Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

First of all, the weather people couldn't have been more wrong! As late as Friday afternoon they were saying rain all day Saturday but partly sunny Sunday. Then it was beautiful all day Saturday, so I knew we were in trouble. So the new forecast said rain all day Saturday night and Sunday. It was pouring when I got up at 5:45. It was pouring when I left to meet Toni at 6:20. When I turned on my car, the song "Fool In The Rain" was on. Right as the rain picked up even more, the line "I run in the rain til I'm breathless, when I'm breathless I run til I drop" came on. All appropriate for the day.

Thankfully Toni's husband was able to drive us downtown. He dropped us off right at the start line at the Washington Monument. We easily checked our bags and used the porta-potties. There were 12,000 racers registered, and surprisingly, a lot showed up in the bad weather. The elite women started at 7:40, then our wave started around 8:00. The rain had let up and the 45ish degrees felt pretty good.

I did the first mile in 9:52, second and third about the same. I lost Toni around the 5K point--the course was very crowded but very nice and pretty even though it was a dreary day. Lots of cherry blossoms on the great new course. They did a wonderful job designing it. As I was entering Hains Point the elite women were leaving it. It was amazing to see them blow by us at their high speed. I crossed the 5-mile point at 47:56. I felt pretty good but was getting hungry. I crossed the 10K point at 58:57, which was a 9:30 pace. We went past the Kennedy Center, came back and crossed the Memorial Bridge. That's where the rain started again. We looped around and came back over the bridge, and the rain got even worse and the wind picked up. At this point (8-1/2 miles) my legs were very tired because I hadn't trained much at that distance. The last 1-1/2 miles were tough in the rain and occasional wind, but I kept going and finally turned the corner to the finish line. I had a tiny bit of a kick but not much.

I finished in 1:33:23, a 9:21 pace. I wanted to do it in 1:30, but all things considered, I'm happy with the day. I got a nasty muffin and water, changed into dry clothes, and found Toni. My only complaint about this race is they always have the worst food options after, especially considering how high profile it is. But the elites get their own tent, so all the good food probably was there. Toni's husband picked us up and it was an easy trip home.

So next weekend is the 5 mile trail race, then 2 weeks after that another 10 miler. Hopefully I can get another long run in there somewhere and have a little more left in the tank for that one. I'm so thankful to have great friends to run all these races with!

Alison

Spring Races

It's finally time for spring races to begin--even though Rita has already done two races. She gets a break from the Backyard Burn this weekend, but the rest of us, as far as I know, are doing the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler on Sunday. It's been really tough to find a time we all can train together, but it's great when any of us can get out there. I'm pretty excited for Sunday. I haven't left suburbia for the city in ages, and those cherry blossoms are so pretty.

I'm much slower than I was last year at this time because I have not been doing any speed work. But a slow 10 miles feels really good now, and hopefully I can do some speed work again someday and set another PR. I originally had a conflict for the other 10-miler this month--the GW Parkway Classic--where I set my 10 miler PR. That event fell through, so I'm doing that race too. Plus a 5-miler in between, so it'll be a busy month of running.

Alison

Shoes

I love shoes. I enjoy shoe shopping and finding the perfect pair, and if it's a bargain, even better. That being said, I don't own a pair of dress shoes more expensive than my running shoes. I don't even remember buying $100+ dress shoes when I worked full time. But here I am spending that much on shoes that I'm going to abuse with heat, mud, and sweat. I'm lucky enough to live across the road from one of our area's many running stores too, so it's easy to replace them. But now I'm tempted to go elsewhere to get a bargain at the many grand opening sales around here--and I still have an unused pair in my closet. This month, we have a new running stores with grand opening sales in Clifton, Balston, Fairfax, and Falls Church, all of which are short drives away. I guess running has gotten so popular that the area can support 4 more stores, but it does seem like a bit much. I hope they all do well!

Now don't even get me started on how much I spent on compression tights and shorts this month...

Alison

Whats a Girl to do when She Travels???

As many of us know it is tough to juggle the work life balance thing- but I think it gets even harder when we hit the road for work! I found myself flying to our corprate office in Texas yet again this month....the clean sheets, wireless internet and company paid hotel movies could not make up for 3 hours of sitting on a plane wishing I was running. So I checked into the Fairmont hotel and decided I would make a quick call to my husband to check in on the little one. By the time I got off the phone and made it to the gym, I had a mere 25 minutes to hit the teadmill before dinner with the executive team. Is it worth it to get all sweaty knowing I needed to be at dinner shortly???? The answer was a resounding yes. Running made me resent traveling less and let me clear my head of all things corporate- even if it was just for 25 minutes.

That being said, if you are struggling to find some peace when you hit the road for work, you might just find it when you lace up your shoes, throw on the iPod, and hit the hotel gym!

Trail Running

Today Toni and I did the free running clinic offered by the people who do the Backyard Burn trail running series. It was so cold and windy out, and we sat outside and listened to lecture for close to an hour. At least he told us in advance to bring warm layers for that. The coach talked all about stride and running more efficiently. Then we did some drills to work on efficient foot stroke--making sure we're not too bouncy and no heel striking. We also did some strengthening exercises for legs and core. Then he lectured on trail specific running, and we took a short run on the trails. There were a few stream crossings, and I didn't quite make it over one. Man that was cold! We learned how to navigate roots, rocks, and down trees. The clinic was very helpful for both trail and paved running. I decided I'll join Rita doing race 4 in the 5-miler series. If I like it, I'll be as bold as she is and do the whole series next time around.

Okay, I have to say it--Happy Trails!!!

90 Days

Yes, there are 90 days until the pool opens! (My girls had me count yesterday.) So we're trying a healthy 90 days challenge in our house. I'm trying to get them--and me--eating more healthful snacks, more varied meals, and smaller desserts. We'll see how it goes--my 7-year-old already had a major snack tantrum, and my 4-year-old wanted too many Girl Scout cookies after lunch. At least it was nice enough for them to play outside for a little while today. My kids don't eat perfectly, and they watch TV and play video games, but they do get their exercise and they love to read, so I'm happy.

Me--I'm hoping to lose the belly I put on over the winter. It's not bad, but I don't like that I gained weight. I know it's a rough battle as I get older, but I'm going to do all I can to stay as healthy and fit as I can. So I did Pilates or other core work 4 times this week, plus my other workouts. I only ran 2 miles all week, but hey--a break is good. That 10-miler is coming up in 6 weeks, so I need to start those longer runs soon.

Today's Feat of Strength

Yes, I'm lame, but I'm so proud to say that other than the clothes on our backs, every single item of clothing in our house is clean, folded, and put away! It's extremely rare that this happens! So how did this happen? Instead of running Tuesday or today when both kids were in school and I didn't have to work, I stayed home and did housework. I've been trying to find balance in my life for years, but no luck yet. I've worked part-time since October 2000 when my oldest was six weeks old--both laying out a dental journal and teaching aerobics for a while, then just doing two freelance newsletters and teaching now. I'm pretty proud that I've pulled it off without any major goof-ups though!