1/2 Marathon Conquered!

It's been 17 weeks since I started training for the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon and yesterday marked the culmination of the miles I covered, the pain I endured (my poor knees are not very happy with me) and the satisfaction of knowing that I did something that I didn't think I could do. A big shout out to my Trainer Lauren for making me a schedule to follow and for being a good resource for the questions I had along the way as well as my cheerleader from afar.
There were 25,000 people that were signed up for the race and although that number is huge, I wasn't sure what to expect. I started my morning early (4:45 the alarm went off) and needless to say I didn't get much sleep as I was filled with nerves the night before. They were running shuttles (school buses) from downtown so Joe dropped me off down there around 5:30. At first I got in what seemed like the line but as more time went on and more people showed up, it just became chaos with thousands of people trying to get on the buses to get down to the start line. I can navigate large crowds with the best of them and managed to grab a seat pretty easily. It was about a 20 minute drive south of the city down to where the starting area was was. When we arrived all I saw were lines of port-a-potties. My fear of public toilets (and toilets that don't flush) was heightened upon arrival with a gross smell to accompany it. I forgot to mention that the projected forecast for the day was 70 and sunny but at 6 am it was quite cold. My legs were a nice shade of purple and I couldn't help but shiver in my running shorts and tank. After I dropped off my bag at the check-point I went to find my corral number. There were corrals numbered 1-39. When I initially signed up for the race one of the questions they ask is what your projected finish time is going to be. I had no idea so I said 3 hours and 30 minutes. That put me to start out in the "slow pack" at the back of the race in corral #36. The race started at 7 with corral #1. At that time I was in-line for the bathroom which took about 45 minutes. By then I joined my "pack" and started the race at 8am. They stagger start the corrals every 3 minutes so it took a while to go from #1-#36. We started out pretty close together and I was amongst a lot of walkers so it took a while for me to find my pace. There was a huge blown up guitar player over the initial path of the race with the first band playing. We ran on closed off streets, neighborhood streets, along Lake Washington, through a tunnel, and back on closed streets as we made our way to the finish line in front of Quest field downtown. Along the route, bands were playing on small stages, tables were set up with volunteers handing out water and sports drinks, high school cheerleading groups positioned themselves to give a boost, and locals sat in their yards to cheer us on. It was a good route for a beginner like me as there were few hills which was really nice. When I got to mile 7 I started to feel some pain in my knees and feet. Luckily I had these amazing jelly beans (sold at running stores) that I ate which gave me a good burst of energy for the final 4 miles. I had my best time the last four mile leg so I'd like to think the jelly beans along with pure determination to get to the finish line had something to do with it. When we got onto the downtown streets for the last mile and a half, there were people lining the streets cheering everyone on. I crossed the finish line about 10:20 and as soon as I stopped running I was very aware of the hurt in my legs. I felt really good breathing wise and was happy to cross the finish line without stopping anywhere along the way. The finish line area was a sea of runners and friends and family coming to congratulate them. Joe and Sydney were there to meet me. It felt the longest day and it wasn't even noon! We had plans to stay for the concert afterwards but the US soccer game took precedent. We walked to a nearby bar for some post-race lunch and the game. My post-race meal was french toast and let me tell you food never tasted so good! The atmosphere in the bar was fun as everyone was really into the game and more and more fellow racers stumbled in as time went on. After the game, we made our way back home (at this point my legs were so stiff I was walking a little funny) and I was so happy to have a hot shower! After a nap and some down time, we toasted the day with friends and champagne. I feel a good sense of accomplishment and am happy to check off something from my bucket list. I plan on letting my body rest for a bit but may find myself back in my running shoes for pure pleasure (and probably less distance!) :-)

It's been an interesting 72 hours. Last week I was looking forward to the end of school and wondering how I was going to spend my first few days of vacation. Little did I know I would spend day #2 of vacation sitting in the hospital. Joe ended up having his appendix taken out Friday morning after a middle of the night trip to the ER. He started Thursday night with his stomach not feeling right. At 4 am the pain had gotten much worse and by 4:30 we were sitting in the ER waiting for him to be seen. At first they weren't sure if it was a kidney stone or his appendix but after having a CAT scan done his appendix were found to be the source of his pain. After time spent hanging out in an ER room (and getting to see the US soccer game) he was given a room and a surgery time for 10:30 am. By 11:20 the surgeon came out to tell me that all went well and even had pictures (which Joe is thrilled about!) of what his appendix looked like and then how they looked post surgery. The whole time we were at the hospital I was amazed by all the uses of technology. The whole staff was wonderful and we felt in good hands. Joe was home by 7 that night. Being up at 4 truly made it feel like the longest day ever and we were both happy when our heads hit the pillow that night.
Unfortunately Friday was our only day of sunshine and this weekend has been pretty crummy. Perfect for Joe's recovery but I'm starting to feel like I have cabin fever. We had all intentions of watching for the second year in a row the Summer Solstice parade and the naked bicyclers yesterday. Instead our day was spent dozing off in front of movies on the couch. I guess some would consider that good bonding time :-)
Today I had plans to run the "Furry 5k" to support the Seattle animal shelters. They anticipated a total of $150,000 raised so I would consider that a success. All of the commercials with the sad looking animals and Sarah McLachlen singing in the background have really gotten to me. So much so that I either have to leave the room or turn the channel when it comes on. I thought this was a good opportunity to get my run in for the weekend while doing something for the animals at the same time. This was my first official race and just a little warm up for next weekend. It was an interesting mix of runners and their dogs (and those of us without). The dogs were all quite the troopers. Of course it started to rain before we started the race so it was very wet running to say the least. As we started there was lots of barking going on with the dogs talking to one another and it took a few minutes for all of us to find running space on the trail between the dogs and their leashes. I was able to run the 3 miles in under 30 minutes so I was happy about that. Soaken wet but content that my run was done before 11 am, I spent the rest of the afternoon in company with Lifetime movies. It was the perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday. Hopefully waking up to some sunshine tomorrow......

A day and a half.......the amount of time left in the school year and subsequently the amount of time until I begin summer break. I feel so spoiled by the school calendar! It's been a week of wrap-ups with therapy sessions, paperwork, and end of the year parties. I'm also wrapping up my running schedule with now less than 2 weeks left until the big race! Luckily it was a beautiful weekend. Mother Nature must have been hearing my pleas for sunshine after all. What's even better than sun? Sun + the beach. Yes the beach! Not exactly the kind you can swim in but water and sand none the less! I went with my friend Sydney to an area new to us called Golden Garden State Park. It sits north of Seattle and is known for the interesting sea creatures that you can find in the tide pools. Unfortunately we made it later in the afternoon when the tides were too high but we did get to experience the smell of the salty sea air and take in the large crowd that had gathered about. I don't think there was a patch of sand left to sit on there were so many people! We walked around a bit to get our bearings and then wandered next door to the marina where all the sailboats are parked. I can't tell you how many times I say out loud that I wish I knew someone with a boat. On sunny days it seems it's the place to be out on the water. We finished our Saturday at a restaurant on Lake Washington with a window view of Mt. Rainier. Very picturesque!
Sunday was my big running day...12 miles. Let's just say my knees and quad muscles haven't been the same since! I ran a trail that curves along the canal north of Seattle and ends at Golden Gardens. The beach twice in two days! Things were going pretty well until my path just suddenly ended (I thought it went all the way). Luckily I was able to figure out where to head from our drive the day before. On my travels I stopped to be a tourist at the Ballard Locks. This area is known to be quite the attraction as it's the meeting point for the Puget Sound (salt water) and the bay (fresh water). Unfortunately there weren't any boats to watch make the switch but it was interesting to see the different water levels. I then continued north on my journey until I hit the smell of salt air. When I arrived at Golden Gardens there was a much smaller crowd since it was earlier in the day. I decided to take a few minutes to enjoy the air and the view with a popsicle. I find that the sugar helps with my running.:-) All in all my journey was 2 hours and 30 minutes and by the end my feet were telling me they were done. This morning I was reminded again of my activities yesterday as it hurt to walk down stairs and raise my knees. I hope my body can hold up for two more weeks......

Rain Rain Go Away

Rain Rain Go Away please go bother another city for a few days......My sentiments towards the pitter patter of rain drops that I can hear hitting the windows. It continues to be wet here although we were given a reprieve yesterday with a little sunshine and warm temperatures. It was perfect timing for my 10 mile run that I was scheduled for. Joe has been battling a cold and after our busy weekend last weekend, this weekend was very low key in comparison. I'm on my countdown of 8 more days of the school year left. I have many of progress reports for IEP's to write before then but it's nice to have a glimpse of the finish line in the horizon. I find it very comforting to have an open stretch of unplanned time between the 16th of June and the end of August. Love the school year calendar!
I'm in my last 3 weeks of training before my half marathon. Crazy that 14 weeks have gone by. I think my body is starting to feel the stress a bit as I have pain in my feet and knees but at the same time I am proud of my body for enduring the stress and allowing me to push the limits beyond what I thought I was capable of. This past week I've looked forward to my runs as I've needed the opportunity to clear my head. It has become a comfort to take time to focus on breathing in my nose and out mouth, listening to my footsteps as they hit the pavement, and pushing aside the stress that I'm feeling from life. I feel in good company with the rest of the runners in the Seattle (there are many!) and even got a high five from a fellow jogger as we passed each other on the street. I hope to incorporate running a little bit more into my life even after I'm done training.
For now, it's full speed ahead with the last full week of school. Some end of the school celebrations to look forward to towards the end of the week and hopefully sunshine too. Mother Nature are you listening??????