Sometimes, the Answer is No

Earlier in the year I started signing up for a bunch of races. I was so excited and revved up to keep racing, even though my favorite running partner was 3,000 miles away in Maryland. Moving to Washington state I figured there would be lots of opportunities to try new races. I spent a lot of time searching for unique races within a reasonable driving distance.

I found a race in the nearby city of Arlington (about an hour or so drive) called the Rescue Run. It was a 10K and would have been my longest race ever. I was really looking forward to stepping up race length and thought it would also be a great way to prep for the half marathon I had coming up a month after. I spent some time training in the weeks prior, but wasn't nearly as prepared as I needed to be. So many things in my life kept getting in the way of my training.

- We got the lease renewal for our already over-priced apartment and found out the increase was going to price us out of being able to live there. This meant every spare moment we had after work was spent apartment hunting.

- Right about the time some folks came through and helped us out with the apartment situation and we re-signed our lease, our apartment became infested with fleas (and at the time, we didn't even have any pets!). I was covered in so many flea bites that at first my husband and I thought I had the chicken pox. I constantly itched and the bites swelled enough that wearing socks and shoes was painful. Training in this condition was near impossible.


- We got rid of the fleas, by the grace of God (and with a ridiculous amount of chemicals), and I finally thought I could get back into the rhythm of training. But of course, it was not that simple. New neighbors moved in above us. Our previous upstairs neighbor, although annoying because he smoked like a chimney and the smoke sometimes made its way into our house, not to mention the flicked ash and still lit cigarettes landing on our patio and in the bushes in front of our apartment, he was quiet. He was quiet enough that unless we smelled smoked, we hardly knew he was around. Our new neighbors? Not so much. They were loud CONSTANTLY. Doing laundry at all hours of the day and night, running around and playing basketball in the house, jumping off of furniture onto the floor and knocking pictures and knick-knacks down off our walls and shelves, and behaving as if they were the only people in the building. My husband tried talking to them to no avail. To top it all off, our neighbors on the other side of the walkway got another dog and the two dogs barked any time anyone walked past their apartment, meaning the barking went right into our bedroom window.

Needless to say, with all of this going on, I wasn't getting much sleep. I was exhausted constantly. I couldn't train much because I could barely find the energy to make it through my work day. I would fall asleep crying because I was just so frustrated, exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, and, well, just plain a mess. The week of the Rescue Run 10K arrived and I was a mess. There's no better way to say it. I had gotten less than 10 miles of training done that week and had only slept about the same number of hours that week too. I talked over with Riku about whether or not it was a good idea to run this 10K when I was so exhausted and untrained. I was on the fence about participating. I didn't feel good about it on any level, but I felt like saying "no" was quitting or giving up. Riku wanted me to pass on the race and he supported me in making the best choice for my health and self. I had an appointment for a pedicure, so he told me to go, relax, think about my decision, and then let him know.


I made my decision during the pedicure. It was easy to make when the woman doing my nails clipped the cuticle on my left pinkie toe so short that she cut into the skin causing it to bleed. The pain was horrible and it took several minutes for my foot to stop bleeding. Walking was painful and within 24 hours, the cut was infected, despite sanitizing it and keeping it clean and protected. I could barely walk, let alone run. Between the pain of my foot and the exhaustion from getting so little sleep, from lack of preparation to frustration with our living situation, I was out of cope and I was starting to lose my ability to function.


There would be no Rescue Run 10K for me. It broke my heart. I felt like a failure. I texted my best friend, Laura, and told her I would not be going to the 10K race and I told her why. Just like my husband, Riku, she supported my decision and reassured me that deciding not to participate does not make me a failure. I had to make a decision that was good for me and my health and well-being. Sometimes, that means saying NO to a race. It's easy to sign up for a race, pay that registration fee, and start training. It's not nearly as easy to decide that it's in your best interest to stay home.

Running injured is NOT running smart. Knowing I had my first half marathon coming up in just a few weeks, I decided to focus on that instead. I made better, healthier choices for myself and gave my mind, body, and spirit time to heal properly. Saying "no" was the right decision for me and I don't regret it for a second. Saying "no" does not make me a failure, it makes me smart. Running is healthy, but can also be hard on the body. Part of being a smart runner is making smart choices and when you ask yourself if you're healthy enough for a race, Sometimes, the Answer is No.

Orange You Glad I Run?

If you've been following me on Facebook or have read my race re-caps, you may have noticed a trend among the pictures I post: I wear orange.  Orange is not my favorite color. I've always preferred black, red and purple to orange.  For my southern relatives, orange is the color of the Clemson Tigers and abhorred by their rivals, the Carolina Gamecocks.  My husband is a Clemson fan. My husband loves orange.  BUT - that is not why I wear orange.  I wear orange in honor of his mother, Hollie.

I've never had the opportunity to meet Hollie and unfortunately, never will.  She passed away when my husband was seven years old, after a five-year battle with Multiple Sclerosis.  My husband has several memories of her, but the one that has stuck with him is an early-evening hospital visit when he was four years old.  He remembers running towards his mother, like any other small child and jumping into her arms. Regardless of the sheer amount of pain she was in, she picked him up and held him close and told him she loved him; at that same time, he looked through the hallway window to see the sun setting. When the sun sets, the entire sky is on fire.  Changing from a soft blue to a fiery red-orange.  Orange.

To this day, sunsets are our moments with Hollie and are a huge symbol of love in our family - Dennis and I were married at sunset.  Over time, I learned that orange is the color used in raising awareness of Multiple Sclerosis.  When I decided to register for my first half-marathon, I soon learned that it would take place on May 4th - Hollie's birthday.  Knowing this, I wanted to do something special in honor of her memory.  I decided that I would wear orange - for her and sunsets. In this race and every following, I wear orange for Hollie, for all those who live or have fought MS.  I take pride in knowing that despite my slow pace, I am able to run or walk freely.

Today marks twenty-five years since Hollie has passed. Not a day goes by that she is not missed nor loved by all of us.  For her, and all of the individuals who inspire me, I run.

Crossing the Bridge

This is a race re-cap of the inaugural Across the Bay 10K that occurred on November 9, 2014. 

Having grown up in Maryland, I have driven across the Bay Bridge dozens of times. Most often riding alongside my best friend as we traveled to her parent's beach home in Fenwick Island, just miles from Ocean City.  The Bay Bridge spans roughly 4.3 miles, connecting travelers from the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay to the Eastern Shore.  Almost 1000 cars cross the Bay Bridge on a daily basis.  For the inaugural Across the Bay 10K, there were 20,000 of us who went by foot.

View of the Bridge from Sandy Point Park (our Start)

The sheer number of runners coupled with the race set-up itself (years past, similar attempts were not as successful) made me completely nervous, but I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to run the bridge.  It's one thing to drive across, breathing in the salt air feeling the ocean that much closer; to run it - too cool for words.  The weeks leading up, I didn't adhere to a strict training plan.  I had just finished the Baltimore half-marathon (more on that later) a few weeks prior and I peppered in some 1-3 mile short runs in my neighborhood when I could.  What made me somewhat anxious was the age-old dilemma, "what's a girl to wear?!"

Being in November and our typical multiple-personality weather that is Maryland, I didn't know where to start.  Luckily, two other girls at work were signed up to run AND I had my Moms Run This Town (MRTT) online group to consult.  A little sharing and a fun trip to TJ Maxx later, I had my race day outfit: running tights, my MRTT shirt, and a thermal zip-up hoodie.  I decided to brave the bridge minus a hat, gloves or anything heavy and thank goodness I did.  Come race day, it turned out to be mid-fifties and sunny.  

My wave was scheduled to start at 9:15 and due to the nature of the race, runners and spectators shuttled separately to the start and finish areas.  I needed to be on a shuttle at least an hour ahead and I JUST made it.  The sheer number of runners required that the race starts be staggered and given that we would be crossing from the Western Shore to the Eastern, spectators were bused to the finish area. On top of this, parking itself was borderline chaotic - the Mister and I decided to park at the Navy-Marine Corps. stadium lot, not knowing they were also hosting a lacrosse tournament the same weekend.  After sitting in traffic for over 45 minutes (so thankful we decided to leave an hour earlier than originally planned), we made it to the shuttle location in time for my husband to switch seats with me and park the car while I dashed to make my shuttle to the start.

The RIDICULOUS line for the shuttle to the START. .

Edging closer and closer to the start...

Nothing I could have pictured would have prepared me for this race.  Driving a distance versus running it is an entirely different experience.  The scenery is the same, but it becomes a new adventure.  In order to accommodate us, the eastbound side of the bridge was closed; two-way traffic was set up on the westbound bridge.  I had no goals set for myself, so I took it nice and easy, which helped for the uphill start to the bridge.

This was a race that was relaxing to run.  Everyone was excited to run across; people stopped to take pictures, myself included. Hydration? No paper cups littering the course.  Across the Bay was a cup-less race, which gave me my first experience of running more than three-miles with my handheld Nathan water bottle.  I started with close to full bottle and finished with close to half left.  There were water fountain stations set up in addition to port-a-johns after the 2nd and 4th miles on the bridge.

Yes, I took a selfie too!

My only complaints? 1)Parking/shuttles - while there was a system in place, it was not fluid.  It was a little difficult to navigate the Celebration Village post-race to find our shuttle back.  There were voluteers along the way, but I think the set-up of parking/shuttles could be somewhat clearer.  2) Spectator viewing - this was the first race in a while that my husband was present at and he was disappointed to not be able to see me run from the start or finish due to the crowds of people and general layout of the course.

Overall, I loved this race and would recommend it to anyone despite its semi-steep price tag.  The weather was great, the experience irreplaceable and the atmosphere uplifting.  Up next on my race calendar? Our local YMCA Santa Run 5K.  Time to get dressed up and run in our holiday best around Frederick in addition to training for the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge come February.

Post-Race with my "puzzle piece" medal

Proud to Run Like A Girl

Race Recap for the Run Like A Girl Half Marathon in Bellingham, Washington

If someone had told me two years ago that I would have a finisher’s medal for a half marathon hung around my neck I probably would have wondered who I had stolen it from. A half marathon? Are you kidding me?! There’s no way I could finish a half marathon. 

But here I am - Veronica Smith, Half Marathon Finisher.

First, I have to admit it was a pretty big challenge just to find a half marathon that took place on a Saturday out here in Washington. I’m a pastor, which means I work on Sundays...and that’s when most races take place. When I finally found a race I couldn’t believe my luck that it was not only relatively close (less than 2 hours away), but designed specifically for women! So, while using FaceTime to talk to my best friend Laura back in Maryland for support and encouragement, I registered for my very first half marathon - Run Like A Girl Half Marathon in Bellingham, Washington (a little over 2 hours north of Seattle). 

My family and friends are mostly in Maryland (that’s where I’m from originally), so it was really important to me that my husband, Riku, be in attendance for moral support and most importantly to be able to drive me home. We booked a hotel near the race course for the night before, giving me the best chance to get more sleep prior to the race, and started figuring out the schedule for the weekend.

The day before the race, just a few hours before we were planning to leave for Bellingham, my husband finds out that he has been scheduled to work on Saturday. I am immediately devestated. I need him there. Otherwise, I’d be all on my own. I try calling and texting with friends and family in the area, but no one is available. Riku spent the morning trying to find someone to cover for him. Finally, we decided that we would go ahead and drive up to Bellingham and check in to our hotel. I would drive and Riku would continue trying to find a sub for work. 

Getting things packed up for the weekend.

Riku asking, “Why do you need SO MUCH STUFF for ONE night?!”

The drive to Bellingham took twice as long as expected because we left several hours later than planned. We hit traffic the entire way and an hour and a half drive ended up taking three hours. We finally arrived at our hotel and by the time we got there, Riku had found folks to cover for him at work the next day during the race. I was beyond relieved and felt like I could relax a bit more and focus on the race. We took our things to our room and then walked down the street to Olive Garden for dinner. 

Night before the race pasta dinner! Grilled chicken and cavatappi pasta. YUM!

Our silly fruity drinks with dinner. Riku had the one on the right!

We finished dinner and went back to the hotel where we enjoyed a swim in the indoor pool, a dip in the hot tub, and a couple of minutes in the steam room. It was a nice way to end the evening. I got all of my gear set out, painted my toe nails Orioles orange for luck, and was tucked into bed beside my husband by 10PM. 

I set my alarm to say, “Get ready to Run Like A Girl!” It was nice waking up to that in the morning for sure. Not to mention all the text messages of love and support from my bestie all through the night and into the morning too. My Facebook page was filled with encouragement as well. My stomach, on the other hand, was filled with knots. 

Everything laid out for the race - from toothbrush to headphones and everything in between.

My running outfit. Lots of layers because of unpredictable weather.

Orioles orange toe nails!

We packed up all our stuff and headed downstairs to the hotel lobby for a free hot breakfast. There were so many things to choose from, but I had planned out what I thought was not only best for pre-race energy, but also for pre-race nerves. I ate slowly, choking down every bite because the butterflies in my stomach were taking up so much space. After checking out we loaded the car and headed to the course. 

Pre-Race Breakfast: bagel, half cream cheese, half peanut butter, a banana, and a cup of coffee with milk

I picked up my racing bib: Lucky 777! (My favorite number is 7, by the way.) Then hung out to take some pre-race pictures and do a little stretching. I got a few text messages of folks cheering me on while I warmed up and that got me smiling, but I was still really nervous...and COLD. It was overcast and a little misty out...and for the first Saturday in October, pretty chilly (45 degrees at the start). 

The race began a little late. Actually, a LOT late. I stuck to the back for the start, knowing I’d be slow, especially since I’d had the stomach flu earlier in the week. The race coordinators gave out instructions and explained where aid stations and bathrooms would be (I made sure I stood in the long line and used the bathroom BEFORE the race though!). Riku stood with the other husbands, boyfriends, brothers, etc. and watched as we started up the hill for 13.1 miles out and back on roads and trails and up over a mountain. 

The first few mile weren’t too bad and the aid stations were really cute. They all had themes - Princess Mile (we got crowns to wear), Superhero Mile (bracelets like Wonder Woman), Chocolate Mile, Bubble Mile, and so much more. I kept a pretty solid pace until I got to mile 3 and it started pouring. In my head I was thinking, "Hey! I just ran a 5K! WOOHOO! (pause) Oh wait, I’ve got to do this four more times. Ugh.” The rain continued for several miles and I had to slow down pretty significantly to safely climb the mountain trail - Chuckanut Mountain is NOT my friend with its high elevation and steep trails. The rain just made it even harder to scramble up over the tree roots and rocks in the mud. 

When I got to Mile 5, women who had reached the halfway point had turned around and started running past me. I had thought when that started happening I would get depressed, but instead, I was so encouraged by all their cheers and shouts of support for me. These MUCH faster women runners were taking time to wave, clap, high five, and hug ME. The girl at the back of the pack. I picked up speed and pushed to the halfway point where a local high school cheerleading squad cheered us through the turn around. I was so pumped when I realized I had just completed a 10K - the longest distance I had run in a race, ever! 

Each aid station offered gel cubes, water, some sort of trinket or special item, and of course, lots of love, support, and encouragement. You couldn’t help but smile and pick up the pace after seeing these fabulous folks. At one point, Riku even joined me on the trail to take photos of me. I was so focused I didn’t realize he was there until I had gone a half mile with him behind me! He took a short cut back to the finish while I geared up for the last few miles. 

I slowed down again for the steep hills, afraid I would slip as I picked my way down the muddy trails on the side of the mountain. A lot of women had decided not to complete the entire race and had cut back early, so I spent a lot of the last half of the race on my own in the woods with the Puget Sound beside me. I had a lot of time to think and reflect on what I was doing...and I used much of it to pray and thank God for the strength to finish. 

A view of the Puget Sound during the race. 

This was what things looked like for me for most of the end of the race.

I listened to music most of the race, lots of high energy songs and songs that just bring me joy. I could hear a few times when I would get a text message from someone encouraging me. I paused at one point, right before the last 2 miles to read a couple messages from Laura and got teared up. I was so close. My legs were burning. My heart was pumping. I was drenched with sweat and rain. Covered in mud. Completely wiped out. I saw the sign for Mile 12 and sent Riku a text message letting him know I wasn’t too far from the finish. The last part of the run was on pavement, which was a difficult transition to make after running for 8 miles (4 out and 4 back) on a soft trail in the woods. The folks running the aid stations were still there, cheering me on, telling me how close the finish was.

I rounded the sidewalk at the top of the hill heading back into the park again and could see the finish. I picked up my pace. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right - I was going to power through the finish at a run. 

I knew I was going to be one of the last to finish (especially since so many only went halfway and turned around and came back because it was so cold and rainy), but I didn’t care. I was about to finish my very first half marathon. I got closer to the finish line and picked up more speed, a garland of balloons, cheerleaders, a small crowd, and a bunch of firefighters waiting for me. But who I really wanted to see was my husband. 

Suddenly, I got a horrible cramp in my calf. It burned SO much that it took everything I had in me not to stop running and limp through the finish. I tried running differently to keep it from hurting as much, but I was close to tears. I had made it within a few feet of the finish line and I was scared I might not make it. I prayed and prayed and prayed, “Please God, I’m so close! Please help me to pull strength from that last gel or cup of water to run to the finish!” 

Before I knew it, I was running across the finish line. When I realized what I had just done, I started sobbing. 

I, Veronica Webber Smith, had just finished a half marathon. 

The race coordinators had arranged for a local fire company to give us our finisher’s medals - handmade necklaces by a local artist. All the firefighters were really handsome, but I didn’t care, I ran right past all of them and straight into my husband’s arms. He hugged me and kissed me while I cried. Someone nearby reminded me to get my medal, so one of the firefighters clasped it around my neck as Riku took pictures. The race wasn’t officially timed, but I had tracked on my phone with Nike and finished in 3 hours and 26 minutes. 

A handsome fireman putting my finisher’s medal around my neck. 

Finisher’s medals - handmade necklaces from a local artist - hang on an antique fire truck at the finish line.

After the race I did some stretching to soothe my muscles and drank water. I also made sure to text Laura and a few other folks about being finished. And of course, I posted it on Facebook too. We got in the car and headed to downtown Bellingham for lunch at a Mexican restaurant, grabbed a few things from the grocery store for me (I wanted an orange Gatorade SO BAD for some reason!), and started heading back home. I knew the drive would be long and uncomfortable, so I did my best to keep moving and stretching throughout the long car ride home. 

We saw this rainbow during the drive home. 

With my husband, Riku, at lunch post-race.

By the time we got home all I wanted was to get out of my gross clothes and take a hot bath with epsom salts. I soaked my aching body, stretched as much as I could, got a nice massage from my loving husband, and went to bed. 

The next morning, I woke up to get ready for church and proudly clasped my finisher’s medal around my neck. My husband kissed me and reminded me how proud he was of his, “half marathoner runner wife.” I broke out in tears. 

I had finished a half marathon. I had earned this medal. 

And it most certainly would not be my last. 

Disney Princess Training [finally] Begins!

Last Saturday I had my best friend over for dinner.  This might not seem like much, but to me, it's huge. I have not seen her in the flesh since mid-March.  While I appreciate all that Facebook, Face Time and other social media outlets have to offer, actually being able to interact with her in real-time was exactly what I needed.

As some of you already know, we are registered to run the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge this coming February. What you may not know, is that I have not been sticking to my training schedule as well as I should.  As part of the Glass Slipper Challenge, we are running the Enchanted 10K on Saturday February 21st and the Princess Half-Marathon on Sunday February 22nd.  Running back-to-back races is no simple feat, regardless of distance.  However, when faced with the prospect of earning three medals and running through the parks filled with various characters from our childhood?? Take our money, RunDisney! 

In order to prepare, RunDisney provides training plans designed by Jeff Galloway for all of their races, including the challenge events.  In my registration excitement, I downloaded and printed a copy of the Glass Slipper Challenge training plan which covers 19-weeks and has you running twice weekly for approximately 30-45 minutes, with long runs on the weekend.  Looks easy enough.  However, throw in a full-time job, a long commute, a husband working overnights and two little guys under the age of four and this momma is lucky to even get time or the energy to think about running.  Which, let's face it, sometimes just thinking about running is my exercise for the day.  However, thinking and doing are entirely two different things.  Especially when I should be in week 5 of my training and have barely done anything beyond a few short runs and a 10K.  

Reasons and excuses aside, I know I need to step it up - so Sunday, I did.  It took a kick in the pants from my husband and ignoring the guilt every mom or woman faces: "but, I need to..." and just going out to run.  I ran. I ran and I didn't stop until I hit 3.1.  Three miles...and just a little more. Three miles, three months, three medals.  I've got this - whether I feel like it or not, I've got (to do) this.

What about you? Are you struggling or kicking ass with your own training? Even if you're just working on incorporating more regular running...are you running as much as you're thinking about it? What motivates you to get out the door - do you need a reminder on your Google Calendar or are you like me and need your husband (or whomever) to physically push you out the door sometimes?