Takin' It Easy

It's been a couple of weeks since the Vancouver Half and we have been taking a bit of a break. Which is very refreshing. We have been getting out to run here and there and I'll get out as soon as I get home, no matter how warm it is (within reason).

The past few days I have had an issue with my allergies and that has REALLY slowed down my desire to run. I had hoped to run on Thursday last week, but with all the drips, watery eyes and a touch of congestion, I thought better of it and decided to just chill. I didn't chill for long and ended up getting out early yesterday morning. Yeah...can't keep a crazy person down! Today hasn't been too bad, still drippy, but I'm sure that a couple of miles won't kill me.

Late last week I sent off my registration for the Wahine All Women's event on August 2nd and today the registrations for the 4th of July run and the North County Wine Run both went out. I'M SO EXCITED!!! Even though the past few days have been iffy, I really am looking forward to starting the training plan for the North County Wine Run (half). There are a couple of other events that we are planning, but I wanted to make sure that I had these three sent in. The next closest one would be the Fairhaven 15k (Bellingham) on September 13. That will be our "destination run" hahaha. Fairhaven is so nice that it will be a nice break from SW Washington.

So, I haven't totally disappeared...just planning and  plotting and getting ready to run again.

WinningMarriages 5k/10k Event

Tom and I started our day with the WinningMarriages 5k/10 walk or run event at Klineline. This was a  benefit for Marriage Team and this was their 2nd year. I worked to get a team put together - and was able to recruit a few families with the youngest team member being 1 1/2 years old.

I had decided a couple of weeks ago that I would stick with Mary and walk/run the course with her, which happened to be the Salmon Creek Trail. The morning was quite pleasant and there was probably a couple hundred people and Morgan from the Fish (104.1 Portland)

The morning was perfect and we all had a good time together before and after the event. Looking forward to getting a team together next year and maybe running more of the course with Mary.

New Toys

I posted about a couple of new things that I got...go HERE

So, I had BOTH during the Vancouver half this past Sunday. How did it go?

Well, the watch was easy, just start and go...or so I thought. Once I figured out during a walk break that I could change it from elapsed time to pace to whatever else...I was playing with that as much as possible. That was definitely on my mind A LOT. I need to figure out what I would prefer to see and make it a default (at least I think I can do that). Gotta get serious about no distractions! I can see how the avg. pace will be helpful during my training runs, so I'll have to see if that is something that I can set as my default...

I figured out that I should have trained with the hydration belt on the last two runs while wearing my skirt. I fidgeted with that until we got past Wintler Park. My skirt was riding up...twisting around...popping out underneath the belt...all of those things. Okay, lesson learned - definitely going to figure out the belt WITH the skirt by training with it during our long runs for the next half marathon we do.

The other thing that I'm thinking I might add would be the iPod...a little music wouldn't be a bad thing. Something to help me not focus so much on my discomfort. The little ache in my foot...can't breathe...oop, calf is hurting...etc.

In the end the thing that I am working for is this:

Race Bling AND bragging rights! Oh...and a PR...that's nice too :)

Vancouver USA Half Marathon

Totally had a blast at my first Vancouver USA Half Marathon! I was so excited to do this race - which is so odd for me, but I figured out that it's because so many good things were in place...

I worked REALLY hard to get better for this race, even through the pain I was having in my neck/shoulder since the beginning of April. I think I might have cut a couple of training runs short or skipped one or two because of that problem, but for the most part I stuck to the plan. We even started to do some Tabata for some strength training. I think we'll keep that in the arsenal, if we are consistent it will totally make a difference!

Our times were good - I now have a PR in my half at a fraction of a second over 3 hours. That's pretty much 10 minutes better than my first half AND on a course that was far more hilly. Crazy! Tom's finish time was 2 hrs 12 min - SO PROUD of him!

I "crammed" with my nutrition - which means that I didn't pay as much attention to it in the earlier weeks until the last couple of weeks. Day of race I got up early and had some breakfast and went back to sleep for a little bit before getting ready to head to Esther Short Park. I was so hyped about racing that I didn't really care that my sleep was on the lighter side.

Anyway, a race is a race and I guess my favorite part of the whole route was going from McLoughlin blvd all the way to 5th Street - without a walk break. I actually probably did a mile and half without psyching myself out and walking. I stopped to walk just to grab a GU and get some drink before starting up again. That took a lot of me telling my legs that I don't have to go fast, I just have to keep going.

The ultimate revelation is that now that we are doing the longer running events, it's about going slow and getting to the end. I see 5k events almost like a sprint anymore - those end so quickly. I think I'm embracing longer distance running (GASP!)

We'll have a nice and easy race coming up on the 4th - our 6th(?) Independence Run in Ridgefield. Then we start training for the North County Wine Run - half marathon in September.

2014 Vancouver Half Marathon

PHOTOS TODAY....RACE REPORT IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO