March: 100.5 miles

I didn't feel like running this morning, but having almost hit 100 miles for the month, I had to go. I got 3.5 miles in at an 8:45 pace. This put me over the 100 mile mark. I love that even when I don't feel like running or when I feel like I'm struggling during the run, I'm still consistently running faster than I was even six months ago. Progress is good.

missed run

I hate to miss a run. I've fallen into a pretty good routine of running days and off days, but today I missed my scheduled run. I hadn't missed one in months. The problem was the sun. It came out yesterday which was an off day and I couldn't resist. I took the baby out in the jogger to run a quick 3.5 miles in the afternoon sunshine. Something was right because I still managed an 8:30 pace while pushing nearly 45 pounds (jogger + baby). I paid for it today with a little soreness, but I haven't been sore following a run for quite some time so it was a welcome change. It feels really good to know I ran hard and still managed a good time while pushing the jogger.

today's run

I went out for a quick 5 miles this morning with the baby. He loves to go with me. We ran the Springwater Trail which is so smooth and flat and makes pushing the jogger so easy. I don't typically run this route by myself because it just doesn't feel safe to me. However, with the beautiful weather today, everyone was out enjoying the trail. The baby waved, giggled and screeched at many of the people who passed by us. If they were running, they were moving slow enough for him to see and wave to. If they were on a bicycle, they were a colorful blur that he also enjoyed. We both had a great time!

group run

It's been months since I've run with a group. My own running group slowly began to fizzle after we ran the Run Like Hell Half marathon in October. Some were due to injuries, others due to the increased mileage. Training for a marathon requires many long distance runs and if you aren't training for one, why else would one want to meet up for a 20 miler in the rain? Needless to say, many of my long runs in January and February were run solo. Which is okay because I do enjoy the solitude and having total control of pace and route.

However, this morning I joined the UrbanMama runners. It was great to run with a group again! It was my first run with them and it was especially nice to put faces with the names and personalities I've come to know online. We ran an extended waterfront loop at a comfortable pace to log just over 4 miles.

running down hills

I love running up hills. Unfortunately, what goes up must come down and this is where I have problems. In races, I easily pass people running up hill but those same people will pass me on the other side. It's very frustrating because I feel like any ground I may have gained is so easily lost at that point. I've been browsing the internet looking for words of advice on this matter. On my run this morning, I consciously made an effort to employ some of these tactics and really concentrate on my form and footstrike. I think it really helped and the down hills were run much faster and easier. I'm going to continue to work on this and see if it makes a difference in my next race.

It feels great to easily run 5 miles in under a 9 minute mile pace. All these miles I've been logging have really started to pay off both in terms of pace and in my own physical fitness. Running is so addicting!

Portland Shamrock Run 15K

The Shamrock Run in Portland is one of my favorite races of the year. It really kicks off the running season and everyone comes out for it. There's something for everybody to participate in which makes it really family-friendly. This morning I ran the 15K with some friends. Yesterday I questioned why I would sign up for a 15K so soon after a marathon, but I'm glad I went out there this morning.

I finished the 15K in about 1:23 so just under 9 minute miles on a hilly course. Decided to forgo the shorts and wear tights instead but kept the striped socks on. I received a lot of compliments on the socks (note to self: must wear these more often) and heard many cheers directed at me. "Go Stripes!" It was fun and really great to get out there and run it with friends. J.P. really kept me going in the final stretch. I couldn't let her get too far ahead of me! As always, the clam chowder at the finish was yummy and the Widmer beer was a special treat.

running again!

I managed to get my sick self out for a super slow 3.25 miles this afternoon with the baby in his jogger. Now that he's tipping the scales at 23 pounds, I'm pushing nearly 45 pounds. Our run included a brief period of some heavy, pea-sized hail (hooray for the weather cover on the jogger). Just another strange occurrence in our weather these last two days -- snow, hail, etc. -- you name it, we've pretty much had it. Looking forward to a 15K this weekend, but also beginning to wonder if maybe this is too much too soon? It's a long climb initially and surely my legs will be screaming at me, but there is the promise of hot clam chowder and a beer at the finish line... Yum!

Napa Valley Marathon

I was one of the 1400+ finishers this morning of the Napa Valley Marathon. It was a long, wet, cold, and very windy 26.2 miles. My goal was 4:20 and I missed this by almost 10 minutes. Gun time today was 4:29:30. A slight disappointment, esp. when the first half was going so great (mile 13 in an even 2 hours), but I'm feeling pretty good anyway. Around mile 16, the winds kicked up and they were brutal! The cold temperatures and non-stop rain didn't help. It never let up. Ever. It was raining when I woke up this morning at 5am and it's raining now.

I wore a plastic poncho at the start, but was already soaked before the race began. At mile 6, I dumped the poncho because it was a nuisance. At mile 10, a man ran up alongside me and asked if I were cold. Yes! He said he was about to lose his own poncho and asked if I wanted it. It was a thinner and better poncho than the one I had worn so I accepted. He took it off and even tried to help me put it on while we were both running. What a guy. My hero today, that's for sure. I wore it all the way to the finish line. I'm not sure I would have made it without that used yellow poncho.

Everyone was waiting at the finish line. I loved coming around the last corner to see M and our baby. He has been wonderfully supportive in my training. He is my greatest cheerleader. Absolutely fantastic. I am so lucky.

The marathon was followed by a great lunch with beer and wine tastings. A good dinner, some Ibuprofen, and a glass of wine all does wonders, too. Tomorrow I look forward to a mud bath and a massage. Much deserved, for sure.

* As for the marathon itself... Fantastic support the entire marathon route. The aid stations were fully stocked with water, gatorade, an assortment of GU flavors, oranges, bananas, and vasoline. Since the finish was at a high school, warm showers were available. The finishers medals are unlike any of my others (very nice!), post-race support was wonderful, the race shirt is a nice-looking long sleeve tech. shirt, and the backpack they give you is a special treat. In all, a fabulous marathon that I would recommend to anyone. If it hadn't been raining, the scenery along the route would have been even more beautiful and a great distraction.

strange dream

I had a dream last night that I was in the middle of the marathon and my body suddenly stopped moving forward. My arms and legs were moving and I was trying to move them faster and faster, but to no avail. Other runners were passing on my left and right and I was just stuck there, moving as fast as I could, but not moving forward.

I'm not feeling anxious about the marathon, but I must be somewhere deep inside to have a dream like that.