Summer Visitors

While this summer has been spent unpacking the house, we have also hosted friends and family when they have come to visit.  It has been nice to have people over at our house.  Quality time with those we care about is important.

I was a little nervous when one of my best friends came to visit with her three kids, who are also my godchildren.  They are six, five and three.  I wanted them to have fun and enjoy themselves.  And I hoped that I would have enough to keep them busy!  I'm not a mom, so I was a little worried.  Could I hack it for a weekend?  Of course my friend was coming and it was not like I'd have them all on my own, but I wanted to do a good job.

Fortunately, our new house is right down the street from a fun little park and splash pad.  I was just hoping for good weather.  There is also an ice cream shop down the other way.  So, that was good for a walk and a treat.  Then I looked online for touristy kinds of things and there is a nice children's museum in town.  Plus, if we had good weather, there are nature parks with hiking trails that the kids could handle, as I've seen other families there in the past.

I had an outline of big ideas, but wanted to think about the time between, too.  Kids have a lot of energy and if they do not have something to do, they will find something.  So, T~ and I went shopping for toys.  He has young nephews around the same age.  We figured buying some toys would be a good investment.  We picked out some things for inside and outside play.  I tried to get some things that can be gender neutral and a few things that may be a little more gender specific.  For example, Legos are great for many kids and for a good range of ages.  Lots of kids like to play with kitchen sets, color, use play-doh and play with outdoor toys, like hula hoops and a kickball.  But, I also got some superhero action figures with a couple of small vehicles and a princess doll set with a small fold up castle.  I tried to stay within a budget and not get too crazy.  Another thing we had going for us is that my husband has a good collection of Pixar movies and we have Netflix.  Not that we want to rely on TV, but it was likely to rain.

In addition, I worried about what the kids would want to eat.  I checked in with my friend and then went grocery shopping.  Again, I didn't want to go crazy, but at least have a few options.  I just really wanted my friend and her children to feel welcomed.  I thought about the times my brother and I would visit family as little kids and tried to pull from those experiences as to what made us feel comfortable and welcomed in someone's home.  A little bit can go a long way.

Finally, I was concerned about whether or not I'd have the energy to keep going the whole weekend.  I'm pretty used to a quiet house and that is very different than three small children.  I hoped I would not feel overwhelmed.

However, the weekend visit went very well!  The kids played nicely and had a lot of fun.  I got to enjoy quality time with my friend.  And I hoped she felt like she may have gotten somewhat of a break with the trip.  Her husband has been very busy with work and as a stay-at-home mom, she does a lot of the caregiving.

The kids loved the park and splash pad.  We went to the park the first night after dinner.  They had a lot of fun going on the swings and teeter totter and  climbing equipment.  The next morning we went to the splash pad before it had a chance to rain.  The day before was better weather for it, but the kids still enjoyed it.  They were very silly running around, slashing and filling a bucket of water.  Just good old water play and exploring.

We also went to a small, free farm at one of the Metro parks.  It ended up being smaller than we thought and it was self-guided.  With the possibility of rain, we were the only ones there.  I thought it was kind of a bust, but it turns out that the kids got a kick out of it.  They talked quite a bit about it the next morning.

They had a blast at the kid's museum, which I'm very glad that T~ came along so that each child could be paired with a grown-up.  This gave each child the ability to explore and spend as much time as they liked in the different areas.  It flowed well and we generally stayed together, but one or two may have lingered before moving onto the next thing or maybe skipped something that was not as interesting from time to time.  We spent quite a bit of time at the museum.  It was fun to play along with them, too.

The kids were very cute.  My friend said they could not wait to come and visit.  She said they were so excited to come to our house.  I've been to their house lots of times, but I think this was a fun adventure for them.  Snuggles and hugs and happy memories made.  I hope my friend comes to visit again, and we'd welcome the kids, too.  It was a successful, fun weekend!

Pittsburgh Half-Marathon 2011

A few weeks ago, I ran in the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon for the second time. My goal was to run the race in under two hours and I am proud to say that I accomplished my goal! I ran the race in 1 hour and 56 minutes at an 8:50 mile pace. This exceeded what I had intended to accomplish in reducing my time by cutting my mile pace by 40 seconds! Two things certainly contributed to this success--a longer, established running base before ramping up the weekly mileage and the hill workouts.

In addition, I think this race was important because this year I ran it by myself. In someways I think it represents how far I have come in rebuilding my life. Last year, I ran it with my friend, Michele, and we were a great team. We supported each other through some tough things and we were each other's cheerleader. As we ran, Michele did a great job navigating between runners to keep our pace, while I kept an eye on the time as we passed each mile marker. This year, Michele was not able to sign up for the race in time. So, I ran solo on the course. I think this was good for me because I could prove to myself that I am very capable of accomplishing my goals independently.

And while I may have been running the race by myself, I was far from alone. I had several other friends who were running in the race and we didn't run together for various reasons--pace, corral assignments, and personal running style. But we sent each other a flurry of texts before the race and it felt like we would all be running together in spirit. It was funny because at one point during the race, I passed my friend, Heidi, who was running a leg in the Relay. It was great to see her and continue in our individual journeys.

Then RJ and his friend also came to cheer me on along the sidewalk next to the course. I was so touched because he postponed a fishing trip just to be sure to see me run. RJ asked me where I thought I might most need an extra boost of support, I gave him the map and told him at Mile 6, just before the West End Bridge. As I was reaching that point in the race, I grew more excited because this year I had someone out there cheering for me! RJ was wildly ringing his cow bell and waving the sign he made for me. His friend snapped a picture as I passed by them. They later told me that they had a ton of people comment on their cow bell playing and would yell all sorts of references to the Will Ferrel SNL skit. It really did raise the energy level. And that is what is great about this race is that there are so many people in the crowd to cheer on the runners. Not only do they support the person they know, but then they extend that enthusiasm to all who run in the race. RJ and his friend then found a spot near the end of the race to give me that last hurrah before sprinting to the finish line. RJ's parents and uncle were there, too, as they came to watch his aunt run in the race.

After the race, I tried to look for RJ and his friend, but there were just so many people. I think we just missed each other, so I headed back to my neighborhood. It was a long walk to my car, but I had so much fun. I loved the crowd support with their cheering, costumes and signs. I loved the music all along the course with a variety of bands. It was great to hear other runners comment on their experiences as we were running. I think this kind of race is great for me because it really brings me into the space of living in the moment--to be aware of what is going on internally and externally and embracing every bit of it.

Once I was back to my neighborhood, I met up with RJ and his friend and we cheered on the Marathon runners along Mile 22. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, it was great to revel in my own accomplishments and to continue to offer support for those still running in the longer race. Yeah, I wore my finisher's medal. What other day can you do that and not look obnoxious? :)

Pittsburgh Half-Marathon

Okay, this post is running a little late, but it is because I wanted to upload a photo to go along with my accomplishment!

So, I am very proud of myself for having run in the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon. I had started my training in January with the help of a friend from volunteering at the hospital, Becca. She suggested the race and I was a little nervous to do it wondering if I could be ready in time. But then I thought, why wait? When would I have another opportunity to plunge into this before my classes get more intense? Becca was great in giving me her training schedule so that I could mesh it with the one I had to make something work for me. We ran together on a couple of weekends, but it was mostly checking in with each other to hold ourselves accountable to reach the goal. Now I can say that I have run in a 5K, 10K, and now a half-marathon. I can't wait to run another one or to try for a full marathon! I love running and it is even better when training for a race.

As for race day, I was not able to run with Becca. We tried to meet up, but I should have known better when there were 16,000 people in the race! Even leading up to the day of the Marathon, someone commented that it seemed like everyone in Pittsburgh or someone they knew was running in the race. My friend, Michele (in the photo above), drove down with me to the race, leaving my place around 5:45 am. It was great to run with Michele and as I was driving there, she had looked at the race map for the first time. She giggled in awe, "Oh my gosh, Jamie, this is a really long course!" I agreed and said that I didn't realize just how long 13.1 miles could be either. I had been training with running twice around a small lake* and then a little more. But when it was mapped out over the city, it looked a lot longer! The course started downtown by the Heinz Historical Center. Then it went into the Strip District and back up again and across the 16th Street Bridge. Then it went down East Ohio Street and did a loop before coming across the West End Bridge and along Station Square. From there it continued into part of the Southside on Carson Street before looping back into downtown. It was a great run through the city and across so many bridges!

As Michele and I found our starting spot around 7:00 am, we were both feeling nervous and excited. The energy from the crowd was great as there was this feeling of unity before undertaking something big. Runners were full of happy chatter and smiling ear to ear with the excitement of it all. Then we listened to someone sing the national anthem and waited for the signal for the race to start. It took us five minutes to get to the starting line once the race had officially began. It was crowed for the first two miles or so as runners fell into their pace. There was a bit of a drizzle just as we finished the first mile, which made the air humid and heavy. Then it began to rain fairly heavily for the second and part of the third mile, which made it difficult to see. But it didn't matter because everyone was just so pumped up with energy and there were so many people lining the streets to cheer on the runners. And there were bands playing music all along the route of the race. It was better than running with an MP3 player! Slowly, the rain tapered off to a steady light rain. If it was going to rain, this was the best kind of rain to be running in, at least. Michele and I kept in check with each other to see how the other was doing. Michele lead the way when it was time to pass other runners and I kept a watch out for the clocks along the course to calculate our pace to keep us on track for our goal. Running with the rain could be tough, mostly because my shoes got wet and made them heavier for running. Around half-way through the course, I was feeling the challenge of the slow incline up the West End Bridge as it was kicking my arse--in more ways than one. But just as it was getting tough, there would be a crowd of people cheering on the runners with such positive support or the can-do music of a band or a pace leader yelling words of encouragement. And I just kept telling myself, "You can do this James!" It was amazing to see so many people running, especially from certain vantage points where you could see the seemingly endless stream of runners ahead packing the streets. I told Michele, "So this is what 16,000 people running looks like!" At this point in the race, the marathon runners were going to continue up Carson Street and the half-marathon runners were turning back into the city. There was no easy mile for me in this race, as I had to keep focused and give it my all, but I also did it with a big old smile. When running a race of this distance, it is not a matter of just running, it becomes a mental challenge to endure and come out on the other side.

As I crossed the finish line, I had a great feeling of accomplishment with a huge payout of personal satisfaction after four months of intense training. It wasn't until after the race that I could really step back and appreciate the hard work and dedication I put towards building to this moment. To top it off, I got a finisher's medal! That was a fun surprise--not to mention, that we were also given Gatorade, bananas, and smiley cookies!

Goals Accomplished: run the whole half-marathon, keep at a 10 minute mile pace or less, have fun, and be awesome

Time: 2 hours, 7 minutes, 12 seconds

(*small lake--I say this with a slight eye-roll. In Pittsburgh, people consider the "lake" at North Park, well, a lake. I think of it as a large pond. Having grown up in Cleveland along one of the Great Lakes, a lake is not something you can see across to the other side, let alone be able to run completely around in an hour. I am a lake snob.)

Riverside Run--10K

Woohoo!!! I ran my first 10K race on Saturday and it was great! I love the sense of accomplishment after finishing a race and just feeling like you can do anything. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and a bit of chill in the air. It was a great run along the river in downtown Pittsburgh and then along a running trail around some of the new urban living. I crossed the finish line just around 57 minutes, so that was a 9.5 minute mile pace. I am very proud of that pace, as I am continuing to train for the half-marathon, as part of the city's marathon in May.

And I have to say that I was able to share in this race experience with someone I met a few weeks ago, even though I had already planned on running in it. Actually, I met him on an airplane on my way back from Atlanta when I was visiting some very dear friends (One of those friends refers to him as Striker--as in the character from the movie Airplane.). He is really sweet and makes me laugh! I enjoy talking with him and feel like he really listens, good flow in our conversations. I guess I am hesitant to share more about him because I don't want to jinx it! But as far as the race goes, I really enjoyed running with him. Our runs in the park have been at a fairly casual pace, but he wanted to run at a faster pace for the race. It was a good push and I had a lot of fun!