Sweetheart Run Double

I had been excited about the upcoming Sweetheart Run for weeks. I love running it on a team with Jeremy and I love that doing the double takes all pressure off running specific times for either race. Then the weekend before I had a 20 mile long run workout that started out typically and then ended horribly. It went so awry at the end, I was only able to manage 9:40 pace for my 4 mile cool down. At that point I lost all excitement for the race and started thinking about the possibility of dropping it. I had been having issues with my head. I had a migraine one Wednesday and then went back to normal afterward. Then the next Thursday I got another migraine and never felt right afterward. I'd wake up in the morning so dizzy, I'd almost fall getting out of bed and my head would feel weird and off all day. I didn't really have migraines but I'd have pretty bad headaches most of the day. The Saturday I ran my 20 miler I was so sick and dizzy after the run that even one of the kids touching me would make me feel like I was on a roller coaster and the room was spinning. It definitely didn't make me feel excited to run. Finally the Tuesday before the race I woke up with my head feeling normal and I was back in business. I was excited when I was able to average 6:36 per mile repeat for my speed work that week. Last year I averaged 6:28 pace for the same workout the week of the Sweetheart Run. All my speedwork and tempos have been slower this season than they were last spring so I expected to be quite a bit slower at the race this year. I was excited that I was able to run only 8 seconds per mile slower on that workout just 2 days after bombing my 20 mile workout. I started thinking if I could average 8 seconds per mile slower in the 10k this year than last year, that would be a 6:51 pace and I might be able to sneak under 43 minutes. That was an exciting thought for me. I also knew that historically I don't run well in race distances over a 5k when run the weekend after a 20 mile long run. Most notably my terrible races at the Zoo Run 10k in 2017 and the Tulsa Run 15k in 2018. So I wasn't expecting much. I was hopeful I'd still be able to break 21 minutes in the 5k and maybe pull out a sub-44 in the 10k.

Saturday morning Carter woke up at 6:10. My alarm was set to go off at 6:30 and I didn't see a point in trying to go back to sleep so I just got up early. I was able to do a short pre-run yoga workout since I had extra time which was nice. Mom and dad accidentally set their alarm for 7:00 which was the time we planned on leaving, instead of early enough to give themselves time to get ready. Since I was doing the double and not trying to race all-out, I wasn't too worried about getting a warm-up in. I figured if we left at 7:15 I'd still have time for a mile warm-up before the 7:45 race start. But then we got turned around downtown and couldn't find parking so I ended up only getting a 7/10th of a mile warm up in. I wanted to make sure to find Jeremy at the start because he planned to hold back and run the 5k with me after his scary incident at the Race Into the New Year. Mom and dad were walking the race since dad's recovering from heel spur surgery so they helped me spot him. We took off together and chatted a little about the wind. When we turned into the wind early on in the race I was surprised by how strong it was and told Jeremy it would be nice to be able to finish with the wind at our back. It seems like each year at this race we have to finish into the wind and the finish has a little bit of an uphill so it would be nice to have a tailwind for the finish! We went through the first mile in 6:44. I was wanting to be under 6:45 pace so I could finish in under 21 minutes so I was okay with that although I would have preferred for it to be a bit faster. There was one woman way out ahead of me.

Jeremy and me ready for the start of the 5k.

The wind was so darn cold. When we were running into the wind my left hand was totally numb and I had to pull my fingers into my glove and ball them up to warm them back up. We went through the 2nd mile in 6:45 and I resigned myself to the fact that I likely wasn't going to finish in under 21 minutes this year. When we hit the last mile we had a little downhill by the BOK Center before turning to go up the long but slight incline toward the finish. I felt like we were maintaining our pace but with the wind at our backs, we were running much faster. Jeremy took off and I was pleased to see him feeling so good. We saw mom and dad and they cheered for us which was fun. I was shocked to see I ran the 3rd mile in 6:28! I would never have guessed I was running that fast, it felt so easy and comfortable. I ran the last portion of the race in 5:50 pace which I couldn't believe either. My time was 20:39 which averaged out to 6:38 pace. I grabbed a water bottle and Jeremy and I talked and walked as we drank. Then I took off for a mile cool down/warm up for the 10k. During my cool down I stopped by the car. My plan had been to change out of my sweaty sports bra and top into something dry in between races. I also had fresh gloves and a headband. I decided not to change because I wasn't that sweaty and I would go from a spandex top to a tech top because I expected it to warm up more than it had. I didn't think it would be warm enough to go to a tech top instead so I stuck with what I was wearing. The nice thing about wearing my capri tights was that they have big pockets on the side so I was able to stash my medal in my pocket for my cool down instead of carrying it. I drank an Arbonne fizz thing my sister-in-law sent me for my Boston training and then finished out my cool down.

Jeremy running by mom and dad at the end of the 5k.

Jeremy finishing the 5k.

Running by mom and dad at the end of the 5k.

Finishing the 5k.

I guess the key to good finishing photos is to not race all out, darn, haha!

When I got done with my cool down I had time to hit the porta potties and then it was back to the start line for the 10k. I saw a friend who used to be on my race team and we chatted while I was on the look-out for Jeremy. He found me and then we were off together again. I was hoping I might be able to average under 7:00 pace so I was pleased to see we took off a little under 7:00 pace. The same woman who beat me in the 5k was out with an aggressive lead again in the 10k. We saw mom and dad go by on the 5k course at some point, I think. We went through the first mile in 6:58. My legs usually feel a little off for the first couple miles of the 10k and we were running into the wind so I figured I'd be able to maintain around that for the rest of the race. We went through the 2nd mile in 6:54 and I was excited about that. Jeremy was running on my right and there was a guy to my left. The guy to my left made a loud, throat clearing grunt noise. Jeremy had his headphones in so he looked at me and said, "Did you say something?" I was trying not to laugh out loud as I knew he'd heard the other guy's weird noise and thought I was talking. We had a laugh about it after the race.

Mom and dad got this picture of us running together in the early miles of the 10k.

Mile 3 we get to go down the big hill we have to come up at the end of the race and we went through that mile in 6:40. Then there's a long section on Riverside. It was fun when the leaders were coming back by on their return trip and I got to cheer for them. As we were going I was calculating how much under 7:00 pace we were and determining our average pace. I knew we were averaging 6:53 pace and I was really happy with that. I was hoping to keep it around there but I also knew mile 5 is always a struggle with the big hill and I expected to be over 7:00 for that mile. We were on our return trip on Riverside, getting cheers from the runners still on their way out, when we hit mile 4 in 6:56. I knew we lost a little on that mile, but that stretch is always rough. You know you are coming up on the monster hill and you're starting to get tired. I always struggle a little mentally there as it's a long straight away and you know it doesn't end until you turn and go up the beast of a hill! I was feeling tired and really dreading that sucker. Surprisingly when we took off up the hill, I felt great. Normally running that hill, especially when I've done the double, my legs burn the whole way up! It was like the hill was giving me a second wind. I felt like a beast going up it! Jeremy fell back a little bit going up the hill. When we made it to the top and he hadn't come back up beside me, I started to worry and I had a little internal struggle. Should I drop off pace and fall back to run with him and make sure he was okay? Or should I continue on and drop it like it's hot since I was feeling good? I decided since we lost each other on that hill last year too, with no ill consequences, and he was likely falling back because he felt like that was in his best interest, that I should continue on. It ended up being the right decision but I worried about it and battled inside my head over it for the rest of the race.

I went through mile 5 in 6:58 which is the fastest I've ever run that mile at this race, even faster than last year! It was the first time I had been within seconds of my other miles on that mile. Normally I'm at least 15 seconds slower on that mile than any other mile of the race! I was super pumped up to see that mile split, especially after my watch showed I was running 7:40 pace at one point going up the hill. I think that's definitely something I'll need to keep in mind when I'm battling the Newton Hills at Boston. Even if my watch shows a drastically slow pace on the hills, that doesn't necessarily mean my mile split will be crazy slow, so I shouldn't freak out over it! I was feeling awesome and really took off during the last mile. I passed a couple people and was having that super awesome, happy, kick ass feeling when you are just dominating the finish of a race! Going into the last mile I had calculated I was 34 seconds under 7:00 pace which averaged out to 6:53-6:54 pace. I know it seems weird to calculate those kinds of things in my head as I run, but I really enjoy it and it gives me something to think about and distract me. I have noticed I always calculate down like figuring out how much under 7:00 pace I was rather than how much over 6:50 pace I was, so I am counting a net total under and feel successful. I was beyond excited when I went through mile 6 in 6:26! That was a faster last mile than my last mile of the 5k, say what?! Plus I had just doubled the amount I was under pace from 34 seconds to 68 seconds in one mile! I took off running as hard as I could and was smiling as I neared the finish line. When I could see the clock I couldn't quite tell what numbers were in the minute place and saw it was nearing the start of a new minute, I was worried I wasn't going to be under 43 minutes, but it turned out I was seeing a high 41, not a high 42 as I neared the finish. I was ecstatic when I realized I was finishing in a mid 42! I ran the last portion in 6:06 pace and finished in 42:39. That was only 27 seconds slower than last year and I was so excited! I expected to be so much slower than last year! I averaged 6:47 pace per mile which was only 4 seconds per mile slower than last year! I watched Jeremy finish and then took off on my cool down. I stopped off at the car and grabbed a bag of clothes to change into when I got back for the awards ceremony.

Last mile of the 10k.

Jeremy in the last mile of the 10k, clearly he saw the photographer while I did not.

We were inside the building looking at some adorable dogs they had there looking for new homes. One of which my mom put in an application to adopt. So we missed the 5k awards. Normally they announce inside that they are getting ready to do awards and didn't this year so we didn't realize they were going on. Jeremy finished the 5k in 20:22. He was 12th out of 944 overall and 5th in his age group. My time of 20:39 put me 14th overall and 2nd overall female. We placed 3rd out of 122 teams. Mom and dad walked together finishing in 1:23:14. They placed 941st and 942nd overall. Dad was 22nd in his age group and mom was 31st in hers. In the 10k my time of 42:39 put me 9th out of 526 overall and 2nd female. Jeremy finished in 43:57 which put him 11th overall and 5th in his age group. We were again the 3rd overall team. The teams who beat us were also in the double and beat us again in the 10k.

Showing off our double medals after the race!

Mom and dad walking during the 5k.

This year was way more competitive than previous years. Last year I won the overall double challenge with a combined 5k/10k time of 1:02:59 and Jeremy was 2nd with a combined time of 1:04:11. This year my combined time was only 19 seconds slower at 1:03:18 and I was 7th out of 289 overall in the double! Jeremy's combined time was 1:04:19, only 8 seconds slower and he was 9th overall! The top 2 finishers had combined times of 54:00 and 54:18! We finished 3rd out of 32 teams in the double teams. Although we didn't win anything like we did the previous 2 years, I had just as much fun, if not more fun than in the past! In 2018 Jeremy and I ran the 5k together but not the 10k. Last year we ran the 10k together but not the 5k. This year we ran both races together and that made this year much better than previous years! I was really proud of our races, especially given the wind and difficult conditions. I was also shocked by how close we were to our times from last year! I definitely didn't expect to be that close to my times from last year at all and definitely didn't think my 5k would be faster. Maybe I'm getting more used to marathon training to where I can put together faster races in the shorter distances on marathon training. In the past I have struggled to run decent times in anything under a half-marathon while training for a marathon, so I was especially pleased with this race. Read about last year's double here, 2018's double here, 2017's 10k here, 2016's 10k here, and 2015's pregnant 5k here.

With my friend, April, after the race. She also ran a trail half marathon the following day!

Dad jumped in with us.

Our Race History at Route 66

I was going back through drafts and found this one I wrote shortly after the Route 66 half in 2019 and never posted. With Boston approaching, I thought this would be a fun time to post about our history at the Route 66 Marathon.

In 2016 I was so excited for the Route 66 Half Marathon, I went back and did a little recap post of all our races at Route 66 over the years. I enjoy going back and looking at it before we run the Route 66 race each year to be reminded of all the fun we've had. I thought since we've run the race 4 more times since I wrote the post originally, I should probably go ahead and write an updated post. There's just something magical about the Route 66 race for me. They've changed the course a few times over the years but I always have a great time! I've only had one bad experience at the race but that was my fault for running the full marathon while having bronchitis and a sinus infection, it had nothing to do with the race itself! I think part of it is it's being our hometown race, I just always have such a blast!

• 2006- Jeremy's first marathon, he finished in 3:19:43. I loved watching Jeremy race and couldn't wait for the chance to run the race myself. It was crazy to me that Jeremy was running for long enough we had time to watch him start, go to McDonald's to eat breakfast, watch him at numerous points along the course, and then watch him finish. One of the big memories of this race for me was Jeremy running around the same pace as a guy who was running in an orange banana hammock. I guess he lost a bet but Jeremy said no one wanted to run with him. Most people would speed up to pass him.

  

  Jeremy running ahead of the banana hammock guy.

  

  Jeremy finishing his first marathon.

• 2007- Jeremy's second marathon, he finished in 3:23:32. Thomas' first half-marathon and my second. He finished in 1:32:08 and I finished in 1:32:39. I remember Thomas passing me around mile 8 while wearing his shirt as a cape. I figured he would die when we hit the hills and I would pass him back but he rocked the hills and kept pulling further away from me. I was pretty excited to finish 5th overall female in such a large and competitive race.
  

• 2008- I ran my first marathon and Jeremy decided to run it with me. It was awesome to have him there with me! When we hit around mile 20 or so Jeremy started having stomach issues and had to use the porta potty. He told me to keep running and he'd try to catch up. He never did and I conquered the last 6.2 miles of hills alone. Back then the marathon course was flat for the first 20 miles and then the last 6 were all up and down hills. It was brutal. I knew from looking at the elevation map that it would be like that so I saved back a bit for the hills and was so thankful I had when the time hit. I finished in 3:40:05, qualifying for Boston. I walked back to see Jeremy finish and really started to worry about him. He ended up finishing in 4:27:31. He had to stop at the restrooms multiple times and had to walk some because his legs started cramping up. Thomas ran the half marathon, finishing in 1:34:40. He was late to the start because he was out watching us in the marathon which back then started before the half. He ended up having to pee on a tree because he didn't have time to go to the porta potties.
  

• 2009- Jeremy and Thomas ran the half-marathon, finishing in 1:37:31 and 1:43:05 respectively. I ran the most miserable race of my life, finishing the marathon in 3:58:04. While training for the marathon my goal was to break 3:40. Then race week came and I was sick. I refused to accept the fact that the marathon wasn't going to happen. I knew I should probably transfer to the half but was determined to run the full. I ended up having to walk in the second half and threw up as I crossed the finish line. I went to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection. 

• 2010- Jeremy and Thomas ran the half-marathon, finishing in 1:35:55 and 1:54:41. Ty and I were in Topeka for Paul and Amanda's wedding.

• 2011- Jeremy and I ran the half-marathon together. He hadn't really trained and I again got sick the week of the race. Training for a half or full marathon at the end of November as a teacher is rough because you are putting in long runs and compromising your immune system right around the time when sickness starts going around. We finished together in 1:51:40. It was my first time running the race as a Cox rather than a Hurford.

• 2012- I decided just a couple weeks out from the race to do it. I was 32 weeks pregnant on race day and had gotten the okay from my doctor to run it before I signed up. Jeremy and Thomas hadn't trained for it but figured since their hugely pregnant sister was running, they probably should. Jeremy finished in 1:32:10, Thomas finished in 1:47:39, and I finished in 2:19:57 (with a couple restroom stops).

  

  I was large and in charge on race day, lol! Ty was pretty proud he got pictures of me switching to a short-sleeved shirt mid race. My belly was much more impressive bare, that's for sure!

• 2013- We ran the Jenks half-marathon instead. I can't remember what we had going on race day, but something conflicted so we picked a different fall half-marathon. I ended up being so glad as the weather was terrible that year with icy roads and miserably cold temps. All my friends who ran it said it was awful.

• 2014- I was pregnant with Elise and decided to just run one half-marathon earlier in the season to make it easier on my body. We all ran the Prairie Fire half-marathon in early October instead. Mom, dad, and I all volunteered at a water stop during the race and it was an awesome experience. Seeing it from the other side made me appreciate the hard work volunteers put in to make the race possible.

• 2015- This was Ty and dad's first time running the race! They changed the course this year so it started and finished at different locations. Instead of just the last portion of the race being hilly, the hills were more spread out within the race, but there were also more of them! Jeremy finished in 1:34:17, I finished in 1:35:43, Thomas finished in 1:57:00, Dad finished in 1:57:12, and Ty finished in a PR of 2:08:03!
  

• 2016- I finished the half-marathon just shy of a PR, finishing in 1:31:49. I was bummed to miss a PR by 14 seconds, but pumped to have nearly beat my PR on a challenging course! Jeremy ran the race less than a year after his accident which left him with a fractured skull, femur, and pelvis along with a traumatic brain injury. He finished in an amazing 1:41:23, totally unbelievable! Ty finished in 2:50:43 after suffering stomach issues and spending a significant amount of time in and out of porta potties along the course.
  

• 2017- Jeremy moved up to the marathon for the first time since his accident. He finished in 4:20:19. I had intended to run the marathon with him but it didn't work out and I surprised myself by pulling out a PR and running my first sub-3:40 with minimal training. I finished in 3:38:58! Thomas ran the half and finished in 1:43:32.
  

• 2018- Jeremy and I were both back for the marathon. My goal was to run a PR but I really wanted to qualify for Boston and I hoped to be enough under the standard to actually get into the race because I had hopes of running Boston in 2020. I was able to do just that by breaking my PR by 13 minutes, finishing in 3:25:27! Jeremy outdid me by beating his time from last year by 35 minutes, finishing in 3:45:13! Thomas finished the half marathon in 1:37:11, beating his goal of breaking 1:40! Ty ran a huge half-marathon PR finishing in 1:58:12! It was a big day for our family.
  

• 2019- I decided to run the half since I would be running the Boston Marathon in the spring. I prefer running one marathon a year rather than one a season so bumping down to the half for this year just made sense. Thomas decided to run the full as his last ever marathon which he declared before the race, but stated even more surely afterward. Jeremy was also in the marathon and Ty ran a drinking challenge half which he and Thomas came up with the night before. Our cousin, Ian, travelled from Nashville to run the half and experience the race with us. I finished the half in 1:32:32. Ian ran it in 1:33:44. Ty took 14 shots during the race and finished in 2:26:27. Jeremy once again killed the marathon, knocking 8 minutes off his time from last year and finishing in 3:37:12. Thomas had a really rough last 10k and was forced to walk up all the hills due to severe cramping. He finished in a valiant 4:20:43.
  

Wordless Wednesday

She was thrilled there was still some snow on the ground at the playground.

Elise made Tesla a valentine to wear.

Living her best life while I volunteered at Carter's school library.

Paws for Reading at the library.

Elise at a friend's birthday party.

Elise wanted rainbow hair.

Making valentines for the dogs.

All ready to go. Gotta love the outfits she puts together, here a Valentine's Day shirt with Halloween leggings I had put away in the closet and she pulled back out. They are her favorite because they had kitties.

Elise ready for the science demonstration at the Children's Museum.

Playing hotel where we laid on the couch together to sleep and then got up for "free breakfast".

Carter dressed as a 100 year old for the 100th day of school.

They made a blanket fort to read in, Elise didn't want me to take her picture.

Reading in Ty's hat from Oktoberfest.

Decorating cookies at the Mommy and Me Night at school!

 

Sitting in car line waiting to pick Carter up, Tesla wanted to sit in Elise's lap.

She's so close to getting a medal for making it to the top of the rope at gymnastics!

Wordless Thursday

The windows were really dirty and we were playing Simon Says, so...

She may be big enough to carry a purse, but she's not to big to be carried.

Fun at the playground with friends.

Hiking with Tesla.

Elise with her arm through Big Otty and her finger through Baby Otty.

Close-up of how she does this, so sweet!

Playing with her color changing mermaid Hatchimals while I lifted.

Ready to watch the races at the Pinewood Derby.

Pinewood Derby

Carter won "best paint job" and his car was the 3rd fastest in the Tiger Group.

School was cancelled for a snow day on Wednesday!

Carter wanted to catch snowflakes on cardboard so he could look at them with a magnifying glass.

We went straight outside when we woke up and they got hungry before they were ready to come in so we ate breakfast outside.

Hot chocolate, cuddles, and books on the couch after an hour and a half playing in the snow.

Elise decided to photo bomb me as I took a comparison picture for Opa.

Elise half fell asleep on my lap as Carter read me his reading homework.

Elise had a spill while sledding. That's all mud and red skin from being cold/snow burn. No blood, thankfully!

Snow day #2 today! We got out the "snow crayons" to draw in the snow.

We tried out a different hill for sledding on the 2nd day.

Elise was a bit scared after her spill yesterday so would only sled with me. So I don't have many pictures.

Hiking at Turkey Mountain after sledding.