Running into June - May 30-June 5

[Veronica]

A huge .8 of a mile for me this morning. It was such a pretty morning for a run though. I was out just before sunrise and could see Mt Diablo with some clouds circling it at about 2,000 feet.

I'll try again on Tuesday.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

Good luck, Kacie!

And Colby - you so ARE a runner! 8:50 for a HM is very respectable. Hell, I'd be happy to do 8:50 for a 5K!

Today is a much needed rest day for me. I'm exhausted and I've got my second sprint tri tomorrow (first OWS!). I hope I'm recovered by tomorrow morning...

[Crankin]

I just talked to my friend, who is in charge of the 5K I am doing tomorrow. I promised her I would show up.
Did some recovery yoga this morning and erred on the side of caution and did not ride today. My quads are a bit sore, not from running yesterday, but from riding my Jamis into town for an errand. Riding that bike always makes me feel like I have worked hard as I don't ride it often and it is twice the weight of my road bike.
I don't know why I am so nervous about doing this 5K. Just not sure of the etiquette involved, etc.

[katluvr]

Colby--really awesome HM time!
Crankin--ok I run 11:30 at times, yes slow, but there are us "slow" folks. Have fun at your 5K and no you won't be last (and who cares if you are!)
Kacie--good luck! I am sure you will do awesome. Have fun!

K

[Jolt]

About an hour on the trails today. First half was good, second half not so much (mostly walking b/c I wasn't feeling good). I must have really gotten out of shape from not doing any real exercise for almost two weeks during my trip!! Of course, the heat/humidity isn't helping matters either (85 degrees and very muggy this afternoon).

[colby]

Thanks, ladies. I'll keep repeating to myself that I am a runner. I will try it for Ironman. The run is not just the gatekeeper to the finish line and means that more miles and hours are behind you than ahead of you, it's FUN. Do not just look forward to the marathon because running sounds so much better than another mile on your bicycle, look forward to it because running IS FUN. I LOVE TO RUN. YAY RUNNING!

Crankin, don't worry about the 5k. Just show up and have a good time. 11:30 miles are still running, they will still get you to the finish, you will still be awesome, and we will still love you.

Good luck to kacie, GLC, and anyone else racing this weekend! Looking forward to the reports.

Bike Chick, looking forward to you checking in tonight after your race, too.

[Susan Otcenas]

Still no running for me. The inside of my left heel is still pretty tender to the touch. Doesn't feel like I've made any progress towards healing this week, but I need to be patient.

I picked up three different orthotics at the run store today. One for my cycling shoes, one for my run shoes, and one for my every day shoes. I opted not to go with the Superfeet. The arch support on that brand is kinda far back, and I thought it would do more harm than good. I went with a different brand (the name escapes me at the moment) that seemed to better fit the shape of my arches. They felt amazingly comfortable walking around the store. We'll see how it goes!

BEST WISHES TO EVERYONE RACING THIS WEEKEND!! You're all winners in my book.

Susan

[Bike Chick]

Ok, I did it and it was hot as h*ll! My overall time was a little over 35 minutes (the official times haven't been posted yet and I forgot to hit the button on my watch as I crossed the line). I got a minute slower each mile; my splits were 10:38; 11:30; 12:40 and all I wanted to do was finish under 36 minutes. When I saw the finish line I could see the clock ticking......35; 35:10; 35:21......and somehow kicked it into gear and sprinted past the woman in front of me. It was fun and I wasn't last. Thank you to everyone for their encouragement.

Colby, you are awesome! And you are A RUNNER!

Crankin, good luck today! I'm sure you will do fine. We sound like we are in the same boat. Have fun.

Susan, I hope the foot starts healing. That's such a drag and I hate it for you!

[Crankin]

I did it and I am still here to tell the tale.
I was up all night, stomach a wreck and then when I finally fell asleep, we had a huge thunderstorm around 3 AM. I think, though, I am now back on US time, as opposed to European time.
Ate a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, a roll with olive oil (can you tell I was in Spain), a slice of cheese and an orange. Wasn't sure if I should have coffee, but I had one cup, with no ill effects. I left for the race around 8:30, got there at 8:45 and as I was pulling in, I saw someone I know pulling in next to me. She's been a runner for years, and I know she doesn't run super fast. She lives near my old neighborhood and I often would see her out when I was riding; in fact, I still do. Anyway, that calmed me down, and she told me where to pin my number. It felt so hot and humid, I seriously thought of doing the walk, but put the thoughts out of my head. I walked and ran around the parking lot for about 10 minutes. The start was a bit chaotic, we had to run down a path through the woods, which I liked, but some people tripped on rocks, etc, to get to the street. I was going a bit too fast here, on the downhill, and then there was an up, which got to me. The first mile went quickly and I pushed myself to get to the 1.6, which was the turn around. A lot people passed me, but I noticed the people at my pace were now walking a lot and I kept running. Going back up the wooded path was hard, because we had to run back down to the finish, which was past the start. Even though that was downhill, I was losing it! I wanted to give a big push, but I just couldn't. I thought I might come in at around 33.5, but I came in exactly in 34 minutes, 2 minutes faster than my last run. I was happy with that. My friend (the race organizer) was at the finish and I think I told her I hated her at that moment .
I found the person I knew, who came in around 30 minutes; I think she will be a good person for me to try and run with. She doesn't race anymore, but she did the race with her son who is handicapped (and who beat me by quite a bit) and works at the hospital we were raising money for. There was quite a spread of food, but I ate a banana and a piece of watermelon and headed home. Took a really cold bath for the legs, showered and am now sitting here in my Zoot tights.
It 's a good feeling of accomplishment, but it was painful at points. What keeps me motivated to run is that it seems to keep my weight down in a way that cycling doesn't. DH came home from a hard 30 mile ride right after me and I was jealous, but I need to do this.

[colby]

Way to go, Bike Chick and Crankin!! You did it! Awesome.

Not a fan of running in the hot and humid weather myself, so I'm definitely impressed.

[OakLeaf]

Yay! Way to go Crankin and Bike Chick!

I'm still trying to find my way back into a routine... if the thunderstorms stop long enough for me to run today I WILL.

[rocknrollgirl]

Congrats guys for racing today!!! It is fantastic that you both made it out!

[Crankin]

Thanks for all of the encouragement, everyone. I didn't want to let you all down and that helped me. I also tried to think about my son running in Iraq the past 2 summers, with an 80 lb. pack on his back, in 120 heat. I am so proud that both of my kids are endurance type athletes... and thinking that maybe all those years of seeing me work at the gym when they were little had some influence.

[Jolt]

Way to go, Crankin! Glad your race went well in spite of the heat and humidity. Sounds like you got woken up last night/this morning by the same whopping thunderstorm I did--it hit here around 0230 if I recall correctly. Today's run for me was about an hour on the trails, with a little break in the middle b/c it was hot (and I was being a bum, I'll be honest).

[Bike Chick]

Way to go Crankin'! If we lived closer it sounds like we could be running partners! And thanks everyone for your good thoughts and encouragement. You have no idea how much that means.

I rode 21 miles yesterday morning before work, then did the 5k last night then got up and did a 40 mile group ride this morning. I'm beat!