Yukon Do It 2017 Recap

This weekend I ran one of my favorite races: the Yukon Do It Half Marathon. This was my 5^th year running this course. I was prepared to PR and had trained through the fall/early winter. In the past, I ran this race with little training, so I was expecting to have a much better race experience.

Eggs over oatmeal: a new approach to training

     I am in my 2^nd week of training for the Yukon Do It Half Marathon, which is on New Year’s Eve. This year will be my 5^th time participating in this particular half marathon! 

In the last mile of the 2014 Yukon Do It Marathon

My approach for training for this year’s race is much different than it has been in the past:

Building a "Base" (aka wow I'm out of shape!)

     I had a whirlwind of a summer, marrying my best friend. Then we moved. Then the air quality was terrible from wildfire smoke. Basically, I didn't run too much towards the end of this summer, and my fitness suffered. I have new plan, though, to get back into running shape. 

First Run of Half-Marathon Training

     Great news! The air quality in Washington has cleared-up a whole bunch. We were able to leave the windows open all day today. It was so nice to breath fresh air! I was starting to feel suffocated inside with the windows closed.

The trail near my house. It was so nice to get to be outside without  smoke.

Half-marathon Eve

At the finish of the half marathon in 2015

     Tomorrow morning I will be running in the Snake River Canyon Half Marathon! I am pretty psyched for it. This will be my third year participating. The prior two years, though, I was having severe shoulder pain. Now, I feel completely healthy! I am excited to see how I perform in comparison. 

HELP! I can't move my hand.

     In a turn of events, my broken pinky finger ended-up requiring 2 surgeries to fix! My hand was in either a cast or brace from August-November. I pushed through this struggle, and finished off the year with a half marathon.

Eating thai food after my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon

Race For A Soldier 2015 Recap

     I haven't written for a awhile. This is mainly due to 2 reasons: the crazy amount of stress being in my last semester of graduate school and a lingering cold. The last month basically has been write, write, write, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep...zzzzzzzzzzz
 
     Despite all this, I had a ton of fun at the Race For a Soldier last weekend in Gig Harbor, WA.

Let the training begin

       This weekend I convinced myself to start training for a half marathon again. I have been a bit afraid of running long distances ever since I became in ill and required a cholecystectomy. Despite hesitation, I have been slowly getting back into running for the past month or so, and now I think I have just enough confidence to register for a race. 

   

I follow rivers

Finishing up the race. The entire run was along the ravine of the snake river. 

     Yesterday I ran in the Snake River Half Marathon. I kind of waited in the very back at the start. I've found that starting last is best for me so then I don't push myself too hard in the beginning being around faster runners. I even had Craig give me a back massage at the official start time while I was waiting for everyone else to clear out, and a minute or so later I crossed the starting line. In the beginning, there was a pretty wicked head-wind, and the first half of the race, my eyes were watering from it. It may have appeared like I was crying, but that was definitely not the case. I really enjoyed the race.