4th Half Marathon... done!

 

The Bellingham Bay Half Marathon!  I was already nervous about my 4th Half Marathon... you can read all about how nervous HERE.   As the week wore on I added another worry... the weather.  The forecast was for rain.  Now... I live in Washington State so rain in the forecast is not that unusual in September but this forecast was for LOTS of rain... and wind too.  The worst of it to hit mid day on Sunday... great.  

I drove up to Bellingham (about a 45 minute drive north from where I live) on Saturday to pick up my bib and check out the mini expo.  The weather was terrible driving up... pelting rain and cold.  

The mini expo for the Races was being held in a nicer hotel in Bellingham.  The pick up went really smoothly and was quite quick!  There were pick ups for people doing the Full Marathon, the Half (that was me), and the 5K.  Signs were clearly showing us where to go.  It wasn't too crowded and there was a good mix of vendors.  We didn't take a long time lingering (I had 2 of my kids with me) but I did stop to purchase a new pair of shoes.  I have needed to replace my running shoes for a few weeks now and luckily there was one of the local running stores at the Expo that had a ton of marked down shoes!  Yeah!  I was able to purchase an identical pair of my current shoes at a $40 savings!  Yeah!

Okay... back to the race...

The drive back home was an adventure!  The rain had really started to come down and I was really glad to pull into the drive way with my kids.  I went to bed that night after laying out a ton of race clothes... layering and staying dry were my goals for the next day.  The Half Marathon was not set to begin until 9:30am... a very late start for me.  The Full and the 5K were beginning at 7:30am... I am sure because of course overlap they were planning the Half and Full to be finishing together.

As I drove north the weather seemed to be calm... still raining lightly but not a ton of wind.  As I pulled into Bellingham and found some free downtown parking about a block from the start the weather seemed to be improving (a little).  I made my way over to the staging area.   There was a lot of cover  and lots of runners were seeking shelter there as we all waited for the start time.

Finally the time to start was near and about 2,100 runners/walkers that were doing the Half Marathon made their way to the starting line.  No corrals or pace signs that I saw... it was really just a "line up where you want to" start.   Because of the weather I did not carry a camera while I ran... sorry no "during the race" photos.  The course began in the heart of downtown and headed north of town... laced through many beautiful neighborhoods and was fairly flat.  There were a few slight up hill grades but nothing terrible.  Eventually we were heading a little south again and at about mile 7 or 8 I glimpsed a little of the waterfront.  I had just run a 15 K Race a few weeks prior that took place all on the waterfront here so this was familiar territory.   The weather had held and really hadn't more than drizzled at this point... I did notice some wind but I was wearing 3 layers and was actually thankful for the wind because it cooled me off.

As we ran along the waterfront I was a little sad the weather wasn't better... it really is a beautiful view on a nice day.  Oh well.  The course was headed west now and back into the downtown area... then... what is that... oh it is the finish line but don't get too excited we took a sharp right hand turn and had about 3 1/2 miles to go.  It was fun to see some of the "faster folks" finishing for the moment I ran by going the other way but a little bummed I still had over a 5K left.  I felt great though and on I went.  We were on the trail now headed south along the waterfront headed towards Boulevard Park.  We ran along the boardwalk and then a sharp left up the ramp and headed north now to the finish...  only less than 2 miles to go.  

I snagged this picture off of google... from a previous year... 

Now for the hills... there were two serious hills climbing back into downtown... no negative splits for me... I walked a bunch more than I thought I would at this point but oh well.  My goal was a good strong finish... no point in killing myself.  I ended up with almost the exact finish time (a 30 second difference) I had back in July at the See Jane Run Half in Seattle.  I was glad and happy that the weather had held and I finished!  Yeah!  Half Marathon #4!  At the finish there was a ton of things to do... there was a band playing in a big grandstand and they had several food venues open as well as a beer garden.  I only snapped a picture of the grandstand...

Photo courtesy of the Bellingham Herald.

All in all a great race and I was so glad the weather held... later in the day the rain came but I was already home, showered, and cozy in my house!Here are some photos taken at the finish as well as the my shirt and the race bling! 

Great friends that I "ran" into at the race... Craig and Ann Timmer!

Have you ever experienced terrible weather during a race?    

What were your best strategies to get through it?  Layering?  Repeat positive mantras to yourself?  Stop for cupcakes?

Harvest 5K - A Family Run!

This was a running weekend!  

On Saturday, September 28th, my whole family turned out to participate in the first Harvest 5K in Stanwood, WA.  This race took place just minutes from our home at Klesick Family Farms that also happens to have a successful delivery business of Organic Produce. 

100% of sponsor fees from this event and runner registration fees went to CrossWay International, a non-profit ministry who will be drilling a water well in Ukundu Town, Kenya - home to 2,000 people including 200 orphans. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of the well.  It is amazing that a bunch of local people can turn out on a rainy Washington morning and raise enough money to change the lives of an entire village across the world!  Yeah!

My whole family participated in this event... it was a rainy and cold morning... my children had attitudes... all over the maps... my daughter was excited... my oldest son had to be convinced this was going to be fun (he still didn't think so at the end)... my youngest son was excited he was going to get to ride in the plastic covered stroller.  My husband was game to push the stroller and let me do my "running thing".  At least we were all there!

The whole family... Wyatt (9), Makenna (7), 

and Luke (5)... oh and that is me and my awesome husband Brian!

The weather was not great... drizzling and windy... as we waited for the race to begin most people were cold... but soon they were encouraging everyone to the start line and off we went.  My daughter loves to run... she was off... I soon settled into my "routine" and at about mile 1.5 my oldest son and my daughter started telling me to slow down (I am not super speedy anyway).  My 9 year old slowed to keep up with my husband and I took off ahead... never far ahead of my girl though.  This course was awesome... farm roads all the way... we freaked out a few herds of cows who chose to run along for a bit.  a few vehicles made an appearance (all farm trucks who more that happy to wait for the runners and walkers).

Here are few shots of the family at various places on the 3.1 mile course.

The weather held off enough to get it done but most participants left before the race organizers had a chance to hand out any awards.  Bravo to Klesick Farms for planning this first ever event!  It was terrific!  Below is a photo of some of our friends that participated as well... so much fun!

Why am I nervous? 4th Half this weekend!

So... I am running my 4th Half Marathon this Sunday... and I am a little nervous.  Here are my first 3...

#1 - Tinkerbell Half at Disneyland - January 20, 2013

#2 - Heroes Half - Everett, WA - April 28, 2013

#3 - See Jane Run Half  - Seattle, WA - July 14th, 2013

Asking myself lots of questions all day long... 

Will the course be hilly?  What if I pass out? (I never have but you never know)  What if I trip and hurt myself?  What if it rains?  What if it is too hot?  Will the course be hilly?  What if my shoes bother me?  What if I get a cramp?  What if they run out of water?  What if I am last?  and on and on and on....

Geez.  Can I just stop already?  

The Half I am running is just north of where I live in the beautiful city of Bellingham, WA.  I have run a few races there but never this one.  There is a Marathon and a 5K happening as well.  I am sure because of course demands they are staggering the starts.  The 5K and the Marathon start at 7:30am and then the Half does not begin until 9:30am... oh my this is bothering me too.  I wish I was starting earlier.  I just want to dive in and get it done... I am sure it will all be fine... but I like to stew on all of this.  

Then I log into Facebook today and there is an article posted from Runner's World magazine all about race jitters and how to cope... you can see it HERE.

I am suppose to be tapering my mileage and how do I deal with the stress of the half this weekend?  I run 8 miles today.  ;P


How do you deal with pre race jitters?   Do you worry about silly things regarding races? 

Race Recap - Fairhaven Waterfront 15K

Let me start off by saying I got a little nervous for this race... 15K is a long way and the pressure was on... this was my "Racerversary Race" !  I wanted to at least get a slightly better time then I had earned in 2012.  Finishing and smiling was the goal but I did want that PR!  The race was happening in the beautiful city of Bellingham, WA about 45 minutes north of where I live.   My friend Carrie (who is training for her first Half Marathon and for Tinkerbell in January) was participating as well.  I picked her up on the way and we were off.  

After a quick stop at Starbucks we were headed north.  Traffic was a breeze and once we arrived we found parking very easily!  The race was starting off in the Fairhaven area of Bellingham which is kind of "old town" but very trendy.   We had not done early race bib pick up because of the distance so we quickly made the short walk to the plaza to pick up our bibs.  This literally only took less than 5 minutes.  

This race was seriously only $20 to register which included a tech shirt!  I love cheap local races that have cool shirts!

After a quick walk back to the car to re-adjust our fuel belts and drop off our cool new shirts... we made our way up to the start line.  

I of course was sporting some Sparkle Athletic (black sparkle skirt) at this race too... I can't do a race without one on and I am sure it had something to do with my finish time!  Respect the skirt!  

After seeing a few familiar faces at the start line - we were off!  Carrie and I were not planning on running together so we bid our "good lucks" to one another and set off to "run our own races".  The course headed north into downtown Bellingham which sadly in the beginning meant UPHILL... I made it and stuck to my intervals!  Once reaching the south part of downtown the course took a sharp left and headed down to the waterfront and marina.  HERE is a link to the course map.  The weather was perfect for racing but not too great for the "seeing the sights".  It was cool and overcast.  The waterfront at the marina area was pretty but there was no seeing the mountains today.  I was fine with that... last year at this race the sun was out and it was a hot one.  The cooler temps were a welcome thing!  I didn't take any photos during the race (sorry).  My intervals were going great and I felt strong throughout.  Such a different feeling from one year ago... I am not sure what I was thinking last year signing up for a 15K as my first running race ever!  Crazy girl!  This time last year during the last 2 -3 miles I thought I was going to die.  It was hot and I was done.   This time I was glad to be done but could have kept going!  Yeah - progress!  HERE is a link to an official photo of me at the finish that currently I am too cheap to purchase.

This was my friend Carrie's first time going this distance!  She did great... learned some things about herself and felt a real sense of accomplishment on her finish!  I am so proud of her!  

All in all I would highly recommend the Fairhaven Waterfront 15K race.  The course is beautiful and has it's challenges (just enough to keep it interesting).  The registration fee is inexpensive and the shirts are great!  There were tons of drawings in addition to awards for the age groups and overall finishers.  Loved this race and can't believe it has been one year since I began actually running in races.  Oh and for that PR I wanted... Yep... got that!  I shaved 9 minutes off last year's time!  Yahoo!  

Next race (s)... Harvest 5K in Stanwood (literally just down the road from my house) and my entire family is participating!  Saturday - Sept 28.  ...and Bellingham Bay Half Marathon... my 4th Half Marathon on Sunday - Sept 29!  Back to Back!

Racerversary! Run in a race... Ha... I said I would never do that!

On September 8th, 2012... I ran in my very first race.  I had participated as a walker in some 5Ks before and even walked 60 miles in 3 days to raise money for Breast Cancer Research back in 2002. But actually run in a race... I would have laughed in your face if you had told me I would be doing this prior to 2012!   I had lost a lot of "baby weight" (about 65 pounds) after I had my 3rd baby in 2008 using Weight Watchers ... I had reached my goal weight without any exercise to speak of in September of 2009.  BUT... slowly over the next year I had gained back about half of that number.  So I knew I needed to do something... I wanted to make a life change!  I knew diet paired with exercise was the answer!  What was my motivation to even consider running and get started... originally it was to run in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland in January of 2013.  I was focused!  I could see that pink castle... I was going to do it!  

I can only dream that these were my legs and that is my backside... alas this is not me.

 

Now... looking back I probably should have picked a nice 5K... a cute short race with a fun t-shirt as a perk as my baptism into the world of running.   Nope... not me... I dove right into the deep end and registered for a 15K  (yes - that is 9.3 miles)!  So last September after just a few short months of training I showed up in the morning in Bellingham just north of where we live.   It was a nice cool morning and off we went.  As the race morning wore on the sun came out and it warmed up.  Fast forward to the last 2 miles... it was WARM... super warm for me.  I made it to that finish line but mentally I wanted to QUIT the last 2 or so miles.  BUT - I made it and successfully finished my first race as a REAL runner!

This is a photo of me after the finish of the Fairhaven 15K in 

Bellingham, WA on September 8th, 2012.  

I can't believe it was a year ago... crazy!   I have a lot more race experience under my belt now.  

2012 completed

Fairhaven Waterfront 15K - Bellingham, WA -  Sept 8, 2012

Poulsbo Marathon (I did the 10K) - Poulsbo, WA - October 14, 2012

Shoebox Run 10K  - Arlington, WA - October 20, 2012

Santa Dash 5K - Stanwood, WA - December 8, 2012

Toys for Tots 10K - Arlington, WA - December 8, 2012

2013 completed

runDisney - Neverland 5K - Anaheim, CA - January 19, 2013

runDisney - Tinkerbell Half Marathon - Anaheim, CA - January 20, 2013

River and Rails 10K/5K (doing the 10K) - Arlington, WA - March 23, 2013

Sandy Hook Run for the Families 5K - Virtual Runner - March 2012

River and Rails 10K/5K (10K) - Arlington, WA - March 23, 2013

Hippity Hop 5K - Stanwood, WA - March 30th, 2013

Super Hero 5K - Benefits Kids to summer camp - Bellingham, WA - April 13, 2013

Heroes Half Marathon - Everett, WA - April 28, 2013

Inspiring Hope 10K - Everett, WA - May 11, 2013

Walk and Roll 10K - Arlington, WA - May 18, 2013

Boston Solidarity 10K Run - Arlington, WA - June 8, 2013

See Jane Run Half Marathon - Seattle, WA -  July 14, 2013

Refuse to Abuse 5K - Seattle, WA - Safeco Field - July 20, 2013
 
Columbia Winery 10K - Woodinville, WA - Aug 17, 2013

Run A Muk 10K - Mukilteo, WA - Aug 24, 2013

I will definitely approach this race again with a different mind set.  I will most likely be a lot more calm at the start... have a little more fun as I run... and also be aware of the hills towards the end and not be intimidated by them.

Yep - on September 14th - I will run the Fairhaven 15K again.  Wow... a whole year has gone by!  

So on September 14th - Happy Racerversary to me!!!  I used to laugh out loud at people who ran... now I am one of those runners.  I am addicted to what running does for me... how I feel... my time for me.  I am actually grumpy when I don't get my run in when I had planned.  Who is this person?  Wow!

PS - I still have the Disney motivation... but some of my motivation is also... lifestyle, healthy body, good example for my children, and something for ME.

And... I did run the Tinkerbell Half Marathon and wrote about HERE and I am going back in 2014 to run it again!

Arrrr.... Run for yer lives Mateys! Run A Muk 10K August 24th 2013

DISNEY... not a big shock that I love all things Disney!  

Especially Disneyland!  If you were to ask me what one of my favorite attractions there... it would have to be Pirates of the Caribbean!  So... when I heard about this fun "pirate themed" race not too far from home... I was totally in!  The Run A Muk race takes place in Mukliteo, WA and is a part of the annual Lighthouse Festival.  

I regularly wear a sparkle skirt from Sparkle Athletic (newly renamed - used to be Team Sparkle) to my races but I have not braved a full costume at any races.  This race was different... pirates!   A white cotton t-shirt was provided with the race fee but for $10 additional I chose to upgrade to the tech shirt! It was a perfect choice... then I dug through my kids' costume boxes and came up with something simple that I thought would be fun and not "get in my way" of concentrating on just doing my best at the race.  I didn't end up running with the sword.  The hat did stay on the entire race... it was awesome!

My friend Carrie was running her FIRST 10K at this one as a part of her training for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland this January!  

We arrived fairly early at the beautiful waterfront area in Mukilteo (Muck - ill - tee - o) - it was about a 40 minute drive from up north where we live.  I had picked up our bibs the day before so we didn't need to check in.  The weather was overcast and cool.  After we arrived the Northwest "misters" began and the fine rain started to come down.  We had good company hovering under the eaves of the Community Center near where the start line was.

The race began at 8am and before we knew it we were lining up and ready to go!  The course itself was a bit more hilly than I prefer but overall it was a good course that was superbly supported by volunteers.  I think I counted 4 water stops and that is amazing for a 10K!  I was somewhat familiar with this area... about 10 years ago I participated in the Susan G Komen 3 Day 60 mile walk and many of the training walks I had participated in were in this area.

The weather stayed cool but the rain didn't stick around so that was a good thing.  I was able to finish in my standard 10K time frame that I felt good about considering the hilly course.  As soon as I crossed the finish line I turned in my timing chip and started to retrace the route and find Carrie!  I am so proud of her accomplishment and her positive attitude no matter what it took to cross that line!  She did it!

There were the awards following the finish for the more "elite" participants... after they were done I wanted to grab the microphone and announce my friend's finish of her FIRST 10K! She did awesome!

So proud of her! 

This is definitely a race I would do again!  Thanks Run A Muk!

Do you like to race in costume?  

Full on costume or just alter your regular running attire?

If you like to "dress up" for races... what has been your favorite costume so far?

Columbia Winery 5K and 10K for Seattle Children's Hospital

Bright and early on Saturday August 17th my friend Carrie and I headed down to Woodinville, WA to participate in a benefit run for Children's Hospital which was being held and hosted by the Columbia Winery.  Formally known as the the "Covey Run" this 10K / 5K event is now known as the Columbia Winery Run and Walk.  Click HERE to see their HOME page.

The weather promised perfection for running (cooler and overcast) on this August morning in the Northwest.  I was participating in the 10K and Carrie was ready for the 5K option.  We had taken one small wrong turn on the way and ended up arriving about 15 minutes prior to the 10K start. We opted for the race day pick up of our bibs and bags... we cut it rather close to the 10K start time and I was ready to pay $10 for someone's place in the potty line... but we made it.

 I didn't carry my camera on the run but I thought to myself a few times why anyone who lived in the area would be crazy not to use the beautiful trail that we followed for the 10K course.  HERE is the link to the 10K course.  The first mile and a half to the 5K turnaround was along Hwy 202 and basically followed an industrial park.  As I ran past the 5K turnaround sign I though how sad for the 5K participants to only have the industrial park as their scenery.  Sad.  On the flip side... here are some photos of the Sammamish River Trail compliments of Google Images.  Most of the 10K course followed along this beautiful trail.

The course was flat and I would like to say fast... maybe for some but I kept with my run/walk/run ratios and finished with a pretty predictable time that I have for my 10Ks.

Following the finish the race organizers held the kid's dash and drawings for many goodies that were donated by businesses and individuals.  I was drawn for a cute jar of hair ties that I knew my 6 year old daughter would be just giddy for!  We also noticed that every child that was there received a full size Disney stuffed animal... WOW!

We had a really fun time at this race.  Worth the extra drive time for sure!

 

 Participating in the race also included a discount inside the Winery if you desired. 

Coming up next Saturday... Run - A - Muk 10K in Mukilteo, WA!!!  (Carrie's 1st 10K)

Do you have a favorite place to run with beautiful scenery? 

Have you participated in a run at a unique place before?  Where was it?