The Crystallized Moments of 2023

Another year, and another year of months, days, weeks, hours, minutes, and moments. These are a few of the memories that have crystallized for me, burning into my memory in lasting, meaningful ways:

That feeling of floating running the Mesa Marathon 10K (I never imagined I could run that fast!)

Touring Coronado Island outside San Diego (wonder and awe)

The finish line after The Fresh 15 15K (the love of the family with me)

Porch sitting (both in the Spring and the Fall; a place of peace)

Watching the Monarch butterfly exhibit at the ASU Mix Center (and just being still)

Dinner with my little brother (Being adults and getting along is so much fun!)

Standing with my mom AND my dad after the Patriot Run to take photos (After the medical 

issues my dad experienced this year, I did not know if this would ever happen again.)

Meeting Ashley LeMieux

Looking over Tempe from the Coca-Cola sundeck (after a little bit of a rough start to that date)

My four and a half year old niece asking me to run with her at the playground

Coffee with a college friend

A healthy Christmas at home

Popping in to surprise my best friend and meet her baby

Spending some time with my Granddad

Here's to another year of memories, and savoring all that God has for us!

Patriot Run 2023: Six Years Running

This was my sixth year running the Patriot Run. Patriot was my first 5K after moving back to Arizona in 2016, and for all but two years (2018 and 2020), I have kept up with the event. This was my third year at the 10K distance. As long as the Lord allows me to keep running, I think I will stick with this distance.

The Training

I once again sort of wrote my own training plan. I ran Hal Higdon's (n.d.a) novice 10 K training plan distances and did Nourish Move Love strength work (Bomgren, n.d.) during the week, and ran the intermediate plan distances (ish) on Saturday (Higdon, n.d.b). That got me up to a total of eight miles for my long run the week before the race. I only did speed work for the month or so before the race because it was hot, and well, I forgot until then. (I did speed workouts from the Women's Health (2015) plan I used run my spring 10K). Overall, it was a good and enjoyable build up, and honestly, I was just thankful to be well to run after being exposed to many sick people at work the week before the race.

Pre-Race

I kind of forgot about my normal race prep, too. I felt pretty chill about the race for most of the morning. While doing my hair and deciding to wear my Still I Run (n.d.) headband for mental health awareness, I was thinking about running for fun and what running means to me. That was about it. Then suddenly, about an hour before the race and around go time, I got shaky nervous. I still tried to do my warm-up stuff (physical therapy, climbing the stairs five times), and then I was off. I made my A, B, and C race goals in the car on the way to the race:

A-Run 8:30/mile or less pace

B-Get a course PR (Last year, I ran 53:38.)

C-Place

I also listened to, "Egypt" on the radio and committed the race to the Lord (Bethel Music, 2020).

I did my walk-up pickup of my bib and goody bag and drank 8 oz of water along with eating a large ripe banana. I chatted with some friends. Then I used the bathroom. (I think I am becoming a real runner by the amount of pre-race bathroom trips I make.) I did Lea Gender's (2020) warm-up and ran for five minutes. I could tell it was going to be a hot race! Then, I made another bathroom stop, and off to the start line.

Race

This is a pretty small race, so the start line is a chalk line. The timing is chipless. I got a new Apple Watch and decided to just run with it and see what happened as far as pacing myself.

I started with a friend, and then tried to pick up my pace a little. Still, that first mile was slow (8:53/mile). The second was a little better 8:45/mile), and at mile three, I felt like I was floating (8:26/mile). At 72 degrees and 38% humidity with full sun on parts of the course, though, I was already feeling thirsty, so I grabbed a cup of water at one of the stations. (They literally had people standing with a bottle of water and 1 or 2 Dixie cups. No water tables here!). I sipped and then dumped it over my head. That was the best decision ever! It cooled me off and felt like I had air conditioning for a bit.

I did not feel as great coming up on my fourth mile, though (8:30/mile). My mom remarked afterward, "You didn't look like the race was going quite like you wanted." She was probably right. When I saw my dad at halfway, though, I told him the second lap was for him, and I meant it. He's been through a lot post major surgery in June, and I wanted to fight for him, just like he's fighting for his recovery. That meant I had to work hard! I did feel like I was floating along for just a bit of those last miles (8:36 for mile five), but mostly, I felt a little nauseous as I tried to pick up the pace and catch people in front of me. I probably could have benefitted from some more water on in-run nutrition, but no time for that!

There was a guy in front of me clipping along at a good pace the last mile. I worked hard to close in on him. We ran together for a few steps, and then I was able to drop him. I told myself to go as hard as I could the last hundred meters or so, and I did my best. I had a true grimace face as I crossed the finish line! 

Post Race

I was breathing really hard post race. It took me a bit before I could drink my water. My watch said my pace was 8:32 a mile, which was two seconds slower than my A goal. The course came up short for me, but I later realized that if the course was a full 6.2, I had an 8:25/mile pace. Let's just say I was happy with the overall result of 52:18. I didn't take first place overall this time. (Those women were fast!) I did get first in my age group, however. I'll take it!

Thoughts

This was a hard fought race, not so much because I had to work hard at it, but because it's been a summer of hard stuff and changes for my family and I. I am so thankful to have been able to run through it, and to have made it to race day. Having my training plan work (helping me trust my body and my abilities more) and having three of the people I love most there to watch me were by far the best parts. As a bonus, I got to try out my new running watch and my husband used my new phone to catch some great photos. Blessings all. Thank you, Lord!

References:

Bethel Music. (2020, April 3). Egypt. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEeCl1KyXiI

Bomgren, L. (n.d.). Nourish Move Love. [YouTube channel.]. Retrieved September 9, 2023 from https://www.youtube.com/c/nourishmovelove

Genders, L. (2020, January 15). 6 weeks to a 10K training schedule. Lea Genders Fitness. https://www.leagendersfitness.com/news/6-week-10k-training-schedule

Higdon, H. (n.d.a). 10K training: Novice. Hal Higdon. https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/10k-training/novice-10k/

Higdon, H. (n.d.a). 10K training: Intermediate. Hal Higdon. https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/10k-training/intermediate-10k/

Still I Run. (n.d.). https://www.stillirun.org/

Women's Health. (2015, July 7). The training plan that'll help you run your first--or fastest!--10-K. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19981641/10-k-training-plan/

Pre-Run Fuel, Polarized Training, Post-Run Workouts, Pacing, and More (Patriot Run 2022)

After years of running, maybe I'm finding my identity as I runner? And I'm definitely trying to start implementing research-based training techniques. I think it's paying off. Read more below.

I ran the Patriot Run 10K again last Saturday, September 10, 2022. I ran the Patriot Run 5K in 2016, 2017, and 2019 before switching over to the 10K last year. (No race was held in 2020 due to COVID.) I think I really prefer the 10K. Yes, it's two laps. Yes, it requires more training, but I like it. I'm really not a speed girl. I'm a "in it for the long haul girl." At least in this race, people start out fast, and then slow down. Since I do the opposite, this gives me a chance to move up in the rankings as I go, rather than do a mad sprint from the start. It's my style.

I trained for this race with a little flair of my own this year, too. I honestly didn't know if it would work, but I couldn't find a training plan I liked, so I took Hal Higdon's novice plan and personalized it. Monday, Wednesday, I did speed work (fartlek, interval, and tempo runs--some from the training plan I did for the Mesa 10K), but added on some strength training afterwards. Tuesday, Thursday, I ran a mile or so and then did a longer strength workout. Saturday, I also tacked on strength. Friday/Sunday, I walked three miles, stretched, foam rolled, and called it good.

Pre-Run Fuel 

I'm really not a pre-run fuel girl, but after hearing one two many podcasts about the importance of pre-run fueling for women, I decided to do it for my long runs. It meant getting out the door a little later, but it worked. I started with half a banana, tried applesauce once or twice, and ended up with a whole banana and 8 oz water being good before most runs (and this particular 10K race). I found that I could make it through the runs easier, still strength train afterward (with more water intake) and not be a grumbly mess by breakfast. I found that I felt better the rest of the day when I did this, too. Running dietitians have preached these benefits of pre-run fuel for a while. I guess I just had to prove the benefits to myself.

Polarized Training

I also attempted to take up a more polarized training pattern this year. After listening to Ben Rosario on C Tolle Run (2022), I picked up Matt Fitzgerald's (2014) 80/20 Running book. I am sure that I didn't quite make 80% of my runs easy, but I slowed way down and did try to eliminate moderate training as Fitzgerald suggested. I felt pretty uncertain going into a race without much speed training under my belt, but I was very pleased with the results.

Post-Run Workouts

I used Lindsey Bomgren's Nourish Move Love workouts post-run. She has a good variety of bands, barre, weights, and cardio; plus, she sends out weekly workout plans if you get on her -email list. Those helped! I tried to lift heavy towards the beginning, but towards the end, I did more resistance band workouts. I also eliminated my Thursday runs and training when I felt extra tired and/or my HRV was low. (My brother gifted me a FitBit Versa that tracks HRV.) I did my last post-run workout the Monday of race week and just did barre with fairly light weights Tuesday/Wednesday. 

The RUN!

I did not sleep well Friday night, and I woke up with somewhat of an upset stomach. I still managed to down my banana and half a water bottle, though. We had light rain and temperatures of around 64 degrees for race morning. It rained a little bit during the race, but too much.

Running at altitude, I had no plans to try to best my Mesa 10K PR. Rather, I wanted to compete with myself and try to beat last year's time in this race by at least six seconds (54:20). As such, my pacing plan was to warm up for five minutes, rest, and then go out at 8:50/9:00 minutes a mile for the first half of the race and try to speed up from there. Thankfully, I calculated my halfway time (as per advice from Run for PRs, 2021) as my RunKeeper app was off. I ran mostly by feel, trying not to get too upset about the ladies out in front of me. 

Near the end of lap one, I noticed that people had gone the wrong way. Therefore, I no longer had anyone to chase, so I just had to run. I felt pretty good, so I kept at at moderately hard pace. Things started to feel harder at mile four, and somewhere around mile five, I just wanted to quit. (I wasn't really that tired, but somehow I lost motivation.) Much to my chagrin, I had to come to a complete stop with less than a mile left due to lack of traffic control issues. I think I lost about 10 seconds there. The guy behind me also caught up, and after not having to stop at the intersection, blazed right past me. I tried to gun it the last leg of the race despite not being able to catch him. I felt like I was going to puke, but I told myself to keep going. I came away with a time of 53:38, over forty seconds faster than my goal, and if we take away the 10 seconds I had to pause, I was less than a minute off my PR of 52:43. I'll take it!

Thoughts

My husband asked me what the best part of the race was. I told him I was encouraged that my training plan worked. It feels more sustainable than the plans I have used in the past. I also enjoyed running in my new Brooks Ghost shoes (such an investment, but so worth it!). As bonuses, he and my parents got to see me race. I saw a few friends who ran the 5k. AND...I took first in the women's division overall! (Mind you, this is a small, local race, so take that with a grain of salt.) I felt pretty toasted afterward, but thankful and proud, too. Next up, a little training reduction before moving into a preparation block for some spring racing. You can be sure I'll be taking the lessons I learned in this training cycle with me!

References:

Fitzgerald, M. (2014). 80/20 Running: Run stronger and race faster by training slower. Berkley.

RunforPRs [@RunforPRs]. (2021, April 29). 10k RACE WEEKEND. https://www.instagram.com/p/COP3y9YFWk9/?utm_medium=share_sheet&epik=dj0yJnU9UFM5dnpvYlpaLXNLaUpWWEt6UjZKUXdMNFIwV0U0RUMmcD0wJm49LVdOU04wajRYb1JHbEUtM2pFVzhpdyZ0PUFBQUFBR01kTUNj

Tollefson, C. (Host). (2022, March 17). The best ways to train. [Audio podcast episode]. In C Tolle Run. https://www.ctollerun.com/ben-rosario-the-best-ways-to-train/

Making Memories: 10K Number Three

I completed my third official 10K! (I did three virtual ones between my September 2019 one and now.) I finished with an official time of 54:23, a PR by 0.06. The course came up a little short on Runkeeper, but my pace was still my fastest yet, so I will take it. Overall, I have been doing things a little differently, and I think it paid off.

What I Did Differently

After taking several running breaks in 2020, I started back with a base building plan. [Thanks to Instagram for introducing me to the concept (Sugar Runs and Elizabeth’s Healthy Life)]. This got me running four or more days a week, which took a little getting used to, but I think it built stronger running muscles. I used Lea Gender’s 6 week 10K training plan, which made for a shorter buildup, and fewer weeks running more miles, which may have left my legs fresher and reduced likelihood of over training. For the first time, I actually did the prehab warm-up exercises before running each day. I also reduced my Tuesday/Thursday miles and did 15-20 minutes of strength training instead. I read that strength training for runners should include single leg exercises since running is a one leg at a time exercise. Lea Gender’s plan had some of those exercises, which made runner specific strength training easier. Since I had the opportunity to run at altitude before the race at altitude, I did. I took the two days before the race off running (per the plan and per my tired legs.) Nutritionally, I focused on getting in a lot of carbs the evening before the race (four to six servings at nighttime snack, plus carbs from the other things I ate alongside.) I also sipped eight ounces or so of water before running (new for me). I think that’s all I did differently before the race.

The Race

I ran in the 9/11/21 Patriot Run, a race to remember the lives lost, and to support the local fire district’s honor guard. I have run the 5K race three previous years, but wanted to up the challenge this time, and I did. The course is pretty much completely flat, and is a loop course, which helps with pacing. The race is also small. I would guess 50 or less people ran the 10K.

The race started at 7 am, a blessing for my used to early running body. This meant I would be under 12 hours of fasting, which is supposed to be about the most you should go without eating before a run. I had not trained to do that, and since I had not, I tried not to do anything new on race day. The temperature was around 70 degrees, cool compared to the 80 plus degrees I had been running in. I hoped my heat training would make up for the altitude difference. I was that runner and did go for a five minute shakeout jog before the race, for a total of 0.44 miles.

My Strategy

I had A, B, and C goals, but I wanted to focus on my B goal of finishing in an hour. Even this seemed like a challenge, as I had run slower than that in my altitude run. With these goals, having run the 5K race in the past, and having studied some 10K pacing strategies, I decided to start off slow. I know that I normally get faster as I go, and I was banking on that.

I ran miles one and two around a 9:30/mile pace. I was happy with that, as I knew that would get me to my B goal. I tried not to go too fast, as I wanted to leave something in the tank for the last two to three miles. I kept an eye on the women in front of me, but was not sprinting to catch up.

I started feeling the effort around mile four, but gave myself a Steph Bruce pep talk and told myself to grit my teeth and grind it out. I saw the lady in front of me pass someone between miles four and five. I thought about adding in a goal to medal, but told myself to stick with the plan. I would rather race myself than other people. Around mile five, though, I also passed the same lady as the front runner. This lady had led the whole race up until this point, but was so encouraging and yelled, “Get it, girl” as I passed. The other lady was still ahead, by at least 100 meters or so. I, however, was starting to feel nauseous. I had some left in that tank, so when I saw myself getting to 5.8 and 6 miles, I tried to speed up. I hit 6.13 miles at the finish line and tried to run through to get to 6.2, but they stopped me with an official time of 54:23. (My Runkeeper said 54:26 and 6:14.) I grabbed some water and settled in to wait for results. I thought I might be second or third in my age range, and I wanted to see.

The Results

Racing during COVID has many unique challenges. A challenge of this race was that the timer got COVID before the event and could not make it, meaning the race organizers had to scramble. They ended up giving everyone wristbands and timing the runners with stopwatches. Understandably, this made tallying results very time-consuming. I think we waited one to two hours in total. We all wanted to get home to eat breakfast, but we also wanted to see results. We chatted with a few other runners, and the time actually went by fairly quickly. It’s the first time in forever that I have had “nothing” to do, and it actually felt good!

Thankfully, the awards ceremony started with the 10K. I don’t remember how fast the male winner ran, but he was in the 21-30 group and fast! The they called the 31-40 group and said I was the winner. I was pretty dumbstruck and just went up on stage to get my medal. They gave me a flag kit, 50 dollar Visa card, and 50% off next year’s race, too. (All are blessings, but I am a big fan of that last prize, as racing is expensive these days!) Mt family was like, “Let’s go!” and so we left directly afterward. By the time it registered that they said I won the race, we were already in the car and driving home. I started asking, “But what about the lady in front of me? I hope I didn’t steal her win!” It was too late to find out, though. My parents thought came in first, and the race organizers took their time to tally, so I told myself to thank the Lord and trust him with justice and fairness.

The Memories

This race was special for many reasons. This was my first race to run after COVID shut down in person racing. I ran in my hometown. It was the 20th anniversary of 9/11. My husband and my parents came to watch (only the second time this has ever happened). The nature of the loop course and the low crowd volume let me see my family at least four times. My husband even gave me a high five as I hit the hard part of the second loop. My parents talked about leaving to make breakfast, but they stayed, so all three of them got to see me medal, a first! My dad and mom texted my siblings about the race, and I received sweet (and silly!) messages of congratulations. I found out a friend from college ran a sprint triathlon the same day as well. These “people factors” meant a lot to me. In fact, I think they meant the most to me. A race win is super special, but without people to celebrate with, it does not mean much. Having a family that supports me in everything I do, even running is the greatest win. This race reminded me of that.

Patriot Run 3.0

I've been trying to train for a longer race. If I get there, I'll let you know. But on the training schedule, I was supposed to run a 5K. This one fell at just about the right time. I've run the Patriot Run before, but each time I run it, it feels special.

Since I am trying to train for a longer race and also live close to the race location, I walked to the start line this time. That made a for a good warm-up and greeting to the day. (Bonus: I did not have to fight potential crowds to find a parking spot.)

I sipped some water, since I've been trying to proactively hydrate, and took some photos with Mom and Dad. (My husband was at a church conference.)

The 10K started at 7 am, and 15 minutes later, we were off running the 5K. People started fast. I was running with my phone and tried to pace myself and tell myself I could catch them later. The first mile or so felt hard, though, and I wondered how I would ever finish in the time I wanted, let alone catch the people in front of me. And let's be honest, I was feeling competitive because this race is small, and I thought I had a chance of placing. Slowly, but surely, I found a stride, and my splits got faster.

I didn't catch all of the people. (The top guy finished in 21:00 flat. Craziness!) I did manage to catch the other ladies, though, and finished with a time of 26:07. That isn't my fastest, but it's my fastest at this elevation, and I was very thankful!

I ended up placing ninth overall and first for my age division. And they actually pronounced my last name correctly when I went on stage, which is a first for me. (It's also the first time I've run under my married name.) Happy girl!

--

In foodie news, my parents and I tried out a new bakery for breakfast. Mom and I split the early bird breakfast of a basted egg, sausage, and sourdough toast.

That left me ravenous, so I went for splitting a honey pecan roll with Mom for breakfast: round two.

Ooey, gooey, delicious! (And way better than Dad's cinnamon roll. Sorry, Dad!)

I had a bottle of water with electrolytes when I got home, and a health(ier) salad for lunch, but then pizza for dinner, and a big nighttime snack.

I might should have eaten a greater quality of food after running so hard, as my stomach feels a bit off today, but live and learn. At least I had a good quantity of food for refueling.

--

On to the week, and, Lord willing, more training, but praise the Lord for a fun weekend!

Patriot Run 2017

I remember the day, June 30, 2013 that I heard the news: The Yarnell Hill Fire had overrun and killed 19 of Arizona's best firefighters. I felt sick. I wanted to do something to help. I wanted to go home. But I was in Arkansas and going to graduate school, so I couldn't.

Four years later, here I am, back at home, working in my hometown community (not necessarily with these families, but with other families like theirs), having the opportunity to give back. I am so thankful.

One of the ways I give back is by running the Patriot Run each year. This run commemorates the lives of the victims of September 11, as well as honoring the Granite Mountain 19.The race starts and ends at the Prescott Valley Healing Field which contains an American flag for each September 11th victim, and a black and purple flag for each firefighter. Each flag contains a card giving the name and background of each person. Walking through the field is powerful. Reading the tags can be excruciatingly painful.

After the healing fields, the race course wraps around the civic center and goes through the town plaza. There a bagpiper plays. The course is a little confusing, but at least this time they had good traffic control so that I wasn't stuck waiting for lights to change in order to cross the street.

Last year, I ran the Patriot Run thanks to an invitation from my mom. I ran that race, my first back in Arizona, in 29:08 minutes. This year, I've been running slower, so I didn't expect to finish as well. (I also didn't get enough sleep last night.) But lo and behold, I finished in 28:17. I'm so excited! And thanks to my wonderfully supportive parents, I had cheerleaders and photographers on hand for the event. 

Here are a few of the photos from the race:

And I have to admit, this t-shirt logo is pretty cool:

Tell me: How do you commemorate important events in your community's history? What fun activities have you been up to lately?

Please share below.

29.

I've made it a habit over the past few years to use my birthday as a time of reflection, both for the past, and for the future. I like groups of three, so here's the past and the future.

Three Favorite Memories From the Past Year:

The Patriot Run September 10, 2016-My family got to see me run for the first time, and I had the privilege of honoring the victims of September 11th, the Granite Mountain 19, and the men and women currently serving our country as part of fire departments, the military, and the police force.

Getting to know my sister-in-law better over Christmas-My brother and sister-in-law made a sacrifice to buy tickets to come out and visit us in Arizona. I love my brother, but it has been such a treat to get to know my sister-in-law better. She is a compassionate, kind, courageous, Christlike, and adventurous woman, and I love her so much!

Pat's Run April 22, 2017-Such a special weekend with my mom!

Three Goals for the Next Year:

This is the notorious "final question" of the traditional birthday questions. My friends know what I'm talking about. In the past, my goals have been along somewhat the same lines:

 2015-More philosophical than practical, but along the lines of love God, love others, and love self.

2016-More practical and specific. I actually accomplished the first two. The third one, eh, not so much. And I am not sure that falling in love with a guy/getting married is God's will for me. I'm working to accept that and find my place in the world as a single woman.

2017-My goals for this year revolve around that second point of my third goal for last year: loving myself. Since moving to Arizona/that first doctor's appointment where the nurse practitioner said I was weak and had potentially serious neurological problems, I've felt pretty crappy about myself. Physically, I think I'm stronger than ever before. I ran 4.2 miles with the fastest miles I've probably ever run,

but I still feel dissatisfied, not necessarily just with my body, but with myself over all. I just don't feel "at home" in this vessel. Mentally, I had that small breakdown in March, but before and after that, God has given me Holy Spirit perspective on a lot of tough situations. Yet somehow I don't feel like myself. Spiritually, I learned a ton from the True Woman 201 study and I enjoyed singing in the Christmas and Easter choirs at church. But I'm really struggling with understanding the church and what it should be about, especially after what I'd call a crisis in my local church. So without further ado, my three goals for next year center around health, mostly in physical ways, but in ways that I think will benefit my health as a corporate entity:

1) Eat satisfying foods instead of just whatever I find lying around. This means I need to cook more. I don't know how that will happen with my busy schedule and not having my own kitchen, but I can try.

2) Improve my sleep quality-My body started waking me up at 4 am sometime last fall, and it hasn't really stopped. I get up at 5 am every morning, purposefully, but I usually feel exhausted. Naps have been shorter in duration and less satisfying. I'd like to have more restful sleep. Sleep is so vital to good mental health.

3) Find what feels good-as far as exercise and life in general. I've experimented with yoga not once, but twice. I didn't like Yoga Revolution, but the phrase, "Find what feels good" has stuck with me. I've been trying to listen to my body more, especially as I trained for Pat's Run. I decreased my cardio (no HIIT and very little extra walking), lifted more weights (I'm up to a 40 pound deadlift, which is a lot for me!), and did more regular yoga. I'm still learning.

And that goes for the rest of life, too. I'm always learning. I won't "arrive" until heaven, but I'd like to become better in the next year. Until next May 5 and the BIG 3-0!