Tale of the Worst 5K Ever

Seriously, I would have to check, but I am pretty sure it is my slowest 5k EVER. Not how I expected the race to go. Oh, and forgive typos and errors, my backspace button is broken. How inconvenient is that?!?!

Backing up a bit, this was the Running Y 5K for the humane society. I haven't run a 5k in forever, and i really haven't done speed work in forever, so I had pretty mediocre aspirations for this race. I even joked than anything under 30 minutes was fine with me.

Oh, backing up a little more, I have chronic migraines/headaches. My doctor put me on a new medication hoping to help with his problem. One possible risk, it could slightly lower my (already low) blood pressure. I could just see how it goes.

Race morning: chaos in sues. Kid 1: pick up from birthday party, deliver to soccer. Kid 3: deliver to birthday party. Kid 2: whining that she did not get to do the things kid 1 or 3 did. Add a fight over clothes since we were having our first fall weather, and it was a doozy of a morning.

I got to the race on time, and warmed up a little with A. I was actually wearing a matching outfit, (unusual for me), but due to previous chaos, I don't have a picture. Need to work on that.

We start. Whoa, not used to running with dogs. Right, humane society. hadn't thought of that. OKay, deal with the dogs. Mile 1: 8:38 all uphill, difficult, but doable knowing I had a few downhills. The course looped the golf course more or less, and was surprisingly hilly.

Then things got interesting. Around mile 1.3 I start to feel funny. then I start to see black spots. that can't be good. I slow down a bit, and actually walk through a water stop (in a 5k!). I start up again. Oh, hello black and colored spots now! Dancing! And my hands are numb. Huh. And my feet. That can't be good. seriously, what's with the spots? I slow more. take a quick walk break. It gets a little better. I speed up, hello spots. Dang it. I am leapfrogging a few ladies and feeling ridiculous, like I need to explain that I am a real runner! I can run a 5k! But holy crap can someone take the dang spots away?

The finish. Uphill. a very big uphill. I have been working very hard on hills, but this one defeats my already shredded ego and body. I just want to be done. The course is not well marked, and weird. We finish by cutting across a basketball court then through the parking lot. Finish time, 31:23. Over 30 minutes. for a 5k.

Now let me say, I know a lot of people that run 5k's slower than 30 minutes all the time and that is fantastic. For me, I was bummed knowing I can do better.

A asked if I was okay, which was a big no. I swear birdies were flying over my head. I drank my nuun I had packed, thankfully, and that seemed to help some. It was like I had massive low blood sugar, but that didn't make sense. or low blood pressure. Oh! The light dawned. That would explain the spots and the tingles and why I didn't feel like I could stand up anymore.

I felt odd and weak the rest of the day, and laid pretty low. Sunday morning I still felt so low energy and weird. Walking downstairs felt way harder than it should. We stopped at Fred Meyer's on the way home to get gas, and I went inside to use the blood pressure machine out of curiosity. BP 79/58. Whoa. I have low blood pressure typically 100/80ish, but dang! I've never seen it that low. /that explains a lot.

needless to say, I am NOT taking the medication anymore, and when I see my doctor on thursday, we will come up with a plan b that does not involve me seeing spots, thank you very much.

What I think when it's Dark

I got up at 4:10am to run this morning. It was very very early, and very very dark. My mind was playing funny tricks on me this morning, so I started composing a list in my head. So here we go, (fair warning-very random)

1. Wearing a headlamp helps a lot. Except it ruins your night vision, so everything outside the beam looks a little freaky.
2. Headlamp+sweaty forehead=zits. Lame.
3. I wonder what I look like to cars before they realize I'm a runner?
4. Why are cars out at 4:30am on a Saturday?
5. What must they think of ME running in the dark at 4:30am on a Saturday?
6. Crap! Almost stepped on roadkill. I don't even know what animal it was. Ew!
7. I think it was a raccoon. Maybe. Why am I still thinking about the dead thing?
8. Eek! Eyes everywhere! Where did they go? There they are, wth?
9. Oh, cats. Okay. That's not so bad. A herd of cats? There must be six or seven. Creepy eyes. Quit looking at me!
10. Oh hello deer family eating breakfast. Um, why is the buck running next to me? Seriously, two blocks? I have a new running partner! Oh, back to his family he goes. That was so weird.

A lot can happen between 4:30-6am when your mind is working overdrive. 9.38 miles done before 6am. The amazing part? It's 2pm and I'm still awake.

Tears and Trails

Whew, what a week. I mean whoa. School started for the kids on Tuesday/Wednesday. Yay! I felt a little bad that all the other parents were crying dropping of their kids, and I just felt like doing a happy dance. I'm free!

Okay, that sounds bad, I know. I love my kids. I love being home with my kids. I am blessed to have the opportunity. But I have been home for 8 years, and I am ready for some "me" time. In the daylight. That's right, no more running at 4:30am for me!

What did I do on Wednesday when all three kids were in school? I went for a run. And I just kept going, until I realized I didn't have THAT much time, and I'd better head home. 9.3 miles later. In the daylight. It was great!

The adjustment to school itself this week has had it's rough moments. Oh boy. The 2nd grader is great and is the best brown-nose there is. I'm somewhat proud, somewhat embarrassed about that one. The kindergartner-that's been a little rough. She was SO excited. The first day was FANTASTIC. Day two, not so much. The bus? Um yeah, fail. I got called to come pick her up yesterday because she was terrified of the bus. What? This is my tough kid. The one that nothing phases. The one with my guts than sense. Of course, she is also the kid who still needs a nap. That could have something to do with it. JJ is in preschool for half day, and is loving it. I think. I did have to pry her off my arm this morning. So I wouldn't be late for a running date. Priorities you know.

Trail Running

1. Trail running is HARD. The hills are brutal.
2. The view at the top is awesome. I mean incredible. Most of the way the view is fantastic. I am just not coordinated enough to take my eyes off my feet for long!
3. Hearing animals in the woods is a little freaky. We heard something big that was definitely not a deer. Probably a cougar. Oh boy.
4. Trail running makes you dirty. Really dirty. And there are a lot of bugs/
   spider webs/etc
5. My skin does not enjoy the weeds we run through. I've broken out in a rash each time, but Benedryl takes care of it.
6. Benedryl makes me sleepy.
7. 6 miles on hilly trails feels like 10.
8. I'm afraid to take my nail polish off. I think I have my first black toenail. Again, half proud, half dreading.

Weekend Rewind

How is it that time goes so slow and so fast all at once? I blinked, and the weekend was gone. Wait, it's Tuesday? Crap.

So here's how it went down:

• Thursday/Friday my ankle was making noise so no running. I made a pathetic effort at core work and push ups to make up for it. Yeah, pathetic.
• Saturday I was going to run first thing. First thing turned into 10am. It was hot, and I didn't bring my handheld. I am a GENIUS! I knew I was in trouble when I stopped sweating over a mile from home. Finished with 6 miles, but had a killer headache the rest of the day.
• Sunday I got up early to get in some miles before church. Squeezed in 7 miles, and still had time to shower and get to church on time. Go me.

This week already has me as a messed up ball of stress. It is not pretty. One minute I'm okay, the next I'm screaming at the kids for leaving a toy in my living room that I JUST CLEANED! What is going on that is so stressful?

We were waiting for word on hubby's job-a sort of promotion into a permanent slot leading up to the official promotion in November. Chief What's-his-name already told him the job was his, we were just waiting for the official announcement. And....it went to the other guy. Wait, WTH? The guy with the lower rank, less time in service, and less qualifications? Huh?

How is this running related? Well, I had intended to get up early as usual for a run Monday morning. I had (another) bad headache, so it just didn't happen. I figured I would go later, or just rest or whatever. Until this news came at lunch time. I was already having a DAY with the kids, and this just sent me over the edge. It was either cry, scream, or eat the frosting in my fridge. I needed a run! So, I called my friend A and begged her to keep my kids for an hour. Like a good friend, she knew I was on the edge in a big way, and I was able to drop off the three crazies and run for my life. 5 painful miles in the mid day heat. It was great. Hilly, hard, and completely consuming and distracting from everything else. And suddenly, I could be mom without screaming at them for everything. Mostly. (seriously, school needs to start NOW)

The next stressful event on the agenda? My mother-in-law is coming to visit tomorrow. And staying with us, for the first time in 8 years. They always stay in hotels. Oh boy. Let the cleaning frenzy begin. My MIL likes to stay busy, but there is little to do around here since it is peak bug season. We'll see how it goes.

In other news, my shoes are already about dead. Sheesh. I just got them in May, but I am over 400 miles in them and my feet are starting to hurt after runs. I run in the Asics Nimbus, but would like to switch into a lighter shoe I think. I just hate ordering something that MIGHT work, when I know the Nimbus works fine and I won't have to deal with any returns. There isn't a running store around here within 200 miles to go try anything on. Suggestions? I am tempted by the Newtons Distance, and the New Balance Minimas, but wonder if I still need a more heavy duty shoe for longer runs?

An Eventful Run

Remember how I am running at 4:30am? And that it's very dark? I was going to get out my headlamp, right? But I forgot Wednesday morning. It was early, and I didn't want to go digging through the garage since I don't know exactly where my headlamp is. I have been running every day in the dark, what's one more?

Event #1

Running along with my ipod on very low, listening to my feet and crickets. Out jumps a big 6 point buck 4 feet in front of me. My heart went in my throat. Scary! He meandered away, not at all concerned about the gasping human.

Event #2

I run in bright reflective clothing, even though I didn't have a light. Neon pink running skirt, white reflective top. Typically there is not much traffic to worry about. About a mile into my run I was going down a quiet, narrow street, the speed limit is 25mph. A truck comes roaring up the hill going at least 40. I move over, he does not. I end up jumping in the bushes on the shoulder. Awesome.

Event #3

On the way home now, running up the big long hill. It is feeling easier (finally!). It is still really dark. Normally the sky is lightening by now, the days must be getting shorter. Bummer. Crossing the street, running along. I step in a big hole, and roll my ankle. Ugh, really? Thankfully I have gumby ankles. I roll them all the time, and have sprained that right ankle so many times I don't think it is possible to sprain it. I am hurting for a few blocks, and after that it isn't so bad. And now I'm needing to speed up so I'm not late getting home.

Walk in the door at 5:47 (hubby likes to leave by 5:45). Garmin is at 5.44. Normally I like to do sprints or short hill repeats in front of my house to land on even mileage. My ankle is making some noise-I'll call it good.

Not the most successful run ever, but I got it done. We went about our normal day. I laid around for a good part of the afternoon, because I was GRUMPY and the kids were driving me CRAZY. A new book was a good thing to hide in. When I finally got up and around in the evening. my ankle was a little sore. Huh. Unusual. I set my alarm like normal.

Get up at 4:22, walk to the bathroom to get dressed. Ouch. Really? Still complaining, ankle? Not cool. One day of rest won't hurt. And my bed did feel pretty good.

Friday morning, set the alarm for 5 planning on just doing 2-3 miles to see how it goes. It hurts to point my toes. Seriously? I am feeling like I have the absolute worst luck with injuries and sickness lately. So frustrating! And with a complaining ankle, there isn't a lot of other things I can do for exercise. Can't dance, can't do yoga, can't do any of my videos, had to do push-ups and planks on my knees. Two days off, including not great eating, not great for weight loss.

I am down two pounds. Well, I was on Wednesday. Yesterday there was cake. And pizza. Sigh.

Running is...

Running is hard. Sometimes. Other times, it is euphoric and wonderful. We need those runs to keep us going on the craptastic days that happen to all of us. (please say they happen to all of us!)Running when it is early and you are tired is hard. Running when you can see the stars and there are no cars is beautiful. Running and feeling those extra pounds jiggle is frustrating. Running and seeing the muscles in your legs is empowering.

Life gets in the way of running. So does laziness. Yesterday was a combination. I planned to get up early, but I was just too tired. I needed rest. I planned to run when I woke up. But then there were things that needed to get done. I'll run in the afternoon. We decided it was the day to take the training wheels off my 5 year olds bike and ride. I ran along side her, but that doesn't really count. Would I have wanted to miss that moment? Not a chance. And of course we had to get ice cream after. Now I definitely need a run. And then my son lost a tooth. His sister kicked it out, (thankfully a baby tooth that WAS loose). You can imagine how well that went over. Suddenly my day was over, and my chance to run had been missed. Life happens, especially with kids.

So I was up bright and early. Okay, very dark and early out the door by 4:30am. My legs felt tired even with the rest day. I started on my way, enjoying the stars and a cool morning. I love that about living here. It is August, and it was 47 degrees this morning. by mile 1, I was starting to enjoy my run. By mile 2, my stomach was telling me in no uncertain terms that it was unhappy and I needed a pit stop. Um yeah, nothing is open at 4:30am. I detoured to home. I was just shy of 3 miles, and didn't want to end there. I headed back out and did another small loop to end just past 5 miles.

Then my day started. All three kids to the dentist by 8am (never again will I make an 8am apt). The kids are up by 7am, but getting them dressed, fed, and out the door in a timely matter is frustrating to say the least. And why, WHY does someone ALWAYS lose their shoes when it is time to go? Directly after the dentist, we had a preschool interview for JJ. Whoa, they really meant interview. Colors, shapes, count to 20, find the letters in your name from random order, etc. It was a little stressful!

Good news! She passed! And now I give myself a mommy pat on the back for teaching her enough to pass. Whew!

I need to do my second workout this afternoon, but I'll admit, I am seriously considering a nap.

Summer Running, Silly Kids

Summer weather is here! Which is great! And happy! And wonderful! And it is finally HOT! So what does this mean for my running? Running at 4pm is no longer much of an option. Too hot, and way too buggy.

This is a midge. Around here, they are more bright green than this

photo, but they are EVERYWHERE. The good news is, they eat the mosquitoes, and they don't bite. However, they hang out in big clouds of buggy nastiness, making in very hard to run without ingesting more of them than I care to think about.

Combine hot weather with the eating of many green bugs, and suddenly getting up before 4:30am to run doesn't sound THAT bad. Until about three days in, then I am starting to consider fighting off the bugs.

Running in the early morning is a different experience all together. Some interesting things I have seen this week:

• Bats-lots of bats that like to hang under and overpass I run under for pretty much all my routes. I've only been dive bombed once, which was kind of freaky, other than that they aren't so bad.
• Deer-a lot of deer that are not all that worried about one solitary runner in the early morning. That means, I get to stop and wait for the deer to meander out of my way.
• Even though it's the middle of summer, it is DARK at 4:30. For some reason I have resisted using my headlamp, because Hello! It's summer! This lasted until I almost biffed it big time tripping on a crack I did not see. It would have been a stupendous fall.
• Hills seem harder in the dark. I realize this is all in my head, but dang, the hills are beating me up! and no matter where I run, I am looking at a climb of at least 1 mile straight up to get home. I know they will make me a stronger runner, and I'm thankful for that, but right now I just feel out of shape and annoyed.

I will leave this post with a couple of quotes from my kids

(at walmart grocery shopping) K: "Mom! You should get this! It says it will help you los

e some pounds! See, it says right here, lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks! You should get it and lose some pounds" Gee, thanks. The lady shopping next to us tried to hold in her laughter, and just couldn't. I agree. It was pretty stinking funny.

A, to her brother and sister: "You need to treat me like royalty! Don't you know that? You need to treat me like royalty, and this is most certainly not the way you treat royalty!"

A: "Mom, if girls have to wear shirts when it's hot, so should boys. Because that's not fair. And besides, no body wants to see THAT!"

And a picture of JJ who was clearly hot at bedtime. She looks like she was shot and fell that way. Play hard, crash hard. And yeah, she is clearly getting too big for her toddler bed.