Putting 2014 to Bed

Time for the year in non sequitor!  The following is a hodgepodge made of the first sentence from each month's first blog post:

Ever since I started training for my first race, I have been humbled by the support I continue to receive from friends, family, and even strangers.  Y'all know I have trouble accepting compliments, right?  After Princess was relatively unstressful for my body, I finally came to the conclusion that it was time to change my run-walk intervals. It's been two months since my last check-in (and four since the first).

I just uploaded my research paper -- the final assignment of my undergrad career.

It's been six months since I posted the first of my "during" photos. The official RunDisney training program for the WDW Marathon started at the beginning of this month. Well, it's been two months since my last check-in, and what a crazy two months it's been. I don’t think I can say enough positive things about this race. Happy October!  This past Saturday, Sarah and I went out to Ft. Wilderness to do our 17-mile marathon training run. I have to warn any non-regular readers right now that this isn't going to be a standard race recap.

So, you know, I guess I did some running.  Have you heard?  At the end of 2013, I posted the following about my hopes for 2014:

I wish for less drama and more fun in 2014.  I will graduate from college a mere 14 years behind schedule.  I think I can (at least) double the number of half marathons I ran this year.  I hope to get a new job, though the idea of leaving the one I have now makes my heart ache a little.  I need to handle my personal business (including the D-word and some financial stuff) and not hope that everything will straighten out if I ignore it long enough.  And I'm going to nurture my new and old friendships.  After all, no Jamie is an island.

Well, I did graduate.  I did (more than) double the number of half marathons, from 3 to 10.  I did get a new job, and it did break my heart to leave the old one.  We did file for divorce.  And I think I did nurture my friendships better.  At the very least, I got to see Bill for the first time in a decade (that can't POSSIBLY be right...can it??), and had the most wonderful two weeks with Jackie's family in NJ.  And I have a few new friends!  I love them all.  YOU all. 

Truthfully, the year was overwhelmingly positive, and truly surprising.  A year ago, I didn't know that I'd even be accepted to grad school, let alone have wrapped up my second semester with a 4.0.  I didn't know I'd take myself on a three-week solo road trip as far north as NY and west as State College.  I didn't know anything about the job I have now.  I hadn't seriously considered signing up for a marathon.

I also couldn't have predicted that 2014 would be the year of the cousins.  My northeast road trip helped that -- I spent time in NYC with Jenn and her family plus a bonus day with Alex and Megumi.  I also got to see Dawn.  I saw Suzanne for the first time in forever, and we talked the day away like a pair of old friends.  Joanne came up twice, and I had a blast with her and her crazy friends.

If the medals on my wall are to be believed, I raced 148.3 miles (131 miles of half marathons + 47.3 miles in other shorter distance races) in 2014, and I think I trained almost twice as many miles.  So you know, that was a significant amount of my time, energy, and focus this year.  It kicked ass.  You should feel my quads.  I HAVE QUADS!  I didn't lose much (any?) weight, but that's mostly because I seem to have developed an insatiable lust for Taco Bell, Chick Fil A's breakfast burritos, and other amazing deep-fried drive-through delicacies.  Somewhere along the line, I realized I was running for the love of running, and not for any related goal.  I like it better this way.

And just for the record, I'm actually doing some of my living off the record.  I'm still learning a lot about me, and one thing I've learned is that not every misstep needs to be documented for posterity and/or the judgment of others.  I like being able to sit down with friends and be able to answer "what's new?" with something other than "it's all on Facebook!"  I like having untold stories.  And I like having a little mystery.

So 2015?  Oh my GOD...I can't even imagine what's to come!  In January alone, I'm running a marathon, I'm doing a fun new thing at work (spending a weekend as a company rep during a conference), Scott and I have a court date, and I'm taking a weekend girls' trip to Atlanta for a 15K.  I'm taking spring semester off from school, and using that extra time to take an 8 week "dance & tone" class after work with my boss.  I'm also determined to clean the house and make it presentable.

It feels somehow selfish and ungrateful to ask for my 2015 to be better than 2014. This year has truly been an embarrassment of riches.  I feel guilty even asking for more of the same.  I think it's possible that I'll look back on 2014 as the biggest, boldest, craziest, busiest, newest, most eventful year of my life.  I hope that I continue to grow in 2015.  I hope I stay as happy as I am right now.  And more than anything, I hope that my friends and loved ones will be as happy as I am right now. 

Happy New Year!  I wish you nothing but the best in 2015.  May all your dreams come true!

Ten in 2014

You may not know this, because I don't talk about it too much, but I ran a few races this year.

I'll wait while you stop laughing.

OK.  Anyway, yes this blog has turned into all-run-all-the-time.  I kind of like it that way too, so don't expect it to change anytime soon!  I did the Diva's Half Marathon today, and will likely do my recap tomorrow (spoiler alery: key words will include "windy" and "walk").  Today though, I just wanted to throw this photo out there for posterity.

My Ten 2014 Half Marathon Post-Race Photos

 

These weren't my only races.  I did a 15K, a few 10Ks, and a bunch of 5Ks as well.  But these were the "big guys" that I trained and planned and even traveled for.  Each was its own battle.  I fought weather, food poisoning, bridges, back-to-back races, hills, small shoes, wind, and my own mental wall.  And I finished every single time.

Besides the struggles and the whining (oh, the whining...), 2014 was the year I ran with friends!  Until I met Jackie at the Orlando Half last December (this weekend is our run-a-versary), I don't think I'd spoken more than a sentence to a random stranger during a race.  But then I did WDW with Cat, Celebration, Marine Corps, Space Coast, and Divas with Jackie, Lake Nona with Scott, and part of Space Coast with June... plus shorter races with Sarah, Carlie, Mark, Daryl, and some other people I'm probably forgetting right now.  And I've met some pretty interesting folks as well.  NEVER did I think running would turn into a social activity for me, and that's certainly been an unexpected blessing.

I thought my goal for 2015 would be 12 half marathons, but then I realized that I have none in January ("only" a marathon and a 15k), and I think only 4 in February/March and that's pretty much the end of spring race season. That would put a lot of pressure on me next fall.  Instead, I'm going to try to find a race every-other weekend while the weather isn't inhumanly hot, and maybe some additional 5Ks as well.  I'm actually very excited that I'm only planning on repeating two of my 2014 races above -- Lake Nona and Space Coast -- next year.  Everything else will be new and interesting.  That's one of the wonderful things about running: you can do it almost anywhere!

Space Coast Half Marathon Recap Redux

I have to warn any non-regular readers right now that this isn't going to be a standard race recap.  If you're wondering what Space Coast is like, you should probably head to last year's recap. 

This race was not my finest 3 hours.  I wasn't in it mentally.  My body didn't cooperate physically.  And really?  I was just going through the motions.  At the end of the day though, no matter how hard you push yourself, you get the same medal.  Sometimes just finishing is the goal, and that's where I was on Sunday.

So here's the deal:  Last week I was dealing with an annoying illness and was hoping it would go away without medical intervention.  And then I ended up at the doctor on Thanksgiving afternoon.  When I left the doctor, I had an antibiotic and a painkiller and was (for about the zillionth time that day) choking back tears.  I didn't ask the doctor whether I should run on Sunday, because there was NO WAY I'd be skipping the race and I prefer to do stupid things without my actions actually being against the doctor's orders.

I was actually starting to feel moderately better by Saturday when I left for Cocoa.  They moved the expo this year to the Radisson, and while I missed all the cool Kennedy Space Center photo ops I was much happier with the layout and the crowds.  Plus, they DID have fun photo backdrops set up in a hallway. 

Out-of-this-world photo opportunities!

I met Jackie and her friend Rebecca for dinner that evening, and thanks to a stop at Target (phone chargers: don't forget them!!) and a problem with the lock on my hotel room I didn't get to sleep until after 10.

Cue the 3am wake-up alarm!

The morning was pretty uneventful.  I got the early shuttle from the hotel and saw Kelli from work before meeting up with Jackie and Rebecca for even more cheesey photo ops.  I had trouble eating the full 2 packets of oatmeal that I generally eat pre-race due to some weird heartburn-nausea thing, but ate what I could and listened to my body.  Pretty much as soon as the race started, I realized that going more than a week without lacing up my shoes was a mistake.  Of all the random twinges I've ever had, this is definitely the first time my calves were tight at the start of a race.  I was really worried this was going to turn into bad muscle cramps at some point, but eventually the tightness went away.

June passed me around mile 3 or 4, and she was pretty nearby at least until mile 10.  She was cheering on other runners, which caused Jackie to make fun of her, but I think we were all considering it in good fun.  I was excited to be able to snap a selfie with her, since this was the first run we actually saw each other.  I'm pretty sure we both did Princess this year, but don't quote me on that. 

Something crazy and awesome also happened at this race that never happened to me before.  I had my own pace group for about 3 miles!  When we run together, Jackie follows my intervals.  When the beeps happen in my ear, I say "...and walk" or "...and run."  Somehow this actually works for us.  Well, this time a group of 4 other girls decided that rather than leap-frogging us they would just stick with our intervals.  I tried to take a group photo, but my phone froze and didn't actually take the picture.  But trust me, it really did happen!  Sadly, I couldn't keep up with my group and I sent them on ahead.

The reason I couldn't keep up?  Aside from my lack of stamina, which I'm used to soldiering through for the last 5k of a race, I had a problem I've never had before:  I had to poop.  Truth be told, I realized about mile 2 that there was a chance I would need to stop and break my own "no port-a-potty on the course" rule.  I saw a pair of potties just past the turnaround before mile 7 with only one person in line, but just didn't want to stop.  And so, those last two miles, every time I ran, I was acutely aware of the contents of my entire digestive system bouncing along.  It wasn't an emergency, but had I seen another place to stop, I probably would have.

After the finish, I got my medal and towel, had some pizza, coke, orange juice, and then bid farewell to my friends.  I broke my other port-a-potty rule - don't use them after a race - and then headed over to wait for the shuttle back to my hotel.  In my haste, I totally failed to get good post-race pictures.  The one to the right was taken outside my hotel room an hour later.

It turns out the race organizers really need a lesson in logistics from Disney.  They were running shuttles to four different zones, which makes a lot of sense, but each bus was pre-determined for a specific zone.  I was in zone B, which seemed to be in the Bermuda Triangle.  I'm not sure how long I waited before I finally got onto a bus, but I'm guessing it was about an hour.  During that time, I saw at least 6 A buses and a handful of C buses, plus maybe 1 or 2 D buses.  Ours were trapped in terrible traffic on the causeway, and the one B bus that appeared while I was waiting was swarmed by people who hadn't been waiting half as long as I had.  (you know that scene in Father of the Bride where the dinner line forms and Steve Martin says, "I'd never seen a line form so quickly"?  yeah, it was like that.)  By the time I got on a bus, there were at least a whole bus full of people still waiting in line behind me.  We couldn't understand why they couldn't re-route an A bus, and were growing more and more frustrated. For the last contact I had with the race, sucking diesel fumes in the late morning sun wasn't really what I'd hoped.

Still, I really do like this race.  It's my most expensive non-Disney race, but the medal this year was even sparklier than last year's and I love that it's a star.  The shirt is also better this year -- it's black and not sheer like last year's, and has weird inset panels in the sides with space shuttles on them. My other disappointment last year, the overcast skies, also cleared this year.  We had a beautiful sunrise over the water that quickly made me wish I hadn't forgotten my visor at home! 

So how'd I do?  Despite my assorted issues, I still beat last year's time (but only by about a minute). 

Chip Time: 3:09:06
Pace: 14:27
Overall Place: 2464/3296
Division Place: 255/362

Mile Splits (per RunKeeper):
mile 1: 13:17 min/mi
mile 2: 13:39 min/mi
mile 3: 13:12 min/mi
mile 4: 13:23 min/mi
mile 5: 13:59 min/mi
mile 6: 13:51 min/mi
mile 7: 13:58 min/mi
mile 8: 14:04 min/mi
mile 9: 14:31 min/mi
mile 10: 13:51 min/mi
mile 11: 13:50 min/mi
mile 12: 14:14 min/mi
mile 13: 15:57 min/mi

...and for those of you following along at home wondering what's up with my toe-crushing shoes, they are now officially reserved for runs 10K and shorter.  Womp womp!  I was able to find a pair of my original "blue man shoes" on ebay -- floor samples from a running store -- and won them for $46 including shipping.  They're not scheduled to get here until next Monday, which means I'm most likely going to have to wear an old pair for the Divas Half on Sunday. That means blisters and shin splints, but my feet are still angry with me about last weekend so I definitely won't be wearing those again.