Run Report - My hardest run ever

This morning I had the hardest run I've ever had in my life. 

It was a perfect storm:

20 miles in the rain, strong head wind (30km/h), cold, alone, not enough water (i.e. painful cramping), and underdressed for the conditions.

Now...don't get me wrong.

I've had many hard runs.....

This was painful.

My hardest to date.

It was hardest because for over 3 hours I suffered.  Really suffered. 

Mentally and physically...

At some point it stopped getting worse because it couldn't get any worse.

By the end I felt emotionally drained...and in the car on the drive home I caught myself staring off into space without blinking....like you'd expect from someone who just witnessed a horrific crime.

Now as I sit here, in the comfort of home....I am SO THANKFUL I had this experience.  I am thankful because it forced me look inside myself to find out what's really there.  You see, I can push my body....I know that about myself -- that's easy.  Today was hard because I pushed beyond what my mind would accept is possible for me. 

Today, at mile 19.99 of 20.00 my brain was not the same brain I started with.  This "perfect storm" had taken me to deeper waters mentally and physically than I ever had before.  Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations".... Today I found my limits, and exceeded them.

I am so thankful for this mornings run.  

I think I better understand Romans 5:3-4:

"we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope...."    

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Running the Vancouver Half Marathon

OK everybody.  This blog's been WACK lately.  Irregular and missing a bunch of stuff that's been going on.  So this week, we're catching up...starting with the Vancouver Half-Marathon that Heidi and her Sister-in-Law ran on May 1st.  It was REALLY fun to run it together.  Here are a few pics.... 

Heidi also ran it with a couple good friends

 People always ask me....
"Joe are you going to run too?"  
answer:
"NO.  No. and No.  I ran a full-marathon...that was enough to warrant a 5 year break.  Well, at least until I train for the Ironman Triathlon"   Heidi on the other hand....loves running, and is actually good at it....so lots more running is in store for her...

Ok...that's a nice'ol short blogy to start-up the blog again...and now it's time to go for a run.

Training Day

It was supposed to happen yesterday. Running 10 miles in preparation for the Scotiabank Half-Marathon that I'm participating in on June 27th. But things came up (poor excuse), and when I finally had the time to get out, it would have made for a pretty late-night run...not so safe. So, Sunday's training turned into a Monday make-up session that began at 8:35am. Now, this might not seem like a big deal, but when your husband is a pastor, Mondays are the "untouchable" days; those Sabbath days in which you want him to be able to sleep-in, relax, and do whatever he wants to renew his mind, body and soul. So it was quite the sacrifice when Joe offered to spend the morning taking care of Elizabeth while I did my first lap around Stanley Park (5.5 miles) and then join me on my second lap with Elizabeth in the Chariot.

The original plan was to have Joe and Elizabeth join me on the first lap, and then I'd continue alone on the second. But, Elizabeth fell asleep in her car seat on our drive over to Stanley Park, and we didn't want to mess up a good thing! So, Joe hung out in the car for a little less than an hour while I did my first 5.5 miles (~10 min/mile).

My partner-in-crime when it comes to exercising

I was feeling really good on that first lap. It was raining lightly, but I hardly seemed to notice. It felt good to get into a groove and be able to think, pray, and look around...since the full-length of the Stanley Park seawall provides an ever-changing view from downtown Vancouver to the North Shore mountains to the University of British Columbia and Kits Beach...all the while running along the Pacific Ocean. Gosh, I love living here.

Elizabeth was still sleeping in her car seat (yay - a longer nap!) when I passed our car, and Joe was just getting the Chariot ready. He told me to keep going and would catch up with me. I had probably gone about 6-6.5 miles when he caught up, and I took over pushing the jogger so he could warm-up.

It took awhile to get into a rhythm with the jogger...the left tire could have used a bit more air since it kept veering to the left. A bit annoying when I had already gone 6.5 miles without it. But, Joe and I took turns pushing Elizabeth, who was awake by then. She was quite content to just look around the whole time...though I can't say she saw much since the plastic window in the front was streaked with rain drops and started fogging up. Oh well. She's been pushed around in this jogger since she was a few weeks old, and has hardly complained in it unless she gets hungry.

The soreness began around mile 7 or 8...I hadn't run any farther than that in my training so far, so I was entering new mileage that I hadn't run in the last 4 years since the Vancouver Marathon. It helped to have Joe there to maintain my pace, and I continually looked for different landmarks along the way that I had set as mini goals: the cruise ship at Canada Place, the Totem Poles in Stanley Park, the Lion's Gate Bridge, the view of UBC, Kits Beach, the Stanley Park Pool, and the Lost Lagoon.

Approaching one of my "landmarks": the Lion's Gate Bridge that leads to one of our favorite places - the North Shore mountains!

I thought that pushing the stroller would have slowed me down...but we maintained the pace I had set on my first lap! Slow, I know, but I've never been a great runner -- just consistent. It would be great to run a 2:10 on race day, but I'm not going to let that ruin my experience of running if I don't. The reason I'm even doing this is to get back into pre-pregnancy shape. Long distance running doesn't necessarily shed the pounds, but it does great good for my heart, my mind, and my soul. I'm so blessed to have a husband who gives me opportunities like this.

A family photo on our cool down

Only 4 more weeks until race day!

Running, Baby, and Ice Climbing

Ok. The past couple days have been really fun...

How about a picture story? Ok... here you go:

As you know, we are running the Vancouver Half Marathon in May...so heidi is beginning to run and I am doing nothing...

Getting ready...


We are used to running in the rain....mostly because we are beginning to grow gills living here in Vancouver, BC.

Also, Elizabeth is starting to change a bit...Here's some updarted pics of her:

Lastly, today was an adventure. Heidi and Elizabeth spent the day with our friend Liesel Rios and I went ice climbing with my friend Dan. Heidi and I call Dan...."Dan the Man". Cause he rocks! We went to box canyon...and the ice was soso but we still had a blast! Here are some pics of the day...

heading out...the weather was blue sky but we would be climbing in the shade. Temps were hovering around zero celsius

its a really weird winter. the snow was really low and the ice wasn't that great. This was our best option...and it was safe enough to climb...so we did it. We didn't top out, cause the ice got sketchy at the final pillar...but it was still really fun.

Dan leading pitch 1 (W4-)

it was wet...but not unpleasant


cloudy and a bit cold at the top of the pitch

so happy to be out having an adventure with my friend Dan and loving being outside enjoying God's handiwork!

after the rappel.... it's a steep snow slog down the mountain...and a 1.5 hour hike back to the car (descending 1200ish feet).

Friends and mountains are a healthy combo

Vancouver Half Marathon

It's happening...the BMO Vancouver Marathon -- May 2, 2010

We are going to run the half marathon (13.1 miles)

...and we're doing it together...as a family. We'll be running...and Elizabeth will be rolling in this:


The jogger is called a Chariot...and it ROCKS. It's got big burly tires...and it's really comfy for Elizabeth....she falls asleep in it. We got it from our friends Jay and Milissa....and they used it for running with their daughters as well. Some other friends, Joy and Mike, who are much better runners than us, also use this rig...and love it. So it certainly comes with high recommendation. What's also cool, is that you can put smaller tires on the front for more stoller like capability or hook it up to a bike or even put skis where the wheels are and use it for cross country skiing.... this is SO COOL.

OK. Back to the marathon. A few years ago, we did the full vancouver marathon (26.2 miles) in 2006...and had a really fun experience. We trained at a 8.5 minute pace and on one training day...ran 18 miles at that pace. But on race day...we said, let's run it at 10.5 minute pace and leave our watches at home...and that's exactly what we did...and we are glad we did it:


So, it's been awhile...to say the least. We are certainly not out of shape...but we are not in running shape....and so the training begins. But, we'll all do it together and see what comes of it. We probably won't run for a "fast time" but run just to finish and have fun (which is crazy because you'd think that after a lifetime of sports...we'd be more competitive. But these days....we just aren't)...we have more fun just doing things together. One day though...we both would like to run for a fast time...cause the prospect of running in the Boston Marathon and some point in our lives....is VERY appealing.

off to the races....