Relentless Forward Motion

So....another weekend, another half marathon.

This was my second half marathon in the past eight days, and this one was also run with a wonky foot...but under much different conditions (weather and otherwise).

Shirts from previous Grinnell Games events

This was my third time running the Grinnell Games Half Marathon. Having run it  in 2012 (ugh...terrible weather, major bonk, not fully recovered from a prior weekend's 20K) and also in 2014 (ugh...no bonking, but almost equally terrible weather conditions), so I knew what I was getting into. Going into this race, I knew it would not be about PR'ing (although I only needed a sub-2:10 to make that happen at this event).

It isn't every race where I get the bib with the distance number!

This is also my home town, and the course goes right by my driveway, so I run this route routinely. The course was changed this year, though, incorporating a few more "gentle rolling hills" on a different road (as well as a longer stretch on a previous road). And let's not forget my right heel! I had pretty much stayed out of my running shoes (except for #nevermisaMonday) and had been giving my heel a lot of TLC. It was still feeling "off," but much better than it had been a week prior.

We had some hot, humid weather late in the week, and it was forecasted to remain throughout the weekend. Initially, I wasn't pleased to hear about the weather, but I quickly remembered I had run in those (almost) exact conditions in my two previous Grinnell Games 13.1's (2014 RECAP) , so it would be familiar territory (in more ways than one).

Imagine my surprise to wake up around 4:00AM Saturday morning to some major thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. Say WHAT????

A lot can happen in six hours. The shot on the left was from Friday afternoon (and had not changed prior to 11:00PM when I went to bed), the other is from early Saturday morning.

It was still dark and cloudy, with some intermittent rain, when I got out of bed. I had my ritual oatmeal and chai latte' and did a few things on the computer...and kept checking the weather tracker. The race began downtown, which is just under a mile from my house. I had planned to walk, but had my husband drop me off since I wasn't sure about the weather.

Pre-race...about to line up at the starting line

I met up with Barb and a few other local friends, and all of us were in a state of confusion as to what would happen on the race course. It appeared the rain was done, but the air was horrendously humid. Race time was 8:00, and we'd be done around 10:00 or shortly after), so hopefully we'd avoid a lot of the sun (and potentially even more heat).

Although my heel was feeling good (NOTgreat, but indeed better), I could feel it for most of the first few miles. That's pretty typical for me...it almost always takes me a few miles to loosen up and  get into a groove...so I tried to stay calm and not let the "heel wonkiness" get in my head.

The course is actually a 6.5-mile loop around town (and we run it twice). I have mixed feelings about such courses, no matter the distance. It's kind of nice to run the first lap and see what's out there so the second lap doesn't present any surprises. The downside? You've already seen the rolling hills...and know which ones are more of a challenge, you felt where the SW wind was the strongest, and you remember where the long stretches of boredom happened.

There's a stretch just after the 2-mile mark (approximate 8.5-mile mark on the second loop) where the route turns, heading south...straight into the wind. We don't get a lot of wind out of the south in Iowa, but when we do it's usually a really hot, heavy wind. The wind we had on Saturday was pretty strong, but it was a cool wind. It actually felt refreshing, but it was a bear to run against. It also was more of a SW wind, so it felt like it was in my face for several miles at a time.

So, anyways, it wasn't until about the 5th mile where I actually noticed the heel had changed from wonkiness (with each step) to more of a dull ache (which I could probably handle for the mere eight remaining miles). Glass-half-full, I pressed onward. Relentless. Forward. Motion.

The new road added to the route made its appearance near the 4.5 mile mark (and 11 mile mark). It was almost an entire mile (headed east), with rolling hills through a residential area. Hills can be challenge, no doubt. The steep hills have that tough incline, but are over and done pretty quickly. But the rolling hills have their own breed of tough...they tend to be longer and there's not much of a break in between them. That said, I actually don't mind hills (much). Fighting gravity is not usually easy, but it does help your body become stronger. It also gives some muscle groups a break as you change from incline to decline (or transition back to a flat surface).

I need to do some playing and adjusting with my watch, because (again) the display only showed my pacing info (and not the current "running" time). Based on my mile splits, I made it around the first loop in about 1:03. I knew I wasn't going my fastest, but given the humid conditions and the state of my foot, I was doing alright. It also occurred to me, even though I wasn't trying for it, a PR would be a mute point because the route was different (again, glass-half-full).

As I approached our driveway on the second loop (which was approximately the 7.5-mile mark), my daughter had a gel packet waiting for me (that's actually a nice perk when your house is on the route...I didn't need to carry anything!). I have been avoiding gels for fuel, but I had used one at Dam to Dam (a week prior), and it had worked alright for the race itself (although my tummy wasn't too happy a few hours later).

A short ways later, my husband was set up on the street corner, with music. He'd been there on the first lap, too. I paused briefly to high-5 him and he got my picture.

Next was the long stretch with a couple hills (on a county road, headed east, with a side wind). Then that turn (near the 8.5-mile mark), headed due south...into the wind). I could tell my pace had really slowed down, but I felt fine. Relentless. Forward. Motion.

No matter how tough of a race I'm having, or how miserable I may be feeling (due to weather, discomfort, fatigue, etc.), I always try to make light of the situation. Being uptight and ticked-off does not get me to the finish line any faster and only makes the experience more difficult. Every time I approached a water stand, or saw spectators along the road, I said, "The highest bidder gets to take my spot and finish the race for me!" Most people laughed, so I then told them that I hadn't had any takers yet. Yes, I do what I gotta do.

What really surprised me (and I didn't realize this until after I had finished) is that I never had the urge to walk. Of course, I walked through the water stations (and a few steps after), but that was it. I could feel my calves getting a little strained in the last 3-4 miles, so I just tried to step with caution. I'm pretty sure my gait was still somewhat altered (due to the heel stuff), so I knew I had to just keep as steady of a pace as possible to not confuse my muscles. Relentless. Forward. Motion.

It was about halfway through the final mile when I heard my watch beep. I looked down at it, and it said, "Save? Resume? Delete?" What the WHAT??? I hit resume, and it beeped (again) signaling that it had resumed (or so I thought).  I made it through that last mile with (what I felt was) a decent pace, and was pleasantly surprised to see my husband had brought the golf cart down (with the music) and was there right before the finish line.

What a difference five miles makes (at 7.5 miles and then at mile 13) #stillsmiling

My official time was 2:15:16. My watch showed a similar time... but remember that little glip about halfway through the final mile? Apparently I lost some mileage in between the watch beeping and my "resuming" it. It showed that I ran 12.23 miles (and not 13.1). Adding up all my splits, and subtracting that from the finish time gives me a 12:13 split for the final 1.1 mile of the race...but I'm pretty sure I ran it faster than that. So, I'm not sure what's up. Maybe my watch stopped at the 12-mile mark and I heard it beep (but thought it was just the mile split) and then it beeped again as a reminder(??). Who knows? I finished the race, and I'm good with that. Even though this was one of my slower half marathons, it was another finish line...and I fought the weather, the hills, and some steady aches (and pains) to get there.

Mile 1--8:41     Mile 7--10:16
Mile 2--9:14     Mile 8--11:48 (stopped for gel, water, etc.)
Mile 3--9:53     Mile 9--10:41
Mile 4--9:48     Mile 10--11:09
Mile 5--10:00   Mile 11--11:04
Mile 6--10:11   Mile 12--10:33
                         Mile 13--???

That's a wrap! Another half marathon in the books!

No doubt, this was one of my tougher races (half marathons and otherwise). The temps weren't too unbearable, but the humidity really made it difficult to breathe. The sun eventually poked through the clouds around the 8-mile mark, and that definitely raised the temps. Although my heel felt strange for most of the first half of the race, it didn't feel too bad after that...at least it didn't feel any worse. I don't have any races until the 4th of July, so I'll be (somewhat) on the down-low this next week at least.

Another race done with my friend, Barb

I kept things pretty low-maintenance this past week as well, and I stayed off my foot as much as possible. My race performance was more important than logging any excess weekly miles and causing further injury.

Some highlights:

In keeping with my #nevermissaMonday, I pedaled my bike to the lake and did an easy (slow) mile on the trail. I may have also done some planking and declined push-ups with the picnic table...

No shame

An extended lunch hour afforded me the time for a bike ride. I rode out on the bike path, about seven total miles. It's a hilly path, and there was a fierce side wind.... in other words, there was NO coasting and constant pedaling.

Yikes! That was hot!

The planking continues...and Max is the best accountability partner.

I have taken the push-ups outside a few times. Ouch! The dry grass hurts!

And, lastly, I saw my pics from Dam to Dam...and I was pleasantly surprised to actually have a few to consider buying...

Thumbs UP!!

So, how was your week? Ever sacrificed weekly mileage to give your body a bit more TLC prior to a race? Have you ever done a double-looped course for a race? Race pics...yay or nay?

I'm linking with the wonder women  Holly from  HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for the Weekly Wrap...head over and checkout all the great reads!!

Dam to Dam 2016!

Anyone who has been following my blog, my Facebook page (Running on the Fly), or knows me personally has heard me speak (fondly) of Dam to Dam. It's a nearby event (Des Moines, IA), and this weekend marked the 37th anniversary of the festivities and it was my 9th consecutive year of lacing up and taking part.

There are many reasons why I love this event:
1)-it was my first-ever distance race (Recap HERE)
2)-the course is unique, challenging, and scenic
3)-the registration is very reasonable ($40!)
4)-the tribute to Iowa armed forces personnel who have since left us
5)-lots of volunteers, entertainment, and spectator support

Dam to Dam previously was a 20K distance, but in 2014 the course was lengthened to a half marathon distance.

I have had a wonky heel the past couple weeks (you can read about that HERE). It's really been  nothing major until a short 1.5 mile run on May 31 (putting me at the 100-mile mark for my monthly miles).Ugh. I believe it's a heel spur, which can lead to Plantar Fasciitis if I'm not careful (been there, done that...last summer). The irony is that it doesn't bother me (much) when I'm running (mid-foot strike), but standing or walking is another story (full-on heel strike).

Going into this race, I utilized some caution....two days of rest (from running), colorful sports tape, not-so-attractive PF compression sleeve, periodic icing, and intermittent massaging. And ZERO fancy, sparkly sandals (desperate times, desperate measures).

All taped up and ready to run!

Race day morning, all appeared to feel fine and be in working order. I was able to walk (in my running shoes) with almost no pain or discomfort, so I was optimistic running would (hopefully) be a non-issue.

The morning plank (at 4:00AM) while the chai was heating...

What's unique about Dam to Dam is that it's a point-to-point course. Hundreds (and I do mean HUNDREDS) of school buses are lined up to escort all the runners out to Saylorville Dam (hence the name Dam to Dam). The race begins at 7:00, and the final bus departs downtown Des Moines at 5:45. We live an hour away, so we had a 3:30AM wake-up, and left town at 4:15 ((yawn)).

Let's just say the bus ride was bUmPy

We arrived at the Dam around 6:00AM, so we had plenty of time to use the porta-pots and walk around. I especially love the start line. Even though the 2-lane road over the dam is narrow (with not much of a shoulder) and is very crowded....the view is amazing, especially on a beautiful morning. You can see the downtown Des Moines skyline ever-so-faintly in the distance.

off in the distance (13 miles and change)...the finish line awaits in downtown Des Moines

Barb and I lost Pat at the porta-pots, and weren't able to find him back. I knew we'd all meet up at the finish line, so I wasn't concerned. Barb and I hung together for the first mile or so, then we spread out as the crowd of runners started to thin out. My foot had been feeling alright and I did not want to take any chances with 13.1 miles on my agenda, so I knew I'd be running my own race and not forcing myself into a faster-than-desired pace.

The first few miles always seem to go slow...you know how it is....lots of weaving and dodging fellow runners in a tight, narrow space. Seriously, people, can't we all cooperate with the pace-marker signs? Unless you're an elite, please honor the signs--and YOUR speed. The race is chip-timed, so there's nothing to gained by pushing your way to the front (there, I feel better already #rantover).

The weather was absolutely beautiful, in fact, I'd say it was about as close to perfect as it could possibly be. Temps were in the mid-70's at start time, with a very gentle breeze. If it wasn't for my foot, this would have been the ideal day to try for a PR...the Dam to Dam course has an "overall" downhill grade, especially in the first seven miles or so. There's a good hill, at mile 8, and then there's a few rolling hills for the remainder of the race. There's also a pretty steep, though curving, hill right before the 13-mile mark.

The miles were going well, but I could feel my heel. It wasn't really hurting, but it certainly felt a little "off." Somehow (again!), I hit a foreign button on my watch and I couldn't see the time. I could see my pace, but I prefer to see the elapsed time ticking. I could tell I was running pretty steady, though.

The first seven or so miles are through the countryside. There are porta-pots at every water station, but there's usually a line of runners waiting. Around the fifth mile, I started feeling like a potty stop would be a good thing, but I didn't want to wait several minutes in line to do so. I knew we'd be entering civilization in a couple miles, so I knew I didn't have much time remaining to to utilize the "natural surroundings" (plenty of trees, bushes, tall grass, and brush).

It was just before Memorial Hill (just after the 7-mile mark) that I made a command decision to pull over and take a walk in the woods. It was over and done in less than 30 seconds, and I guarantee it would have taken much longer had I waited in line for a porta-pot.

Memorial Hill is pretty incredible. It's a big hill, maybe close to a mile from start to finish, It starts out gradual, but becomes pretty challenging as you make your way towards the top. The hill is lined with American flags, and each flag honors an Iowa service person who has lost their life (while in service) since the first Dam to Dam (1980).

About halfway up the Hill...and we have some walkers

 As we finish the Hill, the route is then on city streets (most of which are lined with intermittent crowds of people). Quite a bit of the first part of the course is on open roads, so there's not much for shade. The temps had been slowly climbing, as well as the sun, so a little bit of shade felt good.

My foot continued to feel a little strange, but around the fifth mile I could tell it was loosening up (about time LOL). As mentioned, the remaining miles have some gentle hills, which I really don't mind. The hills are mild, and they actually are a good break from the constant "flatness" of the first several miles. A lot of runners prefer a flat, fast course....but, really, what's the challenge in that?

I'm not sure where exactly I noticed it, but I could tell I was progressively slowing down. Looking back, I'm pretty sure it was due to my foot. Even though it didn't really hurt as I was running, I still could feel something "not right" with it...and I probably was compensating in some capacity with my gait. (It's amazing how the body does all of the things for our benefit, huh!) I could feel some strain in my hips and calves, but it wasn't enough that I needed to walk.

Near the 10-mile mark, we have a short reprieve on a walking bridge over a ravine....in almost total shade cover. I remember hearing a lot of fellow runners saying,"Ahhhhh" as we entered this cooler segment of the route.

Then, as I was approaching the 11-mile mark, I realized that my foot was feeling a little strained as well. I decided to take a quick walk break. I hadn't walked much up to that point....through some of the water stations, and a couple brief 10-second (or so) stints in the ninth mile.....and a PR definitely was not happening anyways. I made it to mile 12, and decided to let myself walk a few more times.

Sometimes, I don't know if walking helps or hurts. I know I can walk hills faster than run them (depending on the grade), but sometimes walking makes my calves seize up, which, in turn, makes me  feel more tired. I never felt like stopping, thankfully,but my heel was really starting to hurt at that point. I saw the final mile marker  (the end of mile 12), so I pressed on.

I think I walked briefly near the mid-point of that last mile, but was able to run that final (curving) hill before turning the corner and (somewhat) sprinting (as best I could) to the finish line. I should add, that final jaunt up the hill is pretty exhilarating because the street is lined with tons of people, there's a local dance/drum troupe doing their thing, and the energy from the crowd is over the top. It's impossible not to smile on your way to the finish line as you high-5 some of the kids along the way.

My ninth Dam medal...isn't it sweet?

And just like that, I was done...in more ways than one. A little child handed me my medal, I grabbed some water and hobbled (no exaggeration!) out of the finishers' chute. Slowly.

I found Barb, and Eric. A short while later, Kevin and Mary found us. Then Pat found our little gathering, and Dave!

Eric, Barb, Kevin, Mary, me

Myself with Eric, Dave, and Barb

We're afraid to sit down...because we might not be able to get back up

Despite the wonky foot/heel issues, I consider this race a triumph for me. PR be damned, I love this race so much, I honestly do not care (much) about my finish time. Of course, a faster finish would have been great, but this is not the race where I want to be all-out focused on pace/stride/splits....the route is too beautiful. Actually, although my 2:09:51 finish wasn't even close to a 13.1 PR, it was good enough (barely!) for a course PR. Although I have run this race faster (when it was a 20K), this was the fastest I have run it as a 13.1 distance (a minor technicality, but I'll take it).

My Splits tell the story:
mile 1--8:56     mile 8--10:00
mile 2--8:56     mile 9--10:01
mile 3--9:10     mile 10--10:11
mile 4--9:15     mile 11--9:39
mile 5--9:22     mile 12--11:00 (lots of walking)
mile 6--9:11     mile 13--10:13
mile 7--11:00 (potty stop)

I could acknowledge the heat (and slight humidity) as a factor, but I really didn't feel like it was unbearable. I had water at all of the water stations, and never felt dehydrated. My energy never felt like it was failing. My body did feel tired towards the end, though. I do think my gait was off, and that affected my entire body's mechanics. I have another half marathon in a few days, so I really didn't want to go all out on this race...which is why I took those walk breaks. I had nothing to gain by being a hero, so I did my best to race consistently, but also conservatively as well.

And, speaking of consistency....not only did my pace remain somewhat consistent, this is an event that I have consistently enjoyed the nine consecutive times I've run it. I'm linking up with Deb from Deb Runs for the Wednesday Word link-up...and today's word? Consistent!

Do you have a favorite race you have gone back to and run several times? Have you ever felt victorious despite not getting a PR? Do you get a major surge of adrenaline as you approach the finish line?

Side note....I dedicated this race to the memory of a friend and fellow runner, Michelle. She left this world back in August, but I think she was with me on Saturday at the Dam. You can read a bit more about Michelle in a tribute I wrote after she passed away (Tribute link HERE).

Before the race...and after

Oh, My Achy-Breaky Heel...

If I say,"Pain in the heel," would you know what I'm talking about?

This past week gave me all kinds of High-Alert signs that something wasn't right with my right heel. But, let's rewind....

Monday was Memorial Day. We had ventured almost 4.5 hours down the road to my husband's hometown. He was the key note speaker for the Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery there. After a long and difficult 15-miler on Saturday, I was pleasantly surprised to feel like a new person Sunday morning as we jumped in the car and hit the road.

In keeping with my #nevermissaMonday routine, I brought along my running gear to do a short run early Monday before heading to the cemetery. Much to my surprise, the husband had brought his running gear along as well! The two of us took off, in the hopes of running a couple miles, depending on how my heel was feeling (it had been feeling a little achy the past couple weeks...nothing painful, but definitely "off," so I had been trying to be careful and cautious). We wound up running about five miles, all the while feeling great.

Memorial Day miles with the husband...and a bonus plank!

As I was totaling up my monthly miles, I realized I was sitting at 98.5 for May mileage. Hmmmm. I am not a high-mileage gal, and I seldom ever set quantitative (mileage) goals for myself. It's been my experience that "quantitative goals" usually lead to injury because a lot of the "quality" gets overlooked in the quest for those high numbers. But, hello? When I'm that close to 100, even I can buckle.

I had an extended lunch hour on Tuesday, and it was a beautiful day. I decided to lace up, head out, and do that final 1.5 mile to get me to the century mark for May. No harm, no foul...right?

Wednesday morning, though, my heel was not happy. It was not too painful to walk or stand on, but it certainly didn't feel comfortable. I'm not new to this running thing....I know that tough 15-miler would eventually come back to bite my backside, I was just surprised it took almost four days to do so. And, typically, I do not run five miles following a tough run (but I had waited two days, and everything felt fine). Could it have been that itty bitty 1.5 lunchtime run (in some older shoes) on Tuesday that did it?

None the less, Wednesday was Global Running Day, and I was not about to sit it out.  I had tried to organize a small group run with some local people, but it never came to fruition. My friend, Barb, wanted to run a few miles, so we went to a nearby lake which has an approximate 1-mile loop around the perimeter. Throughout the day, my foot had been rallying back and was feeling better. This was a perfect scenario...I could run one mile and call it good, or I could run a few extra miles if the stiffness/achiness dissipated.

It may have been Global Running Day, but a gal can still plank

I wound up running two laps (two miles) and decided to leave it at that. My heel felt better the longer I ran, but I didn't want to overdo it. Besides, I had a half marathon (my FAVORITE event every year) happening on Saturday and I didn't want to DNS that race.

Thursday arrived, and my heel was feeling kind of achy again. I taped the heel and part of the arch, slid on my comfy Alegria's, and hobbled off to work. Determined to stay off my feet until race day, I did the absolute minimum....some planking, push-ups, and a little bit of upper-body strength work. And, throughout the day (and evening) I iced, massaged, stretched, and rolled.

More planking...don't plank on your forearms in a shirt with button cuff sleeves...you won't last long #ouch

Also, I tapped into my inner art geek and worked on modifying a shirt to wear for Saturday's race. This was a shirt I'd gotten last summer, in support of a friend who was battling colon cancer. Sadly, my friend, Michelle, lost her battle in August. Although I had never worn the shirt, there was no way I was gonna get rid of it. It didn't really fit me very well, though, so I found some ideas on Pinterest and got to work. I cut several slits along the side seams, and "braided" them, which gave it a funky, ruched effect. I cut off the sleeves, and then did several thin slits along the neckline, and braided those as well (which gave the arm openings a ruffled look)...and that was the final touch!  I was very happy with how the Michelle shirt turned out!

Michelle's fighter verse: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength"

Friday, the heel felt better, but still not optimal in the morning. By the end of the day, though, it was feeling (almost) back to normal. I continued icing it, massaging it , and foam rolling it throughout the day (and kept my fingers crossed!).

Saturday arrived with a 3:30 AM wake-up (that is not a typo, by the way). We were up, dressed, breakfasted, and in Barb's car by 4:15AM to make the trek to Des Moines. The race, Dam to Dam, is a point-to-point race, and all the runners have to ride shuttle buses to the start line...and the last bus departs downtown Des Moines at 5:45 for the 7:00AM start time.

After the finish line, with the husband

Let's just say we had beautiful (near perfect) weather, my heel felt a little strange for most of the race (but didn't get angry until near mile 11), and even with some intermittent walking I still sneaked in a course PR. The full race recap is coming, so stay tuned.

Myself with Eric, Dave, and Barb

Immediately following the race, though, I had to hobble all around. My heel simply was not gonna let me stand or walk on it without attitude. I didn't do much on my feet for the remainder of the day. When we got back to town, the new issue of Runner's World had arrived in the mail, so that kept me entertained as I lounged with my feet up.

Recovery 101:Feet up. Compression on. Runner's World to read. Max for company.

By Sunday, my foot was already feeling better. We went to church, and to the grocery store. I did some weed pulling and gardening stuff....but pretty much stayed off my feet as much as possible. And, I did some ice, compression, rolling, massaging....wait, have I mentioned that before? I'm not worried (much) about my heel (yet). It was exactly a year ago (around mile 9 or 10) of Dam to Dam 2015 when my left foot had almost an exact same issue...except that gradually spread to my arch as I was running (well, hello there, Plantar Fasciitis!). So far, this has only been my heel affected, and I'm hoping to keep it that way. I have another (local) 13.1 this next Saturday, and a whole slew of stuff happening in July...including my 12-hour Ultra. I don't have any time for a wonky heel to mess with my running.

In other news...

The planking challenge has been extended another month, and we're also doing daily push-ups! Max supervised my 2:30 plank on Sunday morning, and helped me count out my 30 push-ups as well. He's a good dog.

I was really saddened to hear of Muhammad Ali's passing. He was a great athlete with a strong drive

. 

How was your week? Ever experience a wonky heel? How about Plantar Fasciitis? Both? How did you treat it?

As always, I'm linking up with the fabulous ladies, Holly (from HoHo Runs ) and Tricia (from MissSippiPiddlin ), for the Weekly Wrap. Do head over, check out their great blogs, and see what everyone else has been doing.

Global Running Day-A Look into my Miles

Global Running Day is June 1...are you celebrating? Did you know there's a national day of celebration for those of us who love to lace up & run?



I'm linking up with Kristen at Jonesin' for a run and we're all sharing some trivia about our (running) lives.

Here goes....

-why do I run
At first, it was about getting in shape and adding some exercise to my life (**disclaimer-I was not overweight, but I did need some fitness!). I had done a few 5K's in the past, but had never been able to run the entire 5K distance without a few walk breaks. I set a goal of doing a local 5K (and gave myself about seven weeks to train for it). I ran almost exclusively on the treadmill back then because I was too embarrassed to run outside (I didn't really consider myself a "runner" yet, so I didn't want to look like a poser). After gradually increasing my distance on the 'mill, I could run an easy 10-minute pace for three miles. Race day arrived, and I ran the entire 5K (without walking!), and finished around 27 minutes...totally smashing the 10-minute pace that I'd grown accustomed to.

What did I learn? The treadmill was holding me back. Once I stepped foot outside, I could run as fast as I wanted and on my own terms. Sure, I could have set the speed faster on the 'mill, but I'd still be "keeping up" with it and not dictating my speed all on my own.

give me the great outdoors!

-how do I plan to celebrate National Running Day?
I'm helping organize a local NRD "group run" in my town. The past 3-4 years, a bunch of us have met and knocked out a few miles in celebration. We usually wear a favorite shirt from a recent event. 

A group of "locals"

-total miles so far this year? Mileage goal?
Currently, I'm at (approximately) 335 cumulative miles for 2016 this far. Not huge numbers, but I'm not a quantity gal. Interestingly, approximately 98.5 of those miles were run in the month of May (and May isn't over). Also, I took a bit of an off-season over the winter, and this time I was very obedient in doing so. Personally, I don't believe in setting a quantitative goal because then it becomes all about the numbers, and a great deal of the quality is lost. Also, a quantitative goal may cause the runner to ignore impending issues or injuries all in a quest for bragging rights...so I have learned it's in my best interest to (sometimes) let the numbers go. I'm pretty fortunate that I can maintain my fitness and endurance without grandiose numbers.

Approaching the finish line of marathon #2...with the hubby photo-bombing me

-big events on calendar so far
Well, I have had one half marathon so far (and several 10K's). The half marathon was not a PR, but I came darn close. I was able to land my first sub-2 hr 13.1 in almost two years, and this was on a very hilly course on a windy morning. SO, I'm hoping to run a few more sub-2's. There's also this little Ultra happening in July...12-hour endurance over-nighter. Oh, and did I mention Route 66 in November?

-before I leave for a run, I must have...
Obviously my running shoes (and fully-clothed, usually in something colorful),but I also love to have my music along for the run. If I'm running with a friend (or a group function), then I usually leave the music at home. And the GPS watch? Not a requirement, but I do bring it along (sometimes) for long runs to gauge my pace.

post-run with my friend, Barb

-Do I track my miles? If so, how?
I have always tracked my miles. I keep a running log, but I'm very old-school about it. It's all hand-written, scribbled in the little spaces on our family's "main" calendar.

I not only log all of my miles, I keep all of my race bibs

-favorite running partner(s)?
I have a slew of running partners, including my husband, a local friend (who accompanies me to many of my races and training runs), and a huge network of online Virtual Running Buddies. Several of these VRB's (and myself) all met up and did an amazing 6-hour (overnight) Ultra last summer. There was a lot of blood, sweat, tears, hugs, and laughter, and we agreed to do it all over again this July (except we're going to conquer the 12-hour endurance event instead).

Can you tell we've been up all night?

-races I have run so far this year:
I have run a variety of races already this year:
*Ringing In the New Year (5K), while on vacation in California (Jan. 2, 2016) (recap)
*Red Flannel Run (5 miles), a very cold, but fun annual event in Des Moines, IA (Feb. 12)(recap)
*Race the Runway (10K), while on a mini vacation in Florida (March 5)(recap)
*Leprechaun Chase (10K), a Lads-chase-the-Lasses endeavor, also in Des Moines (March 12)(recap)
*Fight for Air Climb, an annual event I've done several times...climbing 86 flights of stairs for the American Lung Association, also in Des Moines (April 10)(recap)
*Live Healthy Iowa 5K, a state-wide event with a local venue in my hometown (Grinnell, IA)
*Red Shoe Run (half marathon), my first sub-2  in almost two years! (Iowa City, IA)May 1(recap)

-one piece of advice about running
Ultimately, you have to do it YOUR way. Others will run faster. Some will run more often. Many will run farther. Bottom line, consider the advice you receive from fellow runners, but don't be an imitator. No one else will have the exact same life as you (with the exact same family, genetics, or lifestyle). Find a way that works for YOU. And, smile as you're dong it!

Run Happy!

-my relationship with running in one word
fulfilling!

It's no secret I love my racing hardware (and the Iowa Hawkeyes)

How about you? Are you lacing up and knocking out a few miles on Global Running Day?