Grandma's Marathon

Grandma’s marathon weekend recap

Thursday:

I set my alarm early Thursday morning so I could hit the road to my sister’s house.  I was packed and ready to go and as the skies opened up and it began to pour down rain, I had a little talk with God.  See, I don’t ever get a chance to get away and do things just for me. This was my weekend with my sister, and I wanted it to be perfect.  So I looked up to the skies and said, “Please, God? Please? Can you just give me a little break?”  And as I turned on the exit ramp for interstate 294, blue skies appeared, and I smiled.  He DOES listen.  🙂

We hit the road to my parents house, and had such a fun time with them.  We ate pizza, had a couple drinks, and spent the evening talking.  It was SO nice just to catch up, the four of us.

Core Four, back in action!
Core Four, back in action!
Beer counts as carb loading, right?
Beer counts as carb loading, right?

Friday:

The road trip to Duluth was so much fun.  We laughed, sang 80’s music at the top of our lungs, and yelled at careless drivers who made the left lane their resting place vs. using it as a passing lane (as it should be used), LOL.  “Don’t F#%! with the flow!” we would yell and I couldn’t help but smile continuously.  The last time my sister and I had any sort of time together was in 2007 after the passing of my grandfather.  This, was a much nicer trip.

Me in front of my old high school!
Me in front of my old high school!
The house I grew up in...seems so much smaller!
The house I grew up in…seems so much smaller!
Happy feet by Lake Superior
Happy feet by Lake Superior
Duluth's famous Aerial lift bridge
Duluth’s famous Aerial lift bridge
Cheesin' in the beautiful sunlight!
Cheesin’ in the beautiful sunlight!

As we drove over the sky line coming in to Duluth, Guns and Roses blasted and tears filled my eyes.  HOME.  This is where I lived growing up until graduating high school and leaving for the Air Force in 1991.  This…this was home.  And although I left without looking back 24 years ago almost to the date, I am now able to remember the good memories I had in Duluth.  We visited my schools, elementary (now apartment buildings), junior high (no longer a school), and my high school.  We drove past the home we grew up in, and visited some of my favorite places in the city. We also had an amazing lunch, overlooking Lake Superior and had fun eavesdropping on fellow runners that sat near us.  We also coveted their fish and chips, so much so that Bobbi changed her mind and ordered it for lunch!  YUM! I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day with my sister.  I unfortunately didn’t get to meet up with any of my fellow bloggers that were running the race, but I felt my time with my sister/family was much needed and more important.

We hit up the expo, got all kinds of cool stuff, and headed back to our hotel to meet Bobbi’s friends, Carrie and Riyanti.  We ended the day wrapped up with all kinds of runner love at my old track buddy from high school parent’s house for dinner.  Loads of pasta and meatballs, and all gluten free!  YUM!!!!

Old track buddies, reunited after 24 years!
Old track buddies, reunited after 24 years!
Expo fun!
Expo fun!
Expo finds!!!  Skirt Sports skirt for 40 dollars?  YES PLEASE!!
Expo finds!!! Skirt Sports skirt for 40 dollars? YES PLEASE!!

Race day:

The original agreement was, that my sister and I would run this race TOGETHER.  That meant no matter what pace, we would stick together and have fun.  Sadly, my sister had been dealing with a crabby calf the week prior, but I still told her I wanted to stick with her for the race.  The only way I’d go on without her, is if she decided to not finish the race.

So…we awoke at O’dark 30, and boarded the first bus at 5:45.  We had an amazing bus driver who stopped the bus to move barricades so that we wouldn’t be late.  The excitement was building as we drove up the shore to Two Harbors where the race was set to start.  Our forecast was 100% chance of rain, but we still were smiling.  We arrived an hour before the race started which gave us plenty of time to use the porta-potties (twice) and get our gear bags checked.  We got a sneak peak at the start line as the elites started to show up!

Starting line!!
Starting line!!
Us right before the rain hit!!!
Us right before the rain hit!!!

And then, it started to rain…We decided the rain wasn’t going to damper our spirits so we danced and sang as the rain continued to pour down.  We saw Eric who had already ran from the finish line in Duluth UP to Two Harbors, AMAZING.  When Mother Nature decided to announce her presence and POUR down rain for a good 30 minutes, we found it harder to smile, and even harder to keep warm.  But the runners squeezed into the corrals which helped due to the body heat a little…

The gun went off at 7:45 AM, and we crossed the start line around 3 minutes later.  We settled in to around an 11:30/11:45 pace, and despite some GI issues on my part we were feeling good.  Bobbi’s calf was bothering her, but she had hoped it would calm down.  We stopped for selfies once the rain subsided just before the halfway point and by this point Bobbi knew it was going to be a struggle to finish.  She could walk, but running was really bothering her.  She kept trying to send me off to finish the last half of the race, and the deep down competitive person in me wanted to run and finish the race strong.  But seeing her struggling like she was made me realize, I needed to stay with her.  I needed to put my selfish wants aside, and finish this race with my sister.  And I can honestly say it’s the best decision I’ve made in a long time.

The next 13 miles were filled with laughter, tears, cussing, beer drinking, parental hugs, high fives, pottie stops, selfies, gimpy shuffling, friends cheering, strangers motivating and digging deeper than I think I ever have in my life.  The sun even came out for a few miles, and this helped brighten our spirits.  Mile 20 we saw my parents, and were greeted by spectators with BEER!  Carbs, right?!?!  It was all about fun at this point!!!

Mile 20 cheesin!
Mile 20 cheesin!
All. The. Beers!
All. The. Beers!
Return of the yeti, around mile 17!
Return of the yeti, around mile 17!
Very wet first half of the race!!!
Very wet first half of the race!!!

When we hit mile 22, and the temps dropped and it started to rain again I questioned whether or not I could keep going.  But when I turned to Bobbi and saw tears in her eyes I asked, “What can I do?” and she choked back more sobs and said, “You are already doing all the things.” And I cried.

See, I’ve been selfish a lot in my life.  But in working towards being a better me, I’ve really tried to put the important people in my life first.  And Saturday, I did just that.  Because I love my sister more than words can describe.

Mile 23, my Garmin died, and it continued to rain…I was cold.  So. Very. Cold.  Bobbi gave me her rain poncho despite being cold herself (I stupidly ditched mine when the sun came out), and we trudged on.  Her limping, me shuffling, us both COLD and hurting. More talks with God happened, and I simply prayed for strength for us to finish.  Mile 25 we saw Carrie, Riyanti, and our folks just past them. Lots of hugs.  And more tears.  With just a mile to go, and lots of photographers we put on our brave faces and walked/shuffled on.  We weren’t going to make it under 6 hours, but we were going to finish.  As we entered the final leg into the finish line I had to choke back the sobs.  We did it.  We battled injury, elements, and mental demons that tried to keep us from finishing.  We gathered our medals and tee-shirts from Carly, wrapped ourselves in our mylar blankets and picked up our gear.  We were spent, and needed to get warm. After long hot showers we relaxed for a while, and went out for dinner at Pizza Luce.  You can bet I ordered my traditional Bloody Mary, and received a side car as a bonus.  Gotta love Duluth!!

We finished!!!!!
We finished!!!!!
Bloody Mary with a side car!
Bloody Mary with a side car!
All the food for the finishers!
All the food for the finishers!

My sister said this was our personal worst in regards to time, and she’s right.  But I call it a personal best in regards to effort because while maybe not the smartest of running happened that day, you couldn’t have ordered up more effort and heart than those displayed in those last 5 miles.

See you in 2016, Duluth!!!!
See you in 2016, Duluth!!!!

Marathon number 3, complete.  Lessons learned: Never give up even in the toughest conditions…Never leave your wingman…even if you have STRONG training, you never know what race day will hand to you…it’s amazing the power of a child’s high five, a cheer, your people on the side lines cheering you on, and the encouragement of a stranger.  And at the end of the day, all you can do is your best with the conditions race day gives you, so try and enjoy even the smallest of moments.

Thanks so much for the amazing support during my training!!!  The last 18 weeks, and this race, have proved to me that I can do anything I set my mind to in life!!!  ❤

Keep Movin’ Forward!!

Recipes, running, Sunday Supper, Uncategorized

Weekend Wrap up-Marathon training week 2 complete!

First off, I finished my second week of marathon training strong!  My first 20 miler week is complete and I am quite pleased.  A couple of the miles were walked, but the majority were spent running and I even finished my first double digit run of TEN miles on the indoor track in a neighboring suburb on Saturday.  8 laps equaled ONE mile, so yeah…you can imagine how this MIGHT have felt.  But it went surprisingly fast mostly due to my awesome friend Janel providing me with great conversation as well as keeping track of the miles with a clicker.  I set out for 8 miles, but felt so good I did an even 10 miles for the day.  I don’t do a mid week long run, so often times add a mile or two to my weekend long run. All in all-WINNING.  (My only set back for the week was missing my yoga work out, but I made sure to foam roll and stretch today to help with the soreness.  I also took a 25 minute Epsom salt bath tonight to help ease my sore muscles).

Runner love right here!!
Runner love right here!!

I came home to be informed that although my hubby had returned from his 3 weeks of travels just this past Friday, that he would be leaving again on Wednesday and suddenly my runners high was deflated. First I got mad, then I cried, and then I decided to just take a hot shower and try to move forward with my weekend.

As you all know, his travels are a bitter chip that resides more times than not on my shoulder.  I wish I could kick this chip’s butt, but darn it the anger sure seems to win most times as I tackle the single parenting gig.  Keep in mind I have a job too, kids that are in school/have activities to be taken too and a house that needs tending to…after a while, any normal person would break, right?  Please say this is normal…lol

So this morning I awoke after FINALLY sleeping most of the night for almost 9 hours and I felt…better.  It’s Sunday, and with Sundays in our house comes Sunday Supper.  We decided to have a chopped challenge as well, and my 5 ingredients were:

Beef round roast

Tomatillos

Beets

Mangos

Mussels

So here’s what I came up with:

Appetizer

Mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and saffron with red pepper flakes served with a salad over tomatillo dressing.

For the tomatillo dressing, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, husk and rinse your tomatillos and quarter.  Dice 1/4 onion, 2 cloves of garlic and add in the tomatillos.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread evenly on a baking sheet.  Roast for about 45 minutes.  Transfer to your food processor or blender, and liquefy the mixture.  Strain for seeds, and set aside.

For the mussels, in a stock pot melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter and extra virgin olive oil, and add in 3 cloves of minced garlic, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of saffron.  Sauté for 2-3 minutes, and add in 3/4 cup of white wine, and a splash of water.  Bring to a boil.  Add in your previously cleaned mussels and cover the pot, shaking every minute or so.  Cook for 4-6 minutes or until the mussels open. Pardon my spelling error…

This was...divine!
This was…divine! .COM

Main course

Beet and chipotle pepper soup serve with braised beef.

First, season your roast with your favorite Mexican spices.  I used cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Sear on all sides, and transfer to a crock pot or dutch oven.  Add 2 cups of beef broth (unsalted), 1 cup of red wine, and a large onion that has been sliced.  Let simmer for 2 hours.

Secondly, for your soup…

In a soup pot that has been preheated to medium high heat with extra virgin olive oil add:

1 onion-diced

3 cloves of garlic-minced

4 large beets, peeled and chopped

1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce

Sauté for about 5-6 minutes until just tender

Add in 3-4 cups of unsalted beef stock and bring to a boil.  In a separate cup, add a teaspoon of corn starch to cold water.  Mix well, and keep the soup at a boil for a couple of minutes.  Reduce to a simmer for about an hour.

Puree the soup, and just before serving add a couple of tablespoons of greek yogurt. Mix well, and serve!  Don’t forget to check for seasoning!  I sliced the beef thinly, and served with the soup!

Gosh, isn't it pretty? <3
Gosh, isn’t it pretty? ❤

Desert

First off.  I don’t bake.  I hate to measure, and baking makes my crazy. But I decided to use the mangos in a desert type style, trying to keep with my Mexican type theme of cooking.
I peeled and chopped the mangos, and added them to my food processor.  I added in brown sugar, cinnamon, and a splash of water and mixed well.  Set aside.

Take 2 sheets of puff pastry dough and roll out.  Cut 8 circles out, spoon in the mixture, and pinch the edges tight.  Crimp each tart with a fork, brush each tart with a fork and sprinkle some more brown sugar over the top.  Back at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

In my defense I only half of one, and skipped the vanilla ice cream but YUM!
In my defense I only half of one, and skipped the vanilla ice cream but YUM!

So at the end of the day, I’ve trained, I’ve cooked, and I’ve shed a few tears.  But I’ve kept moving forward.

How was your weekend?  Did you cook?  Are you training for any races?  How do YOU deal with stress?

Thanks, y’all!

❤ Michelle

 

depression, moving forward

Fear and frustration = FUEL for marathon motivation

In 2013 I ran my second FULL marathon. I swore I’d never run a second full, but got the bug after the first training run.  I PR’d by nearly an hour (58 minutes to be exact, I SHOULD know the seconds, but don’t, lol) and I SWORE I’d never run another full marathon.  I ran a couple half marathon races in 2014, to include my husband’s first half…did you read about it?  You can read about it HERE!

I love this guy...
I love this guy…

So today while on my break I decided to catch up on blog posts.  My friend Kim asked when training for the Grandma’s Marathon started, and after scratching my head and thumbing through my calendar I realized official training starts in TWO weeks.  WHA????  Here. WE. GOOOO!  In two weeks I need to be back up to a steady 6 mile run. Easy peasy, right?  I’m a marathoner for goodness sake…Ack…I haven’t ran more than 13.1 miles in 4 months…but I’m ready.  And a little scared, too…<3

Yup...
Yup…

Have you heard of this race?  If not, read here!  For those that don’t know, this is my hometown race, where I grew up watching marathoners crossing the finish line, thus my  dream of being a marathoner began.

grandmas

And a marathoner I am…to me, this is one of the hugest mental and physical accomplishments of my life.  I have loved, I have lost, and I have ran 26.2 freakin’ miles.  yeah…quote THAT.  🙂

But the last 2 days I fought with some mental demons, past hurts, and irrevocable YUCK that just can’t be forgiven forgotten.  I ALMOST let it get to me….but NOPE.  Sorry y’all, I’ve got a marathon to train for…#movinforward

So I thank you all for your positive feedback in regards to my last post.  I know we all struggle, we are all human, and we all have those negative forces that try to creep in…BUT…I also know, only some of us decide to move forward…and not let that crap in.  (Yes, I was literally shaking my head today)!!!!

LOL
LOL

At the end of the day, I managed to finish my plank challenge (Day 2) and added an additional 10 seconds, as well as did the push up challenge I am participating in this month.  Tomorrow is mill day, and I hope to get in at least 3 miles.  I’ll be taking all of my fear and frustration and ‘running it out’ tomorrow…who’s with me? Let’s leave the crap behind us, right?

#this
#this

What are your plans for the week?  Do you have any upcoming races?