Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown – Contest

On April Fools Day, I read what I thought was a joke. It seemed too good to be true that Another Mother Runner was holding a contest offering up 22 spots to be had on one of two relay teams for the Ragnar Relay from Cumberland, MD to Washington, DC. Each of the winners would have their entry fee paid for and also receive an unheard of amount of running gear and goodies. Too much good stuff, it had to be a joke.

First story ideas on the back of scrap paper.

I read on about what was dubbed the Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown headed up by two talented writers/authors/editors. Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, co-authors of Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother, were asking for creative entries to tell why I (or anyone entering) would want to join the Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown. They suggested things like making a video; painting a picture; decorating a poster; writing a poem… etc. There was a real deadline and it finally sunk into my head that the contest was legit.

Run Like a Mother was the very first running book I allowed myself to purchase. It gave me confidence to try a race and loads of great tips for running moms (like me!) As the authors compiled real mom information for their second book, I filled out a questionnaire for them and am even quoted a few times in Train Like a Mother. You can tell I am a pretty big fan.

First image roughs, still on scrap paper.

Self timed photo for for panel 1.

I tried to think of some super-fun, creative way to show how much I wanted to get on one of their teams. I thought, if I had a friend, I might do a mock podcast episode since they have a weekly show that is in support of moms that run. Alas, I have no running gal pals nearby so I thought of cooking something like a big vegan… whatever. That really sounded dumb and would only reflect my love of eating like my Bacon is NOT and Herb blog already does. A sculpture might take too long but I might have time to draw something in between my final modelling sessions for Penn State’s spring semester figure drawing classes.

Blue pencil sketch for panel 1.

I decided to bust out my Bristol Board and Micron pens to create a 6 panel comic strip about running! I hoped that the hours that I had spent standing/sitting/reclining for figure drawing classes had allowed the instruction to somehow seep into my brain and empower me to draw myself running in some situation. I also stumbled around with coming up with a brief storyline that would comply with what the contest was asking – tell why I wanted to join one of their teams.

Inking the panels over the pencil roughs.

Which team would I choose? How could I choose? Both women offer so much energy, wit and knowledge through their writing and podcast. I couldn’t choose Dimity over SBS no matter how dear it was that she thought the mummified mice that Tish Hamilton’s Runner’s World article, Life of a BQ Squeaker, were alive. Both women are too cool so I chose not to choose and made that the theme of my comic.

Color ideas, mostly overlays to echo the logo that I would hand ink.

My biggest anxiety was actually drawing the authors. Comic drawings can morph into unflattering caricatures and I would never be winning anything if I insulted the judges. I didn’t care how goofy the drawings of myself turned out, heck I look goofy and that’s ok. I sweated and agonized over making the figures look as much like the women as I could because they had to be recognizable to anyone judging the contest, including their staff. In the end, I drew myself in 5 panels, designed a thematic logo as a title panel and bravely drew each woman twice each.

The final panel has us all crossing a finish line together, à la Richard Brooks’ 1975 western, Bite the Bullet. I have a compulsion to draw even comics within a framework of realism so the fact that I look over a foot shorter than the other women is an honest rendering. I also drew truthful overzealous enthusiasm on my face; the idea of winning and running in something like this is beyond exciting for me.

I have until June 10th until the judges to decide and I hope they have a lot of great entries to choose from. I can’t imagine what the teams will be like with so much creative energy to see them through the race. Wish me luck!

Competed comic with photos added as background settings.

I Refuse to Live in Terror

The week following 9/11 I heard the reactions of many parents. I was working as an administrative assistant at our local ballet studio. They all had ways of coping with the terrible events and many of their reactions, fears and concerns were pressed directly onto me, a parent of a pre-professional ballet dancer who had moved to NYC on 9/3 – a week prior.

As I share on my post, Thank You Max, it wasn’t an easy time. As I read back over it now, one thing still resonates, I wanted things to return to normal.

Today, the day after terrible bombings have ripped apart the lauded Boston Marathon, I am feeling similarly and know that my resolve was fostered in that first week after 9/11. As I told parents who warned me that I should not chance a trip to visit Arron in NYC so soon after the 9/11 attacks, I refuse to live in terror.

Just like driving through the Lincoln Tunnel with machine gun armed officials and security delays; the running of large races is going to take on a very different tone for a while but I refuse to stop racing. I still intend to sign up for the ING NYC Marathon lottery later this month.

A dear young soul was lost at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday. An 8 year-old boy was killed in the bombings. He was probably there to experience the thrill of seeing a loved one accomplish an achievement of a lifetime. It made me think of Arron when he was 8 and how he was always so excited to cheer me and Jim on in anything we were undertaking at that time. If Arron and Jim want to stand at the finish line when I run the ING NYC Marathon (this year or next), I won’t pretend that yesterday’s bombings of the Boston Marathon won’t come to mind. I know my family will want to do what brings them joy and inspiration too. I refuse to stop them from being inspired by the many great runners and one trit-trotting family member who intends to cross that finish line.

I am sad for so many reasons today. I hate dragging out my 9/11 memories. Running is a wonderful therapeutic thing to me and it is going to take a long time for me not to think about the terrible bombings as I pull on my running shoes. What would be worse would be for me to stop running, or going to races to cheer Jim on or running in races myself.

Social media is much more massive than it was on 9/11/01. People change their FaceBook or Twitter profile photos to back any and all causes. Someone suggested as a show of support for those impacted by the Boston bombings to change all profile photos to running shoes but I think I will leave mine the same as it has been for a while now. It is the moment I am crossing the finish line of my first full marathon, a moment of joy for accomplishing something I worked so hard for. I refuse to let that moment to be taken away and as support for all those who have been damaged yesterday, I refuse to live in terror.

Streaking

I have a LOT of photos to share this time so make sure to enjoy the ones in the slide show on the bottom of this post if your subscription via email isn’t displaying them properly. Some of them are of a local 5k but don’t be mislead by the title of this post, they aren’t in the nude. Nor are the ones that represent all of the places I have been streaking around the east coast and midwest lately.

This is our third year to participate in the Juniata County Business and Professional Women’s 5k. We started with its first year and are pleased to have not missed a race since it debuted in 2011. I had also been streaking the Capital 10-miler in Harrisburg but had important family business in Ann Arbor this year and chose to miss it.

2012 Juniata County BPW

The Juniata Co. BPW 5k has a history, for me, of being a pretty challenging race. The course is very nice and the volunteers are the best but I seem to have an annual habit of making it harder for myself than I need too. The first year (see the race photo here) was pouring buckets of ice-cold rain. I was not responsible for the weather but I was not being wise to the fact that I was creating a terrible heal spur with untreated plantar fasciitis. I was in terrible pain in 2011. Last year, I had been up very late to stay with my sister, Tracy, after a late concert she wanted to attend then have a driving buddy to our parents house. It made for a very jolly run in 2012, seeing Tracy across the finish line of her very first 5k but I was quite tired from the lack of sleep.

Here is Jimmy the Eye’s race recap:
The Juniata County Business and Professional Women’s 3rd annual Wellness 5K on April 13, 2013.

Began and ended at Cedar Grove Church in Mifflintown.

We knew we would be doing this race on very little sleep, and since this is one that we are both streaking, we wanted to keep the tradition going. In fact, we joked that the tradition is starting to look like doing this 5K on little sleep, as last year Terri did it with only a few hours rest as well.

After seeing our son perform at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, we made it back to my in-law’s home in Lewistown in Saturday’s early hours. Soon after 3 a.m. we both agreed to what time to set the alarms to get up. At 6:30 a.m., we both questioned why we needed to get up so early. Stiff from a full day of traveling, we got freshened up and got dressed for the 5K. It was a brisk temperature outside as we enjoyed our coffee and looked at the clock.

As it was going on 8 a.m., we decided to head out and let everyone else sleep. We made early it to where race registration would take place, and agreed to drive the race route just to refresh our memories. We both think that this is a great little 5k route, typical of the terrain of the region — including the “road-apples.” Mentally we noted when the up hills started, where the mile markers were, and where the half-way point/water station would be located. When we can, we find that driving a race route to get familiar with its course really helps us to mentally prepare for the run ahead of us.

Parking is ample at the church, and we chose our spot. The next hour and a half went quickly. Made up of short warm-up jogs and stretches, picking up our race packets, fueling, and deciding what to finally end up wearing. The race packets had our shirts (great teal color this year!), wrist band, coupons, and sponsor’s flyers and we had good time looking through everything. We watched other runners arrive, and tried to determine if they were in our age category. It was nice recognizing folks from either this race or the other regional races. Most importantly, we agreed upon that this run was to be about no injuries, running our own race, and no PRs.

I never feel confident deciding where to be in the pack before the race start. As crowd of around 60 gathered at the line, I looked around and settled behind a gentleman who I thought might have similar if not slightly faster pace. He is in the 60+ group, and is an inspiration to see running. I saw Terri was just a few few feet back from me. I felt pretty good overall, nicely warmed-up, and ready. There was another gentleman ahead of me, and I remembered him from last year’s run. I could just read on his bib that he was 53 years old and so was in my age category. I figured his strategy was to start off quickly, get some distance, and then settle in to his pace. So at this point I tried to only think of my run, keep in a good form and stay in tune with what my body was saying at any given time.

I like playing the mental game of “shark and remora” so as the race began, I staying tucked just a couple of steps off of the 60+ man’s left. I noticed that the 53 year old was just that distance away from his right side. The pace might have been a little quicker that I would have started out at, but I reassured myself that I was warmed up, and my body agreed. I really do not remember much about passing folks or being passed during the first mile — I just was keeping within striking distance with the two other guys as long as it felt right. Ideally, I thought that I would make any move after 2 miles, and to see how they both handled hills and straight aways.

The first hill started its climb, and the older of the two started to slow his pace just a bit. The younger was steady the three of us probably looked like part of a line of geese flying in formation. As the first turn approached and the hill kept climbing, I decided to make my first move. I knew the course and I was in a great spot for taking the tangents and the first half of the course. I kept tight to the turn and eased past the older fellow. Now it was the 53 y.o. and me. I kept off of his left a couple of steps as the hill climbed and turned again. With uphills there are downhills, so I was interested in seeing how he handled this one, which is gentle. We crested the hill, and as we neared the 1 mile mark, he started to back off his pace and coast the hill. Terri is my running inspiration, and her training tips are always insightful. My shins and feet felt great, my form felt good, and I was ready to use this hill to my advantage. I looked at my watch — 10:10 . “Wow, this run is certainly feeling a lot different than a 10:10 pace, but every run is different. ” I tried to efficiently use the downhill and moved on ahead of my shark. Now, the remora becomes the shark, and I had a feeling that he was going to stay right behind me. I did not look around, and really could not hear if anyone was there since I choose not to run with my hearing aids in. When I looked at my watch again I realized that I was looking at the time of day, not my running time. Oh well, I wasn’t going to get hung up on that. I kept up the pace to the halfway point and decided not to slow to take water. I cheered on the folks that had made the turn already, trying to note their age and gender. As I made the turn, I could see my remora my some distance back, but not knowing his style, felt he could still catch up on the next hill. I looked for Terri, and spotted her. We both moved toward to center line and slapped hands as we passed by each other. What a highlight!

I found another shark ahead in the distance. She had a pace similar to mine and we gradually climbed the hill and the 2 mile mark. The next leg is a bit of a blur, but I kept what felt was a steady pace and tried to think of good form. Near the 3 mile mark a younger boy and I jockeyed back and forth for a bit, and I am sure that he didn’t want to be “pappied” and made his kick. I thought about it for a split second, but decided to wait until closer to the finish line. The finish is at the bottom of a small hill in the church parking lot. I turned into the lot, saw the clock, and mentally saw that I could probably make it in just under 25 minutes.

I kicked into high gear, crossed the line, and then just kept walking to the water station. I know from Terri’s and my own experience how important it is to not stop immediately after a run. I looked down the course to see Terri on the final stretch. I grabbed a water and hustled over to cheer her on as she crossed the line.

Tired after the 2013 Juniata Co. BPW 5k

We spent some time cheering on other runners and cooling down together until the race awards were handed out. We went back to the finish line to see the finishing times and age groups and saw that we were most likely first in our categories.

Terri picked out a spot good for taking photos, and we clapped for the winners in the younger age groups. As it became time for the 50-59 groups, the announcer said that there was a delay and she talked to another woman or two. We joked that they needed to double-check if there was any doping, and a fellow near us said it was from the poppy seed muffin I had eaten.

Terri was awarded first place in her group and I snapped a photo of her and her group holding their awards. They handed out the wards in the final two categories before wrapping back to the men’s 50-59 group. There were only three runners in the race in that category and we all got awards! Next year it looks like there could be some serious speedy new 50year olds though.

Overall, this is a great little 5K. Not too many people, and a fair share of walk/runners with plenty of crowd support at the end. Its terrain is just what we typically train on, and so feels good to us. The group raises money for a good cause, and I hope this race continues for many years to come. I do hope that in the future, we do get more sleep the night before, but until then, it makes for some good tales as we streak this race.

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Mt. Nittany Marathon Course – first half

This September, State College is going to have its very own full marathon. The Mt. Nittany Marathon will be a scenic 26.2 mile certified course winding around the area of its namesake – Mt. Nittany. Utilizing local bike paths and roadways, the inaugural marathon will be on Sunday, September 1 of Labor Day weekend. Historical average temperatures range from a low of 50 degrees to a high of 77 degrees Fahrenheit it will start at 8 AM and has a 7 hour course limit. Based on current qualifying dates, the Mt. Nittany Marathon will also serve as a last-chance qualifier for the 2014 Boston Marathon.

Many of the sections of the planned course I am familiar with and today I decided to run the first half. It starts on campus, goes by Jim’s work at the 1 mile point and slips down onto the limited access Big Hollow Rd for a spell – very nice. The next few miles follow sections of the Nittany Valley Half Marathon route but backward. Fox Hollow to Orchard (the Spiral of Death) takes you down this time to skirt Millbrook Marsh and onto a local bike path. I run this bike path about once a week so it was strange to exit it well before I was used to and run through Lemont. The narrow road around the base of Mt. Nittany has very little shoulder space to offer and I had to stay very alert as it snaked its way through the quarry and came out in Oak Hall.

At about 8 miles, Jim met me with some water before I started the RoLlInG hIlLs on Brush Valley Rd, past Mt. Nittany Winery and cut through Linden Hall. This cuts back another section of the same valley so it was a surprise to me to realise I had been running with a tail wind on Brush Valley Rd. The next couple of miles along Linden Hall Rd. were a real challenge today but my over all pace was ok.

I would say as a training route it is challenging because of needing to stay very alert for traffic more that half of the run, pretty much the last 7 miles. As a race, it won’t be an easy course but it is BEAUTIFUL! I am still deciding if I am going to sign up for it – I suppose I could run it 2 months prior to the NYC Marathon as a training run if I am very careful.

As it turns out, Jim didn’t have to go anywhere from the 8 mile point because just after 13 the course kisses and I was able to come right back. It was a good length and it really demystified how I would feel on the hills which, until today, I had only every biked before.

The 59th Street Bridge Run (Feelin’ Groovy)

Us over 50 year-old folks fondly remember many Simon & Garfunkel tunes and it was hard not to think this one Sunday morning last as we ran along the East River Esplanade.

We plotted out a run that started a few block from Carl Schurtz Park near Gracie Mansion and ran with the East RIver to our left. I had run this section last June when I visited Arron and was happy to share it with Jim.

After we turned around at the 59th Street Bridge, we snapped some photos with lamppost and went kickin’ down the cobblestones. Lookin’ for fun, we passed the park and continued up river the whole way to 120th Street. That was our most northerly point before turning back and taking a little snack break.

We stopped at the pedestrian bridge that lead over to Randalls Island and sucked down a couple up Hammer Gels about an hour into our run. Between stopping for photos and sharing water from the CamelBak, this was not a speedy run but it sure was fun. We turned left as we got onto Randalls Island and snaked our way along Harem River Pathway to a point that is called Hell Gate Circle. We trotted along under the railway line that leads south to Hell Gate Bridge. The photos we got there are impressive but we were getting tired and knew we had to turn back.

All in all, we logged about 11 miles of New York City fun on Saint Patrick’s Day. We returned to have a terrific brunch and hugged Arron & Amy goodbye before Jim drove us back to central PA.

All I Need is the Air that I Breathe

Seemed panorama of the inside of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Note dancers and staff on end of stage with respirators on.

Arron fooling around with a stage prop in his respirator.

Imagine being a professional athlete. That in itself is really a stretch for me; being paid for the awesome things you can accomplish with your physical prowess is just beyond my comprehension. I know they have trainers and if they are really accomplished they have a line up of physical therapists and advisors and also their colleagues to help guide them to perform at their best for as long as possible.

There are always the challenges of what higher elevations ask of a body but what of poor air quality? Beijing made a strong effort before the 2008 Olympics to improve the air quality which resulted in a temporary boost in heart health, only to worsen after the games. Recently, an air quality reading at Beijing’s American embassy showed a PM 2.5 level of 886 micrograms per cubic meter; Beijing’s own municipal monitoring center acknowledged readings in excess of 700 micrograms.

For perspective on that set of figures, consider that the guideline values set by the World Health Organization regard any air with more than 25 micrograms of PM 2.5 per cubic meter as being of unacceptable quality.

One of Arron’s co-workers, warming up before rehearsals in the theater’s studio in Beijing.

I was breathing hard during a little cross training today when my core workout was cut short by texts from Arron who was wrapping up is day in Beijing. On tour in China for 3 weeks, American Ballet Theatre has 4 more days in Beijing and they are all, “ready to come home.”

After assuming his mom that he is “pretty good,” his next comment was, “the pollution here is so so terrible.” Arron isn’t ever one to complain nor exaggerate so I knew for him to comment on it made it something massive. He told me how that other than in the theater or hotel room, he wears his respirator all day long. Walking out in the city the air hurts his eyes and they, “get all caked.”

He told me how difficult it is performing full out on the stage. Ballet dancers don’t have the luxery of looking fatigued or double over after they have completed a series of leaps, turns and lefts. They have to look like they are at ease in what ever character they are portraying. Ballet is an art first and foremost but it requires the stamina of an Olympian to perform it at the professional level. My son is one of the best in the world and it is shocking to hear of how difficult it is for them.

The dancers of American Ballet Theatre are world class athletes in top shape. To hear how it effects them makes me try to imagine what terrible effects it is having on anyone in ill health or who has to stay for extended periods of time. The next time I am huffing and puffing with my lungs feeling like they are going to burst from a hard run, I will try to draw on how grateful I am to have clean air to be sucking into my lungs.

National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Dancers putting their respirators up on their foreheads while rehearsing for their performance of Swan Lake tonight.

Stepping over the Wall

If January was recovery from a bit of Achilles tendonitis, February was all about getting over myself. The whole month felt like a huge barrier and many of my runs felt sluggish. I looked back and last February was kind of like that for me too. I am not sure Jim was feeling the same way because his progress in training seemed to be coming along just fine. I found myself frustrated with my lack of progress and spiralled into a bit of apathy.

Both of our birthdays fell within a month of each other. The sweet treats and less motivation for regular core work had my midsection showing a definite increase. The one race for which we were training will not happen because it turns out we have a significant conflict.

The end of February came and I took a look at my attitude at my obstacles. I could either keep slogging along half heartedly or make some effort to find another motivating race and step up my training again. I am choosing to climb over that wall I have been hitting and see what is on the other side.

I have yet to find another race to replace the Capital 10-miler but the new gear for my birthday (which includes some lighter weight Brooks Ghosts from my parents) have been a real incentive to get moving. The tights are a lil snug around the midsection but I know that will change soon if I keep a regular schedule of core work along with my running.

March is brighter, literally with its increased daylight. I look forward to getting out of the fog of Febraury and running with Jim through Springtime. Arron and Amy have also planned visits for this next month so that is something more to look forward to. Currently, Arron’s company is touring China and he is in Beijing today. Yesterday he visited the Great Wall (his second time to see it). Looks like he too is comfortable with climbing walls and exploring. I am pleased for us both.