Why I Run: Jessica Morrison
Jessica and a 5K running pal: aren’t they pretty in pink?
Self-described 30-Something Mother Runner Jessica Morrison, a mom of two, saw her 5K time in 2011 drop from 25:42 to 21:54. A nearly four-minute decrease over three miles is seriously impressive. Want to be like Jess–or at least celebrate in her glory? Follow her on her blog and on Twitter at @Rhodymomrunner. She wraps up this holiday series of Why I Run. We’ll, ahem, run another installment of them at some point in 2012, and will let you know when we’re on the prowl for submissions.
Running is my almost daily appointment with myself; I’d like it to be daily, but with a 1½ year old and a 3½ year old, a rigid schedule is all but impossible. So I get to every appointment I can—usually every other day, from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending where my body and mind are—because a run is therapy for me: a time to check in with everything that is going on in my life and how I am handling it.
During my appointments, sometimes I zone out and think of nothing. I just listen to the sound of my footsteps or my breath. I like to start my runs out by listening to a metronome on my iPhone. I set it to 180 beats per minute (my ideal cadence), and I imagine picking my feet up at each tick. The sound of the metronome induces a sort of running hypnosis. Before I know it, I have gone four miles.
Other times, I focus on my breath to makes sure I am at the right effort level for a run. I gave up my Garmin a few months ago because I was sick of looking at it every five seconds. I wanted to learn what paces and certain effort levels “felt” like, instead of what they looked like in the form of numbers on my watch face. On my easy runs, I ask myself, can I have a conversation with myself? I test myself–and hope other runners on the trail don’t think I am crazy for talking to myself. When I am at tempo or race pace, I know that my breathing will be more frequent and more forceful, and I will, of course, feel the burn.
Sometimes, my appointments are for processing the chaos that is my life. Some mornings I wake up and I swear that an F5 tornado touched down in my living room. I am filled with anxiety about how I am going to clean the entire house, get my son ready for preschool, think about what I need to make dinner. When I head out the door to run, I start formulating a plan for attacking the rest of the day.
Jessica and her best race prize after the 2011 Falmouth Road Race.
And on appointments during which I’m really happy, I just let my feet fly out underneath me.
After my date with myself, I can tolerate my husband asking me for the umpteenth time what he should feed the kids for a snack or my youngest dumping an entire bowl of Cheerios over the freshly vacuumed floor. Pre-run, these things would have really tested my patience, but post-run? No big deal.
Although I sometimes feel guilty as I lace up for another weekend long run or a race, I remind myself that my appointments with myself are just as important as any other doctor appointment, be it with a ob/gyn or a therapist.
After all, running keeps me healthy on the outside and sane on the inside.
We’re Just Full of Answers: Another Q&A Podcast
As journalists, we’re usually the ones asking questions. But we like the tables being turned and having other mothers pry us for info. In this podcast, we clue you in on how to do speedwork as a newbie; how to maintain your spirit when you’re injured; how to balance proper fueling against fears of weight gain; and how to keep your running group from falling apart during the winter. And we apologize in advance for talking too much about holiday cookies!
If you’re digging our podcasts, we’d be super-grateful if you’d take a minute (because we *know* you have so many to spare!) to write a review on iTunes.
**Also, the quickest way to get our podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes. Clicking this link will automatically download the shows to your iTunes account. It doesn’t get any simpler than that!
***Or visit our great friends at Stitcher and subscribe to our podcasts there. Stitcher has been nominated as one of the best Apps ever.
You Asked, We Answered: Our First Q&A Podcast
This show covers a lot of ground, which is in keeping with the season, when we are all dashing this way and shopping that way. We answer an array of questions from our Facebook community, from how to find a best running buddy to getting your kids involved with our beloved sport to whether you should train for a big race while trying to get knocked up. Along the way, Dimity and SBS ho-ho-ho at themselves and each other.
*If you’re digging our podcasts, we’d be super-grateful if you’d take a minute (because we *know* you have so many to spare!) to write a review on iTunes. Many thanks.
**Also, the quickest way to get our podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes. Clicking this link will automatically download the shows to your iTunes account. It doesn’t get any simpler than that!
Rock ‘N’ Roll Las Vegas: Carolyn Takes on the Full Monty
Carolyn with SBS and Dim at the expo
Carolyn, a Portlander like SBS, completed her fourth marathon of the year. (She also did nine half-marathons.) Here’s how the 26.2 miles went for her.
With 44,000 participants, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon was the largest race I’ve ever raced in, and I was quite nervous going in. I ran the Eugene Marathon in May for time [she ran it in 3:56], but since then my last two marathons have been at a slower-than-normal pace. I knew I wasn’t going to PR in Sin City, so my plan was to run steady, as my Dad had advised me.
Once I made it to my corral, I spotted the 4:10 pacer and jumped in, thinking this was a good spot. But once our wave started, adrenaline got me going, and I was off. I checked my Garmin, and it said 8:55, which seemed like a good pace to me. At about Mile 3, I saw a family holding a sign that read, “Bad Ass Mother Runner!” This made me smile! The first 13 miles were uneventful; I kind of wished I had brought my iPod, as it was very quiet out on the road. I was happy whenever we approached a band, but they were not as plentiful as I had hoped. I had to laugh when we approached an overpass and two ladies next to me said, “Oh no, look at that hill!” At this point, I was definitely feeling strong and hoping I could keep up the pace.
Finally, at Mile 13, we were approaching the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip! The crowds were big, which made me pick up my pace. I was happy to spot a friend from Portland cheering me on. I quickly realized what a traffic jam of bodies the Strip was: It was very hard to maneuver around the half-marathoners. A lot of people were yelling at them to, “get to the right!” This made it difficult to take in the beauty of the bright lights. I was just concentrating on not falling over someone! Around Mile 14, I saw the 4-hour pacer. Who-hoo! Just about then the volcano went off at the Mirage Hotel, which was a sight to see. I spotted couples renewing their vows or getting married at this point, too.
I felt so bad when a lady next to me stumbled and fell across the pavement. Then there were the water stops, another aspect of the race not well thought out: The street setup required the half-marathoners to cross over to the marathoners’ lane. Bad idea: more people-congestion in front of us. There also was not enough people distributing water or cleaning up; the pavement was covered with disposable cups.
As we approached Mile 19 I could feel my steam start to wane. I saw the 4-hour pacer start to charge ahead but I knew I didn’t have it in me to keep up. My goal now: just finish! As I chugged along, I took high fives from people to give me energy. As I passed the Venetian Hotel, I saw the pretty white Christmas tree all aglow, along with Christmas tunes blaring. The Vegas lights and music were a good distraction for the last 10K. Finally, the finish line was in site! At this point, I was feeling pretty queasy. The thought of another energy bite was not a good thing. My time ended up being 4:04:12, and given the challenges of the day, I was happy to take it. Overall, I was happy to experience the bright lights. Thanks, gals!
Rock ‘N’ Roll Las Vegas Race Report
Pre-race, Dimity and me looking, ahem, badass
I love few things more than what Reader’s Digest used to call, “drama in real life.” Current events that grab your attention and shock you with each new detail. This week I got to be a part of the live action when I ran the Rock ‘N’ Roll Las Vegas half-marathon. Not to play Monday (Tuesday) morning QB, but I knew the race situation wasn’t going to end well, given the elements: 44,000 participants + Las Vegas Strip + night. Too many people in too tight a space under poorly lit conditions.
Starting line band + throngs
In the days leading up to the Sunday evening race, Dimity and I traded our traditional roles: She was the optimist, predicting it would be a fun, once-in-a-lifetime party, while I was the skeptic. But, as you might have read on Facebook or Twitter, the event ended up having problems from start (overcrowded, inaccessible corrals and an abandoned wave start) to finish (a finishers’ area that made a Tokyo subway train at rush hour seem deserted; not enough finishers’ medals; the greenest bananas ever) and everywhere along the way (speedy marathoners blocked by throngs of half-marathon runners; walkers in the first corral; sudden jutting curbs; scurfy part of town when not on the Strip).
But, I surprised myself: I got into a zone like I’ve rarely achieved in a running race before. Sure, I had to dodge runners left and right (and right and left again) until about Mile 4 and whenever the roadway would narrow, but otherwise I was able to get in a serious groove. Every so often, as it was happening, I tried to analyze my almost-Zen state, and I came up with two explanations: The darkness and my playlist. Despite the blazing neon lights of the infamous Strip, the race was darker than I had expected. And this might sound odd, but since I could see my body working, at times it felt like it wasn’t working, but merely magically moving through space. In addition, the darkness made it tough to check my Garmin 610 very often, so it felt like I was “running naked” (without a pace- or time-keeper). It was liberating.
My playlist: If you are a regular reader of this website, you probably know I’m the one who pays close attention to the tunes she listens to during races. Given that it had been more than six months since I’d made a race playlist, there was plenty of new material to draw from, including the can’t-hear-it-enough, “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida. (Could that song *be* more perfect for propelling you forward?!) I won’t go through the list song by song–you can find it here–but I have to mention I have a new favorite song to kick off a race: “Telling the World (RIO Pop Mix)” by Taio Cruz. While the song is about a man proclaiming his love for a woman, the lyrics could just as easily be about how I was feeling at the start of the race:
“Every part in my heart I’m giving out
Every song on my lips I’m singing out
Any fear in my soul I’m letting go”
I’ll admit: I was fighting off a Vegas-size panic attack in the crowded corral, waiting for my wave (#8) to start (this was when the race organizers were still enforcing a wave start, rather than simply letting the masses surge forward). Seeing no other alternative, I turned my attention inward, focusing on the music pouring through my Yurbuds. Listening to Taio, I was almost instantly calmed down, and the words spoke to me. I suddenly found my previously MIA enthusiasm and optimism.
Bright lights, big crowd
This post has gone on way longer than I planned so let me wrap it up with some final specifics: My formerly plantar fasciitis right foot stayed delightfully pain free; my body felt stronger thanks to twice-weekly boot camp sessions; and I finished in 2:00:16. Sure, my slowest 13.1-mile finish (by about a minute) in perhaps ever, but after talking to other racers (whose times were off by anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes), I’m pleased with my result.
Anybody else who Stripped at Night care to share a race anecdote?
What’s Staying In Vegas
As close as we’ll ever get to being Vegas show girls.
So after a packed weekend with Sof Sole and Team Refuel, I am officially talked out. Or as my kids used to say, I have used all my words.
Here’s my race summary in a sentence though: my first DNF. Things with the hamstring/glute situation were fine–or weren’t totally killing is a better description–for the first mile. Somewhere around second or third one, the muscles got as angry as the lights on the Strip were bright, and I did the wise thing. I dropped out. I won’t lie: it wasn’t easy. But I tried to be the mature, intelligent 39-year-old I pretend to be and do the right thing.
I had a fun little walk back on the Strip to the finish and documented it on Sarah’s iPhone, but like everything else in Vegas this weekend, the information highway is jam packed this weekend, and the pics aren’t coming through via e-mail yet. We have flights that are badass early, so I’ll try to post those later tomorrow.
In the meantime, here are some from the rest of the weekend. We’ll have race reports from the three winners of the free entries from Sof Sole–Leslie, Michelle and Carolyn–coming up this week, as well as SBS telling us how she stripped at night. Spoiler alert: her plantar fasciitis did not cross the finish line with her. Sweet.
Our home for about 15 hours this weekend. So cool so see so many of you and hear your stories. Thank you for stopping by.
Some fast women–and me–enjoying a marble table and some chocolate milk.
A group of badass runner mothers if I’ve ever seen one. A fun morning chatting with all of you–hope you all r ‘n’ r’ed.