Sunday, February 14, 2010

The Lace Up for Breast Cancer Half Marathon Race Report..

Okay, well I will spill the beans about my shoe dilemma. Yes, I was a stupid woman and wore new shoes for my second half marathon. I don't know if it was totally the wrong idea because my other shoes were no prize either. I went out and purchased a new pair of Asics and I went up a half of a size just to see if that would help with my toe issue. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and opinions and just so you know, I did read all of your comments about ten times before deciding what to do:) They did match my outfit nicely..so I guess there is that:)

I went on line and purchased a very special "save the ta tas" shirt and socks!! Thanks Heather for pointing me in the right direction for my socks!! They are very cute! I got up at 4 AM due to my two hour drive to Rochester. When I pulled out of driveway the temperature guage in my van read twenty-three degrees. I thought, excellent, it is not thirty degrees but I will take it!
I stopped off at the side of the highway this morning to take a few pictures of the first beautiful views of sun light peeking over the horizon. It was 6:35 Am!! This means the days are definitely getting longer!! Woo hoo, there is hope that spring is on its way!!
The closer I got to Rochester the colder it got! At one point I looked down and the temperature read seventeen, and then a few more miles eleven. Yikes, it is getting cold! I figured I ran the Polar Dash and it was two degrees that day so eleven would be okay. About a half hour later it was zero!! Alright, you can stop going down temperature gauge! When I pulled into the parking lot it was seven below zero!! I do think it did warm up a few degrees by race time but don't know by how much:)
I was pretty excited to run the Lace Up because I knew I was going to meet my blogger friend Renee! Maybe some of you remember how I mentioned her in my blog in my first "Tribute to my favorite blogs." She is a stellar runner who consistently produces speedy finish times in every distance possible!! I spotted Renee as I was walking into the building and we were able to meet. Later we were able to talk more and she is so nice:) She was kind enough to put together a gift package of homemade cookies for me. Renee actually made over six hundred cookies for the Lace Up For Breast Cancer event!!
Here I am right after I picked up my racing bib and Lace Up hat.
This is a picture of Renee and me! She made me feel so short and I am five foot seven and a half inches:)
This is Mike, he is another Rochester runner who also has a blog. Mike was also very nice and I will explain more on how he helped me to get my butt across the finish line!!

This handsome man is Arvid, he is a St. Cloud River Runner who just turned over his presidency after being president for the running association for the past three years. I see tons of pictures of him in Renee's blog so I went and introduced myself! I love Arvid, he is so sweet. He told me that I had a runners body and that I was skinny!! Bless his heart...Arvid you had me at you have a runners body:) Arvid, maybe I could adopt you and you can be my big brother. I already adopted Jon for my little brother but I could use an older brother. Arvid also left me a comment wanting to know if I would be interested in the Lake Wobegon Marathon in May. I found this very funny and kind of sweet that he would think that I could finish a full! Arvid, I will think about it:)
This is the only picture that I took throughout the race. This was in the first mile and honestly, after mile one I was in no mood to take any more pictures. We lined up at the starting line and my plan was to follow Mike. He was helping a friend try to run a 2:00 half. I figured I could use him as my pacer. It just took me a few minutes to figure out that there was no way in hell he was running a nine minute mile. Mike just took off like a flash and I was thinking, "Oh crap!" I looked down at my garmin and it wasn't recording pace or miles! The only thing that it was displaying was time! Crap and double crap!! Now what the hell am I going to do? Living on a wing and a prayer! This race was so different compared to my first half marathon because of the number of runners. I think there were maybe 185 runners today and my first half marathon had over 1000 racers. Mile one was okay the course was snow covered and icy for part of the way and running trails were clear of snow but there were always icy patches to watch for. Mile two and three were doable. Mile four was when I noticed the first sign of annoyed toes. Mile five and six I honestly don't remember.....I was probably telling myself that I should of wore my old shoes. At one of the water stops about five guys yelled, "Woo, save the ta tas! Go save the ta ta's girl!!" That made me smile and I waved and said, "Thanks guys!!" Miles seven and eight my toes were burning and I was almost in tears. "Julie you are an idiot, yep you are! What and the hell were you thinking?" I am really having a hard time remembering many details because I was concentrating on dealing with my pain. The good news is that my hip was fine...no issues with that at least! Mile ten came and I remember wishing I had a Ryan to run with like I did in my first half marathon. Ryan was a nice guy who ran with me the last three or four miles and he helped me by just being there. People were passing me left and right and I was getting very frustrated. I knew that there was no way that I was going to PR...nope not today. I found the snow roads very challenging and they really frustrated me. I thought about Meg again and her saying that it would seem short....just so you know Meg, I did smile for a short time:) I was thinking about how there will be a day in the future that I will feel the same way!! Mile eleven sucked, mile twelve sucked more and I was done!! I made myself continue to run and never stopped the entire race, though I really would of loved to. Mile thirteen Mike came back and met me. He asked me how I was and I told him that I wasn't doing so good because my toes were hurting so bad and they felt numb. He told me that I was almost done and that I had about three laps of a track left. He talked to me as I ran and I listened. He was just what I needed because I was at my lowest point. I felt defeated, exhausted, my toes and feet were super angry at me! I just wanted to be done! I wanted to stop and walk....I kept running and listening to Mike. Another runner friend of Mike's was running with us too and they pulled just a few feet ahead of me. I kept going because I was going to finish this race and I was going to do it running! I finished crossing the finish line with a time that was four minutes longer than my last. I felt very disappointed to say the least. After I hit the finish line my legs started to buckle and Mike came to my rescue. He was kind enough to walk with me and help me back to the building. Thank you Mike, you were a life saver:) After the race there was hot soup, rolls, bananas, cheese and cookies! There was also water, coffee and hot chocalate to drink:) This half marathon had the best after race food to date:) The soup hit the spot and I was grateful to have something in my stomach:) News Flash: I just checked out the results...I took fourth place for my age group and if I would of been just thirty seconds faster I would of taken home a medal:)
Here I am after the race and after eating the hot soup....I felt so much better!!

This is the gift bag with homemade cookies from Renee:) Thank you again Renee!!

College boy came home this weekend and I didn't have time to speak to him about his room. This is what it looks like when he comes home....he just throws stuff where ever:) Oh well, I still love him:) That is all I have for now. Next I need to catch up on everyone's blogs:)
Also, go check out Adam at I am Boring!! He is hosting a great blogger give away:)
And, Christy at It Just Looks Like Slow Motion is also hosting a give away...go check her blog out:) Check out the Yurbuds web sight!

49 comments:

  1. beautiful sunrise. and that's why my house looks like all the time (lol) not just when someone comes home.

    great job on the half marathon...snow and everything! you rock!

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  2. Very cute shirt by the way!
    Congrats on your 1/2! I know you were disappointed with your time, but you kept going through your toe pain and you finished! Woohoo!

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  3. Congrats Julie!!!!

    So happy to hear that your hip didn't bug you at all...love your ta ta's tshirt, my MIL is currently going through a breast cancer battle so it warms my heart that you ran this particular race!

    Congrats on your finish, and enjoy the time with your son!

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  4. Big sis....you get the Bada$$ award of the day! Hardcore! With cold conditions like that, just starting was a triumph not to mention finishing. Congrats on finishing another Half Marathon!

    Sorry to hear about the toes. Where exactly do they hurt and what kind of socks are you using? Is it blister related?

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  5. Woo-hoo! Go 1/2. I love the ta-ta's shirt! Nice persevering! Let's email/chat about the Napa;-)

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  6. Way to go on finishing another half! Good for you :) SO sorry about the toe pain. You will need to find what that is ASAP. Loved the shirt ;)

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  7. BTW... Enjoy the messy college boy room while you have him. Too soon those messy rooms become a den or spare room with only memories.

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  8. You finished that race in a lot of freaking SNOW!! That is making it harder on your legs, lungs, and mind!! Come spring/summer when all this stuff melts, you are going to run so amazing b/c of all the snow conditioninig you've had! So though you didn't PR, you got out in conditions most of us would stay home and snuggle in our flannel sheets (even Meg would step out in that stuff!). You are one tough cookie, congrats to you!

    College daughter's room looks 10 times worse than your college boy....I just shut the door. :)

    Have a great week, Julie! You are getting so strong!!!!

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  9. Wow, way to brave the weather, not to mention running for a great cause! BTW, I went to MSU in Mankato and visited Rochester many times. Just thinking about the winter there still gives me the chill (pun intended) and is now making me crave for a hot cup of cocoa, LOL.

    Have a great recovery and congratulations!!

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  10. Opps, that should read Meg would NOT step out in that stuff ;).

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  11. You worked through it and finished. Hell yeah - that's what I'm talking about!

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  12. You hung in there! Cold weather! Pain! Discouragement! But you kept running and finished. I hope you get your toe issues worked out. Loved your pictures. Loved your shirt! When my daughter comes home it looks just like that if not worse and she is OUT of college now! Congrats on sticking with it.

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  13. Julie,

    Congrats on yet another half marathon in the books! You are awesome!

    Great pics too!

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  14. That's a great time in tough conditions not to mention the shoes! Congrats!

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  15. well done julie! sounds like you had a great adventure all in all
    i think race times are over rated..happiness is the new currency
    who/what are the ta ta's????

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  16. Great job on your half Julie! I am very impressed...just to have done the whole thing with sore toes for almost half of it. But, you did it! As for the new shoes, sounds like what happened with your old shoes...so maybe it's not because you wore new shoes. BTW, you looked cute with your tata's t-shirt :)

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  17. brrrrr, that looks ccccooolllddd!

    Glad you had a good race! Thanks for sharing, and I love the shirt and socks...I'm going to have to look for those! too cute.

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  18. Your outfit was super cute!! You should be proud of your run. It may not have been the time you wanted, but you stuck with it despite the snow, the cold and foot issues.

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  19. Good job getting it done! Don't worry about 4 minutes as the conditions/toes have some hard to quantify impact on time.

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  20. I am proud of you just for getting out there. You hung tough, and that experience is very valuable. Great job! Love the pictures and race recap,too. You are a good story teller:)

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  21. Great job on your run and running through the pain. Who knows, you could have had just as much trouble with your old shoes.
    I love the shirt you wore! So awesome.

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  22. Great run, well done! The days on my side of the planet are getting shorter so that sunlight must be moving somewhere...Not long and I'll be blogging about cold runs and you about running in the heat.

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  23. Congrats on finishing your second half marathon; I can't imagine what it would be like to run a half under those conditions. You rock; savor the accomplishment. You'll get the shoe thing figured out.

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  24. Great job, Julie! You shouldn't be disappointed with your time - with the nasty cold temps and snow, it's hard to go fast in those conditions. I agree with Jill - you will only continue to get stronger after running in the snow - you'll have lots of strong muscles!!! :-) Loved all the beautiful pics - thanks for taking and sharing them. You looked lovely, too, as always - even with a hat on! Hey, I picked up a book called "Curly Girl" - all about managing naturally curly hair - it's good if you want to be a Curly Girl!!! Have a great week!
    Kathleen

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  25. Congratulations Julie! In my book if you can finish in those conditions you won! Honestly - if you are off your PR by four minutes in *those* conditions, you will shatter it once spring comes around and you don't have to run in four layers of clothing!

    The bst part though is your hip didn't nother you! The toes can be dealt with with the shos/socks you are wearing. Joint injuries through are a completely different beast. Gla to hear that your hip seems to be doing better.

    Congratulations again! And yes - that is *definitely* a runner's body!

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  26. Way to go!!! Winter races can be challenging and you had a few bumps but did great!!

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  27. ELEVEN DEGREES!!! Are you nuts? :) NO Way and no how would I ever do that in that temp. I remember what 11 degrees was like. All I wanted to do was BE ONE with HEAT! You should be given some sort of award from all us bloggers living in the SW, California or Florida. Way to be one with the freeze Julie. Great job!

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  28. Julie!! Check out my blog, I tagged you to receive a new award :)

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  29. well... I guess freezing and preserving the ta tas is technically saving them... ROFL... I've worn a brand new pair of shoes to do a long run once with no problems, but it really is a good idea to break them in over a month or two to see how they are doing. I love the large toe boxes in my Mizunos. I think I've had like 2 blisters in three years.

    Nice job on the race chica! Way to gut it out both in the temps and with the toes! I lurves the running community and Mike is exactly the reason why! Well done!

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  30. Great job running it! Great recap!

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  31. Great job sticking with the run in spite of bad conditions and pain. Hrr, I wonder about the toes? Did you figure out what is going on? Hope it gets resolved shortly!

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  32. Julie - It was a pleasure to meet and run with you. Even though you did not hit your PR in this race I know you will do better in the next one. Keep running and keep in touch!

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  33. I'm guessing you feel better about your race now, now that you've realized you finished with a great time - you were hurting and you were running in the snow. Your next snow-free, pain-free race will be faster!

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  34. Love the pics and love, love, love that shirt! Congrats on your 1/2! A lot of people might have stopped with that pain, but you pushed through and finished - way to go!!!

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  35. I love your outfit!! Congrats on the finish...you know...Finishing IS Winning!!

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  36. Julie, you need to google Mortons neuroma. This is a nerve condition that causes a burning sensation. I have no idea if this is what you have, but you need to try and figure it out. Good job on your race! Glad you met so many wonderful people and you stuck it out!

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  37. Check out my blog, I tagged you to receive a new award :)

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  38. Congrats on your race Julie ! You might be disappointed in your 4 minute difference..( I guess YOU ARE the one who matters) but I think you kicked that races a**, with that cold weather and those hurting toes!! GREAT JOB!!!!

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  39. Great job on the race - looks like it was snowy! Don't worry about being a little slower - save the PR for a nice spring or fall race. :)

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  40. Good job gutting it out and finishing the race. Those trails looked pretty nasty. I've found that running on snow slows me down 15 sec/mile at least vs dry pavement - so I am sure that you were slowed down a bit by it too.

    Did you have any blisters/hot spots on your toes? Or was it just discomfort when you were running?

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  41. How could I not follow a blog whose writer wears a shirt that says "Save the tattas?!" Seriously though, I found your blog through Megs blog. As soon as I saw you were running in the cold right now, I had to read your blog. Minnesota weather makes CT weather appear warm by comparison. I loved your race report, and congats on finishing 4th. I too own Asics, but I bet my toes look better than yours at the moment!

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  42. You look downright short next to Renee!! I'm trying to figure out what could be wrong with your toes. Do they hit the seams in your shoes! I wear my shoes pretty snug so my feet don't move around and I've switched to a performance shoe even for training. The toe area is very meshy. I used to have Asics Nimbus shoes awhile back and I had 2 sore toes on my left foot. I went to a running store and they said those shoes were way to cushioned and heavy for my weight and running gait. I've had no problems since I switched. Problem is my current shoes never match my outfits :) You look so cute in your race gear! Congrats on 4th in your AG! Winter racing is all about fun in my opinion. Too cold to add stress to the mix!! Great job! Yes, college boy needs a talking to!!

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  43. Julie congratulations on finishing under those painful circumstances. I get the burning toe issue on occasion and it hurts bad. Kudos to you for finishing.

    How frustrating that you were that close to finishing with a medal. You definitely can chalk this up as a life lesson and take the positive for the next time.

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  44. Wow, awesome job Julie! I can't believe you ran a half in those temps! Your outfit is super cute- love the magenta-y under armour!

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  45. Way to rock it - even if it wasn't the best - you did it!

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  46. What a race! I would have given up after seeing that first frozen mile.

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  47. Oh my gosh, congrats! I would be happy just finishing in the snow, that was amazing! Exciting about placing 4th too!!

    Also, I tagged you in an award. I believe you might have already tagged, but I wanted to send some sunshine your way!! :)

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  48. Ok.. you have way more courage than I running a race in those temperatures! I wouldn't even begin to know how to run on snow. Thanks for the comment too!

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  49. Great job! You are becoming a half marathon queen!

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