Blustery 15k

On this bone-chilling windy Saturday (partial sun and a rather warm-ish 45° starting temp turned brutal by strong gusts of wind if you were not in motion sweatin' it up), Rosanna and I ran the Badgerland Strider's Lakefront Discovery Run (LDR) 15k (9.3 miles.). This race is a Milwaukee favorite with repeat runners year after year, as evidenced by a plethora of past racing shirts found in the crowd. The LDR is well known and loved for it's incredibly cool, creative long sleeve tech t-shirts that have a Halloween theme, often coupled with a topical theme. This year's shirt (see previous post - though our shirts are actually a light orange with a thick black strip along the underside of the arms and the side of the torso, with the much-coveted thumb hole feature) highlights a ghost riding a Harley as a nod to the summer's 105th Harley Davidson celebration.

The race course, changed for the better in 2012, follows an incredibly scenic path beginning in the Historic Third Ward near the Italian Community Center, to Harbor Drive (that name is self-explanatory, right?), beside beautiful Lake Michigan (where I kept my eye on a distant sailboat), up the Kenwood hill, into Lake Park, through the park to the a pedestrian bridge crossing over Lincoln Memorial Drive, along the Lagoon, between the backside of the Milwaukee Art Museum and the churning lake, onto the Summerfest Island, and back to the Third Ward.

It was a PR race for both Rosanna and myself. This was Rosanna's first 15k, so by default she would PR, but that said, she came in with an awesome finishing time given her abbreviated training schedule. While I technically PR'd with a 1:33:12 finish (10:01 pace), this isn't a perfect PR as the course was different from the last time I ran this race, and you need to compare exact routes to have the most accurate (and for me, fulfilling) PR. I expected to run faster than I did (my first 5 miles were at a great 9:32 - 9:50 pace), so I was a little disappointed at the end, feeling my PR wasn't good enough. Then Rosanna talked some sense into me ... I mean really, I had a serious PR, why can't I accept that? Plus, this race was being run as a training run for my half next month. Crossing the finish line we were given an orange plastic beer stein with the same design as our race shirts, since tradition dictates collecting a free beer at the Milwaukee Ale House post-race. I filled my mug with chips and cookies, rather than beer (like gag me with a spoon!)☺

Overall, it was a great race experience. I ran strong, and walked away from the race with no tightness or sore spots. The one and only glitch was being stopped by police at the top of Kenwood hill to let traffic through. I have run over 50 races and have never ever been stopped because of traffic. While I thought to myself, "Are you fucking kidding me?! You're ruining my finishing time!", others said it out loud. I have to admit the break was nice, and I did stop my Garmin so I would have an accurate race result, but when the official results are posted, those of us stopped by the cops will not have that time deducted, and will suffer the unjustness of it all over again when we see the slower clocked times. It's probably best not to look for the online results, take my 1:33 PR and look ahead to my 5th and final half of 2013!

Rápido

My heart, lungs, muscles and brain continue their harmonious quartet, working together to move me along more swiftly than I've ever moved before. Every run is new and exciting because I'm breaking personal records and catching a glimpse of what it must be like to be Joe - finishing long runs in a reasonable time instead of slogging away for hours (though Joe is still much faster). Yesterday, I ran a familiar 10-mile route on city streets (I'm already missing the trails) and finished 7.5 minutes faster than the last time I ran this route in May (at which time I had logged my best time on this route), posting a 9:42 pace! There was a time when I was grateful to run less than an 11-minute mile, then a time when I was exuberant over anything under 10:30 minute miles. I'm sure there will be a time when I'm recalling how great a 9:42 pace was (when I'm running a 9:00 pace!). Next Saturday, Rosanna and I will race in the Lakefront Discovery Run 15k (9.3 miles), along Lake Michigan, and though I'm treating this as a training run for my November half marathon, I fully expect to PR, blasting my 2010 results into oblivion :) 

Everest or Bust!

Several weeks ago I received an email from REI announcing the chance to win one of seven adventure trips. Each adventure is to a primo destination where hiking, biking, kayaking and/or other activities occur, in places such as the Galápagos Islands, Croatia, Zion National Park...and the Himalayas! You can register for the trip of your choice daily until 10/31, which is exactly what I'm doing every morning before taking off for the gym. It would be sooooooo awesome to win this trip. Read a bit about it and tell me it isn't meant for Joe and me!

"The incomparable beauty of the Himalayas has long beckoned the world's adventurers to Nepal. Our classic route combines simple, rustic accommodations with must-see sites while still allowing time to venture to secluded villages seldom visited by most trekkers.

Explore Khumjung, whose monastery houses a mysterious relic said to be the skull of a Yeti. Trek onward to Thame, home to one of the region's oldest monasteries, seemingly growing out of the mountainside. We pass through vast rhododendron forests and enter Tengboche Monastery, the largest and most active in the region, where evening brings the strange and hypnotic sounds of the traditional chant, thundering drums, and resounding horns of the Buddhist monks who live here.

Throughout our trek we encounter spectacular views of Mount Everest and other Himalayan peaks before returning to Kathmandu, where we have more time to discover the rich Buddhist and Hindu cultures of this ancient city. Soak in the magic of Nepal on this unique and unforgettable lodge to lodge trek with REI."

Important Notice: Day 1 is the day you should plan to arrive at the meeting point for the trip. This may require departing your hometown one or more days in advance and traveling on an overnight flight.

Everest Lodge to Lodge Trek Itinerary:

 Day 1 Namaste and welcome to vibrant Kathmandu!

• Day 2 Explore Swayambunath Temple, Boudhanath Temple, and Durbar Square.
• Day 3 Fly to Lukla where our trek begins and hike to Phakding village.
• Day 4 Journey along the Dudh Koshi River to Namche Bazaar.
• Day 5 Day hike to our first spectacular views of Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse.
• Day 6 Ascend further to Tengboche Monastery, with spectacular Everest views.
• Day 7 Descend to the historic and quaint Sherpa village of Khumjung.
• Day 8 Trek off the beaten path through remote villages to secluded Thame.
• Day 9 Explore Thame's hillside monastery and return to bustling Namche Bazaar.
• Day 10 Descend the Dudh Kosi River valley to Phakding through.
• Day 11 Complete the descent to Lukla and celebrate with your trekking crew.
• Day 12 Return flight from Lukla to Kathmandu, weather permitting.
• Day 13 Free day to explore more highlights of the Kathmandu Valley.
• Day 14 Our Everest lodge to lodge trekking adventure ends today in Kathmandu.

Kissing the Devil

After resisting the siren's call to join the 21st century for many years, I gave up on my 1999 Nokia flip phone (complete with an antenna), this week for the awesome iPhone 5c. My friend Diane, a long time Apple supporter, advised me that getting an iPhone would be like kissing the devil - there is no turning back. Not only did I kiss the devil, I am making out with the devil, unable to conceive of how I fully lived without an iPhone. Yes, I may be overstating my love of this groovy device, but it's to make the point of just how cool it is. I love telling the phone to call someone, to email someone, to find me such-n-such information and have it instantly pop up. I love checking my emails and Facebook for  brief moments during the day rather than spending 30 minutes at home after work catching up with stuff. Has this technology complicated my life? No! It's making it easier, more efficient and fun. Most of all, I love having an 8 mega pixel picture taking ability anytime, anywhere, posting those pics to family and friends in an instant. The phone can be a flashlight, a GPS system, a calendar with reminders, a music box (just plug headphones in), etc. Let's not forget all the cool apps you can upload (love having my FitBit on here), including mobile banking apps that allow you to deposit checks by taking a picture of your check - no more ATM 's or brick and mortar banks for me. And then there is texting, something I'd never done until this past week. Not my favorite activity, mainly because the phone's keyboard is so small and my fingers so clumsy, but I can even see the benefits of texting capabilities at times, though I think I still prefer email. So, I am plugged into 2013 and if you're plugged in too, you can reach me anytime by email, text, FB or phone at 262-914-1123. 

Colorama

Danielle, Heather, Me, Marisa, Mom, Lucy

Every couple years I get the itch to run the Colorama 10k at Lapham Peak. It's always the first Saturday of October with weather as varied as spring. This week, my assembled group of runners watched every weather forecast closely, as storms with "heavy downpours Saturday morning" were predicted. Heavy rains would make the steep trails, loose with rocks, slick with leaves and treacherous with ankle twisting walnuts, a dangerous undertaking. Hoping against hope that the storms would be delayed until the afternoon, we awoke this morning in our separate locations - Mukwanago, Oak Creek, Waukesha, West Allis, Milwaukee - to fog and humidity, but no rain!

Running the 10k would be me and my supervisor, Danielle. Running (or walking) the 5k would be Heather, my mom, Marisa & Lucy. Once again, my summer of trail running yielded results. I finished with a nearly 5 minute PR from previous years!!! I posted a 1:06:07 - a 10:39 mile pace. My best pace on this 88 floor course in years past was an 11:23. Danielle, talked into this race despite her doubts, greatly improved her pace from the last trail 10K I strong armed her into (and a 60# weight loss since that last race no doubt helped!). My mom took 2nd place in the 5k in the Women's 70-79 Division, finishing in 48:36. Of course there were only 2 people in that division, but she beat Marisa and Lucy by close to 6 minutes, a nod to all of her hard training (with a knee replacement and stent to boot!). And though Marisa was beat by her grandma, this was a major feat for her as well. Getting over her Christmas Day heart attack, tackling rising mental fears when her heart rate increases and navigating the uneven, steep and rocky terrain was a PR of another kind for her. Everyone succeeded today.

And the predicted rains? About an hour after I was tucked into the comforts of home, the sky grew black and unleashed torrential rains that flooded streets and relieved trees of their leaves. Timing is everything ☺ 

I'm headed back to the streets now for training specificity (meaning you train for the conditions you'll be racing in), as I prepare for my 15k later this month and the final half marathon of the year in November.

BAM!

The Fall of 2011 had me running my strongest and fastest ... until I overdid it and pulled a hammie. I took about 6 weeks to heal from that, began running again, with much endurance lost, probably overdid the training again (because I felt the pressure of time to be ready for our Moab Half Marathon - remember the race that we won the lottery to be awarded a spot?), and  by Spring 2012, I developed mild Plantar Fasciitis in the right foot and pseudo knee-crippling IT Band Syndrome on the left side, requiring physical therapy. I was healed, strengthened and running without injury by July 2012, but the fits and stops had left me woefully behind my peak performances of 2011. As 2012 came to close and 2013 fired up, I was making some small gains, but began feeling I had reached the pinnacle of my running success in 2011 and would have to begin accepting my averageness - just be grateful to be running at all. And then...BAM! My carefully plotted out training - meaning the types of runs I do (i.e. tempo runs,long runs, speed drills at 400 meter intervals, hill work), as well as with my weight training - began yielding results, noted in 2 of my 3 spring half marathons, and in faster and faster "easy" paces on the treadmill - results to keep me motivated and hopeful for further improvements, but not crazy significant results either. And then...BAM! In the past 1-2 weeks I've crossed a threshold and am running faster and stronger than ever before - way better than 2011. I've just come off a week where each run was a PR (personal record), which has built my confidence in the training, making me realize the results of late are not a fluke. I'm set for future race PR's, and maybe a year from now, I will be detailing paces 30-60 seconds faster than what I post today.  Here's what a better running Joy looks like.

• Minooka Trail Run -7 miles. Last week I hammered this out at 10:24 pace. Just 6 weeks earlier I had logged a 10:44 pace and that was the best I'd ever done. This exact route once took me an 11:25 pace to complete.
• Treadmill Tempo Run - 5 miles. Last week I reached my personal best in a tempo run, finishing with a 9:12 pace.
• Rosanna Run - 3 miles. Our standard early morning run was done with sore legs in the darkened fog at a 9:46 pace. We used to be as slow as an 11:00 pace, and in recent times, had a 10:15 pace as our best.
• Lookout Drive - Hartwell Hill Route - 4 miles. Before Joe's surgery, I smoked this familiar neighborhood loop - a hillacious course that I averaged a 9:37 pace on. Earlier this summer, my best time on this loop was a 10:01.
• Minooka Trail Run - 8 miles. Just 3 seconds slower than the 7-miler the previous week. Finished at a 10:27 pace, which is awesome, since I had additional hills in the park for this slightly longer distance.
• Neighborhood - 5 miles. My best 5-miler outside ever. 9:34 pace. BAM!