CSquaredPlus3

Confidential To Supermodel

Dear Supermodel,

I miss you. 

Training isn't the same without you.  I've muddled through most of the workouts, but the solo 16- and 18-mile trail runs were tough.  You weren't there for me when I saw the snakes.  Two of them.  I miss how you let me scream, jump behind you and push you sacrificially towards danger.

I miss how you hold my hydration belt so I can go to the bathroom... and I miss holding yours.

I miss our conversations that go from light to intense and everywhere in between.  And when we end a long run with scribble marks over our heads and curt goodbyes, one of us always calls the other later that day to share a new recipe, borrow an ingredient, or to see how the other guy is feeling.

I try to meet new girls on the trail.  They're either too gritty or too pretty.  I know you know what I mean.  The gritty girls don't smile at me; it's all business.  They run solo, but I can tell they prefer it that way. 

The pretty girls run in elite packs.  I can smell them coming, all flowery and clean.  They have silky hair, spaghetti-strap cami tops, their boobs don't move, and I bet they shave their legs every day.  They smile and hop off the trail, yielding to me with gorgeous white grins.  I feel their pity.  They know I'm not a gritty girl, but they also know I can't hang with their pretty set.  It's obvious I don't shower before a run, and... the boobs.

I've seen a few trail runners like us -- in between gritty and pretty -- but they're already paired off.  They look at me sympathetically as if to say, Don't worry.  You'll find someone.  Like you.  Like us.

I get that you're tired of running.  I understand the desire to broaden your workout routines and connect with other friends, although it stings a little when I see your new training partner drive by my house with you in the car.  She's friendly, fit, pretty, speaks Portuguese and is good with hair.  I'm sure the Boot Camp you attend with her is very exciting!  I was sorry to hear about her misfortune on the hike the two of you enjoyed... with several other people.  I'm glad she's feeling better, but for the record, you've never had to call Search And Rescue for me.  Eleven rescuers?  Just sayin'.

My first race is this weekend.  It should be our race.  I'll drive to Park City, Saturday morning... alone.  I miss trying to convince you that we need to be there early, and stressing about your inability to get to bed at a reasonable hour.

I'll think of you, Supermodel.  I might have to "love the one I'm with" once in a while, but I'll never stop loving you.

Yours,

Chris

Hoops

All the advice about bloggers sticking with one blog is true.  I've nearly abandoned See Chrisy Run [my other blog].  It's still there, but I haven't updated since Supermodel and I finished our final race last September.  I don't know what I'm going to do with it.

More importantly, I don't know what my next event/goal will be, if any.  Supermodel kind of broke up with me after the trauma of the Triple Trail Challenge.  I might have pushed her too far when I enthusiastically made reference to how great the events would be next year because we would be experienced trail racers.  I had this discussion with her less than an hour after she crossed the finish line of our last event -- a grueling trail marathon.  She was clearly irritated by my attempt to muscle her into being my training partner again while she was still trying to hydrate, catch her breath and wipe the blood from her body as she repeatedly mumbled, "That sucked."

I reminded Supermodel that it was just like having a baby.  We forget the pain moments after delivery.  She told me she's had six children and vividly remembers the pain of each birth.  She also informed me she didn't want to run with me during the winter months. 

I workout before the kids get up for school, so I'm typically out the door by 5:00 AM.  Supermodel had a little more flexibility with her schedule so she didn't need to run in the middle of the night in the winter.  I don't run alone in the dark, so Chris said he'd run with me at the offensive hour.

Winter has come and gone.  Chris ran with me on several cold, dark, snowy mornings.

One morning I was waiting for him to come downstairs.  Steam was swirling above his lovingly poured cup of coffee and our cold weather gear was thoughtfully displayed on the counter.  I was in the office checking my email... and the windchill.  Chris entered the office dressed in his warmest running tights and turtleneck, looked out the french doors at the snowfall [which would have been pretty had the wind not been driving it horizontally -- it was harsh], and calmly said, "I'm not running in this shit."  He turned around and walked back upstairs.

Supermodel asked how it was going running with Chris.  I told her it was great -- he'd only called one run.  She said she wouldn't have wanted to run in that weather either.  "He just has the balls to stand up to you," I believe were her exact words.  Whatever.

Now what?  I'm reviewing training plans, plotting event dates against our summer plans, and working on Supermodel and/or Chris for a commitment to... something.  So far, no dice.

I do have one goal...

We have an arcade-style basketball game in the basement.  On occasion, I play by myself.  A couple of weeks ago I hit what I thought was a family high-score for a one-minute solo game.  I called Chris and left him a message.

"Know your busy, but I was in the basement tidying... anyway... I played a few games of basketball.  What's your high-score?  I think I beat it.  Sixty-four.  Uh-huh.  Six. Tee. Four.  Call me."

Chris returned my call and said he didn't remember his exact score, but knows he broke 80 once and hit the 70s a few times.  I didn't believe him.  He said he was in the zone and one of the boys was his witness. Further probing revealed that Middle Boy [10] witnessed the high score, however he's been known to stretch the truth, and succumb to the power of suggestion.  Doesn't matter.  The score to beat is 80.

Chris has taunted me with email subject lines that say "made it to 80 yet?"  And salutations like "Hey Hoops."

Sixty-eight.  That was my highest score until a few moments ago.  I went downstairs to take a picture for this post.  I played one game before returning upstairs.  One game.  My score?  SEVENTY-EIGHT.

I feel a sore trapezius muscle coming on...

The Jacket

[I wrote this post for my other blog "See Chrisy Run", but thought I'd post it here too.]

Supermodel and I each became proud owners of the Triple Trail Challenge "trophy" jacket on Saturday. The jacket was awarded to participants who successfully completed the three required events.  We ran our third race, Mid Mountain Marathon, Saturday morning.  It was much more difficult than we expected.

I won't give a blow-by-blow, but 25 miles of the 26.2 were on singletrack.  Rocky, root-ey, hilly, singletrack.  When I crossed the finish line I searched for and found the few friends who had run the race prior... the friends who had said, "Your legs will feel GREAT after running a marathon on trails!  Yes it's at 8,000' elevation, but the trail's relatively level, just a few climbs, and it's all downhill after mile 20!  The scenery's beautiful!"

When I found those friends, I said, "You lied.  About everything."  And they did.

But, Supermodel and I each conquered the course.  I suppose the views were pretty if you wanted to prolong the time on the mountain to stop running and... look.  My eyes had to remain on the trail or I tripped, plus the views gave me vertigo.  I was running with a guy for several miles; he stopped around mile 12 and said, "Let's just take a moment to enjoy this beautiful view!"  I said, "Pretty.  Now let's GO."

I fell.  Three times.  It hurt.

I've never fallen while running on the road.  I fell three times during the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase in August, and was determined not to fall during Mid Mountain Marathon.  I can't tell you how painful it is, physically and emotionally, to hit the ground in one of these races.  The physical pain is obvious.  But it's the emotional pain and mojo loss that drains me.  It's a huge withdrawal from an energy account that has limited funds.

I finished though.  I finished with sore knees and a dirty body, but I finished strong.

[Looking for Chris and the boys.]

[I see the boys.]

 

Supermodel fell once and also finished strong.

 

We hugged and cried and were happy that the event, the whole Triple Trail Challenge, was over.

I called Supermodel today...

ME:  How ya feelin'?

SUPERMODEL:  Better than I thought I would.  My shoulder and hip hurt.  I think it's from my fall.  How about you?

ME:  My quads and calves are sore, and my knees are hammered, but I'm functioning.

We talked about what we'd eaten, how we craved salty foods, how our plumbing had taken 24 hours to return to normal.  Then I asked her if she'd pop over so Chris could take some pictures of us in our jackets.  The jackets I convinced her would be SO cool to have.  We'd be like the Navy SEALS [sort-of] of trail running!

Here we are in the jackets we ran for, fell for, argued about, and spent $140 in entry fees for!

[Click on all photos to enlarge.]

 

 

I wanted to do some fun poses, maybe build a pyramid or do the splits, but Supermodel wanted no part of it.  Chris photographed one of our famous disagreements.

I begged and pleaded, but I couldn't get Supermodel to do a Cirque du Soleil trick with me in our jackets.  She finally just walked away.

 

Maybe after we complete the Triple Trail Challenge next year she'll do it.  C'mon, Supermodel.  It'll be fun!

Almost Badass

[I wrote this post for my other blog "See Chrisy Run", but thought I'd post it here too.]

Supermodel and I completed the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase on Saturday.  Our concern about the weather was for naught.  We couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions weather-wise.  The temps were in the 40s and 50s, no wind, no rain, and blue skies.  My gear bag was packed with so many clothing options, it looked like I was going on vacation for a week.  I wore a sleeveless shirt and no gloves.  I was very comfortable.

Race Synopsis:

Mile 1:  Up

Mile 2:  Up

Mile 3:  Up

Mile 4:  Up

Mile 5:  Up

Mile 6:  Up

Mile 7:  Areyoukiddingme? Up  [Without exaggeration we climbed, using our hands, to the top of Jupiter Peak.  The peak was comprised of loose rock with weeds growing sporadically.  We could grab the weeds for balance, but there was no trail and the rocks slipped underfoot.  The view gave me vertigo and nausea, so I looked quickly... once.  Maybe another time.]

Mile 8:  Slightly Down [after scaling the Peak], but then... UP

Mile 9:  Slightly Down - Fall Number ONE for me.

Mile 10:  Down

Mile 11:  Down

Mile 12:  Down

Mile 13:  Down, Up, Down - Fall Number TWO for me.

Mile 14:  Down

Mile 15:  Down - Fall Number THREE for me.

Mile 16:  Down - FINISH!

There were varying degrees of intensity and grade with the climbs and descents, but you get the picture.

For those who haven't run a hill climb that includes a descent, running down is more difficult than one would think.  There were a few sections that were too steep to run, and the runnable sections required restraint on my part because my knees can't take the pounding.

Supermodel and I separated early in the race.  It happens.  We positioned ourselves at the very back of the pack before the start.  Once we began running, I realized we'd made a mistake.  There were people ahead of us who probably should not have been.  We were running on a forest service road for roughly the first half mile, then we all poured onto a single-track trail that was 18" wide.  The race began up a hill, so everyone was dealing with immediate oxygen debt.  I did the best I could to reposition myself before the single-track.  Supermodel was doing the same thing, but we lost each other.  We both knew the other would be okay.

This was a very difficult event, which made reaching the finish line that much sweeter.  Chris and the boys were there to support me, and Chris took several pictures.  Here I am before I noticed Chris or the boys.

With yards to go, I saw this...

Which made me so happy, I almost cried...

 

...before I finally ran across the finish line.

 

After the race, Supermodel and I hugged and congratulated one another.  It's always a bonding experience to train with someone and complete a goal together. [We still have two more events ahead of us.]  Supermodel told me all about her run, and I told her about mine.  We shared and cared about each other's aches, pains, joys, and victorious moments.  Supermodel and a few other runners were charged by a mother moose and her baby around mile four on the course! 

Supermodel also fell, only once, but she was scraped pretty badly.  We decided it's not your first trail race if you don't leave skin on the trail.  Just like, it's not a party until somebody pukes.  We're both officially initiated.

Toddler Child did not like seeing my skinned knees...

 

Supermodel and I after wiping ourselves with Wet Wipes.

Before we loaded up the car to head home, we paid a visit to the results table.  We were each handed a card with our UNOFFICIAL Overall Finish as well as our Age Group Finish.  My card said 32nd overall.  Supermodel's overall finish was very near that.  We asked the woman who handed us our cards how many people actually ran the race and she said close to 250.  Supermodel and I raised our eyebrows at each other and said, Not too shabby!

The following day, OFFICIAL Results were posted on a website.  I discovered that our "Overall Finish" results were for WOMEN only.  The race was timed as a Men's Steeplechase and a Women's Steeplechase, which is typically a subset of Official Results in other races I've completed.

I called Supermodel.

Me:  Guess what?

Supermodel:  What?

Me:  Official Results are posted and we didn't do quite as well as we thought.  We still did a great job, but it's a little deflating.  Our overall finish number was only for WOMEN.

Supermodel:  I liked thinking it was for the whole field.

Me:  Me too. 

We may not have finished quite as well as we originally thought, but we each did better than we expected we would.  And?  It's possible I finished the race with a broken wrist.  It's definitely sprained, the swelling's gone down, and my mobility's returning.  If it's not better tomorrow, I'll get an X-ray.

 

Tell me that's not badass.

Just Doing My Job

We're in Arizona visiting my parents.  I spoke with Dad a few weeks ago...

"I have a 15-mile training run scheduled for the first Saturday we're in Scottsdale.  I'd like to run on trails if possible.  Anything close to your house?"

"We have some GREAT trails two or three miles from the house!  I'll send you a map."

The map arrived in the mail.  I studied it and was concerned about the topography and elevation gain.  I was hoping for relatively flat trails.  I called Dad.

"I'm looking at this map.  Looks kind of technical, Dad."

"You'll be fine. Those are GREAT trails!"

We arrived in Scottsdale after ten hours in the car with our three boys and the dog on Friday.  I had one beer, swam, ate some dinner and was in bed by 9:30 PM.  The alarm beeped at 4:00 AM, I got up, drank a cup of coffee, and ate half a peanut butter sandwich.  I loaded my water belt, and drove to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

The Death March Time Line

5:05 AM - I began running on the trail marked "easy".  The trail was not easy.  It turned left, then right, then left, then left, then right every 5-10 feet, was very rocky and I was already climbing steadily.  I determined it would be very important to pay attention to the trail so I wouldn't trip and fall.

5:40 AM - A Gila Monster was sitting in the middle of the trail 15 feet in front of me.  I stopped but the lizard didn't move.  Did Gila Monsters move lightning-fast or sloth-like slow?  I decided to run around the creature.  As I passed, it rapidly stomped it's feet and hissed like a cat.  Scared me to death.  I screamed and my adrenalin surged for the next three miles as paranoia now joined me on the run.

7:05 AM - Still running, hot, hungry [even though I was consuming gels] and feeling less paranoid because I finally saw a few people on the trails and assumed they would save me from venomous animals.

8:00ish - Still running, unbelievably hot, but almost finished. I had fallen twice, my left knee was bleeding and I was dusty and salty.  I was unable to run many sections of the "GREAT" trail so I was out longer than I wanted to be.  I'd forgotten how intense the Arizona sun is in July.

??? - I don't know exactly what time I finished, but I ran all 15 miles.  I drank lots of water and thought I'd properly recovered.  I called Mom to let her know I was okay and I was going to visit Dad at the golf course where he has a part-time job.

9:00 AM - I visited Dad.  We drove around in a golf cart and I met all his buddies.  I felt fine.  A little tired, but fine.  Dad suggested I visit Mamaw on the way home. I said, "But I'm gross." He shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head, indicating it didn't matter.

9:45 AM - I arrived at Mamaw's group home.  Sadly, she didn't recognize me...

"Mamaw.  It's me, Chrisy."

She smiled but I could tell she didn't know it was me.

"I'm gross, Mamaw.  I've been running... and I have braces now.  See?"  I showed her my teeth.

"Who are you running from?"

"No one.  I'm training for a marathon."

We visited for about 20 minutes and she finally knew who I was.  She commented many times on my braces.  "My, you have a mouthful," shaking her head.

10:15 AM - I told Mamaw I would return a few more times over the next week with Chris and the boys.  She seemed pleased.  We kissed good-bye and I was on my way to my parents' house.

10:25 AM - Something went very wrong.  I felt disoriented and dizzy while driving.  I felt like I was going to vomit or have diarrhea or both.  I pulled over and called Chris.

"Hey, I'm not well.  I'm not sure where I am and I think I might faint."

Chris and Mom arrived 15 minutes later.  Chris drove me home and helped me into the house.  I told him I just wanted to lay on the tile floor.

After resting for an hour on the floor and drinking Gatorade, I began feeling better. I've experienced heat exhaustion before, but never three hours after a workout.  I think I was salt and potassium deficient.  I actually felt a little embarrassed because I know how to avoid these situations.

As I was laying on the floor shivering with chills, Mom brought me a pillow and a blanket.

I said, "Thanks for coming to get me Mom.  I feel like an idiot.  I'm sorry for the drama..."

"That's okay.  It's your job."

See Chrisy run.

It's easier for me to stay committed to regular exercise when I have an event goal.  Workout partners are helpful too.  I ran my first and only marathon two years ago.  Prior to that I've run several road races of varying lengths, participated in mountain bike races, and triathlons.  Triathlons are my favorite, but the logistics of tri training will be difficult for me this summer.  I've chosen to run.  I'd like to complete the Mid Mountain Marathon this September in Park City, Utah.  It's a marathon on trails.  There are a couple of shorter-distance events in August that I'd like to run also.

Running is relatively inexpensive and it's convenient for someone like me who's tethered to a three-year-old all day.  I can run early in the morning and be home before the kids are awake on most days.  It works for me.

I'm older and slower than I used to be, but running, riding, and swimming, all add a dimension to my life that I find not only physically rewarding, but emotionally therapeutic as well.  Not unlike writing this blog.  It helps me feel multi-faceted in my roles as mother and wife.  The physical movement keeps me sane... a natural Prozac.  [I've never been on an anti-depressant.  I don't say that pridefully because there are times I, and my family, would have benefited from the medication.  Just ask them.]

To track my training progress, I've started a new blog.  It's called "See Chrisy run."  I have a very loose plan for the blog's direction.  We'll see how it goes.  There's only one post so far, but my intention is to update regularly with how things are going, even if they're not going well.

If running or events aren't your thing, please simply send encouraging thoughts my way.  Muchas gracias!