Worth Writing About

I've had some pretty incredible runs lately, and I wish that I had written about them sooner than this...when the feeling was still fresh and acute.  I mean, how am I supposed to write about a run on Moscow Mountain where I stepped out of my comfort zone and ran up logging roads alone and found a beautiful little meadow, surrounded on all sides by pine trees? 

Or how do I describe the feeling I got when I ran down a steep little trail, saw a large boulder sunning itself at the bottom, and decided that it would be a crime to not stop for a moment, climb on top of it, and study how blue the cloudless sky was in contrast to the greenest treetops I had ever seen?

I should have written earlier.

So even though I am at work right now and have other things that I should be doing right now, I thought I should spend two minutes and write about my run yesterday by Jack in the Box.

This "Jack in the Box" run is nothing new to me.  It is one of the first places that I ever ran, in fact.  It is almost completely flat and is a pretty heavily-run path in Pullman.  We normally park behind the fast-food joint, and then I run along the railroad tracks a mile out and then take the paved path back to the car.  It is a nice little weekday run for me, especially since I know the exact distances by heart and don't typically use my Garmin.  (It is almost .25 miles to the end of the chain-link fence, .40 miles to the bridge, .80 miles to the underpass, and 1 mile to the road.  This knowledge is especailly useful when I am playing mental games with myself during races; at the end of races I often hear myself say, "Annie, you only have from the bridge to the car to go" or something similar.)

Anyway, I knew that yesterday's run wasn't going to be long, but I wanted it to be good.  I had some energy in my legs, and it had been a few days since I had worn my Racers.  (I have been wearing my Cascadias, Launches, and my newly-purchased Vibram FiveFingers.)

My first mile wasn't especially fast (about a 12-minute pace), but my legs were feeling strong, so I decided to see what I could do on my second mile. Right when my Garmin told me that I had finished Mile 1, I picked up the pace.  After a couple of minutes, my curiosity got the better of me and I checked my watch: under an 8-minute pace!  "NICE!" I thought.  "I didn't even know I could run this fast, even for a short distance."

Even though I knew I was slowing down some, I decided to just keep running as hard as I could until I heard my Garmin beep that I had completed another mile.  I ran beneath the overpass, by the bridge, past the end of the chain-link fence, and beyond the car.  My Garmin beeped, and my grateful legs slowed to a walk.  I looked down at my Garmin, and saw something that brought a big smile to my face: 8:37!!

Yep, my previous record for a mile (set in August of last year) was 9:12.  And yesterday I beat it by 35 seconds!  I may be about five pounds heavier than I was last year when I set that record, but this year I am stronger in both body and mind.  I felt really proud of myself yesterday and may have even experienced a "runner's high" as I walked my third mile and drove home. 

It was a run worth writing about.

<3
 

Windermere and Memorial Day

It has been a while since I've posted anything.  I'm sure that has disappointed hundreds of loyal readers, so I'm sorry.

What have I been up to?  Well, I signed up for the Windermere 5K a while back and planned to run it with a friend.  Unfortunately, after only a half-mile or so, volunteers directed us back to the starting line, and at 1.1 miles we crossed the finish line.  The race was over, and we walked (half angry/half disappointed) back to a pub to have lunch with our friends. 

I signed up for the Windermere 5K, and all I got was this stupid tech shirt.

Since then, I have been working on increasing my miles for my half-marathon in a few weeks.  My longest run since Bloomsday has been a 6.5-miler along the Spokane River.  I'm going to get at least one good long run in during the Palouse Double on June 18-19.  I know that the half will be tough, but I am not worried about it.

On Memorial Day, I went on a run near Asotin, WA in some truly beautiful country.  Unfortunately, the grey skies quickly produced rain, and then small hail, and then hail large enough to hurt me as I struggled to run/hike up the mountain.  Eventually I had to take cover.  Here are some pictures of my 2.75-mile run:

Romantic-looking meadow along the trail

Dark clouds rolling in

Running to the car

I am sure looking forward to sunny skies.  Enough of this winter running already! :)

<3

Bloomsday 2011

With over 50,000 runners and walkers registered for Bloomsday this year, I think it was a good idea to get to Spokane on Saturday to attend the expo, avoid dealing with parking on race day, and enjoy pre-race food in "the big city."

At about 3:00 PM, we arrived at the expo, and it was just as I remembered it from last year (minus the Revive Energy Mints booth, which seemed to be missing this year).  I got my race packet, checked out new running gear, and bought myself a new pair of double-layer socks that promised to keep me from blistering on race day.

Packet pick-up

Daniel and me at the expo

After the expo, we decided to get some dinner at Sushi.com, a downtown Japanese restaurant.  The maguro nigiri was exceptional, and even though I wasn't expecting the volcano roll to look like it did, it was quite tasty.

Volcano Roll (left) and Chef's Choice Sushi Platter (right)

After a beer with a couple of other Palouse Falls Beer Chasers (and a perennial - a runner who has participated in all 35 Bloomsday races), we made our way back to the hotel and got our race clothes and gear ready for the morning.

One person in our party started his race at 9:00, so we headed to the starting line shortly after 8:00.  I enjoyed seeing all the other runners and their outfits, gear, and, in some cases, costumes.  I admired an old man's neon running shorts circa 1985, a couple in formal attire and running shoes, and three guys dressed as superheroes.  (I didn't see the guy who only wore a g-string and a cape, though I hear it quite a thing to see...)

I found my way to the green group, and waited for my race to start around 9:15.

Shortly after 9:15, my group started moving toward the finish line.  I removed my 2010 "Campus on the Run" race shirt, tossed it in a tree lining the street (as per tradition), and engaged in small-talk with others in my race group.

At 9:17 or so, I crossed the starting line and found myself in the middle of a pack of runners going at about a 10:30 pace.  Feeling good, I smiled and thoroughly enjoyed the first couple of miles.

After 3 miles, I found myself thinking about when I would walk for the first time.  I didn't need to walk, but I decided to walk once I reached Doomsday Hill.  I made that my plan and ran to the bridge right before Doomsday.

Then something funny happened that I wasn't expecting.  Instead of welcoming my opportunity to walk (that was my basic plan, after all), I found that I was resiting my plan and thinking something new altogether.  I said to myself, "You are stronger than you've ever been.  You can do this."

I thought of everything that I have been through in the past year, all the events and emotions that I have been endured.  And in a flash I realized that I have not only survived this past year, I was holding my head up high and running a 12K race faster than I had the year before.  This year I wasn't going to be slowed by the thing that made me walk last year.  I dug in and started my ascent.


I wasn't fast, but I passed numerous people as I ran up the hill (which felt pretty darn good, actually).  My legs and lungs burned, but there wasn't a single moment when I thought I would walk.

At the top of the hill, I felt a familiar sensation cross my face: I smiled a big ol' smile, and then I enthusiastically high-fived the Doomsday vulture and a guy dressed up in a chicken suit.  I smiled because I had just run the hardest part of the course; I smiled because I had just run farther without walking than I ever have; and I smiled because I am stronger than I ever have been.

With the hardest part under my belt, I decided to running the rest of the race (2.5 miles), as well.  That distance is not small potatoes to me, but my mental state at that point was so strong that I knew I could do it. 

I don't have a whole lot to say about the rest of the race.  It just felt good.  I kept a consistent pace, and I knew that I was going to not only have a PR but also new knowledge about what I am capable of.  And that fact kept me smiling and running strong.

It was awesome seeing the downhill to the finish line.  I finished at 1:24:25, which is an 11:18 pace.

Proud Annie

Three happy Bloomsday runners.  We all got PRs!

After the race, we met up with other Beer Chasers at Northern Lights and enjoyed food and a few beers.  We then went to Sky High Sports for a second workout (this time with trampolines).  What a spectacular day!

<3