I did it!

So the morning of the Boulder Half Marathon, I had what we should probably be referring to as a minor melt down. My confidence was completely shot, if you couldn't tell from my previous post, and I had my self convinced that I would not be able to finish. To make it worse, the few people that are able to talk me off of such a ledge fell in to one of the following categories: 1)refuses to run unless it is an emergency and even then it better be a good one; 2) exploring the world; and 3)6am on a Sunday is a time period that has never been personally witnessed.
Luckily for me I had Tyson. He gave me a pep talk as he made my breakfast of champions (2 eggs, scrambled, cheddar cheese melted on top, glass of Naked Juice Green Machine), gave me a confidence nudge as I was crying on the couch, distracted me on the drive up to Boulder, and the most amazing thing of all, ran the whole thing with me, even though he hadn't trained for it, or planned on it. To top that all off, he was my personal photographer throughout the race, so I have something to show everyone that falls into the above categories!

The first 4 miles or so were pretty solid, I felt like I was pacing myself well and had found a couple that was going right around my pace in front of me that I could chase! It was right around this point that I got a phone call from an international number I wasn't familiar with (Yes, I was carrying my phone, and I answered it!) It was my mom calling from Israel! She wanted to see if I was done yet. The answer of course was no, the race hadn't even started a full hour ago yet, so I told her to callback later,"Give me an hour" I said. Little did I know she was setting a timer. But it was nice to hear from her, it was that little voice I needed to keep me moving.



Mile 5 is when things started getting a little rough. The way the trail is laid out, there are a bunch of sharp turns, so you can't actually see the turn around point until it is right in front of you. That last mile and half was the longest 7,920 feet I'd seen to this point. But once I got to the turn around it was much easier for me to play the mind game with myself, after all I had already gone farther than the distance I still had to go!

As we got to the hills Tyson gave me advice on how to get over them without wearing myself out, he ran track and cross country while in undergrad, so he seemed like a reliable source for the information! At this point I was feeling pretty good, we'd' made our way through most of the sharp turns and I could see the Boulder Reservoir in the distance where I would eventually find the finish line.

Exactly one hour after the previous call, and shortly after I passed the 11 mile mark, I felt my phone vibrating in my hand and could hear Fitz and the Trantrums wailing "Oh what a lovely day" over the Lady Gaga I had playing on my iPod, it was mom.
Mom: "Are you done yet?"
Becca:"No, I'm not done yet, I have 2 miles left!"
Mom: "Ok, so I should call you in like 15 minutes?"
Becca: "Mom, I have run 11 miles so far, it's going to take a little longer to go the last 2!"
Mom: "So 20 minutes?"
Becca: "Fine, 20 minutes!"

I think she was a little anxious since she was on the other side of the world, that or she was getting my ESP on a 2 hour delay, from my melt down earlier in the morning letting her know I needed my mom!

At this point in the run you are so close you can taste it, but your body is seriously considering throwing a revolution (the type that will not be televised). My breathing was pretty steady, but my quads were calling in for air-strikes and my knees had made arraignments with NATO to take over if this thing was going to go for much longer. Meanwhile, Tyson, seemingly walking next to me but keeping perfect pace, was studying for the Medical Boards on his cell phone (which threw a few of our fellow runner for a loop)!



At the very end, Tyson ran ahead to get a few last minute photos of my run and to catch me at the finish line. He caught me instead on the phone with my mom.
Mom: "Are you done yet?"
Becca: "Mom, you are KILLING me here, this is a 13.1 mile race, it is going to take me some time!"
Mom: "Ok well you're Dad and I are going to go to dinner, we will call you later though!"
Becca: "GREAT Mom, talk to you later!"

As I made the final turn before crossing the finish line I saw my sister, waiting for me like she said she would!



I am so glad to be done with the Boulder Half, but Tyson is working on convincing me to do the Colfax Half in May.

I think I'll do it!

Is it just me is 13.1 miles really far?

After 10 months of training, 3 pairs of shoes, many bottles of Advil and at least one tube of Neosporin I am half way into my training and (I think) I'm ready to prove it by running my half marathon tomorrow!

The Boulder Half Marathon is at the Boulder Reservoir and I am really nervous!
Everyone keeps telling me that I will be fine and there is nothing to worry about because I will have all sorts of adrenaline helping me to get through it. But how is everyone so much more confident than I am? The farthest I've run so far is 10 miles and I was not feeling incredibly awesome after wards. Can adrenaline really push me those last 3.1 miles and make me feel like I don't want to die at the end of this?

Since my confidence is clearly lacking at this point, I Googled some running words of encouragement, and decided to share them here:
"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."
- Steve Prefontaine

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."
-Jesse Owens

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."
-Juma Ikangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon winner

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
-Oprah Winfrey

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
-PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
- Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
-Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile

"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'."
-Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner

I will write again tomorrow to let everyone know my time and will hopefully have some pictures!

Running as a team sport

On the surface, running is an individual sport, but since we started this journey I've learned it is much more like a team sport. Everyday I am the one that has to convince myself to lace up my shoes and pound the pavement, but when I'm out in the world, touring the parks, trails and sidewalks of Denver, that is when my team shows up.

This morning as I walked out of my building, there were two homeless men in the foyer, they'd been there over night protecting themselves from the cold and they were the first to tell me to have a good run. Turning the corner and running past the Governor's mansion I past dozens of cars, their drivers on the way to work; whenever the street lights turns red, the drivers that are first in line are like my cheerleaders, the lights on the car like the spotlights in a stadium.

Cheeseman Park is when I meet up with my competition, luckily it is always friendly. I took two laps of the park this morning and each time my fellow runners and I past each other we gave "the nod." You know the one. It's when two runners going in opposite directions look each other in the eye and lift their chins slightly. That little movement, that could easily be confused as a muscle spasm to the untrained eye, is all I need to keep my my left leg following my right. The nod says "Good morning, nice to see you again. Sweet kicks, are those new? I thought I saw that Runners Roost was having a sale this weekend. There's a big hill up ahead but keep going, you're doing great!" There aren't any classes you can take to learn proper etiquette of the nod. It almost seems like the nod was developed on accident as people's heads were bobbing along on the trail.

On the way back to my apartment there was a driver that had pulled out into the driveway, blocking my path to cross the street. As I got close the driver waved at me as he put the car in reverse and backed out of my way. It was all I needed to go the last few blocks.

I like team sports. They keep me running, day in and day out.
-Becca

Thank God for Treadmills

I HATE TREADMILLS. It's true, I can't deny it any longer. Treadmills have the amazing ability to suck my soul out of my body through my feet. The worst part is that the gym in my building doesn't have a tv in it to distract me from the sheer boredom that is the treadmill. Plus, as if every person in the world couldn't already find something they didn't like about their bodies, there are giant mirrors set up in front of the treadmills. They are conveniently placed so that you can see your face get red as you lose your breath and your thighs giggling around as your legs hit the conveyor belt! It's nauseating really.
Even though these things all add up to a totally legitimate hatred of running indoors I find myself living what an environment that has recently transformed itself into something that can be most easily described as the frozen tundra of mother Russia. I've gotten pretty good at handling cold weather, but -17 degrees just doesn't work for me.
On top of that last week I got the great news that I had both a sinus infection and pink eye! I couldn't make it up the stairs at work without having to send word (through use of a little known network of Denver Sherpas) that I would be setting up camp overnight and would summit in the morning. Plus eye infections have a well documented impact on a runners ability to maintain their footing!
So tonight, after more than a week without a run, I needed it. I needed the run like mean girls in 7th grade need someone with low self esteem! So, I caved, and I got on the treadmill.
It was glorious! I finally got to test out my new shoes even though it's only 1 degree outside!
While I maintain my strong dislike for small conveyor belts and unchanging scenery, I've decided that I don't have to pound the pavement to get my trot on!

If you like Pina Coladas...

Or getting caught in the rain, which is exactly what I did on Saturday morning. Saturday was one of those dreary, wet days, in lovely DC and I got my tush out of bed and ran. While I was prepared for the cold temperature, I was NOT prepared for the drizzle. After 10 miles a drizzle can really do some damage. Needless to say I was soaking, but man it felt good! We ended by going up the Woodley Park Hill, which for those that don't know is a long, treacherous, "death" hill that is a perfect cherry on top of a hard run. But hey, I'm in the double digits!

Also, I saw this story http://www.newser.com/story/111442/man-runs-365-marathons-in-one-year.html which reminded me why we started this whole thing. Can you imagine doing 365 marathons? That can't be good for your body!

My new expensive hobby

I am running more than ever! I just got back from a 5 mile run and I feel great! I am going a body attack class tonight, though so we'll see after that. My pace is getting better and I am baring the cold weather (which really isn't that bad). The bad part about running for a girl like me is it open a whole new shopping world! I now have to go into all the athletic stores to see what's on sale, what's new and how cute I can look while I run. Please, how cute can anyone look while they run??

I am still running with the DC road runners and I really like it. For anyone who is scared of long runs and just can't get in the mindset I would highly recommend running with a group.

As for my new purchases they have mostly centered around warm clothes and long spandex pants (I am fortunate to have no butt so spandex doesn't look to gross on me). I did have to get one of those water bottle belts, though, so we'll see... I'll keep you updated on some of my other purchases!!

Stay close to the lamp, the sidewalk can be very treacherous

So after 20 something years of what I would consider being a mostly functional bi-ped, my streak came to an end this week.

On Thursday, I was out running with my friends Matt and Josh with the Snug. The trail goes from the bar on Colfax, through Cheeseman Park, around the outside of the Botanical Gardens and then back to the bar. Matt, Josh and I made it safely through the park, which is a feat of it's own because the city is doing construction in it during the winter, so there are piles of dirt all over the place and it's hard to find the trail at night depending on what they did during the day. Luckily, I followed the Snug's suggestion and got a headlamp so I could see where I was going after the sun went down. Josh fell behind since he was sore from the day before's workout, but Matt and I followed the 5 Ds of dodgeball: dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge, to make it over, around, through and under the obstacle course also known as a park.

But once we turned the corner to go by the Botanic Gardens it became clear that I left my bi-ped skills in the park. I stubbed my toe and immediatly proceeded to eat sidewalk. I brused my hands, my knees and my ego, which was made obvious when I yelled many explatives at the top of my lungs! But Matt was right next me, picked me up, helped me brush off, and we were on our way.

I thought this experience was behind me when I decided to go for my regualr run to Wash Park on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and there were a ton of people at the park showing off the new gear they got from Santa and had just unwrapped that morning. On my way back home I ran into my friend Marshall, who was just getting started on his run to the park. We hugged and wished eachother a happy regular old December 25th before Marshall told me about the awful day he'd had at work the day before. "I might be toxic", he said, referring to everything that he touched going wrong, "I probably should have said something before we hugged." I blew it off thinking it was just a coinsidence.

So there I am on Seventh heading back to my apartment, excited and exhausted because I am almost done with the 6.5 mile trail and because the best part, the very end, is all down hill! Clearly my mind was elsewhere, because before I knew it, I was again eating sidewalk. This time I didn't curse, because I remembered just walking past an old man that probably didn't care to hear what was going through my head. So instead I just rolled over and started to cry. I've been running, we'll say regularly because it is certainly not as much as I should be, for almost a whole year and now twice in a matter of 3 days I am flat on my face. This time I banged up my shoulder and hands, hit my head and scrapped up my knees.

The old man I'd just run past came to make sure I was ok and see if I wanted a ride home. I was only a few blocks away, so I declined. But you better bet that on the walk home I was thinking about Marshall and his toxic hug not 20 minutes before.

So now that I am terrified of all the sidewalks in Denver, I think I'll suffer through my time on the treadmill...until either my knees or my ego are back to normal.