Wanna Get Down and Dirty for a Good Cause?

Yesterday, one of my favorite charities, Operation Gratitude, announced that they've partnered on the National Mud Run Series to support the troops.  You know how I love to combine running with supporting our troops, so I'm very excited about this series!  The Down and Dirty Mud Run Series features 5k and 10k off-road courses filled with military-style obstacles, commanding cargo climbs, wild water crossings, mud, mud and more mud, and a post-race barbecue, along with an awesome tech tee.  You can race alongside local military personnel, public safety officers and police academy trainees, all while supporting our troops through Operation Gratitude - what could be better?

They've got four dates and locations, including:

Los Angeles, California: April 25, 2010 at Castaic Lake State Recreation Area
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: July 18, 2010 at Fairmount Park, Belmont Plateau
New York, New York: October 3, 2010 at Pelham Bay Park
Sacramento, California: October 31, 2010 at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

The entry fee for the 10K is $70 and the 5k is $40 (with late registrations costing more).  There's a military discount for active military personnel or public safety officers, which you can learn more about on their site.  $2 of every registration goes right to Operation Gratitude (whose mission is to send care packages to deployed military personnel around the world) to pay for 100,000 care packages. 

Also, Paul Mitchell is a race sponsor, and they'll be onsite in their own booth to cut and style your hair, with all proceeds donated to the Challenged Athlete Foundation.  So you can get all dirty, then get your hair cut for a good cause!

There's no time limit to finish the course, so if you don't want to run it, you can walk and take your time - just come out to support our troops!  You do have to leave your dogs at home though (and I would guess that goes for strollers as well.  And iPods, unless you want to be cleaning mud out of it later). 

The New York race might fall during my European conference, so I'm going to plan to do the Philadelphia one in July (yes, yes, despite the heat).  I'd love to have some company!  (And advice from any of you who've done a mud run before, particularly because this one seems a bit of a challenge - just what I need I think!)

To learn more, check out the links I've posted above, or you can also become a fan on Facebook.  You can also follow Operation Gratitude on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or check out their YouTube videos (though you might need some tissues for that one).

A big decision to make...

Wow, it has been a WHILE since I wrote a running blog. And that's mostly because it's been a WHILE since I've gone running! I will say that after my 10k, I did do a 6 mile run the following Sunday, which just about did me in. I was so miserable and thirsty the whole run, and ended up walking about 8 minutes of a 70 minute run. Ugh.

When I got home from that run, I didn't feel very accomplished. When I first started running, and right up through my 5k's, whenever I ran, I would come home feeling like I'd really accomplished something. Even on days that I didn't really feel like running or when I had a tough run, I was always glad after I'd pushed myself to run. It was very...satisfying. But as you know, after my 5k's, I just couldn't seem to get back into the groove of running. I would take a few days off, more than 2 in a row sometimes, and each time I ran, it was a tough run. It didn't matter what the circumstances were, I struggled. And it was a much tougher battle with myself to get out to run in the first place, and to hit my goals each run. There were a couple of bright spots in there with good runs, but mostly, the longer distances I was running, the more miserable I was becoming.

Finally, the 10k was upon me, and you all know how that went. I realized last week that after my two 5k's, even though I was so tired and sore, I felt so invigorated and exicited. I felt like I'd really done something, accomplished something. But after my 10k, I was just glad to have it over. I'd wanted to skip out on doing it the whole four weeks leading up to it, but because I'd signed up already, I pushed myself to do it. And I didn't feel accomplished; I just felt relieved. And very, very tired.

Because I was so unhappy, I started to give my running some serious consideration over the last couple of weeks. I was on vacation, so I had a lot of time to really think about it. I talked to a few people, and I realized that I was really starting to hate running again. I dreaded pushing my mileage up instead of having that feeling of "cool, I can now run x miles." I even dreaded the "shorter" runs, which to me, still felt so long and exhausting. I started to think that I couldn't carve out that kind of time in my schedule or deal with the humidity, all just excuses to put off running. In short, I was done.

So I had to make a decision - continue to train for the LBI 18-mile race or content myself with being a 5k-ish runner? I knew that physically, I could probably get myself in shape to do 18 miles in October, but that mentally, it might destroy me to do it, and I'd probably never run again after that. But I also had the internal battle of having put the LBI race and running a marathon on my life goals list. Also, I had told a lot of people of my plan to run the 18 mile race - would I be letting them down? It finally came down to a question of what would make me happy. And the answer was to put off the LBI race for at least a year, and instead focus on really learning to love running and to make it a part of my life permanently.

Let me tell you, what a relief it was to come to that decision!

I talked to a few people and they all agreed with me, which made me feel a lot better. A friend reminded me that just because I won't be running the LBI race this year, doesn't mean I can't do it in the future. Even my coach said "Good for you." So that settled it, and now I'm starting to feel excited about getting back to running again. I've decided to go back to the three-day a week schedule (because 4 days was just too much to wrap my brain around), to run 2-4 miles at a time, and get myself to the Ocean Running Club's Summer Series - of which I missed week 1 last week thanks to a migraine.

So the next hurdle was actually starting to run again. I've been away from running for almost two weeks, and in between my 10k and the 6 mile Sunday run, I'd only run for about 10 minutes maybe. I've run about 14 miles in the last 3 weeks, most of that in two runs. I knew I just had to get out there once, see where my body was, and not beat myself up too much about what I've lost. After all, now that I'm not training for a long distance race (though I plan to keep up with 5k's), I don't have to panic if I'm not in top form!

With it being so humid lately, I figured I'd start out with an easy 1-mile run today, follow that up with 2 miles on Sunday, and then head to the ORC summer series 5k on Tuesday night. I really wanted to run about a mile and a half today, but it was pretty humid (since I didn't make myself get up early on my day off or anything!), so I didn't push myself too hard. The important thing was to get back out there. I ran about 0.9 miles in 10 minutes (about an 11:06 pace) and I think it's a good start. I think if I can get myself to keep a consistent schedule, even in these hot, humid summer months, my running will really start to blossom in the fall.

So I plan to be back to my regularly scheduled blogging, and I hope that the shorter runs will do their job of keeping me healthy and lowering my stress, as well as reminding me of how I fell in love with running a couple of months ago. Tomorrow, I'll be celebrating the Fourth of July with friends and family, and especially thinking about our troops, and the sacrifices they've made and are making to give us the freedom we celebrate tomorrow. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July, and if you see a service member, remember to thank them!

I know, I know I've been delinquent...

I know it's been a while since I've posted, and some of that is because I took a little time off, and some of it is just because I've been swamped at work.  My best laid plans to run in San Francisco went right out the window, because my dad did decide to stay behind to be with my mom with everything going on with my grandma, so I was on my own to handle the conference.  With the extra workload, there was almost no time to run (let alone breathe), and then when I did finally have some time, I ended up with a migraine so bad that it wouldn't have been advisable.  Plus, one of our very sweet lawyers insisted that I get a massage at the hotel instead (and when I say insisted, I mean, he actually took me by the elbow and escorted me to the concierge, where he said "this woman has been working too hard! She needs a massage!"  So no running for me, despite my belief that it probably would have helped my stress level and it would have been a cool way to see San Francisco.  And I'd even traveled with all my running stuff, and hunted down the hotel's map of where to run.  But alas, it wasn't meant to be.  I'll just have to go back!

As for an update on my grandma, she's hanging in there, but she's been through a tough time.  When she was admitted to the hospital, they realized she'd had a series of strokes, and after running some tests, also found out that she has colon cancer.  They were able to surgically remove the tumor, at which point they realized she also had gall stones and decided to remove her gall bladder as well.  She's still in the hospital and recovery is slow, but not bad for a woman about to be 86 on Thursday! But it's still a lot of work and worry for my mom, who's been at the hospital almost all day every day since she's been there, and it's been a lot of worry for the rest of the family as well, especially since she's certainly not out of the woods yet and will now require full time care of some type.  

So with all of this going on, I flew home from San Francisco last Sunday and was totally wiped out and jet-lagged. It always seems silly that the three-hour time difference hits me harder than six or 12 hours, but for some reason, it's just enough time that I'm not tired enough to fall asleep earlier at night but I'm still wiped out in the mornings.  Plus, I was planning to take the next two weeks off for vacation, so I was working late this past week to cram in as much work as possible before I took time off.  Eventually, we decided it would be better for me to work Monday and Tuesday before taking two weeks off, because I just have too much post-conference things to finish up.  Oh, and in the meantime, I was also supposed to be training for a race. Today's race.  A 10k.  Yikes.

Coach J had told me to get back to running on Wednesday, after I talked to him on Tuesday afternoon.  He suggested I start with 35 minutes on Wednesday, 45 minutes on Friday and just think of today's race as my long run with water stops.  I kept telling myself it would be only about five minutes longer than my longest run ever, so it probably wouldn't be a big deal.  On Wednesday, I ran the 35 minutes about mid-day, and it was great running weather, so it was a good run.  After nine days off, my body felt great and rested, and although I was really worried about where I'd be, I was running okay.  My legs were a bit tight on Thursday and when I ran Friday, but I ran 4 miles in 44:10, which I was happy with, especially since it was nice and humid.  I was so preoccupied with work and family this week, and with my niece's christening this afternoon, I almost forgot that I had the 10k.  When my brother-in-law asked me yesterday if I was ready, I thought he meant for the christening, and it took me a minute to remember my race!  Good thing I remembered my sneakers...

I tried to forget the jitters last night, although I thought about Coach J telling me that when he's nervous, he knows he's ready to race.  I managed to get a good night's sleep, and woke up around six, before my alarm.  I was ready to get this over with.  I'd had a sudden worry that there would be a lot of hills (and if you know where I train, you know it's totally flat), but there wasn't a lot I could do about it.  I suited up, packed my bag with water, Advil, and some post-race snacks and headed out.  When I arrived at the race, there weren't a lot of people checking in yet, but the ones who were were all SERIOUS runners.

Seriously.

You know the type - long lean muscular legs, spandex everywhere, all the right footwear, eyewear, headwear, the works. I knew I was in for it.  I reminded myself that my goal for the day was just to finish.  I really wanted to finish under 70 minutes, but I mainly just wanted to finish.  I tried to remember that I wasn't really competing against anyone, that this was just my run today, and that helped.  After I registered, put on my race bib, and this chip for my shoe (I had to ask about that, feeling like a total idiot for never having seen one before), I was ready.  But there was still about forty minutes left.  So I put my tee shirt and bag in the car, and realized that the same chiropractors (including a very cute one) from the Hot Pursuit 5k were there.  I headed over to them to get stretched, and they're into the kinesiology tape (a la Misty May Treynor in the summer Olympics).  I wasn't sold on it after it didn't seem to make a huge difference in my hip during the last race, but I gave it a shot on my knees this time, and I have to say that until it peeled off in the rain, my knees actually didn't hurt for the first time since I started running. So now I'm officially a convert.

Finally it was time to line up.  The emcee of the event said, "We're here in Woodcliff Lake.  That's right, we have woods. We have a lake. And yes, we have hills."  

Crap.

But I was there, and determined to do my best. I could tell that as the runners gathered, I was going to be late in the pack - I picked out the people I thought I could beat (and I don't think I beat a one of them), but mostly, everyone was not kidding around.  Even the emcee said "this race separates the runners from the wannabe runners."  Well, I thought, I'm a runner, so I told myself to stop feeling like I didn't belong and just settle into my race.  Finally, they sounded the horn and we were off!

I knew I'd probably start off a little fast, so I tried to concentrate on running slower.  I felt really tired after only half a mile, which I thought didn't bode well for the rest of the race.  Plus, we hadn't actually gone up any hills yet.  I reminded myself that I always hated the first mile, and kept going.  Before I knew it, I was at the mile marker, and I'd run it in 10:37!  Not bad, but a little faster than I was planning on (though I hate running the 11-minute miles, it's been where I'm at lately, and I was trying not to push it so soon after a long hiatus).  Right after the first mile marker, there was a BIG hill.  Sweet.

I told myself it was no bigger than the one I ran in Island Heights, so I focused on pushing myself. I mean how many hills could there be right? HA.  I lost count there were so many!  But mile two, I had the first big hill, and then a lot of it was downhill, so all of the energy I'd really expended pushing myself early on came back, because I almost got a break on the downhill.  Not that downhill is a piece of cake, because it's tough on your quads, but it was certainly easier!  I managed to make it through mile 2 at 21:49, so 11:11 on the second mile.  The third mile was about more hills and a little bit more downhill (though mostly up).  I hit the end of that at 32:50, 11:01, so I was really speeding along.  I felt okay and was happy that I was almost halfway through at that point.  The weather today really helped too - the day started out really chilly, overcast and not too humid, and when the race started, so did the rain, so that helped too.  Not great to stand around in before and after the race, but great during! 

Mile four was more up and down, but manageable, and I got to 44:39, 11:49 for that mile.  Not great, but considering that was the furthest I'd run in two weeks, not bad.  

The fifth mile was all about "you've got to be kidding me!"  After we'd run along some good flat ground by the reservoir, we turned around and faced this huge hill.  I knew it was coming, since I'm familiar with this road, and it was the hill that I was dreading being a part of the course.  The woman next to me wasn't sure she'd make it, but I told her it was easier to run it than walk it.  Believing my own BS, I made it to the top of the hill happily, and thought they were sending us straight on downhill.  But no.  Instead, they sent us to the right, right into another hill.  I couldn't believe it.  I made it up that hill too without walking, but when we hit only a bit of a flat, and then another impossibly high hill, I had to walk for two minutes just to be able to keep going.  I'd had a mental argument with myself about it, because there was a woman near me almost the whole race who would walk a lot and then run a little, but her legs were so darn long that she seemed to keep up with me the whole time - and ended up beating me!  I really didn't want to walk any of it, but my legs just made the decision for me and slowed down.  Plus, a lot of people in front of me had started walking much earlier, so I consoled myself with the fact I'd put it off as long as possible!

I made it to the end of mile five at 56:48, 12:09 after the previous mile marker.  I just kept thinking about the finish line, and I had a lot of time to think to myself, since I was almost all alone on the course at this point.  I'd see another runner periodically, but mostly, it was all about me, which helped me run the race I was capable of running today.  I'd also see water stations every once in a while, and people directing the race, and they were great about cheering us all on (even us slow runners).  For a while, I was actually convinced I was last, that anyone I'd passed had just given up and DNF'd, but fortunately that turned out not to be true.  I know someone has to be last, I'm just glad it wasn't me - although, when I post my results, you'll see it almost was.

So the last mile was upon me, and I was feeling pretty good, mostly because I knew it was almost over!  I did have to take another two minute walking break on yet another hill, but I finally saw the six-mile marker and headed into the parking lot of the school for the last 0.20 miles.  Although in my last two races, I've been able to speed up for the end, that simply was NOT happening today.  I'd given everything I had out on the course with all those ridiculous hills, and just didn't have anything left.  I came in at 1:09:41 (69:41), and although it was *just* under 70 minutes, I was happy with it.  I came in 157 out of 172, but I did beat one girl in my age group - I was 6/7.  And I was really happy about that, because she was one of the people I saw at the start who I didn't think I would beat.  It looks like the fastest group was mostly in their thirties, forties and fifties, which you don't see a lot and clearly, I would need to train a lot more/harder if I want to get anywhere near that group, who kept a 6:00 pace.  My official pace was 11:13 (not bad!) and I came in 64/75 women.  Not the most satisfying run I've ever had, but I'm definitely happy with it considering all the factors going into it!  

So after a lovely christening and party for my niece, where I wore high heels, and two walks with the puppies today, my legs are rebelling and exhaustion is threatening to overtake me.  I did go back to the chiropractors to get my legs stretched out after the race, which made me decide that I should have someone around to stretch me out every time I run - that would be great!  I do plan to take the next two days off from running, learning from the revolt my body put up after my two 5k weekend when I only took one recovery day, and then hopefully I should be back to my regularly scheduled blogging/running. At least until I head to Athens in late September. Yes, right before the LBI run - perfect timing :)