Last week, the running was a little light due to all the end of the year hullabaloo at my girls’ school.  When did the end of the year get more chaotic than Christmas?  Between all the parties, volunteering nearly every day, a field trip and a volunteer breakfast, I couldn’t keep my days straight!  Never mind trying to squeeze in a run!  I was too shattered from running around all week.

On Saturday, I finally went for a 6 mile run.  It was HOT, but it felt good to run again after a crazy week.  It wasn’t a particularly fast run, but I did it and after slacking off all week, that’s all that matters.

6.2 Miles

Time 1:10:20

Ave Pace 11:21

Max 7:58

I didn’t run on Sunday, but decided to eat, drink and merry with all our friends at Chrissy and Mike’s cook-out.  Coach Jackie was there too and pressured me into a Memorial Day run with the Suncoast Striders.  I hadn’t even thought about going because @cheekymonkey8 and her clan were supposed to crash at our house Saturday night.  I didn’t want to leave Allan alone to entertain everyone while I was off socializing and running with the Striders.  It didn’t seem right.  But then they had to cancel last minute and so my morning was free for the Striders.

I really only intended to run an easy 4 miles since I did 6 miles on Saturday, but I got roped into going farther and faster with the crowd.  With 58 Striders meeting up for a Memorial Day run, it felt like a race more than an easy run and I needed that push.  (Thanks to Coach Jackie for pressuring me into going and thanks to David of the Striders for snapping this very festive and patriotic photo of Jackie and me.)

Trying to keep up with the crowd, I decided to go for 6 miles.  The crowd demonstrated strength in numbers in more ways than one.  That’s definitely one of the benefits of belonging to a running group.  You push each other, challenge each other and support each other.  Nothing like your peers to kick your ass into gear to make you run faster and farther and in this case, I shaved almost 7 minutes off Saturday’s time.

6.2 miles

Time 1:03:54

Ave Pace 10:18

Max Pace 8:09

Does that mean I’ll be rejoining the Suncoast Striders for their Saturday morning runs and world-famous social hour?  Who knows?  We’ll see.  One small Strider step at a time.

To recover after a long weekend of too much food, beer and margaritas, a 3 mile run was necessary this morning.

3.1 miles

Time 32:15

Ave Pace 10:25

Max Pace 8:09

Tomorrow, June 1, is National Running Day.  To celebrate, I’m meeting some fellow runners at Suncoast Running tomorrow morning.  I haven’t decided how far I’ll go yet, but hopefully the crowd will drag me along again.

June also means the start of the Juneathon.  For the Juneathon, participants commit to running or some other physical activity every day and blog about it every day during the month of June.  I’ve already joined, because I need the peer pressure accountability, but I’m also a glutton for punishment.

I always have the best intentions when I join the Juneathon.  I typically do run or work-out every day.  That’s the easy part.  I just don’t always blog about it, so I never win any of the cool prizes.  Unfortunately, peer pressure doesn’t seem to have the same effect on my blogging as it does on my running.

But peer pressure did have an impact on my abs, thanks to the #aMAYzingabs challenge.  I am up to 200 crunches now.  Plus, I dropped another dress size and squeezed into a pair of size 3 shorts.  And each week, my bikini looks better and better on me.  Truly AMAYZING!

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