Half Way There!

13.1 miles! Half way to my marathon goal. This morning I ran a half marathon here in Bozeman: The Run to the Pub. You finish out the run with a beer and the potential to win a trip to Dublin! Sadly I didn't win the trip (although someone behind us did, which felt like I did!). Here's how it went down.

I woke up nervous. The two days before my muscles were tight because I ran a little too hard on a long run. A few years ago I ran my first marathon in Eugene Oregon. It was fantastic and I was really wanting to beat that time. So I pushed myself. What's the old saying "Pride comes before the fall"? Well it was close. When pushing your body, sometimes it pushes back. My muscles were tired, tight, and angry with me after my long training run. And I was starting to get a cold. 

I listened to my body, got a massage to work out some kinks, started drinking LOTS of water, tea, and taking zinc. I finally invested in a foam roller to work out ongoing muscle knots. I did not want to get injured on this run, my main goal is the marathon (and to figuratively run across Montana). The night before I had a delicious carbo loaded pizza meal and got plenty of sleep. But I had no clue how it was going to play out.

The race started later in the morning, 10 am. Nice. Plenty of time to get ready, eat a good meal, and make sure I was ready. The weather had turned out nearly perfect. A little bit of wind, and a bit chilly, but I had worn the perfect amount of layers amazingly. The one funny thing you have to know about the race is that it is St. Patty's day themed. So everyone was dressed up in green and costumes. But when you are running 13 miles, you start to think about comfort. Thus I decided to forgo the costume. And my green was a little lackluster, technically more of a blue. Someone actually yelled at me (umm aren't they suppose to be cheering, not jeering from the side-lines) "You're suppose to wear green, not blue!" 

The line to the porta potty pre-race

The first three miles SUCKED. I felt my legs being a little twitchy. I was slow, tired, and nervous. At times I even felt like crying. Am I going to fail? I was just imagining myself getting into the finish lines hours later or having to be picked up. Come on body, don't fail me now. Somewhere around the first water station, I started to get energized. My legs were getting into a groove, the course was going downhill, my pace was picking up. I was RUNNING and it was great.

The starting line (and that's when I stopped taking pictures)

As the race went on I was feeling good. My pace was solid, but not too fast. But I was starting to get tired. I thought the race was going to provide some energy gels or something a few times along the way, but every break seemed to just have water. I started to freak out a little, without replenishing by eating something, I was going to crash. I looked to the ground to see if anyone had accidentally dropped one of their gels: nada. There was a hill coming up, uh. How am I going to conquer this depleted? We turned the corner and that's when I saw it: the human banana costume. YES!!! "Do you want a banana?" YES!!!! It was perhaps the best tasting banana ever. It gave me what I needed to push on the last 3 (or 4, I forget) miles. 

From there on, it was downhill (mostly, little hills even feel rough at that point). The race ended downtown, I even had a cheering team at the finish line. :) 2 hours and 20 minutes. I might not have beat my previous time, but I was darn close and proud of my muscles and limbs for what they accomplished. 13.1 miles to add to the journey through the state. Leaving me in the state's capital: Helena.

And now for a move to my new training grounds this week!

Getting Going

The past week we've been experiencing a bit of a warm spell. The days are warming up to 40-50 degrees! Which makes for perfect running conditions. The past few weeks I have run 34 miles. Here's a snapshot of the "run"...

It starts at the Boiling River on the Wyoming side in Yellowstone

Passing the 45th Parallel and entering Montana

Darting wildlife like Elk

Exiting Yellowstone through the Roosevelt Arch

Running through Gardiner, Montana

Following the Yellowstone River

Gazing at the Gallatin Mountain Range

Resting in beautiful Emigrant in Paradise Valley

On top of the running I have been learning to skate ski. Which has been a fun, fantastic cross training day. Skate skiing is a style of cross country skiing. The skis are short and narrow, allowing you to go fast and "skate" over the snow. Below is a photo of my friend Jan skate skiing on the river (frozen) in Alaska with dogs in tote wearing an Amazing Cape designed by my talented friend Roxanne. 

Jan skate skiing

Here in Montana, we usually have groomed trails wide enough for skate skiing. Last weekend I visited friends at Lone Mountain Ranch to get an introduction and this weekend my friend Wendie and I took a class in Yellowstone up at the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces.

It's me! Skate skiing the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces

Stay tuned for some exciting events to come this winter in Montana! :)

Running Through Montana

Happy New Year! 2014! The year of the horse and the year of galloping onward....

I'm doing it again, running. More specifically training for a marathon (err again). Third time is the charm right?! This time I have a number of things motivating me:

1. FIRST training plan. I found a flexible training plan that I only have three days of intense runs, and then cross train two other days. That means skiing or hiking or gym classes! So much less tedious and more fun!
2. Hot Springs gym membership! Soaking after a run is pretty good motivation to get em done!
3. Fun races ahead: SnowJoke, Run to the Pub, Sage Leapers, and those are just the half marathons! Excited for the events and swag!

The race is the Ogden Marathon. Their motto is "Get Out and Live"! Which is ultimately the goal, trying to get outside more and being more active.

In an effort to track my progress, I'm going to "Run through Montana". Well figuratively. I'll be tracking my miles starting at the border of Montana and Wyoming in Yellowstone National Park heading through Paradise Valley, through Bozeman, Missoula, up through Glacier, and ending somewhere around the Canadian Border (I think?).

So here I go! Wish me luck!