Monday, April 28, 2008

April Showers bring May Flowers

Along with the beautiful flowers in May, April showers will most likely also give you a lot of weeds to pull, grass to cut, and other time consuming activities that will invade your running space this coming summer. Don't let these things stop your running progress. You will just need to plan your workouts ahead of time. Don't forget that we meet each Saturday morning...early...for our long runs (I doubt your neighbor wants you to start your mowing at 7 am).

We are meeting as usual, this Tuesday evening at 7 pm in the Centreville High School parking lot. If the track is available, we will do a workout there. If there is an event, we will head to Union Mill for a 3-5 mile run.

Saturday we are running at Burke starting at 7 am or 8 am. The week following, May 3rd, we will be taking a running field trip either to Manassas Battlefield or Bull Run Trail (please let me know your preference).

Here is something fun:

Hi all,

After our Burke run this Saturday, some of us were discussing the possibility of a bike ride on Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 26th this year. We talked about riding from Route 28 to Leesburg, or even to Purcellville. As there seemed to be some enthusiasm for the idea, we wanted to get a sense of what everyone thinks and who might be interested. Here are some of the possibilities we discussed:

-Bike to Leesburg and back (about 21 miles) with a Starbucks stop in Leesburg.

-Go all the way to Purcellville and stop for coffee and/or a snack there and return - a trip of about 40 miles.

-Some combination: i.e; pick your destination and the group will split by who wants to do what.

-Recruit some volunteers to pick up people at Purcellville in their cars for those only wanting to go 20 miles.
(Mary I see your name all over this one). However, this is obviously a bit logistically challenging.

-Bike somewhere else, although I don't know where that would be.

Dianne and I will coordinate this, but we want your feedback.

A few things to consider: The Leesburg trip is about 2 hours with the coffee stop. Purcellville would probably be about 4 hours, and a pretty demanding ride for many, and it could be warm.

Please send your thoughts to either Dianne or myself, or everybody if you like.


Our other rides have been a lot of fun, so hopefully we can get a good group for this.

Everyone have a good week, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Roger


Feel free to email me as well and I will forward your opinions to Roger.


Don't forget to sign up for the Marine Corp Marathon on April 30th! Click here for a direct link. This race does sell out! So if it is your dream to run this famous event, make sure you sign up this Wednesday. I will be starting the training program for this race as well as Richmond, in the beginning of July.

Now go and Run!

Heather

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Life Time Makes Some Run Club Changes

I wanted to let you know about some changes that have been made for Run Club:


Run Club Big Changes!

The Run Club has reasserted itself on a national
level and big changes are in the making. As of April
1st (did not know official till 4/14) there is no longer a
fee for the Run Club, no more "free shirts either."
They would still like you to register though as to take
advantage of this wonderful Newsletter (ha, ha) and
any other surprises that might come down the
running path. Other changes include
decreased training class fees. Also, it has been
mandated that all Group Runs be Mon & Wed 6PM
and 8AM on Sat by mid year, which would be July 1st.
This may or may not work for you. I don't see how 6 pm can work for our area so I am sure we will be able to keep the 7 pm time slot (I will have to check with Mary Alice). I am also not sure how firm they are on the Mon, Wed thing. I will be meeting with Mary Alice the first week of May to discuss all of these changes. Another change to the Run Club is the need to be a member of Lifetime to participate in the program. For those that have already paid for the year, I am sure you will be welcome through 2008. If you haven't received your shirt, I will be bringing a huge supply of the official gray, Reindeer Run 2007 and 2008 next Tuesday and Saturday.

If you have any questions or concerns...just shoot me an email.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Boston Baby!

Sore quads. What more can I say? Boston was unbelievable. Tough course, tons of runners trying to trip me, and a long way (how many miles are marathons anyway?)...but so worth it!

Congrats first to Dan B. who ran a huge PR of 3:21! He rocked the road! We can't wait to hear all about it.

If you want to read details about my Boston experience, scroll down to the end of this post...I don't want to bore people!

I ran a decent race with enough energy to keep high-fivin' the huge crowds until mile 26 (where I had about enough). One of my biggest thrills was meeting Bart Yasso last night in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel. I was able to sit right next to him while he signed a copy of his new book. He was just super taking time to chat with us!

We do have Run Club tonight at 7 pm at the track. I believe we will be running Union Mill again. Dianne will be there to get things going. I will not be there due to my lack of sleep the past three days and my inability to walk let along run!

Saturday plan on meeting us at Burke for our usual run around the lake. I will be out of town all weekend, so I will not be able to limp along as you run. But count me in for next week!

Do you want to run a marathon?

Hello Everyone, I'm scheduled to run a marathon on Sunday May 4th but due to an injury will not be able to. The race is the Potomac River Runners Marathon-if you or you know anyone who is interested in running this race please let me know since I have a spot that is vacant since I won't be running the race. The race is in Alexandria, VA-so it's local.Hope you guys have a great week!-Susan May

Do you want to run a 4 miler?


One of my largest Medical Transcription clients, Virginia Spine, is holding a run in Reston in support of the Spinal Research Foundation.

www.SpineRF.org

Register by 5/1 for $5 off the $25 entry fee.

I hope to see everyone there.

Joel


Have a great week! Now go and RUN!

Heather

Warning...Boston Experience Below:

I am alive but not kicking. My quads are so sore I would never be able to kick anything. I avoid the stairs and sitting down unless I can remain sitting for a long period of time. BOSTON was awesome! I loved every minute of it, except for maybe minutes 1:50 (mile 13.1) through minutes 3:47:58 (mile 26.2)! I have never run a race with so many people running and cheering.


Let's start from the beginning:Garth and I arrived in Boston on Sunday morning just as the Women's Olympic trials were ending. We saw many super lady runners proudly wearing their finishing medals throughout the day. Go Deena Kastor (she won)! We went straight to the HUGE expo to pick up my race number, chip and shirt (ahhh! I literally got the last small shirt). Garth and I were there early enough to avoid the body to body crowds that began to surround us by lunch time. It was so crowded that they had to stop letting people in until others left. The running booths were great and we got my fix of free stuff (this included plenty of "prizes" for the kids). Garth was a trooper following me around as I had to check out everything!

After the Expo, we went to our hotel (via the "T" or subway) to relax before meeting up with some of my super fast running boys for dinner. We carb loaded at Maggianos (very frustrating not being able to chow down too much). We really wanted to take a tour of the city earlier that day, but were not able to get tickets. We were bummed we missed out on seeing all the super sights of Boston (but I figured I got to see quite a few on my run).

We were lucky to have our hotel about one minute walking distance from the buses that would take the runners to the start 26.2 miles away in Hopkinton, MA. Garth walked me to my bus taking a few photos of the HUGE crowds of runners awaiting their turn to load on the buses. It was fun to chat with other runners and hear about their stories and experience.

After the long bus ride, we were taken to the "athlete's village" where we were treated to bagels, water and powerbars and of course the ever so long bathroom lines. They had jets fly over the start right before the first wave of runners started. I was in the second wave at 10:30 and started walking to the start about 10:15. The start was about a mile away and I figured I had plenty of time due to the sea of people leisurely walking to their various race corrals. As I hit the back of the corrals (26 and I was in 16...each corral had 1000 people in it), I heard the announcer say, "And were off!" I couldn't believe I had missed the start! I started high tailing it to the front of the line, up a steep hill, dodging spectators. I finally reached corral 16 and was smashed together with a sea of runners as far as the eye could see. It took at least 2 miles before I stopped getting elbowed or just about run over!

I was finally on my way! The weather was perfect...55 and sunny! Virginia has been blasted with heavy rains and I was so grateful the front stayed south of Boston. I was excited about mile 3 because one of my dear college buddies, Sara Stout Apke (who I haven't see in at least 12 years), would be cheering! I was thrilled to see a big sign with Heytar written on it through the huge crowds. I ran over and gave her a big hug and I was off.

My next fan wouldn't be until mile 17 where Garth was planning on cheering me on! I had a long way to go.The course was pretty tough with a lot of downhill (great for the heart but not so great for the quads) and some pretty nice hills spread throughout the course. The notorious "HeartBreak Hill" was actually a serious of three hills from mile 20-22. Those hills were actually a relief from the downhills...no I am lying they stunk...no hills are good in my book. The hill that bothered me the most was the surprise hill at mile 25...are you kidding? Mile 25? My quads were so spent at that point that I kept singing in my head, "Just keep running, just keep running" (from Nemo, just keep swimming...).I was so excited to see Garth at mile 17 and gave him a kiss and whispered in his ear, "Help! Get me outta here!" But he said, off you go...and I figured I had to keep going or I wouldn't get that coveted finisher's medal.

The crowds cheering were like nothing I had ever experienced. The entire 26 miles were lined with people giving support. Donna put my name on the front of my singlet so my name was cheered over and over again throughout the race. My favorite was when I heard a Boston native yell my name, "Go Hathah!" It actually gave me some major encouragement high fiving all of the people (the kids were the best!) as I ran along the course.

I know many you kept track of my progress as I ran the race. The race had timing mats every 5k of the race, giving you all a play by play of my progress. Each time I hit one of those mats, I would get teary eyed thinking about all of you cheering me on!The joy that filled my heart when I came around the last turn and saw the huge Boston Marathon Finish line was something I can't explain! How cool to be amongst one of the 340,000 Boston Marathon finishers over the past 112 years (can you believe only 340,000 people have run this race?)!

The marathon is an incredible experience. It tests you mentally as your body screams for you to stop. It challenges every fiber of your being as you train week after week until the final test. You never know how each race will turn out...will my body hold up, can I keep going, why am I doing this?Even though I was a bit shy of my goal time of 3:45:59 (that is my Boston qualifying time), I was thrilled with my final time of 3:47:58. The whole training process this go round was much more difficult due to some injuries. I ran less, did zero speed workouts and therefore decided to put my best foot forward and just where it would take me. It took me to the finish...the ultimate goal!

During the race, I told myself I didn't want to do this again. Today, I feel different. I actually can't wait until next year where I plan on training harder and going for a personal record...okay I can wait. Luckily I qualified for 2009 in November at Richmond so I have the option to take on Boston again!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Roses and Thorns Grow Together

I thought I would share one of my favorite little quotes to start out this week's post:

"Don't complain that rose bushes have thorns. Rejoice that thorn bushes have ROSES!"

Seems like life gives us all some pretty sticky thorns now and then. I know many of you have had some pretty tough trials this past year. Whether you have struggled with large scale obstacles or just small things that give you moments of despair, try to find your rose amongst your thorns.

I had some friends run the Bull Run 50 miler yesterday. For two of them, it was their first try at attempting this feat! I talked to both today and what great stories of triumph and trial! One struggled to complete the entire 50 miles of hilly, muddy, and hot trails finishing just over 11 hours (he has run over 15 marathons and has a PR of 3:04) and the other who is a multiple Ironman finisher was unable to finish after 45 miles and dropped out of the race. Why do I share this? To encourage you to set higher goals for yourself! And even though there might be some thorns thrown in along the way...it is the journey that matters and the roses, no matter how small. Don't be afraid to set the goal with worries of failure. It is the attempt that matters most. If you never try, you will never gain the reward...and sometimes the attempt is the reward!

Okay, on to this week's workouts!

Tuesday we are back running the path along Union Mill. We will start running promptly at 7 pm to beat the darkness. Please meet us in the parking lot at Centreville High School. We usually get in around 5 miles.

Saturday we will be meeting at Burke Lake Park Marina at 7 am/8am. I will not be there this week due to my departure for BOSTON! We have all levels/speeds of runners that participate on these long runs, so don't despair...get up and get moving on Saturday morning and join us! By the way, I saw a turtle and a baby snake on Saturday (Flossie informed me after I jumped over the snake that they can be much more venomous as infants)...does this information scare you? Sorry.

Good luck to Dan B. and Heather Porter (hey that's me) on Monday, April 21st! They are both participating in the 112th Boston Marathon. I am so excited for this experience! I can't wait to share all the details on my next post.

Congrats to Brad who ran a super fast 5k last weekend! He mentioned another great race that will take place in the beginning of May (a Saturday) in Winchester. The Apple Blossom 10k race precedes a super fun festival/parade!

Greg showed me this great race as well: http://www.runwashington.com/other/alternative06info.html if anyone is interested! It looks like it is for a fab cause and takes place right in our backyard!

Dianne shared this recipe with me. If anyone would like to try it, let us know! We have both tried it numerous time and man it is good!

Recipe for a Marathoner

1 part Athlete
1 part Dedication
2 parts Sheer Will
2 parts Heart
Add a dash of Insanity (or 2)
Combine all ingredients and Shake for 26.2 miles!

Repeat as often as necessary

My next post will be on Tuesday! We will have run club on April 22nd!

Now go and RUN!

Heather

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Bloom Where You are Planted

Congrats to all of the Cherry Blossom Runners out there! I have heard from a few of you and the results look great. Send me your stories/experiences and I will post them for others to enjoy!

I am sorry this post is coming a day or two late...I have been in AZ! I had a super time in the 85 degree sunshine. I did a lot of running, relaxing and visiting with friends and family! I am now counting down for the big Boston Marathon...less than two weeks. Ahhh!

We are at Centreville High School tonight. We will not be at the track due to sports taking place on the field. But don't despair, we will run Union Mill for a nice recovery run starting at 7 p.m.! Plan on meeting at our usual place...in the parking lot. If you come late, just start running on Union Mill...to the left.

Saturday we will be at Burke. I am thrilled to say, I ONLY have a 12 miler that day...ahhhh! Come join in the fun. Plan on meeting at 7 am or 8 am.

Don't forget the upcoming Marine Corp Marathon registration that opens on April 30th.

Set your goals now for the upcoming fall races! Do you want to run your first race, run a faster time or lose some of those unwanted pounds? Whatever you decide is right for you...make it happen...Bloom Where you are PLANTED! Take the steps that will make you the best you can be!

Running tip of the week: "You pick what you plant. Just as you can't expect to put potatoes into the ground and harvest tomatoes, you can't become a runner by bowling or lifting weights."

Now go and RUN!