Run the Distance 5K

I jumped into a 5K this past weekend! I would not have known about the race except for a little card my doctor's office sent me about a run to benefit Parkinson's research. I get treated for my focal dystonia at Barrow Neurological Institute, the same location as the Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Center. While I thankfully do not have Parkinson's at this time, there is some overlap between my condition and Parkinson's, and the medication I take to alleviate some of my worst symptoms is actually a medicine for Parkinson's, so needless to say, the Parkinson's cause is near and dear to my heart, and I wanted to run for it.

But, what to do about half-marathon training? I had 10 miles on deck the date of the 5K. Well, time to get creative! I realized that the 5K was about 7 miles from my house, so if Husband dropped me off and I fueled right, I could run home. So with that, I trialed a one day carb load [Thanks Meghann Featherstun (n.d.) for the how-to and calculator] and went to town, literally.

Race day conditions: Upper 40's and windy

Course: Flat, around a lake, and a little short (3.05 miles according to my Apple watch)

Goals: 

A: 2 hour half-marathon pace of 9:09/minute

B: 27:00 (8:41/minute)

C: PR (8:11/mile or under)

(Yes, these are in reverse order of difficulty, because my main goal was to not exhaust myself so I could complete the miles on my training plan.)

Before the race:

Week nine of the First Half Marathon Training plan from Run to the Finish (2023)

Day 5 of Metcon from Nourish Move Love (2024) (a mistake!)

A one-day carb load with about 450 grams of carbohydrates

Race morning:

I got up at my normal hour of 5 am, did a little bit of moving around the house, and then completed Day 19 of Flow from Yoga with Adriene (2024). I drank 8 ounces of water and ate a peanut butter and honey energy ball. Then out the door!

It was a short walk from parking to the start line. We arrived about 50 minutes early. I felt warm enough, and then cold. About 7:20 am, I ate my banana. Then at 7:30 am, I jogged for five minutes. I took off my windbreaker and lined up for the race at 7:45 am, and off to the races at 8 am!

Mile 1:

I started off near the front (it was a small race), and we started off fast. I felt good, but when I looked down at my watch and it said 7:43/mile, I backed off my pace. I knew that was too fast! At about half a mile in, I got to chatting with some girls as I passed them, and realizing that I could pass the talk test, realized I could probably push a bit harder. I finished with an average pace of 8:24/mile.

Mile 2:

This mile seemed to pass by quickly. Not too much to say here, other than that I saw my time dipping and told myself I could work a little harder. I worked to pass a few people. This was my slowest mile at 8:33/mile.

Mile 3:

At about 2.5, I told myself to push. Then at 2.8, I told myself to really push. Thinking, "Push off the ground" seemed to help increase my pace. I also told myself to smile, because I like running! (In my vanity, I also did not want to look like a grouch puss when the fact that I like running is true.) I finished at 8:12/mile.

Finish:

I kicked it up to 6:57/mile to finish. My watch said 3.05 miles with a time of 25:34. The official results said 5K (3.1 miles) with a time of 25:28 and a pace of 8:11/mile. Whatever, I'll take it!

After the Race:

This was a small race, and I expected that I could place, but honestly, I was not sure I wanted to place, because I just wanted to run home! When I checked the results list, though, I saw that I had placed, first in my age group! So of course I wanted to stay to get the added bling for my medal. I chatted with some really nice master's runners, and they even stayed to see me go on the podium and take my picture. Runners really are the best people!

I departed after the medal ceremony and ran 7.42 miles home. I felt good, except for some mild hamstring soreness (which had been with me since that Nourish Move Love workout-which is why I said it was a bad idea). Thankfully 20 oz of water, some fuel, a podcast, some determination, and all that glycogen in my muscles got me home. I honestly felt okay, except for my hamstrings which were oh, so tight. I stretched and foam rolled immediately, but had to keep doing so throughout the weekend.

Concluding Thoughts:

I am learning more and more to trust the training process. I really did not want to do that carb load, and I believed I needed to try it. I kept telling myself not to quit, to get through it, and then if it did not work or I did not like it, I could quit the next time. I felt some anxiety race day morning (a newer thing for me), but just told myself this race was for a cause, and it was okay not to PR. I had peace while running, for which I thank the Lord and my husband. Running home afterward brought me such pride! While I did not want to refuel again when I got home, I told myself not to be stupid and to do it. (My husband thought I was telling him not to be stupid for a second, because I said it out loud. Oops! No, those were words for me!). I am oh so thankful to God for this experience and pray for wisdom and good health to continue training and running for as long as the good Lord allows.

References:

Brooks, A. (2023, March 9). Half marathon training schedule: Transition from the 10K to half. Run to the Finish. https://www.runtothefinish.com/half-marathon-training-schedule/

Featherstun, M. (n.d.). Carb loading: What, why, and how-to. Featherstone Nutrition. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/carb-loading/

Nourish Move Love. (2024, January 5). New year challenge day 5: 30-minute full body Metcon (Kettlebell swings). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp14nPaJfkU

Yoga with Adriene. (2024, January 20). Flow - Day 19 - Ride. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Od_S1P0c40

 

Fresh 15 Race Weekend + Visit to Family

I wrote about my travel oopsies on Monday. Now I'll share about the travel blessings, 15 of them to be exact. See, I had it on my #bucketlistproject to visit my brother and sister-in-law and run a 5K together. Brother suggested the 5K that accompanied the Fresh 15, and I was like, "Okay. Here we go!" There were certainly more blessings than these, but these are my tops:

1) Seeing the sights of everyday life for my brother and sister-in-law.

2) Meeting my cat-niece.

3) Picnic in the park.

(Spinach sweet crisp salad from The Corner Bakery)

4) Target shopping. Brother humored me and I found one shirt, plus a dress I didn't need, but can use for Easter.

5) Home cooked meals by team brother and sister-in-law. (They've got a system!)

6) Finishing the 5K (not my fastest time, but done!)

7) This is only the second 5K for Sister-in-law, and she finished well. I'm pretty stinkin' proud of her!

8) Doubling over in laughter at the silliest of things

9) Sushi + Thai food

10) Catching up with the hostess of my first trip to visit brother in his "real life."

11) Spending plenty of time outside.

(Look at the ponies I saw!)

12) Good old gospel singing and Scripture-preaching at church on Sunday

(I'm the shorty of the family.)

13) Lunch with a soul-friend

(She treated me to shrimp remoulade salad at Newk's.)

14) Long and leisurely naps

15) Overall quality time with people I love

Year in Review

The year of 2016 has almost gone and 2017 is coming. Therefore, it's time to review my 16 goals for 2016:

1) GO! on a cruise. Done! And I want to go on another one.

2) Stop checking e-mail on my phone while at work. I think I decided that I like doing this, but it is helpful to monitor how often and how much I use my phone.

3) Use more glass storage containers and less plastic. Improving. I recently bought more Pyrex-like containers, and my brother and sister-in-law gave me three more for Christmas.

4) Find my rambunctious side again. I don't think I accomplished this one. Maybe I'm just a serious old person.

5) Memorize some new scripture, or at least review the old. I realized that Scripture memory doesn't happen unless I make it happen. Now I try to memorize at least one verse, or part of a verse before eating my snack at night.

6) Clean out the pantry (fridge, freezer, et. al) and go on a grocery spend fast until it is done. This was a good experience and made me realize how wealthy I really am. I seek to continually be vigilant about using what I have, but also enjoying the blessings of sometimes having excess.

7) Purge excess. Soak up blessing. Moving helped some, but I'll need to purge again when I move out on my own. I have so much stuff!

8) Run a 5K. I ran three: the Race for the Cure 5K with housemates, the LPGA 5K with co-workers, and the Patriot Run with my family as spectators.

9) Embrace the quiet. I reinstated silent retreats once a month after realizing that I'd forgotten to do them since I moved to Arizona. I think I will need to learn more about silence for as long as I live.

10) Pursue counseling licensure. Done! Praise the Lord for granting me favor with the State Board. Now I just pray to find a place and a way to use my license.

11) Rest. I'm resting more, but again, I need to learn more.

12) Trim down the processed. Bulk up the produce. (In my diet) Ditto. I can always learn to eat better, but also to have grace with myself when I don't.

13) Bullet journal plan—streamline my to-do list. I find it very helpful to bullet journal my tasks lists in my personal and work planners. I plan to continue this in 2017.

14) Finish the books I have and read more. I think I read 48 this year. That would be four per month.

15) Spend time with and love the people around me. I enjoyed Thai dinner with little brother twice, a weekend away with Mom, and watching a movie with my sister-in-law who visited us for Christmas. I could probably do a better job about being present (not on my phone, cross-wording, crocheting, etc.) while with people, however.

16) Blog. Instagram. Something. (Experiment.) This marks a year of blogging, and almost six months of Instagram. Are these efforts really worth it? Beneficial to me? Beneficial to others? I don't need to write or post for others, but it does make it more fun. It also takes time. If I quit social media (sometimes I have the urge), I'd have more time. But what would I do with it? Crochet (hand-allowing)? Read? Volunteer? I need some down time, but is social media the best use of it? That might be a question for 2017.

Anatomy of a 5K PR (and a Thankful Thanksgiving Week Race)

No turkey trot for me this year. Instead, it was a Sunday 5K to support foster and adoptive families, a cause near and dear to my heart. Here's what my morning looked like:

5:05 AM Wake up.
5:15 AM Get up and get out of bed.
5:20 AM Mosey to the kitchen and put away dishes.
5:30-5:50 AM Ice my sore foot.
5:50-6:20 AM Complete miscellaneous tasks and read my Bible.
6:20-6:25 AM Plank for two minutes (part of Darebee's multiplank challenge).
6:25-6:40 AM Practice yoga to calm my nerves and stretch out my foot. (This "10 Minute Yoga for Feet" from Yoga with Joelle was a good fit.) 
6:40-6:50 AM Complete more miscellaneous tasks. (I don't remember what I did.)
6:50-7:00 AM Go up and down the stairs five times.
7:00-7:15 AM Eat a banana and sip on water with Mortal. Gather belongings.
7:15-7:40 AM Travel to the race.
7:40-8:00 AM Run two warm up miles at 9:37/mile
8:00-8:20 AM Take a bathroom break. Walk to the start line. Take team photos.
8:20 AM Consume 1 caffeinated vanilla GU. Sip more water with Mortal.
8:23-8:28 AM Make a run for the bathroom, literally.
8:30-8:54 AM Run the 5K

[Unstated components of my training: A half-marathon in February, an 8:01/mile 4.2 mile run in April, and trying to keep a base of 30 miles through the ridiculously hot summer, plus 17 weeks of training for another race in December]

The weather was gorgeous, in the high 40's to low 50's, with sunshine! The course was a little bit hard to start, with some steep ups and downs around the lake. Then it was flat up and down the canal path. The turn-arounds were well marked this time, which really helped. (I did get a little freaked out when I lost sight of the men in front of me, though.) All in all, I would rate this race setup as A plus!

Some fast kids led for the first half mile or so. I looked down at my watch and consistently saw right under 8:00/mile, which is where I wanted to be, so I just tried to run my own race. I was breathing pretty hard, but the pace felt like I could sustain it, so that is what I attempted to do. I did not want to go too hard, either, as I have had some foot pain (extensor tendonitis?) and have my A race in a few more weeks from now. It was fun to hear the people at the aid stations say, "First women" as I passed. That is the first (and probably last) time I will hear that.

I found a small, small hill right past three miles. Getting up that felt hard. I tried to book it for the finish, and I think I did alright. My finish time was 24:10. If I had known I could get that close to 24:00, I might have tried to increase pace, but after all the foot pain I have had in the past week, I did not know if I could even run. My hope was to PR at faster than my Pat's Run pace, which would be 8:00/mile. The race clocked me at 7:46/mile, which is so exciting! All in all, I am so thrilled!

I am so thankful for my husband's constant support through this running journey, the coworkers who joined me to run, the people who cheered me on, a God who graciously let my body do this work, the Sole Sports staff who helped me find and buy my new Asics Magic Speed racers, and so much more. God is gracious. God is good. May this race support those doing the work of parenting kids from hard places, because man, they are the ones running not a sprint, but a marathon.

Update on THE LIST

In case you wanted to know how THE LIST is going...


1) GO! on a cruise.It's booked! I feel both fearful and excited: fearful that I might get seasick, or sick, or hate the small cabin; but excited to soak up sunshine, spend time with a dear friend, and see new places.


2) Stop checking e-mail on my phone while at work.I continued to have problems with this, so I took it off my phone. Speaking of which, I turned on e-mail for a trip this weekend, but need to turn it off again.


3) Use more glass storage containers and less plastic.What happens when I run out of glass? Maybe I need to obtain more glass. Or maybe, if I had less access to plastic, I would use more glass?


4) Find my rambunctious side again.I  made a funny comment on a work e-mail. That counts for something, right?


5) Memorize some new scripture, or at least review the old. (Ps 119:105).I'm working on Philippians. It's hard!


6) Clean out the pantry (fridge, freezer, et. al) and go on a grocery spend fast until it is done.
I'm stocking up again, but it is good to keep an eye on what I have and try to keep using it up.


7) Purge excess. Soak up blessing.I took a few things back out of the garage sale box. I am trying to find balance in this area.


8) Run a 5K.Done! My housemates and I ran the Fight Back 5K for the American Cancer Society. I did not beat my first, and best 5K time, but I ran faster than I usually do. Yeah!


9) Embrace the quiet.I didn't listen to music the whole time on my road trip....


10) Pursue counseling licensure.I should receive notice in two weeks if the state board approves my classes. Please pray for favor!


11) Rest (Ps 46:10; Matt 11:28-29).Still struggling here....


12) Trim down the processed. Bulk up the produce. (In my diet)This lovely cookbook from a friend is helping immensely: Easy Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook: 125 Fix-and-Forget Vegetarian Recipes. (But be forewarned: Every recipe says it serves six, but most often serves 8-10).


13) Bullet journal plan—streamline my to-do list.I've had paper lists out tonight, but I'm working on it.


14) Finish the books I have and read more.
I finished Every Thought Captive ly Jerusha Clark last night and highly recommend it. I also read Where the Wind Leads by Dr. Vinh Chung and Tales of a Church Mouse by John Edgell. Not a lot, but something


15) Spend time with and love the people around me.  I got to see an aunt, uncle, and cousins last weekend. I just returned from a less than 24 hour trip for a family funeral. Family is not perfect, but it is worth sacrificing for. "God sets the lonely in families" (Ps 68:6, New International Version).


16) Blog. Instagram. Something. (Experiment.) 
I am not writing on here as much as I would like. I want to "develop" some more oatmeal recipes, but have not. I don't know how long this blog thing will last. If you read this blog and want to see more of a particular type of post, please comment. Thanks

I Lost Some Fitness and Gained Some Health.

If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you know I took several breaks from running last year, choosing to focus on other activities like strength and hiking. My body was stressed. I felt super tired. I kept reading about people saying that running could overtax an already stressed body, so I quit. I restarted with commitment to base building last November. I remembered how much I enjoy running and renewed my commitment to try to stay healthy enough to do it. I had some race goals, but knew I had to hold those lightly given the continued prevalence of COVID-19.

Enter January when I found a 5K race I thought my husband might like to do. I proposed the idea, and was delighted when he accepted the challenge to train for it. I put on my coach's hat, referenced a few different Couch to 5K plans and drafted a calendar for him. I thought that he would train himself, but as it were, we started training together. Initially, I would go for a run and then come back and run his shorter training distance with him as a cool down. As his distances increased, though I started running with him first, and then running a bit longer by myself at the end. That greatly decreased my pace per mile, but allowed me to support him as he built up his fitness. 

To my surprise, the more my husband and I ran together, the more I enjoyed it and the less I cared about my pace. The more I enjoyed the process of running with my husband, the more I prioritized it. If I was tired on the off days of running with him, I walked rather than ran. If I thought that a different fitness activity might affect running, I didn't do it. I hiked less, watched my weight lifting, and overall let go quite a bit of fitness.

Overall, from January to now, my 5K pace has decreased over a minute a minute. When I look at just the facts, I get a little bit frustrated. But then I think about what I have gained. I have enjoyed extra time with my husband. I have felt less obsessed with running and more appreciative of it. I have tuned into my body and its needs a bit more. I have started to value running more for its secondary social, emotional, and mental benefits than its primary physical benefits. On the whole, I feel in a more balanced place.

Registered Dietitian, recipe developer, and blogger Gena Hamshaw wrote earlier this year about the importance of perspective when it comes to our physical bodies. She shared,

It’s humbling to find ourselves in a different state of ability than the one we used to have. It’s natural to look backwards. But we’re human beings, not machines. We’re changing all the time, often mysteriously and in a way that defies expectations. The best we can do is to meet ourselves where we are and thank our bodies for continuing to give us a home.

A lot has happened since my "peak" level of fitness: a move, a new job, COVID, race cancellations, restrictions that led to a more sedentary life, personal and social tragedies, etc. I can mourn the level of fitness I once had or give thanks for the ability to engage. I can look with envy at my past stats, or think gratefully about the blessing it is to still be living at all after so many have lost their lives. I can resent running with my husband because it slows me down, or enjoy every extra minute of the time that he dedicates to running with me. I have choices about my perspective, and it is pretty apparent which choices benefit me most.

There is fitness, and then there is health. Fitness is primarily physical. Health is so much more. It is a unique interplay of relational, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and so many other factors. While I may have lost some physical fitness over the past year, I have gained so much more. I am grateful, and thankful to God, my body, and my husband for getting me here.

January: Progress Not Perfection

To keep myself accountable, I'm going to give a January update on THE LIST. Let's just say I'm progressing, but not getting nearly close to perfection.

1) GO! on a cruise.
I have a date in mind. My friend and I are still talking about this idea. I think we're going to wait until last minute to book our voyage. That might be a good plan, or a bad plan that will lead to not accomplishing this resolution....

2) Stop checking e-mail on my phone while at work.
This is going well, but I find that computer use is still sucking up my time. I'm trying a suggestion from the article "3 Easy Way to Unplug" to limit my computer use to two hours outside work (Asp, 2016). Two hours sounds like a lot until I realized from my Rescue Time reports that I usually average way longer than that each day. Maybe that is why I have no free time.

3) Use more glass storage containers and less plastic.
My mom gave me a new mason jar lid at Christmas time, and it's made using my old mason jars so much fun! I especially like packing my oatmeal breakfasts in them.

4) Find my rambunctious side again.
Umm...well, I'm not sure where it's gone. I'm not really finding it yet.

5) Memorize some new scripture, or at least review the old.
It's almost February, and I've barely gotten through the first chapter of Ephesians that I already memorized. My brain doesn't seem to absorb verses like it used to, but I must keep trying. God's Word is important!

6) Clean out the pantry (fridge, freezer, et. al) and go on a grocery spend fast until it is done.
Done! (For the most part.) I have some leftover frozen jalapenos in the freezer and some condiments in the fridge, but otherwise, I worked through all my leftovers. It was a good experience.

7) Purge excess. Soak up blessing.
I purged the kitchen, closet, and paper files. I have a big pile for our house yard sale and I shredded a lot. I'm still trying to figure out how to appreciate God's blessings without finding pleasure in them, instead of in Him.

8) Run a 5K.
I got on what I call "trots" twice a week. I don't like to run outside in the cold, but I don't like to run inside, or take to the treadmills, which means I don't really want to run (or rather, "trot,") much at all. My housemates are doing the Couch to 5K training, though, and we hope to run a house 5K together in March. Hopefully that keeps me motivated.

9) Embrace the quiet.
Sometimes I fill even the quiet with excessive, obsessive reading. This goes along with number 11). I'm still trying to learn to rest.

10) Pursue counseling licensure.
I mailed off my 14 (??) page application on Friday, complete with notary signature, birth certificate copy, driver's license copy, fingerprints, an official transcript, a self-inquiry into my criminal records, and a hefty sum. Now I wait....

11) Rest.
I had one evening where I really rested. Other times I just find myself in a frenzy, or find myself with no time. Learning to rest is no joke!

12) Trim down the processed. Bulk up the produce.
With the grocery store fast, I got out of the habit of eating lots of produce. And I'm still trying to figure out how to balance eating lots of produce with getting vital nutrients from other food groups (dairy, protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, etc.). More to learn...

13) Bullet journal plan—streamline my to-do list.
This is going well, except when my bullets surpass my planner space and end up back on a traditional messy list. (This especially happens on weekend days when I want to accomplish a lot.)

14) Finish the books I have and read more.
I'm reading, but not enough. A friend made a New Year's Resolution to read a book a month. I'd like to join her, but I don't think I'll make it this month. I just don't have as much time as I thought.

15) Spend time with and love the people around me.
My housemates and I have dinner together every Tuesday night. I have spent special time with other friends, but this is the greatest blessing that has come from resolution 15.

16) Blog. Instagram. Something. (Experiment.) 
Well here you go. I started this blog. It's takes more time than I expected to blog, so I'm debating trying Instagram or something with less of a time commitment, but we'll see.

Reference
Asp, K. (2016). 3 easy ways to unplug. Cooking Light, January/February, pp. 69-70.

June Update

It's been crazy, with a big event at work, training my replacement, and moving. My parents are graciously housing me, but my life is in all sorts of disarray. I've got no job, no schedule, and not a clue what's next. But God is with me, and I have many reasons to give thanks, including progress on THE LIST:

1) Go! On a cruise. Done!

2) Stop checking e-mail on my phone while at work. Well, I don't have a job anymore, but I left my personal e-mail off my phone so that I don't obsessively check it. I left my professional e-mail on to (hopefully) keep up with job application e-mails.

3) Use more glass storage containers and less plastic. Mom's all about the glass and has a vast supply of canning jars and lids. I think I'll improve on my glass usage here.

4) Find my rambunctious side again. Among other things, I have aspirations to learn to drive a pickup truck while I'm living at home. We'll see....

5) Memorize some new scripture, or at least review the old. I'm still working on Colossians. Let's be honest. I'm not memorizing much at all right now. My brain feels like mush, but would be better if I exercised it.

6) Clean out the pantry. Moving forced this. I used up all but my spices, some flour, a protein bar, and some Craisins. Thankfully my housemate supplemented my diet while I cleaned out the pantry. That meant I had protein and produce in addition to all the carbs I owned.

7) Purge excess. Soak up blessing. Once again, moving helped, but I still have SO much stuff. I am thankful for family who helped me move it, and a family friend who offered to store it.

8) Run a 5K. Race number two was the LGPA 5K. It was my favorite 5K and best time so far. Plus, we got great swag bags, including a CamelBack water bottle!

9) Embrace the quiet. I have a new night time quiet routine of reading the newspaper.

10) Pursue counseling licensure. I take the National Counseling Exam next week. Praise the Lord, and pray I pass!

11) Rest. I get to sleep in until 6 am while I'm not working.

12) Trim down the processed. Bulk up the produce. Salads are back in style thanks to the Arizona heat and Mom's pantry. I've got to stop eating sugar like I'm home on Christmas break, though. I live here now!

13) Bullet journal plan—streamline my to-do list. I have lists everywhere, on paper and in Excel. I need to get back to the planner.

14) Finish the books I have and read more. I read eight books in June. That was my coping tool.

15) Spend time with and love the people around me. My entire family (Dad, Mom, two brothers, sister-in-law, and Granddad) came to help me move. Now, I get to live with Dad, Mom, and one brother. I need to capitalize on this time.

16) Blog. Instagram. Something. I started an Instagram (@MyArizonaAdventure) to share this new journey of life with my Arkansas friends. (But others can follow, too.)

How (Not) To Train for a Terrain Race

My husband signed up for another 5K right after we ran The Butterfly Run. I initially passed, one because I'm a fair weather runner, meaning I like running, and not obstacles; and two because I wasn't sure where our relationship was going and didn't want to sign up for something over six months away. (Read, I was afraid).

But when January came around and registration was "free," and he and I were getting more serious about our relationship, I signed up for the Terrain Race. (Registration isn't really free because you have to pay for "insurance" and make a required donation and a few other things. So it evens out to the $25-$35 cost of most other runs I've done.)

I trained for Pat's Run. I trained for the 10K. I kind of intended to train for this race (e.g. do more strength), but I didn't. And then I got sick. I walked Sunday, and Monday, didn't even work a full day Tuesday and only walked for work and went for a two miles snail's pace stroll Thursday and Friday. So I wasn't ready.

I made a list of things that needed to happen for me to run.

Thankfully, most of these did, and we went.

The race was in Flagstaff, Arizona at about 7,000 feet. We weren't really sure what to expect, so we overly prepared with sunscreen and throw away shoes and towels and new sets of clothes. But when we saw people coming out of the race (since heats were already running before we got there), we thought we wouldn't need all that. So we sunscreened, emptied a backpack of all but our phones, keys, and water, checked the bag, and got ready to run.

The race was supposed to be 5K, but we got an e-mail Friday saying they had to extend the course. I wondered if I'd make it, but prayed about it and said I'd try.

The first part of the course was uphill. And the first part of the course was long, with few obstacles other than carrying a sandbag around a small circle.

But then the course got a little rocky and hilly. There were some beautiful views, but 1) I didn't have my phone to take pictures, and 2) I really didn't get to enjoy them because I had to carefully watch my feet.

(Parking lot view)

Most of the obstacles came about 1/2 to 3/4 through the course. There was the log pulling, the tire pulling and dragging, the tire flipping, log jumps, and then the culvert crawl. That's what got me muddy! You had to wade into muddy water about waist deep and crawl through a plastic culvert about 1/4 full of water. I managed to crouch through it since I decided to wear my watch and didn't want to get it wet.

(Our friends had their phones and took this picture.)

There were then more log jumps and crawling under a rope net. (Thankfully people held it up over me and I didn't get too scraped up. This is also when I realized there was a reason people pinned their race bibs to their backs. I lost a safety pin on mine and had to repin it with another that tried to come off.) There were more log jumps, some six foot walls to climb over (thankfully there were steps to help boost oneself over), carrying a weighted bucket around a little moat with water in it, and at least three upper body strength exercises (monkey bars, a trapeze like thing, a rope climb, and a Tarzan rope swing). I touched all of these, but then passed by (one, because I have very little upper body strength, and two, because my grip strength is shot due to my focal dystonia and I don't want to do any further harm to my hand or arm).

The last part of the race was supposed to be a tenth of a mile. I'm sure it wasn't. There weren't any obstacles there, but then we came to this:

It was probably a 16 foot plus canvas net to crawl over. (The finish line was on the other side.) It was a bit shaky, but I actually liked this kind of obstacle. I might have been afraid, but there was a terrified kid at the top, so I gave him a hand so he could get down to his mom, and after that, I wasn't afraid. The finish line was right on the other side. (My stopwatch said my time was 1:05. People running with me said they clocked the course at 5.3 miles. No 5K for us!)

We I got separated, so I guzzled some water while I waited for him. Then we went and tried to wash the mud off our hands and got our bag. We ran into some friends and took some photos and chatted with them. And then we headed home.

The drive back on I-17 is really gorgeous. I haven't been to Flagstaff in awhile and really enjoyed the scenery. (He drove so I could take pictures.)

We got back at 2 pm and I sat down and had some food and a lot of water (one 16 oz glass and another 16 oz bottle with a Nuun electrolyte tablet). 

I thought I had plenty of energy, but then I kind of crashed. So I showered and laid down for a power nap. 

(I really had to scrub to get all the mud off so I could be clean to take a nap.)

Moral to the story: I didn't really train for this race. I didn't fully do it since I couldn't complete some obstacles. But I'm thankful, and grateful, and honestly praying I stay well after all the energy I exerted.

To God be the glory!

Pat's Run 5.0

I felt a bit underprepared coming into this race. I had a great half-marathon in February, but put in very little speed work in preparation for it. [My goal was to run long, and per Mary Johnson (2024), you can run long, or run fast, not both]. I took a week off running more than a mile a day after the half-marathon, ran easy for the next two weeks, and then started a six week faster 5K plan (Luff, 2023). I think that plan was a bit ambitious. Speed work twice a week felt hard, and I found it difficult to hit paces. I noticed my HRV dipping several times, and not recovering for days, up to a week, but I soldiered on.

My schedule race week was not ideal. Our car went down Sunday. That led to extra stress, and an extra long work day Monday as I added use of the light trail to commute to and from my office. Work duties of all kinds swamped my husband. I did try to get good sleep, and mostly succeeded in staying in bed for seven hours each night. I did not necessarily sleep well, though. 

On the food front, I ate things that I knew could irritate my stomach, and they did. (I simply couldn't figure out a better meal plan, so I went with what I had.) I did decide to take vitamin C and zinc daily, as I heard on a podcast that vitamin C one to two weeks before a race can reduce incidences of illness in runners (Samuels, 2024). Whether it helped or not, I do not know, but I made it through the week healthy. Praise the Lord! I ate pasta for dinner the night before the race and I stuck with my typical nightcap of pancake/banana/hot cocoa. Still, my stomach felt off the morning of the race.

Goals

I set ambitious goals for this year's Pat's Run. I wanted to PR. If that wasn't possible, I wanted to at least get close to my time from two years ago. And if I could, I wanted to spot and get a picture with fourth place US Olympic Trials finisher Jess Tonn McClain. 

For reference: here are my times and the weather conditions for my last four races:

April 15, 2023: Bib 3321 8:12/mile, 34:26 85 degrees
April 23, 2022: Bib 2200 8:23/mile 35:14 81 degrees
April 27, 2019: Bib 3846 8:21/mile 35:06 96 degrees
April 22 2017: Bib 12507 9:14/mile 38:47 94 degrees

With warm temperatures forecast, reaching my A goal would be tough.

Packet Pick-up

I somehow got a 1327 bib number this year! Maybe because I ran fast last year? Maybe because I registered for the race right after running last year's race? Whatever the case, I took the low bib! It put me in corral 2, the number which they put on the front of the bibs this year (helpful, since the corral system is a bit confusing). Packet pickup, or at least the packet pickup parking lot was very busy Friday. Actual pickup was a breeze. In and out. 

Race Day

I got up at 4 am, puttered around the house for a bit, and sensing that my stomach was still off, chewed some papaya enzymes and drank 8 ounces of cold water. I climbed my stairs five times for a warmup, and off we went to catch the 5:15 am light rail! The light rail station was a bit sketchy, but seeing other runners in their Pat's Run shirts on the light rail increased my race excitement.

The race expo opened at 6 am. We picked up a few things, the best of which was this magsafe charger my husband convinced me to get. I did not want to give away my information for the required survey and used his, so it's his gadget, but a useful one, he says! I did see Jess Tonn McClain, but I was too shy to go up to her, despite my husband's urgings to do so.

Warm-Up

I jogged for five minutes about 40 minutes before race start time, and then ate my banana and drank another 8 ounces of water. I made another bathroom stop. (The more I run, the more. learn to embrace using porta-potties.) Then into my corral I went. Earlier corral placement meant not only less runners to weave through as I ran, but also cooler temperatures. With the sun already up and highs of forecast for the day, I considered it a major blessing!

The Run

Miles one and two felt hard, and slow. My lungs burned. Seeing paces of 8:23-8:25 a mile made me think I would definitely not PR. I talked to myself in the third person and told myself to keep trying. (For some reason in my mind, I called myself by my maiden last name while doing so?) There is a hill someone around mile two, and when I came down the other side, I told myself to move. (I also worked to pick people off as I could. This is where I wished for a pacer.) Mile 3 came fairly quickly, and I felt better. I also saw that I had started running under 8:00/mile. I don't think I have ever run that fast for over a mile. Could I keep it up? If I could keep at it, I might be able to shave off those last few seconds of my mile per hour pace to get to a PR! I told myself not to count myself out. Jess Tonn McClain hadn't, despite being an unsponsored athlete at the US Olympic Trials. I too, could keep trying and keep going.

The last 0.2 miles of the race is uphill into the stadium. There is a pretty short, steep rise to get into the stadium, and then the downhill onto the grass. The race organizers covered the field with some kind of material, but the grass still felt squishy underfoot, especially after having run on the roads. I gave it my all, not even giving thought to trying to smile, as I usually like to do. I was working for this and if I grimaced, oh well!

Results

An agonizing part about this race is the late race results. With 27,000-28,000 runners, clock time is not chip time. The race websites are also slow to load afterward. I saw that my watch (started before the race, and stopped after the finish line) showed 8:08/mile, though, and felt very pleased with that. After I got home, I got the final results: 33:40 and 8:01/mile. Wow! Thank you Jesus! That is going to be hard to beat! I am getting older, though, and tomorrow, let alone next year are not guaranteed. I just wanted to rejoice in this run!

Final Thoughts

My husband got down on the field this year, which resulted in some cool shots of me coming across the finish lane. I did get back to Jess Tonn McClain's #LovePup booth just to catch her before she went out to run more. (She is the Olympics alternate, so has to stay in marathon shape.) The medals are pretty cool, magneting together with previous medals, for a series of three (to be finished next year), showing stages of Pat Tillman's journey.

This is/was a race, but ultimately it is about Pat Tillman and the ultimate sacrifice he made serving our country. This is an event that is about his family purposing their grief for the betterment of humanity. This is an event that is about community. I always smile seeing the many different types of people that wheel, walk and run this race. It's special!

Extra special this year is the 20th anniversary for the race. Maybe for that reason, the medals and race shirts are inArizona State University's maroon and gold colors. Given that this is my husband's graduation year, that feels extra special.

All in all, what I would say about Pat's Run this year is that itt was super special, super meaningful, poignant, even. Thank you, Lord, for the ability to run! Thank you Pat Tillman and all the other men and women who have given their lives to preserve the freedoms we have, including the ability to run. Thank you Pat Tillman Fund, Arizona State University, and race organizers, and the city of Tempe for a great event. Super special. Super meaningful. Thank you!

References:

Caplan, H. (2024, April 40). Lane 9 with run coach Mary Johnson, keeping the goal the goal. (no. 7) [Audio podcast episode]. In The Lane 9 podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lane-9-podcast/id1208568777

Luff, C. (2023, July 6). 6 week intermediate 5K training schedule. Run for Good. https://run-for-good.com/6-week-intermediate-5k-training-schedule/

Samuels, H. (2024, February 23). Supplement myth busting series: Immune boosting supplements, do they actually do anything? [Audio podcast episode]. In Holley Fueled Nutrition podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/supplement-myth-busting-series-immune-boosting-supplements/id1525009621?i=1000646542973