A Race Down Memory Lane

Jason and I decided on the fly that we would like to run the Auburn Classic Half Marathon. Auburn University is my Alma Mater, and I have always wanted to show my old stomping grounds to Jason, not to mention just visit the dear place. It has been over 6 years since I have been there.

Once the plans were made, the race registered for and a hotel secured, I was assailed by memories. It had been such a very long time since I’d visited these wonderful bits of my history, and I was almost overwhelmed with nostalgia. Remembering all the wonderful friends I made at the Auburn Christian Student Center and all the crazy and fun things we did…

Prayer time in front of the eagle’s cage with Emily Hargett (now Brown) on the tailgate of my truck, Romance on the Plains, picnics and walks at Keisel Park (which I will never remember how to spell). Treks with Emily Webster (now Thames) and Samson all over Conway Acres. Ah, Samson. The best Great Dane in the world. My tiny trailer. My tiny trailer with a Great Dane and a cat in it. Homework until 5 in the morning. Lunches at Tenda Chick, Breezeway, and Guthries (and my introduction to that amazing sauce). Running the roads of Auburn and day dreaming of my current crush. The Clubhouse (Emily Webster’s trailer). Riding my bike to the Clubhouse at midnight. Hilarious Halloween parties. Movies and chocolate late into the night (and then returning home to work on the paper due the next day). Retreats. Family chats. Working at the circulation desk in the University Library. Running laps around the University track when it was too dark to run anywhere else. Going to class. Skipping class. Devo night.

And the list goes on and on and on as the faces of the friends, the smiles, the laughter, and all the other stuff drift through my mind.

Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), I could not wait to return. Friday night as we drove into town, my excitement began to grow as we passed Glenn…and Thatch…the University…the library…the Student Center… I couldn’t wait to let it all out in the run the next day. I couldn’t wait to run in the place I’d loved so much so many years ago.

Saturday dawned gray and cloudy, and I checked the weather to see what our chances were that the rain would hold off for the race. It wasn’t looking good, but I was hopeful anyway.

Since the race officials did not prohibit headphones I wore mine, and the song I chose to begin the race was Olympic Spirit by John Williams on the album, Summon the Heroes. This song is significant to my Auburn experience because my dear friend, Emily Hargett (now Brown) chose this song, among many others, to put on a running tape for me while we were both in Auburn. She introduced me to so many amazing songs and soundtracks, and they have remained my favorites 10 years later. Many times during my college years, it was this collection of songs that got me out the door to run when I did not want to go.

It has been a long time since I have listened to Olympic Spirit, but returning to the place of its introduction into my life, I knew it needed to be a part of my race. And so, as the race began, I grinned like a fool as the song played and I began the 13.1 mile journey with 200 other runners.

The route of the Auburn Classic is a tough but beautiful one. The hills are many and rolling so that I always felt I was climbing or running downhill. Around mile 5, I saw the front runners already heading back to the start line, my husband being the first among them. We slapped hands as we passed each other and I was spurred on to pick up my pace.

I held my pace as often as I could, although the hills made it difficult at times. I hadn’t really been training for a personal record in this race, but I wouldn’t have minded achieving one all the same. I thought the possibility of winning in my age group might be good since the race was so small, and I thought it would be extremely fun to win in my first race as a 30-year-old.

This thought gave me new motivation and I began to pass every female runner I could see. One by one I overtook them, only to see another and another. A few times a fellow runner would try to stay with me, but that only motivated me to pick up the pace and shake them off.

The hills made this difficult at times, however, causing my desired 8:00 pace to drop to 8:30 and 8:40. I knew I could not obtain a personal record at that pace and I would renew my efforts to speed up.

Eventually we were back on the main road headed back to the finish line, and I knew there wasn’t much time left for catching my competitors. Around mile 10 I could see a woman in green within a reachable distance and further in the distance a girl in pink. I wasn’t sure I could catch her, but it couldn’t hurt to try.

By mile 11 I had overtaken the woman in green and the girl in pink was still only a spec. I argued with myself over the likelihood of catching her, but I wasn’t overly tired and so, despite the hills, I pushed as hard as I could.

About this time I knew just what I needed. I turned on my ipod and found Olympic Spirit. I straightened my shoulders, picked up my pace, and focused in on the girl in pink. She looked strong, but I wasn’t giving up on catching her.

When we reached mile 12, she was closer but not enough to make it easy to overtake her with only one mile left. Still, I was determined. When we reached mile 13 I was on her heels. I knew if I was going to pass her it had to be then and it had to be convincing. I was tired, and if she raced me to the finish, I wasn’t sure I could pick up the pace any more.

Arms pumping and legs pushing, I passed her as the road curved around, turning into a hill we both had to climb to reach the finish line. I gave all I had to get there, and it was enough. I finished the race in 1:49:11, a minute slower than my best and 3 seconds in front of the girl in pink. The race to catch her caused my last mile to be my fastest, and put me in as the 10^th place female finisher and 47^th overall. I didn’t win in my age group since they only awarded 1^st place in 10 year age groups, and I didn’t get a personal record, but I was pleased with my race all the same.

I was also extremely proud of my husband who won first place overall, finishing his race in 1:22. This was his first race after recovering from an injury and not only did he win, but he ran successfully without pain. Just as he was being called to receive his award it began to rain. We said goodbye to our friends Julia and Laura, who had also run the race, and made our way back to our hotel to get cleaned up and find some lunch.

Our trip to my old college town was short, but wonderful. It was a reminder of dear friends, sweet memories and great songs. It was a reminder that new adventures can be had in old, familiar places. It was a reminder to be grateful for friends, memories, adventures, and the ability and desire to run through it all.

Cool Runnings

I’m not talking about the movie, although it is one of my all time favorites and, for a bit of family history, the ONLY movie the McGuire family has seen in the theater together. Probably the last movie my mom has seen in a theater period. But I’m digressing before I even begin.

I’m talking about the activity of running. Running in the cold.

Now I realize cold is relative to many. So before you begin to snicker and say it isn’t cold in Alabama compared to Michigan or Alaska or Colorado, let me say that this little blurb is being written by a girl from Panama City, Florida. While I have gotten used to the cooler climes of Huntsville, AL, and welcome them most of the time, when the numbers drop below 30, my motivation to run takes a dive as well.

For the last three weeks, the temps have been anywhere from 13 to 19, with cruel wind chill temperatures to accompany them. I have a new clock that displays the temperature each morning, and if I don’t have plans to meet anyone, I roll back over until it is time to get ready for work. This means that I must run after work or skip it altogether.

This wouldn’t ordinarily bother me, but I have goals. And at this time of year, who doesn’t? Fitness goals, weight loss goals, running goals, training goals, marathon time goals… For me, I’d like to run a faster marathon, and my sights are on a Boston Marathon qualifying time. It is a big jump from my current marathon time, but doable if I stick to a good training plan and work hard.

When the new year showed up, I waited for the usual gust of enthusiasm and motivation that usually consumes me with the idea of a new beginning, a fresh start. I planned a super fun 30 mile birthday run, but after that…it was cold, I was cold, and sitting on the couch with a blanket was warm.

I’ve heard several people claim to be in the same boat. I think there is hope, however. I think there are strategies one can employ to get out there and get after those goals. So, taking some thoughts and ideas from a great article on Active.com, here are a few things I am doing to get over the I’m-so-cold-I-can’t-move slump.

1. Make Plans – Plan to run with some friends. Whether in the morning or afternoon. You are less likely to back out of a run if you know someone else is depending on you. Plus, conversation often distracts from discomfort.

2. Bundle and Layer – Tons of great clothing is available to athletes to assist their pursuits in all climates. John Mora from Competitor Magazine says, “If you don't have the right gear for this time of the year-such as a polypropylene base layer and moisture wicking layers, as well as a running jacket with good ventilation-running through the winter can be unbearable.” And something I’ve found, if I know I have good gear to wear, I’m more likely to venture out…especially if I think it is cute.

3. Reward Yourself – This is another bit of advice from John Mora’s article, and something I’ve found really does work. If I think of the hot shower or soak, a warm bowl of soup, time on the couch with Jason and a blanket, a tall mocha, extra hot with skim milk and whip…I am more likely to get out there and get it over with. I know I will enjoy those things more if I have gotten my run out of the way.

4. Remember – Remember the time you DID make yourself go for that run in the cold and how you were warm well before mile 1. Remember how good it feels to finish a run. Remember your goals and how badly you want to reach them. And if all else fails…listen to Bootylicious by Destiny’s Child and start getting dressed. That always works for me.

Happy running and stay warm!

30 Miles for 30 Years

Turning 30 is a big deal. People who are 40 or 50 say I’m too young to know about getting older, but they’d be lying if they didn’t admit that turning 30 gave them pause. I don’t think 30 is old and I don’t feel “old.” I just feel like me, and I’ve always been young. I may have a gray hair or two or twenty, and I may be developing crow’s feet from all the laughing in the sunshine, but I’m not old.

Still, turning 30 is the changing of a decade. Just like turning 20 means one is no longer in their teens, reaching 30 means something different too. So, as my 30th birthday approached, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something that represented my 30 years, something that represented the beginning, the past and the present.

I decided I wanted to run 30 miles to represent my 30 years of existence, and that I wanted my friends and family to do it with me. I created a spreadsheet with the mile, the person I wanted to run that mile or miles, the time I estimated I’d be at that mile, and the location of that mile. I wanted Mom to kick off the 30 miles since she brought me into this world, and I wanted Jason to run the last of it with me since he will be with me for the rest of this adventure we call life.

The morning of January 2 (not the actual birth date, but as close as I could get), Jason got up early to get his run out of the way, and I listened for the beep of the coffee pot to signal that my coffee was ready and I could get up. I sipped and wandered around, chose what to wear on this most special running day, and waited for Mom to arrive. The two of us would begin the run with a 3 mile stretch starting at 8:00a.m.

When Mom got to my house, we put on our final items of warmth, took one last potty break, and Mom wrapped her arms around me and said a prayer for the day and for the safety of all those participating in her daughter’s birthday run.

Then we were off.
It was a COLD morning, but at first I was too excited to notice. Mom and I finished our run and I needed a quick trip to the bathroom before beginning the next stretch which would be a two-mile section with my sister. We ran a mile and then turned into the wind. It was brutal. Julie had a cold so it was worse for her. At the end of her stretch, Mom was there to take our picture and Shannon Allen was there to begin her four mile stretch.


Shannon and I moved quickly because when I stopped in the wind for our exchange point photo shoot, the cold set in with an aching rush. Shannon and I ran up the steep Eastview Dr. hill, visited my sister’s backyard for a pit stop (coffee is both a blessing and a curse), and continued quickly on our way.

At mile 9 I met my morning running crew. We call ourselves the crazy girls due to the early hours and crazy climes in which we’ve run. Madelyn Patton, Alice Lessman, Julia Mateskon, and her twin sister, Laura Jackson met me for our traditional hill workout up Stoneridge Rd. This is a mean hill that takes us all the way up to the water tower on top of Rainbow Mountain. Due to an injury, Madelyn ran us up to the hill, wishing me luck before turning back for her car. The other three ran with me up to the top and back down, facing the cruel wind once more to take me further down Hughes where I would meet Kristi Holland at mile 15.

A little before this point, I began to fall behind my estimated times I’d set to be at each exchange point. I gave all runners more time than I thought they would need, but I did not take into account bathroom breaks, the exchange point photo shoots, or snack times.

Mom was thankfully at each exchange point to let runners sit in her warm car and to take our picture before we headed out on the next section of miles.

Kristi and I faced the wind for almost a mile before turning around and having it blissfully at our backs. I think that was one of the most comfortable moments of the run. I was almost warm! The two of us ran quickly down Hughes Rd. until Katherine Bennett met me at mile 18. She ran one mile with me to the corner of Hughes Rd. and Old Madison Pike where Christi Doyle showed up to run her two miles with me.

At this point I was an entire section of miles behind my projected time. Courtney Hargett and Leah Igo, who were to meet me after Christi’s stretch of miles, were already there. We pulled them along too and so the four of us made our way through my old neighborhood, passed my cute little house on Larry Dr.

At mile 21, we dropped Christi off, and Courtney and Leah began what was their original section of miles. We headed for downtown Madison, which was an area I had not run before. There are plenty of sidewalks and quiet neighborhood streets in this area, but for some reason my routes never took me that way. Because of this I got a little lost, but thankfully I had my map with me and was able, with Leah’s help, to get to mile 24 where Mom and Beth and Josh Arndt were waiting to run with me.

At this point I began to slow down a bit. My nose was raw, my face was wind burnt, and my legs were getting tired. Still, I had wonderful company and so the miles flew by. Before very long, it was time to meet Holley Gautney at mile 26. She ran two miles with me, allowing me a brief walk break when I needed one, and chatting all the way to keep my mind off of my tired limbs.

Then there was my sweet husband, Jason. He and I started what would be my very last two miles. During the birthday run he had been at home watching kids and manning the phone to answer any calls that came through from Mom or other runners.

The two of us ran through our neighborhood, running down roads where we’d taken many walks while dating, and where we still pass each other during our own runs. At last, we rounded the final corner back on to our road and I heard the whoops and hollers of Mom, Jason’s brother Jonathan, and his friend Erin. I was SO glad to see them and SO glad to go inside, out of the cold and wind.

We finished just in time for me to get a quick shower before the birthday party at 2:00pm. Jason had made a homemade coconut cake for the occasion, Julie had made homemade chex mix, and I was ready to sample it all!

Friends and family returned to my house to celebrate. We laughed about the cold and the wind, and ate Jason’s delicious coconut cake. It was one of the best birthdays ever, as my dear friends and family came together to run with me and help me celebrate the turning of a decade. Physically, I probably could have done the distance alone, but with the cold and the wind, I doubt I would’ve stuck to it without the help of my friends. Just knowing I had friends waiting for me at each exchange point, kept me going and made the miles fly by and we talked, laughed, and ran.

At the end of the day, I felt loved. There is simply no other way to say it. I knew asking friends to get out in that weather, during some random hour of their Saturday was asking a lot. But they came anyway despite colds and injuries and schedules, and it meant the world to me. It was an amazing day and an amazing run. I did not run a single step alone.

THANK YOU, my dear friends and family!