Runlove

Running diary

[teresaskid]

Marathon newbie

On July 20 2014 I officially started my marathon training plan. I chose the Hal Higdon novice1 program because I was familiar with his training plans and this one was pretty basic. It included 4 days of running, which I was already doing, 3 easy low mileage days plus one weekend long run. No speed workouts or tempo runs. I had been doing some light biking and thought I would also incorporate that and maybe some yoga on non running days. My family and I went to Cancun Mexico for a week in august. I felt like I was basically taking a week off from running and fitness. I had this grand plan that l was going to run on the beach in the early mornings everyday. Well that didn't work out. Beach running is really hard! I think I may have gone 2 miles that morning because my ankles were killing me and I didn't have any road to get to at that point. It was very disappointing! 

I did get these beautiful sunrise  photos! That was worth it!

I ran 3 days while I was there in Mexico.  That morning on the beach then I did a treadmill run in the fitness center and one on the main road.  The run on the main road had me worried but it ended up being fine.  I didn't go super early because I wanted it to be light enough plus I wanted there to be people around.  The only downfall to that was it was hotter outside being a little later in the morning, but I survived.  Mentally though I was into any of the runs I did.  I just wanted to get them done and move on with my family vacation.  Plus we were eating lots of not so healthy food plus drinking alcohol so my stamina was less then desirable! I have written in my training calendar for this week of Mexico that it did me in as far as training.  I had no motivation to run and feel like it really set me back endurance wise!  Horrible!! This is not how the beginning of marathon training is suppose to be!   I had my next half marathon coming up in a couple weeks and needed to be prepared for that. 

September 7 2014 I ran the Harrisburg Half Marathon with some of my runner friends Addie and Lisa. 

This was us when we got to the race. The weather was great that morning and we were close to the Susquehanna River. 

This was me turning around quick to take a picture of the girls I was running with.  They are waving in the background.  This was the one time I was in front of them for some reason! I didn't particularly enjoy this race, even though we were close to the river at times.  The course was up and back which made it pretty monotonous.  Plus there was very little crowd support.  The girls I was running with felt the same way.  Around mile 11 I started to poop out.  The weather was getting warmer and I was stopping to drink at every water stop and I think I started drinking too much.  I got side cramps and just felt nasty.  I had to walk some at this point so my one friend Addie went ahead and my other friend Lisa had already backed down a little bit herself.  So I kept Addie in sight and that was my motivation to keep going and finish the race. She was wearing a bright green shirt so it was easy to keep her in sight.  I always sprint when I see the finish line in races and this was no exception even feeling horrible! I had to get to the finish! After I received my medal I went to find Addie since I knew she was done and we went to the food tent.  My finish time was 2:19 which was actually the same time as my first half marathon- so no lose but no gain.  Definitely was disappointed with this race and knew I could have done better.  I'm still figuring out the whole race thing and it is such a learning experience!  Back to marathon training!  

[teresaskid]

Maybe a little more

In June I kept flirting with the idea of maybe doing a marathon.  I researched first marathons and good locations and talked about it in the running group.  I was back and forth yes and no.  The Philadelphia Marathon was one that I had been thinking about it.  I knew if I was going to do it I needed to find a training partner or group that was also running it.  I saw a mom in the group post that she was going to be running Philly as her 2nd marathon and I commented that I was thinking of that one for my first.  Another mom runner Lisa had also been commenting about it and somewhere along the way we decided to do it together! I had met her before and knew she was nice but had never really ran with her.  My biggest obstacle facing me was getting the ok from Nick.  He was surprisingly ok with it.  So then I knew I could register.  On June 25 I registered for the Philadelphia Marathon as my first marathon on November 23 2014!  Lisa and I talked and talked and got to know each  other better.  Originally I was thinking that the famiy would come up and make it a weekend event but then Lisa told me her family wasn’t coming which got me to thinking about maybe mine could just come for the race. I knew I wanted them there to see me finish.  Nick was fine with that so Lisa and I booked a room together.  We splurged and got a hotel right near the start line!

I still had the 2 half marathons coming up so I incorporated those into my training plan. We both decided to stick with Hal Higdons Novice 1 program since it was both of our firsts and we are looking to just finish and not for a specific time. 

July 4th brought the end to the Runners World running streak and I ended with 109.58 miles for the 40 days.  As I mentioned before I didn’t really like doing the streak and don’t feel like I need it for accountability. 

Around this time in the summer I also started doing early AM runs with a couple other moms in my group that live close by.  It is so hard getting up when it is dark outside but knowing that other people are waiting and counting on you gets you out the door.  Plus its nice to get the run in early and not have to worry about it the rest of the day.  It does make for some long days though if Im busy or cant rest later.  I try not to run that early when I work a 12 hour shift either.  I did it once and I could barely keep my eyes open by like 8 oclock that night!  The girls that I run with in the morning have became good friends too and I look forward to our talks while running.  One of the moms I run with Addie lives near a boy scout camp that has a running trail.  I love trail running and she has been a trail runner for a long time living so close to a good trail.  I started running with her at various trails in the area with the Lancaster Road Runners Club.  They meet every Thursday evening for different trails depending on the week.  We have been to Middle Creek and Mt Gretna trails with them.  I have also run with Addie at the trail by her house a couple times which I really enjoy.  We decided to register for a trail race coming up in July called On the Rocks.  Addie and I were going to do the 15k and our friend Lisa W. was doing the 10k with another mom runner.  I really fell in love with trail running around this time and after my marathon training is done I’m going to focus on trail races.   

July 12 was the Shoe House 5 miler second race.  I wasn’t feeling it that morning and I ended up with a slower time then my first race- 48:30.  Lisa A. my marathon buddy did that race too with me.  She was a runner in college and is so knowledgeable about running.  She gives me great advice and I love talking to her about different techniques and issues with running. She saw how I performed and gave me some great advice.  She told me that I had so much more to give during the race because at the end I sprinted really fast to try and beat my time. She told me I had way too fuel in my engine at the end and I should have used it more during the race.  Racing is hard! Its hard to find that balance! I’m always so worried that if I give too much I will poop out towards the end so I stay conservative for awhile.  Lisa and I wanted to do 7 miles that day so we did a 2 mile recovery run after the race was over then came home.  We also discussed on the way home how I wanted to get faster.  The only way to get faster is to run faster! She gave me the Higdons Intermediate Half Marathon program which incorporates speed workouts in your training.  I had done some speed training at times but never consistently.  So I looked it over and added that in with my training up until my next half at the beginning of September.  There are interval workouts where I am doing 1/4 mile repeats, tempo runs and pace runs.  Sometimes I love them and sometimes I hate them!

August 2nd was my 15k trail race.  Addie and I went up together to the race in York.  We didn’t have a time goal at all since trail races are so much different then road races and take longer.  It was  beautiful morning and I was pumped for my first trail race. 

This was close to the start line at Rocky Ridge County Park.  We started the race and tried to maintain a good pace.  When they named the race On The Rocks it was no joke.  The terrain was different then the trails I had run on previously, it was so rocky! Small rocks and big rocks to climb over. This was a tough race! Of course along the way I'm thinking to myself why am I doing this? One thing I definitely need to focus on with trail running is getting stronger! I know that would really benefit me on trails. Addie and I finished the race in 2:22. Pretty slow but I wasn't worried about that. 2 other mother runners eyre doing the 45k, their first ultra at this race and we saw them along the way! I couldn't imagine doing the course I did 3 times! Neither of us got injured either so that was a big plus! It was difficult but I love the trails and can't wait for my next trail race!

Some of my mother runner friends!

My third and final shoe house 5 miler was up. I seriously contemplated not going to this race I was just stressed out with life and really just didn't want to race! I knew I was going to be getting my shoe house medal so I had to go. So the race came and I just did my thing! I honestly didn't look at my watch once. I didn't want to know my pace. I knew the course pretty well so didn't have to check my distance either. I found a girl to compete with and that is what kept me going. I ran the hills and felt like I was maintaining a good pace! Well boy was I shocked when I rounded the corner and sprinted in to see I was at 44 minutes! I had a lofty goal with each race to finish in 45 so when I saw that time I pushed it and finished at 44:51! I gave my all to that race and it paid off! I was so proud of myself! I immediately texted Lisa and she was so happy for me! She reminded me about the speedwork and how it was obviously paying off! I needed that race to restore my confidence in running! It was a great prelude to my vacation to Mexico starting the next day!

My sweet medal!

[teresaskid]

[teresaskid]

Mother Runner

It was mid May and I was debating on what my next training and races would consist of.  Im the type of person that likes to have a plan! I like a training schedule mapped out telling me what to do everyday.  On Memorial Day I started the Runners World holiday running streak which was that participants were to run at least a mile everyday until the next holiday which was July 4th.  It was a good motivator for people to get out and get the miles in but to me proved to be a pain.  I was only running 4 days at week at the point so the other 3 days I was running only a mile.  This was kind of hassle because even though I was only doing  mile I still had to gear up and get out for 10 minutes.  I realized early on that treadmill miles weren’t counting because I had to annually enter them and it wouldn’t recognize those runs.  So I completed the challenge and ran everyday but wasn’t recorded as such.  I had a couple days missed! Oh well, I knew I ran them!

I didn’t want to lose the distance and endurance I built up for the half so I continued to do longer runs on the weekend and usually with my friends from the running group. I was making more and more friends through this which I loved! 

The end of May I was registred for a glow run 5k that started at 9pm.  I was pretty nervous about this because I had never ran at night before. I didn’t know what I should be eating all day and kept worrying about little things.  I ran 5 miles in the morning with the group too just to get some more mileage in.  Then in the afternoon I was sucking down iced coffees so I would stay awake.  I had planned run it with a friend from the group so her and I met up and went to the race together. We decided we were going to try and get good times as well instead of just running for fun. By the time the race was about to begin it was pretty dark and very crowded! The race started and we were off. I tried to hold a fast pace for as long as I could because I really wanted a good time. The first thing I didn’t like was how dark it was! The course lighting was horrible! It was either pitch dark where you couldn’t see in front of you or they had these blinding spot lights on us! The race was also very packed with a lot of young and/or inexperienced racers who were all over the place! I felt like I was running in a traffic jam. Again for this race I started out way too fast and quickly realized my partner Heather was faster then I thought! Once we got to a pretty steep hill at like 2.5 miles I told her to go ahead and I was walking. I walked for a little and then ran slowly for the next .5 mile until I saw the finish and sprinted. I ended at 28:14 which wasn’t horrible but not my best 5k. My fastest so far is a 27:10 from the turkey trot. I realized though after this race that I am definitely not a night runner! Afterwards though we had fun and had some good chats. Their were a lot of other moms from the running group there and we got a nice group picture!

The last day of may was also the day that a couple races I was thinking about doing were ending the discount periods.  I looked into all the fall area half marathons and decided to do Harrisburg on Sept 7.  I was up in the air about maybe doing the Philly Half marathon and really trying to push the 2 hour mark with that one but decided against it.  A week or so later I registered also for the Hershey Half marathon in October because I knew that was a big race with other moms in the group doing it so I thought that would be fun.  I heard that it is very hilly but decided to do it anyway.  Plus one of the moms in the group has a son in the Childrens Miracle Network that the race sponsors and formed a team for us to be in for the race.  I knew that was another great reason to do it!  The kids will be excited for the free Hersheypark in the dark passes I will be getting too!

I was also registered for a summer 5 mile running series called the Shoe House 5miler.  The shoe house is an actual house that was built in 1948 in a nearby town of York.  We run to the shoe house and back for the 5 miles.  I registered for the full series because of the sweet shoe house medal that you get for doing all 3!  June 14 was my first race.  I was determined to not go out too fast and had researched race techniques until I was blue in the face.  I knew I had to try for a negative split and end faster then I started.  I was all alone for this one too which I was kind of glad.  I didn’t need to try and maintain a certain speed to be with another person and I could just do my own thing.  I started out as an independent runner and although I love the group runs I am still a loner at heart!  The race began and I stuck to my plan.  This is a pretty hilly course too and I wanted to really limit my walking the hills as much as I could.  I set a goal to beat 50 minutes and was so happy when I came in at 47:42!  I was really proud of myself!  Here is me coming in that first race taken by another mom in the group who was injured.

The next week I was excited for a 5k that I had coming up that I was doing with the kids. It was the Superhero 5k. I was talking to the kids about it before I registered and Nathan wanted to do the 5k and not the fun run this race. I found some cool metals that us running was offering for 16.99 that you got when you completed any 5k race. They had a pirate one that he wanted so I got him that, which was his incentive to do the race. I knew he was stronger then the last race he did and I figured we would walk as needed. Emily found a flip flop medal that she liked and I got her that. A friend of hers was also planning to do the race so they were going to run together. The day of the race came and it was raining. We were bummed but still went to participate. Emily and I made tshirts the day before to wear. Mine was Wonder Woman, hers was super girl and Nathan was wearing an avengers Tshirt he already had.

I was partly worried about how it would go with Nathan and how he would fair racing.  I told him not to sprint too fast at the start because I didn't want to lose him but of course he did.  Emily was with her friend in back of us so I didn't have to worry about her.  I was just trying to keep up with Nathan.  Then he started to walk.  We did this walk/sprint combo throughout the entire race.  He did a lot better then I thought he would though and I was really proud of him!  He barely complained at all which was surprising! He sprinted to the finish speeding ahead of me! It had started to pour at this point too!

I came in right after him and someone got a picture of us.

    Emily coming in at the end. 

Even though it was really raining the kids wanted to do a couple activities they had before we left so we did that and then went home. They had fun and I was a happy momma having just run with my babies!  I don't want to ever push running on them but hope to show them how fun it can be and get them involved as they want to. 

[teresaskid]

Running for the greater good

After my disappointment with the half marathon I came home to ponder all the things that went wrong.  All the little tweaks that I made that I shouldn't have and foremost going out to fast!  I rested that week and then my daughter had a cheer competition in Virginia Beach the coming weekend so I was excited to run at the beach!  I thought about actually running on the beach but didn't want to risk any injury since I was still pretty sore from the race.  I ran along the boardwalk instead and took this selfie with King Neptune!

For the past month or so I had also became an assistant Girls On the Run coach at my children's school.  I loved being a coach! I loved the girls that were involved and I loved the message that we were giving them with each lesson we did.  It was truly a great experience to let myself be apart of something bigger then me! Emily was not able to fully participate because she was involved in the school play and rehearsals were at the same time.  She got to come every so often though and made some new friends!  I coached with some pretty awesome women as well! Our head coach is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and was an AMAZING head coach to these girls! She is also a cheetah mama and I loved to here about her training!  The concept of girls on the run is to teach elementary age girls empowerment, self confidence, kindness and other age appropriate topics including bullying and friendships. Along with the group discussions we had we incorporate fitness into all of it.  The girls train every meeting to eventually run a 5k race at the end of the season.  These girls impressed me beyond belief in what they accomplished in that time! We were so proud of them! I got to be a running buddy to one of our girls at the race too because her parents were not runners and she needed someone to run with her.  I was more then happy to do this.  I cant wait to coach again next spring and am hoping Emily can be involved fully this time! 

My team pictures:

The day of the 5k was crazy and fun all at the same time!  The girls were excited and nervous at the same time like all racers usually are! They got to decorate their hair with spray glitter we were given plus tattoos and markers to sign shirts.  They had a blast!

Emily was there too and was going to run with another girl in her grade that also didn't get to participate in the program.  She was excited too!

My running buddy Jaden! She did awesome at the race!

Emily struggled with the race a little bit and I felt bad having to leave her at one point but I had to stay with my buddy.  She started too fast and then got side cramps.  She was ok then at the end and she wasn't too upset about it.  We had fun post race getting more pictures and the girls got to meet Molly Barker the founder of girls on the fun, it was a huge deal that she came to our 5k!

Emily with some of the girls she met:

post race ice cream!

The final team picture:

LOVE THESE GIRLS! LOVE GIRLS ON THE RUN! Cant wait for next season!

[teresaskid]

[teresaskid]

Only half as crazy

After the Hot Chocolate race it was time to come home and start running longer and get ready for the half marathon. Michelle and I were doing our long runs together on the weekends but about a week before the race she started having pain in her knee from an old injury. It got so bad that a couple days before the race she wasn’t sure she could even run it. That really worried me because I did not want to run it alone! She decided she would still go ahead and try and just do the best she could. We also talked about if need be I could go ahead and run if she needed to fall back. I felt like I was totally ready for the race. The weekend of the race came and I worked the Saturday before my usual 12 hour shift. This was mistake #1. I didn’t get to relax at all that night and barely slept. I woke up in the morning and decided since we had 2 hours to get there I would eat a little more for breakfast to fuel up. So I ate an English muffin with peanut butter instead of my normal banana with peanut butter- mistake #2. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have the same bowel issue I did at the last race so I drank about a half of a cup of coffee to get my gut moving- mistake #3. Everyone was up and ready so we drove to Allentown for the race. I did stop midway at a Sheetz and went to the bathroom. Once we got to town Nick dropped me off and took the kids to breakfast and was going to meet me later. I got to the gym we were meeting at and waited for Michelle with my packet. We met and I got my bib and checked the rest of my bag. There was still time so we took some pictures, got our gear all ready and tried to calm our nerves.

Michelle’s knee was feeling ok so we were just going to take it as we went. I debated on sticking with a pace group but then decided not to. We lined up, the gun went off and we took off literally! I’m not sure what I was thinking but we were going really fast trying to get away from the crowd. Mistake #4,5,6,100! After that initial surge it was hard to get into a comfortable pace, so I was already spent at like mile 3! Michelle was doing fine though so we kept going. Around mile 9 I couldn’t keep up anymore and had to slow down. So instead of her falling back I did. I felt like a failure! I was so discouraged then the rest of the race. Hills came and I was walking. Pace groups would go by and I kept thinking I just can’t let the 2:30 group pass me. I didn’t want to finish below that! I was really struggling and just totally burned out. My self talk was the lowest it’s ever been and I was beating myself up with every step! Finally it got close to a mile left and I was close to the 2:20 pace group so I jumped in with them. The pace leader saw me walking and tapped me and said “come on girl less then a mile left, keep going.” I so needed to hear that! I ran with them until we got to the track at the high school where we would finish. There I had to just go! I ran my freaking heart out to get to the finish! My time ended up being 2:19. I saw Nick and the kids off to the side and I collapsed into Nicks arms crying. I felt sick first off and a failure second. I got my medal and thermo blanket and had to just sit down.

I stretched for a little and talked to Nick about the race. The kids were complaining about how cold and bored they were so I ended up letting them have my blanket and we got up to go.

I had to go get my checked bag so we went and did that, then came back to the track to find Michelle. I saw her and we hugged and got pictures. Her time ended up being about 2:10 I think.

The kids were hungry and I was spent so we went to the food stand and got some food and headed to the car. On the way home I continued to beat myself up and identify all the things that went wrong. I don’t think any of the mistakes were solely responsible except maybe how fast I went out at the start. That has haunted me every race since!  I found this text from Nick as we were leaving and I so wish I would have seen it during the race.

Support from my hubby! :)  This race ending signaled the end of a long training season.  I didn’t have any races planned for awhile so I wasn’t sure what my runs were going to consist of .  I took a mental and physical break when I got home!

Pics I copied from the race photo:

I wore arm bands that started to itch and bug me like crazy halfway through the race.  Cute but not smart!  The handheld water bottle really got on my nerves too and at one point I almost tossed it!

Finish line!

[teresaskid]

You move from doing things to show other people you could, to where you do things to look into yourself, into your soul, and see who you are and what you're all about.- Scott Weber

Run Gently Out There: Trials, Trails, and Tribulations of Running Ultramarathons

[teresaskid]

Nobody is going to finish this damn thing for me, but me. -unknown

Run Gently Out There: Trials, Trails, and Tribulations of Running Ultramarathons

[teresaskid]

Cold days are here

This winter the weather was brutal! It was either snowing or bitterly cold most days. Both of which aren’t ideal running conditions. It was tough but I had to get myself outside. The treadmill makes me very unhappy! My next race I had scheduled was the hot chocolate 15k in Philly at the beginning of April. At this point I had finally joined one of the group runs from my running group that was in lititz. I was nervous at first because I had never run with others before but it turned out to be awesome! I loved this new found friendship and camaraderie I was forming with a great group of women! I found women that were similar to me in goals and a couple of us were running the hot chocolate race too. So I kept meeting with them on the weekends for long runs when I wasn’t working. We were hardcore those winter months and I’m so glad I had them to motivate me and hold me accountable! My next race distance was the 15k(9miles) like I said so I was working up to that for April 6th. As the ladies and I talked along our runs some of them were doing half marathons that spring and had begun training for them. I didn’t think that was something I could really obtain but one of the other moms Michelle and I decided to do one together! We figured we were already going to be up to 9 miles so what was 4 more!! We talked at length about where we wanted to race and found the St Luke’s half marathon on April 27 would be perfect. She had family in the area so she was going to stay with them for the weekend and also pick up our race packets. I was going to come up early the morning of the race with Nick and the kids. Michelle and I formed a close friendship during this time with doing both races together. The weekend of hot chocolate was getting closer and I was suppose to be staying with my cousin who goes to Temple and lives in Philly but that didn’t work out. So at the last minute a couple days before the race I had to find a hotel. Nick and the kids weren’t planning to come but I didn’t want stay at a hotel in Philly alone so I pleaded with Nick to come along! If I would have known earlier I needed one I could have stayed with some of the other moms that were going in together for a hotel! But things happen so I found the cheapest hotel I could, which wasn’t very cheap, at the airport and figured I could get the subway in close to the race. I knew I wasn’t to get there early enough for packet pick up on Saturday so Friday while the kids were at school I drove to Exton which is a suburb just outside of Philly for packet pick up. That was another annoyance of the craziness that occurred for the weekend! So I went down and got that and was all set. The next day Saturday after Nick came home from work we were packed up and drove to Philly. We drove right to maggianos, our favorite italian restaurant, for dinner and carb loading for me! That’s also where some of the other moms were eating as well. We had a great dinner then went back to the hotel to settle in. I also figured out the logistics of me getting to the race in the morning. I was going to go early and then Nick would come down with the kids later. I could barely sleep that night so once the alarm went off in the morning I was up and ready to go. Being that we stayed at the airport it was really convenient to get to the subway and take that into town. I got on and had my plan all set.

There was another girl in front of me who was also racing and I talked to her for a minute.  I did notice she was getting off at a different stop then I was so I was slightly worried about that.  I excited the subway where I thought I was suppose to and then walked out of the station.  Well somehow I got all turned around and couldn’t follow my gps map! I spotted another runner who looked lost too and we tried to find our way together and got lost a couple times but eventually were headed in the right direction.  She was only racing the 5K and that start time was earlier the mine so she was in a big hurry! We just made it in time for her to lineup.  I went and found the other moms I was running with ad met for our group pic.

We all took one last potty break then got in line.  Michelle and I were planning to stick together since we the same pace.  This was the first race I ever ran with another person so I didn’t know how to handle that either.  I’m not very good with that uncomfortable silence you have in conversations but knew I didn’t want talk a lot either.  We made it work though and I felt for awhile we were at a great pace.  Then at about 6 miles I felt like I needed to poop! It was horrible!  I’ve never contemplated going in my pants in my life until then! I kept thinking about stopping but wanted to just press on and finish the race. I told Michelle how I felt and that I needed to slow down and she should just go ahead.  She got a little in front of me for the rest of the race.  I made it though and didn’t have to top!  I saw my family at the end and we got in line for my finisher goodies!  Hot chocolate in a plastic mug with chocolate fondue and fruit.  Kind of cheapy because I thought the mug was going to be real! 

I ended up letting the kids eat all of it anyway. I felt really bad because Nick said they had nothing to do and no where for them to eat! So all they did was drink hot chocolate the whole time! I was so happy they were there to support me but felt really guilty. We were in a rush to leave and get back to town because Emily had cheer practice later in the day. I said goodbye to my friends and we headed back to the hotel to check out and get back home. It was a fun race and we ran close to Fairmont park in Philly which I love! This would be one of the factors that would lead me to another race further down the road.

[teresaskid]

A little more

Winter came along with colder weather of course. It wasn’t bad at this point of the season so I was still running outside as much as I could and trying to limit the treadmill. I loathe the treadmill! I talked to another runner friend who started around the same time I did and she told me she ran 3 miles during the week and then Saturday she would do that twice and run 6. 6 miles seemed like 100 to me at that point. Being that I constantly compare must to others I told myself I was gonna do that too! Plus her and I were both losing weight at the same time too so I felt like I was in competition with her for some reason! I’m weird like that! So I found my couch to 5k app had an extension to build up to a 10k and I began that. I feel like this was a turning point for me to when I really started to enjoy running. It was no longer just about weight loss but setting a goal and sticking to it to the finish. That has never been an attribute of mine. I’m the first one to quit when the going gets tough! Plus it was winter! I was out running in the cold! There had to be a good reason. I of course had to find a 10k to race to complete the goal. I found a small winter running series in a nearby town and saw one of the races was a 10k so I registered! The day of the race came and I was there alone for the first time which was weird. I had no one to cheer me on or even talk to prior to the race. Standing in line I did overhear some other women talk about this race being pretty hilly. Which I didn’t train for and honestly at that part of my running experience I never even factored in! So that scared me from the start! The race begins and I’m off. I feel good for awhile and feel like I have a good pace when boom! Here comes the hills! I really did not want to walk at all but knew I had to. Each hill was killer for me and I walked them all. I had no experience with downhill either so they were tough too! I was hoping to finish in about an hour since my 5k times were a little less then 30 minutes so I figured I would just double that. I ended up finishing in 1:04. Second race distance obtained! Next?

[teresaskid]

[teresaskid]

Keep Rolling

I caught the racing bug after that first 5k and knew I wanted to race some more.  I was also a pretty new member of a facebook running roup called Lancaster Moms Run This Town.  It is a group of women who like the group name states like to run.  There are different type of runners in the group from beginners to speedy cheetah mamas.  It is a great place to find inspiration, advice and find new running buddies too!  I was added to the group by a high school facebook friend who is a runner and noticed that I was posting about running too.  So in the group I heard of other races coming up and decided to sign up for some more.  The next one was a Turkey Trot 5k on thanksgiving day.  I registered Nick and I for the 5k and the kids for the fun run.  Well that morning turned out to be windy and cold and I was on my own.  Nick didn't want to race and the kids didn't even want to get out of the car.  I ended up doing well and beat my last 5k time! 

I registered for 2 races in December.  The first was a color run that I thought would be really fun for us to do.  Nick didnt want to race again so he stayed with Nathan while Emily and I ran the 5k.  This was her first race and I wasn't sure how it was going to go.  I figured we could walk when needed.  She did pretty good and we had fun together getting sprayed with colors!  Nathan then did the kids fun run after and he almost won!  The biggest excitement for them was getting packets of the color powder and throwing them at each other. 

  The next race was the Jingle Bell Run in December closer to Christmas, another 5k and again I signed up the whole family to run together.  It had recently snowed a good bit before race day so there was still snow on the ground where we planned to run.  We debated about what to do with Nathan because I wasn't sure how he was going to run or even walk 3 miles so we decided to bring his scooter.  I figured he could ride that and if anyone said anything we could just walk out of the course.

   The four of us lined up to start and I kept telling Nathan he couldn't go too fast or get in anyones way.  Which was easier said then done!  He did take off at the start and I tried to not lose sight of him and sped ahead of Nick and Emily.  Little did I know that Emily was going to complain so much that Nick and her walked off the course to the car.  So I followed Nathan along on his scooter and tried to keep up.  He was my pacer! 

After the race looking for Nick and Emily to finish before realizing they were in the car!

I learned my lesson after that race that if I was going to race it was going to be alone.  I thought it would be a nice family thing to do but I realized that I couldn't just all of a sudden make everyone love to un like I did.  It wasn't fair to them and was costing me too much money! Once it hit me that this was going to be just about me my perspective changed a little.  Could I go further? 

[teresaskid]

Exactly

[teresaskid]

Where it begins

I started running over a year ago- march 2013. I had a couple runner friends on facebook and seeing their posts gave me some inspiration. It began as a weight loss exercise. Let me just tell you I have always HATED running! I was the girl in high school gym class who walked the whole mile and tried to get out of gym anyway I could! I was the farthest thing from athletic! I worked out casually for years after that but just for weight loss. So fast forward to last year when I decided to run. I downloaded the couch to 5k app on my phone and that’s where I began. I even signed myself and my reluctant husband up for a 5k race that fall. The couch to 5k starts with run/walk intervals and builds from there. It was hard for me! I still wasn’t feeling the love for running yet but kept going because of all the calories I was burning! I was so proud of myself after those 8 weeks when I finally ran the whole 3 miles!! At this point I still wasn’t considering myself a runner and still wasn’t loving the run. It was still hard for me at this point. The race that I had signed up for still wasn’t for a couple months so I figured I would keep doing the same last week of running workouts from the app. Well I began to do some other forms of exercise too that I actually enjoyed. Then I was running less and less. Again fast forward and it’s sept 2013 and my 5k is coming up. My hubby nick decided he didn’t want to run it with me because he hadn’t trained. I was on my own and seriously contemplated not doing it. But something inside told me I had to. The day of the race came and I was a nervous wreck. This was not my thing- I looked around at the other runners and thought “what am I doing? I am way out of my league!” Nick and the kids were there to support me and I just wanted to run and get it over with. I got in line with the other runners and got my gear all ready. I had no strategy other then I didn’t want to stop and walk at all. The gun shot and we were off as I ran by Nick and the kids cheering me on! Now it was just me and the road and I remember it like it was yesterday! I picked out people that I wanted to beat and just tried to take it easy. I didn’t walk at all and I remember seeing the finish and sprinting to the end! I thought having a time of about 30 minutes would be good and I ended up with a 31:10.

I was really proud of myself and knew Nick was too so that made me feel even better. I remember feeling that way for the rest of the day then too. That race changed me. It brought out a competitive side of me I never had. I found something I could do for myself and was completely my own! I knew at that point the 5k goal was reached but it wasn’t the end!

[teresaskid]

Read this part of a Robert Frost poem and knew it was meant to go with an amazing trail pic!

[teresaskid]

Love this picture and found this quote went perfect with it!