The Best of 2012

This morning I ran for the last time in 2012. I was thinking over this year and how much I accomplished. My yearly mileage wasn't all that impressive, but I went from two consecutive zero months (Dec '11/Jan '12) to running 2 half marathons in the Fall and a few new PR's. I'm pretty proud of 2012, so I thought it would be fun to round out the year with Miss Zippy's 2012 Q &A.

Best Race Experience:
This would definitely be a tie between my two big races this year. I set a Half Marathon PR at the Ramblin Rose Half in October on a pretty challenging course.

Best day ever!

Three weeks later I was on the Outer Banks toeing the line at another 13.1. This time it was part of a girls weekend getaway with some good friends! While there was no PR involved, there was plenty of eating and drinking and napping on the beach.

Best Run:
Again, it is a toss up between two 10 milers I ran. Both of them were out of town. One when I was home in Philadelphia. I ran a couple loops of a state park. The trail was crowded with people. The scenery was awesome. I felt great through the run. It was just all around fun.

The second was in Vermont at the peak of leaf peeping season. Vermont is one of my favorite places ever. I loved being able to get in a long run while we were visiting my brother and his family.

Oh Vermont, I love you!

Best New Piece of Gear:
Hands down, without a doubt, my Garmin 110. I was using the Nike + watch before that and it was wildly inaccurate. I super love my Garmin and could not imagine being without it.

Best Piece of Running Advice Received:
"Don't think, just go."  I tend to get bogged down in my own head. Self doubt often stops me in my tracks before actual fatigue. I am trying to listen more to my body instead of the negative thoughts that can creep in during the harder workouts.

Most Inspirational Runner?
Honestly I can not chose just one. Since starting this blog and becoming active on Twitter I have come across so many inspirations: the ultra marathoners, the speedy runners, the slow runners who are just as proud (as they should be!), the runners who juggle families, careers and their own fitness, runners who have lost weight and work to keep it off. I would not be the same without the online running community that I have found.

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?
Educational and motivating. I am so excited to see what happens in 2013!

A Mother's Love

As an American and as a parent of a 1st grader and a pre-schooler, the tragedy that occurred in Newtown, CT is unimaginable. My heart goes out to all of the families of the victims. The pictures and the news coming out of CT consumed my thoughts and heart all weekend, as they will for a long time to come. I wish I could be more eloquent, but I need some sort of outlet for my thoughts. I hope they will not be perceived as selfish. What I am is a parent who looks at her own children differently after this weekend.

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I couldn't sleep much last night. The words of what I wanted to write here kept flowing through my head. To be honest, I would have been better off writing them down last night because in those moments of silence everything I wanted to say was flowing freely and easily in my mind. Not so much right now.

Like the rest of the nation, I have been consumed by the news from Connecticut. The event, as gruesome as it is, was all the more heart wrenching for me because those children whose lives were lost were the same age as my son. They were probably doing the same things he was when their lives were torn apart from them. My heart aches for the parents of the victims, because I know if it were me I would not be able to go on.

President Obama mentioned a saying about parenthood that I have heard before: that being a parent is like having a piece of your heart living and breathing outside of your body. It is completely true. People obviously know that the bond between a parent, a mother, and their child is unique. But I do not think that you can fully comprehend that unless you have a child of your own. I don't think the intensity of those feelings can be adequately put into words. I struggle to find the words to describe my love for them.

This weekend I was more lenient with them than I normally am, I let them stay up a little later than I normally do and, to be honest, was more patient with them than I normally am. What I realized from Friday's events were that no matter how trying these two little people can be at times, no matter how messy, how obnoxious, how loud and how tiring, I am so incredibly lucky to have them in my life. I don't know if I deserve so much joy and I realize now that I can lose it in an instant.

The joy of parenthood is only equaled by the burden. Every decision I make affects not only me but also them. My responsibilities are heavier because of them. I make personal sacrifices on their behalf. I have the overwhelming responsibility to prepare them to become citizens of the world. It is my job to teach them how to be kind, considerate, active members of society. It is something I don't take lightly, and while I may have been more lenient with them this weekend in particular, I know that can not last long. By setting rules and setting consequences for not following them, I am doing my job as a parent. I am showing them that I love them enough to prepare them for this world.

President Obama also mentioned that from their first step, and every step after that, our children are taking steps away from us. This is true. I sent them both out into the world today when every fiber of my being wants me to keep them with me. But the world keeps moving despite how much we want it to stay still. And I still have an important job to do with these children.

Catching up

Greetings from my sick bed. Today marks day #3 that I have been confined to my bed with the stomach flu. Today I feel well enough to move to the couch, which is a big improvement.

Today, as my symptoms subside, I am relishing the opportunity to slow down a little bit. Life as been moving pretty steadily all Fall and I feel like I am just along for the ride. Since I am able to actually stay awake today it is nice to catch up on some of the little things, like watching everything on my tivo and finally updating my little blog.

I had a whole Thanksgiving post all planned out. What I didn't have was the time to do it. We traveled to South Carolina and I ran a 5mile race on Thanksgiving morning. I PRed and my brother-in-law came in 25th place out of over 1000 people! It was quite a morning. Followed by a lot of eating.

Good running! Now let's eat!

Since then I have been really enjoying not being on a training plan. Two half marathons this Fall were fun, but I definitely am enjoying the break from having to run. So far I run when I want for however long I want. I really like the freedom of that.

I have big plans for the Spring, including 2 half marathons and a 10 mile race. Training for that officially starts in January. Until then, I am taking a much more relaxed approach to running and attempting to get back into weight training.  I am hoping that this stomach flu has not set me back too much. Hopefully by the weekend I will be abe to slowly get moving again.

But for now, it is back to the couch for another nap...

OBX Half Marathon Race Recap

I had been looking forward to this past weekend for a long time. It was a weekend away from responsibilities. A weekend with my best friend. A weekend making new friends. Sun. Beach. Running.

Exactly what I needed.

I entered this weekend really nervous about the race. I really wanted to run my best race, but I kept thinking in my head "you get out what you put in". My life has not been exactly calm in the past three weeks since my last half marathon. Work has been unusually busy. My husband has been working practically non-stop on a project. My daughter has been recovering from an injury. She hurt her tongue and until recently it has not been healing properly which has made each meal time a particular struggle. We were meeting with ENT doctors and plastic surgeons. Needless to say, there has been a lot on my plate and my training suffered. I didn't put into my training exactly what I wanted to get out of it, a fact of which I was most keenly aware.

So I was nervous. However, right before I left for the weekend I read a fantastic blog post by Beth over at Shut Up and Run about how not every race needs to be a PR. Honestly, it was exactly what I needed to read going into this weekend.  I was about to leave for a much needed weekend off of basically every responsibility I have. I could not let the nagging doubt of PRing ruin the entire weekend for me.  Once I let that sink in, I was much more relaxed about everything.

Every year since I moved from Boston, my best friend's husband sends the two of us away for a weekend near her birthday. I, for one, love this tradition!  This year, I somehow finagled Kari to come down to NC and drive with me to the Outer Banks so I could drag her to one of my races. She's such a good sport. She said as long as I didn't make her get up early with me then she'd be happy to tag along. Now that's friendship right there, people.

Best friend, beach and good old Pennsylvania beer.
What more could I want?

We drove east to the Outer Banks on Saturday morning. After making a stop at the expo to pick up my packet we found the first bar so I could properly begin my carbo loading. We checked in at the hotel then met up with Jenni and some of her running friends for a proper carb-fest.

When I woke up bright and early I had no idea what to expect from my legs. I was hopeful because the course was mostly straight and very flat. I was optimistic, but told myself to just have fun and to enjoy the experience.

It was pretty cold at the start and I tried as much as I could to loosen up while I was waiting in my corral for the race to begin. The first 3 miles were pretty good. We started on a highway and made the first of several turns into some neighborhoods right on the water. The majority of the race was run in the right-most lane of a 4 lane road, so it was nice to actually move away from that and venture into the residential areas.

At mile 4.5(ish) we again turned off of the highway and entered another neighborhood and golf course. It was much more scenic and interesting than the highway. These were definitely my favorite miles of the race.

Around mile 6 my right quad started hurting in a way I have not experienced before - just really cramping up. I tried my best to run through it, but had to walk several times to calm it down. I really just wanted to be done at this point.

At mile 7 we got back on the highway and I knew we had several straight miles on this road. In some ways it was good because I could just zone out and go. At other times it was pretty boring. I tried to run strong between miles 7-9 because I knew the bridge into the town of Manteo was coming.

The Washington Baum bridge was our only point of elevation for the race. Located between miles 9.5-10.5, the race website warned us about it: "The bridge is tall (stats: 1.05mi long, 82' high, with a 650' climb to the top at 4% grade)." I tried not to, but eventually I started to walk up the hill. I walked a bit, ran a bit and finally walked the rest of the way to the top. After we crested it I cruised to the bottom knowing that it was only a little ways further to the turn into Manteo.

But mile 10 was my breaking point. I did the math over and over in my head. I knew 2:30 was gone, but if I ran 12 minute miles I could make it maybe a little faster than the Ramblin Rose. But I just couldn't. Physically and mentally I was just done. The last 3 miles were a struggle for every step. I was tired. There was a pretty painful blister on one of my toes. And I was wallowing in disappointment for watching my A and B goals slip away. I ran/walked the rest of the way in.

I was so happy to make the final turn and finally see the finish line.

Done and done!

I finished in 2:37:??. I have to say that I was disappointed for like a minute. Very soon after finishing I remembered Beth's post and my struggles these past few weeks. I decided to just let myself enjoy what I just accomplished. It was not my best race. But it wasn't my worst either. The weather was spot-on perfect. I pulled up my big girls pants and got happy real quick.

That's the spirit!

Kari was waiting for me right at the finish line. I stopped at the med tent for some band-aids for my poor little toe and went to meet Jenni to watch her friends come it. Eventually Kari and I took off in search for a well deserved burger and hot shower.

Since we weren't leaving until the next day, we had the whole rest of Sunday afternoon to relax. The weather was gorgeous so we spent an hour or two down on the beach reading and napping before meeting up with everyone for dinner and drinks.

In the end, this weekend was exactly what I needed in the wake of some of the most demanding weeks of my life. It was the perfect mixture of running, relaxing and having fun.

A photo essay of my weekend. In related news,
I love my new photo collage app. Also, why
do I take pictures of my feet?

My Weekend of Running

Work has been crazy for both me and Brent lately so I was really looking forward to this weekend because there was a lot of run stuff happening.

On a whim, I emailed the volunteer coordinator of the City of Oaks Marathon to see if there was any need for an additional course monitor for the race. I wasn't sure what he would say since this position usually fills up fast (thanks in part to an awesome hoodie that the course monitors receive!). Much to my surprise he wrote back and said he had 1 last spot. I was pretty excited about it. I am running the Outer Banks Half next week, so actually running this race was out of the question for me. I figured why not volunteer and watch the race as well.

So on Saturday I headed out to the expo to pick up my race crew shirt, my sexy reflective vest and flag, and of course the hoodie. (Note: I see now why everyone want to be a course monitor now. This hoodie is fleecy goodness that I have not taken off since yesterday.)

Since I was already in Raleigh I decided to take this opportunity to run somewhere new. I had 10 miles planned as my last long run before next week's race. Raleigh has a pretty decent greenway system so I headed a couple of blocks away from the expo to the House Creek trail.

It was nice to go somewhere new. The trails were very clearly marked so it was easy to navigate. Some nice scenery and perfect Fall weather made this a great run.

At least for the first 5 miles. But on my way back my legs did not want to move and I just wanted to be done. As nice at the first 5 miles was, the last 5 were equal parts crap. I hate how running can be like that sometimes.

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Another issue about this run: My new running skirt. I just bought the Skirt Sports Lotta Breeze Capris this week. I wanted something a little special for my race next week. Luckily they arrived in time for me to test them out on a long run before I wore them in the actual race.

The Verdict: Es no bueno.

In the first half mile of my run I had to stop three times to hike the skirt up. There is no adjustable waistband to make the skirt any tighter so they just kept falling down. I mean, I had some serious plumber crack at one point. While I think a smaller size might be too small in the capri area, this skirt just would not stay put around my waist. It was super disappointing because I spent a lot of time looking at skirts with capris, and I just don't have the running budget for another brand. I was thinking of using my crafty sewing skills to put in my own waistband that I can tie, but we'll see. After a while though everything started staying where it was supposed to. I will give them another try this week because I want so much to like them.


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This morning I woke up super early to go back out to Raleigh to volunteer at the marathon. I was stationed at mile 6, which meant that I got to see all of the racers since there was also a 10k and a 13.1 happening as well.

It was COLD and my vest was SEXY

It was a really good time and I had fun cheering on the runners (especially Bang, who was rocking the purple!). I was hoping to be able to finish up at my post then run a bit of the course with Melanie, but Brent called just as I was finishing to tell me he was called into work, so I had to go home earlier  than I had planned. It was still a great morning to watch a race.

Recovery Week?

First and foremost, I want to say a big Thank You to all of the kind emails and comments and tweets about my race last week.

After running what was for me a pretty solid race, I allowed myself a few days' worth of recovery before jumping right back into running. I have the OBX Half in 2 weeks and can not afford to take too much time off. The fact of the matter is that my legs did not want to even think about my Brooks until sometime Wednesday morning. The plan was to lace up bright and early Thursday.

At least, that was the plan.

On Wednesday I got a call every mother dreads. Hannah was in an accident on the playground at school and needed to go to the ER. She fell off the balance beam and bit nearly through her tongue. She was bleeding profusely and needed to be seen. Brent got the message before I did so he went to pick her up and  I met them at the ER.

By the time I got to her, the bleeding had slowed quite a bit, but she had a pretty gnarly gash on the top of her tongue. So we waited.

And waited.

We waited for 5 hours to be seen. It was terrible. She was in so much pain. And so hungry. And there was nothing I could do. Don't get me wrong, she could have been hurt much much worse, but seeing your child in any kind of pain is heart breaking.

We found ways to entertain ourselves.

Finally they had a bed for her and we saw a couple of doctors. We discussed whether to sedate her and put sutures on her tongue. After a lengthy conversation we decided it would be best to let it be. The tongue has a very significant blood supply and heals itself very quickly. The edges of the wound were touching, so the doctor felt strongly that the wound would heal itself in time. After 6 and a half hours were were sent home with a prescription for pain killers.

I stayed home with her on Thursday. She was on a liquid diet and had to be fed with a syringe.

Feed me!

She spent Friday sleeping most of the day away and began to eat more. Today she is back to her normal self. As I type this she is jumping on the couch and giving me a heart attack. She is still on a liquid diet since she can't really put her tongue in her mouth. But she is talking and eating more, so I know she is feeling better.

This morning I had to go into work for a couple of hours to try to catch up from missing so much time this week. Afterwards I decided on a 3 mile run.

I hated every. single. step. It was terrible. I was so excited to be running again and wanted so much to be happy, but my legs felt like lead. Despite the great Fall weather and the beautiful trees I just couldn't get into it. I am planning to get out tomorrow morning and my legs better be on board with that plan.

Ramblin Rose Half Marathon Race Recap

Cliff notes: Today was one of the best days of my running life where I ran a challenging course and set a half marathon PR since taking some years away from running to have a couple of babies. Today was the reason I love running.

Full story: I woke up this morning and couldn't stop thinking about my favorite high school teacher. Strange. But Mr. Powell once pulled me aside after hearing me complain about not being good enough to do well in a certain class. He talked to me about self confidence and how I should have more of it. He told me I was capable of more than I gave myself credit for. His words have remained with me and I often remember them.

I was so nervous going into this race. I worried that my training was not enough. That I hadn't put in the amount of effort I needed to get what I wanted out of it. I knew the course was hilly and hard.

I was also excited. What if I set out to do what I wanted to do? It would feel so amazing. 

Basically I was a basket case. Par for the course. 

After waking up super early and getting all of my pre-race stuff done I headed downtown to the race which was only a few minutes from my house.  After a last stop at the port-o-potties I headed to the start. Already it was exciting because I got to meet a few local bloggers. First were Bang and Melanie, two ladies who I just love talking to over Twitter. Next I recognized Jolene, whose blog I love. It was great fun to meet them!

My plans for the race were to start out conservatively because I knew the second half had some major hills and a lot of twists and turns. Take some nutrition every 40 minutes or so. And to run my own race. 

Miles 1-6: These were relatively easy for me because they are part of my normal running route. I have run this part of the course numerous times. I knew where the hills were and how bad they would be. I knew where the flat and down hill sections were. I knew where the turns where. Basically, I knew exactly what to expect - where to speed up and where to rein it in. To keep myself from starting out too fast I had some Bob Marley on the ipod. By mile 5 or so it was full on booty music. It is amazing what the combination of a down hill and Britney Spears can do for one's pace!

Miles 7-10: The real hills, in my opinion, started around mile 7. My basic strategy was to start each hill at a run but not be afraid to walk some if I had to. I basically spent these miles walking some steeper hills and then speeding up on the down hill and flats to stay near my target pace. Mile 8 was the toughest for me and ended up being a full minute over my goal pace. Luckily, I had some time banked from the beginning of the race.

Clever signs like this one where
posted on some of the hills.

Miles 11-13: Some mental math told me I had to run these miles at 12 min pace to get to the finish line at my goal time of 2:35. Sounds easy enough but we weren't done with the hills yet and I was fading. Brent and the kids were at mile 11, which was awesome because I wasn't expecting them until the finish line. Luckily they were on one of the steeper hills so they walked with me for a little bit. A kiss from each of them and I was on my way again. Mile 11 was  the slowest of the day, but I did the math over and over again and knew that I had a good amount of time in the bank. Once we got within a mile of the finish I dug deep and got it done. It was great to have Brent and the kids at the finish line too!

Goal time: 2:35

Final time: 2:34:33

A half marathon PR for my post-baby running life!

Let me just say that in general I do not consider myself a sappy person, but when I crossed the finish line I burst into tears. I was so freaking proud of taking over 5 minutes off of my time from last year. I felt so much stronger than I thought I would. And for the first time since I started running again 2 years ago I achieved a race goal I set for myself. It was (and still is) the most amazing feeling!

We spent some time hanging around after the race to enjoy the fantastic weather and atmosphere. Also the kids liked the bouncy house. And Hannah used me to get the cups of pretzels and jelly beans they had out for the finishers.

Honestly, this was one of the best days of my running life.