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.

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!