A few months ago, I was invited to join a group of gals who run around Madison. I welcomed the new routes, new conversations, and the new friendships this group provided. Upon joining this group, I was immediately introduced to “the dragon”. The dragon is a steep, winding hill that runs up Rainbow Mountain. I guess it is a little less than half a mile long, but I could be off.
There is also what has been newly dubbed the “little dragon”. This one is very short and very steep. We pass the little dragon on our way to and from the big dragon, and so of course we have to run it each time. I’m not sure if it began when Courtney decided to run back up the little dragon one morning, but rarely do we ever run it just once before and after. Now it has almost become a game to see how many times we can get our legs to carry us up and down the little dragon, after tackling the big dragon.
Yesterday morning, three of us met early with a plan. We decided to attempt the big dragon twice. When 2009 arrived, I made the goal to run up it 5 times and so decided I’d better get started on that. We ran up the little dragon once, the big dragon twice (with legs screaming and lungs threatening to explode) and then finished ourselves off with 3 times up the little dragon.
I felt great afterward, like I could conquer anything I decided to conquer. We’d decided not to attempt 3 times up the big dragon until after we’d run our marathons in March, but I was already thinking about it anyway.
This morning a friend from Athens joined us and she, of course, wanted to do the dragons. So off we went. We decided to do a 2, 2, 4, which meant we were adding a little dragon to the beginning and the end of the workout. My legs groaned as we began our accent up the little dragon and I wondered how they were going to handle a repeat of yesterday’s big dragon achievement.
As we were headed up our first climb, Madelyn yelled out “amazing” (I think). Kristi responded with another term beginning with a b. I was sure we were playing some sort of game, but I had no idea what. I just needed to breathe. Madelyn was in the lead and she yelled back to me, “Jane, you have the C.” I asked what we were doing and Madelyn responded that we were describing Jesus. I yelled, “caring!” and we continued up the hill.
Amidst trying to breathe, getting my legs to climb up the hill, and doing my ABCs in my head, I thought about Jesus. Faithful. Loving. Powerful. Wonderful. These were words I came up with as my arms pumped, my lungs pushed, and my legs pressed on up that hill.
And then we were there. We ran around a cul-de-sac, allowing our legs a brief reprieve from up or down and then headed back down the dragon to do it one more time. I was surprised that I didn’t feel as tired as I had the day before, and I really didn’t mind heading down in order to head back up.
This time we were mostly silent until Kristi yelled, “A fit woman is a powerful woman!” Madelyn responded with, “A spiritually fit woman is a phenomenal woman!” I laughed to myself as I guiltily thought, a woman who eats cookies needs to run this hill again. Madelyn said something else about being prayerful (I think) and then, once again, we were at the top.
We continued running until we reached the little dragon once again. My legs were really on fire by this point and I thought there was no way I had four repetitions of this dragon in me. Kristi told me otherwise, however, and with her encouragement, I made it up and down 5 times.
With dogs barking in the yards around us (and their owners probably cursing our existence) we made our way gratefully back to our meeting place doing the “Alice in Wonderland” on the way, which is a beautiful path through the woods, especially in the moonlight that guided us this morning.
We hugged, said our goodbyes, and headed home. I took Chance to the backyard to do his business and watched the glow of the horizon as the stars began to fade, and I thought about our run.
Breathing in the cold morning air I thought it would be a lot easier to slay dragons whether running or not, if I kept Jesus on my mind. I thought about these new running friends of mine, the new routes and dragons we conquer together. I thanked God for my desire to run, which has brought so much joy to my life with each step and each mile. Even the joy of slaying dragons.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Things Fall Apart
A marathon can be full of surprises, both good and bad. As I began the Rocket City Marathon on a cold December day, I believed I knew how things were going to go. Aiming for a 4:15, I knew it would be challenging and I would grow weary, but I’ve run through fatigue and I was sure I could do so again. I also suspected that an old injury might crop up. Ever since the Flying Monkey Marathon in November, there have been hints that all was not right, but I believed I could run through old injuries as well. I knew what they were, and if I could take the discomfort, I could deal with the injury after the race.
What I wasn’t expecting was something brand new.
I stayed on pace, running mostly 9:20s and 9:30s until mile 21. I was getting tired and my right knee was sending some major discomfort my way due to an overused IT band (that is the band running from your hip to your foot down the outside of your leg). Still, I was hanging in there, paying attention to the pace on my garmin and I believed I could conquer IT band issues and the weariness I was beginning to feel.
I was running with some guys from Scottsboro. One was named Joey and this was his first marathon, meant to be a training run for a later race. Another was named Wayne and he was the most talkative of the group. I was grasping for any diversion and so I jumped into their conversation and decided that if I stuck with them, I’d get my 4:15. They were running slightly under 10 minute miles, and since I had plenty of seconds to play with, I would be on target if I stayed with them.
I saw several friends along the way and this helped more than I can say. Julie and Caroline were at mile 17.9 and I counted down the miles until I got there. I could not wait to see them. I stopped for a brief stretch and said hello, declining the donut half Caroline offered. I also saw Christi Doyle, Holley Gautney, Laura Charette and with each familiar face and each encouraging cheer, I felt bolstered with energy.
As we (my three new buddies and I) continued to run, my pain was getting increasingly worse. I wasn’t sure where it was coming from but it was as if the whole lower half of me was beginning to severely tighten, like a full body cramp. Joey held back with me, talking and offering encouragement, until I finally had to stop for another stretch and he went on.
Around mile 22 I was in agony. I had no idea what was wrong, but the space between my back all the way to my feet hurt so badly I could hardly walk. I stretched, I bent forward, I squatted, I tried to stretch my IT band, nothing made it subside. I finally sat on the side of the road hoping that a brief moment of rest would help. My 9:45 pace dropped swiftly to a 14 minute pace, but I was still on target and if this pain would only subside, I could run again.
Around mile 23 I began to worry. The pain was NOT going away and I had no idea what was wrong. This would be TWO 14 minutes miles and I did not have that much time to play with in order to get my 4:15. Still, anything faster than a 4:21 would give me a personal record, and I was willing to take that.
Half way through mile 23 I asked myself, “is it really less painful to walk?” The answer was no. Everything hurt no matter what I did, so why not run? I started jogging at a 12 minute pace and then at an 11:30. It wasn’t great, but it felt like things were loosening up and soon I was back to the familiar IT band pain. I wanted to cry several times, but crying only constricts airways and I needed those to work for me. I tried looking mean and determined hoping that would make me mean and determined on the inside, but the pain took away any resolve I had in the mean department.
Christi Doyle was standing outside her house around mile 24, and when I saw her face, I wanted to run over there and hug her (and then go inside for some coffee and a bed). She ran around the corner with me, giving encouragement, and then I saw Jason.
I’d wanted to see him so badly, that when I did it was all I could do not to hug him too. He knew something was wrong because by this time I was not going to make any sort of personal record and my running was obviously labored. I tried not to cry once more as I told him about the strange pain I’d experienced earlier.
Having Jason by my side seemed to make everything better. Even though I was weary beyond belief and my right knee didn’t want to bend anymore, it was somehow ok since he was there. He ran to the finish line with me and told me he’d meet me on the other side. The announcer said my name and told the crowd I was the other half of the Jason and Jane Reneau running team, which made me laugh.
I was relieved beyond words to be done…just in time to be revisited by the full body cramp. Jason walked me inside and I made a beeline for the first chair I saw. It was hard to sit still because then the pain just washed over me again and again, but I could hardly walk, everything was so tight! After about 15 minutes of this, Jason made me walk to the medical room. I sat on the floor (which was strangely warm) and a nurse came out and talked with me.
Since I wasn’t feeling numbness or tingling, I was going to be all right. I told her I’d run marathons before but had never experienced anything like this. She herself had run them too and she said sometimes surprises happen. I don’t know if it was the warmth of the floor or the fact that my body realized I was really going to stop, but the pain went away and did not return.
As bad as it had been those last few miles and even though I did not reach the goal I was aiming for, I still view the race as a success. In the past, “bad” marathons usually meant 5 hours or more. I finished in 4 hours and 29 minutes plus change, and I couldn’t be upset about that. I’d pushed through something difficult and that too felt rewarding.
I’m still not sure what happened out there. Jason and I talked about it on the way home and with a marathon in October and another in November with fast 5ks and half marathons in between, it is not so surprising that I couldn’t keep that up for another month. Maybe I didn’t hydrate enough; maybe my body was depleted of something it needed. Whatever the case, I’d rather not experience that again.
This brings me to today - 3 in the morning to be exact. My aching legs woke me up and while nowhere near what I experienced during the race, they were enough to get me out of bed for some ibuprofen, cereal, and reflection. I’m now merely passing the time until I feel it is late enough to make coffee while hopefully not waking Jason.
I wish things had turned out differently, because I’d put so much hope in the day. Still, with all of that trouble at the end, Jason and I managed to come in third in the married couples division, and that is just fun, even if I didn’t contribute much to the placement. And with a brand new year beginning soon, I can’t help but see the possibility for new records in 2009. Lord willing, I will have many more opportunities for a 4:15 and better, just as I will have many opportunities for new surprises (both good and bad) along the way.
What I wasn’t expecting was something brand new.
I stayed on pace, running mostly 9:20s and 9:30s until mile 21. I was getting tired and my right knee was sending some major discomfort my way due to an overused IT band (that is the band running from your hip to your foot down the outside of your leg). Still, I was hanging in there, paying attention to the pace on my garmin and I believed I could conquer IT band issues and the weariness I was beginning to feel.
I was running with some guys from Scottsboro. One was named Joey and this was his first marathon, meant to be a training run for a later race. Another was named Wayne and he was the most talkative of the group. I was grasping for any diversion and so I jumped into their conversation and decided that if I stuck with them, I’d get my 4:15. They were running slightly under 10 minute miles, and since I had plenty of seconds to play with, I would be on target if I stayed with them.
I saw several friends along the way and this helped more than I can say. Julie and Caroline were at mile 17.9 and I counted down the miles until I got there. I could not wait to see them. I stopped for a brief stretch and said hello, declining the donut half Caroline offered. I also saw Christi Doyle, Holley Gautney, Laura Charette and with each familiar face and each encouraging cheer, I felt bolstered with energy.
As we (my three new buddies and I) continued to run, my pain was getting increasingly worse. I wasn’t sure where it was coming from but it was as if the whole lower half of me was beginning to severely tighten, like a full body cramp. Joey held back with me, talking and offering encouragement, until I finally had to stop for another stretch and he went on.
Around mile 22 I was in agony. I had no idea what was wrong, but the space between my back all the way to my feet hurt so badly I could hardly walk. I stretched, I bent forward, I squatted, I tried to stretch my IT band, nothing made it subside. I finally sat on the side of the road hoping that a brief moment of rest would help. My 9:45 pace dropped swiftly to a 14 minute pace, but I was still on target and if this pain would only subside, I could run again.
Around mile 23 I began to worry. The pain was NOT going away and I had no idea what was wrong. This would be TWO 14 minutes miles and I did not have that much time to play with in order to get my 4:15. Still, anything faster than a 4:21 would give me a personal record, and I was willing to take that.
Half way through mile 23 I asked myself, “is it really less painful to walk?” The answer was no. Everything hurt no matter what I did, so why not run? I started jogging at a 12 minute pace and then at an 11:30. It wasn’t great, but it felt like things were loosening up and soon I was back to the familiar IT band pain. I wanted to cry several times, but crying only constricts airways and I needed those to work for me. I tried looking mean and determined hoping that would make me mean and determined on the inside, but the pain took away any resolve I had in the mean department.
Christi Doyle was standing outside her house around mile 24, and when I saw her face, I wanted to run over there and hug her (and then go inside for some coffee and a bed). She ran around the corner with me, giving encouragement, and then I saw Jason.
I’d wanted to see him so badly, that when I did it was all I could do not to hug him too. He knew something was wrong because by this time I was not going to make any sort of personal record and my running was obviously labored. I tried not to cry once more as I told him about the strange pain I’d experienced earlier.
Having Jason by my side seemed to make everything better. Even though I was weary beyond belief and my right knee didn’t want to bend anymore, it was somehow ok since he was there. He ran to the finish line with me and told me he’d meet me on the other side. The announcer said my name and told the crowd I was the other half of the Jason and Jane Reneau running team, which made me laugh.
I was relieved beyond words to be done…just in time to be revisited by the full body cramp. Jason walked me inside and I made a beeline for the first chair I saw. It was hard to sit still because then the pain just washed over me again and again, but I could hardly walk, everything was so tight! After about 15 minutes of this, Jason made me walk to the medical room. I sat on the floor (which was strangely warm) and a nurse came out and talked with me.
Since I wasn’t feeling numbness or tingling, I was going to be all right. I told her I’d run marathons before but had never experienced anything like this. She herself had run them too and she said sometimes surprises happen. I don’t know if it was the warmth of the floor or the fact that my body realized I was really going to stop, but the pain went away and did not return.
As bad as it had been those last few miles and even though I did not reach the goal I was aiming for, I still view the race as a success. In the past, “bad” marathons usually meant 5 hours or more. I finished in 4 hours and 29 minutes plus change, and I couldn’t be upset about that. I’d pushed through something difficult and that too felt rewarding.
I’m still not sure what happened out there. Jason and I talked about it on the way home and with a marathon in October and another in November with fast 5ks and half marathons in between, it is not so surprising that I couldn’t keep that up for another month. Maybe I didn’t hydrate enough; maybe my body was depleted of something it needed. Whatever the case, I’d rather not experience that again.
This brings me to today - 3 in the morning to be exact. My aching legs woke me up and while nowhere near what I experienced during the race, they were enough to get me out of bed for some ibuprofen, cereal, and reflection. I’m now merely passing the time until I feel it is late enough to make coffee while hopefully not waking Jason.
I wish things had turned out differently, because I’d put so much hope in the day. Still, with all of that trouble at the end, Jason and I managed to come in third in the married couples division, and that is just fun, even if I didn’t contribute much to the placement. And with a brand new year beginning soon, I can’t help but see the possibility for new records in 2009. Lord willing, I will have many more opportunities for a 4:15 and better, just as I will have many opportunities for new surprises (both good and bad) along the way.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Running and Remembering
Saturday, December 9, 2006 is a day I don’t think I will ever forget. The morning was cold as I woke up in my little house on Larry Drive. My mom, and our friends Gary and Valerie were up as well, and the four of us were planning to run the Rocket City Marathon.
I was excited and nervous as I put on my running tights and an oversized pink pull over handed down to me from a retired running friend. This would be my 8th marathon and I was trying to beat my old time of 5 hours and 11 minutes with a 5:05. This was the first time I’d be running in my hometown and this was exciting because I would actually have fans along the way. My sister had promised to be somewhere along mile 18 with a donut for me and Mom, and my friends Brea Burton and Emily Dover were going to be in several locations along the route with treats and cheers as well.
Adding to my nervousness was the presence of Jason Reneau, a guy I’d recently met at church. We’d been to coffee once, talked in the church parking lot, and enjoyed a pre-marathon dinner together the night before. I was beginning to like this new guy and from what I’d heard, he was quite good at this whole running thing. He too would be running the Rocket City Marathon and I wanted to do my best.
The morning was cold as I shivered and waited to start the race. I ran well and enjoyed seeing Emily and Brea each time they showed up with orange slices and donut halves, cheers and shouts for me and Mom. They couldn’t remember Mom’s name and so when they shouted, “GO JANE! GO SARAH!” I had to tell Mom, whose name is Erin, they were cheering for her. They’ve called her Sarah ever since.
I finished the race in 4 hours and 55 minutes, breaking 5 hours for the very first time with a 15 minute personal record. Jason was at the finish line with Julie, Caroline, Brea, Emily, and Kristi. It was so much fun to have friends and family there and everyone shared in my excitement. Kristi, Jason and I stayed for the awards and drawings, although the only one to walk away with anything was Jason.
I remember going to bed that night with so much joy and excitement in my heart. It was the Christmas season, there was a special someone in my life, and I’d run a major personal record.
When the Rocket City Marathon came around again, I was married to Jason Reneau. The morning of December 8, 2007, Jason got ready to run the race once again, and I got ready to head to Montgomery to help a friend prepare for her wedding which would be held that evening. Jason would join me there later.
Just before the wedding began I got a call that Emily Dover had been killed in an airplane crash. As I sat through the wedding ceremony holding tightly to Jason’s hand, I couldn’t help but think how different this day had been the year before. That night I went to bed with a heavy heart. On a day that should have been filled with joy, my heart ached and the tears seemed limitless.
Another year has passed and the Rocket City Marathon has rolled around once again. Jason and I will be running, and as the race draws near I cannot help but think about all the memories, good and bad, that surround this day. One moment I smile as I remember the man in red sweatpants cheering for me as I finished my race. The next moment I have a lump in my throat as I remember my dear friend who brought me a donut and gave my mother a new name.
As is often the case, I am running this marathon with a certain time in mind. I have trained hard and believe I am ready. There is always the possibility of injury, fatigue, or just a bad day, but to spur me on in the weary moments are my memories.
I will remember the beginnings of a relationship that would grow into the wonderful marriage it is today. I will remember a dear friend and how she always believed in me and who supported whatever goal I set for myself. In my heart will reside thoughts of Jason, Emily, Brea, Julie, “Sarah” and so many others who have brought and continue to bring joy to my life.
I will think on these things as I run this race, and I will revel in the happiness and the sadness that accompanies me as I continue my journey as a marathon runner.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monkey Business
Sunday morning I woke up next to a man eating a power bar. I turned over so he could tickle my back and thought about the day ahead. On this day the power bar-eating man and I would run the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. I was looking forward to the challenge that would be 26.2 miles of hard hills, but as to the level of difficulty it would hold for me…I had no idea.
I eventually got myself out of bed and made my way into the kitchen in search of coffee. We’d spent the night at Jonathan’s house and he gave a hello and a high five from the living room as I passed. There was no coffee except from the previous night, so I warmed it up, peeled a banana, and made my way back into the bedroom to get dressed.
The morning turned out to be a lot colder than I’d thought. I’d originally planned to wear some shorts and a long sleeved shirt, but after stepping outside into the 27 degree chill, I amended this decision to include mid-calf tights. I still wasn’t sure I’d be warm enough, so after getting dressed, I borrowed one of Jason’s short sleeved shirts. With mittens and a headband to warm my ears, I was ready to go.
Jonathan drove us to the start line and we arrived in time for a quick trip to the bathrooms before starting our race. My toes and fingers had gone numb and my face ached from the cold. We jogged to the start and Jason gave me the three traditional good luck kisses plus one more for good measure. I got my Garmin ready and listened as the race director told us what precautions to take if we came upon a flying monkey.
The race began, I started my watch and was off. We ran across a field onto the paved road that would carry us through Percy Warner Park. We had a short climb and then a steep downhill, which I realized with dread I would be climbing during mile 23. Ear phones were not prohibited since the course was not certified and so once the crowd thinned out and I was running on my own, I began with a little Green Day and entered my zone.
By mile 2, I could feel my toes again and my face no longer ached. Once I was warm and comfortable, I began to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The trees formed a golden canopy above our heads, sending leaves showering down on us from time to time. My view of the park changed with every turn, showing me fields, mountains, valleys and other picturesque spots.
When approaching other runners I paused my ipod to chat with them for a moment. Many had run this race before and many had not. We shared marathon stories until a mean hill took our breath and one of us left the other. Around mile 8 I saw the front runner followed by Jason. I cheered and felt energized seeing how strong he looked.
As I ran, I felt the stresses and questions and challenges of the previous week slip away. I felt closer to God and reminded of who I am. For some reason the previous week had been filled with self-doubt and questions, and as I ran, my soul was refreshed by the showers of leaves, the cheers of my brother-in-law, and the sheer effort it took to climb each grueling hill.
Around mile 17 I caught up with Trent, the race director. He had just gotten off the phone with another race official and he told me the winner had just finished. I asked him for names and he said Ben Schneider had won 1st, with Chuck Engle coming in second. He told me the course record was broken by four men. I asked who they were and he wasn’t sure so he called his buddy back and inquired. I learned at mile 17 that my husband had finished 4th overall with a time of 2:40, and that he and four other guys had broken the course record by 5 minutes, setting a 16 minute lead on all other runners.
This information spurred me on, which was a good thing because the worse part of the course lay ahead. It was brutal. I caught several runners among these hills, and was caught by others I’d passed long ago. It was no longer a race of speed, but a race to see how much each runner had left.
At every other water stop, I took aid and munched gummy life savers I carried in a sandwich bag. There was not really a point in this race where one ran on a flat surface. Runners either climbed or ran downhill, both directions proving more difficult as the miles passed.
At mile 25 I heard the familiar shout belonging to Jonathan and saw him ahead with Jason. I passed my short sleeved shirt, mittens, and sandwich bag to Jonathan as Jason joined me for my remaining mile. Seeing him was the last boost I needed and we held a 9 minute pace as we talked about our races. When I reentered the field where the race had begun, I could hear the shouts of the spectators and supporters.
The clock read 4:21 as I passed underneath it, giving me a 7 minute personal record. I was handed some Gatorade and a wooden medal shaped like a monkey, and Jason and Jonathan met me there with hugs and congratulations.
Once I stopped running, the cold found me again and it wasn’t long before I was shivering. We headed back to the car for dry clothes, but once I got inside out of the wind, I knew it was going to be hard to get out. Jason and Jonathan were ready to go, however, and we were all hungry. We headed home, took blissfully hot showers, and headed to Olive Garden – my very favorite post marathon restaurant.
One day later, I am sore but too happy to mind. As I enter another week, I am uplifted by my memories of yesterday and my mind often wanders back to my peaceful jaunt through the hills of Tennessee. My body is tired, but my spirit is refreshed. My cup is filled to the brim as I dwell on those wonderful feelings that accompany meeting a challenge head on and conquering it.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Beware the Flying Monkeys
It isn’t really the monkeys I’m worried about as much as the hills. And really, it isn’t the hills so much as my ankle. Still, I have a week to work on the ankle situation so maybe I’m more concerned about the fact that I did not run my usual 18 miles 2 weeks prior to a marathon…
Ok, so I’m really looking forward to it.
This Sunday, November 23, Jason and I will be running the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. This is a marathon of a few firsts for me.
1. This is the first marathon my husband has signed us up to run. In order to get in to this race, you pretty much have to sign up on the day it opens. So Jason signed us up and informed me that we’d be running a marathon on November 23rd. I was game.
2. This is the first time I will run a marathon in a state I’ve already done. I ran Country Music two years ago, but it was not a very good experience and so I do not mind making better (hopefully) memories of a run in Tennessee with Flying Monkey.
3. This is the first marathon I’ve run for which I’ve received e-mails warning me against it! Yes, each e-mail I’ve received since we signed up contains warnings of the hills and the ferocious flying monkeys who are not pleased with so many runners running in their park. I’ve had the most fun with this part. Usually I skim the race e-mails to make sure I’ve got the when and the where and the rules so I don’t break them – and then I’m set. And most pre-marathon e-mails are all the same. But the ones I’ve received for Flying Monkey are hilarious and I find myself reading every word. One e-mail finished with, “Go run some hills. And them run some more. Even though it won’t help.”
Here is a snippet about the marathon from the Homepage.
Ours has become an age of flat and fast marathons on city streets and in urban jungles, with more focus on times, course certification, gadgets, charities and putting on a big show than on running. Many modern marathons have become spectacles rather than athletic events. But it was not always this way. Marathons used to be about running for the sake of running. They were about pushing oneself beyond the physiologic limits of the human body. While running.
The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is meant to be an antidote. Featured in Marathon & Beyond and in Runners' World magazines, it is a marathon that is about running. Running hard. Running over big and memorable rolling hills and through dense woods. Running with other like minded athletes. The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is about the joy and pain of running a unique, and uniquely challenging--some would say beastly--26.2 mile course in the beautiful and historic Percy Warner Park, nestled among the Middle Tennessee Harpeth Hills.
We will time and measure the distance, but the course will not be certified, we will not use timing chips, and it will not be a Boston qualifying event. If you get to the end and you (or your gadget) believe the route to be long, we won't charge you extra; if you believe it to be short, just keep running. There will be no bands, cheerleaders, wave starts or crowds. We promise no marathon Personal Records, but we guarantee every runner a PR - a Permanent Remembrance of a well-earned marathon finish. We promise to give you approximately 26.2 tough and memorable miles, with a total of 3500 feet of elevation gain and loss.
So while I am NOT going for a PR (personal record), I don’t know if I’ve trained enough for this thing, and I have an ankle that is still mad about a mishap months ago, I’m excited.
And if I don’t get carted off by an angry flying monkey, and if I survive the mean hills I am to traverse, I will write a post-race report.
Here’s the website if you are interested in more:
http://www.harpethhillsmarathon.com/
Ok, so I’m really looking forward to it.
This Sunday, November 23, Jason and I will be running the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon. This is a marathon of a few firsts for me.
1. This is the first marathon my husband has signed us up to run. In order to get in to this race, you pretty much have to sign up on the day it opens. So Jason signed us up and informed me that we’d be running a marathon on November 23rd. I was game.
2. This is the first time I will run a marathon in a state I’ve already done. I ran Country Music two years ago, but it was not a very good experience and so I do not mind making better (hopefully) memories of a run in Tennessee with Flying Monkey.
3. This is the first marathon I’ve run for which I’ve received e-mails warning me against it! Yes, each e-mail I’ve received since we signed up contains warnings of the hills and the ferocious flying monkeys who are not pleased with so many runners running in their park. I’ve had the most fun with this part. Usually I skim the race e-mails to make sure I’ve got the when and the where and the rules so I don’t break them – and then I’m set. And most pre-marathon e-mails are all the same. But the ones I’ve received for Flying Monkey are hilarious and I find myself reading every word. One e-mail finished with, “Go run some hills. And them run some more. Even though it won’t help.”
Here is a snippet about the marathon from the Homepage.
Ours has become an age of flat and fast marathons on city streets and in urban jungles, with more focus on times, course certification, gadgets, charities and putting on a big show than on running. Many modern marathons have become spectacles rather than athletic events. But it was not always this way. Marathons used to be about running for the sake of running. They were about pushing oneself beyond the physiologic limits of the human body. While running.
The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is meant to be an antidote. Featured in Marathon & Beyond and in Runners' World magazines, it is a marathon that is about running. Running hard. Running over big and memorable rolling hills and through dense woods. Running with other like minded athletes. The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is about the joy and pain of running a unique, and uniquely challenging--some would say beastly--26.2 mile course in the beautiful and historic Percy Warner Park, nestled among the Middle Tennessee Harpeth Hills.
We will time and measure the distance, but the course will not be certified, we will not use timing chips, and it will not be a Boston qualifying event. If you get to the end and you (or your gadget) believe the route to be long, we won't charge you extra; if you believe it to be short, just keep running. There will be no bands, cheerleaders, wave starts or crowds. We promise no marathon Personal Records, but we guarantee every runner a PR - a Permanent Remembrance of a well-earned marathon finish. We promise to give you approximately 26.2 tough and memorable miles, with a total of 3500 feet of elevation gain and loss.
So while I am NOT going for a PR (personal record), I don’t know if I’ve trained enough for this thing, and I have an ankle that is still mad about a mishap months ago, I’m excited.
And if I don’t get carted off by an angry flying monkey, and if I survive the mean hills I am to traverse, I will write a post-race report.
Here’s the website if you are interested in more:
http://www.harpethhillsmarathon.com/
Friday, November 14, 2008
Weekly Laughs
I don't usually surf for or watch many videos online, but for some reason this week I have come across three that have just had me rolling! Working what can sometimes be a dull job, these videos have brightened my week significantly and I hope they do the same for you. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Vanity
Monday afternoon I went to get an eyebrow wax and a massage. I like to plan all of my beautification activities close together since the place I get everything done is a long way from my house. Because I knew I was going to get a wax, I quit plucking and allowed my wild and woolly eyebrows to do as they pleased for a few days…which means they were truly wild and woolly, for I come from a long line of hairy Italians. If I were a man, I think I’d have back hair.
Anyway, I had to see a new lady because my regular wasn’t working that day. Her name was Kathy and she was full of spunk. She came and got me from the ladies lounge and immediately started talking. As we walked to her little room, I jokingly told her my eyebrows were taking over my face. She turned around to look and said, “ACK! Yes they are!”
Before she applied the wax we talked about my eyebrows. I told her how I like them done. She said she could see where they were usually waxed and went with it. While I laid there with my eyes closed, she chatted about her upcoming move, how she loved to cook, Starbucks, her son-in-laws cappuccinos, etc. etc. etc. She said she jabbered on to keep me from feeling any pain when as she ripped the wax from my face.
In the midst of the chatter and the ripping, she complimented me on my skin tone. I thanked her and told her that I was a little concerned about age spots. She said she could see the problem and after pointing out my trouble areas, she suggested a place I could go to get a procedure that I can’t pronounce that would look worse before it would look better, but that this procedure would get rid of my age spots, and that I’d have to get serious about staying out of the sun after that or my spots would come back.
I told her I was a runner and spent a lot of time outside. I told her that I try to remember sunscreen and that I wear my sunglasses, but that it is still an issue.
Then she talked about sun and running and how runners look GREAT from the neck down, but not so good from the neck up…
So when I left my eyebrow wax for my massage, I wasn’t sure if I felt MORE beautiful or less, now that my eyebrows were waxed into shape…
At least I have a lovely skin tone under all those age spots.
Anyway, I had to see a new lady because my regular wasn’t working that day. Her name was Kathy and she was full of spunk. She came and got me from the ladies lounge and immediately started talking. As we walked to her little room, I jokingly told her my eyebrows were taking over my face. She turned around to look and said, “ACK! Yes they are!”
Before she applied the wax we talked about my eyebrows. I told her how I like them done. She said she could see where they were usually waxed and went with it. While I laid there with my eyes closed, she chatted about her upcoming move, how she loved to cook, Starbucks, her son-in-laws cappuccinos, etc. etc. etc. She said she jabbered on to keep me from feeling any pain when as she ripped the wax from my face.
In the midst of the chatter and the ripping, she complimented me on my skin tone. I thanked her and told her that I was a little concerned about age spots. She said she could see the problem and after pointing out my trouble areas, she suggested a place I could go to get a procedure that I can’t pronounce that would look worse before it would look better, but that this procedure would get rid of my age spots, and that I’d have to get serious about staying out of the sun after that or my spots would come back.
I told her I was a runner and spent a lot of time outside. I told her that I try to remember sunscreen and that I wear my sunglasses, but that it is still an issue.
Then she talked about sun and running and how runners look GREAT from the neck down, but not so good from the neck up…
So when I left my eyebrow wax for my massage, I wasn’t sure if I felt MORE beautiful or less, now that my eyebrows were waxed into shape…
At least I have a lovely skin tone under all those age spots.
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