In November, I ran with
Team GSF again in support of the
Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. This was my third year running with the team and my second half marathon (the first year I ran the relay). Sadly, our shining star we were running for, Gwendolyn, passed away this past July. There definitely was a different feeling this year not having sweet Gwendolyn out there racing alongside us as she has in years past. The community of runners and supporters pulled together to make the experience extremely positive and to keep Gwendolyn's memory alive. While we hate, HATE, this horrible disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), that has taken the lives of so many including someone very near and dear to our hearts, we take comfort in the fact that we can make a difference by being a part of Team GSF.
There are all sorts of running levels on Team GSF. I was two years younger and in better shape the last time I did the half marathon. The hardest part of training for me is the time commitment and getting in all the training miles you need in order to make it through the finish line. I have to say, I really didn't have a training plan. Around September, I decided that each week I'd run one more mile than the last, starting at 5 miles, and once I got to 11 miles I figured I could stop because I'd be close enough to race day and adrenaline would pull me through those last two miles. In between those long runs, I barely ran. I did other types of cardio workouts and some strength training but not nearly as much as I did two years ago so I was pretty nervous.
Here's my cheering squad picking up my race packet the day before the race.
Carbo loading at the team dinner at The Biltmore.
Bill and Victoria did an amazing job speaking at the dinner. They shared the incredible progress the foundation has made in finding a cure and using the funds raised to make the lives of those with SMA more fulfilling. I'm always grateful by the generosity of those who help through donations,
buying merchandise or raising awareness by sharing and learning more about this cause. I'm proud to say that through the help of friends and family, since 2013, running for the team has brought in over $3,500 from my fundraising!
For those who read Victoria's
blog, you already know she is an incredible writer. She's equally gifted at speaking. Just like she was at Gwendolyn's memorial, she blew everyone away with delivering her message about her love for Gwendolyn and how she and Bill will continue to find a cure for SMA in her memory.
We met incredible and inspiring families who have been touched in one way or another by the Strong family including these four beautiful and young moms who also lost their babies to SMA.
Fast forward 8 hours and I was up super early and ready to run!
We picked up Mike Paskin who had literally just did an Iron Man (his second one!) weeks prior. And it wasn't just any Iron Man, it was the World Championship in Kono, Hawaii. So he swam over two miles, biked over one hundred miles and ran a full marathon in crazy heat and humidity all in one race. So I am sure my nervous questions on running the 13.1 miles that morning were hilarious. Right, Iron Man Mike?!?!? This was like an easy warmup for him to run.
The kiddos were still in pajamas and half asleep on the ride to the start which was at UCSB this year. (Obviously I was too nervous to tell that we were taking the darkest picture EVER)
We arrived to a sea of blue Never Give Up runners.
I'm horrible at knowing what the temperature is but I think it was somewhere around 40 degrees that morning. It was FREEZING! My feet were frozen which makes it kind of hard to run.
Off we went!
The race route was much prettier this year because it went along the beach for the first few miles. We started and ended along the water which was nice. My feet finally thawed out around mile three and somehow despite not being in as great of shape, the race seemed to go smoother for me this year. Todd and the kids were at around mile 4 cheering me on and then they were off to AYSO soccer games. I was not concerned about my time, I stopped at water stations and even did a speed walk up Cliff Drive hill at mile 11 rather than run it like I did before. I'd say it was just before that hill where I got the "running sucks" feeling but I knew I would be crossing the finish line in about 20 minutes. The last mile of the race goes along Shoreline Drive, it is packed with spectators, so I just sort of put a smile on my face and powered it out even though my feet ached so bad.
I didn't wear a watch but I did have my phone on with the Runkeeper App running in the background. I tried not to pay attention to it but I did want to know a general idea of where I was at in the race in case I missed the mile markers. I had a moment around mile 10 where I realized that I was actually running about as fast as I did two years ago. So all of a sudden, I had an adrrenaline rush and thought, "wow! I can maybe get a PR" (personal record) which is what I always hear seasoned runners say. Well, like I said, I walked that hill at mile 11 and the PR faded away....
This was my "act like everything is okay and your feet aren't burning" smile when I saw the photographer before the finish line.
And after I finished, I walked home! This made me laugh. I had just ran 13 miles and had no ride home since Todd and the kids were at soccer. Okay, so we live less than a mile away BUT it did seem kind of funny to run a half marathon, get your medal and then walk home. ;)
And to my surprise, I wasn't as slow as I thought I would be. Two years ago I did the race in 2:03 minutes averaging a 9:27 mile. This year I did the race in 2:06 minutes averaging a 9:38 mile. THREE Minutes! That damn hill. Oh well.
The most important part of the day was all money and awareness we raised for such a great cause and I am so happy I got to be a part of it again!
