100/110 in Women's Double Up
I recommitted to my run this past April and signed up for a running coach who I knew from the Chesapeake Bay Running Club in Maryland. She is also a military spouse and a pt so I knew she would understands the rigors of moving and schedules that mil spouses and working moms endure. I have fell short of most of my goals but have just started seeing consistency in my weekly runs. She also includes important strength workouts and much needed hip flexibility routines into my scheduled. My Garmin watch records my runs and they are uploaded into a training app for her to review and send me guidance on. This works great for accountability because there is no faking data. My long runs have been going well so I was really excited to run the Double Up...a 5K followed by a 10K. I new that getting back to the finish of the 5K in time to make it to the 10K start would be close. I thought I would have about five minutes to spare. Parking and commute to the APU campus was a breeze. I got there about 45 minutes early and at that point there were no lines for the port o potty or packet pick up. I got my number pinned on and was ready to go. I was nervous before the race. So back in the port of potty line with just enough time to make it to the start. We had a stressful evening (growing a teenager). I could feel the tension and didn't sleep well. I decided my goal would be to run the first mile and then role into my standard 5:1 run/walk rotations that I had used for my training runs. If this proved too much I would go down to a 3:1. Well, I ran the first mile at a pretty good clip and then the inner mean girl excuses started to rolling into my head. It was hot and humid (yes 68 is hot in Alaska). I didn't have any music or pod cast ---race rules said no headphones, although every other runner appeared to have headphones on. I had reset my watch because I wanted to see mile splits not 5:1 splits. Then around mile two I rolled my ankle on the trail where tree roots had broken up the pavement. Gah....on set the walk, nursing the ankle led to torsion on my knee. Excuse, excuse, excuses.....I began to think that I would just stop after the 5K and go home. Skip the 10K all together. My confidence was shot. I knew at this point I was about 4 minutes behind where I wanted to be and it would be tight making the 5K start. Coming up the hill to the finish I was pretty certain that I wasn't going to do the 10K. Then for some reason I reflected on a new instagram page I'd been following - Gary from @outrunyourexcuses a gentleman who has gone from 400lbs to a 100 mile finisher in 4 years. His motto: #nomoreexcuses. Why does the inner mean girl rule? She was giving overtime in this race and so every time she spoke I tried to #nomoreexcuses her right out of my brain. As I ran downhill to the finish of the 5K; I knew I would start the 10K and what I start I finish. Besides, my car would be difficult to retrieve until the race course closed. This was a legitimate reason to power through right? No excuses let's get this done! I was about 50 yards from the start when the gun went off. I stepped to the side and walked in the grass up the hill to the timing mat as the 10K runners went by. I powered through hit the turn around and was one of the last runners to start. Then I noticed there were actually a handful of runners who were still coming up the hill to the start. Luckily the course starts out downhill so it is somewhat a motivator and a boost to get going. I made it to the Elmore Road out and back before the lead runners finished that stretch so I got to see them go by. I tried to convince myself to do 5:1s, when that didn't work I went to 3:1, and then immediately to 2:1. Ankle was still testy so took it to 1:1 and 1:30:1 or vice versa. Just keep going. I see sawed back and forth with a couple who had passed me during the 5K. She was power walking at about my running pace. I also seesawed back and forth with an older gentleman, who cracked a joke about the possibility of seeing bears on the course. I told him I would run ahead and distract the bears if he had a phone and would call 911 for me. The humor and discourse with the other runners gave me power and I was able to catch a few people. Around mile 3 I heard music and caught a new mom (go you!) running and pushing a jogging stroller with her phone playing some tunes. I used the music to pull me through the next couple of miles. I was thankful for the one water stop at mile 3.75 when I could dump a cup of water over my head. The music and the water helped my intervals become more consistent....until we hit a non paved portion of the trail. Excuses began to creep back in...my tired feet don't like running on rocks; I had outpaced the stroller music, my ankle didn't like the rocks, there's a big hill coming....am I last? I pushed up the hill, ok well I walked up the hill, I wasn't given up and then it was an easy 1/4 mile downhill to the finish. My worst 10K pace ever...by like 10 minutes, yet I finished when I hadn't even wanted to start. Root beer floats for finishers were luke warm but the cookies, water, and oranges were just right. The course wasn't bad, I just was in a bad mood. The Special Olympics did a great job of having athletes out at all key turns to cheer us on. I admire those volunteers that stick around and cheer everyone on...even those of us that are just handing on trying to finish! Thanks Skinny Raven for the race. Hopefully I will be in a better mood and do better at the Anchorage RunFest Skinny Raven Half! Two weeks to go!
100/110 in Women's Double Up
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Juneau - Mt Roberts Tram and Hike
Butte ClimbLazy Mountain - 1st time
Blueberry KnollThe local trails foundation sponsored a series of hikes this summer and so we joined the group for this one. I am not sure why I had it in my head that this was a good idea, having just did Lazy the day before. I moved as slow as molasses while the boys worked ahead. I thought that this climb was going to be no more than the Butte but at 1.5 miles and 1500 feet of elevation gain it was definitely a challenge. Even my dear friend Misti was ready to turn around before we reached the peak. We stuck to it and the boys waited it out for us at the top. Who knows next year, maybe we will try Govt Peak, since we were already half way there. Lol. Hatch Peak
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JK McDowellLong time back of the pack runner, science lover, Christian, educator, and mom. Archives
July 2019
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