Nightmares

I had a nightmare last night. It featured a person with whom I prefer not to interact. It felt so real and threw my whole day off. I thought I was past these nightmares. I want to be past them. I needed to run tonight. Needed. Not for the exercise, but because running is my release. It's something I can control when there are so many things out of my control. The negative energy from my nightmare was just too much for me. I needed to turn it into something positive. But clouds were rolling in. Lightning was flashing in the distance. One of my running rules is to not run in the lightning. I will run in the rain, but not a thunderstorm. However, I needed this. So out I went.  

It was muggy. It was raining, though not enough to get rid of humidity. The lightning continuously got closer and was soon accompanied by thunder. Still I ran. The first two miles of what ended up being four miles, was spent stressing about my nightmare. I played it over and over in my head. I let it fuel my steps. And I let my steps loosen the negative vibe it held over me. Then the lightning lit up the sky. The second half of my run was spent actively running. Pushing my pace more than I wanted. Willing my legs to go faster to get home and out of the thunderstorm. I focused my intentions. I took back my control. I released more than sweat.

And, most importantly, I didn't get hit by lightning.

Soldier Field 10 Miler

On the Saturday before Memorial Day, Fleet Feet sponsors the Soldier Field 10-miler. I enjoyed running this race two years ago so last Fall, when Bethie suggested running it again for the 10th anniversary, I didn't hesitate for another chance to finish on the 50-yard line at Soldier Field.

It was a definite celebration, with shirts in the Da Bears Blue and Orange...

And, of course, finishing on the 50-yard line. This finish was particularly satisfying because the run itself was a mentally challenging one. I knew I had the ability to run the pace I was running, but I was lacking the motivation to stick with it. Fortunately, I had my "target" person for the race, the person that acts as a goal and a motivation all in one. "If I can just stay with them...not let them out of my sight..." Whether they realize it or not, they helped get me through the mental toughness of this race. And not only did I finish with a smile on my face, I also beat my time of two years ago by about 8.5 minutes, crossing the line in 1:38:13. I did not expect that going into the race because my week had been extremely long with little sleep and not much running. All thanks to my motivator!

The celebration continued with Soul Asylum playing at the post race party. Although, I had "kinda" forgotten that the band existed...oops. They played new music in addition to the songs I recognized. But it was chilly, so I didn't want to hang around too long. Not when I had important napping to do! :)

The best part of the event, however, was when we received our participant's medal. (You know how I like a race with some good hardware!) This year, active servicemen put on our medals. Very cool and very humbling.

Field of Dreams

It was a long time coming, but Spring has finally arrived. In an attempt to escape the suburban backdrop, I've taken to running at the many and various forest preserves in the area. For awhile, the trees were bare and the ground, brown. But suddenly, Spring. New, light green leaves have decorated branches. Not yet able to block the sun, the trees are surrounded by a flowering forest floor. Spring is a feast for the eyes and the perfect excuse for me to take a rest 4.5 miles into a 6 mile run. Finding a clearing in the trees, I had the chance to breathe deep, inhaling the gorgeous scent around me. It was the opportunity to quiet my mind and embrace the sunshine and inner happiness. Content in that moment, I enjoyed my field of dreams.

During your next run, take a moment to appreciate your own field of dreams. Just watch out for ticks. ;)

Indy Mini

[Rocky Movie Theme Music]

Indy Mini-Marathon! Why it's sometimes called a "Half Marathon" and sometimes a "Mini-Marathon", I'm not sure. Because 13.1 miles does not feel "Mini" to me.

Anywho...
Looking forward to the 2014 running season, if you are deciding on Half Marathons to run, choose this one. It's a big one, with 35,000 people registered, but I felt it was well organized and well run. Fortunately, this year wasn't too hot which helped a lot. The course runs through the neighborhoods of Indianapolis and includes one loop around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On a hot day, one would bake on that 2.5 mile asphalt oval. But the weather was in the 60s and overcast this year. The course is also well supported, with Gatorade and water stops nearly every mile, as well as bands / DJs playing with the same frequency. The bands were good too. I heard they have to audition participate. Plus, the goody bag is pretty sweet, with a long-sleeved technical running shirt and a running cap.

Sweet long-sleeved shirt

New running cap

What made this race particularly fun, was that I met my sister there. She ran the race last year and enjoyed it enough to register again, as well as suggest it to me. So in Indy we met, for a whirlwind 24 hours of sister-awesomeness. She had a few friends also running. The group of us met to pick up our race packets, enjoy a carbtastic dinner the night before, and engage in general jocularity and fun.

Sisters! Before the race...ready to run! Note Carl photobombing in the background... :)

The morning of the race went smoothly. Not only had Rachel and her friends run the race before, but Allen has worked in Indianapolis so he was able to navigate us to parking quickly. We arrived with enough time for a visit to the porta-potties before walking to our starting corrals. Rachel & Co. are faster than me and were therefore seeded in earlier corrals. We joked that I was making the long walk to my corral, Corral Q, way back in Ohio. I had some old feelings of envy creep in about my sister being faster than me. I guess I'll never quite get over wanting to emulate my older sis.

The View from Q

This race was not long after the Boston Marathon and the bombing that occurred there. Prior to the start of the Mini, the announcer called for a moment of silence in remembrance of those killed and injured in Boston, as well as all recent events at home and abroad. Silence is a powerful statement. Especially when a crowd of people that big is collectively silent. Another thing that was different from races I've run before was the strong presence of the National Guard. According to Rachel & Co., the Guard was not present at last year's race. A reminder that seen or not, my nation's military is present so that I can participate in events like a road race.

The run itself was fun. I didn't cross the start line until 45 minutes after the gun went off, something I expected given the number of people participating. But once we started it was easy to find my pace right away. The streets were closed giving us running a wide path to find our legs and enjoy the run. As I said before, the music and frequent water stops kept the run interesting. Since we were running through neighborhoods, the residents lined the streets and cheered us on as we went. The miles ticked away easily.

And then we approached the track.

Entering The Brickyard

The oval gave me the opportunity to see more of the line of people stretched out before me.

That's a lot of people!

Car racing doesn't come close to the thrill of a running road race! Okay...maybe it's exhilarating in it's own right... ;)

Grandstands

A little tidbit about The Brickyard that I didn't know until I shared the picture of the starting line with a friend...the whole track used to be bricks. That would be loud to drive on. Anyway, the start line still has some bricks. And, apparently, the tradition is to kiss the bricks. I did wonder when I saw some people dropping to give them a smooch. I'm glad I didn't know the tradition before running the race. Although I probably would have opted out of doing that. I kissed the Blarney Stone once, rumored to give one the Gift of Gab, and I lost my voice for a week. Something tells me I should stop making out with structural building materials.

Starting line in the Motor Speedway

And yes, I took all of those pictures while I was running. I didn't want to mess with my pace!

I had been tracking my time and my pace. I was running close to my last half marathon, the Get Lucky. I even had a chance to beat that time. And I really wanted to do just that. A new PR would be awesome. In the last mile, it was time to dig deep. The last stretch was hard. The time was close and I couldn't quite gauge where the finish line was. I had to push without the end in sight. It was worth it though. I crossed the at 2:08:55, 54 seconds faster than my time for the Get Lucky. Rachel also PRed with am amazing 1:43 and change. The best part about it, she was no less excited about my PR than she was about hers.

Finished! And happy with our PRs!

And, of course, there's the swag. I do love a race with some hardware.

Finisher's Medal

We grabbed our free Dixie cup of Michelob Ultra and posed for a group shot. Another successful run. :)

Our group: Allen, me, Carl, Sean, and Rachel

A Runner's Body

At my daughter's track meet last weekend another parent commented how some of the kids "don't look like runners", that they expected them "to be tall and thin". The concept of what a runner looks like has been on the backburner of my mind for some time now. I'm sure I've eluded to it in previous posts, especially with regards to my own self image, but that comment, although an innocent musing, brought my ponderings to the front of my thoughts. What should a runner's body look like?
Then I saw this image floating around the interwebs...

This pretty much sums it up for me. Whether you're tall or short; thick or thin; fast or slow; run on your feet, prosthetics, or compete on wheels; if you're out there, you are a runner. End of story.

Running Tip

"When I run, I make a 'Rrrrrrrrrrrrr' sound and it makes me run faster. Really."

William, age 7

Boston

Running is a universal language. Like a smile or a hug, it transcends language barriers, cultural and educational backgrounds, and doesn't care on which "side of the tracks" you grew up. Being a runner has nothing to do with your pace, whether you run a 5K or a 50K, or if you run organized races or out on your own. Running breeds instant kinship between all other runners. A bond that makes strangers, friends, and friends, brothers. Which is why, when my running community is shaken as it was today, I am shaken with it.

Today was the Boston Marathon, one of the major marathons. Approximately 4 hours into the race, two bombs went off near the finish line, killing at least 3, including an 8-year old, and injuring more than a 100 others. Some witnesses reported runners who lost their legs. When the news broke, I was still at work. I watched some footage with my coworkers, my heart sinking and my eyes filling with tears. Senseless doesn't even begin to describe the event.

Tonight's 3 miler was a heavy hearted one. Despite the rain it was necessary to go out. To run out of solidarity. To run as a way of honoring my fellow runners. To run because that's what we do. There are events in life that we cannot control...some good, some bad. No matter what, we hold tight to the people we love, we help the people who need us, we fight for those that cannot fight for themselves...

We run.