My New Running Partner

 I ran 5 miles with Hero today. It seemed to be a walk in the park for him. I think he really enjoyed it,too!!

My Hero

I think I want to adopt our foster dog. He is a really nice dog--calm, great with kids, smart. He was brought to the Northwest from Georgia where he was scheduled to be euthanized. He doesn't act like he has been abused but he has had trauma in his life. He has a big wound on his back. Hair isn't going to grow there again. It looks grotesque. People look at me strangely when I take him for walks, so I keep his back covered when I am out with him. My only problem is I can't tell if he wants to kill our 2 cats or just play with them. I don't know how long I want to live in a divided house, constantly making sure doors are closed so Hero can't attack the cats. I don't think the cats are happy about it either!

#10 of 52 Holiday Half

Traveled with my family to Portland, OR last weekend and spend the night at our friends’ house. I packed a suitcase for my kids but it didn’t make it into the car. When we arrived in Portland, we had to go shopping for undies, socks, pajamas, shirts, pants, and toothbrushes. My daughter loves to shop so she was in heaven. The next day, I ran. It was a large road race. I realized about half way through that I could possibly PR. (I am referring to a PR for my 40’s. I don’t think I’ll ever match my PR from my 20’s.) In fact, I thought I could break 2 hours. But I ended up at 2 hrs and 2 minutes. Bummer.

It was misting out and it was boring. Am I already burnt out on running these half marathons?! Can I do 42 more of them??

On our way home from Portland, we picked up a rescue dog to foster. His name is Hero. I think I like him a lot!

 

 

Jingle Bell 5K

Today was the Jingle Bell 5K run in Seattle. I rallied my whole family for the race. I hope it becomes an annual tradition. We took the jogger with but both of the kids ran and walked the whole way. It was so cold out that I think they kept moving just to stay warm!

#9 of 52 - Redmond Reindeer Romp

It has been 2 weeks since I’ve run a race. It was 24 degrees and the ground was frozen. It was at the Redmond Watershed and the trails are really nice there! There were few people in the race and I ran alone quite a bit. There were signs warning me to watch out for bears. That’s one way to make me run faster!

#8 of 52 - Grand Ridge Trail Run

It was cold out, and wet. I met a woman before the race that was wearing flip-flops. I guess there are folks out there that call themselves minimalist runners and don’t wear shoes. I call them crazy. I wish I had known it was going to be so hilly. Silly me it’s a TRAIL RUN, and I should have expected hills. No pictures. The photographer must have been avoiding me. The best news of all is NO tummy pain! 

The parent of a 5 year old boy

My son pees a lot, like every hour. I took him to the doctor today and learned that the bladder and colon are closely related. The doctor suggested we clear out his colon and see if his peeing issues subside. I think that might be my problem with my tummy pain so I’m going to put myself through the same treatment. I hope it works!

#7 of 52 - First Call Veterans Day Run

I joined the First Call Club for $25 and I can run all of their races for a year for free! This race was along the Sammamish River Trail toward Redmond and back. If my tummy pain continues when I run, I’m not going to run. It’s just too uncomfortable.

 

By the way, have I mentioned that I am not really a morning person? Well, I have been seeing a few sunrises these days since I have to get up so early for these races. This one made getting up worth it.

#6 of 52 - In Unity We Run

Just a $10 donation to run this one! All proceeds went to a food bank. This race was directed by someone I used to run relay races with, Steve Barrick (in picture below). It was along the Green River Trail in Kent, out and back. Being on time is not one of my strengths. I arrived about 30 seconds after the race started. The first half was windy and rainy. My friend, Tami (in the second picture below), joined me for the second half of the run. Again, something in my tummy hurt so I stopped and pee’d in the bushes.

Note to self: tuck shirt in before kicking up heals!

Shooting for the Sun!

Okay, I’m not done. I was just feeling the heat of the moment last night.

I’ve decided to shoot for the sun! I can “moon-up” from Mars to the Sun if I do 52 half marathons in 365 days. Starting with the race on Sept 28, 2013, I have completed 5 races. 47 races to go by Sept 27, 2014!  Finding that many half marathons in the Northwest and not spending a fortune isn’t going to be easy.

Race #4 of 4 - Ft. Steilacoom Trail Run

What a beautiful day! I ran through fields and trees and by a lake. But something in my tummy hurt the whole race and it was a very uncomfortable run. I have officially qualified for the Half Fanatics and it felt pretty non-eventful. I am so glad I am not running 2 half marathons next weekend! Stick a fork in me--I am done!

Race #3 of 4 - Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon

Drove to Bellingham and spent the night with my friend, Christine. This race had a 1,200 foot elevation gain. I had to poo around mile 2 so I headed over a ridge to complete the job. Tummy didn’t feel very good for the rest of the run.

Christine had a much better run than me.

 

Race #2 of 4 - The Biggest Loser

Today was a road run which is not as easy on the body as the soft trail. I thought I’d have to walk most of it after the taxing, hilly run yesterday. But this one was flat and I ended up running the whole thing, slowly. Except for the part where I tripped and fell on the pavement. Really?? I ran over rocks and tree roots the day before without tripping and today I tripped over nothing! Ripped the elbow of my shirt.

An Anniversay to celebrate

My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about a year ago. It was no surprise to me. Her memory was already failing her when she retired 18 years earlier. My mom was not an overtly loving woman and she didn’t teach me many social skills. But she instilled in me a high moral standard and for that I am thankful. We celebrated my parents’ 63rd anniversary today. We all knew this would probably be the last anniversary that my mom would know who my dad is.

 

Race #1 of 4 - XTERRA Saint Edward Harvest Half Marathon

This is the start of my bid for Mars in the Half Fanatics. The race was 2 laps on a trail and it was 2,000 feet of elevation gain. I am tired! There was a woman running with hiking poles, and she beat me. Depressingly, I am that slow. I talked with her after the race. Turns out that I know her!

How a Half Fanatic came to be

I am not sure how I was introduced to the asylum. But I looked it up on the internet and, without giving my family a chance to weigh in, I was committed to becoming a Half Fanatic. A Half Fanatic is someone who runs half marathons. You can join the asylum by doing 2 halves in 2 days, or you can do more. I choose to do 4 halves in 9 days!
Here is my schedule:
Oct 12 XTERRA Half at St. Edward State Park
Oct 13 The Biggest Loser Half at Gasworks Park
Oct 19 Lake Padden Trail Half in Bellingham
Oct 20 Ft. Steilacoom Trail Run

Running in the rain

I used to run when I was younger. I used to run half marathons. I wasn't FAST but I could finish one in 1 hr and 45 minutes. I started running again a year and a half ago. I could only go 3 miles at a time those first 6 months but I worked my way up to a half marathon in a year. I like to run on trails so I signed up for the Tehaleh Half Marathon in Bonney Lake. I caught a cold before the race. I tried to run the race slowly so that I wouldn't relapse after the race. It was Sept 29, 2013.

Oh, and it was raining. It wasn’t the usual Northwest Drizzle. They were big rain drops—millions of them coming down every second. The trail varied from paved path, to gravel road, to single track, to uncharted route through tall grass. I ran down slippery mud slopes, through mud bogs, and up a 6-inch deep stream. I was soaked to my skivvies, but it was a warm day. The rain stopped at mile 11 and I was excited to finish and dry out. Not so fast, it started pouring again at mile 12. My cold was gone the next day!