Cow confidence

With Hospital Hill less than 2 weeks away, I've had an epiphany. Here goes: I can do it. I can do what I set my mind to. This might seem like a "duh" statement, especially considering I am 32 years old and should have learned that long ago. But, I've never been one to have a whole lot of confidence in myself. At least insofar as reaching out of my comfort zone. But, last week, well, I discovered that maybe I should have that confidence in myself.

Last week I ran in the Running with the Cows race. It was the last of the three half marathons in the Heartland 39.3 series. I ran it last year, and really loved it. It is a smaller race and run in the country. You literally run right along fields on an out-and-back course. And, yes, cows are hanging out right beside you chomping on their grass as you run by.

Now, even though I loved it, the thing that actually made me fill out the registration form and do it again this year was this:

How cute is that medal? Yes, as we all know, I'm a medal-aholic, and this one got me. Adorable.

With Kelli and Anne before the race. Ready to earn those cute medals.

Anyway, I hadn't truly been planning to "race" this race, but ... well, the PR that I set at Rock the Parkway was 1:50:13. I mean, 13 seconds. Really? So close to getting that under 1:50 time. So, it wasn't at the forefront of my mind, but there was maybe a hint of a thought that maybe I could maybe try to maybe beat that.

Did you catch how many maybes were in there? Yeah, that wasn't just bad writing. I was so unsure of my ability. I truly didn't know if I could do it. It's like I was scared to even put it out there as a goal because I didn't think there was any way I could hit it.

In Rock the Parkway, I started with the 1:55 pacers, then moved ahead after a couple miles. At Running with the Cows, I truly hadn't thought about it. Then, Kelli said she was thinking of starting with the 1:50 pacers. I was pretty nervous, but I decided, "What the heck? Let's do it."

Lining up with Kelli and Bill behind the 1:50 pacers.

I figured, if I was struggling, I could always slow up. But, I was left with some in the tank at Rock the Parkway, and it was pretty beautiful weather, so maybe there was a chance. And, there's that maybe again.

I started off pretty strong and felt pretty good. It was a true out-and-back course, so 6.55 miles out, then turn around, and 6.55 miles back. It really was scenic (as long as we're counting rolling green hills and pastures as scenic) along the course, and I chatted with Kelli for a while. I tend to people-watch as I'm racing. I check out outfits and watch other people's running strides. Yeah, that's my head while I'm running. Just so you know. Super exciting stuff going on in there.

After a while, one of the 1:50 pacers moved a little ahead, so I ran up to join him. I'm going to call him George, because I cannot remember his name, and I feel really bad about that. So, we're going to go with George, ok? Cause he was awesome, and he deserves a name, even if it's not his real one. I started talking to George and told him my goal of breaking 1:50. We were about at mile 5, and George said that I seemed to be doing absolutely fine, and he was confident I could do it. I began to think that maybe I could.

We hit the turnaround point, and the wind that had recently started picking up, was suddenly at our back. While it was great at helping push us along, it also made it very hot. For some reason, running in the sun with the wind doesn't cool you down. I'm sure there's something very scientific behind that, but I just call it weird running phenomenon. Another weird running phenomenon? Not noticing downhills until you have turned around and are heading back up them.

Anyway, I kept chatting with George, and I got to say hi to all of my friends as we crossed paths. That is one thing I love about out-and-backs. George and I started talking to another guy runner. His goal was under 1:48. He was asking George when he should start picking up the pace in order to hit it. So, George and this other guy started figuring at which mile he would have to start shaving seconds off. All I heard was 20, 7, 9, 15, long division, 10, 11, 5, algebra ...

Seriously, I have no idea how people do math while they run. My mind could not even start to fathom trying to calculate the amount of seconds needed to shave off each mile starting at what mile. I think I went cross-eyed even thinking about it. And, I told them this. But, they figured it out, and this guy took off.

Around mile 7, George told me that he was running a little fast for his pace group, so he was going to slow down. "Ok," I said, slowing my pace as well. At this point, George said, "You need to go ahead. You're talking and doing fine at mile 7. You need to go. Really. Go."

While I was enjoying having someone to talk to, I did listen to his urging. And, I listened to my body. I was fine. I felt good. Maybe I just needed someone else to tell me that I could do it. So, I turned it on. And, I spent the next 6 miles cruisin. I passed the 1:48-guy who had left George and me earlier. In fact, I just kept passing people. There was a chance this could happen.

Headed to the last .1 miles.

Waving to Cory and the girls.

Here we go, literally running right next to a cow.

And, there it is. I didn't just squeak by under 1:50, I beat it by 2 minutes , 30 seconds.

I started the day not even thinking I could do it, but I did. I did it. I felt great doing it. That smile was true and honest. I was so happy. Apparently, what I was lacking all along was simply the confidence to go for it. It took George almost quite literally kicking me down the road before I pushed away those maybes and actually believed that I could meet my secret goal.

Oh, yeah, and the wind at my back.

After Anne and I finished. She PR'd, too!

With our medals and our belt buckles from the Heartland 39.3 series.

Molly with a cow.

After we all finished, we headed inside for the amazing spread of food. I ate. The girls ate. Then, we headed back to our car. But, before we could really leave, we had to stop to see the real cow:

Charlotte and I making the cow sign we learned at music class.

I did it. Posing with my medal and belt buckle and acres and acres of green grass. Another weird running phenomenon? The overwhelming compulsion to pose with every medal I've ever earned. Or ... maybe that's just a weird Amy phenomenon.

So, maybe this lesson will sink in. Maybe I'll have the confidence to believe in myself and push myself farther than I thought I could go. Maybe, this will change my whole attitude about myself as a runner. Maybe, maybe, maybe ... Whoops. There I go again. Maybe I'll just be proud of this race, go into Hospital Hill strong and excited, and just keep smiling. That, I know I can do.

Pride of my heart and sole

Molly has been coming out to races of mine ever since she was a baby. So, I had always dreamed of the day when I could actually run with her in a race. She's been getting older (as kids are wont to do), so recently, I had started thinking about running a 5K with her.

She loves doing kids' runs at the races that I go to, but I knew she could do more if she wanted. Last summer, she loved to go on "runs" with me. I would finish up my regular run, then come home, pick her up and we'd head out for maybe a half or 3/4 of a mile. We both loved it, though we had stopped doing it once school and winter got in the way.

Enter the Mother's Day Run. Now, not only would it be on Mother's Day (duh), but it also was the day after Running with the Cows half marathon. I was running Running with the Cows, so I knew I wouldn't want to actually race a 5K the next morning. But, I thought that it might be the perfect time to run with Molly.

The Mother's Day run is an all-women's race that is just a big party, with lots of walkers and people in tutus and tiaras. I mean, tell me that's not perfect for Molly. Plus, what better way to celebrate Mother's Day than sharing my love of running with my baby girl?

So, a few weeks ago, I asked her if she would be interested in running it with me. She paused, then told me she would think about it. She does this a lot, so I knew better than to push her. I just asked every couple days what she was thinking. She usually told me that she was still thinking about it.

Then, I found out that a little friend of hers from Kindergarten was running in a 5K with her family the weekend before. When I told Molly that Amelia was running, I think Molly decided that maybe she could do it. Then she started telling everyone that she was going to run in a 5K with mommy on Mother's Day. So, I signed us up.

I made a big deal about it just being fun and insisting to her that she could do it. On Saturday, we went over to packet pick-up at Dick's Sporting Goods. I wanted her to get the whole feel for the race. She told the lady behind the table her name and was given her very own bib. Then, she got a shirt AND a tiara. Big time.

As we were headed to the exit of Dick's, we passed a display of Sweaty Bands (cute running headbands). I stopped to look, and Molly started fingering a cute pink sparkly one. I had previously promised her that she could wear one of my headbands for the race, but she said, "I think this one would go so cute with my tiara."

Now, I was incredibly tempted to get her one, but Cory was with us, so I said, "Well, you do have mine that you can wear." She nodded, put it back and said, "You're right. Plus, this costs money and we need to save money so we can buy our beach house because that costs lots of money." I almost died laughing, but I'm pretty sure that was the most proud Cory has ever been.

That night, Molly told me that we needed to watch the weather and lay out our clothes. I'm not sure where in the world she would've learned that from. Unfortunately, the temperatures for the morning were forecast to be 37 degrees. Really?!? In May?!? Jeez. So, we laid out her pants and long-sleeved running outfit with her shirt, bib, tiara, tutu and shoes. It was really cute, and I wished I would've thought to take a picture of her laying it out. We also laid out Charlotte's outfit, because even though she wasn't racing the 5K, she still wanted to dress up for the princess run.

The next morning, my alarm went off and before I even had a chance to put my contacts in, both girls were in my room dressed in their race clothes. Can we say excited? Then, it was my turn to figure out what to wear. I decided on capris and a long-sleeved shirt and jacket. With tutu and tiara, of course.

Molly ate a pre-race breakfast of banana and breakfast bar, and we piled in the car and headed over to the race. The day before, Kelli, who was in charge of water stops, convinced Cory to help hand out water, so he had a job at the race, too.

Posing for the traditional pre-race photo.

Molly decided to warm up with some jumping jacks.

So happy to see Anne and Kelli, who were going to be volunteering at the water stop, Molly ran over and gave them both big hugs.

Big hugs  for Kelli, too!

Hanging out in the starting corral before the start.

Can you say excited?!?

Peer pressured to run Lawrence

Remember how I said I was going to get caught up on posting? Hmmmm ... ok, I really am trying. The problem is, and I'm sure many of you can empathize here, when I have a chance to blog, it's usually at night. And, then? Well, I usually just want to go to sleep. Oh well, no complaining, just writing.

So, after finishing the Heartland 39.3 series last year, I really didn't have any intention of doing it again this year. But, I still wanted to do Rock the Parkway, and I LOVED the medal for this year's Running with the Cows, so I signed up for that one. But, that was only 2 out of 3.

Then, the Kansas Half announced that they'd changed the course this year. Part of the reason I didn't want to do the Kansas Half this year was because I hated the course. And, that's saying a lot because it is in Lawrence, Kansas, which is home to my alma mater, KU. I have many fond memories of time spent in Lawrence, but the course for this race was not one of them.

So, when they announced that they'd changed the course, I started considering it. But, only vaguely. Then, Kelli said that she was thinking about it because she was going to be in Lawrence that morning anyway after attending her sister-in-law's wedding the night before. Well, that's pretty much all the convincing that it took for Anne and I to sign up, too.

Apparently, we're pretty easily swayed by peer pressure when it comes to races. I never went through a DARE program to teach me how to say no to a friend trying to convince me to sign up for a race.

Then, literally hours after I signed up for the race, I heard about Boston. As a runner, it hit me hard. I felt like all of my friends were attacked. And, the only thing I wanted to do was get out and run. So, actually, I'm really glad that we signed up for the race, because it gave us something to "do" to show our support, solidarity and spirit as runners.

Anne found bibs for us to proclaim our support for Boston. Loved them.

Since none of us had really planned on doing the race, we decided to just run it for fun as a training run. That meant, we got to stick together. In helping with that decision? The fact that Kelli had been attending a wedding the night before, and I had been attending a neighborhood wine party the night before. Yeah, that makes you not want to push it too hard.