Little Runner

I Moved Again

2008-03-21T12:09:00.001-05:00

Something about a new blog to help me start fresh... http://laurensanfrancisco.blogspot.com/

Turkey Day Running

2007-11-24T10:25:00.000-06:00

Yes, I'm still running when I can. Let's just say it's been a crazy few weeks... and I don't just mean typical holiday craziness. But the little details are not for this running blog. It's just for running.

I got out for a 7-miler with Dad (we wanted to do 6, but the 2 mile marker--our turnaround point--was apparently missing!) on Tuesday and it felt great. I was happy to be running, the weather was perfect, and I enjoyed myself.

Thursday morning I woke up to go do Palatine's Turkey Trot. They had a choice between a 2 miler and a 5 miler, and I chose the 5 miler, which I'd never done before. It quickly became obvious that the 2 miler is the "fun run" for people who just want to run off the turkey. The 5 miler was full of pretty damn serious runners... and I'm a runner, yes, but a slow one. So I was really bringing up the rear.

But... I RAN THE WHOLE THING! THE WHOLE 5 MILES! A few weeks ago, I accomplished a personal feat by running a whole 5k without walking. I decided to see if it could be done for a 5 mile run... and I DID IT! I am pleased with my 55:58 time, which puts me at an 11:14 pace. I was sprinting at the end, which tells me I probably could have run a little faster throughout, but I was happy to pass some people. :o)

As for the Turkey Trot, if I run it in Palatine again, I don't know that I'd do the 5. If I want to do more than 2, I'll probably drive farther from home to find a better course. It was running laps around the outside of Harper College... and let me tell you, with a view like that, it felt like a long 5 miles.

Wondergirl Race Report and a 12ish Miler with Dad

2007-11-12T15:47:00.000-06:00

This weekend was a running weekend. Saturday was the Chicago Fire Wondergirl 5k. What a fun race! I dragged three friends with me, and Melissa and I did our first "training run" together. But I would not suggest this run if you want to PR. It was a really laid-back, happy, empowering run. There were little girls everywhere, most of whom were running their very first 5k. They went through just about all the emotions a marathoner goes through. It was adorable!

Melissa and I were jealous of everyone with kids, so we ended up "adopting" a couple along the way. There was one girl who told us, "I'm just not a morning person," when she was struggling, and another who ran to the finish with us, so proud of completing the race. I think Melissa and I will both end up volunteering for Girls on the Run after this. It was just a blast.

On Sunday, Dad and I were supposed to tackle 14 miles, but he woke up late, so we ended up only having time for 12. Which was fine with me, because I woke up in a crabby mood. Running is so much harder when you're not "in the zone." I was doing well, my body was fine, legs felt good, weather was half decent, but there was not one minute that I actually wanted to be running. So around mile 10 when I started feeling the little aches and pains, it was much harder to deal with them.

And I did everything to try to get myself in a positive mental state. I thought about anything happy I could imagine: the fact that a year ago, I ran a 45-minute 5k, and the day before, a really lazy 5k had been 42 minutes; the fact that I am now able to run more than a 5k; my wedding; houses; anything positive at all. Nothing worked. It was just one of those days. Hopefully next week will be better!

Pass it on...

2007-11-07T15:51:00.000-06:00

When I started running last year, Running Jayhawk gave me a wonderful book, Sole Sisters, with one rule: pass it on. I'm proud to say that tonight I will finally be passing it along to another woman who is training for her first marathon. Or, I should say... WE are training for her first marathon (and what will be my 2nd?/3rd? marathon... my 2.5 marathon maybe?)

Anyway... San Fran. October 19, 2008. Girl time.

YAY!

Dear Newtons,

2007-11-04T21:28:00.000-06:00

I love you. I wasn't sure if I was going to love you, but I do. Today we ran for 80 blissful minutes. You did not hurt my feet. You did not cramp my style. My legs felt amazing. I love you so much, in fact, that you are no longer "the Newtons" to me, but my dear sweet running shoes.

Love,
Little Runner

Seriously. Last week I was ready to give up on these stupid shoes. I had all but decided they were just some new gimmick that I wasn't cut out for. But I had 30 days so I was going to use 30 days. And then the next run felt great. I finally stopped trying to force myself to toe-strike and just ran. It turns out that when I wasn't so preoccupied with what the shoes were supposed to be doing, they were a lot more affective. I'm more a mid-striker now. And it feels wonderful.

I had an awesome 80 minute run out in the wind this morning. I loved every minute. I particularly loved the part where it was over, and I thought, "That's it?" Being in shape makes me happy. It also makes for a boring post, because I have nothing interesting to say!

It's On.

2007-10-29T22:38:00.000-05:00

I had a kick-ass run in the Newtons tonight... finally. But more on that tomorrow. For now...

I'm registered. It's on.

A Sub-6:00:00 Marathon in My Future?

2007-10-29T13:28:00.000-05:00

My goal for the Chicago Marathon was simple. In a word: finish. That was really all I hoped for out of the marathon. I mean, I wanted to finish before the course closed. I was looking toward a finish between 6:00:00 and 6:30:00. But as I look toward Phoenix, it looks like this Little Runner might get just a little bit faster.

On Saturday, Dad and I joined the TNT Winter Team for a 12 mile run. My dad is incredible. The other winter runners have been training since August. I just finished training for Chicago. My dad has run five marathons in his life, but the last one he ran was in 2001. He's been training for Phoenix for two weeks... and he was dragging my butt around the forest preserve on Saturday. He usually runs, so this whole run/walk thing I do is new to him.

The funny part is, he tries to pretend like he doesn't change my pace. When we got to mile 6 on Saturday, his watch said 1:10. Our conversation went something like this:
Dad: See? I told you we're not running faster.
Me: What do you mean we're not? Why do I feel so tired?
Dad: Well, my watch says 1:10, so if we stay on this pace, we'll finish in 2:20. That puts us right at your 20 mile time of 4:40.
Me: But why am I so tired?

Then I spent a good 10 minutes or so believing his craptacular math. I was in runner mode, you understand. After running for a while, all logic and reasoning goes away. Number-crunching? Forget it. But somehow I managed to do the simple math. And then we had a conversation something like this:
Me: HEY! Wait a second. We've done SIX miles. If we did 6 miles in 1:10, that means 12 miles in 2:20 and 24 miles in 4:40... not 20! Dad, that's a marathon in a little over 5 hours. I was shooting for a 6:30 marathon! That's almost an hour and a half faster overall.
Dad: Well, yeah... see how much faster I help you run? It's good for you. You under-estimate your speed.

Can you tell my dad's a salesman?

Here Goes Nothing...

2007-10-27T06:43:00.000-05:00

This morning, it's back in full swing: marathon training. 12 miles today. I love that 12 miles sounds attainable now. While I was training for the Chicago Marathon, every single distance was new and a little scary. I'm calmer now. I like it. Later this weekend, Dad and I are going to officially register for the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon! I am pumped.

As for the Newtons... a little update. I'm torn. Somedays they make me feel like I'm flying. Somedays I feel like all I do on my run is fight with my shoes as they try to make my form into something it isn't naturally. Yesterday I fought with them for 40 minutes. It was a lame, lame run. But I'm going to stick with them for a while on my short runs and decide. I do have 30 days. Might as well take advantage of it.

To Whom it May Concern:

2007-10-22T00:02:00.000-05:00

I would like to nominate my first grade class, for the Energizer Keep Going Superstar Contest. I was blessed to have a fan club supporting me during every step of my journey to the Chicago Marathon.

2007 has been a year of many firsts for me. I am a first-year teacher at Catholic School in City, Illinois. The 30th Annual LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon was my first marathon. Those two firsts will be forever intertwined in my memory.

I am lucky to be co-teaching this year with an amazing teacher, Jeanne H. When Jeanne found out I was running the marathon, she suggested I find ways to get the students involved. I wasn't sure about it, but decided to try linking the marathon with our math lessons.

About 30 days before the marathon, I told my students I wanted to talk to them about one of my goals. We discussed what a marathon is and that I'd been training for it since they were in kindergarten. Together, we made a countdown. It read, "30 Days Till Miss Little Runner's Marathon," and had a chain 30 links long below it. All of the links were handmade by my students.

Each day, we removed a link from the chain and changed the number of days. I still have all of the links and plan on saving them with my marathon memorabilia forever. Some depict me racing a car and winning. Others are covered in smiley faces or hearts. A few even say, "Go Miss Little Runner Go!"

As the race got closer, I shared with the kids that I was getting a little nervous. One little girl, G, came up with a plan. "Okay, Miss Little Runner. There are 22 of us, plus you and Mrs. H. That's 24. If you add Dr. L [our principal], that's 25. If we run the first mile together and the last .2 together, then each of us only has to do one mile by ourselves." If only it was that easy. Several students also offered to run the marathon for me if I got too scared.

As race day drew nearer, we went outside and ran a mile together as a class. It was then that most of them officially deemed me crazy. They could not imagine doing 25 more of those. They used the information about how long it took our class to run a mile to help them predict my finish time. I took all of their guesses and let them know I'd bring a prize for the person who was closest.

One of my students, S, assured me that my finish time would be 00:01:59. I reminded him that I was bringing a prize for the person who guessed closest to my finish time, and asked if he wanted to change his guess. His response? "Miss Little Runner, you are super super fast!" Bless him.

The Thursday before the race, my students surprised me with a pile of cards. They drew gorgeous pictures of me in my purple Team in Training singlet racing in front of a city skyline. Many showed me with a first place medal or trophy. I knew at that point that just finishing would make me a hero to these kids. It gave me just the courage I needed for marathon Sunday.

Like many, I did not get to finish the Chicago Marathon this year. I was pulled from the course at mile 15, and my first though was, "What am I going to tell the kids?" Followed by, "How will I decide who was closest to guessing my finish time?" I couldn't bear the thought of letting them down.

I arrived home to a new e-mail in my inbox. Here is what it said:
Hi Ms. Little Runner--
You're busy running in the Chicago Marathon right now but I wanted you to know that I'm watching you and tracking you on the internet. I know you're going to do great...drink lots of water!!
Go Ms. Little Runner!
Love,
J

I was reminded that my students loved me, believed in me, and would understand. I decided that the winner of the contest would be whoever was closest to my "official" finish time of 4:06:31. We could certainly use the outcome of this marathon as a lesson.

I arrived at school on Tuesday morning with a marathon medal, a prize for my winner, and a lot of stories to share. During morning prayer, the kids prayed both in thanksgiving for my safety and for the man who died during the marathon. I was impressed by all they knew about the day's events.

I explained to my students that I did not get to finish the marathon, and that life doesn't always go according to plan. They told me how proud they were of what I had done, and looked at my medal in awe. They also told me that I really should do another marathon during this school year, just so I knew I could do all 26.2.

Thanks to my students, I'm training for the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon on January 13, 2008. But more importantly, thanks to my students, I already feel like a winner.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Little Runner

----
I can't sleep... so I just made this submission to the marathon people! Maybe my kids will win, maybe they won't... but it had to be said.

Official times are in

2007-10-21T23:13:00.001-05:00

32:14.35

Sweet.

Not even a year later...

2007-10-20T16:15:00.000-05:00

Last year around this time, I got the crazy inkling to run the Chicago Marathon '07. And so, I started running. The first race I tackled was the Edison Park Turkey Trot, in about 40:03. Today, I ran in the Halloween Hustle 5k in Palatine. My time? 32-something. I'm still waiting for official times to be posted, but I'm thrilled. I literally cannot believe that I was able to do it. This morning, I did something I have never done in a race. This little run/walker... ran the whole thing. There was only a teensy walk break at the water stop at mile 2. It doesn't count as a walk break if it was necessary to chug water, right? I'm seriously so proud. I couldn't stop grinning.

A Little Race Report...

I woke up this morning and decided not to do 7 miles before the 5k. Technically, my training run for Phoenix was supposed to be 10 this morning. I said... screw it. The Newtons have been kicking my ass this week, and I've worked out hard. I'll pick up marathon training next week with my 12 miler. Today I just wanted to go out and give the 5k my all. So, I nervously laced up my Newtons for their debut race. When we got there, I saw a guy in a Superman coustume was also sportin' some Newtons. I decided that if Superman wore them, they were a good footwear choice. Grabbed my number/goodie bag, put the ankle-bracelet looking chip timer on my ankle, and proceded to the start line, where I shivered with my best friends for a good 40 minutes. Brr.

The race kicked off, and I immediately lost my friends and little brother. Dad had started towards the back of the back, so I knew he'd catch up to me eventually as our paces evened out. As I started, I became oddly aware of the fact that I was toe-striking. I could not stop thinking about how I was running. It was insanely annoying. After a little while, Dad caught up to me. Just as I asked him how far he thought we'd run, we saw a 1 mile marker. My calves were already hurting. Damn shoes. But I kept at it. My dad is a whiz at holding a steady pace, and held me at his pace.

We ran through downtown Palatine, looking at pretty houses and laughing at little kids who rushed to their windows to watch us. "Look, Mom! People running!" It was fun. Quickly, we arrived at the waterstop/2 mile marker. There was a woman yelling times as she passed out cups. "22:06!" she called to us. I couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't stop grinning. It was at this point that I resolved to run the whole race and get my PR 5k. So I did just that. I ran and ran and ran, until I sprinted toward the finish line and saw a 32-something finish time. I have been smiling ever since.

Newtons, Run 1 & 2 (aka My Calves Hurt)

2007-10-17T06:03:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying I am in love with my new shoes. They are light, and they make me feel like a runner when I run. Somehow by being up on my toes I feel more like I'm flying than clomping across the ground -- even if it's flying at a ridiculously slow pace.

I went out for about a 2 mile run with my buddy Cal yesterday, and for the first time since June, I ran the whole thing. Run/walking is good for me for long distance, but I was really pleased with myself for sucking it up and running the whole time. When I got done with the run, I thought two things. 1. I could run forever. 2. I thought they said my calves would hurt. Cal and I headed into the gym for some crunches and weight training. And as I was walking out the door, I felt it. The first twinges of calf pain. I suppose it makes sense, given that my calves have to do a lot of running work they never had to do before... AND the fact that all the impact is being absorbed by my muscles now... it's fair that they hurt.

I woke up this morning and immediately felt pain in my calves (and in the place where I got my flu shot injected yesterday - boo!). But, I was scheduled for a 40 minute run with Dad, and I didn't want to switch back to my Sauconys. Who knew how my body would like changing back and forth? So, I laced up my Newtons once again, sore calves and all. And I ran 24 minutes before letting Dad continue on his own. The people at the running store suggested doing 20 - 30 minute runs or about 2 - 3 miles until I get used to the shoes. I suppose they were right, because my calves felt like they were going to start secceding from my body in protest.

Thank God Thursday is a rest day.

Sir Isaac Newton

2007-10-15T23:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it was time for some new kicks... and it came down to a decision between some Brooks and the Newtons. I went for the Newtons. I figured hey, I'm a relatively new runner. Let's see if we can fix that pesky heel-strike problem. They have a 30 day guarantee, so I can always back out if I hate them! First run in them should be tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for updates...

Good For the Soul

2007-10-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

I went to bed so entirely crabby last night. I can't even begin to explain how annoyed I was when my head hit the pillow. I set my alarm for 5:00 am -- a morning run. I never run in the morning, but Dad and I began training for the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon today, and one of his "conditions" was that I had to run with him in the morning, he won't do afternoons. I reluctantly agreed. 5:20 rolled around, and Dad came in to ask, "Are we going for a run or what?" So I rolled out of bed, laced up my kicks, and headed out the door.

40 minutes of running felt blissful. This was my first post-"Chicago Fun Run" run, and I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was out there again. It was awesome. To make things even better, I think I am more in shape than my dad. This may sound rude, obnoxious, or mean. It isn't meant to be any of those things. But my dad has run five marathons. My dad dragged me through countless training runs where I crashed and burned. But this morning, I think there were times when I was pulling him along. It made me feel proud of how far I have come and what I have accomplished since last year.

And after those 40 minutes of running, I was calm. I was relaxed. I felt good about getting the day started, and had a burst of energy to do so. Why is it that after a nice long run, everything seems right in the world?

This is Why I Love Running

2007-10-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

Over the past few days, opportunities have popped up left and right for those of us who were dissappointed in our Chicago Marathon experience. Denver is offering free marathon entry for people who ran Chicago. Des Moines is offering $15 off. The Lakeshore 50/50 in Chicago added a certified marathon course. The kindness of runners at the marathon and the way other marathons are stepping up makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm lame, yes. But how cool is it that we are all supporting eachother?

However, I'm not taking advantage of any of these opportunities. Too much to throw together too fast for me to get out of town... and as for Chicago... eh, running 26.2 miles and getting a 50k medal is a lot like running 17 miles and getting a marathon medal in my book. A nice gesture, but not what I want for my first full marathon. And so tomorrow I start in the middle of the winter training season. Picking up with the group's first 10 mile run on the 20th, I will be training for the Phoenix Marathon in January. I haven't totally hammered out the details of getting to Phoenix... but I'm going to start training and go from there.

Let's start crossing our fingers now that Phoenix doesn't have unusually high temperatures in January...

...and has anyone else noticed how many days we've had now of PERFECT marathon weather? Unfair.

First Attempt at 26.2

2007-10-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

By now, everyone's heard the news of all the insanity that was the Chicago Marathon yesterday. Runners say they ran out of water/Gatorade. Race officials say they didn't. The course was closed early. Many people are angry/sad/whatever at the happenings of yesterday. It was supposed to be my first marathon, a whole 26.2 miles. I'm a slow runner, so needless to say, my journey was cut short. I did somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 - 17 yesterday. But here's what went down before they kicked me off the course.

I woke up race morning rearin' to go. I was ready to leave my house at 5:00 am dressed in my TNT singlet complete with race number and chip on my shoe. I was a little nervous about the heat, but consoled myself that training during the summer meant we'd run in conditions like this before. We got downtown and I headed for Charity Village to meet up with the other TNT'ers. They got us all pumped up and I was ready to conquer my first marathon. I headed over to the 5:45 pace lolipop to see if I could find Barb, and there she was! Oddly enough, I also met a runner who knows my future sister-in-law. Random. We were calm, cool, collected, and ready to start the race. I knew I'd be slower than 5:45, especially in the heat, so I made it a goal to stay behind that group. And man, I was rockin'.

Miles 1 - 4 I was in total disbelief. I saw the crowds, felt the excitement, and couldn't believe I was really doing what I'd set out to do almost exactly one year before. I saw my family at mile 2, gave some high fives, and away I went to take on 24.2 more miles.

At mile 4 or 5, I met up with 3 guys from the TNT South Florida TEAM. They were awesome, encouraging, and taking the time to meet a lot of people on the course and have fun. We were having a ball. I was dancing around in Boys Town at mile 8 and really getting into the whole marathon experience. I was loving it, and really not minding the heat... at least for a little while.

At mile 9, I lost my South Florida men when I ran into a McDonald's bathroom. Ah well. Mile 10, I was starting to get sore feet -- which has never, ever happened to me. I don't know if it was the heat, swelling, or what. It was bizarre.

Just past mile 12, the "Official End of Race" vechile passed me. I knew going into the race that I was slow, but I was confident that I could finish under 6:30:00. I cried when I saw that the end of the race was beating me. But I could still see hundreds of people behind me, and I just kept going. A family friend caught me shortly after this happened, and I teared up again as I was telling her about it.

My dad, brother, and a couple of friends joined me at 13.1 and built my spirits. I knew I would finish, even if I had to walk the whole rest of the way in. I was just about at mile 14 or 15 when the race was closed. They re-routed us and at first I was really confused. They had an ambulance and police tape/barricades all of the sudden. I thought maybe somebody got seriously hurt so they didn't want us on that part of the course. I figured they would cut off a mile or two and re-route us back on course. Then I started hearing rumors from the crowds that all of the ERs in Chicago had filled. After a while, Dad and I figured out that they were taking the runners through the finish -- backwards. It was weird to walk through that way... seeing the medals and the finishers, stomping on the Chip mat, and then going back through to get the medal. A little dissappointing, I'll admit, given all the time and energy that went into preparing for the race. My "official" finish time is 4:06:31. That will never happen again!

I'm happy with the effort I made yesterday and how things went in the heat. I think Chicago made the right decision. But now there's talk of the Rock & Roll Marathon in Phoenix in January. I've got to do 26.2!