Welcome to Oiselle!

I mentioned a few posts ago that I had an announcement to make, and today is the day you'll read all about it!  I joined the Oiselle Volee running team! (There's supposed to be an accent over that first e in Volee, but I don't know how to type that in...) I am so excited and honored to be part of this group of fast-flying, strong women from all over the country! Read on to find out more about Oiselle and what being part of this team means to me, and to read my review/love affair with the Distance Shorts, which is the short that started it all for me!  

If you haven't heard of Oiselle yet, you definitely haven't been reading my blog for very long! I've been pretty much obsessed with this brand since I first discovered them about three years ago while trolling through the Zulily sales one October day. That's when I bought my first pair of Distance Shorts and the day I fell in love with this company.

Pre-Race family photo from Dawson's Run back in June. Brett (he's not actually family, but he feels like he is sometimes!), Katie, Josh, Tom (holding Brandon), Me in my hot pink Distance Shorts, and Jeff. Carol is in front with Harvey.

Oiselle (Pronounced Wa-Zell) is a women's fitness and running apparel brand that's relatively young, but is committed to designing quality running clothes that FIT a woman's body. And they do not mess around with this mission! The first time I tried those Distance Shorts on, I was completely smitten and have recommended them over and over since then. They are currently my go-to summer racing shorts and they never fail to perform.

Pre-run planking in my Distance Shorts (with a non-Oiselle top).

Just the other day, I actually had all my Oiselle running clothes in the dirty laundry so I ran in an old pair of (Big Name Brand) Tempo shorts. Man... I never realized how poorly they fit until after I've been running in Oiselle! I mean, the crotch area has a pooch of extra fabric as if they should fit a man! A lot of other running and active apparel companies unfortunately have the design model of taking men's styles and just recreating them in "feminine" colors. In the industry, this is known as "Shrink it and Pink it." (I should know thanks to my degree in Apparel Design and 10+ years working in active apparel retail!) That is why it is SO REFRESHING to see styles from Oiselle that are specifically designed by and for women athletes.

Distance Shorts (again!) with Verazzano Bra from Oiselle.

And they do not settle for anything less than perfect! Take the example of the newly released Bra-Zen style they just put out. Oiselle has offered a few styles of sports bras and has done a really great job with them, but to be honest, they're more for smaller-cup ladies. Ladies who are blessed with bosom have requested over and over a good, functional sports bra to give them the support they need, and preferably with the same awesome Oiselle style. Oiselle heard them and spent a long time perfecting the new Bra-Zen style. It had to be just right before they'd release it! I haven't tried it, but I do love my Verrazano Bra and my Traction Bra. All the reviews I've read about Bra-Zen are RAVING, so I'd say it's probably a smashing success!

Bra-Zen bra from Oiselle.

Ok, so enough about the clothes. I mean, they are fabulous and functional, but what really kept me hooked on this company is the culture it fosters. Oiselle is all about empowering women to be the best versions of themselves. Take this excerpt from the Flight Manual (sort of a company manifesto) for example:
"We are not building a single sport, or a cause, or even an idea. We're building a new kind of family. One that is strong, supportive, passionate, and all-in on a woman-up world." This is an idea I can get behind. It's a better-stated-than-I-could-ever-come-up-with reason why I coach track. It's why I run. It's why I strive to support and inspire.

So who are my new teammates on the Oiselle Volee team? They are women from all walks of life, every corner of the country, and every level of running ability. From someone like me who is middle-of-the-pack at best in the local 5k Fun Run all the way up to Elites like Kara Goucher and Lauren Fleshman. This team encompasses everyone and is full of positive and encouraging people who just want to help one another. It's like when I saw Heather Lieberg at Governor's Cup and she was so friendly and gracious. I feel lucky and proud to be part of this group, and to know that when I race in my Oiselle singlet (coming soon!) I represent this company and this body of outstanding people.

Now, I'm teammates with Heather Lieberg as a part of Oiselle Volee!

My perks for signing up include extra discounts on Oiselle clothing and gear, and freebies and opportunities throughout the year. I'm not a paid member or sponsored athlete by any means, and I didn't join for clothing discounts. I joined to be part of something bigger. Isn't that what being part of a team is all about? I did get sent some cool items right away, including my new bright Oiselle Orange spike bag, some temporary tattoos, and a copy of the Flight Manual. My singlet will be here sometime in September.

New swag from Oiselle, since joining Volee!

There are only a few other Volee members in Montana, but Montana is a really big state and we all live in opposite corners, it seems! So, it's not likely I'll see or network in-person with other Montana birds, or anyone else, very often. That means, in order to continue to feel connected to my teammates, I'll be trying to stay active on the Volee Facebook group, Instagram, Strava, and Gametiime, in addition to reading/commenting on other birds' blogs. Maybe when I travel I can get in some runs with other ladies from around the country. Who knows?!

Don't worry--I haven't given up on Team Beef Montana for joining Oiselle Volee! I'll still be wearing my Team Beef jersey at select races throughout the year and will continue to be an advocate for beef as part of a healthy diet to fuel the run and recovery. I mean, we're serving hamburgers after our 5K On The Farm, for Pete's sake! Now, I just get to represent TWO different teams instead of just one! Kind of nice to have options, right? ;)

In order to really kick off my new membership with Volee, I've decided to start a new series on my blog. I'm calling it Oiselle Flight Fridays. Each Friday over the next seven weeks, I'll be taking one of the seven "Principles of Flight" from the Flight Manual and writing about it. What that principle means to me and how I can challenge myself to fly with it. For a teaser, here are the seven principles:

1. Build the Sisterhood
2. Set a Goal
3. Own the Journey
4. Fly With the Winners
5. Feed the Machine
6. Be a Superfan
7. Believe

I'll be mixing in my own stories and experiences when introducing each of those principles, and probably showing off some of my favorite pieces of Oiselle gear along the way. I hope you'll check back on Fridays to read more about what this awesome company, my new team, is all about! 

New spike bag from Oiselle.

Stay tuned for more Oiselle posts! And remember- Head Up, Wings Out!

Thankful Thursday ~ What is a Trophy Worth?

**Today's Thankful Thursday post, a day late! I had it done yesterday, I swear, I just didn't get around to publishing it!! **

Yesterday was the Montana 9C District Track and Field Meet, and the North Star Track and Field Teams, of which I am an Assistant Coach, performed very well. Our Boys team earned the First Place Team title and the Girls earned Second Place Team. Some new hardware will be added to the trophy case at school, continuing the tradition of excellence for North Star Track and Field. While pretty, shiny objects in trophy cases are cool, I think the greater story is in the the life lessons learned on a day like yesterday. When talking and writing about my own running, whenever I win a medal at a race, I like to think about how that the medal is important, but what it symbolizes is the culmination of hard work and personal growth that took place in the days, weeks, and months leading up to the receipt of that medal. It's no different for a track team earning a trophy.

These kids worked their tails off yesterday. For the first (and likely only) time this season, each student-athlete participated in five events during the meet, which is the maximum number of events an athlete is allowed to compete in. Every individual on the team had a season best or all-time-best performance in one or more of their events. Some kids even made very courageous personal sacrifices to participate in some very challenging events for the first time all season. For example, two of our boys competed in the 3200 meter run (approx. two miles), having never competed in that event before. Others made similar commitments to participate in events they may never have done, putting the team ahead of themselves. When it comes to winning a track meet, every point counts, which means that each athlete's individual efforts are important. Our head track coach stated to the team prior to the meet, "Your individual successes will lead to team success." His statement definitely rang true yesterday as individual efforts all day long added up, leading to team trophies.

As the meet began, I had the chance to watch one of our standout Senior athletes compete in her first event of the day, Long Jump. Right away, she popped out her season-best jump and as she got out of the sand pit, she had a huge smile on her face-- grinning ear to ear. I knew from that moment and from her expression that it was going to be a great day. Her jump was a great jump, but it's still only a jump. One jump out of many she has taken and will take, and it could symbolize any number of different types of "jumps" she'll make in life, metaphorically speaking. Her response and positive attitude was contagious and she carried it throughout her day. She affected every other athlete she encountered, and in the end she was nominated and won a Sportsmanship Award for her actions (as well as four First Place finishes and one Second Place finish, and several PRs!) It's a great reminder that our actions and attitudes affect everyone around us.  She wasn't the only athlete who let a smile lead the way yesterday.

Results of the Girls' 100 Meter Dash.

My own responsibilities at the meet yesterday kept me off the track for most of the day, but when I could sneak down and watch the athletes perform, I was continually blown away by the positive attitudes of each individual I came across. All day long, our North Star kids were smiling, laughing, cheering each other on and celebrating each others successes. I saw kids running across the infield to congratulate one of their peers for making it to Finals for her event. I saw two athletes give each other high-tens after their race, because they knew they had crushed it. One girl, who all season long has been nervous and very hesitant before her races approached the start line in the 800, her most difficult race and was smiling before the race even began-- and when she crossed the finish line, she had a new PR to show for her efforts.  All of us coaches, parents, and fans who attended the meet could add our own stories of positive energy that we witnessed to this list. All of this goes to prove that when we're having fun, we're relaxed, and we perform better. In life, when we're having fun and are relaxed, we are the best versions of ourselves.

This is only my third season coaching and already I have seen some outstanding individuals go through our program in my previous two years. Outstanding as athletes and as human beings. This year's crew was young. We started off the year having lost a number of talented leaders from the previous season. This year, it took us a long time to figure out who we were as a team and what we were made of. We began the year as a gathering of individuals who happened to be wearing the same blue and black uniforms, trying to figure out if and how each fit in with each other. As coaches, we spent a lot of time talking about how to motivate individuals, and also just simply figuring out each of their personalities. We also spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what events each kid would do best in personally, and how they could help the team. It took each and every practice, each and every meet to get the kids to where they are now, to be a TEAM. The credit doesn't go to us, it goes to them- the student-athletes- for putting in the hard work and recognizing their own positive results. A team is more than a uniform, and yesterday, our athletes were a TEAM in every sense of the word.

What our team learned about is what a team trophy is worth. More than anything else yesterday, they learned about the power of unity, encouragement, and positive attitude. Track and Field is just a sport, and trophies are just engraved bits of metal and wood, but what these athletes learn by participating in this sport are life lessons that will stay with them for years to come. To learn to give your best effort, even when it's challenging or scary, is not easy. To learn to put others before yourself can be monumentally difficult. To learn to be positive and celebrate the successes of yourself and others graciously is an art. More than winning races, jumping or throwing far, the team trophies the kids earned yesterday are celebrating each of those skills. That is how to earn a trophy, and that is what a trophy is worth. I hope that when they look at their trophies in the case, they remember their own individual events, but also what it felt like to be part of a team, part of something bigger than themselves.

North Star Boys Track and Field, First Place.
Congratulations, men! Looking forward to many years of continued success. :)

North Star Girls Track and Field Team, Second Place.
Congratulations on a hard fought battle, ladies! 

Should go without saying at this point, but I'm pretty thankful to be a Coach of so many fine young men and women, and to witness and be part of their personal growth and positive Track and Field experience. It's an honor and a privilege, and one I don't take lightly.

What are you thankful for this week?

Log Off, Shut Down, Go Run Virtual 10K Race Recap

Last Friday I worked my first 10K of the season into my schedule! It was the Log Off, Shut Down, Go Run Virtual 10K. It is part of the virtual run series that the website Goneforarun.com puts on, and I first heard about it from my friend and fellow Team Beef teammate, Christy's blog post. I originally wasn't sure about signing up because I'd been experiencing some pain and stiffness in my hip, but once I started getting that worked out and feeling better, I really started looking forward to the run!

My sign up fee was $30.00 and I got a bunch of cool swag-- 

I received a tank top (that fits!), race bib (not pictured), a cool race medal, and a car magnet.

They sent me a packet with a nice tank top, a car magnet, a race bib to wear for the run and a finishers medal! It was up to me to actually complete the race and feel like I earned my prizes.

Before going any further, I want to spend a paragraph or two sharing my take on the whole "virtual run" phenomenon. I've been reading on many other running blogs what other people think about virtual runs and have given it some thought myself. There's definitely a mixed bag of opinions out there!

Personally, I like the idea of virtual runs and they work well for me. I live in an EXTREMELY rural area so it is very, very difficult to find races to do that are nearby, or even within what I consider reasonable driving distance, which is admittedly a much greater radius than for most people! ha! What I like about virtual races is that I can fit the race into my schedule and run it when it's convenient for me at a place that is also convenient for me. Do I miss out on the "race experience" of having race organizers, people all around to run with/against, water stops, bathrooms, food after the race, etc? Yeah, definitely! Those are all reasons I really like doing organized road races. But it's also nice to run a no-frills race on my own terms.

I've had some people say that they think I'm stupid for signing up for a virtual race because, in their opinion, "It's just a scam by t-shirt printing companies to get you to spend money on their stuff." And they may be right in some ways, but if I am still going out there and putting in the miles, then I feel like it's money well spent. 10K especially is a distance that's a challenge for me, so I do have to train for it and spending the money on an entry fee for a virtual race is like a bet on myself that I'll get it done. I'm more likely to get in the workouts and the race itself if I've spent the money to do so, than if I just tell myself "Hey I'm going to go run a 10K for fun this weekend." If I spend $30 to train for and complete a race by myself, AND I get cool stuff for it, so much the better. (And what's it matter to you anyway how I spend my money!?)

So the day I decided was going to be Race Day arrived (Friday, April 24) and I pondered whether or not I should actually wear my race bib that they sent. I'd be literally running this "race" by myself, so no one would see or care if I wore the bib or not. If someone did just happen to drive by on the road, they might think I was silly wearing a bib while out for a jog... But since when do I care what people think of me when I'm out running?! ha! (And how often do people drive on the Minneota Road between Road 200 and the Goldstone Road? Almost never.) I also decided that I didn't want to just feel like I was out for a training jog, so if I put my bib on, it would mentally feel more like a RACE! I pinned on my bib, laced up my shoes, and got ready to take off on my run!

When I started out on my race, it was about 62 degrees, sunny, and about 15-20mph wind out of the north. I had predetermined a route that would be exactly 6.2 miles-- an out-and-back course of 3.1 miles each way from Tom and Carol's house. For those of you who know the area, it's .1 straight west from their driveway to the Minneota Road, then three miles straight north to the Goldstone Road, then turnaround and head back in reverse. So, I had somewhat of a headwind in the first half of the race.

I had looked through my records prior to beginning and saw that my previous PR in 10K was 58:30, from back at Huffing for Stuffing last fall. I had it in my mind to see how close I could get to that mark. I tried to sprint the first .1, then hold a steady, strong pace for the first mile before settling in to closer to my normal roughly 9-minute-mile pace for the "hilly" section of the route.  The first mile has a mild uphill for the first half-mile, then downhill for half a mile. First mile 8:38.5. The second mile is pretty flat-- I covered it in 8:58.66. The third mile is a long, steady uphill for most of the mile. Heading up the hill into the wind was not very fun and I knew my pace would be slower for that mile.  Third mile- 9:13.6. Slower, but not too bad. Once I got to the top of the hill and the turnaround point, I told myself I had to fly down the long downhill to make up time, so I did! Mile four was my fastest- 8:22.89.

I coasted through the flat of mile five as best as I could, then with a little over a mile to go, I really began to struggle mentally. I hadn't actually run more than about 5 miles yet this year, so I expected to struggle a little at the end of this 10K and I did. Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy... Either way, I needed a little self-motivation. I repeated a mantra in my mind that our head track coach uses to inspire and motivate our team sometimes: "Your body can do almost anything- it's your mind that sometimes needs convincing." and focused on steadying my breathing. "Find your breath, find your strength." I focused on a two-two breathing pattern-- so, inhale on two steps, exhale on two steps. Soon, I was finally nearing that last .1 and sprinted around the corner to the finish. Last two miles were 8:54.92 and 8:54.52. And... DONE!

After checking my watch, I saw that I had indeed scored a new PR! I finished in 54.01, so I cut 4:30 from my 10K time! Virtual race or not, I know I did the distance, it felt like a race to me, I pushed myself and I'm going to count it.

I snapped my post-race photo with my medal and then celebrated by eating a giant monster cookie! Perks of a virtual run are that you get to decide for yourself what your finish line food will be.

Let's take another look at just the cookie, shall we?

It's a huge cookie! Barely fits in my hand, and I have long hands!  The story behind the cookies is that our head track coach's wife bakes them for the team. Any time a kid gets a new Personal Best or All-Time Best in an event, they earn a cookie. Coach had handed out cookies at practice on Friday, and the other coaches sometimes get any extras. I knew as soon as I got mine that I'd keep it for my race and aim for a PR. There were definitely times during the 10K that I was envisioning crossing the line and devouring a cookie, and that was pretty motivating. They are so good, and definitely worth running for!  This cookie definitely inspired me to a strong finish!

Overall, this virtual race was a positive experience. To me, it was worth the money paid. I hung up my virtual race medal on the same rack whereon I keep all my other medals. Am I going to sign up for a virtual race every month? No. But I will sign up for them from time to time when they fit in my schedule or when I can't find another race or event to do nearby. Bonus if the virtual race proceeds go toward a charity of some sort, and there are a great many of them that do things that way.

Here's a recap of my splits again, for those who are interested:

.1 - 31.37

Mile One - 8:38.5

Mile Two - 8:58.66

Mile Three - 9:13.6

Mile Four - 8:22.89

Mile Five - 8:54.92

Mile Six - 8:54.52

.1 - 27.86

Total Time: 54.01, Roughly a pace of 8:43 per mile. I'll take it! 

Overall, I'm pretty happy because I've been trying to work on quickening my overall pace and times. It's difficult to do that during track season because I'm so busy, so to get a PR feels extra good. I'm at least holding steady with my normal "old" pace, if not getting slightly faster. 

Next race for me-- I'm planning to do the Buffalo Jump 10K in Ulm, MT on Sunday, May 17. I think it's a trail run, so I'm not sure if I'll shoot for besting my PR again, but I'll definitely give it all I've got!

If you're interested, Goneforarun.com is continuing their virtual race series with a Badass 5 Mile run on the last weekend of May. Same cost - $30.00, and choice of a couple different race packet options. I don't plan to do it unless I don't get the Buffalo Jump run in for some reason. Then, I might consider signing up again. We'll see! 

What are your thoughts on Virtual Runs? Do you do them? Avoid them? Are they "worth" the same as a standard road race in your opinion? 

Family 5K!

For the third time this year, our family is participating in Shape Up Montana. Each week with SUM, there is a new Weekly Challenge that either focuses on improving your eating habits, mental calmness or fortitude, or physical fitness. This past week, the Weekly Challenge was to participate in the SUM Virtual 5K. We were to print off our race bibs from the SUM website, and just cover the distance at some point during the week by walking, jogging, or running. Since four of our family member teammates live close to one another, we decided to do it together as if we were actually holding a 5K. My friend Stephanie decided to join us, too, so that brought the participants of our 5K up to a total of five people- me, Jeff, Tom, Carol, and Stephanie! Yay!

Group photo before the run.
Not pictured: Stephanie and Harvey.

Even though it was a casual family event, I wanted to run it as if I were racing. It's really a challenge for me to participate in races this time of year, mostly due to being busy with track season. Many races are on Saturdays but so are track meets. I do have one race potentially on my docket for late in April in Kalispell, and another late in May near Ulm, MT, but I still wanted to get a benchmark time to see where I'm at. I've been sort of maintaining fitness over the winter months, and I really wanted to just see where I'm at, so I tried to run it hard.

Our route was an out-and-back from Tom and Carol's house. Around here, roads and fields are easy gauges of distance, so we knew exactly where a mile and a half from the house was for our turnaround spot, then we just added an extra 100 meters or so at the end to make it 3.1 miles. The route was pretty flat with kind of a low-grade gradual hump in the middle of the first mile and last mile.

Even though this was just for fun, I still wanted to run hard and this "race" did have some challenges.

It was difficult to try to race with only four other participants. Part of what keeps me motivated to challenge myself in a race is picking off people ahead of me one by one and "reeling them in." That was a challenge with so few people in this event.

Another challenge was the course itself. Yes, we knew the exact distances and where we were at all times, but the fact that it was out and back and really flat meant you could see every other point of the course from just about anywhere on the course. It felt like the turnaround was never getting any closer, even though I could see it from pretty much the start line. Same thing with the finish. I felt like I had to be really mentally tough.

Lastly, the weather was extremely windy and it was also the warmest day we had so far this spring. The wind was a headwind the whole first half of the race and really tough to buck. I just kept reminding myself that I'd be flying when I turned around! I was faster in the second half, but then I noticed the heat more, which was also unpleasant. Again, mentally challenging!

Despite all of the mental challenges of this race, I still ran a time of 27:01 over 3.1 miles. For me, this is about 30 seconds off of my "new" PR. I ran a 5K in about 24:30 in college but then got away from running for several years; my PR for more recent years is 26:32. I feel really good about my time. The conditions were not great and this was the first "race" of the season for me, so to be only about 30 seconds off my PR is pretty good to me. I'll take it!

Everyone seemed to enjoy getting outside and being active, even if it was windy. Tom and Carol both walked the course and Jeff and Stephanie ran it. This was actually Stephanie's first 5K in which she ran the majority of the race. I'm glad we could make it a positive experience for her! Oh, and Harvey and Abby (dogs) participated as well. Harvey was really confused when we all ended up going at different paces. He also waited by the turnaround to make sure everyone turned around and headed back toward home. He was NOT leaving anyone behind!

Not pictured: Stephanie, Harvey, Abby.

Most of all, I just loved that this was a little event we could do together as a family. I'd love it if we can make it bigger and have more people or more of our family members present at the very least. I do have a wild hair of an idea to host a bigger 5K event out here called 5k on the Farm and have been tossing the possibility around with Jeff and the fam around here. The concept in my mind is that people would come out to our farm and participate in the 5K (and we'd also likely have a one mile fun run for kids), then people can stick around for a grilled hamburger and tour the farm. I believe that fitness and farming can go together and this is an event that can solidify that idea.

Everyone is excited about the idea, so now I just need to put my organizational hat on and see about getting it done! One of the biggest obstacles I see is simply getting people to come out to our very remote farm. We live about 30 minute's drive from the nearest (teeny tiny) town. If you heard of an event like this in your area, would you be willing to drive out and participate? If you live near here, would you want to do it? What do you think about the 5k on the Farm concept?

Lastly, as a member of Team Beef Montana, I have to share this article from Runners World on the topic of Healthy Meets for Runners. That's right- BEEF is right on top of the list as a healthy, lean protein source to help fuel your race and recovery!

Image by Dick Patrick of www.runenrsworld.com.

Going Funning in the Country

Sticking with running through the winter months is something I haven't been great at accomplishing over the past several years, but this year, I'm already making a better effort. We have a treadmill, so there really aren't any excuses not to get a run in, but I do love running outdoors so much more. So long as the Northern Montana weather isn't prohibitive, that is.

Friday morning, the weather was actually pretty ideal for some outdoor running.  It was a little windy, but I solved that problem by having Jeff drop me off somewhere so that the wind would be at my back for most of my run. The temperature was about 40 degrees and sunny. Wind at my back was definitely tolerable, and probably helped me out.

I referenced this blog post from Oiselle Tis the Season to Go Funning a few posts ago on my blog already. The gist of the post is to find ways to make cold weather running even more fun, aka "funning". This Friday morning run was the ideal time to get excited and take some photos along my running route. It's a route I drive often but have never run, so it was new to me in that sense.

Jeff dropped me and Harvey off at Mel's Corner, and we ran the rest of the way home. About 5.5 miles. Since I was going funning, I allowed myself plenty of brief stops for photo ops and dog petting. Those of you who are familiar with our neck of the woods will recognize some of the places and viewpoints. For the rest of you, I hope you'll find something you enjoy! Here's what I came up with!

Headed East on Road 200, right at the start of my run.

About a mile into my run, jogging past Merlin and Pat's house, Harvey and I were joined by their dog, Bella. She's a RezQ dog that they've had for a couple years now and is absolutely full of energy. She is the only dog we know of whose energy level exceeds Harvey's. She's a nice dog, though. She stayed with us for a mile or so, then turned around and ran back home.

Harvey and Bella :)

 After a few miles, this was the view looking back West:

Gotta love the Sweetgrass Hills!

Our new neighbors up here built this sign over the summer. I think it's great! As applied to my run, no, we had not gone far enough yet!

Dog-petting break! 

When we run around home, Harvey always runs off-leash. There are so few cars and really excellent visibility out on the flat grasslands that we don't have to worry about him getting lost or into danger. Plus, he typically stays pretty close to me or Jeff anyway. I am so thankful we live in a place where Harvey can pretty much roam free and sprint and run and play to his heart's content! 

Harvey leads the way!

He's wearing his blaze orange vest because it is still hunting season, so that's for visibility to anyone nearby who might be hunting. I wear an orange vest over my running clothes this time of year, too.

Running by Goldstone Church, the little country church where we sometimes attend Sunday services. It's about a mile and a half from our house.

 It took me 52 minutes to get home, with my barn welcoming me back!

What do you do to stay active outdoors in the winter? Or, is a book by the fireplace more your style?

How To Break Up With Running Shoes

Breaking up is hard to do!

Many of my blog readers have hobbies and interests they become passionate about. Running has been one of those hobbies for me. As my blog audience has grown, I've gained some fellow runners as readers, too. Sometimes the tools we need to engage in our hobbies and passions become just as essential as the hobby itself. For a runner, the shoes we wear are everything. The right or wrong shoes can make or break a run.  I know I’m not the only runner who has strong preferences toward running shoes. For me, not just any shoe will do.

We become attached to our shoes.  They cover many miles together with us, hopefully as dependable protection and guidance for our feet over all kinds of terrain, through all kinds of weather. The right pair of shoes feels like a natural extension of our feet, part of our own bodies. Our shoes even come to be regarded as one would think of an old friend. It’s an intimate relationship we keep with our running shoes. Especially the pair we wear most often, on long runs and challenging workouts, and through the toughest races. They are with us in victory and defeat, on every pass, and across every finish line. 

So, when my most recently purchased pair of running shoes finally bit the dust, I had a hard time with it. I had worn Asics Gel Kayanos since High School. I still remember when I was first introduced to Kayano. I was in High School, preparing for another track season. I was probably a Junior or Senior, but can’t remember. My mom had taken me to Fitness Sports in Des Moines, the first endurance-sport specific store I had ever been to. I felt a mix of intimidation, awe, and camaraderie among the staff of dedicated runners. For the first time, I was being helped and guided into shoes by a female runner who understood how to fit another female runner into the right shoe.

I had picked out some flashy Nikes and a few other shoes I thought looked cool from their impressive selection of women’s running shoes. The clerk patiently let me try them each on. Then she brought me the Kayano. Oh the Kayano. When I put that shoe on, it felt like running, like shoes, like life suddenly made sense! She had found the perfect pair for me, explaining that as an overpronator, I would benefit from the stability of the shoe, and since I’d put a lot of wear on them over the course of a track season, the light weight would be great on my feet as well. Then she showed me some great ways to tie my shoes to further aid with ankle stability, and keep my laces from coming untied.

I walked out of the store with my Mom and my new Kayanos and began a relationship that would last many years began. I loved my Kayanos from the first day on. I wore them to track practice, to school, whenever I got a chance. I went through pair after pair of Kayanos over the years, from High School through all of College, and into my adult life living in Jackson Hole.

Then I had a little tryst.

Living in Jackson was awesome in many ways, but not on my wallet. Even though I had a good job, I did not have much money to spare. When the time came to update to a newer model of Kayano, I found myself in the local sporting goods store, walking the ladies’ running shoe aisle, searching for Kayano. The store had them in stock in my size, but suddenly the very high price tag had become too much. Reluctantly, I tried on a few other pair of shoes, sticking with my trusty Asics brand, and eventually settled on the Gel Nimbus. I remember being immediately impressed by the cushiness of the shoe, and had also noticed it had just as much stability control as the Kayano I had built my running life with over the years. And, at $40 less in price, the Nimbus fit the bill, even though I felt a bit like I was cheating on my Kayanos.

My fling with Nimbus lasted much longer than I had anticipated. I used those shoes as my primary pair for several years, through a knee surgery and ensuing rehab, and two more moves. Then, at a more financially stable point in my life, and back at a point when I felt like I could really get back into running, I went back to my old beau and purchased another pair of Kayanos.

In my post-surgery running world, I have now found it more important than ever to stick with trusted shoes and truly see it as an investment in my health to purchase good, reliable footwear that will not only keep my safe from injury but will last a long time. I’ve also learned to be in tune with my body, and upgrade shoes when my body tells me to. I noticed I could start to feel it in my knee when I had accumulated too many miles on a pair of shoes.

So it was I went through two more pairs of Kayanos, jogging on the dusty dirt roads of our farm, and working out with high-schoolers as an Assistant Track Coach. The thing of it was, however, it felt like I was going through each pair faster and faster than I had ever gone through them before, even though my mileage really wasn’t increasing.

I convinced myself that somehow I must have been harder on these shoes. Surely my faithful Kayanos wouldn’t let me down. Would they? With my most recent pair, I continued to wear them much longer than I should have. My knee barked every time I wore them. Eventually, I noticed the balls of my big toes feeling very painful after runs, too. After researching the symptoms, it now appeared I was beginning to form bunions! How could Kayano do this to me?!

It finally got to the point where I couldn’t stand painfully slogging through another run or workout. I dug around until I found the old pair of Nimbus I had kept as kickaround shoes, and in a fit of anger toward my Kayanos, gave them another spin. “I’ll show you, Kayano,” I thought, “I’ll go back to my old Nimbuses just to spite you!” The first run I went on with the Nimbuses on my feet, the knee pain and foot pain went away immediately. It was like an epiphany. My feet and knee felt so, so much better. It was truly like running on the puffy clouds the shoes are named after.

Still not wanting to doubt my Kayanos, however, I continued to think of the old, worn out Nimbuses as just a temporary fix and thought I must have been fooling myself somehow that they were better than Kayano. As the months of this summer and early fall went by, I continued to feel great in my knee and feet, however, and finally felt confirmed that the next pair of shoes I buy should be a Nimbus. Like that college boyfriend you stay with way longer than you should have, it was time to say goodbye to Kayano.

Finally clicking SUBMIT on the online order form for my Nimbuses, I felt relief. I had committed to this new, better relationship with a shoe that again felt like it was made just for me. Nimbus still had the support of Kayano but was cushier, and had a wider toe box—both great for my aged body. See Kayano, it’s not you—it’s me! My body and needs in a running shoe had changed, so I had to finally admit that an actual change in gear was necessary, too. Breaking up with Kayano and moving on to Nimbus has been just the right change I needed.

When the new shoes came last week, I felt refreshed in putting them on. I once again feel like I’m running on Cloud Nine with my sole mate! (Puns intended- You’re welcome!)

Breaking up is hard to do. Sometimes we can’t see through our own emotional attachment to the old on to what is really a better fit in life- with lovers or with shoes. 

The new Nimbuses! My feet feel so happy! 

Recent progression of running shoes, from Left to Right: Kayano, old Nimbus, new Nimbus!

I wore these shoes into the ground!
They're dirty, dusty, and flat, but still didn't feel too bad on my feet. 

Bottom tread VERY worn down!

The Kayanos even developed holes! 

All my shoes seem to develop wear at the back of the heel, although I honestly think that's from sliding my custom inserts in and out, and not from running use.

How many miles will we cover together, Nimbus?

Disclaimer: I am not receiving any endorsements for writing about product in this post. All opinions are my own and are genuine. 

Opera Run 5K

This past Saturday, I participated in the Opera Run in Bozeman. The distance options were 10 Mile Race, 5K Race Run/Walk, and 1 Mile Kids Run. I did this race last year, too, and loved it, so again this year signed up for the 5K.

The Opera Run is to support the Bozeman Intermountain Opera company to build enthusiasm and buzz for their fall show each year. This year, they are doing an upcoming performance of the H.M.S. Pinfore in Bozeman in a few weeks. I love the poster for the show:


The best thing about the race is that they have costumed performers from their company singing opera songs along the race route. I realize that opera music may not be on most people's iPod "Running Jams Playlist," but I actually really enjoy opera music and find it to be really beautiful. Plus, the lung capacity those people have is dang impressive! On top of all that, this year and last year had kinda crummy weather for the race, so it is even more impressive that they stood outside during the race events, in full costume, in the rain/mist/sleet/cold, and SANG very difficult songs for several hours! Pretty cool.

As I mentioned, the morning of the race was cool and kind of misty with rain, which is not ideal. I had some concern that they might cancel the race, but they didn't. My friend Stephanie was still with me that morning, so she and I, and Harvey, checked in to the race at about 8:45 and I began to try to warm up with Harvey.

Last year, Harvey ran this race with me and together we ran a then-personal best time. This year, Harvey was having NONE of it! In fact, the past several times Jeff or I have tried to walk or run with Harvey using his harness, he has really protested. This time was probably the worst, though. I had him hooked up with his harness, collar, and leash, and tried to walk and do some jogging with him to get both of us warmed up before the race, and he just laid down on the ground. Would. Not. Budge. I tried a couple of times to get him excited and get him going, and we just never got there.

This photo is from last year's Opera Run.
Harvey and I had a great time!

Harvey never used to have issues running on his harness and really actually seemed to enjoy doing races with me, so I've been confused and saddened by his u-turn. All he seems to want to do is get back into the car. We have really been brainstorming why he has had a change of opinion regarding the harness. The major epiphany we have had is that the past several times he has worn his harness, prior to the Opera Run, there has been either thunder or fireworks in the area, both of which he is VERY afraid of. So, we're wondering if now he is associating his harness with the loud sounds of thunder and fireworks, and possibly even projecting that, "If I wear my harness, soon there will be scary thunder and/or fireworks!" and becoming preemptively scared. We are going to try a few things to turn this behavior around, if we can, because it used to be so enjoyable for all of us to do races with Harvey, and we really don't want him to be afraid every time we put on his harness.

Anyway, back to the race.

Any time I'm not in my own bed at home, I tend to have a lot of difficulty sleeping. The night before the race was particularly bad, unfortunately, so I was extremely tired preparing to line up for the start. I had kind of thrown my normal Good/Better/Best goals out the window, and just gave myself the new goal of Under-30 minutes.

About ten minutes before the start of the race, the race staff had everyone lined up in the chute. There was maybe about 50 participants, give or take. One of the Intermountain Opera Divas lead us all in singing the Star Spangled Banner before the gun-start. This was actually a really beautiful moment and my favorite part of the whole event. Something about coming together and singing with strangers, I don't know, but it was really cool. Or maybe I was just emotional from being so sleepy and the sadness of Harvey not running with me.

About to start the race, preparing to sing the Anthem.
If you can spot me, I'm impressed! Also, can you spot the Opera Singer?
Photo courtesy of Stennie. 

The race started, and I went out not as fast as I normally do, but just started right away at my pace. I passed several people early on, then it seemed like I had sort of established a position. I was familiar with the race course, so was trying to strategize when I could speed up, or when I could conserve.

At about the half-way point of the out-and-back course, I noticed that I was actually in second place out of the female runners. This actually gave me a little burst of surprise energy, and I surged for a minute or so, then paced. About this time, two other women must have also had a similar surge and passed me. Down to 4th place. Then, in the final quarter-mile or so (uphill!), one of them was very obviously overcome by stomach cramps, and I passed her going up the hill through the woods to solidify third place. There was no catching #1 or #2, but I still surged to the finish line, content with my 3rd place finish.

Overall, this race was not what I had hoped it would be or what I thought I had been training for, in terms of my personal performance. I ended up with a time that was two minutes slower than my PR, even though I had been training with the mindset of besting my PR at this race. The weather was not a major deterrent-- I had run in worse conditions-- but I think the lack of sleep really took toll on my performance. And, I was sad that my Vizsla running buddy was in the car instead of by my side. If I had run even one minute faster, I would have won the race. That's frustrating, but really, a third place finish is still pretty good. We'll try again next year!

I didn't stick around for the door prizes and awards, since it was MSU homecoming weekend and I had other activities planned. But, I do want to point out that this race has a really awesome T-shirt and slogan:

It Ain't Over 'Til the Fit Lady Sings!
They do the same shirt design every year, but change the accent colors.
I'm a sucker for cheesy or corny race t-shirts; this one definitely fits the bill!

Amazingly, after just checking the race website, they do have the results already posted. I finished 12th out of 72 runners overall, and can confirm that I was the 3rd place female runner out of 50 women. My official time was 28:17.

Then, while reading the Oiselle Blog, I read a great and timely post about cross country racing, which in my mind is very similar to road racing. Two pieces of advice felt like they were written specifically for me, specifically because I was sort of glum about my finish in the Opera Run. They are as follows:

Forget about PR’s and time goals, just compete. 
Cross-country courses might include grass, dirt, mud, stones, roots, creeks (to run through or jump over) and so much more. Your pace for road racing will definitely be different than your pace on a cross-country course. Concentrate on competing and completing more than running a certain time.

-- Jen Bigham, Oiselle Volee runner and marathoner. 

Because courses vary so much there is no chasing of PR's. Instead it's all about running hard, pushing yourself.

--Allie Bigelow, Oiselle Volee runner and Cross Country specialist

What's next in my racing world? Probably the Run for the Roses coming up in October in Bozeman. Right now, I'm undecided if I'll do the 5K or 10K distance. We'll keep you posted! Has anyone else out there done any fun races lately? Or anything fun fitness-related?

Kickin' Assphault 10K

If there are any of you who are just dying to read about the time Jeff and I had in Washington D.C., you'll just have to wait a little longer. I do have those posts in progress in draft form, but I'm still processing the trip in my mind, so I'm not ready to post those yet.

What IS fresh on my mind, however, is the 10K I ran yesterday!! So, you'll get a re-cap of that race instead! I have a lot of thoughts swimming around in my mind for this post, so it could get a little lengthy. If you're not interested in my running "career," you mind find this post less-than-interesting.

First, I should disclose that it technically was not my first 10K. I did run one once before in something like 2007. At that time, I was running a lot, and had thought I might try to train for a triathlon. So, when Midnight Madness came around, which is a very popular summer race event in my hometown, I decided I'd "train" for my triathlon by doing the Midnight Madness bike race, then following it up with a 10K. I did great in the bike race- finishing as the first-place female finisher.

But then there was the 10K.

Let's just say I don't recommend biking a hard bike race, resting minimally, and then attempting one's first 10K. The race was miserable. I walked a ton. I did not respect the distance, which was more than I'd ever run at the time. It was hot. I was tired. I finished with a horrible time, but what's worse is that I felt absolutely awful in body and spirit afterwards. My self-inflicted poor performance in that race caused me to decide on the spot that I'd never attempt anything longer than a 5K again.

Fast forward three moves, one knee surgery, and seven years later to this summer.

Recently, I have been doing many 5Ks and had gotten to the point where I felt like I was ready for the next challenge. I had been dropping tons of time with each race I did, feeling great mentally and physically strong, thanks to lots of effective cross-training. I started looking into upcoming races and thought that it might be time to try a 10K.

The Kickin Assphault 10Kwas appealing for many reasons. It was close to home (Ok, Great Falls is 2.5 hours away, but to me that's close!). I had a feeling the 10K wouldn't be super popular with the Half Marathon distance being the headliner for this event, all the better. Also, I had thought a lot of the Montana running community probably would have done the Bozeman Marathon/Half-Marathon the previous weekend and may not be interested in another big run. I researched the route and it looked great, so there was that. Lastly, an early morning run (7:45 start time) meant less chance of running in the heat.

With a specific race in mind, I decided this time to actually plan out a training schedule for increasing my running distances. If I could start and stick with the first few weeks of the training schedule, I'd go ahead and actually sign up for the race. Needless to say, I did stick with it and ended up increasing my mileage from about 7-10 miles to between 10-14 miles a week, with steadily increasing long runs once a week or so. I took the plunge and finally signed up for the race about three weeks ago.

The afternoon before race day, I drove down to GF and stayed overnight in a hotel, since I wasn't interested in waking up at about 4:00 a.m. and driving down the morning of the race. This worked out well because I had a chance to pick up my race packet the night before, too. Then, I had a great meal at Moonshine Grill (Eggplant Parmesan- yum!) and slept great in the hotel. I woke up Saturday morning feeling fresh, well-rested, and most important- mentally ready.

Race T-shirt and swag from the race, along with my finishers medal.
The shirt is a techincal tee that is HUGE on me. :/ At least the design is cool!

The race was held at the Giant Springs Picnic Area, behind Fish, Wildlife and Parks on Giant Springs Road, and the route followed an asphault (duh!) paved bike/walking path along the Missouri River. Here's a link to a map of the route: Kickin Assphault 10K Route. The weather was cool- in the low 40's at the start of the race. It was also mostly cloudy and, thankfully, not even the slightest bit windy. Truly ideal weather for running.

I spent significant time jogging, dynamic-stretching and overall warming up, since it was cool, and I wanted to be warm and ready for the distance. It was not a big crowd for the race- I'm thinking between 50 and 100 people. At about 7:40 we gathered at the starting area. 7:45 with the sound of a starter's gun, we were off.

For once, I actually paced myself and went out a little slow at the start of the race. Looking back, however, I do wish I had actually gone out faster. I didn't know what kind of hills the course would have in store and the race actually started out with almost a half-mile of downhill. Now I wish I had capitalized on that.

I should have known, having actually done some walking and biking on the trails the race followed before, that there would be some hills, but I didn't think of it. There were about three significant, long, long, never-ending hills to climb throughout the race. I struggled mentally with each one for a while, but willed myself not to walk. My mantra was, "My spirit is stronger than this hill." I also thought a lot about some of the very, very hard situations some of the kids I work with at school endure on a daily basis and reminded myself that running up a few hills is nothing compared to what they deal with. That kept me going, too.

Finish line for the race.
Race was timed with chip timers attached to our shoes that pinged when we crossed the magic carpets at the finish line. Pretty cool. 

When I came to some more level stretches in the race, I alternated some ten-second surges in with some pace running. I know that helped my overall time. I knew my overall average mile pace was slower than I normally run, but I was OK with whatever the results were going to be. I kept thinking throughout the race of my goal-times. I tend to do Good/Better/Best goals for races. For this one, it was Good- 65 minutes or less, Better- 60 minutes or less, and Best- 55 minutes or less.

After climbing and slogging up the last long hill, I knew the finish line was roughly a mile away, and tried to pick up the pace a little bit. The end was near and even though I couldn't see it, I could hear the announcer and I knew I was almost there. The last mile and extra .2 were one of my fastest splits, so motivation to finish definitely worked.

Then, I was there, receiving my finisher's medal, and reeling in the endorphins and pride for having finished the race. It felt so good to be done and to have accomplished finishing the race! I finished in 1:00.04, so pretty much aligned with my "Better" goal. I feel great about the time, especially considering all the hills I hadn't been prepared for. My next 10K, whenever that will be, will be even better! Now I have a time to measure myself against and try to beat.

As usual, representing Team Beef Montana! Felt so good to finish the race.
When's the next 10k??? Sign me up! 

Here are my split times--

Mile 0-1: 8:54.4
Mile 1-2: 8:29.49 / 17:23
Mile 2-3: 10:23 / 27:46
Mile 3-4: 11:16 / 39:02
Mile 4-5: 10:02.07 / 49:04
Mile 5-6: 8:39.25 / 57:43
Mile 6-6.2: 2:20.64 / 1:00:04

I did not stay for the awards or wrap-up ceremony, but as near s I could tell I was the seventh place female finisher overall. I feel good about that. Mostly, I just feel good about doing the race, putting in the time to train, sticking to my plan, and executing on race day.

This was the race tee from the Beat the Deadline 5K, that I had never posted.
It's a cozy, appropriately sized long-sleeve cotton tee. Perfect! 

What's next on my race schedule? The Opera Run in Bozeman on September 27. I'll be doing the 5K distance, and they also offer a 10 mile race. With all the training I've been doing for the 10K, I'm really hoping and going to work for a personal-best time in the 5K over the next few weeks. Wish me luck!