Grinnell Games 2014, Double (running) Jeopardy

Well, I'm starting to wonder if or when I will reach that point of total satisfaction. I reach one milestone, and I momentarily enjoy the feat, then move on to something bigger (or at the very least, more challenging).

Case in point, I took on a new challenge this weekend. Our town hosts the Grinnell Games each summer, a weekend of events for participants of all ages and abilities. Every year, the Grinnell Games has grown by adding new events to the roster.  This year, the featured events were the 10K Twilight Trail Run, 5K run/walk. Half Marathon, 3-on-3 Basketball, Dodgeball, Bike Criterium, Warrior Run, and the Amazing Chase (a local version of the TV show, The Amazing Race).

I have run the half marathon and 10K trail run before.....but never in the same year. The trail run was on Friday evening, and the half marathon was on Saturday morning. Yes, 13 hours apart. And I decided this was the year I would run both of these, back-to-back.
 

Why take on a challenge such as this? I have run a few trail races and know how difficult they are, and I have run several  half marathons and also know what it takes to conquer 13.1 miles. I am not afraid of either distance or event, so I simply wanted to see how much harder it would be to do both.

I knew going into this, there would need to be a strategy to successfully finish each race not only in good spirits, but also in moderate comfort.  To go for a PR in either event would not be the priority, but rather to run each race with a conservative pace to keep the energy from depleting.  Also, having done prior trail races, I knew how beat up my body felt upon finishing them. The constant hills and rough terrain made my legs and ankles feel like jello, so I would really need to run with caution if I had any hope of doing a half marathon less than 13 hours later.
 

When I ran this trail race last year, due to excess rain and flooding, it had been re-routed. This year, we ran most of it in the rough.  We parked near the finish line and were ferried across a lake to the start line.

Awaiting the start of the race with my friend, Barb

The temps were pleasant (in the mid-60's), and there was a cool breeze. I am paranoid about ticks, so I wore a long-sleeved top, knee socks and a hat to keep the critters at bay. At times, I was pretty warm, but the majority of the race was under pretty thick shade cover.

The course was very hilly, and had numerous tight, blind curves through the woodland.  The hills were pretty constant, and most were quite steep. 

I checked my pace periodically at the mile markers, and was surprised to be keeping a steady 9-minute pace. I could feel my legs getting fatigued, though, so I slowed down somewhat after the halfway point. I knew I would regret it if I didn't ease up a little.

The hills were tough. I have learned, depending on the steepness of the incline, it is possible to actually walk a hill faster than run it. I have used this strategy several times on road races. Even though you are going a bit "slower" by walking, you can take longer strides with less effort, so you actually wind up netting a faster time when you reach the top and are less tired in getting there. I also "walked" down the really steep hills for the same reason....going slower allowed me to take longer steps and be assured of good footing on all the dirt, rocks and slippery grass.

When I finally made it out of the woods, there was a short run on pavement before finishing the last half mile or so on some gravel and dirt. I crossed the finish line in 1:03:39, almost four minutes faster than last year. Even though this was a different route, I think it was more challenging than last year. There were constant hills, many of which were quite steep, so I was very happy with my finish time.

Upon returning home, I immediately put BioFreeze on my hamstrings and calves as a precaution. I also did some stretching and foam rolling, and got to bed at a decent time.

 

Saturday morning found me feeling a little stiff, but not really any pain other than a big blister on the "bunion area" of my right foot. I knew that could be a problem, so I pierced it and put a  bandage on it. 

I had my ritual oatmeal and chai latte' and walked downtown. Usually, I need to drive to my races, so it was nice being able to just leave the house and walk. I live  about a mile from where the half marathon was starting. I brought along some water to drink, a gel to slam down, and my IPod for a few pre-race pics.

Ready for the start of the half marathon with a friend from work, Eugene...running his first 13.1!

The route went right by my house, and it was a double loop. My plan was to hand over the IPod to one of my kids as I ran by, then have another gel as I came around the second time (which would be approximately at the 7.5 mile mark). Woot woot! A half marathon without needing to carry anything!

The temps for the half marathon were ideal (low 70's), but there was a very strong wind out of the southeast. There was plenty of sunshine, it was a beautiful morning!

Maybe I was still on a high from the trail run PR, but I didn't have any anxiety about the 13.1 miles ahead of me. 

When I ran this race two years ago, it was a near disaster. I had done a 20K a week prior, so I probably wasn't as recovered as I should have been. Also, it was much hotter and very humid that morning. There also was a strong southeast wind, but it was a heavy and hot wind. My husband and I made it to nine miles, and then majorly struggled to press on to the finish. We had to intermittently run and walk because we were in so much pain. We crossed the finish line, hand-in-hand, and said, "Never again!" 

Yet, here I was, about to tackle this course a second time, with fatigued muscles from a tough race the evening prior. But my mind was at ease. My only goal was to finish the race, not race it. 

The first mile felt a little slow, but actually was under 9 minutes.  As planned, the youngest daughter was in her folding chair in our driveway, so the IPod handoff went well. (I have two IPods...one is actually an I-Touch, and the other is a Shuffle, which I use for running)

A few blocks after the first mile, the course turns onto a county road, heading east with a couple decent hills. The wind was strong, but not too massive (so far), and it actually felt good.  Right after the 2-mile mark, we turned and headed south, going towards a large recreation area and soccer fields. The wind felt much stronger out at this area, since it was so open. We looped around the park and by mile 3.5, we were headed west, back in a residential area.

It usually takes a few miles for me to find my groove, and this was no exception.  My hamstrings felt better, and I had forgotten about the blister, so all was good!

I have run this route several times on my own, so there were no surprises. Of course, that also means I know where each and every hill is. Fortunately, other than the hills on the county road, the few in this race are pretty subtle and fairly short.

I made it back to the starting area and felt pretty good. I ran the first loop in 56 minutes, so my pace was doing well. For a split second, I had a moment of pure fantasy.... Imagining myself continuing on and finishing under two hours! Then, reality brought me back as I remembered the second loop was what nearly defeated me last time. I still had those hills to conquer (again), and the wind to battle out near the soccer fields. 

So, onward! I made my way back towards my house, and was greeted by the daughter and husband. I slammed the gel and had some water. The husband had loud music playing to entertain the runners, so that gave me a quick boost,

Slurping down the gel at mile 7.5

As I rounded the corner and started the trek out on the county road, I could instantly tell the wind had picked up. Oh, here we go! I made it all the way along that road, but as soon as I turned the next corner (heading back towards the soccer fields), I knew my mojo was running low. The wind nearly knocked me over as I headed south. Keeping myself vertical, let alone moving forward, took every last ounce of energy against the wind.

I was approaching the 9-mile mark, and knew I needed to walk for a minute. My energy felt fine, but I could tell my calves were fried after finishing those hills. I was hesitant to walk much, though, because they would start cramping. I walked briefly, then continued running. I knew my form was suffering because my legs were starting to feel weak.

I did a few run/walk intervals through the soccer fields and that seemed to help, although the wind was not being very friendly. There were a lot of runners walking at this point, and all of them were complaining about the wind as well.

I was able to grit it out and run most of the remaining miles, but I did need to do a few intervals of walking.  The great thing about doing a race in your home town, though, is that I knew most of the volunteers along the route, at the water stations and working traffic control on the corners. I made sure to thank all of them for supporting the race. I also asked several if they wanted to switch places with me (no takers).

I glanced at my watch as I approached the final mile, and realized even though the sub-2-hour finish was not happening, I still would be finishing way faster than last time. This had been a pretty good race for me, despite the difficulty in the last few miles. (And, let's not forget, I had run 6 miles of hills less than a day ago)  Then I remembered my goal had been to just finish this race, not go for a blazing PR (how had I forgotten that?). 

So I made my way through the final mile with what probably looked like a drunken smile on my face. I was about to finish the challenge of completing two difficult races back-to-back. And, somehow, from out of nowhere, I found the mojo to speed up and (somewhat) sprint to the finish line.

I finished in 2:10:22. Not a 13.1 PR, but a PR for this course by 10 minutes! My goal had been to run both of these races "easy," and wound up PR'ing both of them. Go figure.

I did it!  Two challenging races back-to-back...and two PR's!!

Was this an easy feat?  No. Not by a long shot.  As I mentioned, I wasn't afraid of the two races, but I had no idea how it would play out doing both of them within 13 hours of each other. Both races had their individual challenges, but combined proved to be a huge conquest.  No, not an Ironman victory, but certainly close in mental toughness and physical stamina for me. These comfort zone violations scare me.  Every time I attempt a new challenge, though, I learn more about myself, the biggest one being that I am more of an athlete than I give myself credit for...more of an athlete than I'd ever imagined I was capable of being.

As I mentioned, the Grinnell Games is a weekend full of activities. The trail run was on Friday night, and most of the other events were on Saturday.  The warrior run was Sunday morning, and the husband and myself volunteered at one of the water stations for that.  It was great seeing so many people participating!

water stand duty...the wind was still blowing....

Running out of the Comfort Zone

 
There was a time when I never would have imagined myself a serious runner.

I was one of those klutzy kids that was very skilled at tripping over non-existing obstacles, and was usually towards the back of the pack when it came to choosing teams in gym class. I was, however, somewhat talented with a pencil or paint brush, so my athletic skills (or lack there of) didn't bother me (much).

Fast-forward to adulthood. I did a few 5K's with friends, and then with the husband. I usually had to walk some of the distance, though.

Finally, I found the motivation to train for and run a complete 5K. It took a couple months, but I was able to do it.....I ran a 5K nonstop! It was a proud moment for this "non-runner" to cross the finish line of a real race knowing that I had, indeed, run the entire distance.

Fast-forward a few more years, and I was completely happy and content running those 3 miles. Never any less than 3 miles, but never any further. I acquired quite a collection of race bibs from numerous 5K's. My race times had progressively improved and I felt like I had made a worthwhile appearance in the local running scene.

Then one day the husband tells me he registered us for a 5-mile race, and this 5-mile race was in few weeks. YIKES! What was he thinking? I wouldn't have time to train for a 5-mile race, not with only a few weeks notice. I could easily run 3 miles, but 5 miles was almost twice as far..... almost twice the distance of my "comfort zone" distance.

I spent a few days being angry at the husband, and frustrated with myself. This race was going to be a total disaster, there was no way I thought I was capable of running five miles without walking some of it. My mind kept flashing back to all the previous races when I had to walk.   After having conquered several races where I was able to run non-stop from start to finish, I didn't want to go back to walking.

Finally, I realized that I should just run the first three  miles without worry (since I already knew I could go that far), and I could spend the next couple weeks trying to run a little farther on some of my runs. I probably wouldn't be able to run the entire 5 miles, but I could still make it to the finish line if I started off slow and walked periodically. Not my ideal scenario but, given my limited time frame, it would have to be my plan of attack.

Race day arrived, and I was a nervous mess.  The race didn't start until 10:00AM, and it was already feeling warm at packet pick-up an hour prior.  I tried to concentrate on stretching to take my mind off the five miles looming ahead of me.

I noticed a lot of "real runners," the people with expensive-looking shoes and fancy sunglasses. They all looked confidant and eager to sprint across the start line. They weren't nervous about finishing strong (or finishing at all).

Before long, it was time to line up. I was still annoyed with the husband. He is much more athletic than myself, he didn't have the fear of not finishing on that warm morning. He didn't understand why I was so worried about this race. To him, it was just a race, a fun race, it didn't matter how fast (or slow) we ran it. To me, though, it was all about NOT disappointing myself, and crossing the finish line with some dignity.

The gun fired and we were off and running.  It took a lot of effort to just run easy because so many others were running fast. I knew I needed to take it slow and conserve some energy, I had to resist the urge to follow the crowd and run my own pace.

Despite the warm and humid temps, we did have quite a bit of shade from the downtown buildings. I made it to the first mile and felt fine. I walked for a few seconds as I gulped some water from the  aid station.

The husband and I continued on, not talking (I was too afraid of getting winded), but keeping in stride with each other. We made it to the second mile, still feeling fine.

As much as I was annoyed that he was purposely running slower to stay with me, I did appreciate having him there. He probably knew better than to leave me in his dust. As we approached the water stand at the third mile, I felt both relief that I was not fatigued, but also apprehensive that I was about to pass my normal "finish line" and keep going.

So, we pressed onward. About halfway through the fourth mile it occurred to me that I had not walked yet (except for a few steps through the water stations). And I got the idea in my head that I kind of needed to use a restroom. As luck would have it, there was a public restroom right before the start of the fifth mile, so I took advantage of it.

Even though I didn't feel tired, I was certain I would be if I didn't take a break and walk a bit. After all, my body had never run this far before, I didn't want to risk anything. I told the husband I needed to walk for a minute. He reminded me that we were almost finished, why not just press on but go slow and easy? Frustrated, I told him to go on but I was going to walk. He relented, and we walked for a few minutes. 

I don't know how it took me so long to figure it out, but I really didn't need to walk. I had run farther than I'd ever gone before, and had less than a mile to the finish line......why not just try to run the rest of the way? (duh!)

We broke back into an easy pace, and my attitude transformed as we finished the final mile. My anger and annoyance mellowed as we approached the finish line of that 5-mile race. The husband even pretended to trip, allowing me to cross the finish line first. 

Our finish time was 45:10, a 9-minute pace. It turns out, I actually ran the 5 miles at the same pace I had been running most of my 5K's, and it really wasn't any more difficult, just longer. Hmmm. Getting out of my comfort zone wasn't so bad after all. Maybe I should have done it sooner.

Fast forward a year later (2008), we ran the race again and I not only PR'd, but I placed third in my age division. A few days later, I ran my first of many 20K's/ half marathons. And on September 22, 2013, I ran my first full marathon. 

I'm thankful for running away from my comfort zone, and I do my best to stay away from it now. How about you?

10 Miles....the Good, the Bad, and the (somewhat) Ugly

 
A huge part of me sharing my running "life" with the world is that I am going to be real about my journey.  I love all of my accomplishments, but these accomplishments wouldn't have much value without conquering obstacles along the way (and being reminded, repeatedly, that I am not any more special or talented than anyone else).

Case in point, I had a 10-mile run on my agenda for yesterday.  I have run many 10-milers in the past six years that I have considered myself a distance runner.  They are not difficult, but do require a little bit of forethought in terms of carb-loading, hydration and fueling.

Saturday morning arrives, and although I had been eating well and drinking plenty of water in the couple days prior.....I kind of over-looked those small (though very significant) details that morning.  It was cloudy, so I putzed around on the computer (procrastination at its best) and waited for the sunshine to emerge.  The temps were forecast to be in the 70's and I was eager to have a nice run in the beautiful spring weather. I took my time in getting the running clothes on, and had a quick bowl of oatmeal and glass of water before heading out (which wasn't until just after 11:00).

As I started on my run, I noticed my upper hamstrings were a bit stiff.  I had done a hill-repeat workout on Thursday evening; it wasn't a very long workout, but a bit intense.  These stiff muscles were probably a result of that, and I assumed they would loosen up after the first few miles (wrong!).  The first few miles drudged on, which is typical for me, so I just kept going, waiting for the magic to appear around mile 3 or 4, usually when all stiffness disappears and my body kicks into "robotic mode" and just goes on its own.

The sunshine was beautiful, but there was a strong wind coming out of the south.  Not gusts of wind, but continuous wind.  The wind was so powerful, I could feel it from every direction, even the cross wind was tough to battle against.  That's when it (finally) occurred to me that I probably should have eaten more than a bowl of oatmeal.  If I would have left the house a couple hours earlier, this wouldn't have been a problem, but waiting around until 11:00 with only a bowl of oatmeal in my stomach (and not much water) was pretty risky.

Around mile 4, I could feel the early signs of fatigue beginning.  I have done a few races where I have had major carb crashes, and I know what the early signs of that feel like.  Running 4 miles is not a big feat, but factoring in the wind made it much more of a challenge than normal.  I could feel my form starting to suffer, so I slowed down and walked briefly to catch my breath.  I continued on, finished mile 5, and walked a few times before finishing mile 6 at my house.

I went inside, and grabbed a granola bar and had some Nuun water.  I also ate a few fruit snacks.  I was surprised I made it back in less than an hour.  I didn't have my watch with me, so I had no idea what my pace was.  Apparently, I was running harder than I thought, since I was under a 10-minute pace even with the intermittent walking.  I grabbed a couple of Gu energy chews and headed back out.

Miles 7 and 8 went pretty smooth, although my hamstrings continued to feel a little tight.  Similar to the other times where I have carb crashed while running, my muscles didn't feel too much strain but my energy level took a nose dive.  I walked briefly before mile 9, then walked about the last half of mile 10.  Although my legs didn't feel tired, I could tell my form was a mess from the lack of energy, so I allowed myself to walk more than I really wanted to.  I was doing the Cancer Ends With Me 10-mile Challenge, a virtual run.  I had no one to impress but my ego, but  I was determined to do a solid 10 miles instead of just quitting after mile 6.

So, here's what I learned from this:
1--even if it's not a "real" race, food, fuel and hydration still need to be utilized as if it were
2--do not discount Momma N. Even though I love running in the heat of summer, the heat and humidity may appear as early as April and really catch you off guard after a cold winter
3--no matter how many times you have run a certain distance (like 10 miles, for example), respect the distance and do not take it for granted
4--Not every run or race will be ideal or fun.  Use the not-so-fun runs as valuable conquests on your journey to the next  great run, you will appreciate the victory much more in doing so.

I have a half marathon in two weeks, and I am ready.  I may or may not do a long run next weekend.  I really have nothing to gain by doing one, so I'll probably just do some moderate runs (5-7 miles) to keep things ready for race day on April 27th.  Life is Good!

Have you ever had a bad run followed by a great race?

This ain't HALF of anything....

 
Half marathon.  13.1 miles.  My favorite of all favorites.

The half marathon is definitely my favorite distance.  It's a long distance, so it takes some devoted training and discipline to conquer.  But it's not out-of-reach, and it will not take several months to get your body (and mind) prepared.

Are you interested?  Ready to up your game?  Here's some suggestions if you're ready to go the distance.

It's best to have a running base.  It's not a requirement, but a strong recommendation.  If you've been running for awhile (a loose term, and a very subjective one at that), you will have an idea of your body's condition, your normal pace and maximum distance.  You will know how to warm up, pace yourself while in motion, and you'll (hopefully) know the benefits of stretching, injury prevention (or treatment) and recovery.

Should you hire a coach or go with a training plan? If this is your first 13.1 (or long distance race), you will benefit from the knowledge of someone who has done this before (whether it be a coach or an experienced friend).  There are as many training programs available online as there are runners searching for them.  Some programs are free, some are not.  Whatever the case, try to find a program that has a similar schedule to what you're comfortable with.  If you like to run 5-6 days a week (and your body is used to running that frequently) or if you prefer to run 3-4 days a week (and do cross-training on the non-running days)....there are training plans that will fill those needs.  If you use a coach, they will be able to customize a plan for you based on your strengths, needs and race day goals.

The key to training for a long distance event, though, is building up your distance.  It's best to do this gradually, usually over the coarse of 8-14 weeks (again, depending on what kind of a running base you have).  Most training plans will have you running somewhat short distances a few times during the week (one run might even be a speed workout), and then doing one long run (usually on the weekend).  The long run is just that...a LONG run.  It's not meant to be a quick run, or a hilly run, or an interval run.  It's meant to be a long run, and each week you should gradually make it a little bit longer (maybe increasing the distance each week by a half mile, or even a full mile....but only on your long run).

Most training plans for half marathons will have you running up to 10 miles.  A lot of first-timers are fearful that this isn't far enough.  You have to have faith in your training, and trust your body's ability.  By the end of your training, you will have invested anywhere between 8-14 weeks in preparing.  You (hopefully) have gradually increased your distance consistently and remained injury-free.  If your body can run 10 miles, it will be able to run an additional 3.1 miles on race day.  Trust me, it will.  Most training plans also will have a taper, a period (usually 1-2 weeks prior to race day) where you have minimum running on the schedule.  Tapering is another "necessary evil" in preparing for any kind of a distance event.  It gives your body time to rest (and recover, if necessary) and arrive at race day fresh and ready.  Do not be tempted to run "just a little extra" during your taper.  You risk injury, and it's best to save some of that nervous energy for the actual race itself.

The long runs also help you prepare mentally for race day.  The long runs give you a chance to experiment with different kinds of fuel (Gu gels? Energy beans? Honey stingers?), water strategy (fuel belt with water bottles? hand-held bottles? water "planted" on your running coarse?), and clothing (how many layers? hat or visor? which shoes? wool socks?). Also, how will you carry your fuel or snacks?  In a fuel belt? in pockets?  Make sure to practice these maneuvers on your training runs (pulling off a layer and tying it around your waist, ripping open a Gu pack while running with sweaty hands, gulping water out of a cup, etc.).

A lot of runners train on treadmills, especially through the winter.  I recommend doing some of your training runs outside, though, especially your long runs.  Your race will be outside, why not give yourself the advantage by training outside as well?  The outside conditions are different than those inside a gym....there will be wind resistance, humidity, uneven terrain, occasional puddles, bright sunlight and sometimes pebbles or sticks to test your traction.  If you train with the "outside" elements, nothing should surprise you on race day.

We all have heard it, but probably the best advice for race day is to NOT do anything new or different than what you did in training.  This is not the day to break in the new shoes you purchased at the expo and don't be tempted to wear the event shirt.  Try to eat something at approximately the same time you normally would eat before a long run.  Drink some water, but don't drink more than usual.  And be sure to make one last stop at the porta pots before lining up (you may regret not doing it!).

Also, try to enjoy the race as much as possible.  I tell runners to do their first 13.1 for fun (and not to worry about their finish time), smile as much as you are able to and thank every volunteer you come in contact with.  Try to high-5 the kids along the route, as well..... you'll make their day great (and you'll get a  much-needed dose of "feel good mojo").  Be thankful and proud of yourself for making the commitment to be there.

What do you say?  Are you ready?  Go for it!!

Fighting for Air in Des Moines (for the 2nd time)

Fight for Air Climb.  One of my favorite challenges. EVER.

This past weekend (my birthday weekend, none the less), I participated in my second Fight for Air Climb in Des Moines.  This was just coming off of the Fight for Air Climb in Chicago seven days prior, my 3.14 Pi run (an annual birthday event) on Friday afternoon and the Leprechaun Chase 10K on Saturday morning.

That's right.  I did some serious leg work in 8 days time.

This is one event that was just as exciting the second time as it was the first. Even though I knew what to expect (thigh fatigue, shortness of breath, dry mouth, sweaty forehead, etc.), there was still a little bit of "unknown" territory.  The three buildings we climb in Des Moines are off limits for participants to train in (two are business buildings and one is a hotel), so there is no "general public" access other than on Climb day.  I also live an hour away from these buildings, so even if there was free access, it's not worth my time to drive there just for training. And my legs took a bit of a beating with all the happenings in the week leading up to the Climb.

I did my training on the stairway in my house, both for last year's event and also for this one.  I take the steps two-at-a time, and sometimes I do three-step intervals.  Up and down, either 50 times per session (when I don't have much time) or 100 times (when I'm feeling bad ass).  The three-steps go slower, but work the thighs/buttocks more effectively and the two-steps are much faster, giving me some serious cardio work.


The Fight for Air Climb is affiliated with the American Lung Association.   Participants have the option to climb 1, 2 or 3 buildings, but they have to climb them in sequence.  You can climb as an individual or on a team, but every participant is required to raise $100 in donations (in addition to the registration fee).   This year the Climb in Des Moines raised over $241,000 and had more than 1,100 participants.

Since I had done this event before, I was hoping to beat my finish time from last year.  I had done the Chicago Climb 7 days prior, which involved  180 flights of stairs, though, and I knew my legs were still recovering from that.  The couple of runs I had done during the week were slow and sluggish, and my legs felt very heavy and tight for the Leprechaun Chase on Saturday.

We lined up in waves, and were escorted to the first building, the EMC Insurance Companies building.  I waited my turn (approximate 10-second intervals between climbers), and before I knew it I was back on the steps.  I was able to run the steps two at a time for the first 10 flights or so, then gravity took over.  I continued with two-step intervals, but had to slow my pace a bit.  I made it to the top in 3:17, which put me ahead of my time from last year (3:39).  Already, though, I was feeling very hot and slightly exhausted!

I drank a quick cup of water, rode down on the elevator and was escorted to the second building, the Hub Tower.  The climb didn't seem any more difficult (given the state of my over-taxed legs), but it did feel much hotter this year.  I remembered there being fans blowing in the stairways last year, but there weren't any (that I noticed) this year. Also, last year my climb time was early in the morning and this year I didn't start until 11:00, so there had been a lot of people before me probably breathing just as heavy (if not even more so).  I finished the second building in 4:05, still ahead of last year (4:39).

The final building, the Des Moines Marriot Downtown

More water, and a few minutes of lag time waiting for the elevator, allowed me the brief chance to catch my breath.  One building remained, and it was the tallest of the three (31 floors). My time from the first two towers had me almost a minute ahead of last year's finish time, so I felt great.  I knew if I kept climbing with my two-step intervals I'd be well on track to beat my 2013 time.  The third building starts off with the first few floors having split-stairways (going up 6-8 steps, then turning with 6-8 stairs in the opposite direction) and the remainder to the top are single-stairways (12-14 steps each) with a landing to walk around before reaching the next stairway right above it.  All went well, and I reached the top in 5:21, ahead of last year's 5:40!  Total time for all three buildings was 12:43, an entire 1:15 faster than last year's 13:58!

My cheering section

All finished with climbing, I headed back to the  main reception area to meet back up with my family (husband and two of our kids).   I stopped to check on my official finish time and they gave me a print-out with a breakdown of each times for the three buildings...and I also received a ribbon for beating my time from last year and an Alumni pin (since I was a returning climber).  The medals had a new design this year, it matched the medal I received in Chicago but this one had a "Fight for Air Climb - Des Moines" ribbon. It turns out I finished 5th out of the 44 gals in my age group, and I placed 226th out of the 828 climbers who did all three buildings.

 

As we were getting ready to leave, all the firefighters were lining up for their turn.  There is a separate challenge for law enforcement personnel as well.  This was a real neat thing to see, and very emotional.  Most of the people in the room stood and clapped and cheered for them as they filed out, heading to the first building.  True heroes.  They're not afraid to climb a bunch of stairs, in 70 pounds of gear none the less.

 

So, will I do this again?  Absolutely!  I love physical challenges like this, and now that I've done it (more than once) I have the added challenge of doing it faster each time.  This year I raised $187, almost double of what I collected last year, so I also have the challenge of increasing that next year as well.

Anyone care to join me?  You will not regret it!

 

Leprechaun Chase 10K---inaugurating the tutu

Have you ever dressed in a tutu?  Ever been in a group of gals being chased by a group of guys?  Or have you ever done an event with a St. Patrick's Day theme?  I can officially say I have done all of the above...all in the same race, none the less.

The Leprechaun Chase 10K is a fun-filled race based on the premise that the Lasses (gals) start the race five minutes ahead of the Lads (guys).  The Lads, consequently, chase the Lasses.  The first racer to cross the finish line then wins a free (green) beer for all of their "team."  This year the Lads were the victors, but us Lasses had fun regardless.




This was to be my inaugural running-in-tutu event.  I have done several fun races,  but have never worn a tutu in any of them.   And I was looking forward to just simply running for fun, with no self-imposed pressure to break a PR.  Seriously, I am not a competitive person.  I became a runner to become more fit, not to see how many other runners I could pass on my way to the finish line.  I'm not super fast, and I am quite content with that.  Although my speed has improved a lot in the past (almost) nine years, I will never be in the front of the pack.

 

The race began at 10:00, so we had to leave town around 8:00 to allow an hour or so of drive time and to ensure a close parking spot.  I drove up with my neighbor, Bill, a fellow runner.  We made a quick run to the porta-pots and headed back to wait in the car until it was closer to race time.

Almost everyone with a race bib was also dressed in green.  It was fun seeing all the fun costumes, stockings, tutus and kilts...not to mention various hats and wigs.

 

We had less than ideal weather for this grand event, though.  The temps were in the 40's, but the sunshine was spotty and the wind most severe.  I debated about wearing the puffer vest or going without...and decided moments before the gun went off to just wear it.  I did get hot a few times, but for the most part I was comfortable.

Just prior to the start of the race, we heard bagpipes playing, and discovered it was a family from our hometown of Grinnell!  They have a local band, Turlach Ur, and they make appearances at various events in our area.

As I crossed the start line, almost immediately I felt that weird little sensation that I should have used the bathroom one last time.  Oh well, this was only a 10K.  I probably would be alright.  I hadn't had a lot of water that morning, and it had been a few hours since I'd eaten.  As soon as the thought of food crossed my mind, I realized that I was feeling a little hungry, too.  Great.  Not even half of a mile into this race and I was already creating "what if" scenarios in my mind.

It didn't help that I also had run the day prior.  It had been my birthday and, as was customary for me, I did a 3.14 mile run in honor of Pi Day.  Usually a 3-mile run is not a big deal for me, but it was late in the day and also in some pretty strong wind.  My hamstrings were feeling a little stiff, and I was banking on them loosening up during the first couple miles of the Chase.

As I approached the 2-mile mark, that "hoping to find a bathroom" feeling had not gone away, nor had the hunger. I made it to the water station in about 17 minutes, which is typically a little fast for me (especially in the early miles of a run).  It wasn't too long before the first Lad passed me, followed by several more Lads a short while later.

I was really glad we had sunshine, even if it was intermittent.  The wind was pretty strong, but it was mostly at my back...until around mile 3, when we were headed around the north shore of Grey's Lake. My vest was keeping me warm, but the zipper kept sliding down (probably from the wind).  Then I noticed a strange little "side-effect" of the tutu.....it was creeping down between my legs!  Seriously?  (I could only imagine what that looked like from behind) So, by then I not only needed a plumbing intervention and my stomach was growling (I could hear it over my music), but I also had to keep reaching down periodically and drag the tutu fragments out from where they shouldn't have been.  I did manage to laugh at the humor of my situation, though.  Getting annoyed and uptight would serve no purpose anyways.

As we rounded the lake, I could see the public restroom up just beyond the 4-mile mark.  Knowing it would mess up my finish time, I made the command decision to just veer off course and head towards it.  I glanced at my watch, and noted the time so I'd have an idea of what my actual "running" time would be.  Another lesson learned....it's best to have all this restroom business done BEFORE the tutu goes on your body, because it's pretty crowded in the stall of a restroom.  Just saying.

Pit stop done, I headed back to the course.  I had lost about 7 minutes of race time (actually, technically, those 7 minutes were added), and I was back in the running.  The final two miles were straight into the wind, but also in the sunshine.  My legs had loosened up some, and I was able to run about a 9-minute pace for the remainder of the race.  There were a couple times I considered walking, since I already knew my finish time was whacked, but I knew I'd get out of the wind that much quicker if I just kept running.

I crossed the finish line in 1:01:15.  Subtracting off the 7 "pit stop" minutes put my run time around 54 minutes, which is just under a 9-minute pace.  I seem to average between 8:30-9:00 minute miles, so I'm content with that.  Given the fact I had run the day prior, battled wind both days, and also had done the Fight for Air Climb in Chicago (180 flights of stair racing)  6-days prior......this was a small victory for me.  It turns out, the gal who finished third place in my age group was actually a little behind that with her finish time, so I coulda/woulda/shoulda have placed.  Oh well.  Maybe next time.

Bottom line, this was a fun event.  It's neat going to a race where almost every participant is "actively" participating.  I love running, and I love bettering my finish times, but not every race has to be a competitive race.  Sometimes it's fun to run just for the sake of running itself.  And if you can do it in a tutu, all the better.

Fighting for Air in Chicago!

 
Last April, I did my first Fight for Air Climb for The American Lung Association.  This involved climbing 66 flights of stairs amongst 3 tall buildings in the city of Des Moines.  I am registered for the 2014 event next weekend.  This past weekend I was given the opportunity to venture to Chicago and do the Climb there.  YIKES!

This venue was a much bigger event, given the size of the city.  This Climb had participants climbing the four Presidential Towers in downtown Chicago.  That's right, four towers...not just three tall buildings like in Des Moines.  Oh, and each tower has 45 flights of steps, for a grand total of 180 floors. YIKES (again).

Last year I did the Climb as an individual, this year I was recruited to join Team 27.  Team 27 was formed several years ago in honor of and support for Tom Muselman, a Des Moines-based banker who was the recipient of a double lung transplant a few years ago.

Team 27...ready to go!

 This also was the Spring-Ahead weekend, which made for one less hour of sleep.  Fortunately, our scheduled climb time wasn't until 9:55.  We had plenty of time to rise and shine, pay a visit to Starbucks, hail a cab and get to check-in.

I didn't quite know how to prepare for this event.  I had done plenty of stair-climbing, and my legs are in pretty good shape from being a runner.  I wasn't sure if I should do a taper, since this climb was so much bigger and more demanding than the other one.  Or, should I carb-load?  I didn't expect to spend a long time climbing 180 flights, but I knew it would be strenuous and require a boost of energy.

Check-in was at the PepsiCo building, and we were escorted across Monroe to the first Presidential Tower, where we could check our gear and get out timing chips.  Seeing the four Towers was exciting, but a little intimidating.

Three of the four Presidential Towers...don't they look...TALL?

I must say this event was very well organized with numerous enthusiastic volunteers. As we lined up to take the stairs, countless people were cheering and high-5ing the participants.

We had the option to do 1,2,3, or all 4 of the Towers.  Well, my theory is "go big or go home," so I was registered to climb all four Towers.

Ready to take to the steps...180 flights do not scare me

 
As I began my climb in Tower 1, I could feel the excitement of what was before me.  I started out taking the steps two-at-a-time.  That lasted for the first 10 flights or so....and I knew things would need to change for the remaining 35 flights.  These stairways were narrow, making it difficult to pass other climbers, and only had handrails on the "inside" edge of the steps.  Also, the steps were steep!  Instead of going up one long stairway of 12-14 steps, each flight had double stairs...6 or 7 steps, then you'd turn and do another 6 or 7 steps (in the opposite direction) between each floor.  Catch-22!  Although the stairs appear shorter than normal, you have to do two of them for each floor, and you have to pause briefly as you change direction halfway through.

I finished the first Tower in 7:19.  I grabbed a cup of water and joined the other sweating/panting/breathless racers and waited for the elevator to take us down.  I was given a Team 27 shirt to wear, but was already contemplating stripping it off and just going with the tank top I had underneath.

We all had timing chips attached to our shoes.  There were timing mats in the hall leading to the stairs and also mats in the doorways, exiting the stairways at the top of each building.  This meant that we'd cross the "start mat" briefly after exiting the elevator (from the previous Tower) and we then had to make our way to the next Tower.

My strategy for Tower 2 was to start off taking the steps by two (again), but to do it slower, so I'd (hopefully) be able to maintain the two-step intervals longer.  My theory was thrown out the window after the first 5 or 6 flights.  UGH!  This was really tough!  The steps were a lot steeper than they appeared, and the stairways were stuffy (probably from all the heavy breathing!).  Thankfully, there were water stations on the 19th, 34th and 48th floors, so that gave me the chance to pause for a few seconds and slam some water and catch my breath.  I finished Tower 2 in 9:07.  And I yanked off the team 27 shirt and draped it over my fuel belt (which was holding my phone).  Normally, having a flapping tail-like thing hanging over my belt would not happen if I was running, but for stair-climbing it worked fine.

Halfway there.....this Climb was no joke!

Tower 3.  By this time, I had resolved to just single-step the stairs.  The crowd of climbers had thinned out (because some had bailed after the first two towers), so I didn't have to worry about passing too many people.  We had to cross the street (via the skywalk), so this gave us a little more time in between towers, but it also showed up on our chip time.  Some climbers ran between towers, but most others (myself included) walked.

So, onward I climbed.  I never felt fatigued, but I certainly felt winded and out of breath.  Another little "mind game" to overcome was the numbering system of the floors. We were climbing 45 flights of stairs. But when you start on the  third floor, and you finally reach the 45th floor...you still have three flights remaining. (ugh!)  This was a small detail that I kept forgetting each time I reached the 45th floor (in each tower).  I finished Tower 3 in 10:50.  Woot! Woot!  Almost done!!

The 4th Tower went well, though I was really feeling the effects of so many steps in the stairways.  More and more climbers were pausing on the landings and at the water stations. Very few people were smiling (except for the volunteers who kept encouraging us as they offered us water).  I tried to pay attention to the many posters on the walls of the stairways, which paid tribute to friends and family members who were no longer with us. I said several silent prayers for them, and felt so honored and lucky that I was able to climb 180 flights of stairs.  I bet they would have gladly traded places with me if they were able to do so.  I finished Tower 4 in 9:28.  And I drank several cups of water in celebration as I waited for the elevator.

WHEW!  I had to work hard for this medal!

This Climb was tough, no doubt about it.  The 66 floors in Des Moines got nothing on this challenge!  My finish time was 36:44.  I was hoping to be done within 45 minutes, so I am very pleased.  I finished 26th out of 171 women within my age group (this stat is from Tower 1; everyone climbed the first tower, but not everyone climbed all four of them).  Out of the 548 women who did climb all four towers, I finished 142nd and I placed 517th out of a total 1034 climbers (male and female combined) who finished all four towers.

Team 27...post Fight for Air Climb in Chicago