Epic Oregon Relay Race Report

First a numbered recap of the previous week:

1. Running-wise, we ran 2 days total. About 3 miles on Monday and about 2 miles on Wednesday. I have no idea what our pace was, but I didn’t care. My legs felt ok, and I hoped they would hold up for the weekend!

2. Yoga-wise: I went Tuesday and Wednesday. I even made it to class AFTER running on Wednesday. It was power (hot) Vinyasa, too, and it was a VERY warm day! But I still felt great, and hoped the yoga wouldn’t affect my running over the weekend. (Spoiler alert: no problemo!)

With that out of the way, onto the relay!

First of all, I found out on Monday that I was assigned to the very first leg. I was cool with that, since that meant I would be the first one done. I was given the legs that were qualified as 8/12 difficulty (1 being hardest, 12 being the easiest) and capped out at 11.46 miles. Seemed do-able. We met most of our team members at a pasta party the night before. I knew everyone that was going to be in our van (including J!) but I was able to meet some of the people who were in Van 2.

Our Van was scheduled to begin in Lake Oswego at 11:30am; we parked near the starting line at 11:15am. Yeah. I think I’ll use the first mile to warm up… (BTW. You may notice, we were no where near super serious and competitive for this relay. We just wanted to have fun!) We got our packets, goodie bags, and I got my bib placed, then lined up at the starting line. Our group was starting along with, I think, 5 other teams? Anyway, once the gun went off, every single one of the other runners quickly outpaced me. Whatev’s, I still needed to warm up.

Leg 1:
My first leg was 3.8 miles and classified as “Mild”. It was through some pretty neighborhoods in Lake Oswego, and started with a slight incline. The incline was followed by a nice, smooth downhill and some nice flatness. I managed to catch one of the girls from my group on the flat section, and got a nice lead on her, until I made it in time for a stoplight. Sweet. Yeah, I was there for at least 4 minutes, and she totally caught back up with me again. But I was dead set on finishing before her, and once I figured out where I was supposed to go, I kicked up the speed, and finished with a nice kick.

3.8 miles (8:58 avg pace, including the stoplight…)
Mile 1 – 8:48 (Warm-up + incline)
Mile 2 – 8:30
Mile 3 – 8:50 (Not sure why I slowed down…)
Mile 3.8 – 9:52 (avg pace; Tapping my foot at the stoplight)

Van Exchange 2:
After our final runner passed of to Van 2 (that would be J), we headed off to the second Van Exchange to get some rest before starting our second leg. I was able to get about 2 hours of “half sleep” since so many other teams weren’t trying to sleep, and many groups were ahead of us. I learned later that earplugs really help out a lot!

Leg 13:
My second leg was 4.4 miles and took place at dusk. My leg was classified as “Hard” but was totally worth the price of admission. The lighting was beautiful, and so was the landscape. I passed vineyards and farmland and greatest of all, Christmas Trees! It smelled like Christmas!! All this beauty was almost enough to distract from the ass kicking I got. We started on a straightaway, where I caught up with one of the runners who had started a little ways before me. I think there were a few rollers after the flat start, and then I saw it, the first big hill. I knew there was a good hill at the end of the leg, but it was too early for that. There was a monster hill in front of me, but I saw the top, and managed to get through it without difficulty. Some super nice vans slowed down to cheer me on, which totally helped too. Finally, I reached the top. (Thank you Christina. I am a “Fighter” ;) No sooner had I reached the top, than I saw the start of the 2 mile climb that would take me up 200 feet. Thank goodness I had some music to push me through. I kept a pretty good pace, throughout this leg, and I’m really proud of myself for it. It was hard for me, but I really think I pushed through the leg quite well. I was slightly worried that the girl I passed at the beginning would pass me on the climb, but no worries! I think I even gained some ground on other runners in front of me! Booya! :)

4.4 miles (8:58 avg pace)
Mile 1 – 8:11
Mile 2 – 8:47
Mile 3 – 8:53 (I think this is where my pre-hill was)
Mile 4 – 9:57 (wee!)
Mile 4.4 – 9:05 (avg pace; I got a mini-downhill here)

Van Exchange 3:
We finished this section at about midnight. We were pretty exhausted. We made our way to my alma mater, Corvallis High School. As soon as my earplugs were in, I was out like a light. It didn’t seem long, though, when J woke me up at about 4am to tell me Van 2 would soon be coming our way. I changed my clothes to smell a bit fresher (nice try!) And got my night gear back on.

Leg 25:
My third leg was definitely my easiest, so I wanted to bring in some speed. I was pretty excited to be running through a town I lived in for 3 years of my life. (We moved around a bit when I was growing up.) It was kinda chilly when we were standing still, but I knew I would warm-up after I got going! When we saw our runner coming, I stripped down to my shorts and t-shirt, and took off! This section didn’t seem to be marked quite as well as I would have liked, so I hoped I was going the right way! I was making my way outta town, and was feeling really great. I was just noting to myself how lucky I was to be hitting all the stoplights just right, even though there wasn’t much traffic out at 4:45 in the morning, when all of the sudden, BAM!, gravity became my enemy. Yes, I knew it would happen sooner or later. I mean, I trip while walking on sidewalks, what did I expect when I was moving at a much quicker clip. Yeah, I fell, and it was really spectacular. Somehow I went down on my left elbow and knee, rolled onto my left hip, and finally onto my backside, where I skidded to a halt. I didn’t see any runners behind me, and there were only a few cars, who didn’t stop. Phew! That could have been more embarrassing! I assessed my body and nothing seemed too out of order, so I got back on my feet and continued on. There was a little stinging, but nothing too bad.

I crossed a bridge, but when the sidewalk ended, I was no longer sure I was going the right way, but I started along the shoulder of the road anyway. Luckily, a guy passed me soon after, and told me he was pretty sure we were going the right way. Phew! Soon enough, another guy caught up to me. He didn’t pass me, and chatted with me for the rest of the leg. It was kinda neat to have someone who distracted me from my pace, and how far we had left, and whether or not I was lost, but eventually, I wanted to pick up the pace. I felt bad about potentially leaving him behind; I didn’t want to be rude! Soon enough, I saw the exchange and picked up the pace, leaving chatty behind.

I was done! I may have been able to go faster, but I was definitely breathing HARD at the end! J was there to give me some water, and I muttered, “Is my elbow ok?” After the initial fall, my wounds weren’t feeling too bad (thank you adrenaline!) but I knew there was probably some blood, especially with my heart pumping so hard, and I was indeed correct! J was worried, but I told him it was ok. Luckily, we had been in charge of bringing the first aid kit; hopefully that wasn’t bad luck! My wounds cleaned up pretty nice, and aren’t hurting too bad today. (I’m just hoping my bruised hip, elbow and knee won’t affect my yoga! I’m addicted!) I’m just glad the fall didn’t happen until my last leg! :) (I’ll post a pic of the blood at the end, beware if you’re squeamish.)

When J was done (after a grueling 7+ mile run, 4 of which he had horrible ITB pain…) we headed to the finish line in Eugene, and took a glorious nap! We woke up in time to greet 5 of the runners from Van 2 and await our last runner. When she entered the park we all hobbled behind her (none of us was feeling up to running anymore at this point) and finished as a team. What fun! We had to wait around a bit for our epic medals, but then headed off for some Cafe Yum, which we enjoyed along with some beer and pizza (I was starving! We had subsisted on pretzels, animal cookies, and donuts until this point. Yeah, epic running food!) and watched the US vs. Ghana World Cup game (US played well, Ghana is a tough team! Trust me, I’m a Germany fan.) Finally we headed home, a little grungier, a little smellier, a lot more tired, but with some great memories of an awesome relay.

I think this was a great first relay, since the legs are pretty quick, not too difficult, and was over within a little over 24 hours. I can’t wait for the next one!

Mile 1 – 8:49 (This is when I bit it, aka “My EPIC fall”)
Mile 2 – 8:01
Mile 3 – 8:01 (No, seriously)
Mile 3.18 – 7:40 (avg pace; “see ya!”)

Here’s some pics of our good times:

The starting line (I’m in the bright blue with the white hat):

And, we’re off:

Running Leg 1:

Finishing Leg 1:

Handoff:

J and I looking cute at some point:

Starting Leg 13:

So pretty:

My favorite (and now my Facebook profile pic!) Finishing strong!:

My second handoff:

I don’t have any pics of my 3rd leg (which was during a beautiful sunrise, by the way. But I do have this):
That look says: “I might look like this, but I am done!”

J and I after a glorious nap and ravenously hungry. (We are beautiful):

Finish line:

Not sure what this next week will bring except for 3 things:
1. Sleepover Half Marathon (I’ll explain this in a later post some time this week.) on Friday night.

2. Germany vs. Argentina early Saturday morning after Sleepover Half Marathon. (Sleep deprivation is my new thing)

3. Flat Half/Full Marathon aid station volunteering on Sunday.

As for the remainder of the week, maybe some running, and definitely some yoga! See you soon!

Yoga Week Recap

This week was void of running, which was completely planned. We just ran our first half marathon, so our legs deserved a rest!

But I didn’t take the week totally off (J on the other hand…) I got a 2-week pass to a nearby yoga studio and have been keeping myself busy! Here’s a recap and my thoughts on the different classes I tried out:

Monday:
Rest Day (Ok, I was lazy this day…;)

Tuesday/Wednesday:
Yin Yoga
This was a nice easy/smooth way to start my yoga program for the week, especially for my tired legs. This class focuses mostly on gentle, prolonged stretching, with some meditation thrown in the mix. It was a great class, and I think it would be a great way to gently calm yourself down after a long day (or a big workout, I’m sure). I always left much calmer and happier than when I came in. We did a little more meditation the second day and I found some stuff I didn’t know I was carrying around inside. It was nice to actually be able to acknowledge that, and to get it out of my system. I think I’ll definitely try to hit up some of these classes in the future, especially if I’m having a tough week (physically or emotionally).

Thursday:
Vinyasa
Well, I think I’m in love with Vinyasa. What a great workout for strength, balance, and flexibility. The focus of the class is on the “flow”, synchronized with breathing, through each pose. I like that the instructor gives you so many alternatives for each pose. This way you can get a workout that’s best suited for your own abilities, without pushing you into something you’re uncomfortable with. I was definitely sore the next day, especially in my hips and quads (perfect!) as well as my arms. Oy, those guys are weak! How embarrassing! :P

Friday/Saturday:
Rest Day
Unfortunately, the only class on Friday that I could make it to after work was too advanced for this beginner, and there were no classes available after work for me on Saturday. (Yes, I had to work this Saturday, but it was the last of my 3 Saturdays this year! :) So I had a few lazy days. I played with the idea of running, but decided to just take it easy, be good, and wait for Monday, just to play it safe.

Sunday:
Power Vinyasa (aka HOT yoga)
I was scared of this class. I don’t really like “heat”; at all. When it looks like its going to be hot out, I tell J we’re going to the coast, or to the movie theater. And basically, anything above 80°, well maybe 78°, is too “hot” for me. I’m a wuss! So the addition of heat (95°) as well as the word “challenging” in the description of the class, made me wonder if I was getting myself into something I might regret. But, I’m happy to say, it was actually kind of great. When you first enter the room, it’s definitely a little overwhelming! But after you enter and prepare yourself for the class, you don’t even really notice the heat too much. I never felt lightheaded or overheated, so it can’t have been that bad. You’ll definitely break a sweat in this class. I’m not sure if it was the class itself that was more challenging, or whether it was the different instructor, but I was definitely feeling the burn; in a good way! It was also cool to watch the others in the room do their “inversions”, but I know I’m nowhere near ready for that! Maybe someday?

Overall, it was a successful week of yoga, I think. At this point, I know I want to add Vinyasa to my running program. Next week, we’ll start running again, so I’ll have my first attempt at trying to find time after work for both activities. We won’t be running any long distances this week, just enough to shake out our legs a bit before the relay next weekend! We’re going to aim for 2-3 miles Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but that could always change. I have my 2 week pass for yoga through Monday (June 28), so we’ll see if I can try out any other different classes. I plan to continue after that, but just not as often, I’m not made of money! ;)

Helvetia Half Marathon Race Report

Before I begin, I just have to say, last October, when we started running, I never would have imagined we would finish a half marathon. And, when I say “started running”, I really do mean from scratch. We started running with the Couch to 5k Plan, meaning we could only run up to 1 minute at a time in the beginning; that’s a long way from completing a half marathon! And, *spoiler alert*, yesterday we did, in fact, complete our very first half marathon ever! It was hard, but I think that’s kind of the point! ;)

One other thing. We started running last October, so we have only run in cold, wintery, and/or rainy, cloudy weather; none of this “warm sunshine” business. So yesterday was not something we may have been prepared for weather-wise, but we did our best guessing what we should do on a warm-weather day, but there are definitely some things we learned. But isn’t learning what first big races are for?

We arrived at Hillsboro Stadium bright and early at 6am. The race didn’t start until 8am, but we had heard about the horrible traffic jams you might face if you arrived closer to the start time. Since we arrived so early, we were able to walk around the area and figure out where the starting line, bathrooms (yes, real bathrooms), and the finish line were all located. We headed back out to the car for about 30 minutes, then got our bodyglide and sunscreen on, and headed for the starting line.

Since we were no longer “new” to this thing called the starting corral, I knew that I didn’t want to be stuck in the back behind all the walkers (and I new there were a lot in this race). So we hit up the bathroom about 30 minutes beforehand, then lined up about midway between the timing mats ahead, and the end of the roped off section. When we lined up, there weren’t too many people around, but as they started piling in, the same ole formula of “this looks like a good place to stand” began. There were 2 people with 3:30 pace bands (for the half marathon) just in front of us…Luckily, the start of this race was pretty wide, so it wasn’t a big issue for this race. Yay!

Just before the race started (do we look nervous, because we were!):And we’re off! Here’s a course map, if you are so inclined.

Miles 1-5

We started off at what felt like a reasonably comfortable pace. We weren’t having to do too much dodging, which was nice. We started off with a fairly flat stretch which took us toward the overpass we would cross at both the start and finish of the race. Mile 1 clocked in at 8:58…hmm. That’s not quite the 9:30 I was shooting for. Oh well. We kept running at what felt comfortable. We probably could have tried starting slower, but I’m not sure how much that would have helped in the end.

Our strategy for water was to carry our handhelds (20 oz. I think) and drink at every aid station (there were 9 on the course). This had worked fine on our previous runs (up to 12 miles) and may have worked better for the race if the weather had been a little friendlier! :)

Miles 2-4 clocked in at about 8:50, which was still faster than we were going for, but we went with it. We were feeling good, and were definitely working off the race energy surrounding us. These were mostly flat sections leading us into Mile 5; the big hill. We made the ascent with a little difficulty (it is a hill), but all in all, no worse for the wear. This mile was definitely slower, but we made it through without issue.

Mile 1: 8:58
Mile 2: 8:50
Mile 3: 8:50
Mile 4: 8:52
Mile 5: 9:42 (Big hill)

Miles 6-10

After the hill, there was a nice downhill (thank you!) followed by another, smaller hill (or two), but overall not too bad on the stretch that I think most runners would say is the most difficult section. Mile 7 and half of 8 were on an out and back stretch that shoots off from the rest of the square like loop. I tried to keep an eye out for Jen, but didn’t see her, although I saw some other runner friends, which was fun! We made the turn around and realized we had just come down a bit of a decline, who knew?! We made our way back toward the square loop, and quickly realized that there was to be no more shade for the race. :(

The next few miles seemed mostly downhill (reflected in our pace). This was definitely when I was ready to be done. I was looking ahead at the sea of runners wondering where the next turn was. Then it finally came, time for the gravel… (Yuck!)

Mile 6: 8:50
Mile 7: 8:59
Mile 8: 8:41
Mile 9: 8:45
Mile 10: 8:57

Miles 11-13.1

We passed the last aid station on the gravel portion. Lessons learned: Refill your bottle if it’s stupid hot out, your bottle is almost empty, and especially if your friend is manning that station! :P I was still of the mindset that I wanted to run the whole way. It wouldn’t take long for me to change my mind. When we finally made it off the gravel, I was hurting, mostly from being so thirsty. Than I realized I was nearly out of water. I kept thinking: “It’s ok, I have less than 3 miles left!” Surprisingly, that’s not as motivating as it may seem. It’s more like “I have 3 more miles??!! Oh, come on!” We were nearing the Mile 11 marker, and I had to walk. I told myself I could walk until the Mile 11 sign. As we passed the sign, we started running again, although probably slower than we had been.

I knew there was one more incline coming, to get over the overpass. I also knew that I needed to walk that, so we did. I told J several times that he could run ahead if he wanted to, but he wanted to stick with me so we could finish our first half together. (Stubborn, isn’t he?) That seemed cute, until after the race when he told me that now it would be easier for him to get a new PR! :P We reached the peak and began running again. We passed by the location of the first aid station, but it had been all packed up. I was soooo thirsty, and my head was starting to feel a little funny. This seemed like an endless stretch that would never end, then we finally made the final turn that would take us to the stadium (aka: The Finish Line). When we hit mile 12 I told myself: “Only a little over a mile to go! You can do this!” So I tried to pick up the pace. This again seemed like an endless stretch. Every time I saw a large building, I thought that must be the stadium; but no dice. Around the last corner, I had to walk one last time. I was so lightheaded, thirsty, and dehydrated at this point, I’m pretty sure I would have passed out if I hadn’t have walked. As soon as we saw the parking lot everyone was turning into for the final stretch, I started running again. Then we passed the Mile 13 marker. As we entered the stadium, I just ignored my body and gave it my all. (7:53 min/mi!)

Mile 11: 9:47 (first walk break)
Mile 12: 10:02 (walked up the last “hill”/overpass)
Mile 13: 10:49 (last walk)
Mile 13.21: 7:53 (Don’t give up!)

As we were coming toward the end of Mile 12, a few guys passed us and told us that we we only had about 1/3 of a mile left and 3 minutes to break 2 hours. I’m fairly confident that if I hadn’t been so freaking hot and dehydrated I could have found it in me to pull out a 10:00 min/mi, but today wasn’t that day. As J said after the finish, “I would rather miss the 2 hour mark and finish, then have you pass out and not be able to finish.” Touché! Secretly, I really wanted to break 2 hours, but I’m still so happy that we did so well for our first half. And hey, there’s always next time! Hopefully we can make it a cold one! ;)

Results:
Garmin:
2:01:42 (9:13 avg pace)

Official:
2:01:46 (9:17 avg pace)
Age Group 57/319

So, to recap. We did pretty awesome! And we learned a few things:

1) I need more water if it’s over 60°. (Maybe it’s because I used to be a swimmer? :P ) Maybe I’ll look into getting one of those belts for warmer races. The more I carry with me, the better I will feel. I don’t want to rely on aid stations.

2) It’s ok to walk through an aid station, stop, and refill your bottle! (D’oh!)

3) There’s no shame in walking! We were still on target to break 2 hours, even with a few walk breaks.

4) Let’s incorporate some hill training. It certainly can’t hurt!

I’m not sure about our starting pace. We may have gone out too fast, but I feel that if the weather had been more accommodating, it might not have been so bad at the end. I am fairly sure I was dehydrated at the end. I drank so much water at the finish line! And when we got home, my head was killing me, and my throat was so dry! We’ll just have to see what happens next time. I’m fairly certain we can break 2 hours. And by “we”, I mean J can for sure break 2 hours, and I’m fairly certain I can too. (Just maybe not by as much… :)

This week is probably going to be a non-running week, but I’m hoping to hit up some yoga classes! I’m hoping we can find some classes that we really like, and can incorporate into future training. I definitely noticed that my hips need some strengthening as well as some stretching, and I think yoga will help with that. (Plus, it’s fun!) I’ll let you know how it goes!

I’ll leave you with a pic of the starting line (taken from a helicopter!)

Hopefully I’ll have more pictures of *us* when they’re put up online (I was in no state to take pictures during or after the race!) I tried to give a smile to each of the race photogs, so we’ll see how that turns out!

Hope everyone else out there had a great weekend, too!

Helvetia Half Marathon Pre-Race Goals

Less than 24 hours until our very first Half Marathon! I’m feeling excited, not nervous (well, not yet, anyway. I’m sure that will come tomorrow as we drive to the stadium.)

I took today off from work, so that we could “relax” before our race tomorrow. But we didn’t exactly lounge around the house as I had suspected we might. Instead, after sleeping in a few hours, we hit up Mother’s Bistro for some delicious breakfast. Afterward, we made our way out to Portland Running Company for packet pickup. We were in and out in no time! (Yay for painless packet pickups!) Instead of heading straight home, we made a quick pit stop at a pet store to pick up some items for a new cat that we had been thinking of adopting all week. Originally, I though it might be nice to adopt the cat after our race, but J got so excited that we dropped in to the Cat Adoption Team for a few hours, and walked out with a new kitten! Isn’t he cute!? (Sorry it’s blurry. He likes to play!)

His name is Desmond, or “Dez” for short. This might not have been our smartest move, since we have to keep him separated from our current cat (Charlotte), and we must sleep separately tonight! But we are so excited for our new family member! Hopefully he sleeps through the night, and we are rested enough for tomorrow… :P

Speaking of tomorrow, it is supposed to be the nicest day so far of the year, meaning a high of 82°! It has been raining and lingering around 60° for weeks now, and that is what we have been training in. I’m a little nervous about the heat, but hopefully we’re done quickly enough with the race that the heat won’t be a factor. Either way, as long as we finish (which I don’t think will be a problem) we will get a PR! Yay for free PRs! :)

As for our “goal time”, I’m trying not to keep anything specific in mind, since this is our first race at this distance, and the course is supposed to be a bit challenging. There are a few hills in the middle sections, and about a mile of gravel somewhat near the end. But I want to at least start with around 9:30 min/mi pace, and see where we go. I think that’s a safe enough pace to start with, and we shouldn’t burn ourselves out or anything, and we can always get faster! ;)

I’ll try to get a recap up as soon as I can tomorrow, after we chow down on our post-race food and drink (Helvetia Burger and Widmer Beer). Good luck to anyone else heading out tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll see you out there!

1 Week to go + Starlight “Run” Race Recap

Only 1 more week to go before our very first half marathon! I’m really starting to get excited…and a little nervous. I’m not really worried about finishing it; I’m fairly certain that won’t be a problem…but I’m nervous nonetheless. Just adrenaline, I guess! Here’s the recap of the past week, and than the “race recap” of the Starlight Run which I completed yesterday with GOTR.

Monday:
3.05 miles (10:15 avg pace)
An easy run in Sunriver. A different “Waterfront Loop”. :)

Tuesday:
Travel/Yoga at home
After enjoying a delicious breakfast in Bend at The Victorian Cafe, (Tiramisu French Toast…Yes, it was as amazing as it sounds!) we made the 4 hour trek back home. When we finally arrived, we were pretty tired, and didn’t really want to head out again for Yoga at Lululemon, so we stayed home and did yoga from a DVD. It was definitely challenging, so we definitely didn’t feel lazy!

Wednesday:
We had planned to run this day, but I wasn’t feeling up to running for some reason, and J was having some lingering ankle soreness, so we skipped it. I felt pretty lazy and a bit guilty afterward, but it’s taper time, so no harm done!

Thursday:
3.3 miles (10:55 avg pace)
First Thursday! I can’t believe I almost forgot about it! Again, it was so much fun! There didn’t seem to be as many distant checkpoints this time. There was one down on Naito, but we purposely skipped it! There’s a lot of stop and go during this run, which is reflected in the pace. I think we were running closer to 9:30, but it still felt nice and easy. We enjoyed some beer afterward, and waited to hear one of our tickets read over the sound system, but no luck this time. Maybe next month!

Here we are after the run (it was another rainy day). I’m wearing my VIP shirt for shorter beer lines and extra tickets:

Friday:
Rest Day

Saturday:
8 miles (10:13 avg pace)
We steered clear of the Rose Festival crowds, and took it nice and easy. My legs felt tired throughout the run, which I think is mostly attributed to “Taper Madness” which I’ve read about so much on other blogs. I’m not too worried about it. That’s what adrenaline on race day is for!

Starlight Run Race Recap

Results (As a Girls on the Run Running Buddy):
5K: 55 minutes (17:42 avg pace) (Watch time. NOT chip timed)
We weren’t quite the last to finish (second to last!), but what a struggle! Luckily I wasn’t alone with my buddy. I had my own (adult) Running Buddy to help push us to the end. Since the Starlight Parade begins right after the Run, we had a certain pace we had to keep. (Not my little running buddy’s style…)

The race starts with an incline…”Perfect”, I thought. Little running buddy ran for about 10ft, and we encouraged her to power walk the rest of the way. By the time we reached the top (maybe 100ft into the race) we were at the tail end of the crowd. The rest of the race was a battle trying to try and keep up. Barely a quarter of a mile into the race, we were being told by the police that we would have to pick up our pace. As we weaved through the Pearl, we were a block behind the next nearest group of runners. After exiting the Pearl, the school bus pulled up behind us. “You need to get on if you can’t hurry up.” Great. This is when the endless Cheering began. Luckily we were soon entering the crowd along the parade route. Their cheers and kiddo high-fives gave a little extra energy to little running buddy. We managed to pull ahead of the bus, but it was right behind us the entire rest of the way.

Can I just say “Thank You” to all the “helpful” crowd participants who pointed the bus out to us. We were having a hard time remembering it was there with it constantly honking at us, and the constant police sirens close behind… After 2 miles, we picked up another little running buddy who was heavily struggling to stay ahead of the bus. I thought for sure I was going to lose my voice from all the encouragement I was yelling. Finally, we crossed the 405 onto the home stretch back to Lincoln High School. We descended the final hill and turned the corner. “We’re almost there!!!” And turned another corner. “We’re probably almost there!!!” And then there it was. The finish line! “We did it. We destroyed that bus!!” 1st little buddy crossed, and soon after new little buddy crossed, and it was over. After 55 minutes of constant peppiness. It was a looooong 55 minutes, and it was over. I’ll never look at a school bus the same way again…

I don’t want to be all negative. I think this is a great program, and I think most people have a great experience as a running buddy. (Most buddies seemed to keep themselves up near the other participants.) I’ll probably try to participate again next year. I want to give it another chance. This was definitely not easy, but I felt very accomplished that we got our buddy to the finish line. I also got to see the tail end of a race, which I’ve never done before, and I can say now that I’d really rather never experience it again! :)

In other news, only one more week to go until the big day! I plan to post again before the big day with my race goals (spoiler alert: #1 = to finish!) and my thoughts going into the race. We’ve got a nice easy week ahead of us:

Monday:
3 miles

Tuesday:
REST!

Wednesday:
3 miles

Thursday:
My plan says walk for 2 miles, we’ll see what happens.

Friday:
Day off from work. Packet Pickup.

Saturday:
Helvetia Half Marathon!!!! (13.1 miles of FUN!)

Sunday:
Bask in our glory!