Friday and Saturday fun...

Photo courtesy of Brian





So, as you may or may not know, we were supposed to go to the beach on Friday. We didn't however because mother nature had other plans. It was still a nice day off, we hung out at my folks house, well until Makayla needed to nap. We came home, and she napped for 3 hours. While it wasn't the day we had planned, it was still a nice break from the 4 day work week. Saturday was also a relaxed day. I ran 5 miles with my BCR friends, and while out of no where I had an odd twinge in my leg, I ran with a great running partner and she helped me get through the run.  Thanks again April! After running we went to breakfast, and while it wasn't the best service, you really can't help enjoy yourself with this group of people.

So, that night a friend of mine had baseball tickets available to see the IronPigs. I was super excited, I had only been to one other game so far this year, and that is totally a shame! Anyway, we went and I think Makayla had a lot of fun. Here, you tell me what you think.

She wanted to sit in her own seat, with a little help from me.

This was her hat, and she wouldn't let me forget it.

Anyway we made it until the 7th inning and she was getting restless and tired so we left. While I took this photo because I thought it was cool, I had no idea that right after we left the heavens would open up and unleash more of Mother Nature's fury.

Still, it was awesome, I just wish we would have gone to more games, and maybe each year we can go to as many games as Makayla is old.  Last year we went to 1, this year 2. Haha, and I thought I was so smart. Anyway, that is how my weekend started, I can't wait to tell you had it ended.

What dreams may come...

from pinterest.com

So, as you may recall, this past weekend a friend of mine asked me to help her get running. Well, today was our first run together, and she did awesome! I think she was nervous at first, like I still get before a race.  It was nice. In all honesty, I had no idea what to expect. She told me that she had never run before, so I thought it would be nice if she was able to go a mile. We started with a brisk walk, and then started to run. Slow and steady for 3 minutes...she needed to walk, so we did. 30 seconds later, she wanted to run again, so we did. We did that for a mile. She was so EXCITED!! I asked her if she wanted to go a little further, we continued with the walk/run combo for 1.25 miles. Then we turned back. I didn't want us to get too far out and then realize she wouldn't be able to make it back. I let her dictate how far we went. At 1.25 miles she stated that 3 minutes was too long of a run period, we backed it down to 2 minutes, but kept it at 30 seconds of walking. At 1.5 miles she was beyond happy. She was like I can do this! I knew she can. We continued, and at 2 miles I congratulated her with high fives and hugs! She did it! She didn't even think she could have done it. At the end of 2 miles she stated how much fun she had. How it was fun to have someone to run with. I was so and am so proud of her. She even wants to join the running club on Saturday, I believe I even talked her into doing TheColorRun NJ in Sept, 

from pinterest.com

but not for a time, but just for pure entertainment. I am so excited to do this run! Anyone else wanna join?!?
I have to admit, I really thoroughly enjoyed the 2 mile run with her. It was nice to go out and just run, not worry about time, to spend some time outside of work together while working on getting healthy. It was weird for me to be giving her advice, on strides, on what to wear, to buy bodyglide. I still don't consider myself a runner, is that normal? When did you consider yourself a runner?
Well, I better get to bed, I have steps to do tomorrow. I hope you all had a great day! What did you do to #SweatPink today?

Feelings, nothing more than feelings

     Last week, an awesome thing happened to me. I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and I think that when this thing happened last week,  it was what I needed at the time. The awesome thing was that these awesome ladies over at FitApproach, Jamie and Alyse thought I had what it takes to be a SweatPink Ambassador. I talked about it in my post on Monday, it means that I get to encourage other women to put themselves first and help them reach a healthy goal, whatever that healthy goal is. It is also an opportunity for us Ambassadors to get together and know that there is a group of ladies joined together with something common to continually encourage each other in achieving our goal, no matter what fitness goal that is. Because of this awesome title, I will be going to Bryant Park and we are doing a meet-up of all local SweatPink Ambassadors. I am excited. I have read blogs of some of these women, and they seem awesome. I cannot wait to continue to learn from them and continue to help others achieve whatever fitness goals they have.
   I never considered myself one who would be inspiring others. I sometimes I have doubts in my own mind, that I am doing the right thing. That I AM a runner. On Saturdays, I usually run with a group of friends known as Breakfast Club Runners. If anyone is in the area and wants to run with a group of awesome runners (all abilities, all speeds, all various mileage) please look us up on Facebook and join the fun! Our location changes week to week, and it is always posted by Thursday where we are going. I promise, you won't be disappointed.  The best part of it all, we go to BREAKFAST as a group together!! Even if you aren't local, I recommend that you try to find a running club in your area.  I wish I would have known about this club before I ran my first 5K last November.  Looking back, and moving forward, I recommend to people to run with a group of people for a number of reasons.

1. You will get used to running with someone other than yourself
2. You will get used to running with people faster and slower than yourself
3. You will get used to running with people who are running at you in the same space that you are running
4. You will meet a lot of other runners and these runners can teach you things that they have learned that will help your running.

I always tell people to try it.  Even if they wait until the month before their race, it is important to get used to running with other people.  My first race, I hadn't met BCR yet. I remember standing in the pack of runners almost ready to cry.  I was invading other people's space, they were invading mine. The gun went off and I had to dodge people, go around slower runners, stuff like that, all kinds of stuff that was foreign to me.  I had to learn how to pace myself (I SO TOTALLY BLEW THIS ONE!!) I did not enjoy the experience as I wish I would have. Now, knowing what I do now, I really stress running with others before your race.
  Yesterday, I was asked to pace someone. ME!?!?! I pace my good friend Stef as she is now a running addict, but by pacing her, I am pushing myself, and making me a stronger runner.  I am kinda slower right now than I was in April because I am coming back from an IT Band injury and never thought I would pace an experienced runner from this group and I did just that. I was flattered and humbled all at the same time. I guess my hard work is paying off! Because of pacing, I was able to go the distance I had originally wanted, and didn't let myself settle for a comfort distance. I got to learn more about this person, and I made sure he (HI Frank!) wasn't pushing himself so he can get back to racing.  I know he misses it, and we miss having him at the races.  Later in the day, I received a text from a very good friend of mine.  She is not a runner at all. She will be the first to admit it.  However, last weekend she did the Spartan race, and while she would be the first to admit that she wasn't prepared, she was determined to finish it. AND she did!! She texted me and asked me to help her get ready for a half marathon in 6 weeks.  I texted back saying that I really didn't think that was a good goal.  I told her that it took me 12 weeks to prepare for my half marathon, and that I was already running before I started training.  So I told her that we should pick one in Oct or Nov and that I would try to get her ready for that.  I then also told her that in the meantime we will start doing other races, starting with 5Ks, and build up the races before the half.  I think that it is very important to set realistic goals, and if you don't run at all, going from nothing to 13.1 miles is hard, not impossible, hard, but that doing it in 6 weeks might mean failure.  I do not believe in letting my friends do things that are not realistic.  If I allow that, what kind of friend am I? I am supposed to support them and help them, wouldn't I be doing the opposite of just that if I had let her sign up for a half marathon with inadequate time to train?!?! What did I hope she gained from our conversation...

1. Dream big, but dream realistically.  If you dream you want to do a half marathon, let's do it, but let's make sure we have enough time so that you don't injure yourself
2. Don't rush the process. Rome wasn't built in a day, you can't expect to become a runner overnight.  Good things come to those who wait.
3. Enjoy every moment.  If you don't enjoy what you are doing, you won't do it.  If you don't enjoy running, there is no way you will do it for 3.1 miles, let alone 13.1.
4. Friendship brings people together.  Being some one's friend is awesome. Having them come to you for help is very humbling, but you also sometimes have to be their brain.  Dreams clog their thinking (in a good way) so sometimes you have to take their enthusiasm and just portray it a different way.
5. Don't tell them they cannot do something. Tell them they can, just not to expect instant results. (See #2).

I am very humbled by the support I am getting from my family and friends, and now by the support I am giving them. I never thought I would be one for them to come too for running guidance, and now as a SweatPink Ambassador I believe I will be able to help many others. I needed this "title" if you will. It put the wind back in my sail.  It helped me get rid of the cobwebs of doubt that built up from 6 weeks of not being able to run.  It has helped me love running again, and hopefully, I will be able to help others start running and love running like I do.  If you need any help, know someone who you think would love running or just want me to run a race with you, you know you can always count on me!

copied from Pintrest

Happy Running!

Down and out...

Lately I have been in a funk. Really, a deep down dirty funk. I really felt like no matter what I did, I wasn't going to see results. Heck, I don't see the results that I have managed to accomplish. I felt like no matter how hard I trained it wouldn't make any difference in my running. Really, I think that is why I haven't gone to the gym, why I gave up on the race on Saturday before it even started. (It was tough, but nothing like the Quadzilla race my friends just ran). Well, then I saw my sister J. She has no idea that I am writing this (she is at the airport waiting to go home to Chicago) and hopefully she will not get mad at me for being honest.

J, I want to thank you and your husband for your compliments. Thank you for noticing the difference in my appearance and how my hard work is paying off. Thank you! It means a lot to me that someone who doesn't see me often notices the differences and I hope to never let you down. Thank you for accepting me for me, and encouraging me to keep on keeping on. I really want to make you guys proud of me, and hopefully one of these times I will be running with you in Chicago.  Having you be proud of me has reignited the flame that was lit, but that was close to being extinguished. I love you!

To my fellow SweatPink Ambassadors,
Through think and thin and when we believe and then doubt in ourselves, let us strive to help each and every one of us love us for us and for believing that raising our bar is what makes us who we are. Together we will help others #SweatPink and believe in themselves and one person at a time help to make everyone healthier and make Sweating Pink the next big thing.

I have also decided to take a break from running races. Don't worry, I will be back at it next weekend, but this weekend I am going to run with my friends and fall back in love with running. Racing all the time takes its toll on my self esteem and therefore drains me from my love. Racing as we all know, gets to be expensive, so I need to be a little more selective. So, instead of racing this weekend, I am going to run with my friends and then heading over to Volunteer at one of the Lehigh Valle Road Runners Kids Series Events. If you are in the area, why don't you try to stop by and offer some help and help children find their love of exercise and running. I will be there, will you?

I may be down, but I am not out. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow I will be running at 8pm with a young lady I met at orientation. Hopefully we will survive the hills we have planned and I will be able to blog about it.

Happy Monday!

It's a heat wave!

Today is day 11 of the heat wave, or so the news says. I personally think it has been hot for longer than that, and with next week being in the upper 80s, I am not sure that will be much cooler. But, at least it is sunny and warm and not cold. Did you catch that storm yesterday?! It was pretty neat, the kind of summer storm that I really enjoy, hot and muggy, the rain moves in and out in a hurry and cools the place down. It was a complete difference after the storm than before the storm.  We were at a birthday/4th of July party, so I wasn't sure what had happened at home, the only thing I could noticed was that we lost power. But, nothing a little resetting of the clocks can't fix.

Earlier yesterday morning, I ran with my BCR peeps. I am glad that had moved the start time to 7am, because it was a scorcher even that early. I really think that my work at the gym is paying off because I ran 4 miles without pain.  And it wasn't like I ran them slow, I had Bob pace me at a faster pace to get me out of a rut. He paced me at 10 min/mile and I was able to hold that pace for 2 miles.  It wasn't that I physically couldn't do it, but cardiovascular wise I was spent. My lungs felt like they were going to explode. A month off of running like I used totally killed my cardiovascular fitness. While I felt like I couldn't go anymore, I made sure not to walk, I just slowed my pace down a little bit. It feels great to know that I CAN run 10 min/miles. And Now I know..

To work more on my cardiovascular tank, I will be working with Bob on steps and something like strides. Not sure what the strides entail, but I am sure sticking with him will help me achieve my goals. I will be talking with Flo, who just happens to be a Beachbody coach, about doing speed work with me, to also help with my time goals. 

Anyway, today I attempted a sock bun. I am not sure how I found this idea, but I am glad I did. Here is my attempt this morning at it...

Stay cool, stay hydrated

Have a great Sunday!

Today is a milestone

Today I will be running in my 6th race of the year. While that is not a lot to some people, it makes me energized! I only did 2 races in all of last year, but, since I only started in Sept that makes sense.  I have no idea how many more I will do this year. Hopefully this race will be my leaping point into my healing and my training for more 1/2 marathons. Instead of doing 3 2 weeks apart, I think for my health benefit I should do 1 a month, that would still give me my 3. But, before I cross that bridge, I have to see how my 4 mile run goes today.
I have never run this race before, it is really close to me, and from running this trail myself, it is really flat. Flat is what I need right now, I was told to embrace hills a little later in my running, which is kinda hard living here, but I do what I can to avoid hills. Hopefully it won't be too hot out, but I will enjoy every moment of this running milestone for me. I know the first half was a HUGE milestone, and running 3 in 3 months will be another one, but today, is a mini milestone and I can't wait until how many more there will be.

Happy Birthday USA! Happy 4th of July to all of you! And no matter what you do, just do it and have fun!

1/2 marathon recap continued

As I got onto the track, my feet felt like crap, but oh, how wonderful that track felt. I wanted to sprint, but Sarah told me I didn't have to rush it. To enjoy it, this was my victory lap! But, when I got to that last turn, onto the final home stretch, I turned it on. Full speed ahead. I think I even passed some racers and I honestly did not have any juice left in the tank. I was handed my finisher's medal and then draped with a silver blanket. That was it. The end. Sarah hugged me, and hugged me and hugged me. I had done it. Even better, going into the race my original goal was to finish it, but I also set a time goal of 2 and a half hours. I did better than that! I finished unofficially at 2:28:15. And I couldn't be happier!

As we made our way out of the very crowded finish line, Sarah gave me a bottle of water and then we walked over to the baggage claim so that I could get my belongings. Then we had to walk up an even bigger hill to get to the food. This is my first complaint...the food lines were too long. There should have been food lines for runners, and food lines for spectators. All the research that I have read says that as runners we should eat within 60 minutes of finishing a long run. How can that be done if the lines are never ending. Gripe done. Anyway, I had to say goodbye to Sarah so she could head back to Philly, and then I reuinted with my BCR friends.  Eventually, I did get food, and it was good, even though it was vegan. The black bean brownies were awesome! The sausage made from beans were so good, I didn't realize they weren't real sausage at first. The oranges were good but the cups of water were really gross.

Anyway, when all was said and done we had to walk down what felt like 100000 steps and then return to our cars. Walking to my friend's car for the return to the fair grounds where my ride had parked I almost got hit by a security van. Who would have thought that it wouldn't have been the race that almost killed me, but crossing the street.

All in all it was a good day. Now, to rest and start planning my next 1 or 2.

1/2 Marathon Race recap

Well this is it. The day after. The day after reaching one of my biggest running goals to date. I am not dead, so to me that is a huge success. Here is my race recap of the St Luke's Half Marathon. I arrived at Jennie's house at 6:20 and waited for Bob to arrive. We were all going together, which helped settle my nerves a little bit because I didn't have to worry about driving after the race, nor did I have to worry about where to Park. After finding parking (I think they need to do a better job with the parking, IMHO) we walked to William Allen High School. We arrived there at 7ish and there were already lines for the port-a-potties, and all of the available in school bathrooms had lines. (Glad I went before we got there). Anyway, we walked into the gym and met up with the rest of the BCRs and talked and got pep talks and what not. At this point I think I was still in disbelief that I was getting ready to run a half marathon. Anyway, a little after 7 I think, I met up with Sarah who was going to pace me to complete this half. I won the opportunity to run with Sarah as a part of her 12x12 project. Anyway, it was at this moment, that it hit me. That I was going to be running and completing a half marathon! By 745 they had the 5K runners moving to their starting positions and by 750 they were getting us ready to run. It was a gorgeous day! I couldn't have asked for nicer weather. The sun was shining, there was not a cloud in the sky, it was maybe 45 degrees at this point. As we were walking onto Linden St, the sights, the people, the energy was amazing! I just tried to absorb every moment of it. It was at this time when I said, I guess I can't say my first half anymore,  unless I am talking about this one. As it was getting close to go time, everyone was getting charged up. Then it was go! Because I am so short, I couldn't see the Start sign...as we moved closer I saw huge of a sign it really was. The people in front of me were hitting it, kind of like the play like a champion today sign that ND football players hit as they leave the locker room. I didn't do that. I was too focused on hitting start on my Garmin. I told Sarah that I didn't get my garmin to start right away, she told me not to worry about that, that she would take care of that. Once we got out of the shade by the high school, we began our run in the sun. People lined up on both sides of the street, with signs...cheering everyone on. We got to the stadium where we would end our race, and the 5K racers were finishing. The drums that they had right by the stadium was AWESOME!!! The hill, not so much :( Anyway, not going to worry about that anyway. This was the first time I was EVER running without music, but I didn't want to miss out on the energy, the emotions, the whole half marathon experience. I am glad I did not have my music. Having a live band every mile was awesome, and since none of the music was the same, it really motivated you to enjoy the moment. I remember Chris running past me and motivating me by telling me "you're not last! There are a lot of people behind you" Of course, he was only telling me this because I had told him that was one of my fears, finishing last.

 I don't remember seeing a mile marker before mile 3, but I knew we were at mile 4 by the pain my IT band was giving me. I didn't care! I knew I had trained for this, and a little pain is nothing compared to the utter disappointment if I didn't finish the race. A little before mile 6, give or take at Yocco's hot dogs I saw Bob's friendly face and made sure to give him a high 5! A mile 6 the soles of my feet started to hurt, just like they did for the 10K, but I knew I could push through it. At 7 miles I knew that this was the furthest I had ever raced and started to feel proud. At mile 8 I got teary eyed because it hit me that I was going to finish.  The hills were starting to bother me more and more, so I did have to walk some of them. Not proud of it, but not finishing was not an option! I don't think I even looked at my Garmin until mile 11, there was no need. I probably could have run without it, but it's my security blanket. Anyway, mile 12.5, I started to get teary eyed again because I KNEW I was going to finish it. At this point, I didn't care what my time was, I just wanted to finish it. I never saw the Garmin Pacer the entire race, but again, I didn't need them I had Sarah, but whatevs. As we were on the home stretch, I heard those drums, and I got pumped up. But alas, one MORE FREAKIN HILL! How cruel can you be. Slowly I dredged up that last hill, and onto the track.

I will save the rest of this for a blog for tomorrow....

The day has finally arrived..

This is my last post before my FIRST HALF MARATHON!! I won't ever be able to say "first half marathon" again, unless I am talking about today. So far, I this experience has evoked every emotion possible, some emotions I didn't even know existed. We went to the expo yesterday to get bib,

 and I thought it was too much of an assembly line-all along the outside of the expo, so you get to walk through it, but not experience it. We decided to go back through the expo, and I thought that there was A LOT of stuff crammed into a little space. If you wanted to shop, you practically had to hold your breath. Well, I did manage to get some things that I needed, like The Stick (like a foam roller but better) and then these bad boys...

These are Newton's they are minimalistic shoes (still learning about them) but they were so comfortable and I was in the market for another running shoe, so I will be working on breaking them in...

All in all, we were at the expo for about an hour. I was disappointed that they offered free samples of soda, but not water, and I later learned that I missed a table of a local shop that sells fresh dried fruits and nuts...hmmm. When we came home, I put my bib on my race shirt...

 And then I relaxed. Well, I tried I should say. I think I have gone through every emotion imaginable at this point in the day, and I still had to go to a pasta party (not the one I paid for because I thought 7pm for dinner was way too late). Anyway, later I met with my 12x12 partner, Sarah and then I came home and went to bed.
Leads me to today...

I KNOW I AM READY..Bring it!!!

Hydration

With the weeks until my half coming down to being able to fit on one hand, I thought it would be better to start trying out things while running. Just like running in skirts, I don't want running while hydrating to wait until race day. So, I ran to Walmart on Friday before my 7 miler to see if they had a hand-held water bottle. They did, so I bought it. While I did not have time to fill it half way and freeze it before the run, I did fill it half full with ice cubes and then water. (I will get to my review here shortly, I promise) Anyway, since I don't take pictures while I run, here is a picture of me before 7 miles...

Anyway, I used the water bottle, and it was surprisingly easy for me to adapt. It wasn't added weight, and while it just took some time for me to figure out a way to comfortably hold it, I was glad I had it. I am glad that I am trying to figure the whole drinking while running thing out, my stomach got queasy a couple times and I am thinking that I drank too much water at one time. I also have to figure out how to ration my water, because even though I know there will be water stops along the race, my training runs do not so while training rationing is a necessity. I also need to figure out how to drink so that my stomach doesn't get queasy. So, back to my run...my water bottle only lasted for the first 3.5 miles, that explains why my first 3.5 miles were much faster than my second half. Needless to say, I have no idea what took me so long to bring water along. Well, actually I do know. I started running in September where it wasn't the dead of heat, and then that took me to winter. I guess now that I have water, I also have 5 weeks to get used to running with it, I also have 5 weeks to learn to hydrate while running so that 1- it lasts for long runs and 2- I don't get that queasy feeling anymore. VERDICT- I am glad that I asked about hydrating to all my running friends. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Here is a picture of me after 7 miles...

Why am I not smiling...here...let me show you...

And because I can't end my blog post with ugly pictures of a must needed pedicured feet...

HAPPY SATURDAY! KEEP ON RUNNING.

Over the river and through the woods...

So, I made myself continue trudging along. Note to leaders of groups, when the tail end of the group finally catch up, it is OK to take a breather. It is hard to keep running when you guys had a break. Well, unless you are me and felt bad that they were waiting for you and you just said let's git-er-done! During this run I made a comment of knowing how a mule feels going through the Grand Canyon. Yes, I made that, and no I wasn't kidding. I think the one path that they had me running on in the summer is a stream. The run was beautiful and I can only imagine what it is like in the fall and spring. Anyway, when all was said and done, I ran 8.07 miles. Which is now my longest run. I was proud of myself, but I also wish I didn't complain as much as I did...although at the time, it didn't feel like I was complaining, just trying not to die. I also managed to burn 1400 calories because while it was 8 miles it was definitely cross country running with uphills and down hills and bridges and other such obstacles that nature throws at you.
Now I know I can do 8 miles. And since the weekends are my long runs, now I know to push myself to do the 8 miles. Well at least one day of the weekend. I guess I need to make sure that if I keep running on Sundays that I see how far they are running so I don't do 8 miles back to back, or should I and just make sure to rest. Hmm...decisions.
Thanks to my Breakfast Club Runners, I am being pushed in ways I didn't know I could be. I am going outside of myself and pushing my own limits and living to tell about it.
Here's to Today, and being able to move...now go run!

Race Recap and other stuff...

This is a long overdue race recap, but with my laptop being on the fritz, I try to write when I can. So, on to the recap.
New Year's Eve, I ran the Peeps Fest 5K. Yes, those yellow marshmellow chicks you get at Easter are made in the town where I live, and yes, they have a mascot and a volkswagen beetle with a big chick on top. Yes, the beetle is yellow. Anyway, onto the race. We couldn't have asked for better weather, and lately is has been more like spring around here than winter. The race started at where the Old Bethlehem Steel was located and the venue was awesome. There was stuff to do for the entire family, there was even a mascot race, where the Peep, along with mascots from the local universities and colleges ran. Then there was the kids race, all which led up to the 5K. There were a lot of people there, and we were all crammed onto an artery that used to be one of the main roads in an out of the Steel. My first complaint is that walkers managed to weasle themselves in front of the runners, which was the first obstacle from the beginning we had to navigate around. Next, random (although I am not so sure how random they really were) steel artifacts were to be navigated. Throw them in with 500+ runners and what a maze it was. The staff at the race did a great job making sure we knew the path, but they did an even better job blocking off the roads for us. We went across 2 bridges for this race both of which had beautiful scenary. After the second bridge, we started our return trip to the finish. We ran past the local casino, and I have to give the cops a great deal of respect because the people leaving the casino were NOT happy with the fact that they couldn't leave the casino because of the race. Finally at the last corner to the finish, you could see all the spectators. They even had a local high school cross country team at the corner cheering you on. Then came my bad dash to the finish, which I found out later all the fans were cheering me on because of how fast I was going. (My cousin who is an avid runner and one of the people who got me running always tells me to make sure not to get passed that last .1...so, I finish hard to make sure that I don't). Anyway, finally as you cross the finish line you are "herded" into a cattle shoot, supposedly in the correct order. This race did not have chip timing, although if it remains as big in the future as it was this time, I cannot see how they won't make it chip timing.
Now, onto the cons...
Did I mention about the steel structures we had to navigate. They were along the side of the road at the beginning, but soon became part of the race path so you had to dodge them.
Next, the walkers. I am glad to see that many people walk the 5K, but maybe the walkers could have started after the runners. It is not safe, and takes some of the fun out (in my opinion) to have to dodge walkers just because they think they won't get passed if they are in front of you.
The distance. A 5K is supposed to be 3.1 miles...this race was not. It was 3.29 which in the 5K world is too long!
Not having chip timing. Now, I am not race expert, but, I can tell you the difference chip timing makes. The time that I had when I crossed the finish line and the time that they "figured out" were not close. Now, when I ran my first race, the time I had and the time they had were off by like 5 seconds. What a difference that makes.
Anyway, the fact that it was my second race of 2011, and well the 2nd race of my career will not deter me from running the race again next year. Maybe next year they will get chip timing and provide tech t-shirts, maybe we will continue to get long sleeve shirts and no chip timing. Either way, it was a great trip through Bethlehem.
Now, on to the other stuff...
Yesterday I met up with my running club for what I thought was going to be a scenic run of like 6 miles. 6 miles is the longest I have run at this point so I knew I could handle it. I am not the fastest runner in the group, ok, I am always bringing up the rear, so when I saw that this run was going through the woods, let me just say I was SCARED. Not of going through the woods, but of getting lost being the caboose of the group. Well, let me just say that this day, one of the faster runs ran at my pace because he is recovering from an injury. At least I had someone with me in case we got lost. Next, 2 of the other fast runners always waited for us to catch up in case we lost our way. (they kept telling me they appreciated the wait because it gave them time to recover). Let me just tell you that this run was NO JOKE. The first mile went directly up hill and even involved some steps! Every time we got to a point they would tell me only "one more hill" I heard that like 12 times. It really didn't feel like we were gone for almost 2 hours, but when we hit the 5.76 mile mark, I hit a wall. But how the heck do you stop in the middle of no-where?....
(For the sake of me having another post this week, I will stop there...stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of this story)