Race Report & Review-Newport 10 Miler

 This past weekend I traveled to Newport, Rhode Island to participate in the Inaugural Newport 10 Miler.  This is the first time I have ever traveled for a race--everything I have run up to this point has been in South Florida.  I was nervous about traveling, and I was nervous about the HILLS, because we just don't have those in South Florida.  Oh, and the cold.  It was in the 40s-50s and windy.  Yeah, 40s and 50s is winter jacket weather for this SoFL girl.  I don't know how to run in that kind of weather.  But my best bud Allison was running her first double digit race (and her 2nd race ever!) so I wanted to be there for her.  Plus I had yet to meet her nine month old baby girl!

As soon as Allison picked me up from the airport on Saturday, we jaunted over to Fort Adams to  work packet pickup.  Allison's little girl came and "helped".  We look like fools because we were trying to get her to look at the camera--it obviously didn't work :-)

I truly started freaking out about the temperatures while working packet pickup because while the sun was out, the wind was blowing pretty good and was bitingly chilly.  I was so worried about staying warm during the race. 

Race morning dawned cool, but calm.  The water looked like glass.  It was chilly in the morning, but the race organizers and the foresight to schedule a pre-race yoga session, which was brilliant.  I was able to get warmed up and gear check all of my extra layers.

Allison and I before the race. 

The water was so calm it looked like glass!

Right before the race I managed to find Nicole (Running While Mommy) from Team Tough Chik so we could get a quick picture.  Nicole was chasing for a 1:45 PR and killed it.

 

 There was an emotional moment of silence for Boston.  I was amazed how many BAA jackets I saw while I was there--both volunteers and participants.  I met at least half a dozen people who were there on the 15th.  Boston shirts were EVERYWHERE.  I made a shirt using a beautiful heart posted by Organic Runner Mom. I was surprised how well the iron on stayed on my shirt.  Allison wasn't so lucky--here's started to peel and we managed to melt the shirt the night before the race.  Whoops!

By the time we lined up I was raring to go.  Allison and I noticed a funky helicopter-looking thingie before the start . . . turns out it was a remote controlled camera, which they used to shoot this awesome video of the start.  

Once we got started, I realized I had forgotten to set my GPS to do 5 min on/1 min walk intervals with a warmup/cooldown.  This is what I had done for A1A that had worked so well.  I got a little nervous then, but just decided to go with the flow.  It took us about 1.5 miles to hit the waterfront running section, and then I knew this was going to be a good race.  Residents lined the course and were so encouraging.  I usually have a tendancy to go out too fast in the first mile or so, but whenever I looked down I was between a 10:30 and an 11:00.   As we headed over the first few hills I felt elated, because the climbs weren't as bad as I was expecting.  We hit the first water station at mile 2 and I knew my plan--run hard for the 2 miles between each station.  The weather was cool and crisp, and the lack of Fl humidity had me feeling strong.  

I wish I had more pictures of the scenery of race.  Mansions and beautiful ocean views dominated,  It was breathtaking.  We went back and took pictures of later, but I don't have those yet.  I realize that running venues like this are going to totally ruin me . . . its to the point if it isn't 50% ocean view, I'm not interested.  I'm going to be SOL if we ever move to a land locked place!

The hills started getting wicked tough after about mile 5.  I had been running in the same group of people for a while, but after mile 5 many of them started dropping back.  There was a guy in a BAA jacket high fiving people. That pretty much fueled me for the next few miles.  As we hit a big hill, I started getting excited because I was owning the hills--something I wasn't expecting.  After that, I started getting tunnel vision and really started focusing on my race.  I knew I was going to kill the 2 hour finish goal I had set for myself.  I started wondering if I could finish below an 11 minute mile pace.

As usual, the last mile was the toughest.  It seemed to go on FOREVER.  When I finally got in to the Fort, I pushed hard for the finish.  Official time was 1:50:17, an 11:02 pace.  I was super proud of that number.  Grabbed a drink of water and headed back out for Allison, who wasn't far behind at all.  She did and amazing job and killed her goal by 12 minutes.  So proud of her!!

 All in all, this was a great race.  The entire event was ran very smoothly, especially for the first year.  The entry was incredibly reasonable ($35).  The swag was non-existant--participants got a cotton shirt, but I'm okay with that because I don't race for swag.  There was no finisher's medal, but that wasn't a big thing for me either.  The course was absolutely amazing.  The only complaint I have about the race was that there were only TWO portapots on the entire course, and they were well over half way through the course.  This was my first 10-miler and I found the distance to be perfect--it was a lot easier to push during the 2nd five miles because you knew you were DONE at 10, rather than having another 5K to go.   If you find yourself in Newport at the end of April in 2014, I highly recommend this race!

We spent the afternoon catching up and it was back on Monday morning for me.  I'm sorer than I've been in a while after a race . . . I'm sure it was those pesky hills.   Distance season is done for me until October, when I should be hitting the Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon with my better half (who held down the fort beautifully during this trip, I should add).  I will be gunning for a PR and an average pace UNDER an 11:00 mile.  This is a lonnggggg was from the 13:30 average I ran for my first half in March 2012.  Progress is awesome.  Happy Tuesday friends!

Take Pride

Something exceedingly exciting is happening on Saturday morning.  I get to get on a plane, all by myself, and go see one of my most favorite people in the world, Allison.  Allison and I became friends when I was pregnant with my daughter.  I have been blessed with a lot of wonderful people in my life, but Allison is one of those friends that always *got* me.  No need for words, explanations, or anything else.   After Summer was born, she and I went on a few short runs together.  I remember her asking what had changed to make me want to change.  I remember telling her all of it--that I was tired of talking about it, that I wanted more for myself and for my daughter.  That my own body image would set the tone for how my kids--but especially my daughter--would see themselves.

I've been on this road to fitness since September 2008.  Part of what I REALLY wanted for myself this year was to quit being so critical of my body.  My body image has improved by leaps and bounds over the past four years, since I started shedding the weight, but I still tend to look in the mirror and see flaws.  More than that, though, I look at the number on the scale and just get flat out ticked.   I actually gained about ten pounds last year when I turned thirty.  This year I made the decision to not be obsessive about my food choices, but to eat well and work hard.   I wanted to stop focusing on the scale and start focusing on being stronger, faster, and balanced.  In running and in life.

There's been a picture circulating on facebook lately showing a bunch of  ladies who weigh 150lbs.  This is the "magic" number for my 5' 4" frame.  The weight at which I'm no longer considered obese.  The closest I've gotten to this number was around 165lbs and that was a good 10+/- pounds ago.  I'm not entirely sure what I weigh these days because I put my scale away.

 BMI (Body Mass Index) is, in my book, an evil entity.  Taking into consideration only your height and weight, it pops out a number which then categorizes you as ideal weight, obese, morbidly obese, etc.  I still fall into the obese category.  Many women are embarassed to admit their weight, but I want to scream mine to anyone to listen.  I want the world to know that just because you weigh more than you are "supposed to," it doesn't mean you are unhealthy.  Just like weighing your "ideal weight" doesn't make you fit.

The girl on the left weighed 220. She never went to the gym.  I had to DIG to find a picture of myself at this weight because I routinely hid from the camera.  Its pretty sad that I only have a handful of pictures of myself with my son in his first two years of life.   That girl on the RIGHT can go all day if she needs to. She swims, she bikes, she runs, she pumps.  I'm not scared to get in front of the camera.  

So, I feel like I should apologize for posting a picture of myself in a bikini, but I'm really not sorry.  Its scary to post a picture like that . . . because I know my body isn't perfect and it isn't the "ideal."  But those legs have carried me over hundreds of miles over the past two years.  They can press more than 90lbs beyond my weight in the gym.  Those arms have carried my kids and schlep produce for dozens of people every month.  My stomach housed the two most important people in my world.  (And by the way, my little girl is in BOTH those pictures. Oh how the years go by!)  The only way we can change how the world defines beauty is by being confident and taking pride in ourselves.  We all should celebrate where we are and how far we've come.  Maybe we aren't where we need to be yet, but you have to have faith you can get there.

I'm so so so excited that this weekend I get to be with my amazing friend as she does an amazing milestone race.   Her first time running double digits.  She, like so many of us, is selling herself short when she talks about how she thinks she will do.   When I saw the Larson quote from the graphic above, I immediately thought of her.  She doesn't know she is strong.  She, like so many of us, sometimes sells herself short.  I can't wait to see the look on her face at that finish line.

Take pride in your strengths instead of focusing on the weaknesses.  Don't look at what you need to change when you look in the mirror--see the things that are amazing and make you who you are.  See the things that make you strong.  Because I promise you . . . you are.

I will leave you with this--and it, like so much of the motivation I find in life, came from a yoga class taught by my friend Susan . . .  If you have somewhere where you want to get in life, you must first take note of where you are.  You can not look up directions to a location on Mapquest without first typing in your starting address.  You must first look at where you are.  As as you look at where you are, take pride in it.  It may not be where you want to be, but at least you are thinking about where you want to go.  If there is somewhere you want to be, accept that you would like to get there and make a plan to help you arrive at your destination.  You are strong.  You can get there.  But remember that often times, the journey is just as amazing as the goal.  Take pride in yourself, every step of the way. 

The Family I never Expected

Source

Last Monday started out like any other Monday.  Drop the boy at school, gym time, home, work, pick up the boy.  It was the first time I had any interest in the Boston Marathon--tried to watch it at the gym but it wasn't on satellite and they didn't have any WiFi.   No big deal, I caught up with the results when I got home.  Noted that it was insane the female winner ran 26.2 in the time it takes me to run 13.1.   Went to pick up my son, went to let out my friend's dogs.

Its one of those moments we will remember forever . . . where we were when we heard the news. Just like 9/11.   I was sitting on my friend's couch, scratching her dogs, while my son did his homework.  My good friend Abbey texted me and asked "Heard about the marathon?  People are crazy!"  I thought she meant they were nuts for running, but that didn't make sense.  I didn't understand, texted her the obligatory "??" back.  She called me.  I knew something was wrong, because all of my mommy friends only call if its a big thing.  Then I turned on the news.  And realized the world was forever changed again.

Tragedy is always horrible.  But the site of THIS tragedy hit so much more closer to home for the running community than anything ever has before.  I have never run Boston (and probably never will) and haven't run a marathon (yet).  But I knew when I DO run a marathon, I want my family waiting for me at the finish line.  Which is exactly where the terrorists responsible for the Boston attacks targeted.  I felt sick.  It seemed the runners were safe, but holy cow, what about their families?

My kids were in the room.   I didn't want them to see, but I couldn't turn it off.  My son (who is 6), asked me "Were any of your friends running?"  The automatic answer was YES.  I knew at least one of my Team Tough Chik teammates was there.  I knew a couple of bloggers I followed were there.  But beyond that, every runner there was a friend.  He asked me if I could text them to see if they were okay.  I had to try to explain to him that we weren't THAT kind of friends.  Online friends.  But friends, all the same.  My mom immediately called and asked the same question. 

The running community was hit HARD by this tragedy.  Its hard to explain to those outside of it.  The finish line is a sacred place--a symbol of all the hard work that goes in to running a race. The place your family waits for you to celebrate what you've accomplished. And running in BOSTON is the accomplishment of a running career.  And while it is clear that we will NOT let these people win and conquer over us, we will never ever take a finish line for granted again.

My friend Allison posted this immediately after the bombings, and it ended up being so very true:

Beyond the amazing acts of heroism, the running community banded together.  Runners everywhere put on race shirts and hit the streets to show their support for those affected in Boston. 

When I started running, I never really expected to gain a whole other family.  Running, like motherhood, connects you to people that you would otherwise have no common ground with.  It doesn't matter whether you are fast or slow.  We understand each other.  

 Nothing says this better, than the photo below.  Lisa (Mom2Marathon) ran the Boston marathon and was nearing mile 26 when the bombings occurred.  She was unable to finish and was of course shaken by her experience.  One of our other Tough Chiks, Katye, who finished the Boston Marathon in 2011, sent her medal to Lisa, along with this lovely note.

In the face of heartbreak and sorrow, the human spirit always prevails.  There is more kindness in this world than there is darkness.  Those who live in the dark have to do horrible things so that we will pay attention to them, but in the end, the light always wins.  I'm so glad to be a part of this amazing family that is runners.  I'm thankful for my Tough Chik teammates, who have made this past week bearable--it was nice to know we weren't alone with our crazy emotions.

Please observe a moment of silence today at 2:50 for all those whose lives were lost or altered by the events last week.  And do something kind for someone today.