My running habits have become a little erratic. I'm lucky if I get out there twice a week these days. That being said....I ran my 1st 8K last weekend!
I didn't even know there WAS an 8K. It's like 4.96 miles. Weird, but I'm game! A ton of people showed up for this race. I've said it before, I'll say it again....I just L-O-V-E being with these running people! They come out of the woodwork to race! Where are they all when I'm all alone, wishing I could find someone to run with????
Even Chuck showed for this one, I still think it was for the green beer....LOL
Anyway, I decided since this was my 1st 8K and no matter what I'd be PR-ing, that I just wanted to finish it in under 45 minutes.
And I did! My finish time was 44:52....LOL. Reg came in at 40:50 and Ed finished in like 36 minutes!
I was moving along at a steady pace when Tina went by me. I kept her in my sights and finished about 30 seconds behind her! At the end of the race I came side to side with an older man who I basically ran the whole race with. We took turns passing each other. When the finish line came into sight I asked him if he wanted to do a little sprint finish. I told him my coach always told me to finish strong. He said that was funny...his coach told him the same thing, only it was 30 years ago! We laughed and took off. I think he let me win because I did make it over the finish line 1 second before him. What a sweetie!!!
After the race we went and had a little breakfast. And green beer. We went to hear the awards and guess what??? I made 3rd place in my age division! I'm very happy!!
I'm not sure when I'm racing again. I need to check the schedule.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Thursday Run
This week has been busy between work, meetings and a sick little boy. Robby is back to feeling wonderfully full of life, but now I have his sore throat. Better me than him though!
After the Gasparilla 15K last weekend (you remember...the race I ran with RYAN HALL), the first chance I had to run was Thursday. I was still recovering for a few days anyway, but it felt like it had been FOREVA since I ran!
I met Reg at the gym at 9:30 and we picked the residential neighborhood with the nice paved road for our start. While we held a nice 9-9:30 pace we chatted about the race and the week. Both of us are very happy with that race. Reg's race photos came out AWESOME, mine make me look fat...blah!
Reg had a little visitor at the house he's renting for the winter here. It was a 5 foot long Black Racer snake. Yumminess. Reg was NOT pleased....LOL...I can't blame him. Those snakes eat Canadians!!!! HA!! He got it out of the house, but not before the snake whispered "I'll be back while you're sleeping." LOL..just kiddin'
Now Reg has a tv that's turning itself off and on at odd times...niiiiiice! I wonder what the ghost's name is..... It's safe to say Reg's visit to Florida has been eventful. I don't think he'll forget THIS particular visit. Not that I'd let him.
Anyway, we came out of the residential and decided to run the block too. We ran 5 miles in 44 minutes and walked back to the gym for the cool down. Very pleasant run, as usual. Reg is only here for 5 more weeks. I will miss him!! I am going to strive to pull off a 25 minute 5K before he leaves. How's that for being optimistic??
After the Gasparilla 15K last weekend (you remember...the race I ran with RYAN HALL), the first chance I had to run was Thursday. I was still recovering for a few days anyway, but it felt like it had been FOREVA since I ran!
I met Reg at the gym at 9:30 and we picked the residential neighborhood with the nice paved road for our start. While we held a nice 9-9:30 pace we chatted about the race and the week. Both of us are very happy with that race. Reg's race photos came out AWESOME, mine make me look fat...blah!
Reg had a little visitor at the house he's renting for the winter here. It was a 5 foot long Black Racer snake. Yumminess. Reg was NOT pleased....LOL...I can't blame him. Those snakes eat Canadians!!!! HA!! He got it out of the house, but not before the snake whispered "I'll be back while you're sleeping." LOL..just kiddin'
Now Reg has a tv that's turning itself off and on at odd times...niiiiiice! I wonder what the ghost's name is..... It's safe to say Reg's visit to Florida has been eventful. I don't think he'll forget THIS particular visit. Not that I'd let him.
Anyway, we came out of the residential and decided to run the block too. We ran 5 miles in 44 minutes and walked back to the gym for the cool down. Very pleasant run, as usual. Reg is only here for 5 more weeks. I will miss him!! I am going to strive to pull off a 25 minute 5K before he leaves. How's that for being optimistic??
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
After Thoughts Of The Gasparilla 15K
This post is an updated race report. There may be some repeats!!!!
It's been 3 days since the race and I'm still pretty thrilled! I also found out that Ryan Hall ran it too! So I can say I ran a 15K with Olympian Ryan Hall. Ok, so I didn't actually run WITH him, but I saw him fly past when I was at about mile 3-4. He was approaching mile 8....LOL.
The crowd was screaming as he ran past, but I thought they were yelling because the first wheelchairs were coming in. Little did I know, the blue and black blur racing past was Ryan Hall. He finished in 43 minutes, right about when I was hitting the half way point. Very exciting stuff!
Here are the results from the race page. I feel very good about these numbers!
Age: 42 Gender: F
Distance 15K
Clock Time 01:26:54
Chip Time 01:25:08
Overall Place 1671 / 4204
Gender Place 554 / 2055
Division Place 68 / 268
Age Grade 57%
Pace 9:08.0
Half 0:41:12
I had to go into this race with a different state of mind. I trained for distance from the start of my running. That included hitting the water stops with a 30-60 second walk break. The training runs I did with Reg had a few rough spots. I realized that every time I stopped for one of these breaks my legs were so fatigued and crampy that it was very difficult to get going again. Even in a 3 mile run! Reg suggested I try to run through it, not stop for the breaks. It went against EVERYTHING I believed in. Walk breaks were a part of my distance running. But things have changed. My feet and legs needed a new approach.
A few days before the race we had a 3.25 mile easy run. Not even 2 miles out I could feel the usual problems. I told Reg I thought I needed to walk already. He looked over at me and didn't say anything. Normally at this time I would walk. I decided to try to see how far I could get. I started thinking about what I'd be wearing to the race, the size of the expo, Bondi Bands!!! I stopped thinking about my legs and feet. Next thing I knew we were done. Reg was right, I needed to just run straight out, no stops. Could I do that for a 15K???
I stood at the starting line, Reg and I talking to the people around us for awhile. It occurred to me that this might be my last decent distance race, I have accepted I won't be doing any more marathons. This race was the test. I promised myself at that precise moment to try not to stop at all. What did I have to lose? Worse case scenario was that I'd stroll over the finish line at a 17 minute pace. Best case was I'd get a new PR.
Away we went. We dodged fellow runners, walkers and parked cars. We stayed together, our pace changing with the availability of space and finding those spots we could jump into. We found a steady crowd doing our 9 minute pace at about 2-3 miles and stayed with them for a mile or so. At the 4 mile marker I was sweaty and feeling like I was ready for a water/walk break. As I came up on the water table I slowed to take a cup and instantly decided NOT to walk. Try running while sipping water. I almost laughed! I slowed to about 10:30 pace for that but caught back up to Reg, back in the 9 minute pace.
My right foot was cramped up. Can I please catch a break, just for today????? The sharp pains in my quads said no. I said to myself...."Self, is that a favorite song on your iPod"?? Why yes self, it sure is!!!! I put my eyes on the man in front of me, letting my feet keep up with his tempo. Glancing at my Garmin we were at a 9 minute pace. Cool! I let my mind wander back to the man I was following and my music and I felt lighter.
By the time I saw the 7 mile marker, I started to worry about holding this pace. I also realized I had lost the man I was behind and Reg was getting further away from me. Garmin said I was still at the 9 minute pace, so Reg had sped up. I saw him looking for me, I could see him, but he had lost me. Too many people for him to be looking behind. I was kinda glad because I didn't want to hold him back. Being able to keep him in my sights for the mental support was awesome though.
By mile 8 I was hurting. Once again I lost myself in my music and the person in front of me. It was harder to do the meditation-type thing by now. I pictured myself at the end of one of our 3 mile runs. Mind over matter does help! Next thing I knew, I was in sights of the finish line. Relief took over and I felt that shot of adrenaline. I sped up a little, just wanting to be done. I had lost sight of Reg by then, but I knew he'd be at the finish.
I almost knocked someone over getting across that line. I yelled out SORRY!!! But I was sooooo relieved to be done. Relieved and very happy. With a new PR of 1:25:08!!
So here's where I'm at now. The 15K is going to be my marathon. It's a decent distance, it's a chance to compete at a different level than the 5K fun runs and it still requires some training. I love the training part.
Running the Gasparilla 15K taught me something about endurance. Endurance isn't just running a marathon. It's overcoming the obstacles life can throw at you. When life throws you lemons, don't just make lemonade....jump over that lemon tree.
To the lemons, I say....I WIN!!!
It's been 3 days since the race and I'm still pretty thrilled! I also found out that Ryan Hall ran it too! So I can say I ran a 15K with Olympian Ryan Hall. Ok, so I didn't actually run WITH him, but I saw him fly past when I was at about mile 3-4. He was approaching mile 8....LOL.
The crowd was screaming as he ran past, but I thought they were yelling because the first wheelchairs were coming in. Little did I know, the blue and black blur racing past was Ryan Hall. He finished in 43 minutes, right about when I was hitting the half way point. Very exciting stuff!
Here are the results from the race page. I feel very good about these numbers!
Age: 42 Gender: F
Distance 15K
Clock Time 01:26:54
Chip Time 01:25:08
Overall Place 1671 / 4204
Gender Place 554 / 2055
Division Place 68 / 268
Age Grade 57%
Pace 9:08.0
Half 0:41:12
I had to go into this race with a different state of mind. I trained for distance from the start of my running. That included hitting the water stops with a 30-60 second walk break. The training runs I did with Reg had a few rough spots. I realized that every time I stopped for one of these breaks my legs were so fatigued and crampy that it was very difficult to get going again. Even in a 3 mile run! Reg suggested I try to run through it, not stop for the breaks. It went against EVERYTHING I believed in. Walk breaks were a part of my distance running. But things have changed. My feet and legs needed a new approach.
A few days before the race we had a 3.25 mile easy run. Not even 2 miles out I could feel the usual problems. I told Reg I thought I needed to walk already. He looked over at me and didn't say anything. Normally at this time I would walk. I decided to try to see how far I could get. I started thinking about what I'd be wearing to the race, the size of the expo, Bondi Bands!!! I stopped thinking about my legs and feet. Next thing I knew we were done. Reg was right, I needed to just run straight out, no stops. Could I do that for a 15K???
I stood at the starting line, Reg and I talking to the people around us for awhile. It occurred to me that this might be my last decent distance race, I have accepted I won't be doing any more marathons. This race was the test. I promised myself at that precise moment to try not to stop at all. What did I have to lose? Worse case scenario was that I'd stroll over the finish line at a 17 minute pace. Best case was I'd get a new PR.
Away we went. We dodged fellow runners, walkers and parked cars. We stayed together, our pace changing with the availability of space and finding those spots we could jump into. We found a steady crowd doing our 9 minute pace at about 2-3 miles and stayed with them for a mile or so. At the 4 mile marker I was sweaty and feeling like I was ready for a water/walk break. As I came up on the water table I slowed to take a cup and instantly decided NOT to walk. Try running while sipping water. I almost laughed! I slowed to about 10:30 pace for that but caught back up to Reg, back in the 9 minute pace.
My right foot was cramped up. Can I please catch a break, just for today????? The sharp pains in my quads said no. I said to myself...."Self, is that a favorite song on your iPod"?? Why yes self, it sure is!!!! I put my eyes on the man in front of me, letting my feet keep up with his tempo. Glancing at my Garmin we were at a 9 minute pace. Cool! I let my mind wander back to the man I was following and my music and I felt lighter.
By the time I saw the 7 mile marker, I started to worry about holding this pace. I also realized I had lost the man I was behind and Reg was getting further away from me. Garmin said I was still at the 9 minute pace, so Reg had sped up. I saw him looking for me, I could see him, but he had lost me. Too many people for him to be looking behind. I was kinda glad because I didn't want to hold him back. Being able to keep him in my sights for the mental support was awesome though.
By mile 8 I was hurting. Once again I lost myself in my music and the person in front of me. It was harder to do the meditation-type thing by now. I pictured myself at the end of one of our 3 mile runs. Mind over matter does help! Next thing I knew, I was in sights of the finish line. Relief took over and I felt that shot of adrenaline. I sped up a little, just wanting to be done. I had lost sight of Reg by then, but I knew he'd be at the finish.
I almost knocked someone over getting across that line. I yelled out SORRY!!! But I was sooooo relieved to be done. Relieved and very happy. With a new PR of 1:25:08!!
So here's where I'm at now. The 15K is going to be my marathon. It's a decent distance, it's a chance to compete at a different level than the 5K fun runs and it still requires some training. I love the training part.
Running the Gasparilla 15K taught me something about endurance. Endurance isn't just running a marathon. It's overcoming the obstacles life can throw at you. When life throws you lemons, don't just make lemonade....jump over that lemon tree.
To the lemons, I say....I WIN!!!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Stop The Presses!!!
I made a little mistake. Doesn't happen often, but it happened today. I took the two minutes off from my Garmin, not the clock.
Gasparilla 15K results post has the wrong finish time!!!!!!
My REAL finish time is 1:25:08. Still a 15 minute shave so I'm ok with this minor infraction.
Gasparilla 15K results post has the wrong finish time!!!!!!
My REAL finish time is 1:25:08. Still a 15 minute shave so I'm ok with this minor infraction.
Gasparilla 15K
Reg came and picked me up at 5:15am. This would be my 2nd 15K.
- We parked and walked across the street to the the expo for packet pick up. There were thousands of people there. I told Reg I always get a funny feeling when I see so many runners gathered together. Running can be such a lone sport that I sometimes feel alone out on the road. Like I'm the only person who runs. But when I go to the big races I'm overwhelmed with the camaraderie of my fellow runner.
- Publix was a major sponsor for this race and there were Publix banners everywhere! My husband had to work today and couldn't come with us. As I looked all around at the Publix signs I thought of my husband, who works for Publix. I could picture him in his shirt and tie, looking so handsome. But enough abouthim....and Publix...LOL
- Reg once again let me know he was running this race with me. Once again I had mixed feelings about that. I was glad to have him with me, but I didn't want to hold him back. He gave us a finish time of about 1:30. My last 15K PR was 1:40, so I felt comfy with this goal. I felt hopeful too.
- The first 2 miles were the bunny hop, dodging walkers, stoppers and even a few parked cars. We kept to a 9-9:30 pace for this. It was a little warm and very sunny but it felt great. I didn't really work up a sweat until about 4 miles. By then the crowd had thinned out a bit and running was easier. At about mile 6 I felt the first sign of the dreaded muscle cramping, especially in my right foot. I was worried if I had trouble Reg would stay, so I kinda hung back a little, keeping him in my sights for mental support. By mile 7 I knew he couldn't see me and he did go faster. I think I lost sight of him by mile 8 or so.
- I kept watching my Garmin and was so surprised to see I was holding the 9-9:30 pace. Earlier in the week I decided to try to run this one without any stop/walk breaks. I have a really hard time getting going again once I stop and walk so I just wanted to get as far as I could. This was tough at mile 8. The pain in my feet alone made me want to stop, but I had something to prove to myself today. So I kept going. My doctor did tell me I'd get used to the pain and he was right. A few times I actually let myself think I was going to make it. =P
- Mile marker 9 was a sight, I'll tell ya. The timer said something CRAZY, like 1:17. Plus take 2 minutes off that for my true time start. Wow, no way! As I came around a bend I could see the finish line. Like a true endurance runner, I reached into the tank for a strong finish. I soooo love the feeling of crossing a finish line with some energy left in me. This time I was surprised to find some...haha!
- I looked up at the green and white balloons with the Publix sign as I crossed the finish. I thought of Bobby at work and I could see him smile in my mind. He was going to be so proud of me!
- Reg came running over yelling my finish time.
- 1:23!!!!
- I'll admit tears came to my eyes, I still can't get over it! Reg finished in 1:20!! We are thrilled with our results. All the running we've been doing really paid off. I am extremely happy today. I ran with a great friend. I found a distance I can accomplish. I got a new PR. Shaved almost 20 minutes off my last PR!
- And when I talked to Bobby he said what I knew he'd say: "I'm so proud of you!"
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