Couch Potato

Well, it's official I've grown roots. Actually, I've transformed into a root vegetable of sorts... A big ol' potato! (Couch variety)... Well, this hibernating bear has glimpsed the warm rays of spring and is ready to dust off her kicks, emerge from her den & hit the pavement. Tomorrow, I will run a mile. :) I won't scoff at my one, itty-bitty mile, on the contrary! I'll esteem it for what it is! The beginning of things to come.

There are several runs coming up in the Greater Sacramento area that are on my bucket list - a color run, night run, mud run & prison run. Details to follow. Zoo zoom is April 16th - day after Special Assembly. That's a fun one.

Just realized haven't posted about NWM 2012 or Big Sur... Posts to come. I miss my running buddies!

Urban Cow Was Awesome!!!

Well, I must say I really hope Graem got some better pics! : P

The Urban Cow was a blast! Bonny & I showed up at 7:35. Perfect timing if the run started at 8:00 like I thought buuuuuuuuut it started at 7:30. We arrived just in time to see the last of the last wave leaving. No matter! The chip on the back of the bib registers your start time when you cross the starting line. Now then... to manage this sea of people. I was assigned to start in the first wave but now I had 3,300 people packed  in front of me. It roads were nice & wide so it wasn't really that difficult though I did feel like a jerk weaving tightly thru the crowd. once things opened up a bit it was just awesome! So much to see! So many people on the course edges cheering us on! Such a variety of surroundings! Here and there bands playing energetic music. "I AM the invincible winner! And I DO know that I was born to beeeeeeeeee..... I'm a heartbreaker, dream maker, love taker. Don't you mess around with me." : P

Thanks so much to all who were there & all of you we got to go eat with afterward! (Even sleepy Lauren. But you need the rest if you're gonna do this again in a few days.CRAZY!) Let's do it again next year! Bonny & I love you all. See ya soon! :)

                                         Ok, Im at the Rural Cow.... where is everybody??

Deep Thoughts and Fancy Footwork

This past week I've been meaning to blog about our Lake Tahoe run.  So now that Jaide has got the ball rolling, I'll add to it.

Please allow me to share a few of my thoughts, in order of occurrence, during the trail run:

• "What?  We're STARTING with a major hill?"
• (Out of breath at the top of the hill) "That's okay, I got this!"
• "Oh my goodness, I've never seen anything so beautiful!"
• "Careful, Lauren, don't trip over these crazy rocks."
• "Wow, this is unbelievably beautiful!"
• (Thud...) "I guess I should expect to fall on my face at least once."
• "Now I know why they call it Emerald Bay....the water is SO green!"
• "When are we going to stop going up hill?"
• "I think I'd rather be giving birth right now, because at least I'd be laying down!!!!"
• "At this point I don't care how beautiful this place is.  Where is the finish line??"
• "There's the finish line!"
• "Ahhhh...nothing like an ice cold beer on the beach.  This really is a beautiful place."
• "Maybe I'll do it again next year?"

Some things better with age

Us girls!!

As a rehab nurse, I care for people who have experienced some terrible debilitating event, whether it be a car accident, brain injury, spinal cord injury, or stroke.  Most of these patients also have diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease.  Many can barely walk, unable to use the bathroom without supervision and take pills by the handfuls.  I monitor their bowel movements, make them drink thickened liquids, and poke them with needles.  Naturally most of them are quite up in age.  Before I depress you any further, here is my point: getting old stinks and I hope I never have to.

So when I see an elderly person without a cane, walker, or swallow precautions, I am so excited.  When I see a elderly person run, I celebrate.  When I see an elderly person beat me in a race, I just don't know what to say. 



My competition

Last weekend, at the Emerald Bay Trail Run, we ran 7.5 miles in altitude.  For this Sacramento runner, it was hard.  At some point,  I found myself behind two aged men.  I know when I see a real runner.  He has no gadgets, no special water bottles, no shirt. All I see is tan wrinkled skin, gray hair, and a slow shuffling gait.  I think "He is so old.  He is running slow, but he is still awesome."  Then, I realized that I have been behind this "slow" runner for awhile. This man has some 40 years on me!  I finally make my way past him, feeling somehow guilty, like I should make sure he can still breathe on these tahoe cliffs.  In the end, I made it, finishing the most beautiful run of my life, happy I was still alive and breathing myself.

Happily, as I have read before, runners can continue strong into older age.  I guess there are some things to look forward to besides wrinkles.

As to answer Jade, I really have no special pre-race rituals. I try to go to bed early, with clothes ready.  I am pretty regular in the am, so emergency bathroom runs midrace are usually not a problem.  If you need some pointers, the recent "Runner's World" addresses this delicate subject.  Coffee is a must (I am addicted).  I wear sunscreen because I am terrified of wrinkles.  Pre-race pics to post on instagram is also very important.  I think next time, though, I will try some vaseline on any areas with potential rubbing.

3 weeks to go, until the big day!! I need some more long runs!!

I run there for I hurt

So I have done the one thing I said I would never do. I have started running. It has been one week now and it has been the most painful week of my life. But I gave made a breakthrough. I ran 1.26 miles straight without stopping. It may not seem like a lot for the seasoned runners but it's huge for me. And it's left me craving more. So I guess it's true running is addictive.

Test Run

The last run event I entered was a 10K(6.2mile) on Aug 4th & I've been slackin' a bit since then so since I signed up for The Urban Cow (with a little prodding from Jaide.[pun intended]) I ran a tester-13.1 this morning just to get a feel for where I was at.... oy. It's so easy to forget how stinkin' long a half marathon is! I'm not where I want to be but I think I'll get there in time. However, I made the rookie mistake of eating right before I ran which made me verpy for about 4 miles. That didn't help! So that led me to wonder, what's everybody's plan for the morning of the run?

What's for breakfast? Will you be dawning new shoes? Do you stretch? Scream psych-up phrases at yourself in a mirror & ask someone to smack you?

The night before a run I always drink senna tea & I start the next morning by drinking about a 1/2 gal of water to clean me out & ensure no surprise potty breaks later (Is this t.m.i. for this blog?) I always eat a slice of toast with honey & peanut butter & a protein shake 30 minutes before the run & I do very little warm up.

How about you all?