Tacoma City Half Marathon 2015

One of the first thing you learn when you start training for distance running is 'run through the pain'. Not only is this how you will build strength, but it is also how make it to the finish line. Your legs and your lungs will burn and your body is telling you to stop, but you push and shut out that voice that is telling you to quit and before you know it you have made it. You are stronger. You are a little bit wiser. Most of all, you have accomplished something and it feels great. Running through the pain is different though when you have lost someone very close to you. You run to feel something other then the pain in your heart and to take your mind off your sadness. When you run you are in the moment, and in that moment you almost feel back to normal. The pain from running can become intoxicating if you let it. I found this out first hand back in March when my husband and I unexpectedly lost our six year old son, Patrick.

Patrick was an amazing person. He lit up every room and he made friends wherever he went. His smile was contagious and so was his laugh. He also had an amazing personality that was beyond his years. He loved listening to The Beatles and anything by John Lennon. Our song for his was Lennon's "Beautiful Boy". Patrick was born with an unknown genetic disorder, he was not able to walk or sit up on his own, he had limited movement, he had to be feed via G-tube, and he had daily seizures which he took medications for. My husband and I wouldn't know what Patrick had to go up against until he was born, but we did everything in our power to make sure he lived his life to the fullest. He was also why I started running. I figured if Patrick could go through everything he had to on a daily basis, I could finish a marathon. He would be there for every one of my races, cheering me on with his smile just like I was there to cheer for him.

I was never suppose to run this half marathon. My husband, Chris, signed up for it back in December of 2014 as an incentive to keep up with his running. At the time I was pregnant and planning on taking a break from racing. A month and a half later I had a miscarriage. I signed up for a 12k to help myself keep on track with my fitness with full intentions to leave the half marathon for my husband to run. To be honest, part of me was excited to cheer him on with Patrick at that finish line. The week after Patrick passed away changed my mindset. I needed running more than ever and my husband and I needed a goal to focus on together, so I signed up for the half marathon.

The morning of race day was beautiful and sunny. This is a point to point course, so we had my sister drop us off at the start area an hour and a half early. We watched the marathon runners take off, and during that hour we waited for our turn to start we warmed up and stretched and listened to the music on the PA system which just so happened to be a series of Beatles songs. It really felt like Patrick was there to cheer us on. We started our race and even though we were taking a slower pace, it felt like it was going by fast. Before we knew it we had passed the over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the three mile mark. As Chris and I passed each mile marker, we pushed each other and worked with each other. Even when the weather became warmer we worked harder because we knew Patrick was there for us. When we turned the corner after the seven mile mark we had a clear view of downtown Tacoma, where the finish line was. That is one of the best parts about running races in this area because you can focus on the finish being close at hand. I like to think of it as running the home stretch. The last five miles almost felt easy this time. I didn't feel tired and I didn't take a gel like I normally do. As we came up on the thirteenth mile marker we sprinted to the finish holding hands. All of the sudden we heard a group of people call out "we love you Chris and Laura!". Now, when you are focused on that finish line you have tunnel vision, so I didn't see who it was. I just though they read the our names off our bibs. As we crossed that finish line, the announcer gave us a special shout out saying that we ran the race in memory of or son. I started to cry and Chris hugged me. We weren't sure at the time how they knew why we ran this race, but it was nice. After we grabbed our medals and waters we found out Patrick's teachers were waiting for us. They had balloons, silly string and a banner, and they were the ones who cheered for us. They were also the ones who informed the announcer on the reason we ran the race. It was a wonderful surprise to have them there for us. They are a great group of ladies. After we said our goodbyes, Chris and I got our post race snack (pizza) we stopped to listen to the live band at was playing near the finish area. The song they were playing 'Hey Bulldog' by The Beatles. I like to think it was Patrick's way of telling us good job.

 Chris and I getting ready to start the race for our baby and son.

 

 Patrick's teachers waiting for us to cross the finish line.

 

 Chris at the finish line and his stats.

 

 Me at the finish line and my stats.

 



Post race selfie.

 

This race obviously had a lot meaning for Chris and I. Not only was it the first finish line we crossed with out our son there to great us, but it symbolized the journey that we are on together after losing him. We are there for each other in our grief as we were there for each other during the race. We miss our son more than anything and we wish we got to meet the baby we loss. It was a great honor to run in their memory.

 

Our next run will be the Sound to Narrows 12k on June 13th, 2015 in which we are also running in memory of Patrick and Baby. Our goal is to get a course PR of 1:10:00.

Santa Runs Tacoma 21k 2014

I have been putting off writing this blog post, mostly because talking about this race brings up some painful things that happened weeks after the race. Although a few months have passed my memory and feelings of the weeks before and after this race are still clear.

With every race I always do my best to take away a lesson, something that I can carry with me to use to better my self. I originally trained for this race with a big goal to run it under two hours which would have put me at a twelve minute PR. I trained and worked hard to achieve this goal. Then two weeks before the race I found out some life changing news and so I willingly let go of my goal. I was now running this half marathon just to finish.

Race day was a mild December morning, really a great winter day for running. I remember feeling no butterflies before the start of the race. Just a sense of ease like how I feel during a training run. Most likely because there was no pressure on me to preform. I was feeling good and that feeling would stay with me through out the race. When I filed behind the start I hung out towards the back of the pack and I would stay back there for the first two miles. As I was approaching the third mile I started picking up the pace. I was feeling good and running at a comfortable pace and by mile five I was behind the 2:10 pacer. At this point I realized that I needed to slow down. I am so use to pushing myself during races and under normal circumstances I would have pushed harder to get a PR, so forcing myself to slow down actually was a challenge. I would hold a slow and steady pace for the rest of the race taking a few walking breaks along the way.

 My beautiful boy and my best cheerleader.

 

 My husband and my best source of support.

 

 Hanging out before the start.

 

 I found the finish line!

 

 My finish time. I actually did better than I thought.

 

 My son and I.

 

 My bling.

 

 

My official time was 2:24:46, really a lot better than I had expected. My reason for taking things slow was because I was five weeks pregnant at the time. I had already spent the past few months training for this race and with my personal training knowledge I knew that baby and I could complete this race safely and we did. 

 

Like I said earlier, I do my best to have a take away lesson for each race. And I have to admit I really had a hard time finding one. After doing some thinking, and trust me I've had four months to think it through I feel that my lesson was it's okay to shelve a goal for later. I know that someday I can always go back to my sub two hour half marathon goal.

 

Now I also said at the beginning that this blog that the events after the race was difficult for me to write about. Even though what happened had nothing to do with running or the race, I still feel like I need to include it into is blog post. A little over a month after running this race my husband and I found out that we my be losing the baby. After three weeks of hoping and praying I miscarried. Losing a baby is such a hard subject to talk about and because I ran this race pregnant I felt like I couldn't write and post this blog right away. The day after we were told we were going to lose the baby, I signed up for a race that means a lot to me. I signed up for the Sound To Narrows 12k on June 13th, 2015. This was my first race back in 2012 and I knew I needed something to train for. I made the goal to finish in 1:10:00 giving me a ten minute PR.

 

Last month, my husband and I unexpectedly lost our beautiful son. He was born with special needs and he had been through a lot in his short life but he always had a smile on his face. He would draw people to him with his smile and his wonderful personality. He is the reason I became a runner and he also was my main cheerleader. Seeing his big smile at the end of a race would become an incentive to make it to the finish line when the going got tough. In his memory my husband and I will be running the Tacoma City Half Marathon on May 3rd, 2015. I know it's not going to be an easy finish line to cross, but I know he'll still be cheering me on.



You Go Girl! Half Marathon 2014

Three years ago I became a runner. I put on a cotton tank-top, shorts, and cross trainer shoes, went to the gym and got on the treadmill. Little did I know at that moment what I would become a runner. I have also learned a lot from running. Not only from a training standpoint, but also about myself. I learned you can't eat what ever you want the day before a long run, that GU gels work best with plenty of water and in moderation, and that cotton is not the best fabric for exercise. I have also learned that if you are going to be a distance runner, you have to have a special type of dedication. During my last race in September, You Go Girl! Half Marathon, I also learned that it okay not to get a PR.

Race day started as a warm Sunday morning. The start area was in the shadow of the buildings of downtown Tacoma and it was a nice relief from the morning sun. As it got closer to start time, I ate my pre-race GU (Salted Caramel) and began to file in. I gave one last wave to my family and then I was off. The first four miles were full of gradual hills which I took at a comfortable pace as to not wear myself out. Mile five was mostly down hill and it was hard not to pick up the pace. Half way through this mile, my husband and son surprised me by hanging out on the sidewalk to cheer me on and take pictures. They are usually waiting for me at the finish line, so it was great motivator. The second half of the race was mostly flat and next to the Tacoma waterfront. I have ran many races in this part of the city and I have always found it to be challenging. In hindsight it always seems to be a mental roadblock more that anything. About an hour and a half into the race, the weather started to heat up and I was thankful for my fully loaded hydration belt. Finally the mile 12 marker, or what I like to call home stretch. I was feeling good, but I knew I most likely was not going to get a PR. Normally I would be a little upset by this, but at the beginning I had owned up to fact that I slacked on my cross training. Whatever the outcome, I decided I was going to be happy with just finishing. As the finish line drew near, I turned the last corner and finished the race.

 Getting ready to start the race.

 I finished!

 My finish time. For not getting a PR I had the best age group finish ever.

My son is my best cheerleader. 

I know I say this about every race that I run, but I really did have fun running this race. It was very well supported and the fellow runners were great. Unfortunately I will not be able to run this race again. The organization who put on this race announced about a month after the even that they will no longer be holding it. My next race is the Donner and Blitzen 21k on December 13th. My goal for this race is to finish under two hours.  

Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon 2014

When the Tacoma City Marathon Association announced they were doing a half marathon series, I wasn't very interested. My plan was to have the Tacoma City Marathon that I ran in May be my last race of the year. Thing is, I am a runner at heart and I can not stay away from racing. Plus, I was already signed up for the first race in the series, the St. Paddy's Day Half Marathon. So I though, why not go for it. Thank goodness I have a husband that understands. The way the series works is you must finish four of the six half marathons that the TCMA has to offer in order to receive an extra race medal. This meant I had three more races to add to my calender. 

Race day started like any race would in the Western Washington, it rained at the start line. It was welcomed though. Because of the weather, and the fact we showed up so close to the start time, my husband and son couldn't wait at start line with me. It was ok because I spent all that time in the porta potty line.

 Running past the car at the beginning of the race.

 Crossing the finish line.

 Me and my bling.

My official time. I did better than I though.

This race was one of the best races I have ever ran. The course was not too difficult and it was well supported. My goal was to finish under 2:10:00. I thought I was doing well on that goal until mile nine. There is a point on the course where runners run around the baseball field at Cheney Stadium. As you run in you can see yourself running on the big screen. It was really fun, until I saw the 2:10 pacer running right behind me. At that point I realized that my goal was most likely not going to happen. By mile eleven I lost sight of the pacer and began to lose hope of getting a PR. At that point I was running to finish. I think that somehow it put me in a zone because when I crossed the finish line I didn't look at the clock. I was too busy running. It wasn't until I went to look up my stats I realized I did PR by two minutes. I finished the race at 2:12:53.

My next race is the You Go Girl Half Marathon on September 14, 2014. My goal is to finish before 2:06:00.

JBLM Half Marathon

I am not known for being spontaneous. I thrive on structure and some may say I over plan. In fact, when it comes to planing for races, I sign up for them months in advance and I study the route map as part of my training. So when I signed up to run a half marathon with one week advance notice I was a bit surprised at myself. At the time I had only been running for a couple weeks after taking three weeks off due to the injury during my last race. Not really a smart choice, but I knew as long as I took it slow I would be fine. Another deal breaker for me signing up was the entry fee being only $25. (Quite the deal considering the fact I have paid twice as much for other half marathons.) The race was being held on an army post and with my husband being in the Air Force, I got a discount.

I knew little about how race day was going to go. The only information given on the website was the time date and place. I always come prepared to any race with my own water and GU, but I would later find out that I should have brought my own Gatorade because none was provided. After getting my race pack and soaking up some sun, it was race time.

 Waiting to start the race.

 Lining up.

Crossing the finish line

This race was full of surprises. During the race I found out that part of it was also on a dirt trail and had steep hills, not idea for someone recovering from knee problems. But I think the biggest surprise for me was finding out I was wearing a 5k bib after I crossed the finish line. I was also disappointed to find that finishers medals were not given. Don't get me wrong. I don't run races for the medals, but I do like collecting them. Other than that I followed my plan to take it slow and just ran to finish. My official time was 2:29:40. 

My next race is The Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, August 2nd 2014. My goal time is 2:10:00.

Tacoma City Marathon 2014

For those of us who love to run, we get to a point where we want to push our limits. That is the self competitive drive in us. In my case it was running two marathons within two weeks. Not an impossible feat, but definitely a test of my training and ability to recover between races. I made this plan a year in advance and I knew that I would have to put many hours of training to make this happen. Unfortunately though, when you push yourself and finish the last race with a personal record, it can make you think you are capable of more than what your body is willing to give. I would learn this lesson during this race, but not at a complete loss.

One of the best rules for race day is no new anything on race day. No new foods because you don't know how it will make your stomach feel, and no new clothes because you don't know if it will make you chafe. (That is why I never wear that years race shirt for the race.) Another great rule for race day is get to the start area early. This gives you a chance to make sure you are where you need to be, and if you need to use the porta-potty you won't have to wait in a long line. Getting there early can have its disadvantages as well. On this particular race day the weather was cold and wet and we got there almost an hour early, but once the race started I warmed up quickly and the rain was a welcomed comfort.

Waiting in the rain for the race to start. 

Getting ready to start.

This is the part where pushing more than what my body had to give comes in. After the last marathon, two weeks prior, I was having some knee pain. I have never had knee pain in the almost three years of doing distance running therefore I thought nothing of it. I did know I needed to prevent injury so I used KT Tape for added support. (This is a great product by the way) By mile four of the race I was starting to feel a little pain in my knee, nothing major so I pressed on. Around mile ten I was feeling good and took a walk break for some GU and water. At mile sixteen is when my knee had enough. Looking back I realized I made some rookie mistakes that may have contributed to my down fall. This course is mostly down hill and in an effort to run a sub five hour marathon, I though I could speed run the down hill portions to save time. This is not a good idea especially when you have knee issues. Needless to say, I ended up walking (more like limping) most of the last ten miles.     

 Crossing the finish line.

Glad to be done and sporting my fifth marathon medal.

My finish time for this race was 5:21:04. Twenty two minutes past the time that I wanted, but I am actually thankful I finished the race at all. By the end I was in quite a bit of pain. I had to take a three week break from running and cross training and quit a running streak I had going to allow my knee to recover. There is always a silver lining though. Because the Wenatchee Marathon and this marathon were sixteen days apart I was able to qualify for the Marathon Maniacs. I do not have a marathon planed for my near future, but when I do I will be wearing a Marathon Maniacs singlet. 

My next race is the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, August 2nd, 2014. My goal is to finish in 2:10:00

Wenatchee Marathon 2014

 The best part about doing a race for the second year in a row is that you know the course. Somehow I find that to be an advantage. If you were focused the year before, and if you didn't 'hit the wall', you remember when every turn is, where every aid station is. This year I also had something to prove. Last year I came short of my goal time by almost an hour. Although I was happy to had finish the race, I was sorely disappointed of my time. Not this year though. Nope. I trained harder, became stronger, and started the race better prepared. I learned from training for the last marathon that cross training is a major key to doing well. This time around, my cross training of choice was a round of Insanity. Also training on routes with more hills helped me build endurance.

Race day came on a cool spring day. It was sunny though, so that meant that the weather would get warm during my run. Learning from the mistakes I made the year before, I made sure this year I had sunblock, a hydration belt, and my own gels. (I'm picky when it comes to flavors.) There is a point on the course, between mile 20 and 23.5, where there is a gap between aid stations. If you have ever been in Eastern Washington in the spring then you know it can get warm. Last year I was not prepared for this gap and heat, so this year I made sure I had plenty of water on me to compensate.

 Waiting for the race to start.

 First time around the loop.

Second time around the loop and making good time.

 Crossing the finish line.

Me and my bling.

My official finish time for the is race was 5:05:59, six minutes short of my goal. I really can't complain much with that time because I pushed hard and I had a fun time. That is really what maters most. Normally I give myself some time to recover after a marathon, but this time I had to jump right back into training because I will be doing this again in two weeks. My next race will be the Tacoma City Marathon, May 4th, 4014. My goal is to finish under five hours.