Run More Than Your Mouth

This came into my classroom this morning. So I went for a quick run today. Just a mile. But it's a mile more than I did yesterday.

Mud Dog

Last Saturday I ran in a race that I was totally unprepared for. I decided to run with my cousin Geneva in a mud run and I also decided that I didn't need to train for it.

Okay. I knew I needed to train but time completely escaped me!

Okay. I know that's not an excuse.

But It was still fun and I even ran it faster than I ran Run For Your Lives last October!

Looking fierce, muddy and FABULOUS!

 You always need a good after shot of the shoes.

WE RUN FOR BEER.

 

My own muddy dogs.

After being run through creeks (like 4 separate times!), over hay bales, through tunnels, through mud pits, over hurdles and walls and ladders of any kind imaginable, a rope climb that turned into a slide, a bungee maze, a water slide and leaping over fire....

I had to chaperone prom that night.

 Damn.

I clean up good.

Hills from Hell

I ran a very hilly run today. And it was awful. 1.25 miles in 19 minutes. Next time I'm going back to my beloved flat trail. Until then, I'm sore.

Mile One

I haven't run since my half marathon in Disney. I kept meaning to get back out there but I just kept finding a reason to not go. On Monday, April 15th, the Boston Marathon was bombed. As a runner it's scary to remember the hoards of people in Disney and think of how easily a place like that could be attacked. Today I joined in on a Facebook group called "Run for Boston." Their page can be found HERE. Its filled with tons of photos from all across the country of people who ran for Boston today. Here is my personal photo edition:

The rules were to wear yellow or blue and take a photo of yourself with a sign saying "Run for Boston" So I went out and I ran for those who can't. Now it's been a very long time since I have run so I figured why not start at mile one. I went out, I ran a mile, I came back home happier than when I left.

I never realized that I actually missed so many of the little things about running. The sounds of the trail. Kids rushing by on bikes. Parents chasing after them. Fellow runners. Bike riders. The sound of my insoles squeaking inside my shoes. The overwhelmingly adorable dogs. The all to familiar muscle pains screaming from months of being kept out of commission. And most of all, the taste of an incredibly cold glass of water once I get back home. (It does taste different than normal)

Since my break from running some things have changed. I obviously didn't make it to the Rock n' Roll marathon but Meghan did and she rocked it. My next scheduled race is the Disneyland 1/2 marathon in September. Coast to Coast here I come!

This quote from the day of the events has really stuck with me and I thought I'd share it.

"It is the only sport in the world where if a competitor falls, the others around will pick him or her up. It is the only sport in the world open to absolutely everyone, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or any other division you can think of. Its the only occasion when thousands of people assemble, often in a major city, for a reason that is totally peaceful, healthy and well-meaning. Its the only sport in the world where no one ever boos anybody" 
 - Runners World

And last but not least:

I did it.

I did it.

Plain and simple.

I did it.

A 5:30 AM start meant a 3 AM wake up. I wadded through the hordes of runners to my corral. Disney Races are so massive that people have to be placed in corrals so they don't trample each other. People in corral A have the fastest anticipated finish and the corrals get slower and slower as you go back. Of course, I was in the last corral, H.

Disney fun started early with characters even at bag check areas.

After the bag check we started the long crawl to the corrals. It took me almost an hour to walk to mine!

When I finally arrived it was 5:20. I thought to myself, there is no way this race is starting on time. There are still so many people walking to their corrals! But sure enough at 5:30 we sang the national anthem and Disney started things of in the only way Disney can. With fireworks.

I was busy watching the fireworks at the starting line that I wasn't even expecting fireworks to start going off behind me! That really got my heart racing and I was ready. I was ready to start. Confident that I was going to finish this race.

Being in the last corral however meant that I had to watch all of the other runners get to start their race before me.

We begin to relax again...

Before we knew it we were moving forward. Around 6:30 we were finally off. The days leading up to race day I was scared and nervous. But by the time I hit that starting line I was confident. I knew I wasn't going to be swept up for not keeping pace. I knew I was going to finish. I didn't care what my time was. I was surrounded by people who were just as slow as me. We were all run/walkers. I felt like I belonged there.

Disney races use these great pace teams. The pacers hold up a flag with their finish time. This woman's finish was 3 hours 30 minutes. For the time that I was able to keep up with her she was making each mile exactly 16 minutes. Not a second faster or slower. She was right on the dot. Unfortunately when I stopped to go to the bathroom I lost her and was never able to pick back up with her. I was always able to see her flag though.

We approached the gates of the Magic Kingdom and I began to get really excited.

We had a great view of Space Mountain

We entered through a back lot off of Main Street.

Out on the street... Turned the corner and...

Castle.

I stopped a moment to get a picture.

I loved all of the amazing spectators and signs. Random people cheering you on is a pretty incredible feeling. I stopped for one picture. There were characters all along the course but I only needed my picture with one.

It was worth waiting in line.

And then I had to big moment. The moment I had been waiting for. I ran through Cinderella's Castle.

And I came out the other side ready to finish this race.

When I began seeing signs for Epcot I knew my big finish was around the corner. This was about the time that I realized how swollen my hands had gotten. This was something that I had never experienced at any training run before and I wasn't sure how or why it was happening. I ran and walked for a bit with my hands above my head. I was shaking them out trying to get the blood flow to start up. I was assuming that they were swollen from being in the same position for so long.

I stopped by a medic tent and he told me that I needed to walk the last 3 miles and that the swelling was caused by a lack of electrolytes. He gave me a poweraid and I was on my way. This was when I realized that I couldn't even grip the bottle to open it.

I finally crossed the gates to Epcot and was ready to finish. Unfortunately the finish line has you go around the giant ball and back out before you cross the line in the parking lot... along this route I saw a woman in a motorized chair holding a sign that simply said: "I don't know you. But I am so proud of you."

This is where I lost it. I started crying. I was less than a mile away from finishing the run I've been dreaming about for a year. I've run 250 miles to train for this day. I've been through knee and hip injuries. I've woken up early every weekend all summer long. I've spent hours upon hours upon hours out on the trail. It was all coming to the big moment. I was going to make it across the line. I was going to get that medal.

And I did.

It's shiny.

It's mine.

Now you're probably asking yourself, So you've run your big race Rachel. What now?

This.

I'm planning on running this half next. Will I ever do a full? Maybe one day. But until then I'll keep with my halves and I'll keep going just as slow. (Ok maybe I can quicken up the pace some)

Ice Dodger

Ran 4 miles today. My last long run before the big day. I am excited. I am nervous. I am scared. I am giddy. I am insane. I am worried. I am all of the above.

The Purcellville section of trail still has a lot of ice on it. Some patches were as thick as 3/4 of an inch and as wide as 8 feet across. The only thing I had on my mind was not to fall... A fall at this point would be deadly come race day. But good news folks! I didn't fall!

In the mean time I'm calming my nerves by finishing up my costume for race day. (Yes you can tell this is a super serious race)

So much pink... Ok. Now I'm just excited.

Baby It's Cold Outside

An ode to my bed. (Complements of Bing Crosby)

Baby It's Cold Outside

I really can't stay
Baby it's cold outside
I gotta go run
Baby it's cold outside
This night has been
Been hoping that you'd stay
So very warm
I'll wrap you up, you're cold as ice
My buddies will start to worry
Beautiful what's your hurry?
My friends will leave with out me
Listen to the warm kitty's purr
So really I better change
Beautiful please don't hurry
Well maybe just a half hour more
Darling, put your shoes by the door

But Meghan might think
Baby it's bad out there
Say.. what was that dream? 
To much ice out there
I wish I knew how to wake up
Your eyes are feeling heavy now
I'll hide your hat so you won't leave
I ought to say no, no, no sir
Mind if I fluff the pillows?
At least I'm gonna say that I tried
What's the sense of hurtin' my pride?
I really can't stay
Baby don't go out
(Both) Ahh but its cold outside!

It was a little chilly out there this morning! I fought the hard fight with the bed and I'm pleased to say I won! 6 miles 1:34:03. (Not the 13 as I had previously stated but I've decided its better to rest from now until race day which is now less than two weeks away.)

I hope you and yours had a very merry Christmas filled with lots of GU, trackers, shoes, clothes and what ever other gear Santa has decided to bring you!