Portland road running

Marathon tomorrow.
I am super excited to eat donuts after this son of a gun is over. I bought new shoes but am wearing my old.
Wish me luck or at least a speedy enough recovery that I can run the Columbia Gorge Marathon in 3 weeks too.

Best of the best to ya,
Rachel

Time

It's about time. It's all about time. It's time to catch you sweethearts up on my life in which I feel like there isn't time for much.

To be fair, I spent all day today reading and cleaning (with a break for some farm veggie pickup and birthday cupcake ingredient gathering). There really is time but I have been spending a lot of it with a specific someone and that means less time at home cooking meals for me, keeping up with the New Yorker, or finding pants to wear in the winter.

Yesterday I did devote a span of the good stuff (a couple hours) to looking for those pants to no avail. Why is it so hard for someone with solidly muscular legs that also happen to be as short as a 12 year old's to find pants that fit? Wait, did I just answer my own question? Going shopping for pants actually makes me feel insecure about my body. I am beautiful. It is ridiculous. But, how many pairs of pants can you try on before you start to wonder why it is that your body deviates from the standard of beauty so much that you can't squeeze even a small section of the aforementioned pant over your calf?  Or you wonder why your butt crack has to hang out? Answer: because your thighs are too big to keep the appropriately fitting waist from getting quite to where it is going. Finding pants might be worse than finding a bathing suit. I'm thinking of buying quite a few pairs of merino wool tights and just calling it a tie. But, I'm not sure that I will be warm enough all winter in skirts and very thick tights. I tend to wear pants and tights with great regularity in my own home throughout the nippy season. Oh, the joys of the encroaching cold season. And the rain. Let's not get started on the rain.

Besides being basically bummed about winter wear, I have been thinking about my grandma a lot which also makes me bummed in a much more serious mournful type of way. I fear that I have really not been that much fun to hang around for the past couple of weeks. Plus, being sad makes me homesick so I miss the family and the friends of the east coast especially much.

When, I work my way back to normalcy, I have lots to do. Food to cook before it goes bad, triathlon participants to cheer on, gardens to maintain, books to read. As a bit of a coincidence I am reading "Mountains Beyond Mountains" which my lovely older brother is also reading. One of my marathon training buddies is turning the big 30 this year. Coming into another decade isn't something you get to do often and I'd like it to be a special time, so there is that in my life as well.

I'm into the tapering bit of my marathon training. Tapering always makes me feel week even though I know it is for the best. I also miss all those endorphins that go along with my long and medium runs. That probably hasn't been helping out with the general malaise that I have been feeling. Still, I'm excited (and yes, incredibly nervous) for race day. Is it stupid to do two races within 3 weeks of one another? I am beginning to think it is. But, I'm signed up, it's too late. What to do about that?

Well now, I'm off to eat tomato pie and contemplate how life can be so wonderful as to have things such as tomato pie. Wish me luck on living with joy. Until next time.

Running

Allright, I'm addicted. The Portland marathon is in 3 weeks and 2 days and I have already signed up for the Columbia Gorge Marathon which takes place merely 2 weeks and 6 days after that. I couldn't resist. It looked so beautiful. Plus, I'll be in shape already, right?

After this, I might need to take some kind of break from running... I guess. Maybe, find me a good yoga studio again or take up swimming (as if). Maybe we'll try for the 100 mile bike ride on the fixie. One can only dream at this point.

All the best kiddos. Try to keep in shape.

Races to Run

This morning I ran a 5k. It was nice because I got a number of free things. First I got a) Free hoody for being one of the first to sign up for the race. b) 1 free bell to ring while caroling in the future c) free beer d) some free soup & cornbread e) free energy drink. All in all, a good morning.

I also placed 11th overall in the female finishers (which kind of bothers me because the top 10 girls get put on a special list of top 10 female finishers) If I'd only run the race 20 seconds faster. I got 36th overall which leads me to think that Portland is a slow town. I don't think I've ever done so well in Richmond and I'm pretty sure I've run most of my 5K's faster than this one. Still, I can't complain as I didn't really train for speed and am really just using this race as an excuse to stay in shape.

Next up either The First Run & Walk 5K at midnight on New Years day or the Heart Breaker Half 10K on February. If I feel like spending the big bucks I will probably do both. No mater what I'm doing the Heart Breaker 10K. I own so much pink running gear that will be perfect for that race! Shout out to my Mom for all of that.

Later kids.

new race

I just signed up for a new race. It's just a half marathon but I couldn't resist it. It's the Holiday Half Marathon and it's December 11th.

At the race check in you get bells to put in your shoes and throughout the race there are carolers (every 2 miles). It's only a few miles away from where I live so I can get there easily and since I was one of the first 200 to sign up for it I get a race hoodie instead of just a regular t-shirt. Hurray!

It will also help keep me inspired to run which is pretty important. I also, have my eye out for any good Marathons that might come at the end of October or beginning of November but haven't decided on one yet. I've been thinking about races quite a bit recently. Now I've got to get my head back in the work game as my work week is starting.

All the best.

Under Two

So, I ran my half marathon this morning.

Woke up at 4:45, ate oatmeal, drank water, took a shower to clear up my lungs and left for the race at 5:30 in order to get there around 6:00 for my 6:45 race. After getting stuck in 42 minutes of traffic and then waiting in line for a port-a-potty for the next 10 minutes I ran over to the race start (where they had just started the race a bit late). And, not knowing my start time or what pace anyone around me was running, began the race.

I ran the first 10-11 miles at a pretty steady clip. After the first couple of miles I stayed pretty close to the same group of runners. But, kinda faded out a little with the last 2 miles or so. I checked my time though and ran the race in under two hours which is always kinda my main goal. My official time was 1hour 51minutes and 15seconds. That drops me at just under a 8:30 mile pace so I guess I can't complain.

During the race I meet a girl who was running barefoot and she was really nice to talk to and after the race everyone got strawberry short cake. Those two things were probably my favorite thing about the race. Now, weather to keep training for another race. My biggest hang up is that I want to run a race with a bigger crowd to cheer for you and none of the races I've been training for really fit that bill.

Anyways, happy 4th to all of you. Hope you're having a great day holiday!