Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

December 24, 2024

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Location:

Snoqualmie,WA,

Member Since:

Jan 31, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Marathon PR: 4:17 at Portland Marathon, Oct. 2007

5K PR 24:37 2009

10K PR 52:58 2010

Have run 22 marathons to date.

No injuries, ever.   :)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for Boston (4:05 for my age/gender) - or, perhaps, to use my desire for a BQ as a way to get in the hated speed work so I don't just get slower and slower over the years.  This goal is "under (re)construction" right now, until I figure out whether it is truly what I want. :) 


Long-Term Running Goals:

To continue learning about myself and about running, and to enjoy being a fit, happy runner for life.   To always know why I am running and the best way to get the most (both mentally and physically) out of my runs.  To keep a sense of humor and remain optimistic about myself as a runner.  To enjoy running more and more with every passing year. 

Personal:

Baby boomer generation.  Jogged a little in my 20's and 30's.  Started running seriously in 2002.  Low-carb runner since January 2010. 

I love long runs and cold, cloudy weather.  I don't believe in "junk miles."  I am an optimist.  I adore dark chocolate, fog, my family, and knitting -- not necessarily in that order.  

"As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are."  -- Joan Benoit Samuelson 


Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Brooks ST3 Lifetime Miles: 891.35
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles: 23.77
Brooks ST3 II Lifetime Miles: 965.17
Lunaracers II Lifetime Miles: 198.23
Mizuno Wave Universe 3 Lifetime Miles: 104.14
Asics Piranha Lifetime Miles: 536.83
RunAmocs (Softstar) Lifetime Miles: 16.23
Piranha II Lifetime Miles: 219.53
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.570.000.000.006.57

Objective: Leave house. Keep hat on head.

Weather: Strong winds (Beaufort 6-8) and heavy rain.

15 min. core & weights

What a wild ride!  I feel just a teensy bit guilty that I blew off my original objectives of running 9 miles with 5 @ MP, but this is exactly the kind of morning when I would have blown off the whole run last winter.  The sound of the wind, occasionally shaking the very house, kept me from sleeping soundly, so I woke up cranky and belligerent.  Then I lost lots of time repeatedly changing my mind about what to wear (probably subconscious procrastination).  Once I did get out, it was all I could do to just see where I was going and keep my hat on.  The first quarter mile was into the wind on Laurel, then I came back the other direction on Chanticleer and whoosh! Just be sure to pick up your feet and get ready to fly.  It was kind of fun. :)

And in the ongoing search for better winter attire... You'll see in my bio that I had a little jogging phase in the 80's, from which survived my one and only pair of running tights.  I have no idea why I've kept them; until this morning they have not seen daylight since the Reagan Administration.  For one thing, they are an embarrassingly bright shade of blue that only the 80's could have produced. Moreover, I have long felt that running tights are just too immodest, at least for me.  But after Tuesday's experience in the heavy rain, and a subsequent phone conversation about wet weather running with the experts at Super Jock n Jill, I was convinced that I must try tights in the rain.  They worked great.  (Sigh.)  So much for modesty.  But I will be purchasing a pair in black.   I also donned my cycling jacket (instead of the Asics jacket), so I was mostly dry on top and wet but comfortable on the legs.  The cylcing jacket is bulky, noisy and a bit too warm sometimes, but it does the job for the worst wind and rain.

Blue Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 6.57
Comments
From jefferey on Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 11:26:28

I remember last year during one of these big blows that my hat and glasses were blown off. One of the lenses in my glasses came out and flew away and so I ended up searching for 15 minutes and finally ran home only seeing out of 1 eye. At least it wasn't raining that day. Any miles in this kind of wind is like a MP mile8).

Here is a quote from the book "The Greatest Salesman in the World" It's really long but you are doing it so well.

I will persist until I succeed. In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each in brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth I will recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed. I will persist until I succeed. I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will not hear those who weep and complain for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny. I will persist until I succeed. The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.I will persist until I succeed. Henceforth, I will consider each day's effort as a but a blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may not cause a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes he oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today. I will be liken to the rain drop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking. I will persist until I succeed. I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair . I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows. I will persist until I succeed. I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once. I will persist until I succeed. I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm. I will persist until I succeed. Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or failure, I will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I plant the seed of tomorrow's success and gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full. I will persist until I succeed. Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life. So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win. I will persist. I will win.

Never will I be of concern that my goals are too high for is it not better to aim my spear at the moon and strike only an eagle that to aim my spear at the eagle and strike only a rock?

From JD on Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 12:37:43

Nice job getting out under those conditions.

From snoqualmie on Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 12:49:27

Thanks, Jeff, for taking the time to share that with me. My favorite line was: "I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life."

From Kelli on Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 15:51:01

"I will persist until I succeed." I love that!!

I LOVE reading your running reports. LOVE IT. You are so detailed I feel like I am there with you (and I wish I was after seeing those great pictures). Winter running is HARD. I have always quit, so this has been an experience for me the last few weeks. I too had to give in to those darn running tights! I HATE tight anything, but I was sold after wearing them once. I feel like a hoochie mama, but oh well---i am a warm hoochie mama!! I found some great tights that are black with a pink stripe down the side. I bought a black under armour shirt, and then all of my pink fleece accessories (a jacket, a vest, gloves, and an ear warmer headband thing). I look darn cute! Go shopping until you can find the cutest tights out there, and then accessorize! You will be loving your cuteness as well!!

Have a good day.

From Dale on Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 16:21:41

Way to tough it out! We've gotten a bit of wind but no rain so far, so you must be getting all of ours up there :). Just think of all the character you're building with this misery runs!

From Carolyn on Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 17:37:13

Freakin' amazing.

From snoqualmie on Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 19:26:15

Kelli - Thanks for the compliment and for the encouragement. Tights, a necessary evil. Thank goodness I run mostly in the dark in the winter months.

Dale - I live a wind tunnel here. But I'm sure you're now getting the same deluge as we are. Same for tomorrow and Saturday I hear.

Thanks everyone for comments of encouragement. This is the winter I'm going to keep my mileage up!!

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