I never thought I'd see the day when I could say that 3 miles is becoming easy! My last 3 runs over the past week have all been 3-3.5 miles and I've been great after! It's so exciting to know that I may be able to do a 10k this Spring after all! My goal right now is to work up to around 5 miles by Spring time so I can comfortably do a 10k with the possibility of a little walking (which would be totally fine).
Eryn and I ran the track for 3 miles tonight and I felt so good. My legs were a little jelly-like when we finished but I know I could have easily done another 1/2 mile if I pushed myself. Such a great feeling!
I looked up our running scores today. That experience made me so thankful that I live in an area where there are two major chain running stores - Fleet Feet and Runner's World. They make registering for races so easy and when they use timed chips, they actually know how to use them. I don't want to seem too bitchy because I know that this was only the 2nd annual race, but a chip should start when one crosses the start line and end when they cross the finish line. If they aren't at the head of the line, their time should officially NOT reflect what the time board said when they crossed. I didn't cross the Start line until at least 15-20 seconds AFTER the gun went off. I was in the middle/back area. When I looked at the time scores they had me listed at the exact time I crossed the line according to the board - very disappointing. Especially when I had a half mile to go and I was told the time from when we started was 21minutes. Either way, I was under 28 minutes so I'm still very proud of myself.
I'm also excited because Eryn told me tonight that she and her roommate (also a former resident of mine) will be running with us for the 5k on December 11th! That made me happy - more support for Jess and me! Eryn said her roommate would probably run with the faster group so she'd stay with us. I know Jess is nervous as the race is only a few weekends away but I know she's going to do wonderful and she'll have her first PR! That's always so exciting. I keep thinking about my new PR - how far I've come from my first 5k (in the mid-40's) and how/if I will ever beat it again! I guess time will tell...
I've been thinking I'd like to see your eyes open real wide the minute that you see me
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sticks and Biscuits 5k
For Christmas this year I wanted nothing more than to do a 5k race with my godson Corey. What I thought would be an easy task ended up being extremely stressful but ended up being one of the best races I've done so far.
I read about the race before I left for Pennsylvania. I figured since it was the next town over it would not be a big deal - quick registration and race. Being in Hershey made me realize just how wrong I was and how much I appreciate Tulsa for having running stores that allow you to register in advance (in person) and make the whole process easier.
The race was on Thanksgiving Day however registration closed on the 5th for mail-ins. Anyone after that had to wait until either race day or the day before to register. We tried to register the day before but got horribly lost thanks to the directions the guy gave us (the website was NO help). So that meant we had to get up at 6.30am to go register before the race.
Having done races before - this being my 6th this year alone (I have done 3 or 4 in the distant past), I, like most runners, have a system. I put my clothing out before I go to bed. I make sure my iShuffle is charged. I plan out my breakfast (just a half of a granola bar) and try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep the night before.
This was, I believe, Corey's first 5k. We ended up staying up late and talking so there went my sleep. He woke up and thought it was a school day so he jumped in the shower (which cause me to start having a panic attack downstairs) and then as we were about to leave, he couldn't find his arm band. We still had to pick up his friend and find the race. Needless to say, I was silently freaking out.
As we pulled out of the driveway, we were greeted by sleet and a cold, dreary morning. Who wants to race in that? We made the decision that if we couldn't find the place, we'd turn around and go out for breakfast instead and just chalk it up.
As we were driving, I saw the sign we missed the night before. With luck on our side, we found the race and were able to register on time! Sadly, we were too late to receive a t-shirt as over 900 people registered for the race (I saw bibs as low as the 200's so there were a lot of people there). I was very surprised with the turn out - partly with the weather being so horrible and partly because it was only the 2nd annual run but I love racing with a lot of people so it made me happy.
The gun went off at 8.15am sharp and we were off. Corey and his friend took a lead of about 2 minutes, which I expected. We ran down from the airport into a neighborhood and then back around. I realized from this run that I prefer the lollipop courses as opposed to the turn around courses I tend to run in Tulsa. It's easier for me to NOT know where the "half-way" point is. I just knew that when I exited the neighborhood I'd have about a mile to go and a since a mile is now "easy" to me, I figured I could trick my mind/body into completing it.
As I was nearing the last half mile a man came up beside me and motioned about my earbuds. I turned my music off and he explained that we'd started together - he had been behind me most of the race and wanted to tell me I was doing a great job. I explained that it was my Christmas gift from my godson - our first race together. I explained I had two goals for this race - to stay close to 30min and to run the entire thing - both firsts for me. We talked about when we started running - he used to run in his teens and 20's (he was prob 40's - 50's) and did 7 marathons. I explained I picked up running when I hit 30 and never looked back. No goals with marathons but perhaps a half some day.
After a few minutes he realized that I was running slower because of him so he encouraged me to push on and he dropped back a little bit. I told him I'd see him at the finish line and sped up to get back my pace.
The greatest feeling in the world, aside from runner's high - is coming up on the clock and seeing what your time is. When I got closer to the clock I realized that my time was under 30. I was seeing 27.30 so I pushed with all my might and crossed over at 27.58. The best thing though - is that I know my time will be less than that. We had chips and I know that I didn't cross the start line when the gun went off so my time may even be around 27.30, which would be unbelieveable. And I was able to attain both of my goals - I ran the ENTIRE race for the first time EVER!! I was so proud of myself. And as I crossed the finish line Corey was walking by so he got to see me cross. That made me so happy. : )
Here we are after the race (Thanks to Boyer for taking the photo). I warned him this would be put online but he's 17 and I guess doesn't care.
We are planning to do a 5 mile loop tomorrow before I leave. I'm excited to see how much of it I can actually do. And in 2 weeks I have a race with my RA Jessica and then... my run into the new year! So excited to be finishing out my year with a total of 8 races!! I've come so far and hopefully things keep looking up with life and my runs!
I read about the race before I left for Pennsylvania. I figured since it was the next town over it would not be a big deal - quick registration and race. Being in Hershey made me realize just how wrong I was and how much I appreciate Tulsa for having running stores that allow you to register in advance (in person) and make the whole process easier.
The race was on Thanksgiving Day however registration closed on the 5th for mail-ins. Anyone after that had to wait until either race day or the day before to register. We tried to register the day before but got horribly lost thanks to the directions the guy gave us (the website was NO help). So that meant we had to get up at 6.30am to go register before the race.
Having done races before - this being my 6th this year alone (I have done 3 or 4 in the distant past), I, like most runners, have a system. I put my clothing out before I go to bed. I make sure my iShuffle is charged. I plan out my breakfast (just a half of a granola bar) and try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep the night before.
This was, I believe, Corey's first 5k. We ended up staying up late and talking so there went my sleep. He woke up and thought it was a school day so he jumped in the shower (which cause me to start having a panic attack downstairs) and then as we were about to leave, he couldn't find his arm band. We still had to pick up his friend and find the race. Needless to say, I was silently freaking out.
As we pulled out of the driveway, we were greeted by sleet and a cold, dreary morning. Who wants to race in that? We made the decision that if we couldn't find the place, we'd turn around and go out for breakfast instead and just chalk it up.
As we were driving, I saw the sign we missed the night before. With luck on our side, we found the race and were able to register on time! Sadly, we were too late to receive a t-shirt as over 900 people registered for the race (I saw bibs as low as the 200's so there were a lot of people there). I was very surprised with the turn out - partly with the weather being so horrible and partly because it was only the 2nd annual run but I love racing with a lot of people so it made me happy.
The gun went off at 8.15am sharp and we were off. Corey and his friend took a lead of about 2 minutes, which I expected. We ran down from the airport into a neighborhood and then back around. I realized from this run that I prefer the lollipop courses as opposed to the turn around courses I tend to run in Tulsa. It's easier for me to NOT know where the "half-way" point is. I just knew that when I exited the neighborhood I'd have about a mile to go and a since a mile is now "easy" to me, I figured I could trick my mind/body into completing it.
As I was nearing the last half mile a man came up beside me and motioned about my earbuds. I turned my music off and he explained that we'd started together - he had been behind me most of the race and wanted to tell me I was doing a great job. I explained that it was my Christmas gift from my godson - our first race together. I explained I had two goals for this race - to stay close to 30min and to run the entire thing - both firsts for me. We talked about when we started running - he used to run in his teens and 20's (he was prob 40's - 50's) and did 7 marathons. I explained I picked up running when I hit 30 and never looked back. No goals with marathons but perhaps a half some day.
After a few minutes he realized that I was running slower because of him so he encouraged me to push on and he dropped back a little bit. I told him I'd see him at the finish line and sped up to get back my pace.
The greatest feeling in the world, aside from runner's high - is coming up on the clock and seeing what your time is. When I got closer to the clock I realized that my time was under 30. I was seeing 27.30 so I pushed with all my might and crossed over at 27.58. The best thing though - is that I know my time will be less than that. We had chips and I know that I didn't cross the start line when the gun went off so my time may even be around 27.30, which would be unbelieveable. And I was able to attain both of my goals - I ran the ENTIRE race for the first time EVER!! I was so proud of myself. And as I crossed the finish line Corey was walking by so he got to see me cross. That made me so happy. : )
We are planning to do a 5 mile loop tomorrow before I leave. I'm excited to see how much of it I can actually do. And in 2 weeks I have a race with my RA Jessica and then... my run into the new year! So excited to be finishing out my year with a total of 8 races!! I've come so far and hopefully things keep looking up with life and my runs!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Tonight's Run... 4 miles...
What a day! I'm back on the East Coast for a little bit and figured since I can't sleep tonight I'd update on my first real day back in my hometown(ish) area!
My godchildren have been so great. My 2nd oldest (he's 5) stayed up so he could see me when I got here. He "surprised me" when I went upstairs to check on the little ones (10 months and 3 year old). They are so adorable! Both girls have already warmed up to me which makes me feel great since this is the first time I'm meeting the baby. : )
I think I finally convinced my oldest godson (he's 17) to run with me this Thursday. There's a local race and since I missed Oct and managed to schedule my flight out on the day I wanted to race (ugh!) I need to get this race in before I return home to OK.
We did a "test run" tonight. I was about two minutes behind Corey the entire time (for about a half mile or so) and then he suddenly disappeared. I called his name out a few times while jogging in place but didn't get a response so I kept running up the street figuring eventually I'd run into him again. Thankfully it was only 7pm when we were running.
I ended up getting lost (as I always do in their neighborhood) and ran almost 4 miles by the time we found one another again! As it turns out he'd ran towards the woods and I wasn't even going to attempt that in the dark and when I was blasting my music. I kept running though - through the pain in my side and up the many hills I encountered. It felt so good to be outside running again - reminded me of the nights I'd run with friends on campus - bundled up in my sports bra, tank top, underarmor, t-shirt and hoodie just to stay warm. Gosh how I miss those days!
We are going to do a quick 3 miler tomorrow night, take Wed off and race Thursday morning bright and early! Then I told him our last run would be a 5 miler he ran all summer. It's going to be hard for me but I'm up for the challenge I think. I still can't believe I ran without stopping at all tonight. I wanted to take a break at one point but two things stopped me - I know that when I stop sometimes it's harder for my body to be ok with keeping a good pace again and I didn't feel comfortable walking in a neighborhood I don't know very well. Both things worked in my favor and I was able to show myself that I can run an entire 3.2 mile race. Hopefully Thursday will be good for me and I'll be able to run the entire thing - which will be a big step. I'm not setting a time goal - more just a "how far can I run before I need to rest" goal. I usually make it to almost 2 miles in a race before I need to stop but I've been pushing myself harder these past months so we'll see how well I do!!
Hopefully I will have an update soon. : )
My godchildren have been so great. My 2nd oldest (he's 5) stayed up so he could see me when I got here. He "surprised me" when I went upstairs to check on the little ones (10 months and 3 year old). They are so adorable! Both girls have already warmed up to me which makes me feel great since this is the first time I'm meeting the baby. : )
I think I finally convinced my oldest godson (he's 17) to run with me this Thursday. There's a local race and since I missed Oct and managed to schedule my flight out on the day I wanted to race (ugh!) I need to get this race in before I return home to OK.
We did a "test run" tonight. I was about two minutes behind Corey the entire time (for about a half mile or so) and then he suddenly disappeared. I called his name out a few times while jogging in place but didn't get a response so I kept running up the street figuring eventually I'd run into him again. Thankfully it was only 7pm when we were running.
I ended up getting lost (as I always do in their neighborhood) and ran almost 4 miles by the time we found one another again! As it turns out he'd ran towards the woods and I wasn't even going to attempt that in the dark and when I was blasting my music. I kept running though - through the pain in my side and up the many hills I encountered. It felt so good to be outside running again - reminded me of the nights I'd run with friends on campus - bundled up in my sports bra, tank top, underarmor, t-shirt and hoodie just to stay warm. Gosh how I miss those days!
We are going to do a quick 3 miler tomorrow night, take Wed off and race Thursday morning bright and early! Then I told him our last run would be a 5 miler he ran all summer. It's going to be hard for me but I'm up for the challenge I think. I still can't believe I ran without stopping at all tonight. I wanted to take a break at one point but two things stopped me - I know that when I stop sometimes it's harder for my body to be ok with keeping a good pace again and I didn't feel comfortable walking in a neighborhood I don't know very well. Both things worked in my favor and I was able to show myself that I can run an entire 3.2 mile race. Hopefully Thursday will be good for me and I'll be able to run the entire thing - which will be a big step. I'm not setting a time goal - more just a "how far can I run before I need to rest" goal. I usually make it to almost 2 miles in a race before I need to stop but I've been pushing myself harder these past months so we'll see how well I do!!
Hopefully I will have an update soon. : )
Thursday, November 18, 2010
All sorts of firsts...
This week has been interesting. The doctor put me on naproxen (or something like that) which really bothered me. I haven't taken any type of medication for pain in about 3 years so I felt like it was a step back for me but I am doing as I'm told and it feels like things are slowly healing.
I was very careful during Zumba this week and thankfully we don't have class tonight so I have a week and a half off to let my arm finally relax (well... a week off from class - not running and holding my beautiful godbabies).
Running has been wonderful this week. I've set and achieved some new goals which is always exciting. My Monday running buddy and I set a 3mile goal and we did it. I was pretty exhausted after we finished but I did it. My legs were shaking so badly it took a good five minutes for them to calm down. Kinda scared me a little bit truth be told.
Wednesday I really pushed myself though. In my running class he's been having me do endurance running - running hard 2 min, slow a min and back to hard 2 mins. This week we ran just 2 miles - no tempo, no strength, no nothing - just two miles at my pace. He said 2 or 3 times that we weren't going to stop at all which kinda made me laugh as I never stop when I run unless it's during tempos/endurance and I sometimes need a quick breath and take a 30 sec walk break.
I was so proud of myself - we ran what's now becoming the "usual" loop since the weather was getting cold rather than the track (soccer was also playing on the inner part of the track at that point). I kicked butt - I didn't get tired at all and even went so far as to ask if we could go a little further as we were nearing the end.
We also had an interesting talk about some of the things guy cross country runners face - I didn't realize how much slack they get - my instructor has actually had things thrown at him just for running in shorts around town. He said he's called "gay" and the "f" word and middle fingers all the time. It's such a shame - people need to grow up and get over themselves. I get whistled at and hollered at which is why I now wear earphones and crank them up - so I can block it all out.
After a five minute break I ran with Jess who did 3 min, 30 sec break, 2 min, 30 sec break, 3 min and so on for 2 miles. I couldn't believe when I was finished I had run 4 miles total and probably could have done another half mile easily. It was such a great feeling - almost as good as the runner's high I used to get.
To make things even better for my night, I went to Banana Republic to see what was on sale for the week. I found a super cute pair of gray pants with light pink stripes on them. I loved them but they were in a size 8 and I'm a 10 so I wasn't going to bother to try them on. Joey insisted I at least try and what do you know... they fit. They are the tiniest bit snug in one place but I bought them and will hopefully have them hemmed in a few weeks so they fit with my heels.
I am hoping to do a Turkey Trot 5k with my godson on Thanksgiving while I am home. He's been running for a while so hopefully he'll be up for the challenge. I also thought my best friend and the little ones might be interested in doing the Fun Run beforehand. We'll see. I'm really looking forward to running in a new area again. Last time I ran in their neighborhood I got horribly lost and ended up running for an hour because I couldn't find my way back to the house! Hopefully having Corey with me will prevent that from happening again! : )
I was very careful during Zumba this week and thankfully we don't have class tonight so I have a week and a half off to let my arm finally relax (well... a week off from class - not running and holding my beautiful godbabies).
Running has been wonderful this week. I've set and achieved some new goals which is always exciting. My Monday running buddy and I set a 3mile goal and we did it. I was pretty exhausted after we finished but I did it. My legs were shaking so badly it took a good five minutes for them to calm down. Kinda scared me a little bit truth be told.
Wednesday I really pushed myself though. In my running class he's been having me do endurance running - running hard 2 min, slow a min and back to hard 2 mins. This week we ran just 2 miles - no tempo, no strength, no nothing - just two miles at my pace. He said 2 or 3 times that we weren't going to stop at all which kinda made me laugh as I never stop when I run unless it's during tempos/endurance and I sometimes need a quick breath and take a 30 sec walk break.
I was so proud of myself - we ran what's now becoming the "usual" loop since the weather was getting cold rather than the track (soccer was also playing on the inner part of the track at that point). I kicked butt - I didn't get tired at all and even went so far as to ask if we could go a little further as we were nearing the end.
We also had an interesting talk about some of the things guy cross country runners face - I didn't realize how much slack they get - my instructor has actually had things thrown at him just for running in shorts around town. He said he's called "gay" and the "f" word and middle fingers all the time. It's such a shame - people need to grow up and get over themselves. I get whistled at and hollered at which is why I now wear earphones and crank them up - so I can block it all out.
After a five minute break I ran with Jess who did 3 min, 30 sec break, 2 min, 30 sec break, 3 min and so on for 2 miles. I couldn't believe when I was finished I had run 4 miles total and probably could have done another half mile easily. It was such a great feeling - almost as good as the runner's high I used to get.
To make things even better for my night, I went to Banana Republic to see what was on sale for the week. I found a super cute pair of gray pants with light pink stripes on them. I loved them but they were in a size 8 and I'm a 10 so I wasn't going to bother to try them on. Joey insisted I at least try and what do you know... they fit. They are the tiniest bit snug in one place but I bought them and will hopefully have them hemmed in a few weeks so they fit with my heels.
I am hoping to do a Turkey Trot 5k with my godson on Thanksgiving while I am home. He's been running for a while so hopefully he'll be up for the challenge. I also thought my best friend and the little ones might be interested in doing the Fun Run beforehand. We'll see. I'm really looking forward to running in a new area again. Last time I ran in their neighborhood I got horribly lost and ended up running for an hour because I couldn't find my way back to the house! Hopefully having Corey with me will prevent that from happening again! : )
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tennis elbow from running?
So I guess I have my first real injury (aside from the horrid fall on the track that still has left a scar on my knee!) from running.
I finally made an appointment to see a doctor about the pain in my elbow. I noticed I keep hitting my right elbow on the poles of our upstairs track when I run because I usually run on the inside of everyone else. To add more injury to it, I tend to bounce it off my door frames in my apartment at least once a day.
I explained all of this to the doctor who informed me I have "tennis elbow."
I then apparently offended him because his solution was to take some advil or tylenol. I explained that I don't self medicate - I don't take any type of pills like that. I asked if there was another way I could take care of the pain (esp. since I've been living with the constant pain for over a month) outside of aspirin - I didn't want to just mask the pain but actually fix the injury so it heals. He just looked at me like I was telling him how to do his job and said not really. He gave me an extra strength prescription for Advil or something that I have to take to Target (which I will... only because I have a coupon to get a $10 gift card for a new prescrip!) and take that twice a day. He also, against his wishes, gave me some example stretches I should be doing to help the healing.
Everything else he suggested consisted of things I was already doing - ice it, wrap it, etc. That's obviously not really working. He also gave me some information they had to read about what exactly is going on with my elbow. I may get a second opinion - last time I saw this doctor he told me my hearing loss was from too much wax while it was really from a collapsed inner ear canal.
As for running, I did not do my race this past weekend. I was on duty and received a call as I was planning to leave so it killed those plans. And this weekend my job is requiring me to drive to AR and camp out so I have to skip the other race I wanted to do. I believe there may be one on the 20th which isn't ideal since I'll be traveling 12+ hours the following day to get back to PA but I may just do it so I have that under my belt and know what to expect/can set a new goal for the Jingle Bell we are doing on the 11th of December. Pretty excited for that race - I want Jess to see how far she has come! : )
I finally made an appointment to see a doctor about the pain in my elbow. I noticed I keep hitting my right elbow on the poles of our upstairs track when I run because I usually run on the inside of everyone else. To add more injury to it, I tend to bounce it off my door frames in my apartment at least once a day.
I explained all of this to the doctor who informed me I have "tennis elbow."
I then apparently offended him because his solution was to take some advil or tylenol. I explained that I don't self medicate - I don't take any type of pills like that. I asked if there was another way I could take care of the pain (esp. since I've been living with the constant pain for over a month) outside of aspirin - I didn't want to just mask the pain but actually fix the injury so it heals. He just looked at me like I was telling him how to do his job and said not really. He gave me an extra strength prescription for Advil or something that I have to take to Target (which I will... only because I have a coupon to get a $10 gift card for a new prescrip!) and take that twice a day. He also, against his wishes, gave me some example stretches I should be doing to help the healing.
Everything else he suggested consisted of things I was already doing - ice it, wrap it, etc. That's obviously not really working. He also gave me some information they had to read about what exactly is going on with my elbow. I may get a second opinion - last time I saw this doctor he told me my hearing loss was from too much wax while it was really from a collapsed inner ear canal.
As for running, I did not do my race this past weekend. I was on duty and received a call as I was planning to leave so it killed those plans. And this weekend my job is requiring me to drive to AR and camp out so I have to skip the other race I wanted to do. I believe there may be one on the 20th which isn't ideal since I'll be traveling 12+ hours the following day to get back to PA but I may just do it so I have that under my belt and know what to expect/can set a new goal for the Jingle Bell we are doing on the 11th of December. Pretty excited for that race - I want Jess to see how far she has come! : )
Thursday, November 4, 2010
First Track Experience
So yesterday pretty kicked my butt but at the same time showed me how far I've come since I started training with my instructor almost a year ago.
I had my first track experience yesterday. I've walked a track with my friend Boyer at my grad school so he could exercise but I haven't run one since high school and even then, that doesn't really count (I was more fast walking than running back then).
It was definitely a worthwhile experience. We started just outside of the gym and ran for 5 minutes straight which was basically to the track and around a lap and a half. Then I began to do 800 meter fartleks (as in true ones, not the ones I'd been doing inside on the track). That basically meant I ran half the track at my top speed and kept trying to get faster.
My first try I got 44 seconds. Then I was hit with the news that I had to get faster for the next 5 - each time trying to shave off a few seconds. I really never thought I could do it, but I did. My next one was 41, followed by 39, then 38, 35 and finishing at 33 seconds. Who knew I could be so fast (other than my instructor and I think I even shocked him a little bit!).
At that point I was pretty much at my limit and ready to die. So of course he reminds me we still have another 5 minute run to finish and that a true workout is when you are to the point of complete exhaustion. We ran the track another 2 laps and then ran back to the gym.
And let me tell you that I continue to torture myself... when we arrive at the gym Jess is already running her warm-up which means some quick stretches and I'm off running another 1.25 miles with Jess. Some days I don't know where I have the willpower to do it, but I am so thankful that Jess is taking the class as well this year so I know that I am going to always get at least 3 miles (or more) in each Wednesday.
I think I've picked my race for the month. I'm going to swing by Runner's World to make sure I can still register and if I can, I'll be racing this weekend. Pretty excited - I messed up and missed the races in October due to vacation and duty. I'm on duty this week but a wonderful co-worker (well, two of them) have agreed to hold the phone so I can race in the next town over. Pretty excited. I love running in this type of chilly weather - makes me happy to be alive.
I'll write more about the race once I am sure I am registered.
I am also super excited because Joey and Jess may (hopefully) race with me on Dec. 11th for the Jingle Bell 5k!! How exciting will that be?! I'm also going to talk to Phoebe and see if she's up for it as well. And if all goes well... I'll also be running a super sweet race that will start at 11.45pm on New Years Eve and end with me crossing the line in the New Year!! I'm a dork, I know, but I think that would be the best way for me to start a fresh year! I can't wait.
Sorry, as always for the delays in posting - things have been very hectic life and work-wise with Halloween and 2 duty weeks in the past 3 weeks. I will try to be better. : )
I had my first track experience yesterday. I've walked a track with my friend Boyer at my grad school so he could exercise but I haven't run one since high school and even then, that doesn't really count (I was more fast walking than running back then).
It was definitely a worthwhile experience. We started just outside of the gym and ran for 5 minutes straight which was basically to the track and around a lap and a half. Then I began to do 800 meter fartleks (as in true ones, not the ones I'd been doing inside on the track). That basically meant I ran half the track at my top speed and kept trying to get faster.
My first try I got 44 seconds. Then I was hit with the news that I had to get faster for the next 5 - each time trying to shave off a few seconds. I really never thought I could do it, but I did. My next one was 41, followed by 39, then 38, 35 and finishing at 33 seconds. Who knew I could be so fast (other than my instructor and I think I even shocked him a little bit!).
At that point I was pretty much at my limit and ready to die. So of course he reminds me we still have another 5 minute run to finish and that a true workout is when you are to the point of complete exhaustion. We ran the track another 2 laps and then ran back to the gym.
And let me tell you that I continue to torture myself... when we arrive at the gym Jess is already running her warm-up which means some quick stretches and I'm off running another 1.25 miles with Jess. Some days I don't know where I have the willpower to do it, but I am so thankful that Jess is taking the class as well this year so I know that I am going to always get at least 3 miles (or more) in each Wednesday.
I think I've picked my race for the month. I'm going to swing by Runner's World to make sure I can still register and if I can, I'll be racing this weekend. Pretty excited - I messed up and missed the races in October due to vacation and duty. I'm on duty this week but a wonderful co-worker (well, two of them) have agreed to hold the phone so I can race in the next town over. Pretty excited. I love running in this type of chilly weather - makes me happy to be alive.
I'll write more about the race once I am sure I am registered.
I am also super excited because Joey and Jess may (hopefully) race with me on Dec. 11th for the Jingle Bell 5k!! How exciting will that be?! I'm also going to talk to Phoebe and see if she's up for it as well. And if all goes well... I'll also be running a super sweet race that will start at 11.45pm on New Years Eve and end with me crossing the line in the New Year!! I'm a dork, I know, but I think that would be the best way for me to start a fresh year! I can't wait.
Sorry, as always for the delays in posting - things have been very hectic life and work-wise with Halloween and 2 duty weeks in the past 3 weeks. I will try to be better. : )
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