A new 10K PR!

This morning I ran the Tartan Trot 10K at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church.  Each year they hold this event to celebrate the Scottish origins of the religion.  Being Presbyterian myself, I was glad to have the opportunity to run in this race.  I noticed several wore kilts and had chilly bare legs hiding underneath.  A few others donned plaid scarves.  We were even treated to the tunes of a bagpipe band in full costume.

I had my doubts as to how I would do on this race because 1) the bottom of my right foot near the outer edge had been hurting for the past few days, and 2) because two days ago I experienced the tell-tale signs of an oncoming cold.  Making me even more doubtful was the fact that I tossed and turned all night because of my sniffles.  I just decided to take the pressure off myself and run it for experience.  My original intent had been to try for a qualifying time of 47:59 which would put me in Corral A in the Peachtree Road Race 10K.

The morning air was quite chilly, so I was thrilled when I found they were letting us wait inside the warm and cozy church until right before the start.  It also meant we had indoor plumbing - a runner's delight!  After scanning the crowd for a new friend I met on Daily Mile, I decided to head outside and do a little warm-up run just before the start.  I've noticed on my training runs that the first mile is always the slowest, so I decided a warm-up might help.

I still haven't really learned how to use my new Garmin Forerunner 410 sports watch, so I started fiddling with the settings.  Unfortunately, I forgot to lock in the satellite ahead of time, and it still hadn't set when the gun went off.  Therefore, I lost half a mile in tracking my time.

As I rounded the first mile, the timer called out 7:38.  I realized that I was really pushing it, but I felt okay.  Mile 2 and half of mile 3 were mostly downhill, so I sailed through them as quickly as possible.  I knew that the upcoming hills were going to be torture.  As I started up the first long, major hill, I slowed my pace and just tried to keep my breathing in control.  That mile was the hardest of the whole race.  I think I stopped and took short walk breaks three times.  However, they rested me enough to tackle the rest of the run.

A big part of running is psychological.  You're in the pack of runners, feeling all sorts of emotions.  I tried to tell myself that I was doing my best, and that no one can ask for more.  When I got tired, I just tried to focus on the fact that I was almost done.

A wonderful thing happened at the last two-tenths of a mile.  A nice man in a red shirt ran up beside me and said, "Come on, let's do this together."  He sped up.  I sped up.  He sped up some more, and I managed to keep pace.  I pushed it with everything I had!  Right as we crossed the finish line, he said, "You had more left in you than I thought!"  I was so very thankful to him for giving me that little push!  It was really, really great zooming across the finish line and shaving several seconds off the time I would have had.

Because my brain left me in that final sprint, I did not even think to look up at the clock.  The runner in red told me we finished in 49:05.  No matter what the official time is, I'm already sure that I beat my next best 10K time of 50:23!  Just knowing that makes me feel that all my training really is paying off.

In the past few weeks and months of training, I have made so many new runner friends.  They are all wonderful people, and they identify with me where most other people on this planet don't.  We celebrate with each other when results are good, we commiserate when one runner is injured or sick, and we watch each other's progress which makes us try even harder each week.

My next race is a half marathon in three weeks.  I'll write more about that in another post!

I finally got the courage to take the plunge and sign up for my first marathon.  It will be the Albany/Snickers Marathon in Albany, Georgia.  I chose this one because I heard it was nice and flat, not too far away, and far enough in the future to ensure adequate training time.

So, I now have 12 weeks to get myself ready.  All the sudden that doesn't seem like very much time.  The longest I have run is 20 miles.  This should make me feel more confident.  However, I recently suffered a set-back with my knee.  Specifically, I have developed what is commonly known as "runners' knee."  The week of Thanksgiving it got so bad that I decided to have it looked at by an orthopedist the next week just to make sure it wasn't something more serious.

Now I am going to physical therapy and trying to run/walk through the freezing mornings to keep up my mileage.  I feel sure the therapy will help a lot, but it's hard to face the fact that it's going to take time and patience, both of which are in short supply.

I figure that blogging about my runs will help me stay encouraged, focused, and honest with myself as to what I think I can accomplish.  So far this week I have logged 29 miles, but 40% of them have been walking miles.  I wish each day to be pain-free in my knee and am working to get there.

The only other thing that concerns me is how I will handle the extreme cold.  I'm just not much of a treadmill runner, especially when there are many miles to run in one session.  I also have no choice but to run in the early morning in the dark because I am a homeschooling mom.  Hopefully, as my walking miles turn into running miles, the cold will not be as problematic.  I do think I have the determination not to let this stop me from training.

Time will tell the full story though!

A Weekend of Memories: Old and New

I had the wonderful opportunity to go visit my best friend since middle school this weekend, and I seized upon it mercilessly!  I started the trip with a quick stop to the Big Peach Running Company, armed with a 10% off coupon courtesy of my best running buddy, Ken, I put myself in the capable hands of the shop pros.  They tested the arc of my feet and analyzed my tread on their testing equipment.  Then, out came a variety of shoes to try.  I left with a pair of Brooks DNA Ghost 4s.  I'll post a review Monday after my run.

The trip to the farm took me through Chattanooga and then through some back roads through a gorgeous mountain range.  I hardly stopped to look, though, because I was so eager to see my friend Kristin and her family.  Although they have lived out in San Jose, CA, for many years, they still travel once a year or so to visit Kris' parents and the farm that has been in her family since the early 1800s.

I met up with Kristin at her parents' house in McMinnville and we drooled over each other and told lies about how we still looked like teenagers.  Then we went in, toured the house, and shared family photos.  After a nice dinner and visit, we headed out to the farm, a 20-minute drive.  I couldn't see much in the dark, but I instantly felt right at home.

The next morning, Kristin's hubby, Philip, and I took a nice 4-mile run through the meadow and onto the back roads.  The first overgrown rutted track led us straight up a hill and I thought I was going to die before I even went a quarter of a mile.  However, we found the road and I found my stride.  Forty minutes later and we were back at the farm, steamy and smiling!

The rest of the day included delicious jambalaya, a tour of the farm, a nice swing in the front yard, and lots and lots of good conversation.  Kristin's family is wonderful.  Her kids are as sweet as they are beautiful!  I didn't expect anything less.  It is always so easy to pick back up from wherever we left off last.

This morning, Phil took Kristin and me for a WILD ride in the old pick-up truck, bouncing through the prairie and over to the spring.  It was so cool and dark among the rocks and water trickles.  We took a bunch of photos, some really nice and others quite goofy.  I couldn't wait to post them on Facebook!

It was very very hard to say goodbye when I left this afternoon, and I sort of felt like Cinderella turning back into a pumpkin.  I wish so very much that we could see each other more often.  I think our whole families would get along marvelously.  I'm just thankful for this time and hopeful there will be plenty more such times.  There's nothing like having a friend who knows just about all your deep, dark secrets and your shining moments as well, and can laugh and cry over them with you as needed.  Kris, I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!

Another steamy run

Okay, I'm ready to start posting some entries to this blog.  My usual running schedule involves a run every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I am planning to start adding in a Saturday run as well.  Wednesdays are usually a longer run.  Today I did 8.5 miles.  This is all in preparation to run my first half marathon on October 29.  Back in March, I started my annual training for the Peachtree Road Race 10K.  A friend told me about an iphone app called "Couch to 10K."  That sounded like a good plan, so I got the app and started doing what the gruff lady told me to do.  About mid-way through the training, though, I found a new running partner on the Silver Comet Trail, which is about a mile from my house.  Within a week, we had ditched the app and started running the whole 6 mile course we had mapped out.

Although I have run 19 Peachtree Road Races, I had never aspired to anything more.  This Summer, for some reason, I have caught the running fever!  I got a subscription to Runner's World magazine, bought some new running clothes, and started reading runners' blogs.  I have also set higher and higher goals.

The biggest road blocks I see in my future are needing to run in the cold (I'm a whimp!) and needing to run at times when Rob is not here to watch the kids.  These problems can be overcome, but I hope my motivation does not dwindle when school starts back and Mom is the teacher.  For now, though, I'm going full steam ahead!

Welcome to my blog!

I haven't quite moved in yet, but I'm getting there.  It is taking a little bit longer than I thought to make decisions about formats, backgrounds, etc.  Wish me luck!!