What a difference a year makes!

"Before" May 2011                  "After" July 2012

I experienced a transformation...

There's something so rewarding about dredging up a photo of the not-so-skinny "old" you and comparing it to the photo of the much-more-fit "new" you.  It can really be somewhat of a shock.. You forget that you used to duck behind a family member or avoid the camera completely.  You forget that it used to be hard to run even three miles.  All the work to get to the "now" place suddenly seems like such an excellent investment in time and effort.

In May 2011, at age 43, I weighed 132 pounds and could barely run three miles at 10:30 minute/mile pace. While I was not hugely overweight, I was feeling tired more often than I should.  I often enjoyed hot wings and wine with the girls more than I should, and had sort of resigned myself to living the typical life of middle-aged housewife.  Over the years, I have had many yo-yo diets, and the thing I feared most was reaching the goal weight.  Somehow, I could never maintain that goal weight once I had achieved it.  It required such a delicate balance of calories and exercise.

Five months after I started eating better and running more, I celebrated my 44th birthday. I had in that span of time whittled my weight down by twenty pounds to 112. I had also conquered my first 20-mile long training run and had completed a half marathon. Luckily for me, those successes made me want even more.

Today, now roughly 14 months since the "before" photo was taken, I can boast having run two marathons, four half marathons, and several 5 and 10Ks, all while keeping the weight off and building some halfway decent muscle tone in my legs.

Many have asked,

"What brought on the initial desire to change, and what made you able to succeed in reaching and maintaining your goal weight?" 


It's hard to say, exactly.  Here are my thoughts.


Falling in love with running...

Back in March 2011, I started my annual training for the world's largest 10K race, The Peachtree Road Race, held on July 4th every year. I was definitely what you would call a casual, seasonal runner. Each year, within a month of completing this race, my zeal for running would rapidly wither, and I would find myself looking forward to Fall, at which point I could hide behind bigger, baggier clothes.

Two months later Spring training started, my friend developed some back issues, so I was left to tackle the remaining month and a half of 10K training by myself. One issue that has always plagued me is my ability to pace myself. Inevitably, I would try to run too fast, and therefore would burn out quickly and start to dread training. It just seemed too hard and I ended up feeling defeated and inadequate as a runner.  I was determined not to fall into that same trap for yet another year.

Armed with a newly-purchased Couch to 5K iphone app, I boldly headed out for the nearby Silver Comet Trail, a long, paved path, built on an old railroad track.  Frequented by plenty of morning dog walkers and lined with beautiful foliage, it was a perfect place to train. I attempted to follow the app's voice commands, running and then walking as directed. Along the way, I made several new running friends, all of whom really encouraged me. Within a few weeks, the walking part was gone and I could make it six miles without walking. I won't say it was easy. Every run still seemed to take all I had to give.

My initial training goal was to run the Peachtree in under an hour, something I had not been able to do in the past two years. In spite of running 20-25 miles per week, though, I only managed a 1:02 on the race. That did not break my confidence, however.  I kept the pace slow, but started trying to go for longer runs. I also signed up for my first half marathon to give my training a new goal.

Longer runs, in turn, became even longer. At this point, my speed was still nice and slow. Because the pace was manageable, though, the increased miles did not seem as taxing. By late December, I braced myself and signed up for a full marathon. From there, I trained and got faster and stronger and more in love with running!  Other blog posts outline much of this process.


The desire to eat right...

I knew that running would help me lose weight, but I wanted to develop and maintain a healthy diet as well.  I faced the typical issues: emotional eating, lack of portion control, and not enough fruits and veggies in the diet. I found a wonderful company called Fresh n' Fit Cuisine that prepares, cooks, and delivers half a week's worth of meals (three meals a day) to a location where it's convenient for me to pick them up twice each week.

The meals are all freshly prepared, counted to exactly 1200 calories per day, and designed to meet the guidelines of The American Heart Association and every other national health guideline imaginable.  All I have to do is open, heat, and eat!  They are delicious, and eating them ensures I get my daily dose of fruits and vegetables.  I've had to supplement these base calories some since I lost down to my goal weight, but the plan certainly provides an excellent nutritional base.  I have stuck with this plan so long that the company asked me to send photos and write a testimonial for their web site.

I feel very satisfied to have reached this point of health and fitness.  It has taken a lot of hard work, but now eating well and running are a part of my lifestyle.  I used to lose weight and then gain it back when the stresses of life took over.  Now, I really do not fear slipping back into the lifestyle I had before.  This seems to be a permanent change and I like it very much!


Success feeds success...

It's really hard to take that first step to leading a healthier lifestyle.  Then the journey begins.  At first, determination and enthusiasm kick in to help the process along.  However, inevitably, the first slump hits.  Either the scale disappoints in spite of diligent efforts, or a weak moment or stressful situation occurs.  While these can be some dark moments, this is the most crucial time to stick with the plan.  It has been the breaking point for me more than once before.  My advice is to call a friend when you are in a weak spot.  If you can make it through the moment/hour/day, you'll find that the next low point is not as bad.

If you can successfully make it past this hump where every molecule in your body is resisting, though, you find that all the sudden, a huge breakthrough has been made.  The scale shows it, your jeans show it, and eventually, comments from friends confirm it.  This success helps pave the way for even more.  By losing weight in a slower, very controlled way, you reap the benefits of building in changed habits over a longer period of time, which helps ensure they will stay in place when the goal weight is reached.  Today, I give myself plus or minus a two-pound range.  If I go outside that range, then I alter my diet over the next few days, and it's easy to get back into range.  I have both diet and exercise as tools to help me avoid variances.

Today, I enjoy a few extra treats (mint chip Klondike bars being my recent favorite), but I try to ensure I eat all the healthy calories before going to these extras.  That makes me less likely to overeat the junk.  It's easy to feel alone and insecure and even frustrated when trying to lose weight.

I am in no way an expert on running or nutrition.  I just thought sharing my own story might be motivational to others.  It's not an easy path to good health, but nothing really good comes easy!

Race Report: Peachtree Road Race 10K

The alarm sounded at 4:30am, causing me to practically leap from the bed. I have learned never to snooze thereby allowing my sleep-craving mind get the better of the plan I had conceived the night before. As I pinned on my race bib, I reflected with much delight that I was about to run my 20th Peachtree Road Race. That prospect was exciting enough, but I also had the almost unbelievable pleasure of finally earning a place in Time Group A. I was going to get to "play with the big kids" today!

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with this race, it is touted as the world's largest 10K race, providing 60,000 runners the exciting opportunity to run off their morning calories before they race off to enjoy their annual 4th of July family BBQs and fireworks. Very crowded and most times exceedingly humid, this race is not billed as one of the fastest. However, it certainly offers a great variety of music, a multitude of cheering fans, frequent beer and doughnut stops for those so inclined, and motivational posters to boost runners' confidence as they make their way to Piedmont Park where they will receive their coveted Peachtree Road Race tee-shirt.

Pre-race:

My husband, Rob, earned a spot in Time Group A too (as he does every year), so we planned to leave early in order to get to our corral by the 7:30 start time. Our annual routine is to drive from our home in Smyrna to the MARTA station at Perimeter Mall. From there, we ride the train to the Buckhead stop, and we emerge with the hundreds of other runners to make our way up Peachtree Street.

This year, we were lucky enough to have an invitation to visit with my friend, Elise, and her husband, who had booked a room at the Westin. Not only did we get to meet up with several members of the Adventure Runners group, including Elise, Isabel, Sang, Rob, Marius, and Karen, but we also had the rare benefit of pre-race indoor plumbing.






We took a few pre-dawn group photos at the hotel, and then made our way to the corrals. I was delighted that every one of us was in Time Group A (except Marius, who even qualified to be sub-seeded). Somewhere along the way through the Peachtree crowds, I managed to lose track of everyone except Sang and Rob. I was really excited, though, to have my super-speedy friend, Rachelle, join me near the front of our corral. As we waited for the start, I could tell Sang and Rob were a little nervous. It was the first Peachtree for each of them, and I knew they would sort of be racing each other. I told them I wasn't sure who I was putting my money on.

Race details:

As the gun went off, it only took about 25 seconds for our group to pass the starting line. Rachelle and I sped off together as best we could, given the massive crowds of runners. We had to do a bit of dodging, but at least no one in front of us was going too slowly. It dawned on me right about that time that I had not quite taken in enough water right before the race. As much as I dreaded it, I knew I was going to have to grab some water at the first station. As soon as we could, the two of us settled into a nice race speed, hitting the Mile 1 mark at 7:25. Although the temperature was a relatively comfortable 71 degrees, the humidity was an oppressive 94%. I felt every bit of moisture in the air! I was already wiping sweat from my brow and wishing I had gills.

Shortly into Mile 2, some guy must have lost his balance or something because he flat-out shoved both Rachelle and me! We both came very close to losing our balance and we shouted at him. It shook us both up a bit. The thought of almost falling stayed with me for the whole rest of the race. A short time later, I managed to swipe a few sips of water at the station and then catch back up to Rachelle.

Miles 2 and 3 are very nicely downhill and we took full advantage of the slope. Our paces on these miles were a very speedy 7:03 and 7:01, respectively. This is a faster pace than I had planned, but I figured the time saved would allow me to take the hills in the second half at a slower pace and still keep a strong overall race pace. Amazingly, Rachelle talked to me a good bit. She seemed to have energy to spare! Meanwhile, I was growing concerned that I was more tired than I should be before even hitting the first hill. I mumbled monosyllabic responses and matched her pace.

Just before Mile 4, we faced the beginning of what is known as Cardiac Hill. It is the steepest incline of the race. I was mentally prepared, though. We both slowed just slightly as we headed up. My lungs were working harder, but I knew I could make it up the hill. As soon as it flattened out a bit I felt a little better. Mile 4 was a bit slower at 7:48. However, I realized I could no longer keep even that pace. Reluctantly, I fell back and wished Rachelle well. As I glanced at my Garmin watch I noticed that somehow it was jammed so I could not determine my pace. It's very tough to gauge the pace without this valuable instrument. I knew I was totally on my own until the end. Only when I got home, was I able to retrieve the data.

This is the point in the race where things sort of fell apart. Usually, in every race there comes a point where my mind starts the negotiation process. It begs me to have mercy on my lungs, but it also remembers that pain is temporary (while names and race times on the internet are permanent - ha,ha!). This point usually comes for me in the last mile of a race, where it's just a matter of enduring a minute or two longer before being done. In this race, though, I was already very tired and the feeling unfortunately came too early.

In the Peachtree course, there is little to no break after Cardiac Hill before runners approach another series of less steep, but longer inclines. My heart was racing as I went into this incline, and I started to get that graying around the edges feeling like I got last year. Fortunately, I am a much stronger athlete this year, and much more sensible as to how to handle that feeling. I felt no shame (well, very little) as I stopped to walk past the next water station. I knew it was vital to catch my breath and slow down my heart a little. When I started back, my pace was slower. Mile 5 was a dismal 8:27. Everything is relative, though, because last year's average pace was 10:09! A photographer managed to get what I'm sure is a horrendous scowl from me somewhere along this stretch.

Somehow, I rallied in the last mile and sprinted toward the finish line. My pace was 7:52 for Mile 6. It included the end of the hills, a little bit of flat, and then a slight decline toward the end. I tried to appear speedier than I felt for the cameras at Mile 6, and I pushed hard to shave off a few extra seconds at the end. I was pleased to know that I was going to be just fine after the race, not white as a sheet like I was last year.

Thanks to Elise's husband, Dave, for catching this shot of me in action!

I learned later in the afternoon that my official time was 47:30, an average pace of 7:38. While it was not a PR for a 10K race, it beat my previous Peachtree time by a whopping 15 minutes. I'd call that a smashing success! It also re-earned me a spot in the Time Group A for next year. I came in 39 out of 3,771 in my 40-44 age group (top 1%), 336 out of 28,656 of all women (top 1%), and 2,259 out of 57,754 (top 4%) overall. Truly, a year of training has made a huge difference in my running. It has also made a huge difference in my life!

Post-race:

I grabbed a bottle of water and collected my race bag which contained the coveted tee shirt. This shirt will make a total of 20, and I plan to have all of them made into a quilt this year. Next, I headed over to the A balloon where I planned to meet about 12 friends. It was so nice not to have to fight through huge crowds as I have in prior years. Rob Campos and Sang were there already. Soon afterward, my husband, Rob, joined us. I was surprised I had actually beat him this year. I never thought I would see the day! I guess running 50 miles a week does have its benefits!

We were joined by Elise, Isabel, Tad, Mike, Tom, and Della as well. After a few group photos, we decided to take a few shots of our pretty shoes - love the Summer colors! A little later, we saw Marius, Karen, and their friend, Bert. Also, Bill left the ATC tent say hi.

I was thrilled to finally catch up with a sorority sister and fellow Running Divas friend, Laura, who was there with her son. We have not seen each other for years! She is a such a great runner and a true inspiration.  She ran her first marathon the day after I ran mine.  Now we are both training for Fall marathons.  She introduced me to Shane, also a Diva.  Just after they left, I ran into a third Diva, Michelle, who had on a great red, white, and blue ensemble!

This event almost felt like a reunion of sorts. We had so much fun and saw so many great running friends! On the way out, Rob and I collected peanuts, Popsicles, bananas, Gatorade, and the most delicious peaches I ever put in my mouth. Unlike other years, walking the mile to the MARTA station did not seem hard at all. It was a truly wonderful morning and a Peachtree Road Race experience I will never forget!

Monthly Recap & Goals - May

Eek!  It has been over a month since I have posted, and a lot has happened since then.  However, I want to at least address progress toward goals for the month of May before I dive into two more exciting race reports for June.

May Highlights: 

• Total miles run: 205.71 miles (first time with over 200 miles in a month!)
• Total number of workouts: 24
• Fastest training run: 6 miles in 44:54 (7:29 pace) on May 17
• Longest training run: 16.07 miles run in 2:11:35 (8:11 pace) on May 19
• Race: Twisted Ankle Trail Marathon in 5:43:01 (13:06 pace

I also had a record 60-mile week right after the Twisted Ankle, so, even though my pace was very slow, I was able to recover from a 26.2-mile run with relative ease.

Meanwhile, I also decided to bump up my annual mileage goal from 1500 miles to 1800 miles.  I honestly think I might hit 2000, but I'd rather have some padding just in case I sustain a minor injury along the way.

This month I have really enjoyed running with several friends: Cyrille, Sang, Rob C., Francis, Shawna, Katie, Elise, Isabel, Charlie, Libby, Danielle, Tom, and Paul.  They are all great athletes, and it has been wonderful getting to know each of them better!

Race Report: Twisted Ankle Marathon

Well folks, marathon number two is now in the bag!  I feel a great sense of accomplishment, and had an awesome time on this one.  The location of the race was Summerville, Georgia, just northwest of Rome, at James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park.  The race name: The Twisted Ankle!  The terrain was mostly trail, some of it very technical, and the course involved running up and down a mountain multiple times.  To give you an idea of what we were up against, here's an elevation chart:

Notice those two pointy things that look like sheer cliffs?  Well they are both the same monster, otherwise known as "Becky's Bluff."  We were treated to a lovely double-dose!  In order to fit the race all on state land, this year the race had to be re-routed.  Therefore, we ran a blue trail and then a red trail.  Then, we did these same two trails a second time (while trying not to look at the lucky half-ers who got to call it a day after only one time.

My Garmin did not quite make it to 26 miles.  However, the woods might have made it harder to pick up signal.  Also, my watch notoriously short-changes me on mileage, even on my usual route which is clearly and accurately marked to the quarter mile.

So, where to begin: the good, the bad, or the downright ugly?!  Let's just say, I'm very pleased that I pretty much met all my goals for this marathon.  They were as follows:

1. To NOT twist an ankle, bust a knee, or otherwise maim myself so that I could not run in the future
2. To run with friends
3. To have a really good time
4. To finish this beast of a race

Notice how "run fast" was not on the list?  That's because it would have very likely conflicted with #1 above.  I have deemed myself a true trail-running klutz.

Before I get into details, here are the stats from a web link comically listed as "Full crazies results"

• Time: 5:43:01
• Average Pace: 13:06/mile
• Age Group Place: 5/7
• Females: 15/27
• Overall: 71/107

Now, these numbers may look a little less than impressive, but I do believe the race director told us the night before that there were 56 females registered for the marathon.  SO...either 30 of them didn't show up, or quite a few didn't cross the finish line.  I know at least one lady who decided to cut it short.  This race was not for the feint of heart!

To see how I came to choose this marathon, please see my previous blog post titled Mountain Madness - Part I.  After driving up to North Carolina to visit my friend, Danielle, and run a half marathon with her, I was thrilled to have her come down here to run this one with me.  We enjoyed pizza for dinner the night before, and got all our stuff ready for the morning.

Sleep was kind to me and I managed to get a full night's rest.  However, I woke up nervous and fluttering.  The last words out of my husband's mouth were, "Break a leg!..um, er, I mean..."  On that happy note, we took off for the hour and a half drive to Summerville.  The ride did a lot toward calming our nerves.  Awaiting us were several friends.  Elise, Isabel, Charlie, and Max were running the half, while Tom, Paul, Danielle, and I were running the full.  Sweet Libby came out to cheer us on!

In stark contrast to my first stormy marathon (see the detailed race report), the weather was almost perfect, especially for mid-May.  Temps started at about 60 degrees with complete cloud cover.  Over the 5+ hours, they only rose to about 74, and we caught a nice breeze several times.  I was eternally grateful for that.

After a few final race instructions, we made a leisurely start of it.  We chuckled as the music played, "Another one bites the dust!" over the loud speaker.  Tom, Danielle, and I headed out together, laughing and chatting while the half marathoners took off at what seemed like a sprint.  We enjoyed watching the front of the pack runners glide around the opposite side of the lake from us.  They truly looked like a row of little ants on an important mission.

I carried my 23-oz. Camelbak "sippy cup" with me, filled with Gatorade.  I refilled that cup countless times over the course of the race and was glad to have every sip!  After rounding the lake, we took a right turn on a gravel road and started uphill.  Tom was cracking his usual jokes and keeping us very entertained (I know you're reading this, Tom!).  The race photographer was perched at a strategic location which we must have passed by at least 4 times.  It may have been more, but delirium prevents me from remembering.  Tom claimed that I deliberately blocked his photo opp. on the first lap, so he and Danielle conspired to hold their hands in front of my face for the second lap.  Ha!  I can't wait to see how those photos came out. By the last lap, we were acting quite silly.  Update: Sure enough...

After a bit, we ran past a campground where we could smell breakfast cooking.  Tom put in his order for bacon and eggs, but changed his mind when someone said they were making banana pancakes.  We constantly joked about how much more "fun" this was going to be the SECOND time around!  Unfortunately, by the second time we hit that spot breakfast was all packed up.  Along the way, I deemed it appropriate to conjure up 70s songs in my head and then sing them to entertain my friends.  Don't you wish you had been there?!  The only ones I can remember now is Jive Talkin' and Shake Your Booty.  Fun times.

Speaking of "shake your booty," this guy almost looks like he's mooning me behind the scenes before the race!  Could my goof-ball smile be the cause?

As we hit the many steep uphills, we slowed to a walk.  Then, we picked it back up again as soon as we got to the flat or downhill parts.  A few of the downward slopes were so severe that I had to plant my feet perpendicular to the ground and then shuffle them along to keep from sliding out of control.  Quickly we determined that I was faster at the flat or slightly uphill places, but that Danielle could easily smoke me in navigating all the downhills and the rough terrain.  Remember my number one goal about trying hard NOT to fall?

One place we seemed to pass an endless number of times was the Marble Mine.  Tom took this photo of Danielle and me.  We actually looked pretty fresh at this point.  Thank you, Danielle, for generously sharing your many race photos!

Near the end of the first 7-mile loop, we hit this thing called the firewall.  That was code for boulders, roots, logs, streams, and torturously steep slopes up and down.  Like a gazelle, Danielle, sauntered up and down and managed to get far enough ahead to take a couple shots of Tom and me as we stumbled and bumbled along.  On one of the hills I just stopped and had a little fake-sobbing pity party.  It felt good.

When you see this same shot close-up, you can kind of make out my look of despair as well as my pigeon-toed total lack of form.  Maybe this is why I fall so much...

Mile 8 was very tough as we headed toward Becky's Bluff.  Even the approach is rough.  By the time we got to that 0.6 miles of unbelievably steep grade, I had to stop for just a second to contemplate the slope.  I am eternally grateful for Tom's calm instructions of how to put one foot in front of the other and to give the front foot a rest each time.  Just the act of following his words helped take my mind off the pain.  Then, as Tom says, we would wobble along, kind of in a duck-like shuffle.

Just before mile 13, we listened to the cheers for all the half marathon finishers and tried not to feel too sorry for ourselves.  I actually stopped then for a very quick potty break since there was a flush toilet and no line.  Then we headed out for the second half of our adventure.  At least at this point, I was actually feeling pretty good.

As we got closer and closer to Becky's Bluff at mile 22, though, the hill just seemed to get steeper and steeper.  I took my first few steps up the bluff, and couldn't believe how tough it seemed.  I tried to use my hands to push my quads down for leverage, but they were so slimy from sweat that they just slipped right off.  At that point, I resorted to pulling on trees for support.  I would take five steps, cling to a tree, and look back.  Tom and another Daily Mile friend, Jeremy, were behind me.  Their faces reflected exactly what I was feeling.  I was moving so slowly that I was able to take note of several beetles on the ground.  I also remember thinking how beautifully the purple flowers looked and that they did not have to toil.  Then, I said a silent little prayer for strength, and plugged along.  That darn path just kept going forever!  It felt at least ten times harder the second time around.

When Tom and I reached the summit, I declared that was the hardest thing I had ever done in my whole life, including childbirth.  A guy sitting on a bench laughed and said I was at least the seventh person who had proclaimed those same words!

At least I knew the rest of the run would be relatively easy.  Little did I know that I was in for two last surprises.  I was running with a guy with roots in Tallahassee when we heard someone call out, "Snake!'  Upon hearing this, we cautiously navigated our way down the steep hill.  Finally we figured we were clear of the danger.  Without a thought, I trotted over a long, skinny, curved root.  Oops.  While I was in mid-air, the guy beside me shuffled to a complete stop trying to warn me.  Too late.  I looked back and saw that I had just jumped over an angry three-foot rattlesnake stretched right across the road!  My heart pounded as I looked back at it, and I tried to help my poor friend loosen up a muscle he had pulled in screeching to a stop.  Gulp.

My eyes were so wide open at that point that all I wanted to do was get to the finish line.  I knew I had less than two miles to go, so I hurried along.  Then it happened.  The FALL I had SO carefully avoided happened.  My legs were tired and I just got careless.  There was only gravel and a flat trail, but I had  somehow managed to fall...again.

I seem to be getting a tiny bit more skilled in falling because I instantly forced my body into a roll.  I laid there on my back with my legs in the air.  I looked up at the trees for just a moment and tried not to think.  Finally, the moment passed, and I pulled myself up, dusted off, and checked for injuries.  Thank goodness they were minor.  I had scraped my arm and shoulder up pretty bad, but the rest of me was fine.

I made a mad dash across the bridge and headed for the finish line.  I crossed it squealing with joy and flailing my arms about.  I'm sure it was a pretty amusing sight!  It was just so nice to finish with a tad bit of energy left.  I felt ten times better than I had at Albany.

After hitting the medical tent for some peroxide, scarfing down everything not nailed down, and posing for a couple of happy "after" shots, Danielle and I headed for the car where my pint of vanilla Haagen-Dazs was screaming for me!  Without even a feint twinge of guilt, I scooped/slurped it down.  Best thing I have EVER tasted!!

Monthly Recap & Goals - April

April Highlights:

• Total miles run: 195.5 miles
• Total number of workouts: 24
• Fastest training run: 8 miles in 1:02:07 (7:46 pace) on April 9
• Longest training run: 17 miles in 3:10:46 (11:13 pace) on April 22 in Summerville, GA
• Race: Run the River 10K in 47:29 (7:40 pace) on April 21 - got a PR, a 3rd place in AG, and met my goal of qualifying for Corral A for next year's Peachtree Road Race
• Ran Jonquil City Jog 5K with my daughter on April 28 - her first 5K!

This has been my biggest month ever in terms of number of miles run!  I also am happy to be making progress toward all my goals.  I've run at least one race each month; I've finally met the Peachtree Corral A time requirements; I've avoided injury; and, as of the end of April, I have logged 678.2 miles toward my goal of 1500 for the year.

It's been really fun this past month putting in a few more miles on hills and on trails.  This has certainly provided some welcome variety in both terrain and location.  I've also enjoyed a few more group runs.  I can't recommend these highly enough!  My solo morning runs are still great too, but it has been very nice to be able to chat with friends.  It has also been refreshing to put less of an emphasis on pace and more on nature.

It has been a true pleasure running with my daughter this month.  Although I am usually not terribly excited to get out for a second run of the day, even if the pace is slow, I adore watching Ashley in action and seeing her improve with almost every training run.  She has a mighty spirit, and I know she has many good years of running ahead of her.

Finally, I was extremely flattered to be asked by the wonderful ladies at http://anothermotherrunner.com/ to submit some responses to questions that they featured in their weekly "Follow This Mother" spotlight.  You can read the April 4 post on their blog here.

All in all, it has been a very good month!

Race Report: Jonquil City Jog 5K

Words cannot express how proud I am of my 9-year old daughter, Ashley!  She just completed her very first 5K race and did an amazing job.

She had been training with me over the past two months.  We started with half a mile running and worked our way up to a full 3.1 miles the week before the race.  During many of the runs, we would spot caterpillars and she would want to capture them.  Sometimes I suspected that the caterpillars were more appealing to her than running.  However, not too long ago, caterpillar season had come to a close and she still wanted to go out for her training runs.

I regretted not doing more training with her.  I was weaving in these runs with my own training for an upcoming marathon.  Some days, my heart was just not into going out again for another 2-3 miles, even though they were slow.  However, I really wanted to encourage and support Ashley, and it was well worth the effort.  By the week of the race, she had completed a 3.1 mile training run without stopping to walk even once.  At that point, I knew she was ready to tackle her first 5K.

The night before the race, Ashley laid out her cute little outfit and shoes.  Lucky for her that she does not need to worry about needing BodyGlide just yet!  She wanted to be up early enough to eat a little breakfast and have it settle before we started running.  The race was a local one, just 5-7 minutes away, so we did not need much lead time.  When we arrived, she struck a pose beside my bumper stickers on the mini-van.  I snapped a shot and told her, "That 'Runner Girl' one is for you too!"  I think she was pleased.

Next we headed for the race number pick-up area and got our numbers on.  I had registered as an un-timed runner, but Ashley was being timed, so I showed her how to attach her chrono-tag to her shoe.  Then we wondered around and enjoyed people-watching.

It was a really beautiful morning!  The temperature was right around 60 degrees, and there were clouds in the sky, but the sun managed to peek through and provide a great back-drop.  Ashley spotted the Nickajack Joggers, a group of elementary-aged kids from a school nearby.  They all had on matching blue T-shirts.  She wanted to say hi to her friend, Max, from tennis.  Once we did this, I took one last pre-race shot of her.  I think she was a tiny bit nervous at this point, but I gave her some last-minute encouragement and told her I would be there for her the whole way.  I was carrying an ice-filled squeeze container so she would not have to worry about water stops.

We lined up sort of toward the back, so when the gun went off, it still stayed fairly crowded for the first quarter mile.  Ashley said she was worried she would lose me, but I assured her that my only job was to stay right with her the whole way and to talk her through it.  We set off at a conservative pace.  Her recent 5K training run had been at an average pace of around 10:45, so I didn't want to push her at all.  Our first mile split was 11:06.  She seemed to be doing okay at that point, and we started to spot the racers coming back from the turn-around point.  Just before we reached that point ourselves, Ashley spotted Max just up ahead.  She remarked that he was ahead of her, and promptly increased her pace to catch him!  When we were next to him, she waved and said hi.  Then, she kept on going!  She ran mile 2 in 10:29, quite a bit faster.  At that point, I started to really rev up the pep talk.  I told her that there were many, many people behind her and that she was going to feel so wonderful at the finish line.  She seemed to be breathing steadily and was not complaining, so we kept up the accelerated pace.

Finally, when we had about two tenths to go, we rounded the corner and headed downhill to the finish.  From out of nowhere, she broke into an all-out sprint!  It was truly amazing!  At first I was so surprised I couldn't even keep up with her.  We spotted Rob and Zac waiting to snap a photo or two, and I waved to them.  I also noticed many people on the sidelines were watching my little speed-demon daughter. 

Look at that form and confidence!

These two guys look pretty impressed too.  :-)

I kept squealing with delight as I saw her bound across the finish line at full speed!  Finally, just past the finish line, I scooped her up in a big, congratulatory hug!  

She had done such a wonderful job, had not walked even one step of the race, and was beaming with pride that she had accomplished her goal!  Her official clock time was 32:17, an average pace of 10:24/mile.  So, not only was this a race PR, it was also a personal best!

She caught up with Max (on left) and his friends for a quick group shot.

She was a little sad at not placing for her age group, but we later found out that she came in 4th out of 14 in the girls aged 9-10 category.  She was also 102 out of 210 women and girls, and was 249 out of 342 overall.  I'd say that's very respectable for a first race!

We picked up our t-shirts and enjoyed celebrating this big victory.  She is already asking when we can run another one.  I have a strong feeling she will be running circles around me in no time!

Mountain Madness! - Part II

Last Sunday was the training run for the Twisted Ankle Marathon.  I had just run a 10K PR the day before and was still floating on air.  The weather promised to be cool and dry, and I was eager to see what I was in for.  It took about 1.5 hours to reach James H. (Sloppy) Floyd Park in Summerville, GA from my house, and it was certainly a beautiful drive once I left the interstate.

I passed many meadows cloaked in wildflowers, several sparkling ponds and streams, and even a few pastures with mama cows and goats tending to their little ones.  It was bright and sunny, breezy, and green all around.  The temperature was in the mid-50s, which was just perfect for running.

This is a view of the lake from near where the start/finish will be.

The parking lot was empty when I got there a few minutes early, but soon others started to arrive.  We immediately began to sum each other up, and estimate who the toughest ones were.  I was sporting my new Brooks Cascadia 7s.  They are designed for trail running, and therefore have spiky bottoms to grip the trail.  I did find that they helped my traction, especially on the ascents.  Like my Brooks PureFlows, these shoes have a roomy toe box.  In fact, I couldn't really tell much difference in the feel of them except for the grip.  They are a bit heavier than the PureFlows or the PureGrits, which are also designed for trail running.  However, since speed is not going to be my goal in this race, and safety is important, I think they are just perfect for the course.

Everyone exchanged names and a few stories while we took last-minute potty stops.  I was expecting a few others from our local Adventure Runners group.  When they arrived, I managed to get a group photo.  Max, if you are reading this, I'm sorry I didn't realize you were in Adventure Runners too!

Left to right: Joe, Paul, me, Tom (all doing the full marathon)

By the time everyone arrived, there were 14 runners in all.  I borrowed this group shot from Tom's post on the Twisted Ankle Facebook page.  The photo includes Lance (far left), our fearless and rugged guide, who led those of us marathoners doing the 15 mile training course.  I am not sure, but I think his wife led the half-marathoners, who were doing a slightly shorter training run.  Becky, the race director, is 4th from the right.  The bridge in the background of this photo is the last thing runners will cross before running through the grass  through two trees which mark the race start and finish.

Becky explained to us that, due to some snafu with some national agency (my eyes always glaze over at this kind of thing, so I did not get all the details), the race course had to be changed this year.  However, she quickly added that we were still going to be treated to a run up Becky's Bluff!  Actually, we marathoners will hit it twice, once at mile 9 and again at mile 22 - oh boy.  The half marathon course, as it stands now, is in two loops, a "red" trail and a "blue" trail.  The marathon does each of these two loops twice, hence, the two doses of hell, um, I mean, fun, on Becky's Bluff.  She did warn us there may be some minor changes, so don't worry about studying this map too much.  Also note, the first loop was about 6 miles, bringing us close to the start point.  The second loop, therefore, is slightly longer.  Miles 13-17 on the map below were where Tom, Paul, and I ran up a paved road in order to get a few more miles in.

Here's the corresponding elevation chart.  As you can see, Becky's Bluff is quite the climb!

A little after noon, we started out on our run.  Tom, Paul, Joe (and his sweet, adventurous dog, Jasmine), and I followed our leader, Lance, around the lake and past a visitor center.  He hit it at a pretty good clip, so I just tried to keep up the best I could.  He did at least stop fairly soon so that all of us could catch up.  Then, shortly after the first mile, we parted from the half marathon group and headed up the first incline.  I ran for a bit, but quickly realized that I was going to need to walk...a lot.  It's a humbling process.  Mile 3 took us on a bit of pavement through some of the campsites.  We waved to some folks as we passed.

My Garmin seemed to indicate we had gone 5 miles instead of 3.  Later, I realized that I must have inadvertently switched the setting to metric units.  That was okay because everyone else was glad to tell me how far we had gone.  Mile 4 started on grass as we wound around the South side of Upper Lake.

At the edge of the woods, Lance pointed out where we would be going next.

Just past Mile 4 (I think), we reached the beginning of Marble Mine Trail.

I might look a little blurry, and at that point, was starting to feel a little "blurry" too!

 From left to right: Paul, Lance, Joe, Tom

As you may have noticed at this point, I was the only female along for this first stretch.  (On the second loop, Lance's wife and her friend did join us.)  It made me feel kind of bold that I could keep up with "the big boys."  :-)

Here we are at Marble Mine, somewhere near Mile 5), taking a pose while Jasmine takes a little dip in the cool spring water.  We all were a little jealous of her!  Things are kind of jumbled up in my mind, but I think not long after that, we hit a really rough part that was a fire break.  It could have been just before this or just after.  In any case, the going was slow and it was quite technical.  The group saw a couple snakes along the way, but luckily they had slithered off before I could spy them.  I'm hoping the faster runners spook the snakes for all the rest of us on marathon day!  Below is a photo of part of the rocky fire break area.

Finally, we made it back down from the first loop and stopped for some water and to take a potty break.  Then, we started out on the next leg of our adventure.  We headed back around the lake and back to Marble Mine, but from a different direction.  Here again, my mind is a little fuzzy on the details.

Finally, we were ready to head for Becky's Bluff.  As the elevation profile indicates, there is quite an ascent even before you get to the really tough part.  I did not even begin to kid myself that I could run this.  Wistfully, I watched Lance bound up like a jackrabbit on steroids.  The rest of us mere mortals picked our way the best we knew how up the steadily climbing path.  At that point, most of us were huffing and puffing and not blowing any houses down.  Lance gave us one last chance to catch our breath before the hardest 0.6 miles of the run.  The beginning was marked by a sign warning us of steep grades.  Lance told us it was about a 19-20% grade.  Yikes!

These photos do not do it justice.  This second one is actually looking down the mountain.  You can just barely tell that there is a valley below.  I was too tired to try for a more professional-looking shot.

The thing I noticed most was that my calves were kind of burning.  It also dawned on me that this was going to really hurt the second time around!  At the top, I was so busy breathing that I didn't get any photos.

As we headed down, it was kind of fun actually running.  My legs were starting to feel a little sloppy, though, and a couple times I could feel the bottom of my shoe graze the top of a rock.  This humbled me as I considered that if my shoe had been one millimeter lower, I would have met the earth face-to-face, if you know what I mean!  I also started feeling the Gatorade I had consumed start to jiggle around in my belly.  This caused side cramps, and I had to slow my pace.

Here's one last shot, somewhere close to the end.

I kept thinking how hard it would have been if I had planned to do the course twice that day.  Yowsa!  However, at the end, we were treated to generously slathered PB&Js, bananas, and homemade cookies with yummy icing.  I said YES to all, and scarfed them down without a trace of guilt.

Then Tom approached me with some lie that I had promised I would run a few more miles with him so we could get 20 in.  After much begging, Paul and I agreed to accompany him.  We headed out on the road.  The trouble was that the road kept going up and up.  Finally, we gave in and headed back with just 17.  I was done!  DONE, I say!  I plopped my aching self into the car and headed for home.  I didn't feel totally beat, but I kept thinking about having to double most of what we had run today.  Ouch!

Now, several days later, my quads are still quite sore.  However, I feel stronger and more reassured by having gone through this process.  It's going to be one of the hardest runs of my life, but I know I will get through it, especially knowing Danielle is going to be there with me!  I have a feeling we will need to encourage each other quite a bit on that second half.  I just hope and pray that we do not get injured.  They don't call it the Twisted Ankle for nuthin'!