Hoka 10k 2018

Hoka 10k 2018

Thursday, March 31, 2016

When It Rains, It Pours...My Many WTF Moments in the Past Nine Days

 
Let me summarize the past nine days of my life:
  • Last week on Wednesday, I just had a generally horrible night. The hubs was gone, James was being a turd, and my dogs were at each other's throats. It just put me in a pissy mood to the point I wanted to give up. (I would soon find out this was all minor and the least of my concerns for the week)
  • I woke up the following morning, Thursday, determined to have a better day with a better attitude. As I was going downstairs to start my day, I slipped down EVERY SINGLE STEP. In case you missed it, I'm pregnant. Seven steps of hard floor later, I was in a pissy mood again. I was sore the rest of the day, had a headache, etc. It was just stupid.
  • Thursday late afternoon/evening, we get home and noticed our beagle, Angel, wasn't able to walk using her back legs. They were limp. We were very concerned, and Jimmy decided to bring her to the vet. Long story short, she ended up being paralyzed due to a herniated disc in her back. She ended up at OSU Vet Hospital and had surgery the next morning. This was a very scary situation for us considering we just lost our Aussie unexpectedly in January and simply weren't mentally ready to lose our other precious, young doggy. (side note: surgery went well and Angel continues to heal as expected...she's just very high maintenance right now requiring a lot of assistance)
  • I spent Friday through Sunday being concerned about Angel and annoyed by what seemed to be the beginning of Achilles tendonitis for me. I appropriately rested Sunday and Monday and had a pain free run on Tuesday.
  • When we got home from work on Tuesday, our electricity was out. It seems like no big deal until it's off for a total of 36 hours! This really was inconvenient with all of the other events happening in my household. It was off until this morning (Thursday) at 2:45 a.m.
  • Just when I thought my dog having back surgery and the electricity being out that long was the icing on the cake, Wednesday morning happened which is really why I'm typing this post.
 
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I WAS HIT BY A VEHICLE WHILE RUNNING AND HAVE FRACTURED METATARSALS.
 
Now that I have that out there, I can give you the experience from my perspective. I was supposed to wake up at 4 a.m. and meet my friends Marion and Jackie for a run. Because the power went out, I wasn't able to charge my phone enough to make it through the night. Therefore, I had no functioning alarm clock. I woke up in the 6 o'clock hour being pissed that I missed that run. I blame the power outage for what happened to me. If I had been able to meet my friends, I wouldn't have had to run on my own.
 
I set out from my house around 7:30 a.m. or so for an easy 6 miles before work. Let's set the mood and scene: broad daylight, sun was beautifully shining, I had a bright blue headband on, and I was running on the sidewalks the entire time. I was 1.25 miles into my run when it happened.

I was on one of the main roads (McCutcheon) and approaching the crosswalk, going east, at Woodmark Run (See map above if you are a visual person). There is a stop sign on Woodmark Run for those wanting to  turn onto McCutcheon. As I approached the intersection, I stopped and jogged in place at the end of the sidewalk just before the slight ramp/decline that leads into the crosswalk. This is something I always do when crossing over a street. You can't trust drivers (obviously).
 
As I was jogging in place, I noticed a small black SUV approaching the stop sign. The vehicle was decelerating as it approached McCutcheon so I made the decision that he was stopping. That's when I decided to go down the ramp and across the crosswalk. I always keep my eyes on the drivers as I'm starting to cross. I noticed that the gentleman looked left to check for approaching vehicles. About that time is when I was exiting the ramp onto the crosswalk. After the gentleman looked left, he started accelerating and turning his wheel to the right. At this point, I had already entered the crosswalk and wasn't able to stop myself before the inevitable happened.
 
The gentleman turned right and I tried to stop my legs from going further. My right leg got out of the way, but my left did not. I watched his front passenger tire crush my foot. My left leg then hit the vehicle. All I was thinking about at the time was not allowing my belly to hit the vehicle. I was so worried about my baby. I was able to extend my arms out and push the rest of my body away from the vehicle. After that, I quickly lowered myself to the sidewalk and ended up on the ramp. I pulled myself up to the level sidewalk for more comfort.
 
The gentleman got out and I screamed for him to call 911. The kind gentleman behind him stopped immediately and came to me with his business coat to use as a pillow. He also dialed my husband's number so that I could tell him to come quickly.  I then had two women stop. I remember them covering me with towels and blankets to make sure I was warm. They were rubbing my arms and back for comfort. One lady was even praying for me. So very thankful for these people.
 
You guys, I was so scared and in so much pain. This pain was so much worse than my unmedicated child birth. I remembered from birth class that you must relax to help control the pain...so that's what I tried to do. I started pursed lip breathing while letting out the occasional moan and groan. In true Lisa fashion, I kept thanking everyone around me and referring to them as "ma'am" or "sir." My labor nurse made fun of me after I had James and said I was the nicest person during labor that she'd ever met! LOL! If only I was that nice all the time. I just wanted to make sure of two things in this moment: 1) that baby was ok. 2) that those helping me knew I appreciated them in that moment.
 
I remember seeing an officer approach the scene. He came to me and asked if I was ok, how I was feeling, etc. When I told him I was struck by the vehicle, he asked me if the gentleman stopped completely. My answer was "No, sir." After he obtained my name and phone number, I asked if he would contact my husband since I was unable to get in touch with him earlier. That was about all I heard from the officer because the squad had arrived to assess my condition. At that point, we were headed to the ER and the rest is history.
 
I updated you guys on Facebook and Instagram about my exact injuries. I fractured metatarsals 2, 3, and 4 of my left foot. They splinted me at the hospital and sent me home with crutches telling me I'm non weight bearing until I see the ortho the next day.
 
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The ortho appointment:
 
I went in hoping to be given permission to wear a boot and walk with a limp. NOT SO MUCH. I received what I felt was the worst news possible. Because of the location of the fractures (they were closer to my arch than my toes), the doc felt it necessary for me to be resplinted for a week and remain non weight bearing. He said I would return in one week for an x-ray to ensure that my foot is healing properly. If all looks well, the likely scenario is that he will put me in a boot. He did state that, whether in a boot or splint, I will be non weight bearing 4-6 weeks. He stated my good health status MIGHT allow me just to be that way for 4 weeks but it is likely I'll have to go the full 6 weeks. At that point, I'll go to a walking boot and begin weight bearing as tolerated. He also stated running won't happen for 2-3 months. I'm guessing 3 months sounds more appropriate.
 
You would think that the running part would have been devastating to me, but that wasn't the first thing on my mind. I was just thinking about the difficulty of life in general while not being able to bear weight. With our dog being restricted at this time, I won't be able to help Jimmy with that. How can I appropriately care for James with one leg and crutches?! I am going to be the worst wife and mother ever for 6 weeks.
 
After this, I had to go to the police station. I received a call from the officer to come and fill out my report. After doing so, I asked him if the gentleman who ran over me was ticketed. His answer was the most devastating news of the day. He stated he chose not to ticket the gentleman because we had "opposing stories and no eyewitnesses." WTF. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Since when is running over a pedestrian who is using a crosswalk a justifiable situation? I'm not a lawyer or a police officer so I'm sure there are laws I'm unaware of BUT I do know that I stopped before crossing and the gentleman driving did not completely stop at his stop sign. Although I can't obtain the report until Monday and don't know exactly what the man reported, it is obvious that he claims he stopped and is not at fault. I can't wait to read what he said.
 
Needless to say, I am very sad and angry at the situation. I have been told many things by many people...most of them encouraging. Nothing really matters at this point until I get in touch with a lawyer. I'm hoping I can get a consult tomorrow so I can learn more about this type of situation.
 
**********
 
I can't thank you guys enough for your sweet messages. I have so many people checking in on me, sending flowers/gifts, offering to bring dinner, etc. The kindness is overwhelming and seems undeserving. I keep trying to remind myself that I would do the same thing for all of you.
 
I have three main prayer requests at this moment:
  1. Appropriate healing of my foot. I vow to be a good patient and listen to my doctor so hopefully the healing responds to my commitment.
  2. My work situation. I am still unsure if I can perform my job duties and what that will all look like for me.
  3. That justice will be served. I'm not wanting this guy to go down, but, if he lied in his report, I hope that this lie is revealed. I am only seeking that medical expenses and hopefully any lost wages from work be covered. I feel strongly that I did all I could to prevent this from happening, and I'm not the one at fault. I have been running 19 years and have never been in this situation. I am a very safe and aware runner. I have lived in my current neighborhood for almost 6 years and run by that very spot weekly. This guy simply was not doing his part.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 19 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner
 
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 This week started with a bang and ended with the beginnings of an injury. I want to nip this in the bud STAT. I did reach my mileage goal again this week [40.22 miles!!]. Based on how I felt this week, I'll be making some changes for next week.  Also, I have a half marathon on Sunday!!! I need to feel fresh for that.
My new compression socks. I've never been an accessory runner, but I'm starting to conform.

  • 3/21/16: 6 miles, 9:45 average pace. I had minimal soreness leftover from my hardcore weekend, but I wanted to take it easy today. I met up with Karen for some moonlit miles. I'm pretty sure I talked for 4.5 of the 6 miles. I wanted to tell myself to shut up.
  • 3/22/16: 12.03 miles, 9:30 average pace. I've been dying to check out this hill by the Hoover dam, so I committed to a 6 miler with the group. I also wanted to take advantage of my short work day by getting in my long run. I did a 2 mile warm up across the dam (if you go across and back, it's conveniently 1 mile); we then headed to the dam hill for our repeats. The hill is approximately a quarter mile which I did eight times to get 4 more miles. This hill seeemed legit and that's rare in Columbus. I can't wait to check it out again! I followed all of this up with 6 more miles to get my 12 mile long run. My overall pace was much slower than last week, but I'm sure that's due to the hill repeats. Gosh, I LOVE HILLS!
    We had a big ole group for this run!
  • 3/23/16: 7.06 miles, 9:23 average pace. Don't let that average pace fool you! I ran with Ellen and Megan for Ellen's tempo run. After a smidge over two miles of a warm up, we began the tempo portion which I believe was 25 minutes. Our third mile was 8:38, but it's those next two miles that we showed the road what was up [8:13 x2]. Then we ended with a cool down until we reached 7 miles. I noticed that my right lower leg was having some pain towards the end of the speedier portion. I'm sure it's a mixture of my crazy run yesterday and speedier miles today. Looks like tomorrow will be a perfect rest day for me. Can't wait!
    Up early for a little tempo action! [Megan, Ellen, ME]
  • 3/24/16: REST. It couldn't have been a more perfect day to rest. Last night was awful for me at home (cranky baby, fighting dogs...yes, fighting dogs...it's like I was dealing with three kids, the hubs at volleyball so was unable to relieve me from duties). I woke up today telling myself it was a new day...then I fell down my stairs. Seven wonderful steps of hardwood floor. Hoping my body won't be too sore to run tomorrow.
  • 3/25/16: 6.1 miles, 8:44 average pace. I wrote yesterday's "REST" entry before the worst of my day happened. We came home to our beagle's back legs being paralyzed (we didn't know this at the time but this was part of her diagnosis when we went to the vet). Long story short, I had another evening as a solo momma while the hubs ran our dog all over the city until she ended up at the vet hospital to prepare for surgery. Needless to say, I couldn't fall asleep nor did I sleep well. I decided to skip out on my early wake up call run and opt for post work running. It was supposed to be solo run until Sweat texted me to say she was getting off work early and wanted to run. It couldn't have worked out better. We had a great but initially challenging run. The temps dropped 20+ degrees from yesterday, and I just wasn't ready for it. It took me a good 3 miles to get my breathing under control and about 4 miles for my calf/Achilles to warm up. It wasn't painful, but I can tell it's not normal. I'll just be extra cautious and play it smart so I can keep running!
    [ME, Sweat]
  • 3/26/16: 9.03 miles, 8:54 average pace. This run was good for the soul. I don't get to run with the girls in my regular crew often anymore. When it happens, it warms my heart. I joined Marion, Dani, and Dani's daughter, Jordan, for some miles on the Olentangy Trail. I was nervous going into it because of my Achilles. I just didn't know what to expect. It was much different from my run yesterday. I never felt pain or annoyance in any form while running, BUT, as soon as I stopped, I WAS LIMPING! I limped for about an hour afterwards. After showering, stretching a bit, and wearing my compression socks a few hours, I was brave enough to do a little self exam. My Achilles was tender to touch. I definitely narrowed the cause down to three things: increased hill action, increase in speedier miles the past week, and the need for new shoes. I might even add a fourth relating to the change in my body shape and weight. I know my running gait is changing now that my belly size is increasing.
    Antrim Lake. [ME, Marion, Jordan, Dani]

  • 3/27/16: REST.  A very intentional rest day. I already met my weekly goal so I had no need to run. Of course, my Achilles needs the rest anyway. We went to Easter service last night so I took Sophie on a walk in the morning...probably 1.5 miles (which I won't count towards my miles).
 
So, what changes will I be making this week?
  1. NO HILLS. I hate typing that because I love hills. Unfortunately, hills are one way to exacerbate Achilles pain (and I could feel this truth even on the small inclines I ran Friday and Saturday).
  2. NO SPEEDY MILES. I'm still not totally sure what that means for me nowadays but I'm going to make a conscious effort to keep all of my miles 9 minutes or slower. I don't want to make them too slow, though, because that often irritates my legs as well. I'll likely have to run solo most of the week so that I can base it on how I'm feeling.
  3. DECREASED MILEAGE. I've been getting 40-42 miles per week. I'm thinking I may subtract about 10 miles and go for 30-32. I'll likely do three 6 mile runs this week in addition to my half marathon.
    This was after Dam Hill/Long Run. I'm still trying to figure out why decided to flash deuces.

 
 
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How Far Along: 19 weeks, 4 days
 
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: I think I'm feeling it move, but it's still so inconsistent that I'm not completely sure.
    
Weight Gain: (I didn't weigh myself this week. This is from last week)11 lbs., Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight:  123 lbs.
 
Symptoms: Nothing.
 
 
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing. I was completely desperate for a pick-me-up this week that I bought a cup of coffee. I could only tolerate a few sips. Bummer.
   
 
Coming Up: 22 week follow up appointment.

Monday, March 21, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 18 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner
 
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Found this quote and LOVED it.

My main goal this week was to run easy so that I could tolerate my races on Saturday. I registered for a 5k in the morning and a 4 miler that evening. I decided that 6 p.m. was a weird time of day to race so I planned to push harder during the 5k. I was able to meet my weekly goal again [40.41 miles]!!
  • 3/14/16: 12 miles, 9:04 average pace. As I was looking at my work week (and considering my race schedule for Saturday), I decided to go ahead and knock out my long run today. I rested yesterday due to travel home from WV and ran really easy and short on Saturday. Based on that, I felt I should be able to tolerate the run. After last week's complete disaster of a 12 miler, I was really nervous to even start. Fortunately, Christine was able to meet me at 5 a.m. to join me for the first 5 miles. I wanted to stay as close to 9mm as I could, but felt in my heart it would not likely happen. Christine has been very sick and is just getting back into running. She wanted to see if she could tolerate some miles close to that pace. We actually ran very well for those 5 miles! [9:03, 8:48, 9:01, 8:54, 8:55]. I'll be honest, I wanted to quit after these miles. I thought there was no way I could finish this run today. I'm SO glad I made myself continue. I did the last 7 miles solo but it was really nice. I spent the next three miles decreasing my pace tremendously in hopes it would give me some extra energy [9:58, 9:46, 9:44]. The plan worked because I was able to tolerate a great progressive run after that! My last 4 miles were 9:14, 8:54, 8:30, and 8:00! I love finishing a long run with some faster miles!!
    Haven't seen this girl in ages! [ME, Sweat]
  • 3/15/16: 6.08 miles, 8:49 average pace. When I had "run easy this week" in mind, I was thinking 9-9:20 pace. Although this run felt easy after the first mile, it was a little faster than I had planned in my head. As long as the legs feel good in the morning, that's all I care about!
    This was a great new group of ladies for me! I hope I get this right because I'm going by memory from a week ago: [Beth up front, ME, Megan, Becky, Lindsay, Brandi]
  • 3/16/16: 7.52 miles, 9:07 average pace. I texted my friend, Jackie, earlier in the week and asked if she was interested in 6 easy, hilly miles. Fortunately, she was free today! She said she wanted 7 miles, but, at the time, I wanted to stick with my plan of 6 since I knew I was racing on Saturday...twice. I've been feeling awesome this week so I texted her the night before and committed to 7 miles. Six turned to seven which turned to 7.5! We hit up pretty much every hill on Emerald Parkway plus the little bump on Post Road. It was glorious. I was worried I might die since I haven't had the chance to run hills for a while. I am only 6 1/2 weeks away from Flying Pig so I need to step it up in the hill department!
    Me and my pregnant partner! [ME, Jackie]
  • 3/17/16: REST. After three 4 a.m. wake up calls in a row (not to mention a weekend of traveling), I decided I was ready to get a couple extra hours of sleep.
  • 3/18/16: 4.63 miles, 9:40 average pace. The only goal today was EASY! I wanted at least 4.5 miles to meet my goal for the week. I knew I wouldn't be motivated to do it alone today, but I also didn't want to get up at 4 a.m. to meet with the 5 a.m.-ers. Fortunately, my friend, Karen, texted me last night saying she would run with me. I was more than excited that it worked out!
  • 3/19/16: 10.18 total miles including 2 races (each with a warm up). This was a pretty awesome and unexpected day for me. I told you all about it in my race recaps! Stay Active 5k link HERE and Kinsale 4 Miler link HERE.
    Feeling great at the halfway point! [ME at my 5k]

    Post race smiles. [Amanda, ME, Jess, Theresa]

  • 3/20/16: REST. Umm....SORE! Nuff said.
 
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Baby Boo Deux
How Far Along: 18 weeks, 4 days
 
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: I THINK I'm starting to feel it move. We had our 18 week ultrasound on Tuesday and all things measured out to equal a healthy baby! We DID NOT find out the sex of the baby. I just couldn't do it.
   
Weight Gain: 11 lbs., Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight:  123 lbs.
 
Symptoms: I'm starting to get what I call "breathy" at the beginning of my runs. If I don't start super slow, it sounds like I'm dying. After a mile or two, I'm golden! Also, I'm realizing I'm eating crappier than I'd prefer (during the work day). I get so hungry during the day and it's so hard to keep appropriate food in my car (I travel all day for work). I end up going through drive thrus most of the time. I don't eat a lot at a time, but the food I've been eating is crappy. My goal this week is to try to plan better meals for the work day. The challenge is that these things have to be appropriate for eating in my car. I would love to microwave leftovers but that's not an option.
 
 
Cravings/Aversions: None.
  
 
Coming Up: 22 week follow up appointment.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

St. Patrick's Day Kinsale 4 Miler


I was hoping a good night's sleep would help me to understand what actually happened yesterday. Instead, it's approaching 7 a.m. and I've been wide awake for at least three hours (AND I'm without kid! What the crap.). Most of you already know that I ran a 5k yesterday morning. When I double booked myself, I decided that racing the 5k was more important to me than the 4 miler. I figured this race would be a fun thing with friends...no pressure at all. I'm thinking I need to start running "no pressure races" all the time!
 
Most of the time, I have an idea of what I want to accomplish during a race. Being preggers messes things up a bit. Based on my 5k result, I decided to try to stay in the low 8's for my pace per mile. I knew I'd be ecstatic if I got 32 minutes. I did a warm up mile with Theresa and felt like I was dragging. Of course, warm up miles are always intended to be 9 minutes or more...and I felt like I was running SO SLOW. When we finished, we realized we just ran an [8:04] mile! WTH. No wonder I felt sluggish. After that, I thought "If I just ran that mile, surely I can make my legs average 8 minutes for four more."

Pre-race with some of my buddies. [Amanda, Theresa, ME, Megan, Jennie]
As expected, the start was congested. While the fasties (Theresa, Jess, and Amanda) made their way to the front, the rest of us decided to join the 32 minute pace group. There were only about two people between us and the pacer, but somehow he got what seemed like light years ahead of us right from the start. I basically spent the first mile trying to catch up with him rather than looking at my watch to make sure I wasn't starting too fast. There was a lot of weaving initially. At one point, I had to jump on the curb and into the grass (we were running on residential streets for about a mile or so). When I realized I was about to collide with someone else, I jumped off the curb and landed way too hard. It shook my little belly a bit but didn't cause pain so I wasn't too concerned. The pacer went out way too fast and that mile ended up being [7:35].
 
Sometime after the mile 1 marker, we hit up the trails on the golf course. I will say that the course was very pretty but very boring. Once you get on the trail, there are no spectators...only your fellow runners. Fortunately, I was running at a pace in which there always seemed to be someone around me. I can't imagine being one of the leaders...so lonely. The course had little rabbit hills but nothing to brag about. The small declines were actually nice and allowed for some brief relief. My goal for the next two miles was to stick with the pacer to make sure I didn't get crazy. I figured I would speed up the final mile if I felt good. The pacer ran another fast mile but was a little more in control. Mile 2 was [7:49].
 
Even though my plan was to stick with Mr. Pacer for another mile, I was feeling really good. It was weird. I felt like I was going slightly slower than I was capable of at that moment. I knew it was risky since I still had two miles left, but I decided to break away from the pacer a bit. At this point, some of the people around me were getting a little tired. It was mentally helpful to be able to pass people. Mile 3 was even better than my other two [7:34].

Post race and post barf. [Amanda, ME, Jess, Theresa]
I don't always pay attention to my pace during races. If I do, I typically only look at my mile splits. I think I was in such shock about my splits so far that my eyes seemed to stay on my watch most of the last mile. Shortly into the last mile, I felt like I was starting to break down. I was beginning to feel it. I looked at my watch and it said I was running a 7:25 pace at the time. After seeing that, I knew I couldn't give up. I could have easily slowed down and still met my 32 minute goal, but my mind would not let me settle. I just kept running...trying to keep my pace under 7:30. I didn't do any math in my head to figure out what my final time would be, but I knew I wanted to make my last mile my fastest mile. With a half mile to go, I was feeling awful. I was so hot, the sun was beaming in my eyes, but I just needed to cross that finish line. I could see that we were about to get off the trail and back on the road to head to the finish. I looked at my watch one last time to see how much distance was left...ONLY 0.15 TO GO! I gave it all I had in the last section but completely wanted to barf. Mile 4 [7:21]! 
 
As I crossed the finish, I was feeling weird. I was bent over, hands on my knees, and dry heaving. For a few moments, I was scared and nervous that maybe I ran harder than I should have. I kept thinking of Baby Boo Deux. As my friends approached me, I don't even know what I looked like. I have no idea what I said. I just remember looking at my watch to tell them my time and being totally shocked that I just did that. Official race stats:
 
  • Official time of 30:20!!! 
  • 51st of 1,007 men and women.
  • 16th of 602 females (I think this is the one I'm most proud of)
  • 7th of  197 women in my age group (30-39).

Kudos to the race director and team for perfecting the course distance. My Garmin showed 4 miles on the dot! Impressive. I had so much fun sharing this moment with some of my closest pals (missing a few which made me sad). My overall pace was 7:35 minutes per mile which was basically the same as my 5k that morning (7:34 average). I was stunned.

Side note on the feeling sick thing: Apparently it wasn't just me (which made me feel better). All of my friends said they started feeling sick towards the end, too. Maybe it was the sun, the fact that the race was at 6 p.m....I mean, how to you possible eat properly for a race at that time?! It's just a weird time. I don't know what it was, but I do know that I was not alone in the barf department.
 
Congrats to all my beautiful friends who I had the privilege to share the road with!!

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Stay Active 5k

Swag. Participant t-shirt and my awards for winning!

Let's start with some honesty. Races are way more fun when you: 1) run well and 2) do it with friends! I guess I'll just say I LOVED this race.
 
A few weeks ago, I was secretly looking for a 5k in Marysville so that I could con my sister-in-law, Amy,  and her friend, Mara, into running it. They are new runners and I'm trying my darndest to make them as obsessed as me! I stumbled upon the Union County Health Department's Grand Prix series which helps motivate the community to be fit. I was so excited about running in Marysville (where the hubs was born and raised). As a bonus, Jimmy's step mom, Joan, lives just off of the trail and was gracious enough to bundle up and cheer us on from her back yard!

Pre-race selfie! [ME, Amy, Mara]
It was a chilly morning. Low to mid 30's, light wind, and even some snow flurries! How cute. I was afraid I'd be the only crazy person racing in capris but I was not alone. I opted for the same basic outfit as my last 5k: capris, short sleeve T with arm warmers, gloves, and a ball cap.
 
The start was a little tricky because it was a very narrow part of the trail that went uphill followed by a sharp turn to the left. You can never tell by looking at folks how fast they are but I knew I didn't want to get stuck behind too many people at that narrow start. I decided to go for it and get close to the front.
 
As mentioned above, the start didn't give us any flat ground. After the immediate uphill (which didn't last long at all), we had a gradual incline for most of the first mile. There were a couple of ladies close to me that first 0.10 mile, and one even passed me up the initial hill. As soon as we started up the incline, I knew I could pass her back. Hills are one of my loves. I should have warned her about that! In addition to her, I passed a couple of dudes. Ladies, don't you love passing the guys?! After the initial ascent, we had a nice gradual decline which helped me get my breathing back in check. We were able to run on a pedestrian bridge that went over US-33. Kinda cool. Mile 1 was a solid [7:35].
 
I didn't expect to be able to run as fast as my last 5k, but I still wanted to be able to break 24 minutes. After seeing my split, I knew I had a chance to make it happen. I think that helped get me through mile two. This mile was uneventful until I remember that Joan (one of my mothers-in-law) was going to be out there waiting for us to run by. I saw her as we were approaching the turn-around. I get emotional when I see people I know on the course. I shed a couple of tears and realized my cry fest was messing up my breathing! I refocused as I was at the turn-around and asked the volunteer if I was the first female. When she told me "YES!," and I got super excited!! Never have I EVER been the first female. There was no way I was going to let this slip out of my hands.. I knew I'd be able to see the other runners at the turn around and noticed that the second place female was enough distance behind me that I had some wiggle room if I started to get tired...I just didn't want to take any chances of her catching me. Mile 2 was on par with the first one [7:34].

I'm flying! Photo courtesy of Joan.
Mile 3.12 was all about staying consistent and trying not to let up. It was so frustrating because my legs wanted to go faster but my breathing would not allow me to do more. During both pregnancies, I've just focused on effort and not necessarily what my legs are saying. I just run a moderate to slightly hard effort and absolutely DO NOT go all out. My doc's only rule with running is that I never feel exhausted. With 0.60 to go, I saw an opportunity to pass someone. I passed this gentleman who had been running with this kid the entire time. When I say kid, he could not have been older than 10 (found out later he was 12!). Mr. Kid was far enough in front of me that I MIGHT have been able to catch him, but it would have been a long shot. That wasn't going to stop me from trying! I noticed he kept looking back to see how far away I was. Once he realized I was gaining on him, the little dude was GONE! I had to give him the biggest congrats afterwards for kicking my tail. Mile 3 was [7:39] with my last 0.12 averaging [6:49]. Official results include:
  • 1st Overall Female
  • 7th Overall Finisher (those pesky boys)
  • Official time of 23:39!!!

Official Results.


Obviously, I was thrilled with my result! Not only did I meet my sub 24 goal, I snatched my first ever "Overall Female Winner" award!
Maybe I was over-reacting a bit. I didn't think anyone could tell I was pregnant but Amy announced it as I was up there. I did the obligatory belly rub.


Not to mention, I got to cheer on Amy and Mara who finished strong and never quit!
Amy and Mara on the finishing stretch!


Sure, this was a small race and non pregnant Lisa could have run 2+ minutes faster, but I won't let that take anything away from the fun I had out there today!

Post Race. We are cold.


I am, again, so thankful to have legs to run. I feel incredibly blessed to continue doing what I love to do even while pregnant. I know things will only get harder as I grow larger, but I'm ready for the challenge!

Sunday, March 13, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 17 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner
 
**********
 This week went from craptastic to fantastic in the matter of a couple days. I decided to rest Monday because I was going on 5 days in a row of running including a long run/race that Saturday and a faster run on Sunday (fast standards being pregnancy standards! My body is obviously slowing down.). I wanted to take advantage of a slow work day on Tuesday by doing my long run. I knew I was planning to travel to DC on Friday so I didn't want to miss out on my mileage goal [40.26 miles this week!!!]. As you'll learn below, I had two really crappy runs followed by some happier memories! Hoping I can enjoy the beautiful weather a little more this coming week.
 
  • 3/7/16: REST. I ran pretty hard over the weekend. My legs needed a break! Still recovering from being sick last week.
  • 3/8/16: 12.05 miles, 9:36 average pace. I decided yesterday that I was going to travel to DC over the weekend to see my friend Amanda run her half marathon. I knew I had to take advantage of my short work day by doing my long run. It was a gorgeous day...high 60's and sunny. Perfect for sports bra running! Too bad I felt like complete crap. I hated this run with a passion. I can honestly say that nothing was good about it. I couldn't even enjoy the beautiful weather. I felt ok for the first three miles. It takes me forever to warm up so those first 4-6 miles are usually tough for me. After that, I REALLY had to go pee. I planned to run the trails in Westerville and knew where most of the park bathrooms were located. The problem? NONE OF THEM WERE OPEN!! They all had signs saying they open early April. UGH. I was denied by three bathrooms. During this whole process, I developed the urge to number two. I was a mess. Finally, just after 8 miles, I made it to a fire station and used their facilities. I thought my last 4 miles would be much better but they weren't. I felt so tired at that point. I just wanted it to be over! It's been a long time since I've hated a run so much. I'm convinced that long runs during the week are a disaster for me.
    That's a fake smile.
  • 3/9/16: 7.09 miles, 8:44 average pace. Still dealing with belly issues. I had to pee after 3-4 miles which I can deal with most of the time. During the last mile, the poop hit me. I was miserable. I'm still not sure how I survived that mile. I almost ran across the road to the gas station when I finished because I didn't know if I could make it home. For whatever reason, when I stopped, the sensation went away. By the time I got home (about a 25 minute drive), I was sprinting to the toilet. Let's just say, I didn't make it on time. Ugh.
    Those are the sleepiest smiles I've ever seen. [Jackie, Marion, Dani, ME]
  • 3/10/16: 7.03 miles, 9:10 average pace. I knew I needed to stay out of the 8's today. I planned on doing my friend's tempo run on Friday morning and knew I needed my legs to feel as fresh as possible. I ran with some wonderful ladies at our monthly donut run. In the end, the pace was perfect. It took me at least 3.5 miles to warm up and feel good, but, when I got to that point, I was golden.
    It was a wet morning for these Westerville ladies! [Jennie (I hope I spelled that right!), ME, Mary, Beth]
  • 3/11/16: 10.04 miles, 9:08 average pace. One of my favorite runs of the week because I was finally feeling back to normal (and I got to run with Ellen and Jen)! I joined these ladies for Ellen's 7 mile tempo run. There were 2 warm up miles [9:59, 10:13], 3 faster miles [8:27, 8:23, 8:23], and 2 cool down miles [9:32, 10:05]. I wanted to get three more miles so Jen joined me for an extra mile [8:54]; followed by 2 solo miles [9;01, 8:21]. I just kept thinking about how crappy I felt on Tuesday during my 12 miler and how much different I felt today. Sure, weather was cooler and I didn't have to pee and poop...but the difference in the way I felt was so significant. Running is a cruel sport!
  • 3/12/16: 4.05 miles, who the heck knows average pace. I knew I just needed 4 more miles to meet my weekly goal. After finding out about the time change for Sunday, I knew I wouldn't want to run Sunday late afternoon after traveling all day. This little "run" was broken up into four parts: 2 mile warm up with Amanda (she was running the DC half and I was there to spectate), half mile to the metro station to get to my first stop, another half mile from the last metro station to the finish line, and a 1 mile cool down with Amanda. My only take away is that I would hate to live and run in the middle of the city because we had to stop at so many freaking stop lights.
    I always forget how much taller I am than Amanda!
  • 3/13/16: REST. Spent the day losing an hour of sleep due to daylight savings and driving back home from WV. I had a whole two and a half hours between getting home and leaving, again, for Bible study. I better snooze hard tonight!
 
**********
 
How Far Along: 17 weeks, 4 days
 
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: The size of my palm!
  
Weight Gain: Forgot to weigh myself this week. These are last week's stats. 9 lbs., Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight:  121 lbs.
 
Symptoms: Nothing.
 
 
Cravings/Aversions: None.
  
 
Coming Up: Next appointment on March 15th...ULTRASOUND!

Sunday, March 6, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 16 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner
 
**********
 
This was my Friday night. Don't hate.

 I spent this week being sick. Mostly congestion and sore throat. I starting getting these coughing fits on Friday. It's mainly just made it harder to breathe while running. Overall, I had a great week. Mostly took it easy so that I could run a decent 5k on Saturday. Mission accomplished, again, this week [40.61 miles!!!].
  • 2/29/16: 6.2 miles, 9:10 average pace. Jackie's actual birthday run was rained out. BOOOO!! We made up for it this morning and traded rain for wind. Goodness gracious, it was SO BREEZY! We were fighting it the entire first half of the run. Runs with Jackie are rare nowadays so it was nice to see her.
    Early morning smiles! [Jackie, Marion, ME, Dani]
  • 3/1/16: REST. Much needed. After my fast long runs last week and being sick on Sunday, I probably should have rested yesterday...but I couldn't miss the birthday run!
  • 3/2/16: 7 miles, 9:01 average pace. I had grand plans to run after work since I had a short day. I am still battling whatever sickness I developed over the weekend and just wasn't feeling it. I decided I would run when Jimmy got home from work. It took me forever to get motivated, but I eventually set out for whatever seemed to float my boat. I only had 45 minutes of daylight left so I knew I had to be within a couple of miles of my house when it started getting dark. I was able to knock out 7 miles before the lights went out. I knew I had to keep it easy since I was meeting some ladies in the a.m.
    I love when the shirts start to get shorter. That means the belly is getting bigger!!
  • 3/3/16: 6.25 miles, 9:15 average pace. I met up with a sweet girl I've never run with before (Sharon) to help her out with a tempo run. Y'all know I love me a good tempo run! The workout called for 40 minutes so I ran a short and slow 1.7 miles beforehand [9:56 average pace]. The goal for the tempo run was to warm up for about a mile then gradually speed up to 8:30-ish pace.  I think we did an excellent job! [9:51, 9:09, 8:43, 8:23, an additional 0.55 miles which we peaked at 7:17 pace]. Sometime in the last half mile, I challenged Sharon to a little sprint section which is why we peaked in the low 7s. What's a tempo workout without a little Theresa challenge?! {Theresa challenge: a certain distance at the end of your run in which a friend challenges you to run your butt off}
  • 3/4/16: 5 miles, 9:40 average pace. My goal for today was to run really easy since I have a 5k tomorrow! I probably should have decreased my mileage a bit but I didn't want to have to run as many miles over the weekend to meet my weekly goal.
    This week's snow was weird. It covered all of the yards but there was nothing on any of the sidewalks or trails...made for an easy path (and no shoveling)!
  • 3/5/16: 10.14 total miles cut into three segments. That can only mean RACE DAY!! Marion ventured to my neck of the woods for a little 5k action. We did a 2.05 mile warm up [8:34 average pace] and a 5 mile post race run [8:40 average pace] so that we could get at least 10 miles for the day. Not gonna lie, that 5 miles was tough after a speedy 5k! We both had great races (not our best but great nonetheless) and topped our age group.
    Marion and me post-race. That's before we realized, "Oh crap. We still have to run 5 more miles!!"
  • 3/6/16: 6.02 miles, 8:27 average pace. Went straight from church to get a few miles with Dani and Marion. I was an Orange Township Bridge virgin until today. Now my life is complete. It was almost as thrilling as nearly dying while crossing the railroad tracks. So close to a progressive run! I think me dropping my gloves in the second mile messed it up. [8:36, 8:41, 8:29, 8:26, 8:22, 8:08]
    You have to take a bridge pic! [Dani, ME, Marion]
 I am so freaking excited about this upcoming week! 60-70 degree temps ALL WEEK!
 
**********

 
 
How Far Along: 16 weeks, 4 days
 
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: The size of an avocado. Apparently it can hear me now...which means I've stopped all singing attempts. James likes to say "Hi, baby." OMG!!
 
Weight Gain: 9 lbs., Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight:  121 lbs.
 
Symptoms: Nothing. I was sick this week so it was hard to say what was pregnancy fatigue vs. sick fatigue.
 
 
Cravings/Aversions: None. All I do it eat, eat, eat no matter what.
 
 
Coming Up: Next appointment on March 15th...ULTRASOUND!

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Shake Your Shamrock 5k in Gahanna

Getting ready to head to the race. I asked Jimmy to take a pic of my belly, and James insisted on being part of it! Love that boy.

It's a well known fact amongst my running crew that 5k's SUCK!! I mean, run your butt off for 3.1?! I'd rather slow down a bit and run longer. It's also an understood that we must put ourselves through the torture of a 5k in order to be better runners! At least that's what we tell ourselves.

The belly! 16 weeks (a.k.a. long way to go).
 I registered for this 5k recently...mostly because it was Gahanna (only 2 miles from my house!). It somehow came up in conversation with Marion, and she decided to join me! I really enjoyed the course. It was all paved trail except for a small section that was wooden bridge. They just added a section of trail near the Gahanna Golf Course and I haven't had the chance to check it out until today. The course included only one significant incline and decline that occurred in the first and last half mile. 
 
Being pregnant, you never know what to expect. It's hard to make goals because you just don't know how the body will respond on any given day. I ignore the no goal rule because Lisa Davis always has to have an agenda during a race. It helped that I ran Warm Up for Boston two weeks ago because I had an idea of what I could do.  I averaged 7:53 pace for 6.1 miles, so I figured it was reasonable to run in the 7:40's. Based on that, I decided I wanted to run a 24 minute 5k (7:44 average).

Obligatory pre-race selfie. The sun was out, therefore, stylish glasses were as well...at least Marion's are stylish!
Despite a craptastic warm up, I felt great after starting (don't we all feel great the first quarter mile?!). I noticed I was running a 7 minute pace and knew I needed to tone it down to avoid barfing and/or crashing. The first incline occurred in the first half mile of the trail. It was more gradual than steep. It was very tolerable, but my body just wasn't warmed up enough for it to feel tolerable at the time. As soon as I reached the top, the first decline started. I felt like it was steeper than the other part of the hill. I felt myself flying down, but my body just didn't feel ready to go fast yet. Mile 1 [7:45].
 
The next mile was flat as a pancake. I finally passed this chick that passed me on the downhill. I never saw her again until we had to turn around to go back. There was this gentleman in front of me the entire race that I couldn't seem to catch. I just stayed focused on him the entire time. It kept me motivated through that mile. Mile 2 [7:41].
 
Since this was an out and back course, I knew I'd have to tackle that incline on the way back. I just kept in mind that the more gradual decline would immediately follow. For whatever reason, I felt this sudden burst of energy in the last mile. I'm not sure if it was Baby Boo Deux giving me magical powers or Garth Brooks singing Callin' Baton Rouge in my ear. Either way, I was feeling awesome! That gentleman was still in front of me, but I noticed that I was edging closer and closer as we approached the incline. Since I love hills and tend to attack them, I always assume I will beat any of my unknown competitors to the top. At least that's what I tell myself to motivate me to get up the thing! My tactic did not fail this time around. I passed the guy a quarter of the way up the hill, told him "Good job! Now let's finish strong!!," and never saw his backside again! Mile 3 [7:37].
 
At this point, the finish line was visible, and your only choice is to finish hard. I ran my last 0.08 miles at a 6:26 pace. Garmin time was 23:36. Chip time from official results:
 
23:34!!!
Post-race. The man who's bum I kicked on the hill (who we also befriended afterwards), was kind enough to take a pic for us. Our friend, Dani, pointed out the difference in race attire! Can you determine the freeze baby?
 
Needless to say, I was thrilled with the result. Through this whole pregnancy process, I tell myself to never feel exhausted, never over-do it (opposite of what I'd do in a normal race situation!). It's exciting that, for now, I can tolerate some faster miles. It's just a good confidence booster!
 
As I look into my pregnancy racing future, I'm totally freaked out. In two weeks, I have my first double race day (5k in the a.m. and 4 miler in the evening). I'm not too concerned about that as much as I am about running a half marathon in four weeks! OMG, what the hell was I thinking?! On top of that, I have the Flying Pig Half four weeks after that. GoodNESS. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box sometimes.
 
Anyway, I'm still feeling blessed to have two legs that allow me to run. Thanks to all of my friends who sent me sweet text messages today and thanks to Marion for a fun morning! Love you guys!!