2017 Goals, weeks 14-19

Yeah, getting a little behind.

1. Exercise: as of Saturday 5/13/17 

Running: 300 miles: To date: 138.5 miles  So, I finished the half
Biking: 500 miles: To date: 48.44 miles (been mostly running)
Swimming: 50 miles: To date: 10.08 miles (only 3 times in a month and a half).
Walking: 150 miles: To date: 68.56 miles
Weights/ yoga: 30 minutes a week (1560 this year): 403 minutes - way behind here

So, yesterday was the half marathon.  I had four goals:

1.  Finish

2.  Under 3 hours

3.  With a smile on my face

4.  Not in pain

I managed the first 3!  Here's a recap.  First, I ran with my Moms in Motion training group.  I am the slow one.  But really, I like to think of it like this: I'm faster than everyone on the couch.  It's very hard for me, as a type-A competitive person, to do these things. 

- Most of my running friends are just fast.  Some of them are tall.  Some of them are slender.  But most of them just have the build and ability to run - run faster without injury.  It's VERY hard to accept your body's limitations. But I've learned that I have to.  I know one woman who started training 4 weeks ago and finished in under 2 hours, coming in 2nd in her age group.

- The last time I ran this race was 7 years ago.  I finished in 2:11:04.  This time I finished in 2:52:20. (#155/189 in the 45-49 age group)  I decided that I didn't want to be in pain. Last time I was injured with sciatica/ piriformis so badly that I couldn't run for a year.  When I started up again, I ended up with achilles tendonitis. So, how to run without pain?

- I use a pretty strict run/walk Galloway method now (reduces injury and fatigue because walking and running use different muscles).  I start off at a 4:1 run:walk (though this race I ran the first 9 mins).  I maintain that as long as I can.  But this method - in the book that I bought - basically says "walk before you need to".  (I started running a year ago, with a 2:3 run:walk ratio.)  My run pace is around 10:30 to 12:00, and my walk pace is 17:00 to 20:00.

- My hips tend to ache at mile 7.  Especially going up hill.  It's a bummer.  This is why I am now remembering that I don't like half marathons.  They are not my jam. I like 10Ks.  My body likes 10Ks.

On the actual race -

- It's beautiful. Rolling hills of ranches and wineries.  This is important.  It comes into play later.

- The start was pretty good, if a bit slow.  Cold and windy.  I ran the first 9 minutes (with my friend Cheryl, who is in her 60s and was aiming for a sub 2:30.  She did it!)  When I took my walk break she looked back and I said "go!"  Our group carpooled up to the start, and I was PRETTY sure that I told everyone my goal was sub 3-hours, and 2:50 would be awesome.

- The first half is up hill.  At mile 6, there's this massive hill called "Corkscrew hill".  I remember it well from last time.  At the bottom of the hill is when I could *just* start to feel my hips.  I walked up the whole hill.  I also took a picture.  It's the only "mid-run" picture that I took - but I took it because - this is supposed to be FUN.  What difference does a couple of minutes make?  I wasn't going to PR.

- For this reason, when I had to go to the bathroom at the transition point, I used the porta potty. I stopped my Garmin. So when someone asks me how long my race was?  Chip time: 2:52, watch time: 2:49.  Why suffer for another 6.5 miles if you have to go???

- I also started up my iPod at mile 4.5.  Usually I'd make it until 7 miles.

- The second half is mostly downhill.  I ended up running with another couple of ladies doing the run /walk, but we weren't quite on the same schedule.  They were still doing 4:1, but after mile 7, I couldn't manage it.  I switched to more of a 2:1.  It's okay - the vast majority of people around my pace were doing a run:walk combo.  I felt like I found my people!  In my training group, I'm the only one.

- From miles 7 to 12, the hips were a definite issue.  It's rolling hills course, and I found that there were times (gradual downhills) where my hips actually felt BETTER running than walking.  So the last half of the race, I would run until things started to hurt, then I'd walk until it didn't hurt.  2:1, 2:2, 2:3, 1:2...it really varied. During all of my walk sections I made sure to enjoy the scenery.  It's the whole point I signed up for this thing again anyway.

- Right at mile marker 11, there was a steep downhill.  Even walking, it hurt.  That's when my knees decided to join in with the hips.  There's a steep 1/2 mile hill at 11.5 miles.  At mile 11, I decided to take an ibuprofen.  I never do that.  I stopped and stretched.

- I remembered what the finish line was like.  I was able to run a bit more near the end - 1 min run, 1 min walk.  I set myself up for being able to run the last few blocks, so I could have a strong finish.  Most my team was already having wine/beer (they thought they'd missed me?  At 2:30?  You must have mistaken me for someone else). But my hubby and kids were there to cheer me on, and Cheryl was at the finish.

- So then I gave my post-race treats to the kids.  Drank water.  Walked around a bit.  Found my beer and wine drinking friends. I seriously don't want to drink after a half.  Went to the toy store with my family and ran into an old friend.  It was great.  She told me that she's pretty sure a young woman died at the finish line. Not so great.  Sat for awhile, limped off to the bathroom, and started the long drive home.  (I don't feel particularly social after a long race, I guess.)

- I retrieved my car from my friend's house and did the grocery shopping.  And then?  Well, the rest of the day, and today - the only things that hurt are my right toes and a spot that got chafed from the bra.  Which I didn't notice until I took a shower.  So, was it the grocery shopping?  Was it the ibuprofen?  Despite the pain during the run, I'm pretty much unscathed. That's a abnormal for me for a long run.

2. Grocery bill: Keep it under $7000 ($134.62/wk): $2679.56.  $141.03/ week.  These last 2 weeks were really big, compared to the prior 3.

3.  Weight: I have no idea.

4.  Family:
Go on 12 family hikes: Um...run run run run.  And it's allergy season.
Do game night once a week: Not much of this.

5.  Crafts:
- Crochet a blanket - DONE, and little guy has claimed it.  I decided that I felt way to beholden to the day's temperature to continue on this trend for the next blanket.  So now I'm doing something else.

- all the other crafty stuff: nothing

6.  Sleep: ugh.

7.  Food: eat vegan 2 days a week. I'm not sure when or if I'm going to jump back on this train.

8.  Cookbooks: Try 1 recipe from every cookbook I own.  Ditto.  See #7. I'm making a lot of things over and over again.

9.  Work:
     a. Skills: Learn enough programming to automate the data pulls for problem lots (which requires pulling data from 2 different databases).  Haven't worked on this yet.  REALLY need to.
     b. Personal:  Don't engage.  Really.  

10.  Home: Contact contractor/ architect on adding a second bathroom. Need to get moving on the fixing of the plumbing first.

11.  Garden: need to plant stuff.  And more stuff.

12.  Spouse: I don't think we got a date in April.

13.  Beverages:
- Drink less coffee and more tea (one cup coffee per day): doing okay here, but work is KILLING me because our ice maker is broken.
- Do not buy any wine aside from my two wine club memberships.  

- Drink two 24-oz bottles of water a day, minimum.  I managed this on my running days.

14.  Mom's nights/ dad's night once a month: Jan, check.  Feb, fail. March, fail.  April: fail.

15.  Host friends.  Jan, check.  Feb, fail.  March, fail.  April, success on day 1!!  May - need to get on this.