Valpo 13.1 Half Marathon

12 weeks ago, I started the hardest training plan I've ever followed: the Own It plan from Train Like a Mother. This training plan has led me through two 13 mile runs, one 14 mile run and one 15 mile run. It made me more than ready to tackle a half marathon because it took the element of fear out of the half marathon distance because by race day, I'd already ran it four times. Unlike my last half marathon, I wasn't stressed at all about the distance.

What this run couldn't do, however, was control the weather. While we had warmer than usual weather for November, we had wind. Lots of it. The wind was blowing steady at 25-30mph with gusts up to 50mph. In a race through a town or a forested area, this might not have mattered, but this race was run on country roads. Now, I love country roads. They're peaceful. I grew up in the country. I love open fields and farms and gently rolling hills, but in the right (or in the case of a half marathon, WRONG) conditions, those open fields create wind tunnels. And they did just that. I knew I was in trouble at mile two when a wind gust pushed me off the side of the road.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Despite the weather, let me tell you all the good things about yesterday. First, this was a local race. I am starting to really love local races. They're typically smaller and cheaper. They have more of a community feel to them. I don't have to get up super early to get there on time or pay for parking. Also, for the first time ever, I got to have people there to cheer me on! For the most part, I tend to run races by myself so I'm used to waiting at the start line and before the race by myself while others stand around in groups. This can lead to a lot of panic and stress inside my head. Plus, it's just boring. And I won't lie... the days leading into this race were stressful, leaving me to feel like I didn't even want to do it. This was not one where I needed to be inside my head before the race. So, let me tell you that it was a huge relief to see my parents walking across the parking lot as I was waiting in line for the porta potties yesterday morning. They huddled in the shelter of a building with me while I did active stretches and we tried to stay out of the wind. Note how crazy my hair is in this shot and I said we were trying to stay OUT of the wind. It was so windy that the wind actually blew the inflatable start line away, which I've never seen happen at a race.

The start of the race was delayed by about ten minutes because the line for portapotties was so long, which was annoying. They definitely didn't have enough--which is my only complaint about the race organization! We started with a very moving speech about Veteran's Day by a veteran. Although the race was sponsored by United Way and just happened to fall on Veteran's Day, I like that they still recognized Veteran's Day. It was a good reminder of running because there are those who are unable to run.

I started out with my goal race pace, which was 9:30 and felt good. The first mile was a loop around from the starting line. Although Shane and the boys got there right as the race started, I didn't see them, so as I came around to mile 1, I got to wave at them. That was really neat. After that loop, we headed out into the country roads. Things started to get rough with the wind at mile 2. I don't usually get stitches in my side when I run, however, struggling into the wind left me with a huge stitch. I tried to draw in air and stretch out my arm, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get rid of it. Eventually, I realized that I was just going to have to run through it. At mile 4, we turned so the wind was at our backs for awhile. This was a huge relief. You could see everyone's spirits pick up and we all fell into a faster pace with the wind pushing us. I knew that there was a spectator spot at mile 5.5, so I'd loosened my long sleeve shirt in the hopes that I could toss it off to my family and not have it flapping around my waist in the wind for the rest of the run.

I managed to complete the toss, but the boys were back playing in a stand of trees and I didn't see them. However, as I kept running, I heard Luke yell, MOMMY!! And looked behind to see him running after me. I waved and he stopped and waved, so that definitely motivated me. At mile 6.5, I decided to grab a cup of water. I wasn't thirsty, but my lips were pretty dry from the wind. I really wanted to drink and run, but a huge gust of wind ended up slamming the water into my face, so I had to slow to a walk. Unfortunately, the water ended up sloshing around in my stomach and maybe the water wasn't the best idea. After mile 7, we turned straight into the wind and this is the part of the race where it got hard.

I've run in wind before. I live in the midwest and in the fall and winter, it's windy. It's just a weather condition we deal with, but I've never run in this much wind and for this long before. There was no getting out of it. With fields on every side of us and with the corn harvested, it was wide open. The wind was slamming straight into our faces with no reprieve. At one point, I was running so hard that I had stitches in both sides and felt like I was going to throw up from the effort. I felt like I was sprinting, like I was doing speedwork. I looked at my watch... and I was running an 11 minute mile. That's it. For all the effort I was giving, that's all I was doing. To say that I felt defeated at that moment would be an understatement. And yes, I walked, because it is really, really hard to keep your motivation and energy up when you're dealing with that sort of element. I tried so hard, but all I could see in front of me was a long stretch of open road with no break from the wind in sight. I walked just long enough to get angry and then I ran until the next water stop when I needed more water for my dried lips. I didn't even try to run through it again because I knew the water would just take the cup away if I tried to run and drink. The worst part is that at this point, when we turned where the wind wasn't directly in our faces, it didn't help any because it just hit us from the sides. There was no escaping it until the very end of the race. The last five miles were probably the biggest struggle and not because I didn't train for it, but because the wind just would not let up.

At mile 12, I stopped for one last water stop, which I kind of knew was a mistake because my calves tend to knot up when I get near the end, but my throat was so dry from breating in all the dust from the fields. Of course, my calves cramped and that last little bit was torture. I had hopes of running the last mile strong, but I couldn't do it. I knew from my watch that I would PR by a lot, but I also knew that without the winds, I could've done better. Still, I plodded in as best I could. After struggling up a hill at 12.5, I saw my dad walking into the wind on the grass against the runners and I kicked it in. He said, "I can't believe this wind." I said, "You're telling me!!" He said, "Your fans are to the left just before the finish line." I knew the finish line was around the corner and I kicked it in as much as I could, which wasn't much because I hurt. My legs felt fine, but physically, my body just hurt. I felt like I'd been pummelled for the last five miles, which I kind of was.

I knew that Luke had on a bright orange stocking cap, so I searched the crowd for his orange cap. As I saw him, my eyes also scanned in a few new faces. I seriously almost stopped in my tracks (which would've been bad for the runners behind me) when I saw Katy, Anna, Shelli (and Lily) also standing with my mom, Shane, Luke and Tommy waving signs and cheering. I crossed the finish line, got my medal, then doubled back where I was hugged by the boys. Luke immediately recoiled and told me that my armpits really smelled. Ha! Tommy later told me that he was screaming as I "ran really faster at the end." I PR'd by 13 minutes over my half in April. I finished that one in 2:25 and crossed the finish line yesterday in 2:12. The best part was not the PR, though, it was the people willing to stand out there in the wind and cheer me on... just because they cared. That means more to me than any time I could ever set.

After the race, we went out to lunch where I celebrated my new PR with a much deserved drink and delicious meal with my parents and those wonderful girls that I mentioned above!

I am very, very lucky.

Surprise!!

I have pretty amazing family and friends. I already knew this, but it was even more solidified when Shane, Julie, and Donya managed to throw off a surprise party for my 30th birthday.

This is amazing for so many reasons. One, it's beyond humbling to know that a group of busy people took their time and energy to put together something just for you. Two, Shane doesn't have a cell phone, so the fact that he managed to coordinate this without texting anyone is amazing. Three, everyone managed to pull it off in a way that I just thought they were busy my birthday weekend. And four, Luke knew about it and managed to keep it a secret for three weeks straight.

Shane got me out of the house Sunday morning under the guise of taking me to breakfast. He said his mom was going to watch the kids all day so we could go out to breakfast and dinner. Before we left for breakfast, I took all the sheets off the bed, washed them, and had them in the dryer, because I was definitely planning on taking a nap after breakfast. I also wasn't planning on eating lunch after breakfast, so I definitely ate a huge serving of french toast stuffed with bananas, peanut butter, and bacon. It was, in a word, amazing.


While I was making a glutton of myself, my house was being transformed.

And filled with desserts.


After breakfast, we went to CVS because I needed to pick up a prescription. This worked out for Shane, who needed to kill more time before we went home. Walking into CVS, we ran into one of my coworkers. I thought he was being really rude because he walked off while I was talking to him and didn't wish me a happy birthday. It turns out he was headed to our house and was panicked that he was going to ruin the whole thing. Ha!

When we got home, I was pretty excited to take my nap. Until we walked in and a bunch of people in my living room started yelling surprise at me. I don't remember what I said, but I think I called Shane a jerk.


The neatest part of this whole thing was looking around the room and taking in who was there... it was incredible to look from person to person and register that they were there for me.
Next I went around the room and hugged everyone and laughed at whatever excuse they'd given me. I was super surprised to see my bestie Leah there because she lives 2ish hours away... and she'd told me she had a baptism to attend!







Someone took my purse and told me to go downstairs and look at the decorations and then someone else handed me a mimosa, which was like my third of the day. It was all kind of a blur...I really couldn't believe it was happening, how incredible everything was.



(To read more about this amazing cake, visit Julie's blog.)

I blew out candles and everyone sang while I was holding Tommy. Then Luke realized that he missed out on cake and was sad, so we decided that the first time was just a dry run. Julie lit the candles again and this time, I held Luke while everyone sang and I blew out the candles.




I didn't really know what to wish for because I couldn't think of anything else I could possibly need, you know? I felt like I had it all. It's amazing to get to a point in your life where your family and friends throw you a surprise party with the perfect decorations and the perfect desserts because they know just what you'd want. And then you unwrap gifts and every single gift is something you would've purchased for yourself because, again, they know you so well. There were even presents from people like Ryley and Cameron and Adam, who couldn't make it because they live a million miles away or because their wife just had a baby... yet they still took the time to do something special for me. That is humbling.

I was and still am so overwhelmed at all that these two did to throw this together. And my husband, with whom I apparently didn't take a picture? Oops!


I wasn't dreading turning thirty. Age is just a number and I'm probably in better health now than I was ten years ago, but I was worried that my thirties would not top my twenties. I can't think of a more fitting way to ease that worry than to start my thirties off with one of the best days of my life. I'm sure that I've forgotten details or people to thank, but what is overwhelmingly with me--reflecting back on this and on our Tommy's Team walk--is how incredibly, amazingly blessed I am to have such love and support in my life. You guys? I am really, really lucky.

Thank you to Donya for these incredible photos. You can see all of them here.

Will Run For Chocolate

Yesterday, my friend Sarah and I ran the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k. Our day started bright and early (okay, it actually started dark and early, REALLY early). We ended up getting to Chicago before most of the race participants, but that was okay, because guess what? We were first to use the port-a-potties.

See how early it was? Also, I'm wearing 5000 layers and I was still SO COLD by the time the race started that it took me until almost the two mile mark before I could feel my toes. It's very disconcerting to feel your feet slap down on the pavement, but to feel only numbness in response. As I was waiting for the race to start, I kept questioning what sort of stupidity led me to willingly stand outside in the freezing cold.

Sarah ran the 15k and I only ran the 5k. Next year, I'm definitely going to do the 15k. While I felt that I could've done it this year, I also wanted to enjoy myself and my longest distance is still just eight miles. At any rate, I loved running throughout the streets of downtown Chicago. It was pretty cool to run right below the Sears Tower, look up, and watch it stretching into the blue sky.

My only frustration was the sheer amount of walkers who felt it necessary to line up in the 10-11 minute pace area. I have no problem with walkers or with people who might need to walk during a race, but I spent a lot of time dodging around people that it made it difficult to set a good pace. Overall, I finished in 32 minutes, which isn't bad considering the aforementioned dodging. However, the 5k race was apparently longer than 5k due to a reroute, so once they post the adjusted route, my pace might change. I did feel like I pushed myself every time I had an open stretch, so I'm pleased with that.

While I was waiting for Sarah to finish her 15k (she is very fast, so I didn't have to wait too long), I drank my complimentary hot chocolate and sat on the bricks in front of Buckingham Fountain. It was still cold, but I added an extra layer of pants and a headband and let the sun warm me. Mostly I just soaked up the view.

I've lived within an hour of Chicago my whole life, but I never fail to be a little awestruck by its beauty. I got home with just enough time to shower, change, and go meet my parents to celebrate Shane's birthday. I had the best morning running with Sarah and laughing over dumb things that we (mostly me) managed to do, and I had a great afternoon with my family.

Today Luke and I mostly haven't budged out of bed the whole day. I'm doing laundry while we snuggle beneath the covers. He's playing learning games on my phone and I'm playing a game on my laptop called, "Please Erin, stop trying to right click on your new MacBook and for the love of God, quit trying to use the Ctrl+C command to copy!" Tonight we are going to Shane's parents to celebrate his birthday. I am pretty tired from a long week and from getting up at 4AM two mornings in a row (thank you, time change. you suck.), so a low key day today is just what I needed.

I hope your Sunday brings peace as well!

Fresh

When I went through my photos from the last week, I realized that I took approximately 8,000 pictures of food when thinking of Fresh. Clearly, I have a problem, but I was able to narrow it down to just two food pictures.


Fresh donuts with my favorite guy. While Shane slept in Sunday, Luke, Tommy, and I snuck out to Dunkin' Donuts AND Starbucks. It was a great morning, with fresh donuts, fresh coffee, and lots of smiles.


Then, Sunday afternoon, I met Julie and Love for coffee, at which point I indulged in a very fresh cinnamon roll with brandy buttercream sauce. Yum. And wow.

On the rare moment that I think outside of FOOD for fresh, I think flowers for sure. I have this lovely little glass vase that I use for just one or two single flowers because it looks so pretty.

Don't you think?

O Captain, My Captain

My friend Julie visited this weekend. Life is always better when Julie is around because Julie feels like home. Julie is uncontrollable laughter, ridiculous jokes, and warm chocolate chip cookies. Julie is my friend because when I suggest bagels for breakfast and follow it up by saying, "You're Jewish, don't your people like bagels?" she laughs like it's the funniest thing ever, instead of rolling her eyes and saying, YEAH THAT ONE'S BEEN DONE BEFORE, ERIN. Julie is my friend because she went to OXFORD, and that means I can impress people by saying, "Yeah, my friend Julie, you know, the one who went to Oxford?"

Mostly Julie is my friend because when I met her, I felt wonder at the fact that we hadn't already been friends for years. I met Julie my sophomore year of college in a lame Education course. The professor made us take something out of our bags/purses and say why it represented us, then we had to pair up with someone of similar interests. I rolled my eyes at the assignment, but ended up holding up a JD Salinger book and said it represented me because Shane bought it for me on our first date and because I loved to read. Julie sat by me because she also loved reading, and we quickly bonded over our mutual love of Dead Poet's Society and our mutual dislike of the ditzy sorority girls in our class. We had two classes in one day, with a two hour break between, and I sometimes made Julie come to my dorm room, otherwise I would fall asleep and miss the later class. One afternoon, my mom called and Julie caught a one-sided conversation that I knew made her curious. I got off the phone and poured my heart out to someone I barely knew. I told her that I'd been raped a few months prior, and that I was transferring home at semester because I couldn't handle being three hours away while healing from a trauma and while dealing with a court trial. Most people would shy away from someone with that much baggage, but Julie didn't. She listened and hugged and really let me pour my heart out, much more than a lot of people were able. And before I left to head for home, she wrote me one of the most beautiful letters I have ever received. She addressed it to O Captain, My Captain, and shortly after, she became my Tuwanda. Major respect to anyone who can name those two movie references!

And so we stayed friends, despite it all. When I went home and went through emotional and mental hell, Julie was always there. No matter how far apart we've been, no matter if there's an ocean separating us, Julie is always there. Even though I mostly fail at answering my phone or returning calls, Julie still puts up with me.
Julie and me (and Chris!), back when we were young and innocent (okay, mostly just young).


Julie and me yesterday. Please forgive my lack of makeup, pajamas, and unshowered self. Oh, and that messy little corner of the living room. Tornado Luke had just torn through it.