Groundhog Run 2016

If you are looking for a unique place to run you have got to do the TLC Groundhog Run in Kansas

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City, Mo. It is the only totally underground 10K in the USA and is a wonderful place to run out of the wind and cold. It’s for a worthy cause, Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center, and you might see me there in my Racing for a Cure singlet as I use this race to raise money for the Arthritis National Research Foundation.

This year, my daughter Lyndi decided to to the 10K with me. She just started the Couch 2 5K program a few weeks ago so this was going to be a stretch. I’ve been running better but am still a long way from where i was once upon a time. We decided to make a girls weekend of it and stay at a nearby hotel to get the feel of a destination race even though her home is only about an hour away.

My friend Amber M., her husband Mark, and their daughter Allison also accepted my invitation to run and we making a long weekend out of the trip. We all met for dinner Saturday evening and loaded up on carbs (that’s our excuse to eat lots of yummy spaghetti!) and shared lots of laughs and sang Happy Birthday to Mark.

We are so ready to run!

Our race didn’t start until 10:00 so we didn’t have to get up too early and rush around to get ready. We were at the race site in plenty of time to get board. I know, I’m too worried about being late and I need to work on that. It’s a little chilly in the tunnel and we were standing around too long before the race. OK, Amber, you were right. We could have slept another 30 minutes.

At race time we moved deeper into the tunnels to the start line and listened to the National Anthem echo around the caves. We were off! We were in the slow wave and I felt right at home with this group: those who are just starting out, who are recovering from injury or illness, who are old and still moving, who are young and just want to participate. These are my people! As a back-of-the-packer I get a chance to be encouraging, stop and smell the roses, say thank you to the volunteers, and just enjoy the ride.

Lyndi and I started out with good intervals and were making good time. The first 2 miles went pretty well. But that’s as far as her training has gotten so for the next mile the run intervals were much shorter but we still finished the first 5K much faster than the Running With The Cows we did in May. And as we planned, we walked the second 5K and had a great time visiting and taking in the atmosphere of the day. That’s is a win in my books!

We were nearly the last out of the tunnels but we didn’t care. We gladly accepted our medals and

Lyndi's first 10K!

headed back to the hotel to grab our gear and head home. My granddaughters thought the medal was neat  and Mom and Grandma are pretty cool. What better way to be a positive role model then to be active and strive to accomplish a goal even when it’s difficult and takes you out of your comfort zone. To complete a 10K when you have only worked up to 2 miles is pretty gutsy.

I’m proud to say my family and friends helped raise over $500 for the Arthritis National Research Foundation. You can still make a donation at any time. Amber and her family have taken me in as sort of a tag along aunt and that’s yet another unexpected blessing of doing what I do. The weekend was full of good food, great friends, and amazing family. Who could ask for more!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas!

Way back in June I was asked to join Amber M. on a crazy adventure (see earlier post). Since I’m always looking for new and fun places for runs and triathlons, doing the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon sounded like it was right up my alley. The bling was pretty cool too! It turned into an awesome weekend meeting new friends, making new memories, and helping a friend complete her first ever half marathon.

What a wacky fun group!

Amber and her husband along with another couple were already planning on going to Vegas so I needed to round up a few friends to fill my hotel room. I put the word out and Kate H. and Betsy G. joined in on the fun. Kate has run several halfs and was primed to go all out. Betsy was signed up to do the Oklahoma City Half Marathon (see earlier post) with me back in April but had to pull out when her mother became ill. This would be her first ever and she was excited to be doing it under the lights of the Las Vegas Strip. To top it off the race was the day after my birthday so I would be celebrating in style.

Running with the elite group! NOT!

I met Betsy at the airport in Vegas and connected with Kate. Even though they are both in my Running Friends Facebook group they had never met but in this small world it turned out they had friends in common. Then it was off to the Expo to pick up our race packets. Somehow along the way, Betsy’s registration got changed to the full marathon instead of the half and with the estimated time she turned in she was placed in corral #1. Yes, she was to start with the elite runners! I was in corral #45. After talking to the race organizers they said she could start with me and all would be well. But she will always have a fun Marathon bib to show for it.

We soon met up with Amber and her husband Mark and met their friends Dixie and Doug W. Instant friendship! I have met the most amazing people through my running and triathlon adventures. The circle just keeps expanding like ripples in a pond. The people I have been blessed to encounter are the reason I keep going. Dixie and Doug were also doing their first half marathon. You can’t help but catch the enthusiasm flowing amongst runners. It’s very contagious in the best possible way!

Party crashers!

That evening we had a nice dinner complete with birthday cake and, well, as they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. 8-) We met for brunch the next morning then had a few hours of downtime to relax and rest.

Since the race was in the evening with my corral slated for a 5:30 start time, an entire hour after the first runners left the gate, I wasn’t sure how to eat and prepare. But since Betsy and I were planning to walk most of the route it really didn’t matter. The problem became actually getting to the start line. Imagine 45,000 runners and their support teams all trying to get to the same place at the same time. Even for Vegas it was daunting. Considering the start and finish line were 3 miles apart the logistics were overwhelming. The monorail was packed but somehow we smashed our way into the crowd and made it in plenty of time. Amber and Mark were going to renew their wedding vows at the Run Through Wedding (this is Vegas, after all!) so they were having lots of fun posing for pictures. The pre-race concert was blasting and we were all having a great time.

Until the storm hit.

I guess it wasn’t a storm by Kansas standards but the wind picked up and the temperature dropped

 quickly. Everyone was huddled close to block the wind and stay warm. Those of us near the back of the pack knew we had over an hour to wait and it was getting colder and colder. They kept the start

Helping Betsy finish her first 1/2 Marathon!

waves moving but Lady Luck was not smiling on us as a cold rain started pelting us with at least 30 minutes to go before our start time. We stood and shivered and tried to hide behind tall people for wind breaks.  It was not a fun beginning.

It was finally our turn to start and it felt so good to be moving. Betsy and I ran intervals and then walked, keeping up a nice rhythm as we passed the sights of Las Vegas. We knew what our target time was and the pace we needed and were banking extra minutes to allow for more pictures and potty breaks. One of the more interesting breaks came at the Planet Hollywood Casino. We were in a fairly long line at the port-a-pottys when a runner came out of the casino and said there were restrooms right inside the door, WITH TOILET PAPER! That sold it. We dashed into the casino and used the facilities and enjoyed the warmth a few minutes before heading back out to the Strip.

We were making good time and even saw Kate headed toward the finish line. We talked and encouraged each other and ran way more than I thought we might. Somewhere around mile 10, it hit Betsy. She was going to finish her first ever half marathon. With tears in her eyes she turned to me and said, “We’re going to do this! I’m doing a half marathon!” I was so proud to be doing this with her and seeing the look of pride wash across her face. It’s a look that you never forget.

But the tough miles were still to come. By mile 12 she was hurting pretty bad so we slowed down and took our time. The last mile seemed like it would never end and when we saw the finish line arch it couldn’t come soon enough. Betsy crossed a few steps ahead of me and will now forever be a half marathon finisher.

The Las Vegas Strip at Night!

However, the worst was yet to come. The finisher’s chute was a half mile long and our hotel was right at the finish line. We didn’t want to walk all the way down and then back up, adding yet another mile to our distance. With the adrenaline gone we were just cold. Cold and tired. As back of the packers there wasn’t much left and the walk seemed ridiculously long. And the darn security guards wouldn’t let us jump the fence either. Not that we had the energy to do that anyway. We finally make it back to the hotel and found the rest of the gang in the burger joint. Kate had set a new PR, Dixie and Doug finished near their target times for their first half marathons, Amber and Mark renewed their wedding vows, and Betsy finished ahead of her target time by quite a bit. Me, I finished with new friends, sore feet, and a smile from ear to ear.

I’m not sure where the next adventure will lead me but I’m sure it will bring new people into my life. New locations and new challenges keep me moving. Life is too short to let pass by and I don’t intend to sit on the sidelines. I’m so proud of Betsy for accepting the challenge of doing a half and sticking with it even when it got hard. And it did get hard. This was my 4th half marathon of the year and 6th total. The memories of this weekend will always make me smile. Viva Las Vegas!

Prairie Fire Half Marathon

Yesterday was the Prairie Fire Marathon and Half Marathon in Wichita. The conditions were perfect and the course was fast. The course record was broken by the top 3 finishers in the marathon and many others set new PRs. Although I didn’t set a PR I am proud and relieved to say I am a half marathon finisher because at mile 11.5 I really had my doubts and actually considered dropping out of a race for the first time ever.

Finished and smiling, but oh the pain. 

When my good friend Amber M. invited me to this race I knew I wasn’t going to be prepared. My plantar fascitis was acting up and I wasn’t doing any running let alone any long walks. I was working up to the Rock-n-Roll Half in Las Vegas next month (another of Amber’s crazy ideas!) so I wasn’t pushing my training at all. I promised myself and my Hubby that I would walk this race and save myself for LV. Sounded like a good plan at the time, and it would have worked, except my competitive spirit kicked in and I just couldn’t help myself. I ran quite a bit of the first 8 miles.  My foot was feeling a little better thanks to a wonderful foot massage (yet another Amber idea, are you seeing a trend here?).

At mile 8 my phone rang. It was my hubby so I had to take the call. If I wouldn’t have he would have been worried about me and I don’t like to make him worry. He had been tracking my progress on my Garmin app and was calling to remind me I was to WALK this race. Busted by Garmin. So after walking a good part of mile 9 I got back into the groove and started running in short stretches again but I think the long walk break tightened my hips and they started to ache. Each mile was a little worse, and at mile 11.5, that was it. I told my legs to start running but after a few steps my hips just wouldn’t move any more. It got to the point that even walking as extremely painful. I kept getting slower and slower and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. My hips just would not cooperate.

I know I need to listen to my body. I know I have issues that I have no control over. I know I can’t afford to trash my body for the sake of one race. But. BUT. Quitting goes against everything inside me. That’s why I’m out here doing things that put a strain even on healthy bodies. I am not going to let anything, even rheumatoid arthritis, dictate when and how I live my life. If I had given in and stopped at mile 11.5, I would be giving up more than just a cool medal and a t-shirt. I would be giving RA a victory and I will not do that. EVER. I’m sure my lack of training didn’t help and my puny donut for breakfast may not have been enough fuel (Amber and I were having so much fun the night before that we forget to get my chocolate milk). It would have been so much easier to just stop and ask for a ride back to the finish but even though it hurt and I had to slow down so much there were several older ladies that passed me (ouch, that hurt even worse!) I kept moving and even managed a slow jog for the last 100 yards to the finish line. I finished.

Looking back I can see where I went wrong. I’ll learn from my mistakes and finish stronger a month from now in Las Vegas. My thighs are sore and my hips are screaming at me but my feet are surprisingly OK. I’ll take a few days to recuperate and then start building some distance with more running included. I don’t expect to be fast but being prepared will make the experience so much better. I can’t wait to Run the Strip with my friends and finish another adventure. But I’ll remember the lessons learned at the Prairie Fire. Amber, you are a nut, but I love you anyway!

Lost in Transition or Who Let the Dogs Out

This Saturday morning was the Grant County Recreation Commission Triathlon. It was also my perfect excuse to get out of cooking all day at the Oktoberfest. So despite not really looking forward to or really being ready for this race I signed up and hoped for the best. Looking back it was truly a cosmic mix of circumstances that resulted in my first ever and most likely once in a lifetime overall first place finish in a triathlon.

I'm a winner!

I haven’t done any running since the Tiara Tri the end of August because my plantar fascitis is acting up big time. I’ve managed a few small rides and some nice swim sessions but that’s about it. I signed up for the race thinking I would go, have some fun, take my time, and get out of cooking in a hot kitchen for 12 hours.

Race time was scheduled for 7:00 am. Sunrise was not until 7:28. I’m not a fan of riding in the dark and mentioned this to the race director who assured me it would be fine. Alrighty then. The forecast predicted much cooler temperatures which also didn’t make me happy. We would be swimming indoors but the ride on the bike in a wet tri suit was going to be unpleasant. Maybe I would go and just do the swim. That sounded like a better plan.

The race director called to tell me the start time had been pushed back to 7:30 so things were looking up. I arrived at the pool and only saw a few bikes on the front lawn. Was I in the wrong place? I checked in and picked up my number and asked about the route. The others there were asking about the dogs. What? Dogs? I was told that there was a farmstead we would ride by that was guarded by some dogs. Since everyone was asking about these dogs they must be well known in the area. Her advice? Just keep peddling, they’ll leave you alone after a while. WHAT?!!! They hoped the owner would have them pinned up but if not, just ride a little faster and they would give up chasing you eventually. HOLY COW!!

I set my transition area up near a bench and still didn’t see many other bikes and most of them had kickstands. Hmmmm. I walked into the pool and was given my choice of lane. I asked if it was a serpentine swim and got a blank stare. It was a 6 lane pool, very nice, and there were 6 swimmers. That’s it. No second wave. No sharing lanes. 2 teams (smart, considering the temperature outside was 46 degrees) 1 individual male, and 3 individual females. The other 2 girls were younger and in regular swimsuits. They were rookies but looked very fit. I’m used to losing so coming in third isn’t so bad.

We started swimming and I kept up a nice steady pace and finished my 400 meter swim in good time. I was surprised to see the other 2 still in the pool. They were each faster than me swimming but had to take long breaks at each turn. I hopped out of the pool and burst out of the doors into the cold morning air. Wowsers! That was not fun. I toweled off a little better then normal and put on my riding jacket and gear and off I rode following the directions of the volunteers and hoping I wasn’t going to get lost. (No maps since all the other participants were locals except me.)

It was COLD on that bike. My feet and thighs were stinging after the first mile but the faster I peddled the warmer I got so I just kept spinning away. At the second turn the volunteer warned me that the dogs were at the top of the hill and NOT pinned up. I could see the rider about a ¼ mile in front of me and when he got to the top of the hill here came the dogs. BIG dogs. I’m not sure of the breed but they looked like rottweilers to me. They went after that bike and I thought, this is it. I’m going to be mauled to death on a triathlon. My only hope was that the dogs would keep following the lead rider and leave me alone. No such luck. As I crested the hill they were standing in the middle of the road, snarling and drooling and right in my way. I started peddling faster and saying a few quick prayers. They came after me and I started growling back hoping to scare them away. It didn’t work. And when they started nipping at my tires and feet I let loose a bloodcurdling scream that surely was heard all the way back in town. The dogs eventually slowed and let me pass but my heart was pounding and I was shaking in the saddle. Why would the race director route us past this place? In addition to the dogs we had to cross the highway 4 times unassisted. I would rethink that route for sure.

The rest of the ride was uneventful until the last two blocks. A volunteer flagged me down and told me

Great to see Yolanda and her lovely smile.

to dismount. What? I got off and started running my bike down the street and she stopped me and said I could leave my bike there. What??? I said all my running gear was at the pool and she pointed to the ground and said they had brought all of it to me. What?!!!  They moved transition while we were out on the bike ride. That just rattled my brain. As triathletes, we practice our transitions and have a certain order to our equipment. They had brought everything I had laid out and put it in a pile on the sidewalk. Unbelievable. My shoes, hat, water bottle, all there and waiting on me. So I changed shoes and started running in the direction the worker pointed, which happened to be right past where transition was originally. In hindsight I realize I was the only participant that had to change shoes so for the rest it really didn’t matter.

The run went well for me and I was able to keep a good run/walk pace going. My foot felt pretty good and the cool temperature was perfect for running. The route looped around several parks and the volunteers were fantastic about letting me know where to go and where my next turn was. I was enjoying the jog through town when I saw my wonderful friend Yolanda and her husband Bill at one of the volunteer stations. Yolanda did the swim portion for a team and then helped out on the route. She told me that I was the first female to pass through and there was only ½ a mile to go! After hearing that I picked up my step a little and started to think maybe, just maybe. But surely one of the others would catch me. I listened for steps but didn’t hear any. With only a block to go I was really pushing, or at least my version of pushing. I heard a cheer of “Go Patty, you can do it!” but with only a few yards to go I heard another name being shouted too and realized that one of the other ladies was closing in on me. But she ran out of time and I crossed 10 seconds ahead of her. I was first across the line for the first time ever, and probably the last. But it felt very nice, even if there were only 3 in the race, a fact that I will omit from further recounts of the day.

I was cold, I was tired and as I drove home my foot really started hurting. I escaped the dogs and made it through the strangest transition ever and even finished with a kick. Looking back, if the other ladies had not taken the time to change into dry clothes for the ride they would have blown by me and left me shivering in my wet tri-suit. But today was my day. My first overall win AND I didn’t have to cook!

Tiara Tri, (because you can never have too many crowns!)

Yesterday was the 3rd Annual Tiara Tri and I'm proud to say I've participated all three years. It's an all women's race in El Dorado State Park and I love being able to share this event with my friends.

Cara, me, and Kate all smiles with our Tiaras

Kate H. and her friend Cara C. were also doing the race so we left in the wee dark hours to get a good spot on the rack. Turns out everyone else had the same plan and the racks were almost full when we got there. This race has exploded from less then 60 entrants the first year to over 100 this time around. We wedged our bikes on the rack and checked in and got our lovely body markings. They put your bib number on your arm and your age on your leg. I am notorious for looking at that age number as I scope out all the really fast looking old ladies.

We went down to the water and were happy to see the marker buoys were much closer in this year. Last year the swim was a lot longer so things were already looking up. As usual I sized up the ladies in my group and only saw a few but the ones I did see looked pretty fit. Rats. But I would give it a good try and see what happened.

They started in three waves and with this many entrants it was crammed and legs and arms were

Over 100 women all sharing a huge dressing room.

everywhere. You can plan you swim all you want but when you get in the mix it's all about staying above the water and not getting smacked or kicked. I ended up having to keep my head out of the water for the first third and by the time the pack thinned out my heart rate was too high to manage a good freestyle stroke rhythm. So it was scissor kick all the way to the shore and off to the transition area.

The bike was the same course and wasn't any smoother this year then last. Also, the hills didn't get any smaller and the speed bumps didn't get any lower. I managed to pass quite a few on the ride and was feeling pretty good about my pace.

I sparkle!

The run is the run. I know I'm not a good runner and never will be. One of the ladies in my age group passed me and she was looking way to fresh and relaxed for me to ever think about staying up with her. But I didn't see the other ladies pass me so I was hopeful. I finished pretty strong and was happy with my pace.

Turns out I was 4th in my age group. Apparently the other two really fast ladies blew by me on the swim and I never saw them again. Dang. Oh well, that's the way racing goes. It all depends on who shows up and who stays home on any given day. This year they gave string bags instead of place medals so I didn't miss much. Come to think of it, the finisher medal was pretty small this year and the crown was smaller too. Hmmmm. I hope they fix that for next year because I'll be back for my 4th crown. A girl can never have too many tiaras!

I'm Not Alone!!

It's easy to feel like you are the only one battling through issues but I learned recently of another athlete in our area who has Rheumatoid Arthritis and is not letting it stand in his way. While the majority of RA warriors are women it does strike men as well. Most think of arthritis as an old person's disease however RA actually strikes most often in the 20's and 30's. This athlete was hit at the age of 17.

Let me tell you, he is amazing! I've watched him run for years and thought how smooth he was. He makes it look effortless yet all the while he's been fighting through the pain, fatigue, and swollen joints. He's a private man and doesn't share his story with many but when I asked him about it he showed me his hands. Unmistakable.

His philosophy is simple. "Someday I may not be able to do this, but today is not that day."

I'm humbled.

Triple Threat Triathlon Series

This was a new series in my area and of course I had to be part of the fun. It consisted of three triathlons three weeks in a row, each one a little unique. The prize for doing all three was a really nice jacket. How could I pass that up? The bonus was three triathlons within very short driving distance and a chance to hang out with some really awesome friends every weekend. The hidden bonus was I actually saw improvement from week to week.

Race 1: Reverse Tri at Scott City

First race finished.

Holy cow, this one had me worried. It was run in reverse order with the run first and swim last. Yikes! I totally suck at the run and was so worried about being exhausted that I would be worthless on the bike and flounder in the water. But it really worked well and the transitions were actually easier. You were taking things off not putting things on. The only down side for me was my shoulders really tightened up as I rode and the swim stroke was pretty painful. I even managed to maintain my normal pace for each segment. Finished with a smile as there were no age group awards.

Race 2: Double Triathlon at Holcomb

Second Race Finished

This triathlon give you the option to finish a mini sprint and then do it again, backwards. So you can swim, bike, run, run, bike, swim, to complete the double. I'm crazy, but not that crazy and only did the first part. The distances are 225 swim, 9 mile bike, 2 mile run so the single is pretty doable. Since one of the ladies in my age group did the double it bumped me up to second place in my division. Woo Hoo!

Race 3: Arkansas Trails Triathlon at Garden City

Third Race Finished!!

I was really looking forward to the swim part of this race and dreading the run. The Big Pool in Garden City is huge by pool standards and I lobbied hard to get a perimeter swim to simulate an open water swim in a clear water environment. Those who were leery of lakes and murky water could see the bottom and those who didn't feel strong enough to swim in a lake could get that feeling and still have the side near enough to grab if they needed. Each lap around the pool is approximately 200 meters so twice around the pool was a perfect distance. The bike was the normal route through the Sand Hills and back. But the run was scary for me. It was a 4 mile run through trails along the Arkansas River. The sand was loose in many areas with lots of hidden rocks and uneven gullies. I took my time and survived. I finished 3rd again, just out of the medals behind the same two ladies. But I finished.

Final Thoughts

It was a fantastic turnout for this series. Over 25 people took up the challenge and completed all three races. It points out the popularity of this sport and the desire of people in our area to try new things and step out of our comfort zones. Many others participated in one or two of the events and all three races were well attended. I'm in awe of the fast people and inspired by everyone who steps up to the start line. The positive energy that flows at events like this is like nothing else in the world. I hope this series continues to grow. It's unique and fun and has brought me many new friends. That's a win in my books.

Triple Threat Triathlon Finishers. (I'm at the far left)