168 Reasons to Run

Last Sunday I ran the Oklahoma City Memorial 5K race. It was a beautiful morning and although I did not set a PR (I blame it on being sick the week before) I had a really good time. I got a sweet medal and enjoyed watching the sun rise over my favorite city. The race celebrated its 10th anniversary and just keeps getting bigger and better! I can't wait until next year--I'm pretty sure I'll be running that half-marathon!

The Friday before the race, I took the afternoon off to pick up my race packet at the OKC Memorial Expo downtown. Then Mom, Dad, Grandma, and I explored the Oklahoma City National Memorial. We were truly blessed to experience the occasion on such a glorious afternoon. None of us had visited before and we were so impressed. The grounds are beautiful and simple and touching...a real tribute. We read through the information packet as we walked and were amazed to learn so many things we didn't know. Of course, I forgot to put new batteries in my camera (duh) and had to take a few pics with my Blackberry. But I am planning on going back very soon to take some great photos.

The thought and care that went into such a memorial blew my mind. And the fact that the memorial is maintained by the National Park Service makes me smile. This means that all funds generated are through the Museum admission fees, private fundraising campaigns, and the Memorial Marathon race. We didn't have time to visit the Museum but plan on doing so in a few months.

One of the first questions I asked my dad was the meaning of the two walls...they each stand on opposite sides of the reflecting pool. One reads "9:01" and the other "9:03." When Mom finally read aloud what it meant we both got goosebumps. Here is what the brochure says:

"These monumental twin gates frame the moment of destruction--9:02 a.m.--and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial. The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m., the moment we were changed forever, and the hope that came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing."

Dad and I wandered over to the Field of Empty Chairs and I almost broke down when I realized there were tiny chairs--for the 19 children who died that day. I noticed how the chairs were placed in a particular order and Dad read that there are 9 rows of chairs that represent the 9 floors of the Murrah building. Each chair, engraved with the names of those lost, represents the area of the building where that particular person was that day. We plan to return at night when the bases of each chair light up as "beacons of hope." The field is surrounded by a perimeter of granite sidewalks--the granite was actually salvaged from the Murrah Plaza.

Another simple yet powerful symbol of the Memorial is the Survivor Tree.

It is a huge American Elm tree. The message near the tree says:

"The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us."

The inscription encircling the tree reads:

"To the courageous and caring who responded from near and far, we offer our eternal gratitude."

Again, I am getting goosebumps just typing this! I am an Okie, born and bred...to visit the Memorial as an American is heartbreaking; to visit as a native Oklahoman is overwhelming.

There are pieces of the original Murrah building all around the Memorial. You can see where the concrete has been broken, with steel rebar sticking out. It makes it all so incredibly real.

When I finished the race on Sunday morning, I had to walk back to my car parked in a lot a few blocks away. I was thinking about the race and how unhappy I was with my time, when I realized I was walking right by the Memorial. There weren't any visitors and all was quiet. I was reminded why I ran that race...168 people lost their lives 15 years ago. And even though my heart hurt, I held my head a little higher.

WE COME HERE TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE KILLED, THOSE WHO SURVIVED AND THOSE CHANGED FOREVER. MAY ALL WHO LEAVE HERE KNOW THE IMPACT OF VIOLENCE. MAY THIS MEMORIAL OFFER COMFORT, STRENGTH, PEACE, HOPE, AND SERENITY.

St. Paddy's Great Race of the Great Plains

Date: 3/13/2010
Time: 10:15 am
Location: Lake Hefner
Temp: 53 degrees, sunny and windyRoute: 8K, flat course along the lake

The weather was beautiful and it was a fun Saturday morning. The above picture was my view the entire time. For some reason this race started later than most but I certainly didn't mind since I was able to sleep in a bit! I had never run along Lake Hefner before and it was so pretty. There are trails all along the lake and I always see people running, walking the dog, biking, etc. Well, I am already planning to run there more often, especially as the weather warms up. Okay, on to the race. Because it was a St. Paddy's race, everyone was encouraged to wear green and there was even a contest for those dressed as a leprechaun (the sponsors gave away iPods to the top 3 costumes). I wore a fun shirt with lots of Irish-saying buttons, some green beads, and a big green ribbon in my hair. I had gotten there early and had plenty of time to warm up. I walked and jogged a good 10 minutes before start time. Finally we all gathered behind the start line...there were maybe 250 people there? It wasn't a lot and thankfully we were not clustered. I was able to start running and not worry about weaving my way through anyone. Although, maybe I didn't have to weave through anyone because they were way ahead of me. :)
I felt a little like I was starting too fast, but found another gal about my size and we stayed together, pacing each other for about the first 2 miles. I had my music on, kept in touch with my breathing, and just enjoyed the view. Unfortunately, we looped around and could see the front of the pack (i.e. all the fast people) coming back our way as they looped around. I just don't like those kinds of routes because it makes me feel even slower. But I kept smiling and kept running. By mile 2 I was a little tired...I'm not a morning runner and don't have all that much energy in the AM. This was one of those runs were a lot of mental "talking" got me through. I had my play list going in my ears, but honestly, I don't remember much of the music. I thought a lot about the upcoming half-marathon and tried not to psych myself out. I was constantly surprised at my pace and kept thinking "slow down, or you'll never push through the end." But I really never slowed down.

Here's where I start to dislike this particular race. Though it was a gorgeous route, the organization of the race was poor. There were water stops up to about mile 2-2 1/2. THEN I NEVER SAW ANOTHER ONE. Come on, I don't even start to get thirsty until about mile 3 or 4. But nothing. I was really tired and thirsty. I struggled during the last mile and had NO energy. I was having to THINK about running and concentrate on my form. Normally I don't have to think about this as I am just out there enjoying the run. But I'm pretty sure not eating enough beforehand and not eating a very good dinner the night before (pop tarts, anyone?) certainly hindered my performance. I crossed the finish line and was so happy to PR this race. BUT I wanted some water ASAP. Some guy was hounding me for my chip (which I didn't have for this race) and I asked him where the water was. Normally, someone hands you a bottle of water after you finish a race. Not only did no one offer me water at the finish line, but there was NO water left anywhere. I asked THREE "official race people" and they acted like it was no big deal but there wasn't any water.

Granted, I was not a fast finisher and most of the 'elite' runners were already eating pizza and drinking green beer. They were all waiting on the trophy ceremony when I crossed the finish line, dying of thirst. I was so angry and tired at that point that I cursed under my breath, shook my head in disgust, and promptly walked to my car to leave. Not having water for EVERY race finisher is a no-no. I paid my $20 for the race and that should include water...at least a Dixie cup! All in all, it was a neat race location and a personal best for me. But other than that I was not impressed.

Here is a frightening post-race picture...

Official Garmin data:
5.02 miles
59: 48

Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:42
Mile 2 - 11:29
Mile 3 - 11:45
Mile 4 - 12:21
Mile 5 - 12:09

Frigid 5-Miler: Race Recap

Date: 2.13.10
Time: 9:00 am
Location: Mitch Park, Edmond, OK
Temp: 36 degrees
Route: Hilly, 5-mile trail

[Warning: Race recaps may contain language that is not suitable for normal readers. I will be graphic when I want and may describe situations which will gross some of you out. But it's a runner's life...and a runner with a spastic colon no less. You've been warned.]

This race kicks off the 2010 race season. Unfortunately for me, last week was a bad one...I was in a funk and feeling blah. I didn't train at all except for one short 2.25 mile run on Wednesday. I was also not eating well nor was I drinking my usual amount of water. Hey, we all have those weeks, right? So I really wasn't prepared for the first race of the year: Edmond's Frigid Five. The most I've run in the last month has been 4 miles. The most I've EVER run in a race was a 5k. Needless to say this was a new challenge for me.

I created a new playlist on Friday night and filled it with songs that were upbeat and happy (mostly 80's and 90's stuff). I had maybe half of a banana Saturday morning and headed out to the race. I wore the long-sleeved event t-shirt and some capri dri-wick pants. I also wore gloves that I knew I would toss on the trail eventually (be prepared and wear things you won't miss if you need to toss them during the race--although technically you could backtrack after the race to pick them up). Anyway, it was chilly at first but the morning was beautiful. The sun was actually shining for the first time since we had such bad weather. I positioned myself in the middle of the pack as there were no official pace signs. This is a friendly, small-town neighborhood race. The beginning of any race is annoying crazy because a huge pack of runners/walkers is trying to get ahead and get moving. I couldn't really tell where the starting line was and just started my Garmin. It is very hard not to run very fast with all of these other runners taking off...for me, it's impossible to stay within my usual pace. Perhaps this is a good thing...it kept me moving faster than I normally would have been running. But I was worried about going so much faster...how would I last at this pace??!! Finally, around the 1/2 mile mark, I found my stride, although it was still a good minute faster than normal. I didn't mind people passing me...I knew this wasn't a real 'race' for me and was more about finishing. At the 1 mile mark I chucked my gloves because my hands were plenty warm. I would eventually see many a pair of gloves randomly tossed on the trail. Mitch Park is very hilly, and I wonder how much that affected my overall performance. I don't usually take hills lightly...I want to dig in and get to the top. Unfortunately, that makes for a higher heart rate and more exhaustion in the long run, but I did it anyway. So the music in my ear is great, I'm warmed up and feeling good, smiling at the people stationed at each mile marker calling out the times (which were always 1 minute slower than what my Garmin said, oh well). The only thing that kind of sucked was the weaving of the course...there were several spots where the slowpokes (me) had to pass the sprinters (read: normals). This only brought home just how much further I had to go. But I pretty much kept a smile on my face and tried to stay positive (despite the plethora of spit piles on the ground everywhere I looked--gross). At 25 minutes in I heard the cheers of those who ACTUALLY CROSSED THE FINISH LINE ALREADY. I couldn't believe it! Those psychos people kept a 5-min-mile pace the whole time. Oh, well, I had to remind myself again that this was fun and all about finishing. At mile 3 I grabbed a cup of water and had about 2 sips. I am not skilled at drinking and running and almost choked. Plus, it made me nauseous. But I was happy to know that I was past the half-way point. I was entering into newer territory though, as I usually average about 3-3.5 miles a run during the week. At this point I am remembering the last time I ran Mitch Park trails (maybe last summer) and just how many more hills there were towards the end. But there was a nice flat part for awhile so I just concentrated on moving. I did stop twice during this race...for about a total of 10 seconds. I realized that for me, stopping to walk actually makes it harder to get going again and sometimes even causes pain. Anyhoo, when I hit mile 4 I started to really feel it. Despite the lone half-banana earlier, things were starting to 'brew' if you know what I mean. Come to think of it, there weren't many Port-o-Potties on this trail. So despite the gurgling I knew I wasn't in any real potty danger. I had come to the last hilly part of the trail...this is where the longer, gradual hill was on the course (I HATE gradual hills...they take forever). I was pretty happy with my time at this point and was trying to keep pace with a gal ahead of me who had the same build. She was hilarious and actually stopped to pose for one of the race cameras! At around 4.5 or so we crossed the exit to the park--and people who had already finished the race AND picked up their goodies were leaving! But I smiled and kept going, knowing I was almost there. I was hurting at this point. But I kept on keeping on and could hear the cheers of onlookers as well as runners who were finished and headed back to their cars. I didn't pick up the pace a whole lot during that last stretch to the finish. I'm not sure if I was just tired or what. When I crossed the finish line and saw my time, I was pretty stoked. I had finished the race!! I grabbed a water bottle someone was handing me and walked around to cool off. I noticed just how many people were still behind me and I'll admit I was pretty happy I wasn't last! :) Then I just cooled down as I walked to my car. My nose was running like crazy and I was JUST starting to feel a little chafing going on under my arms (that's never happened to me before--but I have read about it). I was pretty proud of myself for getting up on a Saturday morning and running 5 miles.

Stats/Things I Learned

According to my Garmin:
Mile 1: 12:45
Mile 2: 12:49
Mile 3: 13:57
Mile 4: 13:43
Mile 5: 13:37

Official Chip Time: 1:03:27

1) If I'm going to run more than 4 miles, I'll definitely need some water and fuel. I recently bought some Gu gels but have yet to try them out. But at mile 4 I was definitely feeling weak. The problem is I tend to get nauseous and break out into a cold sweat so I am curious whether or not I'll be able to stomach the energy gels/chews.

2) I need to start using the Body Glide I bought. Chafing is not fun and if I had run any further than 5 miles I would have been hurting.

3) I am a slow runner. But that's okay! Even in middle school and high school when I was in great shape (and young) I never did more than a 9-10 minute mile. I am a distance runner at heart and, even though my pace will improve as I lose the last of my weight, I'll never be a fast runner.

4) After finishing a 5-mile race, I couldn't FATHOM running another 8 miles (aka, the Half). BUT, as a good running friend told me (Jason, aka Jbob), I can't think about the half right now. The next distance is 6 miles...then 7 miles...and so on. And as another running friend reminded me (Chris), a year ago I couldn't imagine running FIVE miles.

5) I could not believe how sore my legs were on Sunday. I did not stretch or ice like I should have (must have been the high of feeling so good). I learned my lesson!


My next race is 3/6/10 and will be a 10k (6.2 miles). I am back in training, guzzling my water, eating right, and feeling good. I WILL DO THIS!!

Freezing Santa 5K

I ran a Santa 5K on Saturday in downtown OKC. The temp was 29 when I left the house at 8:00 am. I had bought a new running jacket the night before and was so glad I did. I had on gloves, running pants, the jacket, a tshirt, a dri-wick long-sleeved shirt, and a hat. Really the only thing that stayed cold was my nose. And the cold wind in my eyes makes them blurry. But I finished and returned to the comfort of my car as soon as possible! I did set a PR for the race which proves all this training is working for me. I think my next race is in February (a 5-miler here in Edmond).

OKC Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

'Twas a success! I was up at 6:00 am on a Saturday which is just unheard of for me, and it was pitch black outside when I headed over to Mom and Dad's house. But the beautiful sun was coming up as we headed downtown for the festivities. Despite the fact that it was 41 degrees and there were over 16,000 people there, we had a blast! I completed the 5K in 38 minutes which I am very proud of because I set a goal time of 43:00. I am more of a slow distance runner so speed is not a factor for me! But having all of those other runners around me kept my pace up really well. It was pretty exciting and there were all sorts of people there. My mom was only going to do the 1 mile but she never saw the sign to turn around and ended up walking the entire 5K! I was very proud of her and she was glad she did it. Dad was there to support us and take pictures (even though he DESPISES the cold weather!). After the race we got into the warm car and headed to Jimmy's Egg for a yummy breakfast. It was a great morning and I loved spending it with my two besties, Mom and Dad.

When we got back to their house, we showered and then mom and I hit the mall for some shopping! After dropping 30 pounds the last 4 months (yes, yippee, but I still have about 30-40 to go until I'm happy), it was time for some new clothes! It was pretty exciting to shop at a normal department store and get some really nice clothes (I admit, being overweight I wasn't in the mood to shop and bought cheap clothes at Wally). I had forgotten how much fun shopping can be! And Mom was a great little helper. I found some snazzy outfits, including one for the reunion next weekend!

After shopping I was exhausted and headed home for a nap. I spent the rest of the day literally on the couch, under a blanket, trying to get warm! It was heaven. But today it's back to the grind...our office move is Wednesday and we are packing and organizing. My flight to H-town leaves Thursday afternoon and I'll have a mini-vacay for 4 days. The weather in Houston will not be nearly as nice as the weather here in OK, but I think I can handle it for a few days!

Here are some pics from the race...we'll be there next year again for sure!