Florida, here I come! In 228 days I'll be participating in the Walt Disney World Marathon, and I have a world of emotions running through my head. Most of all I'm excited, and pretty anxious. I have a training plan that, with some minor tweaking, should be perfect for me.
Overall I'm looking forward to my new adventure. I just need to remember that when I get into the long runs that take up half my day. :-D
More to come when training begins!
Friday, May 20, 2016
Monday, May 2, 2016
Run. Help a Child. Eat a Cookie.
Yep. That's me in a nutshell. I love to run. Half of my regular races have something to do with helping kids. And well, I'm a known cookie addict.
The sponsor that was putting on the Chip's Share it Forward 5k race this year had shirts for sale with this tag line, "Run. Help a child. Eat a cookie." printed on them, and I knew I had to have one. I was happy to be participating in the second Chip's run this year. This past winter was the first winter in four years that I didn't have to train through the winter months to prepare for a half, or a full, or both! And I was itching for a race. I hadn't raced since Soaring Wings in October. I wasn't looking for a distance run, just the excitement and adrenaline rush that comes with a group of people all running for a purpose.
The course this year was a little different from the inaugural race last year, but it was still just as beautiful. I had convinced Scott to run the 5k with me in hopes that he could set the pace for me and maybe I could PR. Or at the very least, maybe beat last year's time for this race. I felt good going into race day even though it was overcast and I felt the humidity sitting in the air. It wasn't bad, but I think it still affected me. I enjoyed the run but started to struggle a bit in the second half. The horses I knew we would see on the course did not disappoint and were a lovely distraction. Because parts of the course double back, we got to see friends a couple times along the way. It really is a fun run to be a part of! We finished in 28 minutes flat with an average pace of 9:01 per mile. That's not a PR, but it was just a few seconds faster than last year. Although, I'm not sure it counts if the course was different. :)
I love this race and I love the cause it supports. Because of the runners, and donations that came in, and the sponsors selling various things are the race, 42 kids from the local children's home and also low income homes will be able to go to summer camp this year! That's twice as many as last year! I'm already looking forward to next year.
The sponsor that was putting on the Chip's Share it Forward 5k race this year had shirts for sale with this tag line, "Run. Help a child. Eat a cookie." printed on them, and I knew I had to have one. I was happy to be participating in the second Chip's run this year. This past winter was the first winter in four years that I didn't have to train through the winter months to prepare for a half, or a full, or both! And I was itching for a race. I hadn't raced since Soaring Wings in October. I wasn't looking for a distance run, just the excitement and adrenaline rush that comes with a group of people all running for a purpose.
The course this year was a little different from the inaugural race last year, but it was still just as beautiful. I had convinced Scott to run the 5k with me in hopes that he could set the pace for me and maybe I could PR. Or at the very least, maybe beat last year's time for this race. I felt good going into race day even though it was overcast and I felt the humidity sitting in the air. It wasn't bad, but I think it still affected me. I enjoyed the run but started to struggle a bit in the second half. The horses I knew we would see on the course did not disappoint and were a lovely distraction. Because parts of the course double back, we got to see friends a couple times along the way. It really is a fun run to be a part of! We finished in 28 minutes flat with an average pace of 9:01 per mile. That's not a PR, but it was just a few seconds faster than last year. Although, I'm not sure it counts if the course was different. :)
I love this race and I love the cause it supports. Because of the runners, and donations that came in, and the sponsors selling various things are the race, 42 kids from the local children's home and also low income homes will be able to go to summer camp this year! That's twice as many as last year! I'm already looking forward to next year.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
A Caribbean Kind of Run
I love a good challenge. I'll pretend I don't but secretly it brings out a competitive nature I try to deny. When it comes to running, there have been multiple times that I have said "I'll never do _____ again". A half marathon, training through the winter, a full marathon, you name it, I've said that, but then of course I do.
About seven years ago Scott and I went on a cruise. I had only been running for about a year at the time and I thought it would be a neat experience to go for a run around the small track that was on board the cruise ship. Little did I know that it's not as easy as it sounds. Aside from the fact that 11 (ELEVEN :-O ) laps equaled one mile, and I have a hard enough time running laps on a normal sized track, there's also a major wind issue. Even on a calm day an upper deck on a cruise ship can be quite windy. So on this particular cruise I went up with Scott to enjoy a run and ended up having to walk the length of the track on one side every lap. It was so windy I felt like I wasn't moving at all. I can't remember how many laps I did total, but I don't think it was more than enough to make up more than a mile, maybe two, and I do remember being completely drained. Happy for the experience, but also saying I'd never do that again.
Fast forward to this past February. We went on a cruise with the kids and I was determined to try running the track again. I didn't really have an expectation for time, despite the fact that my pace per mile had dropped significantly from the last time I ran on a ship. I really just wanted to run and see what happened. And maybe I'd be able to do it without walking one side on each lap.
Scott and I got started and I was feeling pretty good. I didn't have RunKeeper going so I couldn't tell what my pace was. I did have the stop watch app and would mark each lap as we passed our starting point. I can't do math in my head well to begin with, let alone while I'm focusing on running around a small track and not running into other people so I didn't bother to try until we were completely done.
The track on this ship was a bit bigger than the last one I had been on. Only 7 laps per mile instead of the 11 before. It's still monotonous, but better for sure. Even though I felt good at the beginning, that feeling began to fade with each lap. Maybe it was mental, maybe the windy side of the was starting to affect me again. Somewhere near the end of the first mile Scott and I decided we would pause the stopwatch and do a fast walking lap. I hadn't walked yet so I knew I had made progress. In the end we had done 3 miles total, with a walking lap between miles 1 and 2, and 2 and 3. I was thrilled to feel how much stronger I was. It was still windy on one side of the ship. I still had to watch out for people as we ran (which makes me think we could have gone even faster actually), but I was faster and I didn't have to walk every lap. We averaged a pace of 9:13 per mile. Definitely faster than the first time I ran on a moving ship. :)
It's runs like this that I have to go back and remember when I have a bad run. I know they can't all be my best, but when they are bad, they affect me mentally and I start to question my ability. There's no reason for that though. I make new progress every day. Even seven years later.
There's something about running on a cruise ship, in the middle of a vast and overwhelming ocean, that challenges me. It's amazing. And wonderful. And difficult. And I WILL be doing it again. :)
About seven years ago Scott and I went on a cruise. I had only been running for about a year at the time and I thought it would be a neat experience to go for a run around the small track that was on board the cruise ship. Little did I know that it's not as easy as it sounds. Aside from the fact that 11 (ELEVEN :-O ) laps equaled one mile, and I have a hard enough time running laps on a normal sized track, there's also a major wind issue. Even on a calm day an upper deck on a cruise ship can be quite windy. So on this particular cruise I went up with Scott to enjoy a run and ended up having to walk the length of the track on one side every lap. It was so windy I felt like I wasn't moving at all. I can't remember how many laps I did total, but I don't think it was more than enough to make up more than a mile, maybe two, and I do remember being completely drained. Happy for the experience, but also saying I'd never do that again.
Fast forward to this past February. We went on a cruise with the kids and I was determined to try running the track again. I didn't really have an expectation for time, despite the fact that my pace per mile had dropped significantly from the last time I ran on a ship. I really just wanted to run and see what happened. And maybe I'd be able to do it without walking one side on each lap.
Scott and I got started and I was feeling pretty good. I didn't have RunKeeper going so I couldn't tell what my pace was. I did have the stop watch app and would mark each lap as we passed our starting point. I can't do math in my head well to begin with, let alone while I'm focusing on running around a small track and not running into other people so I didn't bother to try until we were completely done.
The track on this ship was a bit bigger than the last one I had been on. Only 7 laps per mile instead of the 11 before. It's still monotonous, but better for sure. Even though I felt good at the beginning, that feeling began to fade with each lap. Maybe it was mental, maybe the windy side of the was starting to affect me again. Somewhere near the end of the first mile Scott and I decided we would pause the stopwatch and do a fast walking lap. I hadn't walked yet so I knew I had made progress. In the end we had done 3 miles total, with a walking lap between miles 1 and 2, and 2 and 3. I was thrilled to feel how much stronger I was. It was still windy on one side of the ship. I still had to watch out for people as we ran (which makes me think we could have gone even faster actually), but I was faster and I didn't have to walk every lap. We averaged a pace of 9:13 per mile. Definitely faster than the first time I ran on a moving ship. :)
It's runs like this that I have to go back and remember when I have a bad run. I know they can't all be my best, but when they are bad, they affect me mentally and I start to question my ability. There's no reason for that though. I make new progress every day. Even seven years later.
There's something about running on a cruise ship, in the middle of a vast and overwhelming ocean, that challenges me. It's amazing. And wonderful. And difficult. And I WILL be doing it again. :)
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