Saturday, May 15, 2010

10k race done!

I ran my first 10k today!!! I did it in 1:02:50 (give or take some seconds). It was a little different just because it's the first run that I've gone to alone. My parents are extremely supportive of my running, and they always come to my runs, but they were both busy today. So, I went by myself. I ended up safety pinning my car key to the inside of my sports bra (sorry, guys) so I wouldn't have to hold it while I ran. Surprisingly, that was a perfect solution. I'll have to take more trips to the park to run now that I know what to do with my car key.

I was a little numb (emotionally) at the beginning of the run. I kept having to remind myself that I was running a 10k, not a 5k, and that I could in fact complete the whole distance running. "10k" became my mantra as I ran, and I just recited it over and over in my head throughout the race. That seemed to help somehow. I finished strong and was pretty surprised by my time since I thought I was pretty pokey during the whole thing. I brought up the rear with the last 50 people running the 10k, but that's alright! I did it. :)

The cool thing about this program and me doing it, so many people have asked me about how I've done it and how they can start. It's such a great way to motivate people and encourage them. So, that's worth everything to know that I've inspired some people somehow!!

Happy running, friends. :)

Monday, May 10, 2010

On the road again...

--Just can't wait to get on the road again!--

That was my mantra today as I thought about my afternoon run. And then it hit me - the sleepiness of all sleepinesses (nice, eh?). I haven't figured out yet how to get a great night's sleep again, so the past several weeks...which have been crazy busy anyways...have been pretty sleepless a lot of nights. So, I decided that I was "too tired" to go running.

Then...I decided that my too common "too tired" excuse held no ground anymore, and that I needed to just get out there and do it. Go for it! Run for the gold (or the skinniness ;))!! So, I threw on my running clothes and went for a run...and a mighty fine run it was, I do believe.

Although my pace wasn't my best, I did 4.5mi in 45 minutes (a dead even 10min/mi average pace), and I feel great afterward. I definitely love the runner's high during and after a good run.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day

Happy mother's day to all the moms! :) I thought I would share some of the reasons I love my mom and some of the ways she's been a huge blessing in my life.

My mom is an extremely giving lady. She gives of her time, talents, and love everyday. Just a few examples -

My mom's gift of her time...
My mom visits my grandpa everyday, and if she doesn't make it one day, it's because she's seriously too busy and simply can't get over there - which is rare. I love to attribute this to my grandma and her impact in my mom's life. My grandma, who died this past December, would drive to the nursing home to sit with my grandpa all day, everyday. I think this act of selflessness on my grandma's part has impacted my whole family, and my mom is displaying the same example for us to be impacted from. Oh how she loves him, and I know he loves his daughter. As hard as it is for her to visit some days, I know she wouldn't trade that time with him for anything else.

My mom's gift of her talents...
My mom is a phenomenal quilter, and she is always thinking of ways that she can bless others through her quilting. She is the founder of her quilting club, Stitchin' Friends, and is always coming up with lessons and workshops for the ladies. Mom is currently helping me with a quilt project for my students and has spent countless hours preparing and sewing the quilts together. She also makes quilts for different people, stitching in her love and compassion with each block. I'm proud to say that she also acquired this from my grandma, who was an avid quilter as well. I absolutely love looking at my mom and seeing the glimpses of Grandma in her - it helps me remember that Grandma's legacy never ends as long as we keep living, which is a great comfort on Mother's Day.

My mom's gift of her love...
There is no doubt that my mom loves me. First of all, she's put up with my goofiness for a good 24 years now, and she doesn't seem to mind it (eh, most of the time ;)). My mom totally and completely supports my running, coming to my runs and cheering me on. It makes my day to see her at the finish line with a huge smile as I cross the end of the run. In highschool, I would go on trips with the youth group from church, and my mom always "surprised" me (it eventually became expected after a few trips) with random notes throughout the week. She would put together a special note and a small surprise for everyday that I was gone, and then give them to an adult on the trip to be the "deliverer" of the pieces of love. I'm a homebody that loves to travel, so it was always comforting to read Mom's notes every morning while I was away. Oh how I miss those days!

These are just a few small examples of my mom's great love for her friends and family as well as the way God has used her to shape me. I have no doubt in my mind that God has used Mom to mold me at times, and I'm sure He'll use her again. I'm just glad she's been willing to be used.

I love you, Momma!! :)

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

just one of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days?

A day when all you need is a good run to let off some steam and stress? Yeah...today was one of those days.

I was so ready to just go for a run, let everything go and run my heart out. But, by the end of the day, I was so beat down and discouraged, I just came home, put my running clothes on, and sat outside listening to the birds for awhile. It was all I could do - I couldn't do anything more.

I ended up not going for a run. I just stuck around the house and eventually rode the exercise bike for 100min while I read (time flies while you read!! Didn't realize I had been riding for so long). It was good to ride, read, and just let my mind become lost in the pages.

I'm hoping tomorrow isn't "one of those days." I really need to get out for a good run as it feels as if it's been so long since I've been able to just run and run without a care in the world.

Maybe tomorrow will be one of those runs. I hope so.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

I'm a wimp - W1D1 of pace training

Yes...I am a wimp - I admit it!

It was so hot and humid today, that I only did just under 15 minutes of a run, but that's alright. It was my first day of working on my pace, and it actually went really well...beside wondering if my sprint pace was any faster than my run pace. lol I used Ullrey's podcast to help me know when to run and then when to sprint so I wouldn't have to keep track with my phone. I didn't do the whole run that Ullrey had planned - I did about half of it. When I was looking up tempo training plans, the one I decided on (and am half way using) has you do four run/sprint intervals, so that's what I did today. Next time, though, I think I'll shoot for the whole workout instead of just half.

Here are the details from my run:
Time: 14min 56sec
Distance: 1.58mi
Average Pace: 9:25/mi

Yes, folks...that's 9min 25sec per mile! That's a pretty good average pace for me! I hope to see it improve as I continue my pace training!! I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy running! :D