Q and A Post

So I have gotten a few questions lately and I have failed to answer them, SORRY FOLKS! I’m terrible about answering questions and I will work on it. But for now, here it goes:

-Fancy Nancy writes:

Seriously reading yours and Mel's race reports I have been playing that back and forth about training for another marathon! I want to run another one BAD but am struggling with the time it takes for long runs. How did you squeeze it in?

Good question Fancy Nancy! It is hard, the hardest part I think. Which is what makes it all the more rewarding to actually accomplish it! During OKC and Portland training I was pretty much a single mom while Hubs was playing Army in lands unknown. So juggling being a mom and getting my ME time in is pretty hard. I am lucky enough to have an independent contract job where my hours are very VERY flexible. I don’t work the traditional 8-5 job. During OKC and Portland training I did all my long runs either on a Friday morning or a Monday morning. I actually did my first 20 miler on a Monday starting at 10 AM and finished around 1 PM. I loaded all my clients up on Tues-Fri for that week. I also used the local college track that was fenced and and took LB with me to do my speed work and/or shorter runs (5 miles or less). He was contained and enjoyed playing outside. I was never more than 400 yards away. I also had a wonderful group of friends who understood my need to run and they were there for me. My Official Race Crew (Jessica) would come over on Saturday mornings to hang with LB so I could run or she would come along to races so she could hang with him. I could not have done it without her or my other friends supporting me! You can read my post about leaving them HERE. Also, I have to say I only have one child. I hear that with every additional child the degree of difficulty is multiplied. So two kids is 200 x’s harder, 3 kids is 300 x’s harder and so on and so forth…But in my Vegas training The Hubs was around and he was more than supportive. I would get up early on the weekend and get it done. It is hard and it is a commitment. But you can do it! Just get friends and family on board and let them know you need their support to help  you become a better YOU!

-Julie writes:

Have you ever done a trail race? Changing it up and doing a 25K would be a fun challenge for you! If you want to run some trails next time you are in OK, then I'd love to run with you. :) And there are some fun trail races in OK.

I have done some trail running, per se! I participated in the Rainier to Ruston  Ultra Rails to Trails relay twice and Mt. Si Ultra Relay twice. Each of these puts runners on some pretty gnarly trails! Once I did the first leg of the R2R race, it was 7 miles of trial only about 6  inches wide! At one point we were pretty much looking straight down on one side to a roaring river on the side of Mt. Rainier! Absolutely gorgeous, breathtaking and awesome (I ran sans headphones so I could enjoy the nature and hear if a bear is coming to eat me). I do like trail running but it is completely different than road racing. I would need to adjust my gear and get over my desire to keep my shoes white and sparkly. =)

-Curlyred writes:

Let's find one we can both get to and set our training plans for quality runs only! When is OBX? This post makes me want to try for #7 and I thought I was done after Portland. I'm serious. Let's do this thing!!

OBX is when YOU are coming HERE! Let’s do it!! See you November 13, 2011!

-I Run Like A Girl  asks about my hat in this post HERE:

GOOD LUCK!! You are going to rock the run! PS - are you wearing an Army 10 Miler hat in the picture with Tall Mom?

Nope, not an Army 10 Miler but an Army 1/2 Marathon held at Ft. Lewis WA , or now called JBLM in WA. Pretty cool though, huh? Maybe I will do THE Army 10 Miler next year now that I am on this side of the country!

-Jess @ Blonde Ponytail writes (but I am super jealous of her Maui, HI ponytail right now…):

The photo finish is absolutely a framer!
I think you need to give your self some major props for your recap--I felt like I could picture the trek and feel your battle!
So, no Vegas again? I have to ask...what's the next one? I have not decided on my next full, but I surely want to do one--in an arid climate (no Portland experience again!).
Great work beating your Portland time!!!!
And, does Mel get friend of the year/decide/life or what?!

NO VEGAS AGAIN. Sorry to burst any bubbles here but it just didn’t live up to the Vegas expectation. The half would be good though. The next one? Hard to say but I think I will only do one in 2011 and shoot for OBX here in North Carolina. I have a 5k next Saturday and a half on 3/20/11. My big goal for this summer is a Half Iron, if I can find one reasonably close by! And YES! Mel gets friend of the century! I could NOT have finished Vegas without her. If I would have been there alone I most likely would have either done the half only, quit, or not even shown up to the start. It would have been heartbreaking. So yes, Mel is awesome and I owe her BIG TIME!

-Pam writes about the Vegas Marathon Expo HERE:

It was CRAZY, right??? It's funny reading this. We were all the same places but never at the same times! I tried to keep a watch out for you guys on the course but I never saw anyone I thought even MIGHT be y'all.
So did you not just want to go into the crowd and bitch slap everyone standing at the half/full split that was yelling, "Woohoo, you're almost there!!!"?

YES! The expo was ridiculous! I think it was because of the bar they had there, everyone was drinking…just kidding, not everyone…ALMOST everyone. And YES! I hate it when people yell “You’re almost there!” SO not the thing to say to a runner when there still have double digits left on the Garmin. I really think they are just clueless and have no idea, kind of like the guy who told me he was “training for the Sound to Narrows Marathon” Um yeah buddy, that race? IT’S A 12K! Marathon, 12k…same thing, right. Um, NO. What ev..People just aren’t educated about the sport. They have no idea that a full marathon is 26.2 miles. My husband told a guy I was going to run the Vegas Marathon. His reply was, “How far is that one?” That’s like telling someone “I am running the 100 yard dash in Abu Dhabi.” And they say, “Oh how far is that race”. Yeah, 100 yards is 100 yards, no matter where you are. I guess we just need to educate people about our sport…

Ok, well that is all I have for now! This was fun!!! Any more questions? Ask away and I will try to do another question and answer post soon!