The Journey Back

Its been just over 9 months since I was in a bad car accident. After that, I spent 8 weeks being unable to do any sort of physical activity. The weeks following the accident are still a blur. I shuffled through the days, the doctor's appointments, the car shopping, etc just going through the motions. Life plans I was making had to be put on hold, I put on weight, I was angry, and I ended up in bad emotional place. I put on a smile and continued with life because that is what you do...fake it. There have been times in my life when I have said "fake it til you make it" but really I was just faking it. When the doctors finally gave me the all clear to start running again, I was eager, excited, and scared. I was limited to how much, how often, and how far I could run. I started with a Couch to 5K program that would only allow me 30 sec of running at a time. And I really shouldn't have sprinted those 30 sec during those early runs...but it felt so incredible to be able to run again, I had to make the most of it.

The weeks have flown by. I decided to sign up for a training program to work on building back up my distance. And I knew that I wanted to target a late spring half marathon so I signed up for the Potomac River Running training program aimed at prepping runners for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. It is about 6 weeks before the half I plan to run so it felt like a good way to get back my distance confidence. It has gone better than I could have ever expected or intended! Before the accident I was a faithful long interval runner (3:1, 4:1, or 5:1) with a pretty steady 10:30-11:00 pace. In the last 7 weeks I have found myself being a straight runner with a consistent 11:00 pace! Turning over the planning to someone else freed up my brain to just focus on the running. Having my PR store family by my side hasn't hurt either. Several of us are struggling with our own journeys and being able to run with our store family has helped each of us!

Feeling like a stronger runner really got my brain in a good place. So I decided to start to work on more of my fitness. I downloaded a "transformation" plan developed by personal trainers specifically for members of my running club. It is focused on weight training with cardio mixed in. Of course, one of my primary goals in doing this was to drop the weight that found me following the accident. But I also have other plans. There is a bold distance goal on the far horizon (more later when I am ready to make it public) and this is one step in that process. As I wrote down my fitness log following my workout today I realized, I wish I had a record of how I felt after my early running workouts from the fall. And I suddenly felt a STRONG desire to document where I am and the twists and turns I take on my new journey. And so, I am back to the blog :)

Its been two weeks into my new plan. And I have been consistent. I joined the gym my boyfriend is a member of and have really enjoyed the opportunity for us to go to the gym together. We may be giving up couch time and date time, but the time we are spending working on ourselves is motivating to one another and, in the long run, will improve our health so maybe we can spend LOTS of years together :) Every day now there is some muscle(s) in my body that aches. And I have not felt this strong, determined, and powerful in years. Why oh why did I not remember how much I LOVE weight training!?!?!? Though, admittedly, this is the first time I have followed a program this structured and intense. There is NO better feeling than putting on a pair of pants that I had hung back in the closet two weeks ago because there were too tight to wear out of the house and being able to wear them confidently to work. I am only 2 weeks into a 12 week program, and I hope I will not be a quitter this time (it tends to be my MO). I am loving how I feel and I can't wait to see where this journey goes!!!!

Heart Pounding Inspiration

This evening I was perusing my February copy of Runner's World magazine and read a brief article about three heart transplant patients that got my own heart pounding with inspiration :) When I sat down to write this post I intended to post a link to the article but it isn't one that they are including in their online magazine so you will have to just settle for my summary. The article discussed three heart transplant patients who were on-again, off-again runners before their transplants but had never run a race after their transplants until they decided to run the Carlsbad Half marathon together. Their cardiologist even ran tests to determine how hard they could push themselves during the race AND he ran WITH them! The three men not only ran Carlsbad, but La Jolla and America's Finest City for the "Triple Crown" series. They talked about knowing the amazing thing their donors (and their families) had done and feeling the presence of their donor on every step of the course. These men had to be even more mindful in their training as heart transplant patients have a higher resting heartrate and have to be aware of their strain their heart can take more than those of us who are not heart recipients.

As I read this article, my own heart sped up a bit. Organ donation is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. A very close family member (whose permission was not secured ahead of this post to include their name) is a living donor....and my hero. When I hop on the treadmill on Saturday for my long run, every beat of my heart will be dedicated to all donors, their families and the people they saved. Words cannot describe how inspiring you are and how lucky I feel to be able to push myself as a runner to be better with every step.

Organ Donors of the World - This run's for you!

XOXO - Jenn

So far so good

Well I have been sticking to my training plan for two weeks now (only missing 2 runs in that time). Its actually been going pretty well. After the first few runs I thought I was in for a world of hurt and a long climb back to the kinds of paces I was logging 7 months ago when I was really keeping up with my training. Much to my own surprise, the training runs I have been doing the last two weeks have gotten easier every run and my pace times are fairly near where I was when I was really training hard. It makes me SO sure I can acutally set a PR in March when I run my next half marathon. So....I am going to keep sticking to my training plan...logging the miles...and pushing myself to increase my speed/decrease my pace. On top of feeling better and better about my running...I am also sleeping better. Gotta love that! I am considering a 5K in early February. Will keep you posted on whether that happens and how I do.

XOXO - Jenn

Welcome to 2013 - My Own Personal "Do-Over"

There have been many a day when I have tried to dust myself off from failure and start over. And I have had many many many a false start in the past year. So here I am again...that moment when I am picking myself up to do it again. What makes this time different from the others? Well not necessarily much. I have believed before that I could really do it this time. As I do now. And I have felt good about starting to run again. As I do now. But I haven't had a real distance race on the books since the last time I was motivated. That is definitely motivating. AND I didn't have one really good piece of advice that I have now. I was listening a segment on one of those morning tv talk shows (had it on the background) and because it was getting to be New Years they were, of course, discussing how to keep a resolution. SIDEBAR: I have already decided that I am not resolving anything this year (but rather making a list of 13 things I want to this year - a bucket list for the year if you will) but was listening anyway. Most of the things the nice "expert" was saying were the same things you hear every year. But one of them hit me...and I could not believe how simple it was and how I had not considered it before!! She said to identify and remove the roadblocks that are keeping you from achieving your resolution. SO Simple!!! Almost immediately I started writing down a list of things that get in my way where training is concerned. And then took to the hard work of figuring out how to remove them from the list. Every item on the sheet was related to time. The first one (that has been an issue in the past) is getting to the gym (or home to hit the road) at a specified time. That has been hard for me in the past due to traffic and my home/work schedule. But since I moved...that has fallen into place. I don't spend nearly as much time in traffic and can now reasonably keep those appointments. The second items was the bigger one for me. My sons and their school work/after school schedules. So I crafted a training plan that takes that time into account. And I believe it is realistic. So here I go again....another start. But not a false one this time :) And as a part of that start....I am once again going to try to "catch up" and do some archive blogging because there are some entries in the last year that I wanted to write but I let excuses get in the way. Sorry to those of you who might have my blog on RSS as you will be getting "old" stories but I use this blog to some extent as a history of my running and I want to be able to reflect back on those later. Wish me luck! XOXO - Jenn

My "baby's" first 5K

Today was SO incredibly special for me. My 10 year old son ran his first 5K. We ran side by side for 3.1 miles. He was so excited to get to run with me. Months ago he had told me that he wanted to run with me. And when his school's annual 5K date was announced, I thought it was the perfect opportunity.

His PE teacher even organized a running club that met once a week for 8 weeks in order to prepare for the race. So I signed him up for the club and the race...and this morning we laced up our shoes and ran together! He had really listened to his teacher's during club and to the advise I had given him and as we started out he keep a good pace without trying to sprint right away. As a classmate of his sprinted past us at about .6 of a mile in, he yelled to her, "You have to save your energy for the end of the race." Another runner-mom looked over at me and knowingly smiled. My heart was just bursting! The first mile went by quickly and my little man did remarkably well. Just after that he wanted a "break". So I talked him into another half mile where we took a walk break at the water station. As we neared the final mile, I had to do a lot of talking to keep him in the running zone and not the walking zone. But as long as I was willing to run...so was he. :) The last tenth of a mile we ran strong...talking about how his little brother was going to be so excited to see us cross the finish line!! His pace got stronger and quicket and he literally had a spring in his step! Near the finish line...I pulled up just a bit and let him finish ahead of me. :) He was so very proud to have completed the race. And I don't think I could have been any more proud of him!!!

Later that night we went to dinner out to celebrate the accomplishment of the day. And after ordering I presented him with a medal I had ordered online. The race didn't provide medals at the finish (as most 5Ks don't) but I wanted him to have a momento of the race and his accomplishment. He showed it to anyone and everyone who would listen and look. There are many days that I am proud as a runner but today I got to be a proud runner and an even prouder mom. I am so grateful to have shared this experience and this love of mine with my son. I look forward to more running with him in the years to come and hope that this is the beginning of a lifelong passion and healthy habit for him!

XOXO - Jenn

Squeeze Play

I am really trying to be committed to my training plan. Really I am. But my schedule right now is SO busy with all things non-running related...and let's face it....I live in one of the craziest traffic locations on the planet! So I spend a LOT of time in my car driving to and from....well....everywhere! So....in an effort to try to be more committed to my running....I am trying to squeeze in a run every chance I can get. For example. This week my son had his first orchestra concert. It was on a night when I would normally run at the gym (on a treadmill-ack) after I picked up my boys. But that was out of the question. So...I took my running shoes to work....and got in a 3 mile run after I finished up working but before I had to pick up my younger son to go attend the concert. That only worked out because I got to go pick him up later since the older one was already at school for the concert and I didn't have to pick him up too. But boy was it brutal. My office is in a neighborhood that is full of crazy hills! But I did it...and that is the point. Then again today I had a slim margin of time between work and picking up my boys....and I squeezed in another 2.5 miles. And I would have squeezed in more but a nasty thunderstorm rolled in and I had to retreat to be safe. So that's where I am now....getting the miles in where I can. Soon it will be summer and a more leasurely pace will be upon me. Boy I can't wait!

XOXO - Jenn

Magical Garmin Watch

Ok so for my birthday I got a WONDERFUL gift. A Garmin Forerunner watch. Now for you non-runner folks out there...this watch uses satellites to track

the distance I have run and keep the time I have been running and let's me know the pace I am currently running at as well. Additionally it has a heart rate monitor that I can put on and keep track of my heart rate during my run as well. Truth be told, I was looking to buy a simple GPS watch for myself...but this is SOOOO much nicer!!! And apparently it is also magic :)

Magic? Yep! Today was the first day I could use my new training tool (not a toy - ok so it is definitely cool enough to be a toy). I got home from work and changed into my running gear as quickly as possible. The weather was just slightly cool and overcast. A very nice evening to get a run in. As I headed into the run, I felt good. My last couple of runs both outside and on the treadmill have felt pretty good actually so this wasn't too big a surprise. After almost a mile I looked down at my new cool watch....and could not believe that it said the time it said! How could that be? How was I going to have run a mile in less than 9 minutes? Even better...as I finished the run (some 3.5 miles later), it was just over 31 minutes since I started!! My pace was 8:54 min/mi!!!! I have NEVER run that fast!!! Love love love my magical Garmin watch and can't wait to get in another outdoor run to use it again :)

XOXO - Jenn

Life is NOT a Dress Rehearsal

This weekend I celebrated my 36th birthday. That's right, I am NOT afraid to admit that I am now closer to 40 than to 30. I am also not afraid to admit that I have learned a LOT about myself, life, happiness, and love in the last few years. Probably all of those pieces of information might have served me well during my first 30ish years of life. But I am so happy with where I am in my life and who I am, that I would not give up any of the experiences I have had....they helped make me who I am :) As a part of my birthday, I got a LOT of email from various organizations I belong to wishing me happy birthday. Most of these are nice gestures but have little or no substance (except for that great Red Box coupon) with one very big exception.

A few months back I started using SparkPeople to help me track my mileage and fitness in general in hopes of dropping some pounds and getting in better shape. The email they sent to me for my birthday was inspiring and possibly habit changing. The message they sent was a reminder of the old saying that "life is not a dress rehearsal". But it begged the question, they why do we treat it like it is? Why do we put business ahead of balance or working ahead of wellness? This message asked me to think about my life in this exact moment and shuffling my priorities this year to put health and happiness ahead of other goals that might not be as important. That really spoke to me. Late March and April were NOT good training months for me. My mileage suffered. I have been down on myself for that suffrage and losing sight of the bigger goal of the half marathon on June 2nd. The only things about running that have been positive lately are the outdoor runs I am able to do now that it is warmer and the fact that my pace time continues to get smaller even in spite of the lack of total miles. I needed a reminder like this message to give me a little push. So that message, and the gift of my new Garmin Forerunner watch (a special shout out to my amazing friend to thank you for the incredible birthday present!!!), have flipped my motivation switch. Last night I got in a great 7 mile run at a pace I am proud of (9:53) and felt fantastic! I am looking forward to the next 5 weeks of training and I head into my next half marathon. Looking to reduce my PR in the half by another 5-10 min and I now feel an increase in motivation to do it. So bring on tomorrow and my next training run! My dress rehearsal is officially over, its time for the real deal. Get busy living! :)

XOXO - Jenn

The Bridge

Ah the Seven Mile Bridge. I signed up for it....really I wanted to run it. To be able to have that experience....I truly wanted it. What I did not sign up for was the extra 1/2 mile that the leg actually was. Now you might be thinking....Jenn you just ran 9 miles (2 miles before the bridge plus the bridge) why does it make a difference? Well you answered your own question ;) The third leg of a race and for the last half mile I just kept thinking something was dreadfully wrong....where was the promised end of the bridge?

As you can tell by my intro...it was not my finest hour. The beginning of the leg felt really good. I ran confidently toward the bridge and even paused on the running trail that led under the bridge to take a sunrise picture (which turned out even better than I planned). But by 1 mile onto the bridge (with 6 miles left in the leg) my stomach pulled a nasty trick on me. I was in more pain than I have ever been in during a run. And with no van support, I just had to keep on running and convince myself that as soon as this was over I just had to kick back until we got to Key West. I was disappointed in the longer time it was taking me to complete the bridge than I had wanted to but I did try to distract myself with the amazing experience I was having. Every once in a while I would look over the edge and take in the wonder of the ocean and the gulf on either side of me (Gulf was on the right and Atlantic on the left). All in all....a slow 9.64 miles but an experience unlike any other I have ever had. Now on to the van to wait for the final four of van 1 then on to Key West!

XOXO, Jenn

Van 1 Finally Done Leg 2

I am completely honest in my blog. And I am going to keep it that way now. The last half hour of our van's "ownership" of leg 2 was truly scary. I had nodded off in the middle seat of the van while our #4 runner Robin slept in the far back. Jay, Lisa, and Mike were all awake and watching and waiting for Julia to run by us so we could give her water at about the 5 mile mark of her 8 mile leg. Shortly after I awoke from my snooze....the team was in a state of realization that something was wrong. We never saw Julia come by the van. We were parked in a fast food lot, right on the road, and had seen dozens of other runners come by. But no Julia. We called ahead to Van 2 to see if by some crazy circumstance, Julia had been much faster than we thought and she was finished the leg. She hadn't. So we drove back to the previous exchange....scouring the trail on the side of the road for her. No sign. We then turned around and went all the way to the finish and looped back again. There were parts of the runner's trail we couldn't see traveling Southbound so we had to go back North. Finally....just more than a mile out....there she was! Trucking along. How we missed her and she missed us we will never know. I am just OH SO GRATEFUL she is back with the team now! After a quick exchange on a high school track to Jon in Van 2...our van is settling in for the night. Those clearance rack sleeping bags we bought on Thursday night sure are the most comfy spot in the world right now :) Van 2 is now in control of our fate for the next 6 hours or so.....time for whatever sleep I can get. See you in the AM...probably after I conquer the 7 mile bridge....Jay has a very quick 3 miles so my time will be very short before I get after that bridge. Eep!!! How will I sleep now?? :)

XOXO - Jenn

Van 1 Nearly Done

I started writing this while sitting at a middle school somewhere in the upper keys. Robin, our #4 runner, was on the course. Her leg was 11.8 miles.  Right now Lisa has about 2 miles left. That leaves us with only Julia and 7.8 miles before we sleep.

I am happy to report that while I really didn't get to see any alligators as I headed into the Everglades...I did get to have amazing scenary. The picture I am attaching is one I stopped and took of moonrise in the Everglades.

The terrain was rough....very rocky gravel....but I so enjoyed the experience of no traffic except for the Ragnar vans.  I also enjoyed the company of a man named Tom who ran alongside me for 2 miles.  I had already passed 2 boys on the course so I was eager not to let him pass me. After a few paces he asked where I was from....leading to pleasant conversation for the last 2 miles and my mind off the logistics of the run itself. Hope I see him again on the bridge in the am.  I finished that 4.89 mile run in 54:10. That's slightly faster than my first leg...and I am hoping to improve on it in the last leg.  More in the AM.

XOXO - Jenn

Van 1 Back in Action

After some well earned food and a brief snooze on the concrete at the Homestead Motor Speedway...Van 1 has taken over again. Jay is running strong....inching me closer to my date with the gators :). I am feeling pretty rested and ready to go...and hoping to make up some time this leg.  More later about the other team we are racing against :). For now....hope you enjoy the picture of my Leg 2 t shirt :)

XOXO - Jenn

Van 1 2/3 Done Leg 1

Our fifth runner Lisa took to the course about 10 min ago. That makes us 2/3 done our first leg. We had to be up super early (left the hotel at 430 am) to get our safety lecture and start our lead runner at 6.

This year I am runner 2 so there was not much time to watch and wait because as soon as thevrace started I was on deck. Before I knew it...Jay was slapping the exchange bracelet on me and I was off for a 4.4 mile tour if some sketchy parts of Miami. I really enjoyed the comradery I got to have with several of the runners along the way.  Its one of the best things about this race....people from all over the country who share a love of running and adventure!

The run was interesting....a section of town that was not the safest...some stomach issues that slowed me down....and a pedestrian bridge that required me to climb up 2 flights of stairs!! :). I finished up in 49:20 minutes. Slower than I would have liked by about 4 minutes. I plan to make that up in the everglades tonight :).

More updates soon!

XOXO - Jenn

The Time Has Come

It is now 430 AM and my team (van 1 any way) is on our way to the start line for our security briefing.  Our first runner, Jay will kick us iff at 6 AM.  Along the way I will be updating this blog, my twitter feed, and facebook status. My team will also be updating our twitter and flickr accounts. I hope you will enjoy our updates and progress in the race. I look forward to catching up with all of you when we return :)

Jenn's Updates:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/jspon0707
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jsponheimer

Team Updates:
Twitter - http://twitter.com/MDAthleticAssoc
Twitter - http://twitter.com/TheMDAA
Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/TheMDAA

XOXO - Jenn

100 Mile Finish and 10 Year Old Pride

Yesterday was fantastic!!! I ran a 5K in 32:34....not a personal record (PR) but a time I am happy with. The weather was beautiful and for the last day in December....it was actually kind of warm. I was lucky enough to have my parents come down for the race. They drove out with my boys and I and then took part in the family festivities that the race organizers had set up while I ran. There is nothing quite like having my two little boys standing on the sidelines scouring the crowd of runners for their mom. I ran by them at the start and they were both so excited when I took them by surprise and shouted out to them. That definitely gave me a little extra shot of energy as I took off for the race :)

There wasn't much very memorable about the race itself. The course was relatively flat with just a few gentle hills. There was a good size pool of runners but not so many that I felt crowded. I even took this race as the opportunity to try out the new water belt I got for Christmas. I didn't need it for a 5K but I will certainly need it for the 7 mile bridge next week so I thought I would give it a try and get used to the way it feels and the extra weight. It was absolutely perfect. Not too much weight even with 4 full bottles....didn't get in the way of my arm swing.....and didn't move around while I ran. Should be all set for the bridge :)

Towards the end of the race, there was a point where they were directing the 10K runners off to one side and the 5K runners to the other. It was so strange to not be running the longer distance. I have always run the longer distance. This day....I just went for the shorter....got my 100 miles and greeted my excited children at the finish line. I was so pleased to have my boys standing before the finish. They both spotted me early enough to put out their hands for me to "high five". I was really moving toward the end. Sprinting to get across the finish quickly. I had a moment where I worried I would high five one and not the other. But I got them both :) After crossing the finish, I quickly moved to the side and into the crowd looking for their little faces. They ran up to me and both threw their arms around me to hug me! My 10 year old looked up at me and said he was so proud of me! That's when the tears came. I had thought that I would cross the finish line and tear up at the idea that I had actually run 100 miles this year. But that passed without much emotion. Maybe its because I was trying to get that PR and lost sight of the 100 miles temporarily. Or maybe its because I was focused on seeing my boys at the finish. Who knows? But I do know how amazing it felt to have my son understand what I had done that day....that year....and be proud of me. New goals for the new year to come in another post later this week. For today....just basking in what I did this year.

XOXO - Jenn

Stomach Knotting Excitement

In 14 hours I will run a 5K that is monumental in my life's journey.

Ok wow that statement is big.....could it really be true????

To me.....yes it is very much true...and in multiple ways. New Years is a time when we all get reflective and resolute. Some of us ponder all the things in our lives that we don't so much like....and make resolutions to make them better. The one I made last year wasn't that kind of resolution. It was one that was designed to push me to be more than I was at the moment I made it. I had found running in 2010.....and used it as a way to help drop weight and feel more healthy. I started training in August for the Ragnar Relay in January of 2011. In the process of taking on that much running.....running helped me find myself. So last New Year's Eve I made a resolution that would help me continue to challenge myself all year. I resolved that I was going to run 100 miles "competitively" in 2011.

How many of us keep those resolutions though? Every January I am cursing all the people who resolved to lose weight and invade my gym and keep me from my treadmill. And by mid-February they have all given up and I have my gym back. And as far as resolutions are concerned....I am usually one of those people. (Although the gym wasn't ever one of my resolutions) :) But this year was different.

Tomorrow morning I will lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement in Ashburn, VA at a race called Ringing in Hope (kind of appropriate). And when I cross that finish line, I will have completed just over 101 miles in 2011. I feel so much excitement over that. This will be the first New Year's resolution I have EVER kept! I pushed myself to run distances I never used to imagine. I remember just contemplating a 5K and thinking how far it felt. Now when I am training, I run a 5K as a MINIMUM distance. This race will not only mark the challenge of the last year of my life, but will celebrate me as a runner. A word I would never have imagined using when describing myself. And more importantly, it will celebrate my accomplishment. One that is representative of all I have overcome in my life since I found running just by simply pushing myself to be more than I am in the moment. Just like I do every time I lace up my shoes.

Thank you for your continued interest in my journey. I am so happy to share it with all of you.

XOXO - Jenn

Let the Countdown Begin

No not until Christmas Day....although if you ask my 10 year old....there are only 4 days left :) I am talking about the countdown to the Ragnar Relay from Miami to Key West with 12 crazy Team MDAA members!! Only 15 days remain until I am in a van for 2 days with 5 of my craziest runner friends!

The next part of my post has mixed emotions for me. I am excited to tell you about the change in my runner position and the new routes I will get to see as I run this year. But the reason for me changing positions is a sad one. Unfortunately, due to an injury, one of our veteran Mia-KW runners had to drop out this year :( Jeff's presence will definitely be missed this year in Van 1. As a result of his need to drop out, I asked to change to his runner position. Jeff had been runner #2 with a very cool slate of routes for this year. While the total mileage is actually less than I was supposed to run, it is still 18 miles (2 more than I ran last year).

I am beyond excited for these new routes. The first leg of the race that I will be responsible for is 4.4 miles through the city of Miami. Admittedly, there isn't really much that excites me about this leg. Its on running trails, near a city, and I will likely be running around 7 AM. But it will be a good way to start the race :) The second leg is an entirely different animal. And yes, I intended that to be a pun. Why?? Because my second leg of the race will be 4.7 miles total, of which 3.5 will be on the Everglades Trail. Get the pun now? Oh yes...that's right....gators! Jeff and another teammate (Mike) ran this section last year and we did pull over and get out of the van to try to spy gators....and oh yes we did! I am entirely NOT worried about gators actually being near me when I run.....its just a VERY cool concept! Don't ya think? And finally my last leg of the race is a 9.1 mile stint across the famous 7 mile bridge!!!!

I can't believe I get to run the distance of this bridge. So cool. Just check it out! (photo courtesy of Daniel Schwen)

Needless to say, I am excited about the race. I am still coming up short on my fundraising....so any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. To donate, visit this page :) Thanks for your continued interest and encouragement!

XOXO - Jenn

Color Me Disappointed

Sorry for the quiet....but I was wallowing in my disappointment for a few days. I was SOOOO excited on Friday when I was preparing for crossing the finish line of the 5K I found as well as completing my first New Year's Resolution ever. But alas.....it didn't happen :( I got up early enough....ate all my race morning food....was dressed for the weather....and even had a friend's borrowed GPS so I would be able to find the race without any confusion. Set myself up for success! Then I got to Arlington for the race. And that's where my streak of good luck ended. The tiny parking lot did not have room to accomodate all the runners. Ok no problem, I thought to myself, still plenty of time to find parking. Uh no...fail. By the time I found parking and then sprinted (or rather let's call it a warm up) to the start line/packet pickup....the race had already started. That's not a deal breaker though. When you are racing, you get a timing chip, so you start when you start and finish when you finish and they let you know your time. I dashed to the registration table (there was no early packet pickup for this event, you just got your stuff on race morning) and asked for my number and swag bag. (I figured its only 3 miles, I will just run with the bag). This is where the final thread of disappointment took root. The woman at the registration table told me that my registration wasn't good for racing, just casually running the course. I looked at her like was some kind of mythological creature with multiple heads. I must have looked like a puppy trying to understand a high pitched sound because I am sure I tilted my head in just that way dogs do. She repeated. I am unsure of how the rest of the conversation went because I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and I just wanted to finish speaking with her without letting her see them. I got my "swag bag" complete with T-shirt and returned to my car to drive home.

You might be asking yourself why I didn't just run? Well the point of this race was to get my last 100 miles of competitive running. If they weren't giving me a race number or an offical time.....its not competitive....it's a training run. I could have just gone and done the training run. Might have made me feel better. But I couldn't. It stung too much. I went to my car, called my dad, and sobbed :( My supportive daddy told me that whatever I needed to do to get my 100 miles in, he and my mom would help in whatever way they could. So....I went home....found another race....and registered. See you on Dec 31st in Ashburn. I will ring in the New Year celebrating my accomplishment from the old year.

Special thanks to my dad. He and my mom are amazing! I couldn't not ask for better parents, friends or supporters. I know I am a lucky girl!!

XOXO - Jenn

First Time Resolution-Keeper

In February I publicly declared my resolution for 2011 in this post. I had resolved to run 100 miles "competitively". After the Hot Chocolate 15K I ran last Saturday, I am now 1.96 miles from that goal. I had planned to run a 5K on New Year's Eve, thinking it would be a nice way to bookend the year (my first race was the Ragnar last year starting on the 6th of Jan) and complete my goal at the same time. But a good friend pointed out to me that December weather is unpredictable. How upset would I be if I got to within 2 miles of my goal and wasn't able to complete it due to inclement weather. That comment definitely struck a cord with me. So early in the week I scoured the internet resources I use for finding races and found myself a 5K that happens THIS Saturday. I am now less than 24 hours from keeping my first New Year's Resolution EVER! I am thrilled!!! Can't wait to share with you how the race goes....I am aiming for a personal best (PB) tomorrow as a way to ever further celebrate my accomplishment. See you on the other side of my resolution completion!! :)

XOXO-Jenn

The Run for Chocolate

There are two different ways I could write this entry about the "Hot Chocolate" race I ran this past Saturday. I could spend the post complaining about the race organization and the "epic fail" that the event has been described as by runners and media sources in DC. Or I could tell you about my personal experience and how I had an incredible race and a great time with my friends. Knowing me the way you probably do by now....you know I will choose the more positive one :)

So....I got up at the crack on dawn on Saturday morning....after going to bed later than I planned and not sleeping all together too well. I donned my running gear (complete with new running leggings under my shorts to keep warm) and made myself my normal race morning breakfast. For those of you that don't know....that's a cup of coffee, peanut butter bagel thin and a banana. I had laid out all my race day materials the night before but went through my mental checklist anyway and made sure I had everything I needed. I even had enough time to add one more "new" song to my running playlist on my ipod before I set out to meet up with my friends.

By 6:30 AM I was in Julia's car along with Sue and we were on our way to the National Harbor to arrive early enough for Sue to do the 5K (Julia and I were running the 15K which had a later start time). The 7 miles we had to travel from our meet up spot took WAY longer than it should have. All this thanks to accidents, road closures, and heavy traffic all funneling into the National Harbor....which was so not able to handle the 20,000 runners that were allowed to register for the race. We got there so close to the 5K start that Sue actually had to jump out of the car before we parked. Turns out they delayed the start so long that she didn't really have to....but we didn't know that at the time.

It was COLD Saturday morning (36 degrees when we got to the start line) but I didn't feel cold after our brisk nearly 2 mile walk to the start line. And that would have been perfect....except things went terribly terribly wrong on race morning for the organizers....and the 15K started over an HOUR late! The time went by quickly though because Julia and I chatted with one another and with other runners but in the meantime....my muscles stiffened up and when the race finally started....my shins and calves really hurt. So we waited quite a while....but finally we got to run. The first 4 miles went by in a breeze...well except for the tightness in my calves. But with Julia by my side....I just kept chugging along. As we got nearer to the 5 mile mark though....the sense of impending doom that was the long uphill climb started to settle in. I walked a lot of that hill. :) And when I got nearly to the top (at the 5 mile mark) I checked the running app on my phone for our pace. We were near 10:30 and there was a very sweet text message I had received since the start wishing me luck. That made me smile and helped me push on. We came around another half mile and returned to the starting line. But at this point we were just more than half way done. The half mile downhill went by SO quickly. We just let out legs go and flew! I was weaving in and out of other runners....eager to take advantage of the momentum. And at the bottom of that hill...at the 6 mile mark...I started to run out of gas. Julia reminded me about the Clif Energy Shot I had in my pocket. We had both taken one at the 5K mark and it was about time for another. I quickly squirted it into my mouth and by mile 7 I knew it had hit me. After the race Julia said she could tell when it had hit me too....that I just took off :) We kept on...winding up and down more hills and along the harbor by the water. Nearing the 8 mile mark we passed a volunteer who cheered us on like a former drill sargeant might. It was encouraging. And Julia pushed me to push hard til we crossed the 8 mile. In that moment I might have uttered "I hate you" to her under my breath. LOL Now we were in the final push. Whenever I get inside the 2 mile mark I always have these moments in my head where I start the logic. Its just 2 miles....I do that in my sleep. Here we were with only 1 1/4 left and the last 1/2 mile all uphill.

While I loved that hill between 5 and 6 when we got to fly all downhill....I knew it would be tough on the way back. I was WAY too in my head about that hill....I was dreading it too much. And when we flew through the tunnel and around the corner to where we could see the finish line. I knew it was time to hit that hill. I walked some of it. But Julia was there....cheering me on that we were almost there. We crossed the 9 mile threshold and there was the finish line ahead. They were calling out runners names...and I didn't hear mine but it didn't matter....I couldn't wait to cross and be done. And when I looked down at that phone app after we got our water. I nearly jumped for joy (okay I actually did later).....not only had we beaten the 1 hour 45 min time I wanted to finish in....I had set a personal best pace time for any race greater than 5K!!!

I didn't get any chocolate the day I ran for chocolate....but I got something better. A personal best pace time. Another great run with a great new friend. And our own personal after party with Julia and Sue. Both of these ladies are on my Ragnar team that will run 200 miles in January. I cannot wait!!!