Michelle's Microcosm

TIME TO REFRESH AND REFOCUS

2007-11-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness....It has been forever since I wrote on this blog. Everytime I come to my sight, I end up just feeling bad about not making my goals. Well, now it is time to do something about it. Ever since Frank left, I have let so many things get in the way of my runnng goals. I have decided to pick a new marathon and start training for it. I have been looking on the Marathon Maniac sight, but havent decided on one yet. OK...to start this new journey, I am setting my alarm clock and going running with the run club in the morning......More to follow

MM# 544

UPDATE

2007-08-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

HI!!!
Well, I feel good this weekend. I was able to run 10.2 miles on Saturday and 5.5 on Sunday. I have felt a little tightness in my hip and glutes, but NO PAIN!!!!! I am so happy about the no pain thing. I also spent a good part of the weekend studying for my promotion board next week. I am so excited and a lot scared. I really want to do well and put myself in a good position for promotion. If all goes well, I should see a promotion around October or November time frame. It would be nice to get it in December also, so Frank could be here for the ceremony. OK, I am putting the cart before the horse. My boss is gone all this next week and the schedule is slow, so I will be studying a lot at work. My board is on Friday.
Everything else is going good. The kids still don't have their rooms clean and they still don't listen. It is amazing what they think they can get away with while Dad is gone. They are finding that mom is not willing to do too much for them right now. I guess all of this is minor in the whole scope of things.
I am able to talk to Frank every day or every other day. I also get to see him on the webcam pretty often now. He is doing well and is staying very busy.
I don't have a major run calendar going right now. I am doing the 1/2 marathon on Fort Lewis in September and of course we have the San Francisco Marathon in October. I will probably sign up for more marathons as the weather cools. I don't like running in the heat of the day. Maybe I will add a few stars to my Maniac profile this next season.

Anyways, with all things as good as they could be, I am signing off after a positive, productive running week.
MM#544

GOOD NEWS

2007-07-24T18:13:00.001-07:00

OKAY, I was told it was about time to update my blog. I really haven't had a lot to write about. I have just been adjusting to single parenthood and everything that goes along with having a depolyed husband. Today I found out some good news. My left leg is 5mm longer than my right. Why is this good news? It means that there is a real simple problem for the pain in my left leg and I can get a heel lift in my right shoes that should alleviate all the problems. I am tired of being in pain and having to cut back on something I was relying on so much to get me through some tough times. So there it is.
Frank is fine. He is homesick. He really misses the kids. He is busy and keeps in touch. Other than that, there is not much to report. I am just going to get my heel lifts, work on my running and my distances and keep counting down the days.

HI

2007-06-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who has written on my blog and offered up such wonderful thoughts, suggestions, and support. I am truly blessed ( and I don't use that word lightly) to have found such an extraordinary group of people. The more I run and the more runners I come in contact with through races, blogs, etc, the more I know that runners are the greatest group of people. I was very intimidated about joining a running group because I am a back of the packer. our group took me in with the biggest welcome. Thank you

Now, I haven't been hibernating this last week. I ran a couple miles on Monday and I was in pain all day. I am staying off my knee as much as possible and will start running and building up miles a little at a time. I have accomplished so much with 3 marathons and one ultra. I would have never imagined accomplishing so much. Next season I will add more stars to my profile on the Maniacs sights. The rest of this year is more about enjoying the company of the people I have the honor of running with.

I have gotten so much done since Frank left. Mostly, all of the stuff he was supposed to do before he left. This weekend I cleaned out the garage, made two trips to the dump, and one to the Goodwill. The front and back yard are mowed and my list of things to keep me busy this year will fill up a book. I have talked to him a couple times this week and he says he is homesick already. On a very personal note, he broke down a bit before he left and told me about his fears and feeling about being away from us. This was unlike him. He usually has that "I am a soldier and I do what I am told and it doesn't affect me" kind of attitude. That drive me crazy because he makes it look like it is easy to go. When he finally showed some weakness, I was able to step up and say, "Don't worry, We will be OK and I will take care of things."

Signing off with a better outlook and looking forward to running again. MM #544

THE 15 MONTH COUNT DOWN BEGINS

2007-06-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything for quite a while. Today's post is nothing to do with running....or very little. This morning, my family and I drove my husband to Fort Lewis and said our goodbyes. He will fly out of McCord this evening to Kuwait. He will be there for about 8-10 days and then on to Mosul, Iraq(northern). He has gone once before and ended up staying ony five months due to injury. It was the longest five months of my life. Imagine Murphey's Law times ten. I am trying to stay positive and overall I am dealing with this better than last time. I just have to keep reminding myself that I could be going any time. Like I have told most people...I am a good soldier and will go where I have to, but I am a horrible Army wife. You would think that I would be better considering I am in the service too. In my opinion, it is easier to be the one to leave than to be left behind. Don't get me wrong, leaving isn't easy. I have wanted to call his cell phone several times already, but it is here sitting next to mine because he will not have service there. I am not good at feeling helpless or not in control.
I am not throwing a pity party, just venting. I fully intend on going running with the running club on Sunday and trying to put everything in place. I have to see what my knee is going to do. I ran the R2R relay with Bustin' for Ruston team last weekend and my IT band tightened up after my first 4 mile leg. I ended up having Margaret finish my second leg because of the pain. I definitely don't want to over do things, but running is a huge part of my coping strategy for this next year+.
Signing off for now. I will post some pics from today when my daughter gets them to me.
MM 544

Another Sunday

2007-05-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here it is, another Sunday. Rick and a bunch of others are going to run the Capitol City Marathon today. A lot of the Y run club is going to watch. Me, I am sitting out here on Fort Lewis wishing I was there to cheer everyone on. This week has been a great learning experience. Yesterday, we had 40 "patients" during a mass casualty exercise. I have realized that I remember a lot more medical stuff than I thought I would, but I still have a lot of reviewing to do. It is hard when you are not working on patients and actively in healthcare. You lose skills and a lot of knowledge is pushed into the far recesses of your brain. Anyways.....I can tell I haven't run in a week in both my body and my spirit. On the up side, my knee is much better. I am going to start doing a lot more training runs to build back up before I do any more marathons. At least that is my plan. I am out of the field on Wednesday or Thursday.....I can't wait. then I will be at the track and back to the run club next weekend. Best of all, I will be at coffee. Starbuck's doesn't deliver out here.

Tacoma City Marathon

2007-05-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a very short race report. I am leaving for the field in the morning, I am in a lot of aipn, and I'm just tired.
Thank you and Congrats ot all who put this all together and worked tirelessly to make Tacoma Marathon a success. Rob did an awsome job. Sonja was there to give support as always.....thank you. Geoge was on his bike and provided motivation. There is always so much support from the Y Run Club.
The morning started out great. I opted for the early start and boy am I glad I did. I really cut is close. I don't know what my time was because my only focus was getting to the aid tent, but it was about 5:45-ish. The course started out in downtown and went up and around, through Wright Park, Stadium High, fireman's park and then wound down to Ruston Way. On the early hills, I could feel my knees. They didn't hurt. They were tight and just letting me know they were there. When we got down along Ruston I felt a sharp sudden twinge in my left knee. It only lasted a couple seconds. I have never had trouble with my knees on runs, so this was a little unnerving. We went through the tunnel and up the hill towards Point Defiance. Right before Point Defiance, I was shocked to see the Doctor I used to work for cheering along side the road. He of course had no idea I was running. I yelled out to him and gave him a quick hug. This pleasant surprise gave me a bit of energy. Around mile 13, I pulled away from the others. I felt like me knee would do better if I stretched it out a bit. This worked for a while. I had a lot of energy and was feeling good.....that was until I was walking through a water station. It got very hard to start back up again. The uphills were wearing on me and the downhills weren't as easy as in the early miles. My left knee was hurting more and more. I stopped at an aid station and wrapped it with some tape. That helped for a little bit. I found myself walking more and more. I was geting very frustrated. I went back and forth between reasuring myself that it was just important to finish and telling myself to suck it up and stop being such a baby. At about mile 22 or 23, I stopped again and had an EMT wrap my knee with an Ace bandage.

After much more walking and as much slow jogging as I could handle, I made it down the hill. I saw Eric talking to a motorcyle cop and he told me the finish was two blocks away and my whole family was there waiting for me. My son met up with me and ran the last couple tenths of a mile in with me. I got a hug from Lenore Dolphin. ***Oh, today was the first day I wore my Maniac singlet. I didn't feel like I was representing it very well, but I did finish. I got iced up at the aid tent and quickly headed out. I was, and still am, in a lot of pain.

The biggest thanks goes to my husband and my family who have supported me in this jouney and made Mother's Day great. Happy Mother's Day to all.
MM#544

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND

2007-05-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for this weekend. This week has been very hectic with preparing to go to the field next week, baseball games for my son, trying to keep up with the house.....it goes on and on. I need a little rest. Most of all, I am looking forward to the Tacoma Marathon this weekend. Yes, I consider running a marathon rest at this point. I had fun on Sunday helping to stuff race bags. There were so many people there, all working together to get everything done quickly. I am very excited for Rob and Tony and all the rest who have worked so hard to bring this marathon to us. I know it will be a great success.

MM#544

WITHDRAWAL

2007-05-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

So, This week has been pretty good. I had a great run in Eugene where I spent time with a lot of great people. I immediately came home and got my Maniac number (544). You would think that would be enough for me.....NO!!! I am now jealous of Eric and Michelle for going to Vancouver this weekend. I even thought about going down to do the Ave of Giants in Humbolt. My husband has told me I am not allowed to do any marathons this weekend. He is funny.

RUNNERS WITH LARGE THIGHS SHOULD NOT WEAR SHORT SHORTS

2007-04-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

I will explain the title in detail a little later in the blog. This weekend was just an incredible experience. On Saturday, my husband and I drove down to Eugene, OR. It took about 4 hours, but it was four hours of alone time. We don't get too much of that with our schedules, kids, and grandbaby. About 65 miles from Eugene, we stopped at a rest stop and ran into Michelle B. and Jenny. When we got into Eugene, we went straight over to the Hilton for the Expo and check in. Patch, Sonja, Michelle, Jenny, Amy,Melissa, Margaret, Monica, Mike, Linda, and her husband were all there (Hope I didn't miss anyone). The expo was an experience. My husband, Frank, was like a kid in a candy store. He bought me a Tiger Tail while were there. Thank goodness, because I needed it on the ride home.
From the expo, we all headed back to the Hotel. Almost all of us stayed at the Campus Inn. The plan was to go eat at the park, but the hotel had a nice patio area and we stayed and ate there.

Monica had done all the research and picked out a great Italian place to order from. Thank you to her and Mike for picking up the food for everyone. It was a nice evening of food and fun with friends.
On Sunday morning I woke up ealy and headed over to IHOP for a little oatmeal and toast. We left for the start right around 6:00. There was excitement from the moment we got to the start. Eric and Patch both got interviewed for being such "Maniacs". Frank and Mike both had their pics taken with Jared from Subway.

Frank and Mike were our official crew for this marathon. This was the first marathon Frank had been to for me and so he had fun being able to help and get to know everyone.

The race started at 7:00. I started off with Michelle and Melissa. After about mile five, I decided to take off a little and run by myself. I was feeling really good, the weather was beautiful and I was really caught up in the excitement and the crowds. The course was pretty flat with just a few rolling trails and hills. Mike and Frank set up points at 5, 10, and 17 miles. At the 5 and 10 mile marks I was still feeling pretty good. I notice that my shorts were riding up and my thighs were rubbing a little. I thought I was being proactive and used the bag balm at ten miles and again at 17 miles....too late!!!! My half spilt was 2:30. After mile 17, I realized that I had already started chaffing. I wasn't going to let it stop me though.

I kept driving on. This run was supposed to be easy since I ran the Ultra last weekend. I kept telling myself that. I was very tired between mile 21 and 24. I started taking the 10:1 walk breaks. This paid off in the end. At about mile 24 I just started thinking about the finish and that after I finished, I would qualify to be a maniac. I passed Rob around that time. He was hanging back waiting for Michelle. When I reached the 25 mile mark, something just kicked in and allowed me to speed up. I felt strong. Well, actually, I didn't "feel" much of anything. Nothing was hurting. My mind was just on the end. I turned down the street to the finish line. Nothing has ever looked so good. I immediately saw all of my friends and Frank on the left side. It is amazing how much energy you can get from others. I finished at 5:07:53. For the record, that is a PR for me. (Not hard when you have only run three marathons).
The ride back from Eugene was sooooooo long. My thighs had chaffed a lot more than I thought. Don't worry!!! I won't post pics of my raw hamburger thighs..lol. That was the hardest shower I have ever taken. OUCH!!!!
There are several people I want to thank for this weekend. Mike and Frank for being our crew, Monica for taking the reigns on the whole weekend. thank you to everyone who made Frank feel so welcome. I know it makes him feel better knowing i will be around such great people when he leaves for Iraq.
Last, but not least, I got on the Maniac website today to get confirmation for membership. What a great weekend!

MT SI

2007-04-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

First, I want to say that the pics I post on today's blog have been cut and pasted from Michelle B's blog. I have to give propper credit. I don't take a camera to the runs.
Yesterday was a really good day all the way around. Michelle B, Eric, Melissa, Rick, Patch, Sonja, and I all met at the Y about 6:15 and headed up to Snoqualamie. We got to the Elementary school, got checked in, and did all those silly little prerace checks and rituals. I recognized a hand full of people from Yakima.
The race started at 8:30. The weather was beautiful. Michelle B, Melissa, Rick, and I all started out together. The first ten miles was pretty easy. We got to the first aid station and felt good. During the Yakima Marathon, I ate a lot of GU, sport beans, and Cliff Blocks. I really felt like I O.D.ed on sugar during that race. This time I tried to concentrate on things that weren't so sugary like bananas and more bland food. I felt much better afterward for it. The next 5 1/2 miles was all uphill, but it was a nice gradual uphill that didn't hurt too much. We all just kept thinking about how nice it was going to be to go downhill all the way back.

At about the 21 mile mark, I started feeling everything. It was getting harder and harder to get going after a walk break. I could feel all of the rocks under my feet. At about the 27 mile mark, Melissa and I took off a bit and stopped the walk breaks. I told Melissa to leave me when there was about three miles to go. She is an awsome runner and has so much energy at the end. She could probably run the whole thing without any walk breaks and do very well. The last couple miles were the absolute longest. I felt pretty strong, but it just seemed to last forever. There was a bridge about 1/2 mile from the start/finish with a bunch of stairs. I really had to concentrate going down those stairs at the end. Anyways, I had a good strong finish with 6:48 minutes for my first ultra marathon (50K/31miles).
I have to say that the day wouldn't be half as successful if it weren't for Eric and Sonja. Sonja ended up being a last munute race volunteer handling drop bags and helping at the aid station. Eric ran out to us at a few different points with water, taking our extra stuff, giving us support. He ran 20 miles himslef just helping us. I don't think any of us would accomplish as much without the aid of all of our supporters. I need to repay the favor. If anyone is doing a race and need support people, I will help wherever I can.

The best part of the day was cleaning up a little bit and going out for pizza at Jay Berry's in North Bend. I broke down and had a Corona with my pizza. The day was complete.
A great accomplishment, great food, and great friends. Congrats to Rick and Patch for also completing their first Ultra and a great big congrats to Melissa for qualifying to be a Maniac.

THE MADNESS IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

2007-04-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the start of a crazy few weeks. I am doing the MT Si Ultra Marathon with Michelle, Rick, Melissa, and a few others this weekend. Then I go to a range on Tuesday. Next weekend is the Eugene Marathon down in Oregon. I have a weekend off after that, then the Tacoma Marathon is May 13th. On the 14th of may our unit is going out to the field for ten days. I am going to be totally spent. It is all worth is though

Stay tuned for race blogs and updates!!!

Just a few random thoughts.....

2007-04-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

I don' have any major reports or great stories to tell this time. I ran the five mile loop around Point Defiance today with Michelle, Eric, and Melissa. We are all taking it slow for upcoming events (see marathon schedule).
Here is another pic from Disneyland. This is Frank and Evelyn on a kiddie ride. I love this picture.
One thing that has really bothered me the last couple weeks is my weight. I know I am not huge, but I'm just not comfortable. In July I weighed about 10 lbs more than I do now and I have been able to maintain that loss. Now it is time to drop a few more. I really feel the need to tone my arms and concentrate on my core a bit more. The weight of my upper body is starting to affect my knees and hip. I have been doing so much running, I have neglected the rest. I am not going on a crash diet or anything. This week I have decided to cut out red meat. This will also help me to stay away from fast food. We will see how it goes. I will post a weight section on the blog to hold myself accountable.
Next random thought...I have so many things I want to do. I want to go back to school to get my R.N I want to get my rank back. For those of you who don't know, I gave up one rank and went from a Staff Sergeant (E-6) to a Sergeant (E-5) to go back to active duty Army. I have to prepare for and go to the promotion board to start that process. My main issue is that I don't want to start anything right now as we are gearing up for Frank to go to Iraq.
So, there are just a lot of things going through my head and I guess the best thing I can do right now is just keep running. Run and run and keep my head somewhat clear.
I know this isn't the most exciting blog. The next two weeks will be much better with marathon reports and who knows, maybe a PR.

I DID IT!!!!!!

2007-04-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

First of all I just wanted to say one thing. If anyone wants to ever run a marathon, the first thing you should do is find a great running group like the Y Run Club. Michelle and Eric and all of the others did more than they could possibly know to help me reach my goal.
I finished the Yakima River Canyon Marathon in 5:26. I tried so hard to only concentrate on finishing, but secretly I did want to beat 5:30.
I met Eric and Michelle at their house Friday around noon. We drove up to Selah together. When we got to the Civic Center, I was pretty glued to Eric and Michelle and I know I had the "deer in the headlights" look all evening. After the Marathon Maniac Reunion meeting, we sat down to a pasta dinner and a great speech by John "The Penguin" Bingham. He was so funny and he really made me feel at ease about being a slow. After that, we retired for the night back at the hotel. This is where Michelle and Eric were able to unglue me from their hip.
The next morning we enjoyed a nice, early 5a.m. breakfast. I was a little scared because my stomach was a bit upset, but that cleared up before we started running. Then we were off to the Civic Center to catch the first bus to the race start. At the beginning of the race, I couldn't even grasp the idea of running 5 1/2 to 6 hours., but the time really did fly by. I found myself reflecting on a lot of things in my life....my family, career, future, past. It was eye opening and enlightening.
I was honored to be able to run next to Bob Dolphin for a couple miles up to the big hill. This was his 400th marathon.
With about 2 1/2 miles to go, I spotted Eric running back UP the hill. He was coming back for Michelle. When he got to her, he sent melissa up to me and I waived her on telling her not to hold back for me. I can't beleive the amount of energy she had left. In the last ten miles, there were about three times that I just thought, "I really am going to finish this. I am running and finishing a marathon." My eyes started to well up with tears each time.....then I cursed at the fact that I am a sappy girl and drove on. There was a long turn in the last mile and I couldn't see the finish line for a long time. When I finally did, Sonya was there yelling and cheering. Ray had finished a half hour earlier (also his first marathon). He was also there along with Jane cheering. I sprinted to the finish line, collected up my finisher medal and rose and waited just a couple more minutes for Michelle.
My only injury is a blister that I always get on my pinky toe. I am a little stiff, but it is very managable. All in all I feel great. Again, I thank Michelle and Ericand the Y run club. Most of all, I thank my husband and kids for putting up with my running schedule and supporting me so much in this journey.....which has really just begun.

A Great Day for Friends and Running

2007-03-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

We started out the day planning on running the first half of the Tacoma City Marathon. Several of us who were planning a slow easy run to familiarize ourselves with the course met at Point Defiance pretty early. The faster runners of the group met later and staggered their starts. We ran through downtown. it is so nice being in the city early in the morning before the hustle and bustle. We ran a nice slow pace through the city, down Shuster and along ruston Way. The company was great. Melissa was leaping along and we all joined her. (had to be there). We ended up going about 11 miles. The weather was great and the company was better. I also saw Stadium High School up close for the first time, including the "Bowl". One of the best things about the running club is all the new places I have been to that have been right here in my back yard all along.
Of course, we topped off the morning with coffee at Starbuck's. The babies are all so cute. So this is my report for this week. I am going to create my Marathons completed section of my blog and keep it under construction until after the 31st. i can't wait.