Telegraph Pass

Believe it or not there are mountains surrounding the Yuma valley. On one mountain is a peak called Telegraph pass (I know a pass is not normally a peak, but that's what they call it). It's part of the Gila Ridge and it is a popular hiking spot for locals and visitors alike.

It's only 0.8 miles to go from the gate at the base to the top but it is incredibly steep. I thought it would be fun to make this climb part of my long run day. So I drove out towards the range and parked near the access road. I calculated that if I ran from my car to the top and back it would be about 10 miles (it actually was 11!). And most of that would be on the rocky path leading up to the base of the mountain.

It was warm when I took off. Most of my run was in the low 80's with full sun. I brought my hip water bottles which gave me about 18 oz of water. I wish I had also brought my handheld water (learning). I also brought no food.

The path was way more rocky and rough that I anticipated. I had to be careful not to roll an ankle as I tried to run. Running may be a stretch. It was more of a trot. I kept my feet moving quickly, keeping my steps per minute high. This is a good strategy over rough terrain. It prevents you from overextending and possibly falling or getting injured.

I finally got to the gate and saw that the path to the top has very nice pavement. However, it looked too steep for me to run. But I went ahead and tried to run for a bit.

The rusty gate the marks the start of the ascent.

My plan to run to the top went out the window pretty quickly. Even though the 0.8 miles from the gate to the top was paved it was way too steep for me to run. I'm just not in hill shape, let alone a hill with an 20% grade. So I walked. The view from the top was impressive to say the least!

The path is paved, just steep.

Almost to the top!

You can see the green irrigated fields below.

You can see the path winding up to the top.

What's great about this trail is you don't have to run it. You can park near the gate and make it about a 4-5 mile round trip hike. Though steep, it is accessible for people of all abilities. I hope to make it back and actually run up it at some point. I did run on the way down and my legs were sores for days because of the beating they received.

My mile splits were nothing impressive but I was just out enjoying the scenery. It's a good reminder to not pace get in the way of actually enjoying what you are doing. The only bummer is I will have to wait until the weather gets cooler to try again. I don't think I can carry enough water with me to do this in the summer.

Running with a potentially broken finger

I finally got back the gym after a full week of a weird bug in our house.  I'm not a fan of the treadmill, but it's going to be my best friend for awhile...it's only May and it's already in the 100's here! I'm trying to view this season as our "winter" (aka don't go outside), but it's really making me long for real winter.  Anyway, I'm picky about my treadmill experience.  There are only 2 at the gym that don't have TVs and while I love watching me some Chip and Joanna Gaines, I don't want to kiss them.  I seriously don't understand how people can watch TV so close and be running and not barf.  So my strategy is to snag a treadmill behind one with HGTV on and I'm set.  Naturally someone always breaks my perfect plan and gets on my TV viewing machine and I get to watch a head bobble in between my show.  Today, the gentleman who stole the machine decided to walk backwards and it was super awkward.  I need to find a short friend to conspire with me on these treadmills. 

Anyone else ever run with a potentially broken finger?

I've been trying to read this book for months.  Literally.  I get a paragraph read and get interrupted and I'll be lucky if I finish this book by Christmas.  But what I have read has come at the perfect time.  Here are a few points that have really hit home for me:

*"because of rampant obesity, one in three children born in the United States is at risk of diabetes--meaning, we could be the first generation of Americans to outlive our own children.

*"If you have a choice between one step or two, take three."

*"Think Easy, Light, Smooth."  Don't fight the run, enjoy the scenery. 

*"Instead of cringing from fatigue, you embrace it.  You refuse to let it go.  You get to know it so well, you're not afraid of it anymore."  

Lisa Smith-Batchen said, "I love the Beast.  I actually look forward to the Beast showing up, because every time he does, I handle him better.  I get him more under control."  

"You can't hate the Beast and expect to beat it; the only way to truly conquer something, is to love it."

*Simply the joy of life will make you a great runner.

 

*Don't have a quote, but it talked of a man who began to run barefoot to really feel how he runs instead of letting highly cushioned shoes do all the work or tweak how he runs.  He just thought about how his body felt and he ran the best he's ever run.

This week was the first time I truly enjoyed running in a very long time.  The book made me realize that in the past, I only focused on the goal of completing a run and completing it "well", or to a certain standard.  So this week, I changed my thoughts and I only thought about how I felt and tried to take more steps per minute and didn't worry for a second how fast or how far I've gone or if I stopped for water.  I kept getting a little stitch in my right hamstring.  It's happened several times before on the treadmill, but this time, I took the time to really think about it and figure out why it was happening and how to make it stop.  I really wanted to ask the guy walking backwards to look at my form and tell me what I was doing wrong, but that would just add to the awkward.  I learned that if I leaned forward (I would really be kissing Chip Gaines if my machine had a TV) then I didn't get a stitch.  It was exciting to really solve the problem instead of just ignore it and complain about it.  

Here's hoping the running streak continues!

A Stinky week

Literally.

Colin has had diarrhea since Monday.  Never, in my almost 9 years of being a mom, have a dealt with diarrhea.  Okay, it wasn't too terrible, but bad enough that we were not leaving the house.

I am terrible at working out at home, but I am trying hard to commit to working out from 8-9am no matter what, even if that means making something up at home.  Ben graciously bought me a TRX system when I first began homeschooling, so that I would always have a workout option at home.  I confess that I have not used it as much as I should, so I hung it on our schoolroom door and busted out my handy-dandy notebook.  Yes, I'm that oldschool that I write everything in a notebook, including my workouts.

The kids were gloriously occupied with some bonus electronic time that morning and it was the puppy that quickly became my obstacle.  She thought it was great fun to lick my face as I was in plank and run away with my mat as I switched positions and would walk underneath me as I did push ups.  I finally had enough and shooed her outside, but in my haste to getting back to my workout, I slammed my finger in the sliding glass door.  Yep, that's how cool I am.  If I was one to use curse words, many would have been flying in that minute.  I grabbed a coffee mug, filled it with ice and plunged my finger in it.  I have no idea why, that's just the solution that came to my pain filled head.

I spent the rest of my workout time doing leg lifts with my hand in the cup.  I tried to keep positive and remind myself that even a little is better than nothing.

I finished up with some lunges across the backyard and Maya tried to say she was sorry for causing my crushed my finger.  Although, I can't say it's her fault...I think it's really my slow reflexes fault. 

This was my home workout:

TRX upper body (10 reps each):

• Chess Press
• Tricep extensions
• Chest fly
• Tricep push ups
• Lateral pulls
• Bicep curls

HIIT (30 seconds each)

• Burpees
• Jumping jacks
• Mountain Climbers
• Frogger (plank to squat)
• Run stairs

TRX lower body (10 reps each):

• Squats
• Single leg squat
• Calf raises 
• Front lunges
• Hip raises

HIIT (30 seconds each)

• High knees
• Lateral hops
• Jump squats
• Walking lunges

Finished with planks, pushups, pullups and leg lifts

 

I almost quit

It's the truth.
I knew moving would be tough in regards to working out, but I wasn't prepared for how hard it has been.

Obstacles I've faced include:

• Business of unpacking and setting up a new home.
• Trips to explore a new state and visit friends.
• Ben's ever changing work schedule.
• A YMCA that only offers childwatch for ages 6 and up after 5pm.
• A puppy to potty train and that means not leaving her for too long.
• Trying hard to give our kids a consistent homeschool schedule...and started back up school in general.

Alison doing school with Maya right under her feet...her favorite spot

• And the biggest one is the fact that the desert is trying to kill me.

When the stars do align and I actually get out on the road (or even the treadmill) I'm pretty sure I'm going to die every second of the run.  A week before we arrived in Arizona, I ran my fastest 5k and was averaging in the 7 minute pace range for my training runs.  The second I landed in Arizona, my pace slowed a whole minute and I can't make it more than a mile without stopping to regroup.  And heaven forbid I forget water, because then it's just plain over.

I have researched every possible possibility to get a run in.  I signed up for 'Stroller Warriors', convinced that there would be other homeschool families and my kids could ride their bikes along with me.  Much to my dismay, there are only babies included in the group and they run the canals which make the pathway too narrow for multiple bike riders and strollers and runners.  Leave it to my kids to fall into a canal...

Running the canals solo

 
I thought this was the perfect push to get me active with my kids and include them in my workouts.  One attempt proved that theory false.  Eli is slow as molasses...really hope that he finds his speed and confidence to ride a bike soon.  I even attempted to put my much too big boys in our bike trailer turned "stroller", which equaled us splitting the front wheel in half, 1/2 a mile down the road.  That was fun.

Our ONE attempt to run as a family

I got up at 5 am every morning for a week to run before Ben left for work, but it left me dead tired the rest of the day and my runs were very short and slow.  Then Ben's schedule changed again, and he had to leave for work by 5:45 and that plan was shot. 

I even went as far as to look into what it would cost to rent out a space and make my own "Homeschool Mom's Gym".  Then I priced out making my own gym in our garage, but it's no where near safe to workout in an Arizona gym.  There is a gym in my dreams, where all the homeschool moms of kids who are older than 3, can come to get a good workout, maybe take a class together or meet with a trainer, and the kids can play and be active together.  There would be room with a tutor so they could do school if needed and a gym where they could learn a new sport.  If only I was a millionaire who knew an abundance of these so called moms, I would create it.

One time, I was so desperate that I ran laps in our backyard!  The kids were really starting to get worried about me that day.

I started to feel alone, defeated and tired of working crazy hard to get a small workout in, one in which I was pretty sure was going to kill me.  The desert, my friends, is no joke.  One day I thought, "They say if you run, you are a runner.  So, if I'm not running, I guess I'm not a runner.  I guess I should just quit trying so hard to be something I can't be."  I let that sit for a few days.  What if I don't run?  Maybe I should quit?  And you know what?  I was crazy sad.

If I was that sad about losing it, then it must be something important to me and worth fighting for.  What I need to quit is believing the lie that it's easy for everyone else and that there is no one else out there who struggles to fit in a workout.  I have to believe and have hope that there is someone out there who is in similar shoes and can relate to the crazy obstacles I face every day.

I've started the last several weeks like it was New Year's Day; ready to start my new plan and make it work!  My plan?  Here is my morning plan for working out and homeschooling:

6:00 wake up, GET DRESSED (key to success) drink coffee, read the Bible
7:00 cook breakfast for kiddos
7:15 Breakfast
7:30 clean up dishes, kiddos get dressed, make beds, brush teeth
7:50 Out the door to go the Y
8:00-9:00 Workout at the Y.  Alison can workout in a small section in the fitness center, then works on independent school work by my treadmill.  No one has yelled at us yet.

Selfies in the gym are always awkward

9:15 Home for snack time while I shower
9:30 School time until lunch

My "perfect" schedule worked a handful of times.  I struggle feeling guilty taking my kids to the Y in the morning; I feel like I'm inconveniencing the workers and boring my kids by putting them in a baby room.  I should probably just let it go, but that's just how I'm wired.

By this week, I realized that this is just becoming comical.  After I took the above picture, I picked up the boys from the childwatch and Colin informed me that he didn't feel good.  Super.  Sure enough, he threw up later that day.  Awesome.  Now I'm the mom who takes sick kids to the Y...I hate those moms.  Why couldn't he just have a cold?  But of course he's sick.  Naturally, it was due time for one of the kids to get sick. 

In light of all this, I figured why not blog through all the obstacles.  I'm tired of complaining, but there has to be another mom out there who has the most obscene obstacles to overcome to carve out some sanity-saving-workout-time and maybe will be encouraged by my sweaty life.

Day 1 coming up and it won't disappoint.

Desert Running

I've got almost 250 miles under my belt since moving to Yuma. Running in the desert is much different than running in Virginia. The adjustment to the heat, the dry air, and the sun has not been easy. My body has definitely felt the difference and many runs that were supposed to be 'easy' were in fact hard because of the new conditions. A few things I've learned so far include:

1) Cover up. The sun is what makes everything hot. Wearing a T-shirt is better than a tanktop. Wearing a hat is almost a must. And sunglasses make the sun bearable. I don't leave for a run now without a hat and sunglasses.

Mistake! I didn't wear a hat or glasses on this run. I paid for it.

2) Water is my friend. Almost every run I bring water. Unless it is cool, early in the day, or less than 5 miles, I bring water. Yes, it's annoying to carry water but it is necessary. Sometimes it's just a mental help. Knowing I can wet my mouth as it gets dry becomes like a security blanket. I've been using this handheld water bottle made by Nathan because it is less annoying than a hip one. Full review coming soon.

3) Take it easy. When it's hot, I just have to go slower. My body is experiencing more stress and it's not fair to expect it to preform the same when I'm working hard to stay cool. This is hard because I want to be able to run the same as when the conditions are perfect. But training in the heat actually has its benefits. It has the same effect on your body as training at altitude.

"Training in the heat incurs several physiological adaptations, known as heat acclimation. One of the primary adaptations to heat acclimation is an increase in blood plasma volume. Just as altitude stimulates your body to produce more red blood cells, heat stress stimulates your body to produce more blood plasma. A higher plasma volume enhances circulation, which improves the delivery of oxygen to muscles. The result is a greater cardiac output, and higher VO2max at a given effort level, enhancing endurance performance." (source)
 

4) The desert is beautiful. I've seen a roadrunner, a burrowing owl, a snake, and lots of cactus. The desert is a very pretty place and it's worth stopping (in the shade) and enjoying the scenery.

A hummingbird best.

5) Tacos are recovery food! Sketchy street vendors make the best tacos. And around Yuma we have lots of places to choose from. After a run, it's a good idea to grab a cerveza with lime and some carne asade tacos with fresh pico. You can thank me later.

Race Report: St. Patrick's Day 5k

Jen found a local 5k that was put on by Yuma Desert Runners and suggested I run it. We've been in Arizona a week now and a race sounded fun. With all the moving, driving, and bad eating the last few weeks I must admit I wasn't feeling in top PR shape. Even though I PR'd a week ago, I felt much different this week. On top of that my youngest got the stomach bug on Monday. And while I didn't throw up like he did, I definitely felt 'off' and was fighting the same bug. Fortunately I felt normal again Thursday morning. My last race I had the awesome advantage of having my Mom, stepdad, mother and father in law, and kids there to cheer me on! While I didn't have as big of a crowd I did have Jen and the kids there, which was perfect for me.

My only goal for his race was to run sub 20:00. If I was feeling better than I could try for more. I had already run 17 miles in the days before the race so my legs weren't as fresh as they could be. I was just going to have fun. Winning and running fast is fun, but I wasn't taking it too seriously.

Playing in the Colorado River before the race.

Pre-Race: The race started out in Gateway park along the Colorado river. The park had nice amenities and playground. It also had shade. This race was going to be about 50 people, no timing system, and very casual. I looked around to see if anyone else looked like a 'racer' and I only saw a few that looked fast (but looks can be deceiving!).

The registration table. It was a small crowd, but very family friendly and fun.

Mile 1: There were about 4-5 guys that got near the start line with me. When they said "go!" I took off and grabbed an early lead. For the first 400 meters I had 2-3 guys on my tail. By 800 meters it was down to me and one guy drafting me. 6:04

Mile 2: The race was an out-and-back along the river. At the turnaround, which was clearly marked (thank you!), I was about 25 seconds ahead of second place. We high-fived as we passed each other because runners are friendly. Unless I blew up I realized this was my race to win. I tried to push it enough to hold off a late run by Mr. 2nd place. But my mouth and throat were starting to burn.  6:19

Mile 3: At this point my mouth feels like I swallowed a tablespoon of cinnamon. It was dry. Saying it was dry does not communicate how dry it really was. It felt like I just ate a handful of sawdust. I've never experienced dry mouth quite like this. Not even when I wrestled in Jr. High. I tried to ignore the feeling and just press on. Water became my motivation to finish. 6:15

Coming in to the finish line.

Finish: I crossed the line in 19:04 good for first place! I wish I could have seen the time as I approached the finish because I'm pretty sure I could have chopped off 4 seconds to go under 19. My throat was burning with dryness. I grabbed some water and went and cheered in Mr. 2nd place. He finished about a minute behind me and ran a fantastic race by himself the whole way (3rd was probably another minute behind him).

The kids loved picking out which sub to eat.

I know it's blurry, but we were having fun.

After the race they had beer and firehouse subs. They had plenty of food so we just ate dinner there at the park. For my victory I got a gift card to firehouse subs and a t-shirt, not bad for such a small race!

While winning was fun, the highlight for me was seeing Jen and the kids cheer me on the final stretch and playing in the park before the race.

Race Report: Shamrock Shuffle 5k

To put this race in context we ran it during a cross country move. We stopped in Kansas for 5 days during our move from Virginia to Arizona. The upside of this decision is it made me feel better about taking some days off from running. The downside was, well...we were in an unsettled state which isn't exactly ideal for racing. A big bonus of this race is my good friend Brett ran it with us!

Goals: My 'A' goal for this race was to break my previous PR of 19:38. My 'B' goal was to run sub 19 minutes and my 'C' goal was to place in my age division. I felt fairly confident of setting a new PR because the course was a flat out and back and I have put in some good miles and speed work the past few months. I have been feeling faster .

Pre-race: The race HQ was inside a tavern. They had lots of food and indoor bathrooms which was nice (even if it was a bar bathroom). It was a bit chilly, mid 40's, but also sunny and there was no wind. There was maybe a few hundred runners total. The course runs along the Kansas river on the levee which is covered in fine gravel. It's actually a pretty good running surface. When they announced one minute to go I toed up on the starting line. I didn't notice anyone else besides me Jen and Brett who looked like they really wanted to race.

Mile 1: I took off! I was hoping to hold about a 5:50/mile pace for the race and I started the first 400 meters at about a 5:40 pace. 5 seconds into the race I was leading and I felt no one around me. This actually stunk. I had no one to help pace and share the pain. 800 meters in and there was still no one around me. I didn't chance a look behind me (can't show weakness!) but I also didn't hear anyone near me.

Mile 2: Now I hear footsteps. Someone is gaining on me fast. I've eased off to a 5:50 pace. Very quickly he comes up on me says "hows it going?", I say "good" and then jets past me. I briefly contemplate latching on to him and trying to hold his pace but I'm about maxed out and he's burning it up at about a 5:30 pace. We are all alone. Racing alone is hard. Mr. Speedy is about 15 seconds ahead of me and he approaches a water station or what appears to be the turn around. This water station is a truck parked on the path when a few volunteers with water cups. I see him ask where the turn around is and he actually stops and puts his hands out like "where is it?". Then he turns around right at the water spot and starts his run back. I come up on the same spot and turn around where he did. However, it seemed short. My GPS watch said I still needed to run about 0.08 of a mile more. Oh well.

Mile 3: Mr. Speedy is about 20 seconds ahead. I get the feeling he is putting out enough effort to just keep me comfortably behind him. I have not doubt he could dust me if I tried to make a move. I would love to make a move on him, but I am close to red lining holding a 5:50 pace. Because of the race being an out and back I get to see how close 3rd place is to me. He's probably 45 seconds behind me and I feel confident that I can hold 2nd if I don't blow up. As I start to run past people who haven't turned around yet many people hold out their hands for me to give them a high five and say "good job", "go get him" ect. It was a very friendly and nice gesture. And they all probably think I'm a jerk because I can't high five you while running this fast in the opposite direction. I can't barely keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Finish: Crossed the finish line in an amazing 18:06! My time was good enough for 2nd overall and 1st in my age division. Definitely a new PR by a LOT! My watch says the course was short by 0.15 so I'm a bit confused on my time. One on hand, wow! A huge PR! On the other hand, I feel like the race was short.

GPS watches are not always accurate and they can lose signal when running under trees or overpasses (like the highway we ran under in this race). This can cause them to 'plot' points that are inaccurate. If the satellite doesn't ping at the exact point of the turn around, you can loose considerable distance as well. So was the course short or was my watch off? I don't know. The race isn't new, it's been going on for years so that speaks of them getting it right. But it was also an amateur fest. At the end of the day my time is my time. I feel confident that I can run close to that time again. I guess that means I just have to do more races!

Brett, Me, and Jen after the race.