Humidity, Hills, and Hood to Coast

I'm in an alliterative mood as my blog post title suggests!  Yesterday was an unplanned rest day for me; I didn't run at lunch because it was quite hot and I wanted to somewhat enjoy a run, so I decided to postpone my run until after work.  I remembered I needed to go to the grocery store after work, but I still had intentions of going for a quick run after I got home, ate, and put the boys to bed.  Alas, once all was said and done, I decided that a rest day sounded like a better idea.  Plus, I wanted to watch Hood to Coast which was sent to me by my Napa Ragnar teammate, Melissa.

Over the past two weeks, our Napa Ragnar team has bonded via Facebook and as we all introduced ourselves, we found out that several of our teammates have done overnight relays previously and they were sharing their experiences with us.  It is great having their insight and knowledge, as we were able to allay some of our fears (i.e. night running!) and get excited about the adventure that awaits us this September.  Melissa mentioned to the group that she's run Hood to Coast before and she offered to share her copy of the Hood to Coast movie with anyone who wanted to watch it.  A few days after I gave her my address, I received the sweetest owl card (I love owls!) along with the movie.

Melissa's card (addressed to #Laura) and the DVD

I sat down to watch Hood to Coast last night and it was amazing!  It follows four teams as they take on the Hood to Coast race; each with their own unique story.  It's a great insight into the race in particular, but also into overnight relay races in general.  Watching the movie really got me excited for Napa and helped alleviate my concerns about running at night.  It also has me considering adding Hood to Coast to my race bucket list.  That can be my Oregon race in my quest to run a race in all 50 states!

I'm so glad Melissa shared the movie with me and I'm sharing the love, too.  I will be mailing it out tomorrow to another Napa teammate, Lisa, so that she can enjoy it, as well.  

I went for a run this evening and it was hilly and humid!  We had some thunderstorms roll through the area this afternoon, which unfortunately didn't cool off our temperatures too much and instead made everything a sticky, humid mess.  I waited to run until a bit later in the evening, which I'm sure helped a bit, but it was still in the mid-80's (although it felt closer to 90) with 66% humidity.

Scenes from tonight's run; I love the scenery on this trail.  

I decided to run my hilly trail at JB, but in the opposite direction of my typical route.  This meant that I hit a fairly long hill near the beginning of my run, as opposed to running down it nearing the end.  It was a pretty beastly hill; it's rather gradual and not too steep, but it just seems to go on forever.  Just when you think you are done, it keeps going uphill.  It wasn't fun, but I kept going and finished it.  Then I rewarded myself with a quick break at the top before I continued my way around the loop.  I did 3 sweaty, humid, hilly miles today, but it felt good.

A lovely view

Much as I huff and puff up the hills, I'm glad I finally sucked it up and starting incorporating them into my runs.  I feel like it is making me stronger every day and preparing me well for Napa and any other race I do in the future.  Bring on the hills, I say!

"You said 'I won't make it' a million times.  You made it every time." 

Make Tracks for the Zoo Recap

Yesterday was one of my favorite races; St. Louis Children's Hospital's Make Tracks for the Zoo 5K.  It's a great family race and it ends with breakfast at the Zoo, which is one of my favorite places in St. Louis!  This year was the first year that I ran the race in its entirety, which was pretty exciting.  I hoped to finish in under 40 minutes and I was this close to reaching that goal, clocking in at 40:11.  I am really proud of my time this year, particularly when I look back at my history with this race.

The first year I did Make Tracks for the Zoo was in 2011 and I finished in 1:16:09.  I hadn't even begun my running journey at this point, so I walked and had a great time.  I did not participate in 2012, since I had just had Jack 2 months prior in March of that year. In 2013, I finished in 46:39 through a combination of running and walking.  Since I started participating in this race, I've come a long way and shaved nearly 36 minutes off my time!  Plus, I love that since last year, Nick has joined me by participating in the kids run.  I think Jack will be ready for the kids run next year, too!

Me and my sweet boys

I love that this race runs through Forest Park near the Zoo, since this is my stomping grounds for my "runches" during the week.  In addition to being a beautiful course, it's one that I'm very familiar with.  As we started out, my calves were cramping a little bit, but I kept going, albeit slowly.  As we approached the first hill shortly before the first mile ended, I found a surge of energy and bounded up the incline.  It was really empowering and a good reminder for me that the hill work I've been doing, even for just a short time, has made a difference.

Much of the 2nd mile was flat and it was so nice to coast along enjoying the park on such a beautiful day.  Last year, race day was very hot and humid, but this year, we lucked out with gorgeous temperatures in the 70's and no humidity.  It was divine!

The first part of mile 3 was downhill and that was a nice boost heading into the last stretch.  I thought I might be able to break 40 minutes, so I really took off during the last .5 mile or so.  I saw my mom and the boys near the end of the race and it was so nice to see their smiles and hear them cheering as I approached the finish line!

After I finished, we headed over to the area where the kids were lining up for the kids races, including the 1/2 mile run, 1/4 mile run, and the 1 mile fun run.  Nick decided to do the 1/4 mile run again this year and I planned to run it with him.  Last year, I ran it with him because I wasn't sure how he would do running it by myself and I wanted to enjoy the experience of running with him.  He seemed a little intimidated by the crowd last year, so it made sense to run with him.  As we started the race yesterday, he took off and I started to step off to the side so that I could stay near the finish and watch him cross the line.  He stopped at one point, though, and realized I wasn't behind him and started to back track to me.  He found me and I started running again but he took off again and I caught up with him later at the finish line.  I was really proud of him for being fearless and making the race his own!  Next year, I think he will be ready to take on either the 1/2 mile or 1 mile run all on his own.

We ran into Stacy and Illyria at the race! 

Nick has had a bit of a competitive streak lately and doing these races has opened up a conversation about being a good sport and how races are not about winning, but about having fun and supporting others.  During the awards ceremony after the race yesterday, he kept asking if he was going to get an award (he had already received his participants ribbon).  I explained that the kids 1/4 mile was just for fun and that we received a ribbon for participating.  He seemed a little disappointed and mentioned wanting to win an award, so I asked him how many races I've ever won. He said none and I pointed out that he was exactly right and the reason that I do these races is not to win, but to have fun and challenge myself.  I'm sure a lot of this competitive behavior has to do with his age, but hopefully as we continue to do these races together we can work on good sportsmanship.

We spent a little time at the zoo after the race and then we came home for long naps, at least for Jack and I.  My mom, the boys, and I had a great time at the race and I'm looking forward to participating again next year!

Me and my Mama

"Accept the days when running seems impossible. Embrace the days when running seems effortless." 

Running on a full tank

Last night, Nick and I were treated to a wonderful Mommy/Oldest son date night with some dear friends, Stacy, and her daughter, Illyria. We went to a local theater to see "The Wizard of Oz" and got the star treatment!  We sat in the luxury box seats at the Fox Theater and we had a great time, including dinner in the box seats, desserts after the intermission (the biggest bowl of cotton candy I've ever seen and delicious hot fudge sundaes), and great memories with two pretty darn adorable kids.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity to have such a special night with Nick and thankful for our friends who invited us to join them!

Our lovely dinner dates

My date for the evening.  I love Mommy/Son dates!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

We found another STL 250 cake!  

This evening, I took a nice 5K run at JB and got a lot of hills in.  I will say, though, that running felt a little tough today due to the fact that I ate a big (and delicious) lunch at one of my favorite local Mexican restaurants.  Someday I will learn the lesson about not running on a full stomach, but that day was not today.  

After my run, we headed to Nick's school for their end of year picnic and we all had a great time.  There were several bounce houses and games a plenty, so I know two little boys who are sleeping well tonight!  

I have a 5K race coming up on Sunday and it's one of my favorite races; Making Tracks for the Zoo!  I will likely cross-train tomorrow in advance of the race, perhaps a long walk?  

"She is not afraid of storms, for she is learning how to sail her ship." 

An uplifting run

Remember when I said recently that I was getting better about weighing myself on a daily basis?  I've, unfortunately, reverted back to my old habits and was thoroughly annoyed with the scale this morning.  I know better than to do this to myself, but it's such a habit.  I was feeling a little mopey about it today, until I went on the most glorious "runch" this afternoon with Mary.

It was quite a bit colder today than it was yesterday, so it was a little chilly when we first started out, but it really was ideal running weather.  It was in the 50's with no humidity and a light rain and it was perfect!  We went on a relatively aggressive run through the park near our office and I asked Mary if it was ok if we made a few detours.

The city of St. Louis is celebrating it's 250th birthday this year and there are quite a few celebratory events taking place throughout the year.  And what is a birthday without cake?  The city has placed 250 fiberglass cakes at various historical and tourist attractions around the city and I'm bound and determined to find all 250 and take a picture with them!  They are works of art, really.  Each is designed to reflect the attraction it represents and they are quite spectacular. The park near our office is home to several of these cakes and so this afternoon, I wanted to track some of them down.

On our way to the first cake location (our Science Center), Mary and I met some friends, a.k.a. ginormous replicas of dinosaurs.  A perfect photo opportunity if you ask me!

After our encounter with the T. Rex, we made our way to the front of the Science Center and found their cake.  

Science Center Cake 

After a quick photo op, we headed back out to run and took on a pretty decent hill.  It was a nice change of pace, as we normally run down this hill on a route that we've run a few times previously.  It was good to change things up a bit.  We came to the Jewel Box next and took a picture with their cake.  I love the bottom layer of this cake with the lily pads!

The Jewel Box Cake

As we made our way to the Muny (our one of a kind outdoor summer theater), we got to run downhill, which my legs appreciated at this point a few miles into our run. The Muny cake was amazing; particularly the second tier that had an almost 3D rendering of the theater.

Meet Me at the Muny Cake

We headed back to the office and went up a hill that we ran last week.  Last week, this particular hill was brutal for me, but today, it wasn't that bad.  I don't know if it was the fact that it was significantly cooler today than when we ran last week or if I was just mentally prepared to run hills today.  I suspect it was a combination of the two.  We ended up doing 3.6 miles today and it felt great!  I felt badass when we were done and much stronger.  I needed that run to remind me that I am more than just a number on a scale.  I've come a long way from the person I was even just a year ago and I am so much stronger and healthier today and that is a great thing.  Thanks for such a great run today, Mer, and for indulging my need to take pictures with the cakes! 

I've been missing my dad a lot and today while we ran I was telling Mary that it has been hard dealing with all of the normal things you have to deal with when someone passes on top of your own grief.  I mentioned that I wish I could tell him about Napa because he would be so proud of me and Mary, ever my voice of reason, said "You don't think you had an angel's helping hand in that?"  She's absolutely right; he knows and is watching out for me! 

Here's a few more pictures from my cake shenanigans over the past few weeks.  6 cakes down; 244 left to go!

St. Louis Art Museum cake on our anniversary 4/30/14

The cake at the college where I work 4/25/14

Jefferson Barracks Civil War Cake (this history buff loved this cake) 5/11/14

I know I sound like a broken record sometimes with my daily struggle to not weigh myself, but I am really going to try to do better in this area, which may come down to hiding the damn thing.  It does seem to be getting low on batteries, so maybe I won't replace them, although I don't think Matt will like this plan.  The numbers on that scale do not define me.  Repeat daily, if necessary!  With this in mind, I am re-evaluating my 32 for 32 challenge (to lose 32 lbs by my 32nd birthday in August), but more on that in a future post this week! 

"You are strong when you know your weaknesses. You are beautiful when you appreciate your flaws. You are wise when you learn from your mistakes." 

Rainy Tuesday

I was pleasantly surprised by how much cooler the temperature was today compared to the past few days and my garden appreciated the rain that came with those cooler temperatures!  I planned to go for a walk today, but the rain threw me for a loop.  I told Matt I was going to walk anyway even if it was raining, but after going to the grocery store after work and eating dinner, I decided to forgo the walk and stick to core work.

I have a lovely new blog logo above thanks to my creative (and graphically inclined) friend, Mary!  She took my random thoughts about color and look and turned into into something awesome!  Thank you, Mer, I love it!

Over the past week, I've connected with my fellow Napa teammates on social media and tonight, we had a fantastic group chat on Facebook.  Through some pretty impressive detective work by my fellow BAMR's, we've managed to track down all but one of our teammates and I must say, this is a fantastic group of women.  Jodi, Erin, Kelly, Melissa, JMart, Jennifer, Smitha, Kim, and Kathleen:  I am looking forward to continuing to get to know you amazing ladies, laughing with you, and learning from you!  Napa, here we come! 

I'm looking forward to another "runch" tomorrow, weather permitting!  Although, I may just run in the rain for the heck of it, because it sounds kind of nice and a good change of pace!

"We start as a group of people...we finish as a group of friends." 

The hills are alive

Not with the sound of music, but rather with the sound of my heavy breathing.  I had the best intentions of doing hill repeats tonight at the park near my office, but I only ended up doing two, so I'm not sure that counts as "repeats" especially since it ended up being two different hills.  I'm struggling to figure out which type of hill is ideal for hill repeats.  Is a steeper, short hill the best?  Or a longer, more gradual hill?  Or do each serve a distinct purpose and thus, should be used interchangeably for training?  If you do hill repeats, what type of hill do you seek?  

In any case, I did a warm-up run (about .75 mile) and then tackled a fairly long hill.  My legs felt really heavy to begin with and so they weren't too keen on the hill.  I made it up the hill, although the last couple hundred feet were brutal.  Rather than turn around and run back down, I kept going across a flat area at the top of the hill.  I ran down the opposite side of the hill, which doesn't seem to be as steep or as long.  When I got to the bottom, I really wanted to keep running to my car, but I was listening to a great AMR podcast with some super motivational messages, so I turned around and went back up the shorter hill one more time.  I did just under 2.5 miles, which was a little shorter than I planned, but it was a good run and I felt satisfied.

I had a great Mother's Day yesterday complete with a Frozen sing-a-long with the boys, a cuddly, nap with Jack, dinner with my Mom, Matt, and the boys, and a great post-dinner walk at JB with everyone.  The boys made sweet gifts for me at school that I love so much.  All in all, it was a wonderful day!  I hope that all of the mothers I know had a wonderful day, too!

"It's easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top." 

Strong, confident, and sweaty

Those are the words that I would use to describe my run tonight; it was awesome (and sweaty)!  I went back to JB (the hilly trail) tonight and ran the whole, hilly loop again, but this time without any rest stops.  When I ran Thursday night, I took a quick break at a water fountain right before the third, and steepest hill, because I forgot my water bottle.  I took another quick break before the last big hill, mainly because I thought it was a lot steeper and longer than it actually was and I felt like I needed to mentally prepare myself.  For the record, it wasn't nearly that bad.  Tonight, however, I was smart and brought my water bottle and sweat band, which helped me plug away up all of the hills without stopping.  It felt good to know that mentally and physically I had those hills.  They were mine.  Again, my pace wasn't fast, but I kept going and after making it up all 5 hills, I rewarded myself with a slight detour to a little sitting area overlooking the Mississippi.

A peaceful little overlook

I noticed there was a framed picture sitting on the bench to the left of the bench I was sitting on.  There was no one else around me, so I presumed someone had set it there earlier.  A couple approached the overlook on bike and as they went to look at the river, I heard the woman say something about the photo still being there.  The gentleman she was with said that the photo was there every year, so curiosity got the better of me and I walked over to see what it was.  It was a black and white wedding photo that I presume was from the 1950's or so.  It was a very sweet couple and a sweet gesture.  I'd love to know the back story behind the photo, but my guess is that this particular bench held special memories for this couple (I forgot to check the nameplate to see who the bench was in honor of) and that one of them is deceased and the surviving spouse (or children, I suppose if they have both passed away) puts the photo there every year.

After my brief rest at the overlook, I decided to run back to my car at a faster speed since my legs had recovered a bit from the hills.  The remaining path to my car was relatively flat, so that helped considerably.  I wanted to run a full three miles, so I ran past my car a bit until I reached three.  The last mile felt really good and overall, it was a great, powerful run, which I needed!

Wishing all of the mother's I know a very happy Mother's Day tomorrow, especially my Momma, who just got back from a business trip tonight (she was missed a lot this week)!  I love you, Mom, and want to thank you for always being there for me, listening, offering advice, or just giving me a big hug when I need it!  Happy Mother's Day!  

"Mothers hold their child's hand for a moment and their heart for a lifetime."