Done, Done and DONE!!!

Guess what...we're DONE!  The Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Half-Marathon is finally nothing but a memory....and what a memory it is...  Climbing through a hedge to try to get to our starting corral, extreme congestion through-out the entire race, a total lack of water and Cytomax along the course (and rumours that in the desperation to replenish the water supply - water from fire hydrants was used!), chaotic and dangerous finishing area, spectators finding their way onto the race course and in the way of runners....Ahhh....what a fun time...

As I did not have any encounters with what I like to refer to as human hazards and I brought a little bit of water and Gatorade with me my only real complaint was the total congestion....for the entire route.  After 12 weeks of training and thinking this was going to be my ONLY half-marathon...it is very disappointing to not have the time I wanted.  My time wasn't HORRIBLE.... 2:31:11....but it wasn't what I was hoping for or expecting.  As this may very well be my one and only shot - it sucks to not have been able to run my own race...  But oh well...  Been there, done that....Got my tacky glow-in-the-dark finisher's medal :)

One Week to Go!

One week from now I will be lined up in the parking lot by Mandalay Bay getting ready to run the Rock n' Roll Las Vegas half-marathon.  Excited to get there, excited to run, REALLY excited to have it over.  Hoping the sore back, head, throat, etc., are a result of not sleeping so well lately and NOT because I am getting sick again!

Cheap Trick will be playing to get us pumped up at the start...I am sure between them, the Vegas atmosphere, and the running Elvi - it will be an exciting and energizing environment. Suddenly a week seems like such a long time.  I'm half packed already...Training is practically done.....I am ready... LET'S DO THIS THING!! 

Not How It Is Supposed to Work

So.....as you may know....I'm training for a half marathon.  I've done 11.5 weeks of training so far.  Running more km a week than I ever have in my life...  Ran 24 km last weekend alone....  I must be SUPER FIT now, eh?

Can you believe I've GAINED weight?  Colleen keeps telling me about all the weight she's losing and I keep finding it!!  Seriously!  And this isn't "oh it's muscle" weight gain like people try to tell us to make us feel better... This is "hmmm...these pants feel kinda snug" weight gain... 

How is it possible to gain weight when doing so much more running, you ask?  Well, it's quite simple!  You use the extra mileage as an excuse to eat anything and everything you desire.  You eat like you've been living on a deserted island and have just seen food for the first time in months... Quite simply, you consume so many calories that even super long, 19k runs are not enough to counteract the volume of food you're taking in.

I keep telling myself that after Vegas I'll smarten up again...  Good thing Vegas is just a week and a half away.... Otherwise I'd be waddling across the finish line...  In the meantime; however, I think I'll go find a snack...

It's OVER!!!!

Ok....It's not REALLY over, over....  But the toughest part of the training IS OVER!! 

Yup, somehow in the minus double-digit weather and snow we got a 19K run in.  That is the longest training run we have to do.  Our next LONG long run will be in Vegas.  And then NEVER AGAIN!!!  (or at least for a while)

Of course, 19K can't just go smoothly.  Poor Colleen had a major issue with hip pain and had to cut her run a little short.  Luckily, Gerilee is a better friend than I so she stuck by her while I just kept plugging along (in my defense...I didn't know she was hurt until the end!).  Because it was soooo cold, however, I did not stretch.  After a 19k run....I didn't stretch!  Boy am I paying for it now.  Today's (Sunday) run was harder than the 19K was, I swear.  I had to just hurtle myself at top speed down any hills because my quads hurt too much to brace them to slow myself down.  Going down stairs, sitting down, all hurts...  And tomorrow will likely be worse.

But, did I mention....IT'S DONE!!  The hard part is done!  I think I'm going to fall a little in love with the taper!

Whose Idea Was This Anyway???

Ok....I have good news and bad news...

The good news is I seem to have gotten the upper hand on the blisters.  Slicing the big one wide open, applying antiseptic regularly and soaking in salt water seemed to work.  I still applied band-aids and mole skin before today's run - just to be safe - but ended up with no trouble with them at all.  Yay!

However, that might be the only part of my lower body that doesn't hurt :(  My body is seriously telling me it does NOT like these longer distances.  Even my feet hurt...all the time...a dull kind of burning ache.  Kind of ironic that I was the one who wanted to do a half-marathon and I was the one who wanted to go to Vegas...Now I just can't wait for it to be over.  Only 3 more long runs...That's what I have to remember.  Surely I can make it through 3 more long runs...

That's all...

It's All Downhill From Here....

It's official!!  Times are in for the Blue Heron 10k in Creston....and I was officially in under an hour!

Yup!  58:35.  So what if I almost threw-up once I crossed the finish line...  I got in under an hour...and only 4 people in my age group beat me...(and lets face it...I am at the TOP of my age group).

It seems that this milestone happened in the nick of time.  In a recent edition of a running magazine, there was an article about how times begin increasing once runners turn 40.  As you'll see in the image above....I'm the magical age of 39 right now.  And, as you may recall, we are going to Vegas in December....to run a half-marathon...and to celebrate me turning 40!  In fact there's only about 53 days from this race day to the big 4-0!  Talk about getting in under the wire...

But it's done now.  I have an "OFFICIAL" under 60-minute 10k on record...and my times are EXPECTED to get longer now that I'm getting so old...  What a relief!  I can just coast from now on!  Ahhhhh  :)

Lucky Lucky Me

Every now and then I am reminded that despite any set-backs that may occur in life, I am a super lucky girl!  I am especially lucky to have some wonderful, supportive, encouraging and super cool friends.  Went for a great walk with Kyla today...not only was it a nice walk - but she is so freaking entertaining, you can't help but be in a good mood when you've spent time with her...

I kept talking about my running girls to her too....and she (being the awesome, supportive ultra-cool chick she is) commented on how great she thinks it is that I have these women in my life that are willing to do crazy things with me like Bloomsday, the Vegas half...and maybe, just maybe a duathlon??!!  I, of course, know how lucky I am to have them (both for the running support and for all the support in so many other ways!) but having someone else comment on it is a great reminder.

Everything else seems less important when I focus on just how lucky I really am!  Lucky lucky me!

Saw this quote today.  Totally reminded me of my friends today:  "A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success"