Back out with Emily again on the 17th to run the Green Day Gallop. This is a nice small low key race. We stuck with a 5K although there is a half and full marathon option. They ran out of shirts this year so definitely be sure to get to packet pick up early, or go to early packet pick up. I ran this race 2 seconds slower than last year and wonder how I use to run an 8K and a half marathon (Shamrock - Va Bch) back to back this weekend....well, I think if I was able to run year round I could pull that off; maybe next year. I am still happy with it as it is almost a six minute improvement over yesterdays race. I ran with my IceBugs but probably didn't need them for this race as the course was more wet than icy. I started out strong but my calves started burning right away. I think the IceBugs have a much lower drop than my standard running shoes. I ran a steady pace through the first mile and then switched to 3:1 intervals for the remainder of the race. I also had problems with my feet falling asleep today; probably due to the tight calf muscles. I was able to stick with this interval and ran a negative split for my third mile. I didn't catch Emily, but that's ok. We are out there to run our own race. Unofficial Garmin time: 40:38 One of the runners behind me said she was using me as her pace setter. I was very flattered. I am hoping for a good season this year and to break some time barriers as well as finish a triathlon or two. We will see how things go! Happy for the change and weather and to be out there again. Well, it wasn't my slowest 5K ever. I beat last year's time by 30 seconds but still walked a lot around the Westchester Lagoon and up the West High hill. Ran pretty much the rest of the race. There was no race strategy or goals this year. I even kept my watch hidden in my sleeves while I ran. I also took a lot more during race photos, so maybe I could have been a tad quicker! Love this years toboggan and pint glass. Thank you race directors for putting out prior years glasses so that we could restock. I bypassed the Franz cookies on the way out and back this year. I really couldn't tell you why this is one of my favorite races. I get easily lost in the large Skinny Raven crowds but for the most part everyone is so super friendly. It was a big bonus that I had Emily as a partner in crime this year. This race is all about getting back out there and having some fun!
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I was happy to convince my family to run the turkey trot with me again this year, well almost everyone. Hubs has an old ankle injury that we are trying to repair and so is in a boot. He ran race support and tried to catch Grayson at the finish. This is one of the largest 5Ks in Anchorage, which is odd when you look at the icey conditions. It was warmer this year than last but still pretty biting cold. I still miss the turkey trot in Maryland and running with my extended family, including my uncles who got my brother and I into running. I tried to get the boys to start further up but we all were trapped in the pack for the first quarter mile. After that, they decided to dodge traffic and run their own race. They got to meet Ms. Alaska before the race. We also ran into Tina who is one of the most energetic and well known Alaska racers. My favorite part of the race was stopping to see the reindeer (I bet no one else's turkey trot has that)! Grayson said he would have stopped and gotten his picture with the reindeer but it was too cold to wait on me. Conditions were actually slightly better than last year at least temperature wise, and I had the added slight confidence of YakTraks so while no PR, I did run faster than last year by over five minutes.
Commuted to Anchorage with Emily and Laura for the Frightening 4K. We all started out running together and then slowly broke off into our independent runs. With Laura and Emily pushing me I ran a pretty good race and I am definitely happy with it. The race is down a nice long hill....only problem is that you have to run back up it! Candy and costumes everywhere...and not the cheap kind of candy either. The good stuff was out at the candy stops! Grayson would definitely enjoy this race and if the weather is good I definitely need to bring him to this one next year.
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 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
This summer we took our first family vacation. We have traveled a lot through the years but usually it involves moving from point A to point B or to visit family. This year we decided to take the boys to Europe. I tried to run in the small towns we visited but didn't get a run in the larger cities, Paris and Rome. Falaise, FranceTuscany, ItalyPizzouli, ItalyVenice, ItalyCoi, ItalyReinheim, GermanyMarylandI also had the opportunity to visit some of my old stomping grounds when I flew back East to attend Blue and Gold training at the US Naval Academy. I will now help applicants in Alaska complete their applications packets to the Naval Academy. So if you have someone is interested in applying send them my way. While back in Maryland I also attended one of my best running pals weddings in southern Maryland and ran with the souther Maryland Wear Blue group. Finally, I headed home to visit my parents in western Maryland.
With all the traveling early this summer, I decided instead of running the Mayor's Midnight Sun Half Marathon that I would commit to the relay team. Relay exchange points were a little confusing but we figured it out and had some quick fun. For those running the half relay: The exchange points are two different places. The first exchange happens at Earthquake Park and the second happens at ViewPoint Park. The parks are close enough that if the first runner is running both legs 1 and 3, they can walk between the stages. The majority of the race is run along the Tony Knowles Coastal trail which gives you great views of Cook Inlet. The first run starts down hill and then climbs slowly to earthquake park. The second run has some hills and trails and the third runner has some easy down hills before making the climb back to the finish. Next year I intent to run the half. I had a lot of fun and made two new running friends that were both friends of a friend and I "knew" through Facebook. Rosetta and Jessica are both amazing people. It was a great experience and so much more fun to have someone to hang out with post race! Look at my post run smile (below right, pre fun is left). I was certainly happy to be finished my leg of the run and glad that I didn't have to run 9 more miles!
Settlers Bay Solstice 5K....I thought this was a race on paved golf course trails...nope, no pavement. Lots of hills, some mud, and plenty of heat for Alaska, even the boys said it was a tough race. Proceeds from the race were to establish a new coastal park down on the hay flats. Course was gorgeous and I can't wait to see the park when it is completed.
World Run Day 5KGrayson and I went out to see Sudsy Slim at the theatre to celebrate the end of his elementary track season. Science Olympiad Nationals brings Denver running....
Trent Waldron Memorial 10KGreat little race. I did the 10K this year. The trail is always beautiful but I am starting to see if you ran it everyday how it could get a little dull. Jeff i still in town so he kept me entertained through my long slow distance. Still trying to keep consistent miles with travel and crazy end of the year schedule. Definitely was slower than what I hoped. 1:25:26
Signed up for this race when I thought I was going to do the Gold Nugget Triathlon, which I had to bail on due to traveling for Science Olympiad. This race was literally the first time on my bike in years as evident by last years moving sticker still being attached to my frame. I arrived early and got a little volunteer time in first at the sales shack and then at the finish line calling numbers. The ladies I started with did a good job of calming my nerves but my lack of cycling experience was evident when I almost crashed just as I approached the main road. The course is mainly downhill on the way out and then all uphill on the way back. I had to walk my bike through a couple of stretches where I just wasn't able to maintain foreword momentum. Cycling is something that I vow to improve upon but I still remain quite clueless. Here's to hoping to do some cycling in the future some place flat and level for starters please.
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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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