2016 Utah Valley Half Marathon

As you know, I went back and forth about whether or not I would participate in the Utah Valley Half Marathon this year.  When I'm struggling with injury and lack of motivation because of excess weight, racing just doesn't have the same appeal it usually does.  It's even a bit scary to show up feeling unprepared for something others have spent months training for.  But I did it.  I showed up.

 It was super cold

It was a  beautiful morning with a wondrous  sunrise, and I was determined to walk this race, no matter how long it took me to finish.  Especially since I forgot to charge my Ipod Shuffle and would be tackling the 13.1 miles with my own meandering thoughts.  I figured I would survive.  What I underestimated was the amount of stress that walking actually puts on our bodies.  It hurt to walk.  Not at first, of course.  But by mile 2, all my body wanted to do was run.  And listening to my body has been the theme of my past year so, I ran.

Until my lungs needed a break, then I walked.  I went back and forth between running and walking the whole distance.  When walking I had the chance to talk to other walkers.  It was fun.  Everyone participating in a gorgeous morning together.  The birds singing, the water rushing by, the honking cars, and cheering sections along the route were great motivators.  I thoroughly enjoyed unplugging and experiencing the world around me while I moved along the course.

I finished the course way faster than I thought I would.  I finished in 2 hours 55 minutes and 58 seconds.  Under 3 Hours!!  My goal was under 4.  I feel good about this.  Walking didn't even slow my pace all that much.  I was only 20 minutes slower than the last time I ran the Half.  I'm glad that I had to slow down and walk.  It helped me to relax about my time.  It's okay if I have to walk during a race.  It's okay to listen to my body.  Just BE at that moment.

Be what my body needs
Be me
Be present in the experience
Be happy

Maybe my new race mantra?  Just Be.

Reality Staring Me In The Face

Lets talk about Stress.  Stress is sometimes looked at as a burden to an individual/family and sometimes, I've noticed, that stress is idolized as a state of living that is to be desired.  Although I think the second kind of stress is a scary state for our culture to admire, I would like to talk about the first kind of stress.

The first kind of stress effects me more in my adult life than I ever remember it effecting me when I was a kid.  And we all cope with stress differently.  Some express emotions at extreme levels, some drink alcohol, some obsess about activities or work, and some do what I do.  Eat.

I can't even explain it.  I can be full and know I'm not hungry and might even not want to eat, but I just keep going.  It's like my body thinks food is a medicine that I need right then, and I need as much as I can get.  This past year was very stressful for me for many reasons.  One of those reasons was a foot injury.  And because I wasn't really paying attention or addressing my stresses well, I ate.  And I ate. And I ate.

Between my injury and my inability to exercise (this is usually my 1st line of defense to my yearning to eat) I managed to gain 45 lbs in the last 12 months.  And it's rough.  It's hard to watch 3 years of hard work disappear behind a mask that jiggles.

In the first half of the year, I was super excited to begin my workouts again.  I spent months doing no strenuous activity and was excited to get back to doing what I love.  But I forgot how slow one has to go after an injury.  It's been a while since I had a significant injury and my body is definitely older now.  (I never thought I would say that)  It's true.  Gaining my strength and abilities back seems to be at a snails pace, and thus extremely frustrating.

I didn't really account for this 6 months ago when I registered for the Utah Valley Half Marathon.  So, the race is here.  And I'm not ready to run it.  I was thinking that I would try to find someone else to take my place when I was reminded by my sister-in-law that people walk these races.  Now, I usually run.  I tend to do things quickly.  But by body is screaming at me and I need to slow down; in more ways than just exercise.  I have to respect where I am.  Right here.  Right now.  And enjoy it.

Here's to walking my first race.

Back Pain Resolved

For the last few months I have had some severe back pain. This has made it very hard for me to keep up with my training for the Ragnar.  But after going multiple times to Runners Corner and having them watch me run I think we've figured out why my back has been dying.

They videoed me running and found that I was over-striding with my right leg and swinging my left arm way too far forward; making my back twist over my right hip.  So I have spent the last 2 weeks shortening my stride and keeping my elbows behind my body while I run.  It has really helped.  I am having almost no pain. It'b been fantastic.  I have upped my miles and feel a like I've jumped back on track with my training.  My next challenge will be adding back in my cross training.  I've cut out all of it since I could barely move.  This next week, adding weights back into my training.