Way Station Turkey Trot

2 of the three race finishers exalting in their manly endeavors.

Licia came over to our place (bearing pecan pie!!) the night before Thanksgiving so that we could all run a Turkey Trot together. We are going to try and do that every year. It was freezing but very fun.

I love the races with 1k options for the kids.

659

2044

Licia Scearce

52

F

Silver Spring

MD

0:28:29

0:27:48

8:57

Pictured here in the white jacket is Licia finishing the freezing cold Turkey Trot.
http://www.printsbyajp.com/Events/Fundraisers/Turkey-Trot-5K-Third-200/i-75tL8b7/A

1265

1315

David Kuehnert

38

M

Mount Airy

MD

0:32:39

0:31:48

10:14

Here is David's finish as well.
http://www.printsbyajp.com/Events/Fundraisers/Turkey-Trot-5K-Fourth-200/i-NGw3Gqq/A

Potomac River Run

Missy very generously offered to get up early Sunday morning to give me a ride to the race and back. As I was not sure how incapacitated I would be afterwards I took her up on that extremely kind offer. It wormed up for the race day to give about perfect weather. Due to me forgetting my energy chows and going back to pick them up after starting out and misinterpreting one direction instruction and circling around instead of arriving comfortably early I had to dash over for the package pickup and ran over the start line as they were playing the national anthem. I was still registered for the 9:00 start time although I had signed up to change it to the early start, but they were fine with changing for anyone who wished to change at the last minute. They just asked if anyone was there who was changing their start times and wrote down the bib numbers as we were about to start the race. This is a small race; the trail can’t support too many people so the permit allows a limited number of runners. They do not use timing chips and wrote down peoples bib numbers at the tune around spots. Everyone was nice and friendly and helpful as one comes to expect at races.

The trail is flat and very beautiful. I am found of trail runs. I had hurt my ankle slightly several weeks earlier and tried to balance finishing my training schedule and allowing the ankle to heal. It still had some tenderness and I was concerned about putting so much stress on it in the race. I used a slight brace and was happy not to have made it worse off by the finish.

I was quite tired by the last quarter of the race and unfortunately slowed down. My lags, feet, toes, and sides all hurt well before the end. I was very happy to see the finish line. It was also a relief to have Missy there to drive me home. Thank you Missy! I did not have any plans for the rest of the day except rest, rehydrating and restoring my electrolytes. I had some cramping in my feet and calves that afternoon. I was sore but OK by the evening. As planed I took off the next day to rest.

The Potomac River Run race is a good and beautiful race and I plan to return this spring for a half marathon.

Marathon

1176  285 Licia Scearce      F52 Silver Spring MD      4:44:04  Full 8:00:00

The Potomac River Run Marathon

She did it. I knew she would but good gracious knowing it and seeing it are two different things.

I got up at 530 and headed down to Silver Spring to pick her up.

She was carb loading in the cold dark predawn kitchen.

Off we drove to the C&O tow path. I made a wrong turn and got us there just about 5 minutes from the start of the race. Licia raced to registration and back to the car with exactly 2 minutes to spare.

She then ran to the start line to run for the next 4 + hours.

The weather was nearly perfect 55-61 throughout the race. It was overcast and the trail was flat. The support crews were as friendly as I've come to expect from race support. It was a beautiful place to run and the off road tow path surface was nearly perfect.

This was a good race to select for a first marathon.

I went home and got the cheering section then returned to the race. We were all so excited about this marathon and so proud of Licia.

After some cheering (and no Licia because she was faster than expected and we missed her) I took the kids home for nap time. I returned just in time to cheer her finish.

Then it was all walking and bananas and strange blue pancakes.

Licia is the first of us to finish this major goal.

She was heroic. She deserves our praise and adulation. She is so cool!!!

Licia will run her Marathon this weekend

Have a look at this blog on the Potomac River Run .

She is the first one of us to do this.
I will be there cheering her on.

The weather looks good. Cool in the morning and up to 61 by mid day.

Go Licia GGOOOOOO!!!

Longer Distance Running

In an extended fit of insanity I signed up for several long races for this fall. So I am pretty much commented to working on distance running to get ready and I don’t have time for slacking from now on till winter. What I have found about putting in longer runs is that in addition to the issues of sore and strained muscles there are rubbing burns and bruised toes to deal with. On the plus side I think my fitness has improved some and my running muscles have become a little more hardened and resilient. Although early on it was hard to imagine running for hours at a time, I have found it to be OK, tiring leaving me sore, but OK. Running for hours at a time is not fun like hiking for hours but not too bad. I still have a long way to go on my endurance distance training to be ready and my speed is still slow. I am still coming in after a long run thinking “finally I am finished, I can now collapse” not “I could really run another 9 miles now, no problem.” Also for the two half marathons I have ran so far, I have not felt ready to turn around and run it again. I am working some on speed but I hope to work more on my speed this winter. I thank I am just naturally slow.

In general since the beginning of our effort I have found I enjoy running more than I did when I was in college and expect to continue long term. I do not find running actually fun but it seems to be a satisfyingly really great intense cardio workout. I also like MCRRC and intend to stay a member in the future. The running clubs seem to be really great organizations and the running community seems to be really nice and friendly. Also since the posted running training schedule included weight/strength work as suggested cross training that helped motivate me to add that to my regular routine. I hope this should help slow down the normal degeneration of my muscles and bones now that I am on the wrong side of the hill.

A Lot of Not, A Poem by Dr. Seuss?

Fillmore Glen State Park, Moravia, New York

Look at this pretty path that we walked quickly at the week before last! I thought I took a photo of the treacherous stone stairs that Chris and I sprinted up, but alas, I cannot find it. That turned out to be a bad decision though since we had just started out on the path after sitting in the car for an hour, as it resulted in a mini-asthma attack. Or I am very out of shape. It is likely the latter, or both, sigh. Upstate New York is so gorgeous though! I wish we had more time to explore, four days was not enough.

Well, since this is not a travel blog, I must discuss "running." However, I would like to point out that Chris's 85 year old Opa exclaimed that I am "a good marcher" on a separate fast walking occasion in NY.

I keep saying things to myself like, "today is such a gorgeous day for a run!" while I instead make plans to go shopping and gorge on delicious chocolate at Max Brenner in Bethesda. Or, "as soon as I stop feeling so sick and tired after work I'm going to start running again!"

Well, I have made it through to the second trimester and I am no longer sick or tired. So I guess i'm out of excuses. And maybe since the hubster has a prescribed ban from boxing with the heavy bag for 6 months, he might go for a run with me? Perhaps you can help me convince him?

skip a week - weekly update

Here we see the lunch break Missy in her natural environment panting her way back to work.

Still here. Still running. I ran during my lunch break today as its not as hot as it should be in August.
I did 2.x miles maybe .3 or .5 I am not actually sure. I am feeling super virtuous! Sill using Zombies, Run! for music and entertainment. I just love that game. My pace has really improved. I am now doing 10 min 15 s miles so I have dropped a whole minute in 2 weeks. I am quite happy about that.
Now all I have to do is keep it up.
While I am running I am always fantasizing abut the amazing things I am going to do as a runner.
I am nearly constantly thinking about my Marathon to be or about how I will be in the top ten finishers in my age group for some 5K. I am not sure what it is about running that elicits these delusions of grandeur. I am not usually prone to them.
Its fun anyway to feel the progress.
I have been so stressed out of late and the running helps tremendously much with that. I am much easier to be around when I am working out.

weekly Missy update

Last night I ran 2.2 miles and got bitten by one zombie but evaded 2 others.
I am doing 11 minute miles. That feels so slow. On the other hand I am still running and upping my mileage comfortably.I am on track for 3 mile runs by the end of this week. Once I hit three I will start working on speed.
Zombies, Run! is really helping me out. The enforced sprinting to avoid zombies makes the rest of the run more comfortable and helps tremendously is shaking off the sort of shuffling run I am inclined to do. Somehow the short sprints help me hit a good rhythm and after they occur I am moving more smoothly and much more quickly.
Anyone have good music suggestions?
My playlist is getting stale.

Riley's Rumble

258  79/199    4/20     317 Licia Scearce         F 51 Silver Spring MD    MCRRC 2:07:50  9:46 2:08:44  9:50

i cant find any pictures

but still

Go Licia GOOOO!!!

Running in the States

I'm back home and (kind of) back to a running routine.  Between heat and jet lag I'm still only doing about 4 times a week and I would prefer to be up to 5.

I did a 5K and a half marathon but I was sort of disappointed with the results.  The 5K wasn't so bad but I found that Maryland is MUCH more hilly than Tokyo.  MUCH!!!!  It makes a big difference in how a 5K feels.

As for the half marathon. . . . I did finish which surprises some people when I tell them I had a killer flue.  I felt sick before the race and I should have knows something was up before we started when Licia kept saying 'it's hot.  It's so hot.' and I kept telling her 'no it's really cool.'  in 90 degree weather.  As soon as I started running I felt down right cold.  Every breath of wind gave me chills.  I managed to keep running the first 16K but just couldn't keep going.  At first I thought I would just walk at the water stations but . . . well. .  the walking sections kept getting longer and longer.  I walked most of the final five I think.  When I was finished and got back in the car I started shaking wildly and soon after we got home throwing up again and again.  Missy thought it was heat stroke but I had some other less delicate symptoms that made me believe it was the flue a theory that was shown true the next day when Missy (who hadn't run in the heat) went through a copy of all I had experienced.

So I have an excuse for my terrible time.  More than 20 minutes slower than my last half marathon.  But I know I also hadn't been training as much as I should have been and even though the race was a 'flat' race, it was still much hillier than Tokyo.  So I have to get back to training much harder and doing longer 'long' runs and hopefully the next halfer will go better.

Thunder and Lightning

I showed up nice and early Saturday afternoon for The Darcars Rotary Twilight Runfest at Rockville Town Square. It was quite hot and humid (as to be expected for mid-July) with predictions of thunderstorms. As it started to get dark shortly before the scheduled start of the race gray clouds rolled in and an impressive display of lightning started up. This continued as the start time approached so the race director unsurprisingly announced a 30 minute delay and instructed everyone to find shelter. A bunch of us were shooed out from under the shop eves over to the parking garage as a safer location. The sponsor and food tints were taken down so that everyone could get to shelter. More dark clouds came in, wind blow, and lighting continued although no rain came. After about an hour with no indication of an end of the lightning storm they announced that the race was canceled and asked everyone to turn in their chips. The Twilight Runfest 8K is one of MCRRC’s big premium races of the year with about 2000 runners and a large number of volunteers so everyone was disappointed, none the less I do not think anyone could fault the decision. It has been nearly a year ago since I joined MCRRC and is almost time to renew. Time goes by fast. Next race coming up is Riley’s Rumble the “evil half.”

Happy Birthday Licia

Licia has started the Blue Crab Bolt 10K Trail Running Series and on her birthday weekend did this:

140

99

Licia

Scearce

52

F  50-59

Silver Spring  MD

1:13:31

that was out of 217 runners.

picture here

http://swimbikerunphoto.zenfolio.com/blue_crab_bolt_seneca_creek_2013/h66480efe#h66480efe

Go look at these photos! What a beautiful run. 

Progress?

So far so good.
I have run 3 times since my last post. I didn't make 3 in a week last week. It was close but mom had to work late both nights last weekend so I missed my third run. So this week I am aiming for Monday and Wednesday and Friday instead of Tuesday and Thursday and Saturday. I am doing a mile loop near home. I hope to do that until I can do 3 quick loops.
Once I am happy with my 5k-ish runs I will look into joining the Frederick Steeplechasers.
I am finally into Zombies, Run! season 2.
Expect the next triumphant post next week.

Here's my running park in the daylight instead of the post kids-in-bed twilight that I usually see.

Try Try Again

While I have not yet returned to perfect health, being with Kathryn and Licia and watching them do so well, has spurred me to get off my butt.
I made a deal with David: I run three times a week and he takes me out to eat on the weekend.
Yesterday I tried out Watkins Park .
It has a 1 mile-ish loop and some shade and a big hill. It is very close to my house and is pretty well populated.
I took my mom with me to have some company. I want to encourage her to walk in the evenings so this may be a great spot for that.
We are in the process of potentially adopting a dog and this could be a good place for a dog walk as well.
There is a dog park there.
The loop is so small that I can complete it no problem even with my long runningless time.
Wish me luck for two more runs this week.
I am going to try to do one of these entries a week to keep myself honest.

Inspirational Japanese Running Guy

The Everyman Marathon Guy
This every man is so different from the every man in my head.

A first time for a lot of things.

Licia and Kathryn did the Chestertown Half Marathon this weekend.
This is the first Half Marathon for Licia and the 2nd for Kathryn. It was swelteringly hot and it was a tiny event. There were 35 finishers for the Half Marathon in total.
The best news is that Licia (did I mention this is her first Half Marathon) got first place in her age bracket.

Female 50 to 59

                                                                                               Chip         Gun  
    Place    Name                              City              Bib No  Age   Overall         Time        Time  
       1    Licia Scearce                     Silver Spring  MD      34   51       24      2:22:34.7   2:22:38.7

Kathryn finished despite being sick at the beginning and having the cold shakes in the car on the way back (mmm jet lag plus sick).

She wishes everyone to know that she was not last.

Hail the virtuous runners!

Women's distance festival 5k and some family reunion.

Kathryn is here from Japan. Originally we were planning to do our big marathon once she came to the USA but none of us are quite up to that so she and Licia are doing some smaller races including this weekends Howard county Strides Women's Distance Festival 5K.

89 Scearce, Licia F51 Silver Spring M F50-54 11 of 48 09:36 29:46.98

185 Mori, Kathryn F38 Nerima-ku F35-39 25 of 38 11:46 36:28.98

Kathryn who is very competitive asked where she finished in the pack so I will state for the record that there were 322 runners finishing this event.

I spent the race playing with Erena. I feel pretty useful for doing that but also so discouraged not to be running the races with them.

I have been almost a week with out any sign of staph infection and once I hit the 10 day mark I am getting out there and running! 

I even bought season 2 of Zombies, Run!

Next week a metric marathon.

* Running pictures from the Howard County Striders  Photo site.

Evolution and running and a 5K

Long distance running adaptations and another good 5K for Licia.
84 10/39 236 Licia Scearce 51 Silver Spring MD 31:59 10:18

Photo from Montgomery road runners.

 Kathryn will be here soon!

We are ding a half marathon. I say we to indicate the group. I still have prohibitive staff infections.
More running to come.

how are we doing?

Kathryn and Licia are talking half Marathon in August or September.
Pammy has been runnin' in Dallas.
I am sidelined with more abscess stuff.

Licia did a super speedy 5k per the roadrunners site:

29:24

Silver Spring MD

MCRRC

9:26

99

30/139

5/8

317

Licia Scearce

F

51

The slowest but going again

Yesterday I ran. I ran during my lunch break so that I would still have energy (after the kids go to bed I am so wrecked). I only did 4K. The weather was cool but clear and today will try to skate to save my knee.

Hold me to it you guys.

Here is the path by my work.
Ballenger Creek path.
pic from http://www.humanandrohde.com/ballenger.html

Boston

Yesterday was the Boston Marathon. As an aspiring runner and even marathoner I was watching with interest. I called my boss in to marvel at the 2:10 finish of Lelisa Desisa.
I left the computer for some cleanroom work and when I got back it was my boss' turn to call my attention to the Boston Marathon.

What a horrible thing to happen. I feel so awful for the injuries and the families and the casualties.

A marathon seems so clean to me. It seems like a test voluntarily taken to prove worth. In my mind the Boston marathon is this sort of unassailable display of human greatness. Some of that is my view since childhood that marathoners are superhuman. The rest of that view just comes from a recognition of and admiration for the work it takes to do something so hard to improve yourself.

I couldn't help but project my family into that reception area. I couldn't help but imagine my own kids cheering me on. I can so easily put myself in the stands cheering on Kathryn or Licia or Pammy completing this herculean task, that we are all, to one extent or another, working towards.
And of course I can now imagine bombs full of shrapnel tearing into any of us.

Anything can happen...
Statistically it wont, so we keep going, and we run and we smile and we plan and we play around but sometimes it does.

I love you guys.

Also here is a good article

10K in July?

Who is up for a 10K in July?
Pammy has 3 suggestions:

7/14 Biggest Loser- DC $35
http://biggestloserrunwalk.com/Washington-DC-5K10K-KidsRace-2013

7/27 Blue Crab Bolt 10K- Race 1
Seneca Creek State Park- $40
http://www.ex2adventures.com/md-10k-trail-runs.php

8/3 Blue Crab Bolt 10K- Race 2
Schaeffer Farms- $40
http://www.ex2adventures.com/md-10k-trail-runs.php

anyone else?

Also to catch everyone up Licia has done the following
Shooting Star 6k in 34 minutes

Peice of Cake 10K in 1 hour and 1 minute

That dose not look like a piece of cake at all I must say.

Post Race Slump

This always happens to me when I do a really big race.  I train and train and take it so seriously but then when it's over I really slack off.  Even if I promise myself I wont.  Sometimes I manages to keep it up for the first week or two after the race but something comes up.  This time to be honest I really think it was the change in my husbands employment situation.  I used to be able to run many days after Erena went to bed now I have to stay in the house.  I do the stationary bike but it just isn't as good.  And I'm tired.  And it's cold and and and. . . . a lot of excuses that are valid to semi-valid. I think the ton of ice on the roads last week was pretty valid.
But I have to get myself back in gear and back on the road because not only am I loosing fitness I'm gaining back the weight that was so hard to loose.  Not a lot yet but it could easily become a lot.  So I fired up Zombie Run 5 K this week and hit the road again.  I am well past the 5 K stage of training but I like the story elements and the planned out program.  Instead of walking and running I run and run faster which seems to be working pretty well so far.  I have done the first 4 workouts and I think I've earned cleans sheets a backpack and a bloody knife in the game.  So wish me luck on keeping it up.

Happy New Year

Yesterday there was a free 5k less than a mile from my house.
Licia (who lives far away) ran this race.
Did I?
NO!
sigh



Sick baby plus crisis of confidence strikes.I am going back to the drawing board. I am going to do the Zombies run 5k program.


and once again Go! Licia GOOO!!!!!!

image from http://www.mcrrcphotos.com/2013Photos/Race-Photos/New-Years-Day-5K/27350010_8pR4MM#!i=2299309702&k=G87gsHr