Category Archives: Running

Plattsburgh Half Marathon

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Last week was downright gloomy; from the tragic events at the Boston Marathon to the strange weather all week. My son was on school vacation and that automatically changes the flow of our lives. I did not work out at all from Monday through Friday. Instead of tracking my food in Spark People like I usually do I resorted to pen and paper and did not bother to count calories. My weight was all over the place thanks to some water retention, lack of attention to my food intake and no exercise.  I had so many other things going on sometimes something has to give and unfortunately it was my diet and exercise. Needless to say by Friday I felt pretty badly about myself. I had a long drive to upstate New York where I was going to visit one of my best friends and also to run a half marathon on Sunday, April 21st. I spent much of the drive listening to podcasts from Heather at Half Size Me. Heather has a very inspiring story as do the people she interviews. It was just what I needed to bounce back and stop the negative self-talk.

I haven’t set too many running or fitness goals this year other than to run a race each month. So far I’m doing great with that goal. I ran one race in January, two in February, one in March and now one in April. I have nothing planned for May so I need to figure that out soon. I have a half marathon planned for the beginning of June. I am contemplating a full marathon sometime in the fall, but I’m not sure which one yet. I really want to do the Chicago Marathon, but darned if it doesn’t always fall on my weekend to work.

Anyway back to my most recent half marathon. I signed up for the Plattsburgh Half Marathon a few months ago. Plattsburgh is located near the Adirondack Mountains on the western shores of Lake Champlain and is not far from the Canadian border. My Peace Corps site mate lives there so I’m happy to find any reason to visit the area. Due to other obligations for my husband and son it was decided that I would go alone on this trip. Much as I would miss my guys I haven’t had much alone time in the last 6.5 years so I relished the thought of spending quality time with my friend.

Since I enjoyed a taper week of absolutely no structured exercise I decided to go for a short run on Saturday morning. It was a sunny day though quite breezy and cool. Midmorning I threw on my running shoes and hit the road. My friend lives in a rather rural area. I ran past quaint barns, a log house and lots of open fields. It was a beautiful run. The first half was a steady downhill with the wind at my back. I ran one of my fastest miles ever. Of course the return was not so easy, all uphill and against the wind! Still it felt great to get out there, stretch my legs and remember why I love running so much.

The weather in Plattsburgh was crazy on Saturday. It went from sunny and breezy to cloudy and really windy to snow by the night time. Yet my weather app was still showing temps in the 30s-40s and sun for Sunday.

The race was on Sunday at 8 a.m. so as I was getting ready that morning I popped on the race’s Facebook page and was thrilled to see the weather update was indeed calling for a sunny, wind free day. I got ready and headed over to the starting area. Normally I take a photo with my son, but since he wasn’t with me I asked someone to take one of me. I don’t save my bibs so this is my remembrance.

Before running the Plattsburgh Half Marathon

Before running the Plattsburgh Half Marathon

I did my best to represent Boston. There were lots of runners on the course with their Boston paraphernalia on as well as spectators. In the minutes before the race began there was a moment of silence dedicated to those that were injured or lost their lives at the Boston Marathon. It was a somber moment. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. Truthfully I didn’t think anything would happen that day in Plattsburgh, but it seems like lately nowhere is safe. I was particularly concerned about my friend and her family coming to the finish line. I don’t ever want to feel responsible for putting others into danger. I tried to convince her to stay home.

As always with races I set goals. The ultimate goal is to finish and have fun doing the race. Then there are those personal goals that have to do with time and speed. I’ve been running strong in the last couple of months. My speed has improved and I’ve noticed my endurance growing stronger. I think this is in part due to strength training, stretching and yoga. However, given how I was feeling about myself throughout the week the only personal goal reasonable was to try to beat my last half marathon time even if only by a second.

My last half marathon was the Lake Placid North Elba Half Marathon back in September. I ran it in 2:10:12. I just reread my post on this race and remembered how proud I was of my accomplishment.

I did something a little different at the start of the Plattsburgh Half. Instead of relegating myself to the back of the pack I lined up in the back of the 9 minute mile pace group. The race started and off we went. The beginning of the course had us running on a bike trail along Lake Champlain. The views were gorgeous. We ran through the city and eventually through residential neighborhoods. There were spectators out cheering for us which is always wonderful. I especially loved the children at mile 6 who were handing out water on their front lawn. Running a half or full marathon is a fantastic way to see a new place. In the last few miles of the race we ran over a bridge and through an area with gorgeous old homes and then back down near the lake. The weather could not have been more perfect, sunny, cool, but no wind.

As much as I enjoyed the scenery throughout the race I had a lot going on in my head. Running is my time to sort through things, feelings, emotions, stress, etc. I have a friend who is going through an exceptionally trying battle with cancer. I want to show her that I’m fighting for her. I want to be there as a support. I want her to know that I love her and I know she will beat this. Already I’m in awe of how she is triumphing over this hurdle. She has an infectious positive attitude. Her strength and courage are unmatched by anyone I know. I thought about her the most as I ran this race. For so many years I told myself I couldn’t…couldn’t lose weight, couldn’t excel in any sort of sport, couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t. I was full of negativity and self-degradation. I loathed running for most of my life. The thought of doing it for enjoyment was ridiculous.

Running, ironically, has breathed new life into me. It has become my saving grace when I need to process “life” so to speak. It is my “me time.” It refreshes me, revives me and makes me feel strong. Though I have made peace with the treadmill I seek the freshness of running outdoors. I love the warmth of the sun on my arms and face. I even love the cool crisp air of a winter run. If I don’t run for a few days I actually miss it and crave it. Running has also made me somewhat competitive against myself. When I first started running I was weary of these PRs I heard other runners talk about. Oh great if I improve my time during this race then I have to keep improving it, I thought. That’s a lot of pressure. Yes and it’s also really exciting and motivating.

While running Plattsburgh I pushed myself. My breathing was not easy as it sometimes becomes during a run. It was always just a little bit labored, not uncomfortable, but I was aware that I was working hard. I don’t wear my Garmin to race and there were no time clocks along the route. I really had no idea how I was doing time wise.

I kept thinking about my friend. If she could fight this fight that her body is making her fight then I could push my body too. We are strong, stronger than we give ourselves credit for both in sickness and in health. I was running this race for my friend. Someday she will run with me. Every time I wanted to slow down or back off I thought about how my friend cannot slow down her fight so instead I picked up the pace.

I smiled every step of the way as I ran. I was so proud to be running out of support for Boston and silently out of support for my friend whether she knew it or not. This race supports Team Fox which donates all proceeds to Parkinson’s Research and I was especially proud to be a part of the race for that reason as well. The friend I was visiting has a close relative suffering from Parkinson’s.

As I entered the U.S. Oval of the old air force base  for the last lap of the race I felt a surge of energy fill me and I started running as fast as I could. Then I saw the friend I was visiting. Darn her for coming out despite my pleas not to, but at the same time I was really overjoyed to see her. Then I spotted the time clock which from a distance almost certainly read 2:08. Oh my goodness that was much better than I expected. I started sprinting and as I got closer I realized that the 8 was actually a 3. 2:03?! No way. NO WAY! No that must be wrong. Seriously!

Yes seriously 2:03:52 was my official finish time. I beat my last half marathon time by over 6 minutes. I teared up as the race volunteer placed the medal over my head.

Plattsburgh Half Marathon Finisher

Plattsburgh Half Marathon Finisher

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.” -Oprah Winfrey 

The Calm Before the Storm

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This photo was taken just minutes before Rita Jeptoo of Kenya crossed the nearby finish line of the 117th Boston Marathon. It was a beautiful day today, cool and crisp, but sunny; a perfect day for a long run.

Carlos and I were standing just behind the metal barricades on Exeter Street, a mere stone’s throw from Boylston Street just ahead where you see the line of yellow jacketed people. That is the Lenox Hotel awning to the left. Although we could catch a glimpse of the elite runners as they neared the finish line, we mostly watched on the big screen in the distance. The mood, as always, was exciting. Boston is a buzz with energy on this day each year. Besides the marathon, the Red Sox play a mid-morning game on the same day.

By now you probably know how this day ended. If not visit this link. Thankfully Carlos and I left around 1:15 to return to my sister’s office in South Boston for lunch. We were on our way out of the city at 3 when my sister called to tell me about the explosions at the finish line of the marathon.

I’ve listened to and seen as much coverage as I can bear. My heart breaks for all those affected by this senseless tragedy. I’m so blessed to be home safe with my little boy. My thoughts and prayers go out to Boston.

Running up a mountain

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I posted this on Facebook yesterday to one of my co-workers:

A while ago you suggested that I try running up Skinner Mountain to change up my running routine. I did it! I’m pretty sure I won’t be as excited tomorrow when I can’t sit down. — at J. A. Skinner State Park.

I totally threw my arms in the air, a la Rocky, when I reached the top. I may have even thrown a little fist pump out there. No one was watching, but frankly I don’t think I would have cared if there was a crowd of people.

I’m really bored with my typical running routes. The weather has been weird and cold even when the forecast calls for a sunny day in the 50s. I feel like I’ve worn out my welcome at the gym and although the treadmill and I have grown to tolerate each other I am so tired of looking at the same walls, same people, same TV screens and same digital display of the treadmill. So yesterday I decided to shake things up a bit. Work has been particularly trying lately thanks to one particular patient. I work on a locked psych unit so it takes me A LOT to say that my patience is being tried at work. I needed to release some tension so I made up my mind to run the mountain and I refused to think of anything else until I made it to the top.

I got out of my car, stretched out a bit and took off. I’m not quite ready for steep trail running so I played it safe and ran the paved road that circles the mountain up to the summit. Now we’re not talking the Rockies people. This is the western most peak in the Holyoke Range which is also part of the 100 mile Metacomet trail system. The mountain itself is actually called Mount Holyoke which is home to J.A. Skinner State Park. I have also heard it referred to as Skinner Mountain. It rises 935 feet which is roughly three quarters of a mile, but in taking the road my total distance up was 1.75 miles. I ran every bit of the way up without stopping. I pushed hard, my breathing was heavy, but my legs powered on. The road curves and the hills come sharper and steeper as you near the summit.

Like I said, this is not Kilimanjaro, but wow what a great workout. My legs were on fire by the time I reached the top, but that good on fire feeling that makes you feel strong and alive. I cooled down a bit while strolling around the summit enjoying the view of the Connecticut River valley.

My legs are definitely feeling it today, but again in a good way. I can still sit and even felt great during some speed training this morning. I can’t wait to do it again though. There is another similar mountain I am hoping to try soon. I love when I find new ways to infuse more fun and variety into my workouts.

I also came away from this experience with a new appreciation for my legs. Biz wrote a post about loving her ass (if you don’t read Biz you should because her post titles alone will make you smile!) this morning and she asked her readers to comment on which part of their body they are going to embrace today. I haven’t commented yet, but my answer is my legs. For most of my life I have hated my legs. I have thought really mean things about them. I have looked at them with disgust. I have cursed them and cried about them. Despite the weight I have lost, my legs are still large. They are not as large anymore. I can even admit that my hips have slimmed down a bit. Remember my body is a classic Anjou pear shape, small on top and very voluptuous on the bottom with the largest area being the butt, hips and thighs. Oh how I’ve loathed my lower half for so long.

Like Biz, my husband has always loved me and my body no matter what size. He is quite pleased with how I’m beginning to feel about my body though he doesn’t understand my feelings about my legs, bootie and hips. He quite likes them. After running that mountain yesterday I saw my legs in a new light. I appreciate more about them the more I accomplish through my fitness endeavors, but yesterday I was thankful for them. They are strong and powerful. They do not let me down. They have helped me move faster and achieve goals I never even knew I had. So today I am embracing my legs.

While Biz embraces her ass and I embrace my legs what body part will you be embracing today? (Biz I hope it’s ok if I stole your question?!)

Road Race

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Affectionately know as “the road race,” the Holyoke St. Patrick’s 10K Road Race is a wildly popular race for runners and non-runners alike. Irish runner and Olympic gold medalist, John Treacy, was quoted as saying, “This race came at an ideal time. It’s a great course – a miniature Boston. There were a lot of people out there watching considering the weather. I guess this town goes crazy for St. Patrick’s Day.” Holyoke does indeed go crazy for St. Patrick’s Day. In fact the celebration begins days before with local bars hosting Irish music, restaurants offering corn beef and cabbage, people putting out their chairs early for the famed St. Patrick’s Day parade and four leaf clovers being freshly painted on the streets. 

I’m not Irish and I never really got into the spirit before. Last year I decided to run the road race for the first time and I will tell you it’s pretty hard not to get swept up in the excitement. Now I’m not a beer drinker and I don’t eat meat so wearing green to the road race is about as festive as it gets for me. I’ve run in a number of races at this point and not one comes close to the spectator support as this one. There are people cheering, holding up signs and banners throughout the entire 6.2 miles. People hand out water and Gatorade from their driveways. Some even offer up beer! Most runners wear something green. Some have wild get ups on including the person running in a full Gumby costume, the man in the tutu, a few with kilts, and the two men carrying flags one Irish and one American. The demographics of this race run the gamut from children, people pushing strollers, elderly, middle aged and everything in between, big, small, short and tall. I know people who run once a year and this is it.

I had to work this past weekend, but this race doesn’t begin until 1 p.m. so I was able to rest for a few hours before. Unfortunately I slept right through the kids fun run which Carlos was planning to do because I thought it started at noon instead of 11. He was disappointed for about 5 minutes. I was moving at a snail’s pace because the weather was chilly. I had no desire to stand out in the cold so we ended up making it to the race with 15 minutes to spare. You can read my post from last year detailing the parking situation. It’s insane! We actually parked in the same place which is almost as close as our house is to the race and high tailed it over to the starting area. Carlos and I took our pre-race photo.

Holyoke Road Race 2013

Holyoke Road Race 2013

Yes I’m wearing the same shirt as last year. I bought a new green shirt and when I put it on I didn’t like it. I only own one other green shirt and this is it. I also had green sparkly nail polish on just for fun.

I weaved my way through the crowd of spectators to get to the start. There were so many runners I never made it to the actual starting area. I was off to the side with everyone else who couldn’t make it. It was a bit claustrophobic as we awaited the starting gun. I never actually heard it, but eventually there was movement and we merged into the starting line. Minutes went by before we actually crossed the starting line at a slow walk. From there it was like we were a herd of cattle. You step on people’s feet, bump arms and start and stop constantly. It’s a bit frustrating if you’re there to run. Eventually I hopped onto the sidewalk with others and found a rhythm although it continued to be a lot of on and off the sidewalk.

The weather was perfect running weather, 30s-40s, no wind and overcast. Given the sheer size of this race, nearly 6,000 runners, I had no time goals other than to maybe do better than my time at last year’s race which was 1:01:35. My current 10K PR is 56:10. I ran my heart out like I always do. I felt great throughout the race. This course ends on an slight uphill which makes that final push a little challenging, but I ran as fast as my legs would take me down the last .2 miles toward the finish line. Much to my surprise my clock time was right around my time from last year which meant an even better chip time given the amount of time it took to get to the starting line.

My official finish time was 57:08!! Not a PR, but a totally awesome improvement from last year’s time.

Skin Deep: Mind Shift

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As I ended the last post in this series I had recently embarked on a path to a career change from educator to nurse. After completing my pre-requisite classes in the spring of 2004 I was accepted into a two year Associate’s Degree Nursing program at Springfield Technical Community College. For clarification I am an RN. At the end of nursing school, Associate’s trained and Bachelor’s trained nurses all take the same licensing exam, the NCLEX, and obtain the same RN license. There is generally no difference in pay as a hospital floor nurse. However, without the BSN it is difficult to move into managerial or administrative positions. I decided that since I already had Bachelor’s Degrees and zero interest in management I would save the money and just do the ADN.

In the fall of 2004 the program began. I was accepted into the evening program with class  from 5pm-9pm. This allowed me to continue working during the day. Cramming a nursing degree into 2 years meant getting off to a running start. Weight wise I was in the 170s which had come to be my baseline. I wore a size 14. I didn’t feel great, but I was used to being this size. This was probably my most common size since age 15. The first semester of nursing school I maintained a vigorous workout routine along with work and classes. My weight probably went from high 170s to low 170s possibly even high 160s. I felt great as long as the numbers on the scale went down. A couple of people I knew in my prerequisite classes noticed the change and commented. Of course that made me feel wonderful, but as usual the feeling was fleeting.

By second semester I had formed a study group with two other women in my class. We became great friends and spent long hours studying in the Barnes & Noble (Starbucks) cafe. A tip for anyone in school, you can spend all day using any study guide at Barnes & Noble. You do not have to buy anything and they will not kick you out! However, I did buy things like lattes and muffins. If you frequent Starbucks and are trying to lose weight do yourself a favor and check out the nutritional values of their products. It’s astonishing. I hadn’t enlightened myself to this information so between the study snacks, my already not so healthy diet, and less time to exercise my weight crept up.

Nursing school was busy and stressful. My program was very competitive and keeping my grades as high as possible was crucial to success. Clinical days were wrought with anxiety of the unknown. This was all unchartered territory for me. I was way outside my comfort zone. My weight fluctuated with these emotions and back into the high 170s I went.

Upon returning to school in fall 2005 after our summer break I had not made any progress in losing weight despite my daily affirmations that today was the day. I had hoped to return to school transformed like a winning contestant on the Biggest Loser, but I returned as the same old, heavy set, awkward, uncomfortable me. Two of my classmates, however, did make stunning transformations over the summer break. They lost a great deal of weight and looked fantastic. I remember congratulating them through gritted teeth. Jealousy coursed through my veins with an angry vengeance. When would I be the one to lose the weight? Why can’t I do it? What’s wrong with me? These were just a few of the thoughts that ran through my mind.

My second year in nursing school was an emotional roller coaster. Classes and clinical were much more difficult. I worked two part-time jobs and did internships during the summer break and winter break between fall and spring semesters of my last year. I ate out a lot, kept a case of Diet Coke in my car at all times and my work outs ceased. By January 2006 my weight was in the 180s. I knew I needed help. So for the third time in my life I joined Weight Watchers in February 2006. I managed to lose a few pounds. I believe I got down to 178 before bouncing back up to 183 in April. I will never forget that weight, 183 pounds.

I was 32 years old in my last year of nursing school. My husband and I decided that it was time to start thinking about having a baby. We had bought a house right at the end of my first year of nursing school. I was feeling ready (and by ready I mean I cried watching a Baby Story on TLC every day!). Our home and hearts were ready for a child.

So on January 1, 2006 I went off the pill. I had gone on birth control pills at age 20 to manage erratic premenstrual mood swings, cramps and heavy periods. It took one cycle to regulate my period after the pill. On Easter Sunday in 2006, I was cranky and whining about how it would probably take forever to get pregnant because I was old and dramatic. Two days later sitting in class looking at my calendar for the week I realized I was late for my period. I wanted to jump out of my seat and race home, but I had to endure the rest of a rather boring cardiac lecture. I bought a pregnancy test on my way home and took it immediately upon arriving home. It was positive. I took another one in the morning to make sure, and just like that our lives changed forever. We were elated, over the moon, but something nagged at me. I wasn’t where I hoped I would be both mentally and physically when I got pregnant.

My weight at my first OB/Gyn pregnancy visit was 183 pounds. In the back of my mind I knew that I would have to take better care of myself for me and my child. As I neared the end of nursing school I felt like a hypocrite. Who was I to be dispensing information about how to be healthy if I couldn’t maintain a healthy body weight?

By the time I graduated from nursing school I was heavier than I had been in a while. I was increasingly uncomfortable in my clothing. I had to wear a white scrub top and bottoms to our pinning ceremony. There is nothing worse than having to wear all white when you are overweight. I felt so self-conscious sitting there in my snug uniform. I couldn’t exactly blame it on baby weight yet.

I was angry with myself that I allowed myself to continue on this path of self-sabotage. I was concerned that I didn’t have the self-control to change my habits permanently. I was sad that I felt so negative about myself. I knew then that I couldn’t keep bouncing up and down like a yo-yo; something had to change permanently. Looking back now I can see that this was the first time my mentality shifted from weight loss to health and wellness. I still yearned for weight loss, but what I wanted more than anything was to be alive for many years to come.

I knew what I wanted and what I needed to do to get it, I just had to believe in myself and do it. This is, of course, easier said than done.

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw

Jones 10 Miler

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The Jones 10 Miler in Amherst is a legendary winter race in New England and a great training race for the Boston Marathon. I have been playing this race by ear because of weather, schedule and a birthday party on the calendar. I already ran a race in February so this would be an extra in my plan to run one race a month. I needed a long double digit run this month so a 10 mile race would fit the bill. An impending storm heading up the east coast forced the race to be postponed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. I hadn’t registered yet so it wouldn’t be a financial loss to not run. As it became clear that the storm was not going to hit us I worked out the schedule for Sunday with my husband and decided I would run the race while he went to the birthday party with Carlos.

However, the weather started looking grim mid-morning on Sunday. As I left the house to make the 20 minute drive it was drizzling with threats of sleet and snow on the forecast. The old Aimee would have turned around and said screw it. Instead I said to myself, “what the hell I’m already out I might as well give it a go.” The drive to Amherst, one of my favorite places and home of my alma mater UMass, is along slow winding back roads. As bad luck would have it I got stuck behind a long line of cars and a bus. The normal 20 minutes to my destination was now pushing 35. I found the location or so I thought. Turns out registration was a short drive away and it was already 10 minutes to the start. I registered as quickly as I could, put my bib on, stashed my key in my bra (I’m classy like that!) and off I went in search of the starting line.

I saw it in the distance and as I was running toward the start the race began. It was a bit awkward to have 500 runners hurtling towards you. I ran past the start line and turned around to start the race dead last. It was raining at this point and big fat flakes of snow were slowly forming. I laughed to myself at the hilarity of the moment. The old Aimee would have been embarrassed and self-conscious as the bystanders watched my faux pas. Instead I fell into a comfortable pace and quickly began making my way into the pack.

This course is notoriously challenging and hilly.  Female winner Stephanie Reilly, a cross-country and track and field coach at Bryant University, was quoted as saying “This course is very, very difficult!…I ran a 16-mile race in Derry (N.H.) in January, and I think this race is much harder.” She still managed to finish in 58:40. That is pretty amazing in my book. I would have to agree with her assessment of the course. It was by far one of the toughest races I have yet to run. It was also one of the most gratifying races.

I have never run a 10 mile race so any time would be a PR, but I had a time in mind. I seem to running sub-10 minute miles these days despite my constant disbelief. I continue to hang onto a little of that self-depricating habit of downplaying my achievements. For instance I have a hard time calling myself a runner. That’s ridiculous considering I run all the time. Achieving a 10 minute mile after running for a year or so was huge for me. Slowly but surely I began running a little faster and so on. Despite knowing my abilities I still set my goal for this race at 1:40, a 10 minute mile pace, and really I even told myself that somewhere in the range of 1:45 to 1:50 was more likely because of the weather.

However, when I get out on a race course my mind usually takes over and gets a little competitive. This race was no different. The hills were manageable to start but at mile 3 is where things started to get steep. I took one look at the hill ahead and said forget it hell yes I can do this and I did it…again and again and again because those dang hills just kept coming right up to about a quarter mile from the finish. I ran the hills, each and every one. With each one I ran a little taller and felt a little prouder.

Somewhere at around mile 3.5 I came shoulder to shoulder with another woman. We ran together for a bit both very focused on our own run. I got ahead of her and then after a water stop she pulled ahead. We continued like this a couple of times until she finally pushed past me for good, but I knew she was running at a pace faster than I was used to so I kept as close as possible even adding a few sprints from time to time to catch up a little closer. I never caught up to her but no one else came between us.

The hills in the 9th mile were cruel and unforgiving. I pushed my way up them and as I rounded a corner I realized I had made it to the finish line. It was up  a ways and I could see that we had to loop through a parking lot. As I got closer I caught sight of the time clock. Up to this point I had absolutely no clue what my time was. There were mile markers along the entire course but no clocks.

I wax on and on about what running has done for me physically and mentally so I hate to get all emotional again. I honestly can’t help it though so consider yourself warned. I saw the clock and I gasped as tears welled up in my eyes. I must have been a sight to see as I tried to catch my breath and sprint towards the finish. I think I had a mini asthma attack. That woman ahead of me finished in 1:35:38. I tapped her on the shoulder as I left the finish chute and congratulated her on a great race. I also thanked her for pacing me. You know what? She thanked me too. She told me she was grateful to have me close by through all the ups and downs of the course. We shook hands and parted ways. Wow I was floored. I was beaming from ear to ear. My official finish time was 1:35:54!

Oh and that crazy winter weather, would you believe it really wasn’t that horrible to run in. It made the quaint scenic route through farmland and wooded areas look even more like a quintessential New England winter scene by Norman Rockwell. Sure I was wet at the end, but my shoes stayed relatively dry and my hands were warm enough to take off the gloves in the first few miles.

After a small bowl of vegetarian chili and a banana, I loaded up on free Odwalla bars and headed home. I drove home in silence reflecting on the race. From here on in I will no longer sell myself short with negative self-talk. I will not underestimate my abilities. I will continue to train hard some days, run for fun other days and always trust in my progress. My son asked me if I won like he always does and I replied like I always do, “I win every time I cross the finish line.”

Snowstorm Classic

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We woke up to a winter wonderland this morning compliments of Nemo. It was beautiful to see the glistening snow sparkling in the sunlight. However, this is not the snowstorm I’m referring to. I loosely decided I would like to try to run at least one race every month. February’s calendar filled up quickly and I was having trouble finding a race to fit into my schedule. At the last minute I found that a local running group holds a series of races from December through March called the Snowstorm Classics. They alternate between 5Ks and 10Ks. Last Saturday happened to be a 5K which was perfect with my training schedule. I haven’t run a 5K in almost 2 years.

The races are really low key and take place in and around a local park. Registration takes place on race day and it’s only $5. There were 81 racers. A great turnout on a chilly Saturday morning.

I don’t love 5Ks. There I said it. When I go for a long run or run a distance race I have time to find a good pace, get my breathing even and fall into a comfortable rhythm. The 5K distance is short and I don’t pace myself well during a 5K race. I usually start out too fast and lose steam towards the end.

We got started and immediately ran up a hill! Talk about getting your heart pumping. I felt good and was really hoping for a 5K PR. The uphill start prevented me from going out too fast. At the top of the hill the course flattened out. We did a loop and a half around the athletic fields and then headed out of the park. As we turned onto the road in front of the park I neared the man in front of me. I soon passed him and pushed closer to the woman ahead. She was long and lean. It seemed as though she was running a speedier pace than I normally run. I stayed behind her and came close to catching up to her a couple of times.

My legs felt good during the race. I wasn’t sure of my pace, but I felt like I might be running my way to a PR. I had a feeling the finish line was near when we came towards another hill. Fortunately we didn’t have to go up that hill. There was a slight incline as we approached the finish line and out of the corner of my eye I noticed the man I had passed earlier closing in on me. I thought to myself “oh helllll nooo! He’s not going to pass me now!” I started running like I was being chased by a band of zombies. I pulled it out at the end and beat my imaginary competitor. He came up to me and congratulated me on a great race which I thought was very cool. There was no time clock at the finish so I actually had no idea of my race time.

I stayed for a bit, watched and cheered as others came through the finish. I listened as some of the runners discussed their upcoming races, training and for some preparations for the Boston Marathon. I’ve never been involved in a running group, but standing there amongst other runners I did feel as though I was part of a unique club. There is the running lingo – PR, BQ, chip time, splits, Garmin and the like. I smiled to myself as I headed to my car. I still get a charge out of my new life. I run races or go for long runs on Saturday mornings when years before I remember sitting on the sofa all morning watching reruns of 90210 (do not judge!).

Being a small, no frills race I knew it might be a while before my time was posted. My current 5K PR is 28:53 which I have declared is false for a few reasons. I had major stomach drama that morning and I felt sluggish through the entire race. At that time I was not consistently running a sub 10 minute mile for any length of time. This race was definitely a better test of my abilities. Though I knew I ran a strong I was still floored when I saw I ran it in 27:02!!

“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

Friend Makin’ Mondays: Getting to Know Each Other

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I can’t believe the weekend is over. Where did it go? I kicked off the weekend with a really great yoga class on Friday morning. I also managed to sneak in a 10 mile run outdoors on Saturday morning. It felt so great to run outside even if it was in the 20s. I kept thinking this is perfect running weather followed by who the heck am I? Carlos had asked that morning if we could go to the rock climbing gym so we jumped in the car after my run for an hour of climbing before his basketball game.

On Sunday, Carlos had ice skating lessons. The program he is in is phenomenal. The coaches are so kind, patient and encouraging. The group is huge yet week after week you can really see the progress the kids are making. This is echoed in the weekly emails we get from the head coach. He is so positive and clearly thrilled with how well the kids are doing. They are using sticks and pucks were introduced this week. As of yet Carlos has no plans to play hockey which is fine with us, but he loves to skate and looks forward to the lessons each week.

After skating we attended Open House at his school. It was so cute. He was proud to show us his work and his classroom. He adores his teacher and the feeling is obviously mutual. Needless to say I was feeling lots of pride and joy as well as a touch of sadness at how quickly my little boy is growing. Cue the Kleenex!

Nothing like a Monday morning to snap us back to reality. If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so everyone can see your FMM questions. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Getting To Know Each Other

1. What is your favorite color? I honestly don’t have a favorite color which drives my son nuts. My son declared his favorite color to be yellow when he was about 2 and hasn’t changed his mind since. I tend to be most comfortable around earth tones, nothing too bright or colorful.

2. Share one or more of your talents.  I got nothin’!

3. If you were spending the day getting to know someone new, where would you want to go?  Whenever I am meeting up with a new “mom” friend I love to grab a coffee or tea at Barnes & Noble or something outdoors with the kids like the playground.

4. What is your favorite meal?  If you had asked me this question 15-20 years ago I would have said pasta (and lots of it) with my aunt’s meat sauce. Today I adore ethnic food particularly Indian, Thai and Mexican, but those meals are best when I eat them at authentic restaurants. At home my favorite meal lately is a big kale salad with roasted butternut squash, loads of veggies and chick peas. I’m addicted to kale!

5.  Do you prefer to text or talk?  Texting is my preference because I really dislike the quality of my iPhone as an actual phone and since it’s my only phone I would rather just text than deal with the dropped calls or poor reception.

6. Share something about yourself that might surprise someone that you’re getting to know.  I had really big hair in the late 80’s and I saw some of the big name “hair” bands of the time like Ratt, Poison, Motley Crew and White Snake amongst others. Aqua net…oh yes I did!

7. Do you color your hair? Yes, thanks to my grandmother. I inherited the go grey in your 20s gene from my grandmother. I went gray around my right temple in my mid-20s. I hated it. My grandmother was so proud of the fact that she was totally gray by her late 20s. No thank you very much! I color my hair ever 5-7 weeks. I love my stylist. She’s adorable and always makes me feel very youthful.

8. Do you wear glasses or contacts?  I wear glasses for driving.

9. What is your favorite breakfast food?  I really love oatmeal though I’ve switched to more veggie based breakfasts like egg white omelets lately.

10. Would your friends say that you’re sarcastic?  Absolutely! I always have been and I don’t mean any harm by it. However, I am often misunderstood, but mostly by my family all of whom have known me my entire life and should get my sarcasm by now.

11. Do you prefer salty or sweet?  Sweet.

12. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?  I’m not partial to any particular attribute. I suppose I first notice personality. I almost always developed an attraction to a man after meeting and getting to know him.

13. What is the last movie you watched?  The last movie I saw in the cinema was The Hunger Games. I went to the midnight showing on opening night. Yes I’m aware that was almost a year ago. I’m approximately 83 years old on my nights off and cannot stay awake long enough to watch a sitcom. I have been watching lots of food/nutrition documentaries on Netflix. These often take me days because I don’t have time to just sit and watch a movie in its entirety.

14.  Are you religious?  I believe in God and I’ve always thought of myself as privately spiritual, but I do not attend church regularly despite the fact that my son goes to Catholic school. I love learning about all kinds of religions and I will gladly attend a service of another religion.

15. Are you a neat freak, a slob, or somewhere in between? I’m extremely tidy. OK everyone who knows me would say I’m a neat freak. I can live somewhere in between for a few hours, but then I have to tidy up.

16. Share something from your bucket list that you hope to do someday. I have so many things I hope to do and many revolve around traveling to as many places in the world as I am able to safely. I am adamant about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with Carlos on my 50th birthday.

17. Are you a risk taker, or do you prefer to play it safe?  I am a risk taker to some degree. I love doing new things, but my desire to do things like parachute out of a plane no longer holds any appeal since becoming a mother.

18. Have you ever worn braces?  Yes. I was the first person in my grade to have braces. I got them in 4th grade and off in 6th. However, I now need to consider Invisalign for my bottom teeth which have shifted tremendously.

19. Would you rather spend an evening at a theater or at a club?  I like them both, but I would choose a salsa club over the theater any day.

20. If you could have three wishes, what would one of them be? I hate to end on a somber note. I am sending my thoughts, prayers and wishes to Mozambique in hopes that the flooding will soon subside and the waters would magically disappear so everyone could return to life as it was (I will post about this later in the week). We are feeling very helpless here and know all too well from experience what they are going through. My in-laws and friends are safe and most are out of the town, but thousands of people will soon face the task of rebuilding their town once again.

Now it’s your turn to answer the questions. Don’t forget to visit Kenlie’s blog and link up in the comments!

Sawmill River Run

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Happy New Year! I decided to leap into 2013 head first by running a race on New Year’s Day. The Sawmill River Run 10K takes place in the small Western Massachusetts town of Montague. The race is sponsored by the Montague Parks & Recreation Department. Montage is a quaint town with a history that dates back to its original settlement in the early 1700s. It maintains its rural charm with many working farms and scenic country roads.

I already mentioned that I was working New Year’s Eve. I don’t usually race after working all night, but since I knew about the race weeks in advance I did prepare accordingly by getting sufficient sleep before work and eating really well the day before and at work. So despite working all night I honestly felt fresh and ready to run. My husband and son came along which always makes me smile. Of course there was the obligatory pre-race photo with Carlos.

Sawmill River Run Pre-Race Photo

Sawmill River Run Pre-Race Photo

One of my 2012 goals was to run a sub-1 hour 10K. I came close with a 10K PR of 1:01:35 last March at the Holyoke St. Patrick’s 10K. I later ran the Shelburne Falls 10K in August and finished in 1:01:53. Considering my 2011 Shelburne Falls 10K race time was 1:04:16 I was really proud of my progress. Although I didn’t quite reach my goal I knew it was only a matter of time. For the past 6 weeks I have been working on my speed. I’ve also incorporated yoga and more strength training into my workout schedule. I have run 6.2 miles on my own a number of times in less than an hour over the last month. I knew going into the race that I was capable of a sub-1 hour PR.

The conditions outside were perfect for a run. It was a balmy 28 degrees, but there was barely a wind. We walked over to the Montague Grange building to pick up my race bib then returned to the car to stay warm. I wore my coat until a few minutes before the race started when I handed it off to Orlando. The race is a small one with only 166 runners so we all lined up fairly quickly and a few minutes after 10 a.m. we began to run.

The course starts on a slight downhill so I managed to fall into a comfortable rhythm early on. I warmed up within the first mile and stuffed my gloves in my pocket.  The course gave way to beautiful stretches of snowy land with rustic barns in the background. The crowd thinned out around me as I secured my spot in the middle of the pack. I felt great. My legs felt light, my breathing was even so I decided to push my pace a bit. I don’t wear my Garmin when I race, but I suspected I was running at a competitive pace to reach my goal.

If you read Runner’s World you may have seen a short article about this race in last month’s issue, particularly mention of the hairpin turn at mile 4 followed by some hill climbing. I recognized the turn from the photo in the article so I was able to give myself a mental pep talk before heading up the first hill. I have Carina to thank for what happened from mile 4 to the finish line. She recently wrote a post about entitled Habits and talks about the tendency to pull back when things start to get uncomfortable. I’m so guilty of slowing my pace when my legs feel a little heavy or when the run becomes difficult. I’ve told myself to just go ahead and walk hills to make it easier.

Carina wrote something that I knew would carry me up the hills in this race. She said, “Running when it’s hard to breathe and my heart is beating like crazy for 5 minutes won’t kill me.” She’s right. I powered myself up those hills, each and every one of them and just when I thought we were done going up there would be another incline. I pushed, I took deep breaths, I kept my sights on the road ahead, and I told myself over and over that the hard work wasn’t going to kill me. I told myself that I worked so hard to reach this goal and I reminded myself of all the 6.2 runs I had done in the weeks prior in under an hour.

Around mile 5.5 the course began its descent to the finish line. Hallelujah! I picked up my pace and hauled butt down the road. I could feel the smile growing larger and larger on my face. I had absolutely no idea of my time. There had been no time clocks on the course. Soon my husband and son came into view. I could see the finish line and I got a surge of energy. Here I am as I near the finish line.

Power legs

Power legs

I felt awesome. It was definitely one of my best races yet, but was it a PR? I didn’t know because there wasn’t even a time clock at the finish line. I waited all day and I have to admit I checked the race website a few times in anticipation, but each time nothing. After dinner an email popped in my inbox announcing the race times were up. I called my husband over. He was confident I made my goal. He was right I did it. I finally ran a sub-1 hour 10K, in fact I did even better than I hoped. My official time was 56:10!

Friend Makin’ Mondays: 2013

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Before I begin the last Friend Makin’ Monday of 2012 I want to thank Lisa from Slow and Steady Wins the Race for tagging me with a Liebster Award. I am honored because I really enjoy reading about Lisa’s training and races, but I had no idea she might actually be reading my blog.

I love Lisa’s no nonsense approach to running. She just gets out there and does her thing, no excuses. Seriously, not even the weather seems to stop her. She just posted her race schedule for 2013 and it looks like it will be a busy but exciting year.

With this award I have to list some random facts about myself and answer some questions posed by Lisa.

Lisa’s Questions

1. What is your greatest fitness achievement to date?  Completing 2 full marathons.

2. How long have you been on your fitness journey? I would say it started when my son was born 6 years ago, but it was slow going then with just walks and a commitment to spending more time outside moving. I began taking running seriously about 3 years ago.

3. Do you have a future goal you are working towards? If so, what is it? Don’t laugh…I am itching to beat Oprah’s marathon time. OK go ahead and laugh! It’s just a fun way for me to work towards a time goal that I know is achievable. In all honesty there is a goal that sits somewhere in the depths of my brain. I think it might be far fetched which is why I haven’t shared it yet. It’s brewing though and I will secretly keep working my way towards it. If running has taught me anything it’s never say never. (As in “I would/could never run a marathon.”)

4. Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them! No I don’t.

5. If you won the lottery what would you do? My husband and I always discuss this topic even though we rarely play the lottery and the top priority would be to improve his family’s conditions in Mozambique even more than we already have. We have generous hearts despite our drive and motivation to build up our own security for our futures and that of our son.

5 Random Facts About Me!

  • I played the clarinet in grade school and junior high school even though I really wanted to play the flute. I was told I couldn’t play the flute in 4th grade because I had buck teeth.
  • Thanks to said buck teeth I also got braces in 5th grade. I was the first in my class with them which made them sort of “cool” at the time.
  • I was never “cool” in school.
  • My Dad wanted to name me Carmen?!
  • I did not eat vegetables until I was 23 years old…true story unless you count corn, potatoes and ketchup.

Now can you believe it’s Monday again. Oh where do the days go. This past week I worked Monday through Thursday night and Carlos was on vacation so our days were full of playing with new toys, organizing all of our presents and shoveling lots of snow. It is quite the winter wonderland here in my area.

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so everyone can see your FMM questions. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

2013

1. Share one thing that you plan to do for yourself in 2013.  I gave myself the gift of yoga for Christmas in the form of a Groupon for a local yoga studio. I’ve gone a couple of times so far and I love it. I’m going to make yoga a part of my life for both physical fitness and mental well being.

2. Share a good habit that you will continue doing into the new year. I will continue to journal my food intake.

3. Do you make new year’s make resolutions? If so, do you typically stick to them? No I don’t anymore because they never seem to work. What has worked for me in the last couple of years is making a tentative race plan and signing up immediately for a few races in the first few months of the new year. This keeps me on track with my fitness goals.

4. Do you have any health goals for the new year? As I inch closer to a healthy weight I will continue to work on coping with emotional eating. It has been a problem for most of my life and though I have gotten much better control of it, I still struggle with it from day to day.

5. Share one thing that you plan to do in January. I will run my first race of the year on 1/1/13. Oh can I add one more thing? I bought a month’s pass at a local rock climbing gym for January so I will be taking the belaying class and hopefully doing lots of climbing.

6. Do you have any travel plans for the coming year? If so, where are you most excited to go? Since our big trip is not quite set in stone yet I won’t say anything just in case things don’t work out. It will be overseas though. I am eyeing a half marathon in Baltimore in June. We are thinking about going somewhere warm in February, but haven’t found a great deal so I will keep looking. There will likely be a trip up to Plattsburgh, NY in the spring also for a half marathon and to visit friends. Travel plans are largely up in the air right now, but there will be travel because I positively cannot live without it in my life.

7. What are your plans for New Year’s Eve? Don’t cry for me, I’ll be working. I actually don’t mind and if I’m not already scheduled to work New Year’s Eve I offer to work. It’s not the safest night to be out and about so I figure I might as well earn holiday pay and use it towards a nice date night later in the month.

8. What are your resolutions for 2013? OK I said I don’t do resolutions, but I have one. I resolve to finish writing the Skin Deep series of posts I began last spring. I constantly think about where I left off and for personal reasons I need to finish writing the posts.

9. What are you looking forward to most over the next 12 months? I’m looking forward to travels. I am sort of looking forward to starting graduate studies in July. I am also looking forward to more races and more adventures with Carlos and Orlando.

10. Share something unique that you hope to do in 2013. I really hope to finally solidify a plan of action to help move us toward our dream of moving back to Mozambique within the next 5 or so years. Along with that I also hope to research opportunities to possibly fulfill career goals here in the U.S. while we work on making our dream a reality.

Now it’s your turn to answer the questions. Don’t forget to visit Kenlie’s blog and link up in the comments!