Distance: 12.02 miles
Route: Clyde Fant
Time: 2 hrs 14 mins 47 secs
WTF am I thinking? Last week was 11 miles and I was so irritated by the end of the run that I just wanted to forget that I even ran it. I don't think I'm necessarily burned out by running, so much as all of the other stuff in my life. I decided that this week I would let it all go and just focus on freeing my mind and letting it wander.
It was cold. Not just cold, but Dear-Sweet-Baby-Jesus-Why-Are-You-Hating-On-Me-Please-Don't-Move-Us-To-A-Snowy-Climate-For-Our-Next-Assignment-Because-I-Will-Surely-Curl-Up-And-DIE kind of cold. Okay. Maybe that's just a smidge melodramatic. But it was cold. I had to trade in my signature Bubba Gump hat for a beanie. I started 30 minutes later, to try and let the sun thaw out the day a little. Didn't really do much of that, but I did have to finally wear sunglasses during a morning run.
It was a good run. I'd had a crappy nights' sleep the night before and I had a bad dream wherein I started the marathon and then at mile 2, I took a wrong turn and got lost. Because I went off-course, I was automatically tagged with a DNF and had to quit. I woke up and felt like it had actually happened. When I hit the trail, I kept thinking about the symbolism of that dream and why I had dreamt it. My previous marathon experience, while I am eternally grateful for it and for my friends that ran it with me, left me a little bruised and scar hard. I was burned out at the end and almost completely quit. I didn't want anything more. Now, 2 years later, I am loving it and loving the challenge. I'm grateful for the gentle nudge back into it and don't regret it at all.
So back to WTF Am I Thinking?? I drove on base the day before to look at the base trail. Initially, I was going to run that, so I wouldn't have to double back, but decided against it. Doubling back seemed a much more pleasant alternative. Granted, the base trail is quite lovely and is actually a great path (and long too). I think I have just have a negative association from the previous long runs that I am absolutely loathing the fact that I will be running it again. Most likely starting up this next weekend. There is a base running group that is also training for NOLA. They run on Saturdays and I tend to run on Sundays. I'm sure that I will join up with them at some point. I'm not an exciting person...I bore myself. :)
Jenn came and ran the last 5 miles with me, which I was very grateful for. I felt good at the end of this run, but I've noticed that I've become a lot more sore after these longer runs. I need to be more diligent about using my roller and stretching. I'll pick it up this week and see how much of a difference there is.
So, first official week of NOLA training is in the books. 11 more to go. I can do this.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Race Report: Rock N' Roll San Antonio 1/2 Marathon
Distance: 13.1 miles
Time: 2hrs. 32 mins. 21 secs.
Route: Downtown San Antonio, Texas
I did this race two years ago, during the inaugural year. The first 4 miles of the race have changed, for the better. We headed to Dallas on Thursday, as I was going to visit a friend and meet her newest addition for the first time. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out for either of us, so hopefully, we'll be able to meet up next month when we head to Dallas for Gavin's 8th birthday. On Friday, we headed into Round Rock (northern suburb of Austin) and met up with Mark's cousin Seth and his family for lunch. We hadn't seen Seth in two years, so it was wonderful to catch up and finally meet his wife, Shannon. They had two of their kiddos with them (Kekoa and Ginger), so Gavin and Lauren were very happy to have a conspirator with them. :) After a yummy lunch at Cafe 620, we headed further south and hit up the San Marcos outlets. We always have to hit them if we're in the area. They are some of the most awesome outlets ever. After depleting the wallets, we decided to hit the road again and hit our final destination: San Antonio.
We stayed at the Residence Inn-Downtown San Antonio/Alamo. You can't miss it. You can see it from the freeway and yep...it's behind the Alamo. It turned out to be a GREAT location, as the start line was only a 1/2 mile from the hotel. We drove over to the expo (and paid the overly exorbitant fee of $10 for parking) at the Alamodome and met up with Jenn and her family. It was nice to hit the expo early. It wasn't crowded at all and we were able to take our time. The tech shirts were pretty cool this year, although the swag had MUCH to be desired. I've noticed that a lot of the races are cutting back on the swag. Probably due to sponsors dropping and other economic factors. After picking up the packets, we all headed off to dinner at Alamo Cafe. In the three years we lived there, we had never been. It was awesome. A new favorite was born.
Saturday, we got up bright and early for Gavin to run his race. We all bundled up because it was really cold and windy that morning. We headed over to Brackenridge Park and was amazed by the organized chaos. His grade group ran at 9:15am and I'm so proud of him! He and Mark ran together and they did it 11 minutes! :) Because there were so many kids and it was so cold, we decided to forgo the zoo and went to lunch and saw Megamind instead. Turned out to be a wise choice. We had dinner over at Jenn's parents' house and enjoyed meeting her wonderful family. Her grandparents remind me so much of mine! Then it was back to the hotel for some shut eye.
I woke up bright and early and pretty much before all of the alarms. One benefit to staying downtown is that we didn't have to drive to get anywhere. The last time I ran this race, there was so much traffic that I ended up having to get out of the car and walk down an off ramp while on the freeway. Not this time! However, it was totally entertaining to see all of the cars from the hotel window. :) I got dressed, headed downstairs to grab a quick bagel and headed over to the start line.
Holy cow. This race has gotten BIG. There were easily over 30,000 people there. I guess it's true what they say - Everything is bigger in Texas. We made it to the start line at 7:45 and we were off! It was a cold morning, so I was happy that I work my capris and long sleeves. The first two miles were pretty congested with people. Surprisingly, we encountered a lot of runners that had gone out way too fast and were already walking at mile 2. We weaved in and out and Jenn mentioned that her knee was starting to get a little fussy. She had forgotten her IT band support, and her husband was going to have it for her at mile 3. We saw Mark and the kiddos at right before the Alamo and David and Taylor (Jenn's husband and daughter) at the Alamo. She put the brace on and kept going. It was right about mile 5 that her knee/IT band really started to flare up. She slowed down a little and tried to walk it out at an aid station. We kept going, but right around the halfway point, she was in a lot of pain. I felt really bad for what happened next. I looked at her and her mom and they motioned for me to keep going. I told them that I'd stay with them, but they both told me not too and to just go ahead. So I did. I felt guilty for the next 3 miles. I hated leaving my friend behind, especially while she was in pain. Had her mother not been with her, I would have stayed with her.
After I went solo, it was all kind of a blur. I popped in the headphones and just cruised. I started feeling tired around mile 11, so I dug in a little deeper and just kept going. At mile 12, an anti-abortion protester was hanging out with a truly offensive sign. I get that everyone has the right to protest, but come on. Not the right place and definitely not the right time. I hit mile 13 and saw my family again. They were hanging out at the start of the finish chute and I waved and blew them kisses. It's exactly what I need to get up the blasted hill at the finish. I sprinted as hard as I could up the hill and finished. I didn't really know what my time was. I had an idea, but I didn't know until I got on Facebook later that afternoon. I had a personal best of 2:32:21. The last time I ran it, my time was 2:47:45. So, I improved by almost 15 1/2 minutes. I will definitely take it! Jenn and her mom finished not too long after me and we all met up at the end. I was and still am SO PROUD of her for finishing!! Even when she was in so much pain, she kept persevering and made it through to the end. Through all of this, I have made an incredible friend. I am so very lucky indeed.
So there it. The half marathon is done. Now it's time to change gears, dig even deeper and keep pressing on for the Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon. Yep. The full 26.2. With a little faith, hard work and determination, I'll make it through again. :)
Time: 2hrs. 32 mins. 21 secs.
Route: Downtown San Antonio, Texas
I did this race two years ago, during the inaugural year. The first 4 miles of the race have changed, for the better. We headed to Dallas on Thursday, as I was going to visit a friend and meet her newest addition for the first time. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out for either of us, so hopefully, we'll be able to meet up next month when we head to Dallas for Gavin's 8th birthday. On Friday, we headed into Round Rock (northern suburb of Austin) and met up with Mark's cousin Seth and his family for lunch. We hadn't seen Seth in two years, so it was wonderful to catch up and finally meet his wife, Shannon. They had two of their kiddos with them (Kekoa and Ginger), so Gavin and Lauren were very happy to have a conspirator with them. :) After a yummy lunch at Cafe 620, we headed further south and hit up the San Marcos outlets. We always have to hit them if we're in the area. They are some of the most awesome outlets ever. After depleting the wallets, we decided to hit the road again and hit our final destination: San Antonio.
We stayed at the Residence Inn-Downtown San Antonio/Alamo. You can't miss it. You can see it from the freeway and yep...it's behind the Alamo. It turned out to be a GREAT location, as the start line was only a 1/2 mile from the hotel. We drove over to the expo (and paid the overly exorbitant fee of $10 for parking) at the Alamodome and met up with Jenn and her family. It was nice to hit the expo early. It wasn't crowded at all and we were able to take our time. The tech shirts were pretty cool this year, although the swag had MUCH to be desired. I've noticed that a lot of the races are cutting back on the swag. Probably due to sponsors dropping and other economic factors. After picking up the packets, we all headed off to dinner at Alamo Cafe. In the three years we lived there, we had never been. It was awesome. A new favorite was born.
Saturday, we got up bright and early for Gavin to run his race. We all bundled up because it was really cold and windy that morning. We headed over to Brackenridge Park and was amazed by the organized chaos. His grade group ran at 9:15am and I'm so proud of him! He and Mark ran together and they did it 11 minutes! :) Because there were so many kids and it was so cold, we decided to forgo the zoo and went to lunch and saw Megamind instead. Turned out to be a wise choice. We had dinner over at Jenn's parents' house and enjoyed meeting her wonderful family. Her grandparents remind me so much of mine! Then it was back to the hotel for some shut eye.
I woke up bright and early and pretty much before all of the alarms. One benefit to staying downtown is that we didn't have to drive to get anywhere. The last time I ran this race, there was so much traffic that I ended up having to get out of the car and walk down an off ramp while on the freeway. Not this time! However, it was totally entertaining to see all of the cars from the hotel window. :) I got dressed, headed downstairs to grab a quick bagel and headed over to the start line.
Holy cow. This race has gotten BIG. There were easily over 30,000 people there. I guess it's true what they say - Everything is bigger in Texas. We made it to the start line at 7:45 and we were off! It was a cold morning, so I was happy that I work my capris and long sleeves. The first two miles were pretty congested with people. Surprisingly, we encountered a lot of runners that had gone out way too fast and were already walking at mile 2. We weaved in and out and Jenn mentioned that her knee was starting to get a little fussy. She had forgotten her IT band support, and her husband was going to have it for her at mile 3. We saw Mark and the kiddos at right before the Alamo and David and Taylor (Jenn's husband and daughter) at the Alamo. She put the brace on and kept going. It was right about mile 5 that her knee/IT band really started to flare up. She slowed down a little and tried to walk it out at an aid station. We kept going, but right around the halfway point, she was in a lot of pain. I felt really bad for what happened next. I looked at her and her mom and they motioned for me to keep going. I told them that I'd stay with them, but they both told me not too and to just go ahead. So I did. I felt guilty for the next 3 miles. I hated leaving my friend behind, especially while she was in pain. Had her mother not been with her, I would have stayed with her.
After I went solo, it was all kind of a blur. I popped in the headphones and just cruised. I started feeling tired around mile 11, so I dug in a little deeper and just kept going. At mile 12, an anti-abortion protester was hanging out with a truly offensive sign. I get that everyone has the right to protest, but come on. Not the right place and definitely not the right time. I hit mile 13 and saw my family again. They were hanging out at the start of the finish chute and I waved and blew them kisses. It's exactly what I need to get up the blasted hill at the finish. I sprinted as hard as I could up the hill and finished. I didn't really know what my time was. I had an idea, but I didn't know until I got on Facebook later that afternoon. I had a personal best of 2:32:21. The last time I ran it, my time was 2:47:45. So, I improved by almost 15 1/2 minutes. I will definitely take it! Jenn and her mom finished not too long after me and we all met up at the end. I was and still am SO PROUD of her for finishing!! Even when she was in so much pain, she kept persevering and made it through to the end. Through all of this, I have made an incredible friend. I am so very lucky indeed.
So there it. The half marathon is done. Now it's time to change gears, dig even deeper and keep pressing on for the Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon. Yep. The full 26.2. With a little faith, hard work and determination, I'll make it through again. :)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Summer Reading Goodies
July - August Reads:
1) The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella
by Stephenie Meyer
by Stephenie Meyer
~My take: It was a good novella. Short and sweet and actually helped fill in the gaps with the third installment of the Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It was my first read of the summer and I really enjoyed it.
~Grade: A-
2) Dear John
by Nicholas Sparks
~My take: It was a good novel...typical Nicholas Sparks, however not his best work. I always get a little leery with authors that incorporate military stuff into it, that may not have a lot of military experience with it. I was not very happy with the ending at all. I felt like he robbed his
readers.
readers.
~Grade: C
3) The Last Song
by Nicholas Sparks
~My take: One of his better novels. A great look at father/daughter relationships and how convoluted they can become. I would rank this one up there with The Notebook. Very well done. I cried a couple of times, so yep...it was a good bit of fluff reading.
~Grade: A
4) The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford
~My take: It was hard to get into at first. It took about 3-4 chapters before the story really took hold for me. I love reading Asian-themed stories, as well as stories that have a history in World War II. Interesting take on father/son relationships and a decent love story. Ending a bit predictable, but a good story.
~Grade: B
5) The Help
by Kathryn Sockett
~My take: This had been recommended to me by many people, so I finally broke down and read it. I really enjoyed it. I love stories that are set in the South and I liked the multiple narratives in the book. I agree with Sparky that the ending fell a little flat and was a little too neatly tied up.
~Grade: B+
6) Firefly Lane
by Kristin Hannah
~My take: Um yeah. My least favorite read thus far. Very contrived and I've read/seen many stories like it before. I read it and it reminded me of the movie "Beaches" with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. Very melodramatic and easily predictable. The main character is very unlikeable. Don't waste your time.
~Grade: D
Sunday, October 31, 2010
San Antonio Half: Week 15
Distance: 11.01
Time: 1 hr. 57 mins 22 secs
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail
This week was a bit of a rough one running wise. It started off okay, but I pulled my right quad on Wednesday. It wasn't too bad, but it was a little more sore than usual. I figure that I'd just do an easy 3 on Friday and voila, all is good. Hahaha...didn't happen. Friday was another busy day and I just couldn't squeeze it in. I forgave myself and moved on. That's been a really important thing I've learned to do--not beat myself up if things don't go the way that I want them too. I did that the last time I trained for something and mentally, it just beat me up. Negative Nelly would just creep in and I would crack and just hate the rest of the run. Not any more.
This morning, my alarm went off and it was admittedly hard to wake up. I just wasn't feeling it and I kept thinking, "Why on earth am I doing this?" And then the answer came up as clear as day, "Because I can." I got up, grabbed the gear and headed to the trail. I decided to start in the middle of the trail this time. It was really dark and really cold this morning. If I started at Stoner Boat Launch (totally not kidding...this is the name of the marina) and then headed to downtown Shreveport, I'd be on the most well-lit part of the trail and would hit the darker part of the trail when the sun came up. Plus, it mixed it up a little bit.
I took it easy for the first two miles. It was nice because I was able to warm up the legs and the quad. It hurt a little, but not as bad as I had expected. Maybe the extra day of rest really did help. When I turned around at Sciport, the dawn was absolutely beautiful. Purples and pinks colored the sky. I kept going and by the time I reached the Jimmy Davis bridge, I was really happy that I left my jacket on...there was a bunch of fog. At mile 9, I started to get tired and I still had 2 decent hills left. I started thinking of this run as a last chance long run...last long one before San Antonio. I needed to make it count. I ran up the hills and then saw the boat launch. I hit the marker and was done. I looked down at my time and was shocked. My Nike+ is totally inaccurate, so I ran by the mile markers and used the timer. It was a good way to finish the run.
Two weeks until San Antonio. I feel very ready for this. After San Antonio, I have two weeks to recover and maintain and then I pick the training back up for New Orleans. Let's see how much this old girl has left in her. :)
Time: 1 hr. 57 mins 22 secs
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail
This week was a bit of a rough one running wise. It started off okay, but I pulled my right quad on Wednesday. It wasn't too bad, but it was a little more sore than usual. I figure that I'd just do an easy 3 on Friday and voila, all is good. Hahaha...didn't happen. Friday was another busy day and I just couldn't squeeze it in. I forgave myself and moved on. That's been a really important thing I've learned to do--not beat myself up if things don't go the way that I want them too. I did that the last time I trained for something and mentally, it just beat me up. Negative Nelly would just creep in and I would crack and just hate the rest of the run. Not any more.
This morning, my alarm went off and it was admittedly hard to wake up. I just wasn't feeling it and I kept thinking, "Why on earth am I doing this?" And then the answer came up as clear as day, "Because I can." I got up, grabbed the gear and headed to the trail. I decided to start in the middle of the trail this time. It was really dark and really cold this morning. If I started at Stoner Boat Launch (totally not kidding...this is the name of the marina) and then headed to downtown Shreveport, I'd be on the most well-lit part of the trail and would hit the darker part of the trail when the sun came up. Plus, it mixed it up a little bit.
I took it easy for the first two miles. It was nice because I was able to warm up the legs and the quad. It hurt a little, but not as bad as I had expected. Maybe the extra day of rest really did help. When I turned around at Sciport, the dawn was absolutely beautiful. Purples and pinks colored the sky. I kept going and by the time I reached the Jimmy Davis bridge, I was really happy that I left my jacket on...there was a bunch of fog. At mile 9, I started to get tired and I still had 2 decent hills left. I started thinking of this run as a last chance long run...last long one before San Antonio. I needed to make it count. I ran up the hills and then saw the boat launch. I hit the marker and was done. I looked down at my time and was shocked. My Nike+ is totally inaccurate, so I ran by the mile markers and used the timer. It was a good way to finish the run.
Two weeks until San Antonio. I feel very ready for this. After San Antonio, I have two weeks to recover and maintain and then I pick the training back up for New Orleans. Let's see how much this old girl has left in her. :)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Moving.
No, we're not moving ...yet. No idea of when or where, but being a military family, it's an eventuality that happens for us every few years. We have been here in Louisiana the longest thus far. By the time we hit the road in the summer next year, we will have been here for 4 years. Amazing how fast the time has gone.
I've been thinking about it a lot lately--the whole moving process. Most of my non-mil friends think we're crazy for doing what we do. I always get the question of "How do you do it?" or "How can you just pick up and move?" The answer is simple...we do it because this is the life we chose. I can't imagine settling down in one place yet. We haven't found that one elusive place yet. I think we've narrowed it down to someplace with a temperate (read: warm) climate and by the ocean or near the coast someplace. I would love to go to San Diego or the Gulf Coast, but each has their negative drawbacks (money and hurricanes).
This move is probably going to be one of the hardest that we've made. I've been very careful in the past about not letting too much of myself out. I know that we aren't permanent, so I always thought that if I kept myself guarded, that it wouldn't hurt so much to have to leave a few years down the road. After our assignment in Okinawa, I decided that something needed to change. I had a couple of good friends there, but I realized that maybe the assignment could have been even more enhanced had I let my wall down and just thrown caution to the wind. When we found out that we were coming to Barksdale, that's exactly what I did.
The internet has been a fabulous thing for people in the military. It allows us to connect to the past and to the future in one fail swoop. I joined a Yahoo! group for Barksdale Spouses, which is where I met another one of my sisters...Lynley. She is the first person that I met here and I am so grateful for that. I have a couple of them here and had I not stepped out of my comfort zone, I would have missed out on so many awesome friendships and experiences.
However, the inevitable will happen and I know that it will happen sooner than I want. I think about all that is to come and how fast the ball will roll once it starts. Mark will find out if he's on the Vulnerable Mover's List (VML), submit his preferences, the Air Force Personnel Center will match available positions with his preferences and then notify us in the springtime where we go. Then, we pack up and start everything all over again. Some days it's overwhelming thinking about having to start all over again. Packing the entire house, trying to find a place to live, unpacking, enrolling both kids in new schools, meeting new people, Mark getting acquainted with a new job and hopefully, I'll be able to keep the job that I've had for the past few years. It's enough to make your head spin.
But it's all a part of the life we chose. I always look for the good in each location. If you focus on the negative, then it really sucks. I know this from experience. As long as we're all together as a family, and as long as we have the means to keep in contact with everyone, then this is one adventure that I wouldn't trade.
I've been thinking about it a lot lately--the whole moving process. Most of my non-mil friends think we're crazy for doing what we do. I always get the question of "How do you do it?" or "How can you just pick up and move?" The answer is simple...we do it because this is the life we chose. I can't imagine settling down in one place yet. We haven't found that one elusive place yet. I think we've narrowed it down to someplace with a temperate (read: warm) climate and by the ocean or near the coast someplace. I would love to go to San Diego or the Gulf Coast, but each has their negative drawbacks (money and hurricanes).
This move is probably going to be one of the hardest that we've made. I've been very careful in the past about not letting too much of myself out. I know that we aren't permanent, so I always thought that if I kept myself guarded, that it wouldn't hurt so much to have to leave a few years down the road. After our assignment in Okinawa, I decided that something needed to change. I had a couple of good friends there, but I realized that maybe the assignment could have been even more enhanced had I let my wall down and just thrown caution to the wind. When we found out that we were coming to Barksdale, that's exactly what I did.
The internet has been a fabulous thing for people in the military. It allows us to connect to the past and to the future in one fail swoop. I joined a Yahoo! group for Barksdale Spouses, which is where I met another one of my sisters...Lynley. She is the first person that I met here and I am so grateful for that. I have a couple of them here and had I not stepped out of my comfort zone, I would have missed out on so many awesome friendships and experiences.
However, the inevitable will happen and I know that it will happen sooner than I want. I think about all that is to come and how fast the ball will roll once it starts. Mark will find out if he's on the Vulnerable Mover's List (VML), submit his preferences, the Air Force Personnel Center will match available positions with his preferences and then notify us in the springtime where we go. Then, we pack up and start everything all over again. Some days it's overwhelming thinking about having to start all over again. Packing the entire house, trying to find a place to live, unpacking, enrolling both kids in new schools, meeting new people, Mark getting acquainted with a new job and hopefully, I'll be able to keep the job that I've had for the past few years. It's enough to make your head spin.
But it's all a part of the life we chose. I always look for the good in each location. If you focus on the negative, then it really sucks. I know this from experience. As long as we're all together as a family, and as long as we have the means to keep in contact with everyone, then this is one adventure that I wouldn't trade.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
San Antonio Half: Week 14 - I'm a Wuss
Distance: 10.06 miles
Time: 1 hr. 49 mins. 18 secs <--- Another PR for 10 miles...woot!
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail
I'll admit it. I'm a wuss when it comes to running in less than ideal conditions. A little drizzle? Sure thing. A little breeze? Bring it on. Fog? Not a problem. Thunder, lightning and gale force winds? Um yeah. Not so much. This week, I kept a close eye on the weather forecasts. It was looking like there might be some good storms brewing for Sunday, so I decided to move my long run to Saturday this week. Jenn is in Memphis with some girlfriends this weekend, so I was on my own. Saturday it was.
Friday afternoon, my brother-in-law, Matt, called and asked me what was for dinner. He's been down at Ft. Polk (about 2 hrs south of here) for the past week and we've been trying to figure out a way to squeeze a visit in. When he called, he told me that he was going to come up, visit, spend the night and then head back down to Ft. Polk in the morning. One condition: Don't tell Mark. I was too excited, so I had to tell the kids, who were equally as excited. They adore their Uncle Matt (and he's pretty much my favorite BIL). I received a call from Mark telling me that he was on his way home early...I did some quick calculating and realized that they would both be getting in at the same time. Lauren almost spilled the beans, but I'd like to think we pulled off the surprise pretty good. It was so nice to see Matt and have a kick back family night! I debated switching my run back to Sunday, but decided to keep it for Saturday. Odds are, everyone would still be asleep and just waking up by the time I got back, so I wouldn't miss anything.
I woke up at 4:45am anxious to get the run going and get home in time to visit and get the kiddos ready for their soccer games. Lauren's game was scheduled for 9am and it takes us about 20 minutes to get there. Basically, I needed to be home no later than about 7:50am in order to get showered and fed. I hit the trail and realized that in my haste, I left my Nike+ receiver at home. Thankfully, I always wear my sport watch, so I just hit the shuffle on the iPod and started the timer. It was a beautiful morning. A little more humid than usual and it was a little warm. I was glad that I chose the short sleeves this morning.
I've realized that I definitely enjoy running on Sundays because the trail is usually void of life. Saturdays are insane...even at 5:30am! Today was especially so, as there was a crew setting up for a road race at the boat launch. The Autumn Breeze 5K and 10K. I had signed up for the 10K, but after looking at the calendar of events and what time it was slated to kick off, there was really no way that I could do it. But, I got a pretty sweet sweatshirt out of it and I ran along the course, so it was a win-win for me. :) When I hit my turn around, I shot a Vanilla Gingerbread Gu (AWESOME!) and off I went again. There were so many people of the trail that at one point, I ended up running off the trail just to avoid running into anyone. I guess all of the running clubs around town get together on Saturday mornings. There were at least two clubs out there.
When I hit mile 7, I felt like I was flying. I didn't feel tired at all and just kept on trucking. I hit the end and felt really good. My legs were tired, but the spirit was good. I looked at my time and realized that I hit another PR for 10 miles...only by about 30 seconds, but hey, a PR is a PR and I'll take what I can get. I'm definitely ready for San Antonio. I'm getting really excited for this race. I haven't done an individual race like this for awhile, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to seeing my friend cross the finish line for the first time. I'm so proud of her and everything she has accomplished. One more long run, one taper run and then the race. Bring. It. On.
Time: 1 hr. 49 mins. 18 secs <--- Another PR for 10 miles...woot!
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway Trail
I'll admit it. I'm a wuss when it comes to running in less than ideal conditions. A little drizzle? Sure thing. A little breeze? Bring it on. Fog? Not a problem. Thunder, lightning and gale force winds? Um yeah. Not so much. This week, I kept a close eye on the weather forecasts. It was looking like there might be some good storms brewing for Sunday, so I decided to move my long run to Saturday this week. Jenn is in Memphis with some girlfriends this weekend, so I was on my own. Saturday it was.
Friday afternoon, my brother-in-law, Matt, called and asked me what was for dinner. He's been down at Ft. Polk (about 2 hrs south of here) for the past week and we've been trying to figure out a way to squeeze a visit in. When he called, he told me that he was going to come up, visit, spend the night and then head back down to Ft. Polk in the morning. One condition: Don't tell Mark. I was too excited, so I had to tell the kids, who were equally as excited. They adore their Uncle Matt (and he's pretty much my favorite BIL). I received a call from Mark telling me that he was on his way home early...I did some quick calculating and realized that they would both be getting in at the same time. Lauren almost spilled the beans, but I'd like to think we pulled off the surprise pretty good. It was so nice to see Matt and have a kick back family night! I debated switching my run back to Sunday, but decided to keep it for Saturday. Odds are, everyone would still be asleep and just waking up by the time I got back, so I wouldn't miss anything.
I woke up at 4:45am anxious to get the run going and get home in time to visit and get the kiddos ready for their soccer games. Lauren's game was scheduled for 9am and it takes us about 20 minutes to get there. Basically, I needed to be home no later than about 7:50am in order to get showered and fed. I hit the trail and realized that in my haste, I left my Nike+ receiver at home. Thankfully, I always wear my sport watch, so I just hit the shuffle on the iPod and started the timer. It was a beautiful morning. A little more humid than usual and it was a little warm. I was glad that I chose the short sleeves this morning.
I've realized that I definitely enjoy running on Sundays because the trail is usually void of life. Saturdays are insane...even at 5:30am! Today was especially so, as there was a crew setting up for a road race at the boat launch. The Autumn Breeze 5K and 10K. I had signed up for the 10K, but after looking at the calendar of events and what time it was slated to kick off, there was really no way that I could do it. But, I got a pretty sweet sweatshirt out of it and I ran along the course, so it was a win-win for me. :) When I hit my turn around, I shot a Vanilla Gingerbread Gu (AWESOME!) and off I went again. There were so many people of the trail that at one point, I ended up running off the trail just to avoid running into anyone. I guess all of the running clubs around town get together on Saturday mornings. There were at least two clubs out there.
When I hit mile 7, I felt like I was flying. I didn't feel tired at all and just kept on trucking. I hit the end and felt really good. My legs were tired, but the spirit was good. I looked at my time and realized that I hit another PR for 10 miles...only by about 30 seconds, but hey, a PR is a PR and I'll take what I can get. I'm definitely ready for San Antonio. I'm getting really excited for this race. I haven't done an individual race like this for awhile, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to seeing my friend cross the finish line for the first time. I'm so proud of her and everything she has accomplished. One more long run, one taper run and then the race. Bring. It. On.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
San Antonio Half: Week 13
Distance: 11.08 miles
Time: 2 hrs. 5 mins. 26 secs.
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway
*First off, giving a big shout out to my Howzit Sistahs from the Rock N' Roll San Diego Relay...all 3 of them are running a half marathon today!! Mary and Tricia are running in Long Beach and Julie is running the Nike Women's Half in San Francisco. Way to go, sistahs! Much love from Louisiana!*
I'm still trying to figure out how on earth to write this one. If I didn't have a decent sense of humor, I think I would probably have thrown the towel in after my first 5 steps. My alarm went off at 5am. Normally, I wake up before my alarm, but apparently, my body had other plans. It really, REALLY did NOT want to wake up. I trudged out of bed and was very grateful that I had gotten everything ready and laid out last night rather than this morning. I bought a new camelbak yesterday and was happy to get the chance to use it...I felt pretty lucky, a new iPod and a new camelbak in the same week!
I met Jenn across from Sciport and we both were a little tired this morning. I think we both had the same mind set of, "Let's get this mother done with." I decided not to listen to any tuneage this morning, but would instead use the Nike+ function on the iPod. Normally, I keep it in my pocket. Since the Nano has a snazzy clip on it, I decided to clip it to my camelbak. Note to self: If something works, don't change it. Especially when it comes to a pricey piece of equipment. Can anyone guess what happened? If you're guessing that I took 5 strides and the sucker went flying off the camelbak, landed face down on the ground and shattered the screen, then you win a cookie the next time I see you! I immediately picked it up and wanted to cry. Surprisingly, it still works perfectly in spite of the screen. So for now, it will remain...it is what it is and it still works. Jenn looked at me and said, "Don't let it shake you!" I told her that it would not be indicative of how the run would go.
Fall has arrived in Northwest Louisiana. It was cold this morning. Poor Jenn was in short sleeves and shorts. I had my capris and a long sleeve on and I was still cold. I can't imagine how cold Jenn must have been. The first half of the run was actually pretty uneventful and it seemed to be a lot faster than normal. We ran the loop around the pond and it was really pretty with the sun coming up. About a mile after our turn around, we got tired. Really tired. The funny thing is that both of us were tired. Neither of us wanted to say it, but we were just ready to be done. We saw a hill and decided that we could run up it and then we'd walk a little. Needless to say, it was the wrong hill to pick. We started climbing up and we're both vocally encouraging ourselves to get up this hill. Jenn is so sweet...she started saying, "Come on girl, get yourself up the hill". I, on the other hand, had been possessed by a pissed off sailor. I was saying things that I can't post. Lots of s-bombs and f-bombs were dropped in a matter of about 2 minutes. We were about halfway up, when we looked at each other and just about died laughing. It hurt and we could barely catch our breath because we were laughing so hard. I told it was stupid and I was going to finish the hill by walking. Oh, and for the record, you're probably thinking that it must have been one heck of a hill. Um yeah. Let's not forget that this is Louisiana. A good chunk of this state sits below sea level.
We had about a mile left when we saw Mark drive by with the kiddos. They decided to meet us on the trail rather than hitting the track. So, we made that our new goal--to see the kids and Mark. We kept trucking and we couldn't see them. We started to get mad because we knew they were there, but we couldn't see them. Finally, we caught up to them with about a 1/4 mile to go. Gav ran the rest of the way with us and then turned around and ran back with Mark.
Overall, it really was a good run...minus the shattered iPod screen and chub rub on my legs. It was a beautiful morning, fabulous company and I'm still standing. So, I think we'll put this in the win category. 4 weeks remain...two more long runs to go, one taper week and then the race. I cannot wait. :)
Time: 2 hrs. 5 mins. 26 secs.
Route: Clyde Fant Parkway
*First off, giving a big shout out to my Howzit Sistahs from the Rock N' Roll San Diego Relay...all 3 of them are running a half marathon today!! Mary and Tricia are running in Long Beach and Julie is running the Nike Women's Half in San Francisco. Way to go, sistahs! Much love from Louisiana!*
I'm still trying to figure out how on earth to write this one. If I didn't have a decent sense of humor, I think I would probably have thrown the towel in after my first 5 steps. My alarm went off at 5am. Normally, I wake up before my alarm, but apparently, my body had other plans. It really, REALLY did NOT want to wake up. I trudged out of bed and was very grateful that I had gotten everything ready and laid out last night rather than this morning. I bought a new camelbak yesterday and was happy to get the chance to use it...I felt pretty lucky, a new iPod and a new camelbak in the same week!
I met Jenn across from Sciport and we both were a little tired this morning. I think we both had the same mind set of, "Let's get this mother done with." I decided not to listen to any tuneage this morning, but would instead use the Nike+ function on the iPod. Normally, I keep it in my pocket. Since the Nano has a snazzy clip on it, I decided to clip it to my camelbak. Note to self: If something works, don't change it. Especially when it comes to a pricey piece of equipment. Can anyone guess what happened? If you're guessing that I took 5 strides and the sucker went flying off the camelbak, landed face down on the ground and shattered the screen, then you win a cookie the next time I see you! I immediately picked it up and wanted to cry. Surprisingly, it still works perfectly in spite of the screen. So for now, it will remain...it is what it is and it still works. Jenn looked at me and said, "Don't let it shake you!" I told her that it would not be indicative of how the run would go.
Fall has arrived in Northwest Louisiana. It was cold this morning. Poor Jenn was in short sleeves and shorts. I had my capris and a long sleeve on and I was still cold. I can't imagine how cold Jenn must have been. The first half of the run was actually pretty uneventful and it seemed to be a lot faster than normal. We ran the loop around the pond and it was really pretty with the sun coming up. About a mile after our turn around, we got tired. Really tired. The funny thing is that both of us were tired. Neither of us wanted to say it, but we were just ready to be done. We saw a hill and decided that we could run up it and then we'd walk a little. Needless to say, it was the wrong hill to pick. We started climbing up and we're both vocally encouraging ourselves to get up this hill. Jenn is so sweet...she started saying, "Come on girl, get yourself up the hill". I, on the other hand, had been possessed by a pissed off sailor. I was saying things that I can't post. Lots of s-bombs and f-bombs were dropped in a matter of about 2 minutes. We were about halfway up, when we looked at each other and just about died laughing. It hurt and we could barely catch our breath because we were laughing so hard. I told it was stupid and I was going to finish the hill by walking. Oh, and for the record, you're probably thinking that it must have been one heck of a hill. Um yeah. Let's not forget that this is Louisiana. A good chunk of this state sits below sea level.
We had about a mile left when we saw Mark drive by with the kiddos. They decided to meet us on the trail rather than hitting the track. So, we made that our new goal--to see the kids and Mark. We kept trucking and we couldn't see them. We started to get mad because we knew they were there, but we couldn't see them. Finally, we caught up to them with about a 1/4 mile to go. Gav ran the rest of the way with us and then turned around and ran back with Mark.
Overall, it really was a good run...minus the shattered iPod screen and chub rub on my legs. It was a beautiful morning, fabulous company and I'm still standing. So, I think we'll put this in the win category. 4 weeks remain...two more long runs to go, one taper week and then the race. I cannot wait. :)
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