Operation Go Bananas

What did you do this weekend?  Oh... that's interesting.  Want to hear what I did?  OF COURSE YOU DO!  In summary - I road tripped to Eugene with long time friend Steffanie to partake in the greatest marathon spectating EVAH!  ... and then I drove home exhausted.

Let me give you a bit of background into how this blessed event came about (in bullet form because I'm still really tired and want to get this out before I take my nap - aka go to bed).

• Originally Steffanie was going to run the full marathon in Eugene.  We schemed that I would pace her to the finish for a glorious PR.  And then... we both got injured.  But, the hotel was already booked so maybe we'd both run the half.
• My injury lingered but Steffanie was making a come back.  I decided I could still pull off the road trip and watch her race the half and also watch Kyle gun for a BQ in the full.  
• Then... Twitter informed me that there would be a huge blogger presence in Eugene - everyone gunning for PRs.  Cheering status solidified.
• Now here is where it gets weird so bear with me... Sally posts that her bib will read 'Bananas'... which leads me to joke that it would be fun to cheer in a banana costume... which leads to serious talk of procuring said banana costume... which leads to Nuun coming through in the final weeks and providing said banana costume!
• Yes, not all of that is as cool as it sounds in my head but I'm pretty convinced that to the people involved... it was pretty awesome!

So here's how it went down.  Friday after work I drove down to Seattle, picked up the Banana costume along with a gorilla suit and other accouterments (thanks to Arielle and the folks at Nuun) and then headed further south to stay with Steffanie.  Saturday morning was an early rise to hit the road for Eugene.  We made it in one piece - sufficiently fueled with Steffanie's fantastic snack basket and my dense Twix cupcakes.  

Despite the snacking, lunch most definitely came first - hop across the street from the hotel to Cafe Yumm... mmm Yumm bowl, I must have you again sometime soon.  Then it was a short walk to the expo to pick up Steff's race bib and to fully stalk bloggers and Tweeps meet new friends.  I introduced myself to the Oiselle gals - Sally and Sarah - and got to meet Lauren Fleshman of Picky Bars and hear Meb speak.  All in all a great expo for me.  Then it was back to the hotel for a bit of R&R for Steff before dinner, a few test runs of the costumes on hand, and then a run for me.

The run was excellent.  It was sunny, warm (actually a bit hot for sporting my compression socks - the only socks I brought on the trip... FAIL) and slightly windy, but gorgeous nonetheless as I ran along the river (part of the marathon course).  I felt strong, there was no pain, and I was pushing the pace a bit.  Longest run since the marathon.  Woot!  5 miles in 41 minutes with 1 minute walk breaks interspersed throughout - have to do what the doctor ordered (sort of).

The rest of the evening was spent eating with friends and relaxing.  It really was a pretty perfect day.

Sunday - Up early with a jog (in costume) to the start for Steffanie's warm up and then it was 'go time'.  

Corinne and I were in full cheer mode.  We saw folks off at the start and then made our way (with a pit stop for breakfast at the hotel) to mile 9.  Everyone I knew was looking strong and I 'think' many runners appreciated the Chicken/'Naner distraction.  I got a lot of sweaty high fives and 'Go Bananas' cheers from the runners.

Once I saw everyone I knew, it was off to the next stop - mile 12 of the half and mile 16 of the full.  As we made our way to the right spot I saw Sarah running strong for her third place finish in the half (way to go Sarah!!).  Darting between runners and jogging over the footbridge Corinne and I were able to cheer for other half marathoners that were powering to the finish line.  Once at the 12/16 mile post spot we weren't standing around long before I spotted Steffanie making her way down the path and turning towards the last mile of her run.  Unfortunately there were a lot of spectators blocking our way so I'm not sure if the Chicken/'Naner cheering got it's full appreciation, but such is life.  And... since we knew Kyle wouldn't be long after we couldn't make it to watch Steff finish in her new PR - WOOT #2 for the day.

The rest of our time at mile 16 was spent cheering, dancing in a 'Naner suit to 'Thriller' (I think Corinne might have gotten this on tape... that will need to be destroyed), and plotting the potential 'Naner skit which had me lying on the side of the bike path in the banana suit and Corinne yelling 'Don't slip on the banana!'.  Obviously we didn't actually carry this one out as we decided it might piss runners off rather than entertain.  Again, we really weren't waiting long before the whole string of 'people I know online and not really in real life' started coming through.  First there was Kyle - still glued to the 3:05 pace bunny and looking completely comfortable.  Then Emily - you rocked the sh** out of this race!  Followed by Sally - thank you for cheering back at me.  Shortly thereafter I spotted Sarah pacing Margot and then Sarah.  Yeah... there are way too many Sarah's.

Mid-race cheering complete it was now time to meander to the finish.  And oh what a finish it was!!  Kyle PR'd by 12 minutes, Emily PR'd by 19.5 minutes (read her race recap), Sally finished with a strong 3:24, Sarah paced Margot in for a PR of 3:32, and Sarah killed it for a 20 minute PR (I think that's right... her race report isn't up yet).  You all are amazing!!

Sarah

Steff

Kyle

Emily 

Sally

Sarah and Margot

Sarah

So, from the 'naner (and the chicken too) to you all - Congrats on a great race!!!

Oh, and in case you were interested and have actually made it this far in my post - the drive home was LONG!  Thank you Steff for driving part of the way.  I'm sure I would have killed us both if you hadn't saved the day and got us through the Portland traffic.

My feet were tired from standing for 4 hours.  Cheering is hard work!

Second costume of the day - 'golfer'.  I'm not sure where this outfit was spawned from but I have no one else to blame but me.

Yes, that's ZERO miles.  Yay for a dead stop on the freeway on a 7+ hour road trip home.

Fun with the Fuzz 5k Race Report (kind of)

Yesterday was the 3rd annual Fun with the Fuzz 5k here in Bellingham.  The weather was spectacular, the turn out AND course times, record breaking.  It was a great day to race.  So of course I couldn't pass it up!

Yes, I'm still injured but I didn't go 'all out' and I was prepared to stop and walk if I felt any pain - so don't give me any grief!  I reasoned with myself that just days before I had run a total of 35 minutes without pain (granted there were walking intervals breaking up 10 minute blocks but that's just a side-note).  So, minutes before the race I changed out of my jeans, stepped away from my volunteering duties, and donned the 'just in case' running gear.

My parents were up for the race and I searched for them in the crowd at the start but gave up quickly as the countdown began.  I knew that I could run the race and then circle back and run my mom in for at least the last half mile (this was her second 5k).  

The race started and I was poorly positioned in the thickest part of the crowd.  I wasn't worried though because I wasn't 'racing'.  I started off comfortable, weaving my way around the slower runners I had started behind.  I was passing people left and right and holding steady somewhere in the 7:30 range.  EXCELLENT!  This was a great sign - I could be injured for months and still bust out a 7:30 - woot!

I was enjoying just running.  Checking in every once in awhile with my knee and making sure I didn't feel any pain.  I was also staying towards the middle of the road, finding the flattest part that I could so I wouldn't injure anything else in the process.

The first mile went by right at 7:28 pace.  I felt good, the breathing was steady, and I was just enjoying the race.  In my mind I figured I could even back off if I wanted.  Again, I wasn't supposed to be 'racing'. 

The second mile we ran through the Eldridge/Columbia neighborhood.  This year's course was slightly different due to construction on one of the main streets through that area but you really couldn't tell the difference.  It was still flat and fast.  Pace 7:12 - maybe a bit too fast for this out of shape gal (breathing a bit hard).

Somewhere shortly after the mile 2 flag I had to pull over and tie my shoe - runner fail!  Apparently I hadn't retied them well after changing and rushing to the start.  Oops.  But, all the folks that passed me on my pit stop I passed right back without any trouble.

The last half mile is all downhill and I completely took advantage of that.  I let gravity do its thing and allowed my momentum to carry me into the turn onto B street and towards the finish area.  In the last quarter mile I picked it up as much as I could so I would finish strong.  And that I did - final time was 22:38 (7:18 pace), 7th in my age group and 20th overall.  Not too shabby.

I then proceeded to turn right back around and jog/walk back to about mile 2.6 in search of my parents.  I saw my Dad first, moving at a steady pace.  I cheered and watch him continue on.  This was his first 5k in over 20 years!!!  He finished with a time of 34:21 (11.05 pace).

Shortly thereafter I saw my mom.  I joined in with her, told her not to talk and to run faster (I'm so nice) and we got her pace down to a 10:40 for that last half mile.  As we crossed the road towards the finish line I gave her instructions to give it all she had.  She came across the finish line in 36:20 (11.42 pace) - 4th in her age group and a 5 minute PR over the Race for the Roses 5k she did on April 1st!  So proud of them both.  They are already eyeing the next 5k - the Shore Run 5k in Seattle - for their new goals (Dad under 30, Mom under 35).

Oh Right... 30 While 30

Yeah, about that.  I was 30 last year, and I made a list of 30 things to do while 30.  So I should probably give a recap of how that went since I'm no longer 30.

1. Compete in Ironman Canada - DONE!  Do it again?  Maybe.  (Here's the recap)
2. Sing Karaoke - Um yeah, haven't had enough nights of drinking for this one.
3. Meditate at least 3-4 times a week - Went strong on this one at first, and then faded as 'meditating' just turned into napping after workouts.
4. Create 30 different flavors of cupcakes - DONE!  I'll be creating recipe cards and a whole page because I don't want to link to 30 different places on my blog just for this one item.
5. Go gluten free for a month - DONE!  Felt great for that month and enjoyed adding variety to my meals.  I still maintain a low gluten diet but I'm by no means gluten free.
6. Join Servas and host someone - Thought about it but putting my name in the hat to host while in the middle of Ironman training seemed like a bad idea.  Maybe this year.
7. Read Tolstoy's War and Peace - Trying... failing... trying again.  I've read about a 1/4 of it so far.  I actually enjoy the story but after a long day, reading that in bed takes me all of 2 minutes before I'm asleep.
8. Try Bikram Yoga - DONE!  I squeaked this one in right before my birthday (thanks Gina!).  Loved the workout but could do without the stench of the room.  I'd do it again.
9. Exhibit my artwork (anywhere) - I 'started' this, got an Etsy account, uploaded pictures of my paintings and then I got stuck on shipping costs.  So, it'll happen at some point but maybe not soon.
10. Work from a different state - DONE!  While I was down in Arizona for my marathon I worked.  It's weird working from a hotel room and I don't know that I enjoy it.  If we had stayed longer in Arizona it might not have been so lame but the majority of the week I just wanted to pretend like I was on vacation.
11. Donate blood - DONE!  I actually didn't do this one while I was 30 but I still did it.  Needle fear didn't even play a part in it.  Handled that like a champ.  Lack of blood afterwards, however, was a different story.  I'll save that for it's own mini post.
12. Host a dinner party - DONE!  Back when I was going to book club I hosted one of the first meetings.  I made food for about 9 ladies.  It was awesome and I enjoyed cooking for everyone.
13. Take sailing lessons - No time.  Maybe in the coming years.  
14. Submit a written piece to a triathlon magazine - I can't even find time to write on my blog let alone write something cogent that I hope to be published.  So this one hasn't happened.  Maybe someone awesome will stumble upon my blog, be connected to a triathlete magazine, and want to publish something!  Yes, that COULD happen.  Dream big right?
15. Travel somewhere new by myself - No time, no money.  Besides I kind of like having Gabe around so I'm not real keen on jet-setting alone at the moment.
16. Enforce 'No technology night' - Like the meditation we started strong and then failed miserably.  Sometimes it's nice to just relax with Netflix and zone out.
17. Actually 'do' stretching/core/balance work (I don't care how often, just do it) - DONE! This one was kind of easy since I didn't really set a specific goal.  I was pretty consistent about core work.  Balance stuff, not so much.  Stretching - ebbed and flowed.  Now I'm a rock star at stretching due to injury.
18. Run a qualifying time for Boston (I can't believe they just changed the times!) - DONE!  Crap, now I may have to go next year.  (Here's the recap)
19. Create a financial plan - Ummmm yeah... I should be doing my taxes as I type but instead I'm procrastinating and blogging.  I think you get the drift.
20. Learn a language - Language of sleep?  Does that count?  Probably not.  I learned French for a brief few months when I was listening to CDs on my drives to and from Seattle.  But then I stopped having to go down there so then I stopped listening to the CDs.  Haven't really picked it up since. 
21. Stop using plastic bags from the grocery store - We're mostly good at this.  I mean, we do live a half block from the grocery store so if we have forgotten the canvas bags we try to just carry all of our food back in our hands.  Sometimes we fail.
22. Attend an 'Icognito Dinner' with Ciao Thyme catering - Money/timing - things just got in the way.  It will happen.
23. Purchase a piece of original artwork - I have a lot that I'd love to purchase but for some reason my bank account is a little lighter this year.  Oh right, maybe that's because Gabe and I both did Ironman.  Damn those expensive triathlons!
24. Teach Zoey sign language - I tried but when you're only around the child once a week it's kind of hard.  I sure signed the heck out of 'Auntie' though.  Didn't work.  Now she's talking a mile a minute so I guess I missed my window of opportunity.
25. Try a week of sugar free - FAILED!  I made it about 2 or 3 days and then asked myself - Why am I doing this? and promptly quit.  I didn't care enough about this one.
26. Take a yoga class from Shiva Rae (totally cheating on this one because I just signed up for one) - DONE!  It was an amazing/challenging class and her presence was awesome.  Would love to take another one if given the opportunity.
27. Give my time to a charity (doesn't matter how much or how little) - DONE!  Fun with the Fuzz 5k!!  By the way, the race is next week - you should sign up!
28. Scan all of my Semester at Sea pictures into the computer and then make a scrap book (it's only been 9 years!) - DONE!  Scanning one picture at a time is painful.  I'm so glad I don't have to do that again.  (Here are a few of the pics)
29. Since we're on the 'picture' kick - print and frame my wedding pictures. - DONE!  I framed one for my Mom because she has been hassling me for 3 years (sorry it took me so long, Mom) and then two for us.  And we even hung them in our living room.  Shocking, I know.  Not to worry, the Ironman shadow box was up before our wedding pics.  Priorities.
30. Lay the groundwork for bringing the 70.3 triathlon distance to Whatcom County. - I've talked a lot about it but haven't done much 'groundworking'.  I'd say I'm too busy (and I am) but that's a poor excuse.  It's going to happen, it just may take a few years.

Thirteen out of thirty... I'll take it given that several of those were pretty epic items.  Now what?  Finish my 30?  Make a new list?  I don't really know.  I haven't given it much thought to be completely honest.  What do you all want to read about?