Austin [Half] Marathon [Another Race Report]

Or a lackluster one, y'all.  I have been waiting for MarathonFoto to upload some amazing shots, but apparently I was only *shot* a few times over 13.1 miles.  HA!  That's allright...I'm going to nab some good shots from other sources to help illustrate some moments.

Let me start with the elevation profile for this particular event.

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Harry and I ran this half last year (where I OWNED this course with a 1:49:18 finish), and for some reason, we ran it again.  Haha.  Don't get me wrong:  we had a WONDERFUL time last year!  It was a beautiful challenge for both of us, and we limped away, leaving everything we had out on the course.  The temps were perfect (in the 40s and 50s), and both he and I were trained for the hills.  I was still living in San Antonio, where I had nothing BUT hills in my neighborhood, and Harry trained on a mall parking lot ramp.  Hills are a rarity in the Chi, yanno.  Needless to say, I'm sorry that I didn't blog about this event last year, hehe.

On this particular day in 2014, it was 60*F and humid as all get out.  I went into this just as my last half marathon last month, treating it as a long run.  I didn't really care how long it took me to finish it.  The only thing I actually cared about was getting up the hill at mile 12 (see above...ugh) without stopping.  Some goal, huh?

So Harry and I arrived the Friday before (you can read my recap of the weekend up to this point here).  We woke up early Sunday morning and head toward downtown Austin.  I was nervous about parking (not really sure why...I grew up in this town, learned how to drive in this town, and pretty much knew where I was), about finding a spot close enough to the event start.  We didn't have a problem finding a spot AT ALL.  Most lots were open, pay and free parking.  Very convenient.  We had just enough time to park, check our bag, and a quick pee break before heading to the start line.  I realized while waiting in line that I had forgotten to put on BodyGlide.  Grrrrrrrrreat.

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Since we were slightly behind, we got to stand and start with 5:00 marathon finishers.  Harry and I both run about two minutes faster during our long runs than this finish time, so we were slightly irked.  I couldn't be upset, though; if we wanted to have better placement at the start, then we should've gotten there way sooner.  Soon About fifteen minutes later, we found out that the crowd was actually MUCH thinner and easier to navigate around than we had dreaded!   We slowly shuffled up to the starting line, gave each other a race smooch, and went on our separate ways.  Here's my brief, yet accurate, breakdown of the race.

Miles 1-3 were hilly.  We went up and down and up and down...these rollers were only the warm-up and, knowing the course, I kept my pace super easy and relaxed.  This allowed me to enjoy the crowds and gorgeous scenery, and to smile my booty off!

Miles 3-6 were hillier.  That climb is a beast.  Once again, keeping it very easy.  Times got tough on this hill, but I just pushed back.  Up and up and up we went.  Since it was warmer and I was definitely sweating more than usual, I started taking fluids several miles earlier than I had last year.  On top of the humidity, I was working with about a 60* difference in temperature than what I'm used to running!  I took water at the mile 5 aid station.  I wasn't ready for Gatorade yet.  All I knew was that I was ready for the downhill.

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Miles 6-9...HERE'S MY DOWNHILL!  Weeeeeeee!
Around mile 8, my tummy started to turn over itself.  *le eyeroll*  Fine, I figured, I'll take a potty break.  After standing for FOUR...STINKING...MINUTES...I was finally the next in line.  The door to the port-a-potty opened, and a guy jumped out of it and said to me "I don't know what you're going in there to do, but there isn't any toilet paper," then grabbed a folded towel from the side waistline of his shorts and held it out to me.  "You can use this if you want...I don't need it," he said.  I looked at him in awe.  "Are you sure?!"  I couldn't believe someone was this generous, seriously!  He assured me and I gave him a big, sweaty hug, and told him thanks and good luck.  When I went into the bathroom, it was so disgusting.  Many people had almost made it unusable.  There was poo everywhere.  :\  I had no other choice here, though.  I needed to go and get done with this run.  I got my business done and got back out on the road.

Miles 9-12 I knew what was coming.  I held back as much as I could.  At this point, I started taking Gatorade, swishing it in my mouth, then spitting out the majority of it.  I have never trained with it, and I certainly didn't want to have to spend another five minutes going to the bathroom again.  I took water immediately after.  I kept my pace very, very easy, though it stated to feel very tiring.  The hills and rollers were back again, and it really took a lot to run past people who were walking.  I started seeing people on the sides of the road, holding onto what I can assume as cramping calves.  Right before the hill here, I saw a lady down, not moving, and surrounded by several EMTs.  Yikes.

Side note:  They made it a point to have more water tables out this day, since the weather was pretty warm and very humid.  People were warned before the start of the race about the conditions, and that they needed to stay hydrated.

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Mile 12 brought me the hill.  THE HILL.  I nearly let this hill defeat me last year.  My Daddio had been in a terrible car accident almost two weeks prior, had miraculously survived and was still in the hospital.  I kept telling myself last year "This is for Daddy, this is for Daddy", as I nearly puked, ran into people, and got the best photos ever where I looked like I was sneezing.  This year, I killed it all the way up.  I was rested, not running at an 8:00 pace like I was last year; that being said, I still struggled, but it felt easier and seemed to be over with much quicker.  I cheered people on, made anyone I saw walking start running up it with me, and laughed my ass off when I read a sign that said "Smile if you just peed a little".  The man holding the sign laughed and put up his hand for a high-five when he saw me laughing.  I hit the high-five and INSTANTLY felt better about the next mile.1, which once again, I knew was going to be tough.

Mile 12-13.1  TOUGH.  Just tough.  There are still many rollers to deal with toward the end.  You don't really catch a glimpse of hope flat street until you're about 1/4 mile from the finish.  Then it's on like Donkey Kong, and you feel like a beast dork sprinting to the finish line.  Jelly legs and all.  As I crossed the finish line, I blew a kiss to my hometown, thanking it for its always humbling welcome.

Harry and I found each other at the bag check area, then hit up this coffee shop for breaky tacos and caffeine.  We started heading to the car when we saw more people down after the finisher's area.  One lady was getting an IV by a medical professional just as we were walking past.  It was kind of disturbing.  

We got back to the car and head over to the hotel to shower up and check out, then hit up our favorite post-Austin Half Marathon race noms spot:  County Line BBQ (off 2222).

We devoured everything.  We somehow got our tooshies up to Mount Bonnell to find some rocks for Sophia, and so I could reminisce of my younger days.  Ahhhhh...home.  <3

We spent a bit of time here before we had to get to the airport...

...to come back to the Chi to this.  It snowed about eight inches the very next day.  Ppppppppp!

At least I have this to keep me warm and to remember of those couple of days in February of 2014 where I could run outside in shorts.  :)

For Friday

Just watch.  :)

Happy last Friday (and day!) of February, y'all!  <3

Blog Update [And March Challenges]

Look around!  I messed with some fonts and margins, played with graphics, and did a teensy-weensy bit of HTML work, and made this here blog a little prettier.  Oh, and what's that in the address bar?  LOOK.

That's right!  Drop the (blogspot) out of the addy from now on, y'all.  Update your readers, please!  <3

March is looking to be a pretty CHALLENGING.  I'm already participating in THREE challenges!

Joyce Meyer presented the 3030 Challenge to promote more meditation and Bible study time.  On March 1st, everyone involved in the challenge will pick up their Bibles for thirty minutes every day, for the next thirty days.  I have completely lost track of my quiet time with God, and this challenge called out to me personally.  I'm excited to have that time to myself again.  Here's the wonderful Joyce Meyer herself in a promo for the challenge.

Next, I'm up for the ZOOMA Photo-A-Day challenge!  It's pretty simple.  You post a picture to your Instagram or Facebook that the daily entry signifies for you.  Be sure to tag #Zoomaphotoaday!  Each week, a winner will be selected and they receive a free pair of Altra running shoes. Check out the site for the rules and details about affiliates.

And finally, the #SweatHappyWithYoga March challenge!  I told you about this one in my last post, where the ladies will present a Yoga pose for the day on Instagram, and you demonstrate the pose and post your own photo!  Follow the link in the photo for more information.

On top of all of this, I'm getting eye surgery (AGAIN...ugh!) on March 20th.  *le sigh, le sigh, leeeeeeeee sigh* I hope my eyeballs get fixed this time, for sure.  More details to come about that later.  ;)

C'mon, March 1st!  I'm ready for you! 

Just What I Need! [And a Peek Into My A.P.E. Class]

*I know that you're patiently waiting for my race report from the Austin [half] marathon.  I'll have it up very soon, promise!*

On Mondays at school, I teach Yoga in Adaptive P.E.  Since I work with kiddos with developmental disabilities (about 95% of them are diagnosed with Autism, varying on the spectrum), I use a lot of visual aids, even along with demonstration.  I started a new lesson series this week for Yoga, called "Poses of the Week".  I will use these poses randomly in other lessons throughout the week; integrated lessons, anyone?  

Here's a sample of the poses I'm using this week:

I had already laminated the sheets, so I Had to hold it funny to make sure there wasn't a glare from lights.  Hah.

Very basic.  After warm-ups and saying the "secret code word" ("Namaste"), we can begin our lesson, holding poses from 15-30 seconds, depending on the pose, and also depending on the kiddo.  On an individual basis, I could get some of the students to hold it for "breaths".  Each student was given a chance to "mark off" each pose as we completed it.  We had breaks between each set, and depending on the class, we could repeat sets or use a more difficult or easier variation of each pose.  To end, I had a series of poses that we considered our "cooldown", including their favorite, Corpse Pose.  :)

As I was creating these visual aids yesterday morning, I got to thinking about how lackluster my Yoga practice has been lately.  When I lived in San Antonio, I had my most favorite Yoga instructor, Janis, one whose classes I had been attending for almost six years!  She was actually my very first Yoga instructor.  *le sigh*  I have modeled my own instruction to that of hers, using calming voice and music techniques, sound and flowing direction, and a lot of visualization.  Of course, I have held every Yoga instructor up to this standard.  You know what I'm talking about...when you find the perfect group exercise instructor or teacher, one that motivates you with every word, the one that you are just in awe of, the one you want desperately to be your BFF, or even just your instructor for life!

*leeeeeeeee sigh* I need to up my practice, and I need to move on from my favorite instructor.  I need something to get me back in the mood!  And lucky for me, there just-so-happens to be a Yoga (pose) Challenge coming up in March!  JUST WHAT I NEED!  Paige from Fit Not Fad, Kim from BusyBod, and Erin from The Almond Eater have presented a daily pose challenge for every day in March.  Won't you join me?!  All you need is a camera, Instagram, and a small urge to practice a little bit of Yoga every day for March.  Check out any of the ladies' bloggies for more inforamtion.

I'm gearing up for an early morning run to start off my Tuesday.  Y'all have a beautiful day! 

ZOOMA News!

So recently about two weeks ago, I found out that I had been selected to be a 2014 Chicago Ambassador for ZOOMA!  I feel so honored!  I can't believe I haven't even been in this city for a year (coming up mid-May), and I have already made an impression on the right people!  That makes my heart smile.  :)

What does this mean for me?  I get to hang out with a bunch of really remarkable ladies who all run for different and fantastic reasons.  I get to inspire and motivate local women to run and stay fit on every level!  I get the chance encourage and promote health and wellness through running and any other means that anyone I come across is up for!  ME ME ME!  Haha...I kid.  I'm just stoked that I'm blessed with this platform!  I have so many opportunities to make so many training friendships and networking possibilities, it's unreal.

What does this mean for you?  WELL.

My Chicago followers and friends are more than welcome to use my code

CAMB14

to get 10% off the 2014 Chicago ZOOMA 10K or Half Marathon on August 9th, 2014!  The swag bag alone looks legit, y'all!

This code is good through August 6th, so get thinkin' about which distance you'd like to tackle.  For me, the half marathon will be my first summer race...ever.  There are very few summer races (half marathons, anyway) in Texas, for obvious reasons.  I'm stoked about this one, since it's on the Lakefront, as well as pretty early in the day, where the temps should be relatively comfy.

So get thinkin', Lincoln!  Please contact me via twitter or e-mail me at Tiffany@thechiathlete.com if you have any questions!  

A Home Visit [Austin Marathon Weekend]

What a fantastic weekend for me to visit my hometown!  I had to work for a few hours Friday morning, so Harry and I didn't get into the ATX until late Friday evening.  We enjoyed some airport noms (which I didn't take a picture of, except for this one!  THE BEST ONE!  THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS!) at Chicago Midway and boarded a plane for Texas (by way of Atlanta...ugh).

Also, this post has a bunch of pictures from one event...a run the day before the race.  I sucked at blogging this time, y'all.

The Austin Marathon website said that there was going to be a shakeout run Saturday morning.  I have heard of these runs with Bart Yasso.  I wanted to make sure that he'd be there, so I checked with the man directly.

Brilliant.  I sort of knew that guy was; I've only started a couple of Triathlons from this point!  Harry and I head up to Town Lake (or Ladybird Lake, for those non-Austinites) to meet up with the group for a few very easy miles on the trail.  It was SIMPLY AMAZING out!

Yasso started off the group session with an introduction of himself and a few key important people present, including a couple of representatives from SPIBelt (which I never knew was an Austin-born and raised company!) and Steve Jones, a former marathon world record holder.  Oh.  My.  Gosh. 

We set off at a very, very easy pace.  It was so easy, I got to snap a thousand-million pictures of the gorgeous surroundings.

At the turnaround.  We took a group photo, too!  I'm waiting to see if it gets posted, then I'll update here.  ;)

We wrapped up the run with a short course talk (and several warnings of the weather being a pill on race day) and some laughs.  No matter the situation, Yasso has a story for it.  He's one of those GREAT storytellers...you know, the ones that start speaking and everyone stops talking to listen.  I have witnessed him telling the most intriguing, hilarious stories, and he didn't fail to impress on this particular morning.

Gotta keep it real.  Breakfast tacos from the TC and coffee afterward!  SO yummy!  I managed to inhale my two bacon, egg and cheese breaky tacos before taking a picture of them for you, so here's the bag they came in.  ;)

Harry and I showered up and head out for the Marathon Market (expo), and to mess about in Austin.  We picked up our bibs and spent some time driving around and eventually heading back to the hotel to relax.  Dinner was at Trudy's, where we enjoyed some local brew and our traditional pre-race tacos.

Race recap coming soon!  While you wait, you're more than welcome to read about the course and hills here.  :)

Random Thoughts [And Upcoming Acts of Kindness]

Gahhhhlee.  I don't know what has happened to me this past week.  My focus has shifted from all things athletic and productive, to work and...well...obsessively looking over budgets and finances.  Harry and I have big plans in the next couple of years, and looking at every single penny was apparently more important to me than many other things, like my training.  (FYI:  This blog is the BEST financial inspiration I've ever seen!)  I have been excessively tired this week, mostly in the early evenings, barely making it home by 6:00pm some nights, and even slept almost 12 hours Friday and Saturday nights.  I skipped all but one run last week.

What I can't tell is if it's just a simple miscalculation of focus and priorities, or if I just got burnt out.  One could have caused the other for all I know.  What I do know is that I have to *wake up* at some point, and come back to reality.  The reality is that I have a half marathon in Austin in a week, and I cannot simply ignore my training and let my fitness go seven days out from an event.  I decided long ago that I would not go for a PR, neither course nor time, for the Austin Half Marathon, but the hills alone are going to be the biggest challenge.  I'm not going to lie, I'm frightened.  All I can do is get out there and have fun and smile; and who wouldn't in my hometown?!  Harry and I have a very iffy plan.  He is a much more experienced racer and runner than I; he definitely has his ducks way more in a row than I do.

While discussing this very loosey-goosey plan, I realized something that was even more disheartening:  I do not know what my pace is right now.  I have been going from the treadmill (which I loathe) to the icy, snowy sidewalks.  I have done some speedwork outside; running over the ice makes me pretty conscious about my footfall, which I'm sure has altered my stride.  Believe it or not, I think that this is messing with me!

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My only solution to this?  Blogging all of these thoughts out, talking things out, and being honest with myself.  I have a better chance of realizing what my problems are by typing this crap out and observing through type as to what I'm going through.  I refuse to let a lack-of-training induced case of ennui tear me down at this point.  I have better things to worry about.  I think that there are heavier things that I'm slowly processing, but being able to see things typed out on this blog helps me organize and prioritize.  Here's to putting the "GRRR" in gratitude again!

Now that I've gotten that off my (lack thereof) chest, this week is Random Acts of Kindness Week!  The Social Worker at the school I teach P.E. at organized a sort of "Secret Santa" type activity for us for this week.  I'm super excited about the teacher I got!  I have so many ideas that will hopefully put a smile on her face.  :)  Can you think of anyone to do kind things for this week?  It doesn't cost a dime to make someone smile...be inventive!

Check out the website above to get some ideas, and put a smile on someone's face this week!