Celebration Half Marathon Recap

Yesterday I ran my fifth half marathon.

A year ago, I still wasn't sure I could finish my first.  Every now and then, my reality surprises the crap out of me!

This was the inaugural year for the "Town of Celebration Marathon & Half Marathon," and I didn't find out about it until it was already sold out.  They ended up opening up more spots, and I jumped to register, despite the $100 price tag.  I figured that the money I'd save on a hotel would more than make up for the higher registration fees.

Going into this race, I felt strong, the weather was cool, and I was healthy.  I figured if I was going to meet any of my running goals in the next month, this was going to be my only chance (with Melbourne next weekend before my legs are recovered and Princess - with the on-ramp from Hell - the day after the Enchanted 10K).  I wanted to finish in under 3 hours, I hoped to maintain a 14 minute/mile pace, and I figured I could probably PR.  That's a lot of pressure to put on my chubby legs!

I had planned to wear this new long-sleeve running shirt I bought, and failed to re-check the weather in the last 24 hours before the race.  It was warmer than I had planned, and I really dressed wrong.  Luckily for me, Jackie (of the Orlando Half) had picked up her race bag that morning and loaned me her race shirt.  I think she saved my life!

Pre-Race, they had a zillion porta-potties near the start.  Unfortunately, the lines for the potties backed right up into the area runners were waiting to begin, so it was a little crazy right there.  If the National Anthem was performed, or if there were any sort of pre-race announcements, we couldn't hear them back where we were.  All of a sudden, we realized the race had started!

Funny signs like this one dotted one
long boring stretch of the course

The Course was really winding, and even though I stared at the map a bunch of times before the race I had no real clue where I was at any time.  There are advantages and disadvantages to that.  It was more of an adventure than you have on an out & back course, but a few times we'd catch glimpses of runners around corners and had no idea whether we were ahead of them or behind them.

A mile or two (ish?) of the course were on boardwalks over swampy areas.  These were my favorite parts of the course, despite the jagged corners and narrow pathways.  If Celebration wasn't 45 minutes from home, I'd enjoy doing my weekend runs there.

I never felt cramped by other runners, unsafe due to traffic on the roads (though I did think it was crazy that many roads weren't closed), or bored because there's a lot about Celebration that's interesting to look at.  However, I did feel lonely.  I was actually running the race with Jackie, so I wasn't really lonely.  But we were running through neighborhoods, and I was genuinely shocked that there weren't more people out cheering.  The race had a ton of volunteers, and they were wonderful as always, but I think the residents really didn't care.  And I think a race through neighborhoods should actually involve the neighbors.  Maybe it's just the people who live there (it is sort of like Stepford after all), or maybe the race organizers didn't try to engage the locals.  But that was the wet blanket of the day for me.

As far as volunteers go, my favorite one of the whole day was the little Boy Scout who handed me a cup of "fresh Gatorade, made with love," and then told me, "just today it's ok to be a litter bug."

My race was good.  I was able to maintain a pretty good pace most of the way.  I didn't touch my pouch of Craisins until after 9 miles in, and that definitely caused me to sag at that point.  I never saw anyone handing out Gu or other "fuel" shots, and I was looking for them from mile 6 to 10.  And throughout the whole race, I only skipped run intervals for water stops and once to eat a large handful of Craisins.  In the last 5k, usually the part where I feel dead, I surged and felt so strong I started pushing my run intervals faster.  I noticed I had less sore running muscles than walking muscles, and wished I had it in me to just run.

"am I really done?"

At the end, Jackie had a little more left in the tank than I did.  She passed a little girl with a portable PA system who told her that she could go get ice cream once she got her medal.  So when I passed the girl I asked her where the ice cream was and she pointed behind me to the restaurant I just passed, "but you have to get your medal first!!"  I usually don't appreciate precocious kids, but she made me laugh.  And then I jogged into the finish line with not even enough energy left to get my hands above my head.

Once we got our medals, we found ourselves in the after party, with punch cards good for one visit to various tents staffed by local restaurants.  I didn't hit all of the tents, because I took one bite of a watery-yet-slightly-low-tide lobster roll and decided that maybe a post-race banana isn't such a bad idea after all.  Also, what restaurateur thought "New England clam chowder is the perfect food for people who have just run 13 (or 26) miles?"  Maybe the other booths had better offerings, or maybe I was just not in the right mental spot for a mini food fest, but I didn't stay long and was happy to get home to leftover pasta and a bag of Skittles.

The Bad and the Ugly
- I already mentioned my two biggest issues, neither of which was the fault of the race organizers: lack of town support and disappointing offerings at the after party.
- I'm not a fan of the logo on the medal/shirt.  Having seen a photo of the medal in advance, I'm happy to say it's nicer in person.  But I continue to dislike white race shirts (as do most other female runners I know), and I especially don't like the weird green stripes on this one.  But it's soft, so maybe I'll sleep in it or wear it under long sleeves in cooler weather.
- There was no live runner tracking, and race results weren't posted on the website until this morning.  Because I was close to a PR but not really sure RunKeeper was accurate, I was irritated by the wait.

The Good
- The course was flat and picturesque, and because the organizers capped the race at around 2200 entries, it really wasn't crowded after the first mile or so.
- Having a run buddy! For me, it's always a blessing to have someone say snarky things to, or who says the things that you were thinking (I'm not sorry at all we laughed at the bare-bottomed woman pulling her pants back up as she came out of the woods)
- The after-party. These things aren't meant for me. When I finish a race, I want a shower and a nap more than anything else.  But I wasn't overwhelmed by crowds or loud music, which is generally what happens to me in those situations.
- The volunteers. Wow, they were plentiful and enthusiastic. I only had to pause to wait for Gatorade at one stop, and even then just for a few seconds.

Overall, for a first-time event, I think it's safe to say things went really well.  This race has a lot of the aspects I've enjoyed in other races, but I think I might wait a few years to try it again.  If the residents get behind it and they manage more of a street party atmosphere like I experienced on some stretches of Space Coast and Orlando, I think this race could easily become a local favorite.

My Race Stats:
Clock Time: 3:12:35
Chip Time: 3:09:19 **PR**
Pace: 14:27
Overall Place: 1347/1574
Division Place: 141/164

My Splits (according to RunKeeper, which also said this race was 13.65 miles long):
mile 1: 13:32 min/mi
mile 2: 13:28 min/mi
mile 3: 13:48 min/mi
mile 4: 13:16 min/mi
mile 5: 13:49 min/mi
mile 6: 14:03 min/mi
mile 7: 13:54 min/mi
mile 8: 14:22 min/mi
mile 9: 13:56 min/mi
mile 10: 14:09 min/mi
mile 11: 14:27 min/mi
mile 12: 12:42 min/mi!?!?
mile 13: 14:24 min/mi

Adventures in Grocery Shopping

Just a few quick random updates from today's trip to Publix:

• According to the fancy new blood pressure station, I've lost 4 pounds since November 29.  I have a feeling I was down more than that but creeped up due to WAY too much fast food recently.  Still, less is less.
• The Publix bakery doesn't sell not-frosted brownies.  Apparently I'm the only person who prefers her brownies naked.
• A man approached me just past the card aisle. He was carrying two cards and was looking for a woman's opinion on which would be better to give his wife for their 53rd wedding anniversary tomorrow.  I would have felt bad laughing in his face and telling him he picked the WAY wrong girl (you know, due to my blatant disregard for the institution of marriage, the fact that I'm heartless - or so I've been told, and the fact that I've never really had much of a tolerance for cards with sappy sentimental poems), so I read both cards.  I paid attention to the words.  In the end, I recommended the one that made me almost tear up, even though it was three pages long and mentioned God.  And I told him congratulations.  Maybe I'm not heartless after all...
• I also bought brownie mix, vanilla frozen yogurt, and bananas.  I think there's an epic sundae (with peanut butter) in my future.

Stats

I finished a two mile conditioning run this afternoon, and wanted to jot a few notes before I forget them.

Bests:

- 1-mile time: 12:21! Holy new PR, Batman! AND that was the second mile!

- 2-mile pace: 12:34 min/mile. 

Firsts:

- first time I strung together two sub-13 miles!

- first mile faster than 12:30!

Of course, this was supposed to be an easy conditioning run because I have the Celebration Half in two days. Even still, I don't feel like I did any damage, and it was a lot of fun to go out there and try to run fast and not hold anything back. I felt awkward, like my arms and legs and breathing just couldn't get on the same page, and I was winded...but I felt strong and fast and... It was pretty awesome. 

The weather Sunday is going to be perfect running weather for me - mid-50's and no rain. I bought a new long-sleeve shirt...hoping I won't end up being too warm in it...and finally got a sun visor. 

Speaking of visors...

No offense to visor wearers or lesbians ("some of my best friends are..."), but is it possible to be the former without looking like the latter? I certainly can't pull it off!

And back to Celebration...

The weather and my preparation lead me to believe I could PR this weekend. Heck, if I feel this good on Sunday, I think it's likely I'll finish with a sub-14 pace. My big goal is to finish in under 3 hours, but that definitely seems a little too optimistic. 

Wish me luck. It's going to be a fun weekend!

Static Oops

Sixth Grade Jamie dressed me today for work. She put me in black leggings, a mid-thigh-length sweater, and red boots. Sixth Grade Jamie loved leggings and long sweaters…  

Actually, that’s the last page of the story. The truth is that my sixth grade self was forced to assist when I was already at work because my 34-year-old self couldn't seem to get it right this morning. I started out today wearing the leggings (which are actually capri-length spandex running pants) and boots under an ankle-length knit skirt, with a simple black top. It was one of those “if I’m going to keep that skirt in the closet, I’m going to have to wear it eventually” sort of ensembles that was serviceable but not really something I would generally wear.

It turns out, the skirt was NOT AT ALL serviceable. The heat is on in my office building, and the dry air turned me into a giant ball of static cling. Every time I got up from my desk, the skirt would bunch, cling, and ride up. It was the dry air/skirt version of a wet t-shirt. And it was awful. A quick internet search told me hairspray works against cling, so my officemate was nice enough to lend me hers. I think it made it worse! The anti-static monitor wipes in my desk (basically lint-free slightly damp towelettes) didn’t help me either.

Within two hours, I had reached my breaking point. I decided to just pretend that the long cardigan I keep in my office for cool days was a sweater dress. It’s not the least attractive ensemble I’ve ever worn to work, but I was joking all day that I feel like Wonder Woman in an overcoat.

Truthfully, I don't hate the outfit I ended up in.  But I don't think I'd wear it again.  The sweater ended up just as staticky as the darn skirt, and I ended up having to tug it back down every time I stood up.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout-out to Sixth Grade Jamie for helping me out today, and also thank everyone in advance who participates in my upcoming Kickstarter to buy a full-length mirror before I break my neck standing on the edge of the bathtub in heels...

New PR

Cast Walking (& running) League started back up for the season today, and I'm back on a team. It's been two years since my season as a team captain, back when my goal was just to walk for the whole hour without whining. I did 2.5 miles the first night and was so proud of myself. 

Tonight, I ran four miles in 54 minutes. I also set a new one-mile PR of 12:37. I've been having pretty crummy runs recently, and it was wonderful to get out tonight, breathe in fresh air, and run. 

The Celebration Half is this Sunday, and if I stay healthy I think I might have a chance at a PR. The course is flat, the weather is supposed to be perfect (low 54, high 71), and I feel faster than I did going into Space Coast. 

Today was beautiful. My run was fabulous, and I feel awesome*!

*as long as we ignore the aches in my left hip and hamstring and my right arch. New shoes are on the horizon!

Full Fowler

I started out today feeling professional and pretty spiffy in my new button-down shirt, wearing glasses and actually blow-drying my hair.

That lasted until a half hour into my work day when one of my foremen walked into my office and bitch-slapped my ego so hard that when it woke up my clothes were out of style.  Here's the transcript:

Him: wearing your glasses today?
Me: yep...it's that kind of day.
Him: geeky?
Me: [open-mouthed stare] I was going to say the kind of day where I don't put my contacts in, but...
Him: geeky.
Me: screw you, pal!

It was meant in fun, and he didn't really hurt my feelings, but it did cause me to reevaluate the ensemble: long straight hair, glasses, button-down, cardigan...

Oh no...I've gone full Fowler*!

Amy Farrah Fowler is possibly the TV character I identify with the most - mostly because of her endearing awkwardness - but that doesn't mean I want to DRESS like her!

And in case you're not fan of the show (or if you are), here's the "Best of" AFF...

*bonus points if you got the Tropic Thunder reference.  If not, don't look it up - there's no way that could NOT be offensive out of context!

Sweet Sixteen

I took this picture a little over a week ago, with a mixture of pleasure and exasperation.  The pants I'm wearing here are ones that I bought some time in the fall.

I love them - they are pretty much wrinkle-proof, comfortable, dressy, and they fit my waist and thighs more proportionately than most pants.  Plus, they were a size smaller than my other pants when I bought them.  Every time I put them on and saw the number on the tag, I smiled.

As you can see though, the waistband is starting to get to the "needs to be 'altered' with a safety pin" stage.  They slip down to my hips, which wouldn't be bad except the hems hit the ground if the waistband is at my hips...  

More and more of my original pants are getting to the humorously large point, and this pair of pants tells me something important that I need to remember: don't buy a bunch of clothes at once!  I stopped on my way home today to do some impromptu clothes shopping, and did something I haven't done in many many moons: walked straight to the "normal" side of the store.  As it turns out, the normal side has sizes all the way up to 18, so it wasn't the moral victory I'd hoped for, but I did grab three pairs of pants and three shirts and headed to the dressing room.  One pair was the exact style pictured above, except one size smaller.

Time for a flashback!

During the fall of my sophomore year at Penn State, my mom came to visit and took me clothes shopping.  None of the pants I tried on were fitting right, and I pitched a fit when she grabbed a pair that were size 16.  I think I cried when I realized that they fit.  Considering it was over fifteen years ago and I still remember that particular shopping trip, you can rest assured that it made a major impression.

...and back to the present!

All of the pants I tried on today were 16's.  One pair - sadly, the much-needed khakis - was comically "sausage casing" tight.  Another pair of Dockers were tight, but not ridiculously so.  I have a few sweaters and other hip-length tops that'll work with them.  And the third pair were the dress pants I was thrilled to find.  Putting on a pair of 16's that fit gave me flashbacks to the college shopping trip, and turned me into every cliché woman in a diet food commercial who zips up a pair of pants triumphantly and dances in front of the mirror.

It.  Was.  Awesome!

Sixteen is way smaller than the 20's and 22's I started with, but also nowhere near my goal.  Of course, I never did make a solid number goal, either by size or weight.  When I said I wanted to shop in the normal section of the store, I didn't realize that the normal section has expanded to such large sizes.  I think I'd look awesome in a 12.  That's average and normal these days, right?  Maybe that's a good 2014 goal.

Anyway, that's the latest on my progress.  It's wonderful to see results, even though getting to this point has been long and slow.  And as long as progress continues in the same direction, I'll be patient getting there.

...and I won't buy more than two pairs of pants at the same time!

WDW Marathon Weekend Recap #2: Running

Did you already read part one?

All week last week, people who work in my building kept asking if I was running this weekend.  "Nope, I'm just cheering this time" became my standard response.  My next scheduled race is Celebration in two weeks, so my weekend plans included cheering for the 10K and full marathon and an 11-mile training run of my own on Saturday.

Fate, however, had other plans!  A friend (who was also not planning on running) acquired a race number from someone else, and then decided at the last minute to pass the number along to me.  And in case you were wondering my definition of "last minute," I didn't know at 2pm on Friday when I left work that I'd be waking up 12 hours later to run in this race!

Cat planned to run, but failed to train.  She decided that her lack of training meant she'd be at my pace anyway, so we decided to run together.  This is the first long race I've run with someone else, and I can't even tell you how much better that made the whole experience.

The course for the WDW Half is the same as for the Princess Half - start on the highway near Epcot, run to and then through Magic Kingdom, run some more highway, trudge up the on-ramp of death, tackle some more unexpected hills, run through the front half of Epcot, finish in the Epcot parking lot.  When I ran Princess, I just didn't understand what all the fuss was about.  People seem to love running toward Cinderella Castle and talk about how special and magical it is.  Last February, I was unimpressed.  There was a great cheering crowd, but I thought the whole park was a choke point and I would have been happier running in a wide-open space instead.

Cat was just as thrilled as I was...I swear!

This year, EVERYTHING was more magical.  We ran through the parking lot, into Town Square, and rounded the corner onto Main Street, USA.  And I actually got a little choked up when I saw the castle.  It was...for lack of desire to come up with something original...absolutely magical.

Did I mention magical?

The rest of the Magic Kingdom was just wonderful - through Tomorrowland, past the Tea Cups, through the Castle, past Liberty Square and Frontierland, and out through the back vehicle gate.  Before we knew it, we hit the halfway point.  Halfway ALREADY?!?

Cat and I talked the whole time, about family and friends, work, life, how the race was going, how long we'd make it before we would have to stop to pee (4 miles)... occasionally we'd high-five for silly reasons or chat with strangers.

I particularly loved the water stop manned by Disney Cruise Line workers.  It was great to hear the different tunes that the ships' horns play, and there was a lady with a PA announcing groups as they ran past - "Disney Cruise line welcomes the Team in Training!!" - which made me long to go on another cruise.

My absolute favorite part of the entire race is going to take a few sentences of flashback to explain.  Back in 2009 (I think) when Scott still worked at the Magic Kingdom, he had a 3am shift on a Marathon Sunday.  His car battery died, and he woke me up to drive him to work.  As we pulled into the MK gate, there was a giant marker for Mile 10.  I laughed and asked him to take a picture of me fake-running past the sign in my pajamas and flip-flops.  He declined, and I've pretty much reminded him about that every race weekend ever since.  The photo that got away...

Fast forward to this past Friday:

I found myself alone with the Mile 5 marker for the 10K (featuring Nemo, Dory, and Marlon), and took a picture of it and posted it to Facebook with a comment about wishing someone was there to take a picture of me fake-running past it in my jeans and boots.

perhaps for my next race my signature
move should be *actual* running
instead of just faking it for photos!

During the race yesterday, Cat and I found the Nemo marker and I HAD TO get the picture.  It wasn't until she took the picture and we started running again that it clicked -- Nemo was at mile 10!  This photo was four years in the making, and was even more special because I was actually fake-running...past mile 10...and Nemo during an actual race!  (if that doesn't just tickle you, I guess I understand. but it instantly became my favorite race photo ever because of all of the history wrapped up in one picture.

Like most races, the last 5K of this race kicked my butt.  I didn't think the on-ramp and hills were quite as bad this year, but I was still pretty winded and exhausted by the time we made it into Epcot.
Right before the park, we passed a girl with a poster that said "2 LEGIT 2 QUIT," and I asked her if she was old enough to understand the reference on her poster.  Her answer "I'm 35," followed by the hand gestures that go with the song.  "Oh, then I guess you are."  I hope she was flattered and not annoyed!

After running the entire race together, Cat and I stuck together all the way to the finish line.

...but I slowed down and veered left to high-five Goofy and she ended up crossing the finish a few seconds before I did.

My bad!

There was more high-fiving, and I found myself choking back tears for the (at least) third time.  Even if we had planned for this and trained together and worn matching costumes, I doubt we would have had a better race together.

Friends with medals (and balloons oddly positioned behind our heads)

We might go weeks without talking sometimes, but my friendship with Cat is one of the most enduring and constant of my life.  Frankly, the fact that we're still friends after 13 years (including one where we shared an apartment) is kind of mind-boggling.  And sharing this moment with her might have been the best moment of our whole friendship.  It's in my top five for sure.

My Race Stats:
Clock Time: 4:23:53
Chip Time: 3:29:08
Pace: 15:36
Overall Place: 17761/20242
Division Place: 1035/1254

My Splits (according to RunKeeper):
mile 1: 14:06 min/mi
mile 2: 14:04 min/mi
mile 3: 14:28 min/mi
mile 4: 14:15 min/mi
mile 5: 15:18 min/mi
mile 6: 14:28 min/mi
mile 7: 14:43 min/mi
mile 8: 15:16 min/mi
mile 9: 15:02 min/mi
mile 10: 15:41 min/mi
mile 11: 16:09 min/mi
mile 12: 16:13 min/mi

mile 13: 16:28 min/mi

I don't think I mentioned that heat and humidity were definitely a factor in this race.  And talking slowed us down a bunch.  But neither of us were in it for a PR, and we had an awesome time.

WDW Marathon Weekend Recap #1: Spectating

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.  Stranger support is a crazy thing, and it's mostly apparent on race day.  There are tons of random people standing on the sidelines of the racecourse, yelling and cheering, holding funny signs, telling you that you're awesome, and all sorts of other nonsense.

To a beginner runner, it's invaluable.  And it means so much to me at every race I run.

So this weekend I decided to pay it forward during the WDW Marathon Weekend.  I wanted to volunteer for the full marathon, but by the time I signed up there were only standby spots available. Since that was out of the question, I focused on cheering instead.

not a huge crowd cheering for the 10K!

My marathon weekend started on Friday morning at 5am when I got to the Yacht Club to cheer for the 10K participants.  The race started at 5:30, but I was worried it might be crowded, since this was the only place to watch the race (not including the start/finish) that was accessible to spectators.  I was WRONG.  At first I was the only person cheering for as far as I could see on either direction.  A little after runners starting passing me, two women came out where I was and we all clapped and cheered.  We were just past mile 5, so we yelled a whole lot of "1.2 to go," "you're doing great," and "you're awesome"s.

I knew three people running the 10K, but I quickly realized it's really difficult to spot three in a field of 10,000.  I only saw one of my people, and even only then because he yelled and waved at me.  Flaky and unobservant?  Yes...yes I am!

My two new friends and I (one of whom ran the full marathon today) cheered until the very last racer trudged past us.  Those past few were so inspiring.  They were crumbling but not broken.  In short, they were awesome.  I was also really impressed by the RunDisney Cast Members biking along with the back of the pack.  They referred to the racers by name, encouraged us to keep yelling, and were incredibly professional.  I think this was my first contact with non-volunteers, and it was apparent that they love their jobs.

When I got to work Friday morning, my throat was sore, my fingers tingled from clapping for so long, and I was absolutely electrified by all the positive energy.  I couldn't wait to do it all again Sunday for the full marathon!

...and so, after a long and busy day on Saturday (more to come in part 2) (ooh, foreshadowing!), I found myself a coloring spot on my bedroom floor and made a poster to hold for the full marathon (inspired by this kid):

I need thicker markers...and a ruler.  But for a first-ever race poster, I was quite pleased!

I decided at the advice of another supportive stranger to hang out at the corner of Osceola Parkway and Victory way, where the runners would pass me around mile 16.5 heading into the Sports Complex and then again heading out of the Sports Complex after mile 20.  I had four friends running, and wanted to catch them all, so I had NO plans to hop from location to location.  Besides, I really like cheering for strangers!

I got to my spot around 8:00, expecting my fastest runner to be in that area a little after that time.  I pulled out my sign and smiled and occasionally whistled or whooped for someone going by.  I gave an extra smile or wave to people wearing some sort of "Incredibles" garb (and there were lots!).  As the hours passed, I was whistling non-stop, except when I was yelling.  Runners were yelling to me, and I came up with a list of things I could yell back at them.  My favorites were the ones who yelled "YOU are incredible," and I'd yell back "you're incredible-er!"  One guy yelled that I was incredible-er-est...and then he yelled it to me again almost an hour later when he passed me again.  I posed for pictures by myself, posed while one runner took a picture with me and another runner, and even got in 2 selfies!  Oh, and one sweaty Incredibles guy even hugged me!

It...was...awesome!

I *did* end up seeing three of my four runners, and even managed to get unflattering pictures of two of them.  More than anything, I was there to support them.  Two were running their first full marathons, and I've been following along with their progress for months.  And since I've had a friend or loved one there to cheer for me at almost all of my races, I knew I wanted to do the same for these girls.

(I also wanted to watch them closely to see how awful running more than 13.1 miles truly is)

I also met two people I only know from online.  One was waiting for her brother to run past, and another recognized me and got my attention.  That was like the icing on the day.

By the time the last 5,000 runners were going past, I was punchy.  I was dancing along with the loud music (on rotation: three songs I'll be hearing in my dreams because I heard each one at least 50 times), coming up with ridiculous things to yell - my personal favorite was "virgin margaritas at the next water stop!", and yelling my throat raw.

If you've ever run - or even walked - a race, you know how awesome volunteers and spectators are.  But unless you've ever volunteered or spectated, you might not appreciate how wonderful runners are.  I lost count of the number of people who took a few seconds out of THEIR BIG DAY to say thank you to me for standing there with a silly poster.  Just like Friday morning, only on a much larger scale, I am energized by the positivity aimed at my by strangers.  My attempt to pay it forward kind of backfired, because I think I got more from the runners than they possibly got from me.

Really, truly: if you EVER have the opportunity to cheer for a race, DO IT.  You'll be encouraging countless people in the home stretch of pursuing their dreams, and you'll be glad you did.

On to Part Two!

Guess What Day It Is...

It's the day of the traditional Year in Non Sequitur!  If you've been with the blog for any length of time, you'll know that the following is a hodgepodge made of the first sentence from each month's first blog post.

I think this screenshot says a lot about my running progress: 19 miles one week, then only 2 the next.  Take a look at my summer work schedule.  Six Classes...I have six classes to go until I finally have my Bachelor of Arts degree.  Last night I tried out a new recipe that I copied out of a magazine at work.  I don't think I've mentioned the Zimmerman case here before, and I probably won't mention it again, but I was sort of shocked to wake up this morning to a "not guilty" verdict and to find so many of my out-of-state friends on Facebook proclaiming once again how effed up Florida is.  They switched up the process for Candlelight choir this year.  I don't think I've mentioned on the blog (though Facebook knows alllll about it!) that my work building has a... considerable challenge with German cockroaches.  Oh hi, guess what!  I had a really good idea a few months back: heading out to do my longer training runs out at Disney resorts. Thirty-eight hours ago, I was waking up for the Space Coast Half Marathon.

Honestly, of all the years I've been putting these posts together (they really are some of my favorites!), I don't recall a post that less represented the peaks and valleys.  And boy howdy, there have been some peaks and valleys.  Among others:

• School!  Though I had hoped to graduate in December, I think things worked out for the best.  Two semesters on the Dean's List, all A's and A-'s, and just one class this spring before graduation.  Plus, my Master's application is filled out, resume and cover letter uploaded, and references secured.  All that's left is to pay the application fee and order my transcripts.
• Running!  There were some significant roadblocks - physical, emotional, and other - during the first 3/4 of this year, but I ended up completing THREE half-marathons and a bunch of other races.  I dragged friends into running 5k's, encouraged (and sometimes inspired) others to run longer distances, made runner friends, and can't seem to stop signing up for more races!  Running has become my outlet, my therapy, and on multiple occasions the one thing I could point to and say "I'm proud of this."  I wonder when I'll stop gazing at my medal display and getting a little choked up...
• Separation! (note: the exclamation point was just there for style continuity -- this falls into the "valleys" category for sure)  It was hard then, and continues to be hard in so many ways.  I know I handled a lot of things terribly - things that never hit the blog - and that this shit hurts, but I still believe I'm on the path I'm destined to be on.  
• Other assorted drama! (again, a valley)  There are a lot of people in the world who are selfish, mean-spirited, broken in any number of ways, or who bring negativity into your life in ways you can't possibly anticipate and don't understand.  I've had quite a few of those people meander along my path this year.  I'm not playing the victim card, because sometimes you invite the wolf in because if you squint and tilt your head to the left maybe he looks a little like a sheep... But I've definitely learned that when my health, heart, and happiness are on the line I am quite capable of standing up for myself.  (hmm...maybe not completely a valley after all...)
• New Friends! I've made more new friends this year than I can count.  Most of them exist in only one facet of my life - work friends being a prime example - but having people to rant at, laugh with, cry to, and even run with has made this year much more positive than I feel I deserved.
• Old Friends (and of course family)!  Some are in my life now more than they have been in a decade or more.  Seriously, who'd have ever expected me to be planning running vacations with high school friends?  Some have been around for forever.  They are my biggest cheerleaders, my secret keepers, and my ultimate supporters.  Thinking about the outpouring of love and understanding I've gotten when I needed it the most continues to humble me.

I've learned more about myself this year than possibly any single year of my life.  I brag about the things that I love, and continue to examine the things that aren't so great.  I've grown in ways I can barely fathom, and also done some incredibly stupid, careless, and irresponsible things. Like I said, peaks and valleys! 

Looking ahead, 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.

Happy New Year to you and yours.  May your 2014 be filled with love, happiness, and wonderful memories.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming along on this voyage with me.

Doth the Lady Protest Too Much?

Conversation at work today between me and my officemate:

Me: I have a new top I want to wear, but I don't think my black cami is clean. Actually, to be dress code legal, I guess I need to wear my sleeveless black tank top instead...but I think the neckline on that one is too high. 

Her: So it's see-through and low-cut?

(She gives me the Single Raised Eyebrow of Judgment)

Me: you're making me sound like a ho! It's really not that low-cut!

I am acutely aware of where I am at this point in my weight loss: somewhere between looking way better than I used to and looking as good as I think I do! It's a dangerous place to be, full of pitfalls of ego (see the size-medium pants incident). I see people every day out and about wearing clothes two sizes too small - muffin tops a-poppin', navels visible beneath too-tight shirts, back and/or armpit cleavage - and I don't ever want to BE those people. How do I know I'm not getting dressed wearing rose-tinted "less fat goggles?" 

I have a feeling I might be doing that, if today's conversation is any indication. Perhaps it's time to find some new work clothes that are a happy feminine medium between flirty and frumpy. 

Ironically enough, I think the new shirt in question is exactly that. I tried it on with the sleeveless black top underneath, and it works perfectly. 

Portrait of the Artist in a Christmas Ornament

Happy Boxing Day!

I took the self-portrait above yesterday, and have been thinking about it quite a bit.  There's a lot of information about me here, both obvious and just below the surface, and I wanted to make a note of it before it becomes just another of the hundreds of silly random pictures of me on Facebook.

The obvious:

• I'm wearing running clothes.  This picture was taken during a walking cool-down following a five-mile run on Christmas morning.  I ran past this tree twice, but it wasn't until the sun came up and I was moving slowly that I noticed my reflection in the ornaments.  I started to walk away, but thought I'd try to get a picture.
• Long sleeves!  That means cool weather - my favorite running conditions.  (that's my free race shirt from the Orlando Half, by the way)

The less-obvious:

• There's no chance I could have taken this photo inside my house, because I didn't bother decorating for Christmas this year.  However, a few boxes of my ornaments (just the impersonal ball-type ones) are out and proudly displayed...on someone else's tree.  A new-to-Florida friend mentioned that she only had 4 ornaments on her tree, and I gladly loaned her mine so hers wouldn't be so sparse.  
• The photo is a selfie because there was no one else to take it.  

So there you have it - seasonal happy runner and lonely Scrooge all in one picture. 

Please Stop Yelling and Start Listening

I fear my "left-wing radical liberal" card is about to be revoked.  I'm also treading Biblical waters I don't understand.  But I'm genuinely hoping someone can help me understand what the HELL is going on in this country right now.  Here's the question I'd most like answered: why are the so-called open-minded left-leaning people all up in arms over the now infamous Phil Robertson interview in GQ?

Apparently I'm supposed to be offended by Robertson comparing homosexuality to bestiality...and also adultery, greed, drunkenness, and slander.  OK, the bestiality thing - I guess if I was gay that would really piss me off.  But seriously - let he who hasn't committed one of those sins call for the first boycott.  Since the media is pulling quotes left and right out of the article, I'm going to do the same:

Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”
...
“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?”

Anyway, what *I* interpret there is "love the sinner but hate the sin."  Am I so off-base there?  As far as I can tell, Phil has just as much of a problem with me going out for too many drinks after work as he has with gays.

Is the problem with him calling homosexuality a sin?

I think the big problem that we all have decided that our own interpretation of the Bible and the sins it includes - be it not eating pork, not having sex strictly for the purpose of procreation, not getting tattooed, not having gay sex, or not gossiping - is the only correct one.  And somewhere along the line we have decided the only way to convert others to our point of view is to scream at them that they are wrong until they relent and agree with us.

Duck Dynasty is a guilty pleasure of mine.  It's silly and staged, but at the end of the day the show has heart.  It's about an extended family who, though they usually think each other are doing things the wrong way, love one another.  Every episode ends at the family table with a pre-meal prayer of thanks and not a request for the salvation of the rest of us sinners.

Phil Robertson thinks that being gay is icky.  His quote about anal sex? Well, you can read it for yourself.  But he's not advocating any anti-gay legislation, hate crimes or even "pray the gay away" activities.  He's saying, if I'm allowed to interpret one more time, "I think homosexuality is wrong, but that's their eternal problem, not mine."  I personally think hunting is icky.  And while the Robertsons eat what they kill, their vast multi-million dollar empire rests on folks who I'm certain only kill for sport.  Is that a sin?  Who am I to judge?  I'm pretty sure I commit at least one sin a day, and I'd be willing to bet you do as well.  And I'm also willing to bet that we each judge someone whose life choices don't align with our own at least once a week, if not once a day.  What's the damn difference?

Frankly, Robertson's thinly-veiled racism in the same article was more offensive to me than his opinion of various sins.  And yet the NAACP doesn't want to re-educate him.  GLAAD seems to want Phil Robertson to change his moral compass to one that they find more palatable.  "Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil's lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe," said GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz. "He clearly knows nothing about gay people..."

Where were the lies?  I've read the article fully through twice, and I have found nothing but opinions likely shared by a lot of people in his demographic.  And what do "true Christians" believe? 

I'm not saying he's right.  But I think that rather than scream and shake our fists and threaten boycotts every time someone makes a statement we disagree with, perhaps we should ALL step back and consider things from their point of view first.  Maybe we should look deeper than the quotes pulled for the evening news or the memes posted on Facebook.  Maybe we should stop our pearl clutching that an old Louisiana redneck Bible thumper said something offensive.  Maybe we should take a second to sit our kids - or nieces or nephews or neighbors - down and have a heart-to-heart about how we are all God's children, and if God is willing to love us despite our shortcomings, then we should be willing to extend grace to those around us as well.

OK...I know that many of you disagree with me on this.  Can you tell me why?

5K PR...and Looking Ahead to More

I put off my Thursday morning run until Friday morning when it would be cooler. Then this morning I decided what I wanted was an extra hour of sleep and I'd run after work. Then I got home 2 hours late from work and decided to just skip the run.

 ...then just as I sat on the couch I got a text from a friend who got home from work and ran a 5k in under 29 minutes and asked how my run went. My response? "Just got home...heading out momentarily."  So I hauled myself upstairs, changed into running clothes, and did my own 5k. I PR'ed with 41:21, which is a 13:20 pace. I also did my first mile in 12:43.  (normally after that pace, I'd have needed to walk the next two miles)

Peer pressure is awesome!

By the way, I apparently love to make a liar out of myself.  Just six days ago I said "It's unlikely I'll do distance races two weeks in a row again any time soon."  That lasted exactly as long as my sore ankles.  This morning I signed up for the Melbourne Half Marathon, which takes place the weekend after Celebration.

Why?

Well, mostly because I lack impulse control.

In addition to that, I also came to the realization that adding another half in January or February would make a milestone even more wonderful than my original 6 Halfs in 6 Months goal.  Check this out:
1. Princess 2013
2. Space Coast 2013
3. Orlando 2013
4. Celebration 2014
5. Melbourne 2014
6. Princess 2014
7. Sarasota 2014

Six half marathons (plus two ten-milers, a bunch of 5k's and one 4k) before I turn 35.  When I turned 33, I hadn't even yet signed up for my first race.  At 34, I had just run my first half and wasn't sure what future date I might try to run another one.  Now?  I feel like I've just set a goal that I can be tremendously proud of.

Additional Short-Term Running Goals:

• Complete a 5k run in under 40 minutes
• Complete a half marathon in under 3:05 (14-minute pace)
• Complete a half marathon in under 3 hours

Orlando Half Marathon Recap

The Space Coast Half Marathon was just six days ago.  This very same calendar week.  I can't recall what crazy pills I took that made me think I was capable of running 26.2 miles in one week, but I'm so glad I did.  This race turned out to be an amazing experience for a lot of very different reasons.

I woke up this morning in my own bed, early enough to take a shower.  That probably sounds like a silly thing to mention, but it's the first time a) I slept at home the night before a half and b) had a start time late enough to shower in the morning.  I still had to eat my oatmeal in the car on the drive to downtown Orlando, but it was really nice to have a bit of 'normal' in my race morning.  I also got lost trying to find parking and ended up in the most wonderful place - a Catholic school charging $10 to park in their lot about 100 feet from the start/finish line.  A guy walking out of the lot at the same time told me it was the best $10 I'd spend today, and I definitely agree!

Pre-dawn Orlando
and Lake Eola

Pre-race was normal stuff: stretch, wander aimlessly, people watch... a whole lot of hurry up and wait.  The girl who sang the National Anthem ROCKED it, and we were off. The other girl from my building who was registered ran past me pretty much right at the beginning (she's a runner though, so no big surprise there!) and I was glad to have had a chance to yell "HEY!" at her as she passed. From a physical and mental standpoint, I knew right away that this race wasn't going to go as well as the last.  My legs were tight but not sore, but I had no pep in my step.  It was hot as well, and my shirt was bunching in weird places from the start.  I wasn't even a mile in before I started wondering whether I could - or even wanted to - finish.

Another girl struck up a conversation with me about 1.5 miles in, and we leap-frogged each other for a while after that.  After a water stop around mile 3, I asked if she was running set intervals or just doing what felt right.  She said she had been doing 30-30's but her watch had died.  We decided to run together, and kept it up for the whole rest of the race.  She had also just done Space Coast, plus a Thanksgiving race and a whole laundry list of other runs, and we're both doing Celebration and Glass Slipper.  She's also doing the Dopey Challenge.  Crazytown!  Having someone to talk to got me out of my crappy brain space and made the race much more fun than I had expected.

Cheers!

Also on the fun front, the course had musical entertainment at various locations.  We past two bagpipers around mile 4 and a whole troop of Japanese drummers a few miles later.  I'm not generally a fan of either, but they were great diversions.  We also passed a non-official "Beer Stop," which I didn't take advantage of, and a pair of ladies making mimosas and bloody marys to-order.  We did stop for mimosas, and then couldn't resist posing for a terrible selfie.  (what you can barely see behind my shiny red face and the earphone cord dangling in front of the camera is the car of the cop directing traffic.  I'm not sure it's legal to walk down the street drinking booze, but he didn't stop us)

I also made another friend in the weeks leading up to this race, and met him for the first time this morning.  There's an internal social media network at work, with all sorts of sub-groups including one for running.  We've all been chatty recently, with lots of others running the two races I did, and I struck up an unlikely friendship with someone much more of a runner than me.  We texted back and forth, and met and talked for all of three minutes before the race.  And then after he finished the race he came back and ran for a while with me and my other new friend Jackie until he got back to the street where his car was parked.  We even passed a race photographer, so there might be a picture of me and my two new friends together.

The topography of this course was WAY tougher than Space Coast, with a bunch of hills (granted, I know Florida hills aren't really such a big deal) and a large portion of the course on brick roadways, which are sort of tough on the ankles.  And Orlando's neighborhoods weren't quite as breathtaking as Cocoa and Rockledge.  But there was something special about this race I can't put my finger on that I really liked.

I know I was way in the back of the field - by the halfway point, the traffic cops were letting cars cross the road in front of and behind us - and that was a little unsettling, but I really appreciated not having to jostle for position.  (actually, I just looked my results up - I finished 3305 out of 3344.  Doesn't get much closer to DFL than that!)  And there was no one else finishing around me, so for the first time in any of my races, I actually heard the announcer say my name.  I looked over at him and smiled and yelled "hey that's ME!"  And then I crossed the line, got my medal and my water/Gatorade/banana/mini muffin (did I mention the race was sponsored by Publix? mmm...muffin...), and wandered around the post-race party enjoying my chocolate milk and beer (not at the same time).

It's unlikely I'll do distance races two weeks in a row again any time soon, and if the weeks line up the same way next year I will probably choose Space Coast, but I really do want to try this race again when I'm in better physical condition.  Like I said, there was something really special about it that I want to try again.

My Race Stats:
Clock Time: 3:23:25
Chip Time: 3:20:33
Pace: 15:18
Overall Place: 3305/3344
Division Place: 299/303

My Splits (according to RunKeeper):
mile 1: 12:52 min/mi
mile 2: 13:50 min/mi
mile 3: 13:46 min/mi
mile 4: 14:31 min/mi
mile 5: 14:28 min/mi
mile 6: 14:16 min/mi
mile 7: 14:40 min/mi
mile 8: 14:42 min/mi
mile 9: 14:42 min/mi
mile 10: 14:54 min/mi
mile 11: 15:48 min/mi
mile 12: 17:34 min/mi (Mimosa stop included)
mile 13: 16:02 min/mi

...and so I finished my THIRD half-marathon of 2013 with a time halfway between my first and second.  I have a beautiful new medal that I can't wait to show off at work on Monday.  And I have two new friends.  I'm exhausted, I've been alternating ice packs on my ankles all afternoon, and the same blister from last week now has another blister under it.  But I'm good.  I feel happy and strong and really freaking proud.

Next weekend is my last race of the year, a 4k "beer run" I'm doing with Scott. There's some rain in the forecast, but at least it'll be a little cooler than today.  I'm looking forward to a race I won't have to train for, and one I'm likely to not finish 4th from last!
 

Medium Well

As I think I mentioned recently, my compression running pants have started to become much less compression-y.  I decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy a new pair, so I stopped at Old Navy yesterday on my way home.  Their compression capri-length pants were on sale, and the display looked like a bomb hit it.  There was no organization of sizes, lengths, or colors.  I finally found an XL hanger with a black pair that were the right length and grabbed them, along with an interesting gray-ish silver-ish pair, and headed to the dressing room.

I tried on the gray ones first, and aside from the color not being as cool as I thought, the calves were loose.  Of all the weird fits I've encountered, I have to say boot-cut capris were pretty much the weirdest thing ever!  So then I grabbed the black pair and started tugging them up.  They were TIGHT, even going up over my (ever-so-muscular runner's) calves, but I kept going.  It was sort of like the control-top pantyhose dance getting them on, but I did it.

You know you have a problem when your black pants are stretched so far that they're almost sheer like black tights.  And I stood there staring at my reflection in the mirror contemplating whether I had really lost thigh size like I thought.  Maybe the old running pants had just given up after over a year of trying to squeeze me into them!  The tag on the hip was stabbing me, so I reached around to move it.  That's when I saw the most ridiculous thing ever: the letter M!

Ego Boost!

I managed to squeeze all of my biggest problem areas into a pair of MEDIUM pants!

Move over, [insert skinny runway model here]!

Granted, this was most definitely a case of "just because you can squeeze into it, that doesn't mean it fits."  I admit to having a moment where I thought maybe I should try on the Large, just in case...but then I came to my senses.  When I left the dressing room, I told the attendant that the pants were on the wrong hanger, "which is sort of a cruel joke," and laughed.  I went back to the racks until I found an XL pair in the correct length and left without trying them on.

I did try them on last night before pulling the tags.  You know, because I'm not completely stupid.  I have to say I wasn't completely displeased with my reflection....

Right about now, I wish that I had sucked up my pride and taken some 'before' pictures in the Spring of 2012.  This girl pictured to the left is still heavy.  Hell, she's still technically obese.  But I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of her for how far she has come!

I don't love my hips or my thighs, but I do love my curves.

I don't love my belly fat, but you can't see much of it from this angle.  It's a trade-off, because I do love the way my butt looks in these pants, but you can't see that either!

I also think that black tight pants really are more flattering than my naked reality, but since none of you are likely to see that EVER, we can all just pretend that this is how I look all the time!

So for future reference, this is my 'during' picture, taken 12-4-2013.

Medium?  Well, no... but definitely headed that general direction!

Space Coast Half Marathon Recap

If your birthday happens to be 3-3-79,
then this is almost the most perfect race bib ever !

Thirty-eight hours ago, I was waking up for the Space Coast Half Marathon.  Of course, like most pre-race nights, I had been up just about every half hour all night looking at the clock.  Around 1 am I woke up with a headache at the base of my skull that hurt so bad my first thought was "I've cancelled training runs for headaches that hurt less."  I didn't have any ibuprofen with me - they say not to take anything but Tylenol within 24 hours - and Tylenol doesn't really do much for me, so I went back to sleep rather than get up and take pills.

When I woke up for real, it still hurt, but not half as bad as it was at 1.  And my face felt hot.  And I stumbled when I got out of bed and started walking.  I thought maybe there was something wrong with me.  I also figured there was NO WAY I was going to bail on the race, so I got up and dressed and out the door.

Mom and I were staying at the Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach.  You know I'm not one to name-drop random hotels, but I cannot say enough about the hotel.  The room was spacious and clean (though it smelled vaguely of feet), and the staff was wonderful.  The morning of the race, they had to-go bags with bottled water, an apple, and a cereal bar.  I had my own pre-race food, but appreciated the extra boost.  We took the 4:15 shuttle to the race site, and then played the hurry up and wait game until "blast off" at 6:00.  I was trying to keep my spirits up, but my headache was weighing my spirits down and I was worried about a weird twinge I kept getting on my right shin.

Side note: they were having audio problems, and the microphone kept cutting in and out.  During the singing of the National Anthem, the crowd just started singing along whenever the audio stopped.  It was kind of awesome.

Before this race, my goal for the whole race season was to finish a half marathon in under 3:15:00, which is a 15 minute/mile pace.  Since this course was flat, and the weather was cool and overcast, I thought it might be a remote possibility if my body aches and pains quit.  I pointed out the lady holding the sign for the 3:15 Galloway pace team and told Mom that I'd probably finish a little after her.  I also lined up in the corral slightly ahead of her, but well behind the 3:00 pacer.  When the race started, I figured I would just run at whatever pace was comfortable until it wasn't comfortable, and then I'd slow down.

At the 5k point, I was running directly behind a lady with a bib on her back indicating that she was a 3:00 pacer.  I made the conscious decision to stay behind her, because I knew I couldn't keep that pace for the whole race.  At the 5 mile mark, I was still keeping pace right behind the same woman, but staying behind her was slowing me down.  And so, I passed her some time before the 6-mile mark and waited for her to pass me.  I never saw her again.

I had a total mind-screw right after I passed the 10K timing mats.  For some reason, I was convinced that 6.2 miles was the halfway point, and I couldn't understand why we were still going straight.  Where was the U-turn?  The distance from 6.2 to the actual turnaround was (I'm guessing) less than half a mile, but I struggled the whole time because I was mentally already half done and resented having to keep going.

After the turnaround, my mood picked up and I started looking at RunKeeper in disbelief.  At mile 7, my average pace was still 13:34 (I think - I didn't take a screen shot). I knew my 5 mile run the weekend before had good numbers, but that was only 5.  Here I was 7 miles in, feeling strong, and running FASTER?!?

...and then disaster struck.  I grabbed a handful of Craisins and popped them in my mouth during a walk break.  I'm not sure what happened, but all of a sudden I took a sharp breath and was pretty sure I inhaled one.  I had a pretty wicked coughing fit, but when my interval timer beeped I started running again.  The coughing made my throat feel raw, and I had that "you might puke if this keeps up" feeling.  The persistent scratching in my throat wasn't getting any better...and then *cough* there was a cranberry in my mouth that wasn't there before.  Oh lord...it was stuck in my throat!  Problem solved?  Not really.  Another few minutes of running and walking, feeling like crap and I did that sinus-clearing snort thing and HEY! Another cranberry!  It turns out the second cranberry, which I hocked into the grass as if it were a loogie, was the source of my discomfort.  Instead of inhaling it down into my lung, I somehow snorted it from my mouth up toward my nose.  Once it was out, the pain was gone.

That's a first!

By the time I hit miles 8 and 9, I actually pulled up the calculator app on my phone to see what time I'd finish if I maintained a 14 minute average pace.  I also realized that I was most likely going to finish well ahead of my original 3:15 goal.  AND I realized that Disney was requiring proof of time if you thought you were going to finish the Princess Half in less than 3:15.  I sent a text to Scott that said "holy [redacted]. Gonna have a sub 3:15 to submit for Princess."  (I love that my phone knows that Princess a proper noun in my world) I also sent one to Mom right at mile 8: "5 mi to go. Pretty sure fkonosh b4 3:15." I don't know if she understood what I was saying, but it wasn't really important.

At mile 11, I sent another text to Mom saying "mile 11. c u in half hour."  That's right, even though my legs were starting to scream during the last 5k I knew there was no chance I was going to slow down to a 15 minute pace.

After mile 12, the lead runner for the full marathon passed me.  I took a picture as he went by, and tried to run along with him during my 20 second run interval.  Boy was he speedy...but when else would I ever have the chance to say I ran with a marathon champion 25 miles into his race?  Plus, all of the other marathoners running the opposite direction were cheering and it was easy to pretend they were cheering for me.

The last stretch of the race was on brick, and full of people cheering.  As much as I wanted to run and smile with them, the best I could manage was to maintain my intervals. As I passed a race photographer, I did my patented fake run pose.  A volunteer mimicked me and asked what I was doing and I laughed and said "fake running for the camera!"  He laughed, told me that was awesome, and gave me a high-five. One turn before the end, I saw Mom videotaping, and I figured I had to run for that.  I smiled and waved, turned the corner, and there was the finish.  So I ran straight on to the end.  I even managed to get my arms mostly up for the finish line photographers.

check out those post-race sausage fingers!

The "RaceJoy" app posted to Facebook that my finish time was 3:16, and I was heartbroken.  I couldn't figure out how I could've lost so much momentum in the last two miles.  And I was disappointed that I didn't have a proof of time for Princess 2014 after all.  And I was mad at myself for not being over-the-moon thrilled at coming in 15 minutes faster than my time from Princess 2013.

After I reunited with Mom, got my big cup of beer, a banana, and a bottle of the most delicious ice cold orange juice in the history of mankind, we took a few pictures of the "sweaty delirious girl with new bling" variety and then shuffled to the hotel shuttle, full of oh-so-stinky runners.

On the bus, I took a look at my RunKeeper, and realized that the time/pace posted to Facebook must have been the clock time and not my chip time.  I realized that for sure when I saw it had my 5k time as 49:50. My mood definitely improved, though I wasn't sure when I would find out my actual time...and the anticipation was killing me!

Eventually, while enjoying my post-race bubble bath, I logged back into RaceJoy and found my unofficial chip results, which turned out to also be my actual results:

What? You can't read this GIANT text?  See below!

Clock Time: 3:16:42
Chip Time: 3:10:26
Pace: 14:33
Overall Place: 2261/2937
Division Place: 195/259
(not pictured: Previous PR: 3:31 -- that's a 21 MINUTE improvement!!!!!!)

I have almost nothing negative to say about this race, but here are the only critiques I've got:
* The expo was CrazyTown.  You had to go through 4 different lines to get your bib, race bag, check your tag, and then go to the back corner of the expo for your shirt.  The first 3 lines were in the small circular entryway of the expo hall, and my inner crowd-phobe freaked the heck out during the 15ish minutes we were inside.
* The shirt is white and fairly sheer.  I'll wear it for early runs around the neighborhood when it's more important for me to be visible than for my bra to be invisible.  But I love the logo on it, and would wear it out if not for the modesty factor.
* The RaceJoy app was a massive disappointment.  Supposedly there was a way to have race updates texted to people, but I could only figure out how to post updates to Facebook.  And as I already said, those updates were based on clock time and not chip time.
* Supposedly there was Gu available around mile 8, but I never saw it.  I can't imagine how I missed it, but I guess I'll chalk it up to my own flakiness.  I'm glad I had my Craisins and wasn't relying on it though!
* Twice in the last 5k, I encountered residents leaving their driveways and driving onto the race course.  The first was right next to a cross-street, and was only on the road for a few seconds basically long enough to make the turn. The second was driving behind me, and I was so pissed off I refused to move to the side of the road.  I also trudged nearly a mile behind two girls in jeans and sweaters who had apparently been cheering for someone and were moving toward the finish line.  They were walking faster than I was able to run, so they weren't actually in my way, but other runners did have to run around them.  It would've been nice if a volunteer had told them to GET OUT OF THE WAY.
* I was disappointed by the weather.  I had hoped to snap some spectacular sunrise-over-water pictures, but it was gray and overcast...

...which is an excellent point to carry into the list of awesome things about this race:
* The weather!  Though the sky was depressing to look at, I was so happy to be running in cool temperatures with a pleasant breeze...even when that breeze turned into a headwind around mile 7 or 8.
* The course is beautiful.  It's an out and back, with lovely houses on one side and water on the other side.  The road curves a lot, is pretty flat, and the field of under 3,000 half marathoners was spread out enough that I never really felt like I was part of a herd.
* The volunteers at the water stations were great.  There were a lot of kids/teens, lots of costumes, and I never had to stop to wait for a full cup to be put in my hand.
* The residents of the neighborhood we ran through were good sports about being trapped at home.  Lots were out sitting in lawn chairs watching the spectacle.  Some had signs and were cheering.  Some even had their own water stops set up.  I took a cup of water from a little girl who couldn't have been 4 or 5 and told her that her family was the awesomest on the street.  I also saw a family pouring beer into little paper cups and another with a hot plate cooking something that smelled awesome and something that looked remarkably like bloody mary mix and a stack of paper cups!
* The post-race amenities, including pizza, beer, pancakes, juice, and fruit - plus plenty of space to spread out and enjoy them - were fabulous.  Now I know why people get so annoyed with Disney for charging extra for similar stuff after their races!
* And last but not least, the finisher medal is spectacular!  It's huge - even bigger than my Princess medal - and more importantly, absolutely stunning.  Pictures don't do it justice.  The shuttle is silver-tone, and all of the white and colored areas are sparkly.

I'm almost certain I'll be back to run another Space Coast Half.  I had an amazing run, and can't imagine another race comparing!

FACTS & FIGURES

Injuries:
* one large blister (the size of a lima bean) on the outside of my right big toe, and several smaller ones that aren't really worth mentioning
* immediately after the race, both of my big toes hurt under the nails.  thanks to the dark nail polish (which you can see at the bottom of the picture above), I don't know if there's any visible bruising.  but they hurt WAY less today.
* I'm having difficulty lifting my left leg in front of me.  I can do stairs just fine, but the range of motion of lifting my leg straight out is only about 1/3 of what my right leg can do.  While I don't generally do kick lines, this motion is apparently used getting my pants on and off, and is therefore an issue.
* General stiffness in my hips and thighs.
...in other words, wow - I'm practically fine!!

Split Paces: 
(according to RunKeeper...which also thinks I ran 13.55 miles at a 14:06 pace, so take these with a grain of salt)
mile 1: 13:05 min/mi
mile 2: 13:39 min/mi
mile 3: 13:39 min/mi (even split!  woo!)
mile 4: 13:42 min/mi
mile 5: 13:55 min/mi
mile 6: 13:43 min/mi
mile 7: 14:11 min/mi
mile 8: 14:07 min/mi
mile 9: 14:16 min/mi
mile 10: 14:24 min/mi
mile 11: 14:41 min/mi
mile 12: 14:35 min/mi
mile 13: 14:54 min/mi

Of course, I'm going to have to do a delicate balancing act of babying and pushing myself this week, because the Orlando Half is coming up this Saturday.  I plan on doing short slow runs tomorrow and Thursday mornings, as well as plenty of walking on Wednesday.  I feel really good and strong, which boggles my mind, and am really confident that I'll do fine on Saturday.  My plan for that race is to take it easy, listen to my body, and hopefully finish in about 3:15.  I do not expect to PR again without adequate recovery time, and it's also going to be warmer which will probably slow me down.

It may slow me down, but it won't stop me.  I'm feeling pretty unstoppable today!

3...2...1...

Today is Thanksgiving, but aside from the fact that it was quiet in the office and I had turkey and assorted pot luck sides for lunch, it's just another Thursday.  Actually, that's not true.  It's VACATION Thursday.  As of 2:30 this afternoon, I'm on vacation for ten days.

Ten!  Days!

And of course, I won't be sitting on my butt a whole lot during that time.  I'm in the "final countdown" for the Space Coast Half Marathon this Sunday.  Two weeks ago, I did my final long training run, wrapping up at a distance of 10 miles.  Of course, the race is 3 (point one) miles longer, but I'm pretty confident that race day adrenaline will carry me that last 5K.

Though I haven't managed to beat my 12:49/mile PR, I also haven't tried.  I've been trying to be injury-free going into the next weeks.  It hasn't been an easy road though.  Last week I went to the doctor when pain in my left foot got so bad I started to worry that I might have a broken bone.  (I don't.  I put the insoles from my old shoes into my new shoes, and my feet are happier than they have ever been.)  And even though I haven't been pushing, it still feels like I'm improving.  On my 5-mile run last Saturday, each of my my miles took less than 15 minutes.  And on my 3-mile run yesterday, my overall pace was 13:41/mile.

That last milestone is especially significant because I've been eyeing a handful of future races that have a pacing requirement of 14 minutes/mile (hello, Hershey!) (does anyone else find it ironic that the race through the CHOCOLATE town isn't just a slow fun run??) (excessive parentheses live here).

But I digress.  I wanted to take a minute to write out all of the things I've got planned between now and next Monday when I go back to work...partly because I'm sure I won't end up doing everything I have on the list.

Tomorrow - morning run and breakfast (corned beef hash is carb-loading, right?) with Scott, mini grocery trip (mostly for race day Craisins and pizza fixin's), possible trip to the pharmacy for prescription refills, Mom arrives, home-made pizza for dinner, pack for the trip

Saturday - drive to the coast, race packet pick-up at the expo, hotel check-in, dinner someplace carb-tastic, shower, blow-dry, chalk pink & purple streaks in my hair (if I can find the chalk), and early sleep

Sunday - RACE DAY!  no solid plans after that, but I'm hoping for a dip in the hot tub and a hobble on the beach

Monday - back home, lunch with Mom before she heads home, group project due tonight

Tuesday - laundry, cleaning, homework, short conditioning run

Wednesday - pot luck at work (yep, during vacation!), Candlelight show

Thursday - more homework, more cleaning, another short run

Friday - race packet pick up

Saturday - Orlando Half Marathon

Sunday - more laundry, Candlelight show

Wow...I shouldn't have written it all out.  All of a sudden it looks awfully overwhelming!

Anyway, wish me luck on Sunday.  Hopefully I'll have a race recap up by Tuesday.

12:49

Presented without commentary:

...ok, just a little commentary: OMG this is 14 seconds faster than my previous PR, which I set about 13 hours before! All of my social media friends, most coworkers, and even my chiropractor have heard about this today. 

Woot woot!

New PR?

I ran two miles after work today.  I figured I should really start pushing myself on my short runs, so I increased my running interval from 30 seconds to 33 (still walking 40).  That one little adjustment kicked my ASS.  But with a first mile of 13:05, I think I PR'ed.  The second mile was more my normal speed at 14:29. I walked a few of those intervals, and had to slow down to stop deep-breathing because there was some sewage work going on near the front of the development.

Thank God for cooler weather.  It's so much easier to get out when it's pleasant... and I'll gladly trade in sweat stains for watering eyes any day!

I'm back out tomorrow morning before work (yep - 4am run - yet another thing I once said "never" about doing!) and hoping that after a good night's sleep maybe I can really push and knock that down below 13.

Everyone needs a goal, right?