Running and Morning Sickness

I was recently doing some googling around, looking for a support belt to wear while running. I never got one when I was pregnant with LMS, and I thought I should see what my options are. When I was pregnant with LMS my hips were so messed up I was barely able to walk around our small house and sweep up the dust bunnies (wood floors somehow breed dust bunnies); I definitely wasn't doing any running.

One thing I saw mentioned was that some women really liked running while pregnant because it helped with the nausea. I would have to agree- the days I spend some time on the treadmill I feel less nauseous for several hours after. Yay!

Thankfully my doctor said I could keep running as long as it feels good, and it feels good, so I'll keep running as long as I can.

Did you find that exercise helped you with morning sickness?

Mud Run Results

Saturday I ran in my first mud run. I had registered for it before I found out I was pregnant, and had been debating whether to go through with it or not. My doctor said as long as it feels good to keep running, I can, so despite the cold and possibility of freezing rain, I decided to give it a go.

But what do you wear in a race of indeterminate length when you're going to be crawling through the mud, splashing through puddles, maneuvering obstacles, and climbing a 6' wall and a 12' pile of hay bales?

I opted for the old running shoes I've been wearing when I paint, old long johns I purchased as a college freshman from an Army surplus store, a running skirt for modesty, a tech shirt that I think is ugly (it was on clearance, and looked a lot cuter on the rack), and an old fleece I picked up at Goodwill. I wasn't sure if any of my clothes would get ruined, so I only wore things I wouldn't be too sad to lose. As it turned out, my clothes fared a lot better than I was afraid they would.

I can only guess that the organizers of this race scheduled it in February because it would add an element of fun or adventure. I'm not so sure about that. I think we were all trying as hard as possible not to get too wet or muddy since the temps were in the mid-30s. If it had been summer, it wouldn't have been an issue.

Once I arrived, I finally found out that the race was a smidge longer than 4 miles (I couldn't find anything online saying how long the race was, so I was going into this blind). Overall, the race was fun, with most of the obstacles in the first mile and a half. Unfortunately, they didn't stagger the beginning and those of us not at the very front ended up having to wait our turn to go over the first 3 or 4 obstacles. All told, I probably lost about 20 minutes standing and waiting. I wasn't too concerned though, since I wasn't going for a time, I was just trying to finish.

I will say that those who are taller had an advantage over those of us who are short. Luckily people were nice and helped those around them (including me) get over the obstacles that were too tall for us.

I didn't get too muddy till the second mile, but most of it washed off when we went through a culvert under the highway (!) at the third mile marker. I collected a bit more mud during the third mile, but not much.

This puts my total races for the year up to 3: a 5k, a half marathon, and now a 4 miler.

Will I run this race next year?
I don't know.

Will I run a mud race when it's warmer?
Most likely.

Have you run a mud race?

Mud Run

any ideas what this is a picture of?

Have you ever run a mud race?

I'm signed up for one this Saturday, and I'm a bit nervous.

1. I've never done a mud race
2. It's February!
3. I'm not actually sure how long the race is- they just talk about the different obstacles we have to get through

I was going to do this race last year, but my physical therapist wanted me to stop running for awhile while we focused on strengthening my muscles, so I wasn't able to.

This is just a small, local race. I saw that one of the big, national races was being run here last year, but the cost was ridiculous. Even spectators had to pay to get in!

I plan on wearing old clothes and old shoes, and just having fun- my goal is to finish. That being said, any tips on how a 5' person can best climb a 6' wall would be greatly appreciated!

Disney World Half Marathon

tail end of the fireworks starting corral A- I was in corral C

Saturday I ran the Disney World Half Marathon again (here’s last year’s re-cap).  Despite not training as much as I’d have liked, I felt better prepared than I did last year. I had a 9 mile long run, as opposed to a 6 mile long run, my knee hasn’t been giving me any problems, and I had a great, fast 5k on New Year’s Day.

Since it was so cold last year, we made sure we were prepared this year: fleece pants and jacket for LMS, as well as an extra jacket for layering, and I brought a $3 fleece from Goodwill that I could wear and take off when I got warm, leaving it on the side of the road to be donated back to Goodwill.

So naturally it was on the warm side. Unseasonably warm, in fact, and they were warning us to make sure we stayed properly hydrated and not over-exert ourselves.

Cinderella's castle during the race. Mr M wasn't able to get a pic of me running past because of a very rude person's incredibly bad timing just as I ran past.

This year I managed to figure out how to use my Garmin (I haven’t used it much because I’ve been doing more treadmill running than outdoor running) and was able to accurately track my pace and split times. And according to it, I actually ran 13.23 miles, not 13.1 miles J

Because I love comparisons and seeing my progress, here’s how I did this year, compared to how I did last year:

	2013	2013 average pace per mile (min:sec)	2012	2012 average pace per mile (min:sec)	How much faster I was this year (min:sec)	How much faster my average pace per mile  was this year (:sec)
5k split (3.1 miles)	36:15	11:42	36:43	11:51	:28	:09
10k split (6.2 miles)	1:11:40	11:34	1:12:50	11:45	1:10	:11
15k split (9.3 miles)	1:48:20	11:39	1:51:33	12:00	3:13	:21
Finish time (13.1 miles)	2:32:28	11:38	2:37:27	12:01	4:59	:23

Overall, I was faster, and I managed to keep my pace up even as the race went on. Last year my pace slowed as the race progressed, and my overall speed was slower.

And the damage? Just two small blisters- one on each foot, though I didn’t notice them till I took my shoes and socks off, as well as some {not unexpected} sore muscles. I did the same basic prep as last year (BodyGlide, etc) and carried the same items, though I ditched the Fuel Belt pouches in favor of the RooSport pocket I picked up at the prerace convention.

convention craziness

I know you’re not supposed to try new things during a race, but I was fairly confident it would work better than the Fuel Belt pouches I used last year. This proved to be the case: I loved it! So much easier to get stuff in and out of, and it felt more secure. It uses strong magnets that hook it securely to your waistband. You put the pocket inside your pants/shorts/capris/whatever, and it doesn’t bounce around (the Fuel Belt pouches did a lot of bouncing). Wonderful! 

The only potential problem I saw was that the pocket holds a lot, and overloading it could cause your pants/shorts/capris/whatever to sag down a bit. The easy fix is to not carry too much. I had two packages of ShotBlox, my clip-on sunglasses, and my chapstick in it during the race. Towards the end of the race I moved my iphone from the pocket in the small of my back in my capris into the RooSport pocket because there was only a couple ShotBlox left. This weighed it down more, but it still felt secure.

I had half-hoped to beat my previous PR of 2:29:46, but I missed that mark by 2 minutes and 42 seconds. If I hadn’t been sick all week, I might have made it. Despite that, I am pleased with how I did- I finished almost 5 minutes faster than last year. I may be getting older, but I’m getting faster!

	Race	Date	Finish Time
First	Disneyland Half	Sept 2007	2:59:18
Second	Top of Utah Half	Aug 2008	2:29:46
Third	Disney World Half	Jan 2012	2:37:27
Fourth	Disney World Half	Jan 2013	2:32:28

I brought my travel size foam roller and used it, which helped keep everything looser. I can definitely tell a difference in my knees and hips when I’m rolling. Going to physical therapy last year really made a huge difference in my body mechanics. I learned which parts of my body need more work to stay loose and how to keep things better aligned. They also gave me pointers on improving my running form (focus on shorter strides and forefoot strikes rather than longer strides and heel strikes).

LMS caught a cold while at a play date on New Year’s Eve and she was kind enough to share it with me. By the time race day came around, she felt fine, with just an occasional phlegmy cough. I, on the other hand, have been fighting a fever and a nasty cough since last Tuesday. If I coughed, my lungs hurt, but if I didn’t cough, I couldn’t get the phlegm moving. It was a conundrum I don’t want to have again.

I felt bad enough that I stayed in the hotel room Thursday afternoon while everyone else hit up the Magic Kingdom (and it only bothered me a little to miss out, if that tells you anything). I kept dosing up with broth, Advil, and Airborne and took detoxing baths and by Saturday morning I felt well enough to run, but knew that I was definitely not at a hundred percent. Experimental coughs did not yield good results, so I determined to make sure I avoided future coughs if at all possible. Thankfully, I didn’t need to cough, and my lungs cooperated. I was really afraid that the air would be cold and would cause me to start coughing and have my lungs seize up while I was running.  My lungs did not feel good before or after the race, but they held up throughout the race, and the warm air didn’t aggravate them.

Mr M's brother, LMS, and I pre-race

Other than that, I ran strong and my legs felt good. I kept a fairly steady pace, but I had to work harder the second part of the race to keep my pace up, since I was trying to break 2:30. The heat ratcheted up the last mile or so and my body started telling me it was really feeling the effects of the cold virus and not appreciating what I was demanding of it. Consequently, I had to stop and walk several times during the last mile (I’d only stopped to walk 3 times before that). Physically I just couldn’t push my body enough to shave off that extra 2 minutes and 42 seconds. On the other hand, I beat last year’s time by just under 5 minutes!

Mr M's brother and I post-race

I was able to run the first 8.3 miles without stopping- a personal record for me, since I tend to do the run/walk thing, even on training runs. I was still feeling pretty good at the 10k mark (that’s 6.2 miles, for those wondering), so I think I’ll try to run at least one 10k this year to see how I do.

I'm definitely happy with how I did in my fourth half marathon and am now planning out my race schedule for the rest of the year. So many races, so little time....

Me and my cheering section after the race

New Years Day 5k

look! my sparkle skirt matches my shoes!

(or my shoes match my sparkle skirt, since they're newer)

I know I said I wasn't going to be posting again for a bit, but I can't help myself on this one.

Yesterday morning I ran a 5k hosted by the local running club. It was pretty low-key (and cost a lot less as a result): no shirts or fancy things. We parked in a farmer's field and ran an out-and-back course on country roads. It was fairly flat, with no steep hills- just some gentle hills that weren't too horrible.

There's two reasons I'm excited about this race:
1. I ran the entire course without stopping, which is not how I've been running races the last few years.
2. I finished in under 30 minutes! 29:36 to be exact. I haven't done that since high school. Maybe in college I managed it, but I don't have a record of those times, so I'm not sure. I know that in the last 5 or so years since I started running races again I haven't completed a 5k in under 30 minutes. This is super exciting for me :)

So why did I finally break the 30 minute barrier? I figure it's a combination of things:

• I have increased energy and am physically feeling better since going gluten free and free of all the other foods that cause problems for my body.
• Since I'm training for a half marathon, my mileage is higher than it's been for previous 5ks. It's not as high as I'd like, but I'm making progress. Saturday I did a long slow 9 mile run, and I think that made a huge difference for my endurance yesterday.
• I've lost 20 pounds- less weight being carried around is definitely easier on the body and exercise takes a bit less effort.
• GAPS is helping my body heal, and nutrients are getting absorbed much better, so I have fewer injuries, more energy, and am more healthy overall.

I did run this race hard- I haven't put that much effort into a race in a long time. Not pushing LMS in the jogger helped my speed and endurance :) I haven't done a lot of speed work so I used this race as a good last speed workout before the half marathon. I'd like to say it was a tempo run, but at this point, I'm not capable of maintaining a 9:30 pace for 13.1 miles. My last two half marathons were 2:37:27 (in 2012) and 2:29:46 (in 2008), and my goal for this one is under 2:30, which would be about an 11:30/mile pace (much more manageable than a 9:30 pace). A PR would be great, but I'm not stressing too much about it since there's a lot of variables I don't have control over that could affect how I feel physically that day.

How did  you start the New Year?

Briefly Checking In

Once again, I've been incommunicado for a couple weeks. This seems to happen most often when I find myself super busy with other projects- my internet time drastically decreases and my blogging slows from a trickle to a sporadic drip.

I have about two more weeks of busyness (despite my efforts I did not finish all the painting before Christmas), and then I hope to be more regular with my posting.

On the upside, I will have lots of pictures to share from all the painting and remodeling work I've been doing, as well as Christmas photos, GAPS updates, goals accountability and updates, and Disney photos (parks and races).

In the meantime, here's a photo I took while running on a canal towpath Christmas Eve morning. Parts of it were covered with snow and ice, but a lot of it was fairly clear, so while it was colder than I'm used to (I've been doing a lot of treadmill running), I was able to go for a nice four mile run.

I finally found my stride today

don't you wish you were this flexible?

I've been running regularly the last few weeks, doing my standard alternating 5 minutes walking/5 minutes running. I'd be watching the clock on the treadmill, just waiting for the 5 minutes to end so I could walk again.

Today, everything felt good. It felt right. When each 5 minute segment was finished, I wanted to keep running- it felt effortless.

I've been increasing my mileage faster than I should, though, so I decided not to push my luck by running more than 5 minutes at a time.

It's so nice to finally reach the point where running feels good again. It hasn't felt this good in years. I need to make sure I don't get over-zealous and push too hard, too fast, but with my next half marathon just 6 weeks away it is tempting.

 I also like how my workout clothes fit- the 20 pounds I've lost so far really shows. Female-cut technical shirts run a bit small, but now I can wear several race shirts that were too tight in the past. Yay!

Turkey Trot

terrible picture taken just before the race, but it's the only one I have

Thursday I ran the Turkey Trot that we did last year and the year before.

LMS decided not to run the kids' run this year, and I didn't push it. The kids' run is not easy- 1/4 mile down hill followed by 1/4 mile back up the hill to the finish. I'm hoping her energy levels will increase as her intestines heal so she'll feel up to doing more things.

Since Mr M is out of town, I pushed LMS in the jogger as I ran. I've decided this is the last year LMS gets to ride in the jogger :) It's still doable, but it's getting harder. The first two miles I managed about a 9 minute pace, but then I ruined it by taking almost 20 minutes to run the last mile. I had to stop and walk three times because of all the hills. That last mile is brutal! I ended up finishing in 37:58, and had a good strong kick at the end, which I was pleased with.

The weather was perfect for running too. It was about 32 degrees when we arrived, but it warmed up a few degrees while we waited to start. While we were waiting, it was chilly, but once we got going it was great. I never over-heated or got super sweaty, which would have happened in warmer weather since I pushing LMS up all those hills.

I've only been running on the treadmill, but I made sure to include some hill work since I knew the race contained hills. While there are some local races in December, I don't think I'll do any of them. I might do one on New Year's Day, but I haven't decided about that yet. My next race after that is the Disney World Half Marathon in January.

My training will now focus on distance (my mileage is not as high as it should be), with some speed work and hill work thrown in.

Halloween 5k

Saturday we ran the Halloween 5k that I ran last year. During the awards ceremony they gave a bag of Halloween candy to the kids who ran the race and LMS decided then and there that she had to run the race so she could get a bag of candy (yes, we know one of her motivators).

About a month ago I signed us both up and then tried to think of costumes to wear. I couldn't think of anything particular, so we just went the mini-me route and tried to find matching outfits, which isn't as easy as it sounds. I eventually found very similar tech shirts at Target and matching tutu-floofy skirts in the costume aisle at Walmart.

You can't see LMS's skirt in the pic above, but you can see it below. She's covering her face because she didn't want me to take a picture of her smiling.

Last year it was very cold and rained the whole race. This year the weather was perfect: a slight chill, but still warm enough to wear short sleeves, and no wind or rain to contend with.

We started training for the race this summer, but getting sick derailed our training program and we never quite got back on track. So I wasn't expecting LMS to run the whole 3.1 miles, and she didn't. I had to coax her along after the first mile, but we were able to finish in 46:33 (my slowest 5k ever, but it wasn't about me, it was about LMS).  I think that's a great time for our 6 year old's first 5k. I think I was 13 or 14 the first time I ran a 5k, so I'm super excited that she's starting so young.

During the awards ceremony after the race, kids 8 and under who finished the race were invited to come get a bag of treats. LMS was way more excited than this photo suggests. And it instantly erased the memory of all the complaints she'd had during the race. On the way home, I asked her if she wanted to do the race again next year, and she immediately replied "Sure!" in an excited voice.

crappy indoor photo

LMS's next race will be a lot shorter: the 1/2 mile Turkey Trot fun run on Thanksgiving day. 

And yes, we will be doing some training before then.

How old were you when you ran your first 5k?

Four Mile Race

Saturday I ran the four mile race that I've run the previous two years (2011, 2010).  I was a lot slower this year at 47:19 than in previous years (43:55 and 42:32), but considering I was flat on my back two weeks ago, I'm not complaining. Two weeks ago I barely managed to slowly walk the .4 mile trip to the mail box and back before collapsing on the couch.  Saturday I ran 3.3 miles and walked .7 miles at a good pace. I think I did pretty good :)

In previous years the weather has been quite hot, but this year it wasn't too bad because it rained lightly most of the time. Of course, the rain tapered off (and it got really muggy) just as I hit the uphill portion (miles 2.5 to 3.5ish), but then the rain picked up again a little as I headed down to the finish line. I anticipated the rain and wore a lightweight hat (which I don't usually do), so my glasses stayed mostly dry and the run was quite enjoyable.

And then I went home and fell asleep on the couch because I was so tired.

I may be feeling better, but my energy levels are definitely not what they were before I got sick.

My next 5k is in 8 weeks. I'll be better prepared, but I'm not expecting a PR. This is the race LMS wants to run, so I'll be going her pace and encouraging her. I can't wait to see how her first 5k goes!

First 5k of the year

This past weekend I ran my first 5k of the year. I haven't run any races since the Disney Half Marathon in January, so I was excited to finally run another race. I've been patiently doing my physical therapy since December, and it has paid off. I was able to run the race without my knee hurting (yay!).

I'm a bit out of shape since my training has been limited to minimal treadmill running with no incline, and the course was hillier (hilly-er?) than I expected, so I ended up with sore calves and thighs, but there was no knee pain.

Mr M was at drill so I ended up pushing LMS in the jogger the whole race. I'm going to start her on a 5k training program, but she wasn't ready for this 5k. I was just happy they allowed jogging strollers in the race, since that meant I didn't have to find a babysitter for LMS (such a hassle).

In any case, despite being out of shape and pushing LMS up multiple hills I managed to finish the race in 39 minutes and 23 seconds. The last 5k I ran was the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and I ran that in 32:44. I was almost 7 minutes slower this time, but I'm completely ok with that given my current level of fitness.

There was also a short kids race that LMS participated in. Isn't she so cute?

at the beginning

at the finish

LMS always appreciates a good finisher's medal. The shinier, the better :)

This was the second race I've run while pushing LMS in the jogger, and I've realized a few things. Mainly, some people are just dumb. There were a couple people that came from behind me, and ran so close to the jogger that I had to veer away from them so as not to hit them. Really? They just went around me- they knew I was there- they couldn't have given us some space?

On the other hand, if I come up behind someone, I do need to be aware of how much space we're taking up. However, if you're as short as I am, it can be difficult to see the front tire, and thus not run into someone. Extra vigilance is required :) Though it's really only an issue at the beginning of the race- once everyone spreads out it's not so bad.

I have my eye on a couple races to participate in the next few months, but need to hammer out our schedule before committing to anything. Are you running any races this summer?

Celiac, vitamin deficiency, and shinsplints

photo courtesy of LMS

Several years ago, before we found out I had celiac, I had a very extensive physical done, and my vitamin D levels were low, as was my calcium. They weren't sure why I was low, but ever since I've taken supplements to correct the deficiency.

I read a post awhile ago that was eye-opening. I originally found Pete's blog pre-celiac diagnosis, when I was looking for info on closed ski resorts in Colorado, which he wrote an interesting book about. Once I went gluten free I started reading his blog, which as a fellow gluten free athlete, though I'm nowhere near his level, is quite helpful and encouraging.

Pete says that the athlete they highlighted had bad shinsplints that were caused by low levels of vitamin D and calcium. He goes on to say that this is a common occurrence in athletes with celiac that hasn't been diagnosed. Once she went gluten free her vitamin levels increased, her bones got stronger, and her shinsplints went away.

Hmmm. Sounds like me. Only I'm not a champion runner :)

Seeing the connection between vitamin deficiency (Ca and D) caused by the untreated celiac and shinsplints and stress fractures was good for me. As I've mentioned before, I've had problems with chronic shinsplints since I was in college. I've seen progress recently, which I attributed to the physical therapy I've been doing, but after reading Pete's post, I think it's a combination of the PT and the vitamin supplementation. Years of intestinal damage and low vitamin levels doesn't get undone overnight, unfortunately.

I'm coming up on my 3 year gluten free anniversary this month, but I'm only a couple months past my 1 year "free of everything my body doesn't like" anniversary (less than that if you count from when I eliminated almonds and coconut). I think I've made more progress this past year than in the previous two. I know LMS has improved more this past year. I sorted her clothes a couple weeks ago, and she's finally outgrowing a lot of her clothes. She didn't grow much the last two years, so it's nice to see evidence that her growth is picking up again.

Yay for progress, and yay for progress validated!

2.5 minutes

 

Last week I got the ok from my physical therapist to slowly start adding in some running to my walking on the treadmill. When I say slowly, I mean I can run 30 seconds every 5 minutes. If I'm on the treadmill for 30 minutes, I run a grand total of 2.5 minutes. It's not much, but it's a good start.

Though it's actually quite difficult to only run 30 seconds at a time. Have you ever tried it?

I've found a 5k to do at the beginning of June. At this point, I don't know if I'll be able to run the whole distance, but just getting out and finishing a race will be very encouraging.

You're never to old to play on a jungle gym

image source

Physical therapy kicked my bum today.

The clinic recently bought a Lifeline Jungle Gym XT, and they had me do some exercises with it.
Two exercises laying on my back with my feet in the cradles and my body in the bridge position, and one exercise with me resting on my elbows in plank position with my feet in the cradles.

All I can say is, WOW.

I used so many different muscles at the same time.

The great thing is that if I do the exercises properly, I will strengthen my core and hips, which will in turn help with the imbalances in my legs. And you can use it for so many different exercises- it's not just for strengthening the lower body.

Even though I'm taking longer than I wanted to get back to running, when I do start running again I should be much stronger physically and better able to avoid injury.

Mr M and I had seen an advertisement a couple years ago for the TRX suspension system, but couldn't quite get past the $200 price tag. The Jungle Gym costs half that, and seems to have a few less quirks (according to reviews I read on Amazon). I think we'll soon be the proud owners of a Jungle Gym!

Have you used either product?

Physical Therapy

I haven't talked about my running lately. That would be because I haven't been running :(

After the half marathon my physical therapist re-evaluated everything: watching my gait, comparing left leg strength to right leg strength, etc.

The verdict? I'm very right-dominant, and that's causing a lot of problems within my body. The inequality in the muscles perpetuates problems in my gait, which leads to injuries, which leads to inequality in the muscles.... It's a never-ending, vicious cycle.

So I had to stop running while we focused on strengthening my left leg. I have exercises to do every day and I roll my legs and hips with a foam roller. I'd really like to start running again, but I'm being good. No February race this year, and no March race either, unfortunately. But looking at the big picture makes the frustration worth while. I was foam rolling before the half, and my shins didn't bother me. After 12+ years of shin problems, I'm willing to do just about anything if it means I can run pain free. Being patient and doing my exercises will help me reach that goal.

I've been good and resisted the urge to go running. I have skied twice, but I've been very careful and skied very conservatively so I wouldn't risk an injury. I get to try running for a few minutes when I go in for my PT session this week. Hopefully that will go well and I can gradually increase my mileage.

I finally figured out where to set up my bike trainer- I need to have a place where I can leave it up. I had thought about the basement work room, but since I still need to build our bookshelves, I wouldn't be able to leave it up, which would decrease the likelihood of me actually using it. Then I realized that there's room in the guest room. It'll mean carrying the bike up a flight of stairs, but I won't need to take it down again right away. In any case, I plan on spending some time on my bike soon. If I'm careful about my form, it should help strengthen my leg also.

I can't wait till I can start exercising again in earnest!

Half marathon recap (it's a long post)

Last Saturday I ran my third half marathon. Yay me!

We were up at 3 am in order to catch the 4 am shuttle to the start. It was colder than we were expecting, but the temp was great for running, though not great for walking 20 minutes to the start line and waiting another 30 minutes for my wave to start.

The first half of the race I felt good, strong even. My knees and shins didn't bother me. However, the lone 6 mile long run in my training showed when I hit the second half of the race. I was able to still keep my splits up (even with a potty break at the half way mark), but I had to work harder at it. The balls of my feet were pretty sore- the unfamiliar pounding? my plantar fasciatis not being happy? not sure what exactly the issue is, but I've had problems with it before, so I need to figure out the source of the problem. I'm hoping it was just having my shoes tied too tightly (a possibility, from what I can determine).

I got my knee taped Thursday before we left and I left it on till Tuesday night. There was no pain while the tape was on, but Wednesday my knee wasn't super happy. After the race my knees and thighs and hips were stiff and a bit sore, but I brought my foam roller and did some stretching and that helped a lot.

The course itself is a good one. It's pretty flat with a few moderate hills- not too long, and not too steep. Several marching bands, some djs, Disney music on loudspeakers, various Disney characters, and cheering crowds lined the way. The placement of a drill sergeant-esque toy soldier from Toy Story at the crest of the last hill (the longest one) at mile 11.something was particularly apropo. He was talented too- he managed to keep shouting encouragement at runners while posing for photo-ops. I didn't do any of the available photo-ops along the course because there was always a line and I wasn't about to screw up my pace.

I finally got a Garmin GPS-enabled watch not too long ago, but I've only used it a couple times, and I'm still not totally comfortable using it, so despite my best efforts while crossing the start line I couldn't get it to do what I wanted and it ended up being just a bulky watch. Even so, I was able to keep track of my mile splits fairly accurately, and knew I was keeping a pretty consistent 12 minute per mile pace, which was faster than I expected, given my training pace on the treadmill. When I checked my stats after the race I saw that I actually managed to run a bit faster than 12 minutes per mile.

Miles run ------- Time -----Average Pace

3.1                36:43     11.50 min/mile

6.2             1:12:50     11.44 min/mile

9.3             1:51:33     11.59 min/mile

13.1           2:37:27     12.01 min/mile

I ran the first 6 miles without stopping, then walked about 30-45 seconds of each 12 minute mile after that, except for the last mile. The last mile I did a lot of walking/running/walking/running because I was tired and losing steam fast.

I ate 2 shot blocks every couple of miles, for a total of 8, I think. I chased them with water and powerade from the water stations. They stayed down without any problems. In the past I've eaten a larabar before the race, but they don't sit well once I get running, and I knew I'd end up puking if I ate one that morning, so I ran the race on a banana and 8 shot blocks. Not what I had planned, but it worked.

I had two belt pockets- one with my iphone so Mr M could call and see when I'd be hitting the first viewing point and so we could reconnect at the end, the other with my shotblocks, chapstick, bodyglide, and wipes in case of intestinal problems. I didn't need the wipes or the bodyglide (I lubed up very well before leaving the hotel), but better safe than sorry. Mr M and LMS were waiting to cheer me as I came out of Cinderella's castle, and then again at the finish line. LMS was a real trooper- she got up at 3:30 am and kept going the whole day.

 LMS asking Daddy "when will mommy come by?" Note the less-than-thrilled-to-be-waiting-around frown on her face :)

After running through Cinderella's castle

 Oh yes, and since it was a Disney race, I dressed up. Nothing too fancy, just an understated Rapunzel costume. I used this tutorial for the tank top sleeves, and then sewed my own sparkly skirt. You can buy them, but I decided to make my own, which turned out longer than the ones you can buy, which I liked. However, I don't know that I'll make another one. The sparklies are glued to the fabric and sewing through them causes adhesive to gum up the needle, which then causes the thread to break. I had to keep wiping my needle down with a cleaning solution every couple inches to keep my thread from breaking. I also followed this tutorial for a Rapunzel wig, which turned out very nice, but the reality is that I have a very hard time wearing hats, headbands, and the like because they give me headaches within minutes of putting them on. Just putting it on to see how it fit gave me a headache, so I ditched my plans to wear it in the race and gave it to LMS to wear for dress up, which made her happy. A pity to not be able to use it myself, but that's the way it goes.

I was quite apprehensive about the food issue - I really started to regret the decision to fly and stay in a hotel instead of driving the trailer down, but it worked out for the most part. Thursday I got glutened at lunch by accident, so I wasn't feeling great, but I did my pasta carb loading Thursday night before we left. I hadn't found a source of gluten free pasta that looked reliable, and supposedly it's ok to carb load more than a day in advance. Friday morning we flew to Florida and had lunch at Chipotle after we arrived, where I got glutened again :(  Dinner was at Outback since they're fairly knowledgeable and aware of food allergies and are quite gluten free friendly. No issues there, thank goodness. 

Two days in a row of getting glutened had me very worried about how my intestines and stomach were going to do during the race. The nausea was bad enough that I almost puked while eating a banana for breakfast as I dressed. I managed to keep it down and empty my intestines before we left the hotel, so I counted myself fairly lucky. My intestines were still a bit painful, but not gotta-run-to-the-potty-painful, so it was manageable. I sipped some water before the race, which wasn't the smartest thing since I have a nervous bladder before races. Despite two potty stops on the way to the start line I had to go again by the time my wave started. I knew there would be porta potties along the way, but I didn't actually find some that didn't have long lines till the halfway point. I didn't want to spend time waiting in line since I was doing so good keeping a consistent pace.

 Mr M's brother and me- this was his first half marathon

Me and my cheering section. LMS is wearing the jacket I brought to wear before the race. Since it was so cold we put it on her when I took it off.

 My last half marathon, almost 3.5 years ago, was 2:29:46. It was a fast course, so I'm pretty happy about only being 7:41 minutes slower this time around, especially given my under-training, knee injury, and getting glutened the day before. And 2:37:27 is waaay faster than the 3 hours I was conservatively hoping for :) I'm encouraged to go and sign up for a few more half marathons this year.

The time on the clock is the clock time. Since I didn't start in the first wave, it's not my true finishing time.

 After the race, we spent time at the parks, thanks to discounted tickets for military personnel, and did lots of walking.

Saturday- 6.15 miles walked (after the half marathon!)
Sunday- 6.14 miles walked
Monday- 5.32 miles walked
Tuesday- 7.28 miles walked

Total mileage for the weekend:  24.89 miles walked plus 13.1 miles ran equals 37.99 miles, which is almost a marathon and a half! (that would be 39.3 miles)

My half marathons:

1st- Disneyland Half (Sept 2007)   2:59:18

2nd- Top of Utah Half (Aug 2008)  2:29:46

3rd- Disney World Half (Jan 2012)   2:37:27

My upcoming half marathon

won't be quite what I hoped.

I had hoped for a decent time after training properly for it.

Unfortunately, I hurt my knee before I even got a chance to start my official training plan. I finally started physical therapy last week and my physical therapist is confident I can complete the race.

Last week I was able to do some running and walking without too many problems, but this week I've got a nasty cold and can barely keep from hacking up a lung, let alone spend time on the treadmill.

With the race three and a half weeks away, I guess I'm going with the "better to under-train than over-train" school of thought. My goal is to not get picked up for going too slow- if you can't keep up a certain pace, they won't let you finish.

2011 Turkey Trot

Thursday Mr M, LMS and I ran the Turkey Trot that LMS and I did last year.

Awhile ago I bought LMS some running clothes to try to encourage her to run and be excited about it. You can find exercise clothes for girls at Target for fairly reasonable prices. I found a cute pink non-cotton shirt, a running skirt, and running tights. Isn't she adorable?

This year LMS was old enough to participate in the half mile kids' run. Here she is, already to go.

Lined up at the start line.

 Heading back after the turnaround.

 I'm tired, mommy.

I don't blame her. The kids' run is a quarter mile out and a quarter mile back. The problem is that going out is down hill and coming back is uphill. Needless to say, LMS didn't enjoy the return trip, but she finished! This is the second race she's done. The first one was almost three years ago and was only 25 yards :)

Mr M hasn't been doing much running lately so he walked and pushed LMS in the jogger in the 5k, finishing in 47:24. I ran the race and then walked back and finished again with them.

I finished in 32:44, which is faster than I thought I did. I thought I finished in the 33 or 34 minute range. I was only 16 seconds slower than the Halloween race last month, which is really good, since I had to stop and walk more on this race because my knee was bothering me.

About a month and a half ago I tripped going up the stairs and whacked my kneecap on the edge of one of the stairs (which really, really hurt) so I've been taking it easy since then. Sometimes it hurts when I walk, but this was the first time it hurt when I ran. And it didn't hurt in an I-can-ignore-this way, it was definitely in an I'm-going-to-have-to-go-to-the-doctor-and-get-this-checked-out way. I was hoping to avoid this, especially since I've got a half marathon to run in a month and a half. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

I'm proud of Mr M for finishing his first 5k (and doing it while pushing the stroller!) and of LMS for finishing her half mile run.

Hope we can keep up this tradition :)

Halloween 5k

Yesterday I ran my first race in costume :)

Since it was a Halloween race and costumes were encouraged, I figured, why not?

It snowed Friday night so before we went to bed we dug out our snow gear so we'd be nice and toasty. I woke up Saturday morning and it was raining (and all the snow was melted). I knew the race was going to be cold and miserable and I almost rolled over and went back to sleep.

Instead, I got up and got dressed (and woke up Mr M and LMS too) and we headed out.

I'm glad we did, since it was a fast race- the fastest 5k I've run in years!

1st mile was just under 10 minutes (fastest mile I've done in quite awhile)

2nd mile was about 10 and a half minutes

3rd mile was just under 12 minutes (I had to stop and walk twice-my endurance isn't quite what it should be yet and my lungs were not liking the cold)

I think my finish time was 32:28, which I'm very happy about :)

Warning: some crappy pictures ahead

Me running to the finish line. It wasn't really that dark- Mr M was having problems with the camera settings. 

But it's the only pic of my costume in action :)

 LMS escorting me through the finish chute.

Me, wet and cold, but happy to be finished.

It was a nice course through a gated community with some good hills that I didn't have too many problems with since I've been pushing LMS up and down the hills in our area in the jogger. It rained the whole race, so I got soaking wet (which the cotton shirt and skirt just sucked up) and my glasses were covered with raindrops which did make it a bit difficult for me to see where I was going. There weren't a lot of runners- only about a hundred- and it was nice to not have to jostle with lots of people. I even started pretty close to the starting line! Despite the cold and rain, it was a fun race :)

My Costume

When I decided to wear a costume in the race, I decided it needed to be simple so I could run in it, but still fun and unique.

I remembered the awesome tree costume my mom made when I was in 3rd or 4th grade- out of paperbags. We'd seen the idea in a magazine, and she copied it and it looked great, though it was hard to sit down in :)

 I realized I could make something similar, but since I would use fabric, it would be a lot easier to move in.

I bought a lightweight, long sleeve cheap-o brown shirt at wallyworld, and another brown shirt in as large a size as I could find.

I looked through the silhouette library, thinking I'd use a simple oval leaf shape. Then I found oak leaves and acorns. I knew I had to go that direction, even though it would be more work :)

I used the Silhouette to cut out three different leaves and an acorn out of cardstock. I used them to trace designs on the felt I'd bought at Joanns (on sale for half off!), then started cutting- about 50 or 60 leaves and a couple dozen acorns. 

 Little Miss Sunshine helped cut out a couple of leaves.

I cut the green leaves, LMS cut out the yellow one :)
(the leaves are on the farmhouse table I built- the top had to be stripped, but I hadn't sanded it yet- but that's a story for another post)

I used variegated green/gray cotton yarn to sew the leaves to the sleeve hems and neckline and add a little bit of detail to the leaves (LMS insisted that they needed lines, and they do look better with them).

I also cut out an owl shape from cardstock with the silhouette and traced it onto felt. I was going to sew the pieces together, but I ran out of time so I used an owl I cut from a piece of fleece.

I cut off the top part (from the armpits) of the large brown shirt, then made a simple casing and added elastic, giving me a simple brown skirt. I like running in skirts, so I went with a skirt instead of pants. I ended up wearing it over my skirt/capri set from Athleta (love it) so I didn't have to worry about what the brown skirt did or didn't do.

I used the sleeves to make ankle cuffs that I sewed 'fallen leaves' to (another thing LMS insisted was necessary, also a good idea).

I used some of the cut-off shirt to make a headband and I sewed leaves and acorns to it.

I was looking online for costume ideas and saw something similar for kids, though they had brown sweat pants and a stuffed squirrel in a pocket (and they used boring oval green leaves).

The Results

Overall the costume worked well- I was able to run in it without any technical difficulties, though there are a few things I'll change for next year (I'm not going to make another running costume, though I might use the costume I wear at the Disney half in January).

** shorter leaves around the ankles- they dragged a bit on the ground

** different brown Tshirt for the top- I thought the lightweight fabric would be ideal for running in, but I didn't like the low neckline and it stretched out weird after just one wearing (getting wet didn't help, either)- I'll use a regular crew neck t for the top when I re-do it.

** I may not put the owl back on- the fleece owl worked, but I'm not sure I like the overall effect. Maybe the felt owl will look better, or maybe I'll do a squirrel. It's hard to get a 3D applique on a t shirt, though, so I may just leave it off.

Do you have any ideas for running costumes?