Before I tell you about how the race went, or how I had the time of my life, or how I feel sort of like a different person now, I want to tell you about the gift my husband Andy gave me the night of the race.
I wanted to write about this right after we got home but it's been hard, nearly impossible, to find the words to do this justice. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that nothing is impossible, and that I'm capable of a lot more than I might believe. So please bear with me as I try.
Andy, with the help of all of my dearest friends and family, pulled off a giant surprise. Somewhere in the middle of mile 2, I heard Andy's voice come through my headphones. He explained that he had rallied everyone I know to record messages for me to hear throughout the race. He had snuck into my playlist and sprinkled these snippets of love after every couple of songs.
As I ran, I heard messages from dozens of people I love and who have supported me throughout my journey. Some were complete surprises, others were the comforting voices of people I talk to every day. Everyone said something a little bit different, but the message was the same: they believed in me and knew I could finish. Andy's voice popped back in several more times to keep me going too.
My body carried me to the finish line, but having that kind of support made it infinitely more meaningful and helped me keep my chin up and a smile on my face even when I thought I might fail. I keep tearing up now as I try to write how much it means to me that Andy gave me this gift. I think that's all I'm going to say, because I've written and rewritten a few more sentences about a dozen times and nothing feels big enough.
I'm just really, really thankful and filled with love.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
It's Time
Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving on a jet plane. Thinking very happy, positive thoughts and knowing that no matter what happens, I've broken every boundary and pushed every limit that used to hold me back. Please send good vibes on Saturday at 10 pm EST. I'll be thinking of you too!
I'm going to DISNEY WORLD!!!!
I'm going to DISNEY WORLD!!!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
I'm Still In It...
Hi! I'm still here. Life has definitely gotten in the way of having 17 million blogs. It's also gotten in the way of training. I won't go into the details because all it will do is make me anxious, but training hasn't been going as well as I've hoped. I skipped my long runs this weekend and last for various health-related reasons, and I'm not confident that I'm going to be able to finish before I get kicked off the course for my turtle-y pace. But all I can do now, besides keep up with my training/strengthening, is have an exceptionally positive attitude, even when everything in my nature is headed in the opposite direction.
This kind, supportive, encouraging message from my friends at Disney is what has me flipping my lid. I've been hovering around 15+ (with the Gallowalking), and jeez, can a girl take a bathroom break?!?
From the race website:
"Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon & Relay
To compete you must be 14 years of age or older. All athletes entering the Half Marathon or Relay must maintain a 16-minute per mile pace or faster throughout the entire race.
Anyone not able to maintain the pace will be picked up and transported to the finish. You may be picked up at any point along the course for not maintaining pace. If you are transported to the finish line for any reason you will not receive a finisher medal."
3 1/2 weeks to go... going to do everything I can to keep myself healthy and finish that race with a medal around my neck!
This kind, supportive, encouraging message from my friends at Disney is what has me flipping my lid. I've been hovering around 15+ (with the Gallowalking), and jeez, can a girl take a bathroom break?!?
From the race website:
"Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon & Relay
To compete you must be 14 years of age or older. All athletes entering the Half Marathon or Relay must maintain a 16-minute per mile pace or faster throughout the entire race.
Anyone not able to maintain the pace will be picked up and transported to the finish. You may be picked up at any point along the course for not maintaining pace. If you are transported to the finish line for any reason you will not receive a finisher medal."
3 1/2 weeks to go... going to do everything I can to keep myself healthy and finish that race with a medal around my neck!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Butte to Butte 10k, 7.4.10
I finished a 10k!
The Butte to Butte has been a 4th of July Eugene tradition for 37 years. Over 5,000 (SO many) people were there this year! It starts at Spencer Butte, the giant hill-y thing on the South end of town, and ends at Skinner Butte, the relatively small hill-y thing on the North end of downtown.
Spencer Butte:
Source
On top of Spencer Butte, earlier this summer:
There's a 4.5-mile walk and a 10k run. The 10k run is notorious. See, there's this giant hill. The first mile, in fact, is straight uphill. The 2nd mile is straight downhill and the remainder is flat. But that uphill is what everyone thinks of when this run comes up in conversation, and I was terrified.
We took a walk a few days before the race to check out the giant hill that we had heard so much about. I'm so glad we did, so I could know what to expect. I took some iPhone shots that evening of parts of the hill:
On the day of the race, almost every house through this residential area had people standing outside in their pajamas, holding their coffee cheering on the runners and waving American flags. Some houses had refreshments set out (I opted out of the free donuts), others were playing music, and a few even had live music of varying types. But my favorite part was the encouragement. I was already emotionally hyped up, but it made me a little teary every time I passed by a stranger cheering for me (I was at the back of the pack, so was usually passing by these houses without others running next to me). Because of that, the hill was by far my favorite part of the race. Who have thunk?!
The downhill was fantastic. I had planned to take it easy to avoid busting my knees, but I felt like I was flying. I had so much energy after conquering the uphill (knowing that I never had to do that again for the rest of my life), that I ignored my training method with walking intervals and ran almost the whole thing. For the 4 remaining flat miles, I also ignored the structured run-walk-run Galloway intervals. Instead, I listened to my body. Ran for a while, took some walking breaks, some much longer than others, and did what I felt like I needed to pace myself and make it to the end, while going as fast as I comfortably could.
This was the first race that I finished without feeling like I was going to die after crossing the finish line. After my last few 5k races, I've had to fight myself from laying down in the grass and passing out. But this was different. I was on cloud 9 from the endorphins (or as we like to call them, endolphins), and knew for the first time that my half marathon goal is actually in reach and attainable. I felt on top of the world and strong. Andy did too, which made it even sweeter.
The soreness set in gradually over the rest of the day, and now 2 days later my shins are still a tiny bit sore. Totally normal. But no back, hip, or knee pain AT ALL, and that is a huge victory. And concrete evidence that my body is getting stronger. When I get lost in the negativity (still working on the not being so hard on myself thing) I can go back to that and know that, against a lot of odds, I just finished a 10k.
No other races planned (for now, at least) until 10/2. Eyes on the prize!
The Butte to Butte has been a 4th of July Eugene tradition for 37 years. Over 5,000 (SO many) people were there this year! It starts at Spencer Butte, the giant hill-y thing on the South end of town, and ends at Skinner Butte, the relatively small hill-y thing on the North end of downtown.
Spencer Butte:
Source
On top of Spencer Butte, earlier this summer:
There's a 4.5-mile walk and a 10k run. The 10k run is notorious. See, there's this giant hill. The first mile, in fact, is straight uphill. The 2nd mile is straight downhill and the remainder is flat. But that uphill is what everyone thinks of when this run comes up in conversation, and I was terrified.
We took a walk a few days before the race to check out the giant hill that we had heard so much about. I'm so glad we did, so I could know what to expect. I took some iPhone shots that evening of parts of the hill:
On the day of the race, almost every house through this residential area had people standing outside in their pajamas, holding their coffee cheering on the runners and waving American flags. Some houses had refreshments set out (I opted out of the free donuts), others were playing music, and a few even had live music of varying types. But my favorite part was the encouragement. I was already emotionally hyped up, but it made me a little teary every time I passed by a stranger cheering for me (I was at the back of the pack, so was usually passing by these houses without others running next to me). Because of that, the hill was by far my favorite part of the race. Who have thunk?!
The downhill was fantastic. I had planned to take it easy to avoid busting my knees, but I felt like I was flying. I had so much energy after conquering the uphill (knowing that I never had to do that again for the rest of my life), that I ignored my training method with walking intervals and ran almost the whole thing. For the 4 remaining flat miles, I also ignored the structured run-walk-run Galloway intervals. Instead, I listened to my body. Ran for a while, took some walking breaks, some much longer than others, and did what I felt like I needed to pace myself and make it to the end, while going as fast as I comfortably could.
This was the first race that I finished without feeling like I was going to die after crossing the finish line. After my last few 5k races, I've had to fight myself from laying down in the grass and passing out. But this was different. I was on cloud 9 from the endorphins (or as we like to call them, endolphins), and knew for the first time that my half marathon goal is actually in reach and attainable. I felt on top of the world and strong. Andy did too, which made it even sweeter.
The soreness set in gradually over the rest of the day, and now 2 days later my shins are still a tiny bit sore. Totally normal. But no back, hip, or knee pain AT ALL, and that is a huge victory. And concrete evidence that my body is getting stronger. When I get lost in the negativity (still working on the not being so hard on myself thing) I can go back to that and know that, against a lot of odds, I just finished a 10k.
No other races planned (for now, at least) until 10/2. Eyes on the prize!
An Update
Things are going well on the running front! Despite one of the busiest times in my life so far, we've managed to keep up with our training schedule, and as much as I try to deny it, I've made really significant progress!
I've finally identified a goal for myself for the half marathon, which is sneaking up on us ridiculously quickly (less than 3 months to go!). I'm really happy with this goal; it's manageable but still at this point will take some work to get there.
My goal: to cross the finish line.
See, they have this rule where if you're at a 16:00 pace or slower, they literally pick you up in a vehicle and cart you to the end, where you don't get a finisher medal. Mean, right? SO not in the Disney spirit. But I suppose it would be around 1 am, so I can't say I blame them. You may be thinking "eh, no sweat, Amy's been training for months and months, that won't be a problem at all..."
But I'm slow. Like, really slow. Still, after all this hard work. My endurance is most definitely improving, but my pace hasn't, which means that I'm still hovering around 15:00 on average. I have days where I'm under 14:00 and days where I'm up around 16:00. But the bottom line is that I'm slow. I'm sure it's the Galloway walking thing, which I still adore and find that I need pretty badly to get through a workout, and I'm not willing to give up.
I'm planning on starting some drills to work on speed and efficiency during my short 30-minute runs during the week.
But here's the bottom line: despite the snail-like pace, I feel great about all of this. While someone who is a natural athlete might have a different perspective and find the 15:00 mile completely unacceptable, I'm totally okay with my slowness. I'm getting out there, getting my body moving, and working towards a really exciting, healthy goal after a sedentary lifetime. Training for a half marathon as a beginner is relatively rare, and I'm cutting myself some slack for that. So while I may be slow, I'm still out there doing it, and at the risk of blowing my humble cover, I'm really proud. So excited for October!
I've finally identified a goal for myself for the half marathon, which is sneaking up on us ridiculously quickly (less than 3 months to go!). I'm really happy with this goal; it's manageable but still at this point will take some work to get there.
My goal: to cross the finish line.
See, they have this rule where if you're at a 16:00 pace or slower, they literally pick you up in a vehicle and cart you to the end, where you don't get a finisher medal. Mean, right? SO not in the Disney spirit. But I suppose it would be around 1 am, so I can't say I blame them. You may be thinking "eh, no sweat, Amy's been training for months and months, that won't be a problem at all..."
But I'm slow. Like, really slow. Still, after all this hard work. My endurance is most definitely improving, but my pace hasn't, which means that I'm still hovering around 15:00 on average. I have days where I'm under 14:00 and days where I'm up around 16:00. But the bottom line is that I'm slow. I'm sure it's the Galloway walking thing, which I still adore and find that I need pretty badly to get through a workout, and I'm not willing to give up.
I'm planning on starting some drills to work on speed and efficiency during my short 30-minute runs during the week.
But here's the bottom line: despite the snail-like pace, I feel great about all of this. While someone who is a natural athlete might have a different perspective and find the 15:00 mile completely unacceptable, I'm totally okay with my slowness. I'm getting out there, getting my body moving, and working towards a really exciting, healthy goal after a sedentary lifetime. Training for a half marathon as a beginner is relatively rare, and I'm cutting myself some slack for that. So while I may be slow, I'm still out there doing it, and at the risk of blowing my humble cover, I'm really proud. So excited for October!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Running in the Rain
I can't even count the number of happy, exciting, huge transitions and changes happening in my life right now. But despite that, I've been struggling with irritability and a little bit of my good old friend depression. It comes and goes a few times each day, and I am not pleased.
It's obvious why. It's June 3rd, and it's raining. It's been raining for at least 2 weeks straight (ok, it was sunny once last week), and not that typical Eugene mist. It's full-on pouring rain. When Andy got home from work this evening, I was armed with excuses about why I wanted to postpone tonight's run. All I had to do was point outside and he knew I didn't want to go.
But something sparked in me when he said he was going out there anyways, and I decided to go too. I really don't know where that fleeting desire came from, but it was there. I put on my shoes, a hat, and my windbreaker, which as it turns out is NOT waterproof, and went out into Waterworld.
I am SO glad I went. As I was running, it occurred to me that I would so much rather be out there treating myself to exercise than wallowing on the couch, feeling miserably sorry for myself for absolutely no reason.
When I was a kid, I was terrified of shots. Like, far worse than the average kid. I'd have a panic attack whenever my mom started driving in the direction of my pediatrician's office, even if she wasn't actually going there. One time, after a particularly dreaded booster shot, I told my mom that it hadn't been as bad as I'd expected at all. She made me write a letter to myself and sign it so she could show me next time.
This post is the adult version of that letter.
Dear Future Amy,
When in doubt, run. Even though you don't believe it, it will make you feel better.
Love, me
It's obvious why. It's June 3rd, and it's raining. It's been raining for at least 2 weeks straight (ok, it was sunny once last week), and not that typical Eugene mist. It's full-on pouring rain. When Andy got home from work this evening, I was armed with excuses about why I wanted to postpone tonight's run. All I had to do was point outside and he knew I didn't want to go.
But something sparked in me when he said he was going out there anyways, and I decided to go too. I really don't know where that fleeting desire came from, but it was there. I put on my shoes, a hat, and my windbreaker, which as it turns out is NOT waterproof, and went out into Waterworld.
I am SO glad I went. As I was running, it occurred to me that I would so much rather be out there treating myself to exercise than wallowing on the couch, feeling miserably sorry for myself for absolutely no reason.
When I was a kid, I was terrified of shots. Like, far worse than the average kid. I'd have a panic attack whenever my mom started driving in the direction of my pediatrician's office, even if she wasn't actually going there. One time, after a particularly dreaded booster shot, I told my mom that it hadn't been as bad as I'd expected at all. She made me write a letter to myself and sign it so she could show me next time.
This post is the adult version of that letter.
Dear Future Amy,
When in doubt, run. Even though you don't believe it, it will make you feel better.
Love, me
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