25 K Grand Rapids, Michigan, Riverbank Run

The Riverbank Run weekend was awesome as usual! 

The 5K started at 7:00 so I got to watch the race before my race which started at 8:20.  I was cuted out when I saw my daughter Andrea and her boyfriend Adam running hard and holding hands and I had to wipe away tears as my 15 year old nephew Jordon proudly ran by and waved. What an accomplishment for him!

I wasnt able to watch my hubby Don start the 10K.  I had to kiss him goodbye and wish him a good race as he went off with my brother-in-law Dave and my daughter Esther's boyfriend Jesse who were also doing the 10K.  My daughter looked very worried as Jesse had never done a 10K before.  He did great finishing in 55 minutes.

Ed and I had to head to the 25K start.  I was happy with my 2:22 finish but it wasnt as easy as I thought it was going to be.  I thought 25 would be a breeze but it still felt hard at the end and the last kilometer was still brutal.  Also I felt sick after the finish and had to sit down.  The finish in Michigan is really exciting because you come around a corner and then come into the downtown area and the streets are just packed with people.  I tried really hard looking for my family but couldnt find them.  What a dissapointment!  Turns out they saw me and were yelling my name!  Well at least they saw me.  Despite that I had a great race and really enjoyed it.

Don's mom did the 5K walk and finished strong but there was no one there at the finish because the timing of the races and coordinating alll the spectating can get very complicating.  She didnt find everyone else for an hour.  She managed to watch Ed and I finish even though WE didnt see her. We need a spectator coordinator!

We were all happy with our times and had a great race.  I also learned some things for the marathon.  First I 'm going to wear something that stands out so my family can see me and Im going to have them hold something so I can see them.   Also I am going to have to learn to like gels or powerbars because eating 2 hours before the race is not taking me through the race. 

We all celebrated with delicious meals by our hosts Barb and Dave!

Running on my 50th Birthday

Every birthday I go for a birthday run and reflect on my life.  This year is special because I turned 50!  I still cant believe it!  I dont feel any different.  It freaks me out!  Anyways I had a great 10K run.  I stopped to smell all the lilacs that I passed.  My favourite flower.  I passed a park and thought about my children.  I got teary eyed as I thought about how thankful I am for them. I thought of all my 50 years lived  the ones I treasure most are my stay-at-home-mom days.  They werent easy days but they were wonderful days.  I felt to thankful for my husband who worked so hard so I could stay home with them.  And then when they were all in school and he worked 2 jobs so I could go back to school, which he would have loved to do himself. 

My 10K went so fast and easy and I felt so strong and healthy. I felt so thankful to the Lord that I can run and so thankful for my family.  The Lord willing I will be able to enjoy running for many more years.  Then I will enjoy running with Jesus where the streets have no name.

Last Long Run Before The Races

I did my last long practice run before the marathon on Sunday.  32K.  I felt terrible after this run.  I could barely stand up afterwards while talking to Ed.  I felt lightheaded and nauseas.  Well I learned do not add salt to my granola bar or take Tylenol muscle and joint pain pills or stay up late the night before the marathon.  The combination of these things made me feel very crappy. When I took my shower I ended up sitting down.

Just a few more days till the Riverbank Run.  I cant wait. Tuesday I did a fun 10K and didnt even take my watch.  It felt so easy.  What a great feeling.  Tonight I did weights and 5K on the treadmill and then thats it till the race Saturday - 25K. 

And now I really want to go to bed. As soon as Im done icing my shins. 

Longest Practice Run

I survived my longest training run last Sunday.  I had too many things to do Saturday so I had to do it on a Sunday by myself.  10K route x 3,  plus 6K route = 36K!  According to the Running Room marathon schedule, their longest run before the marathon is a 32K.  When I did the marathon 10 years ago I did 40K.  So this is somewhere in between. 

I find doing loops makes it go faster.  After the first two 10K loops I thought wow, only one more to go plus a quick 6K, no sweat.  You see its a head thing.  You psych yourself up for it.  After the first 20K though I felt fatigued and my legs felt very crampy and stiff.  I ate a peanut butter granola bar and that helped alot.  Ed says salt helps with cramping so this week Im going to try adding some salt to the peanut butter on the granola bar.  Its better than what Ed did at one race.  He just downed a package of salt!  Yuck! 

The last 6K were brutal plus it was really windy.  I took 2 Ibuprofen.  I wanted to experiment with this and see if it helps or affects my stomach.  It did relieve the pain and stiffness in my legs enough to get me sprinting at the end of my run, but it was still painful, just not limping, stupid painful.  Maybe it will be enough to do those extra 6 K I need to do.  This weekend I am going to try Tylenol Muscle & Joint Pain.  Ed says Tylenol is safer.  Ed has lots of experience.  He's run over 15 marathons!  Anyways I will only take pain killers at the end of the race if needed. 

This weekend Im doing my long run with Ed.  We are doing 32K and then we are supposed to taper.  Which works out good because the week after we are doing the 25K Riverbank Run in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I cant wait.  I love that run, the spectators are awesome!  At one point in the race you have a football team and cheerleaders cheering for you with poms poms and drums!  Its so cool!  We go with Don's family and everyone gets involved.  We've been doing this for over 10 years! 

The next weekend will be a 16K tempo run and then the next weekend is the marathon!! Yikes!  Well I did 36K and I didnt die.