...AND I KEPT THROWING UP!

Well,  let's just say that the throwing up didn't stop after the race.  In fact,  I was presenting to fifteen teachers in a neighboring school district the following Tuesday after the race.  I had felt alright on Monday and by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning,  I was setting up a little "throw up" stand behind an easel next to the teacher's desk.  That was PLAN B, just in case I didn't make it down the hall, out the door, across the playground, back into the office and down the hall to the teachers' restroom.

Guess what happened?  Plan A.  I tore down the hall, made it through the office, heaving the whole way.  I wound up in the restroom,  just in time.  IT WAS THE SINGLE MOST EMBARRASSING moment of my profession as teachers stared at me...we were dropping like flies!  We all abandoned the day and I went home to sleep for three hours.

Two days later, I was back to my usual FUN and GAMES and recovered from my race.  One of my proudest moments was helping Sparkle Pants pick out his first "manufactured" Halloween costume in the middle of February.  He is CRAZY about all super heroes and choose a Captain America costume from Party City.  It wasn't until I got home and we attempted to watch a few Captain America videos off of You Tube that I realized that this "vintage" cartoon is really pretty racist,  violent and riddled with tanks,  weapons and everything else that Sparkle Pants' parents abhor.  MAN,  I'M ALWAYS IN THE DOG HOUSE AROUND here when it comes to Sparkle Pants.

Too much sugar!
Nasty Halloween costumes!
Gluten products!
Action Figures!
Late bed times!
Too much pretend and role playing...

Geesh, being a grandma is NOT easy.  I didn't realize I was going to have to play by everyone else rules..

Time for me to grow up...or not.

Happy Running, stay safe!
meg

I Threw Up On My Garmin

My WILD and WOOLY trail race was buckets of fun on Sunday!  It started with me getting car sick(?)on my way to the race.  Boy Scout/50 Miler Man pulled over on the free way and I promptly covered my mouth with my wrist(OK, who does THAT?)and threw up on my Garmin,  out onto the freeway.  I had some "reserve" toilet paper in my bag(because I roll like that at races, you just NEVER know)and wiped my watch but forgot to get the watchband.  GAK!  Throughout the race, like every tenth of a mile,  I'd get a whiff of my stomach contents and want to heave all over again.  BUT...I just ran.
And ran...
And ran...

When I got to the MOUNTAIN of 1,000 Steps,  I started to hike and the Boob behind me started talking about eating NACHOS at his upcoming SUPER BOWL party.  BLECH and GAK once again!
"Should I have guacamole or just beans?"  "Sour cream?"  "Which has more calories, beans or guacamole?"  I was SO ready to snap at him but the thought of turning around on the steep incline and accidentally "seeing" what I had just climbed freaked me out so I kept working on the hill.  The thought of food sent me up the hill faster,  you can't really throw up while you are straddling a boulder and trying to climb step # 345.   I'm not saying I conquered my GOAL of NOT WALKING the hills but I did strut my stuff trying to get away from Boob.

Once reaching the top,  I realized that it was about 80 degrees and this was the SECOND time I had run a race in the heat--this winter--and it made me laugh.  Rocks, heat, vomit, guacamole,  slippery down hills...what could I do but laugh?  This is just another reason I love adore trail running.  YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S AROUND THE NEXT CORNER.  You can never predict what's going to happen once you get to the top of a mountain.  This element of surprise keeps me on my toes and makes me embrace the unpredictable.

I finished the race.  Was I sick?  Did I run with stomach flu?  Food poisoning?  Car sick?  Who knows but I ran with all that was within and a little of what was on the freeway and ended up with a PR by seconds...one that I had set four years ago.  It made me happy to know that getting OLDER, getting sick and getting over the guacamole has only made me stronger.

Bring on the hills, bring on the trails, bring on the fun.

By the way,  my Garmin isn't holding a charge,

Meg

My Recent Obsession

Boy Scout has almost recovered from the body trauma and mental tribulations from his 50 miler.  He is now jogging a bit and plotting his next move for his 50 miler on May 11th.  Let the fun begin once again!

My plotting involves more technical trail races for the rest of the spring and maybe a fun half-marathon.  I have become obsessed with racing the Xterra race series and trying to stay at the top of my game with 15k races and some 21k races.  The trails always prove to challenge my legs and stamina like no other type of running.  I also LOVE the downhill technical trail running.  Trails like the one in the photo above make me quiver...I feel like a horse/goat/rabbit...trying to find a "safe" way down the hill while maintaining a 7:30 pace.  I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT FALLING AT ALL in this post, so I won't.    The BIGGEST challenge has been hill climbing which I enjoy but find SO frustrating.  I really don't want to walk but the steepness of some of the trails makes this impossible.  Grrr...I have a lot of mental images that I access when I feel like walking;  I picture my legs churning and churning like a well-oiled machine.  Sometimes,  I just stare at the top of the hill and imagine myself being pulled up by the runners in front of me.  This works and doesn't work.  I just want to make it more consistent.

Next week,  I race locally, an Xterra Mission Trails run.  It has a mountain called 1000 Steps, and it is.  I had *FUN* on the rocky trails the last time I did this race and two weeks ago we ran it as training.  I was able to run every hill except the 1000 Steps trail itself.  I have big plans for this weekend...NO WALKING.  There, I said it out loud(really, my dog heard me).

I might place in these races and sometimes I win(because I'm a "mature age grouper")but that's not what matters to me...tackling these CHALLENGES has consumed me and I love picking some mini/major goals like NOT WALKING,  NOT TAKING A POTTY BREAK,  STAYING STRONG and AGGRESSIVE the whole way.   I have found these goals to be the best kind and although they don't revolve around a time or pace,  they do keep me moving forward.

Marathons and half marathons are still on the calendar but for now,  my OBSESSION keep me growing and getting stronger.

What are your OBSESSIONS with your running?  What keeps you motivated to press on?

Have a great last week of January,
meg

50 Miler was a Smiler...

At the risk of being called a Front'er...one who puts up the iron curtain and avoids telling you all of the bubbly, ugly, smelly, brewing trouble in my cauldron...I get out the gore right away.

It wasn't an easy race.

There were dark and dreary moments despite the HOT 83-85 degree weather.

Chunks and liquids were hurled right out in the open.

Walking too place, lots of walking.

Hills were exposed to the sun, switchbacks were present.

It was ugly at times.

However, true to form,  thanks to the way our BRAINS operate,  good times were had by all.

Inspiration was everywhere!

70 years olds finished 50 milers with smiles on their faces.

In fact,  there wasn't one fifty miler that didn't have a smile on their face.  Practically, the whole time.  Maybe they were "front'n" but it was weird and eerie,  they all seemed SO happy to be out there in the heat, water on hand or on back,  tossing back salt tabs like candy and chatting it up with each other and the volunteers.

My husband rose 50 notches in my book of notches...which actually takes quite a lot.  My book is pretty full and running out of pages since we've been together almost(29 years...in a few months).  Anyway,  he was pretty calm the whole time.  Here's a quick review of his fueling stops/miles in increments of 10 miles:

Start:  He's happy of course!  It's a chilly thirty-something degrees but most runners are in shorts since they've read the weather report for weeks.

10 Mile Mark:

Smiles all around.  He cruises through, stops for a clothing change, sheds his heart rate monitor and we exchange his fuel bottle.  He eats a BONK BREAKER and washes it down with regular water.  Kisses  take place and he's off. 

 On his way!

Mile 15 was a miss for us since I was watching a friend run the trail marathon!

Mile 20 was the one on the hill, set under some oak trees for shade and lots of long grass.  Steve ate another Bonk Breaker, drank water and we exchanged bottles.  Pretty low key, he was still smiling.

Mile 30 was before this dam in Escondido.  It's like a desert out there and this is where my car thermometer read 85 degrees.  The runners running up this trail weren't talking, weren't running and were pretty ticked off.  I heard a few choice mutters as I cheered them on:

"Hmm, this is where this race gets interesting."

"OMG, do you have any water and can you pour it over my whole body?"

"How hot is it right now?  If feels like someone is slapping my neck."

Steve started to have ISSUES here.  He was cramping from the hills and switchbacks and he wasn't eating or drinking anything.  He kept walking as I passed him some roll on BIOFREEZE which seemed to work until the next aide station.  

No smiles here.

Mile 35

Pure hell.  No tears but plenty of barfing and drama.  We surrounded him and tried to get him to eat solid foods.  He drank coconut water and various sodas and then promptly threw them up.  I played BAD COP and tried to keep him walking since that was our agreement and MY PART in this whole ting...the nasty who kept him walking.  I would hold up his water bottles and food and sort of wave it around, catch his eye and then start walking backwards...sort of the proverbial carrot thing.  IT worked.  

We sent him off at mile with a prayer and some advice...hoping he'd listen or COULD listen.

Mile 40

More darkness.  More cramping and more loss of liquids from more than one hole.  No smiles but still, a determination in his step.  

Mile 45

This stop was hidden right before the last hill so we never got to it.  I heard that this is where it all turned around for him.  He ate some watermelon, drank and go his second wind.  THIS is what I had been hoping for since mile 30.  He's notorious for a second wind.  This one just took 20 miles to come.

Mile 50

The finish.  The waiting was excruciating.  His body first appeared as he left the tree clumps past the dairy.  HE WAS RUNNING.  Actually running.  I ran out and couldn't stop myself from jumping up and down and crying.  8 1/2 months following meniscus surgery, he pulls this off and FINISHES.  What an ending.

Has the training been easy.  No.  Do I need to share the details?  NO,  let's dwell on the positives.  Sometimes NOT FRONT'N is the best thing to do...it's often best to recognize the RESULT and celebrate the beauty of the present moment, not the past.

The HAPPY ENDING?

35 finisher out of 70 finishers.  First in age group 50-59!!  10:43 finish time.

Crew...

You were all a part of THIS.  We cannon thank you enough for being our friends.  We truly *love* you all.

Happy Running,  TODO ES POSIBLE.

meg

50 Miler, 50 Miler, 50 SMILER!

Once upon a time,  a small, slight boy started running.  Perhaps away from his mother, brother or rough  little neighborhood buddies.

He ran fast.  It kept him small and skinny.

He grew...slowly.

He got tough.

In jr. high he started running to beat others.  He gained confidence.

In high school,  he ran some marathons.  He was fast.  He was still skinny.

His mom said he ate loaves of bread, drank gallons of milk right from the refrigerator.

He says he as ALWAYS hungry.  For more running.

In college, he grew his hair out.  Bleached it in the sun.  He started surfing.

Running became a memory.

Towards the end of college,  he started slam dancing.  He loved the Sex Pistols.  He cut his thick mop and opted for a mohawk.

**In Mexico, he meets a running girl.**
Yes, Mexico.
No, they don't stay there...it was a "weekend" get away that involved Hussong's and Corona's(college days, remember?).

He remembers the old days.  The hungry days.  He keeps surfing.

They marry, they have kids.  The running girl stops running.  

Mom, wife, teacher...and running doesn't have a space in her life.

He keeps surfing.

Running girl decides one day to take it up again, restore the LOVE of freedom, liberty and sweaty clothes.

Girl gets more serious and does some marathons; Rock and Roll's,  Bostons.  She has  fun.

Boy stops surfing and never looks back.  Not once.
They run together.  They compete.  They become competitive with each other in only the BEST of ways.
The have fun.  They become empty nesters...kind of.

FAST FORWARD to January 13th.
Hey, that's today!

Man tapers for his first 50 miler!!!!
He doesn't look back at his knee surgery 8 months ago.
Keeps his eyes on the finish.

Obviously, this story is NOT over.  In fact, it seems like it has just begun.

Life in the forties and fifties is looking pretty AWESOME.

ULTRA icky toe issue...

Race report next week!

New  Ultimate Direction vest...pretty light weight, room for cell phone and other treasures and treats.

He tested it out and it's pretty cool...

Happy Running...

meg

GOOD COACHING = HEALTHY RUNNING

HAPPY 2012!

You were full of highlights...

Thank you for bringing THE BOY WITH THE BOW TIE home for Christmas.

He turned the Casita de Ling into PEE WEE's PLAYHOUSE as usual.  Please don't steal my iPhone and take bizarre pictures again!  Out numbered again.

Sparkle Pants turned 3.  Can you believe that?

3 years of paper swords,  wrestling, surfing and making paper cookies...

what would our World have been without you?

Boy Scout opted to shave off his MO-VEMBER Stache.  Thank goodness.  I like a good beard but his fuzzy face never seemed to move past this phase...the kisses were still good though.

Sparkle Pants practiced safety-first while handling heavy machinery.

Chicago became my new favorite marathon.

Working Mama celebrates her 23rd birthday...and continues to go to school, work two jobs and love her young pup to bits.

We're truly grateful...

RUNNING!!

I am especially grateful for a year of injury free running, the first one since I started running 7 years ago.  In the beginning of my running career,   I ran marathon after marathon,  ran track with a training group and basically ran every run as hard as I could, because I could and because it made me happy.  Until my 40ish body put on the brakes.  I just didn't get it.  Why couldn't I run, train, run, train and race, race, race without getting hurt?

2010 brought some clarity and I decided that my hips were hurting way too much.  This running thing was just getting way too painful.  I sought a coach.  He was tough, he was SMART and he helped me get fit.  MAF and heart rate were key to this phase and I saw my race times improve.  I learned some key things that I will NEVER FORGET:

1.  If you're training for a marathon, don't waste your precious training and energy on racing a lot of other races in between, especially the small ones.  Stay focused.  Stay confident.

2.  Run by feel; don't DEPEND and obsess with your time/pace/watch/friends.  Run how you feel.  Love how you feel.  Love running.  This key lesson will never leave me.  It is now WHO I am as a runner.

3.  Trails, mountains, hills are *key* to training and strength.  Love them. Embrace them.

4.  Age is just a number.

After about 6 months with this coach, however,  I had pushed too hard once again.  Bam!  Foot problems, it band issue...I had listened to him but NOT my body. He changed me for the better, I owe him so much.   After New York, 2010, a PR race for me,  I backed off from racing...then did Boston(which was a disaster)and decided to start over.

ENTER Coach Number Two, Nicole!

I have been working with Nicole for almost a year and a half.  I found her through another masters runner's blog and liked her immediately.  It was a slow start for me.  TRUST.  I had to believe that starting slow once again would pay off in the end.  Nicole is a trail mountain running champion and her workouts intrigued me.  The periodization in her workouts and my training schedule were similar to what Coach One had me doing but I wound up doing more hill workouts.  SUDDENLY,  I found myself looking at my workouts and the calendar as MINE rather than just following them blindly and expecting a specific result.  I began to integrate WHAT I KNEW ABOUT MY BODY(HEL-LOW!)into my recovery days and finally,  my body began to respond.  

Specifically...if I started to feel a niggle,  I'd STOP, rehab for a day(foam roller, ice, acupuncture, massage, chiropractor-depending on the niggle)and then re evaluate my plans.  Sure enough, giving myself an extra recovery day or reducing my mileage GAVE MY BODY A CHANCE to heal.  Once Nicole and I fell into  groove,  I've started to learn that following her workouts for me, have kept me HEALTHY, HAPPY, INJURY FREE and RUNNING!

Could I have done this without a coach?  Maybe YOU could have.  Not me.  I love to run hard,  I love to leave it out on the trail too much.  

I needed a wise woman to tell me to keep my long runs between 8:45-9:30 no matter what!

I needed a wise woman to tell me to run my tempos by a prescribed "effort" not the EXACT pace!

I needed a wise woman to tell me to take care of my body when I had a cold...

I needed a wise woman to recognize that my goal is  not  to PR at every race, it's really to stay healthy so I can run into my 80's!  Truly.

Happy New Year! I hope your goals for the new year are accomplished quickly,  with enthusiasm and that 2013 is filled with love of friends and family and lots of HAPPY MILES.

meg

FIT and I LOVE YOU LIKE A LOVE SONG, BABY!

Let's get the nitty-gritty out of the way.

It's been a LONG time since I've blogged.  Believe it or not, I still READ blogs but I haven't commented in ages.  I just like to know what ALL OF YOU are up to and keep up with your lives and running but I'm sorry,  I don't have the time that I used to, back when I was first and EMPTY NESTER.  Hee, hee.

Any-hoo!  The good news is that I recovered from Chicago like a TIGER and am back gearing up for my first 15k trail race on Sunday.  I also ran a great 5k on Thanksgiving and although I STILL haven't gone sub-20,  I was pretty close!  20:20.  UGH.  I WILL DO THIS though,  I see the 5k sub 20 happening in 2013, early in the year.  I didn't wear a watch for the 5k and I ran to have fun and ended up feeling great at the end of the race but it was too late to make up for the slower first mile.  A **FUNNY** story though:  I tell everyone I'm not competitive every day.  Liar.   During the last mile of the race,  I could feel my two SPRY friends creeping up on me but they weren't exactly "with" me.  With a quarter of a mile to go,  I heard my track coach yell, "GO Meg!  GO MAYA's MOM AND DAD!" and with that,  I took off like a crazy old lady as fast as I could.  Geesh...I was afraid those young peeps were going to beat me.  Go figure.  Maya's dad ran Western States in June...Maya's mom is a super fit chick...SO CAPABLE OF CATCHING ME ANY DAY!    They "LET" me have it though.    Thanks for helping me out PEEPS!!

FITNESS though is a funny thing...and a powerful thing.  You can be recovering from a marathon and working on hills and suddenly be back to normal, recovered and perhaps even stronger than when you started your marathon training.  That happened to me.  My heart rate has now dropped down into the low 130's for my easy runs and my moderate and LT paces have actually increased.  DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU that age slows you down.  The KEY is fitness. Do all you can to keep yourself injury free, manage your pain and training and respect this:   RECOVERY.  I'll say it LOUDER...RECOVER!  For me that means icing my calves after a tough workout,  taking an extra day off if I'm fatigued or sore and allowing my body to rest a little longer after races.  I've managed to stay injury free since last spring which is actually a miracle for me since I've battled a lot of stuff in the past.

Run happy :) .

Finally...
my fine, hot husband...Happy Birthday!!  I'm taking this time to wish you the BEST day ever and I apologize for scheduling a race on your BIG day(even though you gave me your blessings).  I was hoping I could fly you to Hawaii,  renew our vows under a coconut tree and celebrate your day with plenty of red meat, wine, chocolate cake and cuddling but maybe next year.  You know I love you...
xoxo