10.4 Miles

10.4 miles is a long way to run. Especially if you live in a small town with a good number of hills. It's hard to plan a route that doesn't involve hills, is primarily on trails or a minor arterial.
My challenge: to plan a 10.4 mile route that ended at my apartment and hopefully started near the YMCA (where Izzie goes before school). I had hoped to include the railroad trail, however, that was a few miles (all on street) from the YMCA.
I finally decided to start at the YMCA, run to Boulevard Park, follow the trail to the Village Green in Fairhaven, hop onto the Interurban Trail for a couple miles, run UP Fairhaven Parkway to 34th, turn right, get on the new trail that goes UP to Lake Padden. Once I arrived at Padden my plan was to eat (consume?) a GU energy packet, fill my water bottle, then run down Samish Road, to Lincoln, right on Fraser and head home. However, I realized at about mile 8 that I was too close to home, so I had to take some roundabout ways to get home and still get my distance in.
It was a warm, sunny day. A hot day, we would say in Bellingham, since it got over 70 degrees!
I had to stop and take a picture of the Lake, this was the view I had running up the trail, after the most brutal part of the run, an elevation gain of about 450 feet, straight up from sea level.Pretty isn't it?

Hurray for parades! Here's a picture of Izzie and I that my coworker took. It was so fun seeing people we knew on the streets. Izzie was saying hi to her friends and they were excited to know someone in the parade. A good time was had by all.
As you can see, there was a truck in the back. What you can't see are the pieces of wood that extended three feet out, to show the minimum 3 foot safe passing distance.

Back into the run of things

After my race I decided to take some time off. The run was on May 3rd, I didn't run again until May 9th, once around Lake Padden, an easy 2.6 miles. I thought I'd try to ease back into things and run a couple times during the proceeding week, but who was I kidding? It was Bike to Work and School Day on May 15th.

There was NO way I could manage being one of the lead organizers for a County wide event (over 8,500 participants!!), bike commute, run, be a wife and mom, and still stay upright and not exhaust myself.

So, for my own health, I didn't run.

Until yesterday, May 23rd.

I guess I took a little longer off then I should have, seeing that I'm still in training, now for the full marathon.

The group was running 9 miles yesterday, which seemed like a bit much to ease myself back into things, so I started off thinking I'd run about 6 or 7. However, I was having so much fun chatting with my very good friend that I just kept running. I did take a little short cut at the end, so my total distance was closer to 8.5, not 9.

So far I'm a little sore, but not too bad. As crazy as it sounds (and I KNOW it's crazy) it actually felt good to be out running again.

I suppose that would be a good end to this story, however, it continues!

After the run I headed home, ate, showered, ate some more, then Izzie and I rode our bikes to the staging area for the Ski to Sea Grand Parade. We, along with about 10 other youth and adults rode our bikes for the "Share the Road...and the Rules" float, sponsored by the City of Bellingham and the Whatcom County Traffic Safety Task Force. I don't have any pictures of the parade, so you'll have to make do with this:

A side affect of running

I started out this whole half marathon and marathon goal as simply that, a goal. I've wanted to run a marathon for a few years now. Don't ask me why, it just sounded like an amazing thing that people do, and I wanted to see if I could do it too. I've never been particularly 'sporty'. Sure I played softball growing up, hockey for a year and ride my bike a lot, but I have never excelled in any sport or really set any sport or fitness goals.

The timing just seemed right to do these races, I had an okay fitness base due to all the bicycling I do, however I knew that if I wanted to run these races and not seriously hurt myself I'd have to kick it up a few dozen notches and run at least 4 times a week. So I did. And guess what happened. I started to develop defined muscles in my legs. Crazy, I've never had that before. I have also lost about 15 pounds since January. Crazy again, because I didn't start this as a weight loose goal, it just happened.

With all that said, I feel great! And I am only 8 pounds heavier than when I got pregnant. Sure it has taken me 6.5 years to get back to that point, but whose counting? For me, it's more about being healthy than a number on the scale.

Mission Accomplished!

I did it! I ran a half marathon!!


I ran the Tacoma City Marathon on May 3rd, 2009 in 2 hours 7 minutes and 51 seconds!! That is 9:46/mile.

I may look like hell here, but what do you expect after 13.1 miles? Cool super hero cape, huh?!