I am still alive...really

You know there's been ENOUGH winter when...























Slacker Slacker Slacker!!!

ME!

This winter has been a bigger challenge to keep running for me than last year. Last year I was out in the very freezin' temps nearly every day. I was a he-woman! This year I have been a she-man. Not sure what that means but it seems like it would be the opposite of he-woman and so I am going to use it.


Last year my cut off temp was 11 degrees. This year it started about 28 and then kept going up, and now it's about 40! I am not a fan of the cold. I did my best and went out as frequently as my wimpy body would tolerate, but then I discovered the treadmill. I have never owned a treadmill. Now I know why. When the weather got to be too dangerous with ice packed roads and snow covered streets, I decided to stay at the gym after my Body Sculpt (weight training) class and run on the treadmill. I never run farther than about three miles on it though and so I know I am losing some of my stamina. I have learned one thing though....I HATE THE TREADMILL!I don't like to see how far I still have left to go when I am already feeling like killing over. When I am outside running it isn't an issue how much time I have left. I know how much farther I have to go and that has never been something I focus on when I am outside. There is something to be said for fresh air and being out in the world around others. They also added two cardio classes at the gym that I attend each week that helps to substitute for a couple of runs. I enjoy them even if it is a pain to get up at 5:30 a.m. five days a week now.

There hasn't been any races to train for either and so that has contributed to my lack of motivation to get out as well. I was asked to be part of a team for the Wasatch Back in June or July and I am having serious doubts if I can do it or not. It sounds very grueling, in many ways harder than a marathon. I have been really stressing about that.

I just want winter to END so I can get back out there and enjoy my runs again! Has anyone else ever got in a winter rut before? I hope I haven't lost too much in my slump!

I'M BACK!!!! I FIXED IT!!!! YIPEE!!!

Well, I have been AWOL from this blog for NINE MONTHS!!!! Yes NINE!!!! That is because I lost the ability to see and read the posts! Yes, this little section of what you are currently reading simply....

VANISHED! DISAPPEARED! VAMOOSHED!

I really had NO idea what happened. It is impossible to get a hold of blogger and so I asked other bloggers but no one had any idea.

Then the other night as I was laying in bed, the thought occured to me to take off the last post to see if that had some glitch in it that may have caused it. I honestly didn't think it would help, but VIOLA! back to normal! YEA!!!! It was the photo in the post that seemed to be the problem. No more picture! Small price to pay to have my blog back!

Now the problem will be to see if I can keep it updated! I have slacked off with my regular one and so I hope I can keep this one going. The other problem is I am positive I have lost ALL my readers...of course! Oh well, maybe someone will stumble onto it and find something worth commenting on!

YIPPEE!!!!!

Peach Days 10K

This year I ran my third Peach Days 10K. I was not as prepared for it this year as the last two years, but what the heck, I did it anyway.















Heading out the door↑


"Trying" to head out the door! ↓ Yes I am on the phone! Talking to Sego Lily telling them I am going to be needing a massage soon! :D

















In the parking lot before the race...getting ready to make a run for it.

















I really wish I had a picture of the racers all lined up before the gun went off. There were a LOT of racers again this year! Almost 400! The conditions were NOT very conducive to getting a good time because the WIND was just blowing and pushing so hard. The temp was perfect, but the WIND was a pain! Running against the wind is one of the hardest and most grueling energy depleters there is for a runner. It's ten times worse when it's uphill! There is a part on the course that has a killer uphill, and this year, the wind happened to be the worst at that point.

I was trying so hard to get catch up to a couple of big guys so they could break the wind for me. I kept pushing it and pushing it so I could. Going uphill on the hardest part of the course is not a good idea when the wind is blowing so hard against you. I felt like I was running in slow motion because even though I was really pushing it, it felt like I was barely moving. When I finally got behind my big wind breakers, I didn't notice any change. Other than I was exhausted! Luckily after I reached the top of the hill, I had about half mile of downhill to recover.

Still running. This was just after the hard hill and wind! Only about half way. That's why I'm still smiling and giving the thumbs up.

The course goes right past my cul-de-sac. Almost to my house. So tempting to go up and grab some Gatorade and a little nap!

The last part of the race is a steady TWO mile uphill climb that you run in front of the parade spectators. The good thing about it is that there are so many people cheering you on when you need it the most. The bad thing is that if you want to quit, you don't dare! Well, maybe that's a good thing too!

I have to admit, this was the FIRST race I have ever ran that I honestly wanted to quit. Either that or DIE first!!! Not even the two half marathons were this hard. I was really feeling it and wasn't sure if I had it in me what it took to cross that finish line this year. I kept pushing it and began looking for my fam. My sister-in-law told me where she was going to be saving a spot for all of us. When I finally got to that point, I saw her on her cell phone and a male runner that had just collapsed laying on her tarp. He didn't look so good, but I kept going knowing she had it under control. Each year, there are runners that collapse or are taken off in an ambulance. I have to admit the thought crossed my mind that if I fake a collapse then I won't have to finish this! In fact, I was beginning to think I might not need to "fake" it. As I kept running uphill towards that much desired finish line, an ambulance came rushing by me. I was certain it was going to the man on my SIL's tarp. I was right. (See sidenote at bottom)

I don't know where it came from, but I found what I needed to cross the finish line. It was hard. It was very hard, but I did it. I don't know what made it so tough for me this year, other than the wind. Most runners were complaining about how much harder it felt this year. The Peach Days course is touted as the hardest 10K in the state. Runners come from all over for the challenge. This year there were runners from Canada, New York, Hollywood, and all over the west.

My friend Mont (on right) about to storm across the finish line.















Oh! Almost there! NOTHING has looked this good to me in a very long time!!!















I REALLY wanted to beat my last year's time. Just missed it by a minute! Guess that's not too bad considering the wind really slowed me down. At this point, all I wanted was to STOP running!!!














WATER! I NEED water!!! This is the first race EVER that I sat down! It was also the first ever that I felt nauseated after I stopped. I was feeling EVERY inch of those six miles! Luckily, I started to feel much better after about 20 minutes.




















Wow! Even a smile! Jen, ALWAYS my supportive friend, asking me how it went.














Survivors of the grueling 2009 Peach Days torture run! ↓

Julie, Mont, and me. Mont is holding our pal Mike's number because he had to "dash" off.

So happy we made it and lived to tell about it! And I am NOT joking about this either!!! (read SIDENOTE at bottom)














The best part was I got a MEDAL!!!! I placed third in my age division! WOOT-WOOT!!! I was sooooooooo happy!!! Was NOT expecting that!!! I came in 153rd out of 389 runners! Not bad, for an old woman!!! Especially considering the majority of runners are much younger than I am! Well, I don't want to emphasize "much", but you know what I mean! Ha!

Me and my medal!!!!

Another Peach Days 10K down! I hope next year's is a little more of a fun run! Fun run? Did I say that? I am sure that's an oxymoron!

VERY SAD SIDENOTE:

The runner that collapsed and was laying on my SIL's tarp, didn't make it. He stopped breathing and the paramedics were unable to revive him. He was only 32 years old (I believe) and a seasoned runner. He ultimately died of cardiac arrest, but I still haven't heard the report on the autopsy. It has been very hard on my sister in law as she was the one that saw him start to stagger in the road and so she went up to him and asked if he was okay. He didn't respond and so she helped get him off the road and onto her tarp. He collapsed on her before she could get him all the way off the street. Several people started CPR, but were never able to get a pulse. Once the ambulance arrived, they shocked his heart, but no avail. It was very sad. Isn't running supposed to be GOOD for you???

Running Quotes

1. "You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." - Steve Prefontaine
2. "I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." -Jesse Owens
3. "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." -Juma Ikangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon winner
4. "In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." -Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder
5. "Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." -Oprah Winfrey
6. "Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about." -PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian
7. "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner
8. "We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable." -Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile
9. "Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'." -Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner
10. "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." -John Bingham, running speaker and writer

You Know You're a Runner When...

when you've run, showered, and eaten breakfast (twice) before your family/roommates even wake up.
when your family knows that you will run on Thanksgiving and Christmas (or other holidays you celebrate) no matter what.
when your friends no longer look at you like you're nuts because they know it for sure.
when you forget birthdays and anniversaries, even major holidays, but never the date of your next race.
when you have to make a real effort to remember to talk to your (non-running) family and friends about something other than running.
when your family plans vacations based on where your next marathon will be.
when your non-running family and friends know the differences between feet that are neutral, over-pronating, and supinating.
when you run so much that your family has a separate laundry basket for your running clothes.
when people stop asking you if you are going to run today, but rather ask you when.
when you tell people you ran a 10k and you are shocked that people think that is a long run.
when you call four miles an easy day.
when you try to convince people to run a 5k because it's "only" three miles.
when you no longer have to explain to your friends why cotton isn't the best choice for running attire.
when you come back after an hour-long run and your spouse says, "That was fast. I didn't expect you back so soon."
when you smirk at people who tell you that you run too much or are crazy for enjoying a run.

I am still alive ~ really...

Slacker!!! Slacker!!! Slacker!!!

ME!

This winter has been a bigger challenge to keep running for me than last year. Last year I was out in the very freezin' temps nearly every day. I was a he-woman! This year I have been a she-man. Not sure what that means but it seems like it would be the opposite of he-woman and so I am going to use it.


Last year my cut off temp was 11 degrees. This year it started about 28 and then kept going up, and now it's about 40! I am not a fan of the cold. I did my best and went out as frequently as my wimpy body would tolerate, but then I discovered the treadmill. I have never owned a treadmill. Now I know why. When the weather got to be too dangerous with ice packed roads and snow covered streets, I decided to stay at the gym after my Body Sculpt (weight training) class and run on the treadmill. I never run farther than about three miles on it though and so I know I am losing some of my stamina. I have learned one thing though....I HATE THE TREADMILL!

I don't like to see how far I still have left to go when I am already feeling like killing over. When I am outside running it isn't an issue how much time I have left. I know how much farther I have to go and that has never been something I focus on when I am outside. There is something to be said for fresh air and being out in the world around others. They also added two cardio classes at the gym that I attend each week that helps to substitute for a couple of runs. I enjoy them even if it is a pain to get up at 5:30 a.m. five days a week now.

There hasn't been any races to train for either and so that has contributed to my lack of motivation to get out as well. I was asked to be part of a team for the Wasatch Back in June or July and I am having serious doubts if I can do it or not. It sounds very grueling, in many ways harder than a marathon. I have been really stressing about that.

I just want winter to END so I can get back out there and enjoy my runs again! Has anyone else ever got in a winter rut before? I hope I haven't lost too much in my slump!

Snowman Shuffle

The SNOWMAN SHUFFLE 5K was held last Saturday. The weather was a little chilly, but right before the race the sun came out in all it's glory and really warmed things up. It was no comparison to last year when we ran in a flippin' blizzard! This year was so much better.
They had approximately 140 runners. I was happy that I got 2nd in my age division. 42nd overall. But disappointed that I ran 14 seconds faster last year. My time was 27:52. Last year it was 27.38. With the conditions being so much better I thought I would be faster this year. But I guess it makes a big difference in my training. I haven't been running as much this past month as I usually do and it takes it toll. I have had a harder time climatizing this year for some reason. I do not enjoy going out in the bitter cold at all!


This year I paced myself much better than last year. Last year I started out fast thinking I could maintain that pace the entire race. I was wrong. I had to slow down and even walk for a short distance, which is taboo for me. I really had a hard time getting back into my grove after that. This year I started out even more slowly than I normally do because I wanted to conserve some energy for the big hill. I maintained that pace pretty much the entire route. I did push it down the hill to make up for lost time going up the blasted thing, and I got a killer side ache about a half mile into it, but was able to relieve it after about another half mile.

Ready to run!

Here we are with this year's sweatshirts. They are much cuter than last years, but I wish they would make them in women's sizes instead of just mens!

Julie crossing the finish line in all her elf-dom.

Here I am accepting my 2nd place ribbon. Last year I didn't even place in the top three. So even though I was 14 seconds under last year, I was happy. They also widened our age range this year due to the large number of runners. There was a span of seven years in my category. I didn't beat my record, but I still placed.

Mike, Andrew, and Neil also ran it. I was bummed because Andrew and Niel's time was better than mine this race and I always finish before they do. I think they have been training harder!

Cheese!

All in all it was a fun run. I am pretty sure the weather will never be better for this run than it was this year. We were all shedding our jackets before the finish line and there were several runners in shorts and tank tops. Pretty unusual for a Utah December run! My lungs weren't even burning this year running up the very steep and very long killer hill! Can't wait until next year... or can I?