Not blogging but definitely running!

It's been a while since I blogged about running.  

Not for a lack of running, just for a lack of blogging.

When I started blogging, it was a new adventure.  

Now running is a way of life. 

For that- I am oh so thankful!

Since my run with Miles for Moffit, there have been a couple new running adventures.

A Color Me Rad 5K

This race was really not a race, just pure fun getting covered with color.  I highly recommend it!  If running is not just about physical fitness but mental release - then you have to add a Color Race to your list of things to do!   I'm currently registered for Run or Dye in Tampa in March.

Paddle Boarding

Ok- this isn't even in the running category- but it was a challenge.  Not that it was difficult physically but challenge my fear of the unknown and doing something so out of my norm.  I truly felt a sense of conquering!  Again - running is about facing limitations and overcoming them.  That's what I did on that board!   Again two thumbs up and a recommendation to add this to your list.

The Citadel at Cap Haitian in Haiti.

This was not running - but walking an incline that matched that of the Great Wall of China - and I've climbed the Great wall of China so I know! (I would love to know if anyone could ever RUN this!)  It was told to us that it would be seven miles straight up. So for two months I took hills and did a million steps in preparation.  It ended up being only a few miles as we were able to park higher up than originally told we could.  However, the incline was so ferociously steep and the pull of gravity so heavy, I have no doubt we wouldn't have made 7 miles.  It would have taken much more training than I did.  Still the sense of accomplishment after much huffing and puffing was thrilling!  The views were A-mazing.  This was an OFFICIAL CHECK OFF on my OFFICIAL Bucket List!   

After all these sweet new adventures I was left with a tenacious desire to do a lot more in the next 12 months to challenge myself and experience the unknown at a greater level.  

So- 

December 7th - me and my sweetest race buddies will be getting "PRETTY MUDDY!"

Don't RUN from cancer, RUN against it!

I'm running AGAINST CANCER and YOU CAN RUN WITH ME!

 Three years ago I had a brief experience that led me to MOFFITT CANCER CENTER in Tampa, Florida. I had a "cancer scare" with a diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer from my doctor.  The three weeks I waited before arriving at Moffitt Cancer Center were the greatest challenge I ever faced in my life.  All the questions and fears about mortality were in my face!

When I was told I needed to see an endocrinologist at Moffitt, I have to be honest, just the word Moffitt chilled my spine.  I equated that word with cancer.  The thought that I was going there stole my peace.  I was devastated.  I dreaded the thought.

But I will never forget the day we drove into the driveway of the Moffitt Cancer Center.  We were greeted by valets to park the car and I was impressed.  That may seem narcissistic to be pleased with such a luxury at a medical facility when you are facing an uncertain fate.  But just that service alone settled me in some way. That was just my first impression.

We made our way in, had our doctor visit, did my blood work and waited in each phase in a waiting room with others that had been in treatment for a long time and it was obvious they were fighting for LIFE.  My heart and mind were altered with a compassion that has ruled my thoughts towards anyone suffering with any type of illness, especially a cancer diagnosis.

I visited the Moffitt three more times before I was able to move on with my life without a cancer diagnosis.  I was "lucky," "fortunate" or "blessed" to have a conclusive NO CANCER result.  But there was no doubt that cancer had touched my life - in that it moved me to my core when it was even mentioned to me as mine.

I began running after I left Moffitt.  As I have mentioned on this blog many times, I ran for health and I ran to live and I still do.

                                              NOW I GET TO COMBINE IT ALL!
                                             I GET TO RUN AGAINST CANCER!!!
                                           And you can run right along with me on May 11th 2013  !

By going to my donation website set up exclusively for the race you can make a donation that will go directly to Moffitt Cancer Center.  Miles for Moffitt Race is my opportunity to give back and to give for all the others who will experience the fight of their lives at Moffitt!

You can click here right now and give. No matter one dollar or ten - it will all make a difference!

Your donation will help fund research and treatments for cancer patients at MOFFITT CANCER CENTER in Tampa, FL  fighting for their health and lives.

Your contribution is greatly appreciated!

Donate here.

Post Race must blog now.

Take one

Take Two

Yes, sometimes after you've been up since 4 am and ran 9.3 miles, self-portraits are difficult.

I thought I would do a sloppy, quick yet prompt blog on my race today, while I am still awake and before I get into a mindless relaxed state.

If you read my last installment, rest at ease, we found parking!  In fact it was so easy it scared us that our car might get towed.  The best part, it was FREE!  That's when I knew the god's of racing were smiling on us and yes that would be Jehovah, Jesus and the Holy Ghost in one!   (I'm tired so I'm going to be wise cracking through this entire writing. Sorry in advance.)

----"we" means Me and Lisa.

Right after the swift parking discovery there they were...a row of unused Port-a-potties!  If you run races you know what a blessed find it is to go into an UNUSED fresh one!   Then right to the start line, finding our estimated pace section.  Then very quickly we were off!!

The good news was the 15k was not jammed packed.  This gave us room to set our pace and run unencumbered.  We ran 3 miles, took a little breather, ran to 5 and then intermittently ran and walked.   We got caught in a walk/run cycle for several reasons.  One, we were talking so much, two we were giving ourselves lavish leeway and...ok there are only a couple reasons.

One interesting happening was we had decided to wear our water belts so we wouldn't need to go through any water stops.  We had found that they slowed us down last time and we wanted to take that out.  I was a little concerned because I don't usually wear my belt and didn't want to be hindered by it and I wanted to look cool and thought we might risk looking like novices.  But once again- it worked out!  The City of Tampa water system was tainted and was on a boil alert! So they sent out emails to tell us to bring our own water.  Therefore, many people were wearing belts even though Zephyrhills stepped in and provided pure water everywhere!  At least we looked cool and fit in!  The bad part about the boil alert was that Starbucks wasn't serving coffee.

Our gu-estimation for finishing time had been 2.5 hours.  We came in at exactly 2.  We were so pleased!  I can't tell you how good it feels when you complete a race.  Just a sense of accomplishment and pride in your effort.  We got out there and did it.

The race in general was a FABULOUS experience.  Gasparilla Distance Classic was very different from our Half at Disney.  Much more organized and pleasant.  Of course, running on Bayshore Boulevard is beautiful and a treat.  The crowds for the 15k were totally manageable.  The weather was perfect for the 15k because it was so early and once again, GOD (He always gets the credit!) kept a sweet hazy overcast to keep the sun off our backs!  SWEET!

When we were finished we stuck around to see some friends in the 5k.  THAT WAS AN EXPERIENCE in and of itself.  First, the 5k must have had 20,000 people!  There were four huge waves with a sea of runners in each.  It was a miracle we saw our friends.  Second, it was the first time being at the finish line watching all those runners cross the line.  There were so many amazing people and you knew they each had their own journey and story that led them to that finish moment.  Moms and sons running together cried and embraced. Women and men who obviously took all they had to cross wept. Teams of people running on behalf of a passed loved-one with pictures on their shirts of the person.  Most striking were the  pockets of Military and Vets who crossed the line together, some wounded with prothstetic legs, burned faces, and some with huge military backpacks.

We were very glad to have stayed to be a part of the finish line experience from the other side!

All together we were there for 6 hours!  Both of us were more than ready to get home!

AND lastly...

I had found a cute Nike Running shirt to wear and thought it so cute.  It's sometimes can be tricky running with a buddy.  You have to compromise throughout on the pace you will set.  Sometimes you are ready to bolt and she's not and then like clock-work she has gotten her second wind and has to push you to keep moving.  It's a give and take collaboration.  I guess that is half the fun!  SO when I saw this shirt I knew it was perfect for Lisa and I. 

However, I think maybe not everyone got it.  

And that is my Post Race Blog!

Pre-race Fodder

What are most racers talking and thinking about two days before the race?

Here are what my racing buddy and I are foddering on about.

1.  What we have been eating this week.  What we haven't eaten.  What we shouldn't eat.

2.  Where is the Expo?  We have spent some time trying to figure out if the Convention Center was the same as the Arena.  No it isn't.  Case solved.

3.  Where are we going to park for the Expo?  From the online map, the Convention Center Garage.  Case solved.  Unless, that is, it's packed from the several events going on at the same time there.  In which case...case not solved.

4.  Where is the start and where should we park?  These two questions combined because it's envitable the latter would be asked.  Case still not solved on the latter.

5.  Let's meet up somewhere then drive together to the start so we can experience even more moments of nervous anticipation together.

6.  Where do we park.  Oh yeah, still not solved.

7.  For goodness sake, let's just get to the running part!

And that folk's is pre-race fodder.

The use of cows in this picture is only in correlation to the "fodder" reference and
 NOT to the runners referred to in this blog, thank you very much!

PRECISION ENGINEERED TO RUN!

I have often heard, especially before I started running, that running ruins your joints.  I think that this entire rumor was perpetuated by non-runners if you know what I mean!

This morning I "ran" across this informative video on AOL that disposes the question, "Does running cause arthritis?"  If you ever had that concern click right here to get your answer.

I think it's really important to note that every runner needs to be wise.  You need the right equipment, form, nutrition and training schedule for your running to benefit your body to the upmost.

Our bodies were created by an awesome Creator.  We are truly wonderfully and fearfully made!  Yet you will never know that until you utilize every muscle and internal organs to their maximum.  It's like driving a BMW or fine tuned sport's car.  If you only drive it at 35 miles per hour on a straight road, you will never know how amazingly precision-engineered-for-performance the car is.  But if you take a few sharp corners, accelerate to 60 in a few seconds, hit the highway at 85 and break on a dime - you come to see what a fine vehicle you are driving.  Then going back to just any run of the mill car is just not as satisfying.

This is running.  This is working out.  This is living active and pushing your body to do things you don't normally do in your mundane weekly routine.  You discover how finely engineered your body is. Your heart, brain, muscles, ligaments, lungs, and your breath!  AMAZING!  Pushing your body is what you were made for!

So get up, get out and and experience the amazing fine tuning of your body!  It can take it!  It will thrive on it!

Enjoy!

The Power of Inspiration

There's something powerful about inspiration.  It can change the course you are on and give you ability and strength to continue and finish.  

I got inspired today on my Friday long run, the possible last long run before the 15k next Saturday.  I originally wasn't sure I would run today, since school was out  and I always take advantage of a sleep-in day.  In addition it had been rainy all night long and had gotten cold and those are always the excuses that win over a morning run.  But when I got up after I had slept in, saw it was mildly cold and just overcast  and felt the pressure of the  impending race only 7 days away I had no ability to deny myself the opportunity to train.

I'll be honest that I don't like running my normal trail later in the day.  I just don't feel as comfortable and safe.  In the early mornings there is always a flood of walkers, runners, roller-blades and even boot-camp classes going on.  But not so much later in the morning. So when I felt the "now or never get out there" come on me I had only one more option and that was to hit the busy streets.  I charted out 7 miles which actually took me on the busy stretch of populated road to the entrance of my morning run trail.  This trail I usually DRIVE to every morning, now I was going to run to it and back to the house!  

I put my light weight jacket on, put my phone in my hand instead of my arm case, put only one bud in my ear, reported my new course to my family and I was off.  Oh yes, I put a hat on, which I never wear because I feel like it's too hot, but I wanted to be incognito.  Why?  Stupid reasons like no make-up, being out in the open instead of hidden on a run trail - like anyone cares but I still have an ego.

Immediately I knew this all was the right choice for my last long run.  The course was full of distractions; honking trucks, whisking cars, uneven sidewalks, scattered debris to dodge, and even the need to improv my course to avoid stopping and waiting on the lights to change at the intersections.  To add to all that distraction the clouds parted within about two minutes and direct sun blazed down.  My usual trail is all shaded and I never have to deal with direct sun.  Sun means heating up doubly and that means early exhaustion and thirst.  I had no water with me so I had to make a quick dash into a corner CVS for a drink at the water fountain!

This couldn't be more perfect for me and my tendency to train so well but get over distracted and excited in the race and lose my focus, pace and control.  

I was so proud of myself.  Yes I said it - I was stinkin' proud of myself for pushing to the turn around at 3.5 miles without stopping to peel off my jacket and heading back as far as I could before my water dash at CVS.  I took 45 seconds of a walk in and out and finished my run at my front door. 

Now the inspiration part of this blog.  The last time I did 7 miles in training was for the half marathon.  During that training seasons I was doing the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk Method with intervals of run 3 minutes walk 1 minute.  This was the first 7 miles I have ran fully.  This is a HUGE BARRIER BREAKER for me!  I have always dreamed of running a long distance and now it's happening.  I've been working hard the last 5 months to initiate and build long runs. That's when inspiration came all over me that I CAN and I WILL go back to a half marathon running it out right and finish!   It can be done!  I could scream with thrill!

So I am determined after this 15k to enter a half and do it up right this time!  

And that is my report for the day!

A Registration Rush!

I am currently experiencing a REGISTRATION RUSH!   It happened the moment I clicked on "finish" and the "print waiver" form popped up on my screen!  My heart started pounding when I glanced down and saw the line "Bib Number.....4005"!

It's official!

I'm getting up at 4:30 am and driving over the bridge to Tampa to find a parking space downtown in some parking garage and then walking to a start area I have absolutely NO IDEA where it is.  I will join a crowd of strangers in the dark, all crammed together, just waiting until 6:45 am.  My wave, which will probably be way far back will move together like a heard of cattle with anticipation of some breathing space happening around the first mile mark.

Of course with me will be my faithful running buddy Lisa, whom I persuaded to enter this race with no more training than the 12 days we have now.  I will be all up and excited and she will be too and we will both have our usual pockets of "coaching each other through it"; mine in the first half and hers toward the end when my rush out the gate enthusiasm is now exhaustion!

Without shame I will admit I am doing this to rack up a medal with my collection and another t-shirt I won't ever actually wear again...ever!  My long range goal is to run every race from 5k to full marathon. I also want to be able to get a nice long race in at the beginning of this new year to let that accomplishment drive me the rest of the year through.  No doubt I know this will give me new material for my blog.  Lastly, because I feel bad for my new shoes who have never experienced the thrill of a finish line crossed.  (Is it a little weird that I personify my shoes?" Go ahead, say yes.  I can handle it.)

So, with that I say LET'S DO THIS!!!

#4005

New Shoes Transition-

The new shoe transition....

Painful.

Sometimes literally.

You leave a shoe that fit you like a glove, that's why you had them so long.  The arch was perfect support, the sizing kept you from rubbing off your toenails and the the soles were shaped to provide you a perfect hit and roll of the foot.  But now, you get a new shoe that fit when you tried it on in the store - but out on the trail, after repeated pounds on the pavement, give you blisters, hurt your arch and you trip as the rubber hits at an unexpected point off the pavement.

Painful.

Emotionally.

You had those old worn shoes so long and they have been along for the ride...or run, for a year maybe two or maybe five.  You and your shoes ran on new roads together, broke personal bests, pushed through a rough morning of no energy, charged a hill two more times, crossed a finish line, passed that young twenty year old, and doggonit stepped in that dog poo someone didn't pick up on the trail!

Painful.

Mentally.

Will these old faithful shoes feel abandoned?  Do they feel tossed aside now that they don't sport the new hot neon colors so "in" this season?  Am I justified in throwing them in the garage just because my repeated rubbing of my wide feet made holes from my pinky toes?  Should I throw them away or should I keep them as reminders of the segment of my fitness journey between total beginner runner and training for a full marathon where I learned to run with strength and focus? Should I take the old tie clip off and put them on my new shoes or just buy new ones?   So many questions...

The new shoe transition...

Trepidatious.

Will these new shoes break my flow?  Will they jinks my focus?   Will I get out there tomorrow and be all "I don't know how to run in these new shoes"?

Full of possibilities.

I'm going to have to get a lot of new neon shirts to go with these new neon shoes.

Transforming.

Look how old and nasty my old shoes look next to my new one.  Why did I wait so long to get new shoes?  What was I thinking?   Does the trash go out tomorrow? 

Hey get my shoe tie clips off those first.

And to think that 5 years ago I didn't even own a pair of good running shoes...

Leave no Hill unturned....

Running is a psychological therapist.  It exposes the deepest roots of your psyche.

You find out so many things about yourself, the real truth about yourself.  It causes you to face your limits and fears.  It shows you your weaknesses and then surprises you and puts a spotlight on your hidden strengths.  It makes you listen to thoughts from your unconscious memory that you keep yourself too busy to think of usually, but while your Ipod music fades from consciousness for a few minutes, there they are.  All pretense evaporates in the company of a run.

That's why I love 'the Hill" that is positioned not far from where I run on my trail.

This is not "the Hill" - it is however, very much like it.

It stands there totally exposed to the morning gleaming sun, while the rest of the area is shaded with Oak Trees.  Sometimes, it glistens with morning dew or has a thin haze of fog hovering over it's grass and when it does...it calls to me.

Yes, I said it calls to me.

Hills call to me.  They always have.

Don't ask me why.  They just do.  Not every Hill, just Hills that seem to have a cover that is undisturbed.  Like the morning dew.   It's so compelling.  Even if I have run a few miles already, if the Hill looks right and I have to finish my run with a few passes over it.  It really is a compulsion.  Thus, running at my particular running trail, with the Hill,  has made this all the more clear to me.  I must experience the Hill.

It's not like I didn't know it before.  I have many times lost all ability to control myself and taken "for the Hills" before.

Once on a Ski Trip with our Florida Youth Group, it began to snow relentlessly and my husband had to put snow chains on our church vans to get up the mountain to our cabins.  As we were parked at this gas station, he had made it clear in no uncertain terms that everyone was to stay in the van while he took care of the snow chains with the station attendant.  You know how young people are restless and he left me in one of the vans to keep an eye on them.  But as I sat there in that van I looked over across the street to this amazing hill with a foot of freshly driven snow from top to bottom and then it happened.  Yes, it happened - the Hill called for me.  It cried out for me to jump out of that van across the street and as fast as I could and run to the top and back.  I was not a runner back then but I did it.  I don't think I consciously gave it a logical thought because by the time I got back to the van in what seemed only like 30 thrilling seconds, my legs were like wet noodles under me.  I think I even fell at the bottom when I got to the flat surface of the road.

My husband told me later he was so angry as he looked over at some "youth" running up the hill against his explicit instructions and then heard someone call to him that it was me. He couldn't believe it!  Little, and young at that time, quiet, intimidated and insecure Carmen had bolted in freezing cold snowing weather to a hill while the group of young people stared out the van windows!

That's what running does.  It draws something deep out of you that seems to not even be there.  But running finds it, makes you realize it and live and breathe it!

And so my Hill reminds me every time I see it who I really am.  I am a woman who likes to run where no one else has before.  To make my own mark.  To conquer even if my legs give out on me.

What's your hill?

The Morning Run....

Anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a morning person.

It's not that I just love to stay up late and sleep in, but I truly have always, as long as I can remember struggled with going to sleep any earlier than 10 pm. I can remember being made to go to bed and laying there awake until about midnight. It's almost like an internal clock that is just set on that rhythm. No matter how early I get up and how strenuous the day's activity is and no matter how exhausted I actually am, I regroup around 10 pm with a second wind.

 Of course, whether it's cause and effect or not, anything before 9 am is a struggle for me. I literally am in a fog mentally in the mornings that even the best cup of coffee or protein shake can not lift.   I can function but don't ask me to use cognitive reasoning on any level. But anywhere after 10 pm ask me for a deadline project, write a chapter in a book, organize a closet, do a complicated algebra problem...(OK, I went to far on that one).....

Anyhow,   after 10 pm I spring to life with excess productivity!

So to now declare myself as a morning runner is so ironic! But I am. Indeed I am.

No matter how tired I feel when the alarm eases me out of my dead to the world sleep, I get up. Not because I know my son has to be at school at a certain time, but because I know after I drop him off and I will get a good 2 to 4 and maybe 5 miles in. In fact, I think my son has never had a tardy because I know I am going running! Even days, when years before I started running, I might have said, "let's just take the day off" and turn the lights back off and make everyone in the house go back to bed, I start the morning routine.

Why? What is it about running that it has had the power to transcend the internal clock of 46 years? What is it about running that inspires me so much that I go against the cry of my own body to stay in my bed? You got me. I have no true idea.

But I did see this post on Facebook today, the place from which all mystic answers come, LOL! No, really, it did kind of fit the feeling of my morning compulsion to run.

 The morning is jealous of your relationship with running. 

 The bed whispers, 

“Don’t leave. What do you seeing in running anyway?” 

 But somewhere in the back of your mind 

 is the thought of the perfect mile,

 politely telling the bed to,

 “Shut up”. 

 ...Hate the morning less and love running more... 

 - NB

Are you a morning runner?

Ready for Change!

"Little changes can lead to huge leaps and bounds in the overall destination!"

It's the beginning of 2013!

I need to reflect on 2012 before I project 2013!

Last year brought some transitions in my running and training.  After the Half-Marathon in early January, I only did one race, a mid-night 5k in Dunedin.  My running buddy, Lisa and I ran across the Causeway in the middle of night with a full moon beaming on the inter-coastal waters!  I can't wait to do that one again!  But when that was finished I didn't have another race in mind, so for the first time I didn't have a race to use as a goal or motivation in training.  I had to set my mind on the personal desires I had for my running.

I decided to do away with my Galloway Walk/Run method.  I was going to go for straight running at long distance.  I have always been secretly envious of long distance runners!  I had to discipline myself to not bolt out of the gate but to take a nice and easy approach.   I also found my perfect pace and learned to listen to my body when I hit my perfect stride and just keep it there.  I was so stoked to reach a run at six miles without any walk breaks! After many months I found that my daily normal run distance was four miles, doing a six mile long run once a week and that was a huge and joyous accomplishment!

Throw out the timer!

This all happened, I believe, because I threw out my timer...not literally...it's in my iphone, duh!   But I threw my mindset on timing out and concentrated on the long haul of finishing and it gave me distance in exchange.  So if you are looking for distance - forget your time and let your body take you there!  Sometimes it's really pushed on us runners to concentrate too much on speed and time!

Do what works for you!

I also took great pains...and that is what it was...in strength training.  I found a few awesomely intense workouts that worked for me in strengthening my core and more importantly my upper thighs!  The key words I want you to pay attention to is "that worked for me".  That is main ingredient to any success!   It's all about what WORKS FOR YOU not what works for everyone and anyone else!   The older I get the more I realize that nothing is cookie-cutter.  Stop trying to do the latest fad, the things that someone else is selling you and discover what fits you and you will most likely find your greatest success right there!

Take in more protein!

Lastly, I got my internal health in alignment regarding my Thyroid journey.  I found an amazing holistic MD who open my eyes to the importance of daily high Protein intake (I gulp down an awesome protein shake, or two, daily).  Ladies, let me tell you that I have watched my muscle mass increase, which had depleted greatly in my forties!  Protein is the answer to that aging problem!  I also got my thyroid numbers nicely balanced so that my energy and weight control is finally at happy levels!  All of this is a big piece of my health and fitness pie! (I'm not really sure pie should be used with the word fitness!)

Make small steady changes!

Although most of these transitions happened in the last 6 months of 2012 - it has led me to make some great overall CHANGES!   And CHANGE is really good!  Little changes can add up to huge leaps and bounds in the overall destination!  

Keep setting new goals!

So as I close the chapter of 2012 in my running and fitness logs I am very happy BUT NOT SATISFIED!  Although I don't really have a drive to do a big race I am searching for new and different goals.   I see some 5K's in my future with my hubby who has now entered the world of running as a beginner!   I also see more concentration of strength training as well as slowly increasing some distance.  I would like to see myself in a half-marathon again running all the way to the finish.

So - 2013 - I'm ready for you!