Goals for a new year - Planning for 2014

Reading
I set a goal to read 60 books in 2013.  I started reading 63, completing 60 of them.  (I just started #64, and I'm pretty sure I'll finish before the end of the year, probably before the end of this weekend, so I'll finish 61.)  If you're curious, you can see the list of what I read here: 2013 books

My 2014 reading goals are:

1. Read 65 books
2. Finish reading Les Miserables
3. Finish reading East of Eden

Running
I don't remember setting any definite running goals for 2013.  If I did, I didn't write them down anywhere or make any kind of record of what they were. So, in the course of the year, any that may have been thought about got lost in the shuffle of life over the year.  And that was bad.  Well, not exactly bad, but not good either. 

Everything just kind of floundered.  I ran, but not that much. Certainly not any more than the bare minimum needed to get to the finish line of my races.  I didn't push any limits; I gave in to excuses. Which led to a yearly mileage of just under 700 miles, dropping out of 2 races I registered for, getting slower instead of faster as the year went on, and zero new PR's for any of my races.

Sooo... That's all going to change in 2014.   I am hereby declaring 2014 to be the year of the PR.

My running goals for 2014 are:

1. Run at least 1000 miles over the year.
2. Get a PR in the 5k (under 29 minutes by or at the Winter Series 5k in December)
3. Get a PR in the half marathon (under 2:25 by or at the Marshall Half in November)
4. Get a PR at the Dirty Dog 15k (under 2:25, in May)

Finding Christmas

“Yeah, there's a lot of bad 'isms' floatin' around this world, but one of the worst is commercialism. Make a buck, make a buck. Even in Brooklyn it's the same - don't care what Christmas stands for, just make a buck, make a buck.”

– Alfred, “Miracle on 34^th Street”
 

"You see, Mrs. Walker, this is quite an opportunity for me. For the past 50 years or so I've been getting more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we're all so busy trying to beat the other fellow in making things go faster and look shinier and cost less that Christmas and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle."

 

- Kris Kringle, "Miracle on 34th Street"

 

 

 

Charlie Brown: “Actually, Lucy, my trouble is Christmas. I just don’t understand it. Instead of feeling happy, I feel sort of let down.”...

Charlie Brown: “It’s all wrong.”  Lucy: “Look Charlie, Let’s face it. We all know Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big eastern syndicate you know.”

 

– “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

“They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming! They're just waking up, I know just what they'll do. Their mouths will hang open a minute or two, then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry, "Boo Hoo." “That's a noise... “ grinned the Grinch, “That I simply *must* hear!”  So he paused - and the Grinch put a hand to his ear. And he *did* hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low... then it started to grow.   But this... this sound wasn't sad. Why... this sound sounded glad. Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, was singing, without *any* presents at all! He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming, it *came*! Somehow or other... it came just the same.

 “And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

 

– Dr. Seuss, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

 

Charlie Brown: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”

Linus: “Sure Charlie Brown. I can tell you what Christmas is all about.”

 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shown round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men." – Luke 2:8-14

 

“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Race Report(s) - My Double Race Weekend

December 7 & 8 was a busy busy weekend in Melissa world - Christmas decorating at the parents' house, candlelighting at the cemetery where my grandparents are buried, pouring rain, snow, and... oh and 2 races.  Here's how they went:

Race #1 - the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis (Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013)
Costumes were encouraged for this race (like I need any encouragement...) so as soon as I registered I started thinking of what I could do.  Found a pretty awesome pair of nutcracker socks, and knew that's what I had to be (Santas and elves are so overdone ;-) )  I bought the socks, I had the blue sparkle skirt, I had a red shirt...  All I needed was some embellishments and I was set.  

As I sewed my stars & stripes onto the shirt, I was a little nervous. The shirt is very warm and can only be worn to run on really cold days or I get overheated.  Early December weather can be anything around here, so it was a toss up on what we were going to get. But I only have the one red shirt and with Christmas coming my budget is allotted to other things (presents galore!!) and buying a new one wasn't in the cards.   So I sewed it all on and hoped for the best.

Turns out it being too warm wasn't something I needed to worry about. After pouring the rain all day on Friday, race day arrived with a temperature of 30, with a "feels like" of 24.  (Luckily it dried up fairly well overnight, so there wasn't a lot of ice to worry about).  I was one chilly nutcracker waiting for the start.

Originally, I had a time goal for this race, but once again I was highly optimistic when I set it and with the training I had gotten in, I knew I wasn't going to be able to meet it.   So I set it aside and just ran easy, walking every so often, and just planned on reaching the finish line.

Even though I had ditched my goal, I still hoped to finish in a "decent" time (which for me right now is under 32 minutes.  I'm a speed demon, I  know ;-) )  But with the easy pace and the walking, I was slower than I wanted to be.  The time on my watch was a bit of a disappointment, so I decided that for my next race, I was gonna do better, I was gonna be faster.

Race Stats:
Jingle Bell Run 5k, 12/7/13
Finish time: 33:46 (garmin); 33:57 (official)
Pace: 10:49mpm (garmin); 10:56 (official)
Place: 133 out of 285 overall, 68 out of 194 women, 17 out of 50 age group



Race #2 - The Winter Series 5k (Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013)
The weather reports throughout the weekend mentioned that there was a possibility for snow during the night on Saturday.  I don't remember any mention of any accumulation, so I didn't get concerned.  But Sunday morning I woke up a bit earlier than I had originally intended and looked out the window to a world of white.  Snow covered the lawn, snow covered the street. An almost pristine blanket of white (marred only by some doggy footprints). A 4-5 inch think blanket of white.   While it was beautiful, it had the potential for making the drive to the race an interesting proposition.

So after clearing off my car and shoveling the driveway, I spent the rest of the morning with one eye on the Weather Channel (forecast called for some freezing rain) and one eye on the race director's Twitter feed to see if the race was still on.  It was - the temperature had warmed up just enough that the rain was just plain rain.  The roads were still a bit covered but not too horrible. (They were just right for the yearly "let's put the xterra in 4WD to see if still works OK" test. (for the record - it works just fine. got me out the neighborhood))

It rained on the drive in to town, it rained on me as I went in to sign in for the race, it rained on me as I went back to the car to hang out until race time, it rained on me as I headed back inside to turn in my toy donation and wait some more.  I was convinced it was going to be a cold, wet race.  However, it slowed to a fine mist by start time.  And I had on my too warm running jacket (thinking it was going to be as cold as the day before; it wasn't) and I was hot, so it ended up being a not so cold damp race.

After the day before's disappointment, I had changed my goal for this race to simply be "better and faster than yesterday."  I was going to run every step and I was going to finish faster and stronger.  And I did.  I admit there were points where my brain told me I needed to walk. But running is a mental game and I convinced myself to keep running by telling myself I could walk when I got to point x and then constantly moving point x further and further along the course until I got to the point where I might as well just run to finish. 

As I rounded the last corner I saw a woman who beat me the day before running not too far ahead.  I saw her up there said "she's not gonna beat me again."  So i tried and tried to catch her.  Unfortunately for me, I didn't and she beat me again (not by much, but I never did catch her). 

But I was ok with that, because I knew I had tried my best and I had done what I could with what I had at the time.  And I had run every step and finished faster and stronger than I had the day before.

Race Stats:
Winter Series 5k, 12/8/13
Finish time: 32:26 (garmin); 32:46(official)
Pace: 10:39mpm (garmin);
Place: 298 out of 401overall

The Obligatory Things I'm Thankful For Post

It's that time, that day, when it seems everybody everywhere is making a public declaration of what they're thankful for.  It's Thanksgiving, it's what you do.  Personally, I'm thankful for a whole lot of things every day of the year, but my thanks giving is usually silent, private, and personal - a prayer here, a thought there.  Or it may come in the form of a smile or a nod, a pat on the back, a hug, a wave.

Here's a list in no particular order of some of the things I'm thankful for this day and every day:

• a roof over my head
• warm fuzzy blankets to curl up on the couch under
• a good pair of running shoes
• books and the written word
• a loving family
• my husband and all the little ways he shows he loves me (McD's sweet tea in the fridge when I get home from work being just one of the many)
• my furry four-legged "child" - my fuzzy shadow,  my constant companion
• my best friends
• all the people in this world who do all of the not-so-little things we often take for granted - those who grow and raise the food we eat, who make our clothes, who keep us entertained, who keep us safe from harm, who heal our hurts and calm our fears. For those who teach, and those who lead.  For those who work to keep our lights on, to keep our homes warm, to keep our roads safe.
• And for the countless others I've forgotten

Cherishing the Memories - St. Paul Lutheran Church 1892-2013

As I sit here tonight, I have a lifetime of memories of my childhood church swirling around in my head:

• Moving through the ranks of the Christmas program as I got older - from an angel, to a shepherd, to a wise man, and then finally, finally being old enough to be Mary.  (and there was one year when I was the star of the show. Literally - I was the star of Bethlehem)
• Climbing the forbidden ladder to the bell tower to see if there was a bell. (Answer: No; weren't any bats either)
• The beauty of the Christmas Eve candlelight service and the awe I felt as the candlelight spread through the sanctuary as we sang Silent Night. (and then there was year when an usher backed into the candles in the window and set his coat on fire...)
• The older gentleman who was always a word behind during the prayers, the creed, etc.
• Lib Slater "stepping" on my foot with her cane every Sunday.
• Hugs from Harry Young.
• My brother getting his finger stuck in the end of his shepherd's crook during one of the Christmas play rehearsals.
• The way the purple choir robes clashed with the red carpet in the sanctuary
• Emelie Knudson singing "Were You There" during lenten services.
• Mrs. Casto's nursery school - with the yellow chair you sat in when you were bad and the old-fashioned bathtub full of pillows that you could lay in during nap-time if you were good. (and to this day, I still follow her instructions and don't stack blocks higher than I am tall)
• Flo Williams and her magical sauce that was spaghetti sauce one day and hot dog chili the next (and sometimes it was "Sloppy joes" too)
• Drinking orange kool-aid from the big red & yellow McDonald's coolers
• Seeing my Dad preach one Sunday and proudly and loudly announcing "That's my Daddy" as he stepped into the pulpit.
• The pride and wonder I felt the first time my brother presided over communion and led a service as a Pastor  (didn't make any announcements that time, but felt it just the same)
• Brennan Dettinger, who was maybe 3 at the time, drawing a picture of a skeleton to put on the Sunday School Christmas tree. When asked why a skeleton, he responded, "that's the Holy Ghost"
• Andrew Weirick carrying a pumpkin that was as big as he was and saying "heavy..." in a deep dramatically strained voice
• Christine Weirick drawing me pictures on the bulletin pages (note to self - find those!)
• Taking Christine to Mrs. Casto's nursery school and telling her I went there too. She looked at me and in four-year-old wonder asked "was she old then too?"
• Eating cheerios and drawing my own pictures on the paper my dad kept in his suit pocket to keep me occupied throughout the service.
• Straining to catch a glimpse of my mom as she processed (prosessed??) in and out with the choir (I may have even waved as she passed by our pew)

Until this morning, I hadn't been to church in.... well, in so long that I can't remember how long it's been. I may not have gone to services but the church, St Paul Lutheran, I knew, was always there, waiting for me to come to my senses, return to my roots, and come back home. Until today.

Today was the last service. St. Paul as a separate unique entity has officially closed. The building will be sold; the congregation merging with another. While I know I should be celebrating a new beginning and be looking forward to the church opening new doors and windows now that the old ones are closed, it's hard. It's not always easy to celebrate a new beginning when your heart is breaking from the ending.

Race report - Marshall University Half Marathon

2 years ago, in November 2011 (for those you who are math impaired, like me ;-) ) this race was my first half marathon.  Today, it was my 6th.  It was the race that started the "half madness" so I like to go back and do it again (this was the 3rd time I've run it; did it in 2012 too).  It's a nice flat little race at a beautiful time of year.

Although this morning, it didn't feel like it was going to be a beautiful race.  A 7:00am start time means an early wake-up call. 5:00 is way too early for this sleep-loving, evening running gal.  My plan was to leave the house by 6, thinking that would give me plenty of time for the drive, to park, and to get to the start line.

I seriously miscalculated that one.  The drive seemed to take forever and then to make matters worse, I couldn't find a parking place.  At 6:50, I was fighting back tears as I searched in vain for a space.  I asked a couple of race volunteer intersection watchers if they knew where I could park.  They pointed me to the Pizza Hut lot and said a lot of people seem to be parking there.  I pulled into the lot and got the last spot. It was now 6:55 and I was frantically getting ready, pinning my bib on as I walked/ran/busted my butt to get the start area.

I made it in time, but my head was not in a good place. I was frustrated and slightly panicked.  Running the first few miles I was just unhappy and not feeling good at all.  I thought about giving up at the 3 mile point.  But I didn't.  I pushed on and roughed it out.  Hit the 5 mile mark and checked my overall time, and was surprised to see where I was. I thought "hmm, I may be able to make this a decent race after all."  I was slower than I needed to be for my "ultimate OMG it would be totally awesome if I could finish in this time" goal, but I was right where I needed to be for my more realistic "this is what I know I can do" goal.

So I pulled myself together, put the rubber to the road, and got serious.  Miles 5 to 10, usually the hard part of this race for me, felt strong and almost easy.  At mile 10, I checked my time again, I was under 2 hours.  Still on track for that goal.  But miles 11, 12 and 13 were hard.  I struggled a bit, but made myself run the full run interval and only walk when the watch told me to.  I knew I wouldn't make the "OMG this is awesome" goal, but a PR could have been a possibility.   And if not a PR then a faster time than last year.  And I knew I couldn't do either if I walked more than I was scheduled to.

At PR time, I was passing my mom at the corner outside the stadium.  At least year's time, I was crossing the finish line.  Yep I finished in almost exactly the same time (almost to the second) as I did last year.  What can i say,  I'm consistent. :-) 

I did meet that "this is what I know I can do" goal, because it's what I know I can do.  It's what I trained for; what I worked so hard to achieve.  I had some doubts at the start and for the first few miles, but I put the saying "never judge a run by the first few miles" to the test and proved it right. I adjusted my attitude, got my head in the right place, and ran the race I knew I could run if I just put my mind to it, quieted the doubts, and did it.  There's a great satisfaction in that.

Race Stats:
Marshall University Half Marathon
November 10, 2013
13.1 miles
Finish time: 2:29:42 (garmin); 2:29:53 (official)
Pace: 11:24 mpm (garmin); 11:27mpm (official)
Place: 833 of 1,099 overall;422 of 624 women;76 of 110 age group

Race Report - Rock 'n' Roll Cleveland Half Marathon

Half marathon number 5.  Yep, the girl who swore she was never meant to be a runner has now run in and completed 5 half marathons.  It's crazy.

My friends and I are always on the look out for races that look like fun and have cool medals (yes, sometimes, it is all about the bling), and we found this one way back in the spring.  Becca and I signed up for the half marathon, and when they announced that there would be a mini-marathon, Jen signed up for it.  After I registered, I told myself I would train my little butt off so I could run a PR.

As training progressed and as I gauged my fitness level, I pushed the PR goal back to my November race and switched my focus to just beating the time from last year's Marshall half.  I was optimistic that I could do it, but I knew it was going to be tough.  I also knew that conditions would have to be 100% perfect on race day for it to be a possibility. 

Race day came and as it turns out, conditions were not 100% perfect (are they ever?)  6:30 in the morning and it was already 72 degrees and muggy. (I believe my words as we left the house were "holy humidity batman!")  And as it was "that time of the month" I was feeling a little sluggish and achy.  But it was a race!  I was with my best friends!  I was happy! (really I was)

how can you not be happy and having a good time when you get to do things like this at the race expo:

Or when you wear fun socks, arm warmers, and a sparkly skirt like this:

You can't!  Especially if you're running with friends (with equally fun sparkly skirts):

Jen ran the mini

Becca and I ran the half

I started in corral 8 with Becca so we could give each other moral support as we waited for the start.  She tried to get me to start in my correct corral, but I was sticking with her to help eliminate the pre-race jitters I always get when I'm by myself at a start line (mission accomplished!)  Once the gun/air-horn went off and it was our turn to run, I stuck with her for little while.  We got separated about a quarter mile in due to the crowds and my faster pace (don't worry I didn't ditch her - it was our plan all along to run our own races).

A little past the mile 1 marker I saw another familiar racer running strong on the opposite side of the course.  I dodged and wove (weaved?) my way across the runners to give Jen a pat on the back and was off on my journey.

To be quite honest, I don't remember much about the race other than I was hot, tired, achy, and starting to get hungry.  I was so focused on just putting one foot in front of the other and getting to the finish line that most everything else faded into the background. 

What I do remember:

• I ditched my time goal after mile 5 because I knew it wasn't going to happen. 
• I  made sure to grab a water and/or gatorade at every aid station to stay hydrated (and the gatorade tasted much better if I poured the water into it). 
• I took a strawberry banana Gu at an aid station to try to stave off the hunger - it was a bad flavor choice, but the little bit that I did swallow made me feel better and more energized (note to self - check out other flavors.)
• I walked way more than I wanted to
• I  kept looking for Jerry (the amazing guy from the Komen 3-day who would pop up at various points on the course to shout encouragement to the walkers).  He wasn't there, but there was a different guy providing encouragement and reminding us that we were strong and could do this.
• I had a race angel: I was struggling at mile 13 and walking toward the finish line, when another runner (who had already finished) ran up beside me and said "you don't want to finish this walking; it's only a tenth of a mile. Come on let's run. you're strong; you can do this!"  I responded, "yes I can.  I can do this!"  As I ran away from her I heard her say "Yes you can! Go for it!"

And I did.  I finished running.  It wasn't a strong run or a fast sprint, but it was a run:

As I crossed the line, I heard a "GO MELISSA!"  from the crowd - My friends were there waiting for me!  Such an awesome feeling - my very own cheering section! (such a small thing, but when you're used to being at races on your own, it's a nice change).

I got my medal, a bottle of water, a bottle of gatorade, and a chocolate milk (i'm not normally a fan of milk, but that was the best tasting ever), and joined the girls on the sidelines to wait for Becca to finish.   She too finished strong and had her own race angels to get her through the day.   And Jen finished her 3.5 mile mini with a new found (or maybe re-found) confidence in herself.

So all in all, it was a good, but tough, day for all of us.

Happy finishers

Race Stats:



2013 Inaugural Cleveland Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

October 6, 2013
Time:  2:52:43 (Garmin); 2:52:41 (official)
Pace: 13:03 mpm (Garmin);
Place: 4305 of 5044 overall; 2566 of 3140 women