Announcement #1: My next race!!

Those of you I'm linked up with on DailyMile might have already pieced this together, but for everyone else, allow me to spring the cat from the bag:

I signed up for my 8th half-marathon!!

On November 3rd I'll be running the Raleigh City of Oaks Half-Marathon with my BRFF (best running friend forever) Meg. Remember her? This girl. It's going to be epic. 

Raleigh will be our fourth half together, and I couldn't be more excited (in case you couldn't tell). Our goal is simple: break 2 hours. Why? Because that's always been the goal.  

Our first race together was the first 13.1 either of us ever ran. We'd trained with Team in Training and had high hopes. It was Chicago in August. It was hot. Being newbies, we didn't have experience dealing with adverse race conditions, and tried to push through. We turned in a 2:12 and I threw up about 6 times (lovely, right?) (non-graphic recap here).

Our second race was the Indy half in October 2008, when my older son was not quite 5 months old. I think the reason we didn't sub-2 that day is fairly obvious. 

That's me in the blue shirt about to cross the blue mat. Meg is next to me. 

Our third race was the Illinois half in May of 2010, just after we'd both graduated (recap here). That day was about so much more than running--or rather, running was about so much more than running. But, it wasn't our day on the course. We posted a new PR for Meg, but a slower time than we'd hoped for. 

Running in our hoods one Saturday that spring--running together

was about so much more than running

Soon after that race, she moved really really far west and I moved to STL. Then she moved again. Then I had another baby. Meanwhile we both had(have) demanding jobs. Then I moved again. And finally we found an opening to get together for a race. 

So, Raleigh. November. That's the goal: sub-2 our half. We can do this!! We're training "together" from a distance (we're 2000+ miles apart) using the Runner's World 2-hour half training plan, which I've used before and really like. The course is flat and the weather should be favorable. And coming from UT, running at sea level will feel amazing. SO EXCITED!!

Where I've been since June

My last post was a question about trusting race medals to a moving truck. I got answers all over the board--everything from "if it means a lot to you and they're small, tuck them in the car" to "this made me laugh--the truck has all your stuff, it's probably fine." So what did I do? Was it fine? Oh, so much to tell.

Our move started on the 4th of July when Mr. Joanna flew east with our kiddos. They were going to hang out with the grandmothers while my Dad and I drove from MO to UT, close on the new place by the 14th, meet the moving truck by the 16th and get kids' rooms put together. I left MO on July 8th. That day was insane, starting with a run with my STL running buddy and friend Rachel, then signing all the sale papers on that house, and overseeing the movers as they loaded the truck. When the truck left, Dad and I left town. Our drive across the country was uneventful, we closed  a day late but we closed, and got busy painting immediately.

Me & Rachel after my send-off run. I miss this girl.

My Dad in downtown Omaha when we stopped for lunch

Downtown Cheyenne, which is adorable

Buying paint for the boys' rooms!

Mr. Joanna and the kids and my Mom (Pepper) were scheduled to fly to UT on 7/16. All that happened, except that at 5pm on the 15th we learned that our moving truck had not yet left MO and didn't even have a driver assigned and had failed to give us adequate notice because "they were busy". It was too late to get the flights from the east coast re-scheduled.....so, they arrived to an empty house and I was helpless to do anything at all about it. My parents stayed at a hotel until they left on the 22nd, and we bought enough provisions to essentially camp in our house--not without some bumps in the road, but we made it work.

Our things didn't arrive until July 28th, and I'm 99% positive that one of the people who unloaded the truck stole a pair of my earrings (which might have looked real to an untrained eye but weren't). NEVER USE NORTH AMERICAN TO MOVE!  I seriously cannot stress this enough and will happily give anyone the full details should it be useful to anyone. They were awful.

I made a point to swim at the hotels during our drive west, and I started running pretty soon after arriving, once I wasn't painting all day every day. My Garmin's charger was held hostage on the moving truck, so I ran tech-free until our things arrived.

Running in the high desert is a totally different animal than Midwestern or East Coast running. First, there is little to no humidity. This means that people are seen running at 90 degrees or even hotter temps (not me). Second, it gets cool at night even on the hottest days. This means that if you run at dawn, even on the hottest day of the year, it's completely reasonable. Third, I'm at 4600+ feet in elevation. The air is thin. This means that while it took only a few days to acclimate for everyday activities, running left me sucking air for several weeks. Fourth, it ain't flat! My glutes and hammies have been getting a good workout here, and I can already tell it's making me a stronger runner. 

Post-truck (when we finally got our stuff), we've settled in pretty well. While it was not our intention, we have become urban farmers. We grow an insane amount of produce, from which we've made homemade blackberry ice cream, apple pie, applesauce, grape juice, grape jelly, pear jam, and a few other smaller things. On the whole, eating healthy, whole, natural foods seems really easy here. It's a lifestyle, and it's so easy to love, especially when you grow the food yourself!

Stay tuned--there are TWO big announcements on the fitness front. Welcome back to JoannaRuns, everyone! Show me some love!

Need some input

Ok runners, I need some input. As you well know by now, the cross-country move is quickly approaching. Like, approaching faster than a newbie off the start line of a 13.1. My life-while-moving is a series of lists. Lists of lists. One such list is called "Things To Take by Car" aka "Things I Shouldn't Put on a Moving Truck." So here's the question: would you trust your race medals to a moving truck? Arguments to put them on the truck: they are durable and they are not, by any market standard, worth a fortune. Reasons to put them in my car (which I'm driving across the country): they are irreplaceable and they are relatively small. What do you think??

Book winner, blogger meet-ups, and tips for humid weather running

First up, winner of my National Running Day/400th blogiversary book giveaway: Life as a Running Mom. Please email me at joannaruns@gmail.com with an address to ship it to! I hope you enjoy Matt's story.

Next up, Blogger Meet-Ups! I finally got to meet the lovely Raquelita of The Running Historian. Somehow we failed to capture this run in pictures (blogger fail!). We ran Forest Park, the great Mecca of STL runners. She is just as lovely in person as on her blog, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her a bit. It was fun to share stories of travel gone wrong, academia, and running.

And finally, it's official: summer is here. The last two weeks or so have been much sweatier than the many months before them. A few times lately I've been struck by how much easier it is to face this weather now than it was even just a few years ago--experience makes a world of difference. So, I thought, why not put together a list of things learned? Hopefully this is helpful! In no particular order:

• Getting up early is worth it when hot weather is in play. It might take a while to learn to go to bed earlier (I'm still not great at this), but it's worth it. Someday you'll feel sorry for that guy out running at 9am. 
• Buy some appropriate hydration gear, like a Nathan Handheld or something similar and get comfortable with using it. I used to rely on water fountains in the park. With a handheld, I decrease stops, and I can venture into new areas that might not have fountains. Also, it provides another pocket for Gu, keys, ID, whatever.
• Acquire 2-3 changes of non-cotton running clothes, including shirts, shorts, and absolutely socks. 
• Ladies, this also means getting a real, non-cotton sports bra. Yes, they can be expensive. But of the maybe 5-6 women who I've coerced/encouraged/helped to get a real sports bra, almost all have come back to tell me what a huge difference it made for them. If you need suggestions, Runner's World keeps a good, current set of reviews by body type. REI Outlet sometimes has good sales. 
• Drink something cold before heading out. Runner's World reported on this a year or so ago, that by cooling your core temp before a hot run, you can endure the heat better. I believe them.
• This isn't specific to heat, but while I'm at it, I will remind you all to PLEASE always run with identification and, if possible, insurance and emergency contact information. I rely on this, though there are certainly many options. Whether you are facing heat stroke, a run-in with a car, or other issues, this can be a life saver. 

Certainly there are other tips, but I think those are the ones that I've relied on the most. Go run strong as summer brings the heat!

Happy Blogiversary/Breaking up is hard to do

It seems somewhat ironic that this post is my 400th entry to this blog--a milestone I never dreamed I'd hit when I impulsively started writing it 6 years ago (holy sh*t! Have I really been blogging for that long??). Yes, SIX YEARS. My first post (I was, and sounded like, such a newbie!) was on May 5, 2007. Today's post feels somewhat conflicted: partly an anniversary post* with a nod to the future, but largely a tribute to a relationship I'm sadly leaving behind: my park.

STL is a wonderfully kept secret. We've loved living here. This city has great food, festivals, family activities, theater, and, among other things, parks. The first time we ever saw our house, we sat on the front porch for a bit while our Realtor contacted the listing agent for showing instructions (sort of, but that's another story). I remember sitting with my husband, gazing down the tree-lined street, just barely able to see the edge of the park two and a half blocks down. Even before we really knew this place, the park made us fall in love with our neighborhood. Living here only added to that. I've run hundreds, probably thousands of miles in that park, at all times of day and all months of the year. And I've loved it. Running there has been my sanity during stressful times, my quiet time away from kids, my peace.

The other day I decided to go for a walk through the park after eating lunch nearby. I didn't mean for it to turn into a farewell, but that's what it quickly became. As I walked, I found myself reminiscing about different places in the park. My place attachment, and the severance of it, was emotional.

I breathed in the lush landscape of the park.

I stopped and remembered using the bench at the far end of this picture as the turn-around point for my early walks after having my younger son, when even that was a physical strain, but one I couldn't get enough of. 

I took a moment remembering the happy pictures we had taken here of my baby's first birthday. 

I took in all the varied pavilions, remembered the time I came across a loose chicken, the times I saw Clydesdales walking there, thought of getting lost in my thoughts and sometimes prayers as I ran mile after mile, sometimes before dawn, sometimes in snow, sometimes in unbearable heat. As I walked, I walked back through all my memories of this place. 

It was hell. I've lived in a lot of places and run in a lot of settings, including Le Parc Monceau in Paris! But this, this has been my favorite running park. What awaits me in SLC? Will I love something there just as much? Only time will tell. The adventure begins in about five weeks; I hope you'll join me. 

* watch for a 400th post/moving giveaway, coming soon!

Running + Images I LOVE

Maybe it's because I'm obsessed right now with online house hunting and looking at decorating blogs and sites. I don't know. But I'm way into seeing everything through pictures. And so I declare this Monday: I love running pics Monday!

First up, though a bit belated, part of the amazing stand that the running community took against violence. All proceeds donated to the One Fund Boston + great, functional headband = total win.

Yes, I'm aware that I'm wearing it backwards. And that I'm sweaty. 

Not my best thought through self picture. 

As you all know, we are planning a big (!) move west this summer. About a week ago I decided on a color scheme for our new (yet un-identified) living room. Stop-light green with accents of darker green, grays, and a coordinating cream. I've been fantasizing about our new space and how stylish and welcoming it will feel. Then on Saturday, I was headed into the first small hill of my long run and realized where, without a doubt, I'd gotten this idea. I love that I'll think of the park here from 1500 miles away.

And, uh...this one is just stupid. On my part. It's not even the right set of letters. D'oh!

Happy running pictures! Anyone else take pictures like this?

The April Run-Down (a little late)

(run down, get it? I'm mixing in horrible running puns now. You know you like it.)
# Runs: 15

# Miles: 65.6

Fav Run of the Month: Easily the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon, in Springfield, IL. Read the recap here.

Current excitement: We sold our house!

Current anxiety: We sold our house! 

We are finally closing on our IL house on Wednesday and we sold our house here. These things both sound great, but if you've been reading for a while you know that selling houses is not my favorite thing in the world. Until it's all said and done on Wednesday, and until the inspections on our current place on Tuesday, I'm going to be a ball of nerves. 

Current PITA: This blasted baby fat is being oh so very stubborn. I've ratcheted up my efforts on this front but have seen zero progress. I've actually gained a few pounds. WTH.

Current blessing: On the running front, I can see my speed continuing to improve post-race. This was not anticipated, as my mileage dropped a lot. I guess I'm still just in a state of flux. I'll take it!! 

Otherwise, things for our upcoming move are going smoothly so far, knock on wood! When we moved here I was an absolute train wreck from stress. While leaving STL is incredibly bittersweet for us, the actual logistics of it aren't keeping me up at night.

Looking forward:.I hate to say it, but my April running was pretty un-spectacular. It was 3-4 mile runs during the week and one 6 miler in an effort to return to longer runs. This was partly to be expected after my race. But....I miss training! While I don't have my next race picked out yet, I am going to start mixing speed work and tempo runs back in, to keep things fresh. Should be fun! 

That was my April. I'm about to dive into reading all about yours if you posted a recap!