibly poor decision to sit in a car for the 6+ hr drive back from Austin to Lubbock without ever getting out to stretch. Poor, poor decision. The next day I basically slept all day until I had to go to work. I basically hobbled around the classroom and the children laughed at me (I laughed at me, too). I showed the kids my medal and they were very impressed and were very glad to know that I was able to help raise money for "the sick kids"

I was a little depressed afterwards because there was a kind of a new void. I wasn't up at 6 every morning to run anymore, I didn't have a big race to gear up for. In fact, I had to completely abstain from running for 6 weeks to let my IT band heal. To start thinking of yourself as a runner and then be sidelined for a long period of time...it was rough. I also gained about 5 lbs (you can't eat the same way training for a marathon and not running at all) about 3 of which I've lost again. So net weight loss as of right now is 27 lbs.

It was hard retraining. 3 miles had become so easy to me and I had a hard time after weeks of not running at all. I knew it got easier, though, because I had done it before. But it made me realize that marathon runners really are, in general, insane to some degree.

Right now I'm limiting myself to about 6miles 3X a week. I'm walking half and running half. I run for about a half hour (3mi.) in the mornings when it is cool and then go for a walk in the evenings when it's not incredibly hot and I'm winding down for the day. This feels like a big cut back, but I'm only 24 and I don't want to completely screw up my knee. If there is one thing I learned, it's to not do too much too fast. Going from the couch to training for a marathon is exactly what got me injured in the first place.

I definitely want to sign up for the White Rock Marathon which is in December, so I'll start slowing cranking up my miles, and barring any further injury, I'll definitely look forward my next marathon!

Getting Ready to Race!

I'm completing my first marathon THIS SATURDAY!!!

I'm leaving for Austin on Friday, and the race is on Sunday.

Wish me luck!!!

20 miles: check!

I woke up at 5:30, stretched every conceivable body part, iced my knee, heated my knee, and ate a bowl of oatmeal. I took 4 ibuprofen pills. I was the picture of compliance.

When I got to our running site at about 6:45, it was COLD- 30 degrees, but a wind chill of 15. The wind was what realllly made it cold.

I tried running, but pretty soon my knee started feeling twingy. Kind of like the rattle you hear before the snake strikes, I guess. So, I walked most of the 20 miles, and my coach was nice enough to show me race-walking techniques (you know, the people you see waddling at a seemingly inhuman and unnatural speed while pumping their arms but never letting both feet be in the air at once).

I'm sure I was quite a humorous site, bundled up in 2 hats, a windbreaker, a vest, a fleece, long sleeved and short sleeved shirt and gloves. Basically a marshmallow with legs waddling along, trying to walk as fast as possible.

But I don't care. I got my 20 miles in, and I am going to cross the finish line at the Austin Marathon, and if that means I have to walk and not run, well, it's not what I pictured, but it's not defeat, either. I still get a medal.

I wanted to run so badly today, but I knew if I did, I'd just make my knee worse. And I am not interested in badly/permanently injuring myself. I have at least fifty more years to run marathons. I've only been running for months, I'm still very much a beginner, and walking this one race is not failing.

As it is, my knee is not exactly pleased about its current situation, but the pain is more annoying than it is searing, which is an improvement. I'm going to take some more anti-inflammatories and take a nap and see how it's doing later today....

but as for right now........... I did 20 miles today! YAY!

Grrrrrrrr for inflamed IT bands

Well, my knee and I are currently in severe disagreement with each other. I am of the opinion that on February 18th, I am going to be running 26.2 in the Austin Marathon. My knee has very poor manners and is prone to throwing tantrums in the form of inflamed tissue and searing pain up the side of me leg.

Now, I have tried to reason with with my left IT band. I have massauged it's feelings, I have iced and coddled it for 20 min. 3X a day. I have ingested large quantities of anti-inflammatories in the hopes that some sort of an arrangement could be reached. Not to mention my elongated stretching sessions, from which every other part of my body EXCEPT my knee has become loose and limber as a result of. Or the scary needle incident which was supposed to help, but didn't.

Alas, my knee is one stubborn son*of*a*. I wonder where it gets it from.

Did I mention I have 20 miles on my training schedule tomorrow?

I have been a little depressed about this, as I have succeeded in getting into the best shape of my life, exceeding my fundraising goal, and now will possibly fall short because a stupid band that won't behave itself and work properly.

The reason for all of this seems to be a result of my scoliosis/spinal rotation and subsequent surgery which basicly fused my spine into a set arrangement that = one of my legs being significantly closer to the ground than the other, which makes one leg have a lot more stress than the other, which has resulted in the aforementioned tantrum-throwing knee. It was interesting, when I was looking at my shoes with my physical therapist/coach, that one of my shoes had almost no sole worn away, and the other hardly had any left.

It's interesting how the body can compensate for something you didn't even know was wrong with you until you try to do something you've never done before.

Anyhow, it looks like I probably won't run the whole thing- I'll probably have to walk some of it, and it will take me a lot longer than I was aiming for. I realize it is somewhat of an arbitrary goal- that maybe my body just needs more time and will be ready in a few months from now if I just eased up on myself. It's just so frustrating to set a goal, put the work in, do everything right, and be held back because of some assinine physical barrier. On the other hand, maybe I'm supposed to learn something from all of this that will give me greater understanding of.....something.

I'm going to see how tomorrow's 20 miles go and guage what I should do about the race from that.

Team in Training Mentor!

I just wanted everyone to know that I have decided to become a Team in Training Mentor. Having successfully completed a race (White Rock Half Marathon) and successfully completed my fundraising ($2500 so far!) I can't wait to help other people run races and raise money for cancer research!!

If anyone is interested in joining this GREAT organization, we have a meeting coming up where you can sign up!

Tuesday, January 23 -- 7:00 p.m.
Groves Library (5520 19th Street)

I certainly encourage EVERYONE to think about doing this, especially if you've always thought it would be cool to run a marathon, but maybe thought you couldn't.
If you know me, you realize that if I can do it, just about anyone can. Let's just say I haven't exactly been a Speedy Gonzales for most of my life.

It has just been a great experience for me- the support is amazing. Coaching, guidance, friends, and of course being part of a team committed to raising thousands and thousands to help people with cancer.

Also, one of our coaches is a physical thereapist, and I have benefitted from her knowledge. I just got done icing my knee and doing the exercises she suggested. Definitely an added bonus having her around!

I don't want to scare anyone away from joining because of my knee- it turns out that the root of my problem probably has something to do with the fact that I had a pretty big back surgery years ago, and also had a hip graft. Anyway, one of my legs is a little higher than the other, causing a little extra stress on one of my knees. I'm going to look into getting an insert for one of my shoes.....

I'm a little sad training has been cancelled for tomorrow due to the weather :( Hopefully the rec will be open so I can do my 18 miles on the treadmill.

I met my Fundraising Goal!!!

It's only January, the race is a month away, and more that $2400 has been raised for cancer research so far, which is already $400 over my original goal. THANK YOU to everyone who has donated.

If you combine the fundraising from everyone from our team, we have collected well over $10,000 by now, collectively. I don't have the exact numbers, but I'm going to find out because I bet it's a lot higher than that.

Of course, with something like cancer research that's a drop in the bucket, so if you're looking to give to a really fantastic cause- this is a good one! The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has a small percentage of administrative costs and the bulk goes directly to supporting families of cancer patients and to researching for a cure!

There are a lot of problems in the world, and so many great causes. In this country, though, the leading cause of death in children in this country is still leukemia. So I am excited that in some small way, the generosity of people who donated (and also the generosity of people who bought my cakes and cookies, for they knew not what they were buying) will help people going through the ordeal of cancer.

I was just kidding about my cookies, by the way.

What I love about running...

I love the way cold air feels in your lungs when you step outside. I love feeling like I can conquer the whole world, one step at a time, like anything is possible. I love noticing little things like the way a leaf has fallen in the crack of a sidewalk, or how a neighbor has planted something surprising in their yard. I like how you can learn something about other people just by passing by their home everday (I bet the mailman knows more about us than we'd think). I love how muscles feel the day after you really stretch your abilities- it's a good reminder that I am in fact alive. I love thinking I can't and finding out I was wrong. I love flying around my neighborhood feeling light and strong. I love how 300 calories are used in approximately one half hour, which helps make an occasional indulgence like hagen daaz mayan chocolate ice cream slightly less guilt twinged in my conscience. I love moisture-wicking clothing and mizuno shoes, and little tiny pockets for keys. I love not feeling dependent on a car for transportation, knowing that my legs are quite capable of getting me to where I need to go, that even in the event of a nuclear attack I'd be able to quite literally run for the hills (well maybe not that far; I do live in Lubbock). I like running for a cause and knowing that somewhere down the line, the life of someone with cancer might benefit from all of this. I like having all of that time to think-just think, about anything- being alone with thoughts about the world I've been so mysteriously placed in, and what I should be doing in it, crazy things about how places shape music and feeling and culture, and how culture shapes music and places.....about people I love or things, or how to deal with something I'm angry about, or even just simply pray. There is a wonderful rhythm to running that makes this sort of thing possible, maybe a rhythm like the one when we were in a womb; I don't know. Daydreaming rhythm. Some people meditate best with a prayer rug and silence, or on the altar in a church- running makes the whole world an altar at which to pray. One of my favorite memories involving running includes a large black woman walking around the lake at Mae Simmons shouting/singing "Glory to God, please help my son, praise Jesus." I ran 3 miles around the lake and the lady was still there, still walking, still praying.
I also like listening to new music, or any music, though this sometimes leads to spontaneous dance moves or what I'm sure would seem like odd vocal outbursts to random passer-bys. I like listening to pimsleur Irish one (the cds of which I really must return to the original owner) and learning random Irish phrases while running. I like the energy it brings and the sense of accomplishment it brings, and the challenge to go further (farther? I never can remember this particular rule) which so far I have not reached the limit of. If only my fraking gorram knee would behave properly (watchers of B.G and firefly will understand the full force of my profanity in this sentence).

Overcoming!

With the rush of the holidays, a cold that refuses to go away, unfriendly weather, and inflamed tendons and IT bands, training has been difficult for me the past two weeks. I have managed to get in most of my miles, but I have had to walk a lot more than I would have liked due to being sick as well as dealing with knee pain. There is nothing wrong with walking, except for that it takes a lot longer and I just really have my heart set on running the whole 26.2.

On the bright side, I am happy to report that I am only a few dollars away from my fundraising goal of $2,400. I have baked cookies, appealed to friends, family and businesses, sold hot chocolate, sold raffle tickets, and wrapped a TON of Christmas Presents (THANK YOU BARNES & NOBLE!) in order to meet this goal. I am so excited about achieving this, especially with the knowledge that this money will be used to heal people.

I am going to get better about icing and heating my knee, and will be more fastidous about stretching well before I head out for a run. I think I'm about over this miserable cold, so hopefully I'll be able to get in some good runs this week.