First Hike with Puppy! :-)

Another week has come and gone without much running on my part.  Grocery shopping, puppy obedience classes and just plain old being tired all conspired to make running difficult.  I have to admit though that these are really excuses.  I could have found the time, I just couldn't find the energy.

Tuesday I had a massage after work.  Oh my goodness it was glorious!  Wendie has a gift!  She knew about my fall during the trail run.  Combined with the fall at school a couple of weeks before my back and neck were sore!  She concentrated on my back and neck for the entire hour.  Oh glorious pain that leads to feeling better!  She has magic hands.  I felt so much better and other than a twinge now and then the difference has been amazing!  That was money very well spent!

Friday we went to look for a new bike for me.  Since I don't have my friend Betsy's bike anymore for reasons outside of my control it is time for me to finally give in and get my own bike.  We went to Peak Sports in Corvallis and I got to test drive several sizes and types of bikes.  Every time I get on a bike I remember how much fun it is and how much I loved riding my bike as a kid.  I narrowed it down to two bikes but one was too small.  So they are building up a larger version of the same bike so that I can have a better comparison.  I can't wait to get the call so I can go test drive again.  They suggested the next test drive that I go for about a 30 minute ride on each bike to really get a good feel for the bike.  Well, okay, if you insist.  :-)

Saturday I went for a 5K run around the neighborhood.  I felt great and was moving along at a pretty good pace considering the lack of consistent running I have had the last few months.  The problem was my breathing.  I took at breathing break at every mile.  I would just take a minute to bring my heart rate down a little and take some deep, slow breaths.  Then off I would go again.  My pace was on the lower side for me and I was pretty happy all things considered.  My lungs are more out of shape than my legs are evidently.  There is always something to work on!

Where are we going Mom?

Today I decided I wanted to go on a hike and I wanted to take the puppy.  She has been doing great walking on the leash and likes to go for walks.  I took her on a hike that was a little over 4.5 miles.  When we started out it was raining and she was not too happy about being out in the rain.  Boxers are not big fans of being wet so she was doing this crouching walk while looking at me with big sad eyes that said, "Are you really going to make me walk in this?"  lol  Anyone with a Boxer will know what I'm talking about.  Once she realized that I wasn't going to take her back to the car she started having fun.  She did such a good job staying by my side.

Since it was just me and the dog I stopped several times to take pictures.  I live in an incredibly beautiful part of the world.  It doesn't matter if it is raining or sunny or somewhere in between.  It is always gorgeous on a trail.

Bailey and I walked up to the top of Dimple Hill at a nice brisk pace.  When we got to the top we got to say hi to another dog.  A great big, shaggy yellow lab.  He was very sweet and liked saying hi to Bailey and me.  Yogi was happy to meet me too and jumped up.  His owner was slightly mortified but I wasn't worried about it.  I was already dirty from the walk so who cares about a little more mud.  :-)  Our new friends took off, Yogi's owner was on a bike, and we checked out the view and I took more pictures.

Misty morning.

Wild Orchids were everywhere!

The view at the top.  Love the layer of clouds.

Bailey was more interested in looking around than at the camera.  

Bailey and me.  :-) 

Top of Dimple Hill. 

Bailey and I headed back down the hill and I decided to run and see how she did.  She did awesome!  If anything I think she thought I was too slow.  :-)  But she did a great job at heel and kept my pace.  At  one point she bounced along beside me.  Silly puppy.

So I had a great hike up and a great run down.  Next time we will see if she can handle running the whole thing.  Actually we will see if I can handle running the whole thing.  :-)

I loved having my puppy pal along.  She is such a great dog (some usual puppy frustrations) and I know that we are going to have a lot of fun with Bailey as part of the family.

I'm going to work on getting my runs in this week, either before or after work.  Better sleep (I've been having a hard time sleeping while Joe is at work the last few weeks), consistent runs and getting some cross training in.

It was nice to have some me time today.  I forget how much I need that until I haven't had it in awhile.

Happy Running everyone!

Sucky and Great, All in One Day!!

I ran a 10k trail run yesterday.  When I signed up for it last fall I had visions of myself being 30 pounds lighter, running 10 minute miles and kicking some serious ass.  I'm not 30 pounds lighter, I am most certainly not running 10 minute miles and did not even come close to kicking serious ass, unless you count my own.

Joe and I were signed up for the Willamette Mission Trail Run 10k and Goober #3 was signed up to do the 5k.  I LOVE being able to go to these events as a family.  I also love that we are helping our daughter learn how to be a healthy person now so that she will have healthy habits as an adults.  The weather was some blue sky and some clouds when we left home but looked a little more ominous as we traveled north.  The temperature, however, was above 50 which is perfect for me as long as it doesn't rain.  I had worn a tank top based on the temperature and was really hoping that it wouldn't start to rain.

When we got to the park I was really excited to see my friend Tonya.  She has been my friend since high school and even though we don't see each other often I always love seeing my friend!  She has a huge heart, always gives me a big hug and I just love her.  I always have.  :-)  She was doing the 5k with her mom and dad and it was fun to see them too.  Made me remember fun overnighters at Tonya's house and how they tolerated a bunch of giggly, silly girls.  :-)

We look just like we did in high school!  Right? :-)

The race started at 9:00 and it wasn't raining so I decided to not take a jacket in hopes that if it did start raining during the race I would be hot enough it would feel good.  The trail was narrow at the beginning so there was a bit of a bottle neck and we started off slow as the fast runners worked their way out of the crowd and the slower runners or walkers got more spaced out.  **Side note:  Why do really fast people start at the back and then get mad and try to run us slow people over trying to get to the front?  If you choose to be at the back behind me then deal with it. lol

Team Van V ready to run!

The trail was really beautiful.  I know I have said this before but I love living in Oregon!  We got to run along the Willamette River and through some woods.  Then around a large field and then back along the river and to the start.  There were lots of muddy, soggy spots in the trail.  Some of them were so big that you really couldn't go around them but you had to slip and slide through them.  Sometimes I would step in a spot that looked firm and my foot would slide right into a big sloppy muddy spot.  Good thing I was wearing my trail shoes.

I ended up running with a very nice woman from Keizer.  It was her first 10k ever and she was finding it much more difficult to run on the trail than it was on the road.  I told her you absolutely should not compare time for a road 10k and a trail 10k, they are two different things for most runners.  Unless you are one of the crazy runners than can run a 7 minute mile or less no matter what the conditions are.  I am not one of those people.  We ran together for about three miles and it was fun to have someone to chat with.  When we got to the big field that we had to run around we could see a lot of runners way up ahead of us.  When we got around the big field and looked behind us we couldn't see anyone.  At that point my new running buddy was frustrated because she didn't want to be last.  I assured her that I would probably be last.  I have that honor at a lot of the Run Wild Adventure races.  And I told her that we were more badass than all the people who did the 5k.  I know that I passed quite a few people in the first mile and a half that must have been doing the 5k since they weren't behind us on the 10k.

We were almost back to the river and I was feeling really good.  I had a good pace going and was regulating my breathing pretty well.  Did I mention I forgot my inhaler in the car and didn't use it before the race either?  I was feeling like I was going to have a decent time if I could keep this up.  And then it happened.  My toe caught on a rock and down I went.  I landed flat on my stomach.  It totally knocked the wind out of me and I couldn't breath for a moment.  When I finally could the first thing I said was "Son of a Bitch!!"  Because it hurt!  I got up and told my new running buddy to go on ahead.  Mostly because I needed a moment to cry and collect myself and really didn't want to do it in front of a stranger.  Plus I didn't want her to feel like she needed to stay with me.  I took inventory.  Scraped up the palm of my hands, my chest hurt, my stomach hurt and my knees hurt.  I had dirt all down the front of me and my hands were filthy.  I managed to keep my head up when I fell so I didn't get any facial injuries.  This was more of a body slam to the ground rather than a face plant.

I started running again and it wasn't too bad at first but the farther I got the more everything was hurting.  I ended up walking/running the last half mile.  Out of 108 people I came in 108th.  I was most likely going to come in last no matter what but I was really thinking I was going to have a much better time then I ended up with.  My official time was 1:34:09 which was a 15'10 minute pace.  Not too bad since I spent a few minutes recovering from my fall.

Achy and sore but I did it!

There are some sucky things about coming in last and there are some great things about coming in last.

Sucky:

• They are already giving out the raffle prizes so everyone is standing around hoping to win a prize.  They are all just staring at me as I run in.  Geez people, give a girl a cheer why don't you?
• They gave out a prize for getting injured 5 minutes before I finished.  Pretty sure I should have won that and it was Fireball Whiskey to boot!  Darn it!
• There is not much water left in the water jugs.  I'm tired and hurt and I can't get water without trying to hold a cup and tip the jug at the same time.  
• The volunteers are cleaning up the food or there isn't any food left.  (This time they were cleaning up). 
• The photographer on the course was packing up as I came running up so there are no pictures of me during the race, just at the finish line. 
• I feel like I got hit by a Mack truck today, I ache all over.  

Great:

• I ran a 10k and other than the fall I did it pretty easily.  I remember a few years ago where running one mile was almost unthinkable let alone 6.2.  
• I got to encourage someone else.  I always like doing that.  It's much easier for me to be the encourager rather than the encouragee.  
• My fabulous husband and daughter were waiting at the finish line and they cheered me to the finish.  :-)
• If I can do this run and feel pretty good without the steady training I should have, I am excited about what I might be able to do at Pacific Crest if I can keep my training consistent.  
• I got to see my friend Tonya and any day that I get to do that is a pretty good day.  
• My hubby had a fantastic race and my daughter got a PR for a 5k!!!  So proud of both of them.
• Got to hang out with two of my favorite people. 
• This list is longer than the sucky one.  Winner!
• I ran a 10k.  Check me out!  That's awesome!

I think Run Wild Adventures needs to have a booby prize for the last couple of runners because we were badass enough to be out there doing it, even if we do finish way behind everyone else!  :-)

While things didn't go exactly like I had planned it could have been worse so I'm going to say this was a good day.  At this point I really have nowhere to go but up.  :-)