2011 Year in Review

What a year!  2011 is the year I became a runner!  If you told me a year ago that I would be typing this, I would have laughed at you!  The idea of running in the Disney Princess Half Marathon just came to me one day in mid-January.  I knew that I need a big goal to get me moving to lose weight.  Since I love all things Disney, the Princess Half was a perfect fit for me.  From the day I made this my goal I put myself on this path.  I started running at the gym the next day…and, as they say, the rest is history.

Running has given me a confidence I never knew before.  I have witnessed my body do things that I never thought I was capable of.   I have made some the wonderful and supportive friends, some I know I will be friends with forever.  I have found a new way to bond with my sisters.  I can never thank running enough for all of the things it has given me.

I have done several races this year, in length from 5ks to 10 milers.  My very first race every was in June.  It was the Baltimore Women’s Classic.  I had no idea what to expect, but had a great time.  From that time on, I was hooked!  I decided then that I would try to do one race each month for the rest of the year.  I am happy to report that I accomplished that goal.  In July I did the Full Moon Run, then in August I did the York Rail Trail 10 miler.  This was my most difficult race to date, but I did it!  Finishing gave me so much confidence in my abilities as a runner.  I knew that if I could finish the 10 miler in the August heat, I would be fine to finish the Princess Half—my ultimate goal.  I finished out the fall with the 9/11 run, the Wrightsville Bridge Run and the Turkey Trot.  As long as weather permits, I will do doing a New Year’s Eve run to finish out the year, and get 2012 started on the right foot.

Looking back on all of these accomplishments, I am truly amazed where this year has taken me.  To celebrate, I registered today for the 2012 Baltimore Women’s Classic.  It was my first race ever, any my favorite (the swag bag was amazing!).  My ultimate goal—finishing the Disney Princess Half Marathon will be accomplished in just eight weeks!  All of this hard work over the past year has been very worth it!

Where did 2011 take you?  Was this expected or unexpected?  What would you change if you could?

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

York YMCA Turkey Trot 2011

Instead of sleeping in on Thanksgiving this year, I decided to start my Thanksgiving off with a 5k race, the York YMCA Turkey Trot.  I got up before the sun came up, got dressed and looked over Black Friday Sale papers before my sister came over.  We headed off to the race early to be sure to get a place to park. 

When my sister and I arrived at the YMCA, we walked to packet pick up area since we both had preregistered.  The instructions given there were to look on a posted list for our name and bib number, then go to the bib table and ask for our assigned bib number.  Neither of our bibs were where they were supposed to be.  The volunteers were very less than helpful.  They told us to go inside and find the race director for help.  After looking for about twenty minutes, we found the race directors.  She went out to packet pickup with us and she quickly found our bibs.  The volunteers had gotten the bibs out of order and were unwilling to spend more than a second looking for our bibs.  You get what you pay for I guess.  Good thing we came early. 

Once the bib mishap was resolved, my sister I and went to meet up with a few friends and line up at the start.  I mayor and the head of the YMCA got the race started.  I really enjoyed the course of this race.  The race started on Market Street, running past the old town square that is over 300 years old.  We then run south toward York College, my alma mater.  The campus was empty, except for the runner of course.  I had never seen the campus so empty.  We ran past most of the dorms, then back into town on the rail trail.  The beginning, like most races, felt a bit crowded but the crowd spread out pretty quickly.  The end was also crowded on the rail trail, since the trail is only four feet wide.  I enjoyed seeing all the local families sitting on their porches cheering the runners on. 

I costumes for this race were great!  So many people and groups dressed up.  We saw one family dressed as chefs, ranging from a toddler to Grand mom.  There were also lots of turkey hats.  Our friends, Erin and Will, made some really cute shirts with “hand” turkeys and brightly colors feathers.

This race was a PR for me!  My time was 37:45.  The race contained two hills, one entering the college and one just before getting to the rail trail.  I ran most of the race, but walked the hills as not to get to tired or winded.  As I said before, this was a really good course.  There was a great mix of city and trail, mostly flat but some hills.  Everyone together celebrating was a perfect way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit.  This is certainly a race I will be doing annually.  Thank you to the YMCA for organizing such a great event.

A dream is a wish…

Amy—

***The winner of my Road ID gift card is Suzanne Westenhofer.  Please email me at amysmith7@comcast.net with your mailing address and I will get it right out to you! 

Dover 10 Miler

Today was the first race of the York Road Runners Club winter series.  It was a ten miler in Dover, starting at North Salem Elementary School.  I drove to the site and went inside to register.  Registration was very quick.  A huge plus to this race—no porta potties!  After a rather uneventful start, we were off. 

I was very surprised at how hilly this course was.  Jeff Galloway says that running hills will strengthen your legs better than anything else, so I welcomed that challenge.  This was my first race on country roads.  I have run plenty on sidewalks and city streets, but never on a country road.  I was very surprised how much of a pitch there was in the road. The pitch really bothered me.  I felt off balance and it caused a cramp in my foot.  To avoid this, I tried as much as possible to run toward the center of the road.   Most of the race was through rolling farm land. We passed cows, horses and chickens.  I could hear the sounds of hunters and gun shots in the distance. The turnaround point was by a bustling campground, complete with picnicker and horseshoe players.

I would like to thank the York Road Runners Club for being very patient with the runners at the back of the path.  I have been to races where the finish line was already taken down when I finished.  The YRRC still had the finish line going and were still cheering as the last few of us crossed the finish line.  Plenty of water, bagels and good old Pennsylvania whoopie pies waited for me at the finish line. My official time was 2:28:11, 14:29 per mile.  This time is very close to my previous 10 milers, the Rail Trail 10 miler in August.  My time in August was 2:26:47, but the rail trail is very flat.  I am happy with my time today because all the hills could have really slowed me down.  I felt like I could have keep going for three more miles and can finish a half marathon—Disney Princess here I come!  I look forward to the rest of the races in the YRRC winter series. 

A dream is a wish…

--Amy 

***Don’t forget to enter my Road ID giveaway! 

York Road Runners Club Winter Series

Someone from a local Facebook running group I am in posted the other day about a local winter running series.  I wanted to let all my local running friends know about it. 

The York Road Runners Club Winter Series is a steal!  It costs just $22 to join the series of eight races.  You get one bib to wear to all eight of the races.  The races range from 5k to 10 miles, with an 8k, a 10k and a 15k in between.  I decided to enter the series as a way to keep me running during the cold winter.  I am not a fan of cold weather running, but the races will give me something to look forward to, and added reason to get out and run. 

If you are local to the area, I would love to see you at the YRRC Winter Series!  Time for bed, I have a 10 mile race in the morning. 

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***There is still time to enter my Road ID giveaway! 

Running Body Image

You all know I just did my big 10 miler this past weekend.  While trying to recruit friends to run it with me, one of my friends told me she “is to fat to run with all those skinny, in shape people.  That statement made me really sad and I began to think—I hope this does not hold a lot of other runners back from entering events. 

While saying that, I can understand the feeling.  When I first joined my gym, Strictly Fitness, I felt very out of place.  I would look around and see the skinny girls trotting away on the treadmills and ellipticals and see the buff guys on the weight machines.  I felt very out of place!  Once I went a few times I started to feel more comfortable.  No one there cared how out of shape I was or how over weight I was—they cared about getting their own workouts in.  The people I have met at the gym are always encouraging and congratulating me on my successes. 

The same thing goes for the races I have entered.  Runners, as a group, are usually very supportive of each other.  For example, in my 10 miler on Saturday, I was in the very back of the pack.  I was not last…but close to it.  Even though I am not as fast as them, there were lots of other runners cheering me on at the finish line.  The same goes for my very first race ever, the Baltimore Women’s Classic.  They made the last person who crossed the finish line feel just as great as the first. 

I still have my insecure moments, but running gives me a really positive body image.  For one thing, I have seen some positive changes in my body.  I have lost some weight, but I can also see where I have added muscle, especially in my quads.  When I am having a particularly insecure moment, I think of what my body can do.  I can run 10 miles too, just like the skinnies.  My 10 miles may not be as fast as them, but what matters is that I can do it!  

There is always going to be someone skinnier and faster.  I try hard not to compare myself to other runners.  I try not to compare my body to them.  I do compare myself now to myself in the past.  That is what running is all about for me—not beating other people—but betting myself! 

How has running affected your body image?  Do you hold yourself back by insecure thoughts?  How do you overcome them? 

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

You all know how much I love Clif and Luna.  Here is a link to a cool (free) program they have, and they will send you free samples! 

Rail Trail Ten Miler

Today was my longest race to date, a 10 miler, on the Rail Trail in southern York County, Pennsylvania.  My day started early at 5am.  I picked up my friend Kelly at 6:15, and we headed to the finish line.  The crazy worrier I am, I was afraid that if we did not get there at the crack of dawn, I would not get a parking space in the small lot at the finish line where we met the bus.  Kelly and I were one of the first cars there.  That gave me plenty of time to stretch and pack up my SPIbelt.  Then it was off to the bus!

I am not a fan of busses, but the ride was not that bad.  Once we got to the starting point there was a long walk up a hill to the porta pottys.  I am not a fan of porta pottys either, but when you got to go, you got to go.  We headed back down the hill to the starting line.  Once they yelled “Ready, Set, Go”, it was back up the big hill again.  The race began in the small town of Seven Valleys.  Many of the town residents were out cheering for the runners at the beginning of the race.  After weaving through the small town for about half a mile, we hit the rail trail. 

The terrain of the rail trail is loose gravel.  I had never run on gravel before.  It was a totally different feeling than the treadmill or the blacktop track around my neighborhood.  While running, as I pushed off with my back foot, it would slip a bit.  It felt like it took a bit more power to push off than running on blacktop or the treadmill.   

The weather this morning was not to hot at about 78 degrees, but the 86% humidity was awful!  It took me a while to get used to breathing in the heavy air.  I don’t think I have ever run in that much humidity before.  I got used to the air after a while, but I feel like it slowed me down a bit.  The humidity had me soaked from head to toe!  By mile three, I was soaked!  My tank was as wet as if I had just jumped in a pool.  My hair was as wet as it is about an hour after a shower. 

The trail was really pretty to run on.  A creek ran right next to the train.  We passed by several farms and lots of country scenery.  Around mile 5, the trail passes through a really long train tunnel.  The tunnel was especially hard to run through because the pavement was very uneven.  The tunnel was dark and shadowy.  Around mile 9, we ran past my alma mater, York College. 

Around mile six, I could feel my stomach growling!  I was not sure what to eat for breakfast before the run.  I wanted to eat something to fuel the run, but not to much that it would upset my stomach.  I decided on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I figured it was a good mix of carbs, protein and fat to fuel my run.  I decided against my usually morning coffee because I did not want to much in my stomach.  It seems like the PB&J was not enough.  I did take a gel right before the start and a few Clif Bloks on the bus ride, but they don’t really fill up the stomach.  I do wish I would have had my coffee too.  The caffeine would have helped.  I thought that the caffeine in my gel would have been enough, but my body is used to more caffeine!  Live and learn…

Around mile seven, my blisters busted back onto scene!  I had really babied my feet this past week, using blister healing products, being careful with the shoes I wore, and not over training.  On my to-do list this week is to take a trip to Charm City Run and see what ideas they can give me. 

Overall the race was a huge success for me.  I finished!  That was my goal going into the race—to finish!  My time was 2:24:02, or about 14:24 per mile.  This time was for sure not my best, but I am happy with it.  I feel like the humidity and a different terrain added to my time, plus I had never run this far before.  At the finish line, there was a group of people cheering me on, including my husband and children.  It was nice to have them there, watching my accomplishment.  My friend Kelly finished one second after me.  It was so great to finish together since we planned and trained for this moment together for months.  Kelly’s family was there too, cheering us on.  My kids’ pediatrician was also there as a fellow runner, as well as two of Andrea’s former NICU nurses.  One complaint I have for the race organizers is the lack of water stations.  There was supposed to be four of them, which seems like a small number for a ten mile race, but water station number three was already packed up when I got there.  Now, I realize I was at the back of the pack, but I was not last and my time was not that terrible!  Besides the low number of water stations, the race was a great experience.  It is one I plan to make an annual run for me.  The best part, after finishing ten, I now know I can do 13.1 and finish the Disney Princess Half! 

A dream is a wish...

--Amy

***Don't forget--one more day to enter my Shakeology giveaway!!!