Half Marathon VS. 10K

I ran in the Teton Dam Marathons 10K last Saturday.  Remember last year?  I did the half marathon and enjoyed it quite a bit.  I had also been running for five months previous and spent 2 and half of that officially training.  I was totally prepared.  And I laugh at how I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to do it.

This year, I waited too long to start training.  Well, running again because the saddest thing is that I hadn't run for more than 3 weeks strait at a time since I finished that Half Marathon last year.  April rolled around and I kept thinking.. one year ago I was running 6 miles without stopping.  Then May rolled around and I thought... one year ago I was running 8 or 9 miles without stopping.  It was depressing.  But, I put off running because I kept thinking, I might be pregnant by June and running would be much harder.  So I didn't get myself out the door to run. 

Well, beginning of May came around and Chelsey, one of my friends asked me to run the Teton Dam 10K with her.  By that time we had already decided to continue waiting to start trying, so I knew I wouldn't be pregnant.  So, I started running again.  I had only been running for four weeks by the time last saturday rolled around.  What's amazing, is that 2 weeks before the race I was running and had meant to run 4 miles and felt so good I ran 5 and a half.  I was so happy that my body jumped right back into it.  Then Monday happened (Memorial Day) and I ran 3 miles and felt like poo.  Wednesday, felt even worse - Thursday same thing.  By that time my throat had started killing so I knew I was sick. 

I never kicked the cold/sore throat (Strep? who knows) by the time the race was and so I ran that 10K (4 miles up hill and only 2 flat/downhill) and didn't enjoy it.  I mean... I enjoyed it, I find I really enjoy a race although, I'm not really racing anyone, my goal is to run the whole thing without stopping and hit around a 10 minute mile. 

The results?  Last year I ran 13.1 miles with a 10.14 minute mile.  This time it was 10.21 minute mile!  What the?!  I ran less than half the distance and it took longer!!!  I realized that I need to do better training, run for more than 4 weeks before a race, RUN HILLS and do interval stuff. 

How did I feel?  Like poo.  I wished I had gone to the doctor the first morning I woke up with my throat in shreds and my voice gone.  I enjoyed the experience but after I crossed that finish line I didn't not feel the euphoria I did last year.  Last year I was inexpressibly happy and felt so good that I had accomplished that.  I was ready to do it again the next weekend.  I smiled the whole day.  This year I was like, "Oh, so glad that's over."  

Lesson learned:  Train, intervals, hills and DON'T GET SICK. 

I also decided that barring I'm not too pregnant or haven't just barely had a baby I will run in that race every year.  Even if I am 8 weeks postpartum and only do the 5K.   Although, they give you the really nice running shirts if you run in the half or the full.  If you do anything else you just get a cotton T-Shirt.  So, I'm aiming for the half if not the full (someday) every time so I can get the nice running shirts every time! 

Here are some last years and this years:

Last year this was the picture soonest to the finish line.  Jaren showed up about 15 minutes after I was done...

This year:  So he made sure to be there super early this time!

This Year: (since I didn't have any of him right after wards last year, here is this years)

This year:  Lindsey came!!!

Last Year:  I got a medal!  I think they only go to the Half and Full Marathoners, because I didn't get one this year. 

 

This Year:  no metal :(

 Last Year:  Number

This Year:  Number (last years was green (for halfers) this year was orange (for the 10K)

 

Last Year:  Family Picture!

 This Year:  Family!

 Last Year:  The Nugget

 This Year:  The Nugget!

 I just want to leave you with a picture of the year 2030's most beautiful woman in the world.

She's watching Dora :) 

Grateful

Tomorrow Jaren and I are driving to Washington to go to my Grandpa's funeral.  I feel like my thoughts and feelings are all over the place.  Losing my Grandma a year ago was incredibly hard.  Not that I ever worry about where she is, because she's better off than me, that's for sure.  But I just miss her.  And it was sad for what my Dad lost and what my Grandpa lost.

When I was 10 my Grandpa (my Mom's Dad) passed away very suddenly to cancer.  We found out one day and a few weeks later he was gone.  I don't remember a lot about him.  I was young, and a girl and he loved to fly fish and took my brother, Nathan out all the time.  I don't feel like I ever got to know him - but most of those things are supposed to come later.  Right?  What kind of a conversation could he have had with a 10 year old little girl?  I'll tell you what, especially from me, "I really like Bobby, but he likes Vanessa and I just can't figure it out because we are MADE for each other!!"

When I was 9 my Grandpa (Dad's Dad) had a severe stroke.  It left him having to learn how to eat, drive, talk and do just about everything again.  Even though I don't feel like I really got to know him (more than his mental capacity could allow) either I am so grateful he didn't die then.  Because the memories I have of growing up and going to their house are wonderful.  He was always so excited to see me and ALWAYS remembered me.  Even when I went away to college or came back huge (dramatically different than any pictures) pregnant.  He had to have at least 2 hugs and made me kiss each cheek :)  I would sit and listen to him tell me about "the boys"  and "the cows"  and anything else that was going on with the farm.  For the most part I always knew what he was talking about.  He would pull out old photo albums and yearbooks from when he was in high school and growing up.  I would sigh and realize I was going to be there for a while (I had seen and heard the stories countless times), but always would enjoy every second of it.  It made him incredibly happy to be able to talk about the things he knew and experienced.  It was so important for everyone to understand "I was smart" and he would point to his head.  He would say, "I had all the ladies, but one, only one... mama" (which was my grandma).  She would roll her eyes, smile and say, "Oh, Garn."

His passing isn't necessarily sad for me.  It was time, he was 89.  He didn't have the best quality of life and my Grandma was no longer here.  All I could think about was how he could be whole again and be with my Grandma.  And his Mom, who died when he was 8 months old.  I am going to miss him, his company, his stories, his smile, and how he always always told me he loved me.  "Oh, I love you" as dramatically has he could say it.  I felt special in a sea of over 50 grandchildren, he had to have my picture up so he could see it while he was sitting in his chair.  He would point to it and say, "that's my girl"  I know all of us granddaughters were "his girls"  but it still made me feel special. 

I still really miss my Grandma.  It wasn't until I graduated from High School and started working on the farm regularly and would go to her house for lunches and naps that I feel I really built my relationship with her.  And she always was so interested in my life.  So concerned with who I was dating, were they nice?  She was excited to find out that one of her best friends was related to Jaren (his Grandma's sister).  And she could find out everything she needed to know about the family.  And it was all good, so she told me I could marry him :)

Thinking about them, about everything I know and the time I spent with them I am left feeling incredibly grateful for the time I was able to spend with them.  That I was able to know such wonderful people.  That I grew up in the same town, saw them every Sunday and during the week.  Grandma came to some of my games and performances.  I know not everyone get's to grow up around their Grandparents, but I lived a few miles from one set and 30 minutes from my Grandma.  I am grateful for my family, who sacrifice so much without being expected to.  My Dad and Uncle who rotated every other night for the last year staying with my Grandpa, helping him with everything he couldn't do so he could stay in his home.  Where he was happiest and most familiar.  April 14th last year my Grandma went into the nursing home and passed away just over a month later.  April 14th this year my Grandpa when into the same nursing home and passed away within 4 days of my Grandma's 1 year date of passing. 

I'm so looking forward to this weekend and learning more about each of them through my Aunts and Uncles.  I cherish the stories.

I hope that I can reach into my 80's and look back at my life and legacy like they did.  With a full, happy life.  It's hard to say goodbye now, but I know I'll see them again and it's such a great comfort to know that they will be there to greet me when it's my time.

As soon as I get my external hard drive to work on this computer I'll have some pictures of my Grandma, too.