10k

here is a picture my boy took before the race.

and, here's my friend sherri and i at the race before it started (i was shivering!). i am so proud of her, she has been working really hard to lose weight and make healthy changes in her life.

i think this was my first 10k race. it was high 40's and drizzling the whole time, which i didn't mind at all once i started running. i ran in my new shoes today, which is a definite no-no and i knew it. you should never run in new shoes for a race, but it was fine. they are really lightweight and felt great. the only thing is, during the last mile my left foot was falling asleep. it was so weird. i'm wondering if maybe i tied my laces too tight on that shoe? i didn't want to stop and fix it though because i was so close to the finish and i really wanted to pass those two girls that passed me at mile 4. speaking of that, that was another weird thing today. i was actually being a little competitive (usually i just run my own race and don't worry who passes me), but today i kept picking out people i wanted to pass and made that my goal. i did end up passing the two girls in the beginning of mile 6. woo hoo!

according to my watch, i ran it in 54:48. they didn't have timing chips for our shoes, so my official time will just be based on their start, not when i actually crossed the start line. not sure what the official time was yet. i am happy with that time, considering there were some hills.

i think i like 10k's.

5

ran 5 tonight w/a new neighbor. we talked the whole time and it was great to get to know her better. she said she usually doesn't run over 3, but she did great and was really excited that she could run more tonight. running or walking w/someone else is such a great way to get to know them better. it was a beautiful night - 68 w/low winds. i have no idea what our pace was, we just enjoyed the run.

my legs were still a little sore from the 9 on sunday. hoping to run a little tomorrow and then take the day off on friday before the 10k on saturday.

new shoes

i ordered these today. saucony, of course. they are supposed to be very lightweight - 6.2 oz. my other ones were about 9 or 10 oz., so i'm expecting to notice a difference. they are actually a 'racing shoe' for distance, so i probably won't do all of my training in them.

i signed up for a 10k this saturday. i don't think i've ever run a 10k. i know i will like it much better than a 5k, but probably not as much as a half marathon. my friend sherri will be running it, she has lost over 60lbs. in the last 6 months. i am so proud of her!

boston

following the boston marathon today and hoping ryan hall wins!

9

50 degrees and a super windy today.
my friend amy biked by me while i ran 9.
it was so nice, we talked the whole time. and, i felt great
today. i felt like i could have kept going. this was my longest
run in quite awhile. it feels so good to get back into it.

My Journey

the high school years: in 9th grade, i went out for track and was running 200's. i was way.too.slow to be running sprints!, but i still loved everything about track. in 10th grade, i moved to a new school, so i had a new coach. he noticed right away that i should be running distance. i started running 800's, 4x800 relay, 1500, and 3000. my favorite was the 1500. by my senior year, i was running it in under 5:30. i ran track every year and started running cross-country in 10th grade through 12th. cross-country was definitely my favorite sport. we ran 2 miles every meet and i remember one practice we had to run 6 miles. i thought i was going to die. At the same time, i still had dreams of running 26.2 miles someday!

the college years: during my first semester of college, i walked onto the cross-country team. i was an average runner and not very competitive, so the coach really could have cared less if i was there. i didn't really care about being on the team either, i just wanted to run. i loved running. i finished the season, but decided i was done with anything competitive. the following year, i ran my first 5K and i really loved it. i continued to run a few times a week, but usually nothing over 6 miles.

the post college years: in 1998, i met my friend kelly who also had a passion for running and wanted to train for a marathon. we started training on january 11, 1999 (i still remember the exact date because it was such a big day in my life!). we trained in every adverse condition imaginable...rain, sleet, snow, and ice. i remember looking in the mirror after a run and laughing because our eyebrows and eyelashes were snow covered and frozen. we finished the marathon on may 2nd, 1999. i crossed the finish line in 5 hr 8 minutes, which ended up being right under 5 hours for my actual time. it was a great day! but when i was done i said, "it's out of my system, i won't ever do that again." in 2000, we had our first child and running took a back seat - as it should have.
in 2002, we had our second child and i was even busier.
i ran a few races, but wasn't very consistent in running from week to week.
in 2005, we had our third child.
it was the same pattern - i ran a few races, but wasn't very consistent in running from week to week.
in 2007, i decided to start training for my 2nd marathon. it wasn't out of my system afterall. in fact, about a week after completing my first marathon, i was dreaming about running another one. i finished my 2nd marathon in october of that year. i ran it in almost the exact same time as my first. i was really proud of that, considering i had three kids, trained, and ran the whole thing by myself.

today: now that my kids are a little older, i have been able to run more consistently. in 2009, i ran 2 - 10k's, a 20K (12.4) in may, a 1/2 marathon, a 7 mile cross-country race, and finished my 3rd full marathon (chicago) - totaling over 1,000 miles for the year.

this year, i am planning to run 3 - 1/2's, 2 - 10k's, and possibly another full. i'm hoping to run more in 2010 than i did in 2009. i am excited for all that God is going to teach me through the miles and i am thankful for the gift of running. i know it is something i may not always be able to do.

and, here are some random things about me.

Running Tips

Here are a few things I love to have when I run (although, all you really need is a good pair of shoes and a little motivation to get out the door!):

1. A garmin. I just started using one last year and now I wonder how I ever survived without it!? I love knowing my pace per mile, overall time, and distance. It really pushes me to be better. Before getting one of these, I used mapmyrun and a regular watch and that worked too.

2. Music. It's hard for me to run without it, unless I am running with a friend. I recently bought the ipod shuffle and I LOVE using it on my runs. It is so lightweight and you can clip it on anywhere.3. My favorite running shoes. I think I have tried almost every brand and I have settled on Saucony. They work well for me.
4. Some kind of dri-fit running shorts. Nike tempo track shorts are my favorite right now:


5. For long runs, the fuel belt works well. Although, I wish the pocket was bigger. I ended up buying a spibelt to hold my phone and gu gels. I really like it, and I hardly notice I'm wearing it.