Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Reflections on Mudder, 1 year later

I was going through some e-mails, and found the following exchange:
From: Michael
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 9:50 AM
To: Jaron ; Russell ; Ben ; Kaye
Subject: Mudders

39 Days – 5 Hours
*****

From: Kaye
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 12:22 PM
To: Michael
Subject: RE: Mudders

My gut reaction is NO. I’m NOT tough enough yet!
Starting to panic.
*****

From: Michael
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 1:03 PM
To: Kaye
Subject: RE: Mudders

If someone put a gun to my head and told me to rank order the toughness of our team it would be as follows:

1. You
2. Jaron
3. Me
4. Russell
5. Ben

Please do not forward this.
*****
From: Kaye
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 1:04 PM
To: Michael
Subject: RE: Mudders

You are generous – and you might be sucking up.
Whatever. It’s working!
:)
*****
From: Michael
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 1:08 PM
To: Kaye
Subject: RE: Mudders

I have no reason to suck-up, you’re not my manager anymore.

The only generosity I dealt was to Jaron. I think he may have me on endurance but not on grit. In fact it think I should swap him and Russell.
*****
From: Kaye
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 1:13 PM
To: Michael
Subject: RE: Mudders

Well, at the very least, you’re sweet.

I guess we’ll see who has it in a month! I’m SO not worried about the distance, but I’m still very concerned about the obstacles that require upper body strength. I’m starting to get concerned about the ice bath, too. (I despise cold water.) But, I can deal with that – it’s a fleeting moment, anyway. It’s the upper body stuff that scares me….
*****

And, looking back, I'm still irritated that I wimped on the last two obstacles. It makes me want to do it again. And, then I remember Balls To The Walls, and I come to my senses. But, still....
I am happy that I did it. I still feel like a bad ass - 12 months later.
Turns out, Michael was the toughest of ALL of us. He kicked every obstacle in the ass and didn't even get winded. He's amazing.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Our last run together

Our last run together.
South Salt Lake was hot and there was construction and it was noisy - and it was awesome.
The street, the dip, and the light...
Stats: 3.1 miles in 37:33 for a 12:07mpm pace

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Corporate Games, 2013 - our last race together

This race was part of the Salt Lake County Corporate Games. I was on the team with Russell, Ethan, Paula, and (of course) Carol. This is probably the last race we'll ever run together. We both say that we're going to meet up and run together again, but I just don't see it in the financial cards. I hope so, but it's not very realistic. So, it was an emotional day.

Carol and I met up very early and stretched. Then, we volunteered to help with the set up and got the assignment of marking the course. I can't stand this course, and this year's changes made it even worse (if that's possible).
When the race started, I took off and kept a very good pace for 2/3 of the race. Ethan and Russell are very fast, so they were obviously our top two runners. Then, Paula passed me and I passed her and she passed me and etc. Finally, I decided that I didn't care. Paula had this, and it was her first-ever Corp Games race. I let her have it. It was more important for me to finish the race with Carol than to finish third for our team.

I simply stopped and waited for her to catch up.

When she caught me, she asked how I had done (assuming that I had finished and had come back to cheer her on). I replied that I hadn't finished yet. "Oh, Kaye - you didn't need to do that!" With tears in my eyes, I replied "Yes, I did. You know that I did." So, we ran and walked to the finish line. There were times on the path where we had to run single-file, and I was in front of her. It was during those times that I had a hard time breathing because of the lump in my throat. I wiped the tears away several times.

At the finish line, our co-workers cheered wildly for her - knowing that it was her last event with the company - and her hubby and sister did the same. We were side-by-side to the actual finish line. Right before we crossed, I stopped in my tracks and let her finish in front of me. That probably wouldn't have meant anything to anyone else, but it meant something to me and it meant something to her.

Afterwards, we made our way to the water and got some icy bottles. Our co-workers came over and congratulated us/her. She told them what I had done, and we both cried. Then, she left to find her hubby (and dry her eyes) while I continued to cry. Russell hugged me, and I managed to pull myself together.
I saw her one last time in the parking lot. We hugged and cried again for a couple of moments, and that was it. Our (probably) last race together.

Stats: 3.2 miles in 31:00 for a 9:41mpm pace

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

bleachers

I took the boys to the track. We ran together sometimes, and they played sometimes. I did four sets of bleachers (eight ascents each time) and ran a lap between the sets. I did a total of 1.5 miles. It was hot, but fun. This is something that I could actually get into. (Thanks to November-Project.com).

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Hobbler Half Marathon Race Report


As I’ve mentioned before, a challenge was made at work for anyone interested in completing a running race. The distance could be 5k, 10k-ish (half marathon relay), or the half marathon. A running coach would be provided to help people get to everyone to their goal. About 40 people signed up, but fewer completed the challenge.

The race was the Hobbler Half in Springville. I didn’t think about it until after the race was over, but running this race helped me check off another Utah town in my goal to run in every town/city in the state. Also, it didn’t dawn on me until the evening before the race that I would be running 13 miles on 7/13, 2013 by a company called Run13. 13/13/13/13. (If I could have PR’d by 13 minutes, that would have been completely cool. But, I didn’t.)

I fell off my training wagon right around the time of the arts festival, and I never really climbed back on. Therefore, I knew that I would struggle a bit.

The week leading up to the race was comprised of 4am mornings and 10:30pm nights. I was TIRED, so the prospect of getting up at 3am to drive for 1.5 hours in order to catch the bus to the start line just did NOT seem appealing to me – at all. Not even a little bit. In fact, I was fairly certain that I would fall asleep while driving if I even attempted it. Sleeping over in Springville/Provo just wasn’t in the cards due to our upcoming family vacation, so I did what any crazy runner would do. I drove to Springville at 10:30pm – arriving at midnight – and slept in the parking lot! Hey – at least I wouldn’t be late for the buses!

Upon waking up, I moved the car (I was parked in the bus loading zone), and hit the porta potties. Then, I brushed my teeth in the parking lot and met up with Carol and Carolyn. As we were walking, we also met up with Dave. Eventually, we hopped onto a bus and headed to the start line where we proceeded directly to the porta potty line again.

In the starting area, Dave made his way to the front because, well, he’s fast and we’re not. Then, we met up with Mindy. Carol hasn’t been feeling well, so she already decided to hang back and do her own thing. Carolyn and I were thinking that we were about the same pace. Mindy wasn’t sure. My goal was a 2:20 finish which was a 10:40mpm pace. We started together, but within two miles, we were all spread out.

Mile 1: Carolyn, Mindy, and I ran together with the pack. It felt a bit fast to me, but Carolyn assured me that it wasn’t. 10:05 pace. Yes, it was. I admonished us to hold back.
Mile 2: Still feeling good, but fast. 10:05 pace again. This time, I just let Mindy and Carolyn go. I knew that if I tried to keep this up, I would lose it at mile 6 or 7. Run your own race, right?
Mile 3: Feeling good. The canyon was beautiful, lush, and green. We ran past some big ranches and homes. Horses and lots of trees. I started to slowly pass people who had sprinted out. 10:14 pace.
Mile 4: Just another beautiful mile with the exception of the water stop where they had already run out of water! I got ONE swallow in my glass. I wasn’t really happy about that…. 10:31 pace
Mile 5: I don’t know what happened during this mile. It just felt really good, and my pace increased to 9:59 (the only sub-10 mile that I would have for the entire race). I took my first Clif Shot at this point.
Mile 6: After seeing a sub-10 pace, I knew that I should slow down or bonk. 10:47 pace. I slowed just a smidge too much, but much closer to my goal time.
Mile 7: About this time, we converted from the canyon road to a paved trail that ran alongside the road. Very nice and well maintained. (I wish that we had trails like this in Tooele!) I think that the gel kicked in for a 10:18 pace. I think that it was around here that I passed Mindy.
Mile 8: More trail. More sun. It was starting to warm up a bit. 10:23 pace.
Mile 9: I was going to take my second gel at this marker, but I missed the marker. My watch doesn’t show the lap time like my last watch did. It just shows the cumulative time until I hit the lap button, so I had no idea where I was at in reference to time. It seemed like a REALLY long mile, and it was because it was actually two miles!
Mile 10: The time for the two miles combined was 21:39. I know that I slowed more during mile 10 than 9, but I just averaged them and am giving them the exact same pace: 10:50. Yes. I slowed that much. I finally took my second gel at this marker. The first swallow made me want to hurl. It was almost the entire mile before I was done with the gel.
Mile 11: Here’s where I start to really lose it. It was now officially hot. I was tired (that four hours in the back seat of the car just didn’t cut it). I was ready to be done. The whole family had been fighting a weird little cold all week, too. Bub got the worst of it and actually lost her voice. I just got a bit gravelly sounding and was coughing up some phlegm here and there. Well, during mile 11, I had to cough up a bit, but I was so spent that when I did, I also tinkled ever so slightly in my running tights. Oh, great. 11:52 pace for this mile.
Mile 12: We were now going through Springville streets, making our way to the Arts Park. At least I was consistent a couple of times during the race. I could see Carolyn a couple of times during this mile, but I knew that I wouldn’t catch her (although I tried). Again, an 11:52 pace.
Mile 13: I was SO going to have enough energy to run the entire last mile. Really, I was. That lasted for about a block. There were so many walk breaks during this mile that it’s not even funny. Finally, I decided to run to the next orange cone and then walk to the orange cone after that. For the last quarter mile, I managed to run for two cones and walk for one. The finish line was set up very well as the runners turned onto the grass and finished amidst bounce houses and a pretty good crowd of people. Here, I received cheers from my co-workers Mindi, Alicia, Leslie, and Darlene. I was running about two steps behind a kid who appeared to be 12 or 13. I let him beat me. Really, I did. After all, I wasn’t going to win any prizes, and how cool for him to beat someone who had been on his heels for a quarter mile… And, truth be told, I would have been hard pressed to pass him and stay ahead. I think that I could have passed him, but staying ahead of him would have been difficult as he had lots of little surges still left in his legs…. 14:30 pace for this final mile.

After sucking down a bottle of water, I quickly got some French toast and a snow cone and then headed to my car. I had to rush home to get the boys to a birthday party by noon. So, I didn’t get to hang around with all of my coworkers and cheer everyone on.

This really bummed me out because I wasn’t there for Carol’s finish. This was to be the last race that we run together, and we didn’t get to do it together. I didn’t get to see her finish. Sad faces all around.

In all, I enjoyed this race. It was a very nice course, and it was well organized. The buses were on time; the parking was plentiful. They had lots of age group/division prizes and lots of giveaways.

Stats: 13.1 miles in 2:22:18 for a 10:52mpm pace (just over my hopeful 10:40) and a 5-minute PR!
I was 522nd (out of 689) overall, 282nd (out of 412) gender, 28th (out of 44) age group. I was just shy of being in the top half of my age group! UG! Had I only trained better!
I finished 3 minutes behind Carolyn and 5 minutes in front of Mindy.
Here's a photo of a bunch of participants/coworkers:

Thursday, May 30, 2013

another lucky day

Same route as yesterday, but my first mile was 30 seconds slower! When I looked down and saw 11:40, I just about flipped out! I redeemed myself for the most part, though. I didn't do any speedwork - just a steady pace for the remaining 2.7 miles averagine 10:17mpm for those 2+ miles. It was nice and cool. I'm happy to get the miles in now because it will be HOT soon!
The super irritating part is this: As I was running (on the wrong side of the road), I heard an ambulance coming up. Knowing that I was on the wrong side, I was running on the very edge of the road to be as safe as possible. Then, I thought "cars are going to be pulling over, maybe I should run on the dirt for just a bit." As soon as I stepped off of the edge of the road and onto the dirt, a car drove by IN the parking lane at easily 50mph. Not STOPPING, mind you. If I hadn't stepped off, they would have hit me. Grrrrr....
Stats: 3.69 miles in 39:17 for a 10:39mpm pa

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

This was the first-ever Tooele 1/2 Marathon, and it was a FREE event. Yay! We started up Middle Canyon and ran down to Droubay. We stayed on Droubay until Bates Canyon where we turned and ran to the high school. Easy course to follow. By mile 9, I was regretting the boot camp class that I had completed the day before. We started at 6am which is a good thing since it was starting to get hot on the shade-less Droubay road. There were 28 people there - all via a FB community page. Not bad! The mileage was a bit off, so our 1/2 marathon was actually 13.55 miles. My splits are below:
Mile 1: 11:26
Mile 2: 10:50
Mile 3: 10:59
Mile 4: 11:07
Mile 5: 11:01
Mile 6/7: 22:05 (or 11:03 each)
Mile 8: 12:57 (potty break!)
Mile 9: 10:49
Mile 10: 10:56
Mile 11: 11:19
Mile 12: 12:12
Mile 13+: 12:06
This was a PR for the distance, but only by three minutes. I was hoping for much better. However, it was my longest run of the year, and my longest distance since sometime last year (or maybe more?), so I'm OK with it. My 1/2 in July will be much better.
My legs were SORE for the next two days. Stiff as all hell, quads and calves.
Stats (overall): 13.55 miles in 2:27:30 for a 10:53mpm pace
22nd of 28 runners.

Starting line:


Halfway point on Droubay Road:


Finish line at Stansbury High:

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

"group" run... ha!

This was part of our co-workers group run. These would make more sense if I actually ran the same pace as anyone. So, "group" runs are basically just me running with some people in front of me (getting further away), and some people behind me (catching up). We went on the Liberty loop, and I chose to run the very outside perimeter of the park because I wanted to challenge myself a bit (since I haven't run since last Friday), and because I wanted as much mileage as possible. I think that the perimeter just added .1 mile maximum to my overall run. I had to add a jaunt around the building at the tail end of the run to get the 5 miles in! My pace wasn't bad considering that I slow down on the grass/dirt at the park because of the uneven footing.
Stats: 5 miles in 52:09 for a 10:26mpm pace

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Long run - two days early

I ran my long run today instead of Saturday for a couple of reasons. First, we're going to be really busy on Saturday. Second, we slept at granny's last night, and I didn't have bus fare! It wasn't a very great run. OK, but not great. I've had dizziness due to Meniere's since Tuesday night, and it's exhausting. Not to mention nauseating. So, blah. At about miles 7.5, I had to stop and just stop. I was tired. I then walked an entire block and considered walking the remaining distance, but then I realized that I was close enough to work that coworkers could possibly see me, and I just couldn't have that!
Stats: 8.32 miles in 1:34:12 for an 11:29mpm pace

Monday, May 13, 2013

another LROY - much better than last week!

This run was 10x better than last weekend's run! First, I ran the Bevan/Coleman loop carrying my movie from the night before. At about mile 2.5, I dropped it off at the library. (The First Grader. I recommend it.) Then, I finished that 5.6 mile loop and stopped off at the house to get Sadie. She ran the next 3.3 with me. Then, I stopped to get Lizzy, thinking that she had a mile in her (she did just a couple of weeks ago). Alas, I think she has run her last run. She was struggling to walk and keep up with me, so I had a 1/2 mile cool down with her. I thought about calling it quits for the day, but I only had a mile to go before I got my 10 in for the day. I went back out and did one lap at the cemetary. I felt better at the end of 10 miles than I did at 3 miles last week!
Stats: 10 miles in 1:54:54 for an 11:29mpm pace

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Well, THAT was interesting!

Well, that was an interesting run! As part of the co-workers group run, I was slated to run 6 miles: 2 at normal pace, 1 at tempo, and 3 at normal. My tempo mile was interrupted by two things: a) Van running red light who missed me by 10 feet, and b) me helping the motorist that the van hit 2 seconds later. I called the cops for her, waited for the cops and EMTs to get there, and then continued on my way. Half mile later, I came just a minute late to the next accident where a person drove up and out of an underground parking and hit a pedestrian who was then lying on the ground holding his head. There were plenty of people there to help him, so I continued on my way. I turned around at my 1/2 way point and headed back. The gal from the first accident was still there, so I sat with her until her dad arrived. I DID manage to get my tempo mile in, but the "run" took me almost two hours to complete.
Stats: 5.73 miles in 59:37 for a 10:24mpm pace

Monday, May 6, 2013

BLAH!!!

Well, I just did NOT want to do this run today. I was stiff and blah and tired from the weekend's long run and a day in the garden. I DID NOT WANT TO RUN. But, I was scheduled for 5, and I want to stick to the schedule. I ran 2 at my normal pace (and stretched every light I could), one at an increased pace (and I wanted to just quit) and another 1.5 at my normal pace. Yes - I only ran 4.5 instead of 5, but by the end, I just didn't care at all. At least I got out the door!
Stats: 4.5 miles in 48:43 for a 10:50mpm pace

I did NOT want to run more than 3

Hmmm... Not a great pace. I started from our house and had intended to do two standard loops that I use a lot. Then, I changed my mind. I just wanted to do something different, so I started weaving in and out of streets to accumulate mileage and made my way to Grimm's Gate. Then, I ran through that field and down the hill onto Middle Canyon Road. I was going to run up that road a ways until I spotted an unhappy dog up ahead. I decided not to run past it, so I turned back down and stopped at the golf course for a drink. This was about mile 3, and I knew then that I didn't want to go any further, but I still had six miles to go! Then, it was down to 7th Ave and back up to Droubay until 1000 North. It was about here that my body finally went to auto-pilot, and I stopped the internal bitching. Finally, I wound my way back to Broadway and home. I think that the hills at the beginning impacted my pace, and I took several walk breaks at the end.
Stats: 9.06 miles in 1:43:51 for an 11:28mpm pace

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

improving pace

This was a pretty quick run. I should have gotten out the door at 5am, but I sat in the chair and tried to sleep for an hour. It didn't work, and I wasted that time. I am happy to say that my pace is improving! Now, I just need to drop some serious weight.
Stats: 3.1 miles in 31:22 for a 10:07mpm pace

Monday, April 29, 2013

Ug. It's done (and with a good [surprising] pace)

After 8.5 yesterday (and a hike and weeding and mowing part of the lawn), doing 5.5 today seemed like a rotten idea. My legs were tired and stiff and didn't want to run. But, I did it anyway. I did the downtown loop, and on the first half of the run - you know, the half where I had the most energy - I hit every single red light. On the last half (when I was starting to fatigue), I couldn't catch a red light for love nor money! But, I'm done and with a great pace considering everything!
Stats: 5.45 miles in 56:16 for a 10:19mpm pace

Sunday, April 28, 2013

LROY! (Longest Run of Year, so far)

LROY! I should have done this run on Saturday when it was a bit cooler and the route would have been more fun. Instead, I was dehydrated from a dinner of 4 cosmopolitans, some dry Froot Loops and smoked almonds. Yes. I'm brilliant. So, I ran on Sunday, about an hour later than I wanted to, and it was miserable. I was still dehydrated although not as badly. I ran the USU loop with an extra half mile at the track on my way. Then, I ran up to the golf course and back. I was wiped by the time I got home. But, it was my LROY, and my pace wasn't horrible!
Stats: 8.45 miles in 1:34:04 for an 11:08mpm pace

Thursday, April 25, 2013

negative split - might be my first of the year!

Yes! My pace is getting back to where it should be. I ran the work/Liberty loop today, and I tried to run some fartleks through part of the park. I'm no worse for the wear. At the half-way point, I checked my watch (23:20) and knew exactly what I would have to do to make a negative split run (46:39minimum). At the three-quarters point, I was certain that I was going to miss it. I finished at 45:55 - a full 45 seconds ahead of my original goal. YAY!
Stats: 4.48 miles in 45:55 for a 10:15mpm pace

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

group run #1

Today was our first group run for the 1/2 mary in July. It could have been better. Carol's base is really low, so she is running slower than usual. She kept telling me to go ahead, but honestly, I don't have much longer to run with her before she moves away. Besides, we had a lot of gabbing to do!
So, really, we didn't run in much of a group. It was basically just Carol and I - just like we like it.
Stats: 4.04 miles in 49:23 for a 12:13mpm pace

Monday, April 22, 2013

1/2 mary training begins today!

I had good intentions today, but [blowing raspberry]. I managed to get 1.3 miles in before carpool picked me up. Then, I got another 1.8 in after I got to work. Nothing to squawk about, but I met the training plan for my summertime half-mary. Yes. It's true. I'm running a half on July 13 with about 30 other people from work. We have access to a very popular local coach, and we have weekly group runs and weekly information sessions. I'm looking forward to this. Hobbler Half, July 13!
Stats: 3.11 miles in 33:11 for a 10:40mpm pace

Monday, April 8, 2013

Christmas ornaments


To keep the boys busy, I bought some cheap wooden craft ornaments to paint. This would allow me time to cook, make candy, clean, and whatever else needed to be done at the last minute. Instead of doing all of those things, I decided to get in on the action, too. I made Tough Mudder and Ragnar Vegas ornaments for my 2012 teammates.

Yes. They look kind of hokey, but I never claimed to be an artist. Plus, I had entirely the wrong brush. Oh well. I had fun, and besides, it’s the thought that counts, right?
My friends have probably since shoved these things in the back of a drawer somewhere.
Then, after sending them all off, I realized that I forgot to make one for myself! Oh well.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

What in the hell have I been doing (besides eating desserts, chocolate, and chips)?

Oh my gosh. That was miserable.
I ran at lunch, and it's suddenly nice and warm outside. So, of course, I was overheating.
I was wearing an OLD pair of shoes because Bub stuck mine in the washer yesterday. I don't know why. These shoes were... UG...
I drank one glass of water yesterday, and that's being generous. Mostly, it was a six-pack of beer.
In all, this run sucked.
HOWEVER, I got on the scale today, and was completely sickened by what I saw. NOT running was NOT an option.
Stats: 3.1 miles in 33:48 for a 10:54mpm pace

Friday, March 15, 2013

Ahhh.... 68* (HOT!)

68*! What was I thinking? Here I am, post run, with a face as red as a beet! I couldn't run this morning due to a meeting. I told myself all day long that I didn't want to run (which meant that I really needed to run). I finally went late in the afternoon on a stomach full of junk food. It wasn't the prettiest run, but it also wasn't the worst. And, I was right. I did need it. I feel better now - less bitter, less defeated, less sad.
Stats: 5.5 miles in 1:01:25 for an 11:12mpm pace

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

First run, post-surgery!

First run since surgery! I was supposed to run 1 mile, but I ran 3.5 of 4.65. It couldn't be helped.... It felt great! I'll probably regret it later today as my foot tightens up, but it was perfect weather, and I just NEEDED it.
Stats: 4.65 miles in 53:30 for an 11:30mpm pace

There have been other things going on, and I didn't quit running in December, but I just have been lax in making updates.
I can say - for sure - that I missed this, and I can't wait to get back into things.