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1st Race Results

Groundhog Day Run:

Next time we will park closer or wear warmer clothes!

We ending up parking a the Casino and it was at least a half mile in the freezing cold to get to the SubTropolis entrance. Luckily, we ran into some friends who held onto our car keys and then chauffeured us to our car. It felt much colder out after the run. (Just a t-shirt & shorts @ 15 degrees!)

I felt a little disoriented at first because there were so many people packed towards the start line and I could not discern which direction we would run. It took a good 30-40 seconds before we crossed the start line and then the first mile was really packed. It was my first race, so I was not used to the obstacle course of people that I had to run around. We were just over 11 minutes at the one mile-marker and that surprised me because I felt like we were running much slower. At the two mile marker, we were under 21 minutes. After the 2nd mile, I had to walk briefly twice due to breathing difficulties. I was wondering what the measure of carbon dioxide in the air was! I crossed the finish line in under 33 minutes, so I'm thinking my time may have been around 32 minutes. I did not see what the clock said when I crossed the start line.

It was a great first race-run--though I wasn't really racing. I'm glad that my husband and I stayed together...he probably would have gone a lot faster without me! Running as a team is different because the area wasn't very wide and it was a little hard at times to get around people. It made me wonder if there should be some kind of race etiquette...if you're slow, keep right...pass on the left. But maybe then, it is first come first serve and we started in the middle.

I did like that we were numbers 4 & 5. Our friend that we ran into was something like 2256! It was her first race as well and she finished in under 30 minutes. Way to go Carrie!

Now that I've completed my first 5K, I think I'll keep running. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and my body has responded well to the training. My knees have stopped hurting after runs and I look more forward to getting to the gym because I have a goal, a common goal that I share with a partner.

Are You Tying Your Shoes Correctly?

I loved that my husband always tied his shoes with two loops. I've always thought of it as the wrong way since, it is not the way I tie my shoes. Come to find out, we were both wrong; I have been tying my laces incorrectly my entire life and you may be as well!

I did not realize that the way your tie your knot determines whether your laces will slightly loosen or stay tight as you move around. The difference is in the type of knot. The "reef" knot keeps your laces tight. They will not loosen up while you run. The granny knot looks lopsided and allows your laces to loosen up while you run.

Tying my shoes with the reef knot has made a big difference. When I get to the gym, I no longer have to stop and tighten my laces before I get on the treadmill. My laces stay tight. I don't have to stop in the middle of a long run or walk. My feet feel better after exercise.

The first few times I tied the reef knot, I felt a little silly. It is kind of awkward pulling the loop through; I felt like a kindergartner!

Are you tying your shoes correctly? Check out this video on Runner's World that demonstrates how to tie a balanced, reef knot:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319--13001-0,00.html

Thanks to Brian's inquiry on Runner's World, we are both now tying our shoes with the reef knot!

Tomorrow's Run, Tonight's Thoughts

Tomorrow is my first race-run! Brian and I are running in TLC's Groundhog Day Run. When we started our 5-week 5K training, we realized it was 4 weeks away. Since the training didn't seem too difficult, last week we skipped "week 3" and ran the week 4 schedule.

I'm really excited for tomorrow, but I'm not quite sure what to expect. The run is inside, in KC's underground metropolis, caves that serve as storage and other things for local businesses. Hopefully there aren't too many hills--I will do my best not to walk. My goal is to finish and I know I can do that.

What makes me most excited is what I am running for. The proceeds benefit TLC, a program for children with disabilities. Throughout college, I worked as a para-educator with a wide variety of disabled youth. Right now I work with adults with disabilities. On my first run, I'm running for something I'm passionate about. In fact, one of the children I'm currently baby-sitting for used to attend TLC.

Here is TLC's mission statement:
"The mission of Children’s TLC is to provide therapeutic and educational services for children with disabilities in an environment which fosters their independence and celebrates their successes. Children's TLC currently serves more than 500 students in the greater Kansas City area, including Wyandotte County."

While it is too late to register for this year's run, this is definitely one that you should check out in the future. There is a 5K and a 10K and this year's registration was only $30. Maybe next year I'll be able to run the 10K!

Here is a link to information about the run:
http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1642858&assetId=d9a27bc6-b5ff-42d2-8337-02710a90062f

Here is a link to TLC's Website:
http://www.childrenstlc.org/

Last run before my first 5K!

Tonight was my last run before my first 5K. I had a really rough week or two. I was sick with the stomach flu and did not run or do any type of exercise for four days. On Sunday, when I ran my 3.5 miles, I had to stop and walk several times (breathing). I was happy to finish my 3.5--the longest run in my training cycle. Unfortunately, Sunday night I fell down three stairs and gained a great big contusion on my tush! Ouch! (My mother always told me not to wear my socks on the stairs....) This meant that Monday's cross-train did not happen either. Lucky for me, I managed to run 3 miles Tuesday night on the treadmill. I went for overall time rather than distance and ran a comfortable pace for most of the run. Wednesday, I was in the ER for half the day for something unrelated. I made myself walk two miles that night. Tonight I ran 3.15 miles with only a few short, brisk walks. I ran up the hills and walked down the large one to give my knees a break. My husband and partner told me I kept a good pace and that he would not have wanted to run any faster! That makes me feel great. In four weeks I have tripled the distance in my runs; and while 3 miles is nothing to many runners, it is quite an achievement for me. Maybe, I'll keep trying this running thing for a while...

Many, Many Firsts

Today literally marks a milestone in my endurance. Never in my life have I run more than a mile in the elements. My husband and I ran 3 miles. 3 Miles! Honestly, I did not think I'd make it half a mile. my breathing became heavy and short right away. At one mile, my shins started to ache. I took a few short walks during our run; however, I kept a pretty good pace. We did not have a watch, but we think we did it in 30-35 minutes. Now I get to enjoy the reward of the season premiere of 24! We have been waiting for this one.

Before our first run...not sure of how it will end!

After, my first 3 Mile run with my coach and husband!

The Beginning

Over the holidays, friends began talking about running a marathon. It sounded wonderful, but not something I'm, interested in, let alone capable of...or am I? My husband ran his first marathon a few years ago and swears to me that I WILL LOVE RUNNING and that all of my ailments will go away. I've tried running in the past, but asthma and tendinitis in my knees never allowed my to give it my all. I am a 32 year old whose knees audibly crackle as I walk up and down stairs. Every year in grade school, after running a mile for the presidential physical fitness award, I'd run to the bathroom to throw up. Inhalers have never helped. So, I gave up.

In college I found that I could run indoors and did so religiously (on a treadmill) for one year; however, once I left Lawrence and my membership at LAC, I quit and used other methods to exercise like biking and walking or nothing at all! Working 24-7 killed my exercise craze and slowly I became more and more out of shape. I joined the gym two years ago and exercised in spurts, getting addicted to the elliptical. I loved it because it gave me the intensity of running without the pressure on my knees...then the gym began to scare me a little and I just could not make myself go anymore. I returned to regular work outs at the gym a few weeks ago.

On December 29th 2008, I started running, a funny coincidence that the 29th is also my husbands birthday. He found a 5K run training guide for beginners and together, we started training. Please see link to the guide (Runner's World). The training consists of 3 days of running alternating with three days of cross-training and one rest day before a long run on Sunday. The emphasis during the week is on time rather than mileage. The final run on Sunday is based on mileage.

Week one went well. I made all my goals. I'm at the end of week two and should run 2.5 miles today; however, I may try to run closer to 3 because I'm going to have to skip ahead a week to be ready to run my first 5K on January 25, 2009--the Groundhog Day Run in the Hunt-Midwest caves in KCMO.

Here is the link to the 5K training plan I am following:
http://www.runnersworld.com/images/cma/beginner5k_table.jpg