A year ago (actually March 14, 2010) Felice (The Happy Runner) organized a group of young mothers who had NEVER run before. She asked me and several local bloggers to help out.
I participated in the group training runs and got to follow them from the “wondering if they could run 2 minutes without stopping” stage to finally running a 5K race.
at the Freihofers Run for Women 5K
Well, they didn’t stop there!! They ran more 5ks and got faster!!! They ran a 10k!! Then they signed up to run a Half Marathon – in their first year of running!!!!!
Whoa!
I was so proud of them!! But at the same time, a little jealous… This is my 3rd year of running and I’m still entering 5ks!! (51 of them….) And I am happy when I break 30 minutes.
These ladies made me realize that I could push myself. So I did!!
I finished the Turkey Trot 5k well under 28 minutes!!
Then believe it or not, I ran a HALF MARATHON.
So thanks “Running Mamas” for lighting a fire under my feet!
Let me know when you sign up for a Marathon. I have no plans for running one…but you never know…
It’s Virtual and I have from March 14-March 26, 2011 to run 26.2 miles. I think I can do that….
After 3 days off (but 3 days of playing tennis), I ran today. The Daylight Savings Time is killing me because when I have after work commitments, it is too dark in the morning to run outside. Today it was raining, too.
So off to the gym to run 3 miles on the treadmill (23.2 to go). The Good Wife is on hiatus so my new favorite show is Fairly Legal.
I finally registered for the Lake George Half Marathon yesterday that I have been training for for the past 6 weeks…(it’s on April 23)
I haven’t run my 2nd half yet and I signed up for a 3rd Half Marathon (Adirondack Half Marathon)- it’s on September 25, 2011 and it goes half way around Schroon Lake. (The Half Marathon will begin at the 13.1 mile marker and will end at the Full Marathon Finish Line. The runners will run on the easier section of the marathon course. The first five to six miles are flat; then there are long, gentle hills on Route 9. Time to complete this race will be 5 hours.)
Am I nuts? Have I been possessed by the Ides of March?
At least I will have 2 months off before training for my 3rd half marathon. I will have to change my long runs to Thursdays after work to accommodate the boating season of July & August and I will be able still fit in my Sat 5k races. Yay!!!
(On another note – I haven’t run in 3 days!!! I am recovering from Daylight Savings Time and playing tennis 3 days in a row. Running begins tomorrow or else!!!)
Yesterday, I ran a 4 mile race and then 6 more miles, watched a tennis match, went grocery shopping, did laundry and went out to dinner.
I deserve a day to just relax.
So today I got up at 6:30 am (which was really 5:30am) and played tennis for an hour and a 1/2 with 3 guys. My hubby has a tennis match today and he begged me to sub for him. I thought I would be intimidated but the guys were nice and I had fun.
I went home & changed and then went to Paneras to have brunch with Mary, my running friend. I haven’t seen her since Nov. She has had a pulled calf muscle, hip problem, and now a stress fracture in her leg. She is so depressed but vows to run the half with me in Lake George on Apr 23.
After I got home, my mah jongg friend called to remind me that I promised to go to a new intro yoga class with her. So I changed my clothes again. The yoga class was just OK. Too much emphasis on breathing and not enough stretching. I’m going back to my Wed nite class.
I went home and changed my clothes for the 4th time to go watch my hubby’s tennis match. He won in a 3rd set tie breaker. YAY!! (He’s not a good loser!)
I can’t wait to go to work tomorrow. This rest is exhausting!!
Another new race for me. Not a new distance because I already ran a 4 mile race last month. So I was hoping to have a better time.
That is the course map – but had no idea if it would be hilly or flat. This is a very popular race. Around 800 registered which was a record.
The forecast was: Cloudy periods with scattered wet snow and/or rain showers. Nothing heavy. Highs 43-48
I was hoping for an hour of dry weather. (I’m a wimp about rain!!)
It was a challenge to decide what to wear and not be over dressed. I decided to wear tights, shorts, a turtle neck under my lime green half marathon shirt and bring a green sweatshirt, hat, gloves, just in case.
I received an e-mail that the parking would be difficult so I left extra early. I got a spot in the closest lot and hung out in the legion hall till the start of the race. I bumped into several runners that I knew.
I took some pics before the race and didn’t have a pocket to carry my camera during the race.
You can see that you don’t run this race for the scenery. Green Island is an old factory town.
The weather seemed colder than I had thought – it was damp and cloudy. I decided to wear my green sweatshirt, cap & gloves for the race. I was fine – just a little warm toward the end.
The course, though not scenic, was pretty flat. I thought that I would not race since I had planned to run 10 miles today. But as soon as the race started, I wanted to do well. I also wanted to do better than my last and 1st 4 mile race. So I just ran!!!
When you finished, there was a screen with the LIVE results – mine said: 37:56.
My splits according to my Garmin were:
mile 1 9:06 mile 2 9:46 mile 3 9:40 mile 4 9:24
I got nervous after the 1st mile than I would run out of gas so I slowed down. Then I wanted to PR so I sped up during the last mile.
My Garmin time was 37:56 but the clock time was 38:02. I’ll take it. It’s a PR by 2 minutes 9 sec.!!
You can watch me cross the finish line on video (at 2:35):
I grabbed some food and water and left to complete my long run.
I parked my car at work and ran into Albany and ran around Washington Park and through the streets for 6 more miles.
The St Patrick’s Day parade had ended and there were a lot of drunk people and people wearing funny green outfits & accessories! Pretty entertaining.
I didn’t continue at my race pace, of course. (The 6 miles were all over 11 min/mi) But it is my best long run ever. I didn’t need to walk much. I think the 4 mile race was just what I needed.
Last week I ran 9 miles in 1:54. Today I ran 10 miles in 1:45!!
To celebrate, I stopped at Starbucks. A cocoa cappuccino and a tiramisu cake pop – YUM YUM!!!
On the way home, I stopped to watch my USTA tennis team play its first match of the season. We lost 3-2 (in a tie breaker). I play next Sunday.
Now it’s time to spend time with the hubby – restaurant and maybe a movie.
It hasn’t been the snowiest winter on record but it has been the snowiest of my running career. (I’ve been running for 3 years but this is the first winter I’ve attempted to run outdoors.)
This is what the website says about Yak Trax Pro:
Features:
Easy On/Off
Walk Naturally
Spikeless/Ultralight
Helps reduce the Risk of Falls & Injuries
Yaktrax have a unique, spikeless, patented coil design, unlike other products on the market.
The Yaktrax Pro will instantly give you better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice. Move about naturally with the same solid grip that you are accustomerd to on dry surfaces. Walk or run as you normally would and experience stability on ice and snow like you have never felt before.
Made with high strength, abrasion resistant 1.4mm steel coils and heavy duty natural rubber material, the Yaktrax Pro easily conforms to the shape of your boot or shoe. With its patented SkidLock coil design, the Yaktrax Pro provides 360 degrees of traction on packed snow and ice and can be worn in temperatures as low as -41° Fahrenheit.
We’ve recently had a lot of ice and snow where I live. The streets are clear but behind my house is the “water line” which is a trail for walking. running & snowmobiling. Perfect for testing the Yak Trax!!
I had a little difficulty getting them on but if I read the directions, I wouldn’t have.
I expected them to feel clunky but they didn’t at all. I quickly ran just as normally as without them. The best part was that I was able to run through the snow, slush and ice and I didn’t slip and fall!!!
So if you hate the treadmill but are afraid to run on the slippery roads, Yak Trax are for you!!!
Spring should be here soon!! But I will be using Yak Trax Pros next winter.
Note: I was sent these free of charge to review. However, the opinion is solely mine.
To win a pair of Yak Trax Pro (S), here’s what to do:
Mandatory-
Subscribe by Email or Follow the Feed to my My First 5K Blog (+1 comment)
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I signed up for Detroit Runner’s Virtual 5k which was supposed to be run on Saturday, March 5. Saturday I did my long run and then Monday I ran 4 miles on the treadmill.
So yesterday I ran my 5K race.
I was tired of the treadmill at the gym so I braved the 14 degree temps at 7 am in the morning. I dressed in my usual winter layers and hoped that the roads wouldn’t be too icy.
They weren’t – just here and there you had to slow down and walk over the icy patches.
Ever since October when I started training for my first half marathon, my pace has slowed to a crawl – sometimes over 12 min/mile. Always over 11 min. That’s OK for long runs but not for a 5K.
Even when I was training for 5ks, my runs were slower than my actual race pace. I can’t seem to motivate myself to not stop when I get tired. In a race, I can push myself because I am very competitive.
So on this cold morning, with teary eyes and runny nose, I finished at 32:19. Not even close to my 27:20 PR but under 11 min/mi is a good run for me these days. (The last mile was 10:15)
Today it was raining!! I stayed after work and used the treadmill. For the first time!! Yes, we have 2 treadmills at work. They are on the stage in the gym. Lucky the curtain is closed. It is dark and there are no TVS and no people. Kinda creepy. I watched an episode on “The Good Wife” on my iPod and ran my usual SLOOOOOW 3 miles.
Tomorrow is a REST DAY! I have a race on Saturday — Runnin of the Green – 4 miles. A new race for me!! I’m excited!
Life before running was tennis tennis tennis and more tennis. I played almost everyday. I played on at least 4 teams. My friends were mostly tennis players.
USTA 2.5 team 2002
USTA 3.0 team 2010
In 2008, 2 of my tennis friends introduced me to running through the No Boundaries program. Ever since, I’m been obsessed with running.
Slowly, my tennis time has decreased and my running time increased.
Now I play tennis only once or twice a week. I play on one team.
I run 4 time a week. I run in at least 15 races per year. I have even run a Half Marathon. When I go into a sports store, I leave with running clothes and running shoes instead of tennis clothes. I now have running friends.
I don’t keep up my tennis blog but post almost daily in this blog.
So tonite was the kick off dinner for the USTA season. I sat with all my friends and they talked about the upcoming season & how we hope to win it all.
Me? I thought about my run tomorrow morning and my next half marathon.
The only thing good about snow days if that I can sleep in and then go to the gym later. That is what I did yesterday on my surprise snow day.
My hubby drove me, waited while I ran 4 miles on the treadmill and then we went out to breakfast.
Eventually the sun came out and started melting things but left the ice hanging from all the trees.
This morning I had planned to run a quick 3 miles on the slushy roads before work but I couldn’t get out of bed!!!! Tennis tonite…tomorrow I am gonna run!!!!!
My First 5K and More... 
