October Run Log

Happy Halloween!  {We dressed up for Halloween today at school & I was a Fairy Princess.  Pictures  at another time, as I have to wait to get them.  Heaven forbid I take a Halloween selfie!}

October Running!  What a GREAT month.
Cross Country came to an amazing end ~ another wonderful season {I do coach the BEST sport EVER.  Want to feel good about kids & life, coach middle school cross country}  Another PR set; already blogged about.  Run Club had it's first meeting of the school year last Monday with 5 members running.  And plans to do it every Monday {which kinds messes with my training...but Run Club is too fun to not figure that out}

AND Mike and I signed up for the Cleveland Marathon ~ May 17 is the date looming up ahead.
Reasons WHY I'm running a second marathon:

• Cliff Bars {I really miss those, especially the Blueberry Crisp ones}
• eating everything I like & my pants still fitting
• I really think I can earn a Boston Qualifying time.
• I'm a little crazy {or a lot}

It will be good to train for a marathon at the same time as Mike.  It will be really good.

October Totals:

98.44 miles for the month 
936.33 miles for the year 

448.45 miles for my blue Brooks Glycerin 12 ~ Man, It's probably time to get a new pair...but these still feel good!  I know what I can spend that gift certificate my XC kids gave me!

Training for:  The Turkey Day 5k ~ and the Cleveland Marathon on May 17, 2015

My WEIGHT:  UGH.  I guess I haven't GAINED weight...138.2 this morning.  Pants still fit...but I really have to quit eating the JUNK.  This is why I'm running a marathon ~ I have ZERO self-control.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month: 13.1 ~ at a PR pace :)
Favorite place to run this month: Northern Ohio Half Marathon.  Yeah, pretty much your favorite run is the PR run.
# of books I read this month: One {but I'm almost done with the one I'm on now!}
Monthly mileage record: 155.46 ~ August 2013!  WOW
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14}
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:58 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/12/14)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)

nightmare

Monday night I had the scariest experience ~ First, I woke up from a dead sleep, choking on my own spit.  Seriously?  How does this happen?  So I cough myself to breathing again, and then go back to sleep.  That's where the scary dream started.  I was dreaming that I was sleeping in my bed and a ghost was trying to kill me {suddenly the choking made sense, in a very frightening way}.  In the dream, I was being poked by the ghost and when I'd open my eyes the bathroom light would be on.  Then the next time I'd open my eyes, my closet lights were on.  The next time, cabinet doors were open...and on it went.  Suddenly I was a little kid and the only thing I could think to do was to get to my dad.  I just couldn't get out of bed and run there.  It doesn't sound too freaky as I type this, but I was terrified.
Suddenly I hear my husband say in a very monotone voice, "Hey, you're yelling."
I  was never more relived to be awake.  I yelled, "I'm so scared" and I kinda got the giggles because of his response.

Rabbit Run

  I love the Rabbit Run for a number of reasons:  1.  My family will usually run it because they want to {not because I make them, like the Turkey Day 5k} 2. Many of my XC kids run it ~ and many of my former XC kids run it ~ and I really like seeing them all out enjoying running.  3.  It's a Madison run & I know a lot of people running...which just makes it fun because you can cheer for everyone by name. 4.  It's the only race I've ever placed overall in...that first year, came in second behind Kelly Chandler... and I've always placed first in my age group {yes, I am that vain}

These are the majority of the current & former MMS XC runners who raced today.  Runners are the best kids!  I am so fortunate to coach the best sport in the world.  The tallest one on the right ran in the Regional XC meet yesterday and came in THIRD overall today.  That's a kid who's had great coaching {hee}

Here is my son (sorry it's blurry) getting his SECOND PLACE award ~ 22:45 was his time {he passed me pretty early & I could see him the whole race...but there was no catching him today}  

And the post race usie ~ With Jacob & I wearing our bling.  I finished at 23:18 and Mike finished at 25:15.  A great 5k day.  And the warmest Rabbit Run to date.

#23 Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman

#23, Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn, was a recommendation by my mom.  It's a fun little story about how a slightly crazy woman, who talks to a lizard {named God}and a dog {named Doomsday}, sort of accidentally becomes a hitwoman.  But she only kills people who deserve it, so I guess that makes her a hero character, not a villain character.  She's got a crazy family, including a literally crazy mother and a father in prison and a missing sister and two dead sisters and a niece in a coma and three crazy aunts she call the three witches.  It's a fun read & the first in what I think is a very large series. {just by looking at the recommendations listed on my Kindle.

fl: You just know it's going to be a bad day when you're stuck at a red light and Death pulls up behind you in a station wagon.  ll: And, oh yeah, even thought I didn't know it at the time, I found out not long after that that I needed to kill someone at a wedding...

Northern Ohio Half. PR!!

The second time to the start line at the Northern Ohio...but this time it was for the 1/2.  I had a better night sleep & I was not near as nervous as last year, but it was SO much colder.  I think it was 35 degrees at the 7:30am start.  It's really a interesting start, because it's just after sunrise.  The crowd goes from milling around in the dark to the start gun in first light.  It's like even the sun is ready to run.  Mike joined me this year ~ and even though we have both run a few half marathons, we've never run the same one.  It was fun to be at the start line & get Mike in my pre & post race selfies!  {side note:  Mike ran this with only a few weeks training...and sore knees ~ made the discovery of KT tape ~ and finished in 1:54:47}

I felt SO good the whole race.  My toe/foot thing {woke up in the middle of the night Thursday with the big toe on my right foot throbbing? Then my leg, from the knee down, felt 'funny' Friday and Saturday...} didn't bother me at all.  I took water twice...thanks to the cold weather.  Didn't take any gu's or jells...  I did take a drink of the SPARK 1/2 hour before the race {I've taken that in the last two races, and PR'ed in both}

The biggest mental boost was passing the 20 mile marker & feeling SO good.  Last year at that point, was a whole 'nother story! {there's the difference between the whole & the half!}  Going through Headlands was fun because Madison athletes were manning the water stop...and I didn't feel the need to get in a car & be driven the rest of the way.

Around mile 11-12 I realized that I was going to PR. And I willed myself to get back to under 8 minute miles... didn't quite get there, but it was enough to shave 2:30 off my time.

   New 1/2 marathon PR: 1:44:58

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:44:58.1	13.09	8:01
1	7:44.3	1.00	7:44
2	8:05.8	1.00	8:06
3	7:51.8	1.00	7:52
4	8:07.6	1.00	8:08
5	8:00.2	1.00	8:00
6	7:47.8	1.00	7:48
7	8:00.1	1.00	8:00
8	7:52.6	1.00	7:53
9	8:01.6	1.00	8:02
10	8:18.2	1.00	8:18
11	8:12.7	1.00	8:13
12	8:12.6	1.00	8:13
13	8:06.0	1.00	8:06
14	:36.8	0.09	7:11

  

Here's a shot of my bling {first in my age group}

The best was the note from Jacob, which is in the shot, but you can't read it.  He came home from Homecoming & then went back to his buddy's house for the night, so at midnight he left this note wishing us both luck in the run.  He is a great kid.  

Patrick was in his own bed when we left...and was on the road back to UC before we got back home, so that is kinda sad. But he looks good & is happy at UC & excited to head back in his new car.

Final Results:

#1 in age group

#13 female {out of 234}

#63 overall {out of 412}

This is a great little race.  It's organized well, marked well, challenging...makes me want to run it again!

Mike Says...

Going to have to start recording the Pearls Of Wisdom issued from the mouth of Mike.  

Today's keeper:

I'm not a pessimist or an optimist.  Someone dumped out my 1/2 cup of water.  I'm paranoid.

That right there folks, could keep a psychologist busy for a while.