Race Report

Friday night I was at home and I was surprisingly lackadaisical about everything.   I was on top of it in terms of my camera and that fun that was planned for my Saturday.  However the night before a run I usually have my clothes laid out.  I usually have my socks and shoes lined up.  I have everything ready.  Not this time.  It was a rather odd feeling

Saturday morning my alarm went off bright and early (5:30...yeah, on a Saturday).  I checked the weather and grabbed some random clothes.  (Hey, I matched....sorta....black capri exercise pants, white long sleeve teeshirt and a teeshirt over that.  Nothing fancy.)  My sister in law had given me a muffin to try.  I saved it for breakfast.  (Yummy).  I loaded up my water jug and I was out the door.  I got there early.   Signed in and went back to my car to wait.  Running a race on your own isn't bad....the only issue is that waiting for it to start.  So I did what I did last year at the Paws on the Pavement..I took my kindle and read in the car. I knew my friend Paula had said that she was going to arrive and register that morning......so I awaited her text.  Eventually it came.  We talked, checked out the bathrooms and headed to the start line.

Ready or not, lets get this race rolling!

I was nervous.  Seriously nervous.  On Monday I couldn't stand up straight and on Saturday I'm running a 5k race?  I vowed to accept whatever happened.  Finishing would be the victory.   However, I admit.....I still wanted my PR that I had been hoping for.

They started us off.  Random thoughts went through my head.  "weeeee....welcome back running."   and "Hmmm....my back is a bit tender."   About a half mile in I looked at Paula and said "my hip's a little achy".  But I kept running.  I ran straight for the first mile.  From that point on I would run for 10 minutes or so and then walk for a minute or two.  I was keeping pace with this one girl in a purple shirt girl. I was DETERMINED to catch up to her..  She was walking and jogging in intervals....and I would run up on her and just as I got to her back...she would start running again.  GRRR  I kept chasing her down though.

I got to about mile three.   Hoooooo-leeee moley!  I was feeling it.  Where?  My back?  Nope, that was a bit tender but not bad.  The hip the same.  I was feeling it in the pit of my stomach and how weird...I was feeling lightheaded.    About this time I passed the purple shirt girl....but she hung on my tail the rest of the way.   I crossed the line.  I crossed the line at 39:37.    1 minute and 17 seconds slower than my best ever pace.  Disappointed...but actually tickled that that is all the time  I lost considering I was running injured!

I slowed down after running across the sensor mats and walked up to one of the guys that was cutting the timing chips off of our shoes.  I stood there while he worked on releasing my timing chip (yeah, I'm a bit anal when I put them on..those suckers are there to STAY).  I honestly just wanted to tell him. "Dude, I have to sit down or I'm going to pass out!"   Thankfully, he was pretty quick about it and I headed out of the finishing corral.  Paula and I grabbed water and that did the trick.

We hung around and talked while we waited for the official times to be posted.  

We decided to hang out and watch the rest of the runners come in.....so we moved to the side of he chute and watched.  We started talking to the purple shirt girl.  YAY...a new friend and running buddy for these runs!   (Turns out she got into running but the people that started running with her stopped running...she still does it though...on her own....information has been exchanged to keep in touch!)

Paula and I decided that we were hungry...so we headed out to Waffle House for a breakfast/lunch.  YUMMY!     

I noticed it when I moved after our meal.  My left hip....YIKES!  OUCH!  I just want to groan and say "not another injury".  I'm sure it's probably just a strain or whatnot..but it stiffens up and hurts when I move after a period of inactivity.  Sleeping last night....everytime I moved I was aware of it.  NO FUN!

I got home...walked in the door.  I went to the bathroom and then I got the call that my side hobby client was ready!  WEEEEEEE   I grabbed my camera bag and headed out the door.  

Finally home for good at 2 or 3 PM.  I had a friend stop by later in the evening.  But the rest of the day was spent with laundry, light cleaning and whatnot. (And I started looking at the pictures....these are pretty much SOOC  (straight out of the camera..no editing).   

Busy day. A victory splashed with a little bit of pain and sprinkled with a lot of fun!  :-)

 

I think i'm nuts

I woke up this morning.  Finally the schedules, sickness, weather and whatnot aligned and Sherry and I were able to meet up to walk!   5 plus miles of walking and talking.  WHEW!!!!

This weekend was quite busy and I knew yesterday that I needed to run my 5k for the virtual series that I'm doing.  I knew I was walking this morning and that it would be a long shot.  I knew it...yet I just couldn't squeeze it in there!   Nope, didn't happen.  So this morning I went walking.  I knew that I could just call the 5 miles of walking my 5k (5k plus).  That just seemed like cheating though.  Cheating and NOT the way to reach my goals!

So after we walked on the battlefield, I hopped in my car and drove to the canal.  Yes, I could have run on the battlefield.  I frequently run on the battlefield.  However, I had the time today....and I was going toward Hagerstown anyway, so I decided to go somewhere I don't normally run.  I drove to Williamsport and ran on the canal there.  Yes, I did say run!

I started to run and my legs groaned (remember they had just finished a walk).  But while my body tried to tell me to stop, I didn't have the absolutely horrible mental breakdown during this run that I had on Thursday when I ran.   I just had to use the good old standby "Are you REALLY dying?"  question.  And no, I wasn't dying, so I kept running!

8.35 miles completed on my legs this morning. (and yes, the hot tub may be Todd's baby...but it's gonna feel GOOD on my legs tonight!!!)

While running!

Not a fast run....42 minutes for my 3 miles....but not really slow...that was average for me right now.

Ahhhh finished!

Blistering

So far so good.  I managed to hold onto my weight over the weekend...which is usually a rough time for me. It's easier for me to keep my eating under control during the work week when I put my food in my lunch box and when the food is gone I stop eating!   Weekends are not the same.  It's my downfall many times.   So I'm happy that I did good.

I had that problem with the blister before my run and during my run yesterday......well after I published my post, I went to shower.  I was dressed and getting ready to go and I looked down at my foot.  Another blister had cropped up.  This on the side of my foot...up by the ball of my foot.  WHAT???????   Crazy!!!  I can't help it that I was so blistering fast that I rubbed a second blister!

Which brings me back to those stats....seriously?  That was fast for me.  Like WAY fast.  I keep going back to it in my mind to see what in the world happened.  I looked at the individual pace for each mile, thinking that maybe the program had gotten turned off and when it picked up it picked up my new location but not since it was paused not the time.  No...my stats are all very consistent.  I even picked up the few loops off the circuit...and the backtrack portion of the run that I did.  Seriously...that's a minute a mile better than I have EVER run.  My word that is fantastic...but woah, that's just uncommon.  I haven't run since the first of March.  That's 20 days without running.  I was doing other stuff (zumba and riding the exercise bike) but still!  I can't wrap my head around it.  

So I'll share....you see...my next 5k is set to be the Paws on the Pavement in May. I ran this last year and set a PR (one that has not yet been been broken...I guess officially now).  So I was talking to a friend the other day and I had said that this year at Paws I wanted to break that record.  She asked me how fast I wanted to go.  I answered.  Anything faster than last years number.  She pushed for an answer and I said "I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to clock a time lower than 35 minutes.  Thirty five minutes is my next  big running goal.  Just whittling down the numbers until I get to where my TRUE goal is!  I told my friend that I figured that 35 was a really far fetched goal...but now I'm wondering........hmmmmmm  

Naw...it can't be!  

Down with the Pity Party

It's been a great weekend for friendships.  I got to spend some time with two different friends and I got to spend some time talking on the phone to another friend.  Ahhh...that's the life.

I just got back from a chilly Sunday morning walk with my one friend.  As always, our mouths go a mile a minute as we talk about everything from cooking, to kids, to money matters, to weight loss.  Nothing is taboo and we cover it all.  This morning we spent some time reflecting on weight loss.  She and I have both lost weight.  She and I have both gained weight.  She and I have both struggled.  While we walked along a question was posed "What was different the times that we have actually lost weight?"  and of course that question led to "what happened to make us stop losing and to in fact gain?"  I was easily able to say that I believed in myself. I felt I was worth it. And those two things combined to be the magic to help me lose weight.    

 I was able to trace my weight loss journey.  I decided to lose weight.  I had goals and magical dreams about what life would be like when I lost the weight.  The skies would open, angels would sing, squirrels and chipmunks would dance.  In other words, my life was going to be fantastic.  I believed it and I felt worth of that fantastic life.  I lost the weight and I realized that it wasn't that way.  The chipmunks didn't sing and no angels sang.  My life was exactly the same except that I had a bit more energy and my clothes were a smaller size.  The life problems were still there.....weight loss didn't fix everything. So I gained.  I was valiantly trying to lose weight still..but I felt worthless....life was kicking me.  It was a losing battle...I gained.  I tried weight watchers again but I couldn't get the weight off.  I was listening to life and allowing it to derail me. I was miserable and felt worthless.   I had some life lessons in 2011 and 2012.  I won't go into depth with them, as many of them are intensely personal....but I realized that I'm worth a whole bunch.  I was worth it!  So in 2013 I made a massive push to lose the weight.  I was doing great!  Everything was fine and dandy...and then something happened to shake my sense of self worth.  Damn self worth!   What happened?  I stopped losing and I slowly started gaining.   GRRRRR   

So I can see where the issues begin and end.  I know the problem.  Conversely my friend walked through her weight loss journey and she could trace back to her root problems. It's right there in black and white.

Oh we can say, marital problems, financial problems, death in the family, family obligations, depression, health problems, and whatever other problems that crop up in life.  Those problems are there.  That is not what has caused us to be derailed.  What has caused the derailment is this......it's the dang pity party that we throw!   Yes, some of the marital problems I've faced are...well.....crap to the crappiest degree.  I've faced them and I'm working through what I can.  They have given my self worth a shake, but that's not what derailed me.  I was derailed because I started a pity party!   Finances suck. It really blows to be tight financially.  But you know what.  A roof over ones head and food on ones table is a really good thing.  A pity party about it, is not!  

Enough!   No more pity parties!   Life will beat us down sometimes.  Sometimes there will be things that shake us to the core.  There will be times where we question our worthiness.  That's ok.  Deal with it and continue to live.  

So I was set to run the Chilly Willy 5k yesterday morning. I picked up my race packet the day before.

I was pleased because it was supposed to be warmer than the bone chilling temps.  What a blessing.  However, the 90% chance of rain was not so full of blessing.  Paula and I went to pick up our race packets and when we saw how loosely organized this race was (seriously, I chose my bib number and I don't even believe that they wrote down what bib number I was).   We noticed that the roads were not marked...and they gave us a google map with small arrows depicting the route.   Well, Paula and I decided to sit this run out.  We just didn't find it worth it to go out in cold (it was warmer than the zero degrees...but the 30-40's are still cold...and utterly miserable in the rain!)!  So I got a teeshirt to sleep in.  ha ha ha

The bad thing?   I had planned that as my exercise and of course that time got sucked up by other activities and I didn't get my exercise in.  I had purposefully taken off on Friday.  So I've already used my 2 free pass days on exercise.  I'll push myself.....because in terms of goals...I've already toasted my water consumption on two days also!    Moving forward.......

Ready, Set, Go!

The new year is here!   I started out the year strong.  I started out with running a 5k this morning.  It was the last 5k that I had to run to complete the trilogy of holiday 5k's that I had committed to completing.  These were set up as virtual events.  (although my Thanksgiving 5k was an actual organized Turkey Trot).  

Seriously, what was up with my head band.......

While I was running this morning I was actually thinking about riding my bike.  Last year I rode my bike.  I enjoyed it...but stayed to pretty much the same route.  I pushed through the first (dare I say awful) few rides on my new bike.  I got to the point where I was out riding.  I rode and I'm not going to say that it was all easy....but I will say that I was out there.  Yet I hesitated to leave my normal route.  I hesitated to hit the open road.  I struggled.  Today I figured out exactly what was the problem?   I was afraid.  I was afraid that I would come upon a hill that I couldn't climb.  I was afraid that I would get a flat tire.  I was afraid that I would get too far from home and get so tired I couldn't make it home.  Looking at it realistically (and of course it helped that I was far removed from either of my bicycles at the time) I am once again blown away at how irrational fear really is.  So what if I can't climb a hill....I walk.  No, I don't want to walk and I've pushed myself up hills, slow as molasses sometimes but I pushed myself up every hill I came across.   If I get a flat tire....well that is rough.  I know HOW to change a tire, but I have issues with changing them.  (my brother did give me a lesson...but I still struggled to get that darn tire back on).  But seriously, even if I get a flat....is it the end of the world if I have to call for a ride???  And even more unrealistic.....if I run out of steam....there are two options...calling fora ride but in all reality I'm pretty darn sure that I would find a store of energy deep within myself.   Once again it turns out my fears are totally irrational.    So what do I do with this knowledge??   The first chance I get (once I get my legs back under me on my bike) when the weather gets warm....I head down a road that I don't know and I RIDE!

Get busy Living or Get busy Dying

Christmas is over......that means celebrations are over...at least for me!!!

A small collage of my day. (Emphasis on food...the relaxing in the living room was too boring to take a picture if)

So Chrismas is over......No more snacks at work (they will be there I'm sure but I will not be indulging).  No more continual desserts being made in my kitchen (cookies, cobbler, fried bananas, ice cream, etc etc etc).  I'm not waiting for the new year....it's happening NOW.

I recently read the book I'd like to apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had by Tony Danza.   I have to admit, I was somewhat skeptical when I picked up the book.  I had actually looked at the book for ages before anteing up the money to buy it. (and only did so when I received a gift certificate...I'm such a cheapskate!)  I'm glad that I finally did pick up the book.  It was an emotional read for me.  The circumstances were a bit different (he was teaching high school and only one class where as I was teaching elementary school and was inundated with children all day long) but his stories and his experience resonated within me.  I was nodding my head along with his memories and experiences.  But even more importantly, for the first time in a long long time I felt the excitement of education and the feelings that had initially drawn me to that profession.   Was it enough to draw me back to teaching?   No....can't say it is at this time...but I will admit that the thought crossed my mind for a fleeting moment.  But as soon as that did, sanity was reclaimed....memories of teaching and knowledge of how schools are run now were enough to return myself to a state of sanity!!

But reading this book made me look deeply at myself.  It made me look deeply at where I stand (ha....as if I don't do that enough in December with the new year upon me and with my birthday year ending) in life.  The teaching thing has stood  in my life as a huge failure for 13 long years.  My ultimate dream growing up was to have a child......I got married and thought that my husband was on board with the same goal and desire...but after marriage his behavior and tone changed and now at forty-one I have to realize that I failed with that dream.  Fail!  My career (if you can even call it that...I have a job...it's not a career) is a big fat FAIL. (yeah, if you knew how much I got paid you'd agree!)  FAIL!!!!   My marriage......it's been a lot of fails.  I've lost the weight once and regained....fail.  I was losing this year..but stopped and actually started regaining....Fail.  Fail...fail...fail...fail.   It has seemed to be a common occurrence in my life.  FAIL!

However, this book by Tony Danza made me realize that picking myself up out of the ashes is where success is.  No, that was not the premise of the book.  But while I was being awed by the return of those idealistic feelings that I thought were gone....I was seeing the common theme that he was trying to push upon the kids in the book.  What was that common thought?   In my words.....basically that life is crappy sometimes.  Face it...it is....heartbreaking sometimes.   But success is  overcoming the adversarial stuff and succeeding in life.  It's continuing in school even when you are raised in an environment where education is not respected and encouraged.  Success is rising form the ashes of my failures and living a happy well adjusted life.  Success is pushing through the bad and coming out on top..successful and happy.  Winning is taking ourselves and using opportunities, experiences and just life and using it to push us to a better future.  If we sit back and allow life.....we will fail.

As if the book wasn't enough to open my eyes.....I stumbled upon a blog.  It was cowritten by a couple in their mid thirties.  They moved cross country....they bought their first house.....they remodeled that dream house...and literally as they moved into their house the husband was diagnosed with cancer.  The blog continued to chronicle their lives...but it also chornicled the two year fight and eventual death (as in he died within the last two days).  It was a heart wrenching read through this blog (and yes, very voyeuristic) but through it all, even as this gal watched her husband die....even while she's crying out her frustrations, she is holding her head up and carrying on...accepting life and being as upbeat as possible.  Makes my problems look minor...and makes me say "if she can go through that with grace and an upbeat attitude.......I can face my life the same way."

I don't know how to not dwell on these things that I deem failure.  It's incredibly difficult to not be saddened when I see my friends having children.  It's incredibly difficult to hold my head up and smile when my husband and I are going through one of our recurring rough spots.  It's HARD.   But in the words of Westley (the Man in Black)  in the Movie Princess Bride said.  'Life is pain, highness.  Anyone who says differently is trying to sell you something.'    And I just have to TRY.

I need to CHOOSE to be happy!  I need to CHOSE to live my life to the fullest within the confines that has brought me to this exact place.  I'm here for a reason.  I may not like the results of being overweight (ok, i'm still actually obese) but I'm here for a reason.  I may not like being childless...but for whatever reason....that is how I find myself.  I need to find joy in that state (and my niece and nephews certainly help that cause..they are awesome!).   Accept life for what it is!

And as if those previous eye openers weren't enough....(yeah seriously).  Today I was out running. (Yeah, I went running on Christmas morning) I heard the song Try from Pink......tell me these lyrics are not perfect for me!

Where there is desire

There is gonna be a flame

Where there is a flame

Someone's bound to get burned

But just because it burns

Doesn't mean you're gonna die

You've gotta get up and try try try

Gotta get up and try try try

You gotta get up and try try try

When I accept life and stop wallowing in the negative....I have a feeling that the weight will be much easier to lose....simple because I will feel like I DESERVE to be thin!

Although, in my mind I DO know that I deserve to be thin not matter what!  So right now.....In the words of  Red...played by Morgan Freeman in the movie Shawshenk Redemption.....IIt's time for me to "gett busy living or get busy dying.'     First thing up....the weight will come off and while I'm doing it....I'm choosing to be HAPPY!

Soooo...I actually made a committment to run a trilogy of 5k's...virtually...it's hosted by DVFfitness.com.  The first was on Thanksgiving....I did the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day.  One down...two to do.  Today is Christmas and that meant number two was upon me.  I got out early.  I was the only person out on the battlefield this morning at 9AM.  It was cold.  I was TEMPTED to cheat and do just two miles.  But I knew that I would only be cheating myself.  I did the WHOLE thing...and then some!  Second 5k of the trilogy done!   One more to go!!!!!

Turkey Trotting

Foodapalooza day has come and is pretty much gone.  Eating is over for me at least.  Did I come out on top?  Probably not.  But I'm not gonna kill myself over it.  I moved ....and I ate mostly fruits and veggies (ok ok ok, so what of it, potatoes are still a vegetable and I ate mashed potatoes with my corn, peas etc etc etc ......and I can't help it that my sister in law made the most to die for bread.....POTATO ROLLS....see vegetable!   I....well......ok ok ok...I ate Two...don't be hating!)   It's over and it's time to move on.  I've got this.

My day started early.  The alarm was set for 6AM, but I was awake at 5AM (not by choice, wonder why I woke up wide awake.....boo!).  I laid in bed and did a slow easy wake up before the alarm went off.  When that alarm sounded I bounded out of bed ready to roll.  I had packed my stuff the night before so I just had to get dressed in my running duds that I had laid out the night before (layers of them because in case I forget to mention it....it was COLD outside).  By 6:30 I was dressed, breakfasted and the car was warming!  

                                                                                First on the agenda was to pick up my friend Paula who was going to be running this race with me.  Second up, HCC our local college that was hosting this event.  Once chipped we sat around and watched the little kiddie races and waited for our turn to run.  We had some laughs while we made fun of people we know and don't like and giggles while we waited to run.  Paula is always fun to hang around.  And no...I'm not happy with my picture..but it shows that we were just being silly.  Don't I look demented with my eyeballs ready to pop out of my head????





Anywho.....soon the waiting was over and we were heading out into the cold to run ourselves silly. (oh wait...maybe we were trying to run the silliness out of ourselves!)  Have I mentioned it was a bit nippy out there????????   We geared up with hats, and pulled on our gloves and I was thankful for my two sweatshirts and long sleeve tee.  I was even more thankful for the cuddle duds under my pants.....however, my toes were cold!   Man, I need to really get this weight off....pictures don't lie (although I was wearing about 4 layers on top!)!

The gun went off and we took off like two girls chasing a cute guy.  Ok, maybe we walked slowly in the crowd to the starting sensor/start line.  (turns out it took us a minute to get to the start line...not too long)  We hit the sensors and we were off.  Crowds parted for our beauty as we ran gracefully down the road.  OK, so that isn't quite the truth.  But we did weave in and out of the crowd, trying to find a spot in the runners to claim as our own.  We settled in to run.  It was cold.  Have I mentioned that???   I have not run in a while and I was wondering how I was going to do.  Almost immediately my heart rate skyrocketed.  GRRRRRR   I slowed my pace down and pushed myself on.  My heart rate slowed down but throughout the race it continued to skyrocket sporadically causing me to ~gasp~  slow down .     I made it through mile one with no walking.  I took a short walking break right at the first mile marker.   I ran a bit and then started running again.  I'd like to say that I ran the whole second and third miles after my walk break, but that was not to be.  I did the rest of the run in intervals.  Walk a bit and then run a bit.  There was no set interval...I just ran as long as I could and then I walked.  And I pumped my arms and tried to do a speed walk thing.

I started noticing someone else that was doing intervals.  Her face was beaded with sweat, she was wearing black, had a ponytail and she had pink headphones (yeah, that's what I remember!  I'm very observant...NOT)  and she was working it.  We would run and we would pass her as she walked.  Then we would walk and she would pass us.  Seriously???   I just wanted to cross the finish line before this girl!  Right at about the 2.5 mile Paula was running ahead of me and I had pulled up even with my leapfrog girl.   Paula turned around and ran backwards and was yelling "Get Angy and RUN girl!"  I looked at her and said...there are two girls back here!  I told the girl that we'd been leapfrogging her the whole race. She laughed and we ran on together.  At this point I knew that I was holding Paula back. She had never finished a race in under 40 minutes and I knew that if she held back with me that she may not make it.  So I yelled up to her and told her to run like the wind and set her PR.  She waited no longer (although I kept her in my sights the whole time...and occasionally hurled motivational insults comments up toward her!)  I was determined to finish strong.  And then I got utterly lightheaded and poopy-doop, I had to slow down to a walk.  I had to walk as I approached the ARCC (Athletic Recreation Community Center....at the local college where this event was held...the finish line snaked into the ARCC and finished inside....NICE perk on a cold day).  For a few short seconds I was literally afraid that I would pass out.  I had no choice but to say farewell to my pink ear bud, pony tailed gal in black.   I walked for about 30 seconds until the majority of the lighheadedness passed and then took off again.   I entered the ARCC and finished strong on a run (praying that I wouldn't pass out).    Paula was at the end of the chute (she finished a minute before me) and my ponytailed girl was right there.  I've already mentioned my superior observation skills so I don't have her bib number....all I know is that she finished after Paula but before me. (So looking at the finishers I know she's one of about 4 people...and that she is between 36 and 49...yeah, I'm that good!)  I did stop and congratulate her and tell her I'd see her next year!

Not sure what was up with that dizzy spell.  It passed very soon after I stopped running...so that's good.  I felt full of energy and vigor the rest of the day...so maybe I just needed fuel or something.  Who knows....who cares!  It was an abberation.  If it happens again, then I will be concerned!

I went over and got some water and I picked up a snack and then Paula and I waited for our official times.    I finished in 38:55, Paula was about 40 seconds faster than me.   I'm actually pretty good with my time.  It wasn't an easy run by any means.  I sadly walked more than I would have wanted.  The good excellent fabulous news is this....my previous personal record was 38:20.,....uhmmmmmm a bad run without any recent serious running and I only lost 35 seconds!  SOLD!  I'll take it!

                                                                             Of course we are totally psyched up on our runners high after it was all over and you can see the happiness in our eyes, in our huge grins and just oozing from our pores!!!!

                                                                                         Sooooo, I'm putting this at the end...and it's in no way least important. But I have made a commitment that was put out online  to running a 'virtual' 5k on Thanksgiving, a virtual 5K on Christmas Day and a virtual 5k on New Years.  The Thanksgiving one was easy peasy as I was already registered to run the Turkey Trot.   One down....two to go!  :-)  SO here is my great picture with my Turkey Trot bib...and my virtual bib!    Ohhh and lets not forget my hat that was covering my cone head (ha ha ha...well doesn't it look like it???)...and that I was wearing backwards apparently, with the seam down my forehead.  Yes, I was completely sober when I got dressed, I promise!! 

These races are so darn addictive.  I want to do another!!!!   Todd feels the vibe and energy and once again has made the comment that he wants to run a race with me.  (He said it after the Donut Alley Rally, the first race that he attended in support of me).  He knows what he has to do.  I downloaded the Couch to 5k app on his phone.  I can't do anything more than that......the rest is up to him. 

I did it for the donut!

August 9th...I have mentioned that date over and over in my posts in conjunction with running.  I had planned to run at least three 5k's this year.  The possible culmination (yeah, I'm already looking for another one...so it won't be the culmination)  would be the Do-nut Alley Rally in my hometown of Hagerstown, MD.    As soon as I heard about the fact that the local legendary do-nut shop sponsored a 5k I knew I wanted to run it.....I knew this months and months before I ever ran a step.  So August 9th was the date that I was looking for...the day that I would run the do-nut alley rally.

I was worried the weeks building up to this 5k....I had this pesky pain caused by the plantars fasciitis that I had been diagnosed with a month earlier.   I knew I wasn't going to run it to set any personal records...that was not my plan.  My plan was to simply 'run' and finish.  (seriously, I hadn't run more than 5 miles TOTAL in the previous 6 weeks).   My foot wasn't/isn't better so I wasn't sure how it was going to work.  Stupidly, I canned pickles the night before the race....so my foot took a beating with that! (yes, my foot ACHED after the hours of standing). The icing on the cake?   The weather forecast was HORRIBLE!  I was determined.  This was NOT a race I was sitting out.  Rain or shine....ache or pain...I was RUNNING!

Did it rain????   It rained on and off all day long. (this was an evening run).  It looked clear when we made our way to the do-nut shop (yes, this was held outside of the local legendary do-nut shop!).  I picked up my swag bag and got my timing chip.  And then it started to rain.  Yup, we were all huddled under umbrellas while we waited.  Sherry and I were not to be deterred....wet or dry we were running!  (pardon the crappy picture, I was dodging raindrops and of course my cell phone was in a baggie to protect it...so it wasn't exactly the best conditions for a picture!)

The rain however, did stop with about 15 minutes left until race time!   WEEEEE.   We all posed for some extra pictures.  And passed a bit more time.  I had the pleasure to run this race with Sherry, Paula and her daughter Alex.  :-)   

I even had time to take a picture of a tattoo that really intrigued Todd (it's a Beatles tattoo).  Turns out the tattoo was on a gal that both Sherry and Paula went to school with.  You can see that my shirt is already pretty wet and the run hasn't even started!  (I think we may be running a mud run in a team with this gal!)

We moved up to the start line and waited for the gun to go off (well, really there was no gun....or maybe we were just talking and missed it!)    One last picture and then we were off!

 We started out and I cautioned Sherry to pace it.  I reminded her that we did NOT have to keep pace with the  people that had started out beside us.  We needed to keep a pace that we comfortable with us.   Within a half of block or so the crowd thinned out and we settled down into a comfortable pace.  Ufortunately, we lost track of Paula and Alex after the first quarter of a mile. We kept a comfortable pace, using my HRM as a good guide to where we needed to be running to keep us from wearing ourselves out.   At one point I was breathing heavy and Sherry threw my own words back at me and said "I hear you breathing, but are you dying?"   She knew what my answer would be...that NO, I wasn't dying.  So I KNEW what her response would be (the same thing I've been telling her)  "then keep going!"  The race course was actually ingenious.  We weaved through some roads and then into a grave yard.....and we did at least 2 of the miles of this run inside the graveyard (no public roads to have to close..no cars no nuttin').  As we got to the graveyard I saw my brother and his family standing along side the road at the entrance gates.  They cheered for Sherry and I!  It was awesome!   We waved and said hi and trucked on.   No stopping for us!   We weaved into the graveyard and pretty soon saw two more people on the side of the road.  Mom and dad stood there cheering for me!  As we ran by I introduced Sherry to mom and dad and they started cheering for her also.   We ran on.  Mom and dad moved to a different spot in the graveyard and they waited for us to run a mile or so and cheered for us as we finished up the loop through the graveyard.  As we left the gates and reentered the public roads my brother, sister in law and there three kids were there cheering us on again!  Motivated and knowing the end was in sight, we waved said hi and bye and kept going.

As we turned onto the final stretch before we turned onto the finish line I looked down for the first time and took note of the time.  It was only 8:02.  Uhhh the race started at 7:30 or thereabouts.  So we were with less than a half mile from the end and we were at only 32 minutes.  I chewed on that thought in my head and within a minute or two told Sherry about my thought that we just may have a chance to be under 40 minutes or at the very least she had a VERY good chance of setting  personal record for herself.  That was all that was said.   We reached the final corner and turned onto the last stretch. I could see the finish line.  It took me a few seconds to register that the time on the big clock was saying 39 and some change.  I made one comment to Sherry.  It was something along the lines of  "Oh no, I refuse to cross the line over 40 minutes."   I then instructed her to haul A$$ if she wanted to beat the 40 minute mark.  Sherry took off like a bat out of hell and I followed along a few paces behind.

My official time was 39:23.  I'm actually REALLY good with that time.  I was running on a bum foot after not running for weeks.   My PR for a 5k was the 38:20.  So I only lost 1 minute and three seconds during the last month of hell.  NOT bad.  Yes, I had originally planned to run the Do-nut Alley Rally in 36 minutes or less...but life changed and I rolled with it!

Of course we had to take the obligatory post race picture!

After our picture taking extravaganza, we headed down the alley toward the do-nut shop (yes, the do-nut shop is in the alley....stop laughing, these donuts are HEAVENLY and well worth the trip down the alley!) .   It was do-nut heaven festival.  The smell of freshly cooked donuts wafted through the air (this is a normal scent in the alley).  But the best part?  About every 2-3 minutes the back door of the do-nut shop opened and out would come a person carrying trays of donuts.  They walked through the crowds and we were able to simply grab a warm freshly baked do-nut as they walked by!  

Why yes!  I do believe I DID have a do-nut.  I can not tell a lie.  I chose a cream filled chocolate iced do-nut and boy oh boy did it ever taste GOOD!  

I even have proof!!!!!!!!  (although I don't have a picture of the chocolate do-nut that I took a huge bite out of before I gave it to Todd!)

Ahhh....so what's up next?   Possibly the Muddy Mamma raising money for Girls Inc.  Or maybe a 5k raising money for Habitat for Humanity.  (both of those are in September).  Hmmm, there is a breast cancer run in Early October.  And let's not forget the specter of a turkey trot again.  Choices choice choices!

DONUTS

Sometimes things happen for a reason.  Seriously, they do!  I’m going to just say one last time…July has been the month from H E double hockey sticks!    It’s been a disaster emotionally and physically.  I ate and ate and ate.  I gained a total of 1 pound for the month of July.  It could have been worse (thank God for the flu).  I can use excuses about the restricted exercise.  I can use excuses about the emotions that kicked me A$$.  I can do all of that, but I have to also admit that I was like a shark in  chum filled water.  It was a feeding frenzy that grew a little more crazy each day.   No more.  I want to get to my goal and I know how to do it!

When the doctor told me I had a debilitating and life threatening injury that would prevent me from running or doing anything high impact I was bummed out.  My running was progressing.  I was seeing progress in my running.  I was having some fast paced runs. Seriously, I was starting to rival Jackie Joyner Kercee  in speed.  (shut up….. I know that I’m old and out of touch with the current stuff….but that’s the only runner I could think of!)  I was flying on my runs.  I was even breaking a 12 minute mile on some of my good runs.  OK, so maybe I was only rivaling her in my head, but the victory to me was just the same.  It was only a few months earlier that I couldn’t even run 60 seconds without feeling as if I was going to collapse in a heap of sweaty fat on the side of the road.  I had gotten to the point where I could run straight without stopping. I had pushed myself through the ‘You can’t do this’ mentality and starting just doing it.  I was starting to see my average pace drop.  I was DOING IT.    I had broken my goal of running a 5k in less than 40 minutes…in fact I blew my goal out of the water.   I was registered for the Krumpes Donut Alley Rally.   In case you don’t know what Krumpes is….Krumpes has been a tradition in my family for longer than I’ve been around.  My parents would leave church on Sunday nights (way back int he 70's)  and swing down to this little alley donut shop that was open from late evening until early morning and pick up donuts.  When my parents left Hagerstown to go to Bible College and work in the ministry as a preacher and preachers wife, we would still visit family in Hagerstown,  Krumpes donuts were a staple on each visit.  Eventually we moved back to this area and my brother introduced his kids to the love of a Krumpe Donut.  So when I heard that Krumpes was doing a 5k I KNEW it was one I wanted to do.  In fact, I wanted to do this run before I even started running seriously.  This is the epitome of running. (and they BETTER give me a free donut after I flail around acting like I’m running!)  Anyway, I registered for this run a few months back.  In fact, this is the run that I based my future running off of.  I’ve said over and over that I will give running a go until August 9^th…..I will reevaluate at that time.  Ever wonder why August 9^th?   Well, because that’s the date of the Donut Alley Rally!  I wanted to do this run.  I NEEDED to do this run.  So when the doctor told me on July 3^rd that I shouldn’t be doing anything that was remotely high impact and to even limit walking for 4-6 weeks I was panicked.  That put me RIGHT at the Donut Alley Rally.  I waited….I watched.  I tried the sleeping boot.  I tried the shoe inserts, I bought the slip over arch supports.  I started taping my foot.  I iced and simultaneously rolled my foot on a frozen water bottle.  I stopped wearing heels.  I stopped any activity that caused an impact.  About a week or two I bought new running shoes.  I was getting antsy to recommence with running.   Yesterday I started to run.  My foot isn’t 100% well…but I’ve got a race to run.   I’m only giving myself a week and a half to prepare for it after exactly 5 weeks away from running.  So while I talked for a while about aiming for a new PR on the Donut Alley Rally, I will be running it to just plain and simply run it.  My goal is to finish it at this point.   

Oh, and my reevaluation about running….I’m going to continue.  

This upcoming race stressed me out for a while.  I wanted to run it so bad and I sat nursing an injury….trying to learn how to manage it and cause it to ease up.  I eventually said, ok…the event is raising money for a good cause one that escapes my memory at this time, so my money isn’t going to be wasted if I don’t run it.   That made me feel a bit better.   But this morning when I was running I realized that being preregistered for this race was a good thing…just as having the injury was a good thing.

The injury was good because it forced me to get out on my bike and push through the pain of ridinga road bike versus a mountain bike.  This was made easier since biking was my sole form of exercise (that could be because I was too lazy to make it to the gym to use the elliptical….oops).   Being preregistered for the race has motivated me to push myself.  Some may say I started back too early….but seriously, how long must one wait…because I know the old Maryfran would have waited until 6 years after the last twinge of pain had left my body.

Yesterday morning's run left me with 4.09 miles left to complete in July.  There was NO FREAKING WAY that I was going to miss my mileage goal by 4.09 miles.  I knew that Wednesday was to be a zumba day and that there was a good chance that I would get a short walk in with my husband but nothing NEAR the 4.09 miles….so I got off work at 6, ran to the pharmacy to pick up my husbands medicine, went to a store and picked him up a snack and then stopped him off his snack, drink and meds.  Then I rushed home to gear up like Lance Armstrong (albeit one without drugs in my system) and head out to get a few miles under my belt. Oh wait, it was getting late so I ended up gearing up and riding my exercise bike like a wild woman.  7.5 miles down..and my mileage goal is COMPLETE!!!!  YAY!!!!!


This morning....weighed myself and my weight is DROPPIING!   ~~cue angels singing~~

The jury is out

The jury is out.  Am I certifiably crazy?   

I find myself in a very weird situation.  I don't know if I should be committed for  being mentally crazy or if I'm perfectly sane.    But either way I'm torn in two.

A month back I FINALLY had the money and found a road bike for myself.  I had been saving and looking for a good deal that was in my budget for quite some time. You see, I have long had some bike events on my bucket list.  Events that I really did need a road bike for.  I was super excited. I was going to be riding....I was ready and stoked!   It was roughly at that same time that I kinda started to fall in love like running. 

I was immediately torn when I got my new bike.  I want to ride my bike yet I want to run.  How does one decide what to do?  Ohh add into the mix that I love my Zumba.  Zumba has been a salvation of sorts for me. In a misguided effort to be the perfect wife and thereby single handedly save my marriage I had boxed myself into a corner.  I didn't do anything that might interfere with my marital responsibilities...heaven forbid me not be at the house waiting in case he called needing something while he was at work.  (yeah, really boneheaded maneuver on my part, I know that now...but it seemed like a good idea at the time) Zumba helped bring me back out of that bubble.  My friends that I made at Zumba helped me to realize and rediscover myself!  So dropping Zumba is really not a valid option for me...it keeps me grounded!  :-). So in torn between biking and running.  Not so difficult, I can do both right? 

So I've read a few race reports about people doing half marathons.  I used to read them in awe...then a few weeks ago I read one and felt a tingle of interest that went beyond awe, it was tingle of recognition that maybe, just maybe I had it in me to complete a half.   The tingle grew and I think I want to aim for a half marathon.  Yeah...cue the little man with the straight jacket with my name on it...this is where he is needed!   Me do a half marathon?  ha ha ha.  I'm not committing, I'm just putting the idea out there because I think I could do it.   I must be crazy to even ponder this!!!

My biggest deterrent right now is the fact that I want to focus on riding!  I'm totally torn.  To bike......to run.....that is the question.  I could be happy doing either one...but will trying to do both hold me back from achieving my goals???

The only thing I will say about this before I move on.  I have tentatively found a few halves that I could conceivably run.  One in Hershey on October 20th..( There is also a half in Gettysburg on that same day.)to follow the Hal Higdon 12 week training I would need to start really training the end of July.  (and continuing running my 3 miles a few times a week until then).  There is one closer, to benefit Habitat for Humanity.    That one is in Hancock, MD on a Sunday in September (September 15).   (Ironically enough that race was already in my crosshairs as I was pondering doing the 5k race that day).    All of those half marathons are on Sunday so no worries about work (there is a half that goes right through the town where I live...in fact it goes right by my work...but it always falls on the weekend I work...and this year is no exception...so once again this year I will be at work and cheering the runners on when I'm not inside with a customer!).    The Hancock half I would have to start training diligently the end of June.  Hmmmm.......

So anyway.....no commitment to anything...just thinking wild and crazy thoughts!

Meanwhile, this morning I went out for a run. I don't know what struck me but I decided to push myself further.  (it was probably sparked by all this talk about half marathons and such).   I ran 5.33 miles in just over an hour...That is 2 complete miles longer than I have EVER run in my entire life.  I did not stop to walk.  I ran every stinkin' step!!!!  My average pace was 12:34 (my fastest yet) and one of my miles was in 11:58  YIPPEE!   So not only FASTER but longer!  And I didn't die.....and my legs seem to be still attached to my body and working relatively well.  :-)  

Up tomorrow morning.....a bike ride!   But in the meantime...off to work I go...followed by an hour of zumba!  WEEEEEEEE

Paws on the Pavement Race Report

Well, I wrote about my concerns and fears.  And here we go......MF faced her fears and put herself out there and pushed and this is what happened!

On Friday afternoon and evening I made a bit of a boo boo.  I worked around the house, cleaning and moving furniture.  Round about 7PM my legs ACHED!  I was nervous.  On no!!!   But undaunted I laid out my clothes so that I didn't have to think about what to put on early in the morning.   I set my alarm for 5:45 and knew that I wanted to leave the house at about 6:30.  I wanted to be there when the preregistered lines opened.  I was hoping to get a close parking spot so I didn't have to trek back and forth to my car.  I went to bed and fell asleep and fell right to sleep.  My sleep was interrupted when Todd finally came to bed but I was good.  

Saturday morning I woke up early, before the alarm.  I liked that.  It gave me the chance to lay in bed for a few minutes and wake up gradually.....so when the alarm went off I was ready to roll.  It didn't take me long to get ready and I even had a bit of time to sit back and relax while eating my breakfast.   After my last bite was chewed, my laces tightened and my HR monitor on, I headed out the door. 

I arrived at the location early and had GREAT parking.  I walked over to the registration and picked up my swag bag and my bib.  It was just a hop skip and a jump and I headed over to get my timing chip.  And then began the WORST part of the day.  I had about 50 minutes until the race started.  I affixed my bib and attached my timing chip.  My car was close (thank heavens) so I sat in my car and picked up my kindle.  Yes, I had wisely brought it along anticipating the long wait.  I read the time away.  My aunt walked by and talked to me for a few minutes, but she was with her friend so it was short lived.  I kept reading.    With about 10-15 minutes I moved to the start area. I of course chit chatted with a few people and petted some doggies (this was after all put on by the humane society so dogs were more than welcome).  Ironically enough, the start line had me positioned near my aunt and a lady that I know from the Sharpsburg area.  I chit chatted with them and then we were off. 

Immediately I was shocked.  I picked up my comfortable pace and I was weaving around people and moving forward a bit.  Yeah, there were a bunch of people passing me by but I was passing others by.  That kind of felt good.     Almost instantaneously my breathing went wonkers.  My first thought was "on no"   I looked at my HR monitor and yes, my HR was high.  I knew that I wasn't dying that I was just keyed up so I just settled myself down....breathed deeply and slowed it down a tick until I got myself under control. 

I was wearing headphones but listening low enough that I could hear the talking around me.  I saw a lady just ahead of me that was running my pace.  I kept pace with her until she started walking.  I wished her good luck and kept going.   I was still running and I was feeling good.  My HR was higher than I normally run but I wasn't concerned.  I heard my aunt behind me and realized that we were running about at the same pace.  I started to wonder.....you see, she ran a race last Sunday and did it in 37 minutes.  I kept going.   We had an incline and I ran up that puppy.  Admittedly I had to walk for about 10 seconds afterward.  No...I didn't HAVE to walk...I did walk and then realized that I was walking and didn't need to so I picked it back up.  I passed the first mile marker and kept going.   My aunt at the water station took a cup of water and threw it at me...I laughed and turned around and acted like I was shakin' my goods at her. I swiveled around and kept running.   I was just having run.

I then noticed all the young girls.  Elementary age......Girls on the Run was running in this race.  It's an elementary based program where they have a 12 week running program and then the girls run a 5k.  This was the 5k they selected.  Some of the girls were getting tired and I had fun encouraging them as I either I passed them or they passed me.  It was simple stuff a "You got this!"  or "You are doing great!"    It helped me.  I was keeping rough pace with a group of 4 of these girls and their mother.  (they were two sets of twins and best friends to boot).  They would run and then back off to a walk so we were leap frogging because I was running the whole time.    Every time I would come up on them I would say in a sing song voice "the old lady is catching up and passing you by"   They would take off and skip away and just laugh.  So I had some fun with them.  It helped the time pass and kept me going. 

I admittedly walked about MAYBE 30 seconds....TOTAL. 

Finally I saw the finish line.  I had done it.  I wasn't thinking about my time other than to know that my Aunt was still within spitting distance (she and I had leapfrogged through the run also as she walked on occasion).  I rounded the corner and came up upon the finish line and I couldn't believe my eyes.  The clock was showing 38 minutes!  What???? No way!! NOOOOOOO Freaking way!!!!!!  I finished strong!!!!!!!!

My official time 38 minutes and 20 seconds!

Slapping Fear Silly

Well, my next 5k is tomorrow.  Paws on the Pavement to benefit the humane society in my county.   I'm as ready as I'm going to be.  I probably shouldn't have come home today and cleaned so vigorously.  My legs are aching.  Oops.  Oh well..that's life. And I wanted to try to to have a clean house to start off our 10 days of vacation.   But back to the race tomorrow.   I'm nervous.  Not about running.  No, I will run as much and as hard as I can.  I will walk at a fast clip if I have to.  I'm not worried about that.  I am not nervous about reaching my goal that I set for myself (to run it in under 40 minutes). I know that according to the time on all my training runs that I won't make the goal. I'm still hopeful, but I'm not stressed about it.  I would LOVE to make that goal.  But  I will be happy if I get a better time than my previous 5k's.  But you know what.  I'm going to do it and be happy that I'm out there doing it.

So what makes me nervous and freaked out?   Doing it by myself.   Yes, isn't that totally irrational and stupid?  I admit it, it is asinine!!  I'm excited about my run.   However, the excitement at running this 5k (and if my dreams our met reaching a goal I've been working toward) is tempered with the fear of doing it alone.  (yeah, alone in a crowd ha ha ha).   I know in my mind that this is irrational.  What is going to happen to me because I'm alone???? Nothing.  I know this.  Yet this fear still overtakes me.  Why am I this way?????   I don't like it.

Ready or not...I'm facing this irrational fear tomorrow.  Would I have had more fun if I had a friend or two with me?  Possible....but that wasn't an option for this run and I'm OK with that. I'm still doing it and I'll come out on top at the end.....proud of myself for doing it...for accomplishing my run....for everything.

There is no room in my life for fear and I will banish every stupid fear when the opportunity arises!

Race report

I tried to go to bed early on Friday night.  I wanted to be fresh and ready to run, not tired and worn out.  I slept restlessly though.  I had dreams.  Weirdly enough I 'think' they were dreams about running.  I woke up before the alarm and laid in bed and relaxed a bit, doing my normal (and favorite) wake up routine.  When my alarm went off I rolled out of bed and got ready for my day.  I was excited.  I had vowed a lot of things through the last few weeks of this running training.  I had vowed to run the whole thing.  I had vowed to beat my turkey trot numbers.  I had vowed to do this and that.  Finally just this last week I changed my vow to "Do my best and have fun!"   

Sherry and I met up early and arrived at the race site.  We were ready!   Of course we stopped and had to have our pictures taken with the Sweet Frogs! (and yes, I will be using the 10% off coupon to get some frozen yogurt at one of the sweet frogs stores!)

We got out timer chips and we walked around for about 45 minutes, making sure that we visited the portapotties and kept moving.  We watched (from a distance) the kids run.  Some of those kids were like lightening!          Finally it was our turn to congregate at the start line.  We moved into place...and then we waited....and waited....and waited.  OK, so it was maybe only 5 or 10 minutes.  Finally after hearing the instructions for the race a few times (they were running two different courses of 5K and one course of a 10 k simultaneously so they  had to make sure everyone knew which routes to follow) we were off.  Sherry and I headed out onto the road.  It was a road that we run each week but it felt so odd to be running on the middle of the road and surrounded by tons of people!.  

 

About this time I realized that my research was wrong and we were running the FITNESS course and not the FUN 5k course!  OOPS!

 

Within the first few minutes of running my breathing was labored.  Really? I thought I had that under control????    Sherry even noticed it.  Before I said anything to her (I was trying to get it under control on my own without bringing it up) she started counting my breaths for me out loud.  She knows my breathing pattern that I am following (3-2-3-2-3-2).  I tried.  I really tried.  But it just wasn't happening.  We had to stop and walk relatively early.  GRRRRR.  We walked about a minute and then picked back up on the running.  My breathing was still messed up.  We ran and walked alternately for about the first mile.  Then something happened and my breathing somehow settled down.  At about the one mile mark I heard someone coming up behind us.  It was a lone girl...she was running at about the pace that we ran at.  We stayed relatively close to her.  We would walk and she would pass us.  She would walk and we would pass her.  

 

At about the 2 mile mark Sherry started to feel sick.  I didn't have any complaints about walking.  My breathing was somewhat under control, but seriously...once it's out of whack my whole body does not function correctly.   We walked and jogged intermittently the rest of the race.  Our bodies fought us but we persevered.  I was so happy that I was with her.  Her presence helped pull me through.  And yes....we crossed the finish line with smiles on our faces (or maybe they were grimaces!)           

We did it!   We did not run the whole thing...but we DID manage to beat my turkey trot time.  By a few minutes!   We also DID manage to have fun! This was a nice small race.  The turkey trot was huge in comparison.  This one  was small an intimate.  I liked it.  If I'm running next year....this one will definitely be on my list. (although I my chose the FUN course next year....but then again, I may be READY for the fitness course!)  

 

This morning I woke up and just felt sick and utterly exhausted.  So I went back to bed and slept for a few hours.  Exercise was put on the back burner.  I may do something tonight. But I'm not pushing it.  My body is telling me to slow down.  I WILL listen to my bodies needs!