Team RWB Firecracker Virtual Race

Did my first virtual race for Team Red White & Blue--4 miles on the 4th of July--celebrating our freedom by honoring those who make it possible.

Ran this one with my boyfriend Dan on the trails at the Mineola Nature Preserve (the parts that weren't under water!). Enjoyed a nice leisurely run on a beautiful trail. Coming off Utah Valley and working through lingering injuries, I opted for an easy run/walk (4/1) rather than "racing," but I had been so chatty at my first 4-mile race, I still managed a race PR! ;)

Eagles up! 

Utah Valley Marathon - Race Recap

I signed up for Utah Valley intrigued by the idea of a downhill race with amazing scenery, and the beauty of the course made me understand what this means:

It bears a striking resemblance to the verse on the back of the shirt I wore for the race. 

When I got to town, the rental car place was all out of subcompacts, so they gave me this as a substitute. 

Couldn't help but ask: If this were a dream, what would it mean? :)

I had to ask the same question again when I came across a bunch of these on my last shakeout run. 

I drove the course twice before the race. I wanted to familiarize myself with the route and take a few pics ahead of time. The views were absolutely breathtaking! 

I enjoyed the week in Provo, limiting my activity and input, simply letting myself breathe. I came a week early to enjoy a retreat in the mountains as I let myself adjust to the altitude, which turned out to be virtually a non-factor.  But I had no way of knowing that going into the race and no idea what to expect from a course so different than anything I'd trained on in Dallas. 

Add battling a hamstring issue for over three months (i.e., no speed work), and I was setting the bar low. My plan was to walk every 7th minute (good Biblical proportion!) and see what happened. 

With the injury, this whole training cycle was different. I think I've finally learned how to run a marathon without it running my life. :)  I felt well-prepared to run a solid race but went in without expecting it to be the race of my life. Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall gave a talk at the expo, and I was struck by something he passed down from a coach of his:

You won't PR every race, but you can improve your average. 

On race day, my alarm was set for 2:30 AM (not a typo). I was on a bus to the start line around 3:30. We arrived a little after 4:00 and waited for the 6:00 start. Thankfully, they provided fire pits to keep us warm up there. While waiting for the race to begin, I chatted with a 70-year-old woman running her first marathon. Love that!

I recently read "The Power of God's Names" by Tony Evans, a recapitulation of something I came to treasure from listening to John Paul Jackson. For this race, I chose a different name to meditate on for each mile. I am eternally grateful to my mother, who prayed them with me (and sent encouraging scriptures and texts) throughout the race. She found a verse for each one, which she graciously agreed to share. Email me at info@runningwithGod.com if interested. :)

Mile 1 - Adonai - The LORD. Ruler. Master. The Owner of everything and the One who is responsible for me and my race. 

Mild knee pain bothered me from the start, as, curiously, it had all week. It hadn't been a concern until then.  But I pushed it out of mind as I enjoyed this view from the start line.  

Mile 2 - Elohim - Creator. The One who created everything out of nothing. The One who spoke the world into being. Nothing is too hard for Him. Intelligent design is evident everywhere, including in how He made my body.  He is worthy of worship.

Got to enjoy some of His incredible creatures as we ran past these horse farms. 

Mile 3 - El Elyon - Most High God. There is no one greater, higher, or more powerful. The supreme God.  The Deliverer of all that exists.

Mile 4 - El Emunah - Faithful. God is faithful to me. He is dependable, always keeps His promises, and loves me always and without fail. 

Mile 5 - El Hay - Living. God is ALIVE. He is the source of all life. Jesus conquered death. The grave could not hold the One who is Life. His Spirit lives in me. He gives me life and empowers me to run. 

Mile 6 - El Nose - Forgiving. God is gracious to forgive me for everything. He's forgiven every bad thing I've ever done...and every bad thing I ever will do. It does not change His love for me, and He does not hold these against me. He demonstrated His love for me by dying so that I could be forgiven. I am clean. 

Mile 7 - El Shaddai - The Lord God Almighty. He is all powerful. Holy, holy, holy is The Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. 

Mile 8 - El Simchath Gili - My Exceeding Joy. God IS my joy. I delight in Him, in the joy of His presence. His joy is my strength. He gives me the joy of seeing beauty like this as I crest a hill. 

I'm having a great race and am on track for a big PR if I can just keep doing what I'm doing--not even working hard. 

Mile 9 - Elohim Ozer Li - My Helper. 

As I was meditating on God being my help, something happened. The knee pain that had faded to nothing by mile 6 came back with a vengeance, and I felt like someone hit my knee with a sledgehammer. I prayed and texted mom. Help was on the way. 

Mile 10 - Jehovah-Ahavah - Love. God IS love. It is not within His nature to withhold any good thing. 

As I hobbled along, barely able to walk, much less run, a girl came alongside me to render aid. She took time out of her race to offer me Advil and a few words of encouragement. As she took off again, I shouted, "God bless you to make up the time!" To which she replied, "Oh, don't worry about it. This is my 54th marathon. I don't care about time anymore!"  :)

Mile 11 - Jehovah-Checed - Merciful. God who is kind, loving, compassionate, and courteous. Offering relief and not what our sins deserve. God who is tender and gentle. 

I continued to pray for God to have mercy on me and relieve the pain in my aching knee and empower me to run. I knew slowing down had cost me the PR, but I still wanted to finish on my own two feet. 

Mile 12 - Jehovah El Emeth - Truth. Jesus IS the Truth. 

I prayed for right thinking and better, deeper understanding of Him, His ways, myself, and even correct thoughts about the race. 

Mile 13 - Jehovah-Goelekh - Redeemer. He is the One who reclaims what was lost and turns bad to good. 

Knee pain subsided, and gratefully, I was able to resume running my best. 

Mile 14 - Jehovah-Jireh - Provider. God provides EVERYTHING I need out of His glorious riches. His grace is sufficient. I lack nothing that I need. He provides abundantly. 

After all, He had already provided Advil and the strength to keep going! 

Mile 15 - Jehovah-Kabod - Glory. God whose glory shines radiantly. Whose glory is weighty. Whose glory filled the temple and was so thick nobody could take it! 

Mile 16 - Jehovah Kadesh - Holy & Jehovah-Mekaddesh - Sanctification. God who is pure. Perfect. Completely and totally good. Who is making me like Him. He is my righteousness (Jehovah-Tsidkenu). Enduring through training and racing is part of the process of sanctification. 

I passed Bridal Veil Falls, one of the best spots I found in Utah. The name drew me into thinking about the intimacy and bliss of being the bride of Christ. 

Mile 17 - Jehovah-Machsi - Refuge. God is my refuge and shelter. He hides me under His wing, in His shadow. I cling to Him as my safe place, especially when I face difficulties. 

After the knee thing made trying to PR a non-issue, I had given myself permission to walk the uphills, which I learned after the race was far more than I guessed by looking at the elevation profile or even being on the course. (Many of the hills went up and around curves, so it was deceptive because you didn't see the whole hill at once.) I had been so focused on the net 1700 ft drop that I didn't realize that was the net of a 2700 ft downhill and 1000 ft of climbing! But I really enjoyed the downhills. I kept telling myself, "Let the course do the work." Gravity was my friend. :)

Mile 18 - Jehovah-El Olam - Eternal.  The God who is forever. The self-creating One. Who is outside of time. Who was before time was. The Alpha and Omega. I will spend eternity with Him! 

Two-thirds of the way through the race and the knee incident behind me, I couldn't believe I felt so good that deep in the race! It was amazing! 

Mile 19 - Jehovah-Ori (Owr) - Light. The light that was there before He spoke light into being. There is no darkness in Him. He is radiant, glowing. His light shines on and through me. 

Running through the canyon. Almost done with the 20-mile "warmup" before the final 10K through town. 

Mile 20 - Jehovah-Rapha - Healing. His very nature is healing. By Jesus' stripes I am healed. He was disfigured beyond recognition to purchase healing for me. Soothing. Comforting. Restoring to function according to original design. 

I thanked Him for the healing to make it this far and prayed for continued healing for all the parts that have given me trouble. That my body would function according to His design and for His glory. 

Mile 21 - Jehovah-Sali - Rock. Solid. Dependable. As solid as the rocks and mountains that surrounded me. You'd have better luck moving mountains than God. I can always count on Him. 

Mile 22 - Jehovah-Shalom - Peace. Peace that destroys chaos. Calm. He is the One who calms the storms and by His very presence gives us peace that passes understanding in the midst of them.

The temperature, which had been 46 at the start of the race, was now over 70. Three or four times, I stopped at aid stations long enough to fill the water bottle I had on my belt because a sip every couple of miles wasn't cutting it. 

In addition, my calves were cramping. I knew downhill would take its toll on my quads, so I had been intentional about strengthening them. However, I failed to anticipate the cumulative effect on my calves of keeping my toes up, and I suspect all that dorsiflexion caught up with me. I allowed myself to walk more, but some of the transitions were beyond tough because of the cramping.

Mile 23 - Jehovah-Rohi - Shepherd & Jehovah-Roi - the One who sees.

I prayed the 23rd Psalm for this mile, line by line. It was fantastic, especially as it was getting harder to continue.  

At this point, I kept doing math...how fast do I have to go to keep it under 5 hours? It was kind of like when I was in school and got as many A's as I could in the beginning of the semester, hoping I could go into the final knowing that even if I failed, I'd still pass the class. I was glad I'd had a strong first half. I knew I still needed to run some down the stretch (because I was walking a little funny and not as fast as normal!), but I knew I could make it even if I walked most of the way. 

One of my race goals was to encourage someone every mile, and as I saw others also struggling, I reminded them we still had a shot at being under 5.  This was a total newsflash to one fella, who picked it up with new life in his legs when he realized that!

Mile 24 - Jehovah-Shamah - The Lord is there. He is Emmanuel. God with me. 

My first thought when I started cramping was that perhaps I'd made a mistake in not drinking the sports drink, relying solely on my Electrolyte Fuel System (EFS) gel for electrolytes. So I started drinking Powerade...and grabbed an Otter Pop when one was handed to me. (The corollary to "nothing new on race day" is "unless you feel like you're about to die and you think it might help.") It was cool and refreshing, a real God-send! 

Mile 25 - Jehovah-Tsaba - Warrior. God who fights for me and puts His no-quit warrior Spirit in me! 

Just. Keep. Going.

Don't give up...Pain is weakness leaving the body...Pain is temporary.  Pride is forever...

Mile 26 - Jehovah-Uzzi - Strength. God is my strength. His strength is infinite.

As I approached mile 26, "A Spoonful of Sugar" came on my playlist--quite fitting with the Pain You Enjoy theme--and I sang along (out loud!) as I approached the finish line! 

Mile 26.2 - Jehovah-Nissi - Banner. God is my victory, and His banner over me is love! 

In scripture, the name Jehovah-Nissi is used during the battle that Joshua fought while Moses was on the mountain, raising his hands. When he got tired, he needed help holding them up. 

Likewise, shortly after crossing the finish line, I collapsed into the arms of 2 Red Cross volunteers and needed help standing up. Both legs seized up and gave out on me at the same time. They helped me to the medical tent (again!), where they Saran wrapped ice to my knees. 

One of the best things about this race is that thanks to better fueling, I was more in my right mind than after any previous marathon (though those who heard me singing Mary Poppins might have questioned that!). My friend Heather met me with flowers and was an angel to go get my drop bag (with massage stick!) while one of the volunteers fetched me some chocolate milk. 

After a brief recovery, I was able to enjoy the post-race festivities, including the best creamsicle of my life and a quick massage.

The next stop was Sonic with Heather and her family.  I downed a delicious double cheeseburger without thinking twice! Yum!

It was a great race, even though it was tough down the stretch.  I didn't PR, but I DID improve my average.  The pain faded (after a couple days of walking like a zombie because my quads--which were fine on race day--were killing me after!), but the memories and rewards remain.  :)

Disco Run 10K - Race Recap

Nursing a strained hamstring and doing virtually zero speed work since March, I wasn't sure what to expect for this race, but I decided to go, have fun, and give it my best shot.

I was happy to meet up with fellow Eagles running for Team RWB. 

And the costumes did not disappoint. Some folks really got into the spirit! 

The race itself was a 5K loop around Fair Park, which I did twice. With all the flooding we've had, I was grateful the course wasn't under water.  We had pretty weather, and I enjoyed disco tunes blasted along the route, as well as stacked in my own playlist. :)

Considering I haven't raced a 10K in 6 months, I did a decent job of pacing myself and ran a negative split. I also accomplished my goal of passing someone every mile. I realized I still have work to do---running with injury has cost me my mental edge, as I've gotten comfortable babying myself and being gentle instead of pressing into pain. But that will come back when I'm healthy. Though I was nearly 3 minutes off my true PR from last fall, I at least set a new race PR, so that's something. 

And I added this to my collection!  Groovy! 

Heels & Hills - Race Recap

The last time I ran Heels & Hills was 2 years ago. It was a half marathon along the Campion Trail in Las Colinas. There were neither heels nor hills, and I had a great race, setting what was at the time a PR. 

After taking a year off, the race was reintroduced in Keller offering distances of 4 and 8 miles. (What???)  Different for sure but still a celebration of women's fitnes...and that's exactly what this race turned out to be. 

A 4-mile race didn't really fit into this stage of my training for Utah, and with the lingering hamstring issue, truly racing didn't seem like a good idea. (Intensity seems to aggravate it far more than distance.) I had done an 18-mile training run the day before so went in treating it as a recovery run. I ran it with my friend Davette, who had done a mud run the day before, so she was just fine with that. 

We did a little running, a little walking, and a lot of talking!  No rhyme or reason, no race plan or time goal, no pressure. Completely relaxed. Just a couple of friends out having fun with a bunch of other ladies doing the same. We had a blast and got a little bling!

Best part of it being a 4-miler: even though we were slow as Christmas, we both set a PR! 

Rhythm & Blues Half - Race Recap

Today's race was relatively uneventful and is best summarized by the random thoughts that went through my head:

Wet. 

Hamstring. 

This feels too easy. 

Good girl. 

I get to come down this hill later. 

HR too high. 

Ride this train as long as you can. 

Hamstring. 

You've done this before. 

My friends are at church now. 

Halfway!

Lactate threshold. 

There's my friend Brian!  

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. 

Check HR at the end of each song. If > 190, walk it down to 185. 

Puddle.

Team RWB!  Eagles up!

Hamstring. 

Encourage other runners. 

Hill.

I could be at church now. 

Pain. 

Light, easy steps. 

Cold. Wind. Rain. 

Hamstring. 

Last hill. 

Feeling a little sick. Just run happy. 

The faster you run, the sooner you're done. 

Why do I do this?

Rejoice in your sufferings. 

Chocolate milk ahead. 

2 more miles. 

Just. Keep. Running. 

Hamstring. 

Finish strong. 

Kick it! 

The best part of today's race was not my race. :)

It was watching my mom finish her first 5K....

...and my friend Brian gut out the half, battling illness and injury.  

I got emotional watching the runners who finished behind me, slogging through the cold and pouring rain. I know how hard that is...and in their own way, these runners show a determination and fortitude that is equally or more impressive as those who have the drive to win.  I am inspired by their perseverance and will take the thought of these runners giving their all forward with me as I strive to find my own personal best. 

Hot Chocolate 15K - Race Recap

Quite unintentionally, I sat down the night before the race to devise my race plan over a warm beverage...

In light of recent struggles, I decided to forego a time goal.  My goal was simply:

Run smart. Run fast. Run happy.

My plan was to run by feel.  I knew I wanted to run the majority of the race comfortably hard (yellow zone) and finish at least the last mile uncomfortably hard (orange).  

To keep me out of my head, I put a smiley sticker on my watch, reminding me to run happy--and yellow zone--most of the way. 

My friend was doing the 5K, so we arrived at Fair Park plenty early and saw this guy with his freaky muscle tights on our way to the chocolate-themed start line. 

The race itself was relatively uneventful, though hillier than I expected. I paced myself well and ran without stopping for chocolate--or whiskey.  (Wish I'd had time to snap a pic of the unsanctioned aid station set up by some spectators passing out shots!). 

At the finish line, there was good news and bad news. 

The good news was that I squeaked in under 90 minutes!  The bad news is that my pace was quite a bit slower than the half marathon three months ago, so I still have a lot of work to do just to get back to there, much less beyond. 

BUT today's effort was a step toward doing that. And there was more good news: 

- I ran close to an even split (which is more meaningful when you consider the monster hill in mile 6).

- The last mile was the fastest. 

- I kept my HR in the yellow zone and finished orange. 

- I finished breathless but not wrecked. 

- I ran pain-free the whole way. (Thank You, God!) 

- I beat the 15K time predicted by my 2 most recent sets of mile repeats--even on a hilly course and windy day. 

All of the above are indicators that I succeeded in running smart, (relatively) fast, and happy, so for where I am right now, I chalked this one up as a win as I enjoyed what was waiting for me at the finish line. 

New Years Day Marathon- Race Recap

As I was praying about my strategy for this race, 4:13 popped in my head. Though I developed a plan for a 4:13 finishing time, I rightly suspected it was a reference to Philippians 4:13.

We often see this verse and think it means we can accomplish anything, but if we look at the context of the whole chapter, it really speaks to being able to be content in ALL circumstances. 

Pastor and triathlete Andy Wulff wrote a great post about how this applies to athletes:

http://tri4him.com/blog/2014/05/05/i-think-i-can-i-think-i-can-i-think-i-can/

So I had this in mind when I stepped on the course...in these conditions.

I had done the best I could to prepare for the cold and rain and had the forethought to take a pre-race selfie in the comfort of my home. 

I put "run happy" on my bib so I could be reminded when people were cheering me on. (It worked!) 

My race plan was simple. Just run 9:15 pace between aid stations and take a one-minute walk break at each one. That worked great...for about a mile. :)

Given that I had run ten consecutive miles @ 9:00 without a break in the cold drizzle at the Blue Red Half, I was surprised at how quickly I began to fall off my target pace, even with giving myself walk breaks every couple of miles. But with the rain, I was quickly waterlogged. There was no way to navigate around some of the puddles, so my shoes repeatedly filled with cold water.  Even my supposedly weatherproof jacket was soaked through. After the second of 4 loops, I stopped at the drop bag tent to change jackets and gloves...which helped for a little while, until those, too, were soaked.

In such miserable conditions, one might expect that I would be miserable...but I wasn't. My mental strategy for this race was to go through the alphabet, one letter each mile, giving thanks for as many things as I could think of.  Normally the practice of gratitude draws my attention to modern conveniences like toothpaste and toilet paper (because who wants to live without those!), but I observed that on this run, my thoughts turned primarily to spiritual things...and then to food.  Being thankful for Miracles...and Marshmallows!  The Nearness of God...and Nestle's Tollhouse! God's Omnipresence...and Oreos!  Giving thanks with every step saved me from going into what could have been a very negative head space complaining about the weather and frustrated by my poor performance. Instead I stayed positive and just pressed forward as best I could. I was grateful to be alive and to be able to run.  I was grateful that at least the rain wasn't freezing and becoming ice, which would have made things treacherous and possibly required them to cancel the race. I was grateful that my phone was holding up in the ziploc bag and still had plenty of juice, and the old earbuds I'd been wiling to sacrifice to the wet weather were still working just fine. I looked forward to the medal I would receive when I crossed the finish line and the sense of accomplishment of having my third marathon under my belt. 

Though not at target pace, I stuck with my plan of only walking through aid stations.  I can't give enough props to the volunteers who were out there for hours on their New Years Day in the rain and freezing cold. At mile 17, one of them reminded me, "You are a warrior."  Working with combat veterans as a psychologist, that word has particular significance for me. I was honored to be compared to those I consider heroes, and that kept me going for several more miles. 

Being an American was one of the things I was grateful for in mile 1. But this guy took patriotism to a whole other level. 

Besides Uncle Sam here, there was another guy wearing Texas flag shorts. Funny thing was, his kept falling down! Thankfully, he was wearing tights underneath. One cannot underestimate the value of comic relief, especially on a tough day. 

Somewhere around mile 21, I so badly wanted to walk, but I kept telling myself, "Persevere."  I would set my sights on an object in front of me--a tree or trash can--and tell myself all I had to do was run just a few feet to that. I made it to the aid station at mile 22, and when I finally took my scheduled walk break, I realized I was bonking. I staggered through the station like a drunk, and it was obvious enough to one of the volunteers that she walked with me for several feet. I tried to keep it together.  I didn't want to get pulled off the course and miss my chance at finishing. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

I at least had the good sense to walk a few extra minutes until I recovered, but eventually I picked it up and ran the last mile or so to the next aid station. They had pizza!  I didn't care that it was ice cold. I thought maybe getting some extra fuel in me would help me finish, so I downed half a slice of pepperoni as I walked the loop for the turnaround, with the promise of hot chocolate when I made it back around. 

The hot chocolate was so good I asked for a second cup. I continued walking to let things settle...and discovered Dean Karnazes I am not. The "ultramarathon man," as his book is titled, is famous for ordering pizza to be delivered to a spot on his route and eating it on the run. He must have a stronger stomach than I do!  My choice to fuel did give me renewed strength but caused such GI distress that I never resumed running. I walked the last 5K. But even as I began to shiver with my teeth chattering uncontrollably, I kept thinking of things to be grateful for starting with X, Y, and Z. :)

The closer I got to the finish line, the more miserable my body became, but the more my heart filled with joy.  I thought about my running verse for 2015. 

...we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance...

As I thought about how much I had suffered over the past several hours, I thought about all the perseverance it produced in me. I reflected that my suffering was nothing in comparison to the man who penned those words or to that of Jesus or to a lot of other people around the world. But it had been sufficiently awful in its own way. Bad enough that I thought about just stepping off the course and getting in my car, which I had to run right past on each of the 4 loops. (The temptation grew stronger on the third lap when I saw the half marathoners who were finishing getting in their warm, dry vehicles and driving away!)  But I didn't. I didn't quit. It occurred to me that the eternal significance of the perseverance and character formed in me through this race was far more valuable than a PR would have been, and I marveled at God's work in me---that I could experience such joy and gratitude in the midst of the worst weather and my worst performance.  If I can be content even under those circumstances, I really CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!  

As I neared the finish line, I was greeted by my friend Brian, who snapped this photo of me looking like a running ninja!

I'm pretty sure I was smiling for this one...but nobody knows for sure!

I got a big hug from my friend and my mom, who made the trip over in the pouring rain just to see me. Words cannot express how grateful I am for their support. 

After the race, we went out for a bite, and I eventually thawed out enough to take some proper post-race pics. Warm and dry, I was all smiles! 

This medal that will serve as a reminder that this was one that I ran with my heart. Not that I could ever forget. :)

Epilogue

When it takes you nearly six hours to run a marathon, it seems silly to even think about checking to see if you won anything. But I figured a lot of runners hadn't shown up because of the weather and knew several who did had run the New Years Eve Marathon as well. I forgot to stop by the awards tent but checked results online from the warmth of the car. I was 4th in my age group, just missing the awards, which were for the top 3. Oh, well. No big deal. Drive on. 

The next day my dad said something about me being 3rd in my AG, so I checked again. Turns out the fastest female overall was in my age bracket. Since she won the overall award, she was ineligible for an Age Group award, and I got bumped up to 3rd!  

I already felt like a winner because I finished and kept a good attitude the whole race, but this was icing on the cake! I was shocked and thrilled. Even more so when I saw that I had beat out the girl behind me by a mere 30 seconds. Over the course of 26.2 miles and almost 6 hours, it had been that close. It made me think of all the little moments when I had pushed myself to keep running my best. Though I had no way of knowing at the time, those moments mattered. Wow. 

The day after the race, I drove back to Allen to collect my award. 

It was well worth the trip...though one of these days I want to leave a race knowing that I've won, with my prize in hand. ;)

Maybe next time...