The Walnut Creek Half Marathon Tune-up

When it's 30 degrees and 5 am, it's pretty tempting to crawl back into bed and skip out on a race. But, luckily I had someone to join in on the “fun-orture” (as she called it). Heather Tanner was waiting for me at the Walnut Creek Marriot and we were both hoping for a good workout. So, I met her in my eighty layers and we ran the three miles to the starting line as a warm-up. The starting line felt a heck of a lot colder and I was tempted to keep my two long sleeve shirts and pants on. But, I stripped down, shivering, and goose-bumped covered (I know I grew-up in Northern Michigan, but dang, cold weather is hard to motivate in!).

Heather and I headed out at a comfortable pace and it took me a good 5 miles to feel my fingers. I just followed Heather, having a few temptations every now and then to stop, but the cold weather worked as a deterrent. After getting through the first few miles, I felt a good groove. I was surprised by the mile plus climb that lead us from mile 5 upwards. I had to laugh as I had told Heather earlier that morning that it looked like a super mellow climb --- for a road race, no, but for a trail race, yes. I know both of us were starting to wonder when it would stop climbing. Finally at the turn around, I caught up to Heather. She informed me that we had run a 7:40 and now were on pace for a 5:40. That’s quite a swing in mile splits for a road half-marathon!

The cold air was pretty brutal and I still feel like my lungs are recovering. Heather and I stayed side by side until mile 10ish and then we stayed within a few strides. It was the first half-marathon where I finished and felt content. It didn’t feel hard, it didn’t feel stressful --- it was actually fun. I finished in 1:23:40, my slowest road half-marathon to date (but based on results, looks like the climbing added about 4 minutes to times --- so I am bound for 1:19s!), and Heather was right behind in 1:23:52 (results). Heather and I agreed that it was our best pre-trials workout to date. After a quick hug at the finish, we loaded the layers back on and resumed running while chatting about life.

The Walnut Creek Half Marathon was a confidence booster. It was great to be out on the pavement, stress free, and physically strong and healthy. I could have used another 10 degrees, but I am incredibly grateful to have friends like Heather to remind me why I like to run, a foot that has stopped being a pain in the arse, and a warm hat and arm sleeves.

Some Frustration

I have not written a word in months. But, I don’t like being pessimistic, and over the past three months, I just don’t feel like my body has been cooperating. It is difficult to stay positive when it seems like it is one darn thing after another. At the end of September, I got a good old case of plantar fasciitis. I refused to let it hold me back. I raced San Jose ½ feeling each darn heel strike. It continues to come and go, but acupuncture, icing, and downward dogs have been the most successful at keeping it mostly content. So, I keep going, and I end up straining my opposite calf. I spend time in the pool and within a week or so I am able to run again. Then, I struggle with this horrible aching and cramping in my legs for a handful of weeks. I back off, skip a ton of workouts, and just focus on getting back to what I love --- running through the Redwoods.

Things were starting to feel good. My legs were happy and my foot wasn’t complaining, and then bam this last Thursday night I woke-up with excruciating back pain, which sent me to ER. Luckily, it looked like it was just some weird tweak, completely unrelated to running. Who knows maybe I was demonstrating something poorly at work, or lifted something oddly, or just slept awkward, but non-the-less, I have had a few moments of wanting to throw in the towel. I am frustrated. I used to be better at listening to my body. I used to run purely on feel, which is easy to do when you’re cruising over rocks and roots, knowing that your watch really doesn’t equate to effort especially with steep climbs, mud, and all those other fun obstacles. But I’ve been anxious over the past few months. I don’t want to be disappointed at the trials. I start to lose confidence as I miss another workout, cut my mileage for the week, or I don’t hit those 6-minute miles during a tempo run. And this doubt just makes me tenser (so no wonder I keep ending up hurt). It has been more difficult to listen to my body, back off, and realize that I can’t control what will happen on January 14th.

So, this is why I have been quiet. I am trying to find that balance between running in the woods and clicking away evenly paced miles. I am trying to push my body differently, but not push it until it breaks. I’ve been reminding myself constantly that the reason I wake-up and run is because I love it, not because I want to hit a certain time (although I know how good this feels). And, I keep reminding myself that good races have come when I least expect them and that if I can continue to smile and enjoy the adventures, I will do my best on each given day. And ultimately, disappointment typically fuels the next race --- so, plain and simple, I will keep waking up and lacing up my shoes. And if there are days that I can’t, I’ll do my best to express my frustration, take some deep breaths, and hop in the pool or go for a relaxing walk. Bumps in the road, but I am determined…

And, honestly, I really am looking forward to some more time on the trails in 2012.