See Diva Run

I enjoy running in races, but I usually run with friends or family members, and I run at their pace. I enjoy my training runs because that is when I can really cut loose. I can’t do it every day, but when I get the chance, I go for it. One of the great things about the Nike+ challenges is that they give me the opportunity to compete, without entering a race. Most of the time I compete for distance, but this week I’m in a challenge with a man who can run more than 80 miles per week, without hurting himself. My record is 60 miles, and I followed it with a 38 mile week, for fear of injuring myself. Since we both know I don’t have a prayer on the distance challenge, he politely agreed to a second challenge for the fastest 10 mile run.

After a week or more of rain, the sun came out today. It was there outside the window, distracting me from work. I could hear the trail calling my name. As soon as my 8 hours were in, I ran upstairs and changed into my running clothes. When I headed out the door, I realized that the clouds were blowing in, but I hoped the rain would hold off for ten miles. I sometimes have trouble pacing myself when running alone on the trail. Today was no exception. For a 10 mile run, my pace should have been around 10 minutes/mile. I kept telling myself to slow down, but I arrived at the first mile marker in 9:22. The elastic at the bottom of my running pants was starting to chafe the backs of my legs. I stopped briefly to tuck my socks into my pants, and crossed the second mile marker at 19:00. I knew that this kind of speed was not sustainable over the distance I had in mind. At 2.5 miles I had to stop to tie my shoe. It was time for a water break, so I ran very slowly for about a minute.

After the water break, I tried to keep my speed as even as possible. At mile 4, the wind whipped up pretty hard, and I was running into about a 25mph headwind for the next mile. I got to mile marker 5 in 47:30, well ahead of my planned 10 minute pace. I turned around and headed back, happy to have the wind behind me. After another quarter of a mile, I took a 60 second walk break for a second drink of water. I completed mile 6 in just under 9 minutes, for the fastest mile of the run. I was 5 minutes ahead of the 10 minute pace. At 7.5 miles I took a 90 second walk break for my last drink. I was starting to feel tired, so I slowed just a bit. I finished the 10 miles in 1:33:56, with a pace of 9:23. This is almost a minute faster than my expected pace, and 37 seconds faster than my “hoped for” pace. I was elated! I’m sure I will pay for this effort with fatigue and slow runs for the rest of the week, but it was absolutely worth it!

We were planning to run the Mercer Island Half Marathon this morning. The weather has been cold, rainy and miserable for days, but the forecast called for a 30% chance of showers today. It was raining when we got up, but we got dressed and headed to Mercer Island. As we got closer to Mercer Island, the rain came down harder. As we drove around searching for a parking spot, we saw runners, and they all looked cold and miserable. The rain was coming down even harder than it had at the St Patrick’s Day Dash, and it was 10 degrees colder. We parked the car and got out. Mr Diva looked at me and asked if I was sure I wanted to do this. We decided that 13.1 miles in 40 degree rain was not the way we wanted to spend the morning, so we got back in the car and went home. I was planning to run 13.1 miles later in the day, but settled for 7.7 when I started feeling pain in my left ankle. The racing season is just getting started. We can run a race every weekend, if we feel like it.

I picked up our packets for the Henry Weinhard’s St Patrick’s Day Dash the day before the race. I didn’t wear a coat, to get a sense of how cold I was going to be. The weather was cool but dry, which left me feeling hopeful. I bought a green running jacket to go with my shiny new green Nike Air Equalons, and headed for home. The next morning I looked out the window and thought it might be a good idea to keep the t-shirt and mail the chip back. I’m glad I didn’t give into the impulse, as I would have missed out on a lot of fun. The sky was dark with storm clouds, and rain poured down for the entire trip to Seattle. We sat in the car as long as we dared, before walking toward the starting line. The rain stopped, but the wind whipped up. I kept telling myself it was only 3.5 miles. As we walked toward the starting line, we realized just how big the crowd was. The green wave seemed to go on forever. We walked to the middle of the red wave and worked our way into the crowd, hoping the sea of people would shelter us fom the wind. The crowd was lively, and dressed for the occasion. Nearly everyone was dressed in green, and there were many interesting costumes and hats. This made it particularly difficult to keep track of Mr Diva. We got separated several times, but never for long.

We signed up for the red wave, which was a mixture of walkers and runners. The walkers provided an interesting challenge, turning the race into an obstacle course. We kept moving our feet in a running motion, but felt as though we were moving slower than if we had been walking. We slowly worked our way through the crowd. Things opened up a bit as we approached the Alaskan Way Viaduct, and as they did, the rain began again. The tunnel was very dark and congested, but it protected us from wind and rain. The novelty wore off quickly, and we were happy to see daylight, even if it meant the return of wind and rain. In the distance we saw the two stadiums, Qwest and Safeco Fields. We kept running, gaining speed and momentum. Mr Diva was taking the lead, and I was having to sprint through gaps in the crowd to try and keep up with him. As we rushed to the finish line, we ran into a crowd of slower runners. Mr Diva saw a hole in the crowd and sprinted through, while I looked for my opportunity. His finish time was 2 seconds faster, but during that 2 seconds, twenty runners finished between us.

We headed to the post race party, where we snacked on fresh fruit, beef jerky and hot tortilla soup from Qdboa. The soup really hit the spot. This was the first race I have ever run where I didn’t experience a dry mouth or throat during or after the race. We grabbed a bottle of water for the ride home, and wandered toward the beer garden, because it seemed like the thing to do. Unfortunately, our ID was locked in the trunk of the car. I stopped by the Northwest Runner booth, to have my photo taken. I think this picture sums up what it means to be a “northwest runner”.

We walked to the shuttle bus area, and got in line. The ride back to Key Arena took longer than the run, but we were out of the rain and wind, and enjoying the company of the other runners. It was a long, cold walk across the Seattle Center to get to the car. This was our first St Patrick’s Day Dash, but it won’t be our last. We have already purchased silly hats for next year. Other changes for next year:

Register for the green wave
Bring ID for the beer garden
Try not to run directly behind the labrador

To see more photos from the Henry Weinhard’s St Patrick’s Day Dash, visit my Athlinks.com photo album

After months of anticipation, our first grandchild arrived on Wednesay afternoon. He is healthy, and as you can see from the photo, absolutely beautfiul, like his mom! He weighed 7′12″, and was 21.5 inches long. I’ve already been shopping for tiny little Shox Turb Oh’s on the Nike web site!

Want to see more? Visit my “grandma” album at kodakgallery.com

The day after the Mardi Gras Marathon, we drove from New Orleans up I-10 toward Bay St. Louis. We drove into town and saw where the Highway 90 bridge had washed out. A ferry had been brought in to help commuters get to Pass Christian. We drove through wooded areas, and then realized they had previously been residential areas. All that was left were the concrete slabs where the houses once stood. Some properties had small travel trailers. The highway was open, but the bridges were out. There were places along the shore where the pavement had literally been washed away, and all that remained was sand.

As we got closer to Gulfport, we saw devastated commercial buildings and a huge apartment complex that had been stripped of exterior walls. It leaned precariously, waiting for a strong wind to knock it down. It was hard to believe it had been leaning like that for 18 months. Steel framed structures were stripped down to bare metal. After Katrina hit, the damage extended from the coastline to I-10. The restoration is pretty much complete along the freeway, and slowly moving toward the coast. Gambling and tourism are important sources of revenue in the area, so a lot of effort has been put into bringing the casinos back. Several were open, with tour buses lined up in their parking lots.

The difference between the damage in New Orleans and Mississippi is stark. In New Orleans you see what happens when large urban areas are submerged under 8 - 12 feet of water. In Mississippi, the areas that were damaged were suburban or resort areas, and the damage was the result of hurricane force winds and the storm surge. In either case, the result is devastating. I have the greatest admiration and respect for the people who are rebuilding their homes and their lives, whether it is in New Orleans, Mississippi, or a new location.

Visit my KodakGallery photo album