2010 BUFFALO CHIPS STAMPEDE (10 Miles)

Today was the Buffalo Chips Stampede. It is a 10 mile race that literally runs past my house making it super easy for Vans and the Peanut to come out and cheer me on.

In this post I wrote about how I secretly really wanted to beat my time from last year. However, the major difference between this year and last year is that I was actually training for a marathon last year using such as things tempo runs, speed workouts and interval training. I was diligent and religious about my workouts and training. This year, um, not so much. I would have to say that the name of my game this year has been long steady runs lately.

After the crazy weekend we had, I really wasn't sure how today would pan out. I woke up coughing and with a runny nose (grrreat) but I hopped on my bike anyway and rode the 3.5 miles to Rio Americano High School where the Buffalo Stampede starts. I chained up my bike and stretched a bit. I walked around and said hello to some familiar Buffalo Chip friends. I have to say, I love this race. The convenience factor is just so great and the course is so familiar.

At 8:00 am the race starts. In years past the race has always started late for some reason or another but not this year. I heard mumbling but the race directors did not have mega phones and out of no where I hear the bellow of the horn as the crowd started moving.

I was feeling okay at this point. The coughing and runny nose had subsided and I just felt okay. I decided to just go with the flow. I narrowed my sights on a girl I knew from my Buffalo Chips days (Tri-Girl) as she was always generally within my pace . . . well, at least she used to be. She is now training continuously for half-ironmans . . . ah well.

Here is the break down of the race . . . for once I actually noticed my splits and focused on them and how I was feeling.

Mile 1: 7:57 - Um, what the hell? Okay. I feel good. Why not. I usually start out like this.
Mile 2: 7:58 - Really? Again? Hmph, still feeling good. I still see Tri-Girl. Okay. Uh-oh what's that?
Mile 3: 7:58 - Sweet! 1 more mile and I'll see the Peanut and Vans. Sure wish I could lose this grunting moaning guy who has been running with me since mile 2. Quad feels a little stiff . . .
Mile 4: 7:58 - Dang! Just need to round this corner and I'll see the Peanut & Vans. Maybe I should speed up so as not to lose any time when I stop and say hello . . .

Pausing here to insert video taken by Vans . . . just too darn cute not to include. A two-year olds perspective on a road race . . .

And then I appear . . . my own personal aid-station and confidence booster!

Okay, back to the splits . . .

Mile 5: 8:02 - Nooooo! Oh wait, I had stopped to hug the Peanut. That's okay. No biggie. I'll make it up.
Mile 6: 8:09 - Ugh . . . it's happening. I am dying. I suck. Oh no. Grunting Moaning guy is back. He's talking to me. Telling me I was hard to catch. Apparently not that hard.
Mile 7: 8:16 - I believe DAMN IT came out of my mouth. I had stopped for 2 waters and a Gu between 6 and 7 because my quad was tightening and I was afraid I was losing too much steam.
Mile 8: 8:04 - Really? Okay okay, the Gu must be working. Keep it up, 2 miles. Follow those girls, get on their heels now.
Mile 9: 8:04 - Whew, I am back. I can make it I can make it. Passing these girls . . . 1 mile to go.
Mile 10: 7:44 - Yippeeeeeee I am done. I see Vans and the Peanut at the finish. The Peanut looks like she wants to run with me . . . Vans looks at the clock and holds her back that must mean I am close.

All of these splits and my final time and average are per my Garmin as the actual race results are not posted yet although I caught a glimpse before I left and I am fairly close.

Race time: 1:20:53 Average Pace: 8:00/mile. Sweet! Last year I was an 1:23 race time and an 8:23 pace so I shaved some minutes off my time! Woot woot!

The Peanut and Vans found me after I crossed the finish line. The Peanut was supposed to run in the kids 1/2 mile race but apparently we missed it. Ooops. Instead she had much more fun running with me on the football field.

Overall it was a great run. I felt okay albeit a little tight in my quads and calves but energy wise I was there. Not sure what this means for the Four Bridges Half Marathon in late October, not sure I could hold that pace for 3 more miles on that hilly course but perhaps if I add some quality training runs I might be able to run better than I had originally planned.

Regardless, I am one lucky Trailmomma. I had a few runners pass me during the race telling me how cute and sweet my Peanut was and that she should be proud of her mommy . . . I think I am more proud of her.

My future running partner!

Just a little update on Baby REI . . . she's doing great and actually came over last night to play with the Peanut. The Peanut surprised her by buying her some balloons. It seems everything is back to normal as a few "it's mine" fights broke out but hugs soon followed. Ahhhh, to be two again. The rest of the weekend was a success after Friday night's craziness.

Best Friends

All dressed up for a BBQ on Saturday
(notice her "race" watch as she calls it)

Bounce house fun

aka

guaranteed nap maker!

ONE CRAZY NIGHT

Last night Vans and I had a date night. Not just any date night mind you, our first in almost 7 months! Um, yeah I know we need to work on that.

It was so much fun getting "dressed up" and by that I mean wearing clothes that do not have tissues, hair ties or silly bands stuffed in my pockets or dried snot on my sleeves because to a two year old, you are not only "mom" you are a human tissue.

The Peanut even wanted her fingernails painted after watching me paint mine. Exhibit A:

So pretty! She picked the color.

Vans and I were very fortunate to have good friends Mr and Mrs REI agree to watch the Peanut. Baby REI and the Peanut are BFFs big time. Sure they fight over toys like all two year olds but they hug and love like true friends.

The Peanut adores the REI family (as do we) and they are probably the only people she feels 100% safe with at all times. So it was actually a relief for us to drop her off at their house and head out to Van's high school reunion shindig. In fact, the Peanut did not even care or acknowledge we left! Score for us! :-)

Dressed and ready!

Well to make a long story short, we were at the event for about an hour and twenty minutes when we got that phone call. You know, the phone call you never want to get while away from your child.

It seems the Peanut and Baby REI were getting ready for bed and were jumping around in the bed. Baby REI took a flying tumble which resulted in a visit from the ambulance and a ride to the ER. The happy ending is that she is fine though everyone was worried for a bit. The Peanut refused to leave the ER without seeing her friend. While Mr REI and the Peanut were following the ambulance ( and we were en route from the event), he said that she was a trooper and gave him hugs and calmed him down by telling him that Baby REI was okay. She is two! My sweet little girl has such a big heart and I just love her.

Baby REI is fine today. Still smiling and playing. The Peanut is anxious to see and hug her. As she told me this morning, "Baby REI is in my heart and I love her." Precious.

As for our date night, oh well life happens and what matters most is that everyone turned out okay. Okay, so maybe the adults have a few more gray hairs and the girls may never jump on a bed again, overall we are all fine. Thank you lord for that.

Normal? Well relatively speaking that is!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

THURSDAY ADVENTURES

Contrary to Tuesday's run, Thursday's had a bit more adventure to it. First of all, what is WITH this crazy weather we're having lately!? Check out this photo Vans sent to me on his way home from mountain biking on Wednesday.

Pretty cool huh?

Although we didn't have have skies that looked like that last night on our run, it was definitely a much cooler run. In fact, I ran without my handheld and felt significantly faster. I realize I don't normally bring water with me on my solo runs if they are under 8 or so. When running with Pigeon though I have been. I think mainly because it has been so hot in the evenings. Pigeon didn't bring her handheld either last night . . . instead she brought this:

Introducing: Traildog!

The Pigeon's dog (aka Traildog) joined us last night. This was the second run with Traildog that I have been treated with the past few months. He was super excited to be running with his mommy too. Although, when Pigeon did a 180 on us and actually stopped to use the restroom at the 1.5 mile marker (my usual stopping ground for such things) Traildog was quite upset she disappeared from sight and was not pleased to be left in my company.  She was back soon and we were on our way until we heard sirens. Now, we're on a bike trail and hearing sirens is not something we generally hear because we are some what removed from the surface streets. As we were cresting the bike bridge hill a big black vehicle with removable police lights came barreling down at us! He was flying too. He wasn't going the 15 mph the usual park ranger speed, no, he almost got us! He did a quick turn off the bike trail and into the nearby park area. We just continued on our way until the turnaround spot.

There were turkeys as usual on the trail however Traildog didn't see them. So much for protecting me. (kidding Pigeon). On our way as we were descending the same bike bridge we heard MORE sirens. All of a sudden coming from behind us was a sheriff's car going much faster than the previous vehicle with his lights and sirens blaring. He too turned off at the park entrance and then really turned it on as if he was in pursuit of something. I am soooo curious as to what was going on. That area of Sacramento/Fair Oaks is generally a quiet neighborhood. Sometimes I am such a nosey busy body.

Our pace was pretty good last night and I was feeling okay despite some recent turn of events. Back in February my eyes started getting infected with what looked like poison oak although it was not poison oak and the eyes have been getting steadily worse as the months have gone on. After various creams, doctor visits, dermatologist visits etc I have now been prescribed a harsh steroid, Prednisone. If anyone knows or has been on this drug, it isn't fun and it isn't pretty. I am on a high dose for one week and then will be lowering my dose as the weeks go on. It stinks. I started my run with heart palpitations although my heart rate monitored remained steady. I woke up at 2 am and 3 am with insomnia (another side affect) and my stomach this morning after taking my dosage was torn to shreds. This should make running the Buffalo Chip Stampede 10 miler on Sunday so much more interesting no? Ugh.

Speaking of the Buffalo Chip Stampede . . . I was not going to do this but I did. I looked up my 2009 results from this race. Last year I ran it I believe with a really bad cold while training for CIM. My time however was 1:23 at an 8:21 pace which looking back, I was disappointed with at the time but now think "holy crap how did I run that fast?" Sigh, for some reason I know I should just run this race as "fun run" since it passes my house and I generally stop and give the Peanut a hug along the way, but a part of me really wants to push it and beat that time. How can I honestly say I want to do that when I have done zero speed work or tempo runs? Still, the competitive side of me really wants to run hard . . . and considering this might be the last Buffalo Chip Stampede that I do while living in this area, I figure I might as well give it a shot. However, that may mean not giving this little a love a big hug in an effort to save time . . . :-(

Taking after her old man!

Removing the wood chips from the play ground

Having fun at Ancil Hoffman Park

The Peanut's version of "skipping rocks"

BACK TO THE GRIND

Last night was my usual Tuesday run with Pigeon. Luckily I remembered because I spent the entire day thinking it was Monday! I was pleasantly surprised to wake up this morning and realize it was in fact Wednesday! Nice!

The run was fairly uneventful as most Tuesday runs are these days. Pigeon is on jury duty and has been picked and placed in the box. She actually started trial yesterday. I work in the legal field as my "real life job" and yet I have never ever been on a jury NOR have I ever been picked. Don't get me wrong, I been summoned twice but both times I just had to report and then go home. Boo. I am probably the only person who WANTS jury duty and who WANTS to be put on a case. I am a Law and Order junkie. Ally McBeal was my favorite show back in the day. Of course I know that is all pretend and that real court rooms are not like that but it doesn't change the fact I would love to see the process happen before my eyes. I have a huge respect for our country's legal system. The area in which I work does not do jury trials and the like. My job is a desk job and unless I am running an errand or a last minute filing, I never even see the court house.

Back to the run. Pigeon told me about jury duty and work. I shared with her some camping stories from the weekend. We ran 6 miles and it went fairly quickly and was fairly easy. Spending a few days in Tahoe is always a blast and I always seem more in shape when I return. Maybe it is the altitude or maybe it was the fact I didn't run while we were there . . . either way, I felt stronger last night then I have in a while.

This weekend is the Buffalo Chips Stampede. My only race this month and it runs right past my house. Literally. The Peanut always cheers, gives me a hug and the proceeds to break down and cry when I have to run away. Sigh. Hopefully this year she'll "get it" when I run by . . . any bets?

The Peanut visited me at work last week on Daddy Day.

She apparently likes legal books as well.

Then Daddy did a bad thing . . .

What can I say? The girl loves corn dogs!

CAMPING 2010

Hi! Sorry for the disappearing act but the Trailmomma family went camping in Lake Tahoe with our usual crew of friends. Four families, five kids and 1 ginormous dog . . . what a blast.
A recap in pictures . . .

First we arrive and explore.

Help Mommy set up the tent (yes, mommy set up the tent)

Go for a quick hike. Loving my new ride.

Check out the beach.

Crush the almighty puppy

Fooling around at the camp site

SO happy her BFF arrived

Night time means play with flash lights!

Brrrr a little chilly the next morning

Time for breakfast!

But soon it warms up for beach time!

Then it is time to go home (and also nap time).

Saying goodbye to friends is always hard.

Family photo before hitting the road.

A quick stop at the Adidas outlet and the

Peanut found new "racing shoes" as she called them.

Overall it was a great two days camping. Yesterday was spent cleaning, doing laundry and heading out to Ancil Hoffman Park for some exploration. The Peanut slept fantastically while camping I must add. I think we just need to make her room a tent outside and have her sleep on a cot in the cold. It really worked!

Goofing around on her cot.

GOOD TIMES

Last night due to some work responsibilities, Vans had to leave for a few hours and I had to stay home with the Peanut instead of going out to meet Pigeon like I normally do. He was home by 8pm and so I decided I'd go for a short run through my neighborhood. I have to say, I loved it. I used to run alone all the time. I never joined running groups and I never ran with anyone other than myself. Some runners prefer that and some don't. I enjoy my runs with Pigeon because it is nice to have company but I have to say, I almost miss my solo runs with just my thoughts and the sounds of neighbors getting ready to settle in for the evening.

Due to the darkness and time constraints, I could only run about 4 miles through one of my favorite sections of Sierra Oaks. It was gorgeous. It made me realize that I am happy we're not moving to Folsom where all the homes are sort of cookie cutter in appearance. There is nothing wrong with Folsom, it is a gorgeous place to live but I am just more east coast in the sense that I enjoy homes that are all different and have large lots and big windows to spy into light up the house.

When I returned home the Peanut was ready and waiting for a hug. It got me very excited for today, my solo day with the Peanut! Her daycare closes the first Thursday and Friday in September for in-service days or whatever. Yesterday Vans stayed home with her and they came to visit me at work! Today is my day to share with the Peanut.

Unfortunately the Peanut seems to be coming down with a cold but I didn't want that to deter from the plans I already made for us. She was still excited and so I decided to go ahead with my plan of a mommy and daughter day at the Sacramento Zoo! The Peanut LOVES tigers right now and that is the first place she wanted to stop once we walked through the gates.

I've discovered the best time to go to the zoo is when they first open . . . ALL the animals are up and moving and active. Today was a GREAT day to go to the zoo.

First stop tiger den . . . 

Where are they mommy?

OH there she is!

The momma tiger came right up to the glass and laid down right in front of us to watch her baby playing in the grass. The baby cub was born in March and was quite active too!

Next up, the lions. Or "Alex" as the Peanut calls them

(Madagascar reference)

Again, they came right up to the fence! SO cool.

You can see the Peanut was not quite herself.

The snow leopards were out and about pacing.

 

Look Mommy!

They seem to really like walking in front of the Peanut.

An old favorite, the chimpanzees!

These guys were VERY active. The leader of the bunch actually swung down from his branch near the roof hooting and hollering  and then he came crashing down and banging right into the glass where we were standing! It was kind of scary but really neat. They also threw poo at the glass. Lovely.

Finally time to ride the carousel. Her favorite.

First animal to ride? Tiger. Of course.

Cheese! Then it was the zebra or Martie as she called him

(another Madagascar reference)

Overall we had a great day at the zoo despite her runny nose, sneezing and coughing. She said she felt okay and she didn't want to go home. Hopefully this is just a summer cold coming and going. I do not know what this means for our camping trip that is coming but we'll see. We only camp one night so hopefully we'll all do just fine.

Tonight is Pappa's birthday! The Peanut woke up this morning with an idea and when she wakes up from her nap, we're going to put it into action and give it to Pappa later this evening! Happy Birthday Pappa!

BY REQUEST

It seems that my blog entries are missed by some if I do not post daily or at least after every run. My apologies. I just have not been in the creative blog-inspired mood lately and my runs have been even less inspired.

Last night was Tuesday, the usual. I met Pigeon out at Rio and was late, as usual because Vans had hit some heavy back to school traffic on Highway 50. I've been feeling less than stellar lately, almost tired both physically and mentally and it was all I could do to get out of the car with a smile and start to run.

Tuesday generally means speed work, or at least that is what I want to have happen. On Saturday I ran into an old friend and running buddy who is training for the California International Marathon (CIM). Our talk ignited a fire in me and I remembered that generally this time of year I would be in full swing on my CIM training plan. I found my old plan (ahem, dusted it off) and decided to see where I was training wise. I have the mileage for marathon training since I did 20 miles last Saturday but I am in no way shape or form ready for a quick paced marathon.

In fact, after viewing my plan, I missed the first half of the plan's speed and tempo runs entirely. I could probably start working on that now, increasing my pace and speed by following my plan and actually DOING tempo work on Thursdays and speed work on Tuesdays. Yet, I just can't seem to find my "mojo" to do that. I want to run better at night but I have been battling some digestive issues again lately and I am trying to pinpoint what in my diet is causing my distress. It seems to follow me no matter if I run first thing the morning or last thing in the evening. It really is harping on my mental ego and it is definitely dropping the quality of my runs significantly.

Luckily, having Pigeon to run with has at least kept me accountable and running. If it wasn't for her I would probably bag quite a few runs entirely and claim "I don't feel well" and stay indoors. So I must thank her for that and oblige her with a post today.

Last night we ran. We ran 6 easy miles. The weather was perfect, the conversation good and the turkeys were present. Overall it was nothing huge and Pigeon really seems to be feeling better lately. I think seeing Dr. Chu at Elite Spinal and Sports Care is really helping. I've said it before and I will say it again, those guys at Elite Spinal and Sports Care are magicians and miracle workers. They are also really nice people who understand how an athlete thinks.

Today marks the last day of daycare for the Peanut for a while. Her daycare closes in September for a few days in a row to do inventory, clean and rearrange furniture or something. Tomorrow Vans gets to spend an entire day with the Peanut and then I get to stay home from work and entertain her all day on Friday. I have lots of things planned and I cannot wait for some special time with my little girl.

If it is warm, maybe we'll swim.

What you talkin bout mom?