Still Horsin' Around

I am happy to be back running after such a long break. I am also happy that we have our mare. I enjoy going to the stable just as much as I enjoy being out on the trails running.

Happy New Year everyone!

Last 26.2 of the Year

I'm just trying to keep the momentum going after the Quadzukilla! I ran a marathon to close out the year. I loved this course because it was a big circle around Seattle. I got so see so many different areas all in one run. The race started at Green Lake and headed west to Ballard, then south to the Locks and Magnolia. Then further south to downtown and east to Volunteer Park. Finally, north to the University of Washington with a jaunt along the Burke Gillman trail and back up to Green Lake.

At the starting line at Green Lake.

A view of West Seattle (my home) from Magnolia.

 

The Ballard Locks

Downtown Seattle

The weather was calm. We had a few sprinkles and then the clouds broke open for the sun to peak through.

Hints for doing the Quadzukilla

So, did I spark your interest I doing the Quadzukilla?!
If your answer is yes, here are some helpful notes.

Register early
Some of the races are popular and have a low capacity like the Waddle Wattle on Thanksgiving Day. If you are committed to this thing, go ahead and sign up for all of them. But registration for the Wattle Waddle didn't open up until mid-September. So, you just have to keep checking the website and sign up as soon as registration opens up.

Start out slow (and get slower)
Don't go racin' that first half marathon, even though you'll feel really good and want to run fast. You will need to save your legs and energy for running 7 more days. Once I made it past the 4 half marathons and had a rest day, then I ran hard on the Thanksgiving Day marathon. I felt good so I went for it, but I regretted it the next day and the day after when I ended up going very slow and walking some.

Rest, rest, rest, and eat.
I've said this before when I've written about doing back to back races (2 days in a row). You need to rest and refuel after each race. Don't make plans to wash your car and vacuum your house during Quadzukilla. I mean, you can, but I recommend that you spend the time stretching and watching a movie instead. And eat. Eat as soon as you can after the race so your body can start repairing itself right away. You have less than 24 hours before you will be running again!

Good luck out there!

Quadzukilla

When I started the Quadzukilla over a week ago, I had no idea if I would be able to complete it. My training slowed down a few weeks ago when I started getting pain behind my knee on long runs. So, I was cutting the long runs short to avoid injury.

What is the Quadzukilla, you ask? It is 4 half marathons and then 4 marathons in 9 days. It is round Thanksgiving and it is a way to increase your standing as a Double Agent with the Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs.

November 18, 2017 - Cupcake Half Marathon

The pain came back about half way though the first half marathon. This time it was below my knee along the outside. Is it an IT band issue? I limped along, and hoped I wasn't injuring something else due to overcompensating. After the race, I iced around that side of the knee. I decided that for the next day I would use some left over RockTape we had purchased for my daughter's foot. (She used it for arch support during cross country until her orthotics arrived.) I googled and found a video demonstrating how to tape around the knee.

This course was an out-and-back on the Centennial Trail in Snohomish, WA. Of course, I had a cupcake when I finished.



photo credit: Ross Comer

November 19, 2017 - Balanced Athlete Half Marathon

Pre-race checklist:
Take ibuprofen - check.
Apply RockTape - check.
But the pain came back after just 2 miles! And then, somewhere on a downhill jaunt, I figured out that it didn't hurt if my foot landed on the ground when my knee was fully extended. So, I clomped along for the rest of the race landing flat-footed every step. I probably had a funny-looking gait but I was no longer running in pain. The trick was to not load up the muscle along my shin bone. I knew just how I wanted to tape my leg for the day to support that muscle.

The course was an out-and-back on the street and the Lake Washington Bike Trail along the east side of Lake Washington, starting in Renton, WA.

photo credit: Ross Comer

The course was out-and-back, so we passed the Seahawks training center 2 times.

Finishing with my friend, April.

I made an apple pie to donate to the finish line food table.



November 20, 2017 - Orting Trail Half Marathon

 

Wet day. It was pouring down rain at the start. The course was 3.3 miles out and back, to be run twice. The rain let up after about 3 miles. I was drying out nicely and looking forward to finishing that way. But the rain returned for the last 3 miles. It was Monday morning and people were heading to work after they finished. It was pretty quiet at the finish line. The good news is that my knee doesn't hurt!

 

The course was an out-and-back on the Foothills trail in Orting, WA.

Photo by Ross Comer.

Photo by Ross Comer.

The trail was an old railroad grade and it followed the Carbon River.

November 21, 2017 - Redmond River Trail Half Marathon

A solemn run for this course. I have run this out-and-back course before in Bothell with the First Call Running Club.

That's it for the half marathons. I can't believe I have made it this far. Now, I get to rest for one day and then start running marathons.

I took this picture from the First Call Running Club website. This bridge is at the start and finish of the race. It is a foggy picture whereas my race day was all rain.

November 23, 2017 (Thanksgiving Day!) - Wattle Waddle Marathon

It felt great to take a day off from running. And then I ran a marathon, in the rain, on Thanksgiving day. But I was really lucky! I got to tag along with Christy Hammond! We ran most of the first 10 miles together. Then, Christy took off at her own pace. After a few miles, I caught up to her at an aid station that her family was commanding. She waited to run with me because the rain was making for a miserable and lonely run. I ended up pushing my pace and finishing faster than I probably should have. After all, I still have 3 more marathons to run in the next 3 days.

I noticed my left big toe was swollen after this race. Ouch.

After the race, we were given brandy glasses. I was tired and a little blind without my glasses. I had no idea that the race director, Matt, photo-bombed this picture of Christy and me!

Raining Seattle across Lake Union.

The start and finish were at Gasworks Park. It is a cool place with the remnant of a coal gasification plant.

Relaxing with my family at Thanksgiving dinner!



November 24, 2017 - Grandpa's Wishbone Marathon

 

The day after Thanksgiving marathon went pretty well. It was a non-rainy day. The course was an out-and-back twice on the Green River Trail in Kent. I had lots of support during this race.  I made arrangements to meet up with my friend, Sheila at about 3 miles where the course passes by her home. She thought she would run with me for a mile or 2, but she was feeling so good that she ran with me to the turn-around and back! Lucky me!

 

Sheila and me on the trail (and the Green River) by her house.

A little post-Thanksgiving humor along the course.

I ran into Sarah and Tina near the 6.55 mile turn-around!

Fuel 100 co-founder Andrea Bonaccorsi met me at the 13.1 mile turn-around to supply me with more Electo-Bites to fuel my next few races. 

November 25, 2017 - Seattle Ghost Marathon

 

This was my third marathon in three days, and I was exhausted. I probably pushed myself a little too hard in the marathon the day before. The course was through Seward Park and along Lake Washington Blvd. It was an out-and-back twice. I started running before it was light out. On my second loop I ran into my friend, Andrea (the supplier of Electo-Bites!). She was kind enough to run and walk with me for the next 5 miles! Then, Tami and Baxter joined me to walk the last 6 miles. I really wanted to run but I knew I wouldn't finished the Seattle Marathon the next day if I didn't save myself for it.

 

After the race, I headed downtown to pick up my packet for the Seattle Marathon! Both of my big toes are swollen now, and they are painful.

 

Sunrise over Lake Washington

Marina at Leschi.

Mount Rainier peeked out from under the clouds.

Tami, Baxter, and Hero with me at the finish line.

November 26, 2017 - Seattle Marathon

I made it to the last day, the fourth marathon, the eighth race. I cut holes in my shoes above my big toes to give those swollen guys more room. They felt so much better! I was running on adrenaline and shuffled through the race as fast as I could. I enjoyed being with a bigger field of runners and the spectators. They were a nice distraction for me. It was a rainy day in Seattle and I got very wet, but I just didn't care. I was done!

I was so cold at the start that I sat in a port-a-potty to stay warm. There was no line for the bathroom so I didn't feel guilty about sitting in there.

The end result:

Several weeks later, this arrived in the mail. Thank you, Ross Comer!

My swollen big toes.

Follow up: I went to my podiatrist to pick up orthotics that came in for my daughter. I asked if they had time to look at my toes. I love my podiatrist at Foot & Ankle Center of Washington. The got me in and relieved the pressure under my nails by draining the fluid. Don't read further if you are easily grossed out (that would be me). He slid a small metal spoon under the nails all the way down the nail. I am squirming as I write this! I went back two weeks later and had one nail removed. The other nail fell off a few weeks after that.





Cross Country team

This fall, our kids joined a cross country team. They have been running every Monday and Wednesday evening. Their workouts are intense and they are doing great. My daughter has a competitive side and she is determined to beat her little brother.

They had their first meet last weekend and it was pretty exciting.

 

This whole running gig has energized me to put my Asics back on my feet and start running again. Besides, what else am I going to do at the team practices while the kids are running?

 

Suddenly, I feel this fire burning in me; I want to do the Quadzukilla in November.

Cosmo 7K Run

It sounded like such a great idea to have cosmopolitans after a race! Besides, the race was in my neighborhood. So, Tami and I signed up. The funny thing is that the line for drinks after the race was so long that we walked away and didn't get our cosmos! Oh, well. Maybe we will try again next year.

Vacation

I'm not running, but I did find time for a vacation!

First stop, Paris.
We spent a week in the City of Light. We did a home exchange with a couple in Paris and stayed in their apartment for free! There was so much to see. We visited cathedrals, museums, gardens, and monuments. We ate crepes, croissants, and gelato. Unfortunately, it was cold the week we were there, and we had only packed clothes for warm weather. So, we had to go shopping! We bought pants and jackets to stay warm.

I have been to Paris 3 other times and have never visited the Eiffel Tower at night to see it sparkle. I am so glad we did it this time because it was a festive event.

The Louvre

And a visit to the Mona Lisa.

View of the Seine River and the Louvre from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

View of the street from our balcony.

 

Versailles Palace and Gardens

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

Boating in the Grand Canal at Versailles.

Second stop, Rome.

Next, we flew to Rome to see the ancient city. I had never been to Rome so I was very excited to go. We visited everything but the Vatican museum and gardens; they were closed all of the days we were in Rome. We ate pizza, bought a selfie-stick, and went letterboxing.



Vatican City

Front steps of St. Peter's Basilica.

 

Trevi Fountain

Inside the Colloseum.

 

 

 

Next stop, Tuscany.

After Rome, we headed north and met up with my daughter's first grade teacher, Ms. Longo. She lives part-time in a small hilltop village named Fivizzano in the Tuscany region. Ms. Longo took us to a medieval festival on my daughter's birthday to celebrate. I think we were the only Americans at the festival.

 

Village street



At Ms. Longo's home, built several hundred years ago.

 

At the medieval festival.

 

Last stop, the Cinque Terre.

After touring big cities and small villages we took the train to the Cinque Terre, five small towns in the cliffs along the Italian Riviera. We spent a few days hiking on the trails between the towns and cooling off with swims in the Mediterranean Sea. It was very relaxing and my husband loved it!

 

The town were we stayed, Varnazza.

Hiking on the trails.

 

Hiking through vineyards.

Swimming in the sea.

 

Sunbathing on a granite bolder.

We flew home from Paris so we took an overnight train from the Cinque Terre to Paris. It would have been a really cool experience for the kids on the sleeper train, but my son caught a stomach bug and had a fever and was throwing up all night.

 

I won't lie, traveling with an opinionated pre-teen was hard and I swore I would not travel overseas with her again. But, as I write this, I am already thinking of our next family on a trip . . . to Spain!