Summer

My 6 y.o. announced to me yesterday, "Fourth of July came fast this year." So true Nick. The boys have been out of school since June 11th and summer felt miles long. It's already July 5th and our list of "fun things to do this summer" is still growing.
Last time I wrote was Father's Day!! We've had so much fun since that weekend so I've been negligent with my blog.

There's been multiple trips to our camp on the lake, golf days with the kid's Grandparents, a couple days soaking in the ocean air, some track meets and....well I guess that's about it but all that has filled our time!

During those past few weeks, not only have I continued with my training, but I watched my friend and business parnter Mary race Ironman Couer D'Alene. She was amazing. She executed the race beautifully and really nailed the day. I was inspired. And motivated. And, it re-ignited a passion I have for the 140.6 distance. Oh oh. That wasn't in the plan. At least not quite yet.
I need to do some more soul searching before I make any decisions. I was given some good advice from Jen on thinking it through. I had hoped to have some quality-peaceful time to think this past weekend but it didn't work out that way. Hopefully I can figure out if that is really what I should do next year or not. I am enjoying fewer training hours (read: no 100 mile bike rides) this season but honestly, I feel a little lost. I don't feel particularly driven to one big thing and that is making it hard for me...
I have thinking to do.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my fun win at the Pirate Tri. I may have mentioned that I passed a good friend of mine, Steve, at the end of the race. While this may have been ok a few years ago, it isn't anymore. Steve is faster than I am, hands down. So while I smiled to myself at that moment, I knew something wasn't right with him that day. That's an understatement. Over the past few weeks both Steve (www.mainesport.blogspot.com) and Marit ( www.marit-chislock-lauterbach.blogspot.com) were hospitalized with pulmonary embolisms. Their stories are a bit different but the end is the same. The are OK and they are Lucky!!! I have been worried for both of them and quite shocked that such a thing could happen to young healthy athletes. At the end of Steve's last post, he wrote a quote that he hears on a daily basis from someone who lost his family in the 9/11 attacks. It reminded us to never pass up an opportunity to hug someone you love. I have remembered this daily since reading it. Marit and Steve--So glad you're both ok!!
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And Finally-- I RACED! I ran the LLBean Fourth of July 10K.
One word to describe that race: Ouch!
10Ks are Hard!!!
We were staying at my parent's cottage for the weekend which is in the same town as a race. What a treat! NO drive to a race! This is unheard of for this girl from the middle-of-nowhere Western Maine!
so I got up, ate, drove 5 min and parked. Shoes on, visor on, gel in pocket...um....there must be more. Nope! It's so easy to just RUN! Far far too much gear in triathlon.
I warmed up a bit and then found my buddy Mike. I found my Dad who is my faithful sherpa. I saw a few other Tri friends and then made my way to the start.
I was nervous but mostly because it had been several years since I ran a Flat 10K. I knew I wanted to just Go after it the whole way...and that was about the extent to my plan.
Perhaps I should have thought it through a bit more...
It was a very warm morning with high humidity. I'll just leave it at that. Most of the East is in a heat wave and Maine is no exception. It was the type of day that you are instantly swaeaty and sticky just from your warm up.
Mile 1 was fast. It always is at this race because it goes Down a Lot! 6:10. I did try to hold back a tad, I promise. I really did try.
Mile 2 is UP. 6:36 I was fine.
Except, when barefoot man passed me. This guy was wearing what looked like an american flag bathing suit (just had that look), a big long gray cotton Tshirt, a camo hat backwards, and as I said, he was barefoot. And he ran by me. I hope I passed him later.
Mile 3 doing fine. panting like a dog. Trying to keep my cadence up. We wind through a little neighborhood with a dirt path that has big huge rocks on it. They feel huge when you step on them wrong...wonder how barefoot guy liked that!
6:44
mile 4 PAIN!! I have never liked mile 4. You are smack dab in the middle. you're so tired and yet you have so far to go. I can't remember my split. I have it somewhere. It was slower, let's just say that. Another hill on this mile. It's kind of a hilly course...not obnoxious hills but enough to throw you off and slow you down a bit. Someone yelled to me, "5th woman!" oh...that's good! I was happy with this.
I had been watching a few women in front of me but mostly I was surrounded by men. There was one super fit woman running 10 steps ahead of me for miles 1-3. She looked like a Real runner. She's the type of woman I can sort of accept beating me..but Ha! I got her. I passed her some time after mile 3 and never saw her again. So even though I was crumbling, I was still having some fun and maintaining my competitive spirit.
Hoever, I was also fighting the mental demons during these few miles. Slow DOWN...NO! You love pain! YOU Can embrace it! Savor it! Just keep moving. You're almost done! But it's ok...just slow down a little and then run faster at the end. NO--KEEP GOING!
mile 5 7:06 the only mile over 7:00...We make the turn onto the final road which helps mentally. I saw my friend Tim cheering. It was a nice surprise to have a word of encouragement at that point. Even if I couldn't respond. I was cross eyed and foaming at the mouth. Ever feel like that? I couldn't begin to take water because my throat wasn't functioning. I couldn't breath calmly enough to actually swallow water.
There's a long gradual hill coming through mile 5 into the final mile. At this point, I am chopping the course ahead into pieces. Run to the fence. Run to the Fire station. Run to the sign.
And finally, the stretch to the finish. The crowd lined the streets and it was like a rope was tied around my waist pulling me over the line.
I grabbed a post to help me stand up after crossing. OUch. That's it. that race HURT!
42:25. 2nd age group, 6th overall woman (Joan Benoit Samuelson was 1st) 77th overall > 1200 runners
It wasn't a PR but I guess that's ok. The heat was an issue and well, I tried. I will approach my 10K in August a little differently and insist on a PR from myself that day.

Happy 4th everyone! Today, we're supposed to see high 90s with heat indexes in the 100s. It's hot Even in Maine!
And you know, as miserable as it can feel, at least we are having a Real Summer this year!!!

(blogger continues to refuse my photos...anyone have any ideas?)