Tag Archives: 5K

Hare Racing Experience

Posted on by Run DMT
8

Among my running friends, I had heard such great things about the Hare Racing Expereince at the University of South Florida (my alma mater) and I was excited to finally be able to participate in the race this year.  Especially, since the race benefits children living with epilepsy by offering “scholarships for kids with epilepsy to attend a medical-friendly camp, scholarships for families of kids with epilepsy to attend a family weekend retreat, medical and college/technical school scholarships for persons affected by epilepsy, seminars that promote new initiatives and partnerships in the field of epilepsy and funding for medical support services” (Epilepsy Services Foundation, Inc).

Since my niece, Meghan, lives with epilepsy, the Hare Racing Experience became a family affair.  We all wore purple to represent ourselves as “Team Meggers” to honor Meghan.

Kirsten brought her “Talk About It” sign to remind everyone to talk about the reason behind the race.  We were here to raise money and awareness for epilepsy.

But I really need to talk about this race!  From the start, I should have known I was in trouble when I realized there was no start line.  Instead of an official start, a small crowd huddled around a man with a bullhorn.  I could barely make out what he said, “Stay to the left of the orange flags!”  Orange flags. Got it.

A faint gun pop gave the crowd the signal to start running.  As I followed the crowd through the grass, I realized we were headed for a trail run.

Then, panic set in.  I haven’t trained for a trail run!  I’ve been resting for a week!  I hope my heels are ready for this!  But the wet grass and sand is going to ruin my new shoes!

Once I allowed myself a brief moment to panic, I took a deep breath and decided to embrace the trail run.  After all, the soft sandy terrain would be good for my recovering plantar fasciitis heels.  Plus, it wasn’t a chipped race so I wouldn’t have to worry about my time.  Besides, I was here for Meghan and a good cause, not a great finish.

With that, I focused on where I planted my feet while trying to snap as many photos as I could.

Honestly, running a trail was tough but fun.  I loved running through the woods even if we had to do it twice.  Still, I wished I had trained for a trail run.

We winded through the woods to a path that led us to the soccer field.  We ran through the plush green grass into the sunshine.

Then, it was back the through trail again to the 1.5 mile water stop and another loop through the trail again.

Second time along the trail, a few of us lost our bearings and began following some USF track students.   By following these runners, we were off-track and off the race route.  Once we realized what had happened, we had to double back to the race.  The whole misguided mistake added 15 seconds to my time.

One more time around the soccer field and as we exited the field, we passed a volunteer holding a Mile 1 sign.  “This is mile 2, right?”  I asked panicking all over again as I ran past her.  Although she assured me we were nearing the finish, I felt confused and frustrated and ready to be done.

As we exited the trail a second time, the volunteers pointed us in the direction of the USF Track and Field.  The last leg was half a lap around the track.  As I neared the finish, I still had some sprints left in me and I pushed it to the finish.

Focused on fast footwork, I forgot to look at the clock and stop my Garmin when I crossed the finish line.  Since the race wasn’t chipped, we were asked to record our own time.  Frustrated once again with this race and my performance, I tried to see the clock in my mind’s eye.  I think it said 31:07.

When I remembered to turn off my Garmin, it read 31:39.

According to the results listed on coolrunning.com, my official time is 30:51.  Not quite under 30 minutes like I had hoped to finish, but better than I thought for my first trail run race.  And I came in 5th place for my division (F/age 40-44)!  I’ll take it!

Jarrett did great for his first trail run and finished at 30:22.  My sister, Simone, my BIL Erich, Rachel and Grandpa Bill all finished between 42:00-44:00, which is fantastic for their first 5K!

*Photo by Aaron Stopford*

After a quick 5K cool down, Simone and I joined Meghan and the rest of the gang (Kirsten, Allan, Allana and Emmalynn) for the one mile fun run, which were four laps around the track.  I knew my girls would do great as their used to running in circles for running club.

*Photo by Aaron Stopford*

Allan, Allana and Meghan finished at 13:01.  Kirsten and Emmalynn finished just a few second behind them at 13:05.

Even though after the race my shins would tell you otherwise, running for a reason always feels good.  Despite being a bit unorganized and a few hiccups with the logistics of the race, I would run this race again for my niece, Meghan.

Sometimes it’s not about the time or the course, but the cause and encouraging people to talk about it…

*Photo by Kirsten*

…and giving a shout out to your alma mater, too.

*Photo by Kirsten*

PhotoStory Fridaythe hollie rogue Look whooooo’s snapping Unknown Mami

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Random Thoughts about Skipping a Beat, 10 Burpees, Some Shoes and a Few 5Ks

Posted on by Run DMT
2

I’ve spent the past two days recovering from Spring Break which has been mostly spent sweeping and tidying away the fallout from Easter and Spring Break.  It’s amazing how dirty and unkempt my house looks even though we spent so little time in it over the past week.

I’ve been so busy trying to play catch-up to my housework that I didn’t even blog yesterday for Music Monday.  Gasp!  I had a post in my head complete with photographs showing all our fun in the sun which I was going to link up at Kristi’s Leap into Spring! Photo Challenge at Live and Love Out Loud.  However, time just escaped me while one Little Lion Man wouldn’t leave me side, so I couldn’t swing it.  Maybe I’ll work on it for Wordless Wednesday, minus sunny day song.

We’re on day 10 for the 30 Day Burpee Challenge, which means we’ve moved hit double digits.  Truth be told, ten burpees about did me in today.  I am so out of shape, which why I need to do burpees.  It’s a vicious cycle.

Have I ever mentioned that I assist with my kids’ running club after school?  Every Tuesday, I run about 3 miles with my stroller and close to 50 kids.  Besides spending quality running time with my girls, it’s all part of my evening training plan to help me train for upcoming evening races in warmer weather.  And you thought I was trying to be a good mom!  Nope.  I’m just trying to be a better mother summer runner.

I officially registered for my first summer race: Oldsmar 5K (formerly the Oldsmar Taphouse Run) in June.  Even though it’s hotter than hell, this is one of my favorite races.  I love the flat course and its beautiful view of the bay.  It’s not chipped, but the first 50 finishers get “Das Boot” and since that will never be me holding Das Boot, I’m just going to have fun with it and get my drink on after the race.  I get to do my thing, taking photos running happy and snappy as usual and I’ll have a beer or two or three when it’s all finished.  Did I mention that there is free beer for all runners at the finish?

My new Brooks Trance 10 running shoes arrived last Thursday afternoon and I unfortunately didn’t have the chance to break them in before the race.  In other words, I wore brand-spanking new shoes for a race, which incidentally was 5K trail run.  I had no idea it was a trail run!  So not only was a panicking about not running for over a week due to plantar fasciitis, I began panicking because I hadn’t trained for a trail.  And on top of it all, I worried that I would dirty my pretty new white shoes.  Such a girl!  I’ll tell you more about the race in another post.

Speaking of shoes, our new pup chewed through my pink Spenco flip-flops.  Son of…!  They were about a year old anyway and I was long overdue for a new pair as they had lost some of the support in them, but still.  UGH!  Thank goodness it wasn’t my new Abeo shoes but I’ve been hiding those out of the dog’s reach.  Oh well.  Now, I have an excuse to buy a new pair.  Maybe I’ll go for the pink (honeysuckle) cork shoes?

Before I forget, WordPress is hosting a Automattic Worldwide WP 5k.  The WWWP5k is set for Sunday, April 29, but you can do your run/walk anytime from April 23rd-29th, which means you’ve got a week to fit it in.  If you’ve never done a 5K, the WWWP5K is the perfect no-pressure 5K, because like the Automattic gang put it so eloquently, “you can run, walk, or skip the 3.1 miles. It’s up to you. There’s no time limit and there’s just one requirement: that you participate! You can do it inside or outside, on a treadmill or on a track, or even do a swim or a bike ride instead of running/walking – just get moving!”

So, will you join the WWWP5K on April 29?  Of course, I’m down with WWWP5K. Yeah you know me. It should be a lot easier than 10 burpees.

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Spring Sprint 5K

Posted on by Run DMT
11

“Mom, do you plan to run this race easy or hard?”  Allana asked.

“I was planning to run with you, so whatever pace you want to do.”

“Well, Katie, Jackie and I are going to run easy, so you should just run how you want to, Mom.”

Before the start of the Spring Sprint 5K, my pre-teen gave me the “all clear” to run the race hard, but in reality I think she chose to be with her friends over me.  It was my first taste of the teen years to come.

Honestly, for the time being, I’m o.k. with it as this was a chipped race and selfishly, I wanted a good time on my Active.com profile.  I’ll worry about being blown off for friends another day.  This mother runner needed to finish a 5K in under 30 minutes!  (Just call me Domino’s, because I can get there in 30 minutes or less.)

Although the race was in its second year, this was our first time participating in the Spring Sprint 5K, race to raise funds for autism awareness and education projects.  What a great little charity race from start to finish!

As logistics go, the race event coordinators had it together.  Oakstead Elementary hosted packet pick-up the evening before the race which was a smooth operation. Parking on race day was also smoothly orchestrated.  As any runner will tell you, packet pick-up and parking are HUGE factors for any race and the organizers behind this race worked out every detail beautifully.

The start line was clearly marked as well as visible.  Both the 5K and 1 mile Fun Run had their own start line banners.

As for the course, it was right in my backyard, so to speak.  The 5K course wound through the flat and scenic streets of my neighborhood, the very same streets I train on.  We ran past my kids’ school, the middle school and high school.

We even ran past my Publix and my favorite running store, Suncoast Running, who cheered for us as we ran by.

The sunrise was like any other running day in my neighborhood, but the sun seemed to be shining just a bit more brightly today.  Maybe the sun knew it was a great day for a race?

For a small race with less than 500 participants, there were a great number of volunteers and spectators, many I believe to be faculty and staff of Oakstead Elementary.  The finish led us back to the high school where we ran a half lap around the track.

DJ Elvis called out our numbers as we ran past and people in the stands cheered for us as we crossed the finish line.

*Photo provided by Suncoast Running.*

Gun Time 28:39

Chip Time 28:34

Ave Pace 9:14

Division Place 10/35

Overall Place 139/415

 As for Allana, she did GREAT.  She ran it without stopping, a first for her.  However, I missed Allana crossing the finish line as I had to be at the start line for the 1 mile Fun Run with Emmalynn.  My husband snapped these photos of Allana and her friend, Jackie.

Allana’s Stats

Gun Time 50:16

Chip Time 50:00

Ave Pace 16:11

Division 26/27

Overall 409/415

For the 1 Mile Fun Run, we ran back onto the road in front of the high school and then looped back onto the school groups to finish on the track once again.

Of course, I was so proud of both girls, but I was extremely proud of Emmalynn.  She held onto a nice pace and avoided side stitches.

By doing so, Emmalynn earned a personal best for this race and redeemed her Gasparilla Jr. performance!  Way to go Emmalynn!

The sun was right.  It certainly was a great day for a race.  Even my friend, Chrissy, did well and finished  6th in her division with a chip time of 29:23.

On a side note, with this race falling on Saint Patrick’s Day, I thought everyone would be all decked out in green.  I totally expected to see others wearing sparkly green running skirts and silly St. Patrick’s Day hats or runners dressed as leprechaun look-alikes.  Um…not so much.

I did not expect to be one of the very few people wearing green not to mention being the only one wearing a green tutu.  Talk about feeling like the belle of the ball and making a spectacle of myself.  Wow.

Kermit wasn’t kidding.  It’s not easy being green but then I don’t think Kermit ever wore a tutu and a little leprechaun hat.  Well, at least I’ve raised the bar for next year.

And we’ll definitely be back next year.

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Inaugural 911 Memorial 5K Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
3

Since my friends and I aim to run a race every month to stay motivated to meet our miles, Chrissy found our September race when she stumbled upon the Inaugural 911 Memorial 5K Run/Walk on active.com.  This race would raise funds for Homes for our Troops and the Austin Burchard home build.

When I mentioned the race to Allana, she wanted to run it with me.  Then, I roped my mom to be part of the event and some other running friends too.  Not before long, many of the Suncoast Striders joined in the fun.

Allana and I decided upon red, white and blue racing attire but several runners wore black with words to remind us the reason behind the race.

Much like September 11 ten years ago, it was a beautiful day which warmed up quickly.  The race course led us through Gulf Harbors, a waterfront neighborhood in New Port Richey, FL and many spectators waved their flags and cheered as we ran past their homes.

 

I started the race ahead of Chrissy and our friend Larisa, but that was short lived.  I desperately wanted to reach a new PB, but with the September heat, it was not in the cards for me.  Although I was defeated by the heat, Chrissy shaved two minutes of her time and earned a new PR, 32:24.  (Chrissy also wanted me to mention in my recap that she ran a faster average pace than me.)

When we neared the finish line, Larisa became our coach encouraging Chrissy and me to push it harder.  As we crossed the finish line, Larisa literally pushed me in a jokingly manner to not let me beat her.  David of the Suncoast Striders caught Larisa in the act with a quick snapshot.

But that final push, pushed me over the edge and I felt like would vomit, which I have never felt after any 5k.

Chip Time 32:39.7    

Garmin Time 34:45

Chip Ave Pace 10:32

Garmin Ave Pace 11:02

Max Pace 7:42

Overall Place 152/500

Div Place 8/21

While trying to cool down in the restroom, I met a fellow runner blogger, Clare of Clare is Running.  We exchanged stories and plans for future races in the hopes to meet again soon.

Twenty minutes after Chrissy, Larisa and I finished our 5K, my mom and Allana crossed the finish line.  My mom also earned a PB and her first medal EVER for finishing third in age group.

Despite the heat and getting pushed around by Larisa, I enjoyed this race and the feeling it gave me to do something good on a day that typically causes such sadness.  And I loved having my family and friends with me there too.

 

Allana loved being part of it too and earning a real medal, but knowing that we helped the troops is the real reward.

PhotoStory Fridaythe hollie rogue

Random Thoughts About 40 Points and 40 Miles

Posted on by Run DMT
5

Last month, I visited my doctor for a third time this year for another round of blood tests to check my cholesterol again. yay.  Only I had forgotten about the appointment and I ate so poorly week prior to my appointment.

The week before my doctor’s appointment, it was as though my body craved fattening greasy fried food.  I ate a McDonald’s country chicken sandwich meal with fries.  Then, a few days later, I had a hamburger and fries at Prime Bar’s $5 burger night.  I believe some Hooters wings were thrown into the mix and then there was a big bad-for-you breakfast on Father’s Day.  And not to mention, I ate my way across Sanibel and Captiva the week before my doctor visit.

So after a really bad week of fatty foods, I was completely blown away when my doctor said my cholesterol dropped 40 points and I lost 2 pounds.  I wondered had eaten better if my cholesterol level would have been even lower.  No matter.  I’m off the hook for now and I won’t have to go back to my doctor until January for my annual physical.  WOOHOO!

My weight is still holding strong at 135 pounds.  I would still like to drop another 10 pounds, but I’m not going to stress about it.  It will come off.  It’s nothing some Spanx can’t fix.

Although I didn’t reach my desired weight goal of 40 pounds before my 40th birthday (which is next Wednesday hint…hint), I completed my goal of 40 miles before my 40th birthday.  I finished 3 half marathons (Gasparilla, Pasco Challenge and Iron Girl), a  5 mile race (Miles for Moffit) and three 5Ks (Crazy Sombrero, Oldsmar Tap House Run and Rap River Run) for a grand total of 53.6 miles.

Now, I’m training for my third marathon: Space Coast Marathon and a handful of races in between, but it has been hard to get motivated to do the big miles in the heat of summer.  I know it will get easier when the weather cools down and I’ll be faster too.  Race season will be here before you know it!

Speaking of my training, I’ve been so lazy since the Fourth of July and I’m finding it difficult to get back into a running routine.  I don’t know if it’s the summer heat, dehydration or a vitamin deficiency or too much fatty foods, but I’ve exhausted lately.   Between our vacation, Fourth of July and entertaining guests due to all the July birthdays this month in our family, it’s as though my motivation fizzed with the fireworks.  But I’ve got to get serious about running again because there’s only 18 weeks until the Space Coast Marathon.

For my marathon training, I’m putting my faith in good ol’ Hal Higdon again, however, I’m following a hybrid plan combining Hal’s Novice 2, Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2 plans.  I ran 8 miles yesterday and now this weekend I’m planning to go for 10 miles.  We’ll see.  Wish me luck.

As for my runs, like I said, they’ve been few and far between, but I’m back on track now.

July 2

3.1 miles

Time 31:24

Ave Pace 10:08

Max Pace 7:54

 

July 11

4 miles

Time 42:45

Ave Pace 10:42

Max 8:17

 

July 14

4 miles

Time 42:00

Ave Pace 10:31

Max Pace 8:25

 

July 18

8 miles

Time 1:28:08

Ave Pace 11:01

Max Pace 8:20

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

Rap River Run Recap

Posted on by Run DMT
3

Rap River RunI had heard horror stories about how hot the Rap River Run could be.  And even though, I drank a lot of beer the night before, I still tried to keep hydrated with some good old fashioned H2O before the race and I hoped I wouldn’t sweat out Sierra Nevada during the race.

When I returned home from the Oldsmar Tap House, my girls were still awake at 10:00, but thankfully followed directions by wearing their running clothes to bed instead of pajamas.  They would get sweaty anyway and we didn’t have time in the morning to play around.

After staying up so late, I didn’t expect them to jump out of bed at 6:30 like they did that morning.  I honestly thought they would choose to sleep in and skip the race.  Although they jumped out of bed, somehow they weren’t as quick with brushing their teeth and hair and it took another 20 minutes to get out of the house.  There was no way around it.  We were going to be late to the race.

Plus, we still need to register for the race.  For whatever reason, I kept forgetting to register for this race.  Perhaps subconsciously I was worried about my performance after running the Oldsmar Tap House 5K the night before and the reason registering for it kept slipping my mind.  Arriving at the event with only minutes to spare, I wished I had preregistered.

Once registered, I dumped our things off at the Suncoast Running tent and dashed off to the start line.  But we couldn’t find it and the race had already started.

The girls and I jumped into the course and started running in the same direction as everyone else.  I had no idea how far into the race we were, but we just kept running.  Once around the lake, we found the 1 mile start line.  Now we could officially start the race.

 

We ran the course twice.  Allana had a nice easy pace going.  Emmalynn needed a little more coaxing and to hold my hand as she ran.  By the second time around the lake, we really needed to pick up the pace because the 5K race was only minutes away from starting.

I hollered to my girls, “C’mon!  Let’s go!  The next race is about to start!”

I must have sounded like a lunatic, because a heavy set elderly woman who speed walking along side of us thought I was hollering at her.  In a nasty tone, she hollered back, “I’m doing the best I can.  I don’t care about the next race!”

In apologetic tone I replied, “I wasn’t talking to you.  I was talking to my girls.  They need to hurry because I need to get to the next race.  But you’re doing great!  Keep it up, mama!”

Once we crossed the finish line, medals were draped around the girls’ necks which they wore their medals proudly as they headed back to Suncoast Running and I dashed off to the 5K start line with only seconds to spare.  I didn’t even get a chance to rehydrate and hoped I wouldn’t overheat.

Much like the Crazy Sombrero, I believe the 1 mile easy warm-up run really helped my performance.  The first mile is always the toughest for me, but once the juices start flowing and my muscles warm up, I feel like I can go miles without stopping.

 

Large old oak trees shaded the flat road course through downtown New Port Richey as a light breeze from the Cotee River cooled us.  So far, thankfully the horror stories of heat seemed to be more of a legend than any reality.

 

About half way into the race, a water station emerged.  I greedily dumped two cups on me and then drank another two.  After a small loop in the course and close to two miles, I found my way back to the water station again and I gulped down two more cups.

 

Soon after, I spotted the start line in the distance and another 0.25 mile loop around the lake remained until the finish line.  I pushed my tired legs even harder and sprinted to the finish line.  I was rewarded with an Ice Pop and a medal for my efforts.  The Ice Pop was a nice touch.

3.19 Miles

Garmin Time 29:42

Chip Time 30:03

Ave Pace 9:37

Max Pace 7:11

 

Much like the decent race weather, the post-race party was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.  The girls were excited to be part of a real race that including a timing chip and a kid-friendly post-race party.  A smorgasbord of tasty treats were provided by Smoothie King, Carrabba’s, Sweet Tomatoes, Beef O’Brady’s and Sonny’s.  It was a great event and we will definitely be back next year.

Among the thousands of participants, I saw many familiar faces, including those of the Suncoast Striders.  There were also the unfamiliar faces of foster children throughout the event, which quietly reminded us why we were here other than our love for running.

To learn more about the RAP House and the other wonderful program provided by Youth and Family Alternatives, visit www.rapriverrun.com.

2011 Oldsmar Tap House 5K

Posted on by Run DMT
4

Alternative Title: Will Run for Brew, Part Two

I remembered the Tap House Run being a much hotter event.  Don’t get me wrong.  It was hot, but not as humid as it was the first year when I last ran the 5K event.  I also remembered despite the heat really enjoying the course through downtown Oldsmar and its beautiful view along the bay.

This year, Jackie anticipated winning Das Boot, so she pushed her way through the crowd to the front of the pack.  The rest of us found a start position way in the back.  Much like the start line, we would admire Das Boot from a distance.

I started the race running alongside of Mike, Chrissy, Bob, Angie and Faith, but found my pace and a path through the crowd to move ahead.

Just after I passed mile 1, I spotted the fastest runners already heading to the finish line.  I began counting them to see if Jackie would make the top 50 for Das Boot.  Sure enough, there she was somewhere around number 30.  She was booking it for Das Boot!

Although I ran another 5K race in the evening a month prior to this race, I still wondered how I would perform in the evening especially since the weather would be a bit warmer.  This race was hot, but not that hot.  Honestly, it was pretty bearable and the Gulf breeze blowing in from the bay was a welcomed relief during the run.  However, I think some of my late morning training runs and the occasional evening run prepared my body for the heat.

But also to prepare for this race, I drank water throughout the day to help my body combat the heat.  I believe staying hydrated all day is what saved me from heat exhaustion and any cramping during the race.  I also carb loaded with a bagel and peanut butter for breakfast and a bowl of pasta for lunch, so I wasn’t hungry before or during the race.  I seemed to find the perfect amount of fuel to keep me going.

And keep going I did snapping photos along the way and only stopping to walk while rehydrating at the water station. I dumped water on myself as well as downing cups of cold water.

3.16 miles
Garmin Time 30:21
Ave Pace 9:37
Max Pace 7:11

Overall, it was a fun little 5K, but the street party afterwards was a blast with lots of sudsy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale flowing and tons of yummy food, like tacos from Tijuana Flats and Italian ice from Rita’s.  The whole event was a great time from start to finish and then start to finish again, but having my hubby and our friends there to support each other made a fun evening even better.

I’ll drink to that!

Loco Para Cinco de Mayo

Posted on by Run DMT
7

The names for the NYC Marathon have been drawn and I wasn’t one of them, but it’s all good. Es no problemo.

Now that the selection process is over, I can redirect my attention onto the other races I have coming up like the Crazy Sombrero 5K this Friday.

To get into a Cinco de Mayo mood and into the Crazy Sombrero spirit, I’ve been downloading some Mexican dance music. Hey, whatever it takes to be a Speedy Gonzales for this race. ¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!

Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

Random Thoughts about a Race

Posted on by Run DMT
7

In five days, I have my first 5K since Gasparilla last February, but I haven’t run in weeks and I’m nervous as hell. I’m worried that I committed to something before I was ready. When I registered, I felt mentally ready, but now I don’t feel mentally or physically ready for this race. I think I’m mental for even thinking about a race almost four months postpartum!

 

Why did I think this was a good idea? I’m sure it was the precious that convinced me to do it. She wanted the precious.

 

My knee is finally feeling better and my Achilles tendon stopped hurting too, which is another stupid injury I endured from walking in Converse low tops around Busch Gardens. I should have worn my new running shoes, but my ego and my fashion sense convinced me otherwise. But lesson learned, because a leg bandage would look far worse with jeans than running shoes.

 

I’ve made a lot of dumb decisions in a hurried attempt to jump back into running, but the only training I should attempt for now is brain builders to help rev up my brainpower. This baby brain is destroying me.

 

***Proudly submitted at The Un Mom’s Random Tuesday Thoughts, because when I blog about my runs, it’s usually pretty random.***

randomtuesday

Just Like Starting Over

Posted on by Run DMT
4

Yesterday, I ran another 4 miles and I am steadily improving.  WOOHOO!

 

4 Miles

357 Calories

Ave Pace 13:39

Max Pace 9:27

Time 54:34

 

Today, I registered for the Women’s Running Magazine 5K.  I’ve got about a month to really improve and get back into the game.  Truthfully, it feels just like starting over.

 

When I began running three years ago, I could barely run a quarter mile.  My good friend and running partner, Lori (now a virtual running partner/coach since she moved away), convinced me to stick with it.  “Anybody can run,” were her words.  “Run a bit and walk a bit.  You’ll get there.”

 

Lori twisted my arm convinced me to train for the Turkey Trot 5K Wingding even though I only wanted to run the 1 mile Gobbler.  She told me about Cool Running’s Couch Potato to 5K plan and Hal Higdon’s Novice 5K Plan which made a 5K goal more doable and attainable.  Runners can walk? It seemed like such an odd concept.

 

By following these plans, a once non-runner became an OBSESSED runner.  I was hooked and the rest is history.

 

But then I became pregnant and at seven months I was too big and too uncomfortable for any walking or running or wogging.  My running days would have to pick up after the baby was born.

 

Now, it’s two months after the birth of Baby Run DMT and I’m slowly getting back into the groove in more ways than one.  With my training, I’ve had to revisit those novice 5K plans because there’s a whole lot of walking to finish 4 miles.  Last week, I could barely run a quarter mile without having to stop to walk.  This week, I ran a half-mile (maybe even farther) before I needed to stop to walk.

 

In the beginning of my running days, Lori advised me to walk the intersections of our neighborhood, which is great advice that I’m following again these days. A five to ten second walk to cross the road is just the break I need to pick up my pace.

 

Since I didn’t have a Garmin, I don’t know what my pace was in the beginning of my running days, however, I believe I finished the Turkey Trot 5K in 33 minutes. It would be great to finish close to that at the Women’s 5K next month.

 

In our phone conversations, Coach Lori encourages me once again, “Don’t worry. You’ll be back at your old pace in no time. You’ll get there.”

 

But I think John Lennon said it best. It’ll be just like starting ooooovveeerrrr.