TR 5K

Yesterday was the most windy day ever! Ever!! I can see out the window from my second floor cubicle at work, so I can see the very tops of the trees outside. They were thrashing back and forth all day. The sun was hidden behind dark gray clouds. In just a few hours, my two co-workers and I had to go out there and run a 5K. I was excited to run, but not excited about the weather.

The three of us changed into our shorts in a second floor bathroom. We walked as fast as we could out to the start line because you stick out like a sore thumb dressed in running clothes at work. When we got outside, we were blasted by the wind. My hat almost flew off. We had goosebumps instantly. Specks of dirt hit us in the legs. One of us decided to wear a fancy running skirt and she was starting to regret it. These were not exactly ideal running conditions.



N, L and myself

 The run started and it was fun. The sun came out, too! L ran fast and beat N and I by a few minutes. We were jealous of her, but N and I were content to run our pace at the same time. We discussed work, our weekends, our running routines and I snapped a few pictures of the path all while dodging the fuzzy caterpillars all over the running path. To finish the 5K, we had to do three loops of one path and one loop of a smaller path that falls inside that bigger loop. Don't worry... we didn't get dizzy. Half of each loop was against the wind and the other half was with it (obviously). You can guess which half of the loop we liked better.

On our third lap around the big loop, N and I walked for a minute or two to just allow ourselves to catch our breathe. Part of me wanted to just quit all together. My legs felt heavy, my lungs burned, my eyes were watering from the wind. N was a great encourager though. This run really made me feel like a loser, but N kept us going. I hate having great runs like I had with my husband a few days ago, which was 4 miles and faster, and then having a run like this 3 miler that went so horribly bad. I guess you have your good days and bad days. And after all, this run was for a good cause (all the money donated by the runners/walkers was given to a charity). I'm glad I decided to finish because when N and I got to the finish line, L was there cheering us on and took a photo of us crossing the line. We gave her two big thumbs up and she kindly posted it to Facebook immediately.

The 10K is tomorrow and I'm still very much looking forward to it. It just better not be windy!

Week of the Races

The 10K is now just days away. I'm really, really looking forward to it. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous. Fall in Minnesota is just perfect. My husband disagrees with me, but we will just move on from this (fall = waterskiing season draws to a close).

Not only am I really looking forward to the race on Saturday, but last minute, two co-workers and I signed up for a 5K that our employer is putting on tomorrow! Our company is set out on a huge area of land and we have our own walking/running paths around the entire campus. I utilized these paths when I was pregnant and overdue hoping the walks would put me into labor (did not work). The 5K will take place on those paths, so it should be a lot of fun. The three of us turned in our registration paper yesterday. And then the lady told us they'd be videotaping the run. Videotaping. I think it is only fair to tell us this up front and not after I have signed my name on the paper. I will be wearing a hat (as always) to disguise myself.

My husband and I took our boy out for a run after work yesterday. My goal was 4 miles. The boys did all 4 miles with me despite our boy's begging to turn back and look at the bullsosers. He just never gets enough of them apparently.

The run was fantastic, but it started out a little rough. The air was unusually heavy for this time of year from the rain we had in the morning. It wasn't crisp like fall is supposed to be. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold, and it was a little bit foggy, but sunny at the same time. The first 1.5 miles my legs felt like heavy weights. They just didn't want to move. The large hill we ran up probably didn't help things, but I tried to remind myself that running those hills helps in the long run.

There were a few times I wanted to stop and I told my husband that it was really hard to keep up with his pace. We ran his pace - fast - the entire 4 miles. As much as I hated running that pace, I loved it. We turned onto the final stretch, which was about half a mile. He said to me, "I want you to stay with me the rest of the way." I had been lagging behind him a bit. Inside I was so mad at him for pushing me when he knew I was already spent at keeping his pace, but on the other hand, I was really glad he was along. I probably would have started walking had I been alone.

I kept up with his pace for about a minute and he complimented me. Then, out of nowhere, he said, "I want you to stay ahead of me until we get back... just a few minutes... stay ahead of me." I was over being mad at him for pushing me since I was clearly doing okay keeping his pace. Now I was just in it to prove to him and myself that I can kill the rest of this run. I sped up and ran in front of him and the jogging stroller. He was speeding up behind me. I sped up to stay ahead. We passed a few of our neighbors out for a leisurely jog and I could barely get a "hello" out as they passed by. My shirt was drenched. I ran the last few steps even faster so I could for sure beat my husband onto our street from the sidewalk. I'm pretty sure I said, "YES! I win!" as if I had just won a race. I'm not sure either of us knew until that moment it was a race :)

I feel great today! My hips and legs feel as though I pushed it a bit harder last night. I feel proud that I kept up with my husband's speed the entire time and even passed him up at the end. I'm happy to have him challenging me to push it once in a while. It's hard to do that on my own. I feel ready for tomorrow's 5K and the 10K on Saturday. It's going to be a great rest of the week!

I did it: my race history

Up until a few years ago, I had never run more than 1 mile at a time. Never. It's not that I'm not athletic - I played basketball and tennis growing up, started playing soccer on a summer league during high school, and held up with the best of them on the intramural broomball team in college. My knees had two giant bruises on them every January from 2001 to 2004. And now, in my late 20's, I've joined a women's soccer team. Sure, we're considered recreational, but we don't mess around. So, maybe by being in team sports all along caused me not to go out and run by myself. No ball, no opponent, no doubles partner. Where's the competition in that, right?

It was the fall of 2007 and Thanksgiving was coming up. The gym my husband and I belong to puts on a Thanksgiving Day 5K race every year in downtown Minneapolis. I really wanted to do it because I thought it'd be a great way to get in a workout before attending two Thanksgiving family gatherings only hours apart. My husband and I signed up along with his younger brother. Race day came and we woke up to snow! Not only had I not really trained for this race, but now it was snowing. I put on some sweats and a hat. Off we went. It was a really fun event and finishing the race made it even better! I was so proud of myself for running 3.1 miles... a slow 3.1 miles and maybe I walked just a bit, but I did it. My husband ran beside me the entire way even though he could've finished in half the time. What a guy.

The next weekend, a friend and I ran another 5K race around a lake in Minneapolis. It was snowing and sleeting and there was an awful wind off the lake. We had a fantastic time despite it all. Two 5Ks under my belt. This is fun, I thought!

Next, my husband and I visited his sister and her husband who lived in Phoenix at the time. I begged the three of them to sign up for a 5K while we were out there visiting. It was unlike my other 5Ks: hot temps, hot sun, uphill. It was my first 5K in shorts and a tanktop. We were sweaty and beat, but we did it!

A year went by and I hadn't done any races even though I did keep up with running at the gym. In the beginning of 2009, we tried for a baby and I got pregnant right away. We felt so lucky. About 3 months after my son was born, it hit me that getting back in shape would be the hardest thing in the world to accomplish in the midst of getting little sleep, nursing, going back to work after maternity leave and having little time for myself. I needed motivation to do something about it. A friend and I signed up (after much hesitation on both our parts) for a half marathon. A HALF MARATHON. According to training schedules we found online, we were already behind since the race was only 4 months away, so we had to get running! The 5Ks I had run before were all mostly for fun, but I signed up for the half more or less to get back in shape. Once I finished, I realized I ran it for so many more reasons.

I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I finally made it over 1 mile. Then 2 and 3. And then 13.1.

Next post: my half-marathon from start to finish. Oh yes, I finished!