Giddy up...

I'm getting back on the horse, so to speak, and I'm back to blogging...mostly.  I don't imagine I will be blogging every run as I used to, but through the remainder of the year I will attempt to keep up weekly. 

It's been a few months since my last post, but that doesn't mean its been a few months since my last run.  In fact, I've had a very exciting several months.  I'll give you just a taste of what's been happening.  This will be a long one, but stick with me and you will be rewarded.

In March, when I last blogged, I was running for the sake of running - for myself, for my health, for my daughter - with minor aspirations at a Boston qualifying run at some point before December.  Early in April, the running world changed with a bomb that explode of the Boston Marathon.  That month, we ran in solidarity and rememberance for those affected by the bombing, and we ran for a sense of normalcy.

Later that month, I ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon and realized that I didn't have just minor aspirations, but I was capable of putting in a better than qualifying marathon by the end of the year, putting in a 1:48:19 half.  Granted, I had the added incentive of lining up at the start directly behind Shalane Flanagan...talk about motivation.  How can you turn in a bad performance when you are chasing the heels of the women who took 4th at Boston?

Other races, many PRs, and a myriad of runs later, I hit another milestone...the first race where I served as a pacer.  Bless my friend who believed I could lead a group of ladies to the finish line in the Zooma half marathon.  It was an amazing experience pacing the 2:00:00 group.  There is nothing more motivating on a soupy June day than knowing dozens of women are depending on seeing your pacing sign waving in the air so they know they will finish within their goals. Following that race, I received this message on my facebook page: "Hey Stacie, a woman who you were pacing came up to me afterward and started crying as she was sooo excited that she finished. She said she would NEVER have been able to finish let alone at that pace with out YOU! She said she was looking all over for you to tell you and thank you. You are a great pacer and coach!!!"

That weekend, I also learned I was running with a new partner.  In fact, I'd been running with a new partner for several weeks and would continue to run with that partner until next January...at least as a regular fixture on every run.  Figured it out?  My family discovered we would be a family of four. 

That didn't slow me down though...are you kidding?!?!?  That month I turned in a great 10k performance and then finished 2nd in my age group at my hometown 5K in support of children battling cancer. 

My days of speed racing (for this season at least) were coming to a close though.  No Boston qualifier for me this year at Steamtown.  Not even a whiff.  That doesn't mean my running will disappear this year.  Quite the opposite.  My doctor has cleared me to run every bit as much as I always have, and to even keep the Richmond Marathon on my schedule in November if I'm feeling well.  So running I will continue.

I will admit, though, to rougher mileage in July and August.  The heat and humidity made me nauseous, and the treadmill caused my old back injury to begin to flare up again, so I was relegated to running when everything would allow.  I still turned in a "decent" performance at the John Wall Mile in July, but have come to realize I'm in "happy to finish" mode from here on out.

I'll finish this super long post with a quick note about one of my favorite races of the year - the Annapolis 10-miler - which happened today.  I love this classic hometown race and the people it brings to Annapolis.  Today we had the most perfect weather in A-10 history, and I ran with the perfect crew.  Without my best running buddy, Brie, and also Danielle, Gloria, and Jen, it would not have been quite so perfect for baby Peaches and me.  Thanks ladies! 

Looking forward to the running adventures that continue to await me this year!  Happy trails!

Stats: 

 

When it rains, it pours...

Today was A-10 time.  For those not in the Annapolis running know, that means the Annapolis Ten Miler.  It also marks the end of hot, hot, hot and humid August racing...or at least in most usual years.  This year was a bit different, but let me begin with the four day gap in running first.

I haven't hit the pavement since Tuesday, and its now Sunday.  Why, you ask?  Well, Wednesday morning we were out at the Queenstown Outlets when I lifted the diva just exactly the wrong way and tweaked the back.  It hurt scary bad.  I had visions of the SI joint injury flash before my face again and all I could do was pray that it was just a freak pain that would go away with a few days rest.  So, while it was hard not to lace up my shoes, I waited until this morning to give my back as much rest as possible to avoid turning a small thing into another back injury. 

The rest paid off.  I woke up this morning with no back pain..though now we had to contend with the rain.  Really if you want to get technical, we had to contend with thunder, lightning and heavy down pours.  Yep, perfect running weather.

I met up with Brie at her house.  We planned to walk down to the race.  We decided to wait out the major down pour and show up at the last minute.  That wait paid off too, and our walk up to the start at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was marked only by a slight sprinkle. 

We arrived, quite literally, with only a couple minutes until the start gun went off.  Not bad...usually I wait in the corral for about 15-20 minutes after arriving 45 - 60 minutes early.  I like this.  Anyway, I can't believe the start gun actually went off on time.  After all there was lightning in the sky and most sensible folks don't run when its lightning.  Oh wait, that would assume that those of us who showed up in a thunder storm are sensible people.  Ha! 

From the beginning through about mile 3ish, the rain poured with real intensity.  It was awesome!  Like I said before, this race is usually so hot you want to rip your clothes off.  The rain kept it cool and so much more fun.  Well that and my amazing running partner (sorry, no great pics of us this time because I couldn't bring electronics out into this storm).  We saw and chatted with a number of friends along the way - shout out to Ron Bowman, Lara Mish, Jennifer Bornemann, Heather DeBuse.

As we crossed the bridge onto the Broadneck Peninsula, this was the section I was unsure of in the race plan.  The course had a slight change this year due to some permitting issues.  As a matter of fact, it changed to match up somewhat with Zooma and the Annapolis Half in a way I don't like...or at least that's what I thought going into the race.  As it turned out, the course change wasn't bad.  As with past years, this year we did not need to go through Ferry Farms to make use of the sprinklers the residents so kindly turn on the street to cool down this atrociously hot race.  Nope, mother nature took care of that with on and off sprinkles and rain the duration of the race.  So in the end, the course change wasn't bad.

As we made the turn back toward the finish, Brie's IT band was starting to act up a bit and my hamstrings were getting tight.  At mile 8 I kicked it in to try to stretch them out a bit.  God love Brie for being supportive and not getting upset that I needed to stretch it out a bit.  The end of the race was good...course was slightly long though.  I finished 93 out of 292 in my age group, with Brie just two minutes behind me.  We received our customary cold towels and finisher's premiums, watermelon and other race amenities, but it was the first time I ever remember being cold at the end of the A-10.  I love it!

It's always more fun to run the streets of Annapolis with other adventurous runners and I think this race had them in spades.  Thanks Annapolis Striders for the best A-10 yet!  (In my humble opinion.)  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  10.11 (plus 1.77 mile walk to and from the stadium)
Time:   1:32:51 (average pace of 9:11 per mile...though I believe given the extra ten pounds of water weighing down our shoes and the rainy conditions really gives us a 5-10 minute handicap :) )
Location:  Annapolis
Feeling:  I LOVE IT!!!  Today felt totally awesome!

Three's a party...

Today the diva and I got the chance to run with and catch up on life with another great red head.  I don't think I've had the pleasure of running with this particular person, except in passing, since probably February.  That's right folks, Lara met up with us at Quiet Waters Park for a spin around the outside loop.

It was good fun...and so much better than the last time I ran Quiet Waters (which was with the old, dreaded jogging stroller).  We met up at the parking lot across the street from the park since technically its closed on Tuesdays, then headed in to catch the path around the park.   The company and conversation were good and we also counted the bridges with the diva as we crossed each one.  It was also nice to have a partner run with the stroller for a good mile or so.  Especially splitting hills with me.  We ran the entire outer loop (including the compost loop, but not the boat loop...I did that one last time.)  I also used the time to secure a commitment from Lara to run the Charm City Run 20-miler with me in a couple weeks.  Thanks Lara!!!

The body functioned appropriately on the run, but those darn hamstrings are still tight.  I know I keep saying I need to start applying icy hot.  I guess a little stretching wouldn't hurt too, right? :)  I'm horrible at some of the simple things.  I'm not going to promise to get better because that would just set me up for failure, but I may say I will try.

Following our run we sat out on the sidewalk in front of the cars and Lara got to know the diva and showed her pictures of her kids and friends.  The diva loves pictures...especially ones on an iphone...and especially when she gets to swipe to the next one.  After that we said so long to Lara until the weekend at the A-10 packet pick up when we'll run into her again.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4.55
Time:   49:09 (average pace of 10:48 per mile)
Location:  Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis
Feeling:  Tight hams, light heart