Handled

Race DAY!

Always fun, even if you don't really feel prepared!

This Sunday Derick and I decided to do the THTH Race sponsored, timed, and made awesome by Run On! It is called Too Hot To Handle for a reason- it takes place in July in Texas. Luckily the race started at 7:30 am, so we could actually survive and didn't have to rename the race "Too Hot to Handle so We Took a Ride in an Ambulance". Plus the weather was somewhat nice to us and the first half of our race was hleped out with some amazing cloud cover!

After the race-
both of us were happy
to be done with the hills!

The race was at Boerne City Lake in Boerne, Texas. If you have never been, the park is pretty awesome- trails, roads, and a lake to jump in! Perfect if you are a trialthlete! (Emily Watts- you should come visit me and check the place out!) I first visited the place to help out at the Tall Texan Triathlon and saw how great the place is if you need to get multiple modes of training in all in one location. Today we would only be utilizing the running aspect of the park. It was time to get our Run On!

With the AMAZING Mary Hamm-
One of the toughest people I know!

THTH features both a 5k and a 15k along Upper Cibilo Creek Road right outside the park. Both the 5k and 15k start at the same time and follow the same course- the 5k flips after halfway on an out and back course while the 15k runners get to keep heading out through the outskirts of Boerne. Derick and I both did the 15k and the racers stayed on the same road for an out and back course except for one right turn at mile 5-6 for an add on loop before heading back to the main road and the park.

My goal was to start the race around 7 minute pace and see how I handled the distance. This would be my longest race ever (if you don't count the half marthon I did with a friend back in December) and I was feeling less than prepared for the race. My work out earlier in the week had consisted of a sad little tempo where Derick destroyed me and my shufflebutt-hip complex beat me to pieces mentally and physically. While I knew my hip couldn't take the speed of competing in the 5k yet, I knew I was not in the right kind of shape to handle such a long race in the 15k either. But what coach says goes, so I put on my regular training shoes (I am ever so thankful for my pair of Brooks Adrenaline running shoes) instead of my racing flats hoping they would help me actually finish the distance!

After the gun went off and Derick pushed up to the front of the pack, I was left to wonder how the race was actually going to play out. I think one of the fun parts about the race was that everyone had the same kind of bib numbers. Some races have different bibs for the people doing different distances. Today, no one could tell who was doing which race (until we passed the 5k turnaround of course)! Derick and I were probably in the top 20 to start, and I was trying to be a bit more conservative, but I couldn't tell who was in the 5k and who was 15k! The pace at the front seemed like they might be doing the 5k, but I couldn't decide who. I was the only girl in the group until this sweet young lady caught up to me- Devin Clark, the womens over all winner in the 5k (she's only 14!!!). I told her to go catch the boys once we saw them turn around at the 5k flip. I was not-so-secretly wishing I could flip around with her! The boys in the lead were not too far in front of us and it would have been a lot of fun chasing them down.... but my path for the day was much longer.

I think some people call it character building? I think I would call it a gut check. Passing that turn around was a hard thing to do. I had to go against everything I am used to doing- short and fast. I was going to have to figure out what it would take to get me to the finish line of three 5k's in a row! It helped that Derick was in front and I could still see him for some of the race. The course was condusive to keeping a good rhythm because there were hills intermixed with some awesome straights to always give yourself a way to get your legs back. Plus, no one really had an advantage that way- if you were great at hills there were plenty for you to work, but there were also those flat fast zones too for people who could just roll. After the first 2 miles I was basically by myself and just trying not to let the guys I could see in front of me get any farther away. 

The Run On! Chicken-
Competed in the 5k

I ended up catching two guys (one being the D-rock) but the men up front were flying and ended the race in a 52 minute something time! So fast! It was fun to see them at all the turn-arounds with the lead bike, they were so smooth. My legs held together to average 6:36 mile pace for the 15k. My splits showed the two hills I had a tough time with and did some soul searching on, but my last mile was in 6:06 and reminded me that I haven't totally switched over to the dark side (the darks side meaning distances over a 5k!). The 1:01:38 it took me to finish the course got me 8th place overall and I was the first woman by 14 minutes or so. Derick ended up finishing in 1:03 and still had a smile on his face (at least for pictures). For his first race back, after running when ever he felt like it for preparation, he did pretty decent! Results up: 15k Overall.

My hip is extrememly stiff and sore the day after, but that is to be expected when I had to race off to work after the event was over! I have been seeing a chiropractor, Dr. Vanessa Vajdos and she has been helping put me back together a bit! She seriously cured the head cold I had for the whole week in one visit and made my hip run-able again. We went to see her because she is a runner herself! She won the Houston Marathon in 1980 and was sponsored by Nike! It was really fun to pick her brain, ask for advice, and hear about some major history on the running scene. Her coach Al Lawrence wrote a book that Derick has had for a while and her picture is in it with all her training! Now it has a fresh autograph on it from Dr. Vajdos! She knew a lot about the runners of her time and some awesome stories. She also gave great advice! :) My favorite part was when I asked her how hard it was to get sponsored and try the competitive running thing. She let me in on a few secrets....

Still banged up, still hoping, still running, and still smiling...

THTH you have been HANDLED

Life Goals

So a year in "limbo" as I am calling it seems to be long enough. It is time to set some goals. Evaluate what my actions are saying. See what choices I would like to make. I have been feeling a bit trapped by the lack of ways I can distinguish time. There are no semesters, no summer breaks, and not my regular fall cross country and spring track seasons to mark the passage of a year for me. My goals were always short term- next season, next race, next visit home, next team meeting, next class, next test, next summer job. The long term things always seemed to just work out for me. I had the easy four year goal of graduation. Another easy goal was finding a job. But now what? An entire year has gone by and I have very little to show for it. (Example: there is a large lack of planning going on for that wedding thing)

Realization #1- Since my life is no longer dictated by summer breaks and school semesters, my years are finally free.
-I am not limited to a 365 day plan.
-My goals have to be shaped differently and have a little more direction because of the freedom from restraints
-The easy road is the one already paved. Trying to carve semesters and school time periods into this time in my life is destroying what I have been released from. Wishing for college again because I didn't have to worry about what the next year would mean is WIMPY. Time to suck it up and find who I thought I discovered in college.

Realization #2- A lack of confidence is detrimental to goal setting, relationship building, and being able to perform consistently.
-Cutting myself down is an easy way to always be happy with what ever result
-Really common in my running attitude
-Easy way out, WIMPY again
-I know there is a believer in me still

It is new for me to try and think so far ahead, meaning more than a year in the future, so I have to take baby steps. If I can work on my two realizations above, my goals and efforts will be a bit more productive and then I can work on more.

Life Goals
- Short Term:
    Do my shufflebutt exercises everyday
    Practice patience with my dog and keep him smiling
    Take more photographs
    Explore where I live
    Give back more- people are incredible
    Write more letters
    Stay motivated
    Positive Visualization
    Prepare for 2012

-Long Term:
    Practice the policy of no regrets
    Race at an elite level
    Live in Oregon, Wyoming, or California
    Train with the right attitude
    Connect to the ones I love again (Family and Melissa Buckley, I freaking miss you)
    Prepare for hard times
    Do something worthy of getting a tattoo about it**

Now I can't write down goals without finding ways to aim for them. These are just as important as my goals.
  
Ways to achieve my goals:   
-Make time for things= friends, recovery, eating right, balance, love
-Understand that my actions lead to my happiness and how I choose to live life
-Smile
-Do 10 push ups any time I say sorry
-Quit my lack of confidence and my fear of pressure
-Hold my self accountable
-Set out with a mission for every day
-Journal more, write down how the time is passing
-Create a budget (time to understand how grown-ups spend money)
-Find inspiration in life, draw from it
-Practice visualization and use it well
-Get in the GYM
-Want to be SORE
-Run like a demon, race like a god, and pray like a saint
-Keep the mantras coming....

Now I know I am getting pretty self involved here. I don't normally like to state my goals so openly. I certainly have some pinned up only in my head and heart, but there are some that just help to be typed out.

Re-evaluation is a good thing and reminds us all what we want from life.

**Note- I am not sure if I actually want a tattoo. I just want to do something that I could say was deserving of getting a tattoo for it. One of those life moments that make you want to remember the experience in some way :)

Shuffling

Since my butt is currently out of commission, my runs have taken on a different sort of stride. Shuffling is getting me back on the road, and helping to keep me sane.

Meanwhile, I have some major work to do.

 

Since I work in shoe retail, I feel the need to remind you that
this is not an actually legit return reason!

So this is how we think (Airrosti and I) it all went down. Being the dedicated runner I am, I spend 98% of my time pounding the pavement. I figured if I didn't have much time, I better get in all the miles I could in order to get better.

It worked until I cheated on the saggital plane.

Jon's Run was such a blast and I almost had too much fun racing. Even though I had not put on my flats yet this year, I figured I would be fine racing. My second mistake was not checking out the course before hand. It was curvy, loopy, and not a track.This meant I was working muslces that didn't exist in my butt because I only move my legs in a running motion. I overstrided a bit trying to go fast and ended the race with a tweaked hamstring. Not that big a deal if you have strong butt muscles...

My worst and third mistake was still running after all of this and not letting my wimpy muscles rest. And finally, I didn't strengthen anything. I was so happy with the way I was running I figured if I was doing something wrong it would show up and I could just do some core again. 

60 days of running with no rest days led me to the office of Dr.DeRoche.

It was time to work the muscles that didn't exist in my little straight world.

While I was excited to get some exercises to work on butt strength, it really hit me that I am terribly behind in the derriere department. (Puns intended?) I can't even complete the myrtl routine with out pain. So Airrosti helped me take a large step backwards and work on progressing towards those exercises that looked so simple and easy. If you are a runner and have a moment, look it up and try it (to avoid a depressingly weak booty like mine) I can't stabilize my hips the correct way yet so I use a Physio Ball under them so I can actually start engaging my muscles the right way. This isn't the only routine I am starting but its the easiest way I can describe how far I have to go.

While my first steps with a new caboose are short and shuffley, they will hopefully be leading towards a habit. A good habit. One where I have a powerhouse pushing this little old train. A habit of stepping outside my little running box and exploring the wonderful world of athletics! Just don't count on seeing me play basketball, tennis, softball, lacrosse, volleyball, frisbee (unless the pup really wants to), ice skating, water skiing, rock climbing, football, and all those scary sports. Wait... what else is there?

Oh right, running.

Here's to hoping I can make running and body building work?

Well, the type of shuffling a runner can do. Plus, I am learning that if life doesn't give you time to do the things you want/need to do, you have to make time. So until I figure this out, my sleep is taking the brunt of the burden with the promise of a better future. Temporary. Until my good habits survive the 21 day challenge. If it can help me stop biting my nails in the 3rd grade, it will for sure help me now.

At least I can still smile while I shuffle.

Weak Sauce

Yes, Weak Sauce.

Would you like that served with a side of potatoes? Weak Sauce works especially well when served steaming on top of rump roast. Too well, in fact, for this runner.

My rump is officially roasted. Specifically, the butcher has decided my left rump was perfect for a Sunday dinner.

C'est la vie.

Or so I thought.

You all know, just run through it. Throw some ice and some dirt on it and you are good to go.

It got me through 4 years of college. But I am not trying to be a college runner any more. I am trying to grow up and run with the big ladies. They are stronger, faster, and more experienced.

So in hopes of turning my current Weak Sauce into some sort of stronger marinade for my obviously lacking backside, I needed a reset button. I needed help in the athletic kitchen. My rump was too twisted, too tight, and too off for all my tenderizing attempts.

Enter top chefs- Dr. Jason DeRoche and Lauren Martinez from AIRROSTI.

If you see someone in normal clothes and KT Tape, they have been to Airrosti. If you see some one in running clothes, KT Tape, and a big smile on their face- they have most definitely been to Airrosti...

Let me just explain the difference between when I walked in their office to when I walked out. Walking in I was depressed, worried about stress fractures, and thinking I wouldn't learn much more than I already knew. I limped in sleep deprived and frustrated with all of my attempts to make things better.

Just so you know- I walked out. No limp. No numb. Big smile. And some KT Tape. Add a pinch of strengthening exercises, a dash of active release therapy, and a topping of ice to turn any Weak Sauce into a Super Strong Brew. Airrosti knows runners especially well but they also understand how to help anyone with a huge range of Weak Sauce problems.

My rump still has a chance.

And life lesson learned. I can mess up with out any help, but I will need a lot to get better. Time to get hungry for something other than WEAK SAUCE!

Thank you thank you thank you Airrosti!

PS- to all of my weak butt muscles, welcome to the world. Get ready to be kicked. Period. If I don't kick you, someone else most definitely will.

Unattached

Welp, it has been a year since graduation. And here is what I have learned:

If there was an American Idol for runners I would stand in line, sign up, and pray. I can even see the possible titles now- "The Next American Pre", or "The Skinny", or "Survivor: Olympic Trials Edition", or something of the sort. Maybe Oprah could do a special on...shoot.

There would be rounds, tests, trials, underdogs, front runners, hometown favorites, judges, and, of course, fan voting. Competitors would be tested and judged on consistency, talent, guts, race savvy, teamwork, potential, heart, and that little bit of crazy that all runners have. The runners would get the chance to train at incredible facilities, with the best coaches, and full support teams ready to help them. This would all lead up to races and challenges as individuals and teams to see what the athletes could do given a chance.

I am not saying this would be the next summer hit show, but it would have plenty of drama, work, sweat, tears, and chances to shine. Really. It is a way to work on some of the biggest problems for the sport of track and field- lack of a fan base, lack of support, and the way potential athletes struggle after college.

Selling out you say?

You must not know American distance running. If that is selling out, then it would mean we finally have something to sell to America. Right now, the deal is very little for very few. A lot of good runners don't even stand a chance. Local heroes. PR junkies. Dreamers. Hard workers. The "unattached". The fairly fleet of feet. Doing the best we can with what we have.

It is a hard dream. One that I was half heartedly pursuing. Still loved running. I just had no idea how to keep going. Then, I smiled at the end of my race.

Remembering why

The training was getting hard and I didn't feel like anyone was giving me a chance. For a track girl, it sure is hard to watch all of the great track meets that have been happening this year and not really step on the track myself. The hardest part about trusting in your training is not always knowing where your fitness is, especially in a place you like to perform. And just hoping that you can put something together at the right time. I knew there would be a difference between training in college and training now, but this is pretty different.

Only a mile, leaves you with a smile

Running becomes more of a battle when you are working more than one job and trying to squeeze in the training. You just hope you can get back to where you were in college. Then what happens when you keep improving? Your own legs getting your hopes up. All the work you are trying to squeeze in just to maintain, and all the things telling you that you won't succeed? You know you are going to have to fight to feel good. Well, the fight is back. It came with a smile, a mile, and those awkward legs of mine. A pair of new shoes always helps. Fighting for that someday, one day, maybe chance that someone sees a little more. Or that your legs finally get you there. If no one else sees it, hopefully I can get my legs to take me there anyway...

Someday I hope someone takes a chance. It is a dream I will carry around for a long time. Unattached is tough, but the road is fun and there is always something new to do (and usually plenty of company). I'll just keep smiling, until something makes my smile bigger.

:)

This Little Light of Mine

The fireflies.

They found me in the middle of Texas.

I didn't think it was possible to see them anywhere but my Nana Pat and Papa's house in Iowa. Never did I think they would find me in Alamo Heights. Never did I think I would need a firefly to save me. Never did the underpass on Devine Road seem so magical. The dirt still smelled like the rain storm that just dumped through. Sherlock and I were running down the road at dusk.

Then, that little tiny light flashed. There were three small unforgettable bulbed bugs right in front of me. One of the most beautiful moments I have seen in Texas. Everything was simple. Green hung in the air. Ooooonn. Off. Ooooonn. Off. Ooooonn. Off. Everything else was just frozen, painless, and fuzzy in the background. My life slowed way down in an instant.

My fireflies reminded me of the way I wish I could always live my life. Slow. People laugh when I say I take everything but running slow, but it is the truth. Everything in Texas has seemed to be accelerating since i got here. I miss my speed. And by that I mean I miss my slow. I miss the days that felt like weeks and the moments where I got to just take everything in.

Never has a year passed by so quickly for me. I am no longer the just-graduated. In fact, I just had my first dinner, in a long time, where I really sat down and enjoyed it . (What helped was that the meal was just so incredibly good- sorry I am such a terrible cook Derick!) Does this mean I need yoga? That is what people have been telling me, and I see how that may seem. But reality? I just need some mountains. An ocean. Some sort of aged forest. And birds. Lots of them. An ocean isn't that much to ask, is it? I also need to not be the center of my own world again. That is when my life hits turbo drive and becomes less fun.

Did you know the human ear is tuned to hear best right around the same frequency of most bird song? My sanity lies in feathers and the clear sound of song. Good thing I bought a Groupon to the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. Time to grab my bins, a sandwich, my hiking boots, and some sunscreen. Hello heaven.

I am getting that urge to go live outside again. It doesn't take long for your life to slow down when you stand next to a forest of trees that took hundreds of years to grow. I need something with rhythm, besides my own footsteps. Ooooonn, Off. That is how you slow your life down. All it takes is one little light to tell you. And one little vacation. Work, do you mind? :)

Green may mean "go" but in a "go slow" sort of way :) Welcome back to my life fireflies.

And Beyond

Listen up.

The mental aspect of running is tough. So much so that we sometimes don't give ourselves a fighting chance to do anything great.

In all honesty I think this should be the quote or theme of SCAC 2011/life:

"Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction" -William James

This sums up running for me. It sums up my goals, why I run, who I want it to help make me, and the reason I like to help other people get better at it. Notice the quote says nothing about winning. Nothing about glory. The quote is about an individual. Does it compare what two runners are doing? NOPE. Does it even sound that promising? NO, it sounds hard. Does it tell you how to qualify for the Olympics or win races? Hell no. It actually tells you to find your point of exhaustion. Wait, what?

Like I said, listen up-

There is a "beyond". Beyond the fatigue. Beyond the toughest work out you have under your belt. Beyond your worst day. Beyond your all-nighters. Beyond you hardest race. Beyond what you think will break you.

Beyond what does break you.

You want proof?

You are still standing. (Well sitting, but imagine with me here)

Actually, standing and reading.

That requires both physical effort and mental effort.

Running takes physical and mental effort.

So, in your past you have had what you thought was your toughest day. But, here you are. Standing, reading, and, hopefully, realizing that you will probably have a tougher day in your future.

Beyond.

Did you quit? Never run another step? No further work outs? Nope. You kept running.

That was physical. You fixed that all by yourself. But to get to the true beyond? I believe you need to fix the mental aspect too. And because some like structure, I thought I would try some steps to get you there:

1.) Sit your skinny runner butt down on a chair with your running shoes on your lap

2.) Put a mirror in front of you

3.) Stare yourself down for a minute- like an animal preparing for epic battle

4.) Open the line of communication- aka begin talking to yourself or visualization

5.) Follow some sort of conversation that convinces yourself to perform well even when you are tired, blown to shreds, cracked, sleep-deprived, under trained, over trained, heart broken, lost, stumbling, and crazy

6.) CONVINCE YOURSELF

7.) Convince your feet

8.) Convince your muscles

9.) Convince your shoes

10.) Convince your heart

Now, steps 1-3 really don't matter and steps 7-10 really follow your lead once you get to step 6. So really it is not that much to do.

I have SCAC fever and as SCAC T&F 2011 approaches I knew I wanted to remind people how to get through it. Most people do more than one event at conference. They deal with crazy conditions, tactical races, and pressure. So, my little SCAC athletes, please do not let the nerves and stress of the whole season tire you out before you even reach the line that day. You have one week to realize everything you have done in preparation for this meet.

You believe you should be tired after a hard work out. Tired after lots of weeks of racing. Exhausted with school. Stressed about life. Did your legs tell you all that? Did your muscles not do what you asked them to do? Or did you tell yourself you should feel tired. Should feel stressed.

All those things that the quote above doesn't mention? Well those happen when you break down barriers. The biggest barrier being your mental self and mental toughness. I don't care if you are a 12 year old kid who thinks he can win the Boston Marathon- with enough mental toughness you can get pretty darn close.* Those races I told my self that I was going to win, I usually ended up losing. The races where I ate my words, my miles, my workouts, my core, and my barriers were usually the ones I succeeded in.

*(I just watched a movie, Saint Ralph, about just that. Very weird but motivational movie if you have some down time as you are searching for "beyond")

Forget that you are telling yourself you are tired and watch what happens. By all means, take full care of yourself and make yourself comfortable.

But strap yourself in and drive towards that moment you know will be tough and experience beyond.

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See you on the oval.