Taking a break.

I keep putting all of this pressure on myself to be fast. It is what has made the last few weeks really frustrating for me. I'm not hitting the pace I want, and no matter how good my run is, I get down on myself about it. I'm tired of it.

So, I'm taking a break. Not from running, but from running fast. I'm still going to wear my Garmin and track my runs, but I'm not going to focus on speed. I want to focus on how I feel. Because to me, running is all about feeling good.

I've had a few runs that have been slower than usual, and they have been my most satisfying runs lately. So, I'm going to take a breath, and enjoy-

the pavement.

a conversation.

a sunrise.

a sunset.

a view.

a song.

the burn in my muscles.

the run.

Runner's High

This morning's 12 mile run was easy and encouraging. EASY! It was exactly what I needed. We took it at a slower pace, I enjoyed spending time with a new running buddy, Holly, and I finished my run feeling like I could have doubled my miles. It was the lift I needed after a long, hard, couple of weeks!

There is an article in the Deseret News today by Dan Hill, the co-founder of the Ragnar Relay Series. It left me inspired, so I thought I would share:

"I've felt for years that there is something deeper to the Ragnar Relay experience than what is obvious. It's as though something in the experience awakens a part of us that lies mostly dormant in our modern world. We live a life that is almost completely void of true physical struggle, unless we seek it out.

For our ancestors long nights of physical exhaustion, sleep deprivation and teamwork may not have been uncommon. Maybe our minds, bodies and souls were programmed to enter these joyful peak-states to help us cope with the struggle. Maybe there is even more to it than that.

Whatever the reason, physical, psychological, spiritual or some combination, I'm convinced that it's real and repeatable. I'm grateful that I've discovered it and equally heartbroken that many people never have." -Dan Hill, Co-Founder of the Ragnar Relay Series

There is nothing better than a long run and a runner's high on a Saturday morning.

Running is hard.

Sometimes I forget that running is supposed to be hard. I'm blessed with a very healthy body that is built for this sport, but even I struggle. Since I got back from the Del Sol race, I've had a really hard time. I've been running in the morning a lot. I love it because I get it done and out of the way, plus I get to have the evenings with my family. However, it kicks my butt. I slow down by about a minute/mile- which is A LOT- and I always feel like I just struggle through my run.

It's very frustrating. I want it to be easy.

Then I think of that very cliche quote that is used in reference to our journey on this Earth- "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it."

I grew up in a family with parents that set a good example of hard work. My Dad worked day in and day out at a job that was horrid, but he did it to provide for his family that he loved. It was worth it because he helped us to live a happy life. We were taught to work in the garden, pick up after ourselves, and to treat others were kindness and respect (even when we weren't being treated that way). Although I threw many a tantrum at weeding and cleaning bathrooms, it was worth it because it taught me to be responsible.

They taught me that things don't just come easy, and that I have to work at things to make them happen.

I guess what I'm saying is that running is hard. That's what makes it worth it- because I have to work at it. Even though I'm not getting the results I want right now, it doesn't mean that in a month I won't be able to run under a 7 minute pace for my first leg in the Wasatch Back, or that I won't be able to power up Guardsman nonstop.

I'll get there. I'll keep working at it. It will be worth it.

Dance/Run

If you are looking for a running blog that is actually inspiring, you should go here and check out the hungryrunnergirl.com. I stumbled across this blog a few weeks ago and I love it. Not only is she funny, but she's also fast. She may be a girl, but she's probably faster than any of you.

She brought up something in her latest post that I was thinking about during my run yesterday. This something is one of my favorite techniques that I can attribute to all of my greatness and glory- THE DANCE/RUN.

You may see it as I run by myself up Center Street (or even more likely down 1200 S). It's when the tunes are cranked, and the arms are going. I try to throw in a few leaps every now and again to help improve my pace. Know where you'll see it the most? On a Ragnar Relay, baby!

The only question is, can I dance/run all the way up Guardsman's 18% grade for 4 miles without stopping???? I guess we'll see in June.

Super Dale 10K

I now know what it feels like to not hit a goal that you set for a race. Maybe it's because I'm getting to the point that it's going to be very difficult to shave those seconds off? Either way, it was a first for me and I had to not let it get me down while I was on the road.

The wind was awful. So you know I'm not exaggerating, there were broken trees at the high school where the start was because of the wind. I was excited, but I told my friends walking in that for some reason I just wasn't feeling very fast today. I was also fighting a stomach ache (Note to self: A gigantic dinner of delicious crepes and sausage links is NOT a good idea the night before a race!) so I was nervous about that.

We started, and within the first two tenths of a mile I knew that I wasn't going to hit my time goal- the wind was so strong that it felt like someone was pushing me backwards. I'm not every strong, or very big, so I was literally getting blown all over the road. The only plus about it was that the other runners were fighting against the same obstacle.

The first 3 miles were the hardest, then we turned and I was able to sail along with a tail wind or a side wind for a couple of miles, and then the last mile was absolutely killer. I knew when I looked down after running for 4 miles and saw that my average was 8:11/mile that I just had to forget about the time and focus on the fact that there were only 3 men in front of me.

I kept steady and pushed through! I was passed by 2 guys at a half mile to go- I just didn't have the strength to push through the wind like they could. I sprinted at the end to try to beat one of them, but I just didn't catch him. However, I was able to achieve my first goal of placing 1st overall in women! There were only 5 men that finished in front of me- I was very excited about that. I finished the race in 50:03.88 (my Garmin said I ran 6.35 miles) and my average pace was 7:53/mile. I was so glad I could finish with an average under 8!

I've been home for a couple of hours now, and I feel completely wiped out- like I ran a half marathon instead of a 10K. It was tough! At least I can say I have a first place under my belt.

Me, Sariah, and Darcy taking shelter in the car after the race. It was so bad people didn't even stick around at the finish- they just bailed. Do we look windblown?