Day in My Life (Veronica)

For many years there's been a joke in church circles about how "pastors only work on Sundays," but to be honest, I'm not sure I've ever believed that, nor do I think that's what most folks assume today. However, I imagine a lot of people have no clue what an average day in the life looks like for a pastor. The truth is, most pastors don't really have "average" days. My schedule changes based on the season of the church year, what's going on in the life of the congregation, special events, and so much more. So, with just three weeks remaining until the Glass Slipper Challenge, here is what just one of my days looked like this week:


4:00AM - 4:30AM My husband's alarm goes off. He's got finals this week for graduate school and wanted to get some studying done before work. Our dog, Winter, is confused by the alarm and takes awhile to settle down again. Riku goes to the dining room and I try to go back to sleep.

My "boys" sleeping (The furry one is Winter and the human one is Riku)

5:30AM - 6:00AM An east coast friend forgets I'm on the west coast now and sends me a text message. Normally, my phone would be on silent, but I've got a church member in the hospital so I've got the volume turned on just in case. The dog is confused by the noise and takes a little while to settle down again. We text back and forth a few times and then I try, once more, to go back to sleep.

6:00AM - 6:30AM Our obnoxiously loud upstairs neighbors start getting ready for work and school. I have given up on sleeping and decide, instead to check work email. I get through reading and replying to about a dozen emails before taking the dog outside for his morning walk/potty. We come back inside and I check on my husband's progress.

6:30AM - 7:30AM A family member of my hospitalized church member calls with an update. We talk, pray, and make a plan for the day, including how we will communicate the most recent update with the congregation.

7:30AM - 8:30AM In between providing feedback to Riku on his current assignment, I switch laundry over from the washer to the dryer, fold the clothes in the dryer, make the bed, take my morning meds, fix cinnamon hazelnut pancakes, get dressed, do my hair, and drink a cup of coffee.

Winter is helping Riku with his homework

8:30AM - 9:00AM Another phone call from the family of my hospitalized church member with a change of plan. I get in touch with my office manager to tell her what to put in the message to the congregation about the parishioner's condition and let her know I'm headed to the hospital, but will be in the office later. She emails me the bulletin for Sunday worship which I proofread while taking the dog out one more time.

9:00AM - 12:00PM Say goodbye to my husband, make sure the dog is ready for "doggy manners school" at noon, drive to the hospital, visit with the family, visit with my parishioner, visit with the family again, head back to meet my husband to take our dog to his class at the Humane Society. Riku heads to work.

12:15PM - 1:15PM Dog Manners school at the Humane Society.

1:15PM - 1:30PM Drive to the office while returning phone calls via bluetooth.

1:30PM - 2:30PM Catch up with my office manager. Check in, get messages, review the bulletin for Sunday worship, get information for annual report, and then talk about my schedule for the next day.

2:30PM - 4:30PM Check and reply to all work related emails, voicemails, and text messages, go over staff evaluations, contact more pastors in the area to see who can sub for me while I'm at Disney (I've already called 6 at this point and haven't heard back from any of them), go through our connection cards and pray for the prayer requests on the back, take the dog out and chat with commuters who use the church lot on a daily basis about security concerns, and answer a couple of calls to the office phone.

4:30PM - 5:30PM Prep for Vespers (our evening worship service) by setting up the altar, including communion, and moving the chairs around, as well as getting taper candles from the Sanctuary and filling glass globes with sand. Spend some time making sure the scripture readings and discussion for the service sync up, feed the dog.

Altar set up for our evening Vespers service

5:30PM - 6:00PM Eat a quick dinner of leftovers while working on the end of year report for the upcoming annual congregational meeting.

6:00PM - 6:45PM Take a phone call from a local colleague about a meeting we have tomorrow, discuss ministry in our community, share resources with each other. Then, take a call from the bishop's office about my role at this year's synod assembly. After that, another call concerning a meeting I have tomorrow night for the campus ministry board I serve on.

6:45PM - 7:00PM Final preparations for our evening Vespers worship service.

7:00PM - 8:00PM Vespers evening worship service with Holy Communion followed by contemplative prayer

Folks at the church I serve love Winter so much that they ask for him to join us for Vespers. He is really well behaved and usually sits quietly on the chair beside me.

8:00PM - 8:30PM Clean up from vespers, tidy office, lock up the church

8:30PM - 9:00PM Gather my things, the dog (and his things), head home

9:00PM - 9:30PM Take the dog out, check in with Riku, get all my workout gear ready

9:30PM - 10:00PM A friend calls and needs some advice, chat while changing into workout clothes

10:00PM - 11:30PM Work out in the gym (which is thankfully only a block from our apartment)

Everyone complains about using treadmills, but I kinda wish I had one in my apartment

11:30PM - 12:00AM Go back to the apartment, take the dog out, stretch, take a quick shower, soak in the tub a bit, have a snack, put on pjs

12:00AM - 12:30AM Check in with Riku one last time, take vitamins, climb into bed, check messages to make sure there's nothing about my hospitalized church member, check out Facebook, play a game on my cell phone

12:30AM SLEEP, hopefully

Well, there you have it. A day in my life. I can tell you it's not always like this! Yes, sometimes it's crazy busy and I'm not sure if there are enough hours in the day to get everything done, BUT I love what I do, truly. For me, being a pastor isn't my job, it's my vocation. This is what I have been called by God to do. Running is becoming a vocation too...on days like this, however, the vocation that pays the bills takes priority.

Day in My Life (Laura)

With less than 30 days until Veronica and I are in Orlando for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon Weekend, we're currently in training and preparation for the Glass Slipper Challenge. What does this look like? If you glance in my backpack - a pair of running shoes, my iPod or iPad (road versus dreadmill run), banana and peanut butter sandwich and if I can remember, a headband for starters.  If you took a look at my kitchen floor, a glitter bomb.  If you've been following us on Facebook, you've glimpsed some of the sneak peeks we've been giving of our two costumes - one for the 10K, one for the half.  Every 50 likes, another sneak peek.  At this moment, I can't say what I'm working on but it definitely involves glitter. Lots of it. Glitter and glue, and a million other crafty goodies.

I decided to take a break from the crafting (the glue still hasn't dried) and catch up on a few of the blogs I follow.  Cynthia over at You Signed Up for What?! linked up with a few others to see what a typical day in the life looks like for one another in the midst of our running, triathlon-ing (not sure if this is an actual word, but go with it) and training.  As some of you may know, I don't get the chance to train nearly enough or properly as I would often like.  I'm hoping to rectify this in the coming week thanks to a Craigslist find and my amazing husband who will be driving to pick up a free treadmill for me this weekend! In the mean time, I figured, what better way than to give you a glimpse into a somewhat typical day in the life of.

5:00 AM - My alarm goes off. The first time.

5:15 AM - If I'm lucky, I'm up or telling myself, I REALLY need to get up. I stumble to the kitchen and get the coffee brewing. If the kids are still asleep and I can trick my brain, I throw in my PiYo DVD or Yoga with Adrienne and try to get in at least 20 minutes.

5:45 AM - I'm hopefully in the shower or showered and beginning to get ready for work.  Sometimes it's a matter of getting a little one settled down with the iPad or Disney Junior cartoons if they're awake before Daddy gets home.

DISCLAIMER: As a parent who whose work schedule is opposite of their spouse, parenting during the week often resembles a tag team wrestling match. My husband works overnights - he's gone by 9:30 at night until approximately 6:15 the next morning. I'm on my own with our boys through the night and most of the morning. My hat is off to any parent who is doing this on a regular basis without a partner in any circumstance.

My "Holy Trinity": Coffee, Shakeology, Water...

6:30-7:00 AM - I pack my lunch, pour my coffee into my thermos and blend my morning Shakeology. I've been drinking Shakeology for over 6 months now and it's my breakfast - easily the healthiest meal of my day and easiest. My absolute favorite - blending in some frozen mango and fresh banana with my vanilla.  It's helped me stop snacking on not so good stuff and keeps me full well until lunchtime.  I am out the door no later than 7:00, depending on my morning.

7:45-8:05 AM - I arrive to work after a commute no less than an hour long. I live on Elliot in the Morning or a book on CD.  Just finished Neal Patrick Harris' autobiography.  Do yourself a favor and pick it up. Better yet, listen to it. It's narrated by the man himself and hilarious.

This book is: wait for it....LEGENDARY.

8:30-4:00 PM - School. I work in a neighboring county teaching students who are deaf/hard of hearing in a program-based elementary school.  My caseload and grade-level changes yearly, so I have to learn to be quite flexible...I've taught K-5th and I won't lie, the primary grades are my favorite and the kinders have a special place in my heart.  This year I'm teaching K/1 students - I case manage 5 students in two grade levels but three separate placements; I have to juggle instruction/support for three locations with the support of two para educators. It involves a lot of scheduling, color coding and great time management.  I don't always get to everything I intend to, but I plan for it.  My kids have a lot of academic, physical, social-emotional factors to contend with on a daily basis. Sometimes I'm working 1:1 on a reading or math skill, sometimes I'm modeling language, and sometimes I'm just listening. I can't say too much about my kids at school but I will say this...they're something special and they're mine.

My color-coded week...sometimes it works.

4:00-5:30 PM - The commute home begins.  Typically I try to leave at 4:00 to beat as much of the traffic as possible.  This does not always work however, so my drive home ranges from an hour to two hours, depending on my luck.

You don't even need to get into the tub?!

5:30 PM - If it's been a good drive, I arrive either at home or at the babysitter's to pick up my two little guys, ages 4 and soon-to-be 2.  I wrestle them back into the car and head home, which is thankfully only a ten-minute drive.

Laundry...it multiplies faster than rabbits.

5:30-6:30 PM - Dinner. My husband and I have gotten much better in the last year at alternating meal preps.  I've been quite spoiled this last month since he has been off from classes.  Once his semester starts back up, I'm back on dinner duty while trying to resist the begging for snacks, fighting over the toy of the day/hour/week, and putting things away.

6:30 - 7:30 PM - After dinner, the boys get their bath.  This is the time I usually TRY to throw in a load of laundry if I can and get the dishwasher going if I haven't already. Odds are, I won't remember that it's full of clean dishes and needs to be unloaded first. Damn. This late in the day I usually remember all the the things that I have forgotten to do and start generating another To Do list for the coming day/week. I love lists a little too much.

7:30-9:30 PM - Bedtime for the boys... Lately, this is my weakest area of time management and am continually working on developing a better bedtime routine for us all.  There are times where we read books together in bed and we're asleep by 8:30. There are nights where someone isn't asleep until 10:00.  There are often nights I fall asleep laying down with said child(ren) and wake up beside a (please, please) sleeping angel and sneak out of their bedroom.

9:30-11:00 PM - I try catching up on a few things online, check work emails (if I feel self-abusive), or veg out and stretch. I sometimes I fall asleep in the midst of whatever task is at hand and find myself dragging myself to bed when I could've gone earlier. Note to self - go to bed earlier.

I'm sure by now you're asking...when do I run?! Well, therein lies my predicament.  This has been an ongoing battle of mine and unfortunately, given the opposite work schedules that Dennis and I have, the majority of my runs occur on weekends or days off. Some weeknights, I'm luckier and I can run before or after dinner, weather permitting. We also have friends with treadmills that allow me to come over and run.  But finding the time that works for all four of us isn't as easy as penciling it in some days.

Thank you, Craigslist. As I type, Dennis is on his way to pick up a treadmill for me.  A little bit of off-task web-surfing and I will soon be the proud owner of my very own "DREADMILL", although I'll be sure to give it a prettier name.  I love running outside and in a race a MILLION times more than running on a treadmill, but I also know, I love running and what it does for me. Come on, I run to burn off the crazy.

So...that's a glimpse into a typical day in our house.  It's not a perfect science, but it's ours.  How do you balance your days? Do you HAVE to complete certain tasks on certain days or do you throw it all to the wind?

Final Yoga position of the day: Sleeping Between Children

True Colors of Love

My husband, Riku, is not a runner. He's not really into any sports to be honest. When he was a little boy he danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet and then later he did gymnastics with the University of Washington. He loves hiking and camping and being outdoors, but running? Eh, not so much. That's kind of my thing.

The other day I was pointing out to him that when we walk into the YMCA side by side or when we arrive at racing events together, that folks probably assume HE is the runner. He's thin and fit looking and carries himself with a certain air of confidence that comes from years of intensive ballet training. I, on the other hand, am on the heavy side and tend to walk self-consciously, especially in workout clothes, because I often feel worried that someone might ask me to leave because I'm not fit enough. I know, I know, that's crazy talk, but when you spend much of your life not liking the skin you're in, that's what it's like in your brain. The more I remind myself I'm a runner, the better I feel, and the more comfortable I am with my body, even if I don't look anything like the runners on the covers of running magazines.

Anyway, I decided that I wanted my husband to share in the excitement of running a race. I wanted him to see what it is I love so much about running and I was also hoping that if he saw what all the fuss was about he could better support me in this running adventure. I found one of those color races, the un-timed ones where it's just about having fun, being healthy, getting covered in color, and finishing.

Run or Dye 5K in Tacoma, Washington

We got up bright and early on a drizzly summer Saturday morning, ate my typical running breakfast (peanut butter and banana bagel), took our coffee to go, and headed south to Tacoma. Traffic was humming along nicely and the rain had tapered off...that is until we got to the exit for the Tacoma Dome where the race was starting. Thankfully, I had picked up our packets with bibs and white shirts the day before, so all we needed to do was park and get in line for the start. We had plenty of time and enjoyed seeing all the cool tutus and other neat colorful outfits folks had on while we waited for them to release waves of runners. There were SO MANY people and it was a little hectic, but we were here to have fun, even if it was a bit chilly and drizzling off and on.

After a little bit of a wait, our wave was released and we took off through the port area of  Tacoma. Everyone was in such a good mood, having fun, laughing, taking photos, and enjoying the morning. The race itself was pretty uneventful. We got doused with lots of bright colors, watched folks get covered from head to toe in rainbow powder, and ran pretty steadily for the entire 5K. Close to the end of the course there was a very steep hill that we were supposed to run down, but it was raining pretty hard and the hill was covered with wet cornstarch powder, so even the most dye-hard (get it?) runners were slowly walking and picking their way down the hill so as not to slip. I must admit I was worried someone might get hurt, but thankfully, people were smart about it and no injuries were reported.

One of the neatest things about the race, aside from all the people representing different ages and stages of life (including the crazy folks who were awesome enough to run with strollers filled with children!), was probably all of the police officers keeping the course safe. Even though a 5K is only 3.1 miles (did I really just say that?!), the race course weaved around busy streets and crossed train tracks several times. Those police officers were AMAZING. They kept cars away, warned us when trains were coming, got covered in dye powder because of their close proximity to the stations, stood out in the pouring rain and chilly air, and happily posed for photos with runners. I'm pretty sure they got a kick out of all the rainbow colored folks running around Tacoma. One officer even allowed folks to put rainbow hand prints on his tires!






The best part of all though, was running a race with my husband. We laughed, we cheered, we took goofy photos, and most importantly - we ran! It was so much fun and it made me love him all the more for being willing to not just run, but get covered with a rainbow of colored cornstarch.

We celebrated our finish by going out to IHOP for brunch...covered in colored dye (which, by the way, REALLY sticks to your skin and stains it when you get rained on first). We made sure to get some photos with Flat Jesus, the "mascot" from my church, too. I treated, of course, since this was Riku's very first 5K! 

True love comes in all sorts of colors...in our case, it comes in a rainbow. 

I Run? I Run. I Run!

With the Disney Princess Half-Marathon Weekend a little over a month away, training for myself and Veronica has kicked into high gear. Given our over-achiever selves and "go big or go home" personalities, we decided to register not only for the Princess Half Marathon, but for the Enchanted 10K as well. Completing both races will earn us a third medal for the Glass Slipper Challenge. Two back-to-back races for a total of 19.3 miles.  Yes, 19.3. Do the math - 6.2 + 13.1 = 19.3. Who are these girls?

Thinking back to when we first met in late February of 2003, two college undergrads connecting over a love of Evanescence and the North Campus dining hall at the University of Maryland, I never would have imagined us as runners.  Veronica was a girl scout and camp counselor, an avid hiker, canoe/kayak instructor, horseback rider, and physically active - playing intramural soccer and dancing.  I considered my walking to class enough physical exercise - I never participated in sports, often holding myself back with thoughts of "I'm not good enough" or "I don't have the time".  Instead, I threw myself into babysitting, reading and art.

Fast-forward to 2013, ten years later and still fast friends. We had each moved several times over from Maryland to Minnesota (both attending graduate school mere miles apart), to South Carolina, Florida, Mexico and back to Maryland.  We were actively busy but not active.  We continued to do a variety of physical activities such as kayaking, hiking, walking and the occasional soccer game, but we were not consistently doing anything.  Factor in cancer and babies, respectively and the beginning of our careers, we were busy.  Suffice to say, we were not taking care of ourselves.  We knew something had to change and we both turned to running for our own reasons.

Our sneakers post-race - our first 5K, the Hagerstown Color Splash

As you learned in our last post, Veronica began running after celebrating five-years cancer free.  My experiences with running to this point were warm-up runs before the beginning of PE in middle and high school gym classes, the occasional attempt during a long walk and chasing after children.  My youngest son, Jeremiah was born January 30, 2013.  While on maternity leave, I would take Jeremiah for long walks and upon returning to work, I had dropped some of the baby weight, but not as much as I would have liked (when do we ever?!).  I kept walking and trying to eat better - I scoured Pinterest for ideas and while on Facebook, came across a childhood friend's post about a blog she had begun to write about leading a healthier lifestyle.  She had decided it was time to stop talking and start doing. She talked about wanting to run in a local race and how she had begun to work out.  I enjoyed reading her blog and thought it was amazing that she was preparing to run but thought to myself, "I could never do that."

I was wrong. I can do that. It was hard but not impossible. A few short weeks later, the friend whose blog I had been reading was killed.  Unexpectedly and horribly.  A childhood friend I had spent summers with was no longer alive.  She would no longer be smiling, writing or leading the healthy lifestyle she had begun living.  She would no longer be able to run.  Sadly, it sometimes takes a tragedy to revisit one's own life and her death got me thinking, "why couldn't I do that?" I knew the excuses well.  I also knew I could keep making the same excuses or I could attempt the "impossible" and try.  So I did. I put on my sneakers and I went out for a run.

I made it 30 seconds before I could go no more.  God, it hurt so much. Who did this for fun?! But I didn't give up. I ran a little more each time and before I realized it, I was running the first of many 5K's and soon, hooked.  Despite how much I was running, it wasn't until almost a year had passed that I considered myself a runner. Amid all the "You know you're a runner when...", I did not consider myself a runner. I wasn't running the full lengths of every race, I wasn't running fast and I wasn't running every day.  In fact, it took the comments made by Veronica in a recent conversation to force me to acknowledge the truth: I run.  She was discouraged by the fact that despite our shared dedication to running, we ran at different paces.  Immediately I found her comments to be absurd. One, I don't think I'm fast. Two, who cares?! Running is one of the most physically and mentally demanding things we do, but we do it.

I write this to all those who are just beginning to run or considering it.  It is not easy.  It is a fight. You might go fast, you might be slow. You might run purely for exercise. You might choose to compete. You might run a local 5K, a marathon or no race at all.  But - I tell you this, if you are joining the rest of us who put on our shoes, put one foot in front of another and run, no matter the pace - you are a runner. Never give up, just keep swimming and we love you.

Veronica and myself post-race at our 2nd 5K - Shape Diva Dash

It's Not A Too-Mah!

In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop: "It's not a tumor!"

Oh, wait...actually...it was.

During the summer of 2008 I started getting what I thought was laryngitis. I was working as a Unit Leader for a horseback riding program at a Girl Scout camp in Virginia and figured losing my voice was just a part of the job description. We did a lot of singing, shouting, and talking, so I wasn't surprised when the camp nurse sent me to urgent care to get my laryngitis checked out. The doctor prescribed vocal rest and the typical laryngitis treatment of hot tea, etc. I went back to camp with a dry erase board and had so much fun with my campers trying to figure out what I was saying without me talking, but after a week, I was getting worse, not better. I couldn't really speak at all, swallowing started to get a little painful, and even breathing seemed a bit difficult. 

We had a different camp nurse the following week, she looked at my throat, and then felt my neck...she made an odd face and then leaned into me, "You're from this area right? You live nearby?" I nodded. "Look, I can't tell you anything, but you need to go see your regular doctor and you need to see her soon. Go today if you can. I'll let the director know." I was confused and a little frightened as I managed to squeak out my need for an appointment with my doctor's office.  I used to work for my doctor, so she volunteered to stay late just to see me. 

My doctor, as always, was amazing, but what she found, was not so amazing. Before returning to camp that evening I had blood drawn and several different types of scans done. The next day, while watching my campers groom their horses, my doctor called me on my cell phone. "All your labs and scans are back, I've got to tell you, with your family history and these results, I'm confident you've got thyroid cancer." I sank to the ground, surrounded by the giggles of pre-teen girls, the smell of fresh hay, and a dark shadow of fear and anxiety. My doctor continued, she explained that she had gone ahead and set up appointments with the Surgeon and Oncologist in her office whom I knew from working for her in the past. She also had referred me to an Ear, Nose, and Throat  doctor because there was some concern that the tumor was putting pressure on the nerves in my throat. They all needed to see me right away.

Over the course of the next 24 hours I saw 4 doctors, 2 radiologists, and dozens of nurses. I told my immediate family and my closest friends. I completed the paperwork for having a right lobe thyroidectomy including the removal of a 3cm by 4cm mass, biopsy of the left lobe of the thyroid, and biopsy of the nearby lymph nodes. The surgery would also remove the half dozen polyps which had developed on my vocal folds because of the increasing pressure of the cancerous tumor. Finally, I ended my position at camp 3 weeks before the end of my contract. Just 4 days after being diagnosed, I was getting surgery. 

I was most worried about the cancer having spread outside the tumor and the right lobe of my thyroid. Anything beyond that meant more surgery plus chemotherapy and radiation. It also meant that my planned semester abroad in Mexico for graduate school would not happen. When I woke up in the recovery room I wanted to know if the biopsy results had shown cancer had spread and if I would need treatment. My sister, Vickie, was by my side as I woke up and whispered, "Cancer?" (meaning, Did it spread? Will I need more treatment?). Firmly, with a smile and a few tears, she responded, "No." I breathed a deep sigh of relief and focused on recovery. 

A month later, with follow up visits, tests, scans, and exams completed, I was released to leave for my semester in Mexico, cancer free. 

In the fall of 2013 I celebrated being 5 years cancer free and that's when I started running. 

Laura, my best friend, running buddy, and blogging sister, says that I inspire her because whenever I commit myself to something, I make it happen. It's not always easy, it's not always fun, but it gets done.

I've committed myself to living the life of a cancer survivor. To live, to love, and to run. It's not always easy and it's not always fun, but the running gets done.

Next month, Laura and I will be in Florida, running the Glass Slipper Challenge at Walt Disney World in Orlando. My goal is to finish with my best friend by my side, my husband waiting for me, and with complete acceptance that I am finishing that race as a RUNNER AND A SURVIVOR. 

Just Run, Hon!

It's a little hilly - get over it! 

The Baltimore Half was one of my most challenging and fun races to date.  I signed up to participate as part of the Maryland Double Challenge: run in the Frederick and Baltimore Running Festivals in the same calendar year and pick up a snazzy extra medal.  It has the Maryland Shield on it? It has a crab on it? Yes and yes! Sign me up, baby! Run a race that lets me enjoy the Baltimore Ravens stadium and run through Camden Yards at the finish? YES!!!!

As crazy as I look? Up close - my Baltimore Half and Maryland Double bling! Crabby enough for you?!
Added bonus: the Baltimore medal doubles as a bottle opener. Win! 

One the registration "honeymoon" was over and life happened, I learned the hard way...training is essential.  However, my current schedule has me stuck in a rut that doesn't always allow for conventional training routines.  My husband works overnights and some weekends, my commute is over an hour each way, and we don't own a treadmill. So - I run when I can: random weeknights and on weekends.  Factor in my life as a teacher and two little guys of my own (ages 4 and 2) with my overachiever self taking on leadership roles - time is even more sparse.

My training included runs when I could get them in. I still worked out at home using my PiYo DVDs and yoga videos on YouTube. (I'm totally in love with Yoga with Adrienne these days. She's got a variety of series based on whatever you're looking for - check her out!)  One of the things I've learned as I continue my running journey - strength training and stretching is important.  By supplementing my running with workouts like PiYo and Yoga, I'm ensuring that I still get in some form of regular exercise AND it's reaped extra benefits. I am finding very little pain in my left knee and heel which I struggled with earlier in the year.  

I knew that Baltimore would include hills and tried to incorporate them into some of my longer runs on weekends.  In retrospect (as may revelations usually come), I learned the hillier you train, the better.  Through talks with a friend and fellow runner, I now know of some nearby neighborhoods/communities which are VERY hilly and great practice for Baltimore's own.

Leading up to the race, the communication from the Baltimore Running Festival team was fabulous. As we got closer to race day, the emails were more frequent, extra ones as a result of the potential playoff games for our dear Orioles for a spot in the World Series.  (Sadly, we did not make it.)  Just as the Frederick Running Festival had, the Baltimore released an informative and well-detailed Runner's Handbook outlining the entire event and all policies/procedures.  Given the magnitude of this event: a Kids' Run, 5K, Team Relay, Half and Full, organization was key and well done! With the help of a friend and seasoned runner, I knew where I would park, the start and what to expect throughout the event, from start to finish.

Given the early start time and our commute (we live approximately an hour outside of Baltimore), my fabulous mother came to stay the night before.  The morning of, I woke up at 4:45 and we were out the door by 5:30.  Fueled by a Starbucks treat (shh!), we drove and parked at one of the designated commuter stations that would shuttle us into Camden Yards/Raven Stadium for any bag checks and the walk to our starting corrals. At this point, despite the number of races I had participated, I still hadn't accepted that I was a full-fledged runner and put myself at the back of the pack for the start along with my not-so-good training, or lack thereof.  My goal, per usual - was to finish. 

The view from my corral - Wave #5 

 Behind this smile, a TON of pre-race jitters and "What was I thinking?!"

After a walk from Camden Yards to the starting corrals and several wishes of good luck and kisses from my mom, I headed up the streets to gather with the rest of the individuals running in my wave.  True to form, they began releasing waves only minutes apart until soon, it was our turn to take off from the starting line.  I can't remember their name, but there was a band (one of many along the route) playing at the start and a few moments before 9:00, we were ushered off!

The starting line...let's do this! 

Running through the streets of Baltimore is a surreal experience. Most of my visits to date have been to the Inner Harbor and any driving involves packed roads and traffic.  To run without a car in sight except for those parked...wow.  One of the things I loved the most about the run was how the course continually changed. One minute we would be running uphill past the homes on Baltimore Street, through Clifton Park and around Lake Montebello (a familiar sight from the Baltimore 10-Miler), until finally reaching the end, finishing through Camden Yards.  Throughout the race, spectators lined the course with great enthusiasm, spirit and occasionally treats. Members of the community enjoyed their morning coffee and waved, cheered, rang bells and gave me more momentum than I got from fueling with my GU Gels.

I cannot believe how many people came out for the day's race.  I remember seeing several spectators several times throughout the course.  Running the half-marathon involved joining in with marathon runners after our two-mile mark; running alongside those running a full 26.2 was motivating and had me thinking along the way when I would venture into that distance. Without guaranteed training, a marathon is not happening anytime soon.

I managed to do well with run/walk intervals throughout the first six miles - running 2 miles and walking a few minutes before running again.  As the hills persisted towards the last half, I ended up increasing these intervals to running a mile or half-mile and walking; the last two miles were the biggest challenge.  I began to have cramps in my lower calves, especially my left.  I thought I might not make it towards the end, but seeing my mom waiting for me at the finish in the last half-mile pushed me to keep going and reminded me: never give up.  I wasn't here to PR - I was here to finish.  At a little over 3 hours and 20 minutes, I finished.

Favorite moments: 

• Signs along the way: "Honey, now that training is over, can we have sex again?"
• Costumes worn by fellow runners: Buddy the Elf, Super Mario Brothers, a turkey and pilgrim
• Starting and finishing alongside an expectant mother - proof that with determination and hard work, you can finish what you started and only dreamed about.

Biggest Regrets:

• Not training properly for the hills and fueling.
• Not taking enough pictures
• Not wearing a costume (well, at least a little sparkle).

I did it! Waiting for the train to pick us up and head home.

Overall: I would LOVE to run Baltimore again. I learned a lot along the course on how to best run my next race: hindsight is 20/20.  Train, fuel, dress/appropriate gear, stretching, foam rolling, etc.  I would even love to run it again this coming fall, but it coincides with a three-day weekend we often use to travel to South Carolina for Homecoming Weekend and a chance to visit family members.  Alas, I may see Baltimore again for another half or even full marathon in another year or two.  In the meantime, I'll keep running, hon!

Will Run for Brains

I think zombies are awesome. Laura and I have been into zombies for a long time. We’ve seen (and own) tons of zombie movies and we both watch The Walking Dead on a regular basis. When I was looking for races in the Seattle-area and caught wind of a Zombie Run, I immediately went about checking my calendar and getting registered. While filling out the registration I discovered I had two options for signing up, I could register as a Human OR a Zombie. Movie-quality zombie make up by professional make up artists? SOLD. My husband, Riku, even took off work so he could come along and take pictures.




For this race, I was probably the most excited I’ve been for running. I was really looking forward to being made into a zombie and then running alongside humans on a 5K course. When the week of the race came, I started to suspect that it may not be as good as I expected. The start time and arrival time kept changing, almost on a daily basis. There was supposed to be a day time and a night time race on the same day, but the night time one got cancelled, so they changed the time of the day one to be later. This wouldn’t normally be a problem, except with church the next day and a long drive to the race location, I was worried about having recovery time.

We left for McCleary, Washington, where the race was taking place, in the late morning. Before leaving, Riku took scissors and slashed through an old long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of worn out khaki pants. I then put these ripped up clothes on over top a tank and running capris. Traffic was unpredictably horrible and the one hour trip took twice that long. I was worried we wouldn’t make it in time for the zombie make up start, but thankfully we arrived right at 11AM and I quickly got checked in.




Making my way to the zombie make up tent, I noticed all the awesome costumes people had for being zombies. There were folks in CDC suits, scrubs, pajamas, slashed up clothes, and even a group of folks dressed like the band DEVO! I waited in line for my turn in the zombie make up tent and then, station by station, was slowly transformed...

We had been doing a Flat Stanley type activity with church all summer, so I made sure to take pictures with Flat Jesus (Riku reminded me that Jesus is the most famous zombie, haha) as well as get lots of photos of the transformation as well as the finishing project. All the zombies gathered in one place for instructions, as well as a splash of fake blood (which dripped behind my contact lens and made me look EXTRA creepy) before being sent out to the course.

As I listened I became confused about the set up. This was a 5K run...I was supposed to be running alongside humans on a 5K run through a park. Right? Once again, this Zombie Run was not what I had expected. The Zombie Run, you see, was indeed the length of a 5K, but it was an obstacle course, on a wooded trail as well as on a dirt track for motocross. And while the humans were running through the course and completing obstacles, the zombies would be assigned different sections of the course and would be collecting flags off the humans.

So, after getting doused with fake blood and practicing my zombie acting skills, I headed to my assigned location with Riku following along to take action photos. My assigned location? Right after a fog-filled tunnel and in the middle of a dirt track path with no shade and no access to water. The temperature was close to 90 degrees without a cloud in the sky.

After a short time, folks started coming through the tunnel and trying to run past the other zombies like me. Chasing human runners and trying to grab their flags was a huge challenge! I was running constantly and trying to hide and jump out. I grabbed a couple of flags, helped a girl who was having an asthma attack because of all the fake fog and dust, and posed for photos with humans dressed like the guy from Shaun of the Dead. I also ripped my pants so much they wouldn’t stay on and ended up in just my running capris, nearly got my fingers broken when my hand got caught in someone’s homemade running skirt, and got called every four-letter word in the book by folks who were none-to-pleased about the course and the zombies not being what they expected.

Chasing humans

Four hours after I had walked up to my station, zombies from further up the course walked past saying the race was over and we could head to the finish line for the after party. I had spent FOUR HOURS chasing humans in the hot sun with no water. I was covered in dust, completely exhausted, joints sore from grabbing flags and getting pushed around, and thirstier than I’ve ever been in life.

I snagged several flags, 2 homemade running skirts, and a pair of pants!

Riku and I walked to the finish area where folks seemed kinda confused about handing out the finisher’s medals. As a zombie, I got one that said, “Infected” on it - pretty cool looking actually. They had a tank set up with water, overpriced food for purchase, a beer garden, and lots of places for posing with photos in neat backgrounds.




I drank my free beer, took a couple pictures, turned in all the flags I had retrieved from humans, and headed to the car. We stopped at the Subway close to Joint Base Lewis-McChord for something to eat and I was surprised at the seeming lack of reaction to my crazy zombie clothes and make up. The people in the cars beside us on the freeway, however, really found me to be entertaining and I got a kick out of making zombie faces at them whenever possible.

When we got home it feel SO good to take a shower, but the zombie make up was a bear to get off my skin! I had to get Riku to help me, but it was so worth it because the make up was amazing and I really did feel like I had been on an episode of The Walking Dead.

All in all, we both had a great time, but I won’t participate again. I loved getting turned into a zombie and chasing people, but I wasn’t a fan of not getting to complete an entire 5K (although we figured out I basically ran non-stop for several hours and likely ran MUCH more than a 5K while chasing humans).  I also wasn’t a fan of being out on a dusty pile of dirt for 4 hours in the hot sun without water while dressed in a zombie outfit.

I guess what I learned is to find out more about a race before signing up...or at least make sure I have a sign that says, “Will Run for Brains,” next time!

Frederick Half-Marathon Re-Cap

This post was written shortly after completing my first half-marathon, the Frederick Running Festival on May 4th 2014.  If you had told me that I would be a girl who'd run a half-marathon, you're crazy.  If you told me that I'd be instantaneously hooked and signing up for more, you'd be insane.  But I am...I'm so thankful for so many reasons to have discovered a passion for running and will never look back.

Frederick Half Recap....

Honestly, I am still in awe that the Frederick Half-Marathon is under my belt...if you had asked me a year prior if I thought I was capable, much less, interested in running a half-marathon, I would have responded with..."uh, maybe?" Nevertheless, here I stand today, a half-marathon finisher and just getting started.

To those who are looking to run a half-marathon for the first time or tenth time, the Frederick Half is my ideal race in terms of set-up and organization, course layout and overall vibe.

PRE-RACE:

The race management company sent out information regarding every possible detail from packet pick-up to the runner's guide at least two weeks ahead, with additional emails leading up to race day.  Their guide was beyond comprehensive and outlined details needed for runners as well as spectators, which was great for my husband and mom to know where to go with our two little boys.

Packet pick-up was just as easy and well-organized.  I picked up my packet the day of the race at the Frederick Fairgrounds where both the start/finish of the race is held in addition to the race expo.  There were signs everywhere as well as staff/volunteers to direct you: Step 1: Pick up Packet; Step 2: Expo.  I arrived to the fairgrounds after the Expo opened at 10 and got into a line of over a hundred people, expecting to wait a long time.  To my surprise, the line moved quickly and I entered the first building within five to ten minutes.  Upon entering, with over a dozen tables and twice as many staff, I was able to pick up my packet and head to the Expo within minutes, where I picked up my super cute premium, must-have car magnet, a Bean Band and some GU Gel for race day.

My sweet race premium and Expo goodies!

I ended the night before by feasting on some delicious grub from China Garden, charging my iPod and Garmin, and laying out my race-day gear.  I headed to bed with the best of intentions and hopes of waking up well and rested.  Alas, my nerves got the better of me and I slept mere hours, waking up every thirty to forty-five minutes from two o'clock onward.  

My "Flat Momma" - orange tank, black capris and my Reebok Durarides

RACE DAY:

If getting up early on a Sunday morning isn't difficult enough, factoring in the mess of nerves I was carrying made it all the more of blur...Laying out my outfit and all my gear the night before made it that much easier to get moving.  I threw down maybe two to three sips of coffee and jumped in the car to ride with a friend to the fairgrounds.  We parked (RIGHT NEXT TO THE FAIRGROUNDS - so nice!!!) and made our way to the fairgrounds.  After a necessary stop to the porta-potties and dropping off my bag at the clearly identified Bag Check location, my friend J and I made our way to join the growing crowd of runners and lined up around the pace group for 2:30:00.  I knew that this was faster than I most likely would run, but for my nerves and being our first big race, we preferred to start together, regardless of where we finished.

J and I at the start - ignore our smiles, we were nervous wrecks!

The course itself took us through areas of downtown Frederick, starting at the Fairgrounds, traveling down Patrick Street, around areas of Baker Park and back up East Street to return to the Fairgrounds.  Water stations were set up every mile and half, but spectators and members of the Frederick community came out to support the runners, young and old. Children offering free high fives, a couple giving away cookies at the top of a hill, and an entire cul-de-sac giving out water and bananas around mile 10 were just some of the fun along the way.  For having only trained up to seven miles on my longest run, I was able to run the entire course, stopping to walk through the water stations.  By the time I charged up the last hill towards the finish, I lost it.  My husband, Dennis and my oldest, Zachary were there to cheer me on.  I cried the last tenths of a mile and just couldn't believe what I had accomplished.  And then I wanted to do it all over again. 

Crossing the finish at 2:53:50.

Post Race - all smiles!!

POST RACE:

Staggering towards Dennis, my two boys and my mom, I shakily held up my medal and just grinned from sheer shock.  An assortment of post-race snacks were offered, including the juiciest most delicious oranges.  I knew I needed to eat and all I could repeat for a good ten minutes in response to the question, "where do you want to go," was "food"...we eventually settled on IHOP.  Nothing makes this girl happier than a good old omelet and diner coffee.

Once we got home, I soon discovered how much work my legs had done and treated them to a good soak in the tub, a nap and then an afternoon/evening of relaxing and dread of stairs, toilets and picking up toys after my boys.  By the next day, I was walking better and still can't help but smile when I see my medal hanging.  Race 1 of 3 of the King Crab Challenge - done. Baltimore 10-miler, here I come.

My first "bling" - LOVE the Maryland shield around the border...