Boston Derailed...

Coast-to-Coast for Cancer

Not this year for me...
maybe one day,
but then maybe not.
Life will certainly
go on...which is awesome.

So as we all know I have been training for the Boston Marathon for quite some time now…Boston is officially out and I have been derailed, sidetracked and otherwise redirected.  About 10 weeks ago I began having a lot of pain in my left tibia…I assumed this was a previous stress fracture from two years ago reasserting itself.  Turns out my last tibial stress fracture was in my right leg and this one was brand-new.  DAMN.  Broken.  THIS does not make Boston look very promising.

Looking for a bright side to this situation I decide that I will take up swimming (immediately jumping into two slow miles a day) and preparing to unleash my inner triathlete.  Since running is out I decide that it is time to get my Interstim replaced (bladder pacemaker) it had not been working for over 4 months and having the ability to empty my bladder is always an added bonus in my very unique little universe.

Running Boston has never been a bucket list item or life goal for me and I am not devastated to miss it, but I am disappointed…for me there would be a kinship with people insane enough to train at that level, shocker right?

Whatever happens at least I won't be doing this for 26.2 miles...

Still swimming and finding comfort working towards a new goal of a triathlon I find out about this AWESOME marathon opportunity.  They are having a Coast-to-Coast marathon to raise money for cancer (Donate Here)…all types of cancer.  There will be 160 runners passing a baton across the ENTIRE country traversing 4,000 miles from Washington State to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and I am going to be one of those runners…WOO-HOO…this is WAY better than Boston for me.

This is me knowing that I get run
 and help patients with cancer at the same time.Oh yeah...I've got swagger.

As a breast cancer survivor people always want to know why I do not do more Komen events, the three-day and all of the races…etc.  I am a HUGE supporter of Komen and breast cancer fundraising in general, but so are a lot of people.  The Coast-to-Coast marathon assists patients with ALL types of cancer and that makes me happy. 

Having gone through breast cancer I can assure you that thanks to Nancy Brinker and the Susan G. Komen foundation every single aspect of breast cancer is either covered by your insurance or financed by any one of a number of amazing organizations.  I have watched too many of my friends with other types of cancer fight tooth and nail to get even very basic needs covered by insurance. 

Please come and be
indomitable with me!

Needless to say this race is the first of its kind…runners going from Coast-to-Coast with the goal of raising a million dollars towards cancer research and direct patient care.  My portion is $7,500 and I am going to need your help to get there…please consider donating or even “buying a mile” for $200 (Donate Here).  You can also form your own team or join mine and raise money with me and join me on race day (sometime around July 25^th in the DC area…specific time and day soon).

I would love a crowd of my friends and supporters there to fight cancer with me.

Although Boston is not in my immediate future I am feeling lots of new and exciting things on the horizon…Boston Derailed…absolutely.  Opportunity knocking?  Always.  Swimming, Triathlons, Coast-to-Coast for Cancer and a chance to give something back.

Life is full of amazing blessings.

I came across this just this morning:

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”

-Erma Bombeck

Do you want to join me on my big run?

Can you donate?

Do you always try to find the opportunity in the disappointments? 

Boston Training: The Good, The Bad, The Stupid…

Boston is officially under three months away and I have amped up my training schedule slowly but surely.  When my friends are training for Marathons or ½ marathons they often ask me for my advice or how I have trained for specific distances.  Since my running consists of less than 4 years of experience and I am always in the hospital with a bowel obstruction or having surgery I am not sure I am the best person to ask…but I am always happy to help.

Pretty much sums it up....

Typically my response is to encourage them to look online and find a training plan that fits into their schedule and help them reach their goals (faster pace, longer distance, whatever).  If they tell me they want to train like I do I remind them that I am crazy but will give them some of my “trade secrets”.

1.          I have never followed a training plan.  With three children, one husband, two dogs, and recurring hospital stays I cannot consistently follow any training plan.  When you layer in my part time job teaching aerobics it really becomes tricky…trying to run 15 miles after teaching two Spinning classes is not something I can do on a regular basis.

2.         On any given day I am *READY* to run a marathon.  I may not be ready to have a BQ time but if I’m given 24 hours notice chances are I can pop out 26.2 miles…no problem (this is NOT sarcasm).

3.         When preparing for a marathon I am typically registered for 2 or 3 ultra marathons as well…my long runs are actually long races.  For example, the Boston Marathon is on April 15^th, 2013 my training “plan” includes running an 8 hour race on February 2^nd, and a full marathon on March 10^th.  

My general attitude towards maximum weekly mileage.

4.         To clarify, an 8 hour race is basically what it sounds like.  A bunch of crazy trail runners line up in freezing cold weather and try to run as many miles as they can in under 8 hours.  Whoever runs the furthest gets to win.  I am not classifying this effort as sane, but it certainly helps you get your long run in for the week.

Race Cartwheels...a must.

5. There are several things that I personally find especially helpful while in hardcore training mode.  I do a lot of weight lifting (Body Pump) and yoga (Body Flow), granted as an instructor in these programs getting paid to train offers a bit more incentive.  Additionally it keeps me strong and limber for when I need to do cartwheels at rest stops or headstands post race (and yes, these are necessary skills to demonstrate at races).

Always SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT!!!!
It's just a good idea =)

6.         Speed and hill work are always on my list of must-dos.  Usually my idea of a speed workout is to go on a 10-12 mile run and sprint for ½ a mile and then jog slowly for a mile.  As for hill work I get on the Step Mill/Gauntlet at the gym for 60 minutes and try to climb 7-8 miles of stairs, it is not easy but it makes for a strong butt.  Lately I have been reading a lot of articles saying that runners get a lot of injuries due to weak glutes, I hope to not have that problem.

The law of my run.  Single track trail, slowest runner in front of me
will NOT let me pass.  No speed work today.

7.         Lastly my general philosophy goes along the lines of: just because you’re training for a 10K does not mean that you cannot follow a ½ marathon schedule.  When I train my goal is to increase my ability to run longer distances a little faster over time…without getting hurt.

It has taken me almost four years to get where I am and I have no clue what I am doing.  Essentially I have learned to run through trial and error, asking my running friends for advice, and a whole lot of research and reading.  I have tried a lot of different methods and strategies and have finally found what works for me. 

I love to run really really far and as I get stronger my speed gets faster.  My advice is to do what feels good for you and if it hurts...don’t do it. One thing I always remind myself when I start to overdo is that I would like to be able to run for a very long time.  It’s my happy place and I pray I will be doing it into my 80’s…and yes, I realize I will eventually have to scale back my training.

Good luck!

What’s your next race?

Do you follow Hal Higdon or one of the other popular training plans?

Which have you found to be the most effective?

TSA and No Resolution

First post on my new MacBook
HTTR

In mid December I drove one of my friends and her baby from Maryland to Florida and then flew home.  It was one of those situations that just worked out, she needed to get her parents house and I wanted to visit my sister who lives 20 minutes from her parents house.  

It was a long drive down with a 7 week old baby and we arrived exhausted but happy.  Hanging out with my sister (who also loves to run) and her family was so much fun.  I got to see my nephew play ice hockey, go to a show performed by the AMAZING West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, and run a new and stunning route everyday in perfect weather.  

When I tried to get on the plane to get home my perfect trip took a drastic turn...TSA did not want to let me on the plane.  Apparently I used to be a pretty hot and tempting little dish (NOT) and my new physique does not match my picture.  After showing the man about ten different forms of ID I was finally very carefully molested by the female TSA security "professional".  ARGH.  Needless to say I was not seeing losing weight and getting in shape as a huge positive at this point.  In fact I was wishing I still smoked and weighed 250 pounds, except I would have had to walk back outside and go through security again given the new tobacco policies.  NOT HAPPENING.

Very pretty license picture
from about seven years ago.

Apparently I don't look as hot and sexy anymore.

 On my flight home I began thinking about the holidays and how 2013 might unfold.  Years ago I gave up on the resolution idea realizing that I do not subscribe to the idea of someone telling me when to stop or change a behavior based on a calendar or their idea of tradition.  Add the statistics of how many people actually keep their resolutions and the entire idea seems archaic.  
Certainly I have areas in my life that need to be worked through and improved upon (although I honestly may have accept that certain things are part of my genetic make-up and are not going to change no matter how hard I try) after 41 years it's inevitable.   For example; I will only put my shoes away twice a week and this is a HUGE improvement to the thirty pairs that used to scatter the house at all times.

As for losing weight...I've done that:

Rounding out.

Living large...

Additionally I have quit smoking so I cannot do that again.  At the end of the day I am simply going to focus my energy on things I am doing well and try to do them better.  As a mother and wife I can be more patient and spend more time doing simple, fun things with my beautiful family.  As a daughter and sister I would like to spend more time with my family which is difficult since they all live so far away.

For my friends...God bless you all.  You have seen me at my best and worst and with no obligation you continue to be beacons of love and support...I am not the easiest person but I make up for it with a lot of loyalty, love you!

This year I hope to post a lot of pictures of me with my girls, my husband, my family and friends.  Screw changing me, I am forever flawed and am very comfortable apologizing and changing poor behaviors as they arise.  Increasing the amount of time I spend with the people I love is not a resolution, just a good idea.

My perfect angel.

National Christmas Tree...

The girls are so much prettier.

Did you make any New Years resolutions?
How bad is your worst Driver's License picture?
Can it rival mine for worst photo ever (before you say yes notice the chunk of hair missing from my eyebrow)?

The day the technology got flushed away….

It’s official; I am now an idiot because of my smart phone. 

Yesterday I had planned to go to Annapolis for the day with a friend for a doctor’s appointment, no problem.  By 8:45 a.m. I was organized, ready and all set to be away from the house straight through until about 9:00 p.m. since I was teaching at the gym in the evening.

Then it happened.  My calm, cool, collected and very smart world went right in the potty…that’s right, I had my iPhone (with all of my aerobics music on it) in my back pocket and when I went to sit I heard a loud splash.  Bye bye very smart phone and organized world.

OH POOP!

PANIC….why you ask?

I grab my stuff, add a few extra Body Pump releases to my bag (knowing full well that the CD player at the gym is “iffy” at best) and fly out the door to drop my Clara at kindergarten (the parents there know just how quickly I sprint now).



Pretty much sums up my drive yesterday.
At least I was NOT on the phone.

From there I bolt to my friend’s house to tell her to meet me at the Verizon store next to Starbucks, why not call???  Since my phone is so smart I am NOT…I do not know her number and did not have it anywhere handy.  CRUD.

I get to the Verizon store and do you know the one thing they do not keep in stock at the Verizon store? 

PHONES.

 Seriously? No phones at the
Verizon Wireless Phone store????

I am not lying.  They seriously do not keep any phones in stock but the a$$hats will overnight them to you for free IF you are at home at the time of delivery…no signature release.  So my panic is now at EPIC proportions, I do not like to be 1 ½ hours from my children with no communication skills.  The only reason I did not walk to BJ’s where I very easily could have left the store with a nice, happy programmed phone is because I have the insurance.  ARGH.

When my friend walks in I am in a complete frenzy, I am on Verizon’s landline phone laying into the insurance lady, explaining to the two employees at the front of the Verizon store the complete asinine nature of their new “no phone in store” idea of customer service and shooting a comment to anyone who even remotely gives me the stink eye.  My friend very sweetly suggests that we go get a cup of coffee…my response: “Do you SERIOUSLY want to put caffeine in this????” pointing towards my very frantic looking face (I am pretty sure the Verizon employees are still laughing about it, I had really ticked them off).

Pretty much sums up my level of cool and calm.
NICE.

Once we got in the car and on our way I was much calmer but it took a while and led to a very interesting conversation about how stupid we all are since we handed all of our brains over to our phones and computers.  Essentially we are so driven to have more information and more data that we no longer memorize anything on our own hard drive, we have simply taught ourselves how to access the information.

Remember the days of memorizing the states and their capitols, being able to recite a Robert Frost poem verbatim, or entire acts from Shakespeare?   I used to know the phone numbers of almost everyone in my class by heart, if you had asked me yesterday to rattle off my best friend’s numbers from 8^th grade, no problem.  However, someone that I talk to or text almost daily?  Not a clue past the first 6 digits, I have never had to actually dial her number.

Today I knew I would not get a new phone until late in the day so I went for a nice long trail run after I taught my class and decided to do it technology free to see what it felt like.  I left my Garmin and heart rate monitor at home, all I carried was a really old cell phone in case I had to call 911 and water; it was AWESOME. 

Sometimes you have to tune out to tune in. 

Granted; I know this trail like the back of my hand and it has mile markers every ¼ mile so I know essentially how far I ran but I have no idea of my pace.  Today I walked a lot and simply enjoyed the lake and peacefulness of the trail.  I thought a lot about my friends and how I am going to learn their phone numbers, from now on I am not going to just access information, I am going to start really learning it again. 

That's right...I am going to get smart while doing yoga..
I'll be all calm the next time Verizon stops stocking their ONLY product!

No more keeping all of my smarts in the phone…I am setting my brain back in the “ON” position. 

Watch out…game on!

So where are you on the smarts scale?
Did you hand it all over to your phone like me?
What random piece of information do you remember from childhood?
(I still know all NINE verses to Maryland my Maryland, thanks Mrs. Payte.) 



I think I just landed a snot rocket on your car...HA!

Running in a small town…

Following are a list of my rants, compliments and experiences of running in a small town.

Most of the roads in my area to run on do not have sidewalks or shoulders, it is one lane each way and usually edged by fairly tall grass (littered with empty liquor bottles) on the side of the road. 

Typically I run with headphones but they are on so low that I can hear everything going on around me including snide comments from pedestrians on the road.  I always run facing traffic and get as far to the edge of the road as humanly possible, I have even had to jump into the woods on several occasions when the idiots are out…which is essentially everyday.

My observations in no particular order:

1.       Older women drivers WILL NOT veer out of their lane to give me an extra inch of running space for any reason.  Apparently their driving instructors told them to stay in their lane no matter what, even if it means killing the mother of small children. 

Guess what lady????  I probably just spit or landed a massive snot rocket on your car. If your car is within spit range…I land it EVERYTIME!  Classy =)

That's right old lady...come a little closer!

2.      My friends like to honk at me…STOP!  I am in my quiet happy place.  When you honk I practically jump into oncoming traffic, I do not like it.  Wave or text me later.  I LOVE YOU ALL!



Me leaping when you beep your horn....
but with cars to run me over.

3.       Apparently I run with my fingers in the “I love you” sign for sign language.  This has been pointed out to me several times, I kind of like it.  Take is as a compliment my love.  I ran near a woman for about 8 miles of a race who I will swear was extending her middle finger the entire time, be happy I love you!

4.      People tend to notice you out running.  I often get called out on sightings….heard were you running at ________.  Word has it that you were cranking out miles yesterday with _____.  Keep the sightings up, it makes me feel like I am the mysterious running chick,sort of the female version of Caballo Blanco or Micah True for those of you familiar.

A rare sighting of the Mysterious Trail Runner

5.      Old men in pick-up trucks like to talk to the funny running lady.  Most of them are lacking teeth but are super nice and always tell me how pretty I am…it's one of my favorite parts of living in a small town.

6.      Texting and talking on the phone while driving are NOT dead regardless of the law and are NOT safe.  Eyes on the road people…I think I am about out of extra lives.



Keep texting and driving; go ahead, run me down I will keep trying
to catch up and land my snot rocket.

7.       I live in a nice quiet neighborhood with homes on 3 acre lots, we have a nice and easy 10 mile run built right in along with the pool and tot lot.  The problem is, everyone is finishing up their breakfast, checking their purse, and sending out last minute texts as they drive WAY TOO FAST through our quiet little streets.  Your drive begins when you pull out of the driveway my friends.

I am sure I will come up with some more of my love/hate relationship with running in a small town and will be sure to keep you posted.  So keep your eyes on the road and your hands off your phone and your horn.

Always finish happy =)

 

Thanks!

What have you noticed while running?
Are you a honker?
Is spitting on someone's car rude when they are about to rudely mow you down?

Take Thanksgiving Back!

Thanksgiving….

Lately I have really been feeling sorry for poor old decrepit Thanksgiving. 

It’s not really a spend LOADS of money holiday except for the whole Black Friday extravaganza it’s more of an eat LOADS of food kind of holiday and as a nation we are supposed to be frowning on that behavior…so what should we do with Thanksgiving?

I have an amazing idea (of course I will probably be the only to think so):

Why don’t we put all of the sales circulars down, close all of the stores, and spend time with our family to give thanks for all that we have rather than buying a bunch of junk that we don’t even need.

Oh, yeah…that is what the holiday IS about.

I am Thankful for Cartwheels at mile 26 :-)

This year on Thanksgiving morning I went for a 15.5 mile run and listened to Avalon, Andy Griffith (uh huh….hymns baby), and even to Wee Sing Bible Songs.  Do you know what????  I have a lot to be thankful for.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  By the way, this is so NOT going to be a sermon, just a little reminder.

People say to me all the time that they have no idea how I do it, how I keep on keeping on after everything.  Comments are made about how they would have lost faith and jumped off of a bridge eons ago, so why is it that I am the one talking continuously about counting my blessings?  It’s because no matter how you look at my life or my circumstances, it’s true, I am blessed and reminded of those blessings…in big ways and small, sometimes through sheer agony and others through sheer joy.

If Grace had been born with the ability to see, to me she would always be Amazing Grace…but to everyone else she would be that sweet little Gracie Hammett.  Through God’s Grace I got to travel a journey with my child that few mothers will ever experience, I was able to watch my blind child learn to see.   I was there for her when she could not see and I was there the exact moment she was touched, that God put the gift of vision into her and enabled her to see.  Are you counting yet?

How it feels to count your blessings!

 

OH YES!

When baby Sarah was born asleep I honestly thought I would never recover.  After 50 hours of labor with every conceivable complication known to mankind I thought I had seen the worst, but less than 7 weeks later I very accidentally (and excitedly) found myself pregnant with one of the most amazing gifts I will ever know, my sweet and perfect Ella Jordan.  With Grace being blind, my pregnancy with Sarah was an experience in hope…I hoped and prayed for a child with sight, God chose to give Grace the ability to see and helped me to learn that all children are a blessing born or unborn.  Sarah helped me to learn that life is precious; sight, sound, touch and smell are just added bonuses.

After an 18 week miscarriage, postpartum hemorrhage/hysterectomy and breast cancer am I am still counting my blessings…heck yes!

I will pick these guys over a TV everytime!

 

They probably want the TV though.

Cancer gave me running and without Clara there would have been no Postpartum Hemorrhage or TRUE appreciation for blood donors.  On some base level I would have known donors were awesome…but now I now know exactly why.  They take an hour out of their day doing what they think is right not knowing who they are going to help.  In my case they helped a woman who had just delivered her fifth child, her third living child and who REALLY needed to stay alive to enjoy the fruits of her labor.  Now I am even blessed by strangers. 

As I look around on a daily basis life has really turned out OK.  It’s an entirely a different life than I had ever planned on living.  I never thought that I would live in an area that I do not like for so long but my husband is happy at his job and there are a lot of nice places to run.  So I have to look at living here, far from my family in that light, there is always a positive spin if we choose to find it. 

Black Friday Shopping is FUN!!!!!!!

So, let’s take Thanksgiving back.  Let’s not even start shopping until the Monday after (yeah, Scrooge I hear you)!  Is just amazes me that everyone yaks around the Thanksgiving table expounding upon their blessings, hops up from the table while scraping the last of the dessert off their plate, to wait in line to save $200 on a 60 inch television that they do not need (sorry folks, no one needs one). 

Seriously, take a few days and think about it.  Maybe even make a list.

Do you know that I ran A LOT (and for me to say a lot, be very scared of what my Garmin mileage reads) over this break and even with all of my running I did not have enough time to truly realize all of the gifts I already have?  That’s correct; lying in bed last night I was still rolling them out…

Thanks.

 
What are you thankful for?

Did you brave the crowds and save loads of money?

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

 

 





Rosaryville Veterans Day 50K....2012

Outfit selected, Wizbang Hat all set.
Go Time!!!!

There are a few things I have figured out about myself over the past several years and one of them is that I do not have the ability to not *race* a race. 

2010—One of my favorite race experiences was my first 50K, the 2010 Rosaryville Veteran’s Day 50K mainly because at about mile two I hooked up with two other runners and we had the whole discuss your life story over the course of a 30 mile run chat, it took us about 6 ½ hours to finish and we had a blast.

2012—the course was the same but it was run by a different runner with a different attitude, at least I still had the same name.  (I am also glad they had a lot of the same volunteers and runners, the Annapolis Striders are sincerely a kind and supportive group.)

My last race before my surgeries was the summer version of the Rosaryville 50K in late July, it was hot and humid and although I was the second female overall, outside of the awesome company I had (plus someone to push me to finish, thank you) it was horrible…muscle cramps, oh my!

So why after having two major surgeries (one August 3^rd and another September 17^th) did I decide to have a 50K be my first race back…less than two months after a major surgery?  Oh, this is not a rhetorical question; I honestly wish someone could answer it for me without using any form of the word CRAZY.

When I signed up I was very clear with myself and everyone else, I am not going to race this one I am just going to go and have a great time.  My thought process went along the lines of, I know the course extremely well, every five miles you have a super easy opportunity to drop out and I was just in it to finish it and was not going to worry about getting a DNF. 

I really planned on NOT RACING...but my nose knows best!

As many know since my September 17^th surgery I have had severe respiratory problems and have been struggling horribly with my running.  I had a pulmonology appointment get cancelled due to Frankenstorm and was told I could not be seen until after the race, but something magical happened…a cancellation.  I went in early Thursday for what would be an almost all day appointment.  My lung function tests put me in the 40-50% range and my wheezing was “impressive for an athlete”.  Needless to say I walked away with the motherload of breathing treatments and antibiotics and was far more optimistic for Saturday’s race.

The weather report promised and delivered a perfect 50°-60° day.  As the race began I was happy to see some friends from my running club and several runners that I am perpetually running into at races.  I knew I was pacing too fast as the director yelled go but I could not seem to slow down…I was racing, it felt good, I felt “normal”.  When you get onto the trail it is single file and you really feel obligated to keep up with the person in front of you so you don’t slow others down for at least the first 3 or 4 miles, later things start to spread out.  Fortunately I was pacing with a group that was slightly too fast but not so fast that I was tanking, at the first aide station I made sure to let another group of faster runners pass me and was able to settle into my stride. 

As the race continued I was surprised to find myself alone on the course, for the most part it was like I had the whole park to myself, I LOVED it.  As much as I enjoy a great run with a friend, sometimes I need to hear just my footfalls and be completely in tune with my body, especially for this race.  This was first time I had run without wheezing and coughing up huge amounts of mucous in months but I did not want to push too hard. 

As I ran I pictured what my
evening would look like...

At the aide station at mile 15 or so they let me know I was the 3^rd female…information I just did not need (it made me start to feel competitive).  However, one of the volunteers from the 2010 race recognized me and wanted to know if I was the one who does cartwheels, so I cracked a few out and was on my way with a smile.  My next loop was certainly slower but I felt strong and steady I had short conversations with a few of the male runners but eventually I passed them and continued on my way (let me clearly state that during the first 15 miles I got passed by many male runners so this is not a bragging thing, it is just the way it went down). 

It has been a long time since I have given myself a chance to think through what has happened to me over the past ten years.  As I paced, ran, and planned my final 15 miles I realized that my life was similar to an ultra-marathon.  I have had to approach each obstacle and make a plan, stick to it and look to myself to find the mental, physical, and emotional endurance to stay strong and steady, for me and for my awesome family.

This was the first time that I was able to look back and really see our struggles as triumphs, as each trauma occurred we had no choice but to face it…I feel like the choices begin as you start to move forward from tragedy.  We may have moved forward more slowly than others thought we should, but in the end, as a family we have shown power and endurance in our faith and in our love for one another. 

 

Our relationship has evolved and changed in ways we never could have imagined, my husband has had to take on a far more active role in parenting and he has also had to help as my caregiver through far too many surgeries and hospital admissions…something you do not plan to do for your spouse before they turn 40.  We have each risen to the occasion and shown our children that love can be infinite if you are willing to work for it.  ENDURANCE.

Now, back at the race…

As I stopped at the 25 mile aide station I was passed by two young women (I checked to make sure they were younger than 40, yes, I am rude enough to ask) I wished them luck and slowly made my way to the last 6 miles.  I was getting very stumbly at this point and just worked to maintain a happy comfortable pace (no muscle cramps, whoop).  Before I knew it the final aide station was upon me, I gave them one of my “thank you volunteers” cartwheels and was told it was just 0.7 miles to the finish (uphill).  I kicked it in and finished with probably my fastest pace of the day.  I crossed the finish line, got my medal and threw in my final cartwheel for good measure.



OH YES! This GIF was running through my
head for the final 6 miles...thank you Jennifer Myers for
posting it on Facebook!
(Check out her blog about food and community)

My body still awes and amazes me.  After all that it has gone through it still had the physical power to push me to a 50K PR of 5:07:46 more than 20 minutes faster than the last time I ran Rosaryville.  This was also fast enough to earn me a first in my age group award…SCORE!

So, if you ever hear me say that I’m not going to *race* a race I am telling you what I believe is the truth.  Sadly, it is a complete lie…when someone says go, I go (kind of fast as it turns out).

I am grateful for this race and this comeback to running.  The quiet and serene beauty of the day allowed me to recharge and realize that there are endless possibilities…as I crested the final hill and crossed the finish line I smiled as I looked over my shoulder and saw how far I’d climbed.  I will enjoy my runs on a flat road for a little while.

Thank you Annapolis Striders.

Have you ever promised yourself you were not going to do something and did it anyway?

Am I correct in assuming that I ended up racing this race?

What would you have done?

Ball cap matches my winter coat..I knew
it was good sign.  I love my ceramic
age group award!